Shadows || A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Chapter 14 - Inspection

A/N: Hyloooo just wondering - what's your opinion on chapter length? Do you like em short or long? This chapter was initially the second half of the previous chapter but it was nearly 4000 words and I thought people might find it too long. Lemme know your thoughts :))

As always, thanks for reading!!

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Late Tuesday night, Asha had finally managed the Doxicide.  She hovered the cauldron over to the back bench where the other five 'assignments' sat and retired to her common room feeling somewhat accomplished. Somewhere deep down she was actually looking forward to seeing her potions professor tomorrow, much like in Abersoch when she had felt ... comfort?... being in his vicinity. But for the most part (and the part she was listening to), she didn't enjoy the fact she had become abnormally close with him and wished she could wipe herself from his memory.

The next morning Asha woke early but didn't go down to breakfast. Ever since the staff had returned she'd been avoiding meal times when possible. Instead, she got dressed and jogged up to the Astronomy Tower. She was longing to go outside and sitting on the balcony railing was the closest thing to it.

When the Clock Tower rang nine o'clock Asha headed to the dungeons. When she arrived the classroom was empty so she sat down at a desk and propped her feet up on an adjacent chair. When, after five minutes, Snape still hadn't arrived, Asha conjured a levitating ball of water and began magically moulding it into various shapes.

Finally, after forty-five minutes, Snape came strolling into the classroom. His eyes briefly flickered between Asha and her hovering pool of water, which was now in the vague shape of a Thestral. Apart from this, he made no acknowledgement of her presence and continued to stride over to his desk and place down the rolls of parchment he had been carrying.

Asha wasn't annoyed at him in the slightest for being late - he was doing her a favour setting her brewing assignments at all. But despite finding his disregard of basic social etiquette quite amusing, she couldn't stand the lack of greeting.

"Um, good morning," she said.

Snape grunted in response, still fossicking in the draws of his desk. Eventually, he sighed and said, "Right, where are your potions?"

Asha pointed to the back bench with her wand.

"Don't wave your wand around if you're not planning on using it," he snapped.

Merlin, he's grumpy today! Even for his standards... Asha raised her eyebrows but tucked her wand into the back pocket of her jeans all the same.

Snape started to make his way over to the six cauldrons lining the back wall. Assuming he didn't need 'support' to check her work, Asha made no attempt to move from her comfy spot. But as he walked past her he snapped, "With me, Winters!"

She hopped up and walked with him to the bench. She watched as he leaned over the first cauldron, his black hair brushing the sides of his face.

"Good," he stated after a moment.

"Wh- Aren't you gonna test it?"

"I can tell a good Girding Potion when I see it," he said coldly.

As he sidestepped to examine the next cauldron, Asha slid next to him and stared into the foul-smelling, golden liquid. What could he see that she couldn't? The potion could easily match those distinctive characteristics while still being flawed - Asha had relied on an indicator to check its quality.

"Good," he said again, moving on to the third potion. Asha was quietly impressed, though he was a Potions Master after all.

"Has Professor Dumbledore spoken to you yet?" he suddenly asked.