You sat in the Library, content, for almost four hours. The atmosphere was always perfect for studying, and the festive energy certainly helped keep your spirits up. You finished all of your homework, and also managed to get ahead in prep-work for your Potions Assistant duties.
--Wait. Potions. Professor Snape. Assistant duties.
"Crap!", you exclaim out-loud, before remembering you're in the Library - you're glad there's nobody else around. You scramble to shove your things into your bag, and look at the clock: you're already 15 minutes late. The Dungeons are the other side of the castle, so you double-check that you're alone, and quickly apparate there to save time.
'Eugh', you take a second to wait-out the nausea, and then hurry down the corridor to the Potions Classroom. You knock on the door, quietly and casually, as if you weren't totally late for your session.
"Come in", a voice drawls from inside.
You open the door tentatively, keeping your eyes on the floor to avoid any disapproving looks. You head to the front of the classroom, put your bag down, and quickly set up your usual space on the table. You're surprised by the unexpected silence, until-
"Miss [Y/L/N]. You're... late." Professor Snape states, though he keeps his attention on the papers he's marking.
Your cheeks flush immediately, and though you try to form a sentence, your brain fails you. "Uhm- I, er- Sorry, I was-"
Professor Snape sighs audibly. "I don't.. care." He continues to scratch his quill on some exam papers - most likely all 'Fails'.
"Oh", you manage to push out, "Um, thank you Sir, and.. my apologies-"
"-However", he interrupts, "if you choose to be late again, then I will be forced to consider if you are.. right.. for this job." His focus remains uninterrupted, and not a single sign of emotion shows on his pale face.
"Yes, of course, Professor", your throat tightens as you squeak the words out.
'I might dislike this raging crush I have, but I do not need an excuse for Snape to hate me. I really need this extra credit', you think, sitting at the table with a sigh of frustration.
Looking up at Snape, you almost swear you catch a glimpse of a smirk on his lips, but you're probably just going crazy from embarrassment and fatigue. You blink hard, and look down at your notes. You'd forgotten, amongst the chaos, that you were already ahead on preparations for today's work. Getting up to place your work on Snape's desk, you remember how intrigued you were about this potion.
"Um.. Wolfsbane? I didn't think that was on the syllabus", you meekly comment before turning back towards your table.
The scratching stops, and Professor Snape glances from your notes up to your table with piercing black eyes.
"..Excuse me?", is all he drawls out.
You meet his black eyes with an innocent expression - you'd seen the ingredients and were simply well-read in potions.
"Uh.. I mean, Aconite.. is also known as Wolfsbane. And from the rest of the ingredients on the list, I just assumed-"
"You will assume nothing", the words came out cold and emotionless, but there was something faint resembling concern in his dark eyes. "If you have a brain, then you will do better than to assume something you know nothing of."
His tone seemed empty, but the words cut deep - and you're used to his wrath as head of Slytherin house too. You decide to just stay quiet for the next half an hour, and you say nothing until you are finished. As you're collecting your things and picking up your bag, you wonder if you should wish him a 'merry christmas' or something, since you don't think you'll be seeing him until the new year. But reflecting on the last 45 minutes, you think that might just insult him instead - in fact, you're not even sure if he celebrates Christmas. Or anything at all.
You're about to open the door to leave, when Professor Snape stands up from his desk and, unfortunately, makes an interaction.
"Actually, Miss [Y/L/N], I'm going to need you to continue this work over the holidays, as some.. elements of the process.. will require work before the next full moon. I am sure you will not be too preoccupied, since you are remaining at Hogwarts for the next few weeks." He declared this as though it were fact, which offended you, but you were moreover annoyed at the thought of having to work with Snape over the holidays! But before you could even turn around to protest, he continued: "I will see you on Wednesday. That is all."
You closed the door behind you and left, gobsmacked, at the audacity of this man. 'First, he tells me to mind my own business about a potion I'm helping him with, and now he's demanding my assistance in the Christmas holidays?!' You huff in frustration, as you walk back to your dormitory.
As you climb the stairs to your room, you realise that you haven't eaten dinner yet, but to be honest you're too angry to think about food right now. You give up, and fall onto your bed in despair.
"I just hope he's not so uptight and mean over Christmas. -Really dampens the Festive Spirit.", you grumble into your pillow.
But before you knew it, you had fallen asleep.
** A/N:
Hi!! Thanks for reading so far ;) Feel free to leave any feedback or comments!
-Just to note, this is set around the mid-80s: so Sev is pretty young still and hasn't been teaching for very long, and [Y/N] has turned 18 :) [for later on when it gets more adulty]. Enjoy!
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'Silent Night' || Severus Snape x Reader | Short Story
Fanfiction[Y/N] is enjoying her last Christmas at Hogwarts. Over the years, she has developed a shamefully big crush on the Potions Master, Professor Snape. Becoming Snape's assistant, helping with potions and prep-work, has not helped this. However, what [Y...
