You had been gone from the castle to tend to your sick mother and it had torn severus apart. He never expected to become so foolishly dependent on a woman, much less the hufflepuff herbology proffessor, but here he is. Grovelling at your feet the moment you return “make your excuse and meet me in my chambers” he murmurs into your ear, his hand just barely grazing your hip as he storms out of the great hall with an urgency he didn’t realise he had.

You had been teasing him all 2 weeks of your trip, tempting him with the idea of spending time with your childhood friend, Felix- was his name- severus recalled. And he also recalled the bitter taste it left in his mouth when he read it in your letters, near cursive handwriting that he’d been obsessing over as if it was all he had left of you.

By the time you step foot into his chambers he’s already tugging you into his arms and towards the bed. Gentle- as always, but more desperate. He doesn’t speak at first, focusing on kissing you like he’s memorising you all over again. His hands are cupping the back of your head, threaded carefully through the strands of hair, and his knee lightly presses between your thighs.