The Art of Taking Chances || Severus Snape x Reader ||

Chapter 6: Inconsistent Behavior

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A/N: According to Harry Potter Wiki, the potion mentioned in this chapter is canon with the series, but I swear I don't remember it.

"It seems that you don't have so much respect from students after all."

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It seemed that every time your relationship with Severus took a step forward, it would immediately take ten steps backward.

You thought that things were looking up after you had that somewhat heartfelt conversation in your office. You thought that Severus had finally gotten over everything and wanted to make an attempt at a friendship.

Severus had to admit that all of his urges and desire to shut you out had dissipated significantly. His harshness towards you was replaced with a cautious curiosity to get to know you better. That scared him at first, because the last time he was cautiously curious about someone, it had been Lily and he really didn't want to have a repeat of that. Especially since you had been one of Lily's closest girl friends. He'd be wrong to say that you still didn't bring back a whole flood of bad memories. But over the first several weeks of the school year, he had come to accept that you weren't responsible for what James Potter and his best friends had done to him.

Minerva had talked to Severus about you a lot, just how she had talked to you about him. Minerva helped him see that he couldn't blame you for the things that others did. In turn, she helped you understand that he was reminded of those things when he saw you. You both had unspoken, but mutual understandings for one another that had given new insight.

The part that still bothered him was that you witnessed a lot of the things they did and never said anything to stand up for him. Not to mention that you had dated the one who arguably treated him the worst. At the end of the day, they were all just as bad in Severus' mind.

Severus had been yours and Lily's friend in the beginning. He was always kind to the both of you, even if he was reserved and quiet. He never understood why neither you nor Lily ever tried to stop the things that they did. He always wondered if all of you could've been friends.

He couldn't even begin to fathom what you had seen in Sirius Black. He was the most vile, horrible human being with no regard for other people. You had spent so many years with him, and you had been attached at the hip. If someone were to see Sirius Black, you were either right there hand-in-hand or you were at least close by. He wasn't sure he'd ever understand it.

Maybe he'd get the chance to talk to you about it one day.

With everything taken into account, he found it incredibly difficult to shun you. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

Severus was incredibly stubborn. He was the type of person who acted out on the way that he thought he should feel, instead of how he actually felt. The way he actually felt? He was growing more and more fond of you every day. How he thought he should feel? Like you were the absolute worst person to ever walk the planet.

The thing that bothered you so much about Severus' behavior towards you was how inconsistent it was. Sometimes he could be wonderful to be around and he could make pleasant conversation, and then ten minutes later he made you want to quit your job on the spot and never return to Hogwarts. You had been more than happy to take a chance on him. It was one thing if he was always a jerk or always a sweetheart. It was the back and forth that drove you crazy, because you never knew which Severus Snape you were going to get.

But you didn't know that he wasn't really sure of his feelings.

You took your rightful place at the professors' dining table in The Great Hall, sitting next to Severus as always. He looked as he usually did, but the vein in his neck was much more prevalent, indicating that he was irritated before you had even sat down. He stabbed at the food on his plate with his fork rather aggressively, something that you couldn't help but notice. After a few moments, Severus' face contorted into a look of disgust and his nose scrunched.