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You had a whole month to prepare for the upcoming school year, which should have been more than enough time, but Severus seemed to disagree. Despite having already set up a good portion of your classroom, he never stopped pestering you about getting more done. You would often roll your eyes at him and point out how much time was still left.
Almost every day, you tried to persuade him to join you in watching the sunset, but he always insisted he was too busy. Tonight, however, you were determined to finally get him to come along.
As you made your way down to the dungeons, the summer air turned chilly down in the depths of the castle. The sounds of clanking cauldrons and a few choice curses echoed from the potions classroom. You stifled a laugh and slowly creaked open the door.
You stood at the doorway of the dimly lit room, peering in as he deftly wielded his wand to hoist the heavy cauldron onto the high shelf. It was apparent that he had decided to use magic instead of struggling to lift it manually. Clearing your throat to get his attention, he glanced briefly in your direction before returning to his task.
"You know I don't have time to go with you," he said, a hint of frustration in his voice. With a sigh, you walked over to his cluttered desk chair and slumped into it. "Seriously? You haven't joined me once this month. You need a break," you insisted. He turned to give you a tired look, then relented. "If I manage to finish this up in time, I'll meet you out there."
You let out a heavy sigh and shook your head in disappointment, quietly murmuring, "That's what you always say." After that, you rose from your seat, planted a tender kiss on his cheek, and made your way towards the sprawling green fields. Severus' gaze lingered on the door after your departure, feeling a pang of sorrow for raising your hopes and letting you down, but he knew he had to see this through. Casting a wistful glance at the cauldrons, he hesitated between them and the door before finally setting down his wand and following after you. To him, you were more important than any amount of brewing pots or potion-making.
You made your way out into the open fields, where the radiant sunset painted a breathtaking scene. The sky was clear, not a single cloud to be seen. You had been reclining in the gentle, swaying grass for about 20 minutes when a shadow suddenly fell over you from behind. Startled, you let out a small gasp and looked up to see Severus' silhouette looming over you. "You came!" He sat down beside you, and a chuckle escaped his lips as he remarked, "You're more important than my classroom, I realized." Overcome with emotion, you tackled him into the grass with a warm hug before turning around in his arms to admire the setting sun, allowing the essence of August to slip away like a bottle of wine.