Hope For The Hopeless (Severus Snape x Reader)

Call Me By My Name

Colin Creevey had been petrified. You and the other staff had been notified in the early hours of Sunday morning after Minerva had found the boy rigid, camera in hand and a bunch of grapes nearby. Most likely for his idol, Harry Potter. This meant two things, firstly The Chamber of Secrets was indeed open again and secondly, muggle-born students were in danger.

Sitting in yet another meeting, you hoped the puffiness of your eyes was not too apparent to your colleagues. You had sat as far away from Severus as possible, not daring to look his way, lest your emotions waiver in front of everyone. Putting on a brave face you could do but this was still raw and you were hoping that you wouldn't have to see people until tomorrow.

You were trying to pay attention to the conversation but it was much the same as the meeting after Mrs Norris, albeit, a lot more serious as this was a student. What you couldn't understand was why no one was talking about the original opening of the Chamber of secrets. It would give the teachers a fighting chance to know what they might be dealing with, you weren't going to blurt it out in front of everyone though, so you waited until the meeting was over to talk to Albus.

Albus watched you carefully through his small spectacles, as you remained in your chair.

"Y/n, something I can help you with?" He asked. 

You smiled at him, hoping that some friendly charm might help your cause. A project to focus on would take your mind on Severus. 

"I can't help but notice that we haven't considered the original opening of the chambers, Albus. Surely, if we linked the two events we'd be much better equipped to stop another attack."

The old wizard nodded his grey head, "Interesting. That's not what I thought you were going to say. Ha, seems you can still shock me, y/n," his jovial expression changed into a more serious one as you looked at him, - "I do not know what to tell you about the last event, other than justice was not served. That much I know to be true."

"What are you saying, Albus?" You asked as you crossed your arms over your chest, feeling the Auror inside you waiting to be released.

He replied in a sad tone, "I'm saying the Ministry was given an easy route and they took it."

"A scapegoat."

"Precisely, my dear," he said as he shook his finger at you.

"Who?" Your question came out blunter than you had meant but you didn't correct yourself.

Albus thought briefly, "Nothing ever came of it, y/n. The student was expelled and the Ministry moved on."

You couldn't help the bitter laugh that came from your throat.

"Typical," you whispered. 

"Anything else I can be assistance with?" He asked comfortingly. You were not close with Albus, not in the same way you were as Minerva, but he knew everything about you too. Whether he could sense the open wounds you were now walking around with or he had noticed the puffy eyes, you were not sure. It wasn't until then that you wondered how Albus dealt with Severus' past, he clearly trusted him but how long did it take for him to stop resenting the decision the younger man had made? Had he ever?

"No. Just curious…I want to help," you said with a small smile.

"Keep on. I'm sure you're on the right path, even if it doesn't seem like it yet." 

Ah, good old cryptic Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Albus."

Whatever path you were on, it was filled with raucous teens paranoid over the Chamber of Secrets. You couldn't blame them; if you were muggle-born you'd be wondering if Hogwarts was the best place for you at the moment too. People, of course, cashed in on the panic and amulets were being purchased left, right and centre; half the school had something useless but pretty dangling around their necks.