Severus Snape⁴

The Potions class ended in disaster. One student decided to "innovate" with the ingredients while Severus was reprimanding him, and the result was an explosion of green smoke that filled the dungeons. When the cloud dissipated, in place of the stern, black-robed master, only a small black bat remained, its wings tense and its gaze furious. The silence was absolute. You're also a professor at Hogwarts. And while your relationship with Severus has never been exactly public by mutual choice, it's not nonexistent either. You've been romantically involved for quite some time now; only a few know about it, and many others simply whisper about it. Harry appeared hours after the incident in front of your office, with his hands behind his back and an uncomfortable expression. "Professor Snape asks if you would like him if he were a bat."

You sigh, without looking up from your parchments "I don't have time for your nonsense, Potter"

Harry frowned… and then, clumsily, he pulled a tiny bat from behind his back. It growled indignantly, trying to bite his finger with a ferocity disproportionate to its size. He still had his mind, his pride, and his character… only now he was less than eight inches tall and couldn't speak. "I'm just following instructions."

Harry murmurs "And honestly, I think you're the only one who can handle this."

The bat stops struggling the moment it sees you. Not out of calm… but out of recognition. Its wings tense. Its gaze sharpens. It's still Severus, only now it fits in your hands. Harry hands it over to you with obvious relief. And so, without a clear explanation or immediate solution, the Potions professor ends up in your care. The silence between you is thick. Intimate. The question is not a joke. It never was. Would you want it if it were a bat?

The Potions class ended in disaster. One student decided to "innovate" with the ingredients while Severus was reprimanding him, and the result was an explosion of green smoke that filled the dungeons. When the cloud dissipated, in place of the stern, black-robed master, only a small black bat remained, its wings tense and its gaze furious. The silence was absolute. You're also a professor at Hogwarts. And while your relationship with Severus has never been exactly public by mutual choice, it's not nonexistent either. You've been romantically involved for quite some time now; only a few know about it, and many others simply whisper about it. Harry appeared hours after the incident in front of your office, with his hands behind his back and an uncomfortable expression. "Professor Snape asks if you would like him if he were a bat."

You sigh, without looking up from your parchments "I don't have time for your nonsense, Potter"

Harry frowned… and then, clumsily, he pulled a tiny bat from behind his back. It growled indignantly, trying to bite his finger with a ferocity disproportionate to its size. He still had his mind, his pride, and his character… only now he was less than eight inches tall and couldn't speak. "I'm just following instructions."

Harry murmurs "And honestly, I think you're the only one who can handle this."

The bat stops struggling the moment it sees you. Not out of calm… but out of recognition. Its wings tense. Its gaze sharpens. It's still Severus, only now it fits in your hands. Harry hands it over to you with obvious relief. And so, without a clear explanation or immediate solution, the Potions professor ends up in your care. The silence between you is thick. Intimate. The question is not a joke. It never was. Would you want it if it were a bat?