autumn | severus snape

four

"What is this?" Ophelia asked as she picked up something that looked like it belonged inside a body.

"Bat tongue."

Ophelia let out a disgusted sound as she dropped the tongue on the table again.

"Careful, Miss Delisle," Snape growled.

"Sorry, it's just when my father told me you would be training me this summer, I didn't expect.. this," Ophelia pressed her lips into a thin line as she picked up what she knew to be lionfish spines.

"Potions is as important of a skill as any other," Snape sneered.

She rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you're right, Professor."

They were currently in the basement turned potions lab in the Professor's house. Ophelia's father had told her to meet Snape there, that he would teach her what she had not yet been taught by her parents. She thought he would teach her Occlumency or legilimens, instead she was sitting on a chair while said Professor cut an ingredient in small pieces. He had also confiscated her wand the second she stepped foot in his home, why, she had no idea.

"What's that?" She pointed to the shredded plant on the cutting board.

"Dittany."

"And that?"

"Salamander blood."

Ophelia frowned. "And-"

"No.. more questions," he growled

"I thought you were going to teach me something," she scoffed.

"Patience," Snape glared at her.

"You're not a very patient man, Professor, so why the interest in potion making?"

"None of your business," he snapped.

After a moment's pause, he spoke again, this time, his voice calm and almost pleasant.

"What would you like to do when you graduate?"

"I don't know," Ophelia shrugged. "Maybe a healer, or an astrologer."

"What about Defence Against the Dark Arts, your father tells me you exceed in it," the black clad man cocked an eyebrow her way.

"It doesn't matter what I exceed in, what matters is what I like and I do not like the Dark Arts," she sneered.

"But you like astrology?" Snape raised his eyebrows.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Ophelia gave him a crooked smile.

"It was certainly my intention," he said and Ophelia stifled a laugh, not expecting the bitter man to have humor.

"So you don't believe in astrology, in zodiac?" Ophelia asked curiously with her eyebrows raised.

Snape answered her with a short headshake.

"How can you not believe in astrology?" Ophelia asked in disbelief.

"It is silly to believe that everyone born in the same month, is destined for the same future."

"Do you enjoy being boring? Is that fun for you? Or do you just naturally have no personality?" Ophelia huffed and shook her head.

"I would rather be boring, than a naive and stupid child like you," Snape drawled.

Ophelia gasped and put a hand over her heart, pretending to be hurt, "ouch." A small smirk appeared on her face, "how very dare you?"

"I believe your father would be very disappointed in your choice of career," Snape said, making the smirk on Ophelia's face disappear for a fracture of a second, before being replaced by a half hearted smile.