The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 50

"Do you know why the last one hit you?"

"Because you're faster than me," replied Lindsay.

"No, you're focusing too much on my wand hand, which disrupted your timing. If this were a fencing match, you'd lose distance perception by focusing on the weapon. Distance is irrelevant in a magical duel as far as a wizard's attack range is concerned, but judging it correctly is vital for perfecting your timing when avoiding incoming spells. For example, if I fire a spell from six feet away, you will have a specific amount to either block it or move out of the way. If I fire a spell from twelve feet away, you'll have more time to react. The difference will be only a split-second of time, but that split second can save your life, or take it. Let's try again."

Snape fired several more hexes and every one hit Lindsay. He'd told her not to look at his wand so she watched his eyes, which was a mistake. She found herself feeling sluggish and her feet wouldn't move the way she wanted them to.

"This is not a muggle boxing match, Miss Gray. Never look in a wizard's eyes during a duel or you risk losing control of your mind. As an Occlumency student, you should know that."

She should've known that, and Lindsay was annoyed with herself for being so careless. "Sorry, Professor."

"If you were in a real duel, you wouldn't have time to be sorry. You'd be dead." Snape lowered his wand. "Most sport duelists instruct their students to observe the shoulder of their opponent's wand hand. Doing so will allow the student to see the movement of both their opponent's body and wand." Snape kept his wand lowered, but still instructed Lindsay to try again. She focused on his shoulder and caught sight of his left hand moving, but wasn't able to move out of the way in time. She caught a painful stinging hex on her shoulder. The others were just strong enough to be noticeable; this one hurt.

"Focusing on my shoulder was ill advised," said Snape. He raised his left hand. "For those of us who are capable of wandless magic, the potency of cast spells is generally less than it would be when focused through a wand. If this was a real duel, and I had a wand in this hand, you'd be dead."

"You could've just told me that."

"Pain will make you remember better than verbal instruction."

"If I can't look at your eyes, or your shoulder, or your wand, where do I look?"

Snape placed his left hand on his chest. "Look at the center of my chest just under the neck. Observing this area will let you see where my body moves, which hand I use, and where I aim my wand. Keep your focus soft. If you stare too intently, you'll miss too much. Try again." Snape fired another barrage of hexes in rapid succession from both his wand and his empty left hand. Lindsay managed to avoid most of them. Snape was fast, but Lindsay could tell that he was holding back. He was a taskmaster, but he wasn't so harsh that he made it impossible for his student to learn. Lindsay shuddered to think how devastating he could be in a real duel.

"That was acceptable for a novice," said Snape as he lowered his wand. "As you've learned, proper foot placement can help you avoid unfriendly spells that you're unable to block, but the tactic is only useful against one or two opponents. Attempting to pivot away from spells coming from multiple opponents can put you in the path of an unseen spell, so use the tactic prudently."

Snape walked away from the center of the dueling strip and told Lindsay to do the same. There was just enough space to allow them to be knocked to the ground without hitting the stone walls behind them. "I want you to use your wand to block incoming spells."

"But I..." He didn't give her enough time to protest and fired off several weak hexes in succession. She was a fast learner despite her lack of confidence and successfully used both her wand and her agility to avoid his attacking spells. Severus steadily increased the power of his attacks until Lindsay found herself being knocked off her feet. After the seventh time being knocked onto her backside, she conceded defeat. "I give up, Niketas. I'm vanquished."

Snape holstered his wand as he stalked toward her, stopping at her side. He proffered a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Niketas?"

"It's Greek. It means 'winner.' It seemed appropriate considering you knocked me onto my keister seven times in a row."

Snape's reply was to walk toward the study door. Lindsay followed, a bit slowly and rubbing her bruised bottom. She was met at the study door by Snape who held two glasses of red wine in his hands and offered one to Lindsay. "I'm not a drinker, Professor," said Lindsay and attempted to hand it back to him.

"There's barely a mouthful of wine in that glass. Drink it."

"There's nothing wrong with being a tea-totaller, Professor."

"Not when it's a choice; you do it out of fear. Drink that wine, and you'll break Adam's hold on you forever." The abrupt turn of conversation took her by surprise. Surely a small sip couldn't be a bad thing, and it would please the Professor. She raised the glass to her mouth, but froze when the scent of alcohol reached her nostrils. The scent of wine quickly turned to a memory of whiskey-scented hot breath and Lindsay began to feel dizzy and nauseous. Her vision blurred and darkened. A firm pincer-like grip wrapped around her arm and steadied her. "What you're experiencing is a memory; push it away. You control your thoughts; they do not control you."

Lindsay raised the glass again and deliberately inhaled the wine's fruity aroma. She forced the memory of the whiskey scent into a dark corner of her mind. She steadied herself and downed the wine in a single gulp. Snape took the glass from her hand and pushed her into an armchair. Lindsay's vision cleared as she gained control over her emotions, and she saw Snape's glass of wine floating next to him. He plucked it from the air and sat down across from her. There was no change in his expression.

"How did it taste?"

"Fruity and pleasant," replied Lindsay; "although I wouldn't make a habit of drinking it."

"That is your prerogative, but I would advise using it to test yourself occasionally."

This seemed to be as good a time as any. Lindsay rose, moved to the desk, and retrieved a small item from the top drawer. "I made something for you, Professor. I hope you'll accept it." Lindsay handed him the good-luck charm she'd made. She didn't fully grasp the significance of her actions. She'd intended only to pour her gratitude and her concern for Snape's welfare into something tangible. Giving an amulet to a wizard had far deeper meaning than she realized. Snape held the amulet in his hand and stared at it for several nervous seconds. He curtly nodded his head and said, "Thank you," as he pocketed her gift. Lindsay let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She didn't tell him about the amulet's twin that she kept in her nightstand's drawer.

Snape drained his glass of wine and rose. This time he offered a polite farewell before leaving. He returned to his private rooms at Hogwarts and paced his sitting room with the amulet in his hand. "Oh, dear Merlin! What have I done?" He ran his thumb across the top of the amulet and could feel a subtle, barely perceptible emission of energy from it. The magic it produced was as unusual as its creator's. It was a lovely gift—too lovely, and it was something he'd never in his wildest imagination expected to receive. This was the sort of gift given between family members, or between very dear friends; coming from Lindsay, it was tantamount to a betrothal. If the Dark Lord learned of this, he might see it as a sign of betrayal, or he might find it amusing that Snape's sex slave had developed an affection for her master. Either way, Snape would likely be a dead man if he were caught with it.

He pulled an old brown-leather pouch from inside his robes; it enlarged and unfolded itself when he laid it on the table next to his chair. The pouch contained an assortment of items useful to both a Potions master and a master of the Dark Arts: spare wands, dittany, a vial of bezoar stones, a vial of anti-venom made specifically for Nagini's bite, a small mirror bound with a silver chain, and several other small items. Snape slipped the amulet into an empty sleeve and rolled up the pouch. He placed the pouch back in his robes and sat in his armchair. He felt calmer now and was thinking more clearly.

Snape surmised that Lindsay was unaware of the profound meaning behind giving an amulet to a wizard. She still thought like a muggle and probably regarded the amulet as the muggle version of a lucky charm; a simple token of good luck and innocent affection. Part of Snape was elated; the other part of him was disappointed. He was a marked man so pursuing love would be pointless, but a strong and shameful feeling of lust was nagging at him. He also felt an obligation to protect Miss Gray, an unfortunate near-muggle lost in a world she doesn't understand. Her presence was making a dangerous and complicated situation doubly so.