A Light in the Dark (Severus Snape x OC)

Chapter 7: A Secret(s) Revealed

PLEASE NOTE: THIS CHAPTER HAS SEVERAL TRIGGER WARNINGS AS THIS CHAPTER REFERENCES SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE, SELF-INJURY, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDE. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. THANKS!

Over the next few weeks, Severus and Laura spent more and more time together. They didn't leave the castle much but spent quite a bit of time in Laura's chambers. Most of their time consisted of reading together or curling up on the couch. They would sometimes work on their own projects in the same room or grade papers together. They would, every so often, skip dinner in the great hall and Laura would cook. Severus loved when Laura cooked, as it reminded of a home he never had.

Severus found himself caring more for Laura than he ever thought possible. Severus didn't consider himself an affectionate person, but when it came to Laura, all he wanted was to be affectionate with her. He would often hold her hand, even if he and Laura were just reading on the couch, or he'd pull her legs over his lap, gently rubbing them with his hands, or, if they were the only two in a corridor, he would pull her aside and kiss her before walking off.

Severus noticed Laura was more hesitant when it came to affection, which surprised him with how warm and welcoming Laura was. They would kiss on the couch, but when it seemed to be moving too fast, Laura would pull back. If Severus moved his hands near Laura's left arm, she would quickly pull away. Severus worried he was doing something wrong, but maybe Laura wasn't ready for more.

Valentine's Day soon arrived, and Severus asked Laura if she wanted to do anything, but she told him she just wanted to spend time with him. He invited her to his chambers, which she had never been to and that made Severus a little nervous. Laura's chambers were warm and inviting, like her, while Severus's were cold and unwelcoming, like him. Or at least, that's how he saw himself, but Laura didn't seem to see him that way.

She came that night and found that Severus had put together a romantic dinner for the two. He even put candles on the kitchen table to go with the meal. He watched Laura as she saw the table. A soft smile formed on her face as she turned to him. Severus thought she looked touched by his gesture and he was guessing that she wasn't used to that kindness, but they had that in common.

They ate dinner happily, talking about different subjects and Severus didn't want the night to end. He worried Laura wouldn't like the dinner, since he didn't cook much, but she seemed to enjoy it and she thanked him for cooking. He watched her while they ate. She always seemed so grateful for the smallest gestures and it made him wonder if she had faced cruelty in her life.

After dinner, Severus cleaned up and moved to the couch when he was done, pulling Laura with him. They hadn't yet discussed sex, but Severus was only human, and had started thinking about it more and more with Laura, especially since he had been having dreams about being intimate with her. He pulled her onto his lap and began gently kissing and sucking her neck. His hands began moving up and down Laura's back, before slithering up her shirt.

Severus didn't realize Laura was getting nervous and she practically jumped off him in a panic. "I-I can't do this yet. I'm sorry, I have to go." Laura ran out quickly, leaving Severus worried about what he had done, and he was also sad, as he didn't have a chance to give Laura her Valentine's Day gift. He had never bought someone a Valentine's gift.

His worries carried over to the next day as Severus sat in his office, trying to grade papers, but he found those worries were causing a distraction and he hadn't made much progress on getting them done.

He wound up staring at one of the papers he was grading, completely lost in thought before a hand broke his gaze as it put a sunflower in front of him. Severus's eyes flicked up, seeing Laura in front of his desk, looking exhausted.