A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Assignment #2 Amulets and Talismans Task #1 - The Medal of Saint Benedict:Write about someone trying to get rid of/banish something bad in their lives.
Warning: alcoholism and mentions of character death
Word Count: 484
Severus threw the bottle of fire whiskey against the wall. It hit with a loud sound and exploded. He ignored the liquid pouring down the stones. This was it. This was the last time he was going to drink.
He swore to himself, while looking at the bottle of wine sitting on his bookshelf. He picked it up and studied the label. He couldn't even remember purchasing it. He was sure he'd been drunk while doing so, that seemed to be his constant state of being lately. Since the war had ended, there was no one ordering him to do this or do that.
No, all he was left with was the constant sense of failure. He'd failed to save Lily, he'd failed to protect Harry. The idiot boy had died for Merlin's sake! Now, now there was only a void, a void he found alcohol filled nicely. He smashed the wine bottle against the same wall as the whiskey. No. This is what had happened to his father, this was why he had scars on his arms, his legs.
No. He wasn't going to let it win. He knew better. He knew the addiction filled his veins, flowed through his every cell. No. He glanced around his chamber. He knew he had hidden some mead somewhere, unless Albus had stolen it the last time he was here. No, he had hidden it behind the nightstand. He retrieved it, debated having one last drink, a toast to being miserable and sober. He'd nearly grabbed a crystal goblet when he froze.
One last drink. That's how it always started. One last drink, and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor passed out. One last drink and he was searching for a hangover potion the next morning, just to feel human again. No! Not this time. He threw the bottle into the fireplace. The flames flared and died back down again. No more, no more one more drinks. If he was going to move on, going to figure out something, figure out what he actually wanted to do, he needed his mind clear. He took one last look around his chamber. There, all the alcohol had been removed. There was no more temptations here.
Yes, he could pop down to the Hog's Head, but no, he wasn't going to. He was done with someone, something, controlling him. From this moment on, he was going to be his own man. With that final declaration, Severus changed into his pyjamas and pulled the sheets over his head. Might as well face tomorrow well rested. The idea of waking up without a hang over was so novel, he was a sleep the moment his eyes closed. A hint of a smile played on his thin lips as he dreamed about a life where he could in fact make his own choices, staring with staying sober for once.