A Rosier and Her Thorns - Severus Snape x OC

Chapter 45 - Resignation

Emilia and Severus walked back to Grimmauld Place in silence. His eyes surreptitiously shifted to Emilia's hunching form as she grasped the edges of Severus' cloak to wrap it tighter around her. She looked too small as if his cloak had drowned her frame and she seemed to have lost too much weight overnight. Her lips were chapped and pale, quivering despite the warmth.

Severus was instantly worried. He realised that he had entirely overlooked that she had most probably suffered through the Crutiatus curse for they were the Dark Lord's favourite. The aftermath of the curse, hours after, was often subtle – involuntary shivers, numbness in the extremities and overall soreness in the body that takes time to recover, best aided with a calming draught.

Gently, Severus took Emilia's hand in his. She stiffened up immediately, looking at him with panic in her eyes before releasing a breath of air and relaxing.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"No, I'm sorry," Severus said quietly, easing his hand away. He mentally berated himself forgetting that he should not touch her without her express permission.

There was still fear behind those eyes.

"Is something wrong?" She questioned.

Severus cleared his throat. "Were you inflicted with the Crutiatus curse?"

Emilia froze, her head swivelled to Severus, meeting his dark eyes. Her face turned horribly ashen. Had he misspoken?

"What?"

"The Cruciatus curse," Severus repeated in a lower tone, uncertain as to why his words elicited such a reaction.

Emilia turned away and nodded mutedly. Tears rolled down her cheeks. she discreetly wiped them away, hoping that the wizard did not catch sight of her crying.

The memory of her writhing under the curse, begging for the Dark Lord's mercy flashed across her mind. The excruciating pain she felt in her lower stomach must be when she lost the child. Emilia had passed out and had later awakened with a similar cramping sensation as if expelling the child out of the comforts of her womb. She was disoriented and weakened then but the pain was vivid.

A hand curled around her stomach, protecting of what had been. More tears rolled down Emilia's cheeks which Severus noticed but kept quiet, thinking it could be intrusive on his part to comfort her at this point.

They continued walking in silence, reaching the front doorstep of Twelve Grimmauld Place. She was overwrought, not realising that the wizard had guided her with a hand lightly grazing the back of the cloak.

"Emilia," he whispered.

"Hmm?" Emilia mumbled distractedly.

"We're here."

She looked up, seeing the black door with a serpent as its knocker. Something compelled her to touch the silver serpent. Her fingers lightly brushed the head, its rapier, sharp tongue protruded to caress her fingertips in an affectionate manner as if familiar with her.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked hesitantly. He could not help himself seeing the torment in her eyes. It pained him to see the traces of vitality, of exuberance that breathed something into his life, were now absent.

Emilia nodded once more as the door swayed open, recognising her magical signature that neither registered how odd it was for a Rosier's blood to be easily accepted in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

0~0~0~0

"Good morning," Remus greeted, stepping off the last step of the staircase.