Shadows || A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Chapter 3 - Caught

Back to the present...

After that night Asha had tried her best to forget about Parselmouth. What did it matter who her parents were anyway? They were either dead or they didn't want anything to do with her. Yet, in the early hours of the morning, when she wished she was fast asleep like the rest of her dorm instead of standing out in the biting air of the Black Lake shore, her mind drifted to the Parselmouth mystery and what it might mean about her heritage.

Despite her buzzing mind, Asha felt her eyelids growing heavy. She lay down, feeling the sharp bumps of the cold, stony shore press into her back with her knees pointing to the sky. It was a clear night and the Scotland sky was densely packed with an impossible number of stars. She loved how the night sky reminded her of how insignificant and small she really was. It was a calming thought. Everything's fine, thought Asha, none of this stuff really matters.

With one arm tucked behind her head, she used the other to flick her wand and gracefully guide a dozen pebbles up into the air above her. She watched the stones seemingly swirl among the stars, dancing to the whisper of the trees. In that moment, the whole world felt so at peace.

"And what," came a deep, drawling voice, "in Merlin's name, do you think you are doing out here?"

The voice was deadly quiet but, compared to the slight rustling of trees and lapping of the lake, it was booming. Asha's heart gave a jolt as her moment of ease was sucked away and her concentration wavered. She was forced to cover her face with her arms as the stones once floating serenely above her came pelting down. Asha couldn't bring herself to move. She closed her eyes in frustrated defeat. She couldn't believe this was happening. Suddenly a hand gripped her upper arm and wrenched her to her feet. Asha spun around and faced Snape.

In general, Asha was a favourite among the staff - respectful, hardworking, and a top student. Severus Snape was the unfortunate exception. He already did not have the highest opinion of her. Partially because he seemed to dismiss all Hufflepuffs for soft-hearted idiots, but also due to her lack of enthusiasm for his subject. Asha understood potion brewing was a powerful and extremely useful skill. However, an illogical part of her (a part that she couldn't seem to control) just wasn't interested. Actually using magic was infinitely more appealing. It was instantaneous. You could feel it flowing through your veins. Brewing potions required patience and unwavering focus on the dullest of tasks: 'Stir the caldron six and a half times anticlockwise, add one drop of aconite fluid every seven seconds...' Hence Asha's attention often wandered in potions class and as a result, she was below-average and definitely not one of Snape's 'promising students'.

"Professor," she kept her voice calm and confident. "I am..." His piercing eyes were like two swirling black voids, sucking in the moonlight. "...definitely breaking the rules."

"That, might be the only correct answer you've provided me with all year". His voice was filled with venom and Asha felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. "Never, in my time at Hogwarts, have I had the displeasure of meeting a student so disgustingly arrogant to be out nearly five hours past curfew. And not only that, but outside the castle, lounging next to the most dangerous section of the grounds." Asha's eyes flicked to the Forbidden Forest that lay a couple hundred meters further down the shore. Even without looking at him, she could feel the anger radiating from his body. She sighed and pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry," she said, dragging her gaze back to his eyes. "I was being stupid and reckless and disrespectful. And I'll accept the consequences". Snape's glare didn't waver. Had he even heard her?

"First the library and now this! How many times have you been out here, Winters?" he hissed.

"Do you mean ever? Or after-"