Precarious (Severus Snape x Reader)

Chapter 25: What's the Matter?

"I need you to breathe, dear."

-

Once you and Severus had finished breakfast, you headed back down to the dungeons to prepare for the eight thirty class. It was a first year class, comprised of Slytherins and Gryffindors, and this made you a bit nervous. These houses were knowingly competitive, especially between each other, and they were prone to mishaps as a result.

"I only want you to do what you're comfortable with," Severus said. "Today we'll only be covering the syllabus and first few chapters of Basic Brewing Safety."

You grinned a bit at the mention of that book, the same one that Severus once had the audacity to require you to read.

"I feel comfortable with most everything, but I'll let you lead today," you said, gladly giving him control.

He nodded once.

Just then, a small trickle of students began to file in slowly, hesitantly filling the back seats as far from the front of the classroom as possible. You were certain that they were only unsettled by Severus' intimidating appearance and demeanor, so you made it a point to greet every one that passed though the door to help alleviate some of their worry. Severus flipped like a muggle light switch, and, in an instant, he turned into the hard, callous professor that his students knew him to be. It almost saddened you to see him like this, as you knew it wasn't truly reflective of him, but it was his way of effectively gaining the authority of the young population.

"Good morning," you said to a small Gryffindor girl as she passed through the door. She gave a tight smile, eyes flickering nervously between you and Severus, and joined the others at the far end of the room.

It was just a few minutes until the start of the class, and only a handful of seats were left empty. As soon as the second hand on the clock moved past twelve, Severus rose from his desk and flicked his wand toward the door, slamming it shut with a resounding thud. 

"Silence!" he bellowed, ceasing the quiet whispers of students among themselves. They turned to face him, some with wide eyes, others chewing their lips or fingernails in apprehension.

"This is first year potions," he started. "In this class, you will learn the basics of potion making, both in theory and in practice. I expect nothing short of perfection."

Severus handed you a stack of printed parchments, nodding his head toward the group. You stood and made your way through the first row, separating the stack for the children to pass backward. It was the syllabus, you had gathered, and each parchment was so full of information that not another word could have possibly been printed on the single sheets. You doubted that most of the students would even read it.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations class," he said.

As you were returning to your desk, the door cracked open to reveal two nervous-looking students, one Gryffindor and one Slytherin, who poked their heads inside and glanced around the room, unsure.

"It seems that some of your peers are simply unable to arrive on...time."

You smiled at the children, attempting to correct their unease, but you knew it was futile by their flushed cheeks and watery eyes. Severus was much too hard on them, and you would definitely have to work with him on that. The two took the remaining seats and you stood to pass them each a syllabus as they tried unsuccessfully to settle into the class. He wasted no time in diving straight into the material, providing no opportunity to look over his parchments, and assigned them to reach the first ten chapters of Basic Brewing Safety before returning for their next class. He hushed the few groans and grumbles that emanated from the group, then sat back behind his desk and began to read. You could tell by the cover that it was not academic, and you thought it a bit sour to leave the students with only a textbook for introduction, however he was in no mood to be contradicted.