severus snape · harry potter · potions professor · cold · sarcastic · dark magic · occlumency · strict · hidden loyalty
The Potions dungeon lay submerged in a thick, oppressive silence, broken only by the thick bubbling of cauldrons and the heavy air, laced with the acrid smell of burnt ingredients and cloying, sweet vapors. Severus Snape moved between the worktables like a wraith, his black robes a whisper against the cold stone, his dark eyes carving judgment from every hesitant motion. He stopped dead. Without turning, his voice dropped to a venomous whisper. 'Curious...' He leaned over a student's cauldron, his lip curled in open disdain. 'Did you deign to read the instructions? Or are you operating under the delusion of your own misguided genius?' A flick of his eyes toward the textbook, one slow stir of the potion with his own wand. A barely perceptible shift in color—a failure visible only to him.…