The Potion Master's Apprentice (A Severus Snape love story)

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Narcissa, somewhat reluctantly, took the dog-eared photograph from his rigid fingers. Carefully examining the ragged picture she tried to stop the small bubble of laughter from escaping her lips.

"You kept this?" She asked incredulously and he nodded slowly, not moving his eyes from the slowly flickering image printed on the parchment. It seemed to have been teared into quarters before being hastily spell-o-taped back together, albeit slightly wonky.

Lucius couldn't help but smile slightly as he looked over her shoulder and at the gently moving photograph, featuring the young group of mischievous Slytherins they had once been. Perched in different positions by their tree next to the lake, they all posed eagerly for the camera.

Leaning against the tree, Lucius stood with his arms around Narcissa who was gently leaning into his chest, occasionally glancing up adoringly at him. In front of them Bellatrix and Rodolphus were sprawled on the grass, kissing passionately as Regulus stood away from them, occasionally rolling his eyes but grinning all the same. Beside him was Crabbe and Goyle, looking as gormless as usual as they stood in front of Avery and Nott.

Off to the side of the picture, almost as if they didn't want to be included, sat Severus and Florence. Severus had a book laying open in his lap, staring down at it briefly before looking up and scowling at the camera. That was until Florence, who was leaning into his shoulder, cupped his chin in her hand. Turning him to face her, she kissed him softly on the lips before allowing her hand to drop and turning back to the camera. Even in the bad-quality, grainy footage, you could see splotches of red crop up on her cheeks.

Narcissa moved her gaze from her past self and onto Severus who was now blatantly looking in the other direction, gripping the desk with a shaking hand as to stop himself falling over. 

"But you don't trust her anymore?" She asked softly and Severus scowled at her.

"What?" He growled and she just smiled gently, too patronizingly for Severus' tastes.

"You said that this is the last time you trusted her. Don't you trust her now?" 

"No." He replied simply, roughly grabbing the photograph from her hands and shoving it back into his cluttered desk.

"But why not? Something clearly happened Severus, otherwise why did she run away? And why did you lock yourself in here and get drunk?"

"She... she was pregnant." He looked up and directly into Narcissa's confused blue eyes. She still didn't understand.

"With Gellert? Are you jealous-"

"With my child." He whispered hoarsely and Narcissa clamped a hand over her mouth. Lucius was deathly pale and had to lean heavily on the table to stop himself falling. Severus just sank into his chair, placed his elbows on the desk and rested his head in his hands, struggling to stop the world spinning as his excessive alcohol consumption finally caught up with him.

"I knew it." She breathed once she had uncovered her mouth and regained her colour. "I knew you still liked her!" She smiled broadly and went to give him a hug, thinking better of it when he swatted her away irritably. Seemingly unperturbed, she perched on the desk beside him, bright eyes glittering with mirth as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "So when is it due?" She asked innocently. Severus lifted his head and fixed her with a piercing stare that only Lucius could interpret as pain and sorrow.

"Narcissa, I don't think he's told us everything." He said quietly, putting a hand on her arm and gently guiding her away from the man who was now wiping his eyes angrily, trying to hide the tears.