home (reader at hogwarts)

ten

the smell of the food on the plate whisked you away from those thoughts and you grab your fork, gathering food on it and taking a bite.

the food was good, better than anything you had eaten before all of this started. it was funny, you had probably eaten more today than you had your entire life.

one bite led to another, and then another, each bite melting in your mouth in the most perfect way imaginable.

you were so grateful but you had no idea how to show him.

your eyes flash towards severus and you notice he ate incredibly slow too.

you wonder if maybe it had something to do with how poor he and his mother were growing up, how they probably didn't have much to eat.

"what?" he asks suddenly, snapping you out of your thoughts.

you were staring at him.

"oh um-" you clear your throat. "n-nothing i-"

"what do you know about me?" he asks, cutting in.

you gulp. "quite a bit. you wanna hear?"

severus thinks for a moment before nodding.

"you were born in 1960 i'd assume- if you were the same age as lilly potter. you grew up in spinner's end with your mother eileen prince and your father tobias prince left when you were young."

severus looks down and his hair covers his face so you have no clue how he is reacting.

"you were- beaten at home. in a sense we're quite similar." you add the last bit to make him feel better.

you don't think it will work very well though.

"you were taught about blood purity by your mother but befriended the muggle born lilly evans anyways when you realised she was a witch- teaching her little magic tricks till the day you both got your letter for hogwarts."

severus holds a hand up. "that's... enough."

you bite your lip. you hope you didn't hurt his feelings.

"you asked-" you try to defend yourself.

"i know-" severus says, his voice notably shaky. "i shouldn't have."

"i'm sorry, severus." you say simply.

sorry for bringing her up, sorry for her demise. sorry they never got to reconcile before she was murdered.

"are we-" severus looks up at me. "are we alright in the end?"

your eyebrows furrow. "alright?"

"in terms of the 'good side' winning, i suppose."

"yes." you nod. "we will."

severus was done, getting up and taking his empty plate with him. "that's all i need to know for now."

"you can sleep well tonight, severus." you teased and surprisingly he let out a small chuckle.

it was entirely minuscule but you felt the vibrations in the back of your head.

"don't bother me at night and i will." he said, taking your empty plate too and watching you gulp down some water.

"i don't intend of leaving this sofa." you laugh and hand the glass to him too.

as severus leaves for the doorway he pauses as if he wishes to say one last thing.

your ears wait for the words.

"goodnight, y/n."

you smile when the words finally come.

"goodnight, severus."

perhaps staying here for a while won't be so bad, after all.

you close your eyes shut and after a few minutes began to hear voices again.

your mother's voice.

"y/n, for god's sake. just get up."

"do you-"

there was mike.

"you don't think we should call someone.."

"don't be daft mike." you hear your mother spit.

"she's fine, she's just tired i think- maybe we- maybe... we should just leave her here."

"renee, darling. i'm getting worried." mike whispers.

"don't. she's just being a brat."

"a brat? a brat? renee she's-"

you jolt up and choke on your own saliva.

mike rushes to you while your mother stares wide eyed from the chair in the corner of your room.

you cough violently and tears stream out of your eyes as you look around.

your e/c eyes dart to the the cold grey, peeling walls.

then to the familiar stairs leading up to the pad locked trapdoor.

you are back in the basement.

"what-" you stammer, every bone in your body shaking.

mike wraps his arms around you and you are forced into his chest.