Snape x Reader |Ammiratio|

As soon as your classes were over you were out of there, tucking your wand away and setting your Ancient and Survival Linguistics course books aside. Then you darted out of your classroom, heading straight down the corridor to Severus' room. Since he tended to skip out on mealtime to focus on "more important things", you ended up going by yourself to socialize with your friends. You didn't mind it terribly, since you enjoyed spending some time alone with him, every now and again.

But today you planned on spending it with friends, most of whom had already wished you a happy birthday. ...Something your husband had yet to accomplish.

"Severus?" You knocked on his door gently, peering into the room. You locked eyes with him, seeing his unamused expression from behind his desk. You smiled, "There you are."

"Is there something you need?" He asked, the ever quiet concern trite in his voice. You shook your head, slowly walking into his room. Your hands were clasped behind your back, strolling around the place and taking your sweet time making it to his desk. His gaze dropped back to the paper he was currently working on, one that was apparently of great importance.

You quirked an eyebrow, wondering if it could possibly be that oh so necessary card he had yet to give you. "Nothing much, my dear." You told him, tilting to one side. "What about yourself? What are you up to?"

"Grading the endless cascade of dismal tests, what else?" He said bluntly, glancing up to frown at you, "And quit dancing around the room like a lost child. If you have something you need to ask me about, just come tell me."

"Oh, don't be such a grump. I'm your wife, after all. No need to be so harsh." You chuckled, unfazed by his apparent annoyance. He grunted something incoherent, still whiling away at the papers even after you came to his desk, placing your hands atop the old oak and skimming them across the wood. "Besides, one would think I deserved a little special treatment today. Don't you?"

His brow furrowed ever so slightly, lips quirking down further. "What value would there be in treating you any different than I do day to day?"

"W-well," You stuttered, doing your best to refrain from fluster. "You know, it's- It's just a little bit more important today than just 'any other day'. You know, like an...anniversary of sorts. Or a holiday, or a small celebration? Of a certain person?"

"There aren't any holidays that I'm aware of today, unless you're trying to make another one up just to whisk me away and waste precious time, as usual." He rolled his eyes, and you were certain he had scoffed. Feeling indignant, your hands fell to your hips.

"I'll have you know International Pancake Day is an actual holiday recognized by a number of countries! I didn't make it up. I didn't make up the other ones, either. It's a little something called the Internet. You should try looking at it sometime."

"I've no need to waste my time with muggle technology." He sighed.

"Fair enough, but you're missing the point. Today isn't any old holiday. In fact, it's one of the most important. The best part, it's low maintenance and the 'celebration' is hardly anything but a few sweet words and a lovely night together. Not unlike what we do later in the year for a certain someone else, too." You continued, sure he'd get it by now.

Severus, however, rolled his eyes. "You know, it would be much easier to explain this so-called holiday if you stopped dancing around it and told me what it is. Is it really that hard, or do you insist on this foolish guessing game?"

That pang of sadness that hit you earlier in the day came back full force, fingers curling into the fabric of your robes as you fought the tears threatening to build in your eyes. "I-it's not foolish! I just thought that, for sure you'd be able to- t-to figure it out...is all." You tried to explain yourself, internally cursing the waver in your voice.

For a moment, you thought Severus tensed, but it was instantly wiped away when he looked up at you. His expression was anything but amusement, brows knit in the most serious, annoyed way possible. "Well if you're not going to tell me, I suggest you take this foolish game elsewhere, where others are more willing to have their time wasted." He snapped, and you were fairly sure your heart broke a little. "Now if you've nothing else to say, I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone. I have work to do."

"...R-right. Of course. Sorry to intrude." You said shortly, masking the bite in your voice. You quickly escaped the suffocating atmosphere, doing your best to conceal the hurt building in your heart. He really did forget. Severus, the man with the mind of an enchanted trap, had forgotten the single most important day of your life, aside from your anniversary.

You hurried down the hall, heading away from Severus with no regard for anyone trying to speak with you. Your lip quivered, hands clenched into fists while you tried to collect yourself. You couldn't cry here; you had to stay strong. You had three more classes to teach, and certainly couldn't afford to emotionally break apart, bad husband or not.

"Professor Snape? My goodness, I've never seen you in such a way, before." Cuthbert Binns suddenly floated in step with you, falling into your line of vision. "You seem rather upset, Professor. Perhaps too upset to teach, this afternoon? As you know, I'd be more than happy to take over your classes, if you feel unable to handle the burden of such a responsibility at the moment-"

"-Actually," You sniffed, pushing at the tears streaming down your face, "T-that would be great, Binns. P-please let the students know that I- that I'm not feeling well and have r-retired the rest of the day."

The ghost was more than happy to accommodate your wishes, leaving you be to stride down the rest of the way to your quarters. And the moment you were out of sight, you walked into the bedroom, sank onto the blankets, and cried.

That was all you could do.

Severus Snape was not a happy man. He moved down the corridor with such fervor that it drew the attention of the remaining professors and student dwindling before curfew. It was half-past eight, and you were deliberately ignoring the instructions he left on your desk. It was unlike you to have a date or time slip your mind, and any sort of misunderstanding was far from happening. 

So the only other possibility would be that you were deliberately ignoring him, just asking to be scolded by the cold man. His lip curled in distaste, displeased with how the situation was turning into a not-so-lovely one. 

'Honestly, of all the times to be irresponsible...' He thought with a grimace, turning the corner as he neared your shared quarters. He'd gone to all the trouble to prepare a nice, quiet evening for the both of you, eating a precariously prepared dinner to celebrate your birthday. It was an important year, after all. 

While he normally wasn't that fond of putting in extra work where it wasn't necessary, even he knew your birthday deserved a little something more than a few "sweet words", this year. Of course, that would all be wasted if you didn't bother showing up to your own celebration.

The plan was supposed to work perfectly; give you the letter with the directions to go to the veranda, where you would see the dinner waiting once stepping into McGonagall's office. He would feign ignorance of your birthday up to that point, where he would surprise you and you would be beside yourself, and he could tease you like he normally did when you got excited.

Severus nearly broke off the plans when he heard your voice, sounding confused and almost upset when he played the fool that afternoon. However, he knew it would be worth it. Seeing the happy smile on your face would be more than worth it to him. Or so he thought.

He was so looking forward to your expression, but it was all for naught. After waiting for the last twenty-five minutes, he decided it was time to pursue. He went to all that trouble, and he was going to make sure it didn't go to waste (if not for your sake, his).

'When I get my hands on her, there will be no quarter.' He thought to himself darkly, determined to make you happy and then "punish" you afterwards. The amount of stress that went into so much planning wasn't good for the poor 30-year-old's heart. So Severus was quick to reach your bedroom, stepping into the apartment-like living space and making a beeline for the bedroom.

Sure enough, there you were, curled up on the bed and fast asleep. Your robes were still on, which made his inner-perfectionist twitch. As if he wasn't annoyed enough, already. He marched over to your bedside and unceremoniously flicked your forehead, glaring down at you and waiting for you to wake up. 

It took a few tries before you finally opened your eyes, groaning with a mixture of tiredness and mild annoyance. Severus scoffed internally; of all the people to be annoyed, you were the last person who deserved to be. Your face was groggy and confused, staring up at him as if you didn't recognize him. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He needed to be nice to you, today; even if you completely botched his plans.

"If I knew you planned on sleeping the rest of the day away, I wouldn't have bothered with you at all." He murmured, folding his arms and stepping away to give you room to rise. You did just that, turning so that you faced away from him. He quirked an eyebrow, listening as you mumbled to yourself and rubbed at your face. "I'm over here, you know."

"I'm...I-I'm aware." You grumbled, and he paused. You sounded a little hoarse. Almost as if your throat were raw from talking too much, or crying. His frown eased into one of confusion.

"Then I'm sure you're more than willing to explain why you were absent at the...meeting, this evening. You did read the letter, did you not?"

"Ah. Right. That." You said shortly, arms falling to the blankets. "I was hoping I would sleep through that."

The Potions Master could hardly believe his ears. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." You suddenly snapped, much to his surprise. "It's not like you'd want to listen if I did, right? I-I'll just waste your time like a fool if I try talking to you."

"What in Merlin's name are you-"

"-And on today, of all days! God, I-" You hiccuped, still facing the wall. Anything but Severus. "I-I really tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, I...I thought it might have just slipped your mind, that you were too busy or something like that. Yet you had hardly anything going on, and you didn't even find the time to do anything special for me? You know I don't ask for much, I-I hardly ask a thing! Just a simple note is all I need! And you couldn't even do that much? D-do I really mean that little to you?"

...Ah.

Severus wasn't sure how to describe the feeling in his chest when he heard your broken words, the fact you were refusing to look at you only made matters worse. Without a word, he took your arm, gently turning you to face him. And it was just as he feared; there were tears streaming down your face. It appeared he had played the fool a bit too well.

"You would know that isn't true if you had just come to the 'meeting' like I told you to." He said softly, his hand slipping from your arm to your hand. You were tempted to pull away, but something in those dark, obsidian eyes told you to let him. You shot him a questioning glance behind all your betrayal and hurt, which made the tiniest, most insignificant smile cross his lips. "Do you really have that little faith in me?"

"You're the one who forgot my birthday." You replied bitterly. He reached up with the other hand, gingerly touching your cheek and wiping away the trickling tears.

"Did I?"

Somehow, he convinced you to come with him, lifting you from the bed that you cried yourself to sleep upon and escorting you down the dark halls. The night was still young, in his eyes, and he was determined to save your birthday. Even if you weren't enthusiastic about it anymore, he gave you a look that said, "You will be enthusiastic about this whether you want to be or not".

'This better be an amazing note.' You thought, a grumpy frown on your lips as he lead you more or less against your will. His hand remained closed around yours, looking only ahead as he walked you down the corridors to McGonagall's office. Your mouth dipped even further down, brow furrowed in confusion. What could possibly be so interesting and wonderful in her office, of all places?

"And now, (Name), you must close your eyes." He suddenly turned, ordering you so abruptly you barely registered it.

"Come again?"

"Close your eyes."

"But-"

"Close them." He practically ordered you, dead serious. When he saw your completely unamused expression, he added gently, "It will be worth it."

"...Fine..." You sighed, complying with his wishes. It wasn't often he asked you to do something, let alone in such a kind manner. So you played along, feeling his arms come around yours as he lead you into the room. He carefully maneuvered you around the rows of desks and pews, stopping you in front of the doors to the outside. You heard them push open, and a breeze of cool night air touched your skin. "Severus?"

"Open your eyes."

When you did as he commanded, your breath was taken away. 

Eyes wide with shock, you stared at the scene before you; a few elegant candles floating around a carefully set table, big enough for two people only. A number of foods waited on each plate, and if you weren't mistaken, it was your absolute favorite meal. And sitting between the glasses of wine (no doubt expensive), was a petite vase with a single red rose...and a small note with your name scrawled across it.

"My goodness..." You gasped, staring at the beautiful set-up. "Severus, did you do all this? F-for me?"

"I thought you would appreciate something a little more meaningful, this year." He explained simply, hands slipping from your arms so one rested politely against your waist. "And I was certain you would be excited once I showed you this surprise. The idea was to keep it a secret, however it appears you didn't take it quite like I expected."

"Oh, no." Your hands flew to your mouth, immediately feeling guilty when you saw just how much work went into this plan of his. "Oh, Circe slay me- I had no idea, Severus! If only you'd told me, I wouldn't have been nearly as upset about any of it, and yet-"

"-The idea behind a surprise is to keep it a secret." He stated obviously, "While I didn't intend to upset you, I was at least hoping we'd be able to enjoy it before it all went cold. But no matter." He dismissed the cooled food with a wave of his wand, "Nothing a spell can't fix. You, however...will you be alright?"

You quickly wiped at your eyes, sniffing loudly as you tried to recover yourself. If you weren't crying because of being upset, you were about to burst into tears seeing how thoughtful he'd been. And to think you hardly ever cried. You laughed despite yourself, nodding vigorously.

"I-I'll be fine!" You assured him, a smile breaking onto your face. "I'll be perfectly fine, don't you worry! In fact, I don't think I'll ever be happier." You added, turning to him and throwing your arms around him in the tighest hug you could manage. Severus stumbled, flustered you'd suddenly jump on him and just assault him with affection.

"Mind yourself." He chided you, all the bite gone from his voice. His arms came around you, rubbing your back somewhat awkwardly as you buried your face in his chest. "What will you do if someone sees us?"

"I don't care." You replied, muffled by his robes, "I'm just so happy you did all this! A-and for me, no less!"

"If I'm being honest," He pulled you away after a few moments, revealing that beautiful smile he  hoped to see, "It's the very least I could do. I should have done more, in hindsight."

"No, no." You dismissed him, grabbing his hands and pulling him towards the table. You looked up at him once more, beaming up at him so warmly he was sure his heart melted at that moment. "I couldn't ask for more than this! You...you did a wonderful job, Severus. Thank you." 

And it became one of those rare instances where Severus genuinely smiled.

"But of course."