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“Is that any way to talk to yer daddy, boy?!”

The seventeen-year-old flinched, a long-conditioned response learned through intimate knowledge of the fact that a raised tone was soon followed by raised fists. Lifting his chin, he stood his ground, trembling despite himself. “I'm an adult, now,” he intoned, struggling to keep his voice even. “I don't have to listen to you anymore. I don't have to let you hur-” 

A fist swung out, backhanding him across the jaw. “What's that, now?” the man demanded nastily. Before the boy could react, he'd been grabbed by the hair and shaken. “Ye're a big man, now, is that it? Ungrateful whelp. Who's kept ye fed all these years? Put a roof over yer ungrateful hide? Ye think yer better 'n me, boy? Goin' to that fancy school with yer fancy magic, think that makes ye better? Hmm? Well, answer me!”

The boy felt paralyzed. This was not going the way he had envisioned it. He'd been determined that he wasn't going to let the man lay a hand on him again. The moment his father had raised his voice, however, it felt as though his resolve and strength had been sapped from him. Maybe that was a magic his muggle sire somehow possessed – the ability to rob him of all will.

He'd had a plan. He was gonna tell his bullying father that he was going to leave, that he was never going to let him hurt him again. If he got angry, like he'd wholly expected he would, he was going to... His wand! Terrified, clumsy fingers fumbled for his wand, only for it to be ripped from his grasp before he could bring it to bear.

“I KNEW IT!” his abuser crowed, yanking him up and back by the hair so that the teen had to stand on his toes to ease the discomfort in his scalp and neck. His father sneered in his face, yellowed teeth forever reeking of alcohol and chewing tobacco, although the man currently had neither. “You worthless little shite. What were ye gonna do, boy? Hmm? Were ye gonna curse me? Turn me into an insect? Hm? What were ye gonna do, Severus? Well, boy? ANSWER ME!”

“Let me go!” Severus cried, one hand clawing at the arm holding him while the other desperately tried to reclaim his wand. “I just want to leave! That's all, I swear!”

Tobias hurled the length of wood across the room in favor of taking his son's flailing arm into a bruising grasp. “Leave? You want to leave, boy? Where would you go, hm? To them Evanses? That Lily girl won't even talk to ye anymore. Ye got nowhere to go! I'm the only one who'll accept ye! I am yer only option!”

“You're wrong! I will find somewhere else! And it will be a hundred, no, a thousand times better than here! You can't make me stay with you – I'd rather die!” the boy shouted, anger bleeding into his terror.

Snarling, the man shoved the boy to the floor, kicking him once, then twice, and again, each kick emphasizing a single word. “Is... that... any... way... to talk... to yer... DADDY?!” Tobias raged. His son tried to scramble to his feet, but he backhanded him to keep him down, never once letting up his assault. “Well, Severus? Is it, boy? Is that any way to talk to yer daddy? Huh?? Is it?!”

Severus could only do his best to escape the kicks and blows raining upon him, moving frantically across the floor. Tobias was quicker. He was quicker and he was bigger and he was stronger – and he always had been. The boy began to question why he had risked coming back at all, why he hadn't just escaped when he had the chance. He knew Tobias wouldn't accept his decision to leave. The man had never given him any choice about anything, ever. Severus had known this would be the result, only now he wasn't entirely sure he wasn't about to die.

He had run out of space into which to retreat, his back pressed against the wall beneath the window. The teenager screamed for help, but as always, it did no good. The neighbors either couldn't hear or didn't care. Tobias was still ranting, caught in a full-blown rage. He had no way to defend himself.

Turning to avoid the worst of the latest blow, Severus' gaze caught on the floor lamp. Desperate, the boy seized hold of it and swung it around with all his might. It struck the man across the shoulder and threw him forward – straight through the upstairs window. The sound of something large hitting the ground amid a shower of glass was soon followed by disconcerting silence.

Then, Severus began to gasp, a violent trembling taking over his frame as he drew his legs to his chest. A horrified keening parted his lips as he curled in on himself. Oh, god, he had pushed his father out the window. What had he done? What had he done? He needed to go check on him. To make sure that... that... He needed to call... He had to...

He could hear the neighbors as they began to gather outside, drawn for once by the loud noises coming from the house which marked the desolate edge of Spinner's End. Someone was pounding at the door and Severus knew he had to answer it, but he couldn't... he couldn't move from where he was, couldn't stop that horrible sound from leaving his mouth. Sirens sounded in the distance, drawing nearer, and still Severus continued his frenetic rocking.

The boy had not heard a single word or sound come from his father since the man had hurtled through the window. Somehow, that terrified him more than anything else.

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