After almost a week in the infirmary post-poisoning, Ariel was finally being released the following Friday. She was glad to be going, having not been able to sleep since Professor Dumbledore had found Colin on the stairs, Petrified. He was only on the other side of her curtain, still and silent. It made Ariel feel incredibly uneasy and guilt-ridden, since it was quite obvious that he'd been sneaking down to try and see her.

Ron and Hermione had been allowed to come down earlier in the week and were helping her gather her things that morning. Snape had been standing watch at the entrance to the curtain-made room, pretending not to be listening to them talk. Ron and Hermione were doing an equally impressive job of pretending he wasn't there. Ariel felt a bit awkward — she'd never been in this position before — wanting everyone there but neither party feeling the same about the other.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Ron asked, sitting on the edge of Ariel's bed.

She pretended to squint as she pulled on her shoes. "It's either five or fifteen."

"She was paralyzed, not blinded," said Hermione. She was still fiddling with her hands as Ariel pulled on her other shoe, holding onto the bed so she wouldn't topple over.

"Not that I remember anyway." Ariel smoothed her shirt free of wrinkles and Summoned her hairbrush. "Can't complain about that."

They didn't respond to her comment, but Ariel noticed that they looked at each other with an unspoken message between them. Hermione had burst into tears the second Madam Pomfrey had allowed her and Ron to visit Ariel in the infirmary until Ron had basically been forced to pry Hermione off of her. She'd begun suffocating her and by the look on Snape's face Ariel had gotten the idea that if she passed out again, he was going to blow up Gryffindor Tower or something.

Ariel flexed her fingers — they still tingled from time to time, a reminder that she still wasn't completely healed. She felt loads better though. Her pain was completely gone, and she could move normally, no longer disjointed and with far more effort than she was used to. Madam Pomfrey had made her do a whole bunch of exercises before she'd cleared her to leave. Snape had made her do them at least two more times after Madam Pomfrey had left, just to be sure. Ariel wondered why he'd bothered keeping her in the infirmary if he thought Madam Pomfrey wasn't good at her job, but Ariel was beginning to suspect that if Snape wasn't worrying, he was probably dead.

"Are you coming to class today?" Ron asked, handing her a cardigan. It was beginning to get chilly, and the infirmary felt like an ice box. Mrs Weasley had sent her one she'd knitted earlier this week – Ron had written and told her what had happened. She'd wanted to come and visit, but Ariel hadn't wanted to bother them, especially after all the business with the flying car.

Ariel contemplated Ron's question for half a beat. She'd had almost a week of Lockhart-free mornings. Ariel didn't know if she wanted her first class back to be with him. All they'd done was reenact scenes from his stupid books since the pixie incident.

She sighed and pulled on her cardigan, rubbing her hands together. "Madam Pomfrey said I could still rest if I needed to… we have Defense this morning and I don't think I feel up to it just yet."

"Probably for the best," Ron patted her arm reassuringly. "Lockhart's been telling everyone you've been poisoned because of your close ties to him."

"What?" Ariel groaned. "Please tell me you're joking."

"No one believes it," he said quickly. "just another load of rubbish."

Snape's eyes flickered to them, as though he were about to say something both condescending but somehow helpful, but he stayed silent. Ariel thought he might've left already but he had stayed through breakfast with her while Hermione and Ron had eaten with her, filling her in on everything (well, mostly everything, besides the poisoning incident and other illicit activities) she had missed.

He'd stayed, of course, to ensure that she didn't get poisoned again. No one had attempted to smuggle in any potions to dose her, but every time the doors swung open Snape shot up like a rocket with a list of questions. Ariel had stayed in the infirmary for another two days under a heavy watch. Snape had said he'd have her expelled if she left the bed again — she thought he was probably trying to intimidate her so she wouldn't look at Colin, but she didn't need to be told twice. She'd slept and read to keep herself occupied and from thinking too much about the Chamber.

Hermione brought her more books during the day while they weren't in class, so Ariel had read and flicked her wand through a few spells. Snape had also brought her books whenever she asked and if he was bored, he'd occasionally assist her by helping her through some of the more difficult spells (which were very difficult, but she told herself that she was trying just to try and not to impress Snape). All she had earned from him was a nod of affirmation that she'd done something right.

Ariel tossed all the books she'd accumulated into her rucksack as Hermione stood up from the chair Snape had been occupying for almost a week. She'd been rather quiet this morning and it was making Ariel a little nervous, though she wondered if Hermione was feeling the same with Snape here.

"Professor?" Hermione addressed Snape timidly. "If I may — what is the plan?"

Ariel looked at Ron, who seemed just as surprised as she did. She quickly racked her brain for what Hermione could possibly be talking about.

Snape stared at her with only about sixty-percent disgust. "In regard to what exactly, Miss Granger?"

She took a deep breath and then confidently said: "Making sure this doesn't happen again."

Mortified, Ariel shook her head wildly. "Hermione, I don't think —"

"At least one of you has enough sense to ask," Snape said flatly, giving Ariel a pointed glower.

Ariel felt her face flush. "They didn't find anyone or anything suspicious…"

It was true — when Professor McGonagall had come to see her last night, she had been completely baffled by who could have poisoned her. Snape, on the other hand, only seemed to grow angrier. Ariel didn't want to know what he would've done to whoever had done this, but she imagined she would've liked to have watched. This whole poisoning business had Ariel an entire week behind in classes, and she was expected to make up the work.

(Enemies of the Heir, beware – that was what the writing had said)

"Someone tried to murder you, mate." Ron said from the corner of his mouth. Ariel stepped on his foot.

"There will be a house elf who checks Miss Evans' food prior to every meal." Snape said to Hermione, but he was staring straight at Ariel with an intensity that made the hairs on her arms stand up straight. "From what I understand, they've been in quite a state since finding out a student was poisoned under their watch."

The tingling in Ariel's hands traveled to the pit of her stomach. "House elves? There are house elves at Hogwarts?"

"None of them are named Dobby." Snape said, his eyes flashing in warning. "Perish the thought of interrogating them."

"I wasn't planning on it." Ariel muttered. Another idea was forming, though – what if they knew a Dobby?

Hermione stepped forward. "But what else? Professor McGonagall said the poison was quite powerful — what have you done to find out more about it? Who could have created something like that?"

Snape narrowed his eyes as if Hermione had just uttered a string of profanities. "I sincerely doubt that any student in this castle is capable of concocting such an advanced paralytic. We are investigating and researching possible sources."

Ariel could feel the tension in the room thickening. Snape's response to Hermione's questions was sharp and dismissive. His frustration was palpable, and it was clear to Ariel that he was also holding back vital information.

"We deserve to know, you know." Ariel asked, her voice steady. Snape turned to her, his gaze icy and unyielding.

"Miss Evans, do not presume to question my methods." Snape's eyes flashed with anger as he glared at her. His face contorted as he fought to control his features. "I have made my priorities quite clear to you, have I not?"

Ariel kept her eyes focused on Snape's face even though she could feel Hermione's gaze burning into the side of her face. The slight downturn of Hermione's lips, the way she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, instead, trying to catch Ariel's gaze and communicate her "let it go, now" using eye-contact alone.

"Leave it alone," Snape said, his voice final. "if you see anything suspicious, you call me and hide under the Cloak. Am I clear?"

The three of them nodded mutely as Snape stormed out of the infirmary — it was almost time for morning classes. Ariel knew this because when he'd left her at the start of the day, he did so begrudgingly, an air of reluctance that lingered for a few minutes, like smoke.

"Thank Merlin, I thought he'd never leave." Ron let out a huge sigh of relief. "He broke Lockhart's arm, you know. A rib too, I heard, but that's all hearsay."

"Honestly, the fact that people are happy about him getting hurt is beyond me." Hermione huffed, but Ariel could tell her heart wasn't in it. "After everything that's happened the past few days…"

Ariel's head whipped between the two of them, bewildered. "Wha—"

Hermione made a frustrated noise. "Professor Lockhart was trying to help, when you passed out —"

"She would be dead if he'd done anything, and you know it."

"— and when Professor Snape walked in, he tossed him into a table."

Ariel sorely wished that she had witnessed this. Maybe she could watch Ron's memory in a Pensive. Snape hadn't even mentioned it, and Snape hated Lockhart.

Something warm nestled in her heart as she digested this. She thought of Snape's boot kicking in Lockhart's face and bit back a smile. Almost immediately she regretted it, feeling horrified with herself for laughing at such a thing. Sure, Ariel hated Lockhart, but she didn't want him dead.

"It was truly incredible." Ron had a faraway, fond look in his eye. "George said that he would memorialize the spot where his head hit the table."

"That's terrible." Hermione said, but she said it almost dejectedly, like she'd given up.

"Was it?" Ron asked with an air of mock confusion. "I thought it was pretty funny. It was just a joke."

"Not all jokes are funny," Hermione snapped.

"We can hold a ceremony later – right now, we've got to figure out what to do next." Ariel leaned in towards them and they bent their heads low, so that all three of them were almost touching.

Ron's face darkened. "I agree. We've got to do something after poor Colin…"

Hermione swallowed audibly. "But we've got to be discrete. Someone's obviously got it out for the Muggleborns, but for Ariel, too." she squeezed her hand tightly, almost desperately. Ariel recalled the tears streaming down her face when they'd been reunited – I thought you died, I thought you died in my arms and there was nothing I could do –

"The Polyjuice," Ariel said, her voice firm. "we need to start it soon. After what happened to Colin, there's only going to be more."

Ariel slept the morning away and most of the afternoon, too. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed her bed until she'd laid down and let her eyes close for a moment, only to wake up gasping for breath a few hours later. She'd had a horrible dream about Colin, his frozen face all she could see when she tried to lay back down and sleep again.

She'd walked into the Great Hall, only to feel her throat seize up. Colin was back in the spot he should've been in, sitting at the wall near the Gryffindor table, with a few bandages on his face. He was okay —

Ariel had walked across the room, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Colin!" she'd said. "What are you doing back here?"

Colin had looked up at her, and she'd felt her heart jump into her throat. Something had changed in his face. There was a new shadow in his eyes that had not been there before… a shadow so dark, it made her want to run away and not look back —

"I'm sorry," he'd murmured, and pointed his wand straight at her heart —

"Bugger," Ariel muttered, peeling herself out of bed. She stretched, wincing as her joints cracked. She felt like she'd aged twenty years every time she woke up, but once she was up and walking, she'd be fine.

She quickly checked under her mattress to make sure that Moste Potente Potions was still there. After grabbing around for a few moments, her heart hammering when she didn't immediately feel it, she felt her chest release with relief when she grabbed the spine and pulled it towards her. Funny, she thought she'd left it right next to the side her nightstand was on – it was almost in the middle of her mattress. How would it have even gotten there?

Shaking off the strange feeling that fell over her, she sat down on the floor and propped the book open with her knees. Hermione had volunteered to go to the student storeroom before lunch and grab what they could from there. Ariel going would look far too suspicious, especially after just being released from the infirmary with no schoolwork assigned. Snape would be on her case like a dog on a bone. She'd told Hermione not to grab everything at once either – if Hermione did happen to run into Snape, Ariel was quite certain that he'd be able to deduce what there were doing just based on the ingredients.

Ariel sorely hoped this was going to be worth it as she shut the book, sighing heavily. She was dreading having to steal from Snape. She liked to think they had a certain level of trust, and this would break it… but they had to get something on Malfoy if they were going to stop him. When she thought about it, he probably had more of a reason than anyone to go around attacking Muggleborns than anyone, if his father had been involved with Voldemort. Malfoy probably wanted to prove himself, somehow… show them that he could "purge the school" all on his own…

We're both trying to prove something to our fathers

Ariel took that thought and shoved it far, far away. She decided to take a bath while she waited for Ron and Hermione to be done with class, using some of the hibiscus bubble bath Parvati liked to use. She knew she used too much when she came back after five minutes to find the bubbles halfway to the ceiling. Ariel quickly vanished them with her wand and lowered herself into the tub, feeling the most relaxed she had in days.

She sat in the warm water and let her mind drift. She hadn't had a bath in days, but Madam Pomfrey had used some sort of Cleaning Charm on her that made her hair soft and bouncy, and her skin feel clean. She figured that Snape must've showered the first time he'd finally left her, a day after Colin had been brought in. He'd come back smelling much better — more like old books and teakwood-smell, and the faint scent of cigarettes — and his hair had been less greasy.

Ariel wondered if he'd calmed down at all now that she was out of the infirmary. She could still picture his gaunt, twisted face, the blood running down his hand and onto the floor. Snape had seemed almost unhinged – Ariel had never seen him like that, even when he'd killed Quirrell. He hadn't rambled and raved and spoken thinly veiled secrets of the heart – and they had been secrets, because Snape had spoken of the things that Mum had written about but hadn't given a name.

She wished she still had that letter. The want ached like heartbreak, but it was a dull pang, the ghost of her past still haunting her.

You were very nearly nothing at all

You have no idea what will come for you

You have no comprehension of what being my daughter –

Ariel resolved to ask Snape what he knew about the Chamber in a few days. He wouldn't refute her – she'd almost died, for Merlin's sake, and wanting to know who was going around trying to kill others wasn't exactly going to come out of the blue. It wasn't like last year, when he'd accidentally told Ariel about the Stone when they'd had absolutely no connection to it. This Heir business was becoming… personal.

Stupid Malfoy – gods, Ariel wished she could sock him in his smug, git-face again. Ron had mentioned how he'd been gloating about Colin all week, choosing to do it in front of the Gryffindors, wondering if Ariel Evans had kicked the bucket yet.

She headed down to the Common Room when she started to hear the sound of students returning from class, bustling inside to grab forgotten books and supplies before lunch. Ariel decided she'd make a go of Charms this afternoon, not wanting to be alone any longer. She was feeling antsy, and even though she was quite sure she was safe up in Gryffindor Tower, she felt a bit uneasy being by herself.

Ariel reached into her pocket and felt the coin in her palm. When she turned it over, it read Great Hall. Snape would be expecting to see her at lunch, then.

Almost instantly, there was a small crowd surrounding her, letting out small whoops and hollers – someone even started clapping. Dean and Seamus were the first to greet her, followed by Lavender and Parvati, who were putting Hermione's reaction to shame as they threw their arms around her neck. Other students were giving her claps on the back, murmuring to her and amongst themselves that they couldn't believe she'd made a full recovery.

"We thought – we thought the worst," Lavender hiccupped. "Hermione kept reassuring us that you were okay, but it was just so awful..."

"I'm alright," Ariel couldn't help but smile. "It was a scare, but I'm okay."

"You smell like my soap," Parvati laughed. "giving yourself a spa day after all that trouble?"

"Something like that," Ariel said, scanning the crowd for Ron and Hermione. She almost didn't notice Ginny in the corner until she did a double take. Tears had created silver streaks down her pale cheeks, and her hands were clenched into tight fists that rested against her chest as if she were trying to keep herself from falling apart. Ginny's eyes were wide with shock as she stared in Ariel's direction.

She excused herself and headed over to Ginny, who reached forward and hugged her tightly. Taken aback, it took Ariel a moment to hug Ginny back as she sobbed into her shoulder.

"Hey…" Ariel tried to pull her away and look at her first, but Ginny clung to her tightly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I was so scared," Ginny strangled out, her voice so tight that it was a wonder she'd gotten the words out at all. "You were so pale, and everyone said you'd stopped breathing…"

Come on, dammit

She's not breathing

"Me?" Ariel gave a breathless, nervous little laugh. "I barely remember anything – really. You shouldn't be worrying about me…" You should be worrying about yourself.

Worry about yourself for fucking once – for once in your goddamn life –

"You could've died," Ginny whispered, and it sounded almost like a prayer, the way the words fell from her mouth and into Ariel's ear.

"I could've, but I didn't." she finally managed to pry her off and look her in the face. Ginny looked… a tad better, hysterics aside. Some of the color had returned to her face again. "It's going to take more than some coward dumping poison in my food to get rid of me."

Her eyes widened in – fear? "How do you know it was poison?"

"That's what the professors told me."

Ginny's gaze shifted away with unease, and Ariel watched as her pupils dilated like two black pools, swallowing in the light until the whites of her eyes disappeared. A sudden chill ran up Ariel's spine as she caught a glimpse of something – something –

A hand grabbed her shoulder, nearly causing Ariel to jump out of her skin. When she whirled around, she found Fred and George there, grinning ear to ear. Ariel turned back to their sister, but Ginny's eyes had returned to normal. They were dry, the only sign she'd been crying her tear-stained cheeks. Before Ariel could say anything, she was hurrying away, clutching something to her chest.

"Well, if it isn't the Girl-Who-Lived!" George gave her a one-armed hug.

Ariel despised that title, but she gave in to the theatrics in the joke. "Har, har. Very funny."

"Ron said you were back, but we didn't believe him." Fred shook his head. "You look much better than the last time we saw you, I have to say."

Ariel was quickly growing tired of being reminded of how close she had been to death. On one hand, she had almost died in front of everyone, so she couldn't really blame them for wanting to check in on her but hearing it over and over again was making it harder for her to appreciate their concern. Guilt washed over her, as she realized that they were only trying to look out for her.

"Yeah well, I'd just like to go back to normal." she managed to crack a smile. "If it's okay with you, that is."

"Well, if you're looking for normal…" Fred unrolled a scroll in his hands, holding it up to her face. "A list of orders, potions mistress."

She racked her brain and tried to remember their conversation – she'd known she'd spoken to them before everything became fuzzy. It had been about something with potions, helping out students, like with the Pepper-Ups. She didn't recall having any objections, so she shrugged and took the scroll from Fred.

"You'll need to catch me up on the details, but I'm in." Ariel said without hesitation.

They beamed at her.

"We'll get you any ingredients you need, of course." George said. "When we go to Hogsmeade we'll make a stop at the apothecary down there. They don't have much, but if we're brewing the basics…"

"Looks like it," Ariel said, her eyes trailing down the list. "We'll need a whole bunch of stuff…"

"Good thing is it won't create much suspicion, then, with us using the student storeroom and all."

Wish the Polyjuice was this easy, she thought to herself. But wait – WAIT –

An idea hit Ariel like a lightning bolt. "Would you be able to get boomslang skin?"

"Lady," George poked her with his index finger, right between her eyes. "Your wish is our command."

A few days passed without incident. Ariel was inundated with schoolwork, desperately trying to play catch up. Even with Hermione's help she felt completely bogged down in essays and readings. Everything was starting to blur together, and the matter of the Heir wasn't making anything easier. Ariel hadn't even been able to work on the Polyjuice like she'd been supposed to, her nights spent on her schoolwork. Hermione and Ron went in her stead, leaving her alone with Ginny, who wrote in some tattered old book that Ariel recognized as her diary. She'd barely spoken to Ariel since she'd returned from the infirmary, spending her nights by the fire until she retired to the First-Year dormitory for bed. Ariel tried to coax something out of her, anything that would explain her strange behavior, but Ginny only continued to act withdrawn and cold. On the rare occasion she did speak to her, Ginny seemed to act normal until she started writing again.

Ariel would've paid a wheelbarrow's worth of galleons to know what she was writing in that book, but she supposed it was something deeply personal. Besides, she wasn't like Lavender and Parvati – she didn't thrive on gossip and didn't want to know Ginny's business unless she told her herself.

One night, as Ron and Hermione headed down to Myrtle's bathroom to check on the Polyjuice, Ariel felt the coin vibrate in her pocket. When she turned it over, there was a message.

Meet me outside of your dormitory. Three minutes. Bring your cloak.

There was an "or else" in there somewhere, but Ariel could read in-between the lines. She couldn't help but grin as she grabbed her rucksack and Cloak.

"I'll be back later," she said breathlessly to Ginny. "You alright?"

"I have written you down now, you will live forever." Ariel heard her mutter. "All the world will read you and you will live forever…"

It sounded like she was writing a poem. Confused, Ariel hesitated and waited to hear more, but Ginny was silent.

"Ginny?" Ariel called again, this time a little louder.

"What?" she said. "Oh – yes, I'm fine. See you later."

"You'll tell Ron and Hermione I've gone?"

"Mmmm."

Ariel took that as a "yes" and headed downstairs and through the Portrait Hole.

Snape was standing at the bottom of the staircases, his expression a mask of cool indifference as he leaned against the wall. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, and he seemed to be waiting for something. Ariel pulled the hood of her Cloak away and stepped forward. Snape's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, not reacting to her sudden appearance.

"It's all still there, I promise." she said jokingly.

Snape rolled his eyes and began to walk in the directions of the dungeons. "Put that back on and stay close."

Ariel swept the Cloak back over her head and followed Snape silently. Her footsteps echoed through the dungeons along with the drip drip drip of water coming from somewhere. She tried to keep her breathing in check, to match his pace. Her heart was somewhere in her throat now, the cold, steely taste of anticipation spreading through her mouth – she had no idea where he was taking her.

They continued down another shadowy hallway, Snape's black robes trailing behind him, brushing over her legs. She almost ran into his back when he stopped at last in front of a large, mahogany door with a serpent etched into the frame. The doorknob was brass, with red stones embedded into it and a green vein running through them like a lightning bolt.

"This is it." Snape said gruffly. "Lift your hand to the door."

This is what? Ariel wanted to ask, but she did so without question and the door fell open with a loud groan.

Ariel stepped into the room, completely taken aback by its beauty. The walls were lined with bookcases, countless volumes of books reaching up to the high ceiling. The floor was a rich mahogany, like the door, and a large rug was draped across the middle of the room. Tapestries hung beautifully along the walls, depicting stories of ancient times. In the corner of the room sat a large desk, covered in vials of strange potions, and scrolls of parchment.

"Are these – your quarters?" she squeaked. It was so different from his creepy office and classroom that she could barely believe her eyes.

"Obviously," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You didn't think I lived in a cave, did you?"

Ariel felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment as she drank in the rest of the room. It was brimming with the scent of spices and secrets. Immediately, Ariel's eyes fell upon the shelves of books that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. It was like a miniature library, and it gave her a sense of comfort knowing that Snape had his own place for knowledge and learning.

She couldn't help but marvel. There were scores of books crammed into all of the shelves, piled on the floor in droves. Ariel would've thought Snape was a hoarder had she not instantly been intrigued, wondering what he had in here that the library didn't. Hermione would've been in heaven.

But this wasn't merely a treasure trove of books. There were pieces of parchment sticking out of pages everywhere, broken quills on the coffee table beside the fireplace. It was a stimulant to the mind, a place meant for exploration. She began to wander around the study, slowly taking in her surroundings.

The fireplace roared with a full blaze, and two armchairs were pulled close, almost like an invitation to pull up a seat and linger. Every detail of the room had been so far from her expectations that she simply stood there, staring for a moment, before Snape moved behind her and slammed the door shut.

He had a kneazle skull collection on one of the bookcases, lined up in size order. That was… kind of cool. She looked closer, spotting bowls of dried herb and flowers on the desk alongside glass beakers with strange liquids bubbling in them. An array of potion ingredients also lined the walls, with labels indicating what each was.

Ariel ran her finger along the spines of some books and smirked to herself.

"I like it," Ariel grinned at him.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Well, now I can sleep at night with your assurance it's up to standards."

"I'm just giving you a compliment."

"Noted," he summoned a chair and pointed to it. "Sit down, if you're quite done with your critique."

Curious, she threw her rucksack next to the door and scampered over to the chair. "What for?"

Snape remained silent as Ariel settled into her chair. He slowly raised his wand, keeping it fixed on her. Rays of shimmering light emitted from its tip, cascading down over her body like a miniature lightning storm. She recognized it from last year; it was a Diagnostic Spell. Lifting her hands, she basked in the warmth of the azure light, feeling it course through her veins.

"I feel fine," Ariel said, knowing that a grilling on her health was imminent. "Really — I'd tell you if I wasn't."

He made a disagreeing noise under his breath, almost like a scoff but it was harder to define, like he both did and didn't trust her. Ariel let him do whatever he needed to do as she continued to look around his quarters, wondering if he stayed here year-round. It certainly looked like it with all the clutter — Aunt Petunia would have a fit if she saw this much junk piled up in her picture-perfect house.

Ariel found herself straining her eyes to see a picture he had on his desk — it was in a frame, but she couldn't tell what was in it. He had nothing else up on the walls or bookshelves so one picture was weird, and Ariel immediately wanted to know what it was.

Snape broke her inner musings when he grabbed her chin, tilting it up to look at him. "How are you sleeping?"

Ariel shrugged. "Normal."

"Are you still having unusual dreams?"

She hesitated. "Not since I was in the Hospital Wing." She suspected that was because he'd stayed with her all those nights. Ariel would never admit it, but she'd felt immensely comforted by his presence. She briefly pictured Neville waking up to Snape beside his bed and stifled a laugh, imagining the panic that would ensue.

"And your Occlumency?" Snape leaned back with his arms crossed, letting go of her face. His black eyes searched hers knowingly. Ariel wondered how much he could see, just by looking into her eyes.

Ariel scowled up at him. "I feel like I'm being interrogated."

"Show me," he ignored her, leaning down so he was at eye level with her.

She was about to let him Look when a horrifying thought dawned on her — if Snape could read her thoughts, he'd know about the illegal potions — he'd know about her plans to brew Polyjuice. Even if he wasn't searching Ariel would be thinking about it and she didn't know how to Occlude from Snape, only her own thoughts.

"Can we not, please?" Ariel squirmed away, ducking under his arm to break free of the chair. "I'm tired and it's not going to work. You're just going to get mad at me."

Snape's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why would it not work?"

She glanced down at the floor and bit her lip, scrambling to think of something that would deter him. "I haven't been… practicing."

"You lack discipline," his lip curled. "If you were Potter's, I would say it was inevitable, but your unique situation does not allow you to be lazy."

Ariel felt her temper ignite, hot and wild in her chest, but she held back and bit her tongue so hard that she tasted metal. "I'm sorry."

He shot her an icy glare of contempt, his cloak whipping around him as he spun away from her before he swept over to his desk and slammed himself down into his chair. She scowled at him, glancing around the room again.

Ariel began to prowl around Snape's quarters, fascinated by the amount of stuff he had lying around. Books were stacked haphazardly on the bookshelves, tables, and chairs, as though they were constantly growing and multiplying like spiders. Every pile or so there was a small bauble or artifact, something unusual that made her wonder what it was or how it worked. She saw a jar full of eyes and a strange device with what looked like an hourglass filled with multicolored sand.

She trailed her fingertips over the spines of books, her mind whirling. However, when she would turn back to look at Snape, he had his usual expressionless mask back on again, watching her every move without saying a word. His gaze made her feel both uncomfortable and oddly welcomed; it seemed that while he didn't approve of everything she did, he still wanted to ensure she remained safe in his quarters.

Finally spurring herself into acting again, Ariel decided to try and talk to him, her anger smoldering in the back of her mind. She hefted the chair she'd been sitting in earlier with a faint grunt and began to push it towards his desk. It made an unholy din, grinding and scraping its way across the stone floor. Ariel did her best to look nonchalant, but she was clearly struggling to move the chair. Snape watched her, with a look of boredom and disdain—like he was watching Neville try to fix yet another botched potion.

She seated herself with as much dignity as she could muster together and picked up one of the kneazle skulls, putting her fingers through the eye holes. "Can I ask you a question?"

Snape's expression was practically carved from stone. "You can certainly try."

Ariel quickly did a mental run down of Things That Would Tip Off Snape. She probably shouldn't mention anything about Ron or Hermione, or anything that she hadn't witnessed directly without him being there.

"Colin…" she trailed off for a moment, remembering his frozen face in the pale light of the infirmary. "he's… he's going to be okay, isn't he?"

Snape's expression morphed into one of trepidation. "What?"

"Colin," she repeated, placing the skull back into its spot. "He's going to be okay, right?"

Snape stared at her for a moment, as if weighing his options. Then, he sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking her straight in the eye. "It's complicated. He's been Petrified, and that is a difficult Curse to break. Madam Pomfrey is doing her best."

"Oh." Ariel said softly, her heart sinking a bit.

Snape cleared his throat and continued. "However, Madam Pomfrey is confident that he will make a full recovery in time."

Ariel smiled at that, feeling relieved. "That's good to hear. I feel... bad."

Snape's eyes flickered to her face. "You were not the one to Petrify him, Miss Evans."

"Professor McGonagall mentioned he was coming to see me —"

"Purely speculation," Snape waved his hand dismissively. "It's impossible to know where he was going at that hour."

Ariel felt the corners of her mouth turn upwards, just a little. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"And why would I do that?" he asked coolly. "Neither you nor I stand to gain anything from lying to one another."

"Right." Ariel murmured. "Sorry."

Snape sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said finally.

"I'm always sorry when things like this happen," she said, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"Things like what?" he asked, giving his wand a brief flick. The candles in the room grew brighter, making the shadows in the corners of the room seem to recede.

"Things that hurt people." she said quietly.

"Sit up," he said. When she had wriggled into a more comfortable position, he continued. "What happened to that boy is as much your fault as it is mine. If you worry for each and every person you know, you will be miserable for the rest of your life."

She looked up at him, shocked. "Are you saying I shouldn't be upset?"

"I didn't say that." Snape snapped. "But you have no control over what happens in the world. It's impossible to protect those closest to you from everything that could possibly happen to them."

She almost burst out laughing. "Speak for yourself."

Snape looked at her strangely. "What do you mean?"

"Pot calling the kettle black."

"Excuse me?"

"You're just as guilty as I am." Ariel jerked her head at him. "To protect me, you said you'd do anything. Don't you remember what you did to Quirrell? Or what about Lockhart? Ron told me you threw him into a table."

His mouth twitched. "Touché."

"Thank you," she said, happy he wasn't angry. "For that, by the way. Ron said Lockhart would've killed me by accident."

Snape's face darkened. "I wouldn't have let that happen."

She felt a warmth in her chest, like a blanket being draped over her. "I know," she said softly. "But... the person who Petrified Colin is probably the same person who poisoned me... and it's probably not Lockhart. All he cares about is himself. He doesn't even know Ron's name — he keeps calling him Ralph."

Snape just stared at her evenly, but she could see something cold and hard in his eyes. His right hand twitched, almost involuntarily, and Ariel saw him flex it before he hid it behind the desk.

"This Heir…" she hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. "Why would they want to kill me? The legend says the Heir would purge the school of Muggleborns —"

Snape's eyes flashed like a coin at the bottom of a pond. "The legend says Slytherin wished for the Heir to carry out his legacy. It says nothing of the Heir being bound to do so. The monster has no will of its own, only that of the Heir."

She thought for a long time. "So…the Heir could choose not to follow Slytherin's orders?"

"Yes," Snape said, his voice low. "They are, however, choosing to do so — to eliminate those who they deem to be a threat. You, unfortunately, are one of them."

A thought hit Ariel in the gut like a fist, then. Why would she be a threat – she was just another insignificant student at Hogwarts? There was nothing remotely special about her – even Snape had said it in the infirmary – no girl, your mother won, she defeated the Dark Lord for you –

"It's because of Voldemort." she said. "Isn't it?"

His face shuddered like a rock skipping on a lake. "I have told you — do not say the name!"

"He's tried to kill me twice and bungled it up. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I'm scared of him because I'm not."

"You don't know the power he held over people." he said in a dangerous voice. "He — what he offered — it was intoxicating. Even after he vanished, there were those who pledged to wait for him and his return, those who escaped imprisonment and vowed that they would continue to do his work. Part of it is fear — they fear his wrath — but you were all he hunted, all he cared about, for a very long time."

She wanted to ask him how he knew that — how he knew that Voldemort had been obsessed with finding her, but she had a good guess. Even if Snape had been Obliviated, Ariel had figured he would've kept tabs on her mum somehow — and he'd loved Mum. He didn't even like Ariel that much and if she got hurt, he went off the deep end.

"So I'm like the deer head mounted on the wall." Ariel said. "To Voldemort's… groupies. If they get me, they get… what? Bonus points?"

"That's what they believe," he said flatly. "Do not underestimate the power of belief, Miss Evans."

Like Malfoy, she thought to herself, exactly like Malfoy.

"Thank you for being honest with me." Ariel said earnestly. "I can handle the truth, you know."

Snape's face contorted before Ariel saw a flash of sorrow that lingered in his eyes like an eternity. A moment later, the vulnerability in his expression was replaced by a mask of stoic indifference, as if he had never felt anything at all.

"Can I stay?" she asked softly. "Just a while longer?"

He stayed silent but dipped his chin ever so slightly in response. Ariel shuffled over to one of the chairs and settled into the soft cushion, her gaze focused on the orange and yellow flames that were slowly licking up the walls of the fireplace. Her eyes followed along in a trance like state as she felt her muscles start to relax.

Ariel suddenly heard the creak of wood as Snape settled into the armchair beside her. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw him sharing her gaze with the flames. A warmth spread through her chest, full and content. The minutes ticked by, and the tranquility of the evening was interrupted only by the occasional crackling of wood in the fire.

Snape's voice broke the silence, suddenly. "You do realize that your presence here is completely ridiculous, don't you?" he asked. He sounded… almost bitter.

Ariel contemplated this. A year ago she hadn't even read the letter, yet. Now, she was sitting in her father's quarters without him throwing her out. "A little," she admitted. "but I'm... used to it now, I guess."

"And what has kept you coming back?"

She inhaled sharply. Ron and Hermione thought she was completely mental, but there was this... itch. It had started with the letter, with her Mum's declaration that she would not live her life with regret, and Ariel had taken those words to heart. She'd seen glimpses what Mum must have, too. Snape had saved her life, had comforted her, had given her tools to help herself and others.

But then there was the other side, the darkness that had made her life so much harder. He could be cruel. He could be callous and cold. He could hate her. He had hated her, but she wanted to go back to him, wanted to make things right, wanted to prove him wrong, but she could feel the divide growing in her heart.

Ariel decided to be honest with Snape - he had been honest with her. "I keep coming back because I want to know you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Even though I know you don't want me here, I can't help but hope that one day you'll change your mind."

Snape's expression betrayed nothing, but Ariel could sense the tension in his body. For a moment, she doubted her decision to be truthful. But then, unexpectedly, he spoke.

"I have never denied that you are my daughter," Snape said, his voice low and controlled. "But hope is a dangerous thing, Miss Evans."

Ariel blinked in surprise. She knew he was right, that hope was a fragile thing, that it could either lead to joy or heartbreaking sorrow. But still, Ariel found herself filled with an inexplicable resolve, a desire to try. She wanted to try. She'd never wanted anything more in her life.

"Then what would you have me do?" Ariel asked.

Snape paused, considering her question carefully.

Finally, he said softly: "Hope."

A/N: No Snape POV this chapter but he will return for the next one!

There is also some absolutely stunningly amazingly beautiful artwork done by mary-gri posted to previous chapters. She's been sending me sketches of scenes she's been working on based on the story and I am always delirious with happiness whenever she sends me something new because they're all seriously incredible. So please check those out if you're interested, I have them posted at the ends of chapters 24, 27, and 29, currently.

Reviews would be loved and appreciated 3 3 3