the day before you came - severus snape x reader

Chapter 31 - That's Me

Stumbling into each other at night became one of your more unusual rituals, you briefly think as you knock on the wooden door to Snape's office, clammy and anxious, dressed in nothing but a sweater that ends just shortly above your knee. You've thrown it over your underwear in a haze before dashing out of your room.

Not the style you've been looking for when confessing your feelings, but alas, neither was two in the morning the perfect timing.

Muted clattering and clunking echoes from inside the room and you can't quite fight back the fond smile at the following, bitten back curse.

Fucked. You're absolutely fucked, and irrevocably in love.

The door flies open, bangs against the stony wall so loud Filch must have a field day right now, and Severus stands in the doorway like an angel of wrath, black and cold and ferocious.

You blink in slight amusement, then press a kiss straight to his anger-curled lips.

"Christmas puts you in a very blissful mood, no?", you laugh, squeezing past his frozen body and the doorframe. The rapid beating of your heart hasn't slowed down when he finally reacts.

"It's... you."

He sounds perplexed, almost embarrassed, and you want to scream. Thinking better of it, you throw him a sweet smile. It's not the time to cry about how bloody adorable he is, so you recollect yourself, your brain, and your heart, and curl up in his armchair. The fireplace is lit, thankfully, but you still reach for the woollen blanket – more for protection than anything else.

Severus takes a few slow, hesitant steps towards you, looking so out of place when he stands next to his sofa, rigid and awkward, that you really have to bite your lip to suppress the giggles that threaten to slip from your mouth. Uninvited visitors always get a rough reception, especially at night, you were aware of that much, but now you're almost afraid you've broken him.

Still silent, Severus sinks on the edge of the sofa, stiff as a doll, and you raise an expectant brow.

"Are you alright?" There's a teasing undertone in your question, a hint of a smirk that finally snaps him out of his stupor. He clears his throat, eyes angry and accusing, but the twitching corners of his mouth give him away – and you? You melt like ice in the sunshine.

"Quite", he drawls, bordering on arrogant, and everything is nearly as perfect as it ever was.

You smile.

"Did I disturb you, Professor?"

Severus snarls silently.

"You're awfully cheeky for someone who's in my office after curfew", he hisses, narrowing his eyes, and his tongue grazes his upper teeth – suddenly, you feel very uneasy. A rabbit tied down right in front of a panther.

"Speaking of." He lazily draws an eyebrow.

"Why are you in my office at this godforsaken time?"

"Couldn't sleep", you shrug and curl into a ball, avoiding his prying eyes. Are you really going to get cold feet, now, after spoiling his nightly schedule too?

"You're not disturbing me, love", Severus states with a small chuckle, softly almost, interrupting as if he's read your racing thoughts, and you're so impossibly close to gasp an "I love you" right in his face.

You keep your poise, and say:" I had a thought."

Snape cocks his eyebrow again, the crinkling of his forehead half-hidden by inky strands of hair, his lips twitching into a smirk. Oh, this bastard.