Of course … that was exactly Severus Snape's luck. Images of classroom explosions and clumsy mistakes flashed through his head. "I thought I got to choose whether or not I wanted an apprentice?" his voice was level, but Dumbledore could sense the annoyance and dread coming from the potions master in waves.

"In … normal circumstances, yes. But Miss King is a … special … case," Dumbledore smiled slightly.

"Special case? You know as well as I do why no potions master will accept her as an apprentice!" The memories from her days in his class flashed before his eyes. Of all the students … why King?

"She may not be the most graceful students, but she does have the passion for potions. Isn't that one of your main complaints about your students?" Dumbledore's blue eyes held mountains of amusement in them. Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Control …. That's what Miss King lacked. Shit. "Yes, Severus, Miss King needs some control and you seem to be the exact man who could teach her."

Severus almost choked, for a split second his barriers had been down. "Control is not easily taught." The arguments were losing their convictions.

"She'll be here tomorrow morning, Severus. Good day."

The potions master's mouth opened and closed. Vane protests formed at the tip of his tongue. He felt like a child again. Control, he chastised himself again. "Good Day, Albus." With that he made his leave.

If Eddy could have sunk into the floor she gladly would have. The only thing Professor Snape had told her was to sit down. She pulled the sleeves of her cloak down and gripped them for her life. Nails dug into her palms and sweat ran down her brow – she might as well have been a first year again, listening to his silky voice intimidate her nearly to tears. Nothing much had changed, though. Tears still threatened to come out of the sides of her eyes. The only difference was he didn't have to say anything this time. 100, 99, 98 … She vaguely remembered the technique her therapist had given her. The woman had been a complete failure, but some things did stick. 86, 85 … The breathing settled and her heart slowly stopped its attempt to break through her chest. Eddy vaguely wondered whether it was the counting or the nails … whatever it was, it worked.

Snape placed down his pen and looked her directly in the eye, "Miss King –"

"C-call me Eddy." The words were out of her mouth before she even realized it. Snape glared at her, presumably displeased at being interrupted. But he complied. "Fine, Eddy," Snape sneered at the nickname. Suddenly, Eddy preferred Miss King. "Dumbledore seems to insist that you are perfect for this position … I am … skeptical." Eddy's heart began racing again. "Potions isn't just putting a bunch of ingredients into a pot, King, its much, much more than that. It is, by far, one of the most powerful branches of magic studied here at Hogwarts. It can –"

Again, Eddy butted in, "Sir, I remember all too well your introductory speech. I-I doubt any of your students forgot it." A slight blush crossed her features and again she dug her nails into her palms. 40 … or was it 50 … Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I wasn't under the impression that any of my lessons stuck with you, Édith." Eddy cringed at the full name even more than her last name.

"I'm – I'm here, aren't I?"

"Under duress, from my understanding." Way to pour salt into her open wounds. Eddy cringed again and her nails dug even deeper. The tears of anxiety poured brimmed over.

"Fuck you," she managed to rasp out, even if her throat felt like a desert, "Fuck you."

Snape's eyes flew open. "Language, Miss King," was all he managed to get out.

"What do you want?" She blinked back the tears, even wiping them with the back of her sleeve.

"To give you instructions." Snape kept a perfect composure, barely even blinking as Eddy turned to wipe more tears away.

"Then give them." Eddy refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of Snape. Her nails dug into her palms, forcing sanity even further. No tears. No more.

"You will report here every day after classes for two hours. Twice a week you step in on my class. You are not only an apprentice but an assistant. You will take over an occasional detention and grade papers for me. Dismissed." The instructions were said in one breath and Eddy had no intentions of hanging around.

Snape let himself be dumbfounded the moment the door slammed behind the King girl. He had done a lot of things in his past … a lot of terrible things. The girl was an innocent – his student. Édith had been stubborn to hold back the tears in her true Slytherin fashion, but … Guilt washed over him in waves. Never in his career had he made a student cry … at least not in front of him. God, this was going to be a long year.