A/N: Hey everyone! More book 2 mayhem while Snape and Wren jump around feelings. Some bad luck for our heroine in book 1 and 2. TW: Ugh...Lockhart. Comment below ;)
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"Skipping the meal again?" Minerva observed Wren in a hurry with The Daily Prophet in one hand and a fresh roll in the other. "You can't live off snacks on the go, dear. You've done this before."
"Just work to do this morning," Wren teetered, eyes elsewhere. "Worried about the Mandrakes. Justin and Sir Nick are now in the hospital wing as well with poor Colin and Mrs. Norris."
"Avoiding Lockhart?" McGonagall deduced after some thought, missing Wren's eyes fall to Snape's back while a steaming mug poured.
"Ah, something like that..." They barely made eye contact since the fight at the start of winter. "Now that he's heard my voice, he's certain he's healing me with his very presence and won't stop asking for a date."
"Say no more, try to eat a full meal or two today," her friend replied, "at the very least."
"Of course," Wren clicked off, robes flicking. She scanned the newspaper and got as far as the Ministry's proud new Anti-Werewolf Legislation before she crumbled it up and threw it in the trash. "Absolute rubbish."
Wren made hiding among the greenhouses a sport. Happy only when she saw Hagrid or Sprout walking about to do their own work. Poor Filch asked once a day about how the Mandrakes were doing. Wren never liked the man but felt a swell of pity every single time as he appeared near tears.
"Come along class, next period resumes soon," Wren buttoned her robes higher, clearly annoyed about something the class couldn't gauge. Although her sour mood paled in comparison to Harry Potter with the rumors that he was the heir of Slytherin floating about.
Snow melted from every point into slush as quickly as it had come. Wren led students through the castle. Down to the dungeons. Snape opened his door at the same time a Prefect was leading his class out to their next period. Clockwork.
"Miss Valentine, wait right there," Severus broke the silence that loomed over them before letting his students inside. "Take your seats. Open page thirty-eight in your books and read. In silence or...suffer my displeasure."
"I have other classes to escort," Wren paused as they looked at each other finally. Didn't like how defensive she sounded before a sigh cast.
"How...are you finding the holiday?"
"You're asking me how my Valentine's Day is?" She tried to relax and his brow rose.
"That's what I inquired plainly," Severus cocked his head with alert eyes, "was it not?"
"Ah... As good as can be expected. Students make nice cards. I, uh, caught a glimpse of Lockhart's supposed morale booster in the Great Hall. Dreadful decor."
"I assume you got a visit from one of those singing pink horrors," he remained stony-faced and she perked, lip twitching.
"Two. It was a duet in front of my entire second period," Wren's face gave this scrunch. More endearing than upset. Some of the tension sank away. Melting with the snow outside as they both sighed. Wren tried to be the bigger person. "I suppose it doesn't do colleagues well to just ignore each other working in the same castle. Unless it's Gilderoy."
"No, I suppose not," he mirrored. "What I said was...a mistake. In the heat of a moment."
"Oh?" Wren blinked a few times. Processing. "It was a specific mistake. Severus."
YOU ARE READING
a soft place to fall // Severus Snape x OC
Fanfiction**Smut/Slow burn** Herbologist Wren Valentine has worked as Professor Sprout's assistant at Hogwarts after Dumbledore brought her to the castle in the summer of 1988, though she's no longer the spitfire Gryffindor the staff remembers. With Voldemort...
