Title: Concinnity
Author: Yami no Kaiba
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG
Characters: Severus Snape & ?

Summary: Ten-year-old Severus Snape meets his new Foster Father.
Disclaimers: J.K. Rowling owns the original characters. I'm just playing with them.
Note: For chronostears.
Request: Lil!Sev.

*---*---*---*---*

When his parents had died, Severus Snape had been at a loss. Not one of emotional attachment to them though; he had had more of an emotional connection to the housekeeper than to his biological parents, and even that had been easily pushed aside when his parent's estate had been sold off to pay the various debts they had accrued during their travels.

What he had *really* mourned was the loss of the books that were auctioned, along with a few of the items he had believed, at the time, were his own. In all actuality, as he'd been forced to realize when thrown willy-nilly into the system, he barely owned the clothes on his back and the few outfits the creditors had 'benevolently' allowed him to take.

The term 'benevolence' seemed rather far-fetched to a six-year-old carrying an armload of threadbare and torn clothes in the middle of autumn, with winter fast approaching.

So as could be expected, when four years after the death of his parents he was placed in another foster home because of 'bad behavior' -- which was no fault of his own; odd, unexplainable things just seemed to happen around him, so of course he was blamed for instigating them -- he felt no emotional loss about the move, besides the books he was forced to leave behind.

At least this time he was allowed to take decent clothes with him, he thought detachedly, as the taxi stopped before an old Victorian mansion with a family graveyard beside it. The stern, spectacle-toting lady siting beside him made a pointed disapproving sound as she scrunched her nose at the sight of the graveyard, but Severus paid her and the stark reminder of death little mind as he shuffled out of the stuffy vehicle, duffel-bag in hand.

Unfortunately, the government lady followed right after, and as if anticipating that he would run away -- a foolish anticipation indeed, as he had very little idea of where this place was to begin with, and no intention of running -- she tightly gripped his shoulder in one bony hand. "Now you be on your best behavior, Mr. Snape. Your new Foster Father is a highly respected man, and doesn't deserve any of your silly outbursts."

Severus shrugged under her hand, knowing through hard experience that any protesting on his part about the origin of said 'outbursts' having no connection to himself would not be believed.

He was marched up the creaking staircase to the front door as the taxi stayed idle behind them, awaiting the all too certain speedy return of the stuffy lady whom was already banging the brass knocker to announce their presence.

It was long minutes later, with the lady tapping impatiently with a well-polished shoe against the wooden patio, that the door finally opened with the softest of whispers, to reveal a strikingly handsome, lean, dark-haired man in the doorway with the most bewitching red eyes casually leaning against the doorframe.

But it wasn't the man's looks that caused Severus to become instantly fond of the stranger, but the thick novel casually held at the man's side, with a slim finger inserted between the pages to mark the point the man had been interrupted at.

Perhaps living with this 'Mr. Riddle' wouldn't be so bad after all.

--Fin.