You call it over and I call you psycho
Significant other?
Just say we were lovers and we'll call it even
We'll call it even
-Truce, The Dresden Dolls
She could feel the spells spilling from her fingertips, firing across the room in any direction they could. The sensation was exhilarating, almost hypnotic. Before she realized it, Tempest was laughing almost madly, her eyes wide and unbelieving as she did so. It was power beyond that which she had conjured in the past year, far more. She did not remember if she had ever felt this powerful in the long run, but did not care. All that mattered was now.
The spare classroom had been engulfed in fire several times and drowned in water if only to put out the fires. Chairs had been thrown across the room in fits of anger and spells had split through the wood of the desks in moments of curiosity.
The noise could be heard from quite some distance, many students who were hurriedly rushing to their rooms by the curfew stopping only briefly until deciding the noises scary enough to frighten them away. It took some time for the message of these loud and disturbing noises to reach the headmaster's office, and within minutes of hearing the news Severus had made his way down to the East Wing of the second floor.
It was indeed a disturbing to see Tempest madly throwing her curses and spells in any direction that would take them. She did not seem aware of any other presence in the room, continuing with her work of sorts without turning a hair.
"Tempest," Severus said loudly and clearly, disallowing his tone to change with any passion. She still remained ignorant of him. He called her name again but was still ignored. Finally he felt his voice would give in attempting to cry out any more and he placed a careful hand on the girl's shoulder. Tempest spun quickly on her heel, a spell hitting the doorway that Severus had just entered.
"I did it," she said, grinning. "I managed to do it, I don't need a wand any more- I told you, Severus, I told you I didn't need it! I'll be able to fight now, I just know it, I won't have to stand aside, I won't have to-"
Tempest was suddenly cut off as she was flown across the room, landing with a dull crash as she landed against a fallen chair. She winced, shifting awkwardly to stand but unable to. Severus stood over her now, calmer than one would expect an attacker to be, his eyes dark and staring.
"You may have learnt how to utilize your magic," he said slowly, unmoving, "but any awareness you possess seems absent."
"That doesn't call for shooting me at a chair!"
"A chair? Don't you realize there are more things at stake than you falling over a chair?"
She paused and looked downwards, finally pulling herself to her feet.
"I just thought-"
"You don't think," Severus cut in with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And that is precisely your problem."
There was no use in speaking any more after that, so Tempest could only stand there, wavering slightly before deciding it best to move onwards. She did not wish to look back towards the room that she had quite nearly destroyed as she walked away, attempting to retain any ounce of dignity she could as she left in disgrace. Severus watched her leave, arching an eyebrow as he observed the insolence of her actions. He then turned again towards the classroom, finding it somewhat easier to register the destruction that had been caused. He sighed lightly and brought out his wand. Waving it briefly, he returned the room to its previous state and walked away satisfied once again.
Tempest sipped tentatively at her tea, a sudden need to sooth her nerves leading her to find a house elf and order a tea tray for the evening. The office was empty apart from herself, the sound of silence ringing from the walls and almost echoing. It was far more peaceful than the sounds that she knew were taking place elsewhere in the castle. The sound of torture, of weeping. It was far too much to bear in person, and so she had settled herself in the office alone, if only to ignore what was happening. Every so often she would move one hand away from her cup, casting a mild spell, perhaps only conjuring a bird or a flower. By the end of the hour, though, the room was filled with the small birds.
She looked towards the tray that stood practically untouched beside her, the tea growing cold. Her hands started shaking slightly as she bit her lip and closed her eyes. He'll be here soon, he'll be here soon, he'll be here soon…
The door slammed shut behind Severus as he entered the room, causing Tempest to jump and shake slightly more at the sight of him. He seemed more disheveled than usual, passing his hand across his hair.
"Was it that bad?" Tempest whispered. He only nodded in return and moved to his desk, searching through his papers. There was no point to it other than to distract himself.
Tempest stood shakily, still gripping onto her cup. She walked over to Severus, keeping her lips pressed tightly together for fear she should say something out of turn. He did not look up at her, almost too hurried in his distractions.
"You know it's coming, right?" Severus paused in his work, enough to urge Tempest on further. "The battle and all that."
"I think we all know that it's coming."
"But it's coming soon. I mean, I can't be the only one who can feel it."
"Don't assume yourself to be."
"It makes the past years seem insignificant in comparison," Tempest mused, though there was enough humour in her voice to display no ill will against the oncoming events. She paused, moving around the desk and sitting on it finally, facing Severus. "D'you remember when we first met?"
"I doubt you would. You were just a baby."
"Don't be so picky! You know what I mean. Merlin, I was so petrified of you."
"You grew a little too cocky after that."
"Not until you started taking me for lessons," she remembered with a smile. "I hated them so much."
"Even I will admit you were good at them, though. You remember the potion I set you that first year?"
"Amortentia… yes, it was actually, wasn't it? You let me keep a vial."
"It was a shame to see you waste your talents away with ignorance to the subject."
Tempest smiled half heartedly, looking back over her shoulder and remembering the tea set.
"Did you want a drink?" she asked lightly, not looking at Severus as she asked.
"Tea isn't currently the first thing on my mind."
Tempest nodded, only half heartedly though, before hopping off of the desk and making her way to the tray anyway. Severus noted this but did not say anything, allowing the girl to do as she pleased if it would only keep him distracted or, at least, give the evening something. She set the tea pot boiling for a few moments, her back turned to Severus.
"Do you think much about death?" she asked suddenly, causing Severus to lift his head in what seemed like alarm.
"What do you mean?"
"Death. Do you think it could happen to one of us?"
"It could."
"Don't you ever think about it? I mean, really think about it?"
"Do you?"
"That's not the question."
"If you'll answer it too, then yes, I do think about it. But I make a point of not emphasising my thoughts."
"I do. A lot. I mean, most of us will die, won't we? Otherwise we'd win."
"You seem so optimistic in the idea that we shouldn't."
"Well, we shouldn't. But we can't."
"Ensure you keep that optimism when you see students here die needlessly."
Unable to stand the idea, Tempest bit her lip and became almost suspiciously anxious as she poured the tea, barely missing the water as it spilt and narrowly avoiding a burn. She sighed shakily and pocketed a bottle as she took hold of two fresh cups of tea and placed one in front of Severus.
"It's always more soothing than you expect," she said, smiling the best she could. The illusion of her smile did not hide the tears that welled up in her eyes as she spoke, revealing her fear. Severus was cautious, but nevertheless took hold of his own cup, if only to appease her.
"There is no need to be afraid," he said finally, unable to look the girl in the eye. "You will not be harmed."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I'm not. But if I am not able to save your brother from whatever will befall him then I am bound by my duty to do what I can to protect you."
"For my mum?"
"Yes."
"Thank you," she muttered, sipping at her drink. Her teeth were audible against the smooth china, but both pretended that they hadn't heard a thing. Tempest could not help but stare as Severus drank some of his own. It was unfair that he should be so serene.
"Didn't Lucius teach you that staring was rude?"
"I'm sorry," Tempest said quickly, shaking her head. "I just... I was just thinking."
"Yes?"
"I wish I could be brave. Like you."
"The gift comes to few," Severus replied with an acute bitterness.
"How do you do it?"
Severus paused, putting down his cup. He thought for a moment.
"It would be different for you than it is for me. I have my own thoughts that carry me on."
"Lily?"
"Repentance."
"I've always admired your bravery," Tempest said lightly enough, considering the tears that spilt. "I want to know what would happen to me if I didn't see it anymore."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know. If something... if something happened, when the time comes. If I lost you. If one of us... died."
"Your morbidity is almost sickening now," Severus snapped, sipping again at his tea. He softened quite suddenly, as though in deep thought. "Perhaps considering what you fear is your own form of bravery."
"Perhaps..."
"Your mother would be proud, you know," he said, looking up all of a sudden, allowing himself eye contact. "To know that you would be able to do such things."
"You think?" She bit her lip tightly after she spoke. It's taking hold...
"I'm sure." Severus stood, sitting his cup back down on the table. Tempest could not meet his eyes now, far too embarrassed. She could see strangeness in his person that she did not expect. She waited for some sort of sign that she was wrong or that her plans had gone astray, but they did not come. Instead, Severus stopped a foot or so in front of her, partly confused, partly oblivious.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, still not looking up.
"I believe you put something in my drink?" Severus said, though his tone was still far too soft to display any anger. Tempest rubbed at her eyes childishly, wiping away tears.
"I still had the bottle of Amortentia," she said finally, looking up but still not meeting Severus's eyes. "It's old, so I didn't think it'd work... maybe it's just... slow..." Severus's continuous confusion rushed Tempest's speech forward into a frenzy. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have- I just wanted to know what... what it might be like, if you actually wanted... if we...if there was ever a chance..."
She was stopped abruptly, her eyes widening in surprise as she felt herself embraced and her lips captured. It was a far cry from the last time Severus had kissed her. He had been colder before, only doing it to shut her up. That was all it had been; an essence of shock value. Now... she was almost frightened. It wasn't as if she were Tempest in his eyes anymore. She was someone else.
She didn't care.
With a desperation that took away all embarrassment, she wrapped her arms around the man's neck, standing on her toes to be closer. Severus was quiet, still under the potion's influence. It seemed mild enough to give him his sense and reason, enough to frighten Tempest into the idea that perhaps he knew what he was doing, and she would be the worst for it later. But his own earnest was enough to drive her forward for now.
Tempest finally turned her head for breath, giving them the pause long enough needed for her to take Severus's elbow and move him towards a seat, the two sitting. She quickly ducked her head down and held onto her friend tightly, thinking. She could feel his heart beating fervently, causing nothing less than a pit of fear that threatened to swallow her whole. He had never been so earnest. He had always been calm and collected; he had always passed aside such ideas of romance and matters of the heart with ease. He had never once shown the ability to lose his control that quickly.
But he wasn't doing it for her. He was delirious, of course. There was no other explanation. He had shown little to no feeling towards Tempest that had nothing to do with her mother. She could feel her throat closing up at the very thought. Am I sick in the head? Perhaps. But she did not like to think so freely about the idea of it. There was no point in frightening herself in such a way.
She looked up into Severus's eyes and smiled as brightly as she could. She wasn't Tempest to him any longer and wouldn't act as if she were. It was just a game of pretend. Play the part and perhaps everything would turn out fine...
