"Chrysanthemum." Severus Snape x reader fanfiction.

Glory box.

* TW: extreme sexual themes.

You couldn't tell him. Especially not him. Not here, not now. Perhaps, not ever. You felt entirely too weak for your own liking, reaching up with your uninjured hand to wipe away the growing tears at the corner of your eyes. You stayed silent, not uttering a word as your gaze landed on his rather pointed leather shoes peaking out from beneath his cloak. You hadn't initially heard him reiterate his words to you, lost within a daze of dull pain and unwanted emotions.

"Do not make me ask again."

Severus spoke deep and careful, punctuating each heavy word with precision that cut ever so smoothly through the quietness of the surrounding corridor. Slowly, your eyes met his and that was when everything started to crumble. Pebble by pebble. Your resolve was weakening in front of him and there really wasn't anything you could do to stop it from happening. Your bottom lip quivered as you attempted to speak clearly, heart pounding and stomach twisting into knots that left you feeling grossly nauseous.

He didn't wait for an answer this time, though, and quickly reached out to grab the hand you held behind your back protectively with his own large one. Severus twisted it until the back of your palm was facing up and his dark hues traced the obvious red lines of the irritated and bruised cuts to your skin. Turning on his heels, he began to stride off down the corridor with his fingers still wrapped around your tiny wrist. He dragged you behind him rather quickly, taking notice of the fact that he was making his way toward the dungeons where his office and sleeping quarters also resided.

"Severus, wait. What are you —"

"Quiet," was all he uttered in reply to you. He was stern and quite obviously irritated in the way he reacted. Whether it was due to having to dealing with your emotional self this late in the evening or his distaste for Umbridge and her cruel idea of punishment, you were unsure. You could hardly even think as you stumbled over your own feet, fighting to keep up the pace with your potions professor.

You both turned corner after corner, fled staircase after staircase, until you reached the familiar heavy door at the entrance to the dungeons. The air was significantly colder than the higher levels of the castle, little droplets of water echoing as they fell and created puddles on the stone ground. Severus pulled you into his office and toward a room you hadn't ever been in before — his bedroom.

It was almost as you had expected it to look, yet also entirely different. A few candles were lit in each corner that clouded the room in a deep, warm orange glow. The overwhelming scent of mossy dew and old leather entered your nostrils, glancing around curiously once he had finally let go of your wrist. Severus shut the door softly and hurried over to a tiny table sat at the adjacent wall, rummaging through a drawer as he mumbled almost too quiet for you to hear.

"The pain won't last long, you can quit your childish whimpering..."

You hadn't even realized the noises that were coming out of you in that moment. Little gasps of air as you stifled your cries, cheeks flushed bright red and eyes glossy with tears. Sniffling softly, you quickly rubbed your tired eyes and reminded yourself to take in a slow and deep breath. You needed to relax. There was no reason to let yourself panic, yet it was easier said than done.

Severus turned back to face you as he held a tiny bottle of what looked to be cream, bandages, and wand within both his hands. "Sit."

Glancing over your shoulder, you gently shuffled back until your thighs touched the edge of the large enough bed, sitting yourself down on the soft edge of the mattress. His looming presence caused your heart to thump faster and faster, all while washing over you with a blanket of warmth that you so happily welcomed with open arms. Severus opened the tiny bottle and dipped two fingers into it, gathering a generous amount of soft cream as he knelt onto his knees before you.