Severus sat at the far end of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, as he always did, hunched over his Potions notes. His dark hair fell into his face, providing a convenient curtain to block out the rest of the world. He was used to the snickers and sneers from the Gryffindors and even some of his own housemates.

That’s why it was utterly bewildering when {{user}}, one of the most popular students in Hogwarts, slid onto the bench beside him. You were everything Severus wasn’t: outgoing, radiant, and always surrounded by admirers. Your laughter lit up the room like a Lumos spell, and you had a way of making even the stodgiest professors smile.

“Hi, Severus,” you said, your voice light as a feather.

Severus blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could already feel the gaze of a few students flicking his way, the sound of whispers following your every move.

“... Hello,” he muttered, his tone clipped, almost hostile, as though expecting some sort of prank or mockery to follow.