starlight-sev

[starlight-sev]

Nothing’s Out to Get You (Post War!Snape x Reader)

Just because there’s peace outside now that the war’s over doesn’t mean there’s always peace inside.

Warnings: themes of ptsd and trauma. This is more of a comfort fic for these issues but please be aware these themes are brought up a few times throughout ❤️

A/N: i found this bone-chilling cover of The Bug Collector and my mind wandered. This is what came out of it. Enjoy 💕

Recovering from the war wasn’t easy.

Perhaps that was why you convinced Severus to move in with you. It was better to heal together than face your demons alone.

You had volunteered to bring him home after he was discharged from St. Mungo’s. You went in, expecting to have to fight your case for hours to get him to agree. To your surprise, as soon as the dreaded question left your lips, Severus nodded. Eagerly, even, which made your heart sink a little. After all, you seemed to be one of the only professors at Hogwarts that still respected him. You were one of the only people who knew the truth.

Harry hadn’t told the wizarding world the truth about Severus yet. You figured it would be a while before his real story came out.

You couldn’t let him fend for himself with the wounds he had. They only discharged him because he was no longer in critical condition, in order to make more room for other wizards that needed healing. Severus still had a long way to go in his own healing process. You wouldn’t have been able to live with yourself if something had happened to him while he was living alone, especially after having escaped death so narrowly.

He needed a friend by his side, and although you didn’t want to admit it openly, you did too.

You didn’t escape the war unharmed, either. A near miss with a Death Eater’s curse resulted in a steady tremble of your right hand. The nerves had been damaged, and no healer had been able to find a remedy strong enough to stop the trembling for good. Sometimes the shooting pain would be strong enough to wake you from your sleep, but you were beginning to manage. It was the only choice you had, really.

It had only been two months since the battle at Hogwarts, yet it felt as though you had aged fifteen years. With Severus being at your home, it made the days slightly more bearable.

The two of you existed as shadows in your home, orbiting each other in almost complete silence for most of the day. It was a stark contrast to how both of you behaved together at Hogwarts, often meeting on Friday nights to share a pot of tea and complain about that week’s troublemakers. You were the only one who could coax a smile out of Severus Snape.

Now, you couldn’t remember the last time either of you had smiled.

There’s a centipede, naked in your bedroom.

And you swear to god, the fucker’s out to get you.

You can still remember the way your blood ran cold the first time it happened.

Severus had been sleeping on your couch while you were in the process of cleaning out your office to turn into his new room. You woke in the middle of the night to a muffled sound. At first you thought it was a stray cat outside, but after a moment of rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you heard it again.

It was a scream, loud enough to travel down the hall and through the closed door of your bedroom clearly.

Severus.

You threw the covers off, wincing as the abrupt motion sent a tiny shockwave through your hand. Throwing open your door, you raced down the hall to the living room. Your heart pounded as you fumbled for the small lamp by the coffee table, and you tried your best to ignore the images that played through your mind of that night you found Severus in the Shrieking Shack.

Severus lay curled up on your couch, his hands tightened into fists as he clutched the blanket around him. He was whimpering loudly, and from the dull light of the lamp, you could see he was sweating profusely. Your heart relaxed only slightly as you cast a worried glance to the bandages on his neck but luckily found them clean.

“Hey,” you whispered cautiously, kneeling down and resting your hands against the seat of the couch. “Sev. Wake up.”

You reached to touch him, but then froze, your trembling hand inches from his shoulder. You didn’t want to startle him awake and accidentally hurt him in the process.

“Severus,” you repeated, a little louder this time. “Wake up. Wake up!”

You tried your best to ignore how your voice trembles as it caught in your throat.

Severus woke with a gasp. His dark eyes shot open, but they were distant, foggy almost. He was still too far lost in his nightmare to focus on you.

You took a chance, inching forward to check if he was okay. As your hand touched his own, he hissed sharply and drew back, trembling despite the warmth radiating through your home.

“It’s me,” you managed to squeak out. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

Severus finally seemed to notice you sitting there at the edge of the couch. His gaze swept over you and you watched as he frowned, as if he was trying to remember where he was.

“You’re in my home,” you continued. “You… I heard you screaming. You were having a nightmare.”

His eyes widened, and before you could stop him, he reached up to touch his bandages in the exact spot where Nagini had attacked. Panic filled his eyes for a brief moment, then confusion. You reached forward and grabbed his wrist tightly, gently easing his hand back down to his lap.

“God…” Severus muttered, passing his free hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I…”

A muffled sob escaped him as he kept his hand pressed over his eyes. Without thinking twice, you leaned forward and drew him into you. You held him tightly, despite the pain that shot through your hand as you did so.

“You’re safe now,” you whispered. “Nothing can hurt you now. You’re awake. You’re safe.”

You felt your heart crack as Severus rested his forehead against your shoulder.

“I-I’m here.” You said slowly. You reached up to caress his hair softly, feeling tears of your own fill your eyes as Severus sobbed, clutching you desperately as if you’d disappear.

You never thought you’d see the stoic and unshakable man you’d worked with for so many years fall apart in your arms this way.

Then again, you never imagined any of this would ever happen.

After that night, the two of you agreed to sleep in the same room together. And then, when that still wasn’t enough, in the same bed. It seemed to be the only way that both of you could fall asleep and leave behind the lingering memories and fear of the war.

There’s a praying mantis, prancing on your bathtub.

And you swear he’s a priest from a past life, come to get you.

The second time the war came back to haunt your home, it came after you.

You were in the kitchen drying dishes. A storm raged outside, but it didn’t bother you. You had grown to like the sound of thunder over the years you spent teaching at Hogwarts.

The day had been calm. Severus spent the morning sitting with you at your small wooden dining table and, for the first time in god knew how long, the two of you had actually laughed together over breakfast.

As you reached for a teacup to dry and put away, you heard a slight shuffle as Severus walked over to your bookshelf. You could just barely see him from the doorway as he peered at all the books you had crammed onto the shelf.

“You’ve finished Pride and Prejudice already?” You called out with a smile.

“Yes.” He replied matter-of-factly from the other room. “You’d better have more Austen on your shelf or I’m coming for your head.”

You giggled as you set the teacup back in the cabinet and reached for the second one.

“I still can’t believe you’ve never read her work before. Sense and Sensibility is on the bottom shelf, right side.”

“There is a god.” You laughed at Severus’ response. “Thank you.”

Before you could call out a reply, there was a flash outside your window.

That’s when time stopped.

You were no longer in your kitchen, but back there. In the courtyard of Hogwarts, running to catch up to Harry and his two friends as you raced against time to get to the Shrieking Shack. You looked to your right just as a bright flash of red shot your way. Then a fire in your hand.

“Y/N!”

The burning feeling in your right hand. It was all you could think about. The flash you saw. They were back. Coming for you. Ending it for good this time-

“Y/N, look at me.”

You heard someone crying. Was it Hermione? You were supposed to protect them, Harry and his friends. Did you fail?

“Y/N, come on!

Firm hands grasped either side of your face, snapping you back into reality. Severus stared at you with a strange combination of fright and determination.

“They’re back,” you gasped, wincing as Severus dug his fingertips into your shoulders tighter than you expected, an attempt to bring you out of your memories. “I-”

“It was lightning,” Severus replied quietly, resting one hand over your trembling one. You whimpered as you remembered the pain that shot through it that night the moment the curse hit you. “No one is outside. It was lighting, Y/N. It was the storm.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, but that only made the memories come back stronger. You opened your eyes again, your gaze landing on the shattered teacup that lay inches away from where you sat.

Severus guided your chin up until your eyes met his again.

“Stay like this,” he commanded softly. “Eyes on me. Breathe.”

He took a deep breath, and motioned for you to follow. You couldn’t stop shaking.

“It’s still there,” you whispered in defeat. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

Severus nodded his understanding as he caressed your cheek comfortingly. His features creased into a worried frown as he watched you try to catch your breath.

“Look at me, Y/N. Eyes on me, not the floor.”

You had to fight to tear your eyes away from the teacup. Severus smiled softly as your eyes met his once more.

“Good. Stay with me. You’re safe.”

I try my best…

…to prove that nothing’s out to get you.

The days turned to weeks, and then into months. Before you knew it, it had been a year since Severus had moved in with you.

You never believed people who said everything would heal with time, and a part of you still didn’t, but there were small things that had you thinking… perhaps there was an element of truth to that saying.

You saw it from time to time - moments of healing. It was in the way Severus placed a warm hand on your back as he passed behind you in your narrow kitchen. In the shared glances and gentle smiles the two of you exchanged over dinner. In the embraces you two gave each other before bed, which, as the months went on, turned into passionate kisses in the middle of the night.

Perhaps the fact that you and Severus had become lovers over the last few months contributed to why time felt increasingly gentle as it passed. Sure, there were still moments when you’d both be pulled right back into the war, but it happened less frequently. The painful, sharp edges of those memories had finally begun to dull.

You stood in the kitchen, slowly slicing strawberries as you watched the first few rays of sunrise begin to filter through the window. As you placed the slices into a bowl and reached for another berry, you felt a pair of arms gently circle around your waist.

“It’s not like you to be up early,” Severus grumbled as he kissed the shell of your ear. “Come back. Your side of the bed is too cold.”

“You weren’t supposed to be awake yet,” you replied with a laugh, turning your head just enough to kiss his nose. “I was planning on surprising you with breakfast in bed.”

“Mmm.” Severus began kissing your neck softly. “Sounds nice. I’d much rather have you in bed, though.”

You laughed and swatted at his arm as you resumed slicing strawberries.

Severus watched your motions in silence for a few moments, before his hand trailed back up your waist, across your arm, until his fingers rested over your right hand. You set your knife down and watched as Severus laced his fingers through your trembling ones.

“Does it hurt?” He asked quietly, stroking your thumb softly with his own. You shook your head.

“Not nearly as much as before. Sometimes I’ll still wake up in the night if I’m not careful and sleep on it funny… but it’s okay.”

“You should tell me when it hurts,” Severus murmured, leaning his head against yours. “I’ve been testing ingredients for various pain tonics, I think I might be close to finding a cure for your hand.”

You smiled at his statement. “It’s okay, really. The healers at St. Mungo’s said there’s nothing they can do. It’s permanent nerve damage.”

“Not if I can help it. There’s a cure for it until I know for certain I’ve tried everything I can.” Severus grumbled, his grip on your waist tightening. “Everyone at St. Mungo’s is a dunderhead. They discharged me when they knew I was no longer on the brink of death.”

You turned around, frowning at Severus disapprovingly. He sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of your face before kissing your forehead gently.

“Sorry. But you know it’s true. You did more to help me heal than they ever did.”

You nodded slowly, reaching your trembling fingers up to the scar on his neck. Your fingers hovered a few inches away, hesitant to touch the wound that had nearly claimed his life.

“It’s alright,” Severus reassured you. Your worried gaze met his warm, dark eyes. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

He placed his hand over your own, and the firm pressure of the palm of his hand against the back of your own stilled the trembling for a few moments. He slowly pushed your hand forward until it rested gently against his scar.

“It really doesn’t hurt?” You asked doubtfully.

“Sometimes,” Severus began softly, a memory tugging his gaze far away from you for a moment. “It feels strange. As if I’m remembering the pain but not experiencing it. It’s dull. Far away. But it’s nothing compared to the pain I felt when I first came home with you.”

You looked up and met Severus’s gaze, and you gave him a tiny smile.

“Thanks for coming home with me.” You whispered. That earned a frown from him.

“You say that as if I did you a favour.” He replied.

“You did, in a way. I don’t think I’d have been able to survive all this without you.”

In response, Severus leaned in and kissed you. It was soft at first, barely there, until you reached up and pulled him closer to you. His grip tightened on your waist and you nearly melted as the kiss grew more and more passionate. You reached your hands up to caress his face, but then broke away, cursing silently as your hand began trembling more than usual.

“Sorry,” you whispered. “It’s hard to control sometimes.”

Severus shook his head and kissed your palm, before leaning in to kiss you once more.

“You’re alright.”

You nodded. This time, you believed him.

“I know. You are too.”

Severus gazed at you understandingly. He kissed your forehead, letting his lips linger there for a few extra moments, before pulling you into a protective embrace.

“We both are.”

#snape x reader #snape imagine #severus snape #harry potter #harry potter imagine #severus snape imagine #snape x y/n #harry potter imagines #severus snape x reader

[starlight-sev]

Snape with an artist reader- she makes gorgeous paintings, teaches an art class at Hogwarts (Bob Ross style, for reference). Doesn't have many students, but when he comes into her classroom its such a calming atmosphere. Maybe a short drabble about how he falls in love with her and her skill with paintings?

Hi anon!

Thank you so much for your request, and I’m so sorry it took a gazillion years for me to get to this.

I’ve been slowly clawing my way out of burnout, so thank you for being patient with me. It was honestly so nice to have your request be one of the first things I’ve written in a while. ❤️

Here’s the link to the fic if you’d like to read it! Thank you again for requesting, I promise it won’t take nearly as long from now on for me to write for you all 💕

#snape x reader #ask #anonymous #anon #severus snape #snape imagine

[starlight-sev]

Joy Looks Good on You (Snape x Artist!Reader)

Request: Snape with an artist reader- she makes gorgeous paintings, teaches an art class at Hogwarts (Bob Ross style, for reference). Doesn't have many students, but when he comes into her classroom its such a calming atmosphere. Maybe a short drabble about how he falls in love with her and her skill with paintings?

Requested by: anon

Warnings: none

A/N: this is more platonic than I had initially intended it to be, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

Oh! Gender neutral reader as I always try my best to write 💕

Hogwarts was home to many secrets, one of them being that the school offered painting classes as an elective for those in third year or higher.

Even you were shocked when you first heard about the job posting. You always figured art would be just a hobby of yours. When it came to jobs in the wizarding world, anything to do with art and painting was quite rare to find.

So when you were finally offered the job for art teacher at Hogwarts, to say you were overjoyed would have been an understatement. You never thought you’d be able to turn your love of painting into your career.

Dumbledore had placed you in the North Tower, just below Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom. Compared to her room, yours was rather small: you only had to walk ten steps and you’d already be at the other side of the room. A handful of round tables with matching wooden chairs had been crammed into the tiny space. There was a small desk nestled in the corner for you to work, along with a shelf against the wall to store your paints and supplies.

Your favourite feature about the room, and perhaps one of its only redeeming qualities, was the large window in the middle of the wall. It was rounded at the top, with an ornate stained glass inlay that covered almost half the window. It was the source of your inspiration on sunny days.

It certainly wasn’t the nicest classroom, and sometimes a theory crossed your mind that your classroom had once been a generously-sized storage closet, but anything was better than being down in the dungeons of the castle.

You glanced up from your own painting to quickly sweep your eyes over the paintings your students were finishing up. You never had more than ten students a year, painting certainly wasn’t a common interest for wizards (much to your disappointment), but it didn’t matter. It gave you the opportunity to grow closer to your students, to get to know everyone’s individual art style. It made you all the more proud when you were able to see how much they progressed over the course of the year.

“Professor?”

You glanced over to see Luna Lovegood, one of your students with the biggest imaginations, waving politely to catch your attention.

“Yes?” You asked softly.

“We won’t have time to finish our paintings this class. I know we’re not supposed to, but since it’s Friday, could we leave our supplies out? We’ll be back first thing on Monday.”

A few other students murmured their agreement. You smiled apologetically, silently cursing that you had given them an assignment far bigger than they had time to complete.

“Of course. That’s fine.” You dismissed everyone with a wave of your hand. “Go on. Enjoy the weekend. And don’t worry about handing in your still life sketches this week, you’ve got enough on your hands with the landscape painting I assigned.”

A handful of cheers erupted among the students, and you smiled as each one nodded and murmured their thanks before leaving.

You stood up from your desk, walking across the room to collect everyone’s paintbrushes one by one.

“Letting your students go without cleaning up after themselves?” A deep voice murmured softly from the doorway. “I’m surprised Y/N, I thought you were more disciplined than that.”

It never failed to startle you, how Severus had this uncanny ability to sneak up silently on you. Usually you’d be able to hear students’ footsteps echoing as they made their way up the stairs to your classroom, but Severus seemed to be able to glide noiselessly around the castle like a ghost.

You set your paintbrushes in the small sink that rested in the corner of your room, smiling in acknowledgement and beckoning the professor to come in.

“It’s Friday,” you answered, grabbing a paintbrush and using your fingers to work the paint out of the bristles. “They’ve got enough going on, I figured I’d give them a bit of a break.”

You heard Severus scoff as he approached you from behind.

“You’re too easy on them.”

“And you’re too hard on your own students, but you don’t see me waltzing into your classroom to nag.”

That earned a soft chuckle from the professor as he stood beside you.

“You can use magic to clean those.” Severus observed, nodding toward your fingers as you worked the leftover paint out of the brush.

“I know I can,” you shrug, watching the water beneath the brush turn a bright turquoise. “But I prefer not to. Helps me clear my mind a bit.”

“Hm.” Was the small response you got in reply. To your surprise, Severus reached into the sink and grabbed a paintbrush, mimicking your movements as he began cleaning it.

“Oh,” you exclaimed softly. “It’s okay, I can do that-”

“Too late,” Severus retorted, casting a quick glance at you out of the corner of his eye. “I’ve already started.”

The two of you scrubbed brushes in silence, and you just barely caught Severus let out a small, tired sigh. As you placed your final brush to the side to dry, you glanced at him.

“Rough day today?”

You had to hold in your giggles as he answered your question with the biggest eye roll you’d ever seen.

“That’s putting it lightly,” he muttered.

“Come,” you beckoned as you sat down in one of the empty seats in the middle of the class. You nodded for Severus to join you as you crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in your seat. “Tell me about it. What happened? Was it Potter again?

You smirked at the eye roll Severus gave you in response before tiredly making his way over to the seat across from you.

“Someone’s been stealing supplies for a Polyjuice potion,” he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I have reasons to believe it’s Potter and his dunderhead friends.”

You bit back a smile, and raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think it’s him? Do you have evidence?”

“Trouble follows him wherever he goes, isn’t that evidence enough?”

You had trouble holding in a giggle, and Severus glared at you.

“He’s brewed Polyjuice potion before.” Severus continued. “It’s the only thing he can actually do well. And those specific ingredients keep going missing.”

You frown a little and shook your head.

“Really, Severus. I don’t know what you have against that boy, but you’ve got to give him a break,” you encouraged gently. “He’s got enough on his shoulders right now, with the Triwizard Tournament going on.”

“And what if he is stealing from my supplies?” Severus retorted.

“What if he isn’t?” You challenged calmly. Severus sighed again, shaking his head as he gazed at you.

“Should we place bets on whether it’s Potter who’s stealing from you?” You asked jokingly, leaning forward in your seat with a smirk. Severus pressed his lips together in a thin line.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because every damned time we make a bet, you win.”

You snickered at Severus’ remark, before standing up from your seat and placing your hand reassuringly on the professor’s shoulder. He looked up at you with dark eyes that warmed very slightly at your touch.

“I truly do not know how you always manage to see the good in people.” He murmured, sighing tiredly. You squeezed his shoulder lightly.

“I just… see the good in everything I guess.” You shrugged. “Even things that seem terrible can be beautiful, if they’re in the right lighting.”

Severus let out a little snort at your comment, shaking his head.

“C’mon grumpypants,” you teased lightly, patting your friend on the back. “I know what’ll cheer you up.”

You walked over to your desk and opened the far left drawer. Upon hearing the dull scrape of wood as the drawer pulled open, Severus looked over at you with the tiniest smile.

“Have you added any teas to your collection?” He asked. He kept a somewhat level expression, but you couldn’t help but grin at the hint of a hopeful tone in his voice.

“I went to Hogsmeade last weekend and got a few more. Some just for you. Come over here and pick one, I’ll put the kettle on.”

Severus stood up just as you moved to the corner of the room to fill the kettle. You noticed out of the corner of your eye how shadow-like he was: the way his cloak billowed slightly as he almost seemed to glide over to your desk.

You heard a few papers rustle as you filled the kettle, and that’s when your heart stopped.

Oh no, oh god no.

You forgot to move your sketchbook, bloody hell.

Maybe Severus was looking at something else, you thought to yourself. Maybe you misheard and he was only rifling through your tea stash-

“Is this… me?”

Nope. He found it. Shit.

You set the kettle down slowly, your hands trembling as you felt a rush of heat fly up to your cheeks.

“S-Sorry?”

You kept your eyes glued to the teacups on the small wooden countertop, trying your best not to cringe as you continued to hear pages being flipped over gently.

“Y/N…” Severus murmured. “You drew these?”

You chewed your lip, just about ready to sink through the floorboards at this point.

“Y-yes.” Your voice came out as a small squeak, barely even intelligible.

You squeezed your eyes shut as you heard gentle footsteps approach you from behind.

“Turn around,” Severus encouraged softly. Clenching your jaw, you tried to ignore the burning heat in your cheeks as you shuffled around to face Severus.

His dark eyes were swirling with so many emotions, you genuinely couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It terrified you. You looked down, and saw that he was holding one of your sketches in his hand.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I don’t show those to anyone, they’re just for me to practice with…”

“This is how you see me?”

You heard Severus‘ voice catch in his throat, and you looked up to see his features had softened into a gentle and almost sad expression. You lowered your gaze to his hands again, taking a closer look at the sketch he brought over.

It was from the Yule Ball a few months ago. You had sketched Severus during dinner after you saw him throw his head back in a hearty laugh, thanks to a dirty joke Professor Sprout had casually dropped at the staff table that night. You couldn’t remember the joke for the life of you, but you’d never forget the way Severus’ eyes lit up with a rare joy few ever saw. Nor would you forget the way his hair curled that night, perfectly framing his face and making him look almost angelic.

“Joy looks good on you.” You explained in the tiniest whisper, pressing your lips together nervously. “I… that was one of my first times seeing you laugh, and I just…”

You trailed off, silently cursing the fact that your face was still as red as ever. Finally, to your relief, Severus set your sketch down. But when you looked up at him, you noticed his eyes were glassy.

Was he… crying?

“Oh.” You gasp softly. “Oh no, I’m sorry. It’s a terrible drawing, I know-”

Severus shook his head. “Stop bloody apologizing. It’s beautiful. All your sketches are. I had no idea.”

“Well, you weren’t supposed to find out.” You muttered, laughing your nerves out softly. Your heart nearly stopped as Severus reached out, gently cradling your hands in his.

“Thank you.” He murmured quietly. “For… what you said.”

You frowned. “What did I say?”

“About… seeing the joy in me,” he replied. “That’s perhaps the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Your heart sank as you took in Severus’ words. You looked up, your soft eyes meeting his dark ones.

“It’s true.” You said simply. “It doesn’t take an expert to see you’ve been through some real shit, Sev. You deserve to be happy.”

Severus froze at your words, unsure of what to do or how to react. Then, to your surprise, he took one more step forward and closed the distance between the two of you. He wrapped his arms around you, and you nearly gasped at how tightly he held you to him. You returned his embrace without hesitation, finally calming after the initial scare of Severus finding your sketches. He was warm. You could get used to this feeling.

“Thank you, Y/N.” You heard Severus whisper.

“For what?” You asked back just as softly.

“Showing me how you see the world. How you see… me.”

#snape x reader #harry potter #severus snape #snape imagine #snape x y/n #severus snape imagine #severus snape x reader #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines

[starlight-sev]

Your recent domestic Severus had my heart melting- I love how you write! Keep up the good work, you got this! 🫶

Aww, thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed reading it!

Many more fluffy Sev fics to come, updates are slow but steady!

Thanks again for all the love. It means a lot to me ❤️

#ask #minhos-cat #snape x reader #snape imagine #harry potter #severus snape

[starlight-sev]

Domesticity (Severus Snape x Reader)

A small post-war imagine. Often it’s the small moments in life that bring the most love.

A/N: No warnings, nothing but fluff. Enjoy. ❤️

Sometimes, when you woke up to the first few rays of sunlight peeking through your bedroom curtains and nothing but a smattering of birdsong echoing just outside your window, you got scared. It felt like it was all a dream, and you were bound to wake up at any moment. You were terrified you’d be back in the middle of the war, having to hide and fearing who else might have ended up dead today.

But then, like today for instance, a pair of arms would wrap around your middle from behind, and pulled you closer into warmth. And you’d remember that this was all real.

The war really was over.

You shifted around until you faced your lover, smiling softly as you reached forward to brush away a few stray strands of raven hair that had fallen into his eyes.

“Hi.”

Severus returned your warm smile, moving in a little closer to kiss your forehead.

“Did you sleep well?”

You nodded. “Did you?”

Severus gazed at you as his fingers traced over your cheeks, and down your jawline. “There have been worse nights.”

You frowned slightly at his answer. “Nightmares again?”

“Always.” He murmured, trailing his hand down your shoulder, over your arm, until his fingers laced gently through yours. “But not waking up alone… it makes a difference.”

You managed a small smile as you kissed him softly, and your heart fluttered as Severus sighed into the kiss. Despite having known each other for years, you seemed to have this ability to make him melt under your every touch, as if it were your very first night together all over again.

“What do you think?” You asked quietly, curling into Severus’ arms as he wrapped them snugly around your waist. “Go out, or stay in today?”

“Stay in.” Severus mumbled into your hair as he stroked your back gently with one hand. You giggled.

“We stayed in yesterday,” you replied. “And the day before. And the day before that too. We need food.”

Your giggles grew louder as Severus let out a protesting grumble.

“The shops aren’t going anywhere.” He muttered. “They’ll be there tomorrow.”

“We should at least get out of bed today though.” You laughed as his arms tightened even more around you. “Sev, come on!”

“Give me one good reason, and I might.”

“I could make your favourite tea?” You offered hopefully. Silence filled the air as Severus paused in consideration.

“Which one?” He asked suspiciously.

“Lavender Earl Grey.”

“I thought we were all out.”

His grip on you loosened just enough for you to quickly grab Severus’ jumper off the floor and shrug it on. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and vanilla, and it relaxed you immediately.

“I bought some last week,” you replied, passing Severus his sweatpants he had rather quickly discarded on the floor the night before with you. “When you were in your study working on that new potion, I went out for a few things.”

Severus smiled gratefully, leaning forward to kiss your cheek.

“You’re divine.” He said simply as he stood up, his eyes filling with warmth as he gazed at you, still sitting in bed. “That’s my jumper you’ve got on.”

You grinned, relishing even more in the feeling of the soft fabric.

“You don’t need it, do you? You’ve got your sweatpants, you’ll be fine.”

Shaking his head, Severus leaned forward and extended his hand to help you off the bed. You grasped his hand gently, before tugging him back towards you on the bed. He stumbled, landing rather unceremoniously on top of you. You couldn’t stop the giggles that surfaced as Severus looked down at you, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

“What was that?” He asked.

“I just really wanted to see what would happen if I did that.” You were still trying your best to fend off a little giggle, and Severus did his best to hide the crack of a smile that made the corner of his mouth quirk upwards.

“And tell me, what conclusion did you come to as a result of your little experiment?” He asked sarcastically, still hovering on top of you. You reached up, caressing his face with both of your hands.

“I realized…” you whispered, taking in everything about this moment as best as you could. You fell silent for a moment, suddenly overcome with the gentlest feeling of joy.

Severus blinked, and he gazed curiously at you as you laid there lost in thought.

“I realized that, well…” you continued quietly. “I didn’t think, even just a year ago, that I’d be as lucky as I am right now.”

A thousand emotions seemed to pass through Severus’ dark eyes in an instant. He leaned down silently, capturing your lips in a kiss that told you more than you knew he’d ever be able to say out loud.

You kissed him back with equal passion, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him as close to you as physically possible. Tears pricked at your eyes for the briefest moment. All you felt was gratitude. And love. So much love.

The two of you broke away, breathless and gasping, and Severus was the one to laugh quietly this time.

“Do you still feel like making tea?”

You scrunched your nose, dismissing him with a small wave of your hand.

“The tea can wait. We’ve got all day.”

Severus chuckled, his hands moving under your jumper to connect with your bare skin. He leaned in again, pressing a gentle kiss to your neck and earning a shiver from you.

“Agreed.”

#snape x reader #harry potter #severus snape #snape imagine #snape x y/n #snape x you #harry potter imagine #severus snape imagine

[starlight-sev]

your young severus fic was so great, you should totally write more! + your y/n is well written as well.

Aw, thank you so much! That means a lot to me ❤️

I’ve got more ideas in the works, so I’ll definitely be posting more!

This goes for anyone, feel free to send in requests if you like! I’m always open for ideas!

Thanks again for the kind message ❤️

#ask #h3rt8k #snape #snape x reader

[starlight-sev]

Your Protector (Teen!Snape x Muggle!Reader)

You and Severus have been best friends and neighbours since childhood, only spending summers together due to his strange boarding school.

This summer, however, you uncover a darker secret about Severus. And… maybe end up revealing your own secrets in the process.

Warnings: mentions of bullying

A/N: This is my first fic for Snape, I hope you enjoy :’)

(I also have a main blog over at @starlight-loki where you can find my fics about, well, Loki)

You always wondered why Severus was so adamant about having you meet him outside King’s Cross station. Over the years you had dreamed about standing there on the platform, watching for his raven hair as he clambered off the train with everyone else.

And maybe, just maybe if you were brave enough, you’d kiss him. Just once.

But this summer was no different than any other. You had gotten a letter from your favourite neighbour, spidery letters scrawling across the page:

I’ll be coming home tomorrow, meet me in the usual spot.

You weren’t sure how the postman managed to consistently throw Severus’s letters onto the window ledge of your second floor bedroom, but you knew better than to question it at this point. Spinner’s End was a peculiar place. The people who lived here were no exception either.

You shifted your weight from foot to foot as you stood rather awkwardly by the entrance to King’s Cross. The latest influx of passengers had already passed, and still there was no sign of Severus.

You bit your lip, anxiously glancing at the time. He should’ve been here by now. Severus was never late.

You stepped towards the doors as you debated whether or not to look for your friend. Sure, King’s Cross was huge, and you had no idea which platform Severus would be getting off of, but you were getting worried.

Just as you entered the station, you saw him. He looked like he had gotten taller, skinnier too. His dark hair was a little longer, almost to his shoulders now, but he was still the same Severus you grew up with.

“Oh my god!” You exclaimed, unable to keep from beaming as you rushed towards him. You crashed full-force into Severus, causing him to stumble back and drop his bags as you wrapped your arms around him. “I missed you!”

You sighed comfortably as Severus returned your hug, and you just barely noticed his arms trembling as he did so.

“It’s good to see you again, Y/N.”

You froze. His voice was raspy, uneven.

Severus always spoke quietly, but this was different. He usually spoke with a more level, grounded tone. His grip wasn’t as firm as it usually was. And he was almost half an hour late.

Something was wrong.

You pulled away from your friend, concern lacing your features as you looked him up and down.

“What happened?” You asked softly, your eyes desperately searching Severus’ face for any sign of unease or hurt.

He lowered his gaze to the ground. “It’s nothing.”

“You never look at me when you’re lying. Really Sev, what’s wrong?”

Severus glanced back up at you, anger and a deeper hurt flashing quickly in his eyes. “Nothing.” He emphasized. You noticed how his grip tightened on the handle of his suitcase as he spoke. “Y/N, it’s nothing. Please.”

You knew that tone. Please drop it. It’s too painful to talk about.

You sighed, leaning forward and grabbing one of Severus’ bags, ignoring his protests as you nodded for him to follow you back home.

“I can carry that-”

You smirked, shrugging. “So can I.”

You barely caught the smallest quirk of a smile from your friend. “I see you haven’t changed one bit this past year, Y/N.”

Much of the trip home was spent in silence, which left an uneasy feeling in your stomach. Usually you and Severus could talk for hours, especially after not having seen each other for most of the year, with him going off to his strange boarding school and all. But this was different. A solemn mood hung heavy over the two of you, like a storm cloud just in the edges of your vision.

You had to ask Severus what was going on. You couldn’t just forget about it the way he practically begged you to.

You reached Severus’ house first, and to your surprise, he hesitated and glanced at you anxiously.

“Could we… go right to your place?”

You frowned, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in your chest that grew stronger. “Don’t you want to drop off your things first? It would make no sense bringing all your suitcases to my house.”

Severus looked at you, his gaze pleading. “I just… I don’t…” He sighed, struggling for the right words. “Dad’s home and… I’m tired.”

You had to fight back tears of your own as you gazed at your friend. He had held himself together well on the way back from King’s Cross, but now as you gazed at him, you noticed how the circles under his eyes seemed much darker than usual. The small sparkle of curiosity you loved so much in your friend was gone, replaced with an exhaustion that seemed to seep into your own bones just by looking at him.

What had happened to him this year?

You nodded, setting his suitcase down to wrap an arm protectively around Severus’ shoulder. He winced quietly, this time not even trying to hide it from you.

“Come on,” you whispered as you approached your house. “Let’s go inside. I’ll make you tea.”

To your relief, the house was empty. You were dreading having to put Severus through small talk with your family. He hated it on his good days, you weren’t sure how he’d be able to handle it on a day like today.

Severus remained quiet as he followed you into the kitchen. You noticed how his gaze roamed across your kitchen cabinets, as if he was checking to see if everything was still in the same spot as last summer.

“The usual?” You asked as you opened a cupboard and pulled out a tin of Earl Grey. You shook the tin lightly as you glanced at Severus. “Or has your mystery boarding school converted you to, god forbid, coffee?”

Usually a remark like that would’ve earned at least a crack of a smile from your friend, even on a bad day. This time, Severus just nodded slowly as he leaned against the counter. “That one’s just fine.”

All you could do was nod in return as you set the kettle on the stove to boil.

After portioning out tea for the two of you, you walked over to Severus quietly. Without a word, you wrapped your arms around him in another hug.

Your heart sank as he fell apart instantly, sobbing quietly into your hair. You pulled him closer, your arms closing around him tighter, but pulled away a second later when you heard him wince loudly in pain.

“What is it?” You asked, panic edging into your voice ever so slightly. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Severus shook his head as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He remained quiet.

“You’re scaring me.” You whispered. “Please… can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I…” Severus struggled for the right words, his gaze shifting away from you and onto the floor. You stepped closer to him, gently taking his hand in yours.

“They’ve been… coming after me.”

“Who has?” You ask softly. “People from your school?”

Severus nodded, his gaze still on the floor.

“They got me today. On the train.”

Your eyes widened. “What… Sev, what do you mean?”

Severus closed his eyes as if the very memory of what happened was causing him physical pain.

“On the train home, they cornered me. Locked me in a cabin and…”

He trailed off shakily, and to your surprise, he lifted his jumper up to his chest.

Dark bruises were scattered across his entire torso and ribs. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight before you, and you had to fight to stifle the sob that surfaced.

This was why he was late. You realized. Something horrible happened.

“Is it that bad?” Severus’ voice was no louder than a whisper. You stepped forward, wrapping your hands around his own and helping him gently pull his jumper back down.

“I’ll get you ice.” You whispered back, keeping your hands over his. “You can stay here as long as you need to. Okay?”

Severus closed his eyes, breathing out a small sigh of relief.

He was so sad, so broken, and yet… he looked like an angel.

You stepped a little closer until your chests were almost touching, and you reached up to caress his face softly. Severus’ eyes snapped open at the sensation, but to your relief he didn’t shy away from you. If anything, he leaned into your touch.

“You should quit that stupid boarding school,” you whispered, laughing softly yet bitterly. “Come to my school. It’s a lot better.”

Severus closed his eyes and leaned into your touch even further, and you noticed how he visibly relaxed for the first time since you met him that morning.

“I can’t,” he whispered back. “I’ve got one year left, I have to finish.”

“Surely you could switch?” You asked, fighting the edge of desperation that creeped into your voice. “Think about it… no more stupid uniforms, we could spend the whole year together… besides, it’s not like they’re teaching you anything different. It’s all the same material as what we learn, right?”

Severus opened his eyes, and you could’ve sworn you caught a flash of sadness in his eyes as you spoke.

“It’s… it’s much more complicated than you think, Y/N.”

You sighed in defeat, leaning your head forward. You gave it your best shot every year to try and convince Severus to leave his boarding school, to come attend public school with you, but it never worked.

To your surprise, however, Severus leaned forward too, until his forehead was touching yours.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Y/N.”

You sighed, squeezing his hand gently.

“The months without you go by so slowly, Sev. I’ve missed you so much.”

Severus pulled back just enough to gaze at you, his eyes searching yours for any sign of a lie or a joke. You held his gaze steadily, however, barely catching in the process the quick glance he made at your lips.

“You mean it?” He whispered.

Part of you was terrified this wasn’t the right moment, especially since you weren’t sure how Severus was feeling after what he had shared with you, but you knew you couldn’t wait any longer.

Hell, you had to wait nine months to see Severus again. You couldn’t wait a moment longer.

Before you could convince yourself otherwise, you stepped on your toes and pressed a quick kiss against Severus’s lips. You broke away immediately, feeling heat rise quickly to your face as you looked away.

The seconds that passed between the two of you felt like years. For a second, you thought you blew it. You had gone and stupidly picked the worst moment ever to do something like this-

Before you knew what was happening, Severus was leaning over you, kissing you as if you were his very lifeline. It was rushed, a little sloppy, and you weren’t exactly sure where to put your hands, but this was really happening.

Severus was kissing you.

You broke away to the sound of the kettle whistling intrusively, and you couldn’t fight the giggles that surfaced as you attempted to break away. Severus held you firmly in place, his lips on yours in an instant.

“Wait- Sev-” you managed in between hurried kisses. “The kettle-”

“It’s water…” he grumbled, his grip on your waist tightening. “It can wait.”

You gave in, wrapping your arms around him again, only to earn a pained wince in response.

“I’m sorry,” you gasped, stepping back. You raced to move the kettle off the stove before glancing nervously at Severus again. “I’m so sorry… did I hurt you?”

Severus shook his head, stepping closer to you and extending his arms to request another hug.

“Be gentle.” You could almost hear a hint of a tease in his voice. The Sev you loved so dearly was coming back.

You nodded and, with a small smile, gave Severus a softer hug this time. His arms wrapped around you gently in return. Things felt right this time. No longer uneasy like earlier.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” you admitted sheepishly.

“How long?”

“…three years.”

With your head resting against his chest, you could feel Severus as he laughed at your response.

“It’s been five for me.”

“Why did you wait so long!?” You exclaimed. “I had no idea, I thought I screwed everything up when I kissed you!”

“I never thought…” his voice was quiet again. “I just never thought you’d like someone like me this way. James and Sirius, they said I’d never…”

Ah. So these were the imbeciles who were bullying Severus.

“Let me tell you something…” you said, leaning back just enough so you could gaze in Severus’s dark eyes. “I will personally kick both James and Sirius’s asses twice as hard if I ever see them.”

Severus gazed at you with a mix of sadness and admiration.

“Those two idiots have no idea how lucky they are to not have me at your boarding school,” you continued angrily. “Maybe this fall I’ll drop them a little visit-”

Severus cut you off by pressing his lips to yours, the kiss making your heart skip a beat with how passionate he was.

“What was that?” You asked breathlessly, earning a small smile from Severus.

“Thank you. For always protecting me.”

#snape x reader #Severus snape #teen!snape x reader #Harry Potter #Severus snape imagine #snape imagine #marauders era #Severus snape x reader #Harry Potter imagine #snape x y/n #snape x you #Harry Potter imagines