&. rodolphus.

A smirk grew on his face at the wizard’s reply. Snape remained in a state of stone-faced apathy, clearly hardened over years of careful practice. Perhaps he would win Rodolphus’ respect after all. His easy compliance was expected, but still appreciated. He had a well-researched knowledge of pureblood society, although he supposed it would come naturally when you found yourself completely immersed at such a young age. Still, Rodolphus had no worries of any boundaries being overstepped by ignorance. 

“As you know, one of the advantages we have in battle is our lack of moralistic inhibitions, but with the sudden introduction of this new, more radical opposition we need to maintain the upper hand.” He stated, a grimace playing on his lips. Losing this war was not an option; Rodolphus understood that more than most. His involvement was far too large to play off as anything but dedication and he knew, if it came down to it, his name would be spilled by everyone he currently called an ally. Therefore, he would do everything in his power to ensure  a total victory. 

“I’ve been working on some chemical weapons to give us the element of surprise. However, I’m in need of someone to mass-produce them and perhaps create others to truly give us the edge.” His triumphant expression returned with full-force. “You’d have access to the private Lestrange brewing room and any ingredients necessary, no matter the cost.” 

     ♠ A SMALL SMIRK GRACES HIS FACE at the mention of their morals. Of course a Lestrange would bring that up; he knew Rodolphus wasn’t as... unhinged as his wife ( if Bellatrix could even be called unhinged ), but there was this bloodlust that seemed to linger over their bloodline. The grimace on the other man’s face was, however, surprising - Severus had never even entertained the possibility of a loss, but seeing someone else consider it made his eyebrows furrow.

     The Aversio were a joke — they were incompetent by themselves, had no tact or knowledge that would give them an upper hand, and had proved to be entirely impulsive going by the assassination of the Minister and their odd little protest outside the Ministry. He supposes their unpredictability makes them a threat - he usually doesn’t underestimate something he can’t predict.

     Severus raises an eyebrow at the mention of chemical weapons — times like these he wonders if the Death Eaters were more familiar with Muggle technology than they let on. It had potential to be a most expedient weapon — even better than their little nightmare spells.   “ It won’t be easy or quick — chemicals and magic are a delicate combination, ”   he warns.

cautionary | r.l & s.s

&. sirius.

The last year had been the best of Sirius’ life. He had found a family, a home with the Potters - love and acceptance and belonging he had always craved, unattainable. It had been new, exciting. But now the Marauders were in their last year, nearly finished, and Hogwarts was theirs, just as the world waiting over the threshold was sure to be. There was nothing they couldn’t do, and the thought was exhilarating.

Sirius was happier than he could ever remember being.

But they were on the cusp of adulthood, of leaving the beloved castle for good. Hogwarts had been the first place he had felt home, a haven from the wrath and expectations of his mother and father. It was, at best, bittersweet.

Sirius’ feet had carried him down from Gryffindor Tower, wandering the corridors aimlessly; the end of the year had brought some duty or another for the prefect and Head Boy, and Peter had disappeared to discuss something with some professor. Sirius didn’t know, but he was left alone and repelled by the thought of packing.

Somehow - lost in thought - he ended up near the Black Lake and, as if by divine intervention, his eyes focused on him. Immediately, lips curled and eyes narrowed, and he made straight for the boy, hands tucked into pockets. “Reckon you oughta take one last swim,” he jeered as he approached. “Maybe we’ll all get lucky and the Squid will eat you.” A lovely going away present. “Though, to be honest, I think you’d be too…greasy. Might give’er a tummy ache.”

     ♠ IT WAS ASTOUNDING, HOW LITTLE he cared for Black’s presence now. Years of taunts and sudden hexes had made his skin especially thick, and the fact that he held a tactical advantage over the entire group of fuck-ups helped. Really, it was quite stupid of them to continue trying to rile him up after his little insight into Lupin’s monthly problem. He would be admittedly surprised, though, if Black had the tact to not antagonize him.

     “ 7 years, and yet you can’t think of anything beyond my hair. Clearly age is not indicative of mental growth, ”   Severus muses, his tone flat as ever. His wand is safe in his pocket, but something tells him it may not be necessary. Intellectual victories were far more satisfying than any hex or curse, and he didn’t feel the need to dampen his last day for some good-for-nothing blood traitor who liked to believe he was still 10. Pathetic. 

end | sirius&severus

&. amos.

      ◆ RESTLESS FINGERS TAPPED AGAINST HIS GLASS – untouched, even though he’d been sitting there for the past half hour, attempting to return to what’d once been normal. A drink after work, normally with friends to be fair, but Amos hadn’t quite felt up for company. The nightmares that’d sent him on the run still plaguing him – and it was hard to grin, joke around as if everything was back to where they’d been months ago. No, he could feel the pressing weight of needing to do something to end this, to protect the people he loved and keep them from further harm.

     How – that still escaped him, although before he could linger long on the issue, he felt distinctly uncomfortable. As if something had pinpointed directly on him – paranoia, maybe, but these days he was on edge, the slightest shift enough to set unease trickling down his mind. It wasn’t long before his gaze settled on the dark eyes resting on him, unwavering in their attention. “You’re gawking. Did you want something?” It wasn’t hostile – not entirely, but his words held a hiss to them, hoping that the stranger would get the message.

     ♠ THE SUDDEN VOICE YANKS SEVERUS OUT OF HIS THOUGHTS. He blinks, tearing his eyes away from the boy’s face, glancing at his glass that still seemed to not be empty. He gulps down its contents quickly, the burn furthermore reinforcing that he was in the present, not thinking about his next meeting with the Dark Lord or worrying about the repercussions of keeping a prophecy as a secret. It was risky, and he could be killed, but it didn’t seem r i g h t. 

     Severus wouldn’t apologise to the boy, though. Not for something that he wasn’t doing intentionally, and it wasn’t as thought he’d ever been a pleasant person. Narrowing his eyes and turning his head to look at that face again, he snaps,   “ Merlin, calm the fuck down. You’re jumpy. ”

internal conflict | a.d & s.s

&. lily.

“It’s just a turn of phrase, Severus.” She had forgotten how her blood boiled around him. How one glance brought back every painful memory, every moment that people had tried to point to all of the things he did that screamed bad. She had defended him, defended whatever sort of anything they had, for years. He never really meant it, she would argue to those around her. For so long he had been the only one to understand her, but a day that now seemed eons ago tore all of that apart.

Lily Evans had given up that day. 

She had given up and not turned back since.

Now, though, he demanded her attention. They were here, and there was no way to avoid the other. They were here, and he couldn’t even turn to look at her. “You don’t own Cokeworth,” she retorted back, before inhaling sharply. 

“My mother’s garden is in bloom. The couple that bought the house lets me come over and -” She stopped. Why did she have to explain this, explain anything, to him? She could claim that she had come to this side of town to check in on Petunia, but he wouldn’t care, for surely he had some knowledge of what had happened to her sister, to her. “This place always calms me.” Until now, she thought.

     ♠ HIS FINGERS GRIP THE GRASS. “Funny. I remember you caring more about incidental phrases in the past.” His voice is stone cold - there are no inflections, nothing to denote any sentiment. His detachment towards his old friend ran deeper than anything. Perhaps things would have been different if he’d continued to crush his pride and apologise to a stuck-up bint. Maybe she’d have forgiven him after years of constantly embarrassing himself — he valued himself and his growth too much to let some pathetic friend define his future.

     It never mattered to her that he didn’t mean it. Didn’t matter to her that he’d spent months apologizing, suffering absolute hatred and embarrassment at the hands of those he’d sought to impress to regain ground in his heartless house. Lily had always been a selfish friend in his mind — always caring more about herself, about how he should stop talking to the boys in his house because she thought they were Dark. 

                   It was truly pathetic that he’d let her control his life for so long.                    Not anymore.

     “ Never said I did. ”   His eyes roll to the back of his head in exasperation. His anger is always just ready to b u r s t around her. Her presence set his brain on fire, made him want to get unnaturally evil and violent. His research into Legilimency had helped him with self-control, and it took him all he had to not draw his wand and stun her. Severus stays on the grass, still not looking at her.

     His eyes still shut, Severus smirks cruelly.                       “ Don’t let me stop you, Evans. ”

face à face | l.e & s.s

&. tilden.

There was incredibly little recognition on the other’s face, which wasn’t surprising, so the professional mask and service voice slipped on a little more securely and he straightened. If Severus wasn’t looking for a friendly conversation, (little seemed to have changed) then hopefully it would be over quickly.

“Sure, this way.” Tilden gestured down an ailse and started to walk along it, looking back. “Anything in particular? Small, large, medium plants? Do you have a couple of plants in mind?

     ♠ HE SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE QUESTIONS. He wasn’t going to divulge which plants - he’d already researched the growing environments required for each of the poison plants he would be planting. But he still should have expected the questions, and so the flash of irritation that flashed across his brain should have been unwarranted.

     He follows the boy. Tilen? Tidan? Tilden? Severus doesn’t care much.        “ I already have the seeds. Relatively small plants. A little temperamental. ”

additives | t.t & s.s

&. rodolphus.

Rodolphus watched the wizard take in his surroundings. It was obvious, even without taking his appearance into consideration, that the boy did not come from wealth. He was clearly adept at hiding his awe, but Rodolphus easily recognised the admiration reflected in his dark eyes. He understood, on a purely hypothetical basis, how difficult it must be to integrate oneself into pureblood culture so he did not deign to mention the awkwardness that permeated the room.

His eyebrow raised in amusement at Snape’s displeasure. It seemed to Rodolphus he had not yet made peace with his inadequacy. While the Lestrange name was a lot to bear, it was a gift; over time it made you stronger. Lesser names carried an entirely different weight altogether and only grew heavier over time. However, Rodolphus believed, it was better to accept that and strive for greatness in spite of it.

“Between you and a certain werewolf my supply may finally deplete.” He commented dryly, clicking his fingers together to summon a house elf. His own glass rested firmly in his grasp and he brought it to his lips, savouring the liquid with the words on his tongue. “Let us cut to the chase then, shall we?” He began, voice smooth and professional. “The Dark Lord has offered me your services; I’ve heard you have quite a talent where potions are concerned and I’m in need of assistance.”

     ♠ HIS MIND IS ABSOLUTELY SATIATED. Just the idea that the Dark Lord suggested him to other members of their revolution for potions-related services was an achievement of its own. Inner Circle members mostly knew each other; the fact that the man he truly considered a prodigy had deigned him suitable to recommend to other members meant more than anybody would have expected for him. His blood status had finally taken a seat; his abilities finally spoke for his character.

     Severus doesn’t betray even an ounce of this excitement in his eyes or demeanour. His external expression remains the same - one of curiosity and apathy only. It was detrimental to his success — the Death Eaters were a ruthless and manipulative group. Betraying emotion, no matter how positive, would be a gigantic mistake, especially in front of a Lestrange. He doesn’t trust any of them; he knows that treason would be commonplace in the event of failure. He himself would give up names to protect himself. ( He already had; December was an unexpected month. )

     He takes the glass from the house-elf and takes a gradual sip, the liquid burning its path down his throat. Sitting back in his seat, he looks at the man over the rim of his glass. Things like these were usually discreet and covert; it was uncommon for him to know the identity of the buyer.   “ What do you need ? ”

cautionary | r.l & s.s

&. fenrir.

    His tongue rolled the inside of his cheek, tasting blood that could have been his own or could have been that of those whose throats he had ripped to shreds, but he couldn’t tell the difference. He had stumbled back to his home the night before and passed out on his sofa, without bothering to shower or change, but the stench of dried blood had never bothered him before. The wolf inside his growled in approval at the memory of the events of the previous, before turning its keen, judgemental eyes towards the man standing on his doorstep.

    Fenrir couldn’t read minds, he didn’t possess such skill as he shied away from most wizarding practices out of principle, but he could read facial expressions and his eyes narrowed in response. Head lowered and shoulders hunched forward, he stepped in close to the man and breathed harshly in his face, “what did you just tell me to do?” He ground his teeth together before snapping back, as if he hadn’t done anything at all, as if a switch had flipped in his mind and changed his personality all together.

    “You better come in whilst I fetch it. Folk round here don’t like wizards lurking” he smirked, stepping back for the other man to pass.

     ♠ PHYSICAL INTIMIDATION HAD NEVER BEEN his strong suit. Severus was a lanky man which no muscle to speak of — he took pride in his magical abilities, not in whether to could punch a person to death or tower over them. While his height could have permitted it, years of being hunched over, trying not to draw attention to himself, and lurking in dark corners did not bode well for intimidation. This was one area in which Greyback had him beat, although the wand in his holster reassured him tremendously.

     Unwilling to accept it, however, Severus stands his ground. He will not be scared of a werewolf — he will not be scared of a monstrosity. He has stood in the presence of the Dark Lord himself without quivering; this was mere child’s play. Valuing self-preservation, however, he does not dignify the mutt with a response. He simply ignores that the incident ever happened, and steps inside the wolf’s home ( his mind automatically imposes a mocking lilt to the word ), taking his warning at heart.

     Not willing to sit down, nor gaze around the room, his eyes simply follow Greyback’s movements.   “ Is it going to take some time ? ”

dégoûtant | f.g & s.s

&. natalie.

Severus was a funny one.  He was a Slytherin, sure, and had that same penchant for the darkness that many of their fellows shared.  He kept to himself and didn’t seem to want much in the way of companions, which seemed so foreign to the quiet but social butterfly in Natalie.  It would be easy to ignore or discount him, and many people did, but something about him… he didn’t fit the mold of a Death Eater, and that brought a strange sense of kinship between the two of them.  Natalie wanted to understand what went on in that brooding head of his, and as far as people went, he didn’t seem to mind her company that much.  

“So are you just going to stare at me and smoke or actually say hello?” Natalie grinned, walking over to Severus and plopping down beside him.  “Didn’t realize you smoked.  Nasty habit, according to Granmama, but it suits you, I suppose…”  Natalie looked at him carefully, the weight of the war hitting her once more.  It was nice to be in the company of someone who got it.  “How’re you… doing?  Y’know, with everything?  There’s been a lot going on, just… checking up on things I guess…”

     ♠ SO MUCH FOR REMAINING UNNOTICEABLE. His mood wasn’t unpleasant, however, so he decided to indulge her. It wasn’t uncommon for him to partake in conversation; the man knew how to converse, his Slytherin upbringing had made sure of it. There was always something to be earned from a conversation, no matter how simple or trivial. His tendency to try and stay unbothered simply arose from his affinity to offend - people tended to be stupider than him, and it was exhausting to consistently dumb down his words for their incompetency.

     Maybe it was just his paranoia about his blood status poking through, or the faint echo of distrust in every person he saw. ‘Friend’ wasn’t a commonly used word for him, despite the company he constantly was in during Hogwarts.   “ Don’t think I need to anymore, since you’ve done the needful. ”   He smirks.   “ I thought so too. It’s not as bad, though, you can try if you’d like. Or not, ”   Severus shrugs non-committedly.

     His gaze finally lands on her face, searching for intent, a reason for such consideration. Severus keeps his surprise contained at finding nothing suspicious about his behaviour — although, he muses, it is Natalie. It would be hard to find something malicious in her concern. He huffs, considers brushing her off, but decides against it. There was no reason to be completely nonchalant - he needed an ally within their little group.   “ I’m fine. It’s rough, though. It itches my brain to think about all the advantages we’ve lost. ”   He pauses.   “ What about you ? ”

revisiting | n.d & s.s

severus snape → through the years

hogwarts (richard harmon)                                                                                           (louis garrel) first wizarding war post-war (adrien brody)                                                                                            (alan rickman) professor snape

&. lily.

Cokeworth. She hadn’t lived there for what seemed like a life time, and yet, it still had the innate ability to calm her. Her childhood home had been sold after her mother passed, but there were still days that she found herself wandering back. The new owners, an elderly couple settling in after their own children had moved on, had gotten to know her. The gardens still offered Lily a sense of refuge, and she was glad for the opportunities to return.

Today, however, she had skipped the gardens all together. Instead, she let her feet lead the way, and all it once, it felt as if she had been transported back ten years. The pathways were familiar, she passed a swing set that seemed to be the very pinnacle of her childhood. Finally, on what was the edge of almost every memory she had, she was facing a hill. Dozens of species of wildflower were in bloom, and letting out a deep breath, Lily was calm.

Her tranquility was soon broken, though, when a stirring caught the corner of her vision. Turning, she recognized the form immediately. She quickly cross her arms in front of her chest, fingers grasping at something to steady herself. Clearing her throat a bit, she called out, “Are you nine years old again today too?”

     ♠ HE COULD HEAR HER STEPS ANYWHERE. It was childhood reflex — a muscle in his neck strained every time he hear footsteps on grass. Of course, they were different this time; Evans was older, her footsteps were heavier. The soil under her feet probably curved around the shape of her foot, the pressure from her bones pushing her foot down instead of the soil pushing up. Funny, how the Earth stopped trying after they grew up.

     Her voice, though. It grated. They were forgotten strangers, two people who went their different ways because of inconcievable, non-negotiable, frankly childish reasons ( at least on her end, he was perfectly justified in his actions ). The very idea of her trying to approach him made irrational anger climb up his body, all of his muscles clenching and unclenching at the same time. He remains calm, though; not a single discrepency in his breathing, nor his pulse.

     Her physical presence does not irk him as much as her existence does.

     Severus composes himself — his voice must be level when he replies. Anger swirled around in his mind, colouring it red like a drop of blood in a pool of clear water. He shuts his eyes for a tiniest moment before opening them up again, keeping his gaze locking to the sky above. That red hair of hairs better stay out of his sight.   “ I wasn’t aware one had to be nine to able to appreciate the finer parts of nature. ”

                                                       “ What are you doing here ? ”                                             Can’t let go of the times you had?                      Has the war made you that much of a coward? 

     There are some words better left unspoken.

face à face | l.e & s.s

&. tilden.

The door chime rang as it opened and Tilden peeked his head around from where he was restocking one of the shelves to see if the customer needed anything. It was a slight shock to see Severus, but that didn’t stop Tilden from smiling and heading over.

“Hi, looking for anything in particular today?”

     ♠ HE DOES NOT NEED TO BE RUDE. The face is familiar - maybe the boy was a year above Severus, or the same. He wasn’t sure, he didn’t keep track of his ex-classmates who weren't in his house, or even in general. Merlin knew none of them were keeping track of him, thankfully.

     “ Yes. Basic gardening supplies ? ” He would not admit that he was a beginner. Everyone knows basic Herbology.

additives | t.t & s.s

&. ted.

Ted hated the Leaky Cauldron. It was always dark and claustrophobic. The noise attacked his ears as he entered the dirty pub and he grimaced over at the owner. He didn’t want to be impolite so he gave his awkward attempt at a friendly nod. It was funny, Ted usually considered himself a rather social being but he was also intimidated by others. He supposed it was a leftover effect of his mostly-solved childhood stutter. There were still certain things he could not say but he felt much more confident in his abilities since leaving Hogwarts.

He spotted an unsavory character nearby –a coworker with which Ted just couldn’t seem to get along with for reasons he assumed involved his blood status– and began to quicken his pace when his elbow collided with a mug upon a table. He cussed aloud and quickly cleaned the damned thing up. Rubbing his elbow he turned to the wizard whose drink he’d destroyed with a sheepish look.

“Sorry ‘bout that, mate. I’ll get you another.” He glanced over at the bartender and waved to signal the need for another drink. “Are you all right?”

     ♠ THE NOVELTY OF COURTESY FROM STRANGERS never wore off. How simple some people were - ready to take responsibility without a fight. It helped that his accusation was truthful; it made the circumstance more amusing. He’d have argued had he been in this stranger’s place, unwilling to accept so easily that he’d made a mistake. Some people just never thought beyond others.

     Severus glances up to look at the boy who had so easily struck his drink and apologized in the same breath. He takes his time to look over at the hand that was reaching out for the jug, now covered in an odd mixture of 10 parts firewhiskey, one part blood. The gradient was morbidly beautiful - gold-brown with the slight tainting of red. Almost like blood spilt on mud. He looks away.

     “ I’m fine, ”   he says curtly, curling his lip in disdain and casting a quick ‘episkey’ on the cut on his arm. The wound closes up quickly, scabbing over and flaking off in the same second to reveal unblemished skin. He mentally thanks Merlin it wasn’t the arm that had the Mark on it.   “ I’d appreciate another. It’s truly the least you can do. ”

instance | t.t & s.s

perhaps in the end, it is truly the things we love the most that will destroy us.

rpmemes-galore:

Reblog and bold everything your muse has done!

broken a bone | gotten stitches | had a serious illness | had a near-death experience | killed someone | tried and failed to kill someone | invented something | been hungover | kissed someone | slow-danced | been in a long-term relationship | had sex | had sex and regretted it | had a one-night stand | had a threesome | experimented with their sexuality | had a kid | gotten married | gotten a divorce | self-harmed | travelled to another country | been in a play | received an inheritance | been in a car wreck | lost a loved one | been dumped | dumped someone | smoked | gotten high | been slipped something in their food/drink | won a contest | won an election | joined a sports team | gone skydiving | gone hunting | been in a band | had a job | been fired | been in a wedding party | owned a pet | seen a ghost | skipped class/work | learned an instrument | gotten a noticeable scar | sued someone | been robbed | been mugged | been kidnapped | been sexually assaulted | been brainwashed/hypnotized | gone more than one day without eating | had a recurring nightmare | been bullied | bullied someone | seen someone die | attempted suicide | been tied/chained up | shot someone | stabbed someone | saved someone’s life | cheated on someone | been cheated on | had a stalker | been betrayed | been in a fight | been arrested | been to a funeral | had surgery | broken someone’s trust | gotten a piercing | gotten a tattoo | used a fake name | been tortured | been abused | been blackmailed | had an attempt on their life | gotten away with a crime | gone on a road trip | been in love

&. gladys.

Gladys’s heel tapped against the hard floor of the shop as she studied the shelf in front of them where the empty bottle had been returned. She knew that one of them should pay for the damaged merchandise. She supposed, since she had bumped him it should be her. Rather than allowing her mind to trail further down that road she reached out and nestled the bottle further back on the shelf behind several other bottles. That would fix the problem for today at least. 

She didn’t have much experience with Severus on a personal level and yet she felt somehow like she knew him. No, that wasn’t right she didn’t….It was certainly James’s bold and unapologetically poor opinion of the other boy rubbing off on her. One didn’t spend as much time in James’s company as she had without knowing exactly how he felt. Though she’d confess in conversing with him she didn’t find him as repugnant as she’d assumed. More curious she supposed.

“An apology for an accident?” Gladys raised an eyebrow with a shake of her head. Davey had been fairly notorious for demanding when it came to apologies, and despite the fact that she was no longer a child nothing got her goat quite as much as the insistence she apologizes. Even, in a situation like this where she would ordinarily be quick to issue an apology, she could feel herself bristling. “Well, if an apology you’re after then all I can offer you is this.” She eyed the shelf he had been and bent retrieving a cost effective yet not awful bottle of scotch she’d seen her brother’s with before. “Is the assurance that you’ll be considerably less hung over and the overall experience more enjoyable for drinking this instead.” 

     ♠ THE TAPPING OF HER FOOT wasn’t the most audible in a liquor store with other customers, but it felt noticeable for Severus. There was something definitely off about her presence - his muscles instinctively tighten, his fingers itching for the familiarity and safety of his wand. It wasn’t fear that had him on edge around her, but some sort of negative anticipation. Maybe it was just the haunting ache in his muscles after being kidnapped and tortured that was causing the anticipation; physical proximity to another person wasn’t the most assuring thing at the moment.

     “ Yes, an apology for an accident. You did cause some extreme vandalism, ”   he gestured towards the empty bottle. His lips were curled in disinterest; it was easy defence mechanism. Anybody who wasn’t in his house never held a rather high opinion of him - he wasn’t about to show anything but what was conceived of him in front of this girl.

     He carefully watches her retrieve a bottle of scotch from a mediocre selection. It did amuse him that she assumed he’d been looking for enjoyment with a bottle of alcohol. Perhaps that was the norm at New Years’ - no, he knew that it was the norm - but he had his own traditions which didn’t include quality liquor. Regardless, Severus takes the bottle.   “ Your assurance doesn’t mean much, but I’ll take it. ”

odds | gladys&severus

&. fenrir.

Fenrir had been out with Mikael the night before, hunting those who dared to try and hunt them. They had gleaned little from their torture and had returned home, unsatisfied and frustrated. As a result of the frustration, Fenrir had been asleep barely an hour before a sudden knocking on his door made him jump back to the land of the living. Growling low in frustration at the awakening, he pushed himself out of the chair he had fallen asleep in and made his way to the door.

He didn’t care much for the fact that he was still wearing his blood soaked shirt from the night before. Only a select few knew this particular location, he had others of course, but this as known by only the Dark Lord’s puppets, as Fenrir dubbed them. Throwing open his door, cringing slightly as the light outside one of his homes hit his retina’s, he looked down at the man who stood on his doorstep.

“What do you want?” he asked, gruffly.

     ♠ SUCH MONSTROSITY HAD NO PLACE in civilisation. He was very well aware that his thoughts regarding the lycanthrope could get him killed, or turned, by the very monster in front of him, but he knew that there were only a few people who could read his mind. The dumbfuck in front of him could never be one of them. ( He wonders if monster is too kind of a word - there was no fear behind it, only disgust. )

     It was as though he was basically a wolf instead of a human. The stark contrast between Greyback and Lupin struck him in that very second — Lupin was extraordinarily successful at hiding the fact that he was a mutation, something to be tested and experimented on instead of a functioning member of society. Greyback, however, seemed to embrace his savagery, which made him lower in Severus’ eyes.

     The things he did for power and acknowledgement.      “ Calm the fuck down.         I’m here on the Dark Lord’s orders.         He said you had something of importance to him. ”

dégoûtant | f.g & s.s

&. rodolphus.

Magic came to Rodolphus particularly easily; he rarely had to put much effort into perfectly casting spells and brewing potions. That being said, the tedious work assigned to him by the Dark Lord often took more time and energy than he had to spare. Therefore, Rodolphus agreed to accept help from a second set of hands, if only for the practicality. He didn’t generally enjoy company while he worked, but, from what he’d heard, neither did the Snape boy. 

He sat in the parlour, sipping a cool glass of gin, and waited for his arrival. Rodolphus had been assured by many people that Snape was more than proficient in the field of potions, yet he was still somewhat apprehensive. The brewing room of Lestrange manor was rarely accessed by strangers, so he would assess the boy before granting him entrance.  His appearance was a tad underwhelming -lean figure, with longer hair and a brooding expression- but Rodolphus welcomed him in nonetheless.

“Hello, Snape is it? Please, sit.” He gestured to the chair opposite his own. “Can I interest you in something to drink?”

     ♠ THE LESTRANGE MANOR SEEMED ETHEREAL in the darkest way possible. There was opulence in every piece of furniture and carpet and lamp but there were darker undertones to everything. The purity and wealth in the bloodline was evident by his surroundings, and the devotion to the strange and dark flowed from every inch of it. There seemed to be an intricate balance between grace and evil that the manor maintaining - a thin line to be walked up, and yet the manor mocked the very notion of it.

     Severus understands courtesy. He’s learned to adopt the quirks of pureblood society - he was certain that everyone he worked with was aware that Snape was a muggle name. He had to prove himself in their eyes on a societal level so that they’d openly accept his intellect which was levels above theirs.

     He sits down on the chair, the comfort around him nearly swallowing his stiff demeanour. His black robe spreads out. Severus inclines his head towards the older man.   “ Yes. Severus Snape. ”   His lips curl out of habit at the mention of his wretched father’s name.   “ Whiskey would be great. ”

cautionary | r.l & s.s