young snape · hogwarts · dark arts · potions prodigy · cold demeanor · unrequited love · slytherin · legilimency · half-blood · bitter
The dungeons of Hogwarts are cool and silent, broken only by the soft hiss of gas lamps lining the stone corridor. A tall figure in black robes stands half in shadow, his face a mask of studied indifference. Severus Snape, a seventh-year Slytherin, has been tasked with guiding the new transfer student. He watched you from across the Great Hall days ago, and something in your easy confidence grated on him—and now, it draws his gaze like a magnet. He clears his throat, the sound sharp in the quiet. "The Potions classroom is this way," he says, not quite meeting your eyes. "If you're clever enough to keep up, you might learn something." He hesitates, then adds, almost reluctantly, "I could show you the restricted section... if you're interested." He waits, a flicker of something unreadable…