A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Chapter 52 ~ The Need for Truth

Severus awoke early the next morning, feeling refreshed but stinking of firewhiskey and his mouth tasting as if he’d eaten dragon dung.

“Good gods…my room smells like a pub at closing time,” he grumbled, rising and pulling all of his bedding off the bed so the house elves would know to wash it. He pulled the pillow cases off as well, then headed to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and tongue thoroughly, using a lot of tooth powder. It took a while to get the nasty taste out of his mouth. Then he showered thoroughly, washing his hair as well. He dried off and exited the bathroom, dressing with his usual severity. He looked at the clock. It was a quarter to seven.

He exited his rooms and went to his potions lab, immediately setting to chopping up the ingredients for a few gallons of purple potion. He didn’t intend to run out of it anytime soon. He made the base, then set the potion on a low simmer. It only took a few hours to brew. He’d have plenty by this evening.

His mind turned to the competition. He hadn’t told Hermione he had to go yet. He’d wait until after she showed him her progress with the anti-elixir. No need upsetting her too early.

Next, he went to Hermione’s room and knocked on the door. He heard the patter of feet, then a girl’s voice pipe, “Who is it?”

”Professor Snape,” he snapped.

Why was Volaria answering the door? The girl was supposed to be a blasted secret. Scowling he waited. She didn’t open the door. He could hear her footsteps as she walked away.

After a minute or two he heard Hermione removing the wards. That’s right. Volaria was warded in so she couldn’t leave. At least Hermione kept that up. Hermione opened the door. She was dressed in a cotton robe, her nightgown underneath. Her hair was tousled and she looked sleepy-eyed.

She yawned.

“What are you doing here so early, Severus?” she asked as the wizard strode by her.

“I wanted to check on Miss Ruddle,” he replied.

Volaria was sitting up on the side of her makeshift bed, her blonde hair tousled as well and rubbing her blue eyes. The Potions Master walked up to her and glared.

“Good morning, Professor Snape,” she said politely.

“Don’t good morning me, witch. Why did you answer the door? No one is supposed to know you’re here,” he said to her, frowning.

“Severus! You don’t have to talk to her like that,” Hermione snapped at him angrily.

Volaria’s eyes went wide.

“I was half-asleep. I wasn’t thinking,” she replied, “I’m sorry.”

“You weren’t thinking. That much is obvious. Well, I suggest you start thinking,” he said to her coldly.

“Severus, leave her alone. She’s going to be starting classes next week anyway,” Hermione said to him.

“What?” Severus said, spinning, “Already?”

“Yes, already,” Hermione said in a snide voice. She was mad at him for bullying the young witch. Just because she was Tom Riddle’s daughter didn’t mean he had to treat her so badly, “Her testing came out fine and she’s at the proper level in everything but her wand work.”

Severus snorted. The witch didn’t need a damn wand. She could do wandless magic anytime she wanted…wandless and non-verbal.

“But I’m almost there. I’m already studying second-year charms. Professor Flitwick said I will catch up quickly,” she offered to the glowering Potions Master as if looking for his approval. If she was, she wasn’t going to get it.

“Second year charms?” Severus said, then looked at Hermione, narrowing his eyes, “Hermione, does this witch have a wand?”

“Yes she does. Albus took her down to Ollivander’s himself and got her one. She needs to know how to use a wand, Severus. It’s best to hide wandless magic…you know that,” Hermione said to him.

Volaria looked up at the Potions Master with wide eyes. She had the feeling he would never like her.

“I think you are all moving too fast,” the wizard said, “She hasn’t been here a full month yet and already you and Albus want to set her loose on Hogwarts.”

”Severus, you make it sound as if she’s some kind of monster,” Hermione said to him.

He looked at Volaria down his nose and said, “Her father was a monster…she shares the same blood.”

Hermione covered her mouth at this statement, and Volaria’s eyes filled with tears. Suddenly the witch leapt off the bed and bolted for Hermione’s bedroom. The door to the bathroom slammed shut and both Severus and Hermione could hear her sobbing.

“Severus Arsenius Snape…I can’t believe you said something so cruel to that little girl,” Hermione seethed at him, “Comparing her to her father. Doesn’t she have enough to worry about?”

”I don’t give a damn what she worries about,” Severus said coldly, “she is the daughter of a despot and should be handled carefully until we know what she’s about, Hermione.”

”She’s a young witch who has been mistreated all her life, Severus. Brought up by Bellatrix LeStrange, cut off from all socialization and scared for her very life because of her brother’s hatred. She needs our help, Severus. Not our disdain,” Hermione said to him.

When it came to matters like this, Severus was a hard man. He had seen people who were believed to be kind and upstanding individuals enact horrible crimes against others when left to their own devices via the revels. Male and female alike. Take that piece of work Elizabeth Yaxley. She looked like an angel and had everyone fooled she was a simple witch who ran a farm. But she was one of the cruelest women he had ever met. The things she would do to her victims…

The Potions Master shuddered for a moment, then looked at Hermione.

“I believe Volaria should be locked up until we retrieve her brother, Hermione. We don’t know for certain if she doesn’t have a family connection with him. He may hate her…but she may not hate him. He is still her brother…still her blood,” the wizard said.

“Well, I don’t intend to tell her that he’s going to be captured and brought here, Severus. It would frighten her,” Hermione said, “And I refuse to have her locked up like a prisoner. She’s had enough of that in her life.”

Both Severus and Hermione were so immersed in their conversation, neither realized Volaria had left the bathroom and was standing in the bedroom doorway, a look of horror on her face.

“Voltaire’s coming here?” she cried.

Both Hermione and Severus spun and looked at her, surprise and dismay on their faces.

“Shit,” Severus breathed as he saw the terror in her eyes.

“Hermione, tell me that you aren’t bringing him here,” Volaria pleaded with the witch, running over to her and clutching both her hands. The young witch was trembling from head to toe. Hermione drew her into an embrace and stared at Severus with hard eyes.

“Is this the reaction of someone who loves her brother?” she asked the wizard.

Severus didn’t say anything. He knew abject fear when he saw it. Volaria was scared to death. He drew his wand and pointed it at her.

“Obli…” he started to say.

Hermione spun Volaria so she blocked the trembling girl with her body.

“Don’t you dare!” she yelled at Severus, whose eyes glittered.

“It’s the best thing for her,” he said softly, his wand still in his hand.

“No, the best thing for her is to be honest with her, Severus. She already has one glaring secret…that she’s the daughter of Voldemort. We have to trust her to be able to handle more secrets. Her life is going to probably be full of them,” Hermione said, caressing Volaria’s hair as the witch clutched her.

Severus and Hermione glared at each other for a moment or two, then the wizard put his wand away.

“You better hope you’re right about how you handle Volaria, Hermione. Because if you are wrong, there’s going to be hell to pay,” he said to her, walking toward the door, “I will see you in your lab later.”

The wizard exited the room. Hermione heard him ward the door, most likely with her signature added so she could open it.

“He hates me,” Volaria whispered.

“No. No Volaria, he doesn’t hate you. He’s just a cautious man who speaks his mind,” Hermione said soothingly, releasing the witch.

“Is it true, Hermione? Is Voltaire going to be brought to Hogwarts? He’d never fit in here. He’s evil. He’d try to destroy this place,” she said, her voice quavering.

Hermione looked at her.

“Come on, Volaria, sit down,” she said softly, walking the witch to her bed. They both sat down on it.

“Now, I am going to share something very important with you, Volaria. You must promise me you will keep it to yourself. If you tell anyone, there is a good chance the secret of who your father is will come out too…and your life will be a living hell. You may have to leave England completely and even then you might not be safe. Your father has a lot of enemies left who would have no problem taking revenge on his children. Do you understand me? There are people who would willingly kill you if they knew who you were. To protect yourself, you can’t let on about anything I am about to tell you,” Hermione said.

Part of her revolted against being so blunt with Volaria, but Harry had to face hard facts when he was young and managed. Volaria had to be just as tough as Harry was at that age considering who raised her.

“I understand that, Hermione,” Volaria said softly.

“Good,” the witch said, “Now listen. Voltaire wants to be the next Dark Lord because of the way he was raised by Bella. More than likely if he had been raised by a normal family he wouldn’t be the way he is. We are hoping to take him away from Bella and reverse the effects of the elixir that changed him. If we can do that, maybe we can help him become a good member of society. If we can’t, then he will have to be locked away for the rest of his life.”

Volaria shook her head.

“Voltaire was cruel before he took the elixir, Hermione, believe me. I think Professor Snape is right in a way. I think my brother really has my father’s blood and ways. I am probably more like my mother. But Voltaire…he is evil and wants to be a king. Even if you take away the powers the elixir gave him…he will still want that. You will never be able to trust him. Ever,” Volaria said sincerely.

Hermione studied the girl.

“But Volaria, everyone deserves a chance. We’ve given you one. Don’t you think your brother deserves one too?” she asked the witch.

Volaria shook her head.

“No, I don’t. I really don’t. Voltaire is smart. He’ll pretend to go along. I know him,” she said darkly.

“Volaria, you only know your brother under Bellatrix’s influence. If he is taken out of it, then maybe there’s hope for him…there’s always hope,” Hermione said, “We have to at least give him a chance.”

Volaria looked at Hermione and suddenly realized that the witch really wanted to believe there was hope for Voltaire, when there wasn’t. Volaria was the only one at Hogwarts who ever dealt with him with the exception of Professor Snape that one time, and she was sure that he would feel the same way concerning Voltaire. Volaria had lived with him all her life, and Hermione should at least consider what she was telling her was the truth…that there was no hope. She refused to.

Volaria knew at that moment, no matter how much she warned Hermione, she wouldn’t give up on believing her brother could be changed. And Voltaire would fool her. He’d fool everyone. Except her and maybe Professor Snape.

Volaria looked at Hermione.

“All right, I guess everyone deserves a chance,” the young witch said slowly.

Hermione smiled broadly. She had finally got through to the girl.

“That’s right, and we’re going to help your brother the same way we’re helping you. It will all be fine. You’ll see, Volaria. Now I’m going to go get dressed and we’ll have breakfast together. Do you have any plans on what you’ll be studying today?” Hermione asked her, standing up.

“Yes. Charms,” Volaria replied.

“All right. I’m going to go shower,” Hermione said, giving the witch one more smile and walking into her bedroom.

Volaria got up and walked over to Hermione’s bookshelf. She passed over the second year Charms book, her blue eyes studying the titles. Then she found what she was looking for.

The Big Book of Advanced Charms.

She noted its location then returned to her bed and sat down, looking thoughtful.

Studying charms was going to be much more important now.

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A/N: Hm. What is Volaria up to? Ah well, we’ll find out, won’t we? Thanks for reading.