Chapter Text
Severus Snape never smiled.
That was a fact James Potter knew all too well. Sure, he smirked from time to time when he taunting someone and his eyes would light up sometimes whenever he was in a slightly less bitter mood (though this mostly occurred around Lily) but other than that he was mostly stoic.
James wasn’t even sure if the boy could smile to be honest. He always just seemed so...miserable. Something that him and the Marauders constantly made fun of him for in their younger years.
It wasn’t until after dating Lily that James had realized he had been a complete and utter ass to the Slytherin. He had found out from her that Severus was constantly picked on by his fellow Slytherins who were trying to coerce into joining the Death Eaters and not to mention he had a highly abusive father.
James had felt like shit after finding out about that, especially considering the whole pantsing that occurred a few years back. He could still remember how hurt and scared Sev was…
He used to treat the boy so poorly.
So James had took things into his own hands and tried to befriend the Slytherin, especially since he was now dating Lily, he might as well try to be friends with her best friend, right?
It was a...rough process to say the last. Severus has severe trust issues (Though honestly, James really couldn’t blame him) and would always shrivel up in disgust whenever James was around him.
James had quickly noticed how shy Severus became whenever he decided to talk to him. He remembered asking Lily about it.
***
“Sev’s naturally shy when it comes to making friends. He isn’t used to people actually wanting his company around,” Lily sadly replied when he had asked, “it took me awhile to get him to open up when we were children and even now he still struggles to talk about his feelings around me. Now that you’re not actively trying to humiliate him, he probably feels very overwhelmed and scared considering you bullied him for years.”
***
It took awhile, but they had managed to become somewhat friends? Well Sev could finally talk to him without feeling the need to run away and in fact even approved of him dating Lily so as long as he didn’t hurt her.
In James’s eyes it counted as a win-win.
Anyway back to his current predicament.
He had been trying to locate said Slytherin for awhile now in order to ask him if he wanted him and the Marauders at the Gryffindor for the feast.
To his delight, he managed to catch Sev walking down the Great Hall, his books clutched to his chest.
James was about to approach him but quickly grew still as he noticed the boy chatting animatedly with Lucius Malfoy.
He was about to shout at the blond to leave Sev alone until he noticed Malfoy whisper something to the dark haired boy.
It seemed to be something amusing as Malfoy let out a low chuckle right after as Severus fondly rolled his eyes.
But what really caught the Gryffindor’s eyes was the small smile that was played on the Slytherin’s lips.
It was only for a second, it was one of those things that you wouldn’t really notice unless you played close attention. It was innocent, an almost childlike expression that somehow fit onto Sev’s usually expressionless face that made his eyes light up and made his usual gloomy attitude seen much more brighter.
‘Fuck he’s got a cute smile....’ James thought, blushing slightly as he felt his heart thump rapidly in his chest.
He ran off in the opposite direction, feeling highly embarrassed by his thoughts.
***
James couldn’t stop thinking about his smile.
It was ridiculous to be honest, that he was becoming such a bloody mess over Snape smiling.
But James couldn’t help himself.
It was all he could think about.
Severus just looked so small and adorable when he smiled like that and James just wanted to hold him and protect him for the rest of his life.
James melted at the thought.
He had longed to see Slytherin smile like that again.
It has been a few weeks since he last saw Sev and Lucius together and James was sat at the Gryffindor table with the rest of the Marauders who were talking up a storm.
Sev was there too but he mostly kept to himself though he did make idle chat with Remus every now and then.
Despite the Slytherin being friends with James now, he was mostly cautious around the rest of James’s friends save for Remus who was the only one he felt okay with hanging around.
Sirius was still against being friends with Snape (or Snivellus, as he so lovingly put it) but kept his mouth shut for Remus’s sake.
“Prongs!”
James blinked looking up as he saw Sirius him a smug look.
James rolled his eyes. “What do you want, Padfoot?”
Sirius merely grinned. “Saw Evans stomping around the common room this morning cussing you out. Care to explain?”
Remus shot James an amused look, most likely just as intrigued as Sirius was over a frustrated Lily.
“Oh fuck off,” James scoffed before sighing, “she....uh found those....muggle ‘magazines’ I have...and....she may have slapped me.”
Sirius snorted. “Those magazines?”
“Yes, those magazines-“
But James was cut off as Sirius slammed his hand on the table, laughing his arse off as if he heard the funniest joke ever.
Soon the rest of the Gryffindors joined, all laughing hysterically much to James’s utter dismay.
He rolled his eyes as his eyes trailed off to find Severus.
Immediately, he felt his cheeks burn as he saw Sev giggling quietly to himself, a smile on his face as his cheeks tinted red.
It took all of the Gryffindor’s power not to go over there and senselessly snog the Slytherin.
Shit, he was so fucking cute.
“Prongs?”
James snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Remus giving him a concerned look.
James felt his cheeks heat up even more. “What is it, Moony?”
“You were staring off into space,” Remus replied as he followed James’s eyes to look at Snape.
James noticed that everyone had stopped laughing and had resumed their earlier activities.
“I guess I’m just thinking about something,” James mumbled as his thoughts went back to Sev and his cute face.
Remus had a knowing smile on his face. “I hope it goes well for you then,”
James blinked in confusion as he saw Remus go back to his conversation with Sirius.
James sighed as he covered his face with his hands as the realization washed over him.
‘Merlin....I’m in love with him, aren’t I?’
He watched as Severus got up and walk past him, feeling his face flush yet again.
He was so utterly fucked.