Snape X reader -a fine line-

CHAPTER 31

(Y/N) gasped and quickly held her hand for her mouth.

'She....commited suicide.' His voice was barely a whisper but she could hear every word clearly.

'I'm so sorry!' Severus just looked at her, not commenting anything back but instead, rose from his chair and marched towards the bedroom which was thrown closed behind him and leaving (Y/N) alone in the living area. The piece of parchment that was in the envelope was now laying on the table in front of her and she picked it up. She secretly knew it was wrong to read it because it may be personal but her concern about Severus was bigger than doing what was right at the moment.

Severus Tobias Snape,

We are displeased to inform you that Eileen Prince was found dead earlier this afternoon. Research indicated that this was in fact not an accident and that it was a effective suicide. The Ministry had also sent an owl to your father, Tobias Snape, and asked if he wanted to be the one to organize a proper funeral. He declined this offer so it's now up to you whether you want to arrange the funeral. However, if you decline that means Eileen Prince will be cremated. You have until midnight to decide.

Sorry for your loss.

Regards,

The Ministry.

(Y/N) stared at it with wide eyes. She never actually heard him speak about his family or parents so she assumed they weren't living anymore but apparently they did. Well, one of them at least. It made her wonder why Severus' father declined to do the funeral because it was his wife, wasn't it? She walked over to the closed bedroom door and was just about to knock to comfort him but then she heard something from the other side. It was barely hearable but it was definitely there and it looked like soft, quiet sobs. (Y/N) tried to convince herself it was in her head but it was a failed attempt. Severus probably wouldn't want any company and would snap at her for even trying, she was certain of that.

He didn't like it when people could see his vulnerability, including her even though they have been close. Her ear connected to the door, to see if it really was what she was thinking and it became more clearer and she softly walked away from the door to let him breathe for a bit. It was hard for her to resist the urge and she was afraid he might do something dangerous because he wasn't exactly in the right state of mind.

(Y/N) knocked on the door after the sobs broke down but nobody responded on the knock which left her wondering if he was still there. Of course he would still be there, it was impossible for him to sneak past her seeming her eye was always on the bedroom door, waiting for him to come out.

She opened the creaking door to find Severus sitting on the bed at the edge with his back towards her. She knew he had heard her come in because of the door that creaked so hard and he wasn't deaf.

'Are you okay?' She whispered while making her way towards the bed. Severus was pressing his lips on each other to stop himself from saying anything dumb and mean. He wanted to sneer and yell at her to get the fuck out of his house but he wouldn't act in anger, that was something he had to remind himself every damn day when some dunderhead managed to piss him off once again. Was she really so blind to see he didn't want any company or comfort, or most of all: pity? Severus hated pity and he got it all the time when he was younger, mostly from the staff not the students. The students were just cruel to him, there was never pity in the game. Even though the staff showed their sorrow to him, they did nothing and left him to suffer.

'I know you don't want to talk and I'll leave but not before asking you to please, not do anything stupid? I know you're sad and angry right now but don't do anything you will regret later.' Severus knew what she was talking about. She was afraid he will harm himself but he wasn't as idiotic as that little girl to do so. They had a war to win and he couldn't be weak.

'I'm not brainless. Unlike you,' he sneered before even thinking what he had said. (Y/N) sighed, obviously hurt by his assumption as if he hadn't been going through the same thing when he was younger. She reminded herself he wasn't thinking straight and was just angry and sad but it still wasn't an excuse. (Y/N) would talk to him later about that but not now because he needed her.

She sat down next to him, causing the mattress to dip down at her side and Severus adjusted his sitting position. (Y/N) slowly placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to grab his attention that was now fixed on the ground staring into nothingness. However, the moment her hand made contact with his shoulder, he yanked it away and stood up.

'How dare you to think you have the right to touch me!' She now realized the mistake she made and quickly pulled herself up to defend herself.

'Well I'm sorry but I was just trying to help you! Don't be so defensive all of the sudden.' Severus glared at her through his now splitted eyes and his arms wrapped in front of his chest.

'Leave.' He patiently tapped his foot on the floor and waited for her to leave.

'I'm not going anywhere. You need me and I don't care what you have to say. It's okay to accept help, you know that. It's not a sign of weakness.' She desperately tried to get nearer to him but was scared of his next move because she couldn't fool herself into thinking she actually knew this man. Severus was a double spy for Dumbledore and he probably did some unforgettable things for Voldemort, things that she couldn't think about without having a shiver running over her spine. Who knew what this man was capable of or what he would do when he was angry.

'It is! It's a sign of weakness and you know it. You know better than anyone on this bloody planet what being weak is like. It has been how long since you tried to quit your little addiction and you still haven't been able to stop it? I would have. I would have been able to stop it but you can't and will never be. You're going to be like this for the rest of your life.' (Y/N)'s eyes widened and she was furious. She came in to help him and maybe talk with him about his mother but no, he had to heighten his walls and come after her. He had no right to call her weak without even knowing what she had been through. He had no idea how her home life was and how many times she had stopped herself from ending it all.

'You can't say that and you don't mean it. You know full well how it is like to not be able to stop and how addicted it can be so don't you dare raise your tone to me like that. What makes you think you have the right to say those things.'

(Y/N) was stepping closer to Severus while he backed away from her and threw his arms in the air.

'You're impossible,' he yelled. 'Leave! I don't care where you're going but you're not staying here. Leave.' He pushed her away and pointed towards the door.

'Fine! Suit yourself.' With angry steps she walked out the room and soon arrived at the other door, leaving the quarters. It was about dinner time at the moment so most of the students, including staff, were probably in the Great Hall enjoying dinner unlike Severus and her. They were too busy fighting.

The Corridors were empty and no one else was in sight. It was peaceful and quiet for once, unlike the last few days with Professor Snape although she did enjoy it sometimes. It didn't matter anymore because she knew this was going to be the last time the two would talk.