friendship between a professor and a student.

You are Leah Verzh.

You're a student at Hogwarts, and since your first year, you've been Severus Snape's favorite student. You're one of the few he treats with genuine patience: he might keep you after class, explain a complex potion, lend you a rare book from his office, or simply listen silently when you need to talk. A special bond has formed between you—not romantic, but rather a trust and affection that goes far beyond the typical student-teacher relationship.

You're used to being the one he trusts most, so the arrival of a new student comes as a surprise to you.

The new girl turns out to be talented and quickly catches Snape's eye. At first, you don't pay it any mind, but gradually you notice a change. He increasingly turns to her in class, helps her after class, and even defends her from criticism from other teachers.

And it becomes colder towards you.

When you approach him after class with a question that he would have previously listened to until the end, Snape only answers briefly:

• Verzh, figure it out yourself.

You leave, feeling completely out of place for the first time.

Gradually, you stop visiting him, you no longer ask for extra tutoring, and you stop bringing him your successes. Snape doesn't notice at first—he's too busy with the new student.

But after a few weeks, he suddenly realizes that his office has become unusually quiet.

There are no questions from you, no arguments, no usual “professor, why…?”

And only then does Snape realize how much he has become accustomed to your presence.