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bush-viper-cutie · 3 years

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Chapter Two: Meeting the Neighbors

Pairing: Snape x OC

Word Count: 2,755

Rating: E

Plot: Severus has chores to do and no magic to do them with. Luckily his father had met one of the neighbors the day before.

Warnings: none

A/N: Snapetober! I will be posting chapters often to this slice of life gothic slow-burn romance I have in my head :D Not following any prompts but I hope the general atmosphere of these chapters are spooky? Mixed with some gothic… maybe some supernatural elements ahead ;) Enjoy :D

Hope everyone has a spooky day :) (also I made a mistake on his age but I fixed it. he’s 20 not 22 XD oops)

Posted: 10/5/21

Chapter List

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~*~*~ = time skip

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~*~*~ = POV change

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Severus woke with a headache and could hardly convince himself to get out of bed. He was starving and dehydrated and his body was punishing him severely. He groaned and sat up blinking several times in confusion before remembering where he was.

The window to his left was letting in a cool stream of morning light, illuminating the chipped planks of wood making up the floor. Every corner of the room was still shrouded in darkness however, reminding him to look for some sort of lamp - oil or candlelight, he'd make do with anything - so that he wasn't at the mercy of the house windows all day long. There were no electrical plugs anywhere, no electricity, and the vents weren't even connected to any heating. He almost felt sorry for whatever servant had once lived in this room.

He stood and groaned, holding his stomach, willing the pain down with the promise of soggy sausages that awaited him in the kitchen - if there were any left that is. He made his way down, stumbling around corners in corridors without windows until he found the kitchen. It had one giant pane of glass on one side that illuminated a third of the room which was enough to spot the pot sitting out for him with what little leftovers there were.

He grabbed a bowl and spoon out of a box and ladled in a cup of tinted water and four slices of sausage. He pinched his lips together, looking at his 'meal'. He was going to starve in this house. He grumbled and began eating slowly, trying to savor the light seasoning of the watery broth.

He had no idea what his father had planned for this new stage of their lives. How would he make money now that he'd been laid off? He didn't let his wife work, and Severus had no skills in laborious work or any muggle trade. What could this town have to offer them besides a cheap style of living? The image of all those chopped trees flooded his mind and he could picture his father chopping more down to sell. Unlike Severus, he had a strong build made stronger from years of physical labor at the factory. Even the strongest and most intense Quidditch players in Hogwarts couldn't compare their builds to Tobias.

He chewed the last sausage slice slowly. There were enough trees around them, he supposed. And they could try to sell firewood or whole logs for construction... but where was the town? He had seen no sign of civilization during the two-hour drive. He tried to remember the road and how they'd turned early into their long drive up to the house... The nearest town was likely through this forested road, though he wasn't sure how long a drive - or walk in his case.

His hip was starting to hurt from leaning on the counter and decided to relax on an old wobbly stool and drink up the remainder of the watered-down broth. When he was finished he left the bowl in the rusted sink and sighed again. It was the worst breakfast he'd ever had.

He looked around and spotted a candle jammed at an angle into a holder and matchsticks on the counter. He took them and lit the candle, searching for his chores list that his mother had said would be around. It was there by the gleaming fridge and had about ten different things he needed to do.

He read it aloud, tiring of the silence that had surrounded him for several weeks now. "'Window damage in the library', 'Rugs with holes take them out', 'wood for stove' - " Severus pinched his nose. He was a Hogwarts graduate, a more than capable wizard, and yet he was now stuck doing meaningless tasks for his rotten parents and their rotten house.

What infuriated him further was the lack of magic he had on hand. Not just now, however, but his whole horrible life. His mother hadn't had her wand snapped, she was still legally allowed to practice and where was she? Living as muggle a life as she could and for what? To eat water with sausage flavoring? To lounge in bed all day long because there was nothing of a life to live while being starving and poor? Why even move to this house if it would just be more upkeep that they weren't going to do?

He wanted to burn this house down but instead settled for finding these 'rugs' since it seemed like the easiest thing on the list. He wandered around the first floor in silence - the whole house was quiet and he knew that while he was working his parents would remain asleep until they felt like getting up.

The first rug he spotted was in the third corridor leading away from the kitchen. It had a giant hole in the middle like leaves sometimes did during autumn and spring. He looked around in search of any more signs of moths fluttering about but all was still. He rolled it up and dragged it out of the house, cursing his life as he worked up a sweat.

The next hour was spent dragging out damaged rugs while dreaming of what he could be doing instead as a wizard in the world he was meant to be living in. At one point his anger had gotten the better of him and the rug he was dragging across the foyer exploded into miniature pieces of fabric that rained down on him like confetti.

"Looks like I still have magic in me," he whispered. A sob escaped his lips. It was hard being wandless, basically magicless, he felt like an entire section of himself had been sliced off. An entire world had been cut away from him all because he attempted to find something he'd always wanted, acceptance and family, even if he had to buy it. He clenched his fists and picked up his candle. He needed to find a broom now before his mother came down.

He walked down corridors opening several doors, finding the library, a sitting room, a study, and no closets. He thought a moment. It would have been servants who had brooms, and those rooms were near his own. Maybe there might be old brooms left behind from when whatever pampered Lord owned this mansion.

He walked back to the stairs and headed up. He reached his corridor and started with the first door, but it was locked. He went for the second, and then the third but they were all closed tight. The room across from his was unlocked however and he entered it.

The sudden swing of the door as he stepped in disturbed the air and kicked up clumps of dust that skidded across the floor. In the middle of the room were a broom and dustpan. He took them in his arm and headed down again.

~*~*~

After cleaning up the mess he'd made with the rug, he headed into the library to find the 'window damage'. What his parents expected him to do about it was beyond him.

Retracing his steps from earlier, he found the library again and held the candle up high. There was little light in the room but he could still make out the tall shelves of books. The book cases were solid mahogany and there were empty sconces nailed near the tops of several of them. Servents or maybe maids would have needed ladders to light them. The ceiling was domed and painted cool colors. There were a few dark wooden desks on either side with more piles of dusty, old books and quills in dried-up ink wells. He touched one and felt instant sadness.

He set his candle down and walked over to a shelf. He pulled a few down a book and paged through it. "Muggles," he mumbled. Nothing useful and nothing he could entertain himself with. He set it down on the desk and turned to the windows, only one was uncovered.

He pulled back several curtains and more light filtered through. He pulled back the last curtain and grumbled. There was a whole tree branch sticking through the window. There was clear damage to the wood frame as well where the thick branch had punched through.

"Ha," he laughed. What was he supposed to do with this? He took the list and a small pencil he'd found on one of the shelves and wrote 'Yes' next to the task.

What was his mother expecting of him? He didn't have a wand to repair it to its original state and he sure as hell didn't know how to do it the muggle way.

"Merlin..." Severus closed his eyes and fell to his knees. Tears streaked down his cheeks. 'The muggle way'? Was this what he was left with? Was this his life now? He let his body go limp and fall to the dirty floor, his black hair splaying out like an inky mop.

He squeezed his eyes tight and let himself drown in sorrow, at the loss of himself. He was a wizard, he felt it on his bones so why was he here? Why does the punishment for existing never end? He sniffed and sat up, still staring at the ground, watching the shadows of trees dance on the wood floor.

He was transfixed, watching the shapes of leaves swaying in the wind when a silhouette of a head came into view. He turned suddenly, fearing it was his father checking up on his chores. He stood ready to explain himself but there was no one outside.

He stepped closer to the window and gripped the smooth wood frame as he searched. He could see the flat clover-covered ground with a few weeds pushing through. Beyond that were the dense woods and their shadows. He squinted, almost pressing his nose to the cold pane of glass, and jumped when a loud knocking sounded through the house. Someone was at the door.

He crossed the library and poked his head out of the room. He heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and then walk across the wood floor. His father was going to answer it.

The front door creaked open and his father's voice boomed throughout the house. "'Bout time."

Severus relaxed and made his way to the front entrance, staying in the darkness of the corridor to stay hidden from view of anyone.

A man a head shorter than Tobias apologized for the long wait. "Whole town's been needing repairs still. The windstorm last week did some real damage from here down to the river."

Tobias grunted. "We negotiated a price, for just the one window. That still the deal?"

The man looked awkwardly to his left, at something beyond Severus's view, and nodded. "We'll call it a neighbor's discount." The man attempted a smile but it faltered as Tobias gave no friendly response.

"Severus!" His father's voice boomed again.

Severus jumped where he stood and waited a few seconds before appearing before them. His father squinted at him and frowned disapprovingly but did not verbalize his thoughts.

"Show 'em the library." Tobias looked at the man one last time and walked outside, leaving Severus alone with the stranger.

The man stepped in and, to Severus' shock, so did a girl. He pinned her age at around his own. She had long hair and faded purple overalls over a black shirt, she had on muddy boots and matching purple socks. The man stepped forward and extended his hand towards him.

"Your father mentioned yesterday that you'd help me but I hope you don't mind I brought my daughter to help instead. She's normally my assistant with such things."

Severus hid his surprise and took his hand. "Not at all," he put extra effort into sounded like Lucius and his friends. He always tried putting distance between his father and himself - physical as well as societal. Anything that made him stand out as better educated, better tempered, and more intelligent was worth the extra act. The man took his hand back and smiled, Severus held his hands behind his back and stood up straighter. He tipped his head and motioned for the corridor with his hand, "Shall we?"

Severus showed them to the library and held the door open. The man looked around and spotted the troubled window immediately.

"We'll have to cut that branch first before removing that whole window. We'll keep it at the price though, on us."

His daughter gave him a pointed look but he waved his hand at her dismissively. "Let's measure it up before we leave for the chainsaw."

The girl took out a measuring tape from one pocket of her overalls and a notepad from her other. She reached around Severus to a shelf behind him making him jump at the sudden closeness, though he regained his composure - and waved the newly acquired pencil with an amused smile. Severus looked away towards her father as his cheeks heated.

Her father took the tape and began measuring the window frame, mumbling numbers that his daughter seemed to understand perfectly. Severus watched them work as a team from several feet behind them. He remembered when he was younger helping his father build their kitchen table and moving around each other with ease, much like them. His father had shown him how to hammer nails, though he'd needed help holding the tool up.

"Alright, we'll be back then," the man said, turning around. He marched his way out of the room with confidence while his daughter smiled apologetically on his behalf.

"He makes himself at home quite easily."

Severus nodded at her and held the library door open for her to follow her father. As she passed he caught a whiff of cinnamon and apples. He swallowed and followed her down the hall, almost tripping on a bend in the rug - the only one that survived - and catching himself on the wall.

She turned her head to look at him and he stilled and straightened pretending that nothing was the matter. They continued and reached the door where her father stood waiting.

"We'll be right back then - er - I'm sorry I am blanking on your name."

His daughter laughed at her father and stepped forward, extending her hand to Severus again. "That's because you forgot to ask for his name and give him ours the first time," she said to her father.

Severus took her hand and noted how soft it felt, not a callous to be felt. He looked back into her eyes and cleared his throat, "Severus Snape." She smiled at him, making his cheeks heat again.

"I'm Millie and this is my father, Vincent."

"Everyone in town calls me Vince." Hugh stepped forward and shook Severus' hand again. "Will you be at the door or shall we let ourselves in?"

Severus thought about unpacking his things, or maybe digging around the woods to see what mushrooms grew around, though Millie's curious eyes and the way they looked over him made him nod. "I'll be here."

"Perfect then," and Vince left with Millie at his heels.

She looked back at Severus and gave a small 'see you' wave. He waved back and closed the door behind them.

He stood there for a few seconds before looking down at what he was wearing, he didn't remember what he'd chosen he only hoped it wasn't anything stained or ripped. He sighed, relieved that it happened to be his best kept clothes; regular black trousers, a spotless white button-down, and his grey Hogwarts sweater. He must not have been thinking this morning and dressed absentmindedly...

He stepped back and walked to the stairs, sitting on the bottom step and waited for them to return.

~*~*~

Millie and her father were halfway down the old Rotson Manor drive before she decided to break the silence. "Did you see the emblem on his sweater?" she whispered.

Her father continued down for several seconds, extended his hand down to touch a dead tree, and pulled at the bark. He examined it and kept walking. "We'll just fix up the window before night and leave 'em be."

She nodded and followed her father down the drive, turning to see if Severus was watching them from any of the windows. He wasn't.

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bush-viper-cutie · 3 years

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“The Waiting Game” || YEAR 3 – Ch.41 (HP au)

Chapter List

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Day posted: 10/2/2021

Word count: 3,484

Relationship: EVENTUAL severus X oc (slow burn)

Rating: E for everyone

Warnings: none

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A/N: This is my first fan fic I’m writing mainly as a way to practice. This is a retelling of the hp books with an inserted character. Although most every character will be written about, this is mostly for the pro snape fandom. Please do not fear, although this is a severus x oc story, it is an incredibly slow burn as I do not intend for them to get together at all until after the final book events. Chapters will be posted twice a week.

This derivative work follows the events of the Harry Potter books by Jk Rowling and is intended as a fun way to practice my writing. Thank you for reading :D

Back with the next chapter! Happy Snapetober :D have a very spooky day :o

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Heather rubbed her eyes and when she opened them again, she could see blurs of color streaking all around her. Harry was looking around as well, while Hermione focused on the little hourglass, watching it spin on its own. Heather felt tingles all around her skin, like a heaviness was in the air, except she also felt incredibly light, like she could fly away if not held down by the gold chain around her neck, even as she felt pressed on and squeezed down by the blurs of colors.

Just as suddenly as the air became heavy, it stopped. The hard ground was suddenly present under her shoes and the weight of her body was once again felt by her knees and heels. Hermione pulled the chain off them and tucked it in her shirt once more.

“Oh good, we haven’t drifted very far – it sometimes happens.” Hermione walked to the window and looked out into the dim sunlight that had replaced the darkness of a clouded night.

Heather looked down at where she stood with Harry, noticing that they were only standing a few tiles away from the foot of Harry’s bed, where they began. “Drifted? What… Hermione what’s going on? What just happened?”

Hermione came back to stand before them and looked down at her shoes nervously. “Well, sometimes when going back in time I get pushed around, because the space is suddenly taken – ”

Harry laughed. “Back in time? We’re back in time? Then – Then we can save Sirius!”

Heather heard Madam Pomfrey’s office door open and she quickly pulled them with her as she ran for the hospital doors. They pushed through it and closed it quickly. “Professor Dumbledore said not to be seen, remember. We can’t stay in one spot too long.”

Hermione nodded. “We need to go down to Hagrid’s before WE do.”

Harry looked at her like she’d gone crazy. “Before we do what?”

Heather snorted. “No, we, as in us, need to go down to Hagrid’s before we, as in them, do.” Hermione nodded at her explanation.

Harry nodded with a tight frown. “We went back in time which means we’re in two places at once… Right… Course.”

They made their way down, sticking to shadows and jumping into empty rooms on occasion, and stopped at the stairs before the entrance hall. Hermione pulled them against the wall and leaned forward, peaking from behind a smooth stone pillar.

“I hear us,” she whispered, still peeking around the corner. “We’re under the invisibility cloak… going down the stairs…”

Heather ran her tongue over her teeth, very annoyed. Being a 3rd year wizard, she wasn’t at all annoyed about the sudden concept of time travel, or that she had been pulled into it without an explanation prior… it was the fact that last year Hermione felt very hurt about Heather not telling her of trying out for the team and now? Now she keeps TIME TRAVEL all to herself?

Except I’m also keeping secret about going over to Draco’s, she thought. But it’s not the same.

“So when did you get that hourglass thing?” Heather tried to bite back the bitterness from her words.

Hermione didn’t seem to notice, still waiting for the other them to exit the castle. “It’s called a time-turner actually.” She paused and this time did look back at them. “I got it the first day… when Professor McGonagall talked to me…” Seeing the look of fury on Heather’s face, Hermione quickly continued. “She had me swear not to tell anyone! She had to write all sorts of letters and fill out endless forms to convince the Ministry to lend me one! I swear I’ve been doing nothing fun with it, I just do hours over again so I can attend all my lessons. I swear it.”

Heather tasted iron and had to release her tongue from the bite of her teeth before she bit it clean off. “But how could you not tell me! I could have asked for one too!” Her eyes widened. “I could have found when Professor Snape gave Malfoy lessons!”

Hermione shook her head. “You couldn’t! Professor McGonagall had to convince the Ministry I was a model student and – ”

“And I’m not?”

“It’s just that Snape would have had to do that too!”

Heather couldn’t picture Professor Snape doing any such thing. In fact, he might have taken the opportunity to do the complete opposite for her AND Harry. Still she crossed her arms and didn’t look at Hermione. “We were both the top students in our year… And now you’ve gone and gotten ahead of me.” The very idea of falling behind made her clench her fists even more.

Harry shifted beside them. “We’ve gone through the door… but what now?”

Heather put aside her anger and shook her head. “Three hours ahead is more than enough time to save Sirius…”

Hermione nodded. “There must be something he wants us to fix around now.”

Harry bit his lip and moved his glasses up. “Three hours ago we walked down to Hagrid’s and… and Buckbeak was executed.” He looked like he was holding back tears.

Heather put her hand on his shoulder and shook him. “This IS three hours ago. Buckbeak hasn’t been executed yet!”

Hermione’s eyes lit up. “He wants us to save Buckbeak!”

The three of them smiled and headed after the other them at a careful distance. Outside, hiding behind the doors and pressed up against the stone wall, they paused.

“If anyone’s looking outside the windows…” Hermione shook her head. “We’ll get caught.”

“No one is,” Heather took a cautious step forward, then another. They all held their breaths for what seemed like minutes, waiting for something – anything – to happen. Heather turned and released her breath finally. “I would have gotten caught now already, and Professor Snape would have known about me being outside then and he didn’t, remember?”

Harry was frowning and scratching his forehead but nodded. “Right. Well then just in case, we’ll go around behind the greenhouses, head into the forest, and run down to Hagrid’s that way.”

The nodded and sprinted off after him. They darted through the gardens, ducked behind the glass sheds, and dove into the forest, pausing only long enough at the edge of the tree line just to make sure they hadn’t been spotted, and took off towards Hagrid’s, jumping over roots and fallen branches as they went.

They ran through the forest’s edge fast and stopped behind the great oak just outside Hagrid’s pumpkin patch. As far as Heather could tell, looking every which way carefully, they had made it unseen and wouldn’t be seen so long as they remained there.

Harry was looking at Hagrid’s door as it opened. Heather sighed heavily, seeing Hagrid looking so white with dread. We’ll save Buckbeak, she promised him silently. The door to Hagrid’s hut closed and the other them should be inside now.

“Every year it just gets weirder and weirder,” Harry whispered.

Heather nodded, crouching to his left. “Every year YOU get weirder and weirder.”

Harry scoffed and shoved her to the ground, rolling his eyes. Heather grumbled and scrambled back behind the oak, taking a spot next to Hermione.

“Let’s get nearer Buckbeak.” Hermione scampered off to another great oak and Heather followed behind. She peered around its massive trunk and nodded. “We’ll wait until the committee people come, and only then will we free him.”

“Why not now?” Harry whispered, coming up behind them.

“Because when we left we saw him, remember?” Heather looked up at Harry who shook his head but said yes. “And if we take him now, they’ll think Hagrid did it.”

They jumped at the sound of broken glass and turned towards the hut.

Hermione put a hand to her heart and sighed. “Hagrid’s broken the milk jug… in a moment I’ll find Scabbers and – ”

Heather jumped at the realization. If she grabbed him now… then it would fix everything! If she took him now, Sirius would be free, no dark lord’s servant would be returning tonight, and Harry would remain perfectly safe away from any potential form of Voldemort. Already thrice he’s tried to kill Harry, and there was no way Heather would risk another attempt, not when it would be so simple as taking a rat from Ron’s hands.

They heard the other Hermione shriek and before Heather could put more thought into it, she stood and took a step out from around the tree.

“No!” Hermione hissed and pulled her back by the waist. “It’s against wizarding law! No one is permitted to change time, no one!”

Heather huffed and struggled against Hermione, who was clinging to her as if clinging to a twisting weathervane at the top of a very tall roof. “But he’ll get away!”

Hermione shook her head vigorously. “It’ll change time and they’ll see you!”

Hearing the direness of Hermione’s voice, Harry helped pull Heather back. Once back around the oak, Harry frowned, unconvinced. “But it’s only us… Us and Hagrid. Surely we’d understand – ”

“Professor McGonagall told me that awful things happened when wizards meddled with time. They almost always end up killing their past or present selves by mistake!” Hermione panted and finally let go of Heather.

She slid back to the ground and tisked. “I wouldn’t have.”

“I suppose I might have.” Harry quickly waved away Heather’s shocked expression. “Well I might have thought it was some form of dark magic.”

Hermione pointed behind them, past the few trees hiding them from sight. Heather turned and watched three figures leaved the castle and begin heading down along the trail. Something tall reflected the sun’s light above the last one’s head, and she shuddered.

“We’ll be coming out soon.” Harry whispered.

Sure enough, just as Professor Dumbledor and the execution-ing party came close enough, the four of them headed out of Hagrid’s hut - although it wouldn’t seem so to others who had not lived through that memory, for only Harry’s and Ron’s heads floated about as they begged Hagrid to let them talk to Fudge and the executioner. Hagrid waved his hairy mane from side to side and pulled the cloak over the floating heads.

She watched the grass flatten in patches up towards the school. It almost pained her to think about the memory she was witnessing herself experience. She both longed to reach out, warn her of what she needed to focus on, and run away from the creeping feeling of this living breathing other who looked exactly like her. In that moment, she had never been gladder to be a fraternal twin, and not an identical one like Fred and George.

The back door to Hagrid’s hut must have been left ajar, because they could hear the cold voice of Macnair asking where the violent beast was.

“He’s outside,” Hagrid croaked.

The three of them jumped back behind the tree as Macnair’s face appeared at the window, searching for Buckbeak.

“I – er- We have to read you the official notice of execution… I’ll make it quick, Hagrid – but Macnair you must listen as well,” Fudge said. “You’ll both need to sign it…”

Macnair moved away from the window.

“Has to be now,” Heather whispered to them, keeping her eyes on the window just in case.

“I’ll do it,” Harry whispered back. “Wait here.”

Harry darted out from behind the tree before Heather could stop him. “How!” she hissed. Fudge’s voice started up again as Harry vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch. “Careless,” she mumbled to herself.

“Quickly,” Hermione tilted her head towards the wooden chest at the foot of the fence that Harry had stepped on to get over the top.

“ – and as it is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, it is declared that Buckbeak – who will hereafter be called the condemned – shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown – “

Heather held open the heavy, weathered lid, careful of splinters, while Hermione plugged her nose and took out three freshly killed ferrets – only a few flies orbited with the stench. Heather closed the lid silently and kept her eyes on the window as Hermione climbed over the fence. Once over, Heather ducked down and followed the fence towards it’s gate. She was sure, if they could get Buckbeak to move at all, they would need to walk him out – although in this case, flying would be more ideal.

“ – sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee’s appointed executioner, Walden Macnair – “

Heather pulled out the wooden stick that worked as a lock for the gate and carefully swung it open. She spotted Harry and Hermione struggling with Buckbeak, who seemed very unwilling to move from his little patch among the giant pumpkins.

“Hurry!” Heather waved them over, sweat dripping down her brow from the anxiety. If they got in trouble now and were forced to do detention, they’d never save Sirius in time.

“ – as witnessed below – Hagrid you sign here – “

Finally, Buckbeak seemed to register the tasty treats Hermione was waving in front of his face and began to take a step forward, and then another.

“Let’s get this over with then,” Macnair’s eager voice carried through the walls, adding to Heather’s growing panic. “Perhaps you should stay inside, Hagrid.”

Buckbeak was now halfway through the patch with Harry pulling on his rope as hard as he could and Hermione waving around the dead ferrets.

“No, I – I think – I wan’ ter be with him… He won’ go through ‘is alone,” Hagrid sobbed.

Footsteps echoed through the cabin and Heather could almost hear the protest in her stomach. She covered her mouth, both as a way to stop from hurling and to keep from yelling at them to move it!

“Buckbeak! Move!” Harry hissed as the creature took another cautious step.

“One moment, please, Macnair.” Dumbledore’s voice halted the footsteps. “You must sign here as well.” The footsteps echoed again but seemed to be moving deeper into Hagrid’s hut.

Harry reached the gate and Heather took the rope with him, pulling as hard as she could against Buckbeak’s impressive strength.

“Come now, Buckbeak, you want these treats!” Hermione waved them around again.

One of them dropped from her hands, and before she could bend down to pick it back up, Buckbeak had swooped his neck down and snatched it up to fling into the air in one quick motion. The ferret landed face down into Buckbeak’s open beak and swallowed it down in one bite. That seemed to have convinced him he was better off following them because immediately his steps quickened towards the next tasty bite.

Heather let go of the rope and let Harry and Hermione coerce the creature into the trees while she re-secured the stick on the gate before bolting back into the trees as the back door of Hagrid’s hut creaked open.

Heather stood stark still with Harry and Hermione as Buckbeak finished off the second ferret. Everything was silent until -

“Where’s the beast?” Fudge’s voice broke the silence.

“It – It was tied there! I saw it! Just there! It’s – ”

“Extraordinary,” Professor Dumbledore cut Macnair off with a note of amusement.

Heather squinted passed the foliage and saw Hagrid looking around the pumpkins, his teary-streaks reflecting the last of the sun’s rays.

“Beaky!” Hagrid yelled huskily.

Macnair’s nostrils flared. He picked up his axe and swung it down on the nearest pumpkin, slicing it cleanly in two.

Hagrid started howling with glee then, his laughter echoing through the grounds. “Gone! ‘is gone! Cleaver boy, Beaky!” he yelled. “Musta pulled himself free!”

Heather felt breathing down her neck and turned to see that Buckbeak had now moved closer, and Harry and Hermione were trying to hold him back from leaping out of the trees. “It’s ok, Buckbeak. Hagrid’s ok,” Heather whispered to him.

“Someone untied him!” Macnair rounded on Hagrid but thought better of it, given he couldn’t really intimidate such a giant fellow. He turned frustrated and pointed at something on the ground. “Someone stole him. We should search the grounds for – ”

“The grounds?” Professor Dumbledore still sounded amused. “Search the skies if you must. Do you really think the thief would have gone away with him by foot?” He turned to Hagrid and gave him a small pat on the arm before turning inside. “I could do with a cup of tea, or a large brandy – if you have it, Hagrid.”

“O’ course, Professor,” said Hagrid, whose voice cracked with glee.

Heather, Harry, and Hermione waited for all footsteps to go back in before talking.

“Now what?” Harry asked, looking at Buckbeak’s chains.

“We can’t leave, not until the Minister and Professor Dumbledore leave. I have no doubt Macnair would chase us down with his axe if he even glimpsed Buckbeak.”

Hermione nodded. “We’ll hide here then.” She was shaking with worry but swallowed down her fears and spoke clearly. “Here’s the plan: We’ll wait until they’ve gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it’s safe and we fly up to Sirius’ window in another couple hours and – and then we’ll think of the rest.”

Harry looked as dubious as Heather felt but nodded firmly. “Alright.”

Heather nodded. Except, what about Peter Pettigrew? She knew none of Professor Dumbledore’s plan even hinted at stopping him from escaping but, it would be best if they did. Heather squatted on a stump with Harry and Hermione and looked up at the castle entrance.

“Shouldn’t we move closer to the Whomping Willow to see what’s happening?” Heather whispered. “Besides if Buckbeak makes any noise right now, they might hear and we’ll risk being discovered until we know they’re in the castle.”

Hermione looked over her shoulder into the darkness of the forbidden forest and it’s growing shadows and nodded. “We should get going.”

They pushed through branches along the edge of the forest as shadows flooded the night, hiding them almost as well as the invisibility cloak. They stopped beside the trees behind the Whomping Willow just as its thrashing branches froze and three figured darted into it and disappeared.

The tree began to move again, swatting at small creatures – a pair of rabbits and an owl. Harry nudged them and pointed at the three black figures walking up to the castle from Hagrid’s hut. They watched them as they marched up the stairs and closed the castle doors behind them.

They were finally alone. Harry settled between two thick roots of a tree and Hermione secured Buckbeak to a tree behind them. After a few minutes Hermione broke the silence.

“If only Dumbledore would have come out sooner and seen us go in. He could have helped us.”

Harry grumbled. “If he had, Macnair and Fudge would have followed. Fudge would have ordered Macnair to kill him on the spot.”

“Look,” Heather pointed at the castle doors. They opened and a lump was dashing through the ground towards the Whomping Willow. “It’s Professor Lupin.”

“He should have grabbed the cloak, it’s just lying there…” Harry looked at Heather. “I could grab it… I could run before – ”

“Absolutely not – ” Heather and Hermione hissed in unison.

Harry sunk deeper into his spot. “How can you two just sit there and watch this happen?” He paused for several minutes and turned to them suddenly, “I’ll be quick.” He leapt to his feet and Heather lunged for his collar and pulled him back. He made a choking noise and broke free. “What’re you doing!”

“Saving you from getting in trouble,” Hermione responded. “Look.” She pointed towards the path Professor Dumbledore and the others had just taken.

Hagrid was singing merrily, swinging a bottle around, stumbling on the few stones on the path. He was walking up to the castle and would have easily spotted Harry, even in his state.

As if just noticing as well, Buckbeak started pulling on his rope, straining against it in an attempt to reach Hagrid. The tree shook and the three of them rushed to pull him back before he snapped the tree in half. The hippogriff huffed warm breath out of his nostril’s and pawed the ground in annoyance.

Hagrid entered the castle and Buckbeak calmed down. They settled back down and only noticed the doors open so soon again when Buckbeak huffed excitedly. They turned and prepared to jump to the tree’s aid again when they realized the shadowy figure was not Hagrid.

Heather watched Professor Snape run down the grassy slopes and stop to pick something gleaming off the ground. Harry grumbled as Professor Snape disappeared on the spot.

“Now we wait,” Heather said. She fixed her vision on the tree, ready to do what she needed to do when the time came.

~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~

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bush-viper-cutie · 3 years

Text

Chapter One: The New House

Pairing: Snape x OC

Word Count: 2,472

Rating: E

Plot: Severus, forced to live with his parents once again, moves into a new house with them… except the house itself isn’t new. Its old, very old indeed.

Warnings: none

A/N: Snapetober! I will be posting chapters often to this slice-of-life gothic slow-burn romance I have in my head :D Not following any prompts but I hope the general atmosphere of these chapters are spooky? Mixed with some gothic… maybe some supernatural elements ahead ;) Enjoy :D

Posted: 10/1/21

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~*~*~ = time skip

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Severus Snape hated his life. His parents were awful, his family had no money, no support from anyone, and everyone he'd ever known hated him. The majority of his 20 years of life had been like that, except for a small bit of it where it wasn't, where it had been alright. For a few quick years, he had one friend who understood him, although it was now as he sat in the backseat of his father's car, looking up at the clouds, that he wondered if she ever did.

The clouds coated the sky, covering every sliver of sunshine with thick grey. No light broke through and as a result, everything looked as miserable as his life felt. The droning of the car engine and tires on concrete grated his ears as he tried for peace of mind.

His father's suitcase - sandwiched above Severus' trunk and his mother's large bag - dug into his side, poking at him deeper with every turn the car took. They'd been driving for almost an hour but he knew they weren't even close to their destination; they were still inside the city, still inside its limits. He didn't need to know where they were going, even if he'd like to, he knew his father couldn't afford to move to any city nor any country home close by.

His mother sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching classy houses with nice, white picket fences and short little rose hedges pass by as they drove. She looked away from the window when they stopped at lights or when his father needed to look at the map for directions; Severus suspected she didn't want to know if any of the four-member families out on their daily evening walk around their block looked in to see who owned the beat-up little pile of scrap metal driving by their house.

He didn't care though. He hardly cared about anything lately. The last time he could remember caring was the scroll parchment he'd received for graduating Hogwarts. That was all he'd wanted for two years. After he'd lost his only friend - his only best friend - he focused on school and school alone. He thought everything about his life would change the second he got hold of that certificate. For a few long days it had felt like a first-place trophy, but it wasn't. It was what it was: A certificate, of completion, of participation. Nothing more.

Maybe he could have been something. If he'd gotten a job, saved up while living with his parents, and finally moved out, leaving them behind forever... But he didn't do that. He spent two years wasting time meddling in a bigoted cult working, selling potions for scrap. Hardly making enough to stay off the streets pretending like it was better than living at home just because the new sinking ship he'd found himself in was with his friends. Maybe eventually he could have made it work if it hadn't been for the Aurors who busted their small section of Death Eaters dedicated to making money selling illegal potions.

He supposed they threw themselves a party, thinking themselves big-shots, catching a handful of young adults making money out the back of a shady pub. He remembered the headline in the Daily Prophet: "Fourteen Death Eaters caught and awaiting sentencing". He supposed his mother thought herself a saint now too, bailing him out, saving him from days of "possible abuse" as if it were any worse than the prison he'd lived in all his life.

At first, he couldn't figure why - not for the life of him - she'd even care what happened to him. He wasn't a child and he wasn't her problem anymore. He knew she derived some sick pleasure knowing he not only owed his existence to her but now his freedom as well... and then it all came out. They bought a new house and it wasn't built to be kept up by two people, hell not even three but he was sure his extra pair of hands would come very handy to them.

They didn't even need to pay him. Not only was he their child, but that bail money was something he couldn't even attempt at paying back, and not because it had been a lot. She'd paid it in wizarding money left over from her witch days and she knew his wand had been broken as part of his sentencing. He'd have to beg some stuck-up department deep in the government for a wand permit which cost money. Then he'd have to buy himself a new wand, then work to pay her back all while "bumming" it at home while his father yelled about getting a "real job", one that didn't involve "devil magic" in the "devil society" that was the wizarding world. And he was sure he wouldn't be able to show up for work with a bruised eye or swollen jaw, even if by some miracle his employer could look past his new criminal record.

He held in a wince as the car turned again and the top luggage fell onto his head. He was back to old habits trying to pretend he didn't exist.

"Hey," Tobias said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. "Fix that."

Without a word, Severus shoved the luggage back onto the pile behind the driver's seat and sat back. They were on the outskirts of society now. The scenery had turned to country, and the smog of the city had cleared, though the skies were still dark.

His father stopped for a few moments and refolded the map on his lap. His mother carried on watching the world outside, unresponsive to either of them or the happenings inside the car.

"What's that say," Tobias handed Severus the map and lit a cigarette while he waited, not bothering to open the window.

Severus brought the map up to his eyes and squinted. His eyesight was poor and worsened by the approaching dark. "S-starts with 'c'..."

"S'got a double 't' or 'h'?"

"'H'." Severus handed it back and Tobias started driving again. He took several turns and headed onto a rougher road.

Within minutes the tame country became wild and morphed into a long stretch of woods. For the first few minutes, he hadn't even noticed despite being completely focused on the environment that passed them, like his mother still was. The first few trees seemed to go on, and just when he thought they'd clear them and continue driving past open fields, the trees persisted until he realized they were deep inside a forest now.

A few more minutes passed and they finally did exit the forest into a wide field of dead chopped trees cleared to the side on either edge of the steep hill the car was climbing. Severus sat up finally, hearing his spine crack and snap into place after being hunched over for the better part of the day. He liked the colorful mushrooms and bright green moss growing on the black logs of the discarded trees.

"Here," Tobias grumbled, rolling down the window. He flicked his cigarette butt and rolled it back up.

Severus sat forward and looked out the windshield up at the house they were approaching. It was large and clearly abandoned, probably for a good decade. The shingles were covered in dead leaves, the paint was chipping, the windows were gray and smeared with dirt likely blown during wind storms. The porch was missing a step and the columns holding up the covering were slanted. It was more yellow at the top and browner at the bottom - rot on the foundation most likely.

He slumped back in his seat. At least, if it turned out horrible, if it came down the second they stepped inside, or the walls melted from mold before their eyes, their old home was still waiting for them, the cursed thing. Almost all houses back home on Spinners End were abandoned. No one to sell to, no one to buy decrepit eyesores in the shadow of rundown factories. But at least he still had the option if it all went wrong.

~*~*~

Severus stuffed his suitcase into the closet, kicked it in, and shut the door. Unpacking could wait. He turned around and looked at his room as a whole. It was small, located up the stairs in a corner. It had a slanted roof which was odd, considering there was a third floor above him. It would do though, it was on the opposite side of the house as his parent's room, so it would certainly do quite nicely.

He moved to the window and looked out to watch the mist settle below. His father was gone to town to purchase things they'd need: a lighter apparently for the fireplaces since this house was built before furnaces and never renovated. He felt like a poor house servant to a rich Lord, but it was better than feeling like a roach in his old home. They needed coal too, or maybe wood, whatever old metal kitchen stoves and ovens used.

Severus walked out of his room to look down the hall again. It was a larger house than he was used to - it practically felt like a palace - and was sure it would take a few days to memorize how to find the correct corridor places. It wasn't Like Hogwarts, which typically took several years to memorize the right paths.

He walked down the opposite way he came and observed the way the dust clung to the walls giving the blue wallpaper a very muted look. The original owners liked their colors, practically every room had a different color to it. Corridors were blue, bedrooms green, dining room orange, library red, kitchen white, bathrooms pink... At least none of the colors were very offensive to the eyes, even without the dust they were all very muted and earthy.

He had explored the bottom floor, the second floor had all the bedrooms, and the third-floor stairs must be around somewhere, hidden. As he walked a new corridor he noticed there were spaces on the wall which had, at one time or another, held frames or mirrors but they were long gone. He turned the corner to a long hallway with very tall windows on one side. He could see the mist again and possibly behind it was more to the forest surrounding the house. He mentally noted which turn brought him to the back wall of the house. He walked on and at the center were the stairs to the third floor tucked into a gap in the wall opposite the windows.

The handrails were covered in dust and between the wood pillars were cobwebs that swayed as he crept up. There was an open floor filled with ghostly sheet-covered furniture. A chandelier holding half-used candles lay on the floor with a long chain still connected to the ceiling. Its crystals refracted light from the large windows on either side of the room.

He sat on a couch - not bothering with the cloth - and sighed. Eventually, they'd put him up to getting all this old stuff down so that his father could sell it, although, they'd already been inside once before and said they couldn't find the stairs to this floor - or large room.

He got up and walked back down the stairs peering into the small crevice between the handrail and wall. When he reached the bottom step he noticed the indent on the edge of the left-hand wall and pulled on it. A little ring popped out and when he pulled on that, the wall rolled out. No, it was a door. He pulled it further and closed it behind him. He stepped back against the windows. The wallpaper blended seamlessly and would have been hard for him to tell that it was a door at all. He pressed the blue-colored ring back against the wall and walked back to his room.

~*~*~

Severus heard a car door slam and sat up in bed. His father was finally back with the supplies to hopefully get dinner started. His nap must have been a few hours because the sun had already dipped below the tree lines.

"Severus," his father called out to him, his echoes from one side of the house bounced off every wall to reach Severus' ears. "Now."

He swung his legs over the bed and left his room, stumbling down the dark hallway towards the front of the house. He stopped at the foot of the stairs looking down. His father was smoking again and had dropped several grocery bags on the floor. He blew the smoke out of his mouth and looked up at Severus, then motioned for the bags and pointed in the general direction of the kitchen.

Severus obeyed and carried them in, placing them on the counter - which had been dusted - and started taking out the contents. The only modern appliance in the house was the fridge, tall silver and brand new; it must have been the real major cost of the house.

His father had bought a large head of cabbage and a pack of sausages. There were matches but no coal which means they might be having cold soup for dinner again. He put everything away and came back to stand at the door.

He stepped aside as Tobias entered the house again. Severus thought about stepping out and walking around for a bit, not wanting to be in the same house as his parents, but felt the distance between his room and theirs was enough for today.

He turned to the stairs and saw his mother holding the banister looking down at him.

"Tomorrow there'll be a list of chores for you in the kitchen," she said. Her stiff voice echoed throughout the house and she kept her eyes on him waiting for a response.

He gave none and she left, unbothered. It was the way of their relationship. She'd ignore everything he said, and he'd do the same. He walked up the stairs, hearing how they creaked and groaned under his weight, echoing off walls and resonating down the hall. He headed to his room and closed the door. It was only around nine, fully dark, but he was done with the day. Dinner wasn't worth facing them and staying awake any longer wasn't worth the boredom and loneliness.

He took his pillow out of his trunk and fell onto the bed, almost disappointed it didn't break and send any amount of adrenaline or chemical of any kind to his brain. He moved his pillow, slid his arm under it, and closed his eyes.

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