Unforeseen Affliction (snape x reader)

Gifts

Author's note: as always, thank u for the support <3 apologies for not updating as often anymore, i hate forcing myself to write if i'm just not feeling as inspired. hope u enjoy the chapter, and happy new year!

Throughout break, you spend the majority of your nights in Snape's quarters. With all your roommates gone, you don't have to worry about making sure you get back to your dormitory before the sun rises.

You've grown comfortable spending so much time with him and, although it still feels surreal that any of this is happening, it somehow also feels natural. You have to remind yourself to be careful, that there's still a chance you could be caught sneaking around with your Potion's Professor.

To your surprise, on Christmas morning you wake up in your dormitory to two presents at the end of your bed. With everything going on, you had kind of forgotten about Christmas, and due to your lack of friends this year, you weren't expecting any presents.

One of the gifts is very poorly wrapped in an old issue of the Daily Prophet and contains a very itchy scarf from your mom. You proceed to bury her poor effort of trying to be nice at the bottom of your trunk.

The other present, however, has no name written on it and is delicately wrapped in a deep red fabric. You open it hesitantly to find that it's a small box containing a shiny black crystal hanging on a thin chain. You stare at it, absolutely mesmerized.

Who is this from?

You look in the box, searching for a note, an explanation. When you find nothing, you begin to dig around your bed in case anything fell out. But all your searching is of no avail.

You spend a good portion of the afternoon sitting in the common room, brows furrowed, examining the necklace, contemplating. You've never been gifted anything like this before, and you question who it could be from. Your heart flutters at the thought that it might've been Severus.

As the clock ticks closer to five, you tuck the necklace into your pocket and leave the common room to head to dinner.

***

During the Christmas feast, the students who had stayed at Hogwarts over break are invited to eat at one long table with the teachers, and you somehow find yourself sitting across from Snape. He steals glances of you throughout the dinner, catching your eye occasionally, and you strain in your seat impatiently, wanting the feast to end.

Your thoughts grow progressively worse and it becomes apparent very quickly that Snape is observing your mind, scowling occasionally at your wild fantasies. At the exact moment when he's discussing an elixir with Dumbledore, you purposefully imagine getting on your knees in front of him.

"Based on how the events continue to unfold I believe-" Snape's breath hitches and he falters on his words as you imagine touching him. His eyes narrow for a second, but he doesn't glance in your direction. "I believe that we should wait before making any drastic decisions." he smoothly resumes his sentence and turns back to his plate.

You press your lips together to hide the smile threatening to appear on your lips. Snape shoots a look at you, and although it's quick to not raise suspicion, you read it very well - it promises you'll pay for that later.

"Laura Bright is to return after break, y/n." Dumbledore suddenly speaks up.

You look over at him, surprised he's addressing you.

"Really?" you respond, momentarily taken out of your thoughts.

He nods. "I thought you should be one of the first to know."

An overwhelming feeling of guilt takes over your body as you realize at some point along the way, you had stopped thinking about her.

"Is she okay?" you ask.