Categories > Books > Harry Potter > HP Drabbles
Desolation
The first snowflake.
He watched with disdain as it fell gracefully in the cold winter wind to rest upon his windowsill knowing that it would mean colder, shorter days in which the children would be trapped within the castle walls and no means to dispel of their energy without causing havoc. He frowned sternly, mentally noting to provide the delightful brats with hours of homework to occupy their busy hands.
The wind continued to howl, agitating his already frayed nerves as the sky burst open drowning the world in a vast blanket of snow. Under normal circumstances he'd never have stopped to look at the icy menace that would plague his world for the coming months; not without that simple pressed paper.
He stared at it with stunned trepidation. Shaking hands reached slowly for the paper snowflake recalling the feel of her hands on his, her voice whispering in his ear, her warm laughter and sparkling green eyes. Wide eyed he looked outside at the snow covered grounds hearing her ghost laughter, feeling her phantom arms tugging at his.
In a stupor he wandered the halls of Hogwarts, ignoring the blissful chatter of the students, the occasional hushed whisper as he passed. Like a dreamer he stumbled on towards the only sunlight he saw, gasping as the chilly air brushed his skin.
She was there as he remembered her. Bright green eyes merrily seeing a world he could not, she danced through the flakes her arms raised in celebration. Giggling she spun around, her hands outstretched waiting for his. The beautiful smile that had melted his heart gracing her lips, she waited.
It wasn't real. Even as his mind insisted his heart forced his feet forward; stumbling steps as he shuffled through the snow towards the ghostly memory of the girl he'd loved. Unshed tears stung his eyes as she turned away, her own tears frozen on her face.
He lunged, arms closing around a nearly forgotten memory as he collapsed in the snow. Breathing deeply he unclenched his fists. Within lay the pressed paper and nothing else. His mind chided him for expecting anything more, while his heart ached that there wasn't.
Kneeling in the snow he recalled another snowy day, long ago, when she'd stood before him. Arms outstretched for his, she'd spoken the words he could not.
I love you.
The words had hung between them, an icy wall he could not overcome. She was, after all, a mudblood and he... He'd walked away. He'd beckoned winter into his heart and frozen her sunshine. He'd left her to stand there alone, crying, forgotten in the winter storm.
A single snowflake landed on the pressed paper in his palm. His eyes widening as the carefully scripted writing appeared. A lump caught in his throat, his voice cracking as he read the message left so long ago by a young girl's broken heart. Even through his cruel rejection, even through her pain, she still reached for him.
Cradling the old parchment to his chest he whispered the words he'd wanted to say for nearly two decades. "I love you too...Lily." And for the first time in his life Severus Snape cried.
The first snowflake.
He watched with disdain as it fell gracefully in the cold winter wind to rest upon his windowsill knowing that it would mean colder, shorter days in which the children would be trapped within the castle walls and no means to dispel of their energy without causing havoc. He frowned sternly, mentally noting to provide the delightful brats with hours of homework to occupy their busy hands.
The wind continued to howl, agitating his already frayed nerves as the sky burst open drowning the world in a vast blanket of snow. Under normal circumstances he'd never have stopped to look at the icy menace that would plague his world for the coming months; not without that simple pressed paper.
He stared at it with stunned trepidation. Shaking hands reached slowly for the paper snowflake recalling the feel of her hands on his, her voice whispering in his ear, her warm laughter and sparkling green eyes. Wide eyed he looked outside at the snow covered grounds hearing her ghost laughter, feeling her phantom arms tugging at his.
In a stupor he wandered the halls of Hogwarts, ignoring the blissful chatter of the students, the occasional hushed whisper as he passed. Like a dreamer he stumbled on towards the only sunlight he saw, gasping as the chilly air brushed his skin.
She was there as he remembered her. Bright green eyes merrily seeing a world he could not, she danced through the flakes her arms raised in celebration. Giggling she spun around, her hands outstretched waiting for his. The beautiful smile that had melted his heart gracing her lips, she waited.
It wasn't real. Even as his mind insisted his heart forced his feet forward; stumbling steps as he shuffled through the snow towards the ghostly memory of the girl he'd loved. Unshed tears stung his eyes as she turned away, her own tears frozen on her face.
He lunged, arms closing around a nearly forgotten memory as he collapsed in the snow. Breathing deeply he unclenched his fists. Within lay the pressed paper and nothing else. His mind chided him for expecting anything more, while his heart ached that there wasn't.
Kneeling in the snow he recalled another snowy day, long ago, when she'd stood before him. Arms outstretched for his, she'd spoken the words he could not.
I love you.
The words had hung between them, an icy wall he could not overcome. She was, after all, a mudblood and he... He'd walked away. He'd beckoned winter into his heart and frozen her sunshine. He'd left her to stand there alone, crying, forgotten in the winter storm.
A single snowflake landed on the pressed paper in his palm. His eyes widening as the carefully scripted writing appeared. A lump caught in his throat, his voice cracking as he read the message left so long ago by a young girl's broken heart. Even through his cruel rejection, even through her pain, she still reached for him.
Cradling the old parchment to his chest he whispered the words he'd wanted to say for nearly two decades. "I love you too...Lily." And for the first time in his life Severus Snape cried.
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