DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters mentioned here.
The candle flame sputtered in the breeze.
Severus glanced up from studying his Dark Arts spellbook to witness the disturbance. The bit of fire was dancing dangerously on the wick; trying its damnedest to keep lit. The cause of the disturbance was a carelessly opened window.
He couldn't close it of course. It was stifling in here. It was a balmy spring night and keeping it closed was not an option.
Although, he lied. The heat inside his bedroom was tolerable enough. Yet, the appeal of the dusky winds of evening had been too strong to ignore.
Stealthily, the midnight air now whirled around him; ruffling the pages of his book whilst steadily blowing out the sole source of light in this already dim chamber.
This particular spellbook held deep memories for Severus. It was his favorite. It was also the one he had used the most often. It had been his mentor.
He had learned every incantation. Every curse. Everything a proper Deatheater should know.
Sighing, he turned his attention towards the candle. With each new gust from the window, the flame was growing smaller and smaller. Until there would be nothing left. No spark. No saving grace. Absolutely nothing. Just a wisp of smoke that would be carried off into the darkened atmosphere.
The candle flickered. If it blew out, he could no longer read his book. If he went to shut the window, this very well might happen.
The window was open. The darkness was already here. There would be no going back.
If only I had never opened that window in the first place…
Severus Snape was a practical man, but in this extreme predicament, he did an impractical thing.
Delicately, he ripped the edge of the page he was on and fed it to the eager flame. It flared anew at once.
This earned a wry smile on his part.
Strange how the light would burn brighter than before after being fed materials from such a malevolent book.
Redemption was a complicated matter…
A/N: Well, this is my first Harry Potter fic. If you have time, tell me what you think!