Y/N POV
"You stay behind me at all times. They'll come for you but they won't get close enough. By the time they've shown themselves it will be too late, we'll have them. There are over a hundred auror's waiting for them." Severus' words ring in my ears as we stood before Dumbledore in his office. I was scared. What I was about to do could end whatever I had with Severus yet I wasn't about to back out. This needed to end tonight. I wasn't stupid, the death eaters weren't either. They knew they'd be walking into a trap and it was stupid to believe that they wouldn't be prepared. I needed something that was going to shock them. Just long enough for the ministry to surround them. I took Severus's hand, knowing it may be for the last time and we apparated.
Snapes POV
I held her behind me as we stood in that open meadow. Aurors littered the trees in the perimeter of the space whilst I held the girl behind Dumbledore and myself. I felt angry. Why did we need to use her for bait? I knew better than any just what they were capable of and I knew I couldn't risk letting them get close enough to reach her. It was taking too long. Why had they not turned up yet? The sky was dotted with tiny pinpricks of stars but the night was still. As if holding its breath for what we're about to take place. The crack in the open air signalled that somebody had apparated into the area and I gripped the girls arm behind me as one by one, they descended into the open pasture.
"It was foolish to bring her here tonight Albus. You may have brought your Aurors but you have failed to keep those protected. We have them too." That wicked wretch of a woman, Lestrange echoed into the darkness, surrounded by her gang of reprobates. It unnerved me. Although I expected the aurors to stay still for a while, it concerned me that they hadn't yet jumped in to capture the dark wizards that stood before us.
From the darkness, bound by ropes and controlled by dark magic, more death eaters appeared, holding many of our Aurors captive. How had they managed it? Against wizards who were trained for this very task and yet they hung here, completely in the hands of the enemy.
"Hand me the girl, and they will live." I gripped Y/N arm tighter at Bellatrix's words, anger coursing through me at the very thought of the idea. Dumbledore shifted uneasily beside me, he too understanding the severity of the situation we had gotten into.
"Very well. Avada Kedavra!" One of the aurors dropped to the floor after being consumed by the green light that had erupted from Bellatrix's wand. Y/N took a gasp beside me but I held her firmly. We would not be bullied into handing her up as a sacrifice.
"This isn't the way Bellatrix." Dumbledores words only seemed to rile the girl more as she took away the life of another auror in front of us.
"Stop it!" Y/N scream behind me made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, I'd wanted to keep her protected from this. The girl had seen so much death and terror in her life and yet here we were, forcing her, using her as bait to watch people be killed in front of her. The sudden burst of emotion had caused the silence of the death eaters as they turned to stare at her.
Y/N POV
I ripped my hand from Severus' grasp, swallowing the contents of a vile I had had ready in my hand. Liquid luck. It was now or never, I had five minutes. Five minutes to end this before my courage would surely fail me. The confidence coursed through my body as I took a step forward and strode into the no mans land that separated the good and evil present in this meadow. It was now or never. I had to do this. Nobody else was going to die because of me. The hand in my pocket twirled the remaining glass vile between my fingers nervously as the field fell silent to watch me. God I hoped I'd got this right. I'd seen this potion made once before and god only knew if I could pull this off. At least if I couldn't and all failed, at least they'd be safe. At least it would cause a distraction long enough for the Ministry to capture those responsible for the string of deaths that had seemed to follow since the downfall of Voldemort.
I stood, awkwardly in the middle of the field as a hundred pairs of eyes fluttered over me. I could hear Dumbledore struggling to hold back Severus and knew I had to act now before I lost my nerve altogether and the Felix Felicis ran out.
"Y/N stop! Don't do this!" His voice filled my ears and made my heart falter. Why did he have to say anything? I was doing this because I loved him. Because I wanted to keep him safe yet it was killing me inside.
"Nobody else is going to die because of me. Severus, I love you but you've got to let me go." I could feel the tears pooling in the corners of my eyes as I begged myself to hurry up. But I couldn't. My eyes were fixed on his as the rest of the field remained silent in the darkness.
"This isn't the way Y/N. You are no martyr." I couldn't listen to Dumbledore. He was wrong. That was exactly what I was. If I had to die to make sure everyone was safe and the death eaters were stopped then so be it. I turned my back on them, my own thoughts racing, begging me to hurry up. I'd spent so long on that potion, my confidence was unmatched but if I didn't act soon, it would be gone and it would of all been for nothing.
"I'm so sorry." Whether I'd said it out loud or tried to project it into Severus' mind I didn't know, but I had to act quickly.
Making sure the stopper of the vile was undone in my hidden pocket, my free hand took out my wand and pointed it directly at my heart. God my aim had to be perfect. I couldn't afford for it not to be. Not now. I'd come so far.
With the speed of practiced hands, I said the killing curse. My wand pointed at my heart but ever so slightly to the left, through the gap left between my arm and my torso. Good. That had worked. It hadn't hit me or anyone else but I needed to act quickly. Falling to the floor, praying my acting skills were up to scratch I poured the contents of the vial into my mouth before placing it back into my pocket. This had better work. I'd seen Severus make this once before and I had researched for hours. At least if it didn't work, and I died, then I'd created a good distraction.
It did work. Slowly I felt my mind succumb to darkness, felt my lungs stop breathing and my heart stop beating and finally, as I heard spells cracking through the air from either side of the field, Severus's cry filled my ears before I was left in darkness.
***Sorry to finish the chapter like this and super sorry it's so short!! but it really was the only appropriate time before we continue🙈
Huge Thankyou for voting and all of the support! I really appreciate it!***
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The only way to cope. Snape X reader
Fantasy***Currently re editing *** After Y/N family was taken in a serious accident she had to learn to be alone. When she starts learning some unhealthy coping strategies, it's up to someone to help.
