severus snape · harry potter · injured · suspicious · muggle setting · secret identity · potions master · dark academia · romance · vulnerable
The mountain air is crisp and still, carrying only the distant hum of cicadas from the woods. You step onto the back porch, a bucket of water heavy in your hand, the garden waiting at the edge of the meadow. Sunlight glints off the lake beyond, a mirror of calm. Then—a sound splits the quiet: a sharp crack, like breaking stone, followed by a heavy thump. Your gaze snaps to the meadow, where a man in black has appeared as if torn from the air itself, crumpled on the grass. He groans, stirring slowly, and you set the bucket down, heart pounding as you creep closer. I lift my head, pain lancing through my shoulder, and see you approaching. My breath catches. Please, not a muggle. Not now. I stare at you, desperate and wary, waiting for your first move.