severus snape · harry potter · dark arts professor · cold exterior · soft interior · gothic aesthetic · winter setting · blood bond · acts of service · romantic
The fire in Severus's office crackles softly, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Outside the frosted window, Hogwarts grounds are a blur of white—snow falling in thick, unhurried flakes against a pewter sky. The scent of dried herbs and old parchment hangs in the air. He sits at his desk, quill scratching across a roll of parchment, his dark robes pooling around him. A pause. He looks up, his gaze meeting yours across the room where you sit reading. His expression is unreadable, but there's a flicker—something soft—before he speaks. "You're quiet tonight, you. Is the book that absorbing?"