Saved by Love (Severus Snape / Original Female Character)

The Favour

Thursday, November 26th, 1981

Hogwarts' Dungeons

Severus was trying to grade the papers piling up on his desk but he could barely keep his eyes open long enough to read a full sentence. He'd just returned from yet another successful hunt with Alastor Moody; Severus was helping the Aurors' Department in the capture of the Death Eaters.

He had hunted with Moody until two in the morning, then he arrived in his quarters at the castle and worked on the potions for the Order and on the essays. He hadn't slept a whole night in three weeks.

Physically and mentally, he was exhausted.

But out of all the Marked followers, there was only the Lestranges left to be captured – however, that was something he didn't think would happen soon.

Not counting the Malfoys and the other rich ones, of course. Those will never be arrested.

Severus rubbed his eyes and tried again to read the essay in front of him, while also keeping an eye at the four cauldrons that were lit on the large worktable a few metres from him, all of them mere minutes away from being ready – at the same time.

"Dammit," he cursed and just wrote a big red T on the student's paper.

Resting his hands on the desk, Severus stared at all the papers in front of him; there were still at least fifty essays for him to grade and it was already past four in the morning.

It could be worse. He thought, letting out a dejected breath, reminding himself that he had chosen that path, and that his atonement for all his bad choices wouldn't be made of bubble baths and restful nights, followed by a good breakfast.

Azkaban would be much much worse.

Bubbling sounds brought him back to reality and he rose his achy body from the chair, limping towards the long work table, where four cauldrons were boiling noisily and the spoons he had enchanted had stopped stirring, so he got vials and corks and bottled them up.

Then he dragged himself back to his desk, sitting and reaching for another essay; but as Severus touched his quill to the paper to write down some notes, nothing happened – the quill was dry; so he dipped it into the ink container but it came out still dry – there was no ink left.

"Bloody stupid quill!" he growled, throwing it into the fireplace, the ink container next.

The sound of glass breaking snapped him out of the all-consuming rage fit and he stopped, admitting he had reached his limit and had to rest.

Severus stared at the flames in the fireplace for a moment, his eyes slowly closing while he pondered asking the kitchens for some food.

But then he remembered the conversation he'd had with the Headmaster the previous day and the anger returned.

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FLASHBACK

"I don't want an assistant!" said Severus, sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk, looking at the headmaster indignantly.

"My son, if you don't accept any help, I'll be forced to remove you from your teaching duties," Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, "Last week you put half of you students on detention; even Slytherins!"

"They were partying in the Common Room. Should I have just let them get drunk and fuck on the sofa?"

"They wouldn't be the first ones," commented Dumbledore, watching the man in front of him turn visibly uncomfortable. Then he continued: "You will have an assistant, Severus. I summoned you here not to ask your opinion on the matter, but to give you the chance to choose someone, after what happened to Lancelot. Do you have anyone in mind?"