the day before you came - severus snape x reader

Chapter 12 - Waterloo

Happy pride month besties! Stay hydrated and sexy xx

You're wandering through the gardens of Hogwarts, trying to kill time because you're an hour early for your one-on-one tutoring with Professor Snape, but you couldn't be bothered to stroll around the cold dungeons. You have yet to grow on them despite being a Slytherin. You'd much prefer the welcoming Gryffindor tower with its magnificent view but visiting your friends there will do for now.

You sit down on a bench and tighten your coat around your shivering frame – maybe it wasn't the best idea to go outside, despite the warm fur on your winter coat.

You huddle up on the bench, shielding yourself from the chilly autumn winds and lighting a cigarette, when you see Minerva approaching you.

You return her gentle smile and scoot a bit over to make room for her.

"Hello, darling", she coos and lowers herself down beside you.

"Hello, Minerva", you answer softly. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm brilliant, thank you! How are you? Remus told me you're settling in."

"Yes, I guess I've given up the fight against my own rationality."

Minerva chuckles and pats your hand happily.

"Oh dear, I think you're doing quite well. Mister Potter is quite enamored with you, if I may say so. I think you're doing him good."

A warmth spreads through your stomach at her praise and you can't help but smile brightly.

"That's so good to hear, Minerva, thank you. He has a hard time fitting in, hasn't he?"

"Oh, yes, he's doing his best, but the burden of greatness can be very heavy for such a young soul."

You hum thoughtfully, taking a slow drag from your cigarette, and both of you sit together in content silence after that, pondering on your own thoughts.

After a moment, you say softly: "There are quite a few punished souls at Hogwarts, I noticed."

Minerva turns around to face you, her kind eyes glittering with a curiosity that catches you off guard, and she rises without an answer.

"Have a good day, darling."

You wave her goodbye, a bit confused that you obviously scared her away, and sigh. Why is it everyone's mission to exceed each other in being so fucking mysterious? As if the whole magic thingy doesn't confuse you quite enough.

With a flick of your wand, the bud of your burned cigarette morphs into a firefly, and you follow its flight for a short moment before sighing.

"Guess I'll confuse myself even more with the Potions Master", you mumble to yourself, and stand up to make your way to the dungeons, dying to cuddle up in front of a fire instead.

"Wolfsbane", his deep voice snarls through the classroom.

You're sitting at a table in front of his desk, opened potions book before you, cauldron and ingredients waiting to be used.

"Poisonous if brewed wrong, but if executed right, it relieves the symptoms from lycanthropy. The ingredients are very rare and hard to come by, so many suffering from lycanthropy aren't able to afford the potion."

He scribbles down a few notes onto the board behind him.

"Only those advanced in the fine arts of potion brewing are able to concoct this brew, so you better concentrate, Miss", Snape says sharply.

Why is he always so pissy?

"If you're doing good, maybe I'll allow you to bring your stupid werewolf friend some of this."