Severus Snape ~ Anxiety
Word: Anxiety
Quote: “You were always the quiet one.”
Pairing: teacher!Severus Snape x child!Reader (non-romantic, just comfort for social anxiety)
Scene request: Student reader has anxiety issues (social anxiety) and has trouble speaking up in public. When called upon in Potions class, Snape realizes reader is struggling answering and observes their behavior, immediately providing reassurances after class.
Requested by: Anon
(was a little difficult to do. But I think I got it.)
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
You hated potions. Well, not particularly. You just often found yourself struggling to pay attention. It wasn’t so much the class itself, you enjoyed potions. It was just the professor, Snape in particular, that you often hated having to listen too. He was nothing more than a bully most of the time, picking on students who showed any sort of weakness. You weren’t sure why, let alone wanted to ask, but you were beginning to fall behind in class due to your less than enthusiastic behavior.
But now, as you found yourself stuck in the same boring class, you couldn’t help but to go off into dreamland. You began to imagine the silly little things you could do other than sitting in this class. Or at least what one of the Weasley twins were going to do as well. It probably was a lot more interesting…
“Y/N!”
You jumped at your name, your newest daydream completely ruined from the sudden outburst from the only person who could speak in the class. You found yourself staring up at the dark professor, feeling small compared to his incredible height. This was not how you wanted your day to go, hoping to go by unnoticed.
“Ms. Y/N, tell me, what are all the ingredients needed for the Draught of Peace?” Snape questioned you, watching as you squirmed in your seat. You were unable to answer, not so much that you didn’t know the answer, but that you couldn’t. You could not speak up in class and often found yourself tongue tied the moment you were called on. It got to the point that many of your professors refused to call upon you simply because you never responded. Snape never called upon you before so you thought you wouldn’t have to worry about answering anything in his class. Today, however, was not your day.
“Well?” his impatience was beginning to show as you ducked your head, merely shrugging your shoulders as an answer.
“I see. You failed to not only pay attention in class, but you are also unable to answer the question. You clearly show your incompetence,” his snap made you flinch, your head lowering further to your desk. You failed to see the raised brow then, or how his once harsh gaze softened slightly. You were only focused on making yourself smaller, hoping that all the sympathetic gazes would go away.
“See me after class, Y/N,” came the final snap, but it was less harsh than before, your flinch only slight. But the dread you felt then nearly sent you spirally out of control. Your anxiety increased tenfold, your body sliding further down in your chair to keep from being seen. Though you were curious as to why Snape, the hardest professor in existence, didn’t take points from your house. But that didn’t mean that the risk of losing points wasn’t still there. You would just have to wait and see what he would do.
XOXOXOXOXOX
Class ended and you remained in your seat, watching as your classmates sent you sympathetic glances before they all left you alone. You kept still, having kept your eyes glued to your desk to try and avoid the attention that the simple mistake sent your way. You didn’t like the attention. The eyes that would judge you. The way people would often show their emotions through them. It just didn’t feel right. You never felt right.
“Do you often struggle to speak in public, Y/N?” the direct question had you flinch slightly, your eyes slowly meeting that of your professor. But instead of a hard stare, you were greeted with concerned dark eyes, eyes that seemed to understand your predicament.
“Yes,” you gave the simple answer, shuffling the parchment on your desk as a distraction.
“Does it bother you to be the center of attention?”
“Yes.”
“Is that why you are often the last to turn in a test or such to my desk when I call for it?”
“Yes,” you continued with the simple answers, slowly putting away your supplies. You were surprised you were not being yelled at for giving only simple answers, but it was easier on you. You didn’t want to keep his gaze, see the judgement in them.
“How long have you suffered from anxiety?” Snape was blunt, receiving the information he needed. You knew this, knew it wouldn’t take him long to figure it out. You were not, however, sure how to answer his question. You always struggled with anxiety, social and otherwise. You would suffer from symptoms randomly or in instances of public speaking, which ruined your participation in class.
“Since I can remember,” you finally answered, standing from your desk.
“I see,” Snape didn’t reprimand you, merely kept his voice calm and relaxed as he approached your standing form.
“You are aware that your fears are groundless, correct?”
“I know,” you sighed at the next. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, unsure how many of these questions you had to answer. You were hoping he was going to hurry this up, but now you weren’t so sure. The moment that your eyes landed on your professor however, you realized that there was no teasing or cruelty in his words. You could see him thinking over something,
“Would you like for me to brew you some Draught of Peace to assist in your schooling?” his offer took you by surprise. Snape was being nice, offering to do something nice that no other student has ever received except those of his house. You weren’t sure how to respond, shuffling slightly as you thought it over.
“I… would be willing to try it,” you spoke softly, trying very hard to not seem too loud. Snape nodded, letting you know that he heard your words.
“Very well. We shall try this step before the others.”
“Others?”
“I may be a ruthless professor, at least according to the students, but I am not heartless. I have the means to help and am offering it,” his answer was unexpected but still held a bit of a bite to them that you were not prepared for. “Or am I wasting my time?”
“Oh no, I just… it’s not normal for someone to help me,” you sighed, running a hand through your hair. A grunt was your response before you were given instructions to meet with him later. You were confused before it dawned on you that he was going to brew the potion shortly in order to help you as soon as possible.
“Well, consider this a rarity in your life,” Snape waved you away in that moment, focused on getting a cauldron from the many around him. “Just keep this between us. Do I make myself clear, Y/N?”
“Yes professor,” you nodded, uncomfortable about the whole arrangement. It was then that you took your leave, rushing from the room the moment you could. The whole situation was weird to you, confusing and rushed, but you had to admit, you finally had a glimmer of hope. Though who it was through was not someone you would have chosen. Still, it made the day seem to go by a bit better. You just hoped he didn’t go back on his word. The ever mysterious Potions Master of Hogwarts.