Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Fourteen

TW

To make up for it you can have two smilies :) :)

Silvanna was up early on Christmas Day, and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading back upstairs and out of sight once more. There were still grey clouds in the sky, but they didn't look so heavy, and it wasn't raining. She
read all about different hexes and jinxes for a while, taking note of the good ones to try out, and around lunchtime she heard the front door slam shut.

She eased herself off her bed and opened her door, ears pricked and listening intently. Someone was shuffling around downstairs, but other than that it was silent in the house.

Silvanna made her way downstairs, and was delighted to see her mum bustling around in the kitchen, preparing a small dinner for them. "Happy Christmas!" Eileen Snape said, a smile on her face as she embraced her daughter. "Do you want your present now or later?"

"Now, please," she said, grinning excitedly. Her mum nodded and stepped over to their little tree, wrapped in gold tinsel, rummaging underneath. She pulled out a box wrapped in scarlet paper, smiling widely as she handed it over.

"I sent Sev his yesterday," her mum explained as Silvanna gently picked at the paper. She slipped out a small wooden chest, and flicked the lid open to reveal a worn set of grey and white marble gobstones. "They're mine from when I was at school," said her mum as Silvanna wrapped her in a hug and thanked her.

They spent the afternoon playing round after round of gobstones, and Silvanna found herself very good at it, but she suspected her mum was taking it easy in her. They had their lunch - roast chicken, boiled broccoli, and roast potatoes and carrots - before playing some cards and some charades. It would've been more fun with Sev there, but Silvanna was glad she could keep her mum company. They finished off the day with hot chocolate and another round of gobstones, before Silvanna went upstairs to bed, yawning and full.

*****

The wind was howling through the cracks in Silvanna's roof, but that wasn't the reason she'd been woke up. Through her gap in the curtains she could see that it was still dark outside too, without a peek of light. Her mum's owl hadn't returned from its nighttime hunt either. What was it then?

There was the sound of something being knocked over a floor down, followed by someone stumbling lightly into a wall. Her dad was back. Did that mean it was Boxing Day now? She scowled, before huddling deeper into her blankets, careful not to make her bed creek as she did.

She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Maybe they were going downstairs though. Or he was walking across the landing to the bathroom. Her door handle screamed as he pushed it down, and Silvanna screwed her eyes shut tightly, making sure to steady her breaths into a rhythm. Her mum had told her to do that when she was pretending to sleep.

Silvanna listened as his heavy boots crossed the floor, still pretending to be sound asleep. "Gerrup." She didn't move, not a muscle. She stayed completely still, hoping he'd give in if he couldn't wake her. She heard the clink of his belt buckle as he removed it and concealed a shudder.

His hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her from her cot, her entangled feet pulling her duvet with her. She yelped in surprise, and then let out a cry as his boot collided with her knee. "You'll do as you're fucking told!" he said raising his voice. Another pair of footsteps padded up toward her room, and Silvanna let a slither of hope into her heart. Her mum was coming. She'd help to distract him.

He brought his belt down onto her, hitting her back with a sharp crack and she cried out again, tears pricking at her eyes. "Tobias, stop it! She hasn't done anything."

"You," he slurred, twisting around and raising a pointed finger, "Can fuck off." He spat at her, and Eileen Snape jumped, wiping at her nightie with her sleeve. "Go back downstairs."

"No-"

"GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS!" he roared, making both Silvanna and her mum jump. She cast one last fleeting glance at Silvanna, before nodding quietly and going back to her room. He turned back round. "Turn around."

Shaking, Silvanna turned around, bracing herself and flinching once or twice before the strike came. Her brought his belt down on her two, three times more, hitting the exposed part between her top and bottoms, before kicking her back to the ground. After the third time in the same spot, she felt something hot trickle down her back.

"I'm sick of you disrespecting my house," he growled, aiming a kick at her belly. "Coming in here, taking everything for granted-" He kicked again, higher up, and hit one of her ribs. She flinched violently as it cracked, and she gasped, a few tears trickling down her face. He seemed to know what he'd done because he stopped and spat at her, before leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

Silvanna cowered into the wall as the arguing started downstairs. Always the same things. "You're too harsh,", "Don't undermine me!", "They don't deserve that,", "You're worthless."

Still shuddering at the pain it took to simply breathe, she crawled back to her bed, whimpering, and pulling her two tins toward her. She applied her bruising paste to her knee and her belly, feeling the instant relief. She also dabbed a little at her rib, but that was too painful, so she left it.

Grabbing her towel, she pressed it against the wound on her back. It was quite low down, so easy to twist round and reach it. She shuddered and winced at the contact, hoping there wouldn't be any random bits of fluff stuck in it, before unscrewing the lid on her wound-sealant. It really stung as she applied it, and her eyes watered as she bit the inside of her cheek to stop from crying out. When she was sure she'd covered most of it, she climbed back into bed, using the sound of the arguing to cover up the creaking.

At some point, early in the morning when light was only just piercing the sky, Silvanna heard her door open again. She cowered away from it, bracing herself and wincing at the pain from her ribs. She jumped violently when a hand came to rest on her shoulder, but relaxed a little when she found it was her mum.

"You're so brave," she whispered, smiling at her in the low light. "No wonder you were sorted into Gryffindor!" Silvanna forced a watery smile. "Where does it hurt?"

"Just here," she whispered, lifting her blood-stained top to show her a wonky rib cage.

Her mum frowned and nodded, her mind whirring for the right spell. Eventually, she placed her wand tip on the sore spot and muttered, "Episkey." Silvanna let out a small gasp as it jumped into place, but it certainly felt much better.

"Thank you," she whispered, as her mum placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"Love you, Silvie," she said, before padding silently back to the door, shutting it with a light click.