Unexpected Fate (Severus Snape x Reader)

𝟒𝟏 - 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓖𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯

The journey back to Hogwarts was a blur, a disorienting haze of pain, exhaustion, and disbelief. The events at the Ministry weighed heavily on me, a burden too immense to fully comprehend. We had saved Harry and the others, but the cost had been devastating. Sirius was gone, lost to the veil, and his death had left a gaping wound in all of us.

Once inside the familiar walls of the castle, the adrenaline that had kept me moving drained away, leaving me weak and weary. But despite the overwhelming fatigue, I knew sleep wouldn't come. My mind was too restless, my thoughts too chaotic to allow any peace. So instead of heading to my chambers, I found myself drawn to the Astronomy Tower, my sanctuary in times of turmoil.

The tower was quiet, the air crisp with the coolness of night. I stepped out onto the stone balcony, shivering as a breeze swept over me. The night sky stretched out above, clear and vast, the stars twinkling like distant beacons in the darkness. I inhaled deeply, letting the cold air fill my lungs, trying to ground myself in the present. But no matter how hard I tried, the images from the Ministry kept flashing before my eyes—Harry's scream, the green light of the Killing Curse, Sirius's body falling through the veil.

I sat down on the cold stone, wrapping my arms around myself as if that could hold me together. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. The children were safe, thank Merlin for that. Even Harry, though he was in more pain than any child should ever have to bear. Dumbledore was with him, offering what comfort he could, but I knew nothing could fully heal the wounds inflicted that night.

The stars blurred as tears filled my eyes. I blinked them away, staring out at the distant horizon, struggling to make sense of it all. How could things have gone so wrong? How could we have lost someone so dear?

A sound broke the silence—footsteps, soft and measured, approaching from behind. I tensed, quickly wiping my eyes as I turned to see who it was. Severus stood at the entrance to the tower, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

He didn't say a word, but the concern in his gaze was unmistakable. For a moment, we simply looked at each other, the silence heavy with unspoken emotions. I wanted to speak, to tell him I was fine, to brush off the tears that threatened to spill over, but the words wouldn't come. The facade I had been trying so hard to maintain shattered, and the tears I had been holding back burst forth.

I covered my face with my hands, sobs shaking my shoulders as I finally let the grief and exhaustion consume me. I couldn't stop the tears, couldn't hold back the pain any longer. It all poured out—my fear, my guilt, my sorrow for Sirius, for Harry, for all of us who had been caught up in this terrible war.

For a moment, Severus seemed like he might speak, his mouth opening as if to offer some cutting remark. But instead, he hesitated, then silently crossed the space between us. Without a word, he knelt beside me, his presence solid and steady in the midst of my unraveling.

He pulled me into his arms, holding me close as I cried.  The warmth of his embrace providing a comfort. I clung to him, letting my grief flow freely. He did not try to pry or offer empty words of solace. His silence spoke volumes, conveying his deep concern and a tentative understanding of the enormity of what had happened.

After a while, when my sobs had quieted to occasional hiccups, Severus spoke, his voice low and cautious. "What happened? You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, but I need to know."

I drew a shaky breath, trying to steady my voice. "It was chaos. Remus knocked on my door, and we went to the Ministry together. There was a battle with Death Eaters. We fought hard, but Sirius was... he was killed. This woman—she used the Killing Curse."