Unforgivable (A Severus Snape Love Story)

Chapter 5

Posey's POV

He was reading my thoughts while I hugged him. Good thing I didn't think of any details. I would die if anyone knew what I knew.

I went to my dormitory and ignored everyone who was trying to verbally abuse me. Of course, I couldn't for long. A girl in my year said, loud enough for everyone to hear,

"Guys, leave the defective alone! Don't you know what happened to her parents when she was ten?" That was it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her harshly.

"I know your secret, Richter. You talk in your sleep. Dad killed your mum and tried to kill you. Isn't that right?" I pulled out my wand and shoited a spell at her.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" I screamed. I then ran out of the common room and made straight for the one place I could be safe.

The astronomy tower was deserted. Good.

What if I just ended it here? No one is here to stop me. I could do it. Get away from everyone. Get away from my past...

I heard footsteps behind me and shivered. I was going to try at least. I stepped up onto the stone wall separating me from death. I put my arms out and started to lean forward, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath...

I heard a loud shout and felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I groaned and faced the hindrance. Snape?

"What do you think you are doing?" He roared, putting me down and grabbing my shoulders roughly.

"What did it look like?!? I'm sick of everyone! I don't have a family to go home to. I haven't since I was ten! People here aren't at all what I was told they would be. Only the teachers treat me like I'm a human!" A tear ran down my face and he pulled me closer to him.

"Don't do it. Please."

"Why not? It's not like anyone here cares."

"Shut up and listen to me!" He yelled. "Stop thinking that no one cares!" He shook me as he spoke. "What happened to you to make you think that? Who hurt you?"

"I can't talk about it. Talking about it makes it worse."

He thought for a moment before speaking again.

"I have a way for you to tell me without opening your mouth."

"I don't want you to know, Snape! I don't need your pity!"

"I don't pity people, Miss Richter! I just want to understand!"

"You can't understand! You're not a stinking mudblood with a death wish!"

"Stop calling yourself that, Atropose!" He had never used my first name to address me before. He pulled me by the arm away from the tower and back into the castle.

He didn't take me to the dungeons, though. Instead, he took me to Dumbledore's office.

He knocked and the door opened.

"What do you need, Severus? It's late."

"We need the Pensive, sir. I'm trying to get to the root of a problem." He eyed me and Dumbledore nodded, standing from his desk.

"I'll leave you two alone, then." He yawned as he exited the office. As soon as the door shut, Snape took out his wand.

"Focus on the memory," he commanded. I did, and he put the tip of his wand to my temple. He pulled it away slowly, pulling a silver wisp of something with it. He cast it into the pensive and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to look. Care to join me?" I shook my head and went to sit in a chair.

Snape's POV

What I saw in the memory was enough to drive anyone insane. I was surprised she made it this long.

I stood and saw her standing in a doorway as a ten year old girl. She was listening to her parents fight. She peeked through the frame and saw her father start to beat her mother. She lunged at the man, pulling his arms and begging him to stop.

"No! Please, daddy! Don't hurt mommy anymore!" She screamed. He hit her hard in the stomach and she fell to the floor. He continued beating the woman until she fell unconscious. He then grabbed a gun, put a silencer on it, and shot her in the head. The little girl stared at her father in disbelief, then with anger. The lights in the room flickered, the paintings and photographs on the walls shook, and the man looked like he was being lifted up by his throat.

He clawed at his neck, trying to remove a non-existant rope as he was hanged by this little girl. He dangled in the air for a moment before the girl shook her head and saw what she had done. She screamed when the body of her father fell to the floor. She ran out of the house and into the night.

I exited the memory and stared at the seventeen year old girl in front of me. Had she really murdered her own father?

"That was..." I started.

"Traumatic? You can't believe it's true? You're shocked and afraid? That's how most people react when they find out. It's why I've quit telling people."

I stepped towards her and took her hands, pulling her to her feet.

I hugged her tightly for a long time. She hugged me back and I felt tears hit my shirt. I didn't care.

"Don't cry, Posey," I whispered. "Please don't. I understand now." She looked up at me and smiled.

"You called me by my nickname. I didn't think you had it in you, Sev."

I chuckled. "I guess jokes and sarcasm are your defense mechnism. Does it work?"

"You bet it does."

"Unfortunately, your attempted suicide will land you in detentions for two weeks. And if you decide to off yourself and succeed, your ghost will have to finish your detentions," I drawled

Posey laughed, stood on her toes, and pulled me down a little, making our lips meet.