Miss Cross,
Unless you are a real dunderhead, you would have realised the unjust conditions I set for the deal. Forcing you to work almost a whole day every week in exchange for a few simple words... however, it was a completely intentional decision at that time, so do not think I regret it.
You should be pleased to hear that your presence in my classroom will no longer be necessary as it has come to my notice that I do not require much assistance after all. If you're wondering, a student in detention took care of sorting the new ingredients. Therefore, I ask you not to bother meeting with me again.
-S.
Katherine frowned as she read the elegant script over, peering at the loopy 'S' of his signature. This was an unexpected turn of events as she thought he would at least make her keep her end of the agreement. But I suppose this isn't necessarily a bad thing, she thought, I won't have to do more work that could potentially... The black owl that had delivered the letter hooted and began to fly, believing she had finished reading the letter.
"Don't leave yet!" she called out, closing the window slightly to gain its attention.
Biting her lip, she tried to quickly come up with a response. Soon, she wrote it down with a quill, folding the piece of paper neatly. Katherine decided to give the owl a treat before it delivered her message. It stared at her quizzically, as if contemplating whether to trust her, before swallowing the rodent whole. After it was satisfied, the owl took the note by its hooked beak and spread its dark wings. She pushed open the window, letting the bird shake its velvety feathers before taking flight.
It was time to pay a visit for Minerva, the only staff member besides Dumbledore to have known of her presence at Hogwarts. The woman was almost a motherly figure to her, and made Katherine promise to visit her once in a while.
...
Small taps were heard in Severus' room. He looked at the window to see his owl flapping outside, a note clamped in its beak. He let it in, slightly bewildered, for he had not expected a reply.
Severus,
I understand. I won't come to assist you anymore, but know that if you ever need me or just want someone to go to: come to the East Lower Floor. There's a door concealed behind the patched wall — that's mine. Just wish for it, and you'll see it.
Sincerely,
Katherine
The Potions Master let out a scoff, contemplating whether to throw the note into the burning fireplace. How bold of her, to think he would ever want to visit her! However, he stuck it in his drawer instead.
His mind felt hazy in the early morning, filled with blurred images from his sleep. Some nights, memories that he worked hard to repress would plague his dreams, particularly his childhood nightmares and teenage humiliation. But the worst ones were from the imagination of his mind, twisted scenes of torture or murder from the Dark Lord's reign. Severus failed to restrain his shudders upon remembering the ear-piercing pleads that called out to him, begging for his help — yet he had always offered none, turning a blind eye. Other times it was his father, beating him and calling him 'weak' or 'worthless'. In these terrifying moments, all he wanted was to shrink away.
"I wish I were dead," he remembered crying to Dumbledore countless years ago, and this statement still stood true. If it weren't for his promise to protect Lily's son, Severus was sure he would've killed himself. After all, he had been guilty of so much sin that was unredeemable, no matter how much he risked his life for the 'Greater Good'. If he hadn't relayed the prophecy, if he hadn't become a follower in the first place and if he hadn't called Lily a Mudblood... it was too late.
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Salvation | Severus Snape
قصص الهواةSeverus Snape, stuck in an endless cycle of grief and hatred, was prepared to lose everything at any instant - his life bound to only one purpose: protecting Harry Potter. He thought even the daunting task of a spy against Voldemort was not enough r...
