The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Five)

Chapter 15

He nodded, "I will see you at home Jess."

"Love you," I replied.

The dueling was even more vigorous than last time if that was possible. I was hardly limiting myself anymore, now I could pass it off as him teaching me all this and making me this good. I wanted to be a valuable asset to him, since Dumbledore and Severus seemed to think I wasn't anymore if they weren't sharing their plan with me.

Towards the end we sat in a couple chairs like we had a few times before, "You remind me of myself when I was younger," he commented, "You are an extremely dedicated learner, with lots of natural talent, and a desire to know more, even if the things you want to learn are generally looked down upon in our world. I found myself starting to experiment with the Dark Arts from a young age, and I'm sure you did too."

I nodded, "They are fascinating, and a completely new realm of spells that I haven't been exposed to in school," I said truthfully.

"Your mother is very much the same," he said, causing me to freeze, "I knew her when we were younger as well. We grew up in the same orphanage, then attended Hogwarts within a few years of each other. She was a first year, when I was a seventh year."

I had not known that my mother knew Voldemort for so long. Originally we thought she hated magic, and that's why she had raised me in a Muggle way, and hated Severus. I still wasn't sure everything about her, but I hated talking about her so much, I don't normally care to know.

"She is a very skilled witch it seems sir," I said hesitantly, hoping we could stay clear of the topic of my mother.

Luckily he didn't pursue this topic, "I know I've told you I want you to do great things one day. I know Severus makes his own spells, or he used to. I think you should begin to do so as well, it could be useful in the future if we were to have a spell that no one else could repel."

I nodded, "I have wanted to do that sir. I am so busy lately, but I will definitely work in some time to focus my efforts on that too."

"You should be proud of yourself," he said after a short pause, "THe amount that you have learned, and accomplished in such a short time is incredible. There are fully grown wizards, your father included, and he's one of the best, that are not as good as you are. When I think of the knowledge I can impart to you, and how unstoppable we soon will be together, I know that there is nothing, not even Albus Dumbledore, that can stand in our way."

THe way he told me he was proud of me reminded me of how Severus spoke to me sometimes, and I felt the same swell of pride that I did when he would tell my something like this, "Thank you sir. I think that we make a good pair, with your guidance I feel that there is much I can accomplish in life."

"I just want to get Dumbledore out of the way first. He knows more than he lets on about the Dark Arts, he is simply too good to use what he knows for his own advantage. Weak if you ask me! However he is a threat, and not someone that should be regarded lightly."

This was the first time I had ever heard a hint of fear, or uncertainty in the Dark Lord's voice. H was obviously scared of Dumbledore, and with good reason, but why he would choose to share these fears with me, was beyond me. Why would he ever show anyone any sort of hesitance or anything of the sort, it didn't make him seem like an untouchable leader anymore. I did feel like I could relate to him better than ever before. He had his own human faults, and feelings, under the inhuman exterior he always presented. THe way he was always so nice to me, and held me in such a high regard, made me feel proud, but I knew I shouldn't. This war had been waging on internally for some time now.

Eventually the conversation died, and I apparated to Spinner's End.

"Are you alright?" my father asked.

I nodded, "I'm fine."

"What happened? What did he say?"

"Not much. Just dueled and talked."

"Talked about what?"

"Nothing important," I replied with a bit of malice seeping into my voice.

If he didn't want to tell me things, I could also keep things from him I thought pettily. There was nothing he needed to know, and I could handle these conversations by myself. I was getting older, I didn't need Severus telling me how to handle every little thing anymore.

He looked like he was going to ask again but instead said, "I was hoping you'd let me take you out for breakfast in the morning. I was thinking we could watch some television right now, if you're up to it?"

He sounded hopeful to spend some time with me. I was exhausted, and didn't really want to watch TV, but I nodded and took a seat next to him on the couch. I yawned and leaned my head against his shoulder. I hadn't done this since I was much younger, but if it turned out I only had a little bit of time left with him, I wanted to be close with him.