Armilla II

Chapter 10

After I went back to bed I had a very unsettled rest. I was ashamed to think that I had cried for a good half hour before I had fallen asleep. I had gone back to bed in a rather crabby, upset state. For some reason I had felt angry with Severus and at the same time all I wanted was for him to come in to me after seeing Harry. But he hadn't.

The rational voice in my head, which hadn't seemed to be getting through a lot in the last day or two, reminded me that I had woken Severus up in the middle of the night; he'd been half asleep himself. He was tired and was working hard; I should give him a break and spare my own feelings.

I felt awful that I was feeling anger and frustration towards him. He was doing the best he could, wasn't he? He had organised violin lessons for me. He had been coming in at night to talk to me. It was my own fault that I had fallen asleep the night before and had missed him.

I kept waking every hour or so and by the time five-thirty came I decided to just get up and go on with some of the homework Severus had given me.

I was tired and I wasn't in the mood to study; after only a couple of days of it I was surprised that the thought of it annoyed me. Perhaps it was because I hadn't been doing much else, or maybe it was because I wasn't studying with anyone. At school, Lisa, Terry and I generally sat together to do our homework, sharing our grievances about the tasks set. Having nothing else to do though, I got dressed and organised the things I needed to go on with my unfinished task. It was the one I had wanted to get books from the library for the previous day. After walking in on Severus teaching Harry, I had never gone back for them.

Actually, I still hadn't spoken to Severus alone since then. I had fallen asleep the night before waiting for him. Waking him up to tend to Harry didn't really count. I didn't know what I had really expected, but just watching him go upstairs to Harry with very little to say to me had made me feel...I didn't really have a word for it. Emotional? I wasn't sure what I felt. Se many feelings seemed to be jumping in and out of me at a rapid pace lately. It wasn't a good sign that I was already sick of our living situation. I wanted to go home. I hated being here. The idea of spending at least another couple of weeks here made me feel agitated. I wanted to go home. Docky was there. A bed that was mine was there. I didn't have to alternate my day between studying and violin practice there.

True, Severus was in both places, but due to our location and Harry Potter's presence, Severus wasn't quite...Severus here. I smiled grimly to myself, thinking of the conversations that had taken place at our meals. Severus was more Professor Snape here. Not to me personally, of course, but because I generally only saw him in Harry's presence, it seemed he was always in full professor mode. It made me uncomfortable.

I wondered how Harry was. I hoped he was alright. Having his most hated teacher come to find out what was going on mustn't have been a nice surprise, though I didn't regret waking Severus. I hadn't known what the thumping noise was; Harry could have injured himself and I didn't think it likely that he would have sought out Severus for help.

I opened one of the reference books Snape had left and stared at the page, not really seeing what was there. After a moment I realised that a cup of tea seemed much more appealing than studying. We'd been eating breakfast at about seven-thirty, so I still had a while before I had to endure another meal with the combined company of Severus and Harry.

As I made my way down to the kitchen, I nearly ran into Kreacher coming up the stairs with a rag in his small hand. He bade me good morning and then disappeared around the corner.

I walked into the kitchen and stopped abruptly when I saw that I had not been the only early riser. Severus was sitting at the table, a steaming cup sitting in front of him. The Evening Prophet from the night before was on the table, but he didn't seem to be reading it. I saw that there was already a teapot, cups and some food on the table. It seemed Kreacher also catered for the early risers.

Severus looked up at the sound of my footsteps, a frown on his face. When he saw it was me, the frown didn't disappear.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked. "It's not even six yet."

"I woke up early," I said simply, joining him at the table. For some reason I felt nervous. This was the first time in over a day that I was actually alone with him and I didn't have anything to say. Yesterday I'd had more things I wanted to talk to him about. Now...I wasn't sure what I felt. I had become accustomed to seeing Professor Snape the day before. I reminded myself that when it was just the two of us he could be Severus, the man I could feel completely as ease with.

"Clearly," he said, pouring me tea. He placed the cup on the table in front of me and then pushed a plate of crumpets towards me. "You don't normally wake so early," he commented, as I took a crumpet off the plate.

"No," I admitted, reaching for the jam.

He looked expectantly at me, his dark eyes fixed on mine.

"I suppose I'm not accustomed to being here yet," I said quietly.

"Indeed." Whether he thought my excuse was plausible or not he didn't say. Instead he took a sip of his coffee.

Of course, the real reason for waking so early from interrupted sleep had much more to do with my anxiousness about my situation rather than being unaccustomed to it. I felt frustrated with Severus, though it wasn't really his fault; it was just me feeling fed up already. All I wanted to do was go home, but I couldn't admit that to Severus; it wouldn't help. Anyway, I was sure he wanted to go home as much as I did.

Severus was silent as I began to eat. I wasn't really hungry, but it was something to occupy me. After a few minutes of silence, Severus took out his wand and warded the room. Placing his wand on the table, he turned to me.

"Thankyou for alerting me to Potter's situation last night."

"What happened?" I asked.

"He was obstinate in regards to outlining what had happened," he said, "but I eventually found that it was a combination of bad dreams and a desperate bout of grief."

His indifferent expression as he said these words bothered me. We both knew what it was like to lose people we were close to; couldn't he admit that Harry was grieving without the coldness in his voice?

"And the thumping?" I asked quietly.

"Throwing items out of his trunk," he replied, also reaching for a crumpet. "He also cut himself on a broken mirror."

"Oh." A mirror? "Is he all right?"

"Yes, he's fine," he said shortly. "As he should be; I won't take any excuses for a lack of effort today."

I looked back at my breakfast, feeling uncomfortable.

"I believe," Severus went on, "that we haven't yet spoken of your sudden appearance in the library yesterday."

"There hasn't been a moment to talk about it," I said quietly, trying to keep the moodiness I felt out of my voice.

"You seemed a bit flustered." He was looking expectantly at me again.

"I didn't expect to see you there," I said honestly. It had been unexpected, though my flustered state had been drawn from the magical ring Harry had been standing in. It still seemed strange to me.

"Was that the only reason?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. My discomfort seemed to grow. He seemed...distant somehow.

"It's not my business to ask what you were teaching Harry," I said, looking away.

Severus looked unfazed. "We need to work on your subtlety, Armilla," he said smoothly. "That was appalling."

I gave him a small smile.

"Suffice it to say," he went on, a tiny smile on his face to return mine, "as I have told you before, Potter requires different teaching practices to you. Do not feel as if I am teaching Potter things I have never taught you. The objectives of what I am teaching him are, in essence, the same as those I have taught you; it is merely the teaching strategies that differ."

I nodded, still feeling a little uncomfortable. "What was that ring thing he was standing in?" The image of Harry from the day before, standing inside the magical ring, the utmost concentration on his face, was still bothering me.

"A means of developing self control," he said simply, "and a way of learning Occlumency at the same time."

"How?"

He smirked. "When Potter expresses his...displeasure of his situation, which I assure you, was initially quite frequently, I cast the magical ring around him. That is all I do; I leave the rest up to him."

I stared at him, confused. "But what's it doing to him?"

He shook his head. "It's not doing anything to him. It's quite harmless really, though it must give him a sense of being restricted, considering it doesn't allow him to move outside the ring." He picked up his coffee, an air of indifference about him. "I leave it up to Potter to make the ring disappear of his own accord."

I watched him drink his coffee, starting to feel a little annoyed. It seemed like I had to pry everything out of him.

"Did you tell Harry how to make the ring go away?"

"No," he said, putting his cup down, "that would defeat the object."

"The object being?"

"My amusement."

I opened my mouth and closed it again. He enjoyed watching Harry struggle? I didn't know why I felt surprised. Of course Severus enjoyed seeing Harry struggle.

"Does he know how to defeat it now at least?" I asked quietly, feeling a little annoyed.

"He does," he replied, frowning slightly. "After spending a couple of hours trapped inside it, he worked it out."

"I suppose it has something to do with controlling emotions?"

He inclined his head, his frown still in place. "It does. The ring does not free him until it can detect an appropriate level of calmness. When he has his anger episodes, I trap him inside it and then we have to wait it out. Potter is slowly learning to control his temper."

"And you developed this charm?" I asked.

He nodded. "I did."

Well, it was a pretty effective idea, even if Severus did enjoy watching Harry struggle. I was torn between complimenting my brother on a great charm and being annoyed with him for being mean to a grieving Harry Potter.

"I didn't expect you to approve, Armilla," Severus said, after a moment's silence.

"If it's advantageous to him then that's all that matters," I said resignedly.

"Ever the diplomat," he drawled.

"Someone has to be," I said, without thinking. Damn. I mentally berated myself for not keeping my thoughts to myself. What had gotten into me? I could normally control what came out of my mouth. You idiot, Armilla.

Severus was glaring at me, clearly unimpressed. "Is there something you would like to talk about, Armilla?" he said sharply.

I shook my head.

"A verbal answer."

"No," I said quietly. Great Merlin, what had I done? Harry was already doling enough to bring out the foul mood in Severus; it seemed like I was now doing my fair share. Keep your comments to yourself.

He nodded curtly. "Let it remain that way," he said sternly.

In other words, mind your own business and keep out. I shifted uncomfortably. For once I couldn't blame the tension in the room on Harry's presence.

I finished my breakfast in silence, not interested in making any more conversation with an irritable Severus. Severus kept himself busy with his newspaper, apparently content to ignore me while I ate.

"May I be excused?" I asked. I had no reason to remain at the table. Severus still had an ill-tempered expression on his face, though whatever he was reading may have also been contributing to that.

"No you may not," he said firmly, laying down the paper. "I have not yet discussed with you what you are doing today."

I'm keeping myself busy, as usual, I thought dryly. I mentally congratulated myself for not saying it out loud.

He pushed the paper away from him and looked over at me, the customary frown still in place. "You have not yet told me how your first violin lesson was."

"It was fine," I said quietly.

"Fine?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Is that all the information you are going to give me?"

"I wasn't going to bore you with the intricate details of a music lesson," I said indifferently.

"Would I have asked otherwise?" he snapped, looking irritated.

I was silent for a moment. Was it him or was it me? Who was causing it? I knew I wasn't in the best of moods, so maybe it was me. We couldn't seem to have a peaceful conversation this morning.

"Professor Flitwick showed me the way to handle the violin," I said finally, "as well as some chords."

"And did you enjoy it?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'll keep practising this morning."

He sighed, suddenly looking weary. "Remember that the purpose of this it that the violin is meant to provide a release from work, not an addition to work."

"I know," I said, feeling irritated. "Professor Flitwick pointed that out yesterday in front of Harry."

Severus' frown became more pronounced. "When he mentioned his philosophy about playing music? He wasn't directing his theory towards you alone, Armilla."

I shrugged. "Just the same, it made me feel like I'm only having these lessons because of some emotional release problem."

"If you want to think that way, then it's up to you," he said shortly.

I looked away, feeling embarrassed. Severus hadn't denied what I said; I felt like a nutcase. I swallowed the rather large lump that had just settled in my throat.

He sighed again. "You are having these lessons for enjoyment, Armilla, and through that enjoyment it is natural that any mental tension is released." He reached out and touched my arm so that I would look back at him. His black eyes were fixed intently upon mine. "It is not about you having an emotional problem, Armilla. You know that you are to come to me with problems, not the violin. I do believe music is beneficial for you, but it is only short-term relief if you were using it for an emotional reason."

"So you do think I need it for an emotional reason," I said dejectedly, looking away again.

"Armilla, look at me."

I looked back at him to find a stern expression on his face. "The moment you lose enjoyment of the violin," he said quietly, "you have my full permission to cease playing it. Understood?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling silly. "Yes."

"We'll have a lesson late this afternoon," Severus said, changing the subject. "I want to start exploring your resistance to spells that have significant magical force. Your mental shield's resistance to Father's Cruciatus curse last month has opened up a window for more exploration."

"You have an idea of how to explore it without actually using the curse then?" I asked, very interested.

He nodded. "I've thought about it. We just need to experiment; I'll go over the details of it with you this afternoon.

A rush of happiness within me seemed to come out of no where. I knew it wasn't just from the idea of experimenting with defensive magic with Severus; it had more to do with actually having allocated time with him. I was so juvenile.

o o o o o o o o o o

After breakfast I made my way up to the library to finally borrow the books I had wanted the day before. On my way up the second flight of stairs, I met Kreacher coming the other way carrying a dirty rag that seemed to be bulging from the weight of whatever it was concealing.

"Good morning, Miss Armilla," he said, bowing.

"Good morning, Kreacher," I replied. I went to move past him, but my curiosity of what he was so secretly concealing held me back.

"What have you got there?" I asked kindly.

Kreacher turned and regarded me for a moment, his large eyes calculating. "Kreacher has been cleaning the house, Miss Armilla," he announced.

I stared at him. "So...you're disposing of the rubbish then?"

Kreacher shook his head. "Kreacher has been cleaning the house. He is also collecting Black family possessions and concealing them from unworthy eyes and hands."

"Unworthy?" I repeated. "Your master, Harry Potter?"

"Kreacher does not speak ill of his master," Kreacher said begrudgingly, his expression showing exactly what he thought of his master. "Kreacher is speaking of the likes of Mundungus Fletcher."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Mundungus Fletcher is not worthy enough to be taking Black family heirlooms," Kreacher spat, his little knuckles turning white as he clutched his treasure to his chest. "Oh, Kreacher wonders what his dear mistress would say."

"He has stolen from here then?" I was appalled. I knew Merle hadn't like Mundungus and I knew Severus had an extremely low opinion of him, but to steal from a dead man's house?

Kreacher nodded. "Kreacher was catching him in the act, Miss Armilla. Now Kreacher strives to be extra cautious. Kreacher is moving heirlooms to secret spots."

"May I see what you have?" I asked, gesturing at the bulging, dirty rag in his hands.

Kreacher hesitated before complying. He carefully unwrapped the rag and pulled out a small, old mirror. It looked like a simple mirror to me, but maybe it had once been special to someone else.

"A mirror?" I said, looking expectantly at Kreacher.

"A very important mirror," Kreacher replied, nodding fervently. "Kreacher was finding this in Master Sirius' bedroom." His face contorted with dislike. "May he rest in peace."

I ignored him. I had suddenly been struck with the memory of something Severus had said at breakfast. Harry had cut himself on a mirror. Obviously not this mirror; there were no jagged edges, but there was something strange about this.

"What do you know about this mirror, Kreacher?" I asked conversationally.

"Kreacher is knowing a lot, Miss Armilla," he answered. "This is a two-way mirror. It is one of a pair. People can converse through looking in the mirrors."

That was useful. It sounded a little like the way Severus and I communicated through our chocolate frog cards, except that we couldn't see each other. "Do you know where the other is?" I asked.

Kreacher nodded. "Oh, yes," he said, disdain spreading across his face, "Kreacher is knowing where the other is."

"Who has it?"

"My master, Harry Potter."

Well this was interesting. Perhaps the mirror Harry had cut himself on was the other part of the pair.

"How did Harry come by it?"

Once again, Kreacher's face filled with disgust. "Kreacher's old master, Sirius Black, gave the mirror to his precious godson for Christmas."

"So Harry would still have the other," I said to myself.

Kreacher wrinkled his long nose. "Kreacher is not knowing if Harry Potter still has the other mirror; Harry Potter has forbidden Kreacher to enter his bedroom."

"I see." Harry probably felt the same way about Kreacher as I did about Father's house elf, Jiffy.

"Do you mind if I look after this for you, Kreacher?" I asked kindly. "You seem to have so many things to guard."

Kreacher probably saw right through my words; he cocked his head to the side and regarded me with a shrewd look.

"Miss Armilla can take good care of the mirror? Kreacher is good at protecting Black possessions."

"But remember that Miss Armilla is a pureblood, Kreacher," I said, hating myself for pointing out what I knew was a distinction in Kreacher's eyes. "I know how to take care of possessions that belong in noble, pureblood families. We don't want them falling into the wrong hands, do we?" Merlin, I hated how sly my voice sounded. You Slytherin, Armilla.

Kreacher nodded knowingly. "Very well, Miss Armilla. Kreacher trusts Miss Armilla implicitly. Kreacher will give you the mirror to guard." He held it out for me to take, as well as the dirty rag.

"Thankyou," I said, taking it from him and wrapping it up again. I felt awful for being so manipulative, but I didn't think Kreacher should have it. I knew who should have it. Maybe Harry had been trying to communicate with Sirius Black the night before. But how did the mirror get broken? If it was something so valuable, surely Harry would be extremely careful with it...

Kreacher went on his way and I made my way to my bedroom instead of the library. I put the mirror away in a drawer and sat down on my bed. My eyes immediately fell upon my violin case, sitting atop the dresser. I sighed. I itched to practise it, though I resented the fact that my brother thought I needed it. Sighing again, I stood up and took the instrument out of its case. It really was beautiful and I loved the sound it made. I smiled as I ran my fingers down it. Without further ado, I put it into position and began to practise.

Not two minutes later, I had the sudden impression that I was not alone. I looked up and nearly jumped when I saw Severus leaning against the doorframe, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Have long have you been there?" I asked, putting the violin down on the bed.

"Long enough to convince myself that I haven't wasted money on buying it for you," he said with a smirk.

I smiled. "I only know a few chords."

"You have to start somewhere," he said dismissively, "and you seem to have grasped it quite quickly."

"I do enjoy it," I admitted. "I'll enjoy it more when I can play it properly."

"Patience is a virtue, Armilla," he replied, looking out into the corridor as we heard footsteps. His expression suddenly became menacing as he saw who was coming. I assumed from the look that it was Harry. "As I frequently tell Potter."

Harry stopped outside my door next to Severus, looking puzzled. I noticed that his right wrist was wrapped with a bandage. A few fingers on his left hand also had bandaids on them. "What?"

Severus gave a long suffering sigh. "Pardon, Potter, not what. Your manners are appalling."

Harry grimaced. "Pardon, Professor?" he said disdainfully.

Severus sneered. "I frequently tell you that patience is a virtue. You may have forgotten that though, considering I also tell you so many other things. You have so many character traits that need improvement."

Harry opened his mouth in anger to retort, but suddenly thought better of it. Instead he looked over at me, as if hoping I would somehow change the subject.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Well done, Potter," he said simply, "nice to see some control so early in the morning."

Harry looked back at him warily, as if waiting for an insult to follow the approving words.

None came. Instead, Severus made a shooing motion. "Go and eat breakfast, Potter. Meet me in the drawing room in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir," Harry muttered. He turned and disappeared down the corridor.

Severus turned back to me. "And what are your plans for this morning?"

"I might keep practising," I said, gesturing at the violin. "Then I'll go on with one of the research tasks."

He nodded. "Very well then. I will see you at lunch." He turned and left, his black robes billowing out behind him. I smiled to myself; I wondered if he secretly enjoyed the effect of his billowing robes.

o o o o o o o o o o

When I went down to lunch I was in reasonably good spirits. Though Severus and I had had a shaky start to the day, we had parted after breakfast on better terms. I felt even happier at the thought of finally having my own lesson with him before dinner.

When I went into the kitchen I found Harry there all alone. He was sitting with his head in his hands, but looked up at my footsteps. The frown on his face remained in place as I sat down at the table.

"Hi," I said, reaching for a serviette.

"Hi," he mumbled, not meeting my eye.

We sat in an awkward silence, waiting for Severus to come. Harry looked furious about something. He stared irritably at the wall, his face a little red and his lips pursed.

This did not bode well. If Harry was angry, it was likely Severus would be too. Without a doubt, one of them had said or done something offensive that morning.

Before long I decided that I could stand the silence no longer, whether Harry was angry or not.

"What did you do to your hand?" I asked softly, playing ignorant. I didn't think Harry would appreciate it if he knew that Severus had told me about his injury.

Harry abruptly broke his gaze away from the wall. He stared at me a moment before answering. "Cut it," he said shortly.

"How?"

"On a broken mirror."

"Oh."

Harry looked away again, looking moodily at the wall once more.

"How did the mirror get broken?" I asked.

"I broke it myself, okay?" he snapped, sending me a furious glare. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," I said, looking indifferently back at him. "Why would you break a mirror?"

"Because I felt like it," he said, glowering at me. "Mind your own business."

"Fine," I said coolly. I suddenly had second thoughts about giving the other mirror to him, but I pushed them away. I was sure Harry's anger was mainly directed at Severus. It was probably easier to snap at me to let anger out. Or maybe I had seemed prying.

Severus swept into the room a few moments later. To describe his expression as incensed would have been an understatement. His black eyes glittered dangerously as he looked at Harry before sitting down. Harry returned the glare whole-heartedly.

I didn't ask what had happened; I didn't really have to. Obviously one of them had said something incredibly stupid and unnecessary, and it had resulted with the other being thoroughly offended and resentful. I couldn't tell who the perpetrator was; all I knew was that both were looking extremely ill-tempered.

Lunch was a quiet affair once again. The tension was unbelievable. When Harry's utensils made too many clinking noises on his plate, Severus gave him an infuriated glare. From then on, I focused on not doing the same thing.

When we got up from the table, Severus irritably told Harry to meet him in the drawing room in another half hour. In the meantime he was to go on with his other work in the library. Severus left the room without a backwards glance. He hadn't spoken to me once through lunch; the fact that he did not even to acknowledge me on the way out kind of hurt. I knew he was angry with Harry, but he could at least speak to me. I hadn't done anything.

Harry also left the room without a backwards glance. I was left alone in the kitchen. "Thankyou for a lovely meal," I muttered to myself.

I made my way upstairs, wondering if I really wanted a lesson with Severus later that afternoon when he was clearly in a foul mood. Maybe, if luck went my way, he would have cooled off by then. I knew that was not realistic thinking though; Severus generally stayed angry for a while.

I had nearly reached my room when I saw Severus coming the other way, looking thoroughly ill-tempered.

"Four-thirty, Armilla," he said, as he passed. "Drawing room."

I turned and watched as he disappeared around the corner, not waiting for an answer. My morning was fine, thankyou. Yes, I am making progress with my work. Yes, I look forward to meeting you in the drawing room later.

Shaking my head, I berated myself for thinking in such a way. Yes, he was angry, but I had come here expecting him to be like this. I knew it would be hard for all of us. That doesn't mean you have to like it.

When I went into my room I went straight to the drawer that held the mirror Kreacher had entrusted to me that morning. I knew I wasn't likely to see Harry alone very often. I generally only saw him alone very briefly, before or after a meal. Severus was obviously going to ignore him until they were due to meet for their next lesson. I had to do it now.

I took the mirror out and left the room, heading towards the library, where Severus had ordered Harry to be. I walked very slowly, still unsure if I really wanted to give it to him. I was annoyed with Harry for being annoyed with me. He didn't have the right to be rude to me just because he hated Severus. Even so, I supposed he was the rightful owner of the mirror, and if it made him feel any better, then that was a start. If he felt anything for Sirius like what I had felt for Merle then I knew he would be suffering greatly. I would rather the mirror be in Harry's possession rather than in Kreacher's or Mundungus Fletcher's.

But Harry is reckless. The mirror could be useful. What if Harry does something reckless again? I shook my head. It wasn't like he was about to carry around a broken mirror when he knew the person who had owned the other was dead.

I sighed, quickening my pace. The sooner I gave it to him the sooner I could stop worrying about whether I was doing the right thing. I had doubt in my mind, but I pushed it away.

I pushed open the door to the library to find Harry hunched over a parchment and an open book. He was concentrating on something, a deep frown on his face. He looked up as I came in.

"Have some free time on your hands, do you?" he said resentfully, his frown deepening. "Bet you're having an easy time here."

"No," I said simply, stopping a few metres away from him. "I'm not."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, excuse me. How much free time do you have? If you're actually having violin lessons then I suppose you're having a rather easy time of it." He shook his head slightly, his green eyes bright with anger. "Not that I envy you, of course; I suppose having such an unfortunate relation must bring you a great deal of grief."

I pursed my lips, biting back my retort. I couldn't very well punch him on the nose as I felt very inclined to do at that moment; nor could I announce to the room that I loved my brother more than anyone else in the world. Severus would not appreciate that being declared in Harry's presence especially.

Instead, I calmly stepped forward and placed the wrapped mirror on the table in front of Harry. "I came in here merely to pass this on to you," I said coolly, taking a step back. "I managed to get it off Kreacher for you because I thought you would prefer to take possession of it." I did my very best Severus-like sneer. "But now I'm not sure why I even bothered."

Harry stared at me before looking down at the dirty parcel in front of him. He slowly reached out and unwrapped it. When he saw the mirror, he paled considerably. His hands shook as he stared at his own reflection.

"Why-," he stammered, "-why did you think I would prefer to have this? How did you know it was important?"

I folded my arms. "I have my ways," I said indifferently. "I jumped to conclusions rather quickly as to its significance. I also came to the conclusion rather quickly that you would want it."

He nodded, not meeting my eye. "Yes."

"You're welcome," I muttered dryly, turning on my heel. I left the room without waiting for a response. I wasn't sure I would receive one.

o o o o o o o o o o

Two hours later I was to be found in my bedroom once more, staring at a bunch of reference books for inspiration on a research project. I was bored. I was tired of studying. I wanted to go out and fly. I wanted to see my friends. I wanted to go outside and breathe fresh air. I didn't want to be stuck in this house any longer.

Every time I felt this way, I tried to convince myself that I merely needed a strong cup of tea. Merle had always offered one when I had become crabby over childish things. She would also include a gingerbread wizard as a treat. I smiled grimly as I moved to the door; I wondered if Severus would ever offer me a gingerbread wizard. I would bet a thousand galleons on the negative.

As I opened my door, I heard raised voices coming from the drawing room. I couldn't hear exactly what was going on, but my brother was very annoyed about something. I cringed as I heard Harry shouting back at him. A moment later I heard a door open and slam closed. I quickly closed my door and hurried back to my work. I didn't want to be in the corridor if an irate Severus was on the warpath. A couple of seconds later I heard quick footsteps passing by.

I guessed that Severus had left Harry along inside the magical ring in the drawing room. It really was an ingenious idea; Harry would have to calm himself in order to be released. Merlin, he could be in there for hours... I smiled to myself as I thought of what Severus would say if I cast the charm on him. Not doubt he would break it very quickly, but he would not be amused.

I gave up the idea of going down to the kitchen for a cup of tea. I didn't fancy meeting Severus there. I would rather avoid him when he was in such a mood. Instead I went back to my work, boring myself to tears.

Not ten minutes later there was a sharp knock on my door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Severus stood in the doorway, looking tired and very out of sorts. "Come with me," he ordered brusquely, turning on his heel.

Feeling more than a little anxious, I got up to follow. I had to hurry to keep up with his brisk strides. He didn't say a word as we walked. His face was set in a grim expression.

We went up to the library. Severus immediately cast a range of charms to ward off intruders and eavesdroppers.

I stood near the door, wishing that I was back in my bedroom with my boring work. I was guessing that we were starting our lesson early. I didn't want to do a lesson with Severus in a mood like this.

Severus turned to face me. I personally thought he needed a good nap. His face was drawn and paler than usual, making his black eyes stand out even more.

"I thought we'd start our lesson a little early," he said quietly, running his fingers along his wand.

I nodded. Best to be quiet when he was in a foul mood.

He raised an eyebrow. "You'll be needing your wand."

I took my wand out, not letting my annoyance show on my face. No need to be snarky, Severus.

"Let's do some duelling first," he said, raising his wand. "Raise your mental shield and use it to ward me off." He immediately attacked non-verbally.

Thankfully, used to this sort of thing, I was ready, but I wasn't ready for how strong he would attack. Maybe I was a little out of practice, but his hexes seemed to be delivered with a lot more force than usual. I was able to ward them off, but with a great deal of effort. If we were to do this for an extended period of time I certainly wouldn't last.

"Good," said Severus, nodding approvingly as he lowered his wand.

"That was much stronger than usual," I commented, regarding him closely. I wasn't about to voice that I didn't want to be a substitute Harry-punching bag. It seemed today that I was the best option for letting frustrations out. Harry had snapped at me and I had the strong feeling that Severus' need to have the lesson early was mainly because he really needed to duel to let some anger out.

"No different to normal," he said dismissively, raising his wand again. He attacked once more and I concentrated hard on warding him off. After a few minutes, I was starting to find it difficult. Severus was not letting up on the strength of his spells and I knew I wasn't good enough. I needed to practise at this nearly every day in order to remain strong. My irritation at Severus for using this to let out his anger made me annoyed. I was happy to duel if he wanted to let out frustration, but that didn't mean I was happy to struggle because his anger made his hexes so forceful.

Severus finally lowered his wand and I staggered slightly, exhausted at having kept at it for so long. We had duelled for long periods before, but not with magic used at the force Severus was now using it.

I was about to lower my wand when Severus attacked once again. I wasn't quite ready and my shield only warded half the strength of the spell; the rest hit me. I was flung off my feet and I slammed into the wall.

I gasped in pain as I hit the wall and then I landed hard on the floor. Severus rushed towards me, but instead of waiting for him to reach me, I angrily cast my own spell.

He hissed in pain as he felt the brunt of my stinging hex and I lowered my wand in satisfaction. I was not going to cry, not matter how much my head hurt from hitting the wall. If I cried, it was not because I was hurt, but because of my anger at the whole situation.

I closed my eyes reached up and touched the back of my head where a dull ache had settled. I had been injured many a time when I had duelled with my brother, but those injuries had never bothered me because they had been a part of the learning process. This was completely different. The ache in my head caused from slamming into the wall was completely uncalled for. It wasn't a learning process, it was Severus' anger at Harry directed at me instead.

I heard Severus move closer and I opened my eyes to look at him. He was determinedly not rubbing the bright red scorch mark on his left hand where my stinging hex had hit him.

"Get up," he ordered sharply. He looked furious.

I took my hand down from my aching head and took my time getting up. My back was also sore from hitting the wall.

"Don't you dare attack me like that again," he said severely, looking incensed. "You knew I had stopped duelling to see if you were all right. That hex was utterly uncalled for."

"So was slamming me into the wall," I retorted.

"Your shield evidently failed," he snapped.

"You're a lot stronger than I am," I said heatedly. "I can't fight off your hexes when you're delivering them with that level of force."

"Learn to!"

"Not today," I muttered, putting my wand away.

He narrowed his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"I don't wish to duel with you today," I said plainly, trying my best to squash the boiling anger I was feeling inside. This was his fault not mine!

He shook his head. "Take your wand out, Armilla," he ordered, glowering at me. "We have not finished."

"I have," I said angrily. My head was now throbbing. "I'm taking incapacitated leave."

"Don't be impudent, Armilla!" Severus snapped. "It does not suit you."

"Attacking me for the sheer hell of it doesn't suit you either!" I retorted.

Severus' face contorted with anger, but he did not speak. Instead he regarded me through angry, narrowed eyes.

I glared back at him, too incensed to worry about how much trouble I was in.

"You've overstepped your mark," Severus said softly, his voice laced with fury.

"I've had enough," I said quietly, walking towards the door. "I don't want to do this anymore."

"Stop right there!" Severus snapped.

I stopped at the door and turned around.

"This is not about what you do or don't want to do, Armilla," he said furiously. "Your conduct is unacceptable."

I didn't reply with a bitter retort of what I thought of his conduct. It seemed like my emotional energy had been drained. Instead I was fighting to keep the tears at bay.

"Well? What have you to say for yourself?"

I stared at him, struggling to push away the tears and angry retorts.

"Well?" he demanded, glowering at me. "Answer me!"

A new wave of anger spread through me as I placed my trembling hand on the doorknob. I hadn't felt this angry with him since I'd been just his student.

"I don't regret it!" I said angrily, opening the door.

Severus' eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't walk out that door, Armilla!" he said sharply, looking livid. "You have not been dismissed."

He glowered at me, but it did not deter the glare I sent back, fuelled by the anger inside me. Dismissed? I felt like a student in detention.

"We're not at school, Severus," I said quietly, opening the door. Without another word I left, slamming the door behind me.