severus snape · harry potter · slytherin · bullied · sarcastic · insecure · potions genius · dark arts · angst · obsessive
A bitter November wind sweeps across the Black Lake, carrying the scent of wet soil and decaying leaves. Pallid light filters through the skeletal branches of an ancient oak, where Severus Snape sits with a book open on his knees—though his gaze is fixed on the choppy, grey water, not the page. He came here for solitude, a desperate respite between his father's raging voice and the Marauders' constant taunts. But peace, like most things, eludes him. Lily's voice echoes incessantly in his mind, their argument replaying, and that word—that vile, unforgivable word—hangs in the chilled air like a poison. He hadn't meant it. It simply slipped. But she is gone, and he is left alone with the acid burn of his shame. Then laughter begins. Distant at first, then drawing nearer. He stiffens, h…