Severed Ties || Severus Snape

14. I Left Because I Loved You

"Have you finished that spell yet?" Severus asked as they made their way across the lawn towards the greenhouses.

It had quickly become a running joke between them. Severus had been very much correct last year, when he said creating a new spell wasn't easy. Especially for someone who'd only been studying magic for just over three years. But Emma wasn't giving up.

"I've run into an issue, actually."

"You've run into an issue?" Severus lay a hand on his heart in mock surprise. "Who would've thought you'd run into an issue in the process of creating a whole new spell? I, for one, thought it was going to be a breeze."

Emma laughed and swatted him. "Merlin, you're so annoying."

She froze when he fell over, face-first on the grass. For a split second she thought she'd shoved him too hard, but then she heard the laughter behind them and her heart sunk. Not again...

"Did you see that, boys?" James Potter exclaimed with a mirthful grin on his face. "Slimy little Snivellus can't even stand on his own two feet!"

As Emma took in the scene – the four Gryffindor boys laughing and pointing so uproariously that other students stopped to watch, while Severus scrambled to his feet, doing his best to suppress the look of panic on his face – something snapped inside her.

She swooped between them and raised her wand at the Gryffindors. "Get lost," she growled.

The boys hooted and jeered. "Ooh!" said Black. "Look who's found her courage all of a sudden."

"Courage?" Emma scoffed, slowly stepping forward. Rage rushed through her veins, making her wand tremble in her hands. She gripped it so tightly her knuckles went white. "You wouldn't even know what that word means. Always four against one. Always attacking him in the back. That's not courage, that's cowardice. You're a disgrace to your House."

Potter laughed again, but Black paled, pulling his wand out of his pocket. One of the other boys, Lupin, held his hand up, glaring at Black.

"Emma, don't..." Severus muttered behind her.

"That's where you draw the line, is it?" Blood rushed through her ears until she couldn't hear the students around them jeering anymore. "Afraid to attack a girl? You spineless pricks."

Black jumped past Lupin, his wand aimed at her. "Say that again," he hissed. "I dare you."

They stood face to face, their wands almost touching.

"Go on, then!" Emma snapped. "Go on, do it! I'll get you expelled. I bet they've been looking for an excuse to kick you out anyway."

She waited for him to cast something. Anything. She didn't care whether she got hurt. In fact, irrationally, she hoped she'd get hurt. As badly as possible. Because that way the chances of him actually getting expelled were higher.

"Do it," she hissed again.

He wasn't shaking like her. He stood perfectly still. But his eyes betrayed the storm raging inside of him.

Before he'd come to a decision, Potter and Lupin stepped forward, each placing a hand on his arms.

"Let's go, Sirius. She's not worth the trouble."

She didn't move as she watched them leave. Not until Severus stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the retreating bullies. There was something in his eyes as he gently pushed her arm down. Something eddied in them like a whirlpool as he wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close.