Entitled

Chapter 115*

The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room as you moved around, finishing the last of your packing. 

The quiet of the morning contrasted sharply with the tension hanging in the air between you and Severus. Your movements were quick, almost agitated, as you folded clothes and placed them into your trunk with a bit more force than necessary.

Severus sat on the edge of the bed, his dark eyes following your every move, sensing the tension that had settled between you. The intimacy of the previous night seemed like a distant memory, replaced by an undercurrent of unease. You could feel his gaze on you, but you avoided meeting his eyes, focusing instead on the task at hand.

Your sugar gliders, Mary and Barry, chirped softly from their small enclosure, reminding you it was time to feed them. With a sigh, you put down the last of your robes and crossed the room, your fingers trembling slightly as you prepared their food.

The small creatures scurried toward you, their tiny paws reaching out as you offered them their meal. The simple act of caring for them grounded you for a moment, providing a brief respite from the anxiety gnawing at your insides.

But the tension didn't dissipate. You could feel it in the way your hands shook, in the sharpness of your breath, in the way every movement felt too deliberate. The silence between you and Severus was thick, uncomfortable, a far cry from the closeness you had shared just hours before.

Finally, as you returned to packing, Severus's voice cut through the silence, low and measured. "What's troubling you, Violet? You've been on edge all morning."

You paused, your back to him, hands stilling over the trunk as his words hung in the air. For a moment, you considered brushing it off, pretending that everything was fine, but the weight of his gaze and the sincerity in his voice made it impossible to ignore.

"I don't know, Severus," you replied, your voice sharper than you intended, laced with frustration. "Maybe it's the fact that everyone knows I was at the Ministry that night. Maybe it's because I should probably be in Azkaban right now, not packing up to return to Hogwarts. Not much—just a little on my mind."

The bitterness in your words surprised even you, and you immediately regretted the harshness of your tone. But the anxiety, the fear of returning to a world that had become so complicated, was overwhelming, and it spilled out in ways you couldn't control.

Severus was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as he processed your words. Then, with a calm that belied the tension in the room, he stood and crossed the space between you. He placed a hand on your shoulder, turning you gently to face him.

"Violet," he said softly, his voice filled with a depth of understanding that cut through your anxiety, "you are not alone in this. Whatever they say, whatever they think, you have me. And you are not going to Azkaban."

His words were meant to reassure, but they only seemed to intensify the turmoil inside you. "But they know, Severus. They all know I was there. How can I walk back into that castle knowing that everyone is whispering behind my back, that they think I'm some kind of criminal?"

His grip on your shoulder tightened slightly, a silent reminder of his presence, of his support. "Let them whisper," he replied, his voice firmer now. "They don't know the truth, and even if they did, it changes nothing. You are not defined by their judgments, Violet. You are stronger than this."

You met his gaze, seeing the conviction in his eyes, the unwavering belief in you that both comforted and terrified you. But the fear, the guilt, the sense of impending judgment was too strong to be easily dismissed.