My Little Soldier (Professor Snape x student fanfic)

27

Two days have passed since Severus took her in. She has become accustomed to the list of chores she has to do, he has agreed to allow her to use magic in some of them. She bobs her head to the music as she continues to read and write down her notes on her notebook. Frida sleeps on the floor in front of the wardrobe. Amelia still worries about her parents' well-being, but having a routine has helped her ease her mind a bit. In the last two days she has only seen Severus a couple of times. He is either in his room or in the sitting room reading. 

"Petrino Sanguinis... Greek and Latin spell... Makes blood clot in a specific area, can be deadly if used properly. The amount of time that holds depends of how large is the area. Small cuts can last for hours, the entire circulatory system just a few minutes. No wand movement required, how much damage you want to do depend on how long you point the wand at a certain area." Amelia mutters to herself while writing down her own ideas. She hits foward in her cassette player when suddenly someone janks the headphones away from her head. 

She turns around quickly while closing the notebooks and stares up at the looming figure. 

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Amelia says a bit surprised at his sudden presence.

"What are you reading?" Severus says while throwing her headphones on the bed. Amelia makes sure that her back covers the notebooks as she leans against her elbows. 

"Nothing." Amelia says calmly. 

"Stop being foolish. Now, I don't like repeating myself. What is that book about?" Severus says calmly. He rarely loses his temper, and when he does may god have mercy on the poor soul that has to suffer from it. 

"What book?" Amelia says sheepishly. Severus rolls his eyes and pushes her shoulder aside and grabs the two books from behind her back. Amelia lands on the bed with a oof sound, but she quickly return to her original composure. 

"Oh, you mean those books. Nothing important." Amelia says as she watches Severus try opening them. She charmed her notebook from a spell she learned from the red book, the same spell that protects it. 

"So much protection for nothing... Well, if it is really nothing, then you won't mind me keeping them then?" Severus says as he makes a move to leave the small room. Amelia panics and grabs his sleeve. 

"No... wait. Please don't take them, I shouldn't have lied to you." Amelia says apologetically. Severus looks at his sleeve, making Amelia drop her hand. She clears her throat and sits on the bed. 

"The red book is a book of spells and potions. The black one is my notes about each spell and potion, ideas of how to make them better." Amelia says with a defeated tone. 

"And why can't I read it?" Severus asks with a hint of sarcasm. Amelia looks down at her hands and goes to speak but Severus interrupts her. 

"Don't lie Richardson. Don't make me force the truth out of you. And what did I tell you about staring down when speaking to me?" Severus says annoyed. Amelia sighs and forces her eyes to meet his face. 

"Because of my greed, sir." Amelia says truthfully. She knows that her answer is going to cause a lot of conflict. 

"Your... Greed? For what?" Severus says with a stoic expression. Inside he worries about her answer, greed has never done good in the wizarding world; not in his lifetime. 

"Greed for being the most capable witch of my generation. In that book there are spells that most magical people haven't heard before. If I become an auror, I want to be the best auror of this generation. For my goal to be met, I need every arsenal at my disposal. I can't reveal my cards in this game, not until I am sure I can win." Amelia says with passion in each word. Severus can see the fire burning in her eyes.

Greed was the wrong word to use, ambition is what guides her. Severus thought as he looks at the young woman sitting in his childhood bed. 

"And what happens if you don't become the most capable witch of your generation or the best auror of this era?" Severus says. This makes the fire in her eyes dimmer a bit. 

"Well, all I can do is try my best, sir. I'll give in my 100% to it and hope for the best. I have no real control on the outcome. Sure I will be a bit disappointed, but just like you said sir: There will always be someone more powerful and skilled than me. I just have to be the best in my department... I don't know." Amelia sighs at the end before giving him a smile. He puts the books on her lap before walking away. Amelia waits to hear his door close before going back to her research. 

Severus close his door and leans against the door. He slids down the door and sits on the floor. His hands slide up his face before pushing back his hair. 

"She is such a great witch... Muggle-borned or not, they both will want her by their side. When and if he comes back, she will be in danger. I won't be able to protect her, just like I couldn't protect..." His voice trails off as he fails to mention her name. The pain in his chest that comes from the memory of her death makes him close his eyes and clenched his teeth. His suffering also makes his resolve.