The Magic of Different Worlds || Severus Snape x Reader ||

Chapter 5: Searches and Secrets

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Getting to know you question: who is your favorite Harry Potter character? (other than Severus!)

"How is that even possible?"

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It was early in the morning when I returned to my apartment after my somewhat in depth conversation with Severus.

My apartment really wasn't my apartment. Yes, I paid the monthly rent. Yes, I bought all the groceries and the items to keep the place stocked. Yes, I slept there. Yes, on a technicality, I did live there. But it wasn't really home.

I'm sure you've heard the expression "home is what you make it" or something along those lines. Most people put an extreme amount of time into making their home fit the desired image in their mind. Most people go for whatever will make their home feel like a safe place. It's their sanctuary to return to at the end of a hard day at work or school. From what I had always been told, that what a home SHOULD be.

My apartment wasn't exactly that.

I will say, though, that the image you have in your head of my apartment is incorrect. If you're imagining an empty one-room apartment with no windows and nothing in it other than a mattress in the middle of the floor, then you're very wrong. My apartment was actually fully furnished, complete with a fully functional kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom. On the outside, my apartment was perfectly normal. But if you actually took the time to look around and study the surroundings, then you'd notice that my apartment did NOT look lived in.

I'm not kidding when I tell you that I really only used my apartment for sleeping and a place to kill time between shifts. Since I worked nights, my sleep schedule was completely abnormal. I usually slept from 5:00 in the morning to about 12:00 in the afternoon, and I used the afternoon hours to clean and run errands and things of that nature. But take my word for it, while I didn't really consider my apartment home, I was always more than glad to crash into my bed at the end of a long shift of being on my feet all night.

Usually, I was dragging myself to bed. I will admit that there had been early mornings where I returned and I didn't even make it to my bed. However, when I returned to my apartment around 4:30 AM after talking with Severus, I was wired.

I did, however, take the time to give some of my attention to my furry pal that lived with me. My dog was my absolute best friend (next to Blaire, of course). I had adopted her about four years prior, and she was the absolute sweetest. My next door neighbor was an older, retired woman who had actually become a close friend of mine. My neighbor didn't have many family or friends, and she usually kept an eye on my pup when I was at work to keep herself busy. She enjoyed the company of my dog too, and it brought me peace of mind to know that they were good friends for one another.

I entered the living area of my apartment, my heart doing a happy leap when I saw my fluffy friend curled up contently in her bed next to the couch. I squatted down to scratch at her ears, her eyes opening and her tail beginning to thump happily upon my return.

"Hi, Pepper," I grinned at the way her head lulled into my hand, "How are you, girl?"

Pepper had been a rescue dog. She was a dark gray borderline black color (hence why her shelter name was Pepper), and while we really weren't totally sure what her breed was, she looked like some kind of spaniel.

Pepper rolled onto her back as a silent beg for belly scratches, which I could never say no to. Pepper was a great dog. She was playful and friendly, but she did NOT like men. She was never, ever aggressive towards anyone, but if a man ever got too close to her? She would scatter and run for the hills as fast as she could. If a man got too close to me, then she'd put herself between me and the man in question just as quick as she could.