Of Slytherin Descent (Snape/reader)

Ch. 21: Seeing Red, Part 1

Reader POV:

Everything fell into a sequence as spring finally came around.  The snow melted and gave into flowers and greenery.  Flowers made up the forests surrounding Hogwarts.  The breeze warmed ever so slightly.
Nothing had officially changed, I did weekly research with Snape. Irma was a bit different, she wasn't afraid to throw in a flirt or two with our usual conversations.
Snape and I found times to talk while running into each other. I found myself in the Dungeons at lunch, and sometimes I found him at some small bar on the weekend. I never talked to him at the bars though, he seemed like a whole different person when he wasn't yelling at some student for mulling around. It was this out-of-Hogwarts side of him that I was patiently waiting to find out about.
We had the same favorites; potions, candies, things of the sort. We had the same hobbies. I looked deep into him, trying to find a reason to give into the weighted feeling in my gut. Nowadays, my heart often felt heavy. As if it was made of paper, paper filled with water, waiting to drip through. Yet, when I spoke to him, my heart felt lighter. It was as if I didn't have to think about anything else. It was all so contradicting that I got lost in it. He was mysterious, he had sides and thoughts that no one knew about. I wanted to chart all of his flaws like a map, to know every bit of him. We began to spend more time together, and even though he was still closed off, he didn't reject my flirts and quips. Though he didn't return them either.
Meanwhile, on bad days, I tended to avoid him. Snape's anger swells like blister, it takes someone to rub him the wrong way and it bursts. He goes off on them and the unfortunate- likely student- gets the worst of it.
Somehow he was even more contradicting than my emotions because even in his mysterious and enraged manner; he could be gentle. I'd occasionally see flowers at my door. I knew they were his because he cut the thorns off and arrange them in a neat manner. The same way he'd organize his book or his potion vials.
He found ways to word little compliments into our conversations; of course they were compliments you'd expect coming from him, which was just enough to feel a sweeping sense of flattery. I couldn't make myself understand.

I didn't know who else to go to, I found myself in Minerva's office one fine evening.  We ate danishes and drank tea.  I confessed about what had been happening the last month and she seemed rather surprised.

"Students aren't the only thing keeping you busy I see," she gave me a little smile, setting her cup down. 

I only chucked at her words, unsure of how to respond. 
We went on to discuss our students, as it happened, we had the same problem students.  Naturally.  I also confessed that I believed the Potter trio kept close eyes on me.

"Don't think much of it, weird things follow that Potter boy, they just haven't found the source of it yet.," she paused," have you been to a Quidditch match yet?"

"I haven't made the time to," I admitted.  Hogwarts had unmatched quidditch games.  Entertainingly enough, Slytherin was playing against Gryffindor tomorrow evening.

"I'd like it if you could find time to attend this one, I can save you a seat, unless you'd rather sit on the Slytherin Side," she teased me. And it certainly made me feel better.

"Maybe you can introduce me to a few of the other Professors afterward," I say with a grin.

"Id be happy to do that, dear," she smiled and got up from her seat. She walked over to the window and opened it, allowing the sun to directly bathe the flowers on her desk.

"I fear that I'll never quite fit in here," I said tensely before I could over overthink it, or perhaps before my better judgement kicked in.

"Oh don't say that now, a lot of the Professors think very highly of you, just give them a chance," she smiled.

Minerva had become like a second mother to me, of course she was like a second mother to many of the students as well.  Even if she was strict with them, it was obvious that she cared for every one of them.  If one of her students was in the infirmary, she was their first visitor.

It was not much longer and Minerva was whisked away by a student who had apparently attempted to transfigure themselves into a goblet...it went horrible wrong. Why students do the things they do, I'll never know. But what I did know is that the whole school is going to be talking about it as much as tomorrow's match.

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The next afternoon I found myself walking toward the Quidditch pitch, I walked below the stadium's raised wooden stands and peaked out at the match. Truthfully, I didn't know where I'd fit in at in the stands, knowing that I didn't want to have to choose which house to sit with. Supposedly students kept up with who the Professors cheered for, some quidditch players taking it to heart more than the rest. The last thing I needed was to pick sides.
The match had started a few minutes ago and the rowdy fans shook the seats enough to make sawdust and wood chips fall overhead.  Their shouts echoed through the circular arena.
I was amazed at how intense the game was, I was beginning to see what the hype was about after all. The players looked like wisps to the naked eye, the only proof of them being there was the surge of wind as they flew past.
I watched a Slytherin player kick and Gryffindor and knock him right off his broom. The crowd went wild, but no penalties were called..

Huh....that's weird

I knew Slytherin played dirty, but it was foreign to me that the refs wouldn't even bother to fix it. Yet I imagine if they called penalties on every unfair Slytherin player, then Gryffindor would win by default.
The Gryffindor player grabbed onto his broom again seconds before hitting the ground, racing after the Quaffle once again.
The very next thing I saw was Harry Potter take a nose dive to the ground at rapid speed, until he too, stopped seconds before face planting. Except this time, he pulled a Golden Snitch out of his hand, and there sat a very pissed-looking potions master sitting in my line of sight.
That afternoon, I waited before going into his office, so that I wouldn't run into a pissed Severus....but I suppose losing is a bitter feeling for him. I was going to visit his office before going to meet some other Professors at the Gryffindor's celebration in the Grand Hall.
I didn't bother knocking, my first mistake, and I walked into his office.
Papers sat all across his desk, nothing was even written on them, Snape just sat there with his sharp black eyes burning holes in his work.

Until his eyes met mine...