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danpuff-ao3 · 1 year

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Headcanons: The Half-Blood History

So I have in my head a pretty firm headcanon for the Prince family, and Eileen (due to my Severus Snape obsession) that I've always wanted to work into a story. But...well...I'm starting to doubt I can work it in anywhere. Currently it's just useless background knowledge in my head so why not put it to use and share it with you guys??

Part I: Virgil and Desdemona

So! Eileen's parents: who are they?

Her father I have named Virgil Prince.

Her mother...her mother originally had a very badass and fitting name, but it's lost in my brain somewhere. So for now, I'm calling her Desdemona.

Now this is the fun part. Desdemona was the older sister of Cantankerous Nott. You know, the guy who came up with the Sacred Twenty-Eight? Yeah. Him. Desdemona was from a proud pureblood family who really wanted to marry her off. Only...no takers. There were plenty of witches more beautiful, more charming, more wealthy than her. Her brothers got married off. Her pretty younger sister got married off. Desdemona started getting up there in age (as in, like, her mid twenties, the horror) and her father worried that he'd be stuck with her forever.

Enter: Virgil Prince.

The Prince family was very important, once upon a time. They had mountains of gold, priceless artifacts, plenty of land. More importantly, they boasted of pureblood and powerful magic. The Prince family had a long, rich history. They bred alchemists, and spellcrafters, soothsayers, and a politician or two. Then, eventually, gamblers and spendthrifts. And as their coffers grew emptier, they began to breed thieves. Until eventually the Prince name was tarnished and their wealth was eroded. All that remained of their legacy was one modest manor and a handful of heirlooms.

Despite their fall from grace, the name "Prince" still retained bits of color and intrigue. And when the hermit Virgil Prince began looking for a bride, to Pertinax Nott he was the best of bad options. He threw his daughter into Virgil's arms and wiped his hands clean of her.

(Pertinax means "persistent and stubborn" so trust me, Severus 100% is related to some guy named Pertinax. My mind will not be changed.)

Desdemona was not overly impressed by her new home or her new husband, but she made the best of her situation. She was very practical and no-nonsense and, as it happened, quite intelligent and skilled. She mended the faulty wards on the grounds, she cleaned up the garden, and (because her rotten excuse for a father didn't include a house elf with her dowry) she learned how to cook.

Better yet, Desdemona knew many languages, and was well-studied in religion, philosophy, and history.

Virgil had married Desdemona hoping to better his circumstances. Marrying a Nott felt like winning the jackpot, only to find a small dowry and in-laws with no desire to lend a helping hand. No money, no connections, nothing but a wife.

But if Desdemona had little else to recommend her, she had quite the mind, and Virgil was pleased. They found mutual respect, if not love, over deep conversations about magical theory and mythology and a number of other subjects.

Eventually they had to produce an heir. It would be a waste of their pureblood not to, even if neither was particularly interested in childrearing.

What peace and happiness they found died when their firstborn, Alaric, was born. It was well and truly buried by the birth of Ingrid. And gone without a trace by the birth of Eileen.

Shortly after Eileen's birth, Cantankerous Nott released his Sacred Twenty-Eight list. It was not a comprehensive list of all pureblood families. The Potters were omitted, due to their common Muggle name. The Princes were also omitted, a deliberate snub to his sister.

Virgil and Desdemona's bitterness grew. But if little else could be said for the Princes, they had become a team in their early years. They ranted together about Cantankerous' audacity and Pertinax's selfishness. They survived the horrors of parenthood side by side. They worked together to find good matches for their children.

And it was each other they turned to when their youngest daughter ran off with a Muggle.

Part II: Eileen Prince

Eileen Prince was raised a proper pureblood girl. Her parents were strict, and not overly affectionate. What little care they could muster went to her brother Alaric, as the oldest and the son.

Life wasn't happy, but it was life. She learned cooking and gardening from her mother. Chess from her father. Eileen kept busy by going into town. She spent her days at the library, and she joined local clubs. Gobstones became a favorite. She spent her allowance on new marbles and special boxes and bags to keep them in.

At Hogwarts, Eileen was sorted into Slytherin, to her pleasure and surprise. The Sorting Hat saw more cunning and resourcefulness in Eileen than she knew she had. Her parents were pleased, and urged Eileen to make connections while in school.

The Prince children were not very popular. Not good looking or pleasant. They weren't wealthy. They had no status. They weren't especially powerful or smart. Alaric spent his time sucking up to his peers. Ingrid kept her head down. Eileen followed her own whims. She joined the Gobstones team, the chess club, and choir. In her letters to her parents, Eileen outlined vague plans of "making alliances", which her parents cared about more than her winning competitions.

In truth, Eileen had a handful of casual friends. Other loners and oddballs like herself. Sybill Trelawney was one.

After Hogwarts, Alaric was married to an Abbott. (Sacred Twenty-Eight, their parents boasted.) Ingrid married a Flint.

For Eileen's graduation, Virgil and Desdemona gifted her a betrothal to Abaddon Carrow. They were quite pleased with their finds. They had not matched with Blacks or Malfoys, but they had chosen well for their children. Their efforts to continue the Prince line, and to improve their standing, would be slow going, but steady progress. The Prince name would achieve greatness once more.

As for Eileen...she had been somewhat aware of her parents' expectations. But it had never mattered much until, suddenly, faced with a grim future. To be married to a man older than her, who she barely knew. Expected to provide connections and resources to her brother. Expected to provide Carrow heirs.

It was not Eileen's intent to run. For all of their dysfunction, they were still family. Eileen wanted her parent's approval. She wanted what was best for her family. Duty was heavy on her shoulders. She allowed herself to be courted by Abaddon. She sat through wedding plans.

And when there was time, Eileen slipped out as she did as a child. Finding solace and freedom away from home and family.

Part III: Tobias and Eileen

On one such outing, Eileen met a Muggle named Tobias Snape.

He was a musician. He played the guitar and sang to an uncaring audience, but Eileen was struck. She stayed later than she meant to, to listen to his songs. And on the walk back to her Apparition point, Eileen sang the songs to herself.

It was overhearing this that brought Tobias to her. So few people cared about his music, after all, and he had music in his soul. Tobias asked her questions: what was her name, where was she from...So unused to attention was Eileen, she practically fled.

But returned the next day.

Tobias was not handsome, but his charm more than made up for it. He flirted with waitresses, and barmaids, and other men's dates. And though prettier women caught his fancy, he always stopped to chase Eileen instead. She was shy, but enjoyed his attentions. And Tobias appreciated Eileen's curiosity, and her musical tastes.

When Tobias performed, he played his songs just for Eileen. He took her out dancing. He walked her "home" each night (to her Apparition point, where she would Confund him.) He knew of her engagement, and was unfazed. It wasn't really serious, for either of them.

Until they realized it was.

After only a few weeks, when Eileen let slip her wedding was fast approaching, Tobias begged her to stay. He asked her to marry him in the heat of the moment. Both were shocked. But Eileen did not believe him serious, even if she wished it were true, and she told him to propose with a ring and flowers, next time.

The next time they met, Tobias had his grandmother's ring and daisies picked from the park.

Eileen never went home. She eloped with Tobias and wrote letters to her parents and to Abaddon. They sent Howlers back. Eileen had to Obliviate Tobias.

Happy and in love as they were, they were little prepared for married life. Eileen moved in with Tobias and his disapproving parents until he could afford them a home of their own. He had to quit his job as a grocer for the mines, to make ends meet. He found a small house in Cokeworth. It was small and dreary and in a bad area, but it was theirs.

Eileen cared for the house. She kept a garden. She embroidered. She sneaked out when she could to partake in Gobstones tournaments at nearby Wizarding villages. She had the occasional tea with old acquaintances. Occasional days spent walking Diagon Alley. A taste of magic, a taste of nostalgia.

But Tobias was home now. They were adjusting to life. Tobias wished he had more time to go out, and to play his music. But when he could, he would sing for Eileen and dance her around their living room. He picked flowers for her on his way home sometimes. He praised her cooking. And he called her "beautiful" when she got dolled up for him.

It wasn't perfect, but life was good. Until, of course, Tobias asked her for children.

Part IV: The Snapes

Eileen never put enough thought into anything. Of course her husband would want children. And their children had a great likelihood of being magical. And Tobias did not yet know his wife was a witch.

Eileen had little desire to be a mother, or to be outed, but even the best contraceptive potions are imperfect.

Pregnancy was miserable, but Tobias was thrilled. He worked extra hours. He spent what free time he had pampering her, and helping make room for the baby. And when Eileen insisted on giving their child an old family name (Severus for a boy, Pulcheria for a girl), Tobias agreed, however strange they were. Even Tobias' parents, Wilbur and Dorothy, were enthusiastic and helpful.

When Eileen gave birth, it was in the bitter cold darkness of winter, quite early in the morning. If Eileen could give him little else of her heritage, she gave him a name: Severus. A shared ancestor of both the Princes and the Notts. One of the many colorful characters her father once told her about. His middle name was Tobias, for his father.

Parenthood wasn't all either hoped it would be. Tobias was grouchy from the baby disturbing his sleep. And grouchy that Eileen was too tired to cook special meals or dress herself up. He had to continue working long hours to support his new child. There was less time for leisure or romance than ever. But Tobias bragged when he could about his little family. He kept photos in his wallet to show coworkers and shopkeepers. Each night he would hold Severus for a while and sing him lullabies. On his days off, he would take naps with Severus on his chest, to give Eileen extra time to cook and clean and breathe.

Some days, Tobias remembered to be grateful. Remembered that all of his hard work and sacrifices were worth it.

Until one day...there was magic.

There were signs of magic earlier on, that were easy to ignore. Little zaps (static) and tickles (just an itch) or other strange sensations (just a draft, or a spider's web.) Ignorant Tobias could come up with a number of excuses, while Eileen turned a blind eye. But when Severus was a toddler, Tobias played with him one afternoon. And when Tobias spooked Severus, Severus cried and was encased in a protective bubble that Tobias could not penetrate.

Eileen rushed to comfort Severus as Tobias stared in shock. And were it not bound to happen again and again, Eileen would have Obliviated him. Instead, she calmly explained about magic. Tobias said not a word and left. He returned days later, wary and reserved, but they didn't speak of it.

Tobias' betrayal and fury were exposed in bits and pieces over time. Ugly names for his wife and child. Snapping over the littlest of things. Cringing back when Severus reached out for him. Critique for Eileen's cooking and housework and garden. He spent money they didn't have for pub nights with his friends. Eileen took odd jobs to bring in more money. Mending garments, babysitting, housecleaning. She sold a great number of her Gobstones and traded the gold for Muggle currency.

The good life was over. Tobias had given up his hobbies and his free time and his music to work a physically demanding job. And for what? An evil witch, who lied and tricked him and gave him a demon for a son.

As for Eileen, she couldn't help but resent her son. He had stolen her body, and her time, and her energy. And worst of all, he'd killed Tobias' love for her. And when Tobias began to drink more and more, and taking his anger out on her, that was Severus' fault, too.

Part V: Severus Snape

Severus had a few good memories in life. Moments when troubles were forgotten, and his parents were in love and happy. Those moments were much too rare. And they never lasted long enough.

There was never much money, or food. Or affection. Now and again, his father would sing. And when his father was away, his mother would tell him stories or show him magic.

They visited his paternal grandparents once a year. They were kind, but awkward; they found Severus strange compared to their other, more average grandchildren.

Fewer still were visits to his maternal grandparents. Only at her most desperate, Eileen would plead for help, and she would surrender herself to dinner with the Princes, to be belittled and derided by her whole family. Worse still their treatment of Severus, the half-blood. Virgil and Desdemona would brag of their proper pureblooded grandchildren. Tarquin Prince, son of Alaric. Agatha and Beatrice, Ingrid's daughters. They told Eileen how well Abaddon Carrow was doing. About his pretty pureblood wife and their pureblood children.

Severus dreaded and longed for visits to Prince Manor. It was the only exposure he had to magic when young. He envied his cousins. He explored the manor and its objects. He sneaked away to read books, when he could. He thirsted for knowledge. For power. He wanted badly to prove himself to the family who turned down their noses at him.

Best of all, for all the ridicule Eileen let him suffer, she was always more loving, after. She would stroke his hair, and buy him a small treat. She reminded him, vehemently, that he was a Prince. She was more generous with her stories, those days. Family history. Magical theory.

Like his mother before him, Severus stayed away from his home and ventured out into Cokeworth. He spent long hours in the library. He learned to steal small objects from the grocer's. He hid in the woods and tried to call forth his magic. He sneaked his mother's Gobstones in his pockets to play by himself.

Severus had his mother's curious, explorative spirit. And his father's romantic heart, and intense nature. Worst still, he was bright. Too bright. In school, his classmates envied him for his excellent grades. His teachers hated his bad attitude, and how bored he was with his lessons. They looked down on him for his ratty clothes, and his strange behavior. They whispered about his drunk, adulterous father. They gossiped about the fights he got in, and his treatment of his wife. They talked louder still when Tobias lost his job.

Home life was worse. Neither Tobias nor Eileen knew how to handle a son so much brighter than they were. Neither ever cared much for academics. They were confused and ashamed in the face of his intelligence. This only earned him more of his father's ire and his mother's bitterness.

Life was lonely. Severus had very little, but he clung to what he had: his intelligence, his magic, his potential, his family history, his pride. He learned to lie from his mother, and fight from his father. He held his head high when he could, and hunched his shoulders when he couldn't.

At nine, he was in for a real treat: a Muggle girl with magic.

Lily was fierce and bright and powerful. For the first time, Severus felt a true connection with another person. Lily was kind to him, and genuine. And Severus counted her among the gifts he clung to.

Part VI: The Half-Blood Prince

All of Severus' hopes were pinned on Hogwarts. And Hogwarts let him down.

Being Sorted into Slytherin was a blessing and a curse. He hated to be separated from Lily, but was proud at following his family's footsteps. His cousins pretended not to know him. His peers looked down on him for his Muggle blood and his Muggle name. But Slytherins at least banded together and looked after their own. They were displeased with outsiders attacking Severus; but they didn't dare stand in the Marauder's way, either.

Severus was smart, and skilled, but it mattered little when other people more attractive and more charming were gifted, too. The teachers had their pets. And as ever, Severus was overlooked due to others' preconceived notions.

Lily was his only true friend. But Severus made others over time. He was not popular in Slytherin, but he was part of them. Slytherin House had a strong sense of fraternity. It was like having family, in a way. (For the dysfunctional sense of family Severus already had.) When his housemates saw use for him, Severus allowed himself to be used. It felt like approval, like acceptance.

Severus honed his mind and his power in secret. And in secret he owned the name he was not allowed to claim aloud: Prince. The Half-Blood Prince. It was rebellion and pride at once. Severus quickly finished homework to continue learning on his own. He made potions and spells. He experimented, and invented. He was going to prove his worth in the end. He was born for greatness, as all Princes were.

Part VII: The End of the Line

For love of magic; for the want of knowledge and power; for pride, for revenge; for all of the values he learned from the Princes and from Slytherin, Severus joined the Dark Lord's cause. And when faced with the horrible reality of the cause he'd joined, Severus changed his mind, changed his course.

Eileen raged at him when she learned the truth. But at Severus' urging, she and Tobias left Cokeworth.

The Prince name never again regained status. But all of the potential of their blood bred true in Severus. For his lowly birth, his tainted blood; for all of his mistakes, his infamy; the lack of status, wealth, charm, and looks; it was Severus who respected and understood magic as the Princes of old had. It was Severus who was dedicated to the craft, and ingenious enough to push magic forward, when it had stagnated for so long. Few wizards in modern times create new spells and potions. Many of Wizarding blood take magic for granted, and rest on their laurels, thinking there is little else to find or improve.

It was Severus who learned many skills. Severus, who honed his power. Severus who made connections, for good and for ill. Severus who was strong enough to have his mind changed, and own up to his mistakes. Severus, who was brave enough to look danger in the eye day after day. Severus who atoned for his sins, in the classroom and on the battlefield.

Severus, who died a hero.

(Sorry we're talking headcanons and I refuse to believe he's dead, okay.)

#headcanons #severus snape #eileen prince #the prince family #the snape family #pureblood culture

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momo-t-daye · 1 year

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In love with the newest piece with Tobias and Eileen (and Snape trying to flee to Jamaica before anyone discovers he's not dead) <3

I like fanworks where Tobias and Eileen are more humanized in, and when the Snape family has a complicated relationship.

Tobias and Eileen having moments where they are trying to be good parents without knowing how to go about it (i.e. Eileen trying to comfort Severus after the break-up with Lily, but saying all the wrong things) or just being mismatched with a problem (i.e. Tobias trying super hard to teach his son how to scrap the muggle way after the bullying is mentioned vs Severus' "I'm a wizard; I hex them").

I especially like when something big happens (like the werewolf prank going really terribly wrong or the end of the Second War) and Tobias/Eileen having that explosive moment of "THAT'S MY SON!" or that quiet, aggrieved "that was my son."

I'd recommend You're Not My Son by hbpx09. I wish it was a series because I want to see Tobias and Severus team-up against Voldemort.

Also, To Fix A Ruptured Heart by ekaterinasnoww19601998. The writing is a bit choppy and (maybe) a little too fluffy, but I've never seen another fic try to do time travel with Tobias and Eileen as the main protags., and I do hope that the author keeps adding on to it.

I like when Tobias and Eileen have moments where they are trying to be good parents without knowing how to go about it (i.e. Eileen trying to comfort Severus after the break-up with Lily, but saying all the wrong things) or just not being the right kind of parents for Severus (i.e. Tobias trying super hard to teach his son how to scrap). I usually HC Tobias and Eileen as children of parents who didn't know how to parent or were mismatched with their children to.

I especially like when something big happens (like the werewolf prank going really terribly wrong) and Tobias/Eileen having that explosive moment of "THAT'S MY SON!" or that quiet, aggrieved "that was my son."

Thank you so much Anonymous, I had a fun drawing the silly comic of sniper!Tobias having saved the day (and I’m afraid it has spawned more silly thoughts as I am wont to do) and I’m glad that you like it (the joke of Severus faking his death in the Shack and running off to Jamaica is an old one, there’s some good art of Sev enjoying his post-war life on a tropical beach)!

I am very fond of giving characters, especially the side characters (…and ones that barely appear but are deeply connected to characters (…Severus Snape…) that do appear but really need to be examined after events unfurl to be understood), more depth and personal history and humanity (and hilarity). I mean, I have a soft spot for Petunia Dursley (in her aspect of Tuney/Tuna Evans) for crying out loud!

I like to see messy and visceral and multifaceted characters scrambling rough-edged through the briars of the day-to-day whilst dragging the baggage of yesterday (and, as a silly person, I really like it when they also get the chance to stop and breathe in a metaphorical glade of sublime levity).

Severus Snape having complicated, spaghetti-tangles of feelings about his parents (who were generally not good parents when they remembered to parent their son, but who each had moments that paragons would strive to match) is something that I find compelling.

I definitely agree with your headcannon of Tobias and Eileen being children of parents (or guardians) who didn't know how to parent/were mismatched to parent the children they had. Just, they did not start the long cycle of sorrow, the chain of hurt people, that Severus was born into, but they also weren’t able to break from the track they’d been set in before their son was born. I wrote out some of my young!Eileen headcannons here, maybe I’ll get around to doing something about Tobias at some point or another too.

I have not read “To Fix A Ruptured Heart” by ekaterinasnoww19601998, but I have read “You're Not My Son” by hbpx09 (that one was actually inspired by this post)— I really enjoyed how the author conveyed Tobias becoming more unnerved by the Severus he didn’t know.

(Also, “That WAS my son”???? “WAS”???? Ouch! Painful story in four words there!)

I think you might enjoy some of the stories by Jaxon on Ao3 like this one or @sneverussape’s Tobias Snape art (this is one of my favorites)!

#The Snape family #I think I've figured out how to add links and gotten carried away

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