He Used To Be A Happy Boy

A/N~~ This idea just came to me, and I hope people really take a look at.

Just so some reviewers know, I'll be editing this story periodically, not just adding to it, but beta-ing what needs to be done. Please don't think i'm that egotistical to keep resubmitting my work into the latest queue.

marti


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```


“Eileen, come quick!” The voice of Helen Meadows echoed through the little house on Spinner’s end. In the attic, going through a box of Severus’ old baby clothes, Eileen sighed. She considered ignoring her neighbor, but she knew that Helen would just come up the stairs to find her. She smiled again. She and Toby had just found out a few days before that they were finally having another child. Severus was six and they had been trying since his first birthday. Money was tight, but their hearts were more than able to take on another child. She hoped for a daughter.

“In the attic, Helen!”

“Eileen, there’s been an accident at the mill.”

Hearing the feared words, she jumped to her feet and rushed down the stairs. She thanked Merlin that Severus was at day school and wasn’t here now to get such news.

“What kind of accident?”

“I don’t know. The boys just came running from the mill.” Helen’s two oldest sons had quite school to work in the mill with their father to earn more money for the family. Helen stood gasping in the doorway, holding the frame. She too was pregnant, again, heavy and fecund at eight months along. This, her sixth child would be her last. Her husband insisted on having children, as his religion forbade birth control. No one but Eileen and Tobias knew about their new baby, afraid to jinks their good fortune finally.

The two women hurried to the mill, the central building in their little burg, the main source of employment for most of the residents. Bobbies and firemen kept family members from entering as smoke poured out of the open windows and through the doors to waft up to the clouds in the sky. Helen and Eileen held each other as covered bodies were carried out, men with wounds helped through the door.


“Patrick!” Helen pushed through the restraining line to her husband who walked out with the help of a friend, coughing into the other man’s shoulder. She pushed the man out of her way and held her husband tight. She saw the bright red stain on her husband’s helper’s shoulder as he helped Toby sit outside the mill.

Eileen pushed the other mill-worker from her husband and began to examine him. If so many Muggles weren’t around she’d get her wand out and check him magically, but she daren’t do so, nor take him home until she knew he wasn’t seriously hurt.


“Ah, luv, don’ worry ‘bout me. I’m fine. A bit of a fire, and some timber fell on me.” Toby smiled at his wife and stroked her pale cheek, weakly. “I’ll be right as rain afore work tomorrow, luv.” He coughed and wiped his lips, dry from the overwhelming heat of the mill fire.

“Someone bring me water!” Eileen yelled, expecting to be obeyed. She may have given up her pure-blooded life in the Wizarding world, but that didn’t mean she’d forgotten all of her old mannerisms. A beaten tin of well water appeared in her extended hand and she lifted it to her husband’s lips. He smiled up at her again and sipped, swallowing the first mouthful and coughing the next out, tinged with blood, all over her green shirt. She pulled the shirttail from her skirt and wiped the soot from his face.

“Oh, Ellie, don’t worry ‘bout me. I’m fine.”


“No, you’re not. Don’t make me knock you out, Tobias Snape! Sit there and rest while I make sure you’re alright.” Eileen knelt in front of him and started running her hands up his legs, checking for breaks and abrasions. She had been training to be a mediwitch when she’d met Tobias and left the Wizarding world to be his wife. She wished there weren’t so many people around, but this would have to do before the ambulance arrived to take him to the local clinic.

“My lovely wife. Don’ be worrying abou’ me, luv.” Tobias coughed again and rested his head again his wife’s bosom. “Where’s Sev?”

“School, of course.” She turned at the sound of the ambulance finally arriving.

“You should go home and wait for him. I’ll be a’right, luv.”

“I won’t leave you, Toby. Who knows what those butchers will do to you if I’m not there to make sure everything is alright.” She kissed his cheek lightly. Toby’s sooty hand came up and wiped the tears from his wife’s cheek, leaving a black streak across her pale alabaster skin.

“Outta our way, ma’am.” A paramedic pushed Eileen away from her husband, and it took all of her patience to keep herself from hexing the lummox. The man knelt in front of her husband and checked him out thoroughly. After putting his stethoscope away, he looked at Toby.

“Sir, we’ll be taking you to the hospital. St. Mary’s. Your lungs just don’t sound good a’tall.” He turned to Eileen. “You’ll be coming, then?”

“Helen! Can you get Severus for me? I’m going to the hospital with Toby.” Eileen went to her best friend. Helen hugged her close as they watched Tobias being loaded into the ambulance. Only he and another worker were going for a ride. Most men, including Patrick, were being treated on site. Of course, they’d have the rest of the week off before returning to work on Monday morning.

“Of course. He can play with the twins. And if you need to stay longer, just call. Severus is more than welcome to stay with us. He’s a wonderful boy,” Helen gushed. Severus was far more polite than any of her brood. He and her twin sons, Aaron and Adam, played together all the time, although the twins were a year older. Severus was far smarter and more mature.

~!!~~!~!~!!~!~!!~!~!!~!~!~!!

Eileen waited outside of the examination room. Once they’d gotten to the hospital, her husband had been put in a small screened off section of the emergency department, with two other patients. Then they’d been forgotten for two hours. Tobias had fallen asleep while waiting.

She worried for her husband. His breathing sounded horrible and shallow. He didn’t sound like his normal healthy hale self. But there were far too many people around for her to safely use her magic.

She’d called a nurse when he’d woken and cried out in pain, screamed really, then lay back on the bed panting and sweating. He’d paled a great deal, moaning for help. Eileen cried as a nurse dragged her out of the room, pushing her into a hard plastic chair to sit and wait.

Tobias’ screams had ended a while ago, and now she worried in the silence. All around her people talked, laughed, cried, but she only listened for her husband’s beloved voice.

She jumped to her feet when the doctor, a young man probably just out of medical school came out to her. His while jacket had blood on it, and his eyes were far wearier than a young man’s should be.

“Mrs. Snape. I’m sorry, but your husband’s right lung had collapsed. Since no one had him on the fast-track, he wasn’t seen in time. We did all we cou... ” His voice trailed off as Eileen fell against him, beating on his chest.

She should have performed magic, Muggles be damned! She should have insisted more on someone seeing Tobias when they’d first arrived. But a car accident had come in right after them and no one had been available. She still should have insisted.

“I want to see him.” She backed away, wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and looked up into the doctor’s eyes. She steeled herself for seeing the lifeless body of her husband, the man she’d loved and married, the man for whom she’d left the Wizarding world. He’d been the father of her son, and the unborn child in her womb. She wouldn’t do him the dishonor of falling apart in public.

“Of course, ma’am.”

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!


Eileen returned to her empty house late that night. She’d walked from the hospital, instead of taking a cab, needing to feel the night air. She climbed the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Tobias, fresh tears gathering in her eyes as she realized she’d never lay with him on a cold winter Sunday morning, cuddling under the blankets and laughing as their son climbed in with them.

She climbed upon the comforter and hugged Toby’s pillow to her chest, allowing yet more tears fall. She fell asleep immediately, worn out from the eventful day.

~!~!

“Mummy!” Severus ran to his mother, hugging her around the waist tightly. He hadn’t seen either of his parents after school the day before and Auntie Helen hadn’t allowed him to go to school this morning. He was glad his mother had finally shown up to take him home. Eileen bent down to kiss her beloved son’s forehead, ruffling his lanky black hair. Severus looked up at his mother, love gleaming from his black eyes. He frowned up at her now.

“Mummy? What’s wrong? Why’re you sad?”

Eileen wiped her puffy cheeks, wishing she’d waited another half hour before retrieving her little boy. But the mother in her wanted her son, now, in her arms. She knelt to his level and pulled him into a hard, tight hug.

“I’m better now that I’m here with you, love. Were you a good boy for Auntie Helen?”

“Of course.” He gave her a half-sneer. He was always a good boy, and he hated when she asked every time.

“I’m sorry, Sev. I’m lucky to have you. Some children aren’t quite as well behaved as you.” Eileen laughed a little and tucked some of Severus’ hair behind his ear. It was almost time for another hair cut, she reminded herself absently. It was easier to think of the mundane, the everyday things she had to do than think about her dead husband waiting for burial in the state cemetery.

Helen watched the two of them with sad eyes. Eileen had called her from the hospital before leaving for home the night before. She could see the devastation the dark haired woman was going through. She knew that she’d feel the same way if anything ever happened to her Patrick.

“Are we going home now? We were s’posed to have Shepherd’s Pie last night, but Auntie Helen said Daddy was hurt. Will Daddy be home, Mummy?”

“No, sweetheart. Let’s go. We need to talk for a bit.” Eileen kept one hand on her son’s shoulder as she guided him out of her friend’s home. They walked together down the lane, only a short walk, but it seemed to last a thousand miles as she listened to her son’s jabbering with half an ear. How was she going to tell the boy that his beloved father was gone and never returning? That Tobias would never tuck him in or try to read to his son at night even though he was dead tired and wanted to sleep?

Severus ran ahead in through the backdoor, expecting to see his father sitting at the kitchen table, bent over a model ship. It was a hobby he’d promised to teach Severus this summer. He saw his father’s church clothes folded carefully on the kitchen table.

“Daddy! Daddy, where are you?” Severus ran through the kitchen door into the livingroom, coming to a stop when he saw the reverend from their church sitting in his father’s chair. His father didn’t answer and was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Daddy?”

“Come here, Severus. Your Mummy and I have much to tell you.” The kindly old pastor beckoned the boy closer to him, pulling him to sit on his knee. Eileen came in and dropped into the rocking chair across from him. Pastor Raymond smiled kindly down at the boy and brushed some of his lank black hair out of his eyes. He looked at Eileen over her son’s head. She nodded slightly.

“Like what?”

“Did your Aunt Helen tell you about the accident yesterday?”

“She said Daddy was at the doctors. Is he still there?” He asked innocently enough. Eileen smothered another sob. Pastor Raymond gave the small child a hug.

“No, Severus. Your father is in heaven with God. He died last night suddenly. The doctors couldn’t save him.”

“When’s he coming back?”

“He’s not, son. He’s gone to heaven, and once you’re there, you stay there in the arms of our Lord. He was hurt very badly yesterday, and now he’s better.”

Severus scowled at the pastor, cocking his little head to one side. He knew of his mother’s magical abilities, but also knew that he wasn’t to talk about them with anyone but his Mummy and Daddy. Without Daddy, he’d only be able to talk to his mother about his magic.

“I want Daddy! God can’t have him, he’s mine!” Severus kicked his legs, jumping off of the pastor’s lap and standing before him with his fists planted defiantly on his hips. In her sorrow, Eileen almost laughed at the sight of her son standing in front of the pastor so. He reminded her of Tobias so much. The tears started anew.

“Severus, love. Daddy had a bad accident and died. He won’t be coming back to us, and we have to prepare for his funeral.” She silently thanked the mill for paying for funerals and headstones for anyone who might die on the job. Not that she was thankful for the damn mill; it should have been torn down years ago when it first became dilapidated and dangerous. But the owners knew they could get cheap workers and cheap product. She’d been tempted many times to hex them.

“But, I want Daddy more.” The boy’s eyes filled with unshed tears.

“I’m sorry, Severus. We’ll have each other, right? You’re always going to be my little man, yes?”

Severus nodded his head and sniffled, refusing to cry in front of the pastor. He was going to be strong for his mummy.

“It’s alright to grieve, Severus. You loved your father very much.”

Severus nodded, and went to his mother, crawling into her lap and sucking his thumb It was something he had stopped doing recently, but he needed the comfort right now. Eileen held and rocked her son slowly, listening to the pastor with half an ear. It was like her entire life since Tobias had died was only half lived. And she lived only for her Severus now.


tbc... if there's enough interest


well, that's the first part. Is it worth continuing? Review and tell me please?

marti