My Story: Serena Snape

Chapter 20- The Pain of the Mark

I woke up laying on the living room couch at home. Was I really passed out for the rest of the meeting? Footsteps sounded from the kitchen behind me and I knew immediately who it was. The man I have grown to hate.

He made his way around the couch and looked at me "Good, you're awake."

I sat up wincing from sore muscles. "Why? So you could perform another curse on me?"

"Serena." He spoke in his warning tone.

"Don't 'Serena' me! You're my father and you're suppose to protect me no matter what! Cursing me is not protecting me!" I got up and began to storm off towards my room.

"Serena." My father grabbed my arm before I could get too far. "Cursing you was protecting you. If I had not done it the dark lord would have cursed us both with no mercy."

"Mercy? You think you showed me mercy?" I looked at him with disgust. "I hate you." I shook my arm out of his grip and hurried up to my room.

Once inside I slammed the door shut and flopped into my bed and sobbed into my pillow. How could he do this to me? He caused me the worst pain I ever felt and then says it was all to protect me. This year at school was going to be truly terrible. I hate my father, Draco hates me, and I owe the dark lord a debt. Life just sucks. I continued to sob even past when I had no tears left. My sobs must have been so loud I did not hear the knock on my door or my fathers footsteps to my bed because suddenly there was a hand rubbing my back. My sobs quieted as I listened to the voice.

"When you were an infant you used to cry all night until I came in and held you." I may hate him, but his voice was soothing. I rolled onto my side and looked at him as he spoke. "I would sit in a rocking chair in the corner of the room and rock you for hours before you fell back asleep. You'd look up at me with that same look as I told you about your mother."

"Could you tell me about her again?" I whispered.

"Well, like you she was beautiful, smart, and stubborn."

"Don't you mean I got my stubbornness from you?" I smiled as he chuckled. Every time he told me about her he refused to claim that my stubbornness came from him.

"I love you Serena, and I would never do anything to hurt you unless it meant protecting you from a greater harm."

"How do I know I can believe you?" My smile faded away.

"You've known me you're whole life. Have I ever harmed you?"

"The cur-"

"Other than the curse."

I sat silently for a moment trying to think. Although I may complain about living with him sometimes, he truly has never hurt me.

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Over the next few days father wasn't home, he said he has to go out and do 'errands'. Normally I'd just go and spend my day with Draco, but now that he hates me, or acts like he does, that wasn't really an option anymore. I was forced to spend hours alone in the reading room reviewing how to make potions I learned long ago. The day before school was to start back up, father was at a meeting when there was a knock on the door. I tried to ignore it and return to my potions book, but the knocking became persistant and wouldn't stop. I groaned, put my book down and went to open the door.

"What?" The aggrivation in my voice was unintentional, it was just a habit. I recognized the face on my doorstep and wanted to take back in the aggrivation. "Oh, Goyle."

"Glad to see you're alright and awake." His face contained warmth. "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course." I stepped aside so that he could enter. How could I be so selfish? I hadn't written to Crabbe or Goyle to let them know I was awake. "Why'd you come by?"