Anathema - A Person Or Thing Detested Or Loathed

The Letter S

  I rather enjoy the rain. It's something of a stress reliever for me. It's a reminder that even the sky falls when it's too full. Maybe that's why I felt it was ok to cry when it rained, of course I never did, but it still felt like a good time to. I felt less alone in my sadness.

I couldn't really explain my love of the rain, of cold water really. It's always been a safe place for me, taking the coldest bath possible when I felt upset; or jumping into the dirty pond water near our house after school, or when I would run out into the freezing autumn rain.

I used to always get scolded by mum, she'd say I'd get sick, yet I never have. I suppose I've got a good immune system, but in cold weather I'm able to handle it pretty well, it never feels as cold as mum says it is. Nowadays she just gives up on trying to keep me inside during bad weather, although I still get pretty awful scoldings and extra chores.

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It's not until well after 9 I make it back into my house, I honestly hadn't meant to be out so long, it was pure accident, I got lost in my thoughts and had a longer walk than I realized. "SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOUNG MAN!"

"Mum I'm sorry I walked too far without realizing it and I ran all the way back here! I'm sorry it won't happen again! I promise!,"

"It had better not, if it does you'll be grounded!" Fuming she grabbed me and sat me in the living room.

It was obvious from the moment I'd arrived that dad wasn't home yet, if he was, mum wouldn't have been able to talk like that, he would have beaten the both of us good if she had.

Mum thankfully lets me off this time but gives me a good warning not to do something like that again, especially when we live in a place like Spinners End with a man like Tobias as my father.

I get into the shabby bathroom and look in the mirror. Looking back at me is a nearly identical, and younger version of one Tobias Snape with some mixture of Eileen neé Prince Snape. With ugly shoulder length greasy looking black hair, large crooked nose, and swallow yellowish skin. And crooked yellow teeth to complete the look.

It seemed like magic, I tried and tried again, but nothing I did made any difference. I still used the best I could afford, but it never did much. I couldn't change anything, we're too poor to afford nice clothes, and apparently no soap or creams, or any potions did anything to help me. But using it made me feel a bit better, that at least I'm trying.

My poor looks had always been the center of my bullying ever since I can remember. Any bullying starts with my nose, or my hair depending on what you see first. I could only hope the people at Hogwarts would be less cruel when it comes to appearance, but deep down I know they are children like anybody else, they are human, and they will mock me.

"I only hope I make friends who will stand up for me when I need it.." I say that, though the only friend I've ever made is Lily. Maybe when I'm older things will change...

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"MUM! MUM! ITS MY LETTER FROM HOGWARTS IT'S FINALLY HERE! LOOK LOOK LOOK." I shoved the yellow paper with green lettering into mum's face with excitement.

She's got a smile wide and bright, eyes sparkling. It was a smile that was almost nonexistent especially these days. "Severus,that's wonderful, go on, open it up then."

Ripping open my letter I read it quickly and found a supplies list, although I don't show it slight dread fills me, with the length of the list, the supplies were bound to be expensive. "Well aren't you going to read it to me dear?"