Blood of my blood (Severus Snape & daughter)

15- Occlumency

January 8, 1996

"Miss White, if you have a moment..."

Lily waited obediently at the end of class, and prepared to close the door when the last student left through it.

"Leave it open, there is no need to create gossip for no reason," but the professor's look suggested precisely the opposite. Lily nodded, suddenly feeling very exposed, and cautiously approached the main desk.

"Miss White, I couldn't help but notice that the quality of your potions has declined considerably. That is unacceptable."

Lily looked at him in disbelief, and then noticed the vial with her name on it, which had the most perfect potion of all. Professor Snape, however, put his hand in his pocket, and suddenly, the vial changed color.

"I'm afraid that if you continue like this you won't be able to pass. I recommend that you apply yourself harder," and then he gave her a strange look, as if he was waiting for her to say something.

Lily fought the urge to look over her shoulder and ducked her head.

"I'm very sorry, Professor, brewing potions is very difficult. Maybe, if I had some help..." and he nodded, pleased, before continuing to scold her.

"You're just wasting my time, Miss White, but I can't allow a student from my house to leave me in a bad light. Therefore, you will have two hours of intensive tutoring with me, every week."

"Thank you very much, Professor, I promise you that I will work hard."

"She's gone," he whispered, looking toward the door, and Lily was finally free of the feeling of being spied on. "You will receive an owl with the place and time. You can go."

***

January 16, 1996

Lily knocked on the dungeon door and entered cautiously, expecting to find the horrible figure dressed in pink, but fortunately, only Professor Snape was waiting for her, in front of a cauldron where a half-prepared potion was boiling.

"As you can see, Miss White, we must use this little subterfuge again. If someone asks, you are repeating this week's potions, do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," Lily approached the cauldron and realized that the potion was not properly made. "Am I supposed to be that bad?"

"To need two hours a week? You're worse than Longbottom," Lily couldn't help but laugh at that, and even Snape relaxed his wrinkled expression.

"Professor... I appreciate your interest, but you really don't have to do this," Lily rubbed her hands together. "I'm getting you into trouble."

"Actually, there is something I need you to do for me," he looked at her calculatingly. "You know the members of the Inquisitorial Square, don't you? I want to be informed of what they do," Lily frowned, not understanding. "I want to know what they talk about, who they meet with and the little jobs they do for the Supreme Inquisitor."

"Why don't you ask them?"

"I'm an adult, obviously they're not going to trust me. But you share the Common Room with them... you have first-hand information."

Lily hesitated. She wasn't friends with any of the members of the Inquisitorial Square, but they generally ignored her, so it wouldn't be too difficult for her to eavesdrop.

"But Professor, we don't need two hours a week to update you on that."

"Indeed, the rest of the time we will be training, but this time we will not practice curses... I am going to teach you Occlumency."