Fighting for love - Severus Snape fanfiction (BOOK TWO of A Magical Muggle)

Chapter 15

*** A month ago***

Ana looked at herself in the mirror.

Inhaling deeply.

Exhaling. 

Several times.

Her hands were shaking, but she had no alternative. She was known. She was the Dark Lord's daughter. The man that brought horror to the planet. The one that wanted to eliminate mudbloods and muggles as he believed only pure-bloods were worthy of breathing oxygen as if the other creatures contaminated it every time their lungs did their deed.

One last time, she took in the image of her long and dark wavy hair. She loved it. If she could pinpoint the thing she loved the most about her body it would, without a doubt, her beautiful satin dark hair.

But it was no time to admire it. She had little time and she didn't know what to do.

She thought it was all a nightmare, and she closed her eyes praying to wake up at any moment. The knot in her throat warned her of how real it was.

She opened her eyes again and, controlling her breathing and her emotions, she took the scissors in her hands, grabbed her hair, and cut it short, shoulder-length. As the hair fell to the basin, she looked at herself in the eyes - her dark, puffy and red eyes were tearful, desperate. Terrified. But it was far from being over.

One hour later, the vacant gaze Ana shared with the mirror was only to confirm she was different from what people were used to seeing. The long dark brownish hair was now short and lighter, a mix of light-brown and sandy blonde. A deep sob interrupted the silence when she wondered if Severus would like it like that.

Her thoughts were clouded by the image of him waking up and reading her letter.

What was he thinking about her? What was he doing?

Was he looking for her?

He was hurt. She felt it. She felt it deep in her soul how she managed to crumble his heart into tiny pieces.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wishing that message reached his ears. "I love you so much."

A pounding pressure circled Ana's forehead, as if her brain was trying to squeeze itself out of her skull. She walked to the bag with clothes she had taken from Hogwarts and searched for the one-piece she had stolen: Severus' shirt. She covered her washed naked body with it and walked to the bed. She didn't even remember the name of the Inn she was spending the night. She barely remembered the path she took to arrive there. All she was able to think about was the anguish in her heart, which she knew was not only hers, but Severus'. Which was making it harder.

But she had to do it. She had to be strong. For him. For herself. For them.

He'd never forgive her. She was aware of it. 

But at least, he'd be safe, so it was a risk she was willing to take.

She'd take all the pain away if she could. But she couldn't. All she could to was stay away.

For the next couple of days, Ana stayed at the decaying muggle Inn. She didn't want to take the risk of being recognized by a wizard, even though she changed her appearance.

She had no idea what she was going to do, it was all just a blur to her. The conversation she had at the lab, Johnny's revelation, being forced to turn her back to everything. One moment you have your life at its higher level of happiness, and the other, you're in a deep, dark well, without a way to save yourself. And Ana could feel the cold water filling the well and suffocating her, slowly, painfully.