Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.

A/N: In anticipation of the new movie, I've decided to post the first chapter of a story that's been floating around in my head for a long time now: a series of one-shots of Snape's memories. The timeline spans his entire life and will not be chronological, and the POV will switch up sometimes. I got the title from the Beetles' beautiful song, so credit goes to them on that. I'm SURE lots of things have been posted like this before - in a fandom with almost half a million fics, it's difficult to write something not very similar to something else. Of course, if I've literally copied to a T a story that belongs to you (and I'd like to say now that I apologize, and I swear it would be unintentional), please let me know and I'll take it down.

Also, just a warning that some chapters might be very dark, depressing and/or violent (this is Snape, after all...) and there might be some heavy language later on. Nothing that would warrant above a 'T' rating, I think, but if there's something to be wary of, I'll let you know in an author's note. I'm going to try to fit in some lighter, happier stuff from his life too, if I can think anything up :P

All right, I think that's the end of my absurdly long author's note. So, please enjoy, and I beg you to leave a review at the end, even a teeny little one! Please!

I heard him shouting downstairs from my crib, and I tried to make it go away by putting my fingers in my ears. I heard her crying, begging him to stop; she must have given up fighting him long before I was born. Even at my young age, even though I didn't know why, I knew going downstairs wasn't a good idea. But I was scared - the crying was scaring me. And when I got scared, I went to my mother. It was the most basic instinct a toddler possessed. I clutched my stuffed dragon to my chest as I climbed to the ground out of my crib, the way I had just recently learned how. The dragon's name was Ashes. He made me feel safe.

I ran as fast as my short legs would carry me to the stairs, my tiny feet making barely a sound as they hit the decaying wood on the floor. I tripped a couple times, landing hard on my hands and knees. My dark, deep-set eyes, the ones he said were like his, welled up with tears, but I pushed myself back up, collected my toy dragon, and kept going. When I came to the top of the steep stairs, I turned around and began to climb down backwards. I was still too small to reach each step one leg at a time. I went down them like a ladder, moving one foot down, then the other foot, then my right hand, then n my left, in which I was awkwardly carrying Ashes by one soft, purple wing.

At the bottom of the stairs, I missed the last step and landed hard on my chest. I gave a couple sniffles as I rubbed the wetness out of my eyes with both fists. I heard the noise in the kitchen cease temporarily - they had heard me. I scooped Ashes up and pushed myself to my feet, hurrying to the kitchen, my vision a bit watery from my tears.

I didn't even make it to the door before I heard my mother's voice.

"Severus," she said, her voice shaking and choked, "It's okay. Just go back to sleep. Go back upstairs and go to bed."

"But Mama..." I whimpered, coming around through the doorway onto our dirty kitchen floor. I could see her sitting at the table, her hands partially covering her tear-streaked face. My father was standing just inches in front of me, looming like a tower over everything in the kitchen.

"Get back to bed," he snarled, and before I had a chance to move, he forced the palm of his huge hand toward me.

I was too small and slow to move out of the way completely. I tried to duck and turn my head as his open hand came toward my chest, but, with a surge of pain and the sound of a pop, it instead collided with my nose.

There was a slight, millisecond of a gap between the time when I felt wetness run down my lip and my eyes become blind with tears. It was just long enough for me to see him shove my mother back into the wall as she stood to run to me. Then he kicked Ashes into the roaring fire.

I am Severus Prince Snape. This is my first memory.

Again, please take just a second to review, and if you feel like going into a little more detail, tell me what you liked, what you didn't, or what you think could have been better too. Thanks for reading! :)