Simply Turbulent

Severus Snape had been born (according to his mother) on a wearisome night. The exact date? November 1^st, 1960.

His mother described the night as "Turbulent, simply turbulent, my dear Sevvy. The winds were dolefully wuthering (your father, morbid and pessimistic man he is, suggested that this was a sign that your life was to be doomed with misery). Oh, Sevvy, I had never been more fearful than I was that night. I could see(from my permanent post on the bed) through the window , the trees, with their naked limbs, swishing around rather aggressively. They would slap against each other with a resounding bang. We could hear it inside the house, that's how fulminating it was! I nearly jumped out of my skin every time I heard the rapture of smacking bark. . . I can almost hear it now. . . so frightfully forlorn. I worried that the roof might fly off, and we'd be whisked away to the land of Oz (that's a muggle movie, dear). But it was all worth it--the fear, the pain--because now I have you to amuse me!"

Severus had learnt to be vigilant from the very beginning. His parents had been well-known Aurors, fending off dangerous wizard criminals.

He thought his parents to be very noble (even though his father constantly verbally abused him. "You fulsomely flippant little boy!" His mother claimed it was done in a "fond manner". Severus thought she said this only to cheer him up. He never believed a word of it.) and his greatest desire was to someday become an Auror also.

His mother spent most of her time devoted to Severus; teaching him multiple spells and curses in an odd looking room which his mother claimed would ward off any nosy ministry officials (though Severus didn't understand then that what they had been doing was indeed illegal).

Severus remembered the day he had received his wand. He recalled thinking the situation was rather fishy. They had gone to a wand shop in Japan (Momma spoke the language) and had a long talk with the wand-maker, offering him more and more money. The man finally consented, taking the sack of coins. Severus had found his wand on the third try (much to Momma's relief).

Severus had asked her why she wanted to teach him all this stuff, and she had replied saying, "I want you to be prepared, Sevvy, for any dangers or vexations you might come up against. I'm not always going to be here for you, and this will be my certified way of protecting you from beyond the grave,"

His mother. Such a dramatic person, in words and action.

"Momma, don't talk about dying," Severus had pleaded, his eyes filling with tears at the very thought.

His mother had given him a hearty hug, telling him as she always did, "I love you, Sevvy, you know that, don't you?"

Severus would nod his head and reply, "I love you too, Momma".

Severus felt his childhood to be a beautiful experience. Except for one major flaw: his father.

Good ol' Dad had resented Severus from the day he was born. Severus had come up with a theory he found to be correct. His father hated all the attention his wife gave to his son. He loved her more than he could describe, Severus' mother didn't even have half the intensity for his father that he had for her.

Severus vividly remembered the day Momma had gone out to Diagon Alley, promising to return as soon as possible, noting his discomfort of being alone with his father.

He'd been lying lazily on the dew-covered grass, perfectly contented chewing his piece of grass, when his father had appeared.

Severus had stood up quickly, and upon smelling the alcohol on his Father's breath, tried to run away.

But, being only nine, his legs were short in comparison to his Father's; and didn't travel as fast as the older man.

His father had roughly grabbed him, throwing him to the ground with a dangerous, edgily aggravated look in his eyes. He'd kicked him quite a few times, causing big black bruises to sprout later on his stomach. His dad was brilliant in how he abused, did it on the flesh that could be easily concealed by clothing.

After releasing his anger, Severus' father had knelt down beside him, ignoring his pitiful cries of pain.

"You won't tell your mother," His father said, the foul stench of booze floating towards Severus.

"And why not?" He responded boldly, receiving another kick for his flippant bravery.

"Because, Son," he snarled unattractively. "Because you don't want to cause your mother any sorrows. And if she found that I had beaten you, she would leave home immediately, dragging you alone with her. And than she would be crying her heart out, because she loves me so. You know it's true, even if you can't see anything appealing about me."

Severus had felt very abandoned in that instance. He could not go to his mother for help, not this time. His father was right in the fact that he would do anything to keep someone or something from harming her. So he decided bitterly, he would have to keep silent about this beating.

Inevitably, the beatings did not cease, in fact they become more and more frequent, up to the point where he had to bite his lips to keep from groaning aloud.

He began to look for places to hide in Snape Manor, a big Victorian house, with elegant style and dramatic appeal. His father had inherited it when his grandfather had died. And Severus was supposed to inherit it, but he wasn't so sure now.

Severus feared whenever his mother left the house, and became more attached to her than ever before. She was his single ally, the only one who understood and loved him. The only one who cared to be with him.

"Sevvy, I'm off to Scotland for a few weeks. . . I've got some very important business. . ."

"Momma, take me with you! Please!" Severus cried out, urgently. He couldn't be left alone with that brutal beast.

His mother stepped back in surprise. "What compels you to be so enthusiastic about this trip, Sevvy? Is it that you're so looking forward to going to school?"

Going to school? What was she talking about? It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting out of this house.

"Yes, that's it, Momma. Please bring me with you!"

Momma had smiled fondly at him, petting him on the head adoringly. "Okay, Sevvy, I'll allow you to accompany me. I'll give you half an hour to pack; be sure to bring along plenty of books to amuse your mind with during my boring work. Hogwarts is a wonderful place, mind you, but no place can keep one occupied for the amount of time you will be spending there. Now then, make haste"

Severus nodded dumbly. He was going with his mother! He would be free of his father's burden for at least three weeks!

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

When Momma had told him it was Hogwarts they were going to, he had of course been very curious about the place, and why they were going.

"Well, Sevvy, Hogwarts is a Wizarding School. It's where I went when I was a little girl. It was the most beautiful, elegant place I had ever seen. . ." Momma paused to laugh a second. "Of course, now though very beautiful, it's slightly less elegant now, in comparison to Snape Manor. It's a stone castle, with a gothic feel. . . But its halls are always filled with some merriment. I spent 7 years there, and they were some of the greatest years of my life. . ."

Momma kind of sighed dreamily then. Severus waited a while before he asked her another question- "But, Momma, why are we going there?"

"Oh, dear, I didn't tell you? I'm doing a bit of a favor for the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has caught pneumonia, the one virus that cannot be controlled by magic. You know what pneumonia is, don't you? Daddy had it for a while, remember when he was sick in bed for a month?"

Severus remembered the time fondly.

"Anyway, Professor Dumbledore asks me if I would take over the Defense against the Dark Arts position temporarily. Of course I accepted, I love kids! And I certainly have enough knowledge of the Dark Arts."

Severus marveled at how his mother always talked to him like he was as old as she; when in fact he was only just ten years old. But he was very intelligent, he knew it even then. When he had and Momma had gone on picnics, he would watch the other kids playing. Most of them weren't very bright, they pushed each other off the swings, and would cry when they got pushed back. It didn't make sense; wouldn't you expect to receive the same treatment?

Come to think of it, the mothers weren't much brighter. They would storm up to the kid that had pushed their "little darling" and lecture him. Even though it was (their "little darling" who had started the fight.

And of course going to the houses of Momma's friends, who usually had children about his age as they were all about Momma's age. He would be forced to accompany her one out of three times, a tacit agreement Severus had with his mother. When he arrived, he was expected to be friendly and play with the 'darlings' of the hostess. Severus would put on a guise of joyousness on his way to the 'darling's' room, then he would sit sullenly in the corner and observe stupidity. It was astonishing to him how much more he knew than these children, and he was curious as to how they were calculating inside their ignorant, peevish looking heads. (Of course, his was just as peevish, but he was hypocritical as a rule--it was an inherent characteristic, he'd borrowed it from his father.)

Momma, in retrospect of the other mothers, was a beautiful person inside and out. She was the most compassionate and understanding person he'd ever met (though that wasn't saying much). She always put her needs behind other's needs, telling them "I strive to give hospitality". And she always had time for Severus, always had an ear to listen with, and words to soothe with.

They arrived in a town called Hogsmeade, that was bustling with Wizards and Witches in black robes.

"Carla!"

Severus turned to see who had called out his mother's name. And saw a pretty blond, walking over with a positive, self-assured gait. He felt his nose wrinkle in distaste, when he saw her robes. They were blue denim, with odd patches attached all over. They were rainbows, flowers, and words (such as Love, Peace, Harmony). The colors were all optimistically bright, and did not contrast well with each other.

He looked up at Momma, to see what her reaction would be to this woman. She smiled, and waved.

"Well! Hi Regina! I haven't seen you for a long time. In fact, not since we were at Hogwarts. What a shame! I recall promising to keep in touch."

"There's actually a very good excuse for that Carla, considering I've not been in Europe since I graduated. I've been overseas, in America to be exact. I was teaching at the Salem school."

"I got the impression you were living in America. . ." Momma laughed, motioning to Regina's robes.

Regina grinned at Momma, and Severus liked her smile. She was a very beautiful woman. Just like Momma.

"Yes, I've got caught up in the whole pacifism idea."

"It's really not that bad of an idea, you know. We could live a tranquil life if we behaved in their manner. . ."

Severus lost interest in the situation, considering he had no idea what they were talking about. He concentrated on the woman's face, impressing it into his mind.

After perpetual blabber, Momma introduced him.

"Oh, my! Regina, this is my son Severus. Severus, this is Miss Potter, an old mate of mine from school,"

The woman, Regina Potter, looked down at him with a bright smile. Severus could help but notice that she wasn't married. Miss Potter.

"Hello, Severus!" She said, holding out her hand.

"Hello, Miss Potter," He said politely, accepting her gesture of friendship.

"How old are you?"

"Ten."

The woman's smile got even brighter, if possible.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts next year, then! Great! My nephew, James, will be starting also. And I'm a teacher there, I teach potions."

He nodded. "That should be interesting."

"Actually, Severus will be staying with me at Hogwarts while I substitute for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. . . I hear he's got pneumonia. . ."

The two woman went on gossiping, and Severus sighed lightly. He knew he was going to be here for a while.

He backed off from Momma, and sat down on the warm cluster of grass nearby. There was much muddle and bustle going on in Hogsmeade. Severus liked it, it was quite a change from his destitute and dismal home. Maybe Momma would never want to go back--if only things would work out that way.

He looked back up at Regina Potter. She was such a beautiful woman. He wouldn't mind going to Potions if she was to be his teacher.

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

About a half an hour later, as they were walking to Hogwarts, Severus decided to ask some questions.

"Momma?"

"Yes, Sevvy?"

"Why was Miss Potter wearing such odd robes?"

Momma laughed. "In America, there's a war going on. It's called the Vietnam war."

"Yes, Momma, I know about the war," Severus interrupted exasperated. "But what does that have to do with her clothes?"

"Watch your tongue Sevvy . . ."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"What has brought upon all this anxiety? Never mind. Anyway, there are groups of people in America who are thoroughly against the war. They call themselves "Hippies". They believe in pacifism. Do you know what pacifism is?"

Severus nodded dully, replying- "Yes, a pacifist is someone who doesn't fight, or take part in any violence."

"Good! Anyway, Miss Potter lived in America for a long time, and fell into a group of Hippies. Hippies wear robes and outfits like that. If you recall, she was bearing messages like Peace and Harmony and Stop the War?"

Severus nodded. "I see. Er--I comprehend."

Momma was always on him to increase his intelligence. Study, Study, Study. Learn more spells, learn more ideas, and augment your vocabulary. He knew by using the word "comprehend" it would make his mother proud.

"And Momma,"

"Yes?"

"Why haven't you taught me any potions?"

"Well, dear, I wasn't too good in that area. Mind you, I did a fair job, but not as well as others--like Regina."

"Oh."

"Maybe I can ask if she'd like to teach you some simple potions. . .?"

"Oh yes, Momma, please do that!"

"What an eccentric child you are," Momma murmured, amused. "And such a little man you are! Already ten. Pretty soon you'll be leaving for Hogwarts, leaving me all by my lonesome at home. And than you'll grow up and get married, and start a family."

Severus frowned, looking up at Momma. "No. No, I'll never--ever leave you Momma," he said with quite a large amount of intensity for such a young person.

Momma laughed. She thought it was a joke. But no, he wouldn't ever leave her.

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

Hogwarts was a majestic looking place, yet far from elegant as Momma had once thought. But it, like Hogsmeade, was lively and had a sort of warmth that Snape Manor lacked greatly. It surprised Snape, to say the least. He was so accustomed to the harsh feelings Snape Manor contained. Once more, that nagging feeling to never go home again hit him. Maybe he could talk to Momma about that.

They arrived at the castle just in time for dinner, and Momma took his hand and led him into a gigantic room that held five long tables, four of which were placed vertically down the length of the room, and the last one was placed horizontally across the room.

The horizontal one was obviously for the most important people, the elite. The professors, he guessed.

And he figured he had guessed wisely, for there sat Miss Potter, chatting loudly with the ghost on her right who looked bored with her constant string of words.

Severus' attention wasn't focused on Miss Potter for long, as he heard Momma speak.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore, how do you do this wonderful night?"

Severus looked at where Momma's face was directed, and saw one of the oddest faces he'd ever seen. It was a thin face, full of sharp features. The most prominent was his long, crooked nose. The hair was a sort of auburn color, though it seemed to be streaked with white. The countenance, however, was a joyous one. Severus already liked this man, yet he was horrified by the expression of merriment he attained--surely no one could be so happy? Professor Dumbledore, was what Momma had called him.

The man spoke with a deep voice, syllables uttered clearly and confidently (he probably wouldn't mind if the whole capacity of the hall turned to look at him), "Very well, my dear Carla. And you?"

"Perfectly content. I hope you don't mind about my son, and I'll presume you received my owl?"

Professor Dumbledore aimed his glance towards Severus, staring at him with an odd expression for just a minute, before turning back to Momma. "Yes, yes I did. He looks just like you, Carla. Where in the world did he get that black hair?"

Momma (who by the way, had light brown hair. So light, in fact, that in the summer it almost looked blond) laughed an embarrassed laugh, shrugging. Then Professor Dumbledore looked once again at Severus.

"Hello, Severus. My name is Professor Dumbledore, very nice to meet you,"

The man held out a hand, and enveloped his own in a strong, sturdy shake.

"Nice to meet you, Professor."

"What do you think of Hogwarts so far Severus?"

Severus smiled one of his rare smiles.

"I'm delighted by the amount of warmth it offers."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, looking quite impressed. "I'm fond of the warmth too, lad. I fear I may be biased; but I like to think I'm one of the causes of it. Along with my jovial peers who sit aside me,"

"Yes, do give us some credit," a new voice appeared. It was a crisp, almost stern tone of voice that he didn't favor too much. But one he found himself curious about.

Severus turned to look at the woman sitting beside Professor Dumbledore. She was much younger than Professor Dumbledore, but not anywhere near as young as Momma. She had black hair that was up in a simple bun. In fact, Severus noted, all about her was very plain. Her black robes, her straight eyebrows, her average nose. Nothing about her stuck out. Except her voice. That no-nonsense voice was defiantly her prominent feature.

"Severus, this is Professor McGonagall. She teaches my old subject, Transfiguration. A highly interesting subject, if I do say so myself." The Headmaster remarked congenially.

"Well, sir, you just did say so." Severus spoke tranquilly.

Professor Dumbledore laughed benignly. Severus found himself liking the man more and more. He was very charismatic. But yet there was that element of distrust--he felt that Dumbledore was putting on a guise.

"So, Carla, care to sit down? We have a chair for you and your son right over there by Regina,"

"Thank you Professor."

"No, thank you," Professor Dumbledore replied.

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

Snape peered into his bedroom before entering. It was located right across the corridor from Momma's, much to his relief. Even though he was ten, it was comforting to have her nearby, in case of a sudden nightmare.

The room was very homely and quaint. It was full of the same vibes that the corridors proudly shared. The bed was a four-poster, with fluffy green pillows (maybe they had redecorated it for a boy?), and blue blankets. The colors actually went well together, though it didn't sound too pleasant when he thought about it.

A dresser was parallel to the bed, with a noisy mirror situated on top. He noticed that his bags were lying beside it, void of the clothes that were in them hours before. He figured a house elf must have unpacked for him. Good. Saved him the trouble of that.

There was a nice little wooden desk; on top of it were some books, parchment, and ink. The chair was a red one that Severus moved towards right away.

As he settled himself in it, his body went limp and he was asleep in a matter of seconds.

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

The beginning of the next day started rather early. In fact, so early that Severus felt rather alone in the midst of everything and everyone. But it was a comforting feeling of isolation, the feeling of being away from all his enemies. Namely, his father.

Severus found himself in the middle of the very large bed. Momma must have come in and moved him from the chair. Good thing, too, he'd slept in chairs before. And it wasn't the most enjoyable experience, having those back cramps.

Severus slipped on his robes, and ran his fingers quickly through his hair; appalled by the amount of grease that had gained since his last shower (about a week ago). He didn't want to be putting anyone off of him, maybe he should try to find a bathroom.

He opened the door, wincing as it creaked quite loudly. He shut it quickly, not wishing to prolong the aggravating noise.

Severus' footsteps were soft, but still caused eerie echoes. He grinned to himself; he couldn't wait to start school! There was something about everyone, everything here in this place. . . something he couldn't put his finger on.

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

The afternoon found Severus in the dungeons watching Regina Potter teach the first years a potion.

He was trying the potion out as well, Professor Potter had given him all the materials and a cauldron to use, and given him a pad full of notes and basic facts he would need to know to attempt the potion. She had wished him luck, with a wink. Severus could see she didn't believe he would be able to do it. That it would just be a nice way to get the kid out of her hair. Well.

Well. This made him more than determined to actually make the potion.

Restorntion Potion (Restoration)

The purpose of this potion is to heal cuts quickly. Your skin grows back within minutes instead of days. Very helpful to have on hand just in case. Painless.

¼ cup of crushed pinecones(no specific type of tree)

½ cup of snake skin (Skin that has been shed, preferably)

1/3 tablespoon of salt-water (man-made or natural)

4 hippogriff hairs

2/3 cups of bee poison.

Boil 10 cups of water in a cauldron, until the bubbles become frequent (about 5 pops per second), then add the pinecones and the snake skin. Boil these ingredients for ten minutes, at least, then add the rest of the ingredients. Then you should stir continuously, until the potion becomes a murky brown color. Add in the bee poison, than stir for eight thirty second intervals.

Use a strainer, and collect all the particles (the hair, the pinecones) in it. Then carefully store the potion in a glass container of some sort. The potion is good for up to a year after the creation date. If used after that day, the potion will cause the cut to increase the bleeding, and expand the cut length. MAKE SURE YOU LABEL THE BOTTLE.

That shouldn't be too hard, Severus thought to himself.

He set his cauldron on top of the stone slab Professor Potter referred to as a table (some table).

Now. What was the spell used to start an inward fire? There were only a few things Momma had taught him about Cauldrons and Potions, and how to boil water in a cauldron was one. There was a spell that could cause the inside of the cauldron to increase in temperature, while the exterior remained neutral.

"Caulburnican," Severus spoke clearly, recalling.

He poured the ten cups of water into the cauldron, and waited patiently until it came to a languid boil. To save the trouble of more words, Severus followed the instructions to each precise order, and in the end had his potion captured in a large glass bottle. He even made sure to date it. Perfection.

Severus walked up to Professor Potter's desk, noticing how many of the students were still on the "add in the bee poison" step. He was one of (if not the very first) ones finished.

Professor Potter looked up at him in surprise.

"Yes Severus? Need help, do you?"

Severus smiled smugly, before replying, "No, I'm finished."

He could see a mocking smile start to alight her face, but she hid it hastily.

"Oh, okay then. May I have a look at it?"

Severus held out the bottle, and watched her expression change from one of amusement to one of astonishment.

"Why-- Severus Snape, how-- have you done this before?" She said, continuing to examine the potion, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"No, Momma hasn't taught me any potions yet. Did I do it right?"

Regina Potter kept staring at the liquid. "Well--I can check real quick--if it's right, it will float on a piece of parchment, instead of seeping through like regular water would."

She tore off a corner on the test she was grading, and carefully poured a few drops of his potion on it. The drops inevitably floated on top.

Her gaze went from the parchment to him, a smile erupting. "Well, Mr. Snape, you've got talent I see. How would you like to learn more about the art of potion-making?"

He nodded vigorously. "I'd like to. Like I said, Momma hasn't taught me much about them."

Professor Potter beamed. "Very good! I'll have a talk with your mother about arrangements. This should be fun. Now, if you'll go back to your seat, I have a class to conduct."

Severus obeyed. Today had been very interesting. He liked creating the potion, it required all his attention, but it was really too simple. He wanted to do something more challenging. Maybe that was what Regina wanted to teach him, maybe she would teach him something a bit more complicated.