Leptosome

Leptosome: How is their body image?

It depends on the timeline. Severus didn’t really have a lot of self-confidence in his youth but he also wasn’t very focused on it either. It wasn’t until he was a teenager that this had any sort of major impact on him – though around that time, his friends were present to compensate and help him mitigate the trials of puberty and self esteem compacted by poverty in a classist society.

Around the ages of sixteen through twenty one, Severus’ self image was at its best. His friends in Slytherin became a lot more involved after his mother’s death, and this ( combined with Eric’s habit of treating Severus as something like a pet project ) resulted in shopping trips and some adjustments to his appearance that helped to boost his confidence.

In verses that tear away from canon ( Such as Edge of Revolution or March to Our Own ) in which Severus and his friends opt not to join the Dark Lord, or Severus refuses to work at Hogwarts, the need for subterfuge and the deep depression cloak behind which Severus shrouds himself don’t come into play – so his confidence, his appearance and his self esteem all stay rather level and healthy.

In canon lines, he loses all interest in maintaining himself after the war ends. This isn’t just because Lily is dead – while her loss is a high contributor to his depression, it is not the only factor in play.

Destin Wilkes, the only friend Severus had a wholly healthy relationship with, died when he decided being a Death Eater was bullshit and had a breakdown that resulted in several casualties and a very sticky end.
Eric Avery is on the run, and his family have cut Severus off completely.
Lucas Mulciber is in prison, and his family was never all that involved with Severus to begin with.
The Malfoy family is ( rightfully ) suspicious of him, which puts a strain on the friendships there.
He has been strongarmed out of his position at the Ministry to work beneath Albus Dumbledore who openly manipulates his grief.
He is surrounded by older adults who distrust him and question his right to his position consistently.
He is now teaching his own fucking peers ( friendly reminder that at 21, Severus will have at least three to four years worth of students who went to school with him as his juniors ) and the political situation is rife with complications.

The last thing on his mind is whether or not he looks good today. He falls into a horrible pit of depression and the only thing keeping him from succumbing to it is his own determination to keep his promise to Lily. Over time he does begin to get better, but by the time he does he has developed an unintentional subterfuge that further protects him from the world around him. He sees no need to ‘clean up’ or really, to ‘get better’ because he sees his value as limited to what he can obtain as a ‘bad guy’ and frankly, looking the part doesn’t hurt.

When the war is over and Severus survives as of my main verse, his approach to his appearance is rather subtle. His hair is clean and well kept, his attire is softer and more varied, he always looks very put together. In truth he is getting better, day by day, but nothing is really all that better – it is merely the loss of the pressure upon him, and the awareness he kept his promise, that allows him to carry on and begin to develop a healthier projection of himself.

Internally, he isn’t really focused on it – he knows what to present to the world to keep them at bay, be it negatively or positively, and that is what he offers. As a spy, it benefited him not to give a shit. As a ‘redeemed ex-criminal’ it benefits him most to look clean, put together and pleasant seeming; the less suspicious he looks the less reason people have to come at him. Everything is a mask, even his self esteem and self-projection, in the end. In truth, post war, he really doesn’t care – what he does is more on autopilot than any true focus on it.

Acersecomic

{ Unusual Word Headcanons }

Acersecomic: How much effort do they put into personal grooming and hygiene?

This is actually covered already on the blog; most notably in my headcanon regarding Severus’ hair. His attention to hygiene varies depending on his age and his verse.

I would love to RP with you. I think you add amazing depth to Severus and it’s nice to see someone as passionate you are. But- I’m very intimidated by you on the same hand.

First off, I want to thank you for sending this in! I’m super touched that you’ve taken the time to look my Severus over and that you enjoy my interpretation – comments like these really make my day honestly!

As for the intimidation factor – I guess that’s probably because I give off a vibe like I will eat you and your ancestors if you annoy me? xD

Honestly I am kind of like a crab – very hard outer shell, but soft and squishy once you crack it. I’ve recently returned to the fandom after dealing with a ridiculous mountain of nonsense that seems to have died down for the most part ( or maybe I’m just following / blocking the right people now, who knows! ) so I know I’ve got a sharp tone to me.

That said, I really am open to meeting new people and forming new bonds. I’ve been part of this fandom for so long that I can’t really stay away, and I don’t want to let bad experiences keep me away from my home. I don’t know who you play so I can’t really throw out that I’d love to – chances are I would, but I’ve learned to look before I leap lmao.

You’re more than welcome to take advantage of the anon feature while its up and chat with me though, I genuinely don’t mind.

Severus x any of the marauders, Severus x Narcissa, Severus x Lucius

[ Would You Ship It? ]

Severus x any of the marauders

I can honestly state that I have, in my near two decades of writing this muse, managed to encounter individuals capable of the most extreme feats of magic imaginable. Through certain engineering and verse arrangements over the years, Severus has successfully formed surprisingly healthy relationships with each and every marauder with the application of various AU elements.

With the notable exception of Remus, simply based on canon and how I write Severus, nothing healthy could form via main verses without a considerable amount of work and a fair bit of finagling. By the time those efforts are set in, we have built an AU so — I suppose the short answer is no. Based on canon elements and my interpretation, absolutely not.

The stipulation, however, lies in the fact that based on someone’s interpretation of a marauder character, their willingness to work with me and the situations presented, literally anything is possible.

Severus x Narcissa

I have shipped Severus with Narcissa on multiple occassions and it has always been a very healthy pairing for him, provided that either the situation is polyamorous with Lucius or that a divorce is in play somewhere along her timeline.

I have never written with a Narcissa who did not have Draco in tow, nor do I really think that I could – her motherly attributes are a very important aspect of what makes this ship work so well, because more often than not she finds ways to manipulate Severus into finding his softer side through the use of her son. She’s been a key element in helping him heal, and he has proven to be a remarkable asset to her depending on the portrayal and the purposes behind the ship.

While with these two there is always a power dynamic that places Narcissa well above Severus, over time they do meet one another as equals and when they do they tend to be a force to be reckoned with.

Severus x Lucius

This one is tricky. With Narcissa in play it tends to balance itself out – the three play off one another well and it keeps things from tipping too far into Lucius’ favor. Building a healthy and stable dynamic between these two by themselves is difficult and takes time to establish, but it is one of my favorite pairings when the time is taken to explore it respectfully. I do find it takes a lot of communication, but it’s always paid off in the end.

❛ How long you think you can keep this act up? ❜ ~ indescretus | Harry

{ Question Starters | No Longer Accepting }

“Until the day I die,” Severus quipped – mostly because it was true, as the moment he slipped would be the moment his life was at it’s end. The charmingly glib nature of the response could be attributed to the cheering charm Dumbledore had subtly cast on him earlier that afternoon with the failure to account for the fact that with the amount of medicinal potions running through his veins a casting was bound to go somewhat awry.

Severus had smiled more in the past three hours than he had in the last twenty years. His face ached and some part of him dearly wanted to sink his fingers into that old man’s beard and just – slowly – strangle him with it.

“Why you care is well beyond my ability to fathom,” Severus mused, looking like he may have meant to say something else entirely from the way his nose wrinkled in distaste after he spoke. “Who let you in here?” He tried again, finally thinking to look around for another adult, because he was absolutely in no space to be one of those right now.

I should be in quarantine until this wears off. Severus’ less addled mind managed, though it was somewhat drowned out by the persistent consideration that Dumbledore was trying to kill him, and he was going to use Potter and the Dark Lord to do it, and that was so many levels of irony deep he could probably swim in it.

^@indiscretus

❛ You don’t remember? ❜ ~ indescretus | Harry

{ Question Starters | No Longer Accepting }

Turning slowly to face the door, Severus dropped his wand into his hand automatically at the sight of James – before frowning somewhat. He looked younger, and it took a moment to recall the name that Albus had attributed to the child of James and Lily. He hadn’t realized how eerily the two would compare to one another, despite the doddering old fool mentioning it.

It had spread swiftly, and the fact that Dumbledore saw fit to keep him under thumb meant there was no easy escape. Apparently he was somehow meant to fill his own shoes and pick up teaching courses he’d grown familiar with over sixteen years like nothing was amiss. ( He’d stared at the syllabus unseeing for two hours, recognizing his own writing and drowning in the informational overload Dumbledore had foisted on him )

How they expected this to work he couldn’t fathom. An army of teenagers used to an adult in power was one thing – but pit them against someone barely three years the senior of the eldest among them? Did Dumbledore want him to get trampled? ~~Who was he kidding, the man had been content to see him dead since he was a child himself –~~

It seemed the first to come confirm that the old Potions Master was not his usual self was the one he was meant to protect. He’d take that to mean they had a good relationship, if it hadn’t been mentioned that he was not a particularly popular professor. ( Go fucking figure? What did Dumbledore think was going to happen, giving him this position? The erasure of seven years of hell blossoming into happy memories or something? ) Which left the one and only logical explanation of a Potter’s approach on him when he was alone:

Trouble.

Despite the fact that this Harry was a student, Severus tightened his grip on his wand and shifted slightly to better angle himself in the case of an attack as he responded tartly, “I have nothing to remember. As far as I’m concerned today is my first day in this new Hell, but if you care to enlighten me as to what I am to be remembering, I can, if nothing else, confirm or deny if it still stands true.”

Maybe he’s thinking he’ll get out of detention? Old me was very thorough on notes in the schedule – Harry Potter’s listed for six of those. What the hell did he even do? Sure he was a Potter, but six consecutive detentions scrubbing cauldrons?

In a word?

Yikes.

^@indiscretus

❛ How is that working out for you? ❜ ~ indiscretus | Harry

{ Question Starters | No Longer Accepting }

It was moments like these where Severus found his patience ( a short wick on the very best of days when certain factors were at play ) to be tried well beyond what any reasonable employer ought to expect of him. Lauding Potter’s behaviour had only incentivized the boy’s penchant for sarcastic retorts, convincing him well beyond even his late father’s arrogant belief that the rules need not apply to him.

There were moments – fleeting and easily locked away – when Severus had recognized signs in the boy that raised alarm within him. The sort of things he took care to address in his Slytherins, that he had convinced himself could not possibly be an element to the “Golden Boy” himself. As time had passed, the more Severus had steeled himself against the boy, the less he believed he had ever seen anything at all.

Now, they had reached a point so antagonistic that the little welp felt entitled to cheek at every opportunity, though most notably when any other student would be greatly reprimanded.This air of superiority needed to die in a fire, but as it was Severus bit his tongue against the venom he so dearly wished to deliver and instead managed a tight, “Fifteen points, and it will be more if you continue on in this vein Mister Potter. I am afraid the Dark Lord will be no more impressed with your arrogance than I am.”

Indeed, it may entertain him for a time, until he saw fit to break the boy completely. Assuming he wasted time on torture – considering Potter had thus far proven to be made of horse shoes the Dark Lord may see fit to just kill him straight off and have done with it.

He knew maintaining his role was standing on a delicate precipice – with Potter so intimately tied to the Dark Lord’s mind, he did not dare show sympathy or understanding. Quite easily managed when Potter’s defense mechanisms were so vexing and intrusive. As it was, he could not afford to let Potter continue to think that the offensive would work in this instance.

“Seeing as I am still alive,” He drawled lowly, “I would say my methods are more than adept enough, but if that does not appease your masterful understanding of our studies, might I suggest a trip to the Headmaster’s office,” he hissed, more than willing to storm in on Albus and foist this little fool off on him. Heaven knew the two bore better rapport – Albus had a far greater chance of success in this foolish endeavour and Severus knew it. Why this exercise in futility and flaunting the line as spy went well beyond his comprehension, but far be it from he to question the great and mighty Albus Dumbledore! Ha.

^@indiscretus

🇮🇹

{ Flag Headcanons: 🇮🇹: Romance Headcanon

}

Romance is – a big grey area with Severus, much like everything else in his life. I do have some headcanons regarding it though:

I don’t really have anything new to add that these don’t cover as Severus currently has no ships that would make such information relevant.

🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

{ Flag Headcanons:

🇬🇧: Guilty Pleasure }

Dark Mint Chocolate: Severus usually has some of these in his desk, but he also keeps some on his person as well. It’s one of the very few luxuries in life that he affords himself. The chocolate is usually 85-90 and the mint is always very poignant – it’s not something many would consider a treat – but it is very effective in chasing off minor depression and cold, as well as easing stomach nerves.
On very rare occasions, he has offered them to students in dire need of comfort – he gave out more in the 1993 school year than he had in his entire thirteen year tenure before the Dementors swept through the grounds.
Cat Cuddling: I have mentioned this before, but Severus does have a soft spot for animals and for cats in particular. What I did not mention was that every now and again – particularly when his depression as at it’s most volatile – he will pick up the more amenable felines that come to rest in his office and simply hold them until he feels like he can breathe clearly again.
Potions Development: Crafting and improving on potions is cathartic for Severus and it truly does help him organize his mind better. The part of this that is guilty is the fact that often this means procuring strange and nasty looking ingredients which are often kept in his office for storage as his storeroom is so frequently overflowing.
This leads to some pure entertainment when it comes to the horror some students express when they are left alone in his office for a time, surrounded by candles and various parts and creatures floating in viscous materials on the walls.

However, in the event this leads to a student being genuinely triggered or violently affected, he will ensure that their meetings continue in a less alarming space going forward. Again, my Severus is divergent in how he treats his students.

💘

{ Sinday Adherence }

💘 What are the ways my muse says ‘I love you’ without actually saying it?

Fun fact: Severus has never said I love you to anyone in so many words, with the singular exception of his mother. These words hold such powerful meaning that he does not believe in sharing them lightly, and he learned to guard them jealously as a result of how he grew up. Which means as a result, Severus has developed many ways of displaying his care for others and even vocalizing it, without ever utilizing that particular turn of phrase.

Arguably the greatest indicator of how important you are to Severus is how he
responds to you when you are ill or injured – but particularly ill, as it is in
sickness that he shows his cards the most openly. If he is consistently plying
you with potions and inquiring to your health, and even remarking about how important it is that you get well soon,
then you can reasonably believe yourself to be someone he values deeply and
does not wish to lose.

The fussier he is over you, the more likely it is that he cares more than he can say; and the reason it is illness more than injury that will solicit this response is very much in part due to the fact he lost his mother to an illness that could have easily been cured had they been able to afford her care.

Another indicator of Severus’ love is how willing he is to absorb pain on your behalf. Those whom Severus holds the most dear are those he will not hesitate to bleed or suffer for, so that they may be safe. Acting as a human shield is Severus’ number one way of displaying his concern; and while it is an ingrained enough habit that he will throw himself in harms way to defend children in general, it is more notable with how he responds to adults.

For example – if he would inflict damage on you to mitigate how much suffering you or someone near you would face otherwise, chances are he isn’t close to you as a person but he is still invested in your survival to some degree. If he would inflict damage on himself, or redirect danger toward himself in order to keep you from all harm, then it would be reasonable to assume he holds you very dear.

Another sign is how patient he is with you in general. The more shit you can get away with, the more you matter. This is exclusively for adults within his social circle; how he manages his Slytherins is a very different matter from this. For example – Lucas can call him Twitch, but if any of his fellow professors did so, he would give them a verbal lashing so exquisite they would be feeling it for days. Lucius or Narcissa can make derogatory remarks in his general direction without so much as an eyelash batting, but if Bellatrix or Sirius tried the exact same statements? Cue Street Fighter music.

In keeping with this, Severus’ willingness to be vulnerable and honest absolutely ties to how much he cares about someone. Again, the more he cares the more he is happy to sacrifice, so bearing himself to criticism and mockery in an effort to ease someone he cares for is second nature to Severus. A good example of that can be seen in this reply to Narcissa; the more he curbs his acerbic nature, the more important you are to him.