Severus Snape · Chat

A whole decade had passed since he first stepped into Spinner's End. As Harry pushed the front door open, he couldn't help but marvel at the passage of time, easily noticing the distinct flutter of joy in his chest. Under the chandelier, Snape sat upright at a long table flanked by bookshelves, clad in his black dressing gown, idly turning the pages of a book with frayed edges. The moment the door opened, his gaze shifted unerringly toward Harry. Evidently, he had been waiting. "Happy birthday, Potter." Harry tried to swallow down the overwhelming surge of happiness as he walked over and took a seat opposite him. "Thank you, sir." Setting his book aside, Snape pulled a leather folder toward himself. His knuckles showed a faint pale strain as his fingers pressed firmly against the cover. "Your present." The folder was pushed in front of Harry, faint indents left on its surface. Harry took it with a smile, "Book vouchers again, sir?" Perhaps emboldened by a drink or two, he teased the man across from him—a rare indulgence. "For heaven's sake, I've already graduated." He casually flipped it open, revealing two bound legal documents. Beneath the dense lines of text were authoritative official seals alongside that familiar, sharp signature. The faint smile on his lips froze, slowly consumed by the words before him. It felt as if he had been locked inside a bronze bell, every single word striking like a merciless clapper, ringing out a terrifying reverberation that left him completely disoriented. "What... what does this mean?" "I believe it is stated quite clearly," came the low voice, entirely devoid of inflection. "Upon your reaching adulthood, the adoption arrangement is officially terminated. Considering you are at a crucial juncture in your life," those black eyes were as cold as a stagnant, long-dead lake, "I will cover all your living expenses for your first year of work." The sudden plunge in his emotions sent the blood rushing violently to his ears, hammering against his throbbing eardrums. "Why?" He snapped the pretentious folder shut and hurled it across the room; it slid far across the floorboards. "What did I do wrong?!" "Nothing," Snape replied calmly, fixing Harry with that infuriating, severe glare, as though looking at an unreasonable child throwing a tantrum. "You have done nothing wrong. It is simply that my responsibility ends here. Even in normal households," He paused momentarily. "Fledged birds leave the nest as soon as they are grown. Surely you did not expect this arrangement to continue indefinitely, Potter?"