ALWAYS (Harry Potter fanfiction) (Snape fanfiction)

Chapter 15

To be honest, it was really hard for me to write the last chapter.

Arabella looked at herself in the mirror. Hollow eyes looked back at her. An empty bottle of Firewhiskey laid next to her. She had been able to smudge it in the castle. She pulled her hair into a French braid, with a couple strands loose. Arabella took her wand and put it in the pocket of her dress. She got out of the dorm, she could walk straight even in her drowsiness. Adrian was waiting for her in the entrance of the Common Room, he offered her his hand as he saw her approach with a particular and subtle zigzag. He knew. However, he didn't judge her, he had been drunk before and Arabella was always the one he could rely on, so he made sure he was there for her now. The little amount of people that had stayed in the castle during the break walked towards the Great Hall, small chattering among themselves. They were talking about Hogmeade, they had gone yesterday, many were just buying their Christmas presents and some remarkable arguments about who saw what first arose at Honeydukes.

Arabella looked at Fred and George, to whom she had bought prank sets at Zonko's yesterday. She always got them both a present even though she knew that George was probably gonna use whatever she got him against her. She had gotten a new cauldron for her dad and Seeker gloves for Cedric. She hadn't picked Elena's gift yet, because it was difficult to know with Elena, so she had decided to ask Cho to check her books, to see which ones she had so she could buy her a new one. To Adrian, Arabella got jersey of the Irish Muggle Soccer team, she found it hilarious because he wouldn't know what it was but once she explained, Arabella knew he would love it. For Cho, she had gotten some chocolate. For Hermione, Arabella had bought a book stand that changed the pages of the book for you and marked exactly where you stopped reading, for Ronald, Arabella bought just a bunch of candy and chocolate, he loved food, to Harry she got something that could not be bought, he recovered from an abandoned album at the library a moving photo of his parents, with the date on it, 1978, the year of her birth and the year they left Hogwarts. They looked happy, Arabella recalled. She would send it to him anonymously, and from herself she got him new Quidditch boots. For Draco, Arabella managed to find a clay figure of a dragon that was enchanted to move and roar.

Sitting in the Great Hall, she looked to the front to see her father, he had his fork in his hand but he only stared at the food, didn't eat. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his chair, he seemed to be in deep thought. Arabella wondered what he was thinking about. However, you can never know with certainty what goes through the mind of another. Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed before looking at Severus and then straight to Arabella, he knew she was drunk at just ten in the morning and that she didn't sleep in the whole night.

Dumbledore stood up and looked at everyone. Not many were talking, but he still asked everyone to remain quiet.

"It is my greatest sorrow to inform what many of you might already know. Yesterday... while most of us were in Hogsmeade, myself included, something happened-

The day had just started, the ones that remained in the castle were having breakfast before going to Hogsmeade. Elena Snape was sitting next to Luna Lovegood, a girl that was two years younger than her. Elenaa said things to Luna and she answered, shaking her head and almost shaking. They held hands, for a while it seemed almost as if they were meditating. Arabella was sitting in the Slytherin table, taking to Adrian about Christmas. No one seemed to notice the conversation going on between Luna and Elena. Elena was telling Luna of her plan to leave and the young girl was trying to convince her of not going through, in vain. Elena had made up her mind.

Later, at lunch, when everyone was at Hogsmeade, Elena climbed to the Astronomy tower like she did everyday after lunch, so she could breathe some fresh air and think calmly. It was a spot she always felt relaxing. Elena looked at the sky, it was covered in clouds, and the air was chilly.

Elena thought of the letter she had written last night, before climbing to the Astronomy tower, she had left the letter at the owlery, and instructed Castiel to deliver it to her father, wherever he was, Elena scrubbed his feathers affectionately and let him nib her ear before he took flight proudly and flied in direction to Hogsmeade.

She hoped the letter arrived to them after she left, that way she wouldn't have to hear them plead for her to stay a while longer. No. This was it. Elena put one foot in front of the other, thinking of her father and sister. She took a breath and exhaled 'Arabella', breathed in again and exhaled 'Dad'. With one final breath, Elena thought: 'I leave in my own terms, as Altan. I love you'. That final thought was send directly to his father and sister, whom he know had their mental barriers down when it came to him. That final thought echoed in his brain for the long seconds the free fall lasted. Altan did not have time to exhale again, because by the time he would do it, his body met the cold winter ground, not even the snow felt soft when it came to a fall from that height. Needless to say, the first years that saw him and ran to tell Madame Pomfrey of what had happened, will never forget the face of Altan Snape.

- I am afraid that I have to inform you that we have lost a student. Many of you may have known this student by the name of Elena Snape, however, this was not who this student was, his name was Altan Snape and he was a brilliant boy that always seemed to be introverted, shy, but you may not know how he worried for his sister, how the strength he had all those years. I wish that that strength would have led him to other path, but what has happened cannot be changed. Altan loved his family very much and I am sure that they loved him too, that his steps will be missed in the hallways and that his classes will seem awfully empty without him. I ask all of you, to respect Professor Snape's and Arabella's privacy now, they will talk to you in their own accord, if they want to. Now, please keep in mind that, even though it is important to be kind to others, it is more important to be kind to yourselves. We are here to help if you ever need it." Said this, Dumbledore sighed deeply and returned to his seat.

No one said anything. No one moved a muscle. The only thing that could be heard were the muffled sobs of Arabella, who had hid her face in Adrian's chest, and was crying. She seemed to do nothing but cry since yesterday. The moment she received that final thought from Altan, she ran to school as fast as she could, but by the time she arrived, his body was already covered with a white sheet, Madame Pomfrey standing next to him, crying.

"No!" Arabella's throat ripped apart as she screamed.

Arabella's legs that got her there in so little time gave up and let her fall. Tears started to fall faster than she would have thought, her nose started to run to and she could feel her eyes becoming puffy and red. With shaking hands, Arabella got the white sheet from Altan's face, dark eyes met hers without glow, full pink lips barely parted, as if they were in the middle of a breath. His head had cracked and the snow absorbed the blood, it seemed a murder scene. Altan's body was contorted in different angles that could only be unnatural. Arabella cried above her brother, placing her hands on his cheeks, begging anyone and everyone to bring her brother back. She even tried to use her healing powers, only to be restrained by Severus, who had just arrived. He tried to calm his eldest daughter, his only daughter. Trying to bring him to life would only kill her and do nothing for Altan, just heal physical injuries. Arabella trashed and fought against her father, she had to try. When she had no strength left, Arabella collapsed in Snape's arms and he comforted his daughter while he himself cried. It was a pain even greater than when he lost Lily. He had never thought he would feel anything like that again, but this was much worse.

Little by little, people started to return from Hogsmeade as the rumour spread. Fred and George were some of the first to arrive, since someone had given them false intel. They had been told that Arabella Snape had died, and when they got there, clashing emotions appeared. Arabella, their Arabella was alive, but Elena had been their friend to, so they cried too, because of the pain they knew Arabella was in, and the pain of losing a friend.

With a shaking hand, Arabella closed Altan's eyes and covered his face with the white sheet once again, she didn't want everyone looking at her brother, Altan never liked to be the centre of attention.