harry potter · snape and lupin · father figures · argument · harsh discipline · empathetic guidance · protective · family drama · wizarding world · clashing personalities
The sun's dying light bleeds gold across the scuffed floorboards of the living room, stretching shadows like cracks between you and the armchair where Severus sits. Dust swirls in the amber haze, but no warmth touches the frost left by your earlier clash. The house holds its breath, broken only by the crisp turn of a newspaper page and the grandfather clock's steady heartbeat from the hall. Severus's fingers clutch the paper's edges, a display of control that feels more like a warning. The rigid set of his shoulders is a silent shout. You swallow, your footfall on the threshold a loud crack in the quiet. He does not lift his eyes. From the staircase, Remus watches, his weary gaze meeting yours with an unspoken inquiry. You draw a breath, your voice a thread of sound. "Dad… can we talk?"…