"Chrysanthemum." Severus Snape x reader fanfiction.

Pushing me away.

* let's not talk about how this chapter was inspired by an old Jonas Brothers song. Shhhh.

The atmosphere was quiet and calm, warmth radiating from the actively burning fire near the entrance way of the tiny living room. You stirred a bit, stretching your legs out as far as the small sofa would allow. You slowly peeked your eyes open and gazed up at the ceiling above you, waiting until your vision was clear enough to focus. A soft blanket was wrapped around your smaller frame, bringing your arms up from underneath it so you could give your tired eyes a decent rub with the backs of your palms.

The light was dim, almost too dark to see clearly. A soft and soothing orange glow illuminated the room from the pit of the fireplace, giving a slow roll of your neck in an attempt to stretch it out. The arm of the sofa wasn't exactly the best support. You shifted onto your knees and looked over your shoulder until your eyes finally landed on the familiar figure you were hoping would still be near your side. And he was.

Severus sat in a simple leather chair with a new edition of The Daily Prophet in his large, pale hands. It was held up high enough to cover his face so you couldn't tell what he was feeling or thinking. Not that he made it easy to recognize in the first place. He was very talented at concealing his thoughts and emotions.

You sat yourself up just a little bit more and let out a soft sigh, hoping to gather his attention. When that didn't work, you tried it once more. Louder, heavier. A simple readjustment of his grip on the paper was all you were granted. You brought your hand up and brushed your fingers through your messy hair, clearing your throat so you could speak somewhat clearly.

"Where am I?" Your voice was straining with each word, throat burning as your worn out vocal chords rubbed together.

Severus stayed still, quiet. Not even a nod or shake of his head. It irritated you beyond belief when he wouldn't talk to you, especially now that you had absolutely no idea what had happened or how you got here.

"Severus..."

He could sense the rise in anger in your tone and slowly lowered the paper, his eyes cast downward as he refused to look at you directly. You knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Perhaps not just with what had previously transpired, but also within himself. It wasn't often that Severus Snape displayed signs of internal guilt, if ever. But it sure seemed that way now.

"Spinner's End," he mumbled lowly as one hand reached into the coat of his robes, retrieving his wand. With a simple flick, the wood within the fireplaces flipped and turned, stoking the dying flames and coaxing them to burn higher.

You blinked a few times, stealing a glance in the direction of the fire before looking back over at Severus with a furrowed brow. "Is this....?"

"Yes." A simple answer, but an answer nonetheless.

You slowly swung your legs over the edge of the sofa and attempting to lift yourself up on your feet, but your knees immediately gave out underneath you and you sank right back down into the cushions.

Severus let out a sigh, picking the paper back up into his hands once more. "You shouldn't move too quickly. You're exhausted."

That much was obvious enough to you. Your muscles screamed every time you moved, feeling as if you were suddenly two hundred pounds in each singular limb. You grabbed the edge of the blanket and wrapped it back around your frame, letting out a relaxing breath as you reclined.

"This is where you live? Outside of Hogwarts, I mean?" Your voice barely reached a decimal higher than a strained whisper, coupled with the crackling of the fire and it was extremely difficult to hear you.