Elevenish

Time seemed to pass quickly after the funeral. Soon the Tournament had started and before everyone knew it, the second task and winter break was just around the corner. Most of the students were staying over the holiday to go to the Yule ball this year, and others were staying because they had to. One of those was Tursila. Severus being her guardian had made it so. That and Severus was worried about her.

The girl seemed not to care about her school and took to the lessons with such apathy that she was in serious danger of failing. The only thing it seemed that the girl cared about was keeping up a fine appearance. For no one had see her with a hair out of place or a rumple in her robes.

Deciding that her future was his business, at least until she graduated, Severus told Tursila to stay after class on the last day of the midterm exams. After many failed attempts at conversations with this girl during the semester, Severus had become accustomed to the silent piercing stare that Tursila leveled on him after the rest of the students filed out of the classroom.

"You're failing your classes." He said with a dull tired tone, the fourth year Gryffendor's always took it out of him. He didn't get a response, Tursila just continued to stare into his eyes. He got the distinct impression that though her body said she was listening, she wasn't really paying attention. "As your guardian and uncle, I cannot allow this to continue." Getting annoyed at the feeling like he was talking to a stone wall, he continued. "Now I want to know what's wrong and why you're not even trying, and I want to know now." Moments passed in silence and Tursila's eyes seemed to loose focus. Growling in annoyance he snapped out, "We will not leave here until you tell me."

The next ten minutes were spent in a staring contest, Severus's patients being pulled like taffy the entire time. Finally, it snapped, "If you don't tell me this instant, I will make you." He growled while pulling out his wand." Her gaze focused, but that was the only thing that happened. "Legilimens" he exclaimed.

Suddenly he was seeing the oddest images, they couldn't be from this girls life. The first held a man trying to comfort a woman drenched in blood, eyes staring vacantly out of a fringe of black hair. The next held the same man from the first, only he was being crushed by one of those muggle "cars" he'd seen at his brother's funeral. The next image he remembered and there was no way the girl could have seen it. Snape cut off the spell, his hands trembling lightly. Why had he just seen his own Death Eater initiation in this girl's mind?

"Go," he whispered harshly trying to get his bearings back. Tursila stood and quietly walked out of the room. The winter holiday officially starting for her that moment.