Chapter 6: A Few Moments Alone

She eyed the professor suspiciously and took a few measured breaths before responding to him. "What do you mean by that? What could possibly interest you?" Severus merely stared at her, enjoying her unease. She was tense; he could feel it. She was not scared, that much he knew, for it wasn't fear that reflected in her eyes, but panic.

"Why are you here, Miss Partana? I have it under good authority that you've come here from Beauxbatons and not only that, but that you have already finished all the required courses offered by that institution; is this true?" His eyes' fierce look was balanced by the calm settled across his features. He was cool and collected, knowing that he was asking the right questions while she was unsure and anxious, and Severus knew that he had her precisely where he wanted her. She looked away for a moment, but then stared back at him, with more courage than she had displayed before.

"You don't scare me, Professor. I want you to know that right now. I'm not sure what game you're trying to play here, but I do not want any part of it." She frowned angrily and clenched the small, weathered book in her hands. Severus sneered and gave a haughty guff as he leaned against the tree with languor.

"I assure you, girl, that this is no game. You can kindly explain to me the true reasons that you are here at Hogwart's or I can make sure that you are unhappy here for however long your stay is. It is your choice. I would like to know you better than I do currently. Is that so much to ask?"

Ava peered up into the dark obscurity of his eyes and she began to calculate the situation. On one hand, she was intelligent enough to know that if she needed to, she could hold out for at least a year with his brisk and utter bestiality, however, on the other hand, she did not know the professor well enough to really know whether he was a threat to her education and stay at the school. She did not speak for a few moments and the two just stood silently staring at one another, waiting for the next move.

"What you ask, sir, is more complex than you could truly imagine. My motives here are really none of your business but your infuriating pretentiousness and completely asinine relentlessness is much more than I really need at the moment. I promise you, I am who I have said that I am. My identity is nothing to dispute over because I have no need of falsity in that aspect of myself. I am Avacia Elysiana Partana, daughter of Lord Giovanni Marcarelus Partana and Lady Cerise Amarante Partana, who have both perished from causes that I cannot reveal, but concerned this war between the two sides of the wizarding world. I am the sole heir to my father's fortune and I have no one left in this world save for myself, and I am unafraid of what lies before me. Everything that you think you must know, I can most certainly tell you, under the premises that you will keep certain aspects about my life private, but I promise, you will not be any better off once you do know the truth." She was glowering fiercely and her stare was deep and penetrating.

"So you agree, then?" Severus asked carefully as he uncrossed his arms. She took a deep breath and sighed, tiredly.

"Yes, sir. I agree." She said softly, looking away for a moment towards the school. "Might we find someplace more private to talk?"

"Of course. The observatory is nearly always deserted, but I cannot always be sure. There is my study, though, if you wish."

Ava gave a small shrug of the shoulders and nodded her head lethargically. "Alright then, Professor Snape."

The pair set off towards the immense and beautiful castle and walked very far apart from one another. Every now and again, Snape would steal a glance at her, and saw the rather abashed expression upon her face. She wasn't enjoying this ruse at all, but Severus was rather pleased with himself. His personal vanity was not the cause though; he was simply glad that his wonderments would finally cease to be. Severus would talk to the girl and somehow, find a way to get her to talk about her past and what her dealings with forbidden acts in magic and potions were exactly. They walked in silence until the castle was near and then Ava spoke.

"Professor? Might I ask you something?" She said in her soft voice.

"What?" The professor replied gruffly.

"Why are you so interested in my past? It doesn't make much sense at all, really."

"It does, though, Miss Partana. It makes much sense, and the only reason that I have become so very interested in the little past experience that you could have, is that I know you are not what you seem to be. Perhaps you are only a student here at Hogwart's but, you are also a liar." He was very frank and did not even look at her as he spoke. Avacia's eyes were wide and her gasp was only more dramatic than she had really wanted to be.

"A liar, you say? How can you say that I am a liar when you do not even know me and have only met me a few days past?"

"I always know when someone is keeping something from me, and your little disappearing act by the lake was far too advanced for a mere seventh year student. You know plenty more about magic and the dark arts, I gather, than you let people be aware of. It's very dangerous to know more than you really should, you do know that."

"The dark arts," she began, staring in disbelief. "it really isn't fair that you just spout out such rubbish at your whimsy. What proof do you have that I have been involved with the dark arts?"

"None, yet." Severus continued to walk on and as they entered the castle, Ava was in near hysterics.

"Yet? Are you saying that you want to prove that I am, in some ridiculous way, involved with the death eaters? Really, because if that is what you are implying, I find no further need for a private conversation." Ava stopped in her tracks and stared daggers at the Professor. As he heard her footsteps stop, he slowed and turned back to her. With an eyebrow arched and a grim look upon his face, he placed his hands behind his back and began towards her. His footsteps echoed through the corridor and the most malevolent look appeared on his face.

As he stood over her, the girl fought the urge to shudder. "Listen, you little impostor, and listen well. We have come to an agreement. I can be your ally or I can be your enemy, either way, I do not care. It is up to you. However, you will be very, very sorry if you refuse this small and private conference with me in my study. Whether you reveal unto me your secrets or not, I will know them sooner or later, and when I do and you remain against me, I will not stop until you are removed from this institution and placed away somewhere for a very long time."

She stared at him in fearful surprise, her eyes darting from each of his. Severus continued. "If you were truly innocent of such crimes and fraud, you would not care of what I said. If you were blameless for anything horrible, you would merely walk away from me at this very moment, but you are not taking your leave, are you Miss Partana. I know that you have something dark hidden within the depths of your past, and I will find it. It is only a matter of time. So tell me. Do you really just want to leave now? Or perhaps, you'd rather speak to me and avoid the dire consequences?"

The girl's eyes were large and her mouth was drawn into a thin line. She opened it and she tried to speak but no sound came out. She nodded and looked down at the stone floor of the hall. "You win, professor…you win."

"I didn't win anything, Miss Partana. It is just that I have the upper hand at the moment, that's all. I do hope that you won't think any less of me because of this," Severus said sarcastically, a smug grin on his lips. "You're a very bright girl, I'm sure you will appreciate this when you're older." His slight chuckle was brutal-sounding and harsh, as Ava just stood there before him, bewildered and angry all at once.

"You think so highly of yourself, Professor. It doesn't suit you at all." Ava said flatly. "I do not understand at all how you can be so cruel." Severus regarded her with perplexity. Surely he wasn't cruel, or at least, in his mind, Severus had never considered himself cruel, although he had to admit, his malice at the moment was more than he had anticipated. He did not really know what to say, and so he ignored her remarks and decided to let it be.

"Let us be on our way then; there is undoubtedly much for us to discuss," he said quietly, turning his back to her.

The two walked quietly down the twisting stairwells and dark corridors to the dungeons and once they came to the professor's classroom, Ava tensed up, knowing that she would pay dearly for getting into such a situation as this. Could she really count on the professor's honesty or was he simply prying into her life because he was bored and useless? Really, she could not fathom the design by which she had ended up in the present situation and the feeling of lingering uncertainty seemed to peak as the professor quietly muttered the password, "locust breath," and the wooden door slowly swung open.

"Shall we go to the study then?" He asked without waiting for a response, it was in all actuality, more of a command than a question. She walked forward into the unplumbed darkness as he followed and closed the door softly behind him.