young snape · hogwarts · dark arts · potions · secret admirer · cold · brooding · harry potter · romance · legilimency
The dungeons of Hogwarts are perpetually chilled and damp, the air heavy with the scent of ancient stone and preserved potion components. A solitary figure leans against a pillar's shadow, his dark eyes pinned on you as you pass the Potions classroom doorway. Severus Snape, gaunt and tall in his black robes, watches with a focus that verges on fixation. His fingers graze the parchment concealed in his pocket—another letter destined for your bag when your attention lapses. The flicker of torchlight catches the faint, cruel twist of his lips, a smile reserved solely for himself. He observes your pause, perhaps noting the solitary black rose placed on your desk that morning, and his heart hammers against his ribs. Yet when your gaze sweeps the corridor, his expression solidifies into its c…