Chapter Fifteen
The Forbidden Relationship
"You disowned my mother?" I asked, my tone verging on horrified. I felt my fingers grasp the arm I held. Snape tugged it away from me.
"I never wanted to. I was first to find out about the relationship. I caught Adia sneaking back from a meeting with Cassius and demanded an explanation. She told me she loved him and wanted to keep the relationship even when Cassius and I would have moved on into the adult wizard world. I tried to persuade her to see sense; that a Gryffindor would be like Merlin's curse on the family to my parents. She claimed I was siding with our parents as I usually did. It broke me to see her turn her back on me and walk away…" I saw the professor look away. I hadn't expected him to tell me about it, but I wasn't going to stop him now he'd started.
"When she told our parents that summer, I saw them throw her out. They rounded on me for explanations until I decided I couldn't stand for it much longer and left to go after Adia…" Snape walked a couple of paces away from me and continued, his voice sounding slight more hoarse.
"I found she'd taken a room above the leaky cauldron. I managed to talk her into coming down to have a drink, that I had left home too, in an effort to find her. She trusted me, hearing how my parents had treated me since her departure, and the sleepless nights. We must have talked for two hours or more until Cassius arrived with no warning. He saw the two of us talking and assumed I was trying to persuade her to come back, and leave him. He didn't realise Adia had just invited us to the wedding planned in the summer when Adia would have left Hogwarts. He drew his wand and threatened me, calling me obscene names. I wasn't going to let the little-." Snape shut his mouth, swallowed and continued.
"I drew my wand and tried to disarm him. My anger at being accused came out in the process and he flew across the room. Some bystanders grabbed the two of us, holding us back, and taking our wands. I remember today being told by the ministry wizards accompanying Cassius that I'd been given a formal warning, and I wasn't to come near Cassius again. If it had been my father Cassius Amethyst would not have been alive." An owl took off from the charmed roof of the shed, waterproof, but you could see the sky through the beams.
"I didn't see Adia again. The next thing I found was you arriving at Hogwarts. You looked like your mother, and you had the confidence and stubbornness of your father. Dumbledore understood who you were, when he saw the way I stared at you before the sorting. When you were put into Slytherin, at least I knew that Adia's qualities had come through strongest." Snape looked back over his shoulder, his black eyes showing menace.
"You really hated my father didn't you?"
"I can't say I liked him." Snape muttered something under his breath, which I didn't catch. Instinct told me it was best unheard.
"You should get back to the common room. I should think Mr Malfoy is waiting for you."
"I will. Are you… er… going to be alright?" I asked. Snape gave a hint of what could perhaps be interpreted as a look of humour. It lasted a fraction of a second.
"Yes Elixa. You go on." I nodded.
"Thank you Professor." I said, turning to leave.
"Where have you been?" Kerry exclaimed as I walked into the dungeon common room. The room was full of noise and bodies. Malfoy was somewhere behind them, preaching something about the Gryffindor tactics. I walked to the front of the group. Malfoy noticed me and gave a grin.
"Back Elixa?" I nodded.
"I had to send an owl to someone before I forgot." I heard a voice behind me.
"Funny to send an owl from the broomshed, especially if you haven't got a broom." I whirled round, searching for the speaker.
"Who was that?" I spat.