"And what is wizarding royalty doing at Hogwarts?" -SS
"Come now Severus... Princesses love castles" -AD
Severus Snape was like an abandoned castle; cold and secluded. That was the way he liked it. He'd long since accepted the fact that he would be...
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Caledonia Merlin was absolutely loving being a student aid teacher. By the time the final lesson of the day was through, she had a jovial smile on her painted lips as she sat atop the papers scattered on her messy desk. She was getting paid- albeit, not a very high wage- to sit and help children with easy things, and every time she got an answer right, they smiled, thinking that she was the smartest person in the world. It was entertaining to help them with things that came easily for her.
Her final class held only five kids, they were all sixth years who needed help with their Charms essays. The only ones that spoke were Bill Weasley and Emily Tyler, both of which were very entertaining characters. The time flew by and eventually, they were leaving her classroom happily.
"Thank you, Miss Merlin" Emily called back to the woman as she ran off down the hallway to catch up with her friend, the teacher smiled softly from her classroom door, waving gently. The second after she released her children from the room, the door opposite slammed open and children came scampering through, running in all directions like scared chickens to escape the potions class.
"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" Caledonia questioned softly to a student she recognised from her earlier class. Pippa Macmillan, a fifth-year Gryffindor looked up at the woman with wide, tearful eyes.
"It's--it's... Well, we were brewing a cure for boils. It's only a first-year potion. We were making it for, you know, revision purposes and well... Brennan Doyle's cauldron exploded!" she whimpered and Caledonia looked her over with wide eyes.
"Is anyone hurt?" she questioned quickly, holding the girl's shoulders softly to calm her.
"N-no but... but it went all over Professor Snape!" she demanded, eyes wide with fear of the man and at that moment, Caledonia had the overwhelming desire to laugh.
"That's okay, run along now Pippa, thank you. I will check on Professor Snape" she promised and the girl nodded in fear and ran off, the corridor had very quickly became desolate and Caledonia entered the potions class carefully, like entering the lions den. The classroom was impeccably clean, clearly having been tidied recently with a spell. Every book and roll of parchment was neatly placed, a large step from Caledonia's already cluttered classroom. But there was not a potions master in sight.
Seeing that the door at the end of the room was open, Caledonia crept softly towards it. It was opened but a crack and she pushed it open gently, seeing that it did not creak. Inside, she finally found the potions teachers. Severus Snape stood facing away from her, naked from the waist up. A perfectly tailored pair of suit trousers covered his lower half, shiny shoes clean and tied carefully. But above his belt, the man wore nothing. His back was broad, toned marvellously in all the correct places, something you would not expect from him, nor notice due to the oversized cloaks he usually wore.
Caledonia stared with wide eyes for the longest pause, her cheeks blushing a brilliant red which startled even herself as she stared at the dark hair resting on his shoulders. He held the desk in the corner, breathing in and out heavily as if trying to dispel his anger and she could see from the lamp on the floor of the otherwise tidy room... He'd had a bit of a tantrum. Backing up and pulling the door carefully closed, she approached the situation differently. This didn't call for crude humour.
Knocking softly, she waited, hearing a scuffle from within. Soon, the door was flung open and she met his enraged eyes. The man stood tall as usual, now wearing a shirt but not as dressed up as usual. When he saw her, his face lit with annoyance for a second before cooling into a calm mask.
"I heard there was a bit of an accident and came to check that you were okay" she stated calmly and he scoffed, turning and walking back into his room though leaving the door open. Taking this as an invitation, Caledonia followed him in, taking in the giant cold room, full of black and emerald green silks. It was strangely inviting to her and impeccably tidy. Taking a seat on a chair, she watched as he redressed himself hastily. "Are you okay?"
"Why do you care?!" he hissed rounding on her with intense, fiery eyes. "What is your problem? With your taunting. What did I ever do to you?" he demanded, waving his arms around and she frowned in confusion.
"My problem?" Caledonia's voice was low. "You mistake my teasing for hatred Severus. It is not."
"Well, why not? I don't want anything to do with you Caledonia. I am perfectly happy here, minding my own business and you keep appearing to ruin it all!" he stressed, voice loud and she was sure that if the dungeons weren't so empty, everyone would hear him.
"I don't-- I don't understand" she frowned.
"Of course you don't" he scoffed, laughing bitterly as he shook his head. "Because you are immature, raised in seclusion in your little castle. Given everything you want, well, let me tell you, princess, the real world isn't like that!" he spat and for a long moment, Caledonia and Severus stared at one another before she turned on the spot and left the room quickly, ignoring his sighs, his eyes closing as he tried to calm himself.
