Ophelia spent the days before Midsummer studying spells and potions, practicing Occlumency and wandless magic. The book she had taken from Snape gave her more than enough information. She knew a dark curse when she saw one, and the book definitely contained a few of them.
Ophelia was struggling to rid her mind of Snape, no matter how many hours she spent meditating or trying to set a goddamn cotton ball on fire. Maybe she had made a terrible mistake. She hadn't even considered that he might not return her feelings before acting. In fact, she hadn't even taken the time to properly figure out her own feelings.
She hadn't slept for two days when it was suddenly time to put on the red dress her parents had picked out for her and head to Malfoy Manor. Ana was safely tucked away in her room when they left, her eleventh birthday just around the corner. Their father was very excited about the fact, and Ophelia wondered if he ever thought about the child they put in the ground no longer than two months ago.
Malfoy Manor stood tall and dark on the outside, but the ballroom was decorated with flowers, bright lights shining on the dance floor, and glass doors that led to the garden stood ajar to cool down the big crowd. They were greeted by a man offering them champagne.
I'll just down this one.
She took another to sip on. Her parents had already been approached by a man with long white hair and robes covered in black and gold.
"Lucius, this is our daughter," her father said and extended a hand for her, motioning her towards them.
Ophelia took a breath.
"A pleasure, Miss Ophelia," Lucius took her hand in his and planted a light kiss on her knuckles.
"Likewise, Mr. Malfoy," she said, pulling her hand back to wrap around her glass.
So he was the one who left encrypted messages to her parents. Maybe she would finally figure out what the hell they were up to.
Ophelia looked around at the crowd while her parents complimented Lucius on the wonderful decorations. She saw Teddy standing with his mother, smiling and making small talk. Some couples were dancing to the slow music. Her eyes wandered across the room and her mouth went dry when they landed on him. Snape was already looking at her, like he had been waiting for her to find him.
She felt him pulling on her mind, trying to sneak a peek at her thoughts and she was reminded of what a control freak he was. But she had been practicing what he had taught her and pushed him away.
"Miss Ophelia," Lucius said.
She whipped her head around, returning her attention to him.
"My son is making rounds, why don't you introduce yourself?" He smirked, "you're around the same age, I believe."
Oh, great.
"Certainly," Ophelia said politely.
Lucius smiled, and she couldn't tell if he was just being friendly or if he found her uncomfortable state amusing. If Snape would just teach her goddamn Legilimency.
"Ophelia, sweetheart," her father said, "go see if you can find young Mr. Malfoy."
She smiled, "sure, father."
Ophelia turned away from them, downing the rest of her champagne.
"I think we need to expand our horizons," her father began as soon as she walked away.
Ophelia wanted to hear the rest of the conversation, but she had been sent away like a child. With her sight set on the bar she walked quickly through the room, ignoring the men and women who stared at her.
"Firewhiskey, please," she said to the bartender.
He looked her up and down, narrowing his eyes, "would you mind showing me some identification?"
Ophelia glared at him, "do I look sixteen to you?"
He raised his eyebrows, "oh- I.."
"Answer the question! Do. I. look. like. a. child?"
"Uhm.. no?"
"It's alright, she's eighteen."
The bartender nodded before pouring firewhiskey into a glass. Ophelia scoffed, of course he'd listen when there's another man speaking. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I could've handled it, thank you very much."
"You've got your drink, haven't you?" Teddy smiled.
She rolled her eyes and took a sip of the strong liquid, feeling the burn from her tongue right down to her stomach.
"As I said, I was handling it."
"You were about to strangle him," he smirked as he walked them over to a table.
"Well, this isn't really the place to take the moral highway about underage drinking."
"Perhaps not," Teddy took a sip of his own drink and looked at her, "however, you could have just shown him your identification."
"That's not the point, is it?" She snapped.
"Alright, don't bite my head off," he laughed.
"Sorry," Ophelia breathed, "I haven't been sleeping very well."
"Then, what do you say we go out for a smoke?" Teddy asked and downed his drink.
"Theodore," a tall man in a suit said, "slow down, there's plenty to go around."
Teddy chuckled, "father, this is Ophelia Delisle."
Teddy looked very much like his father, from his eyes to his smile, even their voices matching.
Ophelia shook his hand firmly, "nice to meet you, sir."
"Ah, how wonderful to finally have a face to match the name," he smiled, "you're the talk of the town."
"Really?" She raised her eyebrows, "so that's why everyone's staring, I thought I had a sign on my back that said 'bite me'."
Ophelia hadn't known what to expect from Isaiah Bentley, but it wasn't the genuine laugh that suddenly rang through the room. It was in his eyes, in the way his face changed into a vision of relaxed joy and unrestrained cheer.
She looked at Teddy with wide eyes, sure she was going insane. But he was laughing along with his father.
"You're a funny one, aren't you?" Isaiah smiled.
"Why, thank you, sir."
"We should have a proper conversation, Ophelia," Isaiah said.
"Isn't that what we're doing right now?"
"No," he smiled and shook his head, "we should have dinner."
She almost choked on her drink, "we should?"
"Yes," he chuckled, "how about Friday? Theodore?"
Teddy shrugged, "I'm free."
"Oh.. okay," she blinked, "Friday it is."
Ophelia wasn't sure exactly what she was saying yes to, she still didn't know Teddy all that well. However, dinner alone with someone's parent wasn't something she'd done before, even with Vincent.
"Then it's settled," Isaiah clapped his hands together, "I'll leave you kids to it."
She smiled at him as he left, before the room started to sway and her mind blurring. Someone was trying to read her mind again!
Her hands turned into fists by her side. Snape really had some nerve. However, when she located him on the other side of the room, he was preoccupied with, what looked like, reluctant conversation. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the room, only to find her father averting his gaze.
There was a moment where her face washed blank with confusion, like her brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from her wide eyes. She realized she'd misinterpreted his actions, his words, his expressions for so many years. The moments when he'd been calm and understanding, and the moments he had not... He had been reading her most private thoughts and acted accordingly.
Ophelia had never been more confused in her life, or more determined.
"So," Teddy whispered in her ear, "how about that cigarette?"
"Yes, please," she sighed desperately.
Teddy hovered his hand above the small of her back, gently guiding her towards the open doors.
"Teddy!"
Oh God, what now?
Familiar blonde hair and gray eyes filled her vision. It was the guy she'd slept with not so long ago, the guy who'd reminded her of Vincent. It was Draco Malfoy.
"Draco, you remember Ophelia," Teddy said as Ophelia tried to slow her breathing.
And when their eyes met, she felt like she was going to be sick.
"It's you-"
"I have to go."
Ophelia quickly fled through one of the many doors, this one leading to the balcony. Her heart beating in her ears and saliva so thick she could barely swallow. She put a cigarette between her lips and reached for her lighter with shaky hands. Her heart was a second away from coming up her throat.
"Let me," Draco's voice came from behind her.
Ophelia let him take the lighter from her hand as she watched him with narrowed eyes. The small flame illuminated his features, and it was like Vincent was standing right in front of her. Her mind wandered to the letter he had sent her, to the ring she still had buried in her drawer.
"I think I should apologize," he said.
"You think, but you're not sure?"
Draco rolled his eyes, "you know what I mean."
There was a moment of silence. And then Draco's lips curled into a grin as his eyes scanned her body.
"You look good, Delisle."
"And you look like you want to be punched in the throat, Malfoy," she spat.
"You can't avoid me forever."
"Oh, I can try."
"I didn't hear you complain when we were in bed together," he whispered seductively in her ear.
Ophelia actually considered punching him that time.
"I believe she wished to be left alone, Mr. Malfoy," Snape's voice drew before she could make a decision.
What was it with these boys, thinking she needed rescue?
"Professor Snape," Draco greeted him. "Think about it, Ophelia," he said before disappearing into the crowd.
Ophelia scoffed and turned to lean on the railing, inhaling the smoke deep into her lungs before flicking the cigarette across the yard. She was acutely aware of Snape's presence behind her. She heard his footsteps and half expected him to leave, but he was only coming closer.
She turned around to face him, "listen-"
Snape held up a hand to stop her, already knowing what she was going to say.
"We should not speak of things that do not matter," he said.
She felt her eyebrow twitch.
"Fine."
Inconsiderate bastard.
Snape frowned, taking the glass of fire whiskey from her hand. She looked up at him, ready to protest, but he spoke first.
"I do not like it when you drink, Ophelia."
The way he said her name, she almost leaned forward to kiss him again. And maybe she would have taken the chance, hadn't he just dismissed her like she was nothing mere seconds ago.
"Your mind is vulnerable when you are drunk," Snape said, "especially to people with their eyes set on you."
"You seem to have this moral high ground on using Legilimency, Professor, yet you do not shy away from using it on me," Ophelia narrowed her eyes in his, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I was merely ensuring that he would be unsuccessful as well," he sneered.
Ophelia took a step back, "you know."
Snape's lips parted, realizing what he had said, but recovered quickly.
"I know of many things, Miss Delisle, you'll have to be more specific."
Spending years as a double agent, Snape could never fathom making such a mistake. However, she brought something forward within him that made it difficult to not want to reveal everything to her.
"You know my father's been reading my mind," she accused.
Snape huffed, "I haven't the slightest idea of what you are speaking."
"Did he even ask you to teach me Occlumency? Or was that just you?" Ophelia asked, her voice softer now.
He opened his mouth to respond, but then quickly closed it again, turning to walk away. But her hand on his arm made him freeze in place.
"I'll stop," she said, "I'll stop drinking if you teach me Legilimency."
Snape rolled his eyes, "says the drunk girl."
"I mean it."
He raised an eyebrow, there was a determination in her voice that he hadn't heard before.
"Why?"
"There are more important things now."
"More important than self medicating to deal with whatever it is you came here running from?"
"Will you teach me or not?"
Snape contemplated for a moment, studying her with those deep orbs that hid so much.
"I will," he said finally.
Ophelia let out a sigh of relief, but there was something yet unspoken between them. Snape felt like he should be the one to walk away first, but stayed in the silence, anyways. Hoping that if they stayed out on the balcony long enough, then maybe he could find a way to communicate everything he couldn't bring himself to say.
And so he reached inside his robes and pulled something out of his pocket. It was of redwood, twelve inches and three quarters length. Ophelia knew because it was hers. Snape was giving her her wand back.