@severelysnapped | cont.
Harry eyed the man laying in the hospital wing bed, trying not to think that he looked frail, layered in bandaged and disturbingly lacking in his usual sneer. He couldn’t help but wonder what the man had looked like before he’d been able to get in- though he was quite sure he didn’t want to know. “Because one way or another- no matter which side it turns out you’re on- it’s going to end up a new way to make my life more difficult.”
If Snape was on their side, then he’d probably end up dead, leaving behind a mess of difficulties that Harry would be expected to solve, and if he wasn’t, then he’d likely get at least one person killed, and Harry couldn’t survive losing anyone else. And though he wouldn’t admit it- the brief glimpse he’d caught of Snape being brought into the castle had rattled him. There had been so much blood… he’d thought the man was dead, for sure.
“No one let me in. I just strutted in like I own the place,” he quipped sarcastically, when asked how he’d gotten here- although it was technically almost true, he had simply walked in, and no one had stopped him.
Severus huffed a little at that – were he capable of it, he’d have been furious, but as it was even the mild ire he did manage at such a self-centered reply was waved away with a mild smile. “As obligated as I am to point out the world doesn’t revolve around you,” His tone lacked the venom those words typically came with, sounding no more objectionable than a comment on simple fact ( the sky is rather blue today ) and maintained the same level of calm dismissiveness as he concluded, “You are right in that my death would have an immediate impact on your life, if only in that it would seem infinitely better without me in it up until Dumbledore picks someone you actually care about to serve as his inside man.”
There was absolutely no malice in his words – Severus had known from day one that he was disposable to Dumbledore. Sixteen years in the man’s service had done absolutely nothing to change that, and the efforts Severus had put forth to keep Harry at bay had ensured the boy would rejoice at his death as surely as James and Sirius might have had they lived to observe it. ( Remus might well pour out a toast in good riddance, but he at least would have the decency not to gloat about it. )
“Of course you did,” Severus snorted, because sarcastic as Potter’s reply had been it was undeniably accurate as well. “Any particular reason? You’ll need to wait at least two hours before the potions will pull me under if your hope is to smother me,” He remarked cheerfully, rather hoping that Potter might. Heaven knew it would be a better fate than what he was currently bound to.
Severely Archived 