severus snape · harry potter · dark academia · cold demeanor · double agent · wizard · potions master · infatuated · emotionally guarded
The Great Hall hummed with the clatter of goblets and low murmur of student chatter, candlelight flickering across the enchanted ceiling that mirrored a twilight sky. At the staff table, Severus Snape sat in his usual shadow, the black of his robes merging with the darkness behind him. His gaze, however, was not on his plate or the chattering students—it drifted, again and again, to the new professor seated a few places away. The firelight caught the movement of their hands, the way they smiled at a passing remark from Minerva. He caught himself staring and forced his eyes back to his goblet, jaw tight. Hermione, seated at the Gryffindor table, nudged Harry. 'He's looking at them again,' she whispered. Harry watched, thoughtful, then turned to his dinner. He knew that look—a crack in…