A Chance at Happiness

38. A Past full of Horrors.

Nathan embraced his father before entering the pensieve full of childhood memories.

The house was really small. Poorly lit, seemed almost impossible for a person to live there, let alone a family.

A young child, no more than 5 years old was standing in front of the sofa, shedding silent tears and holding tightly a filthy old teddy bear.

Nathan was already horrified. He knew that the boy was indeed his own father.

No mother , no father were detected. Just the little boy crying. While observing him, he noticed that the young lad was dirty. He had soiled himself.

He felt the urge to go and hug him but of course that would be impossible.

The door opened and a loud voice echoed:

"You boy, what the hell are you doing alone ? Where is your Mum ?"

"I don't know" the boy whispered

"You shit yourself on my floor ? You 've been out of nappies for more than a year!" he started screaming while approaching the young child.

He undressed him in harsh moves and dragged him to the kitchen.

He put the boy in th sink and start running an ice cold water.

Little Severus was screaming because the water was cold.

Tobias slapped him hard in his cheeks, while little Severus was screaming even louder.

He dragged him his wet hair, picked him up and put him clean but blue from the cold on the floor.

He started kicking the boy everywhere he could.

"Freak! You filthy freak! I will kill you! Freak! Don't you mess my floor again!Freak"

With each word he kicked hard on Severus's back, belly, chest, head, legs, boy parts. Everywhere.

Nathan turned to his father who was standing right beside him "I can't take it any more. Pull me out please".

They exited the memory.

Nathan was shocked.

Severus was at a loss of what to do. It was a mistake to show his son a glimpse of the horrors of Spinner's end.

He turned to his Dad, hugged him tight and kissed his neck.

Severus caressed his son's back.

Nathan whispered " I wouldn't want to be a dad either, if I had been through such abusive behavior"

He looked right into his father's eyes.

He then continued "You are nothing like him. Don't you dare to compare yourself to that monster, Dad"

"I slapped you though".

"It was the only way to pull me back together. I was frantic and as you say, it is like that awful scene never happened".

His father nodded.

"He kicked you everywhere! How could he be so cruel?" Nathan whispered.

" I hardly think you would like to see any more memories, do you?"

"I do. Just if I say that I want to leave the memory, drag me out like you did here."

He took his son to his next memory.

It was night. His father was sitting on the sofa, holding another ale in his hands. Severus was sitting right next to him. He looked older, about 10 years old. He was dirty, his whole figure screamed neglect.