autumn | severus snape

forty four

The faint light of dawn crept through the tall, arched windows of the hospital wing, casting long shadows across the pristine white beds. Ana lay pale and unmoving, her breathing shallow but steady. Ophelia sat slumped in a chair beside her, dark circles under her eyes and worry etched into her face. Her fingers absently twisted the edge of her cloak as if clinging to fraying hope.

"Teddy?" Ophelia's voice startled him as he entered.

He frowned at her disheveled appearance, stepping closer. "You've been here all night, haven't you?"

Ophelia shrugged, her voice hoarse. "I couldn't leave her."

"You have to get some sleep, Ophelia," Teddy said gently, sitting down beside her. "You're no good to Ana, or anyone else, if you run yourself into the ground."

Ophelia shook her head, her voice raw with frustration. "I can't sleep, Teddy. All I can think about is the potion... The beans have to be the key, they just have to."

Teddy sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Ophelia—"

"No," she cut him off, her voice trembling. "If we don't figure this out soon.. she's getting weaker. I keep thinking about Peter..." Her voice cracked, and she bit down on her lip to steady herself.

Teddy's expression softened. "Hey, this isn't Peter," he said gently. "We're not going to let it happen again. You hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you." Her shoulders sagged under the weight of guilt and exhaustion. "Did you hear anything from your dad? It can't be easy," she said softly. "With everything happening... the Ministry falling apart."

Teddy's shoulders tensed despite his calm expression. "It isn't. But my dad, he's always been good at keeping his head above water when things get bad." He paused, his voice quieter now. "I just hope it stays that way."

She studied him for a moment. Teddy had always been the steady one, even when the world felt like it was crumbling. Seeing cracks in that steadiness made her stomach twist.

Ophelia reached over, squeezing his arm gently. "You're allowed to be worried, you know. It doesn't mean you don't trust him."

He offered her a faint smile. "Thanks, Pheebs. You're pretty wise when you're not threatening people in the Great Hall."

She laughed softly, grateful for the lighter note. "And you're pretty thoughtful when you're not sneaking Firewhiskey into school events."

Teddy grinned. "We all have our talents."

They sat in the quiet for a moment. But then Ophelia's thoughts started to spin again.

"I hope Draco's okay," she admitted. "It's Christmas in a few days and he's still not back."

Teddy's smile faltered for a moment, but he masked it with a casual shrug. "He's tougher than he looks. I bet he'll walk through the front gates just in time to crash the holiday feast and act like nothing happened."

Ophelia forced a small smile. "You think so?"

"Absolutely," Teddy said confidently. "Draco's like one of those cockroach clusters, impossible to get rid of and stubborn enough to survive anything."

Ophelia let out a weak laugh despite herself, but worry lingered in her eyes. "It's just... he's been gone a long time."

"You really care about him, don't you?" He asked carefully.

Ophelia hesitated, her brows furrowing. "Of course I do. He's... Draco. You know?"

Teddy tilted his head, studying her. "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself."