PERFIDIOUS (READER X SEVERUS SNAPE)

DARK MARK

Snape didn't let you out of his sight for the remainder of the weekend. Early Monday morning, you began having a nightmare that Bellatrix was torturing you for more information about your parents whereabouts.

"I don't know" You cried, stirring in bed.

"Please don't hurt me" You shouted, starting to cry.

Snape instantly woke up from your cries, he saw you panting rapidly and pulled you into him hushing you softly. Waking from his touch, you buried your face into his neck gripping onto his t-shirt from fear.

"It's okay, it's just in your head. You're safe, I've got you" Snape whispered softly.

Your breathing soon started to calm down, not taking you long to drift off back to sleep with your face still buried into his neck.

Snape kissed your head and stroked your arm gently, looking down at your dark mark. He wasn't able to return back to sleep from worried thoughts about Voldemort's next move. Snape knew the demise of Hogwarts was due at any given moment now that Voldemort had recruited more death eaters; this only made Snape even more anxious for your safety.

After some time, Snape gently pulled you off him laying you down onto his side of the bed and got out of bed. He glanced over at his grandfather clock, it was 06:40am.

Snape quietly dressed, made himself a cup of tea and sat down in his arm chair, making the most of his downtime left. He picked up some parchment and a quill to start listing the potions he needed to stock up on in his personal cupboard.

The sound of two taps against Snape's window caught him by surprise.

Snape quickly glanced over at you to see if you had been disturbed but fortunately you were still asleep. He then walked over to the window moving the curtain to see where the noise had come from. A tawny owl was sat on his window ledge holding the daily prophet in it's beak. Snape opened the window and took it off of the owl then watching it fly off into the distance.

Snape closed the window and curtain, he turned unfolding the daily prophet to read it but was suddenly startled when seeing you awake, stood in the living area.

"Good Morning, I am sorry if that noise woke you" Snape said.

"Oh don't worry, it is not long before I would normally be awake anyway" You replied, pulling the shirt of Snape's you had thrown on down over your knees from how cold the room was.

"How comes you are up anyway?" You added, sitting down on the sofa.

Snape walked over and sat next to you wrapping his blanket around you to keep you warm, he then cast his wand to light the fire.

"You were... stirring" Snape replied, picking up his cup of tea and passing it to you for you to drink.

You were completely unaware you had nightmare about Bellatrix.

"Oh sorry about" You frowned.

Snape shook his head at you for you not to apologise, he cupped your chin gently and kissed you softly. You smiled and cuddled into him, sipping slowly on his tea.

Snape looked down at the daily prophet reading the headline, he huffed causing you to look.

"Dumbledore Dead... Severus Snape appointed new headmaster of Hogwarts... murder investigation launched" You read, then looking up at Snape.

Snape unfolded the rest of the daily prophet looking down at a picture of himself and Dumbledore together they had used for the article. After a few moments he quickly folded it back up, chucking it to one side.