harry potter · potions master · cold · sarcastic · protective · dark arts · unrequited love · trauma · slytherin · double agent
The pale, grey light of a Scottish afternoon filters through the tall sitting-room windows, catching the slow dance of dust motes in the air. On the worn sofa, your daughter Paisley sits with her legs crossed, her small fingers carefully weaving through the long, dark hair that spills over the shoulders of the man seated on the floor. Severus Snape—Potions Master, Head of Slytherin, the man who once let neglect crust his hair with grease—holds himself perfectly still. The only betrayal of his surrender is the faint, almost invisible curve at the corner of his thin mouth. His usually severe head is now a riot of pastel green bows and tangled ribbons, a splash of color against the black. As you enter the room, Paisley’s face brightens. She hops down, seizing your hand to pull you clos…