Darkest Desire

26. Newfound Trust (EDITED)

"Excuse me?!" she said, ever so slowly, propping herself up on one elbow and observing the angry look in Severus's eyes with surprise.

Albus was still standing right there, but again a knowing look crossed his features. He shook his head, eyes turned downwards, before looking up at his Goddaughter and shaking his head "Aurora, on that note I think its best I excuse myself. If we are to find a cure for this condition of yours, we need all the help we can get. The rest of the staff needs to be informed, and I'll owl your parents to tell them about what's happened"

She wanted to protest, but Albus had already turned around, and Aurora watched in exasperation as he disappeared into the heart with a burst of green and emerald flames. Still angry about Severus's accusation, she turned her attention back to irate Potion's Master, who had watched the Headmaster's departure with cold indifference.

After all, he couldn't quite believe the turn the situation had taken. He'd been completely flabbergasted by Aurora's poisoning, unable to wrap his head around the thought that someone would go through the trouble of poisoning a sixth-year student, a student who apparently didn't care much for her own life given her volition to just throw in the towel as realization dawned on her about her condition. He'd seen the look on her face when Aurora realized she was dying, and instead of the fear and mindless panic he'd expected, she'd turned completely calm. Pensive. Who did that when they found out they were dying?! What in Merlin's name was wrong with the chit to elicit such a reaction?!

Resignation. That's what she said. But Severus didn't believe it either, as obviously Albus didn't accept her answer either. It was acceptance. She'd just calmly accept her fate and...die. But why did that thought upset him so? Refusing to dwell on those thoughts, Severus narrowed his eyes at the blonde witch that was looking up at him in defiance, her sunken eyes red-rimmed but still sparking with anger. Even in her weakened state, she was furious. And that's what Severus had been hoping for. For even if there was only one thing he knew for certain, it was the fact that he knew how to get under the young witches' skin like no other, just as she was able to get under his.

"You're a coward. Weak. A quitter" Severus said, voice cutting like a knife "You don't have it in you to try and fight this thing. Surrendering without any resistance.... pathetic"

The last word was a harsh, ice-cold accusation, and it elicited the response he was hoping for.

"You have no idea what you're talking about" Aurora whispered, strangely affected by his words.

"Oh really? You feel like it's enough, don't you? That it's acceptable to give up? That there is no way to change what's right in front of you, so you accept it without hesitation...." Severus was looking at her intently, knowing that he'd have to spark her anger to get that fierce determination and resistance he was so used to getting from the stubborn witch before him "Like somehow that makes it okay to surrender your life..."

Aurora shook her head, but it was a weak gesture, and Severus knew it. He could see it in the set of her jaw that she was fighting her annoyance, in the rigid stance of her shoulders that she was trying to suppress her anger. Good, he thought, we're almost there.

"Well it's not. It's not okay to just give up. The right thing to do is to fight. To try and beat those odds. Not because it will work, because there's no guarantee, but it's because it is the hardest thing to do. And sometimes the right thing and the hardest thing to do are the same, and you're kidding yourself if you think that giving in or giving up will be easy. You've been poisoned, Aurora. Sorry for the blunt delivery, but you'll die a slow and painful death if you don't fight this!" Severus continued, looking at Aurora intently with that unreadable look in his eyes.