I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 48. The Difference

All was dark. Just pitch-black nothingness. Astrid tried to open her eyes but it seemed they were already open, but everything was still dark. She called out. There was no answer, just the echo of her own words. She began to sob, tears should be falling from her eyes, but she felt nothing on her cheeks, she didn't feel her cheeks at all. Looking down she expected to see her body, but instead, nothingness, just more black space. Where am I? She asked herself, looking around.

            "Hello!" She called out into the darkness; her words echoed through the black. "Is anybody there?" She asked. Again, nothing.

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            Severus' eyes grew tired as he sat in a chair by her side, she had been in St Mungo's for five hours now under the care of their green clad healers. They had told him she would wake up within the hour, but that hour had long gone. He sighed, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling, he clasped his hands together and waited.

* * *

            He thought back to the moment she fell, how he failed to catch her fall, she slipped from his fingers so easily. When she wouldn't wake up he remembered the pain in his chest, and when he felt her non-existent pulse, it was like finding Lily all over again.

            Except this time, the man who took his beloveds life was the one who saved Astrids. The Dark Lord had heard the commotion and come forth. He tutted, kneeling down next to Severus and felt her wrist with his long pail fingers, his pointed claw-like nails pressing into her soft flesh.

            "This simply won't do." He had muttered before pressing his wand to her chest and giving her a shock, nothing. The Dark Lord did it again, pressing his wand against her sternum he shocked her once more. Though her eyes didn't open, a slow faint pulse was detectable in her body. A small breath had escaped her lips and Severus sighed deeply with relief. The Dark Lord had ordered him to take her to St Mungo's, it simply wasn't acceptable for her to die... yet. Severus picked her up bridal style, his arms cradling her against him. As he quickly made his way to the fireplace he spotted Lucius Malfoy at the end of the corridor, a worried, sickly look on his face. He looked regretful, pained. Severus narrowed his eyes on the man before disappearing in a flash of green.

* * *

            Severus looked back to the girl with a numb expression, her chest was falling and rising slowly, now and then her eyes flickered beneath her eyelids. She was there, she just... wasn't ready to come back yet. Severus withstood the need to hold her hand, caress her palms with his thumb, cup her face... with so many Death Eaters within St Mungo's he would not be spied upon and considered weak.

            "Has she awoken yet?" The weak voice of a man asked from the doorway. Severus didn't need to even glance in that direction to know who it was. He could tell by the sorry, sad tone to his voice.

            "No." Severus drawled as he rested his head in his palm, propped up by his elbow.

            "Will she?" Lucius asked hesitantly, he walked into the room, his cane clicking on the marble floor. He sat in the chair on the other side of the hospital bed.

            "Do you care?" Severus asked monotonously, his dark eyes flickering up to his old friend. Lucius was visibly hurt by Snape's question.

            "How could you ask such a thing, Severus? Of-course I care... despite all goings on... I love her Severus." Lucius admitted with a deep exhale.

            "Really? This is how you treat someone you love?" Severus asked as his eyes glanced over her comatose form. "Cheating on her with your ex-wife, stealing her daughter?"