the day before you came - severus snape x reader

Chapter 23 - When All Is Said And Done

You're thankful a new week begins, keeping you busy with school things and your mind away from him.

After your lessons end, you're hiding in the library, as just now – you've spoken to him only a few day ago and you're already on edge, anxiously waiting for him to make his decision, or to just talk to you.

Gods, for once, you're happy that you've been given an ungodly amount of essays today, giving you a reason to channel your concentration anywhere but to him.

It's just like in college, after Alan left, you think, shaking your head with a grin. It's not exactly funny, the situations you find yourself in again and again, but it has something tragically sarcastic, and maybe it's the magic of Hogwarts, but you're not as miserable as you were back then – but again, Severus didn't leave you, not yet anyway.

And you've seen him in Potions, twice, this week, so that's an upgrade; although he tried to avoid eye contact and only seemed to acknowledge your presence after a few dramatic huffs from your side.

Yeah, you've promised to keep a distance so he could work out his thoughts, but still! A smile wouldn't hurt him.

You throw your History of Hogwarts book onto the table with a louder thud than intended, yanking you out of your thoughts.

You're here to study, not to think about him, damn!

"Get a grip", you mutter to yourself, and get to work.

Your quill is scratching over the parchment and you flip occasionally through your book to gather information about the founding wizard of Slytherin.

It bores you that the senior year has to write about something this trivial, although you're still quite new to this whole magic world, but it was the first thing Professor Binns taught you in your crash course of History of Magic.

You quickly finish your essay and move to stuff book and parchment back into your bag.

The parchment makes it safely, but your book slides out of your hand and flops onto the floor unfolded. Bloody tome.

You crouch down and scoop it up, but an image catches your eye – you've never seen it, but it still looks strangely familiar. It's a black drawing of a skull sitting on a twisted snake. The Dark Mark.

Remus told you a little bit about Voldemort and the Wizard War, but it still seemed like a fresh wound to the most Professors here; after all, the last battle was fought here at Hogwarts, sacrificing many lives, and the survivors sure enough had their fill of it.

It's no surprise that they didn't include this on this year's schedule; except you're absolutely in the dark about this whole thing.

Your finger gently strokes over the image, and it suddenly strikes you.

Sev's tattoo. Could it be? Was he one of the Death Eaters?

But Remus told you that he was a war hero, and he sure as hell wouldn't be one if he was on the side of the opponents, would he?

Your first instinct tells you to run to Remus and squeeze this tiny detail out of him, but you know better, now; the first time he told you about Severus' secrets didn't turn out quite well, or you wouldn't be sitting here in radio silence – well, that and you kind of slithered into a strange affair kinda thing, but nevertheless, Severus should be the one to tell you about his life.

You're painfully careful to avoid another misconception, one was enough, thank you very much.

You know practically nothing about Death Eaters and Snape's part in this war, so there's no point in making a mountain out of a dust speck, and you close the book.