To Fix a Ruptured Heart

Rosemary Garden

Tobias felt Severus' shaking subside as he gradually began relaxing, almost like he was falling asleep. It certainly wasn't all that comfortable, with Severus's long limbs compact digging into his body, but that wasn't the given concern at the moment.

That Potter kid had started speaking. There was something that irked Tobias about him, like the other boys. He just wasn't sure what it was.

The boys voice was nonchalant and confident, like this happened regularly. Almost entirely unbothered by the ongoing events.

" Padfo- Sirius and I were partnered together during Potions and were working when Snape's stuff blew up."

A believable enough start, although Tobias found it quite concerning that his son had somehow formed and detonated a bomb by the sound of this.

"Professor Slughorn docked 20 points from Slytherin, and all of they all started arguing and Sna-"

Eileen interjected.

"20 points for an accident?"

Tobias zoned out the response from wannabe Gandalf. Points didn't interest him, he knew what a house system was, and was of the opinion they were stupid.

It was probably somewhat important as Eileen seemed slightly perturbed by the answer she received, but at the moment Tobias could not care less. He wanted know about the potion, and fight. That was why he was called here.

The young Potter continued his tale, saying that Severus tried to blame them for what happened, and started insulting them and vanished their potion. Potter and the other three then also began yelling. This distraction to the rest of the class inevitably ended up getting Potter and Co. kicked out on their asses with Severus for disrupting the peace for the rest of the period.

Not in those exact words, but Tobias Snape is a succinct, blunt man of few words.

If Severus had been awake before, he certainly wasn't now. Tobias and Eileen both felt the calm and steady movement of the deep peaceful breaths of well deserved rest. Totally unaware of the anguish and rage that would probably flood his body so similarly to before.

It was now that Tobias remembered this scenario, only the first time around, Severus had been sent home. Suspended for endangering other students. His throat felt dry and his head light in a nauseating way. While his mind was 70 and 15 years sober, his body certainly was not.

Severus really hadn't done anything. He spent years trying to tell Tobias this. His poor attendance and homework grades, only passing through his testing. Letters sent home about altercations involving other boys. Severus trying to tell him about the kids that stole and copied his homework.

And Tobias remembered beating him for daring to come back home, while he spent his hard earned money to send Severus to some bullshit magic school. The hurt and upset in Severus eyes fading to a blank glazed over nothingness as years passed.

These were the boys that tormented his son. The boys that took the joy out of what should've been Severus singular joy in life that he had been given.

Be it the new reinforced paternal instincts or the withdrawal kicking in, Tobias needed to get Severus out of here. He wasn't safe here, he'd never be safe here. He had died here practically.

The memory of Severus' corpse filled his mind, his mother's, his father's. His state did not go unnoticed by the others in the room, although he didn't actually care much for them at the moment.

Eileen watched Tobias go a ghastly white, sweat beginning to bead on his skin, as he suddenly shifted Severus, pulling him upward and in towards his chest.