Second chance in love?

Mildred Snape.

Severus's POV

I stormed back to my quarters at Hogwarts, my mind a whirlwind of fury and betrayal. The image of Mrs. Snape kissing Mr. Hawthorn burned in my memory, igniting a rage I hadn't felt since Lily's rejection. Each step echoed through the dim, empty corridors, my heart pounding with a mix of pain and anger. Reaching my quarters, I slammed the door shut behind me, my hands trembling as I tried to steady my breathing. How could she? I never loved her, but I had started seeing her in a new light, feeling something unfamiliar yet warm growing within me. Yet, she shattered that fragile beginning with her betrayal. I expected some loyalty from her and respect for the relationship we had, but she couldn't do that. How could she cheat me with my staff itself? I couldn't contain the rage within myself and threw the glass which was kept on the table. The glass shattered into small pieces, reflecting my inner turmoil. The room, usually a sanctuary of solitude, now felt like a cage, suffocating me with memories of past heartbreak and the fresh sting of her perceived disloyalty.

Lily had never forgiven me for my mistake, for calling her a Mudblood in a moment of anger and humiliation. Despite my countless attempts at reconciliation, she had turned away from me, choosing Potter instead—Potter, who had tormented me for years, and who she knew would hurt me the most. She betrayed me with him, knowing it would cut deeper than any spell or hex. And now, Mrs. Snape, another Muggle-born, had inflicted a similar wound.

All the Muggle-borns in my life have hurt me, each one reaffirming my deepest fears and insecurities. Lily, with her radiant kindness and unwavering loyalty to Potter, had been the first to shatter my heart. Now, Mrs. Snape followed suit, rekindling that old pain with her deceit. I had given up hope long ago, resigned myself to a life devoid of love because it had always brought me nothing but anguish. Love has never been kind to me; it has always been a cruel, mocking force, reminding me of my unworthiness and isolation.

Yet, I had started to give it another chance. I had allowed myself to see Mrs. Snape in a new light, to entertain the possibility of something more than mere duty and obligation. And just as before, love had once again proved itself to be a source of torment. The fragile beginnings of something warm and tender had been brutally shattered, leaving me in a maelstrom of rage and despair.

I clenched my fists, trying to contain the storm within. Love, it seemed, was not meant for someone like me. It had never been kind, and it never would be. I had given up hope on love because it hurt too much, and now, when I started to give it a chance again, it hurt me once more.

'All Muggle-borns are the same,' I muttered bitterly to myself, pacing the room. 'Unfaithful, untrustworthy.'

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I knew who it was even before I heard her voice.

'Severus, please, let me explain,' Mrs. Snape pleaded from the other side.

'There's nothing to explain,' I snapped, my voice cold and unyielding. 'I saw everything I needed to see.'

'But Severus, you don't understand,' she insisted, her voice breaking with emotion.

'Don't you dare call me that!' I cut her off, my anger boiling over. 'You have no right.' 

'I understand perfectly well,' I retorted, my eyes blazing with fury as I opened the door. 'You Muggle-borns are all the same. Deceitful, disloyal.'

Her eyes widened with hurt and shock. 'How can you say that? I never—'

'Enough!' I cut her off, my anger spilling over. 'I don't want to hear any more lies. Get out of the castle before I do something I regret.'

Tears streamed down her face, but I steeled myself against any sympathy. 'Severus, please,' she whispered, her voice trembling.