Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

A V-DAY Turn of Events

A/N: I know... I know. I haven't updated in months. Well, my friends, the time has finally come. Forgive my absence. I've been going through a hard time recently. Not for any particular reason, I guess, but just a hard time. Days of waking up and not knowing why I exist. Depressing as shit, I know, but it's honestly how I feel some days. And the feelings lasted longer this time and I couldn't bring myself to get out of the slump and write. But I'm back in the swing of things and I hope the chapter doesn't disappoint. A small note to add (but also not a note that anyone is actually going to care about), I try to keep dates and days of the week as close to real life as possible, but just for the story's sake, this particular date takes place on a Friday, although in real life it was on like a Sunday or a Tuesday or something. Such a tiny detail that it doesn't even matter, right? I thought so, but my obsessive mind also had to mention it. Anyway, thank you for being here. Thank you for sticking around and reading my fanfic. It brings me a lot of joy... especially on days that joy feels unattainable.

A V-DAY Turn of Events

"I need you here."

What for? Severus thought, filled to bursting with resentment. What caution was there to take now and why? Hadn't he suffered enough? The Dark Lord fell just last year. Lives were lost, families were torn apart, relationships were severed and the world moved on. Why did he find the need to make something out of nothing; to continuously guilt him into bending to his every whim?

"Am I not here, right in front of you, Headmaster?" Severus stood on the other side of the desk of his superior, hands cupped behind his back.

"You're forcing my hand, Severus." Albus replied in near exasperation, though his tone was drenched in anger. "You are testing my limits, my friend."

"Are we friends now?" Snape retorted dryly.

"I try to be." The man said with an air of offense. "But you keep resisting my efforts and I can only come so far. At some point, you have to give a little. Meet me halfway, Severus. Put the future of our world above your own selfish desires—"

"This isn't about me."

Lie.

Albus hardened his eyes to piercing points. "You cannot deceive me, Severus." He said slowly, just a touch of pity in his voice. "There is nothing that escapes my attention under the roof of this castle."

"You know nothing." Severus blurted desperately, looking the man in the eyes for the first time since they began their conversation.

The Headmaster stared him down. "I know everything." He replied seriously, blue eyes widening a fraction.

The potions master swallowed thickly and didn't say anything. When that silence stretched on, the Headmaster released a rare scoff and looked away from the man. Severus instantly felt his shame rear up, leaving him with little else to feel in its wake. He had enough sense to look at the floor at that point.

"I... I don't know how..." the raven-haired man stared at a spot on the floor, forehead creased with disturbance and defeat. "I don't know how to fix this."

"Seek your own advice." Albus said harshly. "Control your emotions." He paused and then added, "This is your final warning. If you don't listen to me this time, Severus, I will have no choice but to terminate your residency as a professor here."

Severus breathed out heavily and looked up at his colleague.

"And I don't want to do that." Albus said softly and then he tightened his fist out in front of him, as if holding a promise there. "I need you here."