"So, is that what Love is?"
"Yes, that is what Love is. It is what makes the game become the falcon, the falcon become man, and man, in his turn, the desert. It is what turns lead into gold, and makes the gold return to the earth."
...
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For as long as Severus could remember, the only expressions his father's face showed were anger and disgruntlement for most of the time.
But ever since that owl arrived from Hogwarts, proving that Severus shared his mother's "abnormality", Tobias Snape has been especially nasty.
And today was much the same, if not worse. It was the day Severus was to go to platform nine and three quarters to board the Hogwarts Express, and Tobias had said some very unkind things to Severus and his mother before he left the house to go and get drunk. As usual.
So now Severus stood on the platform with only his mother for company and she wasn't even completely there as she was very deep in thought.
Severus felt awful that he'd be leaving his mother alone in that house with his father but what could he do? He was just a child.
So he did the best he could do for her at the moment. He laced his pale fingers through Elain's even paler ones and squeezed but she didn't respond, her glassy eyes fixed on empty air.
Severus sighed and took his eyes off his mother to look around him and saw something that made him a bit happy.
A mane of flaming dark red hair.
Severus couldn't make out what was being said and done but even from this far away, he can tell that Lily was pleading with her sister Petunia, who kept turning her head away so she wouldn't have to look at Lily.
Severus wanted to do something to help Lily but he couldn't just walk over there and interfere with her and her sister's life. Lily had been very clear about him not doing anything to Petunia again if he still wanted them to be friends.
"I think you better get on the train, Sev."
Severus was still staring at Lily and Petunia arguing so he was a bit startled when he heard his mother's voice.
"What? I mean, yeah. Sure." he stammered. "Bye, Mum." he added and dragged his trunk over to the train with one final glance over to where Lily was still standing with her family.
He trained his eyes back to where his mother had been standing to say one last goodbye to her but she was already gone. He didn't blame her. It must be painful for her to be here with all the memories it brings back.
Severus gave himself a mental shake of the head to clear it, took a deep breath and reminded himself that he should be happy today. He's going to Hogwarts, for Merlin's sake.
So he excitedly carried his trunk to one of the bathrooms on the train and quickly changed into his blank Hogwarts robes, already imagining the silver Slytherin serpent on it and gladly discarding his much hated Muggle clothes.
When he was done, he decided to go looking for Lily because he knew she'd already be on the train by now if she didn't want to miss it.
The train had already pulled out of the station and was well on it's way into the countryside when Severus finally spotted Lily's vibrant hair through a compartment window.
