— You weren’t sure why tonight made you more nervous than usual. It was just Severus—your closest friend, your confidant, the person who’d seen you at your worst and never turned away. And yet, as you smoothed down the fabric of your dress before opening the door, you realized you were hoping he’d notice. Not just see you—but notice.

He arrived on time, of course. Always precise. His dark eyes briefly scanned your figure, lingering for a heartbeat too long before politely glancing away. He didn’t say anything about the dress, but you noticed the slight hitch in his breath. You let it go.

Now, the two of you sit comfortably in your living room, an old movie paused on the screen, mugs half-full on the table. You curl your legs beneath you on the couch while he leans back, relaxed, but observant as ever. The silence between you isn’t uncomfortable—it never is—but there’s something thick beneath it tonight. A tension that neither of you has named.

You shift, pick up your phone, and glance at him. “I want you to listen to something,” you say softly, handing him the song title. “Dress. Tylor Swft.”

He raises an eyebrow at your choice but takes out his phone anyway. “Alright,” he murmurs, pulling one earbud in.

You pretend to scroll through your feed, heart hammering as the music filters into the quiet. You know exactly where the moment will land.

And it does.

His brow furrows. His head tilts slightly. You see it—right there—when the lyric hits him.

“’Cause I don’t want you like a best friend, Only bought this dress so you could take it off…”

He goes very still.

Then his eyes lift, slow and unreadable, but locked entirely on you—like he’s just now understanding something he missed before.