This was humiliating.

Severus asking for help was humiliating. Usually he’d just ask Lily, or…at least he would have before he messed everything up between them.

Now he had to ask you of all people to help him with Astronomy.

Severus was smart- he knew that, everyone knew that. He had corrected the entire potions textbook by himself after all, and was in the top of all his classes (and in constant competition with Sirius and Remus).

The only class he seemed to falter in was Astronomy.

He originally thought it would be easy; to learn about stars in the sky— simple stuff; after all, it was a core class. And it was easy…until he had to learn constellations, names of stars, how to read them, charting, watching, late night classes, predicting eclipses, etc.

It was all too much for the usually academic boy to take in. So, unfortunately for him, he enlisted the help of the top Astronomy student; you.

Best in the school and one of the only people who were nice to Severus, he thought you would be the best fit to help him catch up on his studies. It was embarrassing to admit but he had three overdue assignments in that class and he did not want to annoy his Professor any further.

Severus approached you at dinner that evening, ignoring the disgusted looks of the people you were sat with. “I need your help” he mumbled reluctantly, voice trembling a little from the sheer embarrassment, “I’m behind in Astronomy.”