You hadn’t meant to say it aloud. In fact, you were barely aware you were thinking at all.

— The hum of conversation in the staff room was a comforting blur—Minerva and Pomona were chatting over tea, Flitwick’s laughter trilled in bursts, and Hooch was muttering something about Quidditch scores. You, however, were somewhere else entirely. Your stomach growled, long and low, a sound so pitiful it might’ve earned sympathy if anyone had noticed. Slouched deep in the armchair, you absently chewed on your finger, eyes glazed over as your thoughts drifted far from the teacups and worn-out sofas.

“I’m so hungry I could actually eat Severus…”

The words slipped from your lips like a sigh. Soft. Casual. Almost dreamy. You didn’t hear yourself. You didn’t see the way the room suddenly stilled.

You remained nestled in your chair, finger still between your teeth, wholly unaware of how the staff room had turned into a portrait of stunned silence. The seductive angle of your posture—sprawled, lip curled slightly around your knuckle—hadn’t gone unnoticed either.

Flitwick made a choking noise. Pomona’s teacup rattled on its saucer. Hooch blinked. Severus, who had been reading a copy of Potions Monthly nearby, froze mid-page-turn. A flush crept up his pale neck.

It was Minerva who broke first.

A sharp bark of laughter shot across the room like a spell, followed by a ripple of stifled snorts and gasps. You blinked, finally emerging from your daze, frowning at the sudden attention.

It hit you then, like a hex to the chest. You said that out loud.

You stared, horrified, cheeks burning as half the room looked amused, the other half mortified. Severus still hadn’t moved, though his expression was unreadable—he looks rather curious and annoyed.

You wanted the floor to open and swallow you whole. Instead, it was Minerva’s laughter that swallowed the room.