Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

13 - I'm Sorry (Severus' POV)

I heard the knock on my door, and the one that followed. 

"Severus." I heard Y/N's voice say through the door. Unfortunately I couldn't answer because I had potion ingredients in my arms and I was struggling to put them away. 

"Look, I know you don't want me up right now but-" She stopped talking and all I could hear was mumbled voices on the other side of the door. I was quick to put everything away as quickly as I could, dropping a lot of things and quickly picking them back up as I went. 

I was finally able to go over to the door and when I answered it I saw no sign of Y/N anywhere, which concerned me greatly. I stepped out of the classroom, closing the door behind me. I picked a direction and started walking.

I'd walk the school for hours if I had to. Something didn't feel right to me about this. She would have told me if she was going back to her room, and if not that she would have likely let herself in.  

I scanned through the entire dungeons and I didn't find a single thing, not even a clue. On the main floor of the school, I still found absolutely nothing, and the longer I couldn't find her the more concerned I became. 

I started asking myself things like "What if she was attacked? What if someone hurt her?" It was my fault if anything did happen. If I would have taken the time to answer her or put everything down to get the door, this wouldn't have happened. 

I got to the second floor, by now the sky outside had changed, which meant morning would be up soon. 

I rounded the corner in a hallway and that's when I found her, she was frozen on the spot. She wasn't moving or breathing. I rushed up to her and looked at her frozen face. Like the other students, she'd been petrified. 

I cupped her face in my hands and moved her hair away from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Y/n." I said with a hurt in my heart I hadn't felt for a long time.

I lifted her up, finding that she was very light in a petrified state. I carried her all the way to the hospital wing. I set her down in the bed and alerted Madame Pomfrey.

"Well, until we can administer an antidote, she'll be stuck like this for awhile, just like the rest of them." She told me, looking down at Y/N. Around Madame Pomfrey, I kept my cool. I didnt act any different than normal.

Madame Pomfrey walked away, retiring for the night.

I stayed and sat down at Y/N's bed. I cupped her face with one of my hands and used the other to hold one of her frozen ones. I caressed her cheek with my thumb and let concern wash over my face once more.

"I'm sorry, love." I whispered to her. I wanted nothing more in that moment that to hold her, and be close to her like I had before. I wanted to feel the warmth from her body and smell the lingering scent of lavender and honey she gave off. I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly and delicately, like I was afraid I'd break her.

It was no mystery to me now how I felt around her... or felt even just thinking about Y/N. And everything told me she felt the same way despite my fears of being wrong. Every moment in the same room as her was a moment well spent for me.

I pulled away from the girl I had grow to care for. Looking at her face I gave her one last kiss ok the head before I stood up. I let go of her hand and then looked at the other. For safety, I decided to take her wand and bring it with me once I left.

If she was asleep in her state I wanted her to rest peacefully, if she was awake I wanted her to know that I cared.

I walked back to the dungeons but I didnt even get the slightest bit of sleep.

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The next morning I brought a cauldron in my room and started brewing the antidote for being petrified. I had everything needed except for a mandrake root, which I'd have to ask Professor Sprout for. 

I left the potion to sit while I locked the door to my personal chambers and started cleaning up the classroom.

A knock at my door grabbed my attention. Learning my lesson from last night, I dropped everything to go answer.

"Hello Professor Snape." Dumbledore greeted me, catching me by surprise.

"Goodmorning Headmaster, what brings you here?" I answer.

"Do you mind if I step inside?" He asked, to which I responded with by moving out of the way and leaving the door open for him.

He stepped into the classroom and I closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar. "What can I help you with, Albus?"

"Madame Pomfrey informed me this morning that last night you brought in another petrified student, correct? Y/N L/N?"

"That is correct." I affirmed, I had no reason to lie.

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary? Anything around her that wasn't right?" He asked again. At no point he ever really looked at me, rather looking around the class.

"Not from what I saw, she was in the North wing on the second floor though. Perhaps you should send someone to investigate." I suggested to him, staying in my place.

"Curious." Dumbledore commented. He turned do me and folded his hands. "I expect that the ministry will want to step in soon. While all the students have only been petrified... all the students prior to unfortunate Ms L/N have been younger children, no one under their fourth year. Our friend was a seventh year, nearly an adult. Which means the staff may start being attacked next. Whoever or whatever is doing this is becoming more confident."

"Ms L/N is a strong witch too, whoever it is must be an adult to out-play a student like herself." I explained to Dumbledore, of all people I trusted him a fair amount.

"How thoughtful of you Severus." Dumbledore smiled at me. "Well, I'll be on my way." With that, he left. He shut the door behind him, leaving me to return to my cleaning.