đSeverus Snape x Herbology Professor(or intern/new professor)!Reader
đSFW: Fluff, kind of slowburn ish, Snape falling in love for you, Snape asks you out at the end, reader being kind of oblivious to Snapeâs feelings, McGonagall not so secretly rooting for youÂ
A/N: This was a request I got a long while ago that I forgot to publish and then I accidentally deleted my entire inbox ago like a week and a half ago⊠oops. Still working on that Harry smut, energy has been finicky and Iâm also running out of title names soâŠenjoy! Also I kind of made up herbs here so....I can't remember if everything mentioned is genuinely in Harry Potter. I got lazy, ok?
The last rays of sun filtered in through the greenhouse glass, casting long amber streaks across the rows of plants. The warmth of the day still clung to the air, mingling with the earthy scent of damp soil and fresh herbs. You were bent over a tray of dittany, carefully snipping the mature stems, fingertips smudged green and brown.
A faint click of the door opening broke the quiet.
âI assumed this time of day would afford me some peace,â came the familiar drawl, dry as ever.
You didnât look up right away, too focused on trimming the final sprig just so. âIt usually does. But Pomona let me stay lateâsheâs already gone for the evening.â
You turned then, wiping your hands on the edge of your robe. âIf youâre here for your asphodel, I set aside a few roots. The good ones.â
Snape paused, half-shadowed in the doorway, robes billowing slightly with the breeze that followed him in. âYouâve taken to preparing them for me now, have you?â
You shrugged, a small smile tugging at your lips. âWell, you donât like when the third-years mangle it. Figured Iâd save us both the trouble.â
He stepped forward slowly, eyeing the basket of sorted roots with a furrowed brow that wasnât quite irritation. You knew that look by nowâit was his version ofâŠappreciation, maybe.
âYouâre far too accommodating,â he muttered, reaching for the basket.
You tilted your head. âYou say that like itâs a flaw.â
There was a beat of silence. He didnât respond, not directly. Instead, he took the basket and turned away, muttering something that might have been âHmph. At least someone here is competent.â
As he pushed the door open, you called gently after him, âYouâre welcome, Severus.â
He paused again. Just briefly. Didnât turn back. But the door closed a little more gently than usual behind him.
The last of the students had filed out in a flurry of parchment and scuffed shoes, leaving behind the usual aftermathâdried potions clinging to cauldrons, the faint scent of burnt lavender, and his patience hanging by a thread. Snape waved his wand with a practiced flick, vanishing the worst of the mess, but left the benches and shelves untouched.
You were usually in the dungeons by now, carrying that blasted basket of herbs and trimmed ingredients like it was second nature. No fanfare. No knock. Just a soft rustle of robes and the gentle thud of the basket placed near his desk.
But the hallway outside was silent.
He paced once behind his desk, then again. Sat. Stood up. Adjusted the jars along the side shelf with more force than needed.
He had no use for distractions. Least of all ones that came in the shape of a professor too kind for your own goodâoffering him perfect snips of monkshood and bundles of fresh lavender, leaving little parchment notes in neat handwriting:
âFigured youâd want this batchâfresh from greenhouse three. â
He still had yesterdayâs note tucked under a stack of unused parchment, though he told himself it was only because he might need to reference it later.
Another glance at the time.
Then, as if summonedâsoft footsteps echoed down the hall. A pause. The faint creak of the classroom door, opening just a bit.
Your voice, a quiet breath of warmth in the gloom:
âSorry Iâm late. I got caught up de-thorning the wandwood. Nasty thing today.â
Snape didnât move at first. He just blinked at you from behind his desk, caught somewhere between relief and something far more irritating.
You stepped fully inside, brushing a stray leaf from your sleeve as you set the basket down. âI brought extra. Pomona said the next few weeks might be rough with the way the fluxweedâs reacting to the moon cycle.â
Still, he said nothing. Just looked at you. A little too long.
ââŠIs everything alright?â you asked finally, uncertain.
Snape cleared his throat. âPerfectly fine,â he said, voice clipped. âYouâre late.â
You raised an eyebrow, more amused than offended. âDidnât know you timed my deliveries.â
You only smiled, starting to turn to go. âAlright, then. Iâll be out of your way.â
But this time, he spoke before you reached the door.
ââŠI expect the same quality tomorrow,â he said, low and almost gruff. âIf youâre planning to make a habit of it.â
You turned back, eyes bright with just the hint of a knowing smile. âOf course, Professor.â
And then you left. And he stood there for a moment longer than he meant to, listening to the echo of your footsteps as they faded down the corridor.
The kettle was whistling gently in the corner as you poured yourself a cup of tea, the clink of ceramic and quiet shuffle of parchment the only sounds in the room. A rare moment of peace between classes.
âAh, there you are,â came McGonagallâs voice, crisp and familiar, as she stepped inside with a small stack of essays in hand. âI thought I saw you duck in.â
You smiled over your shoulder. âJust grabbing a quick cup. The third-years nearly destroyed my entire bench this morning trying to identify waterweed.â
She tsked sympathetically, setting her papers down and conjuring a second cup for herself. âBetter yours than mine,â she murmured, then took a sip. âThough I must sayâHerbology seems to be agreeing with more than just your students lately.â
You blinked, turning slightly. ââŠPardon?â
McGonagallâs expression didnât change much, but there was an unmistakable gleam in her eyes. âSeverus has been⊠unusually tolerable these past few weeks.â
Your brows lifted. âTolerable?â
âOh, donât look so surprised,â she said, waving a hand. âIâm quite fond of the man in my own way, but Iâve known Severus for decades. He doesnât do pleasant unless somethingâs caused itâor someone.â
Heat began creeping up your neck, but you busied yourself with stirring your tea. âMaybe heâs just been getting more sleep.â
âI highly doubt that,â McGonagall quipped, then added more softly, âHeâs been speaking quite highly of the new monkshood you brought in. Very precise. And Iâve heard him recommend your tincture preservation methods to Slughorn.â
You blinked. âHe⊠recommended me?â
âMmhmm.â She glanced at you over her glasses. âSo whatever it is youâve been bringing down to those dungeonsâitâs working.â
You chuckled nervously, pressing the rim of your cup to your lips to hide your smile. âItâs just plants, Minerva.â
âYes,â she said, tone far too knowing, âand perhaps something a bit more human than that.â
And with that, she turned back to her papers, utterly serene, like she hadnât just thrown your morning into a tailspin.
Your knuckles tapped gently against the heavy door of his office. It was half openârare. Even rarer that the flickering firelight within actually gave the place a warm glow.
âCome in,â came that familiar, velvet-dry voice.
You stepped inside, arms cradling the satchel of fresh-cut lovage and yarrow. âBrought your request, Professor.â
âMust you always call me that?â he asked, barely glancing up from his parchment. âWeâre both professors.â
You smiled faintly as you walked closer, noting the way his hand had paused mid-sentence. âHabit, I guess.â
Snape looked up thenâreally lookedâand his expression softened almost imperceptibly. You didnât miss the way his eyes lingered. You never did.
âI harvested the yarrow early this morning,â you added, laying the bundle gently across a cleared space on his desk. âBefore the sun fully crested. Itâs more potent that way.â
He nodded, fingertips brushing the stalks like they were something rare. âOf course youâd know that.â
There was something in his tone. Not sarcasm, not dismissive. Just⊠low, quiet appreciation. It made your chest tighten.
âYou always bring exactly what I need,â he said after a beat, voice even softer now. âEven before I realize Iâve run out.â
You shrugged gently, watching him with careful eyes. âThatâs what colleagues are for.â
He didnât loom the way others claimed he didâno, this was different. Hesitant. Like he was standing on the edge of something he hadnât allowed himself to want in years. Maybe ever.
âIâm notâŠâ he started, then stopped. Frowned. Tried again. âI donât do this.â
You tilted your head. âDo what?â
He stepped closer. âThis. Whatever this is between us.â
âIâve watched you flit about this castle with a smile that could undo the very seams of a manâs restraint,â he said, voice low. âAnd yet, you never seem to notice the effect you have. On me.â
A silence stretched. You felt it crackling between you like static.
And then, almost shylyâalmostâhe reached out, fingers brushing yours. Testing.
âIf I were to ask if I might⊠take you to Hogsmeade. Not as a colleague. Not as a favor.â His eyes held yours. âBut as a man very foolishly falling for you.â
You stepped closer, letting your fingers slip fully into his hand.
âIâd say yes,â you murmured. âEven if you are a little foolish.â
His mouth quirked upward. Just slightly. Just enough.
And in the quiet of his dungeon office, for the first time in far too long, Severus Snape let himself feel hope.