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Harry sighed, his left hand coming up to rub his head, trying to soothe the headache that he felt coming up from reading and grading papers from the years below him.
Somehow, he had managed to end up in detention again. With Professor Snape. You’d think that the man who’s protected you since you started at Hogwarts, and, who almost died for you during the war, would at least come to be a tad bit nicer to you after the war had ended and a new school year has begun.
But not Severus Snape, no. The man was still as sour as he used to be months ago. And, even then, Harry can’t help the slight skip he felt in his heart whenever he crossed paths with the Professor.
Harry dropped his hand from his head, eyes flicking up toward the desk in the front of the room, where said Professor was standing behind a cauldron. The man had discarded his robes, only wearing a button up - of which the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows - and some dress pants.
Harry leaned his head on his left hand, twirling the quill he’d been grading with in his right hand and sighed. For Merlin’s sake, he was acting like a high school girl with a crush. Still, Harry didn’t move, too entranced by the sight that Snape made while brewing a Potion.
Suddenly, onyx black eyes met emerald green ones and Harry startled a bit, cheeks reddening from being caught staring. Harry cleared his throat softly and smiled awkwardly, the man only sneering back and Harry frowned. Before he could stop it, the words flowed out of his mouth.
“You should try smiling sometimes, sir.”
Harry widened his eyes, fuck. The Professor only lifted an eyebrow at Harry and Harry was about to go back to grading, pretend like he hadn’t just rudely told his Potions Professors to smile sometimes and forget about all of this, when Snape spoke up.
“Smile, Potter? You want me to smile sometimes?” Snape drawled out in a bored voice.
Harry nodded, uncertainly murmuring a “Uhm, yes?”
“You mean, like this?”
Harry was about to ask, like what?, when he felt his heart stop at the sight before him, breath hitching and mouth falling open. He may have escaped death twice from Voldemort’s hands when the Dark Wizard had thrown the Killing Curse at him, but he was not so sure if he would escape it after this.
In front of him stood the rare sight of Severus Snape - Potions Master, Professor at Hogwarts and spy for the Light - actually smiling, not smirking, a teeth showing smile, onyx eyes glowing, looking lighter than the dark black Harry knows they are, and the skin around his eyes wrinkling a bit at the sides.
And, before Harry knew it, the smile was gone, just as fast as it had appeared on the man’s face. Harry had to stop himself from whining pitifully. Christ, what was wrong with him?
But, Harry had to admit, to see Snape smile like that, just even one more time, he’d happily take the Killing Curse once more.
Snape was looking at him with an inquisitive look and it took Harry a few moments to remember the man had indeed asked him a question, and Harry nodded shakely.
“Yes, like that, sir.” Harry replied, voice small and breathless. “Just like that.” He whispers.
Harry watched a small, satisfied smirk form on Snape’s face, the man’s eyes glittering a bit and Harry found himself stuck looking at the pools of black. The Professor’s voice shocked him out of his trance.
“If you finish those papers, Mr. Potter, I might just smile a whole lot more for you tonight.” Harry’s heart stuttered, please.
“Amongst other things.” Snape’s low and sultry voice added a few moments later and Harry whimpered a bit, quickly scrambling through the papers, intend on finishing them as fast as possible.