Live Your Own
Severus glared at the door when he heard Rosenberg and the Muggle laughing again. He’d been in there all day. What could they possibly have to talk about that would require that much giggling and take all day? Osbourne had brought him straight from a village in Thailand from what Severus understood. Well, actually a witch from International Magic Cooperation had brought them by portkey and had been very miffed when Osbourne would not tell her whom they were calling on. Severus had to applaud the werewolf for his ability to hold his tongue.
The Muggle was another story. Severus still didn’t quite know what to make of the boy. They’d had stilted and awkward conversations until Rosenberg had decided to wake without screaming or trying to use her power on someone.
There was a knock at his door and Severus frowned. He was not expecting anyone, and Malfoy was the only person who dropped by unannounced, but he never knocked. To say he was surprised to see Astoria Greengrass there would be an understatement.
“Miss Greengrass?”
“I know she awoke. May I see her?”
“No, but do come in,” Severus said, holding the door for her.
She must have come from the Seer community she lived in because she was not dressed as a proper lady. Her hair was free flowing and her skirt had bells on it. Queenie Greengrass would die if she could see what a good gypsy her daughter made.
“Why can’t I, sir?”
“Because she just awoke today, and I know why you’re here. You want to find out why this happened.”
“Don’t you?” Astoria asked.
“Yes, but I won’t have you all in her mind and her aura when she’s still so weak.”
Astoria sighed and sat down. “I felt her. All the way in Stygion, I felt that darkness, the scream. That scream radiated through my entire body like rings in a lake when you through a pebble, but instead of the ripples becoming less, they became more.. The coven... I can feel their thoughts. They want to bind her.”
Severus had guessed as much. Tonks, Purecraft and Hartness had already tried to call. He had refused them just as he had refused everyone else. Except the boy, but that was because the boy had been able to talk her down before.
He pinned Astoria with a look. “Change their minds.”
“Me?” Astoria said. “Half the time they want to bind me as well.”
“And with good reason,” Snape snapped. “You abuse your gift, Astoria. You use it for personal gain, not to aid people.”
“But-”
“Do not argue with me. None of this affair with Hannah Abbott would have happened if you had not been so set on teaching Blaise a lesson. Abbott was innocent.”
“Well, as Blaise’s girlfriend, I bet she isn’t now.”
“Damn it, girl. This is not the time for jokes,” he snapped. “Do be serious for two minutes together.”
“Yes, sir.”
Astoria was starting to feel a churning in her belly. She had never liked it when Snape had been upset with her.
“You hurt an innocent person, Astoria. You are better than that. You gifts and your heart are better than that.”
She looked down at her hands. They were folded in her lap.
“I know it is difficult for you, but I do not believe you would be given the gift of sight for the purposes you have been using it for.”
She felt shame. Astoria didn’t know she could, but she did. He had shamed her. But he and Marcus were likely the only two people who could.
“You are no longer a child, Astoria Violet. You have the potential to be a powerful witch and a great voice within the coven. Do not squander it. I know you have the potential to be such a force to be reckoned with. I want you to take the initiative and be that witch. You could be the voice that prevents a horror like a binding of befalling Willow. It is my opinion that she would not survive such a drastic measure with her mind intact. That must not happen.”
“No, I would not want that for her,” Astoria said, thinking of the times she lost herself and how each trip away in the dark corners of her mind took more to come back.
“Then stop worrying that others and living their lives incorrectly, stop trying to live for them and live your own life.”
“With Marcus?”
Severus made a face at her. “If you must, yes, with Flint.”
“Happily ever after?”
He just glared at her.
“Right. This is Marcus.”
“And the two of you do well together,” Snape said. “Concentrate on yourself and Flint and not what everyone else may or may not being doing.”
“Is that an order, sir?”
“Think of it as a very firm request.”
The Muggle was another story. Severus still didn’t quite know what to make of the boy. They’d had stilted and awkward conversations until Rosenberg had decided to wake without screaming or trying to use her power on someone.
There was a knock at his door and Severus frowned. He was not expecting anyone, and Malfoy was the only person who dropped by unannounced, but he never knocked. To say he was surprised to see Astoria Greengrass there would be an understatement.
“Miss Greengrass?”
“I know she awoke. May I see her?”
“No, but do come in,” Severus said, holding the door for her.
She must have come from the Seer community she lived in because she was not dressed as a proper lady. Her hair was free flowing and her skirt had bells on it. Queenie Greengrass would die if she could see what a good gypsy her daughter made.
“Why can’t I, sir?”
“Because she just awoke today, and I know why you’re here. You want to find out why this happened.”
“Don’t you?” Astoria asked.
“Yes, but I won’t have you all in her mind and her aura when she’s still so weak.”
Astoria sighed and sat down. “I felt her. All the way in Stygion, I felt that darkness, the scream. That scream radiated through my entire body like rings in a lake when you through a pebble, but instead of the ripples becoming less, they became more.. The coven... I can feel their thoughts. They want to bind her.”
Severus had guessed as much. Tonks, Purecraft and Hartness had already tried to call. He had refused them just as he had refused everyone else. Except the boy, but that was because the boy had been able to talk her down before.
He pinned Astoria with a look. “Change their minds.”
“Me?” Astoria said. “Half the time they want to bind me as well.”
“And with good reason,” Snape snapped. “You abuse your gift, Astoria. You use it for personal gain, not to aid people.”
“But-”
“Do not argue with me. None of this affair with Hannah Abbott would have happened if you had not been so set on teaching Blaise a lesson. Abbott was innocent.”
“Well, as Blaise’s girlfriend, I bet she isn’t now.”
“Damn it, girl. This is not the time for jokes,” he snapped. “Do be serious for two minutes together.”
“Yes, sir.”
Astoria was starting to feel a churning in her belly. She had never liked it when Snape had been upset with her.
“You hurt an innocent person, Astoria. You are better than that. You gifts and your heart are better than that.”
She looked down at her hands. They were folded in her lap.
“I know it is difficult for you, but I do not believe you would be given the gift of sight for the purposes you have been using it for.”
She felt shame. Astoria didn’t know she could, but she did. He had shamed her. But he and Marcus were likely the only two people who could.
“You are no longer a child, Astoria Violet. You have the potential to be a powerful witch and a great voice within the coven. Do not squander it. I know you have the potential to be such a force to be reckoned with. I want you to take the initiative and be that witch. You could be the voice that prevents a horror like a binding of befalling Willow. It is my opinion that she would not survive such a drastic measure with her mind intact. That must not happen.”
“No, I would not want that for her,” Astoria said, thinking of the times she lost herself and how each trip away in the dark corners of her mind took more to come back.
“Then stop worrying that others and living their lives incorrectly, stop trying to live for them and live your own life.”
“With Marcus?”
Severus made a face at her. “If you must, yes, with Flint.”
“Happily ever after?”
He just glared at her.
“Right. This is Marcus.”
“And the two of you do well together,” Snape said. “Concentrate on yourself and Flint and not what everyone else may or may not being doing.”
“Is that an order, sir?”
“Think of it as a very firm request.”