Severus Snape

[snape]

the Life and Lies of

Severus.Tobias.Snape

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"Pain, without love
Pain, I can't get enough
Pain, I like it rough
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all"[/center][/size]

Flesh, Blood and Bone
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AGE:[/color]
34/35
NICKNAMES:[/color]
Severus had many nicknames in the past; some of which include: 'Sev' - used by Lily only; 'Snivellus' - or any variation thereof that was coined by the Marauders; and of course the 'Half-Blood Prince' which he created himself to honor his mother. These days though Severus doesn't accept any nicknames.
DATE OF BIRTH:[/color]
January 9th, 1960
HOUSE:[/color]
Slytherin
YEAR:[/color]
Graduated in 1978
OCCUPATION:[/color]
Potions Master and Professor
WAND:[/color]
Cypress, Dragon Heartstring, 11 inches. Strong and hardy; good for defense.
BROOM:[/color]
None
SEXUALITY:[/color]
Heterosexual

the Parting of the Ways
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LIKES:[/color]
• Lily
• Potions
• The Dark Arts
• Hogwarts
• Being alone
• Mind games
• Intelligent conversation
• Chess
• Power/Glory
• Smoking
DISLIKES:[/color]
• Physical contact
• The Marauders
• Tobias
• Voldemort (and in effect the Death Eaters)
• Quidditch
• Being seen as weak
• Smoking
STRENGTHS:[/color]
• Potions
• The Dark Arts
• Occlumency/Legilimency
• Intelligent
• Cunning/Sly
• Loyal/Trustworthy
• Nonverbal Casting
• Wandless Magic
WEAKNESSES:[/color]
• Fear of physical contact
• Physically weak
• Quiet/Shy
• Cold/Distant
• Short temper
• Harsh/Strict
• Social ineptitude
• Lack of affection
DEMENTOR:[/color]
He calls his worst memory the 'Mudblood Incident.' During his fifth year, while he was being tormented by the Marauders and hanging by his ankle, Lily once again stepped up for him. Severus was embarrassed by the incident. He didn't want her to see him humiliated in front of the whole school so he said the unforgivable. He called her a Mudblood in order to force her away. Needless to say that worked far too well... Of course Severus has plenty of other bad memories of the abuse Tobias dished out on not only him but his mother Eileen as well. Then there's the time when he joined the Death Eaters, which was the biggest mistake he had ever made in his whole life and although he now tries to rectify the decision, he can't remove the Dark Mark.
BOGGART:[/color]
Snape is the type of man who controls his emotions a lot so he's not really used to them creeping up on him, let alone being completely out of control. The Dementors cause him to relive his worst memories, subjecting him to pain and the bitter taste of betrayal that he's kept buried under his shields. They play on his own internal conflict and guilt, making them ten times worse to deal with. He's strong enough to resist the pull which causes others to descend into the altered recollections, but he usually can't last long and always feels exhausted afterward.
AMORTENTIA:[/color]
Amortentia smells like: Lilies, lavender, smoke, and a slight tang of metal.
Snape smells like: Smoke, various potions ingredients (such as cabbage, blood, rust, and ginger), earth or soil, and a faint hint of rose petals.
Lily smells like: Lilies, sunshine, books or parchment, lemon zest, and a touch of ink.
OVERALL:[/color]

Truth be told Severus has always been broken on the inside. He has different mind settings because he fractured himself long ago in order to endure the abuse his Father dished out on him and then later on the Marauders. Unlike most people who claim to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personalities) though, Snape has the ability to pull out whichever person he needs in order to survive. Due to this, he's also always in control of himself and he never blacks out. His brain is a very organized thing with boxes upon boxes of various modes/masks that he puts on to protect his true self...

As a Slytherin, he knows what is expected of him and acts without thinking. He puts up a strong front of cold indifference and his face becomes emotionless. He acts like how people expect him to be, which isn't that difficult because he's been pretending to be a Pureblood ever since he entered Hogwarts. He has a certain submissiveness to his personality and will bow to peer pressure rather than state his own opinion. He prowls around with a couple of people that are just as bad as the Marauders, if not worse. Avery and Mulciber took him in after his friendship with Lily fell apart. They rely on him for his intelligence and he goes to them for his cigarettes.

Speaking of intelligence, Severus is extremely so. He applies himself to everything that he does, always desiring to be the best. He has been known to cut corners in Potion-Making and invent his own spells. He's also quite logical, preferring to think before acting. He sometimes spends hours on one assignment due to his perfectionism. He can't stand grammar errors or improper punctuation. He never slacks off and he always hands everything in on time. Because of his strict nature regarding school, Snape is not very fond of those people who rarely ever seem to study and yet receive good marks. Although he helps his Slytherin friends, he doesn't believe in coddling them.

He is a natural loner. Severus is shy and usually acts nervous around others because of this. He often uses his wit to express himself when he needs to. Sarcasm is the only weapon he has (besides his wand anyway) and while it makes some think that Severus is cynical, he just likes biting back. It gives him a sense of accomplishment and deep satisfaction, especially when his words hit home. He isn't much of a social butterfly, which should be obvious by this point, so he comes off as distant and cold a lot of the time. He doesn't really care what other people think and he doesn't go out of his way to make friends either. He isn't a very likable person.

Snape is also childish sometimes. He has a quick temper and when he gets riled up, he often yells. Although he would never raise his hand against a child or a woman, he has been known to resort to violence whenever necessary. Due to his lack of physical strength though he often relies on his wand or Magic to do the job. He has a low level of self-esteem because he's been told that he won't ever amount to anything for as long as he can remember. Severus may be powerful in his own right, but he doesn't believe in himself and he always cracks down on himself harder than he should since there's always room for improvement...

With Lily, he's like a different person. He's kinder, nicer, and more prone to accept physical contact (especially if she's the one doing it). He's also a bit nervous and awkward around her; much like how he used to be during his adolescence. He doesn't know how to act around her because he gave her the best of himself in the past and she never noticed. He was subtle in his ways though since he doesn't know much about romance or on how to advance things properly... His love borders on obsession though. He doesn't act like Potter by pursing her relentlessly; however, he knows or feels that she is 'the one.' Snape won't take anyone else. Ever since he and Lily fell apart in fifth year, he closed himself off even more. It hurt him as much as it did her when the word 'Mudblood' fell from his lips. He retreated deep into himself, turning to other things such as Potions and the Dark Arts so he wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore.

Severus has only survived with his boxes for so long because he is a natural Occlumens. He blocks certain aspects of himself when they are not needed and then brings them out when they are. If he were to lose himself anymore then he would basically just fall apart; perhaps even descend into madness (assuming if that hasn't already happened anyway).

the Ancient and most Noble House of Snape
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MOTHER:[/color]
Eileen Rosa Snape (nee Prince), 36/55, Pureblood. -- Deceased
Unfortunately Severus was neglected on both sides. Eileen was distant not because she wanted to be, but due to the fact that it was almost a requirement. She used to chop ingredients at the Apothecary in Diagon Alley; however, after she moved to Spinner's End, she went into Muggle mode. She worked two jobs: both of which was a waitress-type of position at two well-known restaurants that were at either end of town. She pulled double-shifts sometimes so often enough she was a scant figure in her son's life. Despite this, Severus felt very connected to his mother because she was a freak like him. No one really noticed that she was sick until it was too late and by then there was nothing that could be done. She passed away over Christmas Break during Severus's fifth year at Hogwarts.
FATHER:[/color]
Tobias Gabriel Snape, 45/60, Muggle. -- Deceased
Severus both hated and feared his father. To say that Tobias was a good and loving man would be a lie. Although he acted romantic with Eileen at first, he quickly changed as soon as the two were married. He was an alcoholic who often gets carried away under the influence. He was abusive in all aspects of the word; mentally, emotionally, and physically. He used to work at the factory near Spinner's End, but when it shut down Tobias started to drink even more. He held a few odd jobs as a janitor and maintenance man, but they never lasted long. Tobias was killed in a car crash.
SIBLINGS:[/color]
None
OTHERS:[/color]
Lily Evans
To not mention Lily would be a serious injustice toward Severus's character. Even though the two are no longer best friends, they were quite close to each other in the past. Lily was pretty much the reason why Severus never ran away from home or did anything less savory than that. He was nicer, kinder, and more prone to accept physical contact whenever the redhead was around. To say that Snape has a crush on her would be an understatement. He still feels very strongly about her... He might even love her.
OVERALL:[/color]

Like most women before her, Eileen Rosa Prince was engaged to a wealthy man of high standards and a strong bloodline, but she wasn't interested in him because there was no love between them so she ran away. She settled down near Diagon Alley in Muggle London. She then got a job in the Apothecary chopping ingredients; however, she rarely went behind the cauldron. She met Tobias Snape on the streets and she was instantly attracted to him not because of how handsome he was (far from it), but due to his romantic personality. He was a gentleman who often sent her flowers or read her beautiful poetry. He basically 'courted' her for more than a year before he popped the question.

Their wedding was simple yet lovely. As soon as they were married, Tobias began to change. He sometimes got a little carried away when he drank too much and he was obviously an alcoholic. Eileen stayed with him though because she foolishly believed she could help. Nine months later she brought Severus Tobias Snape into the world on January 9th, 1960 and life improved at Spinner's End for a brief time. Eileen often entertained the baby with bits of Magic until Tobias found out and broke her wand. Then, when the factory shut down, things went from bad to worse.

The abuse often got physical and as soon as Severus began to display 'symptoms,' Tobias turned his hand both ways. The boy went on to learn how to use his uncontrolled bursts of Magic to heal the wounds, but over time it was not enough for he soon had scars that laced his back. Severus never went to Muggle school so he learned what he could from the few books that were laying around to whatever his mother let slip on her good days. Whenever his father was at work or passed out on the couch he often snuck away from Spinner's End. He shadowed Petunia and Lily Evans for almost a year before he finally plucked up enough courage to introduce himself. He soon told Lily that she was a witch and they quickly became friends. Petunia didn't seem to like him as much though so he was cruel towards her. One day he even accidentally punished her for spying on him and Lily by causing a branch to fall and crack her on the head. He also convinced Lily to read Petunia's private letter to Dumbledore. Although the two sisters might have been drifting apart on their own, Severus was definitely an added wedge to the equation.

Finally the owl from Hogwarts came. Once they were on the train Severus expressed his desire to be in the same house as his best friend, of course mentioning Slytherin in the process. James Potter and Sirius Black made a few choice comments that soon forced the other two to find a different compartment. The rest of the ride passed by uneventfully after that. The Sorting Hat placed Lily in Gryffindor while Severus became a Slytherin. They still stayed friends though despite the rivalry between their houses.

For some reason Potter and Black decided that Snape was the perfect target for their pranks. Lily stuck up for him more than once, but she seemed to be the only one who did. He quickly developed a crush on her because of this as well as a few other contributing factors. Aside from the almost daily bullying, Severus loved everything about Hogwarts. He applied himself to his schoolwork and he soon became known for his intelligence. He avoided his own housemates for that first year, either spending his time alone or with Lily. When he finally returned to Spinner's End for the summer Tobias burned all of his books and the older man would have broke his wand too if Eileen hadn't stepped in. The rest of that summer was full of argument after argument until Tobias agreed to at least let Severus learn those freaky ways. He could always trample over the boy later...

It was sometime during his second year at school when Lily suggested that he find some other friends to hang out with. She was convinced he would get lonely with only her as his constant companion and so Severus bowed to her greater insights. He soon struck up an odd relationship with Mulciber and Avery. They were against his 'Mudblood' best friend from the very beginning; however, they needed Snape for his intelligence and so they didn't protest as much as other 'Pures' would have. There was an obvious fracturing in Severus's persona when he was accepted for a Slytherin. He began to switch modes/masks as needed in order to better protect himself. He was interested in Potions (quickly proving himself to be a master in that particular subject) and the Dark Arts, if only to use it against the Marauders or on his father... The rest of his time at Hogwarts passed by uneventfully until his fourth year.

When Severus was about fourteen, he deemed himself old enough for a girlfriend and of course Lily was his first choice. He was subtle in his ways though for he had no idea how to display affection or show romance. Due to his deepening relationship with Lily, he grew more annoyed with Potter as a result. Potter had been chasing the redhead ever since she had declined one of his date offers. The animosity between Snape and the Marauders is nothing new though. As his advancements had yet to make an impression on the girl of his dreams, he got interested in other things. He hung out with his Slytherin friends more as he and Lily started to drift apart...

During the summer before his fifth year, he noticed that his mother was acting more distant than usual. She would shiver or cough sometimes, but whenever Severus voiced his concern she would push it away. It was just a little cold she often said. It should pass after a couple of days. Due to Eileen's lack of response to the abuse, Tobias turned more to the young teen instead. Severus was glad when school started; however, the Professors seemed keen to prepare everyone for the OWLs or NEWTs respectively. It was hard, but Severus excelled under pressure. He went home to Spinner's End for Christmas Break because he was worried about his mother and he was surprised to find her even worse off than she had been just a few months ago. He cared for her, doing what he could, and yet it was not enough. The fluid soon built up in her lungs until she finally breathed her last breath. Although Severus wasn't exactly close to either of his parents he felt particularly connected to his mother because she had been a freak just like him so her death hit him hard.

After his mother died, he began smoking. Of course he knew the risks. He wasn't stupid, after all; however, he couldn't bring himself to care. Once he started it became difficult to stop. It helped him forget about things for a time. It made him feel slightly numb and it definitely helped him relax. It was a way for him to unwind. Obtaining cigarettes at Hogwarts was a little more difficult, but he found someone in the Hog's Head who would sell them to him cheap. Smoking became more of an addiction than a release method for him after that. He could barely get through the day without going through a whole pack.

Snape became more distant in school. He barely spoke to Lily, preferring to either spend his time alone or with his other so-called friends. He applied himself until the point where he became obsessive about it. A combination of things caused the whole 'Mudblood Incident.' First Potter and Black began tormenting him like they did almost every day. Then Lily came to his rescue as was her wont to do, but Severus had been humiliated for the last time. He couldn't take this anymore. After he was on the ground and Potter called him lucky for having a friend like the redhead he said the unforgivable. There was no going back for either of them afterwards...

OWL Results:
Astronomy: E
Care of Magical Creatures: O
Charms: E
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Divination: A
Herbology: O
History of Magic: E
Potions: O
Transfiguration: E

Because Severus was not yet 'of age,' he was forced to return to Spinner's End where he only managed to survive by threatening his Muggle father with Magic. Tobias believed him despite the fact that it was forbidden, but illusion and slight of hand did much to help Severus's cause... As the summer started to wane though the Slytherin teen began to realize what he was doing. He was turning into someone that he didn't want to become. He immediately sought out Lily in order to apologize in a heart-felt matter, but she refused to listen to him.

In his sixth year, Severus experienced another unpleasant event: The Werewolf Incident. He had always wondered where Lupin went so when Black told him he had to go off and see for himself. He immobilized the Whomping Willow and followed the path down to the Shrieking Shack. He saw a flash of fur and fangs before Potter pulled him back. Snape felt terrified. There was a werewolf running around Hogwarts?! To his knowledge neither Potter or Black were punished for their actions. Despite this he swore to the Headmaster that he would not divulge Lupin's secret though.

Once he turned seventeen, Severus ran away from Spinner's End for good. He had tried before, of course, but he had not been able to leave his mother there alone. With her out of the picture it became relatively easily for him to leave his less than stellar history behind. The memories still bothered him occasionally so he tried his best to suppress them, unconsciously using his own natural ability at Occlumency. Severus had no where to go and not much money to use. The Snape family had never been a rich one. His mother had left him a small sum of gold, but it wasn't nearly enough to live off of. He rented a room in the Leaky Cauldron just until Hogwarts would start. He made Potions and sent them off to the local Apothecary in Diagon Alley.

NEWT Results:
Charms: E
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Herbology: O
History of Magic: O
Potions: O
Transfiguration: E

Snape graduated pretty close to the top in his year. He had only been a few paces behind Lily Evans and Lupin, which was impressive for a Slytherin. He was soon lured to the Death Eaters. Severus went to one of the meetings on his own free will under the sponsorship of Lucius Malfoy. He couldn't see how the Purebloods would benefit from purging the world because the old families already practiced intermarriage. Such genetics produced Squibs... This was only a minor flaw though compared to what the Dark Lord could offer. He was taken in by fancy words and false promises. By the end of that night he was admiring the Dark Mark upon his left forearm.

As a Death Eater Severus never did too much. His job was to brew Potions. The Dark Lord had desperately needed a Master within the lab so that job fell to him. He created many fine concoctions, including one that mocked the Cruciatus Curse and one which tore at your insides while still leaving you alive. They were pretty much used in torturing Muggles and Aurors. Snape even had the privilege of watching a few work. None of them disgusted him as they should have; in fact, he was rather proud. For once in his life he had a purpose.

A year passed in this manner before the Dark Lord purposed a new job. It seemed that Professor Slughorn was retiring from Hogwarts as the Potions Master. Severus was ordered to obtain the position so he could spy on Dumbledore and keep an eye out for any interesting students. He sent off his resume without further ado. He was asked to meet the Headmaster at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade. Snape arrived early. He waited down in the bar for a while before climbing up the stairs. It shouldn't take this long! He was unaware that Dumbledore was interviewing Trelawney until he got to the door...

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born as the seventh month dies... Born to those who thrice defied him... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...

Severus recognized that this Prophecy would be his redemption. He went to Dumbledore and later became a Spy for the 'greater good.' It was Dumbledore who taught Severus how to perfect his talents in Occlumency. He now possessed a mind so shielded that even the best Legilimens in the world had trouble delving past his barriers. As a matter of fact, for Snape, it was too good to be true. He placed all of his bad memories (sessions with Tobias, losing Lily, joining the Death Eaters) in a room and locked the door so he can never look back and remember who he had been. Two years passed in this manner as Snape skirted the edge and blurred the lines together until he could no longer tell which side he was actually working for.

The Longbottoms were the targets. They were killed and their young son, Neville, was marked with a scar that would forever label him as the Chosen One. The Dark Lord was defeated so Severus hung up his role as master spy and went back to doing what he loved: brewing Potions.

When Slughorn retired a few years later, Headmaster Dumbledore asked Snape to step in. He quickly fell into his role as Professor, becoming one of the harshest teachers in all of Hogwarts. The castle, however, did much to improve his mood. A decade has gone by since then and there are rumors that the Dark Lord isn't dead; that the Death Eaters are planning something...

at Flourish and Blotts
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What we can call you:[/color] Andy
Time zone:[/color] Eastern
How you found us:[/color] I found your Ad on Reality Shift
Best way to contact you:[/color]
AIM - hohlagh
MSN - [e-mail]
EMAIL - [e-mail]
PM

There was a cold calculating look upon Severus' face long before he uttered the curse. His eyes were completely black; the undertone of brown that had been there in the past was gone now. He pointed his wand at Dumbledore as the Headmaster begged for a merciful death, but there was no mercy; there was no love; there was only despair and madness. It felt like an out-of-body experience. He watched it all happen in seemingly slow-motion. The light left Albus' eyes as the old man's body pitched over. An intense pain, a wrongness, spread from his chest outwards.

"You alone know whether it will harm your soul…"

"Oh, Albus." Snape breathed. "I think I did it wrong."

The pain tore through the Potions Master then. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was burning, everlasting, and although he tried to master it; to find the love in it; there was just nothing. He screamed out in agony. He was breaking. His boxes -- his precious boxes that held parts of himself, pieces that he either locked away or ignored when he had to don a certain mask -- scattered everywhere and he couldn't put them back. He had done it all wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this... It wasn't supposed to hurt...

"I've done it wrong..." He moaned out quietly.

---

He had always been broken inside. Now everyone else could see it too. After Severus had killed Dumbledore, he had turned his wand to the other Death Eaters on the Astronomy Tower that night and struck them all down; dead. The seizure that shook through him moments later brought about the coma that Snape fell into. Madame Pomfrey tried everything before bringing in Healers from St. Mungo's, but they couldn't do anything for him either. It was obvious that although Snape was alive, his mind just wasn't there. When he finally came out of the coma the Ministry wanted to ship him straight off to Azkaban and no one really opposed.

---

It took a while before the truth was found out. It was Dumbledore's portrait who explained everything about the Horcruxes and the plan that he had fashioned with Severus; that it was supposed to be a mercy killing, but something had gone horribly wrong. Despite their better judgment, the Ministry released Snape under Harry Potter's orders. The Potions Master, however, was in a right state. Upon reaching Hogwarts, he simply went through the motions of what was expected of him. He didn't speak. He didn't glare. He didn't smirk. He was dead; his body just didn't know it yet.

People thought that after a bit he would return and gain back some of his sanity, but as a matter of fact quite the opposite happened. Severus continued to deteriorate. He twitched occasionally. He was in a constant state of pain; mentally, emotionally, physically... He was broken inside and no one could fix him. No amount of spells or Potions would do the trick. It was then that they knew Snape would never be right again; assuming if he even was 'right' in the first place... There was just something eerie about him now. He moved like a zombie and he wasn't himself anymore. It was a sad sight to see, especially since everyone was aware of what he had been through during the wars. He was a hero. He was revered; liked; respected... But most of all Severus was pitied because of his condition. Nobody could bear to turn him away though. They just let him continue on his mindless task.

Madame Pomfrey sighed as she watched the man she had once known so well enter her ward. He did this occasionally since she liked to check up on him. Snape was very good at following orders nowadays and he never questioned them; he just obeyed. She made him sit on one of the beds while she performed a few tests. She wasn't sure why she bothered at all because the results always came back the same, but she couldn't help trying. Severus heard her sigh when she finished, as she usually did, and simply stayed where he was while he waited for her to return. She gave him special Potions to help with the tremors and the pain, but they were addictive so a certain level of care was always practiced when one was actually using them. He swung his legs a little rather like an impatient child and glanced out the window. A whispered breath escaped his mouth then; a smile twisted his lips for the first time in ages. Little dots were moving about the Quidditch Pitch, probably practicing or maybe even playing a game.

the Writing on the Wall
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The chapter titles belong to J.K. Rowling. We're only borrowing them. Template was made by Krisy and added too by Son take and We'll send Dementors to kiss you and it won't be pretty.

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[krisy]

ACCEPTED

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Welcome to time of the Twisted. Please remember to fill out all your claims. Look forward to seeing you on the inside.[/color][/center]