'Silent Night' || Severus Snape x Reader | Short Story

Chapter 4 ~ Snow Had Fallen, Snow On Snow...

As soon as you stepped onto the crunchy snow outside, you were hit by a wave of cold to the face, but soon enough the sun crept in and your nose warmed up a little, making you look a little less like Rudolph the Reindeer. You love the sight and sound of fresh snow, and seeing your footprints trailing behind you was very satisfying. You wouldn't have thought it was winter, aside from the snow, because there were fir trees bringing colour to the landscape, and all sorts of birds singing around you. You see a fox emerge from some trees, and scamper away again as you approach it. There were plenty of signs of life, but it was still beautifully quiet and still outside.

You decide to check out the Black Lake, and test out if it's frozen yet.

Reaching the Great Lake, you near towards its surface, seemingly still and solid, and first tap the edge with your boot to see if it cracks. It doesn't, and so you gradually press down harder with your boot, eventually placing both feet on the edge of the lake's surface. Since you're right by the land, you even dare to jump, just for good measure. It does not buckle under the pressure, and so you continue to test the ice further and further out, until you can assume that it is safe enough to traverse. You consider conjuring your ice skates, but don't want to push your luck at breaking the ice, so you settle for a gentle stroll across the Lake, until you end up standing in the centre, equidistant from all sides.

'Well, this isn't scary', you joke to yourself. It is terrifying, but it's also exhilarating. And to be honest with yourself, you haven't done anything very exciting since your 2nd or 3rd year at Hogwarts. After that, it was all exams and studying (and possible danger of death, etc). If there was any time to romanticise your crazy, boring life, then right now seemed to be the best time. You slowly and carefully crouched down until you were sat on the ice, and then stretched out your arms and legs so that you were spread out like a snow angel. It was very cold, but very relaxing. As you looked up at the sky, you watched the sparse clouds floating by, trying to make objects out of them. You took a deep breath in, and your lungs were flooded with fresh, cool air, which refreshed you immensely.. and for a short amount of time, you felt a little more alive than usual.

However, after a while, your back began to get uncomfortably cold and slightly wet from the ice, so you expertly pulled yourself up again, brushing yourself off, and headed back to the land. You weren't sure what to do next: you wanted to stay out longer, but you might freeze if you stayed in your cold damp clothes. You wonder if Hagrid is around, and perhaps you can warm-up in his Hut with a cup of tea if he's in. It's more exciting than heading back to the dormitory, so you decide to try that.

Wondering if he would also be interested in the new book you've been reading, you grab your bag and start looking through it for the book and anything else of use right now. 'Of course, why would I pack a blanket, or an extra change of clothes..', you berate yourself. With the shore in sight, you glance down into your bag for a closer look, but lose your footing in your large boots, and trip over yourself in what felt like slow-motion.

You feel one foot get stuck behind the other, you feel yourself being propelled forward, you feel one of your hands get stuck in your bag, with only your left arm free to break your fall as you head to the floor abruptly.

'Eughf', you exhale a grunt as the drop winds you and knocks all air out of your chest. Luckily, your arm protected your face from any harm, but you have to lie there for a few seconds before you can draw oxygen back into your lungs again. Pulling yourself up again, a little wobbly from the shock, you look down to see that, thankfully, the ice is still intact. You decide to look for that book once you were off the dangerous frozen lake. Finally just a few feet away from land, you take careful steps in your stupidly big boots, and consider yourself safe.

But the next 10 seconds become a blur.

Before you can look down to see the ice beneath your shoe crack and give way under your step, you are already falling into the freezing cold lake. You instinctively want to gasp or yell, but your brain luckily tells you to take a deep breath instead, because you need it upon becoming submerged in the murky water. The shock to your body from the cold and the fall is horrible, but ultimately helpful in giving you the adrenaline-rush to desperately swim back up to the surface. Your heavy boots are weighing you down, and you struggle to swim with strong enough strides to counteract it. But thankfully, you acted fast, and after what feels like an endless struggle underwater, you swim close enough to the surface to pull yourself out and onto the ice. You drag your soaking wet and freezing cold body for the final foot or so before you are finally on solid ground. You're so exhausted by now that you can't even think about when Hypothermia will set in, or how to get to somewhere warm. Feeling the earth beneath you again, relieved, you turn onto your back and lie on the ground - unfortunately, even the sunlight peeking through the clouds isn't warm enough to help you.

'Oh Merlin, how the hell am I going to get back now? My clothes are soaked and even heavier than my stupid boots, I'm exhausted, and even if Hagrid is in then it's still too far a walk for me to make it. I have no idea what to do.'  -You were panicking internally, but your body was too tired to do anything about it.

Without realising, you had soon closed your eyes and fallen unconscious, still lying by the edge of the lake.

Unbeknownst to you, you had not been completely alone by the lake. Whilst Severus Snape truly took no interest at all in your plans for the day, he was amused by your response earlier. He knew all too well what it was like to be the loner, and to spend your time reading or studying instead of going on stupid adventures with other people. -True, he had very little choice in the matter, but he also preferred to be alone. Maybe that was why he couldn't help but take special notice of you, in his classes, in the Great Hall, even in the corridor. Perhaps you reminded him too much of himself - though not as jaded by the past, from what he'd observed. -Well, the reason your response had truly amused him, was because he had planned to do the same thing, really. He too had taken notice of the fresh snow outside and the pleasant weather. But, he supposed, it would be odd for him to now be seen out on the grounds in the same place as you. So he stuck to just around the castle perimeters, hoping secretly to catch the others in something they weren't supposed to be doing.

It was Hagrid who found you first, whilst out on a check of the grounds. Fortunately, you had become friends over the years, so he recognised you even in your casual clothes.

"[Y/N], is that you? -Miss [Y/L/N], can yer hear me?", he approached you with increasing panic, noticing how your wet clothes were beginning to freeze over, and your pale skin was turning blue. "Cor, blimey, [Y/N], what have yer gotten into now?", Hagrid said mostly to himself, as he picked you up in his arms and made his way to the Infirmary. As he got closer to the castle, he recognised a familiar black figure just outside, pacing the walls out of boredom. The figure looked up in alarm at the giant's voice.

"Oh, Professor Snape, thank Merlin, you've got ter help me!", Snape looked bemused as Hagrid approached closer, carrying someone and looking frantic.

"What's this?", he asked, gesturing towards the person in his arms.

"Oh, Professor, it's Miss [Y/L/N], I found 'er by the Lake, she's soaking wet, and cold as the ice that she musta fell through."

Snape's initial disinterest suddenly morphed into concern, his brow furrowed and he immediately approached the giant, taking you out of Hagrid's arms and into his own, pacing straight into the Castle - Hagrid in tow.

"We need to take her to Madam Pomfrey", is all he stated, in his usual monotonous voice.