Snapedom

I had not signed up for snapedom's Summer Fest, but I had been toying with this little ficlet for a while.  It is un-beta'd, and a bit weird.  My prompt/bunny was the_bitter_word's lovely S.N.A.P.E. art contest entry:  The Annual Werewolf Jamboree and Bake-Off . 


Title: Lunacy
Author: Severed Lies
Word Count: 921
Rating: PG
Pairing: Severus Snape/ Remus Lupin
Disclaimer:  Not mine, never was, never will be.

Lunacy

Original poster: red_day_dawning

Here is my very late birthday offering for Severus Snape.
Happy birthday, Severus!  I thought I would give you a new life and an old lover...

It may be found  here: http://community.livejournal.com/lupin_snape/1343779.html?#cutid1 ;

Original poster: sylvanawood

Ok Underground. We've had a great, long bithday party and Severus was pleased.

Now we go back to normal procedure.

No fanfic! You can post on your journal and link here every Friday. Short passages as teasers are allowed, of course.

No fanart! You can also post on your journal and link here. Thumbnails as teasers are allowed.

This is mostly to keep the community 'clear' for the discussions, otherwise it's difficult to find things. As reply of a challenge or party, meta-fic or drabbles are of course allowed. Likewise art of all kind.

To avoid clutter, I'm also asking you to put longer entries under a cut.

'Transgressions' will be persecuted by me, so don't count on detention with the Potions- or Defence- or Headmaster. As you all know, I'm tough as butter in the sun when it comes to that, so better be good!

---

And now: let's get prepared for Valentine's Day. I don't think I'm mistaken when I think that you'd want to show your Snape-love? I thought we could have a party again. A bit smaller this time. I'll post a table of prompts, and you chose one (no limits or other restrictions, no announcing that you chose it necessary) and then post what you did with it on Valentine's day (or how long it takes.)

And so I'm asking you: please give me prompts. We'll collect them here in this post, and I make a table of them all next week. We'll collect prompts until the 30st, midnight, and I make the table on the 31st or 1st of Feb. That way you have time to pick your prompts. The prompts don't have to be specific, it's up to the ones who chose them what they do with them.

Original poster: karendetroit

CHAPTER 6: IN SORROW BORNE

The house on Spinner's End slowly succumbed to the grief of its inhabitants. 

Eileen sought exhaustion in the mill to blank out her grief. She and Toby had lived so little time together and every day was a precious memory that she sought to keep fresh and unfading. After work and dinner, if sleep eluded her, she would study her father's grimoires for spells and charms to hold fast each golden minute. She was distracted in her manner, ignoring her son and her father, only because seeing them brought fresh pain. Eileen kept people at arm's length.

Septimus Prince could feel his vigor dissolving with each day that passed. He refused to seek a Healer, and resorted to alcohol to deaden the pain and to keep memories of his previous foolishness and his long-dead wife at bay. Living with Eileen and the boy was a sweet pleasure and a horrible penance for the bad things he'd done. In his depression, Septimus longed for death, but not too soon. He had to see to the boy's education, get him settled into adulthood. Then he could die peacefully and beg the dead for mercy and forgiveness. 

He broke the protective spells and sold his cottage, banking the funds for Severus' education. He sent the Prince family Elves to Hogwarts to await their opportunity to serve the Half-Blood Prince. And he brought his library to Spinner's End and started teaching Severus the fundamentals of the magical arts. 


SCENES FROM A PENSIEVE


...".the quality of your materials and the accuracy of your preparation determines how good your finished potion performs," Septimus concluded. "Now, let's see how your Swelling Solution does."  

Grandfather and son watched as the earthworm grew to ten times its size. 

"Now a drop of the Deflating Draught," he prompted. The earthworm returned to its original dimensions.

"Well done, boy! Arsenius himself couldn't have done better!..."




...." And that's the first spell all students of Charms learn. Let's see you try. Take my wand, speak clearly and move firmly and confidently!" 

"Wingardium Leviosa" chanted Severus, and the duck's feather rose in the air barely an inch and then flopped back on the table.

"Eileen, where is your wand? Mine doesn't respond to the boy!" Septimus called. 
 
Eileen came in, wiping her hands on her apron. "Father, he's too young for wandwork. He's not even 6 yet, let alone 11!"

"Poppycock! Princes are renowned for their precocity. He has the charm mastered, he just doesn't mesh with a phoenix core,"  Septimus gestured. "Let him try your wand."

Reluctantly, Eileen handed her son her unicorn hair wand. "Wingardium Leviosa,"  Severus chanted again.  The feather twitched on the table but did not rise.

"That's worse than before. We may need to go to Ollivanders, boy, and find a wand that suits you,"  Septimus confided. "Perhaps one with a dragon's heartstring would suit you better." 

Eileen snatched her wand from Severus' hand. "There's the ebony wand I had from my mum, it's dragon's heart-string." She climbed to the attic storeroom and rooted in a chest marked "EP".  Grandfather and grandson heard thumps, creaks and sneezing, and the crackle of magic as Eileen cleaned the attic room.

She returned, somewhat the worse for it, and handed the ebony wand to her son. "It was my grandfather's wand, Severus, the man you were named after." 

They watched as the lad cast his spell, and the feather glided through the air at his command, responding to the slightest change in direction.

"I think we have found your wand, boy," Grandfather Prince declared. "Good! One less expense!"....




....."Why do I have to go to school? I don't want to be a Muggle!" Severus protested. 

"It's part of being a wizard, boy. You are living in a Muggle community, and you don't want to call attention to yourself, therefore you WILL go to school with all the other children," Grandfather said. "I won't teach you any more unless you do."

"Mum, can't I stay home? Tell them I'm sickly, or something," Severus whined.

"Severus, part of being a wizard is knowing how to act around Muggles. You don't have to live as a Muggle, when you are all grown up, but you will not be able to hide from the wider world unless you know Muggle ways," Eileen hugged him. "Besides, a growing boy needs exercise and some friends, and every other child will be in school having fun and learning things and you will have no playmates available."

"Give it a week, boy, and see if you can stick it out. You'll turn eleven and be off to Hogwarts before you know it, and they will expect you to have mastered reading, writing, arithmetic and such before you get there," Grandfather added. "We'll continue our lessons after dinner."

Eileen's sharp eyes looked him over. "What's this?" She plucked the ebony wand from under his shirt. "The wand stays home, Severus. No magic, no discussion of magic, and no wand! Remember that you are trying to make friends, not enemies. Now, give your grandfather a hug and let's get you to class...."

Original poster: pythia_delphi

Hello all! I see the party is up and away. Now despite the innuendo of the title, I do in fact, refer to his actual wand. Or rather, our lack of knowledge thereof. What I really wanted to do for our dear Professor's birthday was to write a drabble focusing on Snape buying his first wand. I hoped this would be one of few happy memories in his life. However, I came upon a stumbling block i.e. that we do not know the actual composition of said wand. Happily, via the journal of the lovely mary_j_59  I proceeded to acquire Snape a wand from Ollivanders. The result is:

Original poster: karendetroit

CHAPTER 4: FAMILY LIFE


As sometimes happens with stroke victims, Septimus Prince seemed a different man entirely once he had made a recovery. It was as if certain parts of his personality had been erased or burnt out by the destruction of part of his brain. Or perhaps it was merely the reminder of his mortality, the brush with Death, that brought Septimus up short and precipitated his change of behavior.

Septimus broke into fits of sobbing at the christening of his first grandchild, knowing his plotting had endangered his whole family, and regretting his folly in ever becoming involved with power-mad Tom Riddle. Had Prince not sought to advance his line by forced marriage, his daughter and her children might have escaped Riddle's notice entirely. Now they were a special target. Fortunately, Riddle had vanished into the wilds of Albania, and several years without further notice of him passed, leading Septimus to hope that Albania's Dark Creature population had made an end to this threat to the Prince line.

The old man's frailty and meekness persuaded Eileen to include her father in her little family's life. Septimus and Tobias developed a level of respect and tolerance for each other based on their mutual love and care for Eileen and her infant son. Septimus never revealed magical powers to his son-in-law, at Eileen's request. Any anomalies Tobias observed were dismissed as an old, sick man's fantasy or an "accident", or a bit of distraction was employed to smooth over any hint of unusual goings-on. Septimus always came to the Snape house, so the Prince House Elves were never in evidence. Eileen told Tobias that "neighbors" were helping her father.


SCENES FROM A PENSIEVE

....."Father! This is an unexpected pleasure," Eileen called to the old man coming down the street. She ran to open the gate.

"Forgive my unannounced visit, Daughter," Septimus Prince wheezed as he bussed her cheek. "Quirky and Spicy are turning out the house, and they suggested I come here for dinner."

"Set you down in the shade, Father, and I will bring you and Severus drinks." Eileen bustled away.

"Come here, boy," the old man coaxed. "I've brought you a present."

Severus toddled over to his grandfather. His eyes were bright with anticipation. Gran'ther always brought the best surprises.

"Open it carefully, Son, don't let it get away!" the old man admonished, as he handed Severus a small, pentagonal box. He watched as the four-year-old opened the package. The chocolate frog hopped out of the box and into the tall grass. The child let out a shout of frustration and scrabbled after it on all fours.

"Accio!" the old man commanded, and the frog flew to his open hand. Septimus was sufficiently strong-willed that he required no wand for the Summons, in spite of lingering weakness from the stroke. The frog sat unmoving on his palm.

Young Severus clouded up like a summer squall. He held out his own small hand and commanded: "Accio!" The chocolate frog flew into his hot little hand, and started to melt. The lad sat in the grass, examining the frog minutely.

"Better eat it fast, Severus," his grandfather chuckled with glee, as his daughter returned with bottles of perry.

"What's that you've given him, Father?" Eileen glared suspiciously at the old man.

"Just a bit of chocolate, Daughter. One piece won't spoil his dinner," Septimus put on his most innocent expression. Severus took one look at the two of them, and copied his grandfather's innocent look. The resemblance between the child and his grandfather was startling.

Eileen was forced to smile at the two of them. "You are a full-blooded Prince, my lad!" She ruffled Severus' hair, and wiped his chocolate smeared hands with the cloth she carried. "Come and help me set the table, Severus!"

"He's only a half-blood Prince, Eileen!" Septimus called after her. "But a full wizard," he added softly......



....."Here's my little man! Come give us a hug, 'Rus!" Tobias caroled as he approached the front gate to his home, where a scrawny little boy, dressed in a pinafore, with the blackest hair this side of China stooped to study the ants in the dusty yard. Tobias squatted down, and young Severus walked up to put his arms around his father's neck. Tobias gathered up his skinny son, kissed him with enthusiasm, and sat him on his shoulders. Father's smile was mirrored by the son's: both were so broad, so sunny, so full of the sheer joy of life. Eileen, pruning the roses under the front windows, felt her heart overflow. Severus took after his mother's family in all but this: he knew how to openly rejoice and enjoy the moment, just like dear Toby. She straightened to look more closely at the pair.

"What is he eating, Toby?" she asked her man.

"Choc'late," said the boy, rather thickly. "Da got them for me."

"And how did you get them, my little manny?" Toby asked. He fished in his pocket. "Ye've cleaned me out!"
"Put him down, Toby, you'll have spoiled him for dinner," Eileen scolded. "Get in and wash up now. You come with me, Severus," she added, as she led him to the privy.

"Severus, we do not take things unless they are given to us," she emphasized as she wiped him. "What you did is not good manners."

"But Gran'ther did it," Severus protested. "I saw him do it last week. He taught me."

Eileen went a bit pale, but remained firm. "Gran'ther is sick," Eileen emphasized. "And he is old. Sick old people are allowed to do things that healthy young boys are NOT. Now, inside, and wash with soap, mind you!" She washed her own hands, muttering, "I'll speak to Gran'ther when next he visits." ....



......"Be sure to put Severus to bed by 8, Toby. He's cranky when he hasn't had enough sleep the night before," Eileen admonished. "I'll be home by 10."

Tobias kissed his wife. "Don't you go promising to do too much for the church bazaar, love," he replied. "Someone else becomes cranky without enough sleep. I'll put the tyke to bed after everyone gets a peek at him."

Eileen kissed her son and left the house. "Now, Severus me lad, let's practice just a little bit more," Tobias said. "Me mates will be impressed if you can empty my pockets without anyone noticing!".....



......"Bill, Dodger, Fagin, Mungo! Come on in, see what my boy can do!" Tobias opened the door wide and his old gang from the city trooped in. "There's ale in the kitchen and Eileen's been baking up a storm. Set yourselves down anywhere. This is Severus, my son. He's just about to turn five."

When all were supplied with refreshments and assembled, Toby whispered to his son, "Ready?" Severus nodded eagerly.

"So, Toby, what can your little prodigy do?" Bill asked. Severus held out his hands, which revealed Bill's wallet, watch and keys. There was total silence, and then an explosion of astonished chatter.

"He's better than Mungo, he is!" Bill proclaimed.

Mundungus Fletcher, alias Mungo, stroked his chin. "Who was your wife, afore you married her, Toby?"... 



One day Mundungus Fletcher returned to the village alone and unannounced. He hung around Spinner's End until Eileen and her son came home from the market. After the boy was settled for a nap, Fletcher confronted Eileen with her son's developing talents and Tobias' unawareness that he had married a witch and fathered a wizard. Fortunately, Tobias wasn't home at the time. Eileen pleaded with Fletcher not to reveal anything about magic to Tobias, for the sake of the family and the Statute of Secrecy. Mindful of his own unhappy experience of growing up in a mixed, Magic and Muggle household, Fletcher agreed to hold his tongue. But from that point on, Fletcher appointed himself guardian to the young boy, and was always watching, talking, and teaching him about magic.

Fletcher and Septimus Prince were distantly related, and they both worked to provide the training and background that young Severus would need in the wizarding world. Eileen, once so adamantly against any use or discussion of magic, was forced to admit, at least to herself, that Severus' developing magical talents could not be denied or suppressed. She became less intolerant of magical means and made use of her training when Muggles weren't around to observe. She instilled in Severus the understanding of the Statute of Secrecy, and the necessity of never letting his father in on the secrets of magic. She also taught Severus those parts of magic that she deemed harmless and useful: potions, charms, and spells for healing and small domestic purposes, much as her mother had taught her.