eccedentesiast || severitus

chapter fourteen | severus snape is pissed

Even in sleep, even with the calming draught in him, the boy looked completely terrified. His brows were furrowed and his breaths were still coming in short pants, while his eyes moved in quick succession under his eyelids. It would be at least two hours until Harry woke up, more than enough time for Severus to calm down.

Sighing softly she looked sadly down upon the boy. She pushed a piece of his hair back from his sweaty forehead. The boy shrank away from the touch, eyebrows furrowing even more, a small, almost inaudible, whine slipping from his lips, and she felt her heart clench.

What had they done to this innocent boy? What had those god awful people done to make him so afraid of touch?  To cause him to flinch away from it even in his sleep?

"What are we going to do with you, dear?"

*  *  *

Severus stuffed the full bottle in his pocket as he stormed out of the hospital wing and down the hallway. If that woman wanted him to calm down—she should have given him at least five—no, ten—fucking 'calming draughts.'

The anger that was swirling inside of him was something Severus had never felt. The need and the desire to protect the boy and to murder his abusers was so strong it was almost palpable.

He knew the students he came across in the hallway knew something was wrong, but quite frankly, he did not care. They all scampered out of his way before he even reached their little groups and he would have smirked if he weren't so Goddamn angry.

He barely registered where he was going until he looked up and saw he was in the dungeons. Severus could feel his magic swirling all around inside of him in an attempt to release some of his anger. Usually he had control during situations like this, but something was just—angering Severus to the point of no return. He needed to get into his rooms now, before he let it out.

He was just about to say the password to open his door when a voice interrupted him.

"S-sir?"

Severus whirled around so fast he felt as if he got whiplash. How dare anyone talk to him at a moment like this? How dare someone come down to his private quarters and interact with him?

If the voice was anything to go by, it was a child's voice at that.

The man focused on the two children standing before him, immediately feeling impatience and irritation rise to the surface.

The Weasley boy and the Granger girl stood there, nervous looks written on both of their faces.

"What in Merlin's name are you two doing down here?" He hissed, leaning down towards them, a finger pointing in their faces. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?!" he roared, causing the two children to blanch.

Neither child spoke. It was silent in the hallway, save for Severus' angered breathing.

"WELL? What do you want!"

They snapped out of their stupor, and Granger seemed to be the brave one today as she slowly stepped forward. She lifted her chin defiantly and Severus cursed Godric Gryffindor for creating this House. "Sir, we don't mean to pry, and we didn't mean to trespass, but we want to know—we deserve to know what's wrong with Harry. We're his best friends, and he needs us."