Severus Snape Oneshots

A Peaceful Silence

The moon is a beautiful and mysterious object. Even the whole universe itself is. Maybe Tralawney isn't totally crazy. She still is, but she was right about one thing. The moon is simply a mirror of yourself and your life.

Not literally, of course.

But rather, the idea that something was always looking down at you, shining bright on your face in the dark. Sometimes it showed different parts of itself, hiding behind clouds of uncertainty. Depending on your perception, or even your level of eyesight, everyone would always see the moon differently. From a different perspective, from a different point of view, and with a different mindset. Some just saw a huge luminous rock in the sky that disappears during daybreak. But you, on the other hand, see another world waiting to be discovered. The moon has a personality, it has texture, and it has such a complex surface. One that you could trace your fingers over if you just imagined hard enough.

The air surrounding the Astronomy tower tonight isn't warm, but it isn't terribly cold. It was one of those nights where you had a break from the heat, but each time you drew in a breath it gave your lungs goosebumps.

It was silent moments like this that you craved. It detoxed your soul, ridding it of the stress that had been accumulated throughout the day.

Your hands rests on the stone rails that keep you from falling. To think how many people have once stood in this exact spot is hard to imagine.

Faint footsteps clack against the steps of Astronomy Tower's stone staircase. It certainly wasn't Cedric or Draco- as the footsteps were much heavier and slower paced compared to your friends's..

You are a bit unsettled by the escalating sound, unsure of who it could be. If it is a teacher, or God forbid- Filch.. You'd be getting yourself a one way ticket to detention.

You sigh under your breath and are left with no choice but to see who the footsteps belong to.

Three seconds later, a top of a head emerges. Walking up the rest of the steps, the figure is fully in sight and you see that it is Professor Snape.

You turn your back to him, waiting for him to notice you a few feet away and give you detention.

Instead of calling out your name immediately in a scolding tone, he continues to walk- his steps more gentle.

He walks over to the railing, a few feet down from you. His cloak sways behind him as his arms reach out, his hands resting on the stone railing of the tower like you had done a few moments ago.

You close your eyes and tilt your head back, inhaling the night air before slowly letting the oxygen leave your lungs.

"Aren't you going to give me a detention, Professor?" You hesitantly ask, turning your body towards him.

The man slightly turns his head to you, gazing at you out of the corner of his eye.

"Would you like me to?" He asks, slightly raising an eyebrow. It wasn't a sarcastic statement, per say. But rather, a genuine question- one that made you reconsider your past words.

"No. No, I suppose not." You shrug, lips curling upwards in an appreciative smile. Your gaze falls back to the scenery, watching the forest under the moonlight. Maybe he comes up here other days as well?

"I may be one to enforce strict rules... However, you seem to have caught me in a good mood." He lowly replies, his mouth barely moving as he talks.

"Favoritism, as well? I know that if Potter were up here, you'd give him the boot to have the tower to yourself." You grin, looking at the ebony-haired man.

He sighs and a cold breath of air leaves his mouth. He shakes his head slightly, trying to hide his smirk behind the curtain of his hair.

"Careful, Y/L/N. Maybe I'll give you 'the boot' as well." He replies.

Various insects are heard all the way from up here, a symphony of grasshoppers speaking. Besides that, everything is silent.

"What are you doing up here so late,
Y/L/N?" Professor Snape asks, turning his body to you but keeping his left hand on the rail.

"I could ask you the same, Professor." You retort, not meeting his gaze. You hadn't meant to sound so cold, it's just that you were naturally a more reserved person. Typical Slytherin, you could call it.

You could see his eyes slightly narrow at your impolite response, likely tempted to throw a mouthful of snarky remarks back at you. But instead, he merely shakes his head and looks away from you.

"Couldn't sleep." He mutters, his eyes falling slightly, yet not dropping his cold front.

You genuinely weren't expecting a reply to your past comment.

"Me neither." You whisper, bringing a cold hand to rub the back of your neck with a sigh.

"Sometimes I come up here to look around. I can't say that it makes me want to go back to bed, but it at least provides one good outcome of this situation- a chance to gaze at a fantastic landscape.." you pause in thought, before carrying on. "If I somehow manage to fall asleep when I go back to bed, the last thing I see behind my eyelids before everything fades to black are the stars and trees- rather than whatever hellish nightmare my mind woke me up from the hour previously." You admit, looking over the edge of the railing.

The man doesn't say anything. At first you had thought that he tuned you out, until his deep voice softly breaks through the silence.

"I have a cauldron of calming draught and peaceful dreaming draught that will be prepared by tomorrow. Yet.. something tells me that you'd rather use this for a treatment." He states, looking around the tower for emphasis.

You weakly smile and nod your head.

"You're right... But thank you for the offer, sir." You murmur, closing your eyes for a moment.

"I suppose I will take my leave.. and you- you need to get to bed." He orders.

You smile and nod your head, silently agreeing with him.

"Good night, Professor."

He merely nods in reply before beginning to walk down the cold steps of the tower.