Into the Light

Insights Into A Life Of Solitude

Julie hesitantly followed her parents, who had just entered Severus childhood room. Although the room had obviously not been used for decades, the atmosphere was heavy. Julie frowned and her eyes began to wander searchingly.

"It looks relatively normal," she commented thoughtfully after looking around the room. Julie was somewhat relieved by what she saw. In the past few days, she had imagined a lot of things, but Severus' childhood room did not live up to her grim expectations.

"Relatively normal?" Colleen repeated doubtfully. "In my opinion, this is very renounced," she judged the sparse interior of the room, that was largely destroyed. She did not know since when Severus had stopped using his room. But the absence of any toys and games that would normally be found in a child's room saddened her. Only a few books lay tattered on the floor.

Alistair nodded thoughtfully as his fingers brushed against the window handle, which had begun to rust. "I do not think Severus did that," he judged the broken chair that lay in the corner, covered with a thick layer of dust. "This indicates a kind of aggression Severus does not have."

"The bed is much too small," said Colleen, who was now standing next to him, eyeing the bed anxiously.

"He did not sleep in it." Alistair reminded them, giving his wife and daughter a serious look. "Severus, he did not sleep in this bed. He said he had slept in the basement under a rusty table for fear that the huge chimney would fall onto the house, remember?" Alistair said, pointing with his hand to the window.

Of course, they remembered. Julie went to the window and stared up at the sky, where the old chimney loomed threateningly. She frowned, remembering Severus' words.

"It's definitely also the memories of what had happened in here, that prevent Severus from entering this room," Colleen said as her fingertips glided cautiously over the damaged door frame.

Alistair joined her and looked worriedly at the battered wood. As Julie approached, he turned to face her. "Shouldn't you be with Severus?" Alistair asked.

Julie frowned and scrutinized her father before she nodded and left the room without saying another word.

*****

"Didn't I tell you to go to your husband," Alistair asked in surprise as he found his daughter in the bedroom of Severus' parents.

Julie looked at him in surprise. "Yes, but that does not mean I'll do it," she replied firmly.

Alistair scoffed, "Of course," he said and eyed his wife with a mixture of amusement, "She's just like her mother - as always," he commented.

Julie smiled and then sighed. "I thought ..." she began and looked around the room once more. "Oh, you know, let's eat something," she suggested. "It is getting late and we are tired. Tomorrow morning, we can discuss where to start and, most importantly, what exactly we will do."

Colleen nodded in agreement, "Great idea, let's go and cook," she said. "Why don't you go to Severus and ask him what he wants to eat, and then I'll join you in the kitchen?"

When Julie had left, Alistair turned to his wife, "Why was she in here?"

Colleen looked surprised at her husband, "Julie is looking for answers. I thought that you of all people should know this, Alistair. Our daughter is trying to find answer to her countless questions."

After his wife left, Alistair looked around the room worriedly and, after a long inspection, stepped back into the hallway. There he stopped abruptly when he spotted Severus, who stood tense in the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest. Severus seemed to have been waiting for him.