Hope For The Hopeless (Severus Snape x Reader)

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The heavy wooden door clicked into place quietly, your hand still clamped to the handle as you rested the back of your head against it. It felt like your heart was pounding against your ribcage as your eyes opened, hoping you'd made the right decision.

Tiptoeing through to the next door, you pulled the handle softly.

Steam and specks of water escaped as Severus' eyes snapped open. He pushed the wet hair away from his face and smiled, before moving over for you to join him. However, you didn't budge, instead, you dropped your head and stared at your feet.

Severus soon realised you weren't there to join him. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower cubicle; the dripping from his large frame overlapping the small bath mat.

No matter how serious you were feeling at that moment, you couldn't control the path your eyes took as they moved from your feet, up to his legs, and further on. The droplets of water running down his pale chest a distraction to your task.

Severus smirked and reached past you to the towel that was resting on the radiator. His body pressed into yours as he did so and your hand rested on his wet shoulder instinctively before he straightened himself back up and wrapped the towel around his waist. He had never been desired, not like you desired him. No one had looked at him with such love or lust or the mixture of both that he had come to like too much.

"Sorry I interrupted your shower," you mumbled quietly while fiddling with your fingers.

He stopped your nervous movements, his large hand encompassing both of your own. Severus knew you only fidgeted like that when you had something pressing on your mind.

"Spit it out," he encouraged.

Lacing your fingers through his, you met his soft, concerned eyes. "I can't sit here idly knowing a student is in danger. I just can't, Sev and for a moment it crossed my mind to just leave...while you were in here," you teetered off guiltily.

Severus frowned at your admission but was glad that you hadn't gone off on your own like usual. You squeezed his hands like you had when he was lying in his hospital bed; it brought back that hopeless feeling in your gut.

"Seeing you in the infirmary put me in your position for once. You're right, I am...I am reckless because for the past few years no one was worried about it, but there is now," you smiled meekly, thinking about the sheer amount of care he showed you, "So, I came to you because I never want you to feel like that again. I know we did all Minerva told us to but.."

"But it's not in your nature to leave someone in need," Severus finished for you.

"How else do I make up for my sins? This is the only way I know how to find any redemption for myself," you finally admitted, both to yourself and to him. Of course, you had always had a sense of right and wrong, being an Auror demanded that of you but you couldn't deny that there was always a selfish element to your actions. A penance, if you will.

Severus sighed as he pondered the best course of action; that particular struggle had made a home in his conscience years ago. Protecting Harry was meant to be a piece of his redemption but he found the solace in that to be near non-existent.

"You don't have to come with me..."

"Are you mad?" He asked abruptly, broken from his stream of thought. How you thought he'd let you go out there alone, seasoned witch or not, half-blood or not, he'd never know. There was no chance he was going to let you face anything alone.

You tried to pull your hands away but he refused to let go.

"What?" You asked, thinking he really was about to lock you in his quarters.