UNKNOWN | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 4)

[ 23 ]

A few weeks later, on a free day that Aine didn't have any lesson with her friends in Dumbledore's Army, she finally took the time off to visit a certain professor. And instead of being the one teaching, she was getting taught today after a long while— Fulfilling the desideratum of her brother and for her own's sake.

In the depths of Hogwarts, the swirling shadows emerged once more and Aine was forced to confront her fears again. She sat by the single ebony wooden chair, beads forming by her forehead as she clenched onto the seat's handles. Her eyes were clouded up by mist and her golden pupils shone no more, instead, they were like a dull topaz gemstone and seemingly empty. She strengthens her mind to close off as the professor in front of her attempts to intrude on her thoughts. The force was much stronger this time and she was nearing her limits, the lesson was much harsher compared to the one she had at Twelve Grimmauld Place when her brother had taught her.

She grits her teeth, trying to think of nothing and letting nothing distract her from her focus. But it was more challenging than she thought, she glares at Severus Snape and the ends of her lips twitched when he tries to implant another false thought into her mind. "Con. Cen. Trate," he instructed sternly. The towering fences protecting her mind threatened to crumble and melt away. The lesson was longer than usual and was it due to the secret lessons she had with her friends from Dumbledore's Army, that she felt much more restless and exhausted even more today. Even so, she persevered, not wanting to break her learning spurt.

It felt like forever, being in the same room below the school's grounds: dark, cold and quiet. Aine felt caged up. Her eyes squinted a little when her professor suddenly smirked, "What's so funny?" she asks, still in full concentration despite not speaking for a while.

Snape's eyes bore into hers, catching a glimpse of her thoughts of his office. "Nothing you should concern yourself with," he replies in a monotone voice and Aine rolls her eyes at his answer. Even without him telling her what was so amusing, Aine had it figured out.

"You should request for a new office, Professor," she jabbed at him. "Perhaps, Professor Umbridge would assign you to one near the ground levels. That way, I don't have to trouble myself with walking up and down the never-ending spiral staircase. Do you know how tiring it is to climb down here every time?"

Her professor scoffed at her remark, "I don't really care how— Or what you feel, Estoileon." He looks away, wondering why he had done Aion a favour of tutoring his little sister while her time at Hogwarts. He could be saving himself from a whole lot of troublesome work if he had straight out refused him. However, Snape was rather intrigued about Aine's brother's offer when he told him that he'll do a favour for the older if there come a time when he needed help. It was tempting.

"Ouch," Aine mutters back. In exchange for not being able to get the answer that she wanted, she managed to steal a peek into Snape's thoughts instead during that time when he adverted his attention away. She tilted her head slightly, being careful not to make him notice she was performing an inverse Legilimency on him. 

Aine didn't know whether she was lucky or that Snape had merely let his guard down briefly, getting into his mind was easier than she thought. She held back a smirk when he turned back to her, his brows knitted when he realize he was completely warded off from her mind. 

She learns fast... He noted to himself, impressed again by the young girl's talents. He continued to study her, noticing that there was a strange aura when Aine continues to glare at him fiercely, he even felt a tiny brush of goosebumps on his arms. Which was odd, because he was always warmly dressed in long tight sleeves that covered his hands.

The girl unravels the tangled strings of Snape's mind, every thread tied into a tight knot that it nearly seemed impossible to unsnarl. She composed her mind, centring her focus on one of the loose threads while fortifying her mind off from Snape's. Tedious it was, but Aine had patience and one could do miracles if they had forbearance. Picking it apart, the image beyond the web of strings presented itself to Aine. A memory that Snape had hidden deep in his mind's library.