Shadows || A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Chapter 9 - Abersoch

Everything went black and Asha felt as though she were being compressed into an infinitely small space, unable to breathe while an invisible hand plunged through her stomach and wrenched her forwards by her spine. Then, with an ear-splitting crack, light and space burst back into existence.

Snape released his grip and Asha tumbled forward into a wall. She gasped for air and doubled over feeling like she was going to be sick. Fortunately, due to the nauseating anxiety of going back to the Foster Home, she had eaten scarcely anything in days so there was nothing to come up.

"Out of the way," Snape grumbled, pushing past her. What she had thought was a wall turned out to be a door. A door to a quaint, single-storey cottage. Asha spun around. There were a few other houses dotted across the rolling hills of the countryside, and down the road was a cluster of old buildings that Asha assumed made up the village centre.

"Where are we?" Asha asked.

"Abersoch," Snape called back from inside the cottage, his tone still rather angry "Wales."

Wales! Asha continued to scan her surroundings.

"Do you plan on standing there all day?" Snape growled. He was already deeply regretting his decision to bring her here. It had been a long time since a moment of irrational emotion and time pressure had resulted in him making a reckless decision. Never the less, he would be getting her out of here as soon as possible.

Warily, Asha stepped over the threshold with her trunk and closed the door behind her. Snape had thrown his cloak over the arm of a couch and was waving his wand. His seemingly bottomless trunk was open on the living room floor. Cupboard doors and drawers were flying open, as books, clothes, and other miscellaneous items flew through the air, landing neatly on shelves or disappearing to other parts of the house.

Asha looked around. It was a modest and minimalistic abode with brick walls and hardwood floors. Apart from the bookshelves that lined the walls, the only furniture in the living room was a couch, an armchair, a coffee table, and a dark green rug. The kitchen and dining area were at the other end of the house through a wide archway and provided a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. There were no photos or sentimental items to be seen.

The room grew quiet as the last of Snape's belongings nestled themselves into their designated places. Asha stared at him in disbelief. Did he expect her to stay here? In his house? With him?? Then, unable to suppress her curiosity, Asha wandered further into the living room and began to inspect the contents of the shelves.

Snape's book collection was certainly something to admire, not to mention the content looked far more interesting than what was available in the Hogwarts library; An Analysis of the Unconventional Dueling Strategies of the 18th Century, Theories on Goblin-Made Ironwork, A Curation of Lesser-Known Counter-Curses, Dark Alchemy and its Contributions to the Search for the Universal Solvent... Asha's eyes were drawn to a heavy, ancient-looking tome. The ink-black leather was cracking and there was no title on the spine, just the subtle indent of a coiling snake. She raised her hand to draw the book from the shelf.

"Do not touch that," came a deadly growl. Hand still raised, Asha turned her head slowly to look at Snape, one of her eyebrows ever so slightly raised. He had his arms folded across his chest as his eyes bore holes through her very being. Gently, she lowered her arm.

Snape spoke slowly, punctuating every consonant. "While you are here you will not touch any of these books. Do you understand?" Asha kept her face expressionless but her eyes twinkled with curiosity and she scanned the shelves once more.

"Yes," she conceded before quickly adding "-Professor".

"You can put your trunk in there" he ordered, flicking his wand at a door on her left, "And don't get comfortable. I have to go out and tend to some business for which, thanks to you, I am already late. But when I return we'll be sorting out where you're going. Do not leave this house - I will know if you do". And with that, he snatched his coat up off the couch and stormed out of the house. Asha could tell he was definitely regretting bringing her here. There was a crack and she was alone.