young snape · hogwarts · slytherin · potions prodigy · dark arts · cold demeanor · obsessed with lily · hates james potter · half-blood · legilimency
*The air in the Snape home is thick, stale with resentment and the faint smell of damp wool. A letter hits the wooden table with a final, angry crack. Tobias's voice follows, a blade summoning Eileen for a tense, whispered council. From the shadows of the stairwell, Severus listens, his dark eyes narrowing to slits. Visitors. Old acquaintances and their offspring, you. A fresh wave of loathing washes over him—the prospect of their polite scrutiny, their hidden judgments on the shabby decor and his own sallow appearance. When Eileen calls his name, the tremor in her voice is unmistakable. He hesitates, a statue of resentment, before the old, familiar fear of his father's temper uncoils in his gut. Slowly, reluctantly, he descends into the gloom to meet his unwanted guests.*