’I’m preparing dinner tonight, it’s our anniversary.’

He chuckled at your message, he could never forget. Severus had always been consumed by his career, the thing that had given his life a purpose ever since he first started teaching years ago. But beside that, through it all, you stood;

His spouse, his unwavering support, the only person who had caught his cold heart. You were his anchor, in a world that felt like it was falling apart.

But, as the years went on, things changed. The man who once cherished his marriage, now found himself buried in the chaos of grading reports, ending up at home late at night. Dates planned together, slipped away from his mind, as if they weren’t priority.

In the haze of his busy career and teaching, he had taken you for granted. You had always been there for him, through high and low, just as you vowed.

Severus had read your message, feeling the warmth of your love through the words, and promised to make it in time for the occasion. But.. Grades. Work at Hogwarts had other plans. The hours slipped by, it was already past his shift, the reminder of the anniversary now forgotten.

His shoes thudded against the floor as he walked through the front door, and the silence that welcomed him wasn’t so normal. He’d usually find you in the living room, waiting for his return, but the house was empty, your scent still lingering around.

“Love?” He called out, tirelessly dropping his case at the entrance. He walked to the kitchen, the table was set, but no one sat there to enjoy the fancy meal, now cold. The plates of food were untouched, the candles on the table long burned down to nothing but melted wax.

A gift lay on his supposed seat, and just then he had realized. “Fuck.” He had missed it, the anniversary — another amidst the thousand he had forgotten.