Vulnera Sanentur

Nine

My eyes shot open with no time to assess what was happening, my wand was in my hand. In a moments notice, Severus was taking hold of my arm. "Stupefy!" I spoke quickly, aiming my wand at the man that had touched me. 

Immediate shock radiated through my body as I realized what I had just done. Snapes body laid on the floor almost ten feet away from me. I shot up quickly, moving to his side. I placed my hand on his chest.

 "Severus?" I asked, taking his face in my hands. He didnt move at all, though his breathing was steady. 

"Open your eyes Severus." I whispered. I kept my hands on his face as his eyes began to open. "Im sorry. Im so sorry, Severus." I started to apologize to him. He slowly sat up, taking in a deep breath. He shook his head slowly, looking at me. 

"I should not have touched you, its my error." He spoke. I shook my head, checking him for anything that was broken. He seemed to be fine. 

"Im sorry." I whispered. 

His hand placed on my face gently. "No need to apologize," He said, getting up from the floor now. He gave me a soft kiss to the cheek. "All is well, Rowan." He spoke, moving to hand my uniform to me. I looked up to him, questioning how he had gotten it. 

"The girls in your room are very concerned by your sudden sickness, but are pleased you are returning to class." He spoke, a smirk on his face. I smiled, taking the uniform in my hands. "Thank you very much." I whispered. He exited the room, a slight limp to his stride now. I felt a twinge of guilt radiate through me. 

I changed out of my dress and into my uniform, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I exited the room a few moments later, my dress in my hands. He shook his head and took it from me. "Leave it here." He said, laying with my cloak. "We cant miss breakfast, or people will question. "

****

I entered the Great Hall alone, taking a seat at the end of the Slytherin table, where I usually sat. I began to eat slowly, not really hungry. Draco took the seat across from me, his eyes watching me carefully. I looked up to him, tilting my head. "Good morning, Draco." I said softly. 

He took in a deep breath. "I had no idea you were his daughter." He whispered, picking up a piece f toast to place it on his plate. I looked down, nodding slowly. His eyes showed sympathy for me. "Hes no worse than your own father, Malfoy." I sighed. 

He shook his head. "My father didnt brand me." His words were soft. "Or force me to marry and old git." He snorted, taking a bite of the toast. I looked back up to him now. "Dont say things like that about Snape." I whispered. His eyes shot up to me. 

"Dont tell me youre in love with him."  His voice was low. 

I looked up to him. "Hes nice. Im not in love with him, but he is a nice man." I took a bite of my food now, resting my elbows on the table, something my father would curse me for. I smiled at Draco. "Considering how much worse it could have been, I appreciate my father appointing Snape."  I nodded, looking up to the man who was now my husband. 

His eyes lingered for a moment before he looked back to Dumbledore, continuing his conversation. "It could have been me." Draco chuckled. 

"Exactly. Much worse than Severus." I smiled, earning a laugh form Draco. 

As soon as breakfast had ended, Draco and I walked to Potions together. Both of us knew the pain of having your father make decisions for you. Unfortunately, it was a life we had both been thrown into and not asked for. Neither of us wanted this mark on our arms. 

We sat next to each other in Potions, occasional laughs being had before Snape entered the classroom. 

I straightened up, starting to take notes as he began to write things on the board. 

I felt content in my life, but the darkness loomed, and we could all feel it.