autumn | severus snape

one

Ophelia was smoking a cigarette behind a tree in their backyard, overlooking a small lake when her mother gave their guests, their new neighbors, a tour around the house. It was way too big for Ophelia's taste, she liked to keep to one small part of the house; her room and the kitchen. They had moved in just two weeks ago, however, their neighbors had been away when they had come to England at the start of the summer and hadn't had the chance to introduce themselves until just recently.

Ophelia jumped when the sudden noise of footsteps could be heard and she froze.

Run, her mind told her. She didn't, however, and instead threw her cigarette in the lake. Looking up she saw a tall man towering over her and she breathed a sigh of relief as it was neither of her parents. She knew they would scold her and she didn't have the energy to fight them at that moment, especially in front of an audience. The man raised a black eyebrow as he looked down at her with equally black eyes.

"Miss Delisle, I presume?" He growled, as if he resented her when he had only just laid eyes on her.

"Grumpy, I presume?" She mocked him, not breaking eye contact.

His gaze suddenly turned lethal and he opened his mouth to say something when Ophelia's mother appeared with a broad smile on her worn face.

"I see you've met Professor Snape, darling," she said happily.

"Barely," Ophelia muttered and turned her gaze to the duo behind her mother, raising an eyebrow.

"This is Agnes Bentley and her son, Theodore," her mother introduced them. "This is my oldest daughter, Ophelia."

Ophelia cringed as her mother said her name, which did not go unnoticed by the black haired man beside her.

"Nice to meet you, Ophelia," the young boy greeted with a grin.

He was tall, almost taller than the Professor, his skin tanned and you could tell that he had genes from far beyond England.

"You can call me Teddy, however, Theodore is awfully long," he extended his hand to her which she shook. He had short brown hair with matching eyes that glimmered with mischief.

"Ophelia," she smirked and she couldn't help but feel that they would get along just fine.

"Now that everyone has been introduced, let's eat, shall we?" Her mother smiled again and started walking towards the house with the rest as a pack behind her.

Ophelia sat down next to her little sister and opposite of Teddy, who sat next to Snape and his mother. Ophelia's own mother sat next to her and her father who sat at the far end of the table, overlooking everyone, telling them he was the one in charge.

"So," Ophelia's mother said after a few minutes of silence, "Theodore goes to Hogwarts, at least you will have one familiar face when you both arrive there in September."

Ophelia met her mother's gaze, "both?" Her mother nodded and continued eating her food. "But mother, I'm eighteen, I have no business at Hogwarts," Ophelia argued.

"Now now, Ophelia," her father spoke up, "the school can provide great opportunities for you, you will finish your studies this year, at Hogwarts." Her father gave her a harsh look, considering her manners.

"Yes, sir," Ophelia muttered and her gaze landed on the Professor who looked at her with amusement. She sneered at him before looking down at her food and continuing eating.

"Yes, Theodore goes to Hogwarts and was put in Slytherin, just like his father," Teddy's mother said to change the subject. "Severus is also the Head of House for Slytherin."

Ophelia looked up at the black clad man, Severus Snape, a dark name for a dark man, she thought.

"What's Slytherin?" She asked, earning yet another glare from her father.

"They have four different houses in Hogwarts; Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, each person has personality traits that fits with each house," The Head Of House replied dryly.

"Slytherin is the best house, though," Teddy smirked.

"So why the sudden move to England?" Teddy's mother asked. "I heard you were quite successful in the States."

"Ophelia needed change, school was too easy for her," Ophelia's father replied. "I'm hoping Hogwarts will challenge her intellect and that we might find some new friends," he said and let his face reveal a small smile, a smile directed towards Severus Snape.

Ophelia huffed as she played with her food,

"Is there something you would like to say, darling?" Her father asked.

"No, father, nothing at all," Ophelia mumbled, her jaw tense as she stood up and moved away from the table, leaving the mansion.

Outside, she lit a cigarette to calm her nerves, sitting on a bench in her new backyard, with one knee drawn up to her chest and the other hanging in the air. Her heart leapt when she heard someone approaching, but knew it was neither of her parents; the dinner was simply too important to run after their daughter.

"I see you have gotten yourself a bad habit," the velvet voice drawled.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, "I can quit whenever I want," she said as she looked up at the man, standing very tall in his black robes. "So, you're Head of House, huh?" She asked.

"Very astute of you, Miss Delisle," he replied sarcastically.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, ignoring his snide remark. "So which house do you think I would be sorted into?" She asked.

"I think that is up to the sorting hat to decide," he answered.

"Screw the hat, I'm asking you."

"I'd think the most bothersome house would fit you well," he smirked and then paused. "You are very young, Miss Delisle," the Professor then changed the subject and sat down next to her.

"Very astute of you, Professor," she mocked him with a smirk, to which the man rolled his eyes.

"It is a mistake to let something as toxic as this kill you," he grabbed the cigarette from Ophelia's fingers, throwing it to the ground and stamping on it like he was trying to kill the nicotine inside.

Ophelia froze at his choice of words, "mistake," she huffed. "Trust me, Professor, I know all about those," she mumbled.

"Then you also know that living with yourself is the toughest part when you realize your mistakes," he said.

"Didn't know you cared so much," she spat.

"I don't," he retorted quickly, snapping his head in her direction.

The conversation went silent for a minute. Ophelia rested her cheek on her bent knee and studied her soon-to-be teacher. It was hard for her to describe his features, he wasn't like anyone she had seen before. He was handsome, but not in an obvious way like Teddy was, and for some reason, she liked that better. His skin was pale and hair jet black, he could in no way be Teddy's biological father.

"You're not married to Teddy's mother, are you?" She asked after he had caught her staring at him.

His face turned into a disgusted sneer, "of course not, why on earth would you think that?"

"Then what are you doing here?" Giving him a cold glare, Ophelia started playing with the fabric of her pants, her hands needing something to do.

"Making sure you're not up to something," he spat. "As it seems, your father has assigned me the task of looking over you," the Professor's face cringed in disgust.

"I don't need a babysitter," she scoffed. "Besides, I meant, why were you invited here if you're not a neighbor?"

"I, too, have asked myself that question," Snape said, he broke their eye contact and looked out over the garden instead, "and I have come up with no good answers."