The Root of Protea: Of Snapes and of Lillies

Chapter 17 - Houses and Homes

The drive to Severus's childhood home in Spinner's End was painfully short.

With a frown, Severus parked the car on the street and a moment later, he and Lily made their way to the house.

Lily's bright smile dimmed as she studied the forlorn look on Severus's face.

Once they came to stand on the house's front porch, Lily watched as Severus raised a hand and knocked hesitantly on the door.

Lily furrowed her brow in concern.

Severus looked as solemn as if he was about to witness an execution.

On the outside, the house that Severus had grown up in looked grim, grimy, dilapidated, and forgotten.

Neglected.

The only time that Lily had ever been inside Severus's home was when he had brought her to his room after finding her injured in the Death Eater attack, all those months ago.

Lily's memory from that night was hazy.

Surely the house wasn't that bad inside.

.......Surely......?

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The front door to Severus's house opened but no one stood behind it.

No one welcomed Severus and Lily inside.

Regardless, Severus took Lily by the hand and stepped through the doorway.

Lily noticed that as they walked into the house, Severus visibly flinched, as if he were traversing a minefield.

Lily squeezed Severus's hand reassuringly.

Lily didn't yet understand why Severus was so nervous.

Besides, the house seemed abandoned.

There was no noise or sound anywhere, just dead silence.

From the wallpaper to the curtains to the furniture, Severus's childhood home was decorated in dark, decaying, lachrymose colors.

Black, brown, gray with unwelcome pops of dingy yellow and faded green here and there.

Trash sat carelessly around, discarded in the most terrible places.

Lily looked around and besides the musty smell that permeated the air, she noticed a distinct oily film of filth that seemed to cover everything, even the walls.

Lily's grip on Severus's hand tightened involuntarily as her heart filled with sympathy for her lover.

Severus had grown up here?

In here?

Human beings still lived in this dreadful place?

Had ever lived in this place?

Lily felt sad tears well in her eyes as she clutched onto Severus.

No wonder Severus had always been outside, playing by the river when they were children.

Lily felt that she would have done anything to get out of that horrible house too.

A clicking noise finally came from the kitchen and Severus cautiously walked over and peered around the corner.

There, sitting at a small table, eating a sandwich
made from stale bread and meat that looked like it needed to be thrown away, sat a man.

The man had short brown hair and mean-looking, beady, black eyes.