A/N: What's a great tiktok you've watched lately? I'm 👏🏻 Addicted 👏🏻 I just watched that one where the guy's like "be honest, if you worked at the movie theatre, would you check under my hat?" and he's got this pointy blue wizard's hat on that goes all the way up to the fuckin roof 😂😂 There's also some excellent HP tiktoks out there👌🏻👌🏻 I. Can't. Stop. I watched tiktok compilations till 7am the other night... IM IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ENGINEERING DEGREE WHAT AM I DOING WATCHING TIKTOKS ALL NIGHT AND WRITING SNAPE FANFICTION AHAHAHAHA HELP
jk I stand by my choices 😌🧙🏻♀️
*
It took Asha a surprising amount of effort to keep pace with Snape as he took long, brisk strides up the frosty hillside and into the castle. Where was he taking her? And to do what? As she obediently followed him through the deserted corridors (which were very nostalgic of her time spent at Hogwarts during summer break), Snape abruptly turned right and descended into the basement.
"Here you go," he said bluntly, stopping outside the Hufflepuff common room.
"What? What the-" Asha began to protest angrily.
"Just get inside," he insisted, "You can tell your little friends you were feeling ill". When Asha made no move except to glare at him, he glanced over his shoulder to check no one else had entered the corridor before saying, "Quickly. I have something I need to do and it is time-dependent."
Unperturbed by his dangerous tone, Asha said, "What are you going to do?"
"I am your professor and you will do as I say or there will be serious consequences, Winters," he hissed in a voice that would've brought first-year students to tears.
Asha crossed her arms and stubbornly scowled at him.
"Please just do it," he growled urgently through gritted teeth. The way he said it caught Asha off guard and after a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly decided to comply.
"Fine. You can tell me later," she said coldly, before entering the common room.
An hour later, excited students began to file back into the castle. Alisha, Maive, Rachel and Jules burst into their dorm to find Asha lying on top of her bed. As expected, the girls bombarded her with questions about where she had been. The lies rolled off Asha's tongue as she told them she'd felt unwell and was gutted she'd missed most of the action.
Once her explanation was over, she hastily asked: "How did Cedric Diggory do?" The girls launched into the story of his success.
"He got a pretty bad burn on his face though," said Maive, "He's with Madam Pomfrey at the moment."
"Hopefully she can stop any scarring on that sexy face of his," smirked Alisha. The four girls broke into giggles.
Asha was accustom to joining in with this childish behaviour in order to fit in, but today she was not in the mood. Plus, the fact anyone thought Cedric was sexy blew her mind - he looked about twelve. Still feeling exhausted, depressed, and angry, Asha told the others she still felt ill and needed to rest. They took the hint and left her alone.
By the time dinner rolled around, Asha was dreading the loud, student-filled Great Hall, but her rumbling stomach got the best of her. She threw on a second-hand sweatshirt and made her messy hair presentable by braiding it over her shoulder with her wand.
Upon entering the Great Hall she nearly turned around and walked straight out again. The four house tables were as rowdy as ever, with many reenactments of both the Champions and the dragons taking place among groups of students. Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons banners had been hung in tribute to the four Champions.
Luckily, Asha was very late to the feast and a group of Hufflepuff first years were returning to the common room, leaving a large empty space at the furthest end of the table. Not wanting to be noticed by her fellow Hufflepuff fourth years, Asha slipped down the aisle between the sidewall and Gryffindor table.
She risked a quick glance at the staff table and was relieved to see that Dumbledore was not present. Neither, she noticed, was Snape. Asha thought it was strange that the Headmaster was not present, given that tonight's feast was partly to show appreciation for the judges, ministry officials and dragon keepers involved in the day's task.
Keeping her head down, she crossed to the Hufflepuff bench and sat down alone, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, due to her late arrival, only desserts lined the table, but Asha was simply there to quell her hunger so she filled a bowl with fruit and walnut cake. The raucous noise of the Hall was almost unbearable and it took all of her will-power and experience from potion brewing to focus her mind solely on eating her fruit. Never the less, Asha was starting to get that uneasy feeling again.
She took a bite of the cake and immediately pushed her bowl away. She felt sick. Her brain was playing up again and her limbs felt heavy. She was so tired. She felt like crying, which was immediately followed by anger at herself for being so weak. Why was she so pathetic?
A dull clink sounded from her fist. Looking down, Asha realised she had been tightly clenching her spoon. She opened her palm and the utensil fell on to the table in two pieces. It had split perfectly in half, the handle severed from the scoop. She stared at the broken pieces, feeling numb. Then she stood abruptly and left the Hall. She was sick of everything. All she wanted was to go to bed and disappear.
Asha was halfway to the common room when a voice called from behind her.
"There you are, Ash!"
She turned to see Cedric jogging down the corridor. His care-free smile lightened her heart enough for her to put on a pleasant front.
"I'm glad to see you're face isn't ruined," Asha grinned, before accepting a hug.
"Me too," Cedric laughed. Up close he looked tired but buzzing.
"How are you feeling?" Asha asked.
"So relieved that it's over! I was so nervous!"
"Yeah, I'm sorry I wasn't really around leading up to it," said Asha genuinely.
"Are you kidding?" exclaimed Cedric, still smiling ear-to-ear, "I'm the idiot who cut our training. And your duelling was the best preparation for that task. How do you think I dodged all that fire!"
"Well, not all of it," Asha teased. Cedric punched her arm playfully. There was a pause.
"Hey, so anyway, I've actually been looking for you because I've got something I need to ask you while this adrenaline high lasts," said Cedric. He nervously glanced down at his hands, looking very out of character. Asha was wary about where this was going. "I was wondering if you would go to the Yule Ball with me? I know you-"
"The what?" Asha interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
"-want to keep our friendship on the down-low but- ... wait. You haven't heard about the Yule Ball?"
Asha shook her head, shrugging. Recently she'd been slack when it came to paying attention to her friends' conversations.
"Have you been living under a rock?!" said Cedric incredulously. "It's the Christmas Ball - traditional for the Tournament."
"Ooh," Asha breathed in realisation, "well, dancing and dressing up definitely aren't my thing, so thanks for the offer but no thank you, I will definitely be avoiding that," she laughed, trying to keep the situation light so Cedric wouldn't feel awkward. "Besides, I'm sure you won't struggle to find a girl willing to accompany you."
There was a hint of disappointment on Cedric's face but he laughed and said, "Yeah, I never thought I'd get tired of girls being interested in me."
As the pair walked back to the common room they chatted about the Tournament. Asha purposefully omitted the fact she was not present for the entirety of Cedric's round. He held the door open for her and loud music flooded into the corridor.
"On second thoughts, I might avoid the partying," said Asha hastily.
"Oh come on, Ash, you'll have a good time I promise," urged Cedric. Asha smiled.
"Congrats on today, Diggory. Go enjoy your party." She squeezed him on the shoulder before turning and disappearing down the corridor.
As Asha walked through the castle, sticking to empty corridors, she was lost in a sea of thoughts. She was so wrapped up in the maze of her mind that she was barely aware of her surroundings and unaware of where she was going.
After a short time, she found herself standing outside the door of Snape's classroom. She pushed on the door and found it locked. Pulling out her wand she cast Alohomora. Nothing happened. Asha smirked; trust Snape to use a more complicated locking spell. It took her three more attempts before the lock clicked and she pushed the door open.
The room was dark compared to the torch-lit corridor, but surprisingly warm. The only light was from the side bench where two cauldrons sat bubbling on orange flames. The door softly swung closed and Asha felt a relieved exhaustion overwhelm her. The air was sprinkled with the scent of smokey wood and spices which, for some reason, made her feel calmer and grounded. She slumped into a desk at the back of the class and rested her head on her arms. She fell asleep listening to the soft drone of the bubbling cauldrons.
*
At two o'clock in the morning, Severus Snape finally accepted that lying on his back, staring at the ceiling was not, in fact, a productive use of his time. He sighed irritably, got out of bed, and dressed in a black collared shirt which he tucked into a pair of his usual back dress pants. It was unnecessary to garb his full attire; he only dressed for the off-chance that a student or professor was out of bed.
Donning his cloak, he swept through the private passageway that led from his chambers to the storage cupboard behind the main potions room. Once inside he selected some ingredients and carried them into the classroom. Upon entering, he immediately stiffened, having noticed a dark, hunched figure occupying a desk at the other end of the room.
Severus slowly and silently approached. As the firelight flickered he recognised the familiar shine of Asha's long dark hair and her delicate face peeking out from behind it. After a moment's thought, he backed away quietly. He would let the girl sleep for now and send her back to her dorm before morning.
Placing the ingredients on his desk, Severus removed his cloak and hung it over the back of his chair. He had decided to prepare some indicator solutions for his seventh year students and quietly set to work under the dim glow of the simmering cauldrons.
After just over an hour of working, Severus heard a murmuring from behind him. He corked the vile he was holding and placed it in a rack before turning. Asha had not moved. He stood perfectly still, listening. Once again, indistinct murmuring sounded from the girl's lips. It grew in volume until he could just make out the words.
"No... no... don't... don't do it... let me go..."
Severus cautiously moved between the desks, listening hard. Asha's whimpering words grew even louder.
"Don't go... crash... please... let me go... they'll... crash... don't..."
Her hands were clenched into fists and her breathing was rapid. Severus silently sank into a nearby chair, intent on interpreting the meaning of her sleep-talking.
"No, no," pleaded Asha, her voice desperate. "STOP!!" she yelled all of a sudden, bolting upright so violently that she began to topple backwards off her chair. With lightning speed, Severus grabbed her shoulders and steadied her.
*
Asha gasped with panic, her eyes wide. She didn't know where she was. Her heart was racing, she was out of breath, and a man was gripping her arms tightly. With fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins, Asha yelled and tried to wrench herself free from the stranger's grip.
"Asha!" came a sharp voice. It was familiar. "Asha, stop! Listen to me!" The voice was urgent and commanding, yet reassuring. She fought to control herself and stilled. Coming to her senses, Snape's face came into focus in the dim light. She remembered: she had fallen asleep in the potions classroom...
"Asha, what were you dreaming about?" Snape demanded.
"What?" she replied, confused. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up and calm her skittish brain. Snape's grip on her upper arms tightened.
"Think!" he hissed, "what were you just dreaming about!?"
Finally realising what was going on, Asha tried with all her might to place herself back into the nightmare she'd been immersed in only seconds ago. After a tense minute of silence, she sighed in frustration. It was impossible.
"I don't know," she said bitterly, "there's nothing there."
Snape grunted in frustration and released his grip on her shoulders. Asha suddenly became aware of a hot, tingling sensation in her palms. Opening her clenched hands, she saw blood spilling from where her nails had cut into her skin.
"You do understand," Snape began pointedly, "that this could be important, Wint-" he cut off, having glanced down at Asha's palms. She quickly closed her fists and slid them away from him. Snape calmly pulled out his wand and leaned across the desk. Wrapping his fingers around one of Asha's wrists, he drew her hand away from her body, towards him. He pried open her fingers with a gentleness she had not expected him to be capable of. Something about his cool, slender fingers touching hers made her stomach swirl uncomfortably. He trailed his wand over her punctured palm and watched as the blood was absorbed back into the cuts and her skin knitted closed, leaving no hint of a scar. He did the same to her other hand. Neither of them said anything.
After a pause, Snape stood up. He walked to the other end of the room and began using his wand to syphon pale purple liquid from a small cauldron into vials. His tall figure was silhouetted against the glow of the fire in front of him. He was dressed oddly (for the professor's usual standards) - far more casual and less bat-like. For the first time, Asha realised he was much younger than his stern demeanour portrayed. She had always grouped him in with the era of McGonagall, but in fact he must only be in his thirties. The thought left Asha with a strange feeling in her chest.
Still sitting, she drew out her wand and sent a ball of yellow light towards the clock above the door. It read 3:24 am. Snape continued to work, no longer acknowledging Asha's presence. He seemed tense and irritated.
In no mood to return to her dorm, Asha leaned back in her chair and kicked her feet onto the desk. Her heart rate had finally returned to normal. Asha was wary of speaking to Snape, knowing that he would be quick to send her back to her dorm. But the temptation to talk to him was too much, especially now the adrenaline in her veins had her wide awake.
"I forgot to take the potion," she said, stating the obvious.
"You also forgot to go to bed," he replied coldly, not turning around.
"Can you blame me for not wanting to listen to shit music and 'three cheers for Diggory' all night long?"
Snape didn't reply. They existed in silence for a few more minutes. Asha considered offering to help him with whatever he was doing but decided he would decline anyway. Suddenly she remembered:
"What did you do today after you forced me into the common room?" she asked pointedly, taking her legs off the desk.
"That is none of your business," he replied sharply. Asha stood up and opened her mouth to retort, but Snape stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her. Asha raised an eyebrow angrily as if daring him to defy her. He strode towards her and met her eyes with an intense gaze. His glare wasn't angry; it was severe and warning. He spoke quietly with harsh articulation.
"I will not be discussing the matter with you, and you will not be able to persuade me otherwise. Do not bother trying."
Asha felt a tightness in her chest that overrode her anger as she stared back into his swirling dark eyes.
"Fine," she conceded coldly. Returning to her desk, she propped her head up with one hand as she used the other to produce miniature imitations of dragon fire with her wand. Snape crossed his arms and leaned back against the bench, watching her.
"I can't believe I missed the dragons," Asha grumbled after a while. Snape didn't respond. "I read all about the Fireball and Horntail in one of your books. It would've been amazing to see them in the flesh. Imagine actually getting to oppose them..." Asha drifted off into thought, thinking about Dumbledore's decline to let her enter her name for the Tournament. "Good thing Potter did so well," she muttered resentfully.
"What do you have against Potter?" Snape questioned. Asha glanced at him then looked away, feeling caught out.
"Dumbledore assured me there would be no exceptions to the age restriction," she said blankly. The corner of Snape's mouth twitched.
"You asked him to put your name in the Cup?" he asked slowly. Asha didn't reply, instead sending another small burst of flame from her wand tip. "I thought you didn't like being noticed," Snape said in a tone that was curious rather than mocking.
"Yeah, well, just like Dumbledore, I have my exceptions," Asha replied darkly, folding her arms and staring at the back wall.
For some time, neither of them spoke. Finally, Asha looked over at Snape and asked, "Do you think I should talk to him?"
He looked back at her carefully.
"Perhaps," he said slowly. There was a pause. "But for now, you need to return to your dorm and get into bed like every other student in this castle. I trust I don't need to escort you?"
Asha sighed inwardly and stood up, feeling the beginnings of a headache. She was halfway to the door when she turned around. Snape was still watching her.
"What keeps you from sleeping?" she asked softly, willing him to answer her. Snape's face hardened.
"Goodnight, Winters," he said firmly. Asha gave an almost imperceptible nod, indicating she understood it was too heavy a question. Opening the door with a flick of her wand, she left the classroom.