Hope For The Hopeless (Severus Snape x Reader)

Pieces

Drowning. It was as painful as people described. You couldn’t comprehend how your lungs felt so full of liquid yet so on fire. Contorting and wrenching your body to escape was futile. The silver water would not yield.

Pushing your hands into the side of the bowl you tried with your last effort to break free but it was too much. Vision blurry and legs fumbling underneath you, you succumbed to the pulling force of the Pensieve as it engulfed your entire body until you were sinking further and further into a vast expanse of nothingness. The pain was gone and euphoria ran through your veins as silver wisps swam across your vision.

“The memories will always be yours,” Albus’s voice rang out from the abyss below.

A wisp frantically buzzed around your head, then shot off, then came back. You weren’t sure how you knew but it wanted you to follow. Kicking your legs and parting the silver water you began swimming after it. It felt effortless as it lead you down deeper until the silver hue of the water was disappearing into the blackness. But you had been deceived. It knotted itself around your body, lengthening itself to first tie down your arms and then force your legs together. No amount of fight could stop it, and as much as you thrashed and writhed, it seemed to do nothing.

The euphoria dissolved back into agonising, crushing pain. Everything hurt and you knew at that moment all the fight was gone. Letting the pain completely take your body, you gave up, for the final time.

“Your anger will solve nothing but use it if you must.” Your grandmother’s words wrenched you forward just as your vision blurred.

Panting for air, you frantically pushed and hit at whatever was on your body; it was too heavy and suffocating and you needed it off of you.

“ARGH FUCK!” Severus’ yelled beside you in the darkness as you sat up and brought your knees to your chest.

Gasping for more air, you rested your forehead onto your knees and tried to steady the panic in your lungs. The Pensieve dreams were becoming far too intense.

“Y/n,” Severus groaned, his nose aching and the taste of warm copper at his lips.

The bedroom was rid of its darkness as the candles flickered to life. Severus was holding his wand in one hand, nose in the other. Raising your head to his muffled moans, you saw the blood around his wrist. The tears that had already formed in your eyes broke their barrier and ran down your face at the sight of it. You’ve hurt him.

“I’m sorry,” you whimpered, furiously rubbing at the unwanted pearls of shame. Reaching for your wand, you faced him, concerned and guilt-ridden.

“Here, let me fix it,” you offered as you shuffled closer to his side.

He carefully lowered his hand, a crimson mess marred his pale features and you had to bite back more tears. Feeling terrible but desperate to fix what you had done, you inhaled deeply to stop any more outbursts of emotion. Aiming your wand, you saw the look of concern in Severus’ eyes. Was that fear? Did he not trust you to do it?

“Episkey.”

Severus groaned loudly and pushed his head back, as an uncomfortable rush of heat burned through his nostrils, stemming the bleed. The next incantation came quickly.

“Tergeo.”

The blood was wiped clean from his face and hand in a few seconds. It looked like it had never happened. Severus had black sheets so you weren’t sure if there was any on there, but that was the least of your worries.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his nose still tingling. His eyes had welled with tears from the blow and he wiped those away with the pads of his fingers. Now that was over he was going to have to tell you and you weren’t going to be pleased.