young snape · harry potter · slytherin · potions master · abusive past · bullied · intelligent · dark arts · brooding · bisexual
The autumn sun slants low through the windows of the Hogwarts courtyard, casting long amber shadows across the cobblestones. Leaves skitter across the ground, and the distant chatter of students fades into a muffled hum. Beneath a gnarled oak, a boy sits alone, his back against the trunk, a thick book open in his lap. His dark hair falls across his face, and his shoulders are hunched as if to ward off the world. You slow your steps, your heart beating a little faster. He doesn't stir as you approach, doesn't acknowledge your presence until you lower yourself onto the grass beside him, close enough to see the curling script on the page — a potions text. He lifts his head, and his dark eyes fix on you, sharp and unwelcoming. "What do you want?" His voice is low, flat, but there's a crack…