Snape's family (Severus x OC)

19 The last Horcrux

There was only darkness. Darkness and cold.

He was in the middle of the void, not knowing if he was moving, or if he was still, or if what surrounded him was air or water.

He couldn't think, and he didn't care if he didn't. He didn't know if he still had his senses or if there was nothing to perceive. He just floated.

"Harry..."

That voice altered the stillness of nothingness, producing a slight tension, but everything remained the same. The same stillness, the same silence. The same darkness.

"Harry..."

The darkness cleared almost imperceptibly, and little by little a thin breeze began to blow.

"Harry..."

The breeze grew stronger, giving way to the wind, which began to spin around him. He didn't touch it, he just heard it, and it seemed to him that it had a hundred different shades of intensity and strength.

The darkness was replaced by a faint glow, which shone ahead of him. Then he felt as if he were being pulled forward, first very lightly, and then more insistently. The roar of the wind thundered in his ears, and he had the sensation of going faster and faster, as if he were flying or falling towards the light. The glow was getting closer and more powerful, and he felt a kind of vertigo and panic when he touched the light and immersed himself in it.

He felt like he was drowning and took a breath, filling his lungs with all his strength, to the limit of their capacity. He had a coughing fit, but that made him clear his head and open his eyes.

"Harry!"

At first, he didn't see anything, but little by little he focused on a face. Specifically, the one with a disproportionately large nose and dark eyes that looked at him attentively.

"Potter, wake up," Snape shook him, while pointing his wand at his chest. "Come on, wake up."

Harry felt very tired, as if he couldn't move, but he fought to get out of that drowsiness and get away from Snape.

Turning his head, he saw Ginny, kneeling next to him, looking like she had been crying. Recognizing her, he smiled weakly. It had been her voice that had brought him back.

"Professor, I'll take care of him," Snape looked at her doubtfully, but when he saw that Harry remained conscious, he shrugged and walked away from them.

"How are you?" Ginny asked, taking his hand.

"I'm sleepy," he replied, weakly. "What happened?"

"We thought you were dead, but then Snape came in and started pressing on your chest. He cast a spell, I couldn't recognize which one. You breathed again..." despite herself, a few tears escaped from her eyes, and Harry found the strength to raise his hand and wipe her face.

"Don't cry, I'm fine," Ginny crouched over him and hugged him. Harry, who was slowly waking up, put his arms around her. "I love you," he whispered. Ginny kissed him.

Across the room, Celine was very upset by what had happened. She couldn't forgive herself for having played with Harry's life in that way, and although the boy was fine, she kept reproaching herself for having been so reckless.

Adrien and Draco were next to her, trying to distract her, without much success. Unconsciously, Draco had placed a hand on her back, in a gesture of silent support. Snape came to their side, and with a murderous look made the blonde immediately remove his hands from Celine and move a safe distance away from her.