Shadows || A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Chapter 23 - Unfixable

On wobbly legs, Asha wrapped her arms around herself and began descending the spiralling stairs. She heard Snape follow and once the door thudded shut Asha halted, leaning back against the cool stone wall of the stairwell. She felt like sliding to the floor and falling asleep on the hard steps.

"Yes," Snape mocked irritably, "given your state perhaps it would be safer if I preceded you. We wouldn't want you tumbling down an entire flight of stairs." Asha ignored him and followed as he swept past muttering something about 'incompetent staff members unable to do their job'.

"As if a lock could've stopped me," Asha absent-mindedly grumbled. Snape turned around so sharply she nearly walked into him.

"You would do well to keep your mouth shut until we reach my classroom, Winters," he said in a dangerous voice. "And try to walk like you have control of your limbs."

"I'm not drunk," Asha hissed, keeping her voice low enough that Sinistra wouldn't overhear.

The girl said it with such fierce conviction that Severus took a moment to consider it. He studied her.

"I mean, I was definitely planning on it," she continued, "but..." Asha inhaled a shaky breath. Her head burned when she recalled the taste of the gin. "Something's wrong with me... I think I-"

"This is not the place," Snape interrupted sternly. "Come."

Trying to compose herself, Asha followed him down the tower. She received both sympathetic and jeering expressions from students as Snape escorted her through the castle with a venomous look on his face. Once inside his classroom, Asha paced between the desks. Despite feeling ready to collapse from exhaustion, she couldn't bear to stand still and fully confront the dread that crawled under her skin.

"Explain," ordered Snape as he marched over to her.

"I think I need to see Dumbledore," Asha croaked.

"First tell me what has been going on," he insisted, watching Asha with growing unease. She was compulsively tapping her thumbs against her index fingers.

"I can't!" she snapped at him, "I can't explain it! I can't think!!"

At that moment Alisha burst into the room.

"Professor, it's not her fault!" she cried, "she hasn't been herself lately! She needs help!" Before Snape could say anything, Jules and Rachel also rushed through the door. They scurried to Asha's side and started cooing to her.

"Are you okay, Ash?"

"You know you can talk to us about what's going on."

"Whatever it is!"

"You know we love you no matter what."

"If there's anything you need -"

Asha cut them off in a low, deadly voice: "I need you to leave me alone. Please."

A blanket of silence fell over the room. Asha noticed Maive standing beside Alisha. Matt and Justin were hovering awkwardly in the doorframe looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. Rachel backed away, shocked and hurt.

"How the hell did you even find me?" queried Asha.

"Terry Boot said he'd seen Professor Snape taking you down here," Jules explained quietly, casting Snape a nervous glance.

"How helpful of dear Terry," Asha muttered.

"What's been going on with you?" asked Alisha pointedly. Asha shot Snape a look. He took a threatening step forwards.