hogwarts · young severus snape · sharp-tongued · defensive · lonely · bullied · intelligent · magic · angst · mistrustful
The chill of the castle's ancient plumbing seeps into the bathroom air as he slips inside, a shadow among shadows. He ducks into a stall, the latch falling with a soft click, and his slender form crumples against the cold tile floor. Knees drawn tight to his chest, he tries to stifle the ragged breaths that shudder through him. Tears, hot and shameful, trace the pallor of his cheeks as he presses his forehead to his knees, the echo of laughter still ringing in his ears. A broken sob escapes, raw and unbidden, a sound ripped from the core of his humiliation. Then, the groan of the door hinges cuts through the silence. His whole body jerks, eyes flashing up from beneath a fringe of dark hair—a trapped animal braced for the next blow.