In the English Midlands, there lies a large town by the name of Cokeworth. In the far right of the main town, there was an old mill with a chimney. It was abandon years ago and no one alive can remember what it was used for or when it was built.

On the other side of the large town, there was a dirty river and a riverbank that was strewn with litter and weeds. It was also where a young boy, no older than sixteen, sat alone beneath an old willow tree.

This boy was no ordinary boy. He was very unusual in many ways, but the most unusual of ways was that this boy was a wizard.

And he went by the name of Severus Snape.

Anyone who bothered to notice Severus would find him completely unremarkable, and, if anything, most would find him to be ghastly and upsetting. Yet that never deterred the boy as he laid in the shade by the banks.

Sometimes, people would pass by and they would either not notice him or ignore his presence entirely. It suited Severus just fine and he kept to himself, almost hidden away near the curve of the hill and the long leaves from the outermost branches of the willow tree.

Like everyone else, Severus did his best to ignore the summer heat, but he found it to be rather difficult.

It was the end of August and September was fast approaching, yet summer clung to Cokesworth and the normally cloudy and foggy town was replaced with a scorching sun and dry air.

It was one of the worst summers in the town's history and the heat was truly unbearable.

Most of the town's residents rarely had to worry about dangerous heat waves, especially when Fall was so close, but there was no more to do than to hide away in their homes and bask in front of their cooling fans.

Severus's family could neither afford the luxury of cooling fans nor did they have the money to visit a place with cold weather. It didn't help that the constant buzz of the cicadas ranged throughout the day, and it was getting on Severus's nerves.

Severus licked his lips. They were chapped again and he was thirsty.

Normally, he wouldn't be found outside. He preferred the comfort of his room, especially on a hot day like this.

However, his father was home, on the rare occasion when he wasn't out "working" or drinking away what little money they had, and he didn't want to be near the man if he could help it.

Most of the time, Severus would hide away in his room until his father had either left sometime in the morning or was passed out drunk on the couch.

But the moment Severus heard his father's booming voice screaming out slurs and the unmistakable sound of glass shattering against the wall, he fled to the small lake to getaway. He would rather take his chances anywhere else.

Severus cursed himself as he realized that he'd left so quickly that he had forgotten to grab his bag of books, let alone something to keep him fed and hydrated for the day. Not that there was any food for him to bring anyway.

When he first arrived, Severus hadn't known what to do. He just stared at the lake that remained unnaturally still.

At some point, Severus wondered if it was a good enough idea to jump in, but he wasn't a very good swimmer, plus the water was dirty and probably too warm.

In the end, Severus decided to lay down on the dry grass and wait.

There was nothing for him to do and he refused to return home. After a couple of minutes -or hours really, he wasn't quite sure- he tried to take a nap, but it was just too hot and the cries of laughter from children nearby kept him up. Severus just sighed.

Tomorrow, he was leaving for Hogwarts for the last time. He should feel excited that he will be returning to the castle, but that excitement had died a long time ago. What was the point? There was nothing there for him anyway.

As Severus moved slightly to ease the tension on his back, he found himself daydreaming of just about anything to forget about how hot and stiff he was. There wasn't anything for him to do here nor was there anywhere else for him to go, so he was left alone with his thoughts.

In the past, on the rare occasions that his dad was home, he would just go to Lily's-

For a split second, Severus's mind froze. Then, almost suddenly, Severus's eyes snapped open and he slowly sat up.

Across the street, on the other side of the fountain, there was one brown house that stood out from all the others. Even though each house was made of the same boring bricks and set in the same structure as all the others, this one house was one of the few that looked even remotely nice compared to all the other houses in the neighborhood.

There were even fresh flowers at the windows and was one of the few yards that had green grass, and the white picket fence truly completed the look. It was a very welcoming change compared to the never-ending line of brick homes that were just as miserable-looking as the people who lived in them. But not this one.

The house was even better on the inside. It was always warm during the winters and cool during the summers. It always smelled of fresh cookies and always felt more like a home than anything else. Severus loved to be there; it was the only place that he had a true moment of solace and could experience what a nice happy home and family felt like, but he hasn't been there in years nor had he spoke to Lily all summer. Neither one of them had sent a single letter to the other, nor had either one gone to visit the other.

Lily made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him after what he said. No matter how much he pleaded or said he was sorry, she could not forgive him and had repeatedly turned him away.

Severus wished that he could reconnect with his ex-friend once again. He wished he could spend time with her, to be in the comfort of her terrible jokes, discuss the wonders of magic, and gossip about Tuney. Pain and sadness had washed over him, but it often changed into something ugly.

Something dark.

Severus felt a familiar bitterness swell within him, but it deflated as he closed his eyes and breathed out shaky breaths.

Stress and anger escaped with every breath he took. Only uneasiness remained heavy in his chest. It was his last year at Hogwarts and his mind was constantly plagued by the conflicting thoughts and emotions that rattled around in his head. He couldn't think most days, nor could he sleep most nights. He had spent so much of his sixth year at Hogwarts fighting with Lily and the Marauders that he'd forgotten that he was meant to take the Dark Mark at the end of his seventh year. Severus laughed bitterly at himself. Talk about a graduation gift.

It was getting dark now, the sun was finally setting and the temperature was slowly dropping. Severus had yet to move from his spot despite the fact he was still thirsty and hungry. But he would not move. Thoughts still flooded his mind.

Lily was his only friend. Was. And as much as it pained Severus that she was no longer in his life, he could not be mad at her. They might have been best friends, but they have been drifting apart for a long time now. It was not very apparent at first, but now that Severus had time to think about it, it was as clear now.

They did try to make it work, but in the end, they were far too different.

Their ideas and understanding of the world clashed too much. It was often the source of their arguments that left both of them drained and angry. Lily did not understand, and never would, no matter how many times he tried to explain it to her. There was no hope for him, neither the muggle nor the wizarding world could help him.

Severus could remember the pride that filled him when he was sorted into Slytherin, sharing the same house as his mother. The glow of freedom and thought of acceptance had filled him with such joy. And how could it not? He was at the greatest place in the world with his best friend. He was finally able to practice magic and make the potions he's been studying from his mother's old book for years. Plus, he was finally away from his father. It hurt him that he had to leave his mother, he felt guilty that she could not come with him and was instead left alone with that monster, but there was nothing he could do. But despite his mother's situation and the house prejudice getting in between him and Lily, he refused to let it affect his time at Hogwarts. At least, that was what was supposed to happen.

Unknown to Severus, a war was coming and Slytherin was no longer seen as just another house at Hogwarts. No, it was now the house that bred Death Eaters, a house full of snakes who played with dark magic and hated anything that concerned muggles. It was a lesson that Severus had learned quite early and just as harshly.

It was a terrible place, Severus thought. The prejudices of purebloods made it hard to live there. His half-blood status was one of the few things that prevented him from being completely cursed by his housemates, but to them, he was still tainted with muggle inferiority. He was nothing there, despised just like any muggle off the street. But he was also useful, which Severus both hated and thanked immensely.

Severus was smart, far more intelligent than anybody thought he would be. Plus, he was good at potions as well. He was too valuable to simply throw away, and they needed him just as much as they despised him.

Severus never asked why they needed spells or potions, he had a pretty good idea on what they were used for. Even knowing that didn't stop him from making them, it was his only option to survive in that house. Malfoy made it very clear of what they would do to him if he ever became useless.

He knew that the second he stepped out of line he would be treated the same way they treated the few Muggleborns that, unfortunately, had the right amount of cunning and pride to be placed into Slytherin. They were not as lucky as he was.

They were beaten and tortured, but they never said a word in fear that they could end up dead. They couldn't afford to fight back, and neither could he.

It made Severus sick with guilt and anger, but he could not risk his position, otherwise, he would end up like them too. It was all about survival, self-preservation.

No matter how much Severus wanted to refuse them, to fight against them, there was nowhere for him to go. All of the houses stayed away as soon as they saw the green-colored robes. They were too scared to be near him since he was seen as Malfoy's 'favorite.' An act against Malfoy was deadly and nobody would risk their lives for someone like him. Except for Lily.

Lily was the only one who stayed, but as strong as Lily was, she could not fight against all of them at all times. Not that he would let her, ever. This was his battle, and he made sure that she never knew the full extent of what it was like to be a Slytherin. Maybe he should have, Then maybe she would have understood just a little bit better, but the only thing that would do is put her at risk.

If anything, learning the truth would just inspire her to start a war with Malfoy. And while Lily was brilliant, she did not know the customs of pureblood families. She would never survive a feud with them. She just didn't have the social or political standing that they did. She could lose her wand or die. But knowing Lily, she would do it anyways.

'Such a Gryffindor thing to do', thought Severus. But it didn't matter, not anymore. Lily was gone. No thanks to James Potter.

Severus couldn't stop the sneer that fell on his lips. James Potter was the perfect man: rich, good-looking, powerful, and never had care or worry in his life. He was everything that Severus was not and he hated him for it.

But nowadays that hate, while not completely gone, was nothing more than a bubbling bitterness that would come and go.

Oh, how he loved to blame Potter for everything. He still does, but Severus knew that losing Lily was his fault. However, Severus was too tired to care anymore. Potter had won and he was left with nothing. He resigned himself to becoming the very man that Potter always said he would be: nothing more than a slimy, dirty, greasy snake.

Severus closed his eyes; Anger, pain, and regret building up like a fire in his chest. By the time he had calmed himself down enough, he found himself drifting off to sleep. He just hoped he wouldn't find himself waking up. He didn't want to wake up anymore.

When Severus finally opened his eyes, it was dark. Midnight had long since passed by the time Severus rose and began his walk back to the house.

Slowly, but surely, Severus found himself in front of a dirty, broken-down building. He slowly made his way inside.

At a glance, he saw Tobias passed out on the couch, a bottle of beer slowly slipping from his grasp, though Severus did nothing to stop it. He knew he would pay for that later, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

He was still hungry and thirsty, but he walked passed the kitchen and made his way to his room without even a glance. There wouldn't be anything in the kitchen anyway. They haven't bought anything since the month before and the last of the food was a box of stale cereal that he had eaten last night with his mother. He hasn't seen her since then. She was probably hiding in her room again, nursing a new bruise that Tobias had given her.

Severus worried about her a lot. He always made sure to make a few extra potions at the end of each year to bring home for his mom. Whenever it got terribly bad, he would treat her and offer the comforts that only potions could give. But he could not help her with whatever she had now.

She was sick again. Her skin was dull, sickly pale, and she looked so frail and that Severus feared a single gust of wind would break her.

Most days, she looked more like a hollow shell than a living person.

It didn't help that the illness had a penchant for coming and going at random times, crippling his mother swiftly and vanishing just before it could kill her. He had scoured through every medical book that he could find in the library, but he found nothing. He hoped that going to a hospital might help his mother get better, but he knew that there was no way they could afford it. With his father drinking away all their money, his family could only scrape together enough to afford bare necessities like food and water, though it was hardly ever enough.

The constant lack of food was probably making his mother's illness worse, not that she ate much even when they did have food. She did everything she could to have enough money for Hogwarts, refusing to eat unless it was absolutely necessary so that what they had would last longer, working three jobs at a time and taking as many shifts as she could in the hopes that she could earn more than Tobias drank away. Severus knew that all of this was for him; so that she could provide for him and send him to school.

All of her sacrifices had taken a toll on her health, and sometimes it felt like she was driving herself to the grave just so that he had a chance at a better life.

Severus did try to help. He sold potions to students during the school year and was able to make quite a bit of cash, but she refused any help that he gave. She would go so far as to return the money that he had snuck into her purse and the small tin she hid in the bottom of her dresser. When asked why she would always say the same thing:

"This is the least I could do since I have failed you terribly before."

Her eyes were sullen and her skin was ghostly pale. It was around the time her sickness started.

Guilt washed over Severus as he watched his mother smile softly at him.

Yet, Severus never fought against it. Some part of him agreed with her. He sometimes wanted to blame her, but he couldn't. She might not have been the best parent there was, never leaving despite their chances at a better life, but she tried. Maybe not as much as he would like, but he has mostly accepted that this would be his life for a long time.

As Severus opened his bedroom door, he gazed blankly at everything that was in it. The room was hardly a room at all, more of a closet really. It was old and dusty with more holes on the floor than the ceiling. His bed was nothing more than a few old rags with a cushion that provided more pain than comfort. However, it was a lot better than the floor, which was often covered in dirt and bugs that crawled around the house.

When Severus sat on his bed, a loud squeak ranged out from the springs and he sunk into the cushion so deeply that he feared that the bed would finally collapse. But it didn't. It was old and brittle, but it did not break.

He gazed at the window, the grime and broken glass giving a distorted view of the outside world. The train would be leaving in five hours and he should probably get as much sleep as he could.

Breathing out, Severus grimaced at the thought. He hadn't been able to sleep for the past two weeks, though be supposed it didn't really matter in the end. His mother would be coming in a few hours anyway to 'wake him up' so that they could get him ready and sneak out of the house.

They always left early so Tobias wouldn't see them, he always got nasty when he realized why they were leaving. He almost missed his train last year because they weren't quick enough to escape, and Lily nearly screamed when she saw the cuts and bruises that were scattered all over his body. No, he didn't want a repeat of last year.

The next few hours found Severus and his mother on the bus making their way to the train station.

It was raining today, finally, and it would seem that it was the end of a painfully hot summer. If anything, it seemed that winter was coming early as the temperature nearly dropped below freezing.

Sudden changes in weather were never a good sign. It often meant that something terrible would happen soon. It was usually seen as a warning and was often critically observed by some wizards and witches (even though Severus never really believed in prophecies, legends, or Divination).

It was an idea that he played with briefly before he continued to gaze out at the window and mindlessly observe the cars and people passing by.

They would be there soon. They were lucky as they managed to get away from Tobias this morning.

Though, as they were making their way out of the house, Severus noticed that the bottle Tobias had been holding last night was still there, barely a hair's breadth from falling.

Almost on cue, Severus watched horrified as the bottle slipped from his hand and fell to the floor with a loud crash.

On instinct, Severus and his mother rushed out of the house as soon as they saw Tobias jolt awake. Unfortunately, they did not expect him to be so quick on his feet.

Severus nursed his bruised stomach, thankful that his school robes would hide most of the damage. At a quick glance, Severus noticed that his mother's eye was a bit swollen and there was a small cut below her cheek.

They were lucky this time, Severus reminded himself.

He scowled as he looked around and saw the other passengers giving them pitiful looks. They would be getting off at the next stop anyway.

Suddenly, the bus skirted to an unexpected halt, causing Severus's mother to fall forward and accidentally crash into the man in front of her.

She apologized and stood back to stop the rest of Severus's luggage from falling forward.

Severus reached out to help her when he noticed that his mother's sleeve was pulled slightly back. Her arm was a deadly black. But before he could comment on it, his mother rushed him out the door and led him to the platform. Severus had nearly forgotten all about it in the commotion of the station and he didn't remember it until after he'd already boarded the train.

Severus arrived early and was able to grab a compartment at the end of the train. The train was mostly empty anyway since it was not meant to leave for another hour and a half. There were the few early birds who had already arrived and a steady income of more passengers as time went on, but none of them disturbed him.

As soon as Severus had entered the compartment, he spelled the door locked with as many of the strongest charms he could remember. He carefully placed his things away and sat next to the window, gazing out at the families saying goodbye to their children, many of whom were trying to squirm out of the grasp of their doting parents.

After getting situated in the compartment, he couldn't help but think about his mother's goodbye. Normally, she hardly ever says anything to him when she drops him off. She often does it as quickly as possible to make it back to the house, and never gets a chance to say the lengthy speeches the other parents usually give to their children.

That was fine by him, it never really bothered him before. But, surprisingly, she hugged Severus. Her hug was desperate and Severus could have sworn that he heard her cry, feeling a few tears dampen his clothes. The smell of cheap perfume filled his senses, but she was gone almost immediately afterward, leaving him dumbstruck in the middle of the train station.

For some reason, he felt that the hug let on a lot more than his mother could ever say. It was as if she knew something that he didn't. He couldn't shake this unknown feeling that something was going to happen; something bad no doubt. Severus thought carefully of all the possibilities, but he was shaken out of his thoughts when the train had made a sudden jerk.

He was so distracted that hadn't even realized that the train had already left the station. After a few moments of gazing out the window and shaking off his stupor, Severus opened his notebook and looked at his notes for potion ingredients, recipes, and spells.

Nothing unusual had occurred and nobody had bothered him during the train ride there, though that doesn't mean that nobody tried.

He could almost sense it when danger lurked. Especially if that so-called danger was an annoying pureblood with storm black hair and always had to make his presence known.

Severus could hear Black from a mile away. His booming voice taunting him, trying to lure him out. He did, eventually, find Severus's compartment. He banged on the door loudly and tried to open it rather aggressively.

Black was a lot smarter than he let on and had recognized that the door was spelled shut.

He had tried the basic counterspell, Alohomora, but it didn't work. Severus heard him curse slightly.

Severus couldn't tell whether or not it was because Sirius realized that he couldn't perform the spell correctly or that the spell wasn't strong enough to unspell the charms Severus placed.

In the end, Black tried screaming again, calling him a coward and other stupid things that Severus didn't really pay any attention to. Eventually, Black left and did not come back, thankfully.

When the train had arrived at the station, Severus had gathered his things and made his way to the carriages. Severus watched as the first years were led away by the prefects, who were beckoning them off the platform and towards the lake.

There were a lot of them this year, Severus noticed. They were all small and filled with a nervous apprehension that he knew all too well. Many of them were sticking close to friends that were recently made and he knew that it would inspire lifelong friendships as the train and school usually did.

They would no doubt be amazed at the sight of the castle under the full moon and an endless sky of stars. It reminded him of when he and Lily had first arrived at Hogwarts.

Snapping out his thoughts, Snape arrived at the carriages and took one with a mixture of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Many of them had given him surprised looks but ignored him immediately when they realized he wasn't going to do anything.

Though, they still kept a close eye on him, he was still a Slytherin and Severus had his reputation. He tried not to let it bother him. Severus kept to himself just fine and waited silently until they arrived at Hogwarts.

The ride was long and boring, but Severus was happy that they had finally arrived.

Many of the students had already gotten out of their carriages and the whole lot of them were laughing and joking around as they made their way to the castle.

Severus moved quickly to lose himself in the crowd to hide away from Black and his friends, along with some people that Severus didn't want to meet up with just yet.

They walked past the bridge towards the Great Doors that guarded the castle.

Once inside, everyone seemed to fall at ease and not even Severus could resist the feeling of peace (that only the castle seemed to provide) that washed over him. It was a second home to a lot of them, and sometimes, the first home to others. There was always a certain calmness that came with the castle and it was times like these, returning to this tranquility, that reminded Severus why he still loved this castle and all the magic that came with it.

As soon as they had all made their way to the Great Hall, McGonagall stood tall and proud in her traditional green robes and her eyes were hard as stones which demanded order and respect. She was there to greet the returning students but to also wait to welcome and introduce all new students arriving for their first year at Hogwarts.

Severus slightly bowed his head when passing and she offered a small smile. Despite McGonagall being the House Head of Gryffindor, she did appreciate Severus for his wit and skill in Transfiguration. She was also one of the few teachers that treated Severus like any other student. And despite her love for her house and her lions, she always made sure that the Marauders were punished appropriately for their pranks and bullying.

Of course, Severus never left unscathed, since he still engaged in the fights and even started some of them, but she was always fair nonetheless. She didn't think it was courageous or brave to fight four against one either. And he supposed that was where most of her respect for him came from.

And while the Marauders will always be troublemakers, she still believed that they would do good in the end. It was the same fool-hearted belief that she had for them that she had for Severus. It was something he admired, but also something he hated despite her good character.

Passing the doors, Severus allowed himself to marvel at the beauty of the Great Hall. All of the students had already begun sitting down, clinging to friends and talking about their summer holidays. Severus opted to sit at the very end, the seat nearest to the door. But before Severus could settle properly in his seat, a shadow loomed over.

"Well," began Malfoy," I have not seen you all day, Severus. Surely, you would think it better to sit with me than to be all alone on the ride here?"

Malfoy leaned closer and whispered in his ear, Severus suddenly found it very hard to breathe. "After all, this is the year when you take the mark."

Before Severus could utter a word, Malfoy had already walked away. Severus felt sick and his ear burned with disgust. Yet, he remained seated.

He couldn't cause a scene.

After the ceremony had ended and the food had been brought out, Severus fled. His encounter with Malfoy made him sick and he could not bear to sit near him, let alone eat.

At first, Severus was just going to take a quick stroll around the castle, but he soon found himself outside and thought it would be best to stay inside the courtyard.

The fresh air was cold and crisp, the beginning of fall was sure to come earlier than usual here in Scotland.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, but he slowly made his way to the lake and sat down, enjoying the view of the small ripples of waves and the light of the moon and stars.

By then, he was sure that dinner was long over and everyone must be settling in by now or walking the halls to talk.

But by the time he was making his way to the dungeons, he cursed himself for his stupidity since he didn't know the password and he'd be damned if he asked Malfoy for it. Luckily, a bunch of fifth years had just arrived and he quickly slid in after them and made his way to the dormitories.

Finding it bitterly amusing, Severus was able to hear the password for this week. Veni, Vidi, Vici.

Luckily, as it was his last year at Hogwarts, he and his fellow classmates were all given the option of combined or separate rooms. The House Heads allowed the seventh year students to pick their roommates or to live alone for their last year at Hogwarts.

It was no surprise which option Severus picked, and he was happy to find that there was a single bed in his given room.

As Severus made his way in, he promptly spelled the door locked and put up several shields to protect the room from unwanted intruders. After a quick and thorough search of the room, Severus finally allowed himself to relax.

Severus walked passed his luggage and removed his clothes piece by piece as he made his way to his private bathroom.

He filled the tub with hot water and watched it steam before placing a personal herb combination with some bath oils that help protect his hair from the damages of potion-making.

There were a variety of flowers and small leaves that floated across the surface. Severus barely minded as the water overfilled and buckets full of water fell to the floor when he laid inside.

The bathroom was made out of stone and was cold and empty besides the toilet, the tub, and the sink. There was also a small window that provided moonlight. It was fake, of course, since the dungeons were under the Lake.

Watching the moon and stars again, Severus gave it one last look before he submerged himself completely underwater.