Moving On

Stepping in

Minerva continued on her way hastily before turning into a cat, she trudged up the hill leading to her students residence, Severus Snape, she huffed in annoyance.

Horace Slughorn, the boys Head of House was meant to be in charge of checking up on the boy, but requested last minute that she be the one to do it. She did not mind, the boy was her student after all, and maybe that's why Slughorn pleaded with her instead of the any other professor. The only issue she had was that he interrupted her much needed nap.

It was the beginning of the summer holidays was it not? She wanted to get a nice nap without worry of dealing with any students causing trouble. She let out a sigh, before freezing as she glanced up at the house meant to be the boys address, it could not be it!

Horace must have given her the wrong address. The place looked vile, the yard covered in weed and dirt, the walls looked sickly grey, the widows were shattered, the door scratched up and almost completely off its hinges, and that was only the exterior! She did not want to see the inside of the house at all but duty called.

She hid behind a tree while waiting for the officers that appeared to be conversing with the student to leave the house. She'd rather they didn't catch her in wizard robes, she forgot that she would be travelling into the muggle world. After ensuring that the coast was clear, she made her way to the house and lightly knocked. Severus Snape answered appearing perplexed.

"Professor?" He asked, looking at her with puffy eyes and a red face.

"Hello Mr. Snape," she said, stiffly, "I was sent to come see how you're handling the... situation," she muttered. The boy cocked his head to the side before releasing a sigh and gesturing for her to come in.

"I'm as happy as a person who has lost both they're parents and has a high chance of being sent to a terrible orphanage," he said bitterly.

Minerva pursed her lips, she glanced around her, the house was worse on the inside than the outside. The paint on the walls was peeling off, water was dripping from the ceiling, there was a large watermark formed on the ceiling, there were smashed bottles of what appeared to be alcohol and an alarming amount of food wrappers.

There was hardly any furniture in the house, save for a torn and dirty couch along with a rickety discoloured chair. She noticed rats running around the kitchen, cobwebs covering most of the corners in the house as well as the counters in the kitchen.

"The police said they think he was dead for over a week," the boy said, as if trying to provide an explanation for the state of the house. 

She knew that he was referencing to his deceased father.

He sighed, "Why are you here professor?"

"Ah, yes, your Head Of House requested that I be here on his behalf." He narrowed his eyes at that but said nothing.

He then went about busying himself with placing his belongings in his bedroom, he didn't seem to unpack anything for he quickly returned to the room.

"Mr. Snape," she said, when it became apparent to her that he did not seem to want to breach conversation with her.

"I know your fathers death has come to you as a shock, but that's why I'm here, I'm here to help you to ease the pain."
He glanced at her and let out a sigh, she took that as a sign of resignation, then he took a seat on the rickety chair opposite to where she sat on the couch.

"I'm glad he's dead, he was a terrible husband and an even worse father, hit my mother, insulted her basically every hour in his wake, when I'd be home for the holidays I was made honourary punching bag and whatever he felt like making me be." He muttered.