Rescued

When Severus had arrived back at this rooms he had immediately opened his last bottle of scotch and sat down in his favorite chair before the fire. He hadn’t bothered with a glass, deciding to just drink from the bottle. No one would know or care soon anyhow. Snape entirely blamed himself for young Draco’s predicament; his attempted suicide, his depressed state. If he had just paid more attention then maybe the young man wouldn’t have done what he had. Draco used to be such a strong boy, with the will of a hundred men. No one could tell him what to do or make him feel unworthy.

Ahh, but then no one care to factor in the only person who could make Draco feel worthless; his father. Lucius Malfoy had known for years that he was his son’s only weakness, and he had exploited it as much as possible. Causing Draco to hate Potter for all those years, making him think that Lord Voldemort and the side of the Dark was the way to go, hating that fool Dumbledore; it was all just for Lucius’ own sick pleasure. He knew potter would be good for Draco, he also knew Draco would be better off on the side of the Light, but he still did it, instead of being a loving, supporting father, to amuse himself. He truly loved ne one or anything but himself.

It was true that over the years Draco and Severus had become closer. He was like an uncle to the boy, seeing as he had been a constant fixture in his life since was a baby, and was usually the first one who would notice if something was wrong. He was also usually the first one the boy went to if he needed to talk. But this time he had chosen to hide within himself and somehow Severus felt like he had failed him, betrayed him, almost done worse than the insipid Gryffindors who ha beaten him. And now he felt like he and nothing left to give. Draco would never, and should never, forgive him his transgression and therefore he had no reason to keep going.

Years earlier he had devised a poison just in case he ever had the need to die quickly while held captive were he to be found out as a spy. Never let it be said that Slytherins were strong willed, only strong minded, and they never left anything to chance. With his last bit of effort and strength, he swallowed the vile potion from the vial and waited a short time until it took effect. His last thoughts were of those praying to whatever deity was up there watching over them to let Draco forgive him one last time.

When Professor Snape didn’t show up for breakfast, no one worried; he never usually did. When he failed to show up for classes, people began to worry. It wasn’t like the man to miss teaching a class and the headmaster decided to go down to his chambers and see what in the hell was going on. The site that greeted him when he opened the door brought tears to his eyes.

Severus was sitting in his chair by the fireplace, the bottle that had been in his hand had fallen and shattered on the flagstones and the vial was hanging precariously from between his fingers. There was almost a look of peace on his favorite professor’s face, and in death he had obviously found that peace that had eluded him in all his years of life.

The old man tried his hardest to try and think of a way to bring him back, but nothing came to him. There was no way to bring his beloved Potions Master back from the dead short of a miracle and he wasn’t sure eh had one left in him. As always, there was the Time Turner, but how would he manage that again? He wasn’t sure he could get one and he certainly couldn’t be the one to stop the man; he was too old for that kind of time travel. Draco would be too distraught and he wasn’t sure Minerva or Harry would be up to the challenge. Harry was a wonderful young man, but he had always hated Severus, and for good reason. The man had done nothing to show how he felt about the young man the whole time they had known each other and had, in fact, done more to make Harry hate him than try to get the boy to like him. But Albus knew better. The love Severus had for those two surpassed anything he had seen in his long life.

He could only break the news gently and hope Draco took it ok; he knew he wasn’t taking it very well, and he wondered what Harry’s reaction to all of this would be. Well, he thought, time to call another meeting.