FIC: Amazing Magic (PG-13)
Title: Amazing Magic
Age-Range Category: One
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Severus, Eileen, Original Female Character
Author: lilyeyes
Beta Reader(s): sevfan
Rating: PG-13
(Highlight to View) Warning(s): implied child abuse/neglect.
Summary: Six-year-old Severus meets his aunt for the first time. She turns out to be nothing like he imagined and gives him hope for a magical life.
Severus Snape sat carefully in a chair, dressed in his best clothes as he watched his mum drinking tea with a lady dressed in fancy magic robes. She was tall and very pretty, her hair the color of the chocolate she'd brought as a present. He tried not to fidget as his mum served tea in the good teapot with the biscuits Severus wasn't allowed to touch. Mum had told him that the lady was her sister and she hadn't seen her since before Severus was born. Mum had told him that the lady was a witch, like she was.
"Really, Eileen, are you sure the boy is magical? He seems so…mundane-"
"My Severus is very powerful," his mother said, in a tone that Severus knew meant she was annoyed. "Severus, come here."
Severus slid off his chair and walked over, trying to keep his shoulders straight and not slouch. His mum touched his arm reassuringly, handing him his wand. Severus grasped it eagerly, loving the feeling of tingly warmth flow from his wand and up his arm. His whole body felt better when Severus kept his wand close to him and he rubbed his fingers over the dark wood in greeting. The wand seemed to vibrate in his hand.
"Show your aunt your magic, son." His mum directed him with a nod of her head.
Holding his wand the way Mum had shown him, Severus pointed it at one of the teaspoons on the table and moved his wand the way he had been taught. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
A teaspoon rose slowly and Severus moved it away from the table carefully. His aunt watched with a frown as Severus maneuvered it through the air in a circle. The woman snorted, opening her mouth to speak something unpleasant, Severus was sure, as he flicked his wand. The spoon stood up straight, with the bowl pointing toward the floor, and spun around really fast, before diving back to land neatly back in its spot on the table. He smirked as his mum nodded her approval.
"Well, I'll admit that he's not a Squib," his aunt said, looking down her nose. "It doesn't mean he's worthy-"
"And you can tell Father to go to hell, Eloise-"
"This has nothing to do with the old bastard, Eileen!" Eloise snapped. "He even refused to pay for you and me to go to Hogwarts! Mother paid for it out of the inheritance Grandfather left. Father may have disowned you from the Princes, but Mother didn't!"
"Inheritance?" Mum asked as Severus inched over to stand beside her. "I don't recall getting any inheritance."
Aunt Eloise rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you don't remember! Grandfather Hipworth left each of us children money for our education. Mother is still hoping that someone will be proficient enough to follow in Great-grandfather Hipworth's footsteps and earn their Potions mastery."
Severus looked up from where his fingers were playing with his wand. He loved to brew potions and it was the only thing he knew he was good at. Turning his head, Severus could see that his mum was watching him, her eyes all squinted up.
"Severus seems to have a natural inclination towards Potions." Mum stood up. "Let me show you."
Severus gripped his wand tightly, ignoring the silver and green sparks that shot upward and the look his aunt gave him. Mum was going to take her sister to their secret place! No one had ever been in there but Severus and his mum; it was the room where they did magic when his da wasn't around. Mum had laughed and smiled in there as she had taught him how to brew magical things. He followed the two down the tiny hallway as Mum led the way.
"Alohomora!"
The door swung open and Severus slipped inside behind them, hurrying over to check on the Pepperup Potion that he was brewing. It was a cold, drafty room at the very back of the house, but it was where Severus had learned about being a wizard and his mum had taught him so many amazing things. It was their special place where Da couldn't seem to find him. Aunt Eloise screwed up her face as she looked around the room.
"Severus has brewed all of the potions here." His mum actually sounded proud of him.
Ignoring them both, Severus looked at the gently simmering potion and used his wand to lower the flame even further. The color was just right and Severus smiled as he turned around, his aunt watching his every move. Severus glanced at his mum and saw the set of her mouth as his aunt examined their room.
"Hang-over Potion, Bruise Paste, Headache Draught, Sober-Up Potion," his aunt read the labels on the bottles Severus had so carefully filled. "Elaine, does Tobias still get pissed and-"
"Tobias thinks they are herbal remedies from the recipes that his mother gave me." Severus' mum put her hands on his shoulders, steering him away from the cauldron.
His aunt held up a hand towards Severus and knelt in front of him, Severus leaning back against his mother as she did. "Did you brew this potion, Severus?"
Severus looked right into her eyes, a lighter brown than those of his mum, and nodded firmly. "Yes, except for some of the things that Mum helped me cut up."
A real smile made his aunt's eyes pretty and she patted his arm. "Your great-great grandfather Glover Hipworth invented the Pepperup Potion and he'd be very proud of you. I believe Grandmother Prince may finally have found the perfect grandson to give the Hipworth vault to."
His mum's fingers dug into his shoulders but Severus couldn't help the smiling at the praise. He'd never heard much of that from anyone but his mum. His da didn't seem to like anything about Severus and really hated that he was a wizard. Severus couldn't help thinking that his father didn't like much of anything but his whiskey.
"You are sure that his father will allow him to attend Hogwarts, Eileen?" Aunt Eloise asked Mum as she stood up.
His mother's fingers tightened more and Severus must have made a sound as they stopped squeezing so much. He knew better than to try and pull away, and kept his eyes on the tip of his wand, still reassuringly warm in his hand.
"As long as it doesn't cost him anything, I don't think Tobias will have any objection to sending Severus to boarding school," his mum said.
Severus blinked his eyes rapidly against the tears that unexpectedly welled up. He knew that he was a disappointment to his father, but Severus had hoped one day to make his da proud of him. He'd thought that someday his da would at least begin to like him, instead of hating him so much.
His aunt waved an arm at the shelves behind them. "From what I've seen in here, I'm sure that Severus will have no problem excelling at Hogwarts and in Potions." She straightened her long dress and a wand appeared out of the small handbag she was carrying. "Could I have one of Severus' Pepperup Potions to give to Mother?"
Looking up, Severus watched as his mother pulled several vials off the shelf and handed them to Aunt Eloise. They disappeared into her handbag. His mum led the way back to the sitting room as Severus trailed behind. He knew that his father was supposed to be home anytime and he knew they couldn't let him see them in their best clothes. It would make him mad.
Aunt Eloise patted his cheek as she said good bye. "I'm sure your Grandmother Prince will want to meet you soon, Severus."
Severus clung to his wand as his aunt disappeared with a loud crack, reluctant to give it back to his mother when she held out her hand. With a sigh, Severus carefully laid it across the palm of her hand. Just for a moment, his mum reached out her arm and gave him an awkward hug, something Severus couldn't remember her doing in a long time.
"Upstairs with you so you can change, before your father gets home and starts a row because his dinner isn't ready!"
Severus nodded, watching as his wand disappeared into her pocket. He trudged up the stairs, glancing back to see Mum had her own wand out. Pausing, Severus watched her wave it several times and knew she had used it to get everything ready fast before his da got home. Magic was a wonderful thing and Severus couldn't wait until he could use it whenever he wanted to. Severus smiled as he slipped into his room, knowing once he left his father's house to go to the special magic school, he'd never have to live without magic again. And Severus knew he was going to do amazing things with his magic.