s-sn4ps

[s-sn4ps]

Her sigh did not bode well for him. His heartbeat struck up a beat that the Weird Sisters would be envious of and he swallowed hard, his jaw snapping shut as she finally spoke. That’s all she had to say? Fuck? What did that mean? But he knew what it meant, and as she told him to sit he was silently pleading for the expletives back. Severus refused, clinging to his own spitefulness as it felt like it was the only thing he had left. He had lost control of the situation - he had never had it to begin with - but he still had control over that.

“Say it.” He said quietly, the shake in his voice audible even to his own ears, but he figured it was useless to try to hide it. He couldn’t even if he had wanted to. Severus wouldn’t be able to accept it (if he could at all to begin with, that was) unless she said the words. “Out loud.”

Severus should have expected the reaction from her, but in his current state it only drove him more mad. He narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to comment on said baby, but she had grabbed him by his coat and thrown him inside, which was just as well. He didn’t know her neighbors, but he didn’t need them knowing his business all the same. Although what did it even matter - when it was printed in the Prophet? He held her gaze for a moment, feeling as if the shaking in his hands had started up throughout his whole body. He didn’t even know what to say - he hadn’t planned to come, after all. He had been overtaken, filled with a million different emotions, rage high among them. But if he were being honest with himself, some of that anger was likely fear in disguise. “Tell me it’s not true.” Severus finally said quietly, nostrils flaring with the effort to keep his voice down. “Tell me it’s not true,” He said again, losing the fight as his voice inched higher. “And that this -” His last word echoed across the floor as he thrust the paper out toward her, crumpled from being balled in his fist. He managed to lower the volume again somewhat before continuing. “Is just Rita Skeeter printing inane drivel as usual.”

[s-sn4ps]

Severus couldn’t help the light chuckle that her response pulled from him - he knew the sentiment well. He could see behind most people’s eyes the mistrust when he spoke these days. Everyone thought he was lying, but what did he have to lie about anymore? “I guess I’ve gone soft after all.” He said, voice thick with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. It was true, he knew, but it wasn’t like he was a social butterfly before, either. 

“No one?” He suggested as he snorted another short laugh, shaking his head as he leaned an elbow on the bar and got comfortable. Looked like he’d be staying for the foreseeable future, at least. He blew a long sigh through his lips, furrowing his brow in thought. What had been going on in his life? Not much of anything, thankfully. “As little as I can get away with.” That wasn’t exactly true, but close enough. “I can deal with the classes, but the grading - I fear for the world with the next generation.” He shook himself slightly. “But my life is blissfully boring these days, you’d hate it.”

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes a little at her comment as he sat. “Now I know you’re lying - do you want something or what?” Severus asked, his tone probably would have been considered playfully suspicious if it came from anyone else. Truth was, he trusted Alecto as much as he trusted anyone. And the fact that he could still say that after the truth about his part in the war had come out said a lot about the pair. “Fair enough, I guess.” He finally gave in, knowing full well he had been keeping to himself even more than usual.

“Social opportunities are not as abundant as you may think for a traitor.” Severus drawled, a slight smirk lifting the sides of his mouth. He had to say, he did relish the unsavory reputation he had gained from it all - at least with half of the people, it seemed. It kept them away from him. He didn’t much like being the ‘good guy’ after all. It had seemed to quell the stream of letters to the Headmaster about him, however. 

[s-sn4ps]

“No need to thank me.” He replied quickly, voice only loud enough to hear over the bustle of the hospital around them. Thanks felt too much like praise, and he didn’t like praise very much. To be more specific, he didn’t know how to react to it - so he was glad when she went on. “I would have thought it would slow down some by now.” He was slightly surprised at just how busy the place was. He had assumed after the war, it would have declined somewhat.

Severus paused at her next question - how were things? She didn’t expect him to be honest, did she? Clearly she didn’t read the gossip column in the Prophet. Or perhaps she did, and was hoping he would bring it up. Or maybe, she was just being polite. He nodded, glancing down at the counter as he answered. “Things are fine.” He met her eyes again as he went on. “Bit boring, teaching the same thing over and over. How is Ted?”

He was behind on his obligations. Severus had grown accustomed to being busy, but this was somehow more than he had even had going on in the thick of the war. St. Mungo's was still slammed, and students seemed to be trying harder and harder to get out of class - the demand for potions was through the roof. He had three cauldrons brewing large batches almost every night just to keep up. Not that he particularly minded, really - it got him out of having to host detention. Still, he would be thankful for a night in his quarters with a glass of wine and the latest edition of Potions Monthly.

Rounding the corner, he saw a familiar face at the nurse's station where he was to drop his bundle. Severus placed the box on the counter, announcing his presence and interrupting the conversation that had been taking place. He scooted the box toward the employee, and turned. "Andromeda." He greeted with a nod.

@dromedaxtonks

[s-sn4ps]

Severus was caught up grading papers - something he’d usually be done with by now but Dumbledore had put him on detention the night before and the second years were incredibly slow at scraping out the bottoms of the cauldrons. Or, perhaps, he had saved the particularly nasty ones for them…. who was to know? Still, he had just pulled his last stack toward him as the door opened.

He couldn’t stop the rare, small smile that touched his lips as he heard Emmeline’s voice - not that he tried to. Hers was some of the only company that was truly appreciated, even - dare he say it - enjoyed. “That is fine by me.” Severus agreed coolly, glancing up at her and sighing as he relaxed slightly. He spared a second look at the stack of papers, before deciding they could wait. How hard would it be to write a D on top of all of them, after all? 

“That makes two of us.” He chuckled once, shaking his head as he stood and stretched lightly. Not once when he had been young, had ‘professor’ been on his ‘what you want to be when you grow up’ list. Severus titled his head in curiosity at her words, raising an eyebrow. “Oh?” He asked, trying not to focus too much on the part where she’d said he looked good. “And what did you have pictured for me, then?”

who: @s-sn4ps where: Hogwarts, Office of Severus Snape

If there was something Emmeline Vance would have put on the list of things she'd have paid galleons for to be able to avoid for the rest of her life, walking the halls of Hogwarts certainly would have been among them. The idea of finding herself in the office of a professor on top of that just seemed too bizarre. Add to that the factor that it was in fact someone she considered a friend, things became all together far too weird.

"I'll have you know, next time I'm avoiding the school." Perhaps it had to do with the fact that among the students, within the halls there was no option to slip in the shadows the way she normally did. Back at school, dressed in the uniform all others had shared and the time after graduation, shadows had seemed like yet another companion of the former Slytherin. Things changed when no matter the dress code one stuck out far more than one was comfortable with.

The witch removed her scarf as she stood and observed the other. "I'll be honest, I don't think this," she paused, gesturing toward the office, "is ever going to be something I'll get used to. Honestly. It does look good on you, but it's rather far from where I'd pictured you." Truthfully, Emmeline wasn't sure where she'd have seen Severus had one actually asked her. This just wasn't it.

[s-sn4ps]

Severus: I don't think that you would. Severus: You know I don't. Severus: That's not fair. I didn't have a choice.

✉ | Pen ⇄ Severus

Severus: I know that, too. Severus: But I would have if I said a word. Severus: You would really have me break Regulus' trust? Pen: i wouldn't. of course you would keep his secret. i wouldn't change that about you Pen: i only wish that you would hurt me less

[s-sn4ps]

Severus should have expected the reaction from her, but in his current state it only drove him more mad. He narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to comment on said baby, but she had grabbed him by his coat and thrown him inside, which was just as well. He didn’t know her neighbors, but he didn’t need them knowing his business all the same. Although what did it even matter - when it was printed in the Prophet? He held her gaze for a moment, feeling as if the shaking in his hands had started up throughout his whole body. He didn’t even know what to say - he hadn’t planned to come, after all. He had been overtaken, filled with a million different emotions, rage high among them. But if he were being honest with himself, some of that anger was likely fear in disguise. “Tell me it’s not true.” Severus finally said quietly, nostrils flaring with the effort to keep his voice down. “Tell me it’s not true,” He said again, losing the fight as his voice inched higher. “And that this -” His last word echoed across the floor as he thrust the paper out toward her, crumpled from being balled in his fist. He managed to lower the volume again somewhat before continuing. “Is just Rita Skeeter printing inane drivel as usual.”

His hands were shaking as he folded up the Prophet. He didn’t usually read anything but Good News, Bad News, Magic News, International, and of course, Potions sections - but his own name had caught his eye in the Opinion section, of all places. And not only that, but Rita Skeeter’s column. And while he was growing more and more used to this occurring, he had expected something else about his supposed lies and deceit during the war. But what he had read was…. far different.

He tried to put it out of his mind, it was Rita Skeeter after all. But she hadn’t been the one to propose the idea had she? Who had sent it in? Not knowing made him wary, as he couldn’t know the credibility. What if it had been Ivy? Surely, she would have told him. Wouldn’t she? He did the math quickly in his head - he didn’t like the answer.

Before he knew it, and without really remembering how he had gotten there, Severus stood on her doorstep, banging heavily on her door, paper still clenched tightly in his other hand.

@pciscnparkinscn

[s-sn4ps]

Severus: I know that, too. Severus: But I would have if I said a word. Severus: You would really have me break Regulus' trust?

✉ | Pen ⇄ Severus Severus: Yes, I knew. Severus: I couldn't tell you. You know that. Pen: i know that it needed to be you Pen: i wouldn't have been unsafe. i could never harm him

[s-sn4ps]

Severus: Yes, I knew. Severus: I couldn't tell you. You know that.

✉ | Pen ⇄ Severus

Pen: you knew @s-sn4ps

[s-sn4ps]

Severus: Just glad to be speaking to someone who understands how useless they really are. Severus: Some of them? Severus: Try all of them. Severus: I swear, next we'll have giants storming London if they don't get it together soon. Severus: But I digress. Yes, running amok, causing chaos, wreaking havoc.... maiming the innocent.

✉ | sirius ⇄ severus

Severus: We all know the state of the Ministry these days, scrambling to make ammends. Severus: I hear the Beast department is particularly understaffed. Severus: Not that they were ever that helpful, anyway. Sirius: the ministry was always a bit of a mess if we're being honest, but more so now Sirius: interesting, so some of them might not be well under control Sirius: might even be running amuck

[s-sn4ps]

Severus: How very noble of you. Severus: I shall consider it.

✉ | char ⇄ severus Severus: You know some of them are doing it just so they can hide in plain sight, right? Severus: Not everyone has had a change of heart. Char: It's a step in the right direction regardless. At any rate i'd rather help knowing some people aren't genuine than not help and leave those who actually do want to change without support.

[s-sn4ps]

He could hear the exclamation from outside, although it did little to deter him from wanting to be there. He wasn’t sure Regulus could ever be in a bad enough mood to make him prefer the company of children and Dumbledore (or really, anyone else) to be completely honest. 

Severus took his time as he entered, hanging his traveling cloak neatly on the hook by the door and toeing off his shoes, leaving them lined up perfectly underneath. The house was clean, but cluttered, but it didn’t bother him. His room was always immaculate - it had to be, given what he used it for - and that’s all that mattered to him.  Severus headed toward Regulus’ voice, taking a small vial from his inner pocket and placing it silently on the desk as he passed. He had just brewed it the previous day, hoping it would be more successful at taming some of the tremors in his friend’s hand, among other things. There was a small table by the window that he went to and leaned on, crossing his legs at the ankle. “No one blew up a cauldron this week, so I suppose one could call that productive.” He replied with a small sigh, although his tone suggested he would not classify it as such. “But I did manage to finish all my grading ahead of the weekend.”

Open: @s-sn4ps

"Fuck!" The word left Regulus's lips, harsh and cutting as he threw his quill across the room. His right hand was trembling so badly that his writing had become unreadable. The scrawls of black ink that had once been perfectly curved, flowing, letters made Regulus cringe inwardly. His left hand gripped his right one, thumb pressed painfully hard into his palm as he stared at the note. Since coming back to life, Regulus had started physical therapy for his hand and arm. The doctor had told him it would take a year before he could write properly again, if ever, but he was determined to get his hand functional again. Which meant pushing himself to the point of frustration. His head barely twitched as he heard the front door of he and Severus little townhouse swing open and then shut. Regulus had no doubt that it was Severus. He leaned back in his office chair and swallowed hard. "In the office," Regulus called out to his closest friend. "Tell me your day was more productive than mine."

[s-sn4ps]

"turn off your brain and just enjoy-"

i mean, that's easy for you to say, since you only use your skull for cold cut storage, but some of us use our brains to think.

[s-sn4ps]

[s-sn4ps]

Severus was unsure what to say. He didn’t really want to respond at all, but it seemed he had no choice in the matter. Not after he acknowledged her to begin with, anyway. If he had really wanted to avoid the conversation, he should have just left without a word - why hadn’t he? He sighed slightly, humming noncommittally instead of agreeing or disagreeing. It wasn’t any weirder to him than it had ever been. In fact, weird probably wasn’t the word he’d use at all, but he wasn’t about to get into that now. 

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.” He said softly. It was the same soft spoken, mild, uninterested tone he used for almost everyone else. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to want to speak to him or not. He had gone so long without - he had moved on. Hadn’t he? Severus blinked, drawing his cloak around himself and crossing his arms across his chest. He couldn’t help the small, derisive snort at her words. A while. That was certainly one way to put it. “It is not like we are friends.” A fact, not a snub. And why now, after so long? His skin crawled at the idea that his actions during the war had her thinking differently of him, too. Surely it wasn’t hard to imagine the answer to her question - after all, Lily was smart; so smart. She was there, at the meetings, when Dumbledore would force him to speak, to tell them about his time with the Death Eaters, and then sit like a wretched dog and receive his marching orders. Did she need him to say he was less than okay? Did she think he would? Had James Potter really twisted her up that much? “You do not need to pretend.”

It was not a shop he would normally go to - he much preferred Knockturn Alley to Diagon, but even the dark shadows there did not seem as welcoming to him as they once had. They had lost their charm after the war, anyway, he told himself. He wasn’t missing anything. Still, he would keep his errand brief. Severus did not like to be out in public much these days - not that he ever had, but even less so as of late. The chime annoyed him as he opened the door and it was with a sour expression that he glanced around, trying to get his bearings so he could shop and leave as quickly as possible.

He was hardly halfway up the first aisle when he heard a loud commotion just to his left and he glanced up in disdain, but did not expect to see her. The unmistakable flash of red hair as she bent to pick them up, the obvious blush to her cheeks - and suddenly their eyes met. He couldn’t pretend not to have seen her, especially not when she was so close. It was closer to her than he’d been in years, even in Order meetings - he had made a point to make sure of it. He had pretended she didn’t exist when they ended up at the same long table, sat on the opposite side, left quickly when it was over. He always assumed she did the same; just two ghosts.

Although Lily smiled at him as she spoke, his features remained neutral - the most he offered her was to wipe the sneer from his features. “I would imagine so, yes.” He said quietly, not sure why he was even responding at all. His hand twitched, as if to help her, but he stayed still.

[s-sn4ps]

[s-sn4ps]

He was behind on his obligations. Severus had grown accustomed to being busy, but this was somehow more than he had even had going on in the thick of the war. St. Mungo's was still slammed, and students seemed to be trying harder and harder to get out of class - the demand for potions was through the roof. He had three cauldrons brewing large batches almost every night just to keep up. Not that he particularly minded, really - it got him out of having to host detention. Still, he would be thankful for a night in his quarters with a glass of wine and the latest edition of Potions Monthly.

Rounding the corner, he saw a familiar face at the nurse's station where he was to drop his bundle. Severus placed the box on the counter, announcing his presence and interrupting the conversation that had been taking place. He scooted the box toward the employee, and turned. "Andromeda." He greeted with a nod.

@dromedaxtonks

[s-sn4ps]

His hands were shaking as he folded up the Prophet. He didn’t usually read anything but Good News, Bad News, Magic News, International, and of course, Potions sections - but his own name had caught his eye in the Opinion section, of all places. And not only that, but Rita Skeeter’s column. And while he was growing more and more used to this occurring, he had expected something else about his supposed lies and deceit during the war. But what he had read was…. far different.

He tried to put it out of his mind, it was Rita Skeeter after all. But she hadn’t been the one to propose the idea had she? Who had sent it in? Not knowing made him wary, as he couldn’t know the credibility. What if it had been Ivy? Surely, she would have told him. Wouldn’t she? He did the math quickly in his head - he didn’t like the answer.

Before he knew it, and without really remembering how he had gotten there, Severus stood on her doorstep, banging heavily on her door, paper still clenched tightly in his other hand.

@pciscnparkinscn