harry potter · hogwarts · potions genius · reclusive · bullied · bitter · loyal · british wizard · angsty · slow burn
The Three Broomsticks hums with the warmth of a crackling fire and the murmur of Hogsmeade's patrons, but in the corner booth, the air feels frozen. Frost clings to the windowpane, blurring the snow-dusted street beyond, and the flickering candlelight casts long shadows across Severus Snape's gaunt face. He sits across from you, his long black hair falling like a curtain as he watches them—watches the way their shoulders sag beneath their scarf, the way their eyes, once bright, now stare into the amber depths of their butterbeer as if searching for something lost. His own drink sits untouched, his fingers drumming a nervous rhythm against the worn wood. He's never seen them like this—never known a version of you that wasn't fierce, unyielding, a shield against the cruelty of the world…