Of Doves and Dragons

Chapter Thirteen: Superficial Wounds

"I don't believe in saints, they never make mistakes."

-All Time Low, Dirty Laundry

Severus Snape had always been torn. His morals were questionable at best, his decisions controversial, and he had struggled with his demons for decades now. This term was proving to be nothing short of challenging.

He had been strangely relieved to know that the Knight girl would be under his advisement. Her strange ability provoked him with curiosity and to be able to work with her and mold her was a challenge he had greatly wanted.

She was a puzzle without pieces. He anticipated that it was going to be difficult to truly unravel her but as the weeks past and no breakthrough had been made he was beginning to think that maybe she was a lost cause.

He thought that they had discovered something useful when he came across the seven chakras during his research. It made sense that if her abilities were strictly emotional based that something could be blocking her chakras and enabling her gift. When he thought about trying to test this theory, he realized that he didn't know where to begin and he was loathed to think to ask Trelawney for help.

It wasn't as if she wasn't trying. He could tell she focused on little else.

When she walked into his office that second morning of the term, he could tell something in her had changed. It wasn't very noticeable, she still kept to herself and kept her distance, but her face had devolved into resigned despair and as the weeks passed it simply became her face.

She had stunned him by asking him not to call her Miss Malfoy.

"Would you rather Miss Knight?" He asked.

She had pursed her lips, as if that didn't sound quite right either.

"How about just Ember?" She asked after a moment.

If it had been any other student he would have called her Miss Malfoy out of spite, but she had asked nicely for him to not call her a name she was forced to have, and he couldn't really think of a reason to begrudge her.

He wasn't sure what had happened between her and her dear husband but it proved disastrous for his sake. He had been trying in vain for weeks, but Draco was not heeding his inquiries. All hope of discovering what the young Death Eaters plans were from the girl had been ruined by his untimely reveal.

As September blew into October nothing had been successful. Ember had not succeeded in gaining insight through her abilities and Snape had not learned Draco's strategy. What a pitiful pair they made.

It was frustrating beyond belief and Severus figured that while the situation with Draco was delicate, he would have to resort to extreme measures where Ember was concerned.

He found he liked the girl. Her attitude very easily complimented his. She didn't ask useless questions and there was always a reason behind anything she did. He thought that she was becoming more comfortable with him, almost as if his office had become a refuge and he supposed that it might have.

If teaching adolescents for years had taught Severus anything it was that their emotions ran high and pointless drama always ensued. Having two teenagers forced to marry was just asking for disaster. Draco and Ember were no exception. He couldn't tell you what had happened, but something had definitely shifted for the wedded couple.

He had noticed that they spent very little time together, if any at all. Ember was working with him more often than not and if she wasn't with him he knew he could find her in the library or if the weather permitted she would be out in the courtyard.