The Serpent's Scion

The Serpent's Scion

Chapter Two

You won't cry for my absence, I know -
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant...?
Am I so insignificant...?
Isn't someone missing me?

Even though I am the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?

"Missing" by Evanesence.

It was the morning of September the first and Severus Snape was left standing on platform nine and three quarters, his trunk in one hand, the train ticket in his other. He had been completely abandoned by his parents, it hurt more than it should. Surely, he was used to it by now...the neglect...and abandonment? Obviously not! His father's parting statement rang in his ears. "You better be sorted into Slytherin, if you know what's good for you...you ungrateful piece of crow bait! I am telling you now if you are sorted into Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor don't bother coming back!"

To make matters worse, it started to rain big, fat raindrops fell from the sky to soak his hair and robes. He struggled desperately to get his trunk on board the train before he was drenched. All around him other Hogwarts students, first years, and others were doing the same as him...with one glaring difference!

He watched with jealously as a tall, middle-aged man helped his young daughter heave her case onto the train. He felt his chest constrict, as the girl's mother kissed her tenderly on the cheek before she boarded. She was about Severus' age, probably another new-start. She had long flaming red hair and bright emerald eyes.

"Have a good term Lily. Owl us as often as you can, we love you dear!" The woman shouted as her daughter gave one last wave and boarded the train ahead of him.

He soon found what he thought was an empty compartment. He sat at the window and pulled out one of his father's dark arts books, which had a perfectly innocent cover but one only had to turn to the first page to see that it wasn't. He did this partly to relieve his boredom on the journey, and partly at that moment to distract himself from the countless numbers of parents waving as the train departed the station.

He was in the middle of reading a particularly gruesome chapter which dealt with curses designed to break and/or dislocate bones when he was distracted by a huffing, puffing noise from the doorway of his compartment.

Looking up he was displeased to see three boys about his age standing in the doorway. One had blue eyes and dark unruly hair that stuck out in every direction, another had long black hair and piercing blue eyes and the last had mousy brown hair and deep brown eyes. The latter appeared to be quite shy, shifting his feet uncertainly, his eyes glancing from the two boys to him continually.

"Can we sit in here, only every where else is full?" the one with the unruly hair enquired.

"This compartment is not my property. You may do as you wish!" he found himself answering in a tone heavy with sarcasm. He did not like the look of these three, he had only just met them and already he felt an intense dislike for each of them, especially the one who had just spoken.

"Thanks!" the boy with the shy disposition replied and went to sit down across from him.

The one who had spoken to him originally glared at him, contempt written on his face. "There's no need to get shirty, it was just a friendly question! I am James Potter by the way and this is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin." he said indicating each boy in turn.

"Intrigued, my name is Severus Snape."

"Snape! A Snape! Those pedigree checking purists, evil through and through the whole lot of them! Now you come to mention I should have known, that nose is a dead give-away, so you're the latest addition to the Snapes are you! Heard all about you, my mother knows your family very well, your family doesn't even want you. I never thought I would see the day that the Snapes saw sense!" Sirius Black announced in a mocking tone, his eyes smouldering with hatred.

Severus leapt to his feet, his wand out in seconds pointing at Black's heart. "Don't you ever insult my family again, you know nothing...nothing...I am surprised you could find your way onto the train without step-by-step instructions, is that why your two friends are with you Black! I could kill you right now...where you stand...before you could even blink!"

"Oh look boys, Snapey's all offended and all I've done is tell the truth! As for killing me, I've no doubt you could! Your family's always been steeped in the dark arts, up to their greasy necks in incriminating evidence...I'm only surprised that the Ministry of Magic has not turfed the whole lot of them into Azkaban. In fact I'm surprised that you have the sheer nerve of showing you greasy face in Hogwarts considering, after all it is a respectable school!" Sirius replied calmly, either totally oblivious to his predicament or totally unperturbed.

"Severus leaned in close to Black until he was inches away from his face and snarled in a disconcerting, unhinged voice. "That's the pot calling the kettle black, Black! Don't think I do not know your families reputation...only unlike you, I was willingly to give you the benefit of the doubt! Now leave all of you, before your friend meets with a rather nasty, sudden end!"

"Come on Sirius, let's leave." Severus was surprised to see that the rather quiet member of the trio had stepped forward and was tugging on Black's robes. "We'll find a place somewhere else!"

After one last dangerous glare at each other, Severus and Black broke apart. "Yeah, you're right Remus! I would rather sit in one of the corridors than sit in the same compartment as this greasy-haired, foul-mouthed, wasted piece of magic!"

The three of them departed from the compartment, leaving him to sink back into his seat, shaken after the confrontation. He sighed and covered his face with his hands, the truth was that many for the things Black had said hit too close to the truth and it... stung him.

He had been forced to defend his family, family was family...blood was blood after all. He refused to let them treat him like a door mat - he was better than that, no matter what anyone said...especially his family.

He felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair envelope him with the thought that he would never be able to escape from his family, their reputation and name would follow him, forever handcuffing him to their fate...

No one would ever be able to see the broken, sad and downtrodden teenager he really was behind his cold mask and family name Black's statement ran through his head, again and again, like some twisted mantra.

"Your family don't even want you."

If his own parents did not love him or care for him who else would?

Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:
"Isn't something missing?"