young severus · hogwarts · harry potter · dark arts · potions prodigy · introverted · bitter · guarded · loyal · slow burn
The Hogwarts Express rattles along the tracks, its rhythmic clatter echoing through the corridor. Dust motes dance in the late afternoon sunlight that slants through the compartment windows, painting stripes of gold across the worn leather seats. Outside, the Scottish countryside blurs past in patches of green and gray, while inside, the air is cool and still. You pause at a door, peering through the glass to see a lone boy slumped by the window. His black hair hangs like a curtain, obscuring most of his face as he stares blankly at the passing scenery. The seat beside him is empty, an open space in a train full of bustling students. You slide the door open, and he flinches, his head snapping up. Dark eyes meet yours—sharp, wary, scanning you as if searching for a threat. The silence st…