autumn | severus snape

nine | adrift

Snape glared at him, tapping his foot on the ground, "the point, Tom?"

"She likes you, Severus," Tom said, it was as bluntly as he could put it. "And don't act like you're not fond of her as well, I'm not blind."

Snape scoffed, "you cannot be serious."

"I am warning you now, Severus," Tom stood up from the couch, stepping closer to Snape. "If you ever let her find out about what we're doing," he breathed, putting a finger on Snape's chest, "I will kill you, bit by bit."

Snape's gaze turned lethal. In a subconscious gesture of disgust his nose wrinkled and he drew his head backwards. He grabbed the finger pointed at him, ready to break it.

"I do not appreciate being threatened," he spat. "I have done nothing proved my loyalty to you, I have completed every task you have assigned me, without failure-"

"I am not questioning your worth, Severus," Tom interrupted. "I'm simply saying that you shouldn't get so close, she just lost her brother, she is vulnerable."

"You were the one who assigned her to me," Snape said, clenching his jaw in annoyance.

"Yes, to keep an eye on her," Tom answered, his voice just a tiny bit louder, "I didn't ask you to teach her bloody occlumency! I need to be aware of what is going on in my child's head, Severus."

Snape was out the door, in seconds, raging from the conversation they'd just had. Not only had Tom questioned his character, he'd also admitted to raping his daughter's mind. There was nothing physical about the abuse, but he'd shattered her nonetheless. And after every encounter Snape was left more curious about what had happened to the only son in the Delisle family.

"Psst!"

Snape stopped abruptly, putting his thoughts on pause. He was already halfway off the property, eyebrows twitching and hands balled into fists. He almost thought he'd imagined it, but then he heard it again.

"Psst!" It sounded, "hey, Snape!"

He turned around, searching his surroundings after the sound. His eyes trailed over the house before settling on the girl sticking her head out of a window, waving at him frantically. She had a smile on her face, despite the day she's just had. It was the kind of smile that always seemed to be hiding behind those lips and was just waiting to be tempted out. Even though he felt compelled to wave back, he didn't. Instead, he slowly rolled his eyes and walked to her window.

"Will you ever stop bothering me, little girl?"

Ophelia frowned, her smile turning into an offended 'o'.

"Will you ever stop calling me girl?" She asked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, I am not little," she added, pouting like a child.

He had to look away at the sight, turning his head sideways as he tried to stop the grin from spreading across his face. Chatting with her was a sort of verbal dance, one beautifully chaotic, one that would either leave you fuming or feel your heart switching on.

Snape straightened his stance, clearing his throat before turning back to her, trying to keep his face resolutely unimpressed.

"What do you want?"

Ophelia leaned on the windowsill, "what did you talk with my father about?"

Snape took one step closer to the window, "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"If you were talking about me then it absolutely is my business," she insisted.

"Shouldn't you be in there explaining yourself to your father?"

"Shouldn't you be in here sucking up to him?"

Snape scoffed.

"Why are you so nosy, Delisle?"

"Why are you so guarded, Snape?"

They glared at each other, daring the other one to break the contact first.

"What happened to your brother?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

The question made her break eye contact, and the warm light in her eyes disappeared in an instant.

"What?"

Snape stepped closer, his arms coming up to rest on either side of the window before whispering, "what happened to your brother?"

Ophelia swallowed thickly, her chest rising and falling faster than usual as she tried to stay calm. She ran her hands through her hair two times before she looked at him again.

"Why would you ask me that?" She whispered, her anger barely constrained.

"Maybe I'm the nosy one," Snape grinned.

"Oh, you're enjoying this."

"As I said," Snape shrugged, "maybe I am just nosy."

"No," Ophelia shook her head, "it's more than that." She glared at him, "you push and you pry where you know you shouldn't, you just can't stop yourself," she looked at him in disgust. "What happened to you? Why do you have to be in control, Snape? Who broke you?"

Snape blinked. She was expecting fireworks but all she got was ice. Instead of yelling, like she thought he would, he pushed himself away from the window, apprating away.