(Tiberius Nott and Severus Snape)
"Focus, Nott. You shouldn't be taking this long" Mattheo spoke harshly.
Alessia had decided that it was time to retrieve another memory, as she had just about recovered from the last time Mattheo helped her.
It was taking a lot longer for her to connect with Mattheos magic today, almost like a secondary power was trying to push her out.
She was grasping onto his hands, probably hurting the boy from the intensity of her grip. She just didn't understand what was so difficult this time around.
They were in the same place, in the forbidden forest, enacting the same dark magic, but for some reason, she just couldn't connect like she should.
"You can do it, Nott." he assured her, aware of the pressure he was putting on the girl by bestowing such powerful magic upon her, when she was barely able to process her own.
She pushed with every force and entity that she could grasp from the surroundings, using the earth and her mentality to force the memory back. Mattheos dark magic flowed through her veins, acting like a drug, enhancing her performance, energising her.
Then it clicked.
A small terraced house, on the road named spinners end stood before young Alessia. There was an odd familiarity about it, but the young girl was convinced she had never been there before.
Alesssia was startled as her father banged on the door of the house, with a ferocity in his action. He grew impatient as no one opened the door, scaring his daughter at his anger, as he repeatedly banged, frustrated by the wait.
The door opened suddenly, revealing the same man Alessia remembered from Malfoy manner, with black hair, and an uninviting complexion.
"What do I owe the pleasure?" The man spoke, staring down at the two in disgust.
"I need your help Severus" Tiberius Nott replied.
Severus, who Alessia remembered from her first encounter with the death eaters, offered a tight lipped smile, which held a glimpse of a smirk.
"It humours me that you are here, Tiberius, with the girl. I thought you didn't want my help"
Tiberius looked out of options, staring at Severus in desperation. He would do anything to help his daughter, to help her be free of what he deemed a curse.
"I'm begging you" Alessia's dad said.
The young girl gripped onto her dad's hand, grasping it in fear.
Snape stepped to the side, leaving room for the pair to walk into the small home, that was adorned with books, yet still felt uninviting. Alessia still couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity, but decided to ignore it.
The three sat down awkwardly in the compact living room, that had papers and work scattered all around, giving it a claustrophobic feel.
Tiberius opened his mouth to speak, and start the conversation, but Snape held up his hand, silencing the man with a single action.
"I don't need to hear your whining because you can't control your daughter, Tiberius." He started, without changing the tone of his voice. "If you want my help, I'll need to speak to the root of the problem"
Both the men stared over at the girl who was absentmindedly looking around snapes house with awe.
"Alessia" Tiberius spat, gaining the attention of the small girl. "Stop being nosy and come here" he told her, immediately making the girl sit back down, staring at her hands in embarrassment.
"Severus, I'm out of options. I want to protect her from the dark lord, because when he returns and learns of her power, he will not hesitate to take advantage of it" the man pleaded with even more desperation than before.
Anyone could tell how much he wanted to keep his daughter safe.
"You can't just conceal the power" Snape said plainly, "I'm not a saint, we both know I have my own reasons for protecting the girl, but I can't promise complete safety"
"What can you do?" Tiberius questioned, growing anxious at Snapes cryptic way of speaking.
"I can help her understand. If she has enough control, no one will be able to use her power against her" Snape explained, flickering his eyes between the girl and the man sat before him.
"You say you want to protect her just as much as I do. Make the unbreakable vow." Tiberius said suddenly, now with an anger in his voice that scared even Alessia, who was beginning to fear her father's temper.
Snape smirked, not looking taken back in the slightest.
"Fine" he said, which made Tiberius go pale. He obviously was just calling the man's bluff, but it was all becoming too serious now.
The two stood up, leaving the girl to watch in fear. They interlocked hands, gripping onto eachothers forearms.
"Do you swear to protect Alessia and help her take control of her power?" Tiberius asked, starting the process of the vow.
"I do" Snape replied instantly, without so much of a glimpse of hesitation.
Alessia watched the glowing vines that encapsulated the man's arms in wonder, struck by their beauty.
"Do you promise to protect her from the dark lord?" Her father said, making Snapes face go even whiter than before.
"I do" he said through gritted teeth, knowing that Tiberius was trying to bargain for more than he came for. Protecting the girl from the dark lord would be nearly impossible.
The vines that were circulating around the man's arms vanished, signalling the end of the vow, and its completion.
"Can we go now?" Alessia said innocently, breaking the angered eye contact between the two men. The young girl was beginning to grow anxious in the house surrounded by the magic bouncing off the walls.
Tiberius picked up his daughter, staring Snape down one more time before showing himself out of the house, not looking back.
There was some serious tension between the two, and Alessia wanted to know why.
The memory cut off instantly, making Alessia gasp in angst, her brain taking time to adjust back to normal time.
"Are you okay?" Mattheo asked, snapping the girl back to reality, where the harsh breeze of the forest air was slashing against her face.
Alessia jumped at Mattheos voice, feeling taken back at the sudden leap to the real world, where she wasn't watching the past unfold in front of her.
She didn't even pay mind to her burning dark mark anymore, the fact she got to revisit what was taken from her made it all worth while.
Mattheo waved his hand in front of the girls face, in attempts to gain her attention, as she had evidently drifted off into a world of her own.
She swatted his hand away, making the boy laugh, always amused by her reactions.
"Come on let's go" he said softly, helping her up from the ground that she had been seeking comfort in.
"I never thanked you for helping me with all of this, it must be taking a toll on you" she said, catching the attention of the boy.
"You have my mark to make up for that. A deal is a deal." he replied plainly, staring ahead.
Mattheo was becoming someone who Alessia was spending a lot of time with, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was a massive help.
Mabye, there was a place for him in her life after all.
He just had to prove himself.
A/N- heyyy long time no see!! I've been rlly unwell so this chapter is very overdue. Next chapter I'm going to try and make more Mattheo and Alessia.
Pls let me know if you are enjoying it, or if there's things you want changing!!!
Ellie 💌
Word count- 1290