In Memoriam (Sequel To Hope For The Hopeless. Severus x Reader)

Locked Out

 5 weeks later

Thunder rumbled over the castle. Summer storms had battered the old stone and single-paned windows all day and drenched you in the process. What a welcome back it had been.

A small gold clock sat on Albus Dumbledore's desk, ticking the seconds away. It was new, you thought, having never seen it there before. The Headmaster had fobbed you off via owl, so you wanted to see what he would do in person.

His office had not changed over the summer. The books, the paintings, Albus' trinkets; they were all in the same place. As was the Pensieve cupboard. And the small dent of broken stone in the wall where you pushed Severus back with your Stupefy. All that was changed was the damn clock; the constant reminder of Albus' tardiness.

When he did turn up 10 minutes later, he was very apologetic and blamed his lateness on a delay at the Ministry. You didn't ask what it was he was doing at the Ministry; it was a shitstorm over there since Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban.

Albus produced tea and complained about the weather then sat down opposite you, he tried to coax a few biscuits in your direction but you'd had a distinct lack of appetite the past few weeks. He looked down into his tea when you pushed the plate of biscuits back in his direction, his aged finger tapped gently on the saucer which held his cup.

"Have you heard from him? Severus that is?" His wild eyebrows pursed in thought and he hoped to Merlin that Severus had done the right thing and contacted you.

You shook your head and bit on your bottom lip to stop the first thoughts from popping out of your mouth. "No."

Albus let out a slow sigh, this was a complete mess but he would not intervene. "He'll be back tomorrow. Better to know...so there are no surprises."

"Thank you, Albus but I'm not here to talk about Severus." You had talked about him enough. Worried about him enough. What a stupid girl you had been.

"No. I didn't think you were," behind the hard exterior you were presenting to him, he could sense your vulnerability on the subject.

"You've ignored my requests to take over Defence against the Dark Arts for weeks, Albus. Is it not the logical decision? I'm already here, you're already paying me and there is a teaching spot left wide open."

Albus braced himself.

"The position has been filled."

Your face scrunched in confusion, then you tightened your jaw in irritation. "May I ask why I was not considered?"

"It's not the right fit," he said simply as if that answered the question. 

The right fit? The school had not been able to hold onto a reliable Defence against the Dark Arts teacher for years. You'd practically begged him for the job.

"So Gilderoy Lockhart was good enough but I'm not?"

"It has nothing to do with whether you're good enough or not. You're of course qualified, but being qualified doesn't mean it's the right position for you."

"Severus?" You asked with a trace of bitterness.

"His request has also been denied," Albus informed you, lowering his voice. He had to admit that you had a way of pushing his pressure points, as a teenage daughter does to her father.

"Do I have the option to work in the Herbology department?" You were clutching at straws asking but you couldn't face the possibility of working with Severus again.

Albus shook his head, genuine empathy on his face. "I need you teaching Potions more so than ever."

You could leave. You didn't have to stay. You'd saved some money over the year and it wasn't like you didn't have anything else to concentrate on.