Snape's family (Severus x OC)

5 Into the woods

The week went by quickly, and it wasn't for the better.

Snape continued training Harry and Draco, without them making any progress, and every day he grew angrier, demanding things that they could not do and behaving almost cruelly towards them.

His attitude changed if his children were in front of him, since although he was still just as serious and cold, he was also kind to them. But the only person he seemed to treat as an equal was Astrid. Maybe it was because she had more character than she seemed, and many times a sharp look was enough to control her husband's bad temper.

The woman, on the other hand, was always kind to them, and seemed to genuinely care about their well-being. Harry had received more than once a bit of good advice from her while helping him heal his wounds, and he had discovered that the woman had a great sense of humor and didn't hesitate to speak her mind.

She had been the one who had handed him an old book of curses with a knowing wink. Harry had read it at night, finally understanding some of the professor's spells.

Draco, however, avoided her as if she carried a horrible disease. He had not insulted her again, but he acted as if she did not exist. Astrid pretended to ignore him too, but Harry had seen her leaving healing potions in Malfoy's room when he wasn't looking.

Seven days after Harry and Draco arrived at the house, Snape became angry with them again.

The boys had started fighting again, having worn off their initial shock, and while they were in their lessons with Snape, they tried to harm each other instead of collaborating to defeat the professor.

Snape got tired of hearing their stupid insults and seeing how they tried to attack each other, so he cast a curse that left them lying on the ground, gasping for air.

"You can go back to your homes," he growled disdainfully, passing by them, without looking at them, "because I am not willing to continue wasting my time with you, despite what Dumbledore says."

With that, he walked away, leaving the boys still on the ground, looking like they didn't understand anything.

Snape entered the house, furious, and found Astrid, who didn't have to work that day. He tried to hide his bad mood from the woman, but she noticed it.

"What happened now?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not going to continue training them," Snape growled. "I consider them a lost cause."

"Are you serious? After all Albus insisted–"

"They don't feel like doing it," Snape paced around the room, furious. "Those idiots are more focused on their rivalries than on what they have to do."

"They are teenagers, it is normal for them to be like that," Astrid insisted, her voice calm.

"They are in death danger. The least they could do is try to learn to defend their life."

"Give them time, they barely have experience in real duels," Astrid spoke in a conciliatory tone, although she understood her husband's frustration very well. Snape sank into an armchair, making a muffled grunt.

"Stupid kids," he cursed. "They are too stubborn. If they wanted to, they could defeat me easily, but they don't understand... they don't want to understand that they must team up and work together. They don't think, they only care about fighting, as if they were idiotic kids."

Astrid smiled weakly, listening to him in silence, knowing that the next day Snape would try again to get Harry and Draco to work as a team, even if it was through curses.