a soft place to fall // Severus Snape x OC

022 ❁ Married to Her Work

A/N: Still here <3 Enjoy the chapter and words/recs mean a bunch. Wren deals with a sudden emergency and a truth comes out. TW: Small breakdown and minor talk of past abuse. Smut incoming also xx

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Severus had just dropped his things on his desk when sound flooded down. Drowned the entire dungeons out. Wren's manic scream that sent him running back up the steps. Toward the Bell Towers she would have drowned out if they were chiming. Staff gathered at Wren's door. A few older students grouped back trying to figure out what had happened.

"I wouldn't go in there," Flitwick had warned.

"Damn shame," Moody stood near the door with his staff in both hands. Contemplating. Observing. Filius tried to be helpful and ushered children back to their rooms. Sybill came down the steps to assist him. Snape pushed in beyond Mad-Eye. Stopped dead.

Albus and Minerva were standing at Wren's desk. Charity knelt before the girl who must have collapsed there after her legs tremored at the sight. Pomona was hovering carefully before a mess. A disaster that was still smoking. The neatly lined tanks upon the wall had all been bashed in. Plants ripped and fried apart. Burnt to ashes.

"Down to the roots, Wren. Dear, I'm so sorry," Sprout frowned deeper.

Severus couldn't hear any of them talking because Wren shook him. She was whole-heartedly sobbing into Charity's sweater. Minerva knelt behind her and Dumbledore appeared grave.

"They destroyed everything. My notes. My manuscript. Even the backups. Everything!" Wren fought to get away and crawled under her desk. Tore drawers out to shake them. Made a bigger mess. Another problem arose. Even worse than the last. "Hemlock! Where are you? I can't find him!"

"Wren, we will locate him. We'll find who did this," Albus eased and didn't even flinch when an empty pot crashed near his feet.

"Liar!" Wren was subdued barely by Minerva's arms. "Your guilty conscience means nothing to me, Albus, it's only ever brought me more trouble! More pain! Hemlock is just a young thing still, he doesn't understand. He needs me! My plants. My work. It's all gone! Oh, he must be so scared. So confused. Look what they've done! Years of my life in this prison because you refused to let me go!"

"Wren," he gentled, "please."

She seized at him to shout back.

"How about you tell the staff the truth! St. Mungo's was never going to let me go! Ever! Because they said I was unstable. They said I was mad after Dolohov's work. They only let me go because you signed your damn name on that paper like you owned me now! You gave me a pity job to soften the blow. The fact that Albus Dumbledore now holds my life in chains. Controls where I go from here! Has access to my money! He's a grown women's legal guardian and I'm trapped here until I die! Sometimes I wish I just did!"

Another pot crashed, inches from him. Even Minerva looked stunned. Albus appeared grave as Wren stumbled to him. Fists up before she fell into his arms sobbing again.

Severus just stood there between two disasters not knowing what to do. Eyes on Wren in the pretty dress she'd picked out for their outing that was now crumpled and dirty. Maybe it was an inopportune thought but he wished he'd said something about it early. That she looked quite beautiful in the sun. It would have made her smile.

"Minerva, can you please help me see Wren to the hospital wing? Charity, Pomona. If you can try to salvage what you can. We'll have repairs done. Makes Wren's room whole and safe once more." Dumbledore handed the Herbologist off, smoothing her hair into place.

"Don't you worry, Miss Valentine," Moody remarked as she was toted away. Her weepy sobs echoing before they muffled into Minerva's robes. "I'm on the case." He twitched and hobbled down another hallway.