Second Chances

Chapter 2

Eileen huffed as she watched her husband wither and moan in agony, enduring years of her and her son’s pain. “Talk about toughening up,” she scoffed. He already soiled his path and “ Toughen up” he says what a joke she thought. Her baby boy was tough, and she believed he would become the greatest wizard the world had ever seen. She was determined to make it so.

Returning to cleaning the kitchen, she rolled her eyes every now and then as Tobias begged for mercy. Mercy was something he had never shown them, so she had no intention of granting it to him.

As she washed the dishes, hummed softly in the process. Eileen pondered her options. She could send him to Azkaban and let the Dementors have their way with him. The thought of Tobias suffering long and painfully, brought a wicked smile to her face.

Alternatively, she could turn him into a slave, forcing him to do her and her son’s bidding. But she felt that wouldn’t be a fitting punishment for the years of torment they had endured. No, she wanted him to suffer like they did. Eileen shook her head, this was tougher decision than she thought. This warrants more thinking.

Glancing over her shoulder to observe Tobias, she grimaced at the snot and tears running down his face. She gagged at the smell of fecal matter and urine on the floor. She rolled her eyes she’ll have to clean that up soon or it’ll stain the carpet.

As she finished with the dishes, Eileen attended to Tobias's rather embarrassing predicament. After cleaning the fecal matter and piss on the floor, with her wand in hand, she cast a spell to levitate him down to the basement.

In the dimly lit basement, she conjured a bed, a dresser, and a lamp. Ensuring that Tobias wouldn’t be able to escape, she attached chains to the wall above the bed's headboard. Carefully, she fastened the shackles around his wrists, and around his neck, and taking the extra precautions to make them unbreakable with a spell.

To maintain secrecy, she cast a Silencio within the room and added a strong Notice-Me-Not charm, just incase some one goes snooping around there house. 

Exiting the basement, she cast a spell on the door, ensuring it wouldn't open to any one without her permission.

Eileen smiled with a sense of satisfaction, nodding her head proudly at her work. Now it was time for a well-deserved night's rest.
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Severus woke up bright and early, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that this was all a bizarre dream, a creation of his dying mind. Part of him expected to wake up in hell at any moment.

Yet, he refused to dwell on it. He stretched his arms high above his head and marveled at the absence of the usual aches and pains in his bones or back. There was no lingering pain from Tobias's beatings either and that was thanks to his mother's potions. All in all, it was the most restful sleep he had experienced in years.

He climbed out of bed and sneered at his body’s unusually small size. He couldn't help but think that kids his age weren't typically this tiny. As he made his way to the bathroom, he moved slowly and carefully, still feeling a hint of discomfort in his legs, though nothing seems to be broken, thankfully.

Upon entering the bathroom, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. The soap he and his mother made was working wonders on his previously damaged and unhealthy skin. When he touched it, the rough, dry texture had given way to a newfound smoothness and softness. There was still work to be done, but it was an improvement. Unfortunately he could say the same for his hair, it remained stiff and albeit little less greasy than before.

His attempt to use the soap on his hair didn’t work out for him and it seemed to make it worse. While his hair did appear a bit shinier, it was far from the lustrous locks he once had when he had access to hair care products. He let out a sigh and washed his face with soap before brushing his teeth, realizing he was running out of toothpaste, maybe he could ask his mother to buy him some more.

When he finished his morning routine, he threw on a shirt and trousers before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Severus settled into a chair at the kitchen table, observing his mother as she prepared breakfast. A smile tugged at his lips as the scent of pancakes, bacon, and eggs wafted through the air.

"Good morning, Mum," Severus greeted.

"Oh! My goodness," she exclaimed in surprise.

"You surprised me, Little Prince. How did you become so quiet?" She chuckled, approaching him and planting a kiss on his forehead before running her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm, we should probably do something about your hair. No worries, today we're going shopping," she declared with a smile.

Severus tilted his head, "But, Mum, we don't have any money."

She waved away his concern, "Oh, hush, let me take care of that. Besides, we're not just going to any market; we're going to Diagon Alley today," she added, patting his head.

Feigning ignorance, Severus raised his eyebrow, "Diagon Alley?" he inquired.

“I’ll explain everything later love, lets have breakfast first,” she said.

She served him two very fluffy and very delicious looking pancakes with butter and syrup on top. His mother put a plate of bacon and eggs on the table for them to share. The sight of their hearty breakfast made him salivate.

“Thanks for breakfast mum,” Severus chirped before eagerly eating his pancakes.

Eileen smiled at her baby boy, noting the striking resemblance he bore to her late grandfather Elysian Severus Prince. Her grandfather had held a special place in her heart. He was kind and gentle, unlike her parents, he was patience and understanding. She remembers he like to smile a lot and it was the same exact smile Severus had.

If only he had been alive when she had decided she wanted Tobias, she thought, he might have made her see reason. But, even if Tobias was a mistake, his little boy had been her miracle.

Oh, how she missed her grandfather. Her grandfather would have loved Severus. He would have spoil her little boy rotten she chuckled.

Eileen savored one last bite of her pancake, before grabbing a plate and a mug from the cupboard. She generously loaded the plate with two pancakes, bacon, and eggs, and fills the mug with coffee. Placing everything on a tray, she carried it toward the basement.

Standing before the basement door, she took a deep breath to steady herself. After collecting her nerves, she swung the door open and descended the stairs, making sure to switch on the lights first.

As Eileen descended the final step of the stairs, she moved with utmost caution, her footsteps hushed and deliberate. She approached the bed where she had left him last night. Keeping her distance, she stood a few paces away from the bed.

A look of revulsion crossed Eileen’s face as she witnessed her husband’s twitching and messy state. The acrid scent of urine reached her nose, making her gag momentarily. She was grateful he hadn’t shit himself.

Placing the tray of food on the bedside table, she retrieved her wand from her leg holster. With her wand pointed at Tobias’s vulnerable form, she unleashed a stinging spell, causing him to howl in pain.

Tobias scrambled, desperate to sit up. Panic filled his eyes as he frantically searched for his unseen attacker. When he finally locked eyes with his wife, rage consumed him. Perhaps due to delirium or fatigue, he seemed oblivious to the chains that held him, lunging violently towards her, only to be abruptly halted by the unyielding restraints on his wrists and neck.

He cough violently as the chain on his neck momentarily chock him. Confusion etched his face as he examined the chains attached to him. “What the hell?” Tobias exclaimed, his bewilderment evident.

“Eileen, you damn bitch! You damn useless whore, get me out of here!” he snarled, attempting to attack Eileen, despite its futility. His threats and insults tumbled out in a manic torrent. “When I get my hands on you, I’ll kill you and that freak of a son you have. I’ll burn your body to ashes and I’ll sleep like a baby knowing that I eliminated an abomination like you and your son,” he laughed maniacally.

Eileen arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Are you finished?” she asked calmly.

Tobias sneered back, but as his gaze locked with Eileen’s, he found himself frozen. The woman standing before him was no longer the woman who would cowered in fear in his presence. Her eyes, once filled with terror and sadness, now emanated cold resolve. He understood that, regardless of what he said, there was no escaping his fate.

"I was hoping that by making you feel what we had endured, you might at least feel a shred of guilt," she said.

"Guilt? Me, guilty for punishing freaks like you and your son? Never. The world would thank me for ridding it of both of you," Tobias retorted, his tone manic.

"I guess not," she replied with an eye roll.

Wand in hand, she waved it at him and in an instant, Tobias was clean. No sweat, no blood, and most importantly, no urine.

Tobias briefly looked confused by his sudden cleanliness but shook his head and glared right back at her.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Tobias. You were beginning to stink," she said, exasperated.

"Fuck you!" he snarled.

"oh! Woe is me, he said 'fuck you.' I am hurt beyond measure. How dare you," she mockingly responded, clutching her heart.

There was a pregnant pause before Eileen burst into laughter. This only served to further infuriate Tobias, and with all his strength, he lunged at her, chains be damned he thought. All he wanted was to kill this woman. He should have killed her when she first told him she was pregnant with that little freak.

"Oh, please, Tobias, those chains are spelled to be unbreakable. It's quite amusing to see you struggle thought, so by all means, continue," she laughed.

She observed him for a few more minutes as he strained against and struggle at the unyielding chains, which were now cutting into his skin. Eileen watched with cold fascination before growing bored.

“I grow tired of this,” She said before casting the cruciatus curse on him.

She did it once and twice before he passes out.

Eileen looked at his prone unconscious form on the floor, coldly. She then levitated him to the bed before leaving him down in the basement.

After his mother disappeared down the basement stairs, Severus took it upon himself to clean the dishes. Once that was completed, he moved to the living room to watch TV. Flipping through the channels, he searched for something worth watching and eventually settled on a cartoon show he remembered was his favorite.

As he settled in front of the TV, a sense of oddness crept over him. He thought that this situation was rather odd. He recalled yesterday's beating from his father had happened in the first timeline. But back then his mother hadn’t intervened, she didn’t even bat an eye and just waited till it was over to comfort him and gave him a potion. He didn't exactly harbor hatred toward her, but he couldn't help but wish she had taken action sooner. The question is what had prompted her to change her behavior now, he wondered. Could it have been the conversation they had a week ago while making soap? That incident was new, it didn’t happen before so maybe that altered something?

Another lingering question had occupied his mind since the previous night: would there be consequences for altering the past? He pondered whether his actions might create a time paradox or simply spawn another universe. He didn't want to alter the timeline too drastically, but he was determined to make better decisions than he had in the past. Perhaps he would choose to lie low, blending into the background  just like another unassuming wizard living a mundane and peaceful life, far away from James and his friends, and out of reach of Voldemort or Albus. Yes, that sound really lovely, he thought.

As the cartoon cat teetered on the brink of getting hit by a frying pan, his mother emerged from the basement.

"Severus, darling, did you do the dishes?" she asked.

He nodded without tearing his gaze away from the TV.

"Good boy," his mother said approvingly.

"Now," she continued as she settled beside him on the floor. "We're going to have a talk about my wand, Severus."

Severus looked at her with wide, guilty eyes. "I'm sorry, Mum," he said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, I know, love. But I just want to know, how did you see the attic?" he asked her curiously.

"Hmm... well," he trailed off as he pondered how to explain it without giving away too much information.

"It was emitting a soft, white glowing light, and it smelled like peppermint and lemon, it kind of smelled like you. It made me curious about what's up there," Severus shrugged, his gaze innocently fixed on his mother, who stared at him with wide amazed eyes.

The intense, amazed gaze of his mother stirred a sense of unease within him; no one had ever regarded him as something precious before. Even in his previous life, he couldn't recall her looking at him in such a way. While he had always known that his mother loved him, she had been a coward to show him any affection, too afraid of Tobias’s anger.

"Mo-mother?" Severus tentatively ask.

She snapped out of her surprised daze. "You're not supposed to see the attic, love. I casted a spell on it, one that should make the attic door invisible to anyone but me."

Severus frowned, pretending to be confused. "But I saw it."

Unexpectedly, his mother pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Oh, my talented little boy," she whispered with reverence.

"You have it," she said, her tone a little emotional

Severus smiled and savored the hug from his mother, snuggling into her warm embrace. "Have what, Mum?" he asked, his wide, innocent eyes fixed on her.

Eileen's heart melted at the sight of her son's adorable face. She gently tapped his nose with her dainty finger.

"You have the gift, my little prince," she chuckled.

"Gift?" Severus asked, perking.

“Yes, a gift,” she chuckles.

"Come, my love, let me show you something," she said.

They rose from their seated position, and led him to the attic. With a flick of her wand, the attic door swung open, and the ladder descended. Eileen encouraged him to go up first before following closely behind. She took his hand and guided him toward the trunk filled with her old things.

Kneeling in front of it, she lifted the lid and a small happy smile graced her lips. Severus couldn't help but notice the way his mother's face lit up as she gazed upon her old things. A faint smile played on his lips as he observed the excitement in her eyes, making her appear younger than her years. Perhaps that same light would remain in her eyes, now that nothing is holding her back.

She rummaged through her belongings, eagerly searching for something. Severus observed her with keen anticipation, intrigued by what his mother intended for him to see. She extracted numerous books, neatly stacking them one upon another on the floor, until she reached the bottom. With an excited exclamation, she carefully and reverently retrieved a large book.

The cover had a plain beige hue to it. The color still retain it’s vibrancy despite years of storage, which was impressive. The cover appeared sturdy, resembling thick cardboard but with a more substantial quality. Severus vaguely remembered encountering this specific book during his earlier exploration of her belongings in the previous timeline. At that time, he had hesitated to open it, feeling as though he would be intruding on something private. Eventually, he had incinerated all her possessions, including her wand.

Eileen blew gently on the cover. The years of dust swirled into the air catching the golden rays of the sun making it glisten like flecks of gold. She then used the edge of her skirt to wipe away the remaining dust. In cursive letters, the word "Prince" was elegantly inscribed on the cover, with a majestically capitalized "P" adorned by intricate, swooping loops.

A loving smile graced her face as she gazed at the book, her eyes misting with emotion. It was evident that this book held immense significance to her, and Severus was briefly overcome by remorse as he recollected burning her belongings, including this book.

“Here come closer dear,” She smiles.

Severus watched as his mother opened the book to revealed it to be a photo album. “Wow,” he says in awe as she looked at the photos and back towards her mother who was smiling at him.

“This my love are photos of our ancestors,” She told him excitedly.

“Here,” she said as she placed the photo album on his lap.

Severus’s gasp as he observe his ancestor photos. There they were, in black-and-white, standing proudly looking back at him. They looked stern but dignified, the pioneers who had built the family’s legacy.

As he flipped through the pages, his mother occasionally would point out significant members of the family. She would tell him what their names were, what they did and why they were important.

He particularly like the story of his great grand uncle who had been one of the most celebrated Hogwarts headmaster.

Flipping to the next page, Severus found himself momentarily in shock. As held the old photo album in his hands, his eyes widened in amazement, and his breath caught in his throat. The image before him captured a moment frozen in time, a black and white photo of a man. But it wasn’t just any young man; it was as if he was gazing into a mirror.

His own features stared back at him, unmistakable and eerily identical to how he looked when he was older. The shape of the eyes, the lips and his angular features it was all the same but with minor differences like the nose and the hair.

A rush of emotions welled up within Severus as he stared at the picture with disbelief. How could it be possible that this person, separated by generations and decades, bore such a striking resemblance to himself? His heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and intrigued as he traced the contours of the face in the photograph.

Eileen gave her son a warm smile as he turned the page where she knew her grandfather's picture was placed. She observed his reaction with fondness and a soft chuckle escape her lips

Her grandfather had been a beauty and stunner during his youth. She know in her heart and mind that as Severus grows older, he would inherit more than her grandfather’s physical resemblances but also his strength. Her grandfather had been an extraordinary wizard, a master of various magical fields, yet his heart had truly belonged to potions.

During his time he had created several potions such as the “Starlight Elixir” which is a healing potion that is potent enough to heal any wounds, diseases and blood curses like dragon pox and the “Lumus ward” which helps counter any type of dark magic or curses.

Those two potion had been a revolutionary discovery, and it had taken the whole wizarding world by storm. Sadly, her grandfather wasn’t able to teach the potion to her, to her siblings or to anyone else, as his death had been sudden. His father had refused to let her read her grandfather’s journal instead he had kept it hidden in the family vault never to be seen again.

Sadly, nobody, no matter how hard they tried were able to recreate her grandfathers potion’s.

Eileen smiles fondly as she remembered when she had been a child maybe around eight or nine. She remembered spending days holed up in the dungeons of the Prince Manor, brewing potions with him. It had been the happiest moment in her life. His death had left a void inside her, as well as in her siblings' hearts, for he had been the only one to show them genuine love and happiness.

"That, my love, is your great-grandfather Elysian Severus Prince," she explained.

Severus gazed up at his mother in astonishment. He couldn’t believe he was related to this man.

"Yes, isn't he beautiful?" Eileen asked, her own eyes shining with fondness.

"You share his name, his eyes, his hair, and his smile," she chuckled at the awe in her son’s eyes.

"And," she added with a warm smile, "he has the same gift as you."

Severus froze, his eyes returning to the picture before him. He now regarded it with a newfound understanding. He shared this unique ability with his great-grandfather, an ability to see, smell, and feel magic.

"He once told me that seeing and smelling magic was an experience unlike any other," Eileen recounted. "He said, it was a symphony of vibrant colors, and each person has a unique hue and scent to their magic."

"You mentioned earlier that my magic smells like peppermint and lemons, didn't you? Well, he said the same thing. That's why I could never sneak up on him, no matter how hard I tried," she added, letting out a soft, nostalgic chuckle.

Severus couldn't help but smile. It was similar for him. He recalled when Draco was just a child he attempted to sneak up on him multiple times, only to meet with constant failure.

"Now, my dear, let me share a few things with you," she began.

"Both you and I are wizards, descendants from a long line of wizards and witches," she continued.

Severus nodded, already aware of these facts. Nevertheless, he maintained the charade and feigned ignorance and astonishment.

"We came from the Prince family, a family that belonged to the esteemed Sacred 28, making our family quite significant. However, I was disowned for marrying your father. I’ll try to  reconnect with them and see if they might accept at least you," she explained.

"But, for the time being, we're on our own," she sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Yes, mother,” Severus nodded.

In the first timeline, Severus had never attempted to establish contact with his grandparents. His mother, in the initial timeline, had adamantly advised against reaching out to them.

On numerous occasions, he had been on the verge of contacting them, driven by his deep-seated wish to save his mother from his father's abuse.

Yet, he refrained from doing so, influenced by the accounts he had heard from Lucius and others about his family’s rather traditional views on anyone that isn’t a pureblood. This knowledge alone had been sufficient to deter him from reconnecting with his estranged family.

However, the prospect of his mother wanting to reconnect with her family filled him with an unsettling sense of apprehension. The memories of the horrifying actions his family had taken against non-purebloods, as Lucius had told him, still haunted him.

Though actual meeting was a ways off, and they might not even be interested in meeting him, which suited him just fine. With that in mind Severus was able to push aside his nervousness.

He continued flipping through the photo album until he stumbled upon a picture of a man and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to his mother. They must be his grandparents, he thought. Severus glanced up at his mother, wanting to ask about them, but the expression on her face as she gazed at her parents' photo gave him pause.

Her feature displayed a mix of contempt and anger, which genuinely made him uncomfortable. "Mum? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, my love," she replied, her expression shifting back to normal as she had snapped out of her reverie, and a warm smile graced her lips.

"That's enough for now," she added, gently taking the photo album from his hands.

"Go get ready, we're heading to Diagon Alley in 30 minutes," she announced, carefully tucking the photo album back into the trunk.

Severus couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness as he watched the photo album disappear into the trunk. He longed to explore more of his family's memories captured within those pages. However, the excitement of going to Diagon Alley overshadowed his disappointment. With eager steps, he practically sprinted out of the attic, earning a stern warning from his mother to be careful along the way.