Snape's family (Severus x OC)

16 The beginning of the war

Snape screamed in pain and rage, and charged at Bellatrix, ready to kill her.

She stepped back, surprised by his murderous fury, but responded, glad to have an excuse to finish him off.

The two death eaters fought to death, under the watchful eyes of their companions, and attacked each other with the worst curses they knew how to invoke.

The intense hatred accumulated over the years was being discharged now, but Snape had an incentive: he had seen Astrid die, he had felt how the magical communication of their rings was broken, and he was not going to stop until Bellatrix paid for it.

Neither of them noticed that the aurors were arriving, nor that the death eaters were retreating further and further, harassed by the hospital's resistance. They continued attacking, dodging, and trying to destroy each other until they killed their adversary.

Bellatrix got her chance when Snape slipped on a puddle of blood and water. She made him lose his wand by knocking him to the ground and pointed her wand at him, rejoicing in her eminent victory. She should have killed him at that moment, but her pride was greater.

"So you married a muggle. You betrayed us all. But in the end, you yourself have been exposed, fighting for her. How pathetic," she looked at him with contempt, smiling with disdain. "Tell me, what have you gained from this?"

"You would never understand."

"Moron! All you have done is become weak and careless because of your stupid feelings. But now, your dear little wife is dead, what do you plan to do?"

"Kill you," Snape declared, with cold calm. Bellatrix laughed raucously and prepared to finish her task.

"Avada–" a strong flash silenced her. Bellatrix looked at Snape in disbelief, and then looked at her own chest. A trickle of blood came from a perfect hole, passing through her clothes.

Bellatrix fell to her knees and collapsed, and Snape lowered his hand, on which his wedding ring still glistened.

He himself had taught Astrid to use the jewel as a weapon in case of emergencies, and he had always stocked up on extra magic just in case. And yet, none of that had stopped his wife from being murdered, he thought painfully, as he stood up.

"You always have to carry other weapons," he declared, looking at the death eater. How many times had he heard Astrid repeat that?

Trembling, fearing what he was going to see, he turned around, looking for his wife. But he didn't find her.

Startled, he looked for her in the corridor, ready to torture whoever had taken her, but he saw that a group of doctors were putting her in a room, lying on a stretcher. He ran after them and sneaked into the room, where the doctors were stripping Astrid from the waist up so they could connect some wires to her.

Meg and Mike were there, setting up a defibrillator, while another doctor turned on the monitors. Instantly, everyone heard a continuous beep, and they didn't need to look to know that the pulse line was flat. Even so, Astrid's faithful companions wanted to try resuscitation.

"Who are you?" asked the nurse, noticing Snape's presence.

"I am her husband," he responded, without thinking about what he was saying.

He was like gone, and he didn't take his eyes off Astrid. Meg and Mike looked at him in disbelief, taking in his blood-stained robes, the poorly placed death eater mask, and the trembling hand that held the wand so tightly it was turning white. They both exchanged a fleeting look of bewilderment, but they didn't have time to question that. Astrid was the most important thing now.