Chapter 29
The Forbidden Library was silent. Not the kind of silence that came with peace–but the heavy, waiting hush before something irreversible took place.
It felt like you were drowning in the shadows.
Candles flickered in their iron sconces, their glow swallowed by the overwhelming darkness pressing in from all sides. The air felt heavy and thick with magic that coiled and pulsed like a living thing.
In the center of the stone floor, Severus stood within a runic circle, his posture rigid, his fists clenched. The Dark Mark on his forearm seemed darker than before–almost alive, a brand of something far more than physical.
You stood just outside the circle, your fingers gripping your wand so tightly it hurt. Your pulse hammered in your throat, and the weight of what you were about to do nearly suffocated you.
Dumbledore’s voice was low, but firm. “Once we begin, there is no stopping, “ he said gravely, setting the last candle at the edge of the circle. “The Mark will resist–violently. Severus, you must not fight it. You must let it be drawn out completely.”
Severus nodded once.
You felt as though you would be sick.
“You cannot stop either,” Dumbledore continued, turning to you. “If you hesitate in the final step, we may lose him forever.”
You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I understand.”
Severus exhaled slowly. “Let’s get on with it.”
His eyes met yours, but you knew there was nothing left to say. You’d said all that you could’ve said before he stepped into that circle.
Dumbledore nodded once, then lifted his wand.
The incantation was ancient, the words curling through the air like tendrils of smoke.
And the moment that spell struck the runic circle, the world shattered.
The air ripped with a soundless scream. The temperature plunged, and unnatural cold burrowed deep into your bones. The walls of the library seemed to warp–the shadows stretched and twisted, growing jagged and sharp like claws.
Then Severus began to choke.
His body jerked violently, knees buckling as he grabbed his forearm.
The Dark Mark was moving.
It slithered under his skin like something alive, writhing and twisting as if it were trying to bury itself deeper.
Severus let out a strangled sound, fingers digging into his arm, his breathing ragged and uneven. “It’s–fighting me.”
Dumbledore’s face was grim. “Hold on, Severus.”
You took a half-step forward, your hand reaching out to Severus against your better judgment, but the moment you stepped forward, the runes flared–and an unearthly howl split the air.
Your blood froze.
It wasn’t Severus who was screaming.
It was something else.
The runes burned red-hot, their glow pulsating erratically. And then–
A pulse of pure darkness erupted from the Mark.
The force slammed into you like a tidal wave, knocking you off your feet. You hit the ground hard, your vision bursting with white-hot pain as your head cracked against the stone floor.
Severus was screaming now, the pain of the curse trying to exit his body becoming too much.
Disembodied whispers filled your brain, crawling under your skin like spiders.
“You cannot break what is bound in blood.”
Your breath caught.
The voice was everywhere–in the walls, in the floor, in the very air you breathed.
Your gaze turned back to Severus–just in time to see black veins spreading from the Mark, twisting up his arm, reaching toward his throat.
“No–” you breathed.
The library shuddered.
The Mark itself was growing, rising from his skin.
Severus let out a harsh, strangled gasp, his body convulsing as black tendrils of magic ripped from his arm. The shadows howled, screeching in rage, clawing at the edges of the runic circle.
Dumbledore’s voice was a razor-sharp command. “Severus, do not resist!”
Severus was shaking, his body was arched against the onslaught of magic, but his teeth were gritted–his hands were clenched into fists.
He was fighting it, whether he realized it or not.
Your stomach churned.
“Severus!” You called, and his eyes flitted to yours.
Your heart sputtered.
All you saw in his eyes was raw, unfiltered, terror.
Not for himself.
For you.
For Nova.
For everything he had ever tried to protect.
Then his breath hitched.
His body relaxed.
The tendrils of darkness sank into his skin one last time, before the Mark exploded.
A soundless shockwave ripped through the room, snuffing out every single candle Dumbledore had lit.
Severus’ body collapsed.
Unmoving, unbreathing.
Your heart stopped.
“No–” You breathed, lunging forward again, reaching for him–
But the moment your fingers touched his skin, a bolt of ice shot through your veins.
Severus was cold.
Deathly, unnaturally cold.
“Severus!” You screamed, your voice cracking. You grabbed his face, shaking him, your breath coming in panicked gasps. His body was completely limp, his chest remained unmoving.
The world blurred around the edges.
“Now!” Dumbledore’s voice cut through your panic. “Y/N, you have to bring him back!”
You couldn’t breathe. Your hands were shaking so violently you could hardly lift your wand.
But you had to.
There was no other way.
You closed your eyes, focusing solely on Severus.
Your lips breathed the words of the resurrection spell, the darkest magic you’d ever dared to learn. The magic burned through your veins like fire. The runes around you flared white-hot, the air pulsing in time with the beat of your heart.
“Come back,” You whispered. “Please, come back to me.”
The silence was unbearable.
Nothing happened.
Severus was still too cold.
Your breathing hitched in your throat, every breath becoming a laborious effort.
You pressed your forehead against his, the only sound in the room was your wand as it clattered to the floor. Your hands trembled against his ice-cold cheeks.
“Don’t leave me,” You whisper, your tears falling against his skin.
Nothing.
Your hands tightened on his face.
“I love you,” You choked out. “Damn you, Severus Snape, I love you–”
His body shuddered.
A small movement, one you may have missed had you not been holding onto him so tightly.
Your eyes widened as you sat up, not daring to blink and miss another movement.
Suddenly, he gasped, heaving in a ragged breath.
His chest rose.
His fingers twitched.
His eyes fluttered open.
You sobbed loudly, falling back against his body as you clutched him tightly. The uneven beating of his heart sounded like music to you.
Severus made a weak, rasping sound–half with pain, half with disbelief. “You–” His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “You brought me back.”
You let out a breathless, trembling laugh, sitting up to look into his eyes, cupping his face in your hands again. A fresh wave of tears slipped down your cheeks as you realized his skin was already beginning to warm again.
“Of course I did, you idiot.” You breathe, laughing again.
He gave the faintest hint of a smirk. “You’re insufferable.” He breathed. “Absolutely stubborn.”
“Shh.” You breathe, your thumbs running along his skin, “You scared me. You scared me, Severus.”
His fingers slowly, weakly curled into yours on his face.
Then, so quietly you almost didn’t hear it, he whispered back to you. “You scared me too.”
You kissed him.
Soft, desperate, raw.
When you pulled away, his eyes held something unspoken, something deeper than words could ever say.
You’d won.
The curse was broken,
Nova was safe.
You reached for his arm, holding it up to examine where the Mark had been. His skin was scorched. Blood was clotting at the edges, but it would need medical attention.
But the Mark was gone.
“Well done,” Dumbledore said quietly. “Both of you, amazing use of both magic and strength.”
You smiled a small smile, but could not seem to draw your eyes away from Severus’. You only ran your fingers through his hair, relishing in it’s softness and warmth of his skin.
“I love you.” You whispered.
He smiled a small smile.
“I love you.” He whispered back.