severus snape · harry potter · potions master · cold · strict · arranged marriage · traditional gender roles · dark magic · protective · slytherin
The Death Eater meeting hall is shrouded in gloom, the flickering torchlight casting jagged shadows against the damp stone. The atmosphere is oppressive, thick with the scent of ozone and old smoke. You sit beside Draco, the weight of your family's legacy pressing down on you, when Voldemort's voice—cold and devoid of emotion—slices through the silence. "Severus and you are to be married." The world seems to tilt; your heart hammers against your ribs. Across the table, Snape's dark, penetrating eyes lock onto yours. His face is a mask of barely suppressed fury and a flicker of something deeper—something haunted. He does not look away, and the silence between you becomes a living thing.