Chapter Text
When he wakes up in the morning, beneath his fraying quilts, staring up at his water-stained ceiling and with his nose running terribly from the cold weather; Severus Snape does not expect his birthday to be any different from the bleak days before or the ones that would follow. Curling close, he tries to conserve warmth his body doesn't have and bursts from his bed skidding on the worn rug from his bed to the ancient wardrobe on the other side of the room. Quickly yanking open a crooked drawer, he pulls out a pair of threadbare socks and puts them on. Reluctantly, he wriggles his toes before stepping off his rug and to the shockingly cool floors. Hissing through the gap where a bottom lateral tooth should be, he slides the rug back to its spot with a practiced stroke of his leg.
Satisfied, he nods his head and turns back to his dresser. Opening a couple more drawers, he rummages around looking for a half-way decent sweater, (one without too many holes, too thin at the elbows, or too short at his wrists and waist) eventually, he comes across glaringly red one that has only a stretched collar and a couple of holes about halfway up the sleeves. Studying it, Severus doesn't recall ever seeing this sweater before; maybe a birthday gift? Mother's been known to leave him presents in such a way; lest father find them strewn about to find fault with. Letting the barest of smiles flash upon his pallid cheeks, Severus tears off his nightshirt (mother's old shirt) and quickly puts on the sweater; trying to save his body from a full-blown case of goose pimples. He then trots to his desk, pulling on his jeans from the other day and the cracked boots that fit a bit too snuggly on his feet.
Snatching mother's book from his desk, Severus tucks it under a loose floorboard and vacates his room.
Coming into the kitchen, Severus walks to the oven where mother is finishing with a pot of boiling eggs and stands on his toes to press a kiss to her ever-taunt face. "Thank you mother." He says to her, she sends him the slightest of smiles and shoos him off with a wriggling finger to set the table.
Severus obliges her and places the chipped plates at his, mother's, and father's spot then pours father his mug of tea and gets out the milk for mother and himself. Father lumbers in and mother hurries to put the plate of toast and bowl of eggs on the table as Severus slides into his seat. With squinted eyes, Tobias Snape takes a swig of his tea and demands, "Where's my paper?"
Mother turns, picking it up from the counter. "Right here Toby," she murmurs placing the newspaper in his grubby fingers.
Severus silently helps himself to the toast and tries not to scowl as father glares at mother. Chipping at her egg with non-existent nails, mother casually inquires, "What do you want for your birthday dinner, Severus?"
Father's eyes raise from his paper and Severus glances between his mother's almost hopeful eyes and father's warning glare. "I-I," he stammers, "Whatever you have planned is good, mum." He sighs.
"That's right, whatever slop she cooks is what you get," Tobias agrees going back to his page. Mother seems to dull and Severus bites his lip, wondering what he can possibly do to make it up to her when-an owl swoops into the drab kitchen through the window that never latches properly.
Father's up in an instant, hollering at the top of his lungs, "Bloody hell!" Severus, though, stays in his seat staring with astonishment at the creature. He knows why it's here, mother's told him a thousand times about her own letter-and now it's his turn. Reaching up with yearning fingers, a handsomely sealed letter floats into his grasp and with eagerness uncommon to him, Severus wretches the letter open skimming the contents with happy disbelief.
"'m a wizard!" He laughs and his eyes find mother's to see they shine brighter than he's ever seen them. Hugging the treasure to his chest, he asks in hushed tones, "Does this mean I'll get to have my own wand?"
The front door slams, knocking the mother and child from their euphoria; scrambling from their chairs, the pair rush to the front room window to see Tobias Snape driving away. They watch in silence as the man disappears around the corner. Shakily, mother whispers, "He'll come back, you know your da doesn't care for magic; he just needs time..."
All cheer abandoning him, Severus numbly bows his head; "Yeah, you're right," Severus lies.
A few days later, Severus twists his swing side to side on the playground as other children mill about waiting for the morning bell. Gravel scatters and he glances up to see the beacon of light he's always known as Lily. Smile wide and just for him, she inquires with youthful confidence, "How's it going Sev?"
Severus's eyes grow vacant as he recalls the past weekend, father hadn't returned that night, or the morning after for that matter. Severus did his best to console his crushed mother, (but, it was hard to feel sympathy when all he could remember of the man was his sharp knuckles bruising his pale skin and the smell of gin on his breath). Shaking his head, Severus drags himself back to the present and to Lily's inquisitive, verdant eyes. "My da's gone," He tells her.
Lily's perfect lips pucker in a confused pout. "Gone?" She repeats.
Gesturing with his arms, Severus elaborates, "Took the car and just left."
Lily's head tilts and with increasingly uneasy eyes, she thinks to ask, "Why?"
Gulping, Severus looks to his feet in shame, (after all, very few children can make their father's leave by simply getting an acceptance letter to a school-magic or otherwise) "I got an acceptance letter to Hogwarts."
The girls eyes shine like summer's come early. "The magic school?" She implores in awed tones.
Severus's lips tilt in faint pleasure. "Yeah, that one," he concurs.
Lily quiets then, seemingly fallen into some deep thought. "Are you sad?" She finally inquires.
Severus opens his mouth, however, he doesn't say anything right away. Is he sad? No, maybe a bit ashamed, maybe a bit angry on his mother's behalf, but all in all, he's relieved. "No, not especially."
With a sage nod of her head, Lily grins at him, all her verdant eyes' focus solely on him. "Then I'm happy for you." She gushes and for the first time, Severus beams at her.
"Thanks." He acknowledges, taking Lily's outstretched hand to pull him from the sagging swing.
Their two hands stay linked, (even after the school bell rings).