California Love

Chapter 10. The Aftermath - P2

Potter Manor

Fleamont was walking through the halls when he saw Severa rush out of the drawing room with a big, rare smile on her face. He couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity as to what had the girl smiling like that, so he poked his head through the doorway, his eyes landing on his lovely wife.

He took a quiet step inside, gently closing the door behind him with a soft click, causing Euphemia to turn and look at him.

"Fleamont," her face lit up in a smile as she stood and made her way over, her long skirts swishing softly with each step. "You're just in time. Severa just left to go get the dress she's been working on. Come, have a seat."

Fleamont couldn't help but be intrigued. Euphemia's excitement was contagious, and he followed her eagerly to the couch where she was sitting. As he sat next to her, his eyes were drawn to an open letter on the table. He picked it up and looked at Euphemia. "What's this?"

She looked up from her tea. "Oh! I sent in some of Severa's sketches to Arcane, and they sent back an acceptance letter." She sipped her tea as she spoke.

His head shot up from the letter to look at Euphemia with wide eyes. "Arcane? As in the Arcane Atelier of Fashion and Magic?"

Euphemia nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes, that's the one! They've accepted Severa to study there. Can you imagine? Our Severa, studying at such a prestigious school!"

Fleamont couldn't help but share in Euphemia's enthusiasm. "That's incredible news! Severa must be over the moon."

Euphemia nodded, a proud smile gracing her lips. "She is indeed. And I couldn't be happier for her. She deserves this opportunity, Fleamont."

Fleamont's heart swelled with pride for Severa. It was moments like these that reminded him why he loved Euphemia so dearly. She had a way of seeing the best in people and always went above and beyond to support them in achieving their dreams.

As he set the letter back down on the table, he opened his mouth to ask Euphemia a question but was cut off by a blood-curdling scream. They stared at each other for a good second before Fleamont jumped off the couch and ran out of the room, followed closely by Euphemia.

Their footsteps echoed through the halls as they hurried towards the source of the scream. Panic surged through Fleamont's veins, his mind racing with a million possibilities of what could have caused such terror.

When they finally reached the scene, they found Sirius on the ground holding a crying Severa in his arms, surrounded by pieces of pink fabric.

"What happened?" Euphemia asked, her voice laced with concern as she knelt down beside them. Fleamont stood nearby, his expression a mixture of shock and worry.

Sirius looked up, his eyes wide with emotion. "I... I don't know," he stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "I heard Sniv- Snape scream, and when I came in, the dress was... destroyed."

Severa buried her face against Sirius's chest, her sobs muffled by his shirt. "I worked so hard on it," she whimpered, her voice barely audible. "And now it's ruined."

Fleamont's heart clenched at the sight of Severa's distress. He couldn't bear to see her like this, torn apart by the senseless destruction of her creation.

Euphemia placed a gentle hand on Severa's shoulder, her eyes filled with compassion. "It's going to be okay, dear," she murmured, her voice soft and soothing. "We'll figure out who did this, I promise."

But even as she spoke, Fleamont couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his chest. Whoever had destroyed Severa's dress had not only shattered her masterpiece but also inflicted immeasurable pain upon her.

"What's going on?" He turned around to find Remus and Peter standing in the doorway, both looking a bit shaken up. "We were in the kitchen when we heard a scream."

Fleamont had nothing to say. He just shook his head and looked around the room, his mind racing with thoughts of who could have committed such an act of cruelty.

Euphemia stood up, her expression grave. "We don't know yet, but someone destroyed Severa's dress," she explained, her voice heavy with concern. "We need to find out who did this."

Remus and Peter exchanged worried glances before stepping further into the room, their eyes wide with shock as they took in the scene before them.

Severa's sobs had quieted, but she still clung to Sirius, her face buried against his chest as he held her close, offering silent comfort and support.

"We'll help however we can," Remus said, his voice determined yet tinged with fear. Peter began picking up the scattered pink fabric, while Remus grabbed a sheet from the corner and threw it on top of the dress as if to shield Severa from the sight.

"Sirius, take her out of here," Euphemia instructed, her voice gentle but firm as she nodded towards Sirius. Without hesitation, Sirius stood, lifting Severa into his arms, and walked out of the room, his steps steady and purposeful.

Severa clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as he carried her away from the scene of devastation. Despite the chaos swirling around them, Sirius remained a steadfast anchor, offering her solace and reassurance in the midst of the turmoil.

As they exited the room, Sirius cast a glance over his shoulder, meeting Euphemia's gaze with a silent promise to protect Severa at all costs. Euphemia nodded in acknowledgment, her expression filled with gratitude for his unwavering support.

He carried her down the hall to his room and sat her on the bed, but she looked...wrong. The Severa he knew would stand up and fight. She would be screaming and fighting to find out who destroyed her hard work.

But here she was, sitting on his bed, her eyes hollow and her body slumped with defeat. It tore at Sirius's heart to see her like this, stripped of her usual fiery spirit and resilience.

"Snape," he began softly, kneeling in front of her, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Snape was his enemy, he was supposed to hate her. But in that moment, all he felt was a deep sense of empathy for her pain.

He reached out and gently took her hand in his, his touch light and comforting. "I..." He trailed off, at a loss for words. How could he express the turmoil raging within him? How could he comfort her when he himself was struggling to come to terms with his own feelings?

Sirius felt a wave of realization crash over him like a tidal wave. Severa's words cut through him like a knife, piercing through the armor of his defenses and laying bare the truth he had been avoiding.

He was the reason she felt like this. All the pranks, all the bullying, all the horrible things he and James did were the reason Severa sat before him now, broken and hurting.

Guilt gnawed at Sirius's conscience, a heavy weight settling in the pit of his stomach. He had never stopped to consider the consequences of his actions, never paused to think about how they might affect someone like Severa.

Severa's eyes met his, her gaze searching for answers in the depths of his soul. "Black?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Do you... do you know who did this?"

Sirius swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. "I... I don't...." he didn't want to admit it, his voice thick with emotion. He knew who did it, he knew exactly who did it and it hurt like hell to know who did this.

"Black?" he looked back up into her eyes, black pools of pain. Just that look was all it took, he shot up from the floor, making his way for the door, ignoring Snape's shout.

"Black!"

He just ran out the door. "Just lie down, I'll be back!" he ran for Severa's room, Stepping into the doorway and trying to catch his breath.

"Sirius?" He vaguely heard Euphemia's voice as his eyes did a quick sweep of the room, all eyes on him.

"It was James."