CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND THIRTY TWO
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-: fifth year :-
── IN WHICH AVIANA
PANICS
. . .
"Do not be ridiculous." Snape drawled, heating the small cauldron attached to the sideboard, not wasting any time before beginning to add the ingredients he had selected, simultaneously crushing something in a mortar and pestle as tipping a small vial into the cauldron. "You're not going to die."
"Says who?" Aviana replied, her nails pressing into her skin, pale crescent moons imprinting there. "He'll find out my mother's disappeared, and know that I've not been at the manor. None of my grandparents will have taken me and he will know that another relative will have taken me, a true relative, my father."
Snape didn't turn around to address her. "And how do you suppose he will be aware that Black is in a position to take you?" He asked, stirring the beginnings of the potion. "As far as they know, Black is on the run, and the Ministry believes he is somewhere abroad."
"The Ministry believes that Sirius masterminded the attack." Aviana replied, holding the discarded paper up and rustling it. "Besides, who knows what they've found out." She added lowly.
Snape slowly turned to face her, still stirring the potion. "If you are insinuating, Miss Rosier, that I am unfaithful to the Order, then I do believe that you have been greatly misled and your judgement is clouded through certain influences." He said, before promptly turning back to the potion and adding other ingredients.
"I'm not insinuating anything, Professor." Aviana snapped, although she most certainly was. "I believe that the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord are more than aware of Sirius's position and thus will be aware that I have been placed with a family member. I may not be insinuating that you are double crossing the Order but I am most certainly insinuating that Dumbledore should have taken more care in this and that forcing me to go and live at Grimmauld Place would have certain repercussions-"
"Headmaster Dumbledore." Snape corrected.
"For fuck's sake - Headmaster Dumbledore should have considered the possibility, seeing as the whole premise of reuniting the Order of the Phoenix was a defence mechanism in response to the Dark Lord's return and the imminent danger placed on the wizarding war that something like this would have happened!" Aviana replied, rising to her feet, beginning to pace up and down the stomach. "I don't how this is supposed to be a surprise to anyone who believes that he has returned, of course there was going to be a mass prison break, half of his inner-circle has been locked in there since his defeat, and how is he supposed to do anything with that!"
"Miss Rosier, you are not going to die." Snape drawled, once more, deciding to ignore the rising hysteria in her voice, focusing instead on brewing the potion. "Sit back down."
"No." Aviana shook her head. "No - no, I can't sit back down, because my father, a Death Eater, who murdered a group of Muggles not even a year ago is going to find out that I have been taken care of by my real father, a blood traitor and... fucking hell." She sat back down, her head in her hands. "I'm a blood traitor. I'm a traitor. He's going to kill me."
"I believe you are overthinking, Miss Rosier." Snape continued, turning from his potion to allow it to simmer. "There is no evidence that you have been living at Grimmauld Place and-"
"Professor," Aviana swallowed, wincing already, "I have been publicly going out with Harry Potter for the past few months. You and I know full well that the first person that any one of those escaped Death Eaters will be flocking to is Lucius Malfoy. And Draco? I had been shunning him for weeks before Christmas, if anyone has any reason to tell anyone and everyone
"I'm not interested in your... teenage dramatizations." Snape drawled. He was still moving about the potion, adding and stirring and waiting for it to brew.
Aviana rolled her eyes, somehow finding the will to do that amongst all the panicked breathing and racing thoughts. "I don't believe they're merely dramatizations when I'm now a blood traitor!" She glared.
"Then you are simply following in the footsteps..." Snape heaved in a sigh, "of your father. And perhaps, you should have realised this would happen." He waved his wand and the flame beneath the cauldron went out, a white potion simmering within.
"Oh, forgive me for not thinking ahead and bringing the absolute terror upon myself of a life when William is not in Azkaban." Aviana crossed her legs. "I apologise, that I didn't realise the Dark Lord was going to stage a prison break, and furthermore, I apologise for the fact that I'm shag-" she trailed off, realising whom she was in the presence. But it was too late now. "Shagging Harry Potter and I'm a blood traitor. I apologise that I've not uphold the pureblood values that have been infringed upon me my entire life and now I'm not perpetuating the mindless Ministry teachings of a frog-faced-"
A knock on the door interrupted them.
Snape held a cup out to her. "Drink this, Miss Rosier, and think about your language use." He said, and stalked across the room to open the door.
Aviana's eyes narrowed. "No." She shook her head. "Absolutely not - I refuse to deal with you right now."
Umbridge's lips curled into a tight smile. "I am simply expressing my concern for one of my students, Miss Rosier." She said.
"Professor Umbridge-" Snape began.
"That would be High Inquisitor Umbridge, Professor Snape"
The Potions teacher did not move. "As you can see, Miss Rosier is experiencing some... distress upon hearing the news published in the Daily Prophet this morning. I have brewed her a draught of peace and-"
Umbridge's head tilted. "Should she not be in the Hospital Wing, Professor Snape?" She asked.
"I am aware that Madam Pomfrey has not many Draughts of Peace in her stock at this moment, and as her head of house-"
"If Miss Rosier is ill, she should be in the Hospital Wing.
Snape audibly sighed. "Miss Rosier is in shock." He said, and looked over at his student, still wide-eyed and exceptionally pale. "Drink."
"Miss Rosier, do not drink that potion." Umbridge's tone inclined with warning.
Aviana glanced down at the cup before her, then up at the woman once more before lifting the rim up to her lips and tipping her head backing, swallowing it in one. A feeling of intense calm spread through her system, her entire body relaxing into the uncomfortable chair and her thoughts slowing to a standstill.
Snape did not look back at her. "I will ensure, myself, that Miss Rosier gets to the Hospital Wing." He drawled.
Umbridge was glaring. She sniffed, making that odd hmph sound. "There will be no need. Miss Rosier shall be coming with me."
Despite the calm that Snape had displayed, he had the courtesy to look panicked for a brief moment. "Pardon?" He asked.
"As High Inquisitor and Secretary to the Minister for Magic, I believe it impertinent that I discuss the recent news with Miss Rosier myself." Umbridge replied, overly-sweet.
Somewhere within Aviana a long-forgotten anger bubbled and fizzled away. There was nothing now, despite listening to the conversation before her, that could relieve her of any upset like the potion had.
"Then I insist that meeting occurs in the Hospital Wing with myself or Headmaster Dumbledore present, as Miss Rosier is not yet seventeen and thus needs a responsible adult present." Snape replied.
"Why, now we can invite her father." Umbridge smiled, a cruel nasty smile and yet still, Aviana couldn't muster up the energy to provide some kind of snarky reply. Nor could she figure out quite why this meeting was necessary... or why Snape was so insistent on being present - or why Dumbledore should be either.
"Miss Rosier will remain in my office until adequate representation of a responsible adult has been found." Snape said decisively. "I urge that we step out into the corridor to further discuss this."
And the door swung closed before her, and Aviana wallowed in a peaceful calm she had never felt before.
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