severus snape · harry potter · slytherin · sarcastic · shy · protective · dark academia · possessive · wizarding world · romance
The surface of the Black Lake was a sheet of polished slate beneath the overcast sky, mirroring the distant, jagged outline of the castle. Severus sat on the damp grass, a heavy textbook splayed open across his lap, its pages untouched by his attention. The chill breeze tugged at the edges of his black robes. He was acutely aware of you's presence beside him; the simple warmth of her proximity made his heart constrict. He glanced sideways, catching the faint glint of light on her features, and his mouth went dry. He fixed his eyes back on the meaningless text, his mind churning. The impulse to bridge the small space between them, to let his hand find hers, warred with a paralyzing fear of misstep. The quiet stretched, taut and expectant, as he wrestled with the words lodged in his throat.