'Silent Night' || Severus Snape x Reader | Short Story

Chapter 7 ~ It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

There were three days left until you had to see Professor Snape again to help with the potion; until then, however, you still had to withstand mealtimes in the Great Hall and any possibility of passing him in the corridors of the castle. Of course, what had been a question plaguing your thoughts, now seemed to be an assertive fact, and this both helped and hindered your plan.

"I mean, love is maybe a bit too far. I barely know the man", you mutter to yourself whilst mulling over this recent discovery.

"I just.. really like him. -Totally not infatuated, at all."

   You let out an exasperated sigh - you'd been unable to sleep at all, and from the glimmer of light now entering your dorm, morning seemed to be creeping closer. The 'pros' of your feelings for Snape, were that you had very little desire to bump into him again, for fear of exploding on-the-spot or something equally terrible. The 'cons', were that if you accidentally did encounter him, then you were putty in the hands of your own feelings, and you were terrified at the very thought of having to eventually talk to him in three days' time.

   Turning your head to glance at the clock, you groan aloud: it's 8:03am. 'Seems a bit late to sleep now', you think, resisting your heavy eyelids and aching muscles to sit up in bed. Looking around the room, you realise that you should probably start to clear your things away and tidy up, before everyone returns after christmas. You drag one leg off the side of the bed, then the other, and huff as your feet find the floor. Turning on some music sounds like a good idea to you, so you spend a few minutes rummaging through your records again, before finally putting one on to play.

   The morning seems to slip away as you sort through your belongings, packing things under your bed and putting clothes away into your closet. As you're looking through some old items, you find some photos of your parents and yourself when you were younger. You pick up a photo - it's one of you as a baby, but looking back you can see how some of your features were already showing, and how you almost look the same aside from being much bigger now. You pick up another, and it's of your first day at Hogwarts. It's hard to believe that this photo was taken so long ago now, and even scarier to think that you'd soon be leaving and becoming an adult. You find another photo, and it's one with your parents - taken many years ago, before they both passed away. A small smile leaves your lips, and you decide to keep this one out and frame later on.

   You catch sight of the time - it's getting late in the morning, and you quickly put the photos and memorabilia away. The record which was playing has now conveniently come to an end.

"Breakfast time", you say with a sigh.

   You could grow accustomed to the array of Christmas decorations covering the Great Hall, you thought - they managed to make the room feel even warmer than it already was, and despite your troubled thoughts, you felt the festive spirit seeping back into your body - as if all the joy from the decorations was sinking into your skin. The few students left at Hogwarts had resumed their usual seats like before, and you gingerly traipsed over to them.

   Before leaving your dorm, you had washed your face and attempted to bring some life back to it with some mascara and a dash of lip-gloss, but nothing could hide the bruising dark clouds resting under your eyes - a clear sign of your lack of sleep.

"Oh, [Y/N], you look... terrible." Amelia wasn't one to shy from the truth, especially not when your exhaustion was so visible. You sat down to eat with a huff, giving her a wry smile back.

"Why thank you Amelia, that's so nice of you to say!", sarcasm dripping from your every word, you pick up a croissant and pick at it.

She giggles at your response, pouring you some coffee. "Here, you're gonna need this, clearly."

   You pick up your cup and drink it eagerly, hoping the caffeine might magically rid you of your headache and wobbly limbs, but sadly knowing it wouldn't. After a few minutes, Amelia finally pushes past her polite manners and strikes a conversation - or a personal attack, you weren't sure.

"So, er... What kept you up all night?", she asked with a twinge of genuine concern on her face.

Mouth full of croissant, you look at her and try to dismiss the question after finishing your mouthful. "Oh, nothing really.. Just work and things, you know."

"Work? What work could you possibly have to do [Y/N], you're a right bookworm and it's the holidays!"

"Just extra assistant work, plus you can never be too well-read, you know?", you try to lighten the mood with a smile, giving Amelia a nudge. You finish your coffee and feel like now might be a good time to scarper before the conversation gets too personal. Amelia seems to sense your reluctance, and doesn't press you.

"Hmm", she gives you a suspicious side-eye, "Well, if you do have any free time around your huge pile of work and reading, then let us know. You're still welcome to join us anytime", she offers a smile.

"Thanks", you nod in appreciation as you stand up from the table.

   As you lift your gaze from Amelia your eyes linger at the staff table, and as a knot returns in your stomach, you see Professor Snape sat beside the other staff. As soon as you see him, you look away and hurry out of the Great Hall: little did you know, that Snape had looked up just as you left, and duly noted your dishevelled state, before returning to a conversation with McGonagall.

   Since going outside was still out-of-bounds, you felt a bit stuck on what you should do with yourself. You'd obviously lied to Amelia, begrudgingly - you were ahead of your work like always, so there wasn't anything left to do but 'enjoy yourself', you supposed. You didn't fancy being holed-up in the Dungeons (especially so close to Snape's territory) or the Common Room. You thought back to all the times you had snuck around the castle and explored, after curfew of course, and you finally came up with a good idea. You sped back to your dorm to gather your bag and some things to keep you entertained, and then headed back into the main part of the castle.

The sun was high in the sky, and light flooded into the Astronomy Tower as you finally reached the top of the stairs (out of breath, you had to admit).

   "Gorgeous", you exhaled, as you approached the balcony and peered out over the lake and grounds. There was a light, refreshing breeze, and you took a deep breath of air - much less musty than the Dungeons. You turn around and smirk, seeing that there was, fortunately, already a chair in the corner that you could utilise. For a second, you wondered how it got there, but you ignore the thought and take a seat, admiring the view as you take out a book from your bag.

   You'd found some fictional books in the library, seemingly muggle stories: tales of lovers, adventures, drama, laughter and sadness. One book interested you in particular, which you had brought to the tower today - a love story, about two people who at first disliked each other. You open the book, smelling the scent of old pages, and begin reading.

   The sun crawls across the azure sky, and a couple of hours pass as you are curled up; you take a quick break to stretch your legs before they start to cramp. Placing your book on the arm of the chair, you stride towards the balcony and take a deep breath of fresh air. The sunrays are streaming in, giving your hair and eyes a glow. You reach for your bag, and take out a flask of tea which you had packed earlier. You take a sip and savour the sweet taste.

   In the quiet atmosphere, surrounded only by gusts of wind and birdsong, you hear a noise coming from the staircase below - sounding like footsteps. In a panic and not wanting to be caught by a teacher, you grab your bag and carefully tread to the entrance, peeking out of the door to see if there is anyone there. You see no-one, and make a run for it down the stairs and back into the main castle, heading back towards the Slytherin Common Room.

'I hope nobody saw me..', you say under your breath, 'although, I've never seen anyone else up here..'

   The Common Room is quiet, and you bounce up the stairs to your dorm, but as you finally reach your bed, you start feeling the exhaustion in your legs and eyes kicking-in. A thought starts passing through your head - 'maybe I should take a na-' - but before you can even finish the sentence, your eyes are closed and you're drifting off into darkness.