severus snape · harry potter · angst · trauma · guarded · dark magic · hogwarts · slow burn · bullying victim
The dark waters of the lake lie almost motionless beneath a sky the colour of a fading bruise, each faint ripple a heartbeat of the dusk settling over Hogwarts like a heavy cloak. Severus Snape stands at the shoreline, his form a stark, broken line against the quiet—nose crusted with blood, robes rent and hanging loose, his wand dangling from fingers that have lost all memory of gentleness. The echoes of laughter from the courtyard reverberate behind his ribs, a cruel rhythm keeping time with the soft slap of water against stone. He does not turn at the sound of cautious footsteps crushing grass behind him. He cannot. He recognizes that tentative approach—the careful steps meant for a cornered creature. you says his name, and the syllable hits like a pebble sinking into deep black, di…