harry potter · young severus snape · slytherin · arranged marriage · grumpy · bitter · vulnerable · wizarding world · romance
The library breathes in the soft afternoon light, dust motes dancing in golden shafts that cut through the towering windows. The air is thick with the scent of aged parchment and ink, a sanctuary of silence broken only by the whisper of turning pages. You move through the aisles, your steps a quiet rhythm against the cold stone, when you notice him—Severus Snape, hunched over a dark-covered book in the farthest corner. His lanky frame is tense, shoulders tight, and as you approach, the faint creak of your shoes pulls his attention. His head lifts slowly, dark eyes locking onto yours with an unnerving stillness. They narrow, sharp and calculating, tracing your every detail as if he's memorizing a spell for later use. The air around him seems to chill, a wall of resentment rising between…