Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office
Severus stared blankly at the paintings on the wall, their silent gazes meeting his own.
McGonagall had practically dragged him up to Dumbledore's office, lecturing him the whole way about keeping his hands to himself and counting his lucky stars he wasn't already booted out of Hogwarts.
When they entered the office, Severus wasn't surprised to find it already occupied. He could practically feel the weight of his professors' stares boring into him as McGonagall seated him, releasing the spell but keeping him restrained with ropes.
He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Sprout's voice. "Mr. Snape, are you even listening?" she asked, her tone tinged with concern. Severus simply stared back at her with vacant eyes, clearly not registering a word of what was being said.
Sprout exchanged a worried glance with McGonagall before Dumbledore turned his attention to Severus. "Severus, this behavior is unacceptable. We need to know what happened back there. Why did you attack James and Sirius?"
Severus remained silent, his expression unreadable as he stared off into the distance. McGonagall sighed, frustration evident in her voice. "Severus, you need to cooperate. This is serious."
Severus blinked slowly before tilting his head, a faint cracking sound emanating from his neck. "They talked about my parents," he said evenly, his voice devoid of emotion but his eyes betraying a storm of emotions swirling within him.
McGonagall and Sprout again exchanged a glance, understanding dawning in their eyes. "Severus, I know this must have been incredibly difficult for you," Dumbledore began gently, "but resorting to violence is not the answer."
Severus narrowed his eyes, a hint of defiance flickering in his gaze. "And what would you know about it?" he retorted sharply. "You weren't there. You didn't hear what he said."
McGonagall sighed, her expression softening with sympathy. "Severus, I understand that you're hurting, but violence is never justified."
Severus shook his head, his resolve unyielding. "You don't understand," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "No one does." He returned to staring blankly at the wall, his mind consumed by turmoil.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Slughorn entered, followed by an unfamiliar man. Dumbledore rose from his seat, his expression grave. "Horace," he greeted, his voice tinged with concern.
Slughorn wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before replying, "The boys are fine, Albus." Dumbledore's shoulders visibly relaxed, a sigh escaping his lips. "Poppy says they'll stay in the hospital wing for a day or two."
Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Severus, his eyes holding a mix of expectation and hidden anger. "Severus, we need to discuss what happened," he said calmly, motioning for the others to take a seat.
Severus remained impassive, his demeanor unchanged by Dumbledore's words. "I don't see the point," he replied flatly, his tone devoid of remorse. "Potter got what he deserved."
Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he maintained his composure. "Severus, violence is never the answer," he cautioned, his tone carrying a hint of fake gentleness.
Severus shrugged dismissively. "Maybe not for you," he retorted coldly. "But it was for me." Leaning back in his chair, a defiant glint in his eyes, he showed no signs of regret for his actions. The unknown man approached Severus, eyeing him with suspicion before turning to Dumbledore.
"Why is he tied up?" The man's question prompted a slight twitch in Dumbledore's finger. "It was for protection," Dumbledore explained smoothly.
With a smile, the man withdrew his wand and released Severus from the ropes. However, before Severus could react, Dumbledore swiftly raised his own wand and bound Severus once again.
The man's smile faded as he undid Severus's bounds once again. "Dumbledore, you don't get to change my decisions," he asserted firmly. Dumbledore slowly tucked his wand back up his sleeve, his expression inscrutable.
Severus watched the exchange with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. It seemed there was more going on than he understood, and he couldn't shake the feeling of being caught in the middle of a power struggle.
The man turned back around to face Severus. "My name is Auror Alstor Moody." Severus eyes widened.
Severus's eyes widened in shock at the revelation. Dumbledore had a fucking called an Auror on him? The realization sent a chill down his spine, and he felt a surge of fear wash over him.
"Auror Alastor Moody," he repeated the name silently, committing it to memory. Whatever Dumbledore's intentions were, it was clear that things had escalated far beyond what Severus had anticipated.
Auror Moody nodded before taking a seat next to Sprout. "So, care to explain why you beat two boys into a blood bath?" he asked, his gaze fixed firmly on Severus.
Severus remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he struggled to find the right words. "Potter," he finally replied tersely. "He talked about my parents."
Moody's eyebrow quirked in curiosity. "And what exactly did he say?" he pressed, his tone neutral but firm.
Severus paused, memories swirling as Moody's question probed deeper. "He... he said things he shouldn't have," he confessed, his voice barely audible. "Plain and simple."
Moody nodded, his expression steady, but his eyes softened with understanding. "So, you lashed out because he insulted your mum?" he clarified. McGonagall's concern shifted to anger. "Just because someone says one nasty thing about your mum doesn't justify attacking them."
Severus seethed with frustration, his anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Were you there? Did you hear what he said?!" he demanded, his voice rising despite his efforts to control it. He knew he was risking getting into even more trouble for raising his voice, but in that moment, he didn't care.
They had no idea what had been said about his parents, not just his mum. It wasn't just one insult—it was a barrage of hurtful words that cut him to the core, attacking not just him, but his family's memory.
"Mr. Snape, lower your voice or I'll have to owl your father." Severus froze at McGonagall's threat, his anger momentarily eclipsed by confusion. Did she not realize that both his parents were dead, or was she making some cruel joke?
He met McGonagall's stern gaze with incredulity, then a bitter laugh bubbled up from deep within him. "I see all Gryffindors are equally adept at cruelty," he retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm and disdain. The tension in the room crackled, the air heavy with unresolved conflict.
For the first time, Slughorn piped up. "What in Merlins' name are you talking about, Mr. Snape?" Severus looked at his professors and headmaster in shock, He thought every professor was to know what the home life of one of their students was like.
"My parents are dead."
Severus's voice was raw with emotion as he spoke, his words cutting through the tension in the room. The shock was palpable among the professors, their expressions morphing from stern to somber.
McGonagall's eyes widened in realization, a flicker of remorse crossing her features. "Severus, I... I had no idea," she murmured, her tone softer now, tinged with regret.
Slughorn's jovial demeanor faltered, replaced by a solemn expression. "My boy, I'm terribly sorry," he said, his voice tinged with genuine sympathy.
Severus's gaze remained fixed on them, a mix of defiance and vulnerability in his eyes. Despite his hardened exterior, the pain of his loss still lingered beneath the surface, shaping his every interaction and response.
"You'll be in detention for a week." Severus's head snapped to Dumbledore, he could see beyond the man's fake sympathy. He vaguely heard Sprout shouting something but he didn't care, he blocked them all out again and stared at the paintings on the wall.
Hogwarts, Slytherin Common Room
When Severus Entered the Slytherin common room, everything went quiet.
All eyes locked on him as he made his way to his dorm. After dealing with Dumbledore and a fucking auror, the last thing he needed was a barrage of Slytherins bombarding him with questions. But fate had other plans.
He was stopped in the middle of the common room by Bellatrix, the last person he needed to talk to right now.
"Sevvy, why didn't you tell anyone you could fight like that~?" Her voice was alluring as she trailed her finger up his chest. Normally, Severus might have found her antics amusing, even enjoyable, but now was not the time.
"Not now, Bellatrix." He tried to walk around her but she grabbed his hand and pushed him on the couch next to Lucius, who was smiling like a kid in a candy shop. "Sev, you gonna teach any of us how to pack a punch like you?"
Despite seeing Lucius as a friend, Severus felt an overwhelming urge to smack him. "You've got a very punchable face, Lu." Some chuckles echoed around as Lucius merely rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Sevvy," Mulciber chimed in, annoying Severus further. "You've got to admit, watching you give Potter a taste of his own medicine was epic."
Mulciber had been one of Severus's earliest friends at Hogwarts, but he had a knack for ignoring Severus's requests. He knew full well that only Bellatrix was allowed to call him 'Sevvy', but Mulciber never seemed to listen.
"I'm really not in the mood for this." He let his head fall onto the nearest thing, which happened to be Bellatrix's lap. Bellatrix chuckled, running her fingers through Severus's hair. "Tough day, love?"
Severus grunted in response, not in the mood for small talk. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the chatter around him and the events of the day.
"How much detention did you get?" Narcissa asked, her voice laced with concern as she glanced at Severus.
"Two weeks," Severus grumbled in response, his head dropping back into Bellatrix's lap.
Narcissa clicked her tongue sympathetically. "Ouch. Well, at least you've got us to keep you company during those long nights."
Severus nodded slightly, too tired to offer much of a response. With his head nestled in Bellatrix's lap, he let the comforting darkness of sleep envelop him, if only for a brief respite from the day's chaos.
Severus was Tired