Unforeseen Affliction (snape x reader)

Confusion

Author's note: I finally figured out somewhat an outline for where I plan to take this story xD since I felt a little stuck after the last chapter. as always, thank u all for the support 😗❤️

"y/n." you hear a distant voice whisper.

You stir, feeling soft sheets engulfing you in warmth. Something touches your face.

"y/n..." you hear the deep voice whisper again.

Your eyes flutter open and you see Snape, standing next to the bed, leaning over you and stroking your cheek.

You smile up at him, comforted at the thought of having slept in his bed.

He removes his hand from your face and takes a step back.

"It's almost curfew," he says.

You nod, sitting up in the bed. You realize you're still naked and proceed to search for your clothes. Snape looks away from you and walks out of the room.

As you look around, you notice Professor Snape's quarters for the first time. When you first entered this room, you had your focus elsewhere and didn't get a chance to take in his furnishings and decorations. However, you're quickly enthralled by the coziness of it.

There's a fireplace across the bed and a couch on the left side of the room. Towards the right, there's a desk, sitting in front of a window of the lake. Shelves of books line the dark green walls. Although the room is sparsely decorated, there's a comforting feel about it.

Snape comes back into the room, your shirt in his hand. The buttons have been replaced on it and you assume he must've fixed it with magic. He walks to the side of the bed and hands it to you.

"I'll..." he clears his throat, "Let you get dressed."

Snape quickly glides out of the room and slams the door shut behind him. His behavior is odd, considering the events that took place not even an hour ago, but you let it go.

You find your skirt tangled in his blankets and pull on all your clothes. When you step out of his quarters into his office, you see him standing by a shelf, gazing at a book.

You awkwardly make your way to the door leading to the classroom and Snape only looks over at you when you're halfway out.

"Goodnight, y/n." he says steadily.

"Goodnight, Severus." you whisper.

Hearing you say his name startles him, but he shows no outward reaction to you. After you walk out and shut the door to his office, he sighs to himself. There's a part of him that regrets being so intimate with you.

You collect yourself and smoothly walk out of the Potions classroom, telling yourself a fake story in your head about what happened, just in case anyone stops to question you.

You try to walk softly through the dark dungeon corridor, not wanting to draw attention to yourself from the noise of your footsteps. You pull your robe tighter around your body, occasionally glancing behind you.

Just as you're about to turn a corner, you hear the sounds of a muffled conversation leak from around it.

"She would've come up by now, what teacher would hold her this late?" one voice hurriedly whispers.

"I saw her come down here!" another voice shoots back. You recognize it as the voice of the person Laura was swooning over before her disappearance.

Just as you peak your head around the wall, a voice booms from another corridor and the voices fall silent.

"What are you doing? Get back to your dormitories!"

You jump, startled. It takes you a second to realize the voice is not directed at you, but at the group of people talking amongst themselves. You peak around the wall and see them scatter unwillingly, Filch peering at them with a look of distaste in his eyes.

When Filch finally hobbles away, you cautiously resume walking through the corridors. An awful feeling settles in your gut as you walk to your dormitory. You can't help but wonder if the voices were talking about you.

You shake your head, pushing the thought away, and settle into bed.

***

Potions class had gone back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be.

Snape still tried to avoid your gaze throughout most of the period, but you didn't blame him. You knew how hard it was for you to focus with him in the same room as you, and you weren't the one who had to teach.

The hour was spent brewing Volubilis Potion and only two people in the class had gotten the brew just right to score full marks.

One of the people was a girl in Ravenclaw. Given that she was a seventh year, in the Potions club, and one of the smartest people in the school, it wasn't surprising.

The other person was you.

"I expect the complete reports on my desk at the start of class tomorrow." Professor Snape bellows from the top of the classroom.

A few people let out annoyed groans.

"And y/ln, I'd like to have a word with you after class." Snape says, lowering his voice to address you.

You look up at him and nod.

After cleaning up your workstation and packing up your things, you stand by your desk with your arms crossed. It's not long before the bell rings and the class leaves.

You turn towards Snape to find he's already standing. He waves the door shut and walks around to the front of his desk, leaning against it.

"y/ln..." he raises an eyebrow, "Your work in class today was very... abnormal."

You take a step towards him.

"I think you mean exceptional." you smirk.

Snape gives a slight roll of his eyes.

"Have you considered joining the Potions club?" he asks, pushing himself off his desk.

"No..." you reply, "But now that you mention it."

Spending your free time doing potions-related things didn't sound like the most appealing thing in the world, but getting to spend more time around Snape intrigued you.

"Don't get any crude ideas." he sneers, "I am simply suggesting a way for you to pursue the subject on a deeper level."

"Of course, Professor." you nod. You can see annoyance building up in his face.

"This has nothing to do with our...matters." he says, irritation filling his voice, "I am addressing you as my student, who, for some inexplicable reason, is appearing to do well in my class."

"I understand. I didn't assume-"

Snape shoots up a hand, "The meetings are held weekly on Thursdays before dinner. Inform me of your decision by next week."

"Okay. I'll think about it." you nod again.

You wait a second to see if he has anything else to say, but Snape just turns dramatically towards his desk. You start to make your way to the door.

Why the fuck is he acting so weird?

"y/ln." Snape says when you're halfway to the door.

You glance over your shoulder at him.

"I need to discuss some things with you. Come to my office at seven tonight." he says apathetically.

"Yes, Professor."

You rush out of the class before he can make any further remarks.

How does every interaction with him manage to leave me more confused?