Marie woke up feeling refreshed. She smiled to herself as she stretched out in her big, beautiful bed before the memories of her last conversation came flooding back to her. Her face flushed and she cringed before panic spread through her and she looked at her watch. Five more minutes.
Jumping out of bed, she glanced in the mirror before spelling her hair perfectly into place and ensuring her clothes were unwrinkled. She put on her socks and shoes quickly before hurrying out her door to the classroom.
On arrival, Soren was sitting quietly in his seat, hands folded neatly on his desk.
Marie gave him a warm smile. "Did you have a nice rest?"
Soren beamed back at her. "I didn't want to get up, Tinny had to float me out of bed." He giggled at the thought of poor Tinny pulling at his sleeves before finally levitating him out of bed.
"Well, you look bright-eyed and ready to learn now. We're going to have fun this afternoon!"
Dinner that evening was the first time Marie had seen her demanding employer since their little chat in the hallway after lunch. After a smooth afternoon of lessons, she'd taken Soren for a walk in the gardens where they'd enjoyed a full-hour playing and wandering around the magical hedge maze.
At precisely six o'clock, Snape appeared in the dining room and the three of them sat down to eat.
Soren was smiling and fidgeting slightly in his seat, swinging his legs excitedly back and forth under the table as he waited for his turn to make a plate. He had had a brilliant afternoon with Marie, and his endorphins were still rushing from running around in the maze. He had never seen anything like it, it was charmed to shift and change and he had squealed with delight each time a hedge suddenly grew in front of him, forcing him to change directions.
"How was your first day of lessons?" Snape asked, snapping Soren back to the present, as he sipped from his goblet of red wine.
"It was so much fun! We did maths and Ms. Cloutier taught me about decimals using muggle money!" He'd left out details about the pretend shopping trip they'd taken after his teacher had transfigured part of the classroom into an impressive play grocery store. "And tomorrow we're going to do units of measurement, right Ms. Cloutier?"
Marie had just put another bite of chicken in her mouth, so she politely covered her lips with one hand while nodding and trying to hurriedly swallow her food. After a quick sip of water, she added, "We will. We'll be working on counting and units of measurement for the rest of the week."
"And how did he do, Ms. Cloutier?" Snape focused all of his attention on her, drawing her name out and clasping his hands neatly together on the edge of the table.=
Marie felt her stomach flutter at his intense stare and she soon averted her gaze, instead locking eyes on the little boy across from her. "Soren was a brilliant student today. He worked very hard and I was impressed with his focus and how quickly he was learning. He's an extremely clever boy, you should be very proud of him."
And it was true, mostly. Soren was clearly further behind than most magical children his age, but Marie was intent on making sure she said nothing but positive things in front of him, she wanted him to remain enthusiastic and she knew he was dying for his father's approval.
"Let's see then, shall we?" Snape leaned back slightly, pulling his wand out of his sleeve and conjuring a small pile of British coins of various denominations in front of the little boy. "Tell me, Soren, how much money is on the table?"
Panic washed over the boy as the color drained from his face. He looked up at Marie and pleaded with her to save him but she just smiled and nodded at him with encouragement. Soren glanced back at the pile and stared, frozen for several long seconds.
"Well, show me what you've learned. Start counting." Snape crossed his arms, tapping his fingers on the outside of his wool-clad bicep with growing annoyance.
Soren looked up briefly and shook his head. "I can't…there's too many."
Marie was furious at the man but she was working hard to keep her face relaxed and encouraging, for Soren's sake. "Just take them one at a time, Soren, like we did today. You can do it."
Now Soren's eyes were filled with tears. He turned toward Marie and shook his head again before burying his face in his hands. "I can't!" He wailed.
Exasperated, Snape banished the coins from the table with an angry flick of his wand, ignoring his son's tears and staring at Marie. "Do not lavish undeserved praise on him, Ms. Cloutier. It seems you both have a lot to work on. I expect to see an improvement by the end of this week." He returned his wand to the inside of his sleeve, picked up his fork and knife, and set to work on his food with a slight scowl on his face.
Marie nodded her head. She was livid that he had put the poor boy on the spot like that, destroying whatever tiny confidence he'd gained from their lesson today. But she wouldn't give up, she was sure Soren would master this over the next few days and if Lord Kent wanted the boy to perform for him like a goddamn circus clown to prove he was learning, she'd make sure he was ready. She glanced over at Soren and tried to give him a reassuring look but he had his head down, still crying into his arms.
Snape took a sip of his wine before setting his glass down with a small thud. "That's quite enough, Soren. Sit up properly and get control of your emotions. And finish your peas. I will not remind you again."
Soren wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand and stared down at his nearly empty plate before picking up his fork and stabbing at the few remaining peas. Once again, his father had sucked all of the joy out of him like a rogue dementor, leaving him feeling empty and hollow.
"If there's one thing I loathe more than failure, it is weakness and cowardice. I may be thoroughly unimpressed with your incompetence, but I can promise that nothing will disappoint me more than refusing to try."
"Yes, sir." Soren said, putting the peas into his mouth as a few more silent tears slid down his cheek.
Pathetic, Snape thought to himself, his lip curling up in disgust. "You're excused from the table. Go take a bath and prepare for bed."
Soren pushed his chair back slowly, the sound of wood scraping on stone echoing loudly through the dining room as the little boy fled to his room.
Snape finished his meal in silence before dabbing at his mouth gracefully with the napkin and setting it down on the table. He looked over at Marie who was cutting the rest of her chicken with harsh, jagged strokes of her knife, doing her best to avoid exploding with rage.
He waited another moment for her to look up at him, but it was clear she was making a conscious effort to ignore him. Finally he spoke. "It is obvious that you disapprove of my actions this evening. While I hoped to make an impression on Soren, perhaps the most important lesson tonight was for you. Praise is like a drug for most children, and the more they get, the more they want. Undeserved praise is even more insidious, and it will do far more harm than good in the long-term, Ms. Cloutier. An inflated ego with nothing to show for it will make him ripe for bullying and will ultimately lead to a poorer sense of self. Instead of learning for the sake of mastering a skill, and for his own satisfaction, he will instead be trained to seek out praise. Think of how much more confident he will feel when he can prove to himself that he is capable of doing something. Then he won't spend his life chasing constant validation from others, it is a fool's errand and a waste of energy."
"I completely disagree. He's still learning, and he needs encouragement right now. And you didn't have to humiliate him like that at the table, it was cruel. Can't you see how you destroyed his spirit?" Marie was indignant but working hard to keep the acid out of her voice.
Snape raised a slight eyebrow at her accusation. "I did no such thing. I asked him to demonstrate what he learned today after you heaped effusive laudations on him. I was under the impression he would sail through this task with ease. He did not, and now it is obvious to all of us that he needs to work harder. I did not mock his intelligence or berate him in any way, but I made my expectations clear. I gave him an opportunity to impress me, and instead, he humiliated himself by failing to even try. He will have a chance to redeem himself—and you—again at the end of the week. Is there anything else you wish to say?"
There was a lot Marie wanted to say, but instead she clenched her teeth and responded. "No, sir."
"Very well. You may be excused."
Marie wiped her face and folded her napkin on the table before getting up and quietly pushing her chair under the table. She had just turned to walk away when she heard his silky voice and turned around.
"And for what it's worth, I do appreciate you keeping your emotions under control in front of Soren, it appears that having a small rest earlier was of great benefit to you after all. Have a pleasant evening Ms. Cloutier."
Snape stood, gave a slight bow of his head and disappeared back into the dungeons.
Once again, Marie was left speechless, unable to come up with a response before he had swept from the room. There was something in the way his tone changed. The stern, all-business, no nonsense look on his face had softened somewhat and the tiniest hint of amusement had flitted across his lips as he'd spoken to her. He was being patronizing, of course, but there was something more tender about it, a small inside joke shared just between them, a subtle tease. For a man who seemed completely humorless, it felt out of place and confusing.
It took her a moment to realize she was still standing in the dining room, holding onto her chair and replaying his words, but she soon snapped back to reality and hurried up the stairs to check on Soren.
As expected, he was a mess. Despite her reassurances and all of her effort, he remained dejected and tearful. Even bubbles and toys in his bath were met with a melancholic indifference that was painful to watch. Instead of playing, he washed himself quickly and changed into his pajamas without any of his usual chitchat.
"Are you ready for Oliver Twist?" Marie asked as she dried his hair with the towel before running the comb through it gently, putting it in a nice side part.
Soren shrugged his shoulders. "It's OK, you don't have to."
"Oh, Soren, please don't be unhappy. I promise you we're going to work hard and practice and you're going to impress your father so much the next time." They shared a look in the mirror before he pulled away and climbed into his bed.
"I'm stupid. I told you I wasn't good at school. Why did you have to tell him I was clever? Now he knows I'm dumb and he thinks you are a liar." Soren grabbed his rabbit and buried himself in the thick duvet.
Marie sat on his bed and tried to pull him closer. "That's not true. He doesn't think that at all. I promise. And you are extremely intelligent, but just like everyone, you have to practice when you learn something new. And we'll practice together until you get it, I promise!"
"I don't even care. I hate him."
I don't blame you, Marie thought, but she would never say that to Soren, as cold and harsh as the man was, he was still his father and the only family he had. She put her arm around him and pulled him closer. "Come here, let's read together. Hold onto your rabbit and we'll snuggle up and read, it's about to get really good."
Marie reached for the book and a stuck page nearly tore when she attempted to open it to her magical bookmark. That was when she saw the ink had smudged in places and the pages were wrinkled, crusted together, and obviously damaged. A small gasp escaped from her mouth. "Soren, what happened to your book?"
A guilty look crept onto Soren's face. "I don't know?" he lied.
"This is not what the book looked like yesterday. I'm not mad, I just need to know so I can fix it. Did something happen? Did you spill something on it?"
There was no way he would tell her the truth, but he just nodded his head. "I was thirsty in the night and I spilled a cup of water, by accident. I'm sorry."
"Oh no, Soren. This is one of your father's books. He made me promise to take good care of it. I wish you'd told me right away, it would have been easier to fix it when it first happened."
Soren's face fell and he was about to burst out into another round of tears. "But it was the middle of the night. Father is going to be so mad at me! I'm going to be in so much trouble!"
Marie wiped his tears and pulled him close to her. "Shhh, no Soren. Please don't worry, don't cry. I'll figure out a way to fix it, I promise. And if not, I'll take the blame for it. Don't worry at all, I promise he's not going to be mad at you, OK? It's just a book." Marie desperately tried to calm Soren before he went into another meltdown, but she knew Lord Kent would NOT be happy. Nonetheless, she wasn't about to let Soren get in trouble for it, especially since it had been an accident. She could deal with the man. And maybe she could take care of it all and he'd never know. Although somehow she doubted it, there wasn't much anyone got past the man.
The tears and the long day had obviously taken their toll on Soren, and he fell asleep a good ten minutes before lights out. Marie closed the book quietly and cradled it in one arm, hoping she could try a few more spells to deal with the water damage before Lord Kent had another reason to complain.
After tucking the sheets tightly around Soren, she tiptoed out of his room and shut the door quietly behind her. Standing in the hallway, she again had a flashback to her earlier conversation and she thought immediately to his little smirk this evening after dinner. Why was it getting to her so much? Why did she keep replaying that humiliating exchange that both enraged her and sent a small thrill through her.
But just as quickly she thought about Soren and all of the negative feelings she had for Lord Kent returned abruptly. Any man capable of being so unkind to a small child was a horrible person, and she would do well to remember that. He was cold, stubborn, patronizing, and harsh— none of those were admirable qualities.
As she reached for her door handle, she had a sudden urge to go downstairs and confront him about it. She played out the scenario in her mind while she hovered in the hallway in limbo…finally deciding it was best not to stir the hornet's nest any more today. She had a feeling her impulsivity would not be rewarded with understanding or reconsideration on his part, so she would have to fight her urge to be impatient and think through her strategy moving forward.
The next few days continued, thankfully, with very little drama. Snape saw Marie and Soren at meals, but otherwise focused on his work in the dungeon and engaging as little as possible beyond small-talk and the occasional admonition.
On Friday afternoon, Snape finished one of the potions he'd been working feverishly on all week and decided perhaps he should check in on the classroom after all. It wasn't that he didn't trust Marie to do her job— he'd selected her knowing she was by far the most intelligent witch for the job, even if she was still struggling to get on board with the way he wanted things done. As for his son…he appeared to be turning out as dim-witted as his mother. It was regrettable, nonetheless Snape hoped with enough hard work and discipline, he might at least make a passable student at some point. Soren obviously hadn't inherited his own talent for academics, but Snape refused to lower his standards. He was of the opinion that anyone with half a brain could succeed if they worked hard enough, so barring some legitimate disability, there were no excuses as far as he was concerned.
Long before he got to the classroom door, Snape could hear the giggling and laughter from all the way down the corridor. He slowed his gait, listening intently as he softened his steps and approached the door, hoping to catch them off-guard. Was Marie, singing?
He was about to burst in and demand an end to the play date, but when he listened more closely he heard her singing about the denominations of coins. And Soren's small voice echoing after her. What on earth is she doing?
Wanting to remain hidden, he stood back in the hallway where he still had a view through the doorway but he was concealed in the shadows, watching as Marie used her wand to send large versions of the coins into the air, slowly sticking them up on the wall while Soren counted. When he got it right, she swished her wand and the coins shrank down and dropped into a piggy bank in the corner.
"Fantastic work Soren, that's 35 more pence in your bank! When we're finished you can count it all out and decide what you'd like to buy from my shop!"
Soren was clearly delighted with himself. "I want the color-changing quill!"
"Are you sure? It might take a while to save up for that one. Maybe you can trade in some of your coins for a few of the moving stickers at the end of the day."
"No, I want to save up for the quill. It's so cool!"
Snape took this moment to step forward until he was staring at both of them ominously from the threshold. As usual, he cut an imposing figure when he pulled himself to his full height, clasping his hands behind him, and glaring down on them with a clenched jaw and narrow eyes.
The air in the classroom seemed to drop several degrees as soon as he appeared and both of them froze as if they'd been hit with an immobulus.
Snape couldn't help but enjoy a moment of satisfaction. He'd always gotten a bit of sadistic pleasure in any situation where he found himself staring into the guilty eyes of a misbehaving student who knew they were caught. He relished watching the emotions flash across their faces as they realized they were in trouble they couldn't get out of. It had been so many years since he'd been in this position and he'd forgotten just how much he enjoyed it. He savored their looks of shock and horror for another few seconds before he spoke, adding deliberately to the anticipation and drama.
"What on earth is going on here? This boy is far enough behind as it is, I hardly think there's any time for you to be playing these silly little games. This is supposed to be a classroom, not a crèche meant for entertaining toddlers." Snape took several paces forward, looking down on the ground and sneering at Soren. "And you, get up off the floor and go sit at your desk, immediately."
"It's not silly games, I'm learning!" Soren shouted, lowering his voice immediately when he saw his father's eyes flash dangerously at him.
Snape clicked his fingers and pointed at the empty desk. "Sit down and be quiet. I was speaking to Miss Cloutier, not you. When it is your turn to give me an answer, you'll know it. And don't you dare speak to me in that tone again, or you will be a very sorry little boy."
Soren slinked quietly over to the desk, not daring to look up at his father and hoping he wasn't going to be in any worse trouble.
"Lord Kent, we were just trying some different methods for learning to count and add. There are some wonderful studies showing how engaging students using different techniques can actually help them learn better. I'm happy to share the articles with you, if you'd like." Marie smiled, refusing to be intimidated in her own classroom.
When Snape hired her, he had promised her a certain degree of autonomy and respect for this space, even if he thought her methods were a waste of time. It was part of their agreement, but that didn't mean she had carte blanche. "I do not want you to bribe Soren with money to learn what he is supposed to be learning. He should not feel like he deserves a treat for simply going to school and doing as he's told. It's absurd."
Marie smiled confidently. "It's not real money. It's only a type of leprechaun gold that I've spelled to look like British coins. But by collecting them in his bank, Soren gets to practice counting it and learning how to save and spend it so he can earn rewards for his hard work. I'd hardly call that a bribe, they are just little trinkets and school supplies. There's strong research showing the importance of positive reinforcement and goal setting, not to mention the life skills he's learning on how to manage money."
Snape scoffed. "That is hardly something he'll need to concern himself with. Nonetheless, you will stop with this at once. Soren will do his work, at his desk, and the only thing he needs to concern himself with are the consequences he can expect if he does not do well in his studies." He turned to stare down the boy who was looking suitably terrified.
The older wizard paused for a minute before walking over to the reading corner, kicking one of the empty red beanbag chairs with his foot, a look of disgust on his face. "And I don't know what you call these monstrosities, but they do not belong in a classroom or anywhere in the manor."
Before he could pull out his wand, Marie reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait, please Lord Kent. I asked you to trust me, and you promised me that you would give me full reign over my classroom. I know my methods may differ from what you're used to, but can you at least give Soren a chance to show you how much he's learned this week?"
Snape looked down at where her arm was grabbing tightly to his forearm, dragging his eyes up to her with his jaw tightly clenched, pausing before raising an eyebrow in warning.
Marie immediately removed her hand and whispered, "Sorry."
"Please, Father?" Soren pleaded from his desk, bravely. "I like how Ms. Cloutier teaches, I'm learning a lot. I can count the coins now."
"What have I told you about speaking out of turn? One more outburst from you and you'll be counting smacks instead of coins," Snape snapped, before returning his attention to Marie, letting out an exasperated sigh and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose before he continued. "I will give you one chance to demonstrate the efficacy of your methods, but that is all. If, after this, I am not convinced, you will cease with all of this foolishness and teach him according to standard practice."
"Of course, Lord Kent. Thank you." Marie was confident in Soren and brought the porcelain piggy bank over to his desk, opening the small rubber stopper in the bottom and allowing the coins to fall into a compact pile on his desk.
Soren sat up straight, clearly eager to show off what he learned.
"Go ahead, Soren, count out the money you've saved in your classroom bank." Marie gave him a reassuring wink.
Snape crossed his arms and stood over the boy, watching closely as he sorted the coins by denomination, counting each of them out loud. As he did so, Marie put the numbers on the board so he could add them all together.
"Three pounds, forty-two pence," Soren announced proudly. "The stickers are only 80 pence each, but I'm saving for the color-changing quill. It's 8 pounds fifty, but if I keep working hard I can probably earn it in a few more weeks.
"Well done, Soren, you did perfectly," Marie encouraged, smiling at him. "Let's put the coins back in the bank so we can save them."
Snape pressed his lips into a hard line and paused before he responded. "You may continue, Ms. Cloutier, but if I see his performance falter in any way, we will return to more traditional methods."
"Yes, Lord Kent, I understand. But I think if you give it a chance, you'll be pleased with his progress. Thank you.
Snape gave a curt nod before turning to Soren. "Do not take advantage of this. You will continue to work hard."
"Yes, sir…but I did good, didn't I?" Soren looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
"The correct phrasing of that question is I did well, didn't I? It is an adverb modifying a verb. Hopefully there will still be room for grammar on your syllabus somewhere, in between the song and dance." Snape gave an unimpressed sneer toward Marie. "But to answer your question, yes, you completed the task adequately, just as I expected you would. Which is the only reason I'm allowing Ms. Cloutier to continue. However, that does not give you license to sit back and play all day, if you do not continue to progress in a way I am satisfied with, we will be doing things my way, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." Soren couldn't help it, he smiled slightly. It wasn't exactly the pat on the back he was hoping for, but at least his father seemed somewhat pleased. Well, perhaps not disappointed would be a better description. He ignored the ominous threat that seemed to be the only way his father knew how to motivate people.
"And Ms. Cloutier, do be careful how much positive reinforcement you're showering on him, as you can see he is already fishing for praise, just as I feared."
Marie had to bite her tongue to stop herself from asking him why on earth he was so hellbent on depriving his son the slightest bit of encouragement. Instead she settled for a bit of passive aggressive sarcasm, delivered with her most innocent look. "I truly apologize, Lord Kent, I must have misunderstood you. I thought you warned me about too much undeserved praise. In my classroom, Soren will always be celebrated when he does great work. But I shouldn't expect a man such as yourself to understand such complex ideas about child development and pedagogy if you've never spent time working with children. Which is why I always tell Soren, a truly intelligent person never stops learning!"
Not wanting Marie to have the last word, he returned the volley. "You make an excellent point, Ms. Cloutier, one is never too old to learn a lesson…Or, in my case, to teach one." He gave her a pointed glare and his signature eye-brow raise before turning on his heel and walking toward the door, satisfied he'd left her a bit off-kilter. When he reached the door, he turned around one more time. "Oh, and Ms. Cloutier, as it is the end of the week, I am expecting a full report at the end of the day. You and I will meet to discuss it before supper. Please send Tinny to fetch me from my lab when you're finished with your lessons and you're ready to meet."
"Yes of course, Lord Kent."
Snape looked over at Soren and hardened his face slightly, pointing a finger in his direction. "Behave yourself. If I hear anything I don't like about your conduct in the classroom this week, you and I will have a far less pleasant discussion after supper."
Soren's mouth went dry before he nodded his head. "Yes, sir."
And with that, Snape swept dramatically out of the room, his black robes billowing after him.
It took a moment for both of them to shake-off the intrusion, and Marie broke the silence first. "You have nothing to worry about, Soren. I have only positive things to say. You've done really well so far, despite the challenging circumstances. Now then, shall we finish the day with some geography? I say we take a safari and check out the Serengeti, do you know where that is?"
A huge look of relief came over Soren and his smile returned. "No, but that sounds fun, I love animals!"
Marie transfigured a small safari hat for him as the globe came flying off of the shelf, hovering in midair and spinning around. She enlarged it until it was nearly triple the size and taller than Soren. "Fantastic, this will be a fun lesson! Can you point to the continent of Africa on the globe?"
At the end of the day, Marie sent Soren off with Tinny to have tea and play in the garden. She was curious to check out the dungeons, so she figured it was the perfect excuse to walk down and seek out Lord Kent on her own.
The air grew colder as she descended the winding stone steps. She kept her hand on the cold, damp wall for balance, and even though it was well-lit with sconces every few feet, it made her useasy. She paused midway down, wondering if she was making a mistake. While she'd never been explicitly told the dungeons were off-limits to her, Lord Kent had made it very clear that Soren was never allowed anywhere near here. She also knew the man preferred to be alone and didn't like to be disturbed when he was down here…which was precisely the reason why she was so intrigued to see what was down there.
When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the room opened up into a large potions lab. There were shelves lining the walls, every inch covered by jars and bottles of potions ingredients while several cauldrons of different sizes bubbed away in the center. Lord Kent was standing over one, head focused on the purple concoction in front of him, his back to Marie.
"Were my instructions not clear, Ms. Cloutier, or were you looking for a reason to blatantly defy me?" He didn't turn around, instead focusing on careful clockwise stirs with his right hand as his left hand poured in another liquid, drop by drop.
"I'm sorry, Lord Kent, I—"
"Quiet. I need to concentrate. You can wait on that stool." With both hands occupied, he nodded his head in the direction of a tiny wooden stool a few feet to his right.
For the next several minutes, Marie sat in silence, watching the man brew. As a student who had excelled in potions, she recognized his talent immediately. He was precise in every movement, and he carried an air of confidence that only came from knowing he was a true master of his craft.
Before she knew it, she wasn't just watching him brew, she was staring at him, paying attention to his body in a way she had never done before. Not just noticing, but appreciating his features. His long, lean, muscular legs. The chiseled angle of his jaw. His broad shoulders and the taut muscles of his upper arms. And his hands…she was fascinated watching his hands. They were masculine, but somehow delicate at the same time, and every movement of his lithe fingers showed incredible control and agility. He was sexy.
What the fuck, Marie. Why was she looking at him that way? He is not a good man and he's your employer for God's sake. Get a grip! She was engaging in a heated discussion with herself when the man tapped his stirrer twice on the inside of the cauldron before setting it down on the table and directing his attention to her.
"Well, now that you've had a few moments to sit in quiet contemplation, perhaps you can explain to me what was so difficult about following my instructions." Snape crossed his arms and leaned casually against his workbench, glaring down at her, an eyebrow cocked in expectation.
Marie could tell he was mildly displeased, but not angry. A week with the man and she was starting to learn the subtle spectrum of his voice and facial expressions that seemed to range from slightly irritated and unimpressed, to downright livid. This was somewhere closer to the former.
What the hell is this, a stool for a Lilliputian? She felt a child with the man staring down at her on that tiny stool and using that infuriatingly patronizing tone. "Sorry. It was such a beautiful day out, I thought it might be nice for Tinny to take Soren to play in the garden for a bit so he could run around and get some of his energy out. I figured I could just come down and get you myself, I really didn't think you would mind."
When his scowl deepend further, she put on her most contrite face and softened her voice. "I apologize, Lord Kent, really, I didn't know you felt so strongly about this."
"I gave you explicit instructions to ask Tinny to fetch me. He knows not to disturb me when I am in the midst of a complicated step in my brewing. You, on the other hand, nearly cost me a potion several months in the making. Not to mention the rare and expensive ingredients that might have been wasted. You're lucky I'm such a competent brewer, had I lost count of my stirs and destroyed my potion, you would be packing your bags right now."
Marie looked up at his face and realized he was not joking. "I really am sorry."
"Are you, really?" Snape took a few steps toward her, towering over her on the stool. He clicked his tongue at her several times,"Don't lie to me, Ms. Cloutier. I'm starting to think you get some kind of perverse enjoyment out of challenging my authority. That you get a thrill out of seeing just how far you can push me before I react. But let me make something very clear…" he leaned down so his face was uncomfortably close. "I will tolerate a lot of things from you, including your ridiculous teaching methods, but I have no desire to engage in these silly little power games with you. It ends now."
"Games? I'm not playing games! I said I was sorry and I meant it, I honestly didn't think it would be such a big deal…I swear." Marie was adamant in her denial, but part of her wondered if he was right. Not consciously, of course, but perhaps there was some part of her that delighted in challenging him. You've lost your mind, Marie, that's just sick.
He stared at her for a few more seconds debating whether he should belabor the point but decided against it, standing back to his full height. "Now then, the reason I asked to see you was so we could discuss Soren's academic progress this week. As you can see, this space was not designed to entertain guests, so perhaps we should reconvene this conversation upstairs to the parlor where we can have some tea. Unless, of course, you prefer to remain seated on your little stool?" He drew his gaze downward and a hint of amusement flickered in eyes.
Marie realized she must look ridiculous sitting there barely a foot off the ground with her ample ass hanging off both sides of it. She stood up quickly, blushing slightly. "I think I'll be much more comfortable on the sofa, thank you."
Snape smirked. "After you," he said, gesturing to the stairs and following closely behind her, trying not to stare at the perfect curves that were now right at his eye level. "I hope your curiosities were satisfied, Ms. Cloutier, I would prefer it if you didn't invade my private space again."
"I won't." She glanced back at him over her shoulder pausing briefly on the stairs. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure to follow your directions precisely next time."
"Wouldn't that make for a pleasant surprise," he drawled. "Just in case, I'll be sure to keep your stool available. Although perhaps I should reposition it in the corner. A naughty step in the middle of the room just doesn't seem to have the same effect. Far too many distractions."
Bastard. Rich of him to accuse me of playing power games, he is clearly enjoying this. Marie knew he was smirking, but she refused to let him have the satisfaction of seeing her flustered, again. When she reached the top of the stairs she paused to turn around again, making use of her position to look down on him for a change, her head held high and a confident smile on her face. "I think you're quite right, the corner is a much more appropriate place for it. Although with your height, I'd be concerned about chronic back pain if you plan to spend much time there. But I think some time spent in quiet contemplation is a marvelous idea, perhaps you can reflect on how you might be a more supportive and loving father to your son before he grows up to despise you even more."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Careful, Ms. Cloutier." His jaw tightened and his brow furrowed, and his tone had changed to that dangerously low register that she knew meant he had crossed from the "displeased" part of the spectrum to "anger."
Marie realized she had crossed a line with that last bit, but it was true, although she wished she'd waited for a better time (and way) to say it. She'd unwittingly used a moment of light-hearted banter and taken a strike, it was a low blow. Good, he deserves it. She opened the door at the top of the stairs and walked through to the parlor, the guilt now weighing on her more heavily.
Without another word, Snape ascended the remaining steps, turning only to lock and ward the dungeon door with his wand.
Normally Tinny would prepare the afternoon tea, but since he was outside playing with Soren, Snape went to the kitchen himself. Although he enjoyed the convenience of a house elf, he had spent most of his life preparing his own tea, and he found it to be an almost meditative exercise.
He took his time, boiling the water in a kettle and then selecting a nice Earl Gray before arranging each piece of the tea service carefully on the tray, complete with several small biscuits and pastries.
When everything was ready, he took the tray into the parlor, setting it down carefully on the coffee table. He moved slowly but deliberately, pouring each of them a cup before handing one to Marie and looking her straight in the eyes. After taking his own cup and sitting down in his armchair, he finally spoke. "I would like to discuss Soren's academic progress. By this point I hope you have a sense of where he stands amongst his peers and any areas of concern. I want to know what we need to work on with the greatest priority."
"His reading is quite far behind. He knows his letters, and there are some words he recognizes, but he is going to need a lot of practice reading. But truthfully, my biggest concern isn't at all where he is academically…I'm more than confident that he'll catch up, but I'm worried that he believes he isn't clever. He's convinced he is stupid."
"Well, maybe he is." Snape said dismissively, taking a sip of tea. "His mother was dreadfully dim-witted. And, you know what they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he's a bit moronic or slow."
"Lord Kent! He is not, not at all. In fact, he has a fantastic memory and he's made exceptional progress in a short amount of time, it's his confidence that is slowing him down, not his intellect."
Snape furrowed his brows as he took it in. "I see. So what you're saying is that you do not believe his intelligence is a problem, but that the reason he is not progressing as quickly as he could is because he's too stubborn to make more of an effort and is instead wasting your time by indulging in self-pity."
Marie gave him an indignant look. "What? No! That is absolutely not what I'm saying at all! He is terrified of you, and he is convinced that you think he's deficient somehow and you hate him, and it is affecting his ability to learn efficiently!"
Snape nearly rolled his eyes. "I saw him in your classroom, Ms. Cloutier. He was laughing and smiling and highly engaged. He was hardly trembling in terror, you're allowing him to manipulate your emotions because you feel sorry for him."
"Why is it so hard for you to just encourage him? A little bit. A simple "well done" today would have gone a long way in helping his confidence. Instead, he is so paralyzed by the fear of disappointing you that I often have to try to convince him to take on a new challenge by doing simple tasks with him to build him up first."
"Exactly, he is being a stubborn, self-indulgent brat."
"He's not being stubborn, it's developmentally appropriate behavior for a child who has been through a lot, lost his mother, and now had his life completely upended in a new environment where he doesn't feel the least bit secure." Marie was no longer hiding the vitriol in her voice. "I can't do my job well if I don't have your full support. Don't you want Soren to be happy?"
"His happiness is inconsequential. It is my job as his father to ensure his needs are being met, that he gets an education, and he is prepared in every way to go out into the world as a successful adult. His happiness is his own prerogative. One should never allow their happiness to be dictated by the whims of others."
"And what about his psychological and emotional needs? Those are equally as important as his physical needs, maybe even more so."
Snape silently sipped his tea. "Well, I'm confident you'll find a way to ensure they are adequately met. That is your speciality, is it not?"
Marie was in the midst of composing a scathing response when Tinny suddenly appeared in the middle of the parlor, distraught and panicky.
"You need to come, quickly, Lord Kent! Soren is in trouble, come quickly, come quickly!"
"What is it, Tinny?" Snape asked, setting down his teacup and standing immediately.
"It's Soren, sir, he's at the top of one of the tallest trees and he won't come down," Tinny said, his voice shaking. "I begged him to come down but he won't."
"Oh for Merlin's sake." Snape immediately stormed outside, slamming the door open and shading his eyes with a hand as he looked out into his back garden, Marie and Tinny quickly on his heels.
Once he'd descended into the yard, Snape could clearly see his son sitting on a branch of one of the oldest and tallest trees on his property, at least 20 meters up. "How on earth did he get up there, Tinny."
"He climbed, sir. Super fast. I saw him, and I told him not to go so high but he wouldn't listen!"
"Soren, get down here right now!" Snape bellowed, his voice taking on his usual angry tone but louder, and with a new anxiety mixed in. "I mean it, young man. Get down from there immediately!" He took several more long strides toward the tree, his head craned backward, looking at the top of the highest branch where his son was perched, refusing to engage.
"We have to get him down from there immediately!" Marie exclaimed, terrified seeing the seven year-old sitting so high up. "Please, Lord Kent, you have to get him! He could fall to his death from there!"
"Get out your wand," Snape clicked his fingers at her while he stared up, trying to do some important calculations in his mind.
Marie hesitated. "I, um, I don't have it on me."
Snape whipped his head to her, his icy tone compounding his anger. "What? Why would you ever be without your wand? Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Please, just get Soren out of the tree, you can lecture me about my wand later. You need to get him down safely!"
Snape turned his head back toward the tree. "Oh, I will retrieve him, and when I do, he is going to be a very sorry boy."
Marie cried out, her hands cupped around her mouth, "Please Soren, come down. We don't want you to fall."
"No!" Soren shouted.
Without another word, Snape apparated to one of the thicker branches at the top of the tree. He could tell from the ground that the branch Soren was sitting on would never hold his weight, so he just hoped this one was as sturdy as it appeared to be from below. He carefully climbed up one more branch until he was about a meter below Soren. The boy was just out of reach but if he could convince him to lower his body down a bit, he could grab him and apparate both of them to the ground safely.
"You are going to climb down here right now, so I can get us back down safely. Do you understand me?" Snape was simmering with rage, but he didn't want to say or do anything to scare the boy, causing him to fall. When Soren ignored him, he realized he might have sounded too harsh and he adjusted his voice and softened his face. "Just ease yourself down toward the branch I'm standing on, I will catch you."
But instead, Soren attempted to move further away, edging out further on the branch. "No, go away."
Snape took a deep breath before trying again. "Soren, listen to me. Come closer to the trunk of the tree and I will help you down."
"I don't want to come down. Leave me alone."
Snape considered his other options, he could attempt to immobilize him and levitate him down, but he would have to let go with one hand to draw his wand, and he was afraid if he attempted to cast a spell, he might startle the boy. He softened his voice even further to a tone no other human being had heard in the last 30 years. "Please Soren, let me help you. I don't want you to fall. I'm begging you."
"You don't care, you probably hope I'll fall and die and then you won't have to be my father anymore," Soren shouted, scooting further down the thin branch.
"That's not true, I would never want you to get hurt. Please." Snape was starting to realize he was never going to be able to talk the kid down, it was clear he was angry and didn't trust him. He exhaled, his eyes pleading with Soren, all traces of anger gone, replaced with pure concern. "Soren, we can talk about all of this on the ground. Let me help you. Please."
"No. Go away. I hate you."
Slowly Snape started to readjust his grip so he could reach for his wand, and just as he did, the boy scooted another 6 inches away, the branch snapping underneath him. Before Snape could grab his wand, the branch fell, hurtling Soren into the air.
Without thinking, Snape leaped after him, falling several meters before grabbing him mid-air as Marie screamed desperately below them. It had been many many years since Snape had flown unassisted— he hadn't even attempted it since the war ended, wanting to forget the dark part of his past that had brought him this skill—but the adrenaline rush caused his magic to surge and his instincts took over.
Soren was screaming and fighting in his arms, but Snape held him tightly to his chest, taking both of them to the ground safely as Marie looked on in horror and confusion.
Once everyone was safe on the ground, Snape's heart began to pound, his muscles burned, and a new anger was raging through every fiber of his body. He set Soren on the ground, immediately grabbing him and giving him a small shake "What on earth were you thinking? You could have been killed you foolish child!"
Although Marie had a million questions about what just happened, as soon Soren was free, she rushed over to him, pulling him into an enormous embrace, tears streaming down her face. "You scared us to death, Soren, are you alright?
"Not for long," Snape quipped under his breath. He looked around at the tree and seriously contemplated cutting a switch and whipping the boy raw, before deciding that was probably excessive, even for him.
"Leave me alone!" Soren wailed into Marie's leg.
Snape towered over him. "I don't think so, you're coming with me. You're in a lot of trouble, little boy."
Soren held tight to Marie. "No!"
Marie allowed the boy to take refuge in her embrace for a few more seconds. "Please, Lord Kent, everyone's emotions are incredibly high right now. Why don't we all go inside and calm down and then we can talk about this. That was a terrifying experience for all of us."
"Absolutely not, Ms. Cloutier. You will stay out of this, I am his father and this isn't your classroom, you have no domain here to tell me how to deal with my son. He has just been dangerously reckless and outrageously disobedient and now he's going to suffer the consequences. You can talk to him all you want about his feelings when I'm finished with him, but right now he's coming with me." Without another word, Snape reached out and grabbed Soren by the arm.
"No! You hate me! You should have let me fall!," Soren sobbed, now on the verge of hyperventilation as he reached for his governess and collapsed onto the ground.
Marie knew she was overstepping her role, but Soren was clearly in distress and she was not about to let his angry father take him away in the state he was in. "I'm sorry, Lord Kent, but this is not the time for lectures and punishments. Nothing you say or do is going to get through to him right now, surely you can see that."
"You clearly underestimate how motivated I am to get my message across," his eyes were flashing dangerously at her.
"No, I'm not. Which is exactly why I think everyone should calm down first. Let me take Soren to his room for a bit and then you can decide how you want to handle things. Please." Her voice was desperate, but measured.
Snape knew she was right, he always made it a point to be in complete control of his emotions when he was doling out a punishment, and right now he was far too angry to trust himself. His own father had always punished him in anger and he swore he would never do that, and so far, he never had. He was ashamed of himself for reacting as he had, nonetheless, Marie's comments still irked him.
"Fine, but you will put him directly in the corner, I don't want him lounging on his bed resting or playing with his rabbit. Do you understand me, Soren?" Snape still had a vice-like grip on the boy's upper arm although Soren was refusing to look at him. "When I come to get you, I better find you with your nose in the corner or you will be in far worse trouble than you are now. If that's even possible."
Soren was still crying but he nodded his head, yanking on his arm until Snape finally released him.
Marie reached out and took Soren's hand gently, "Come on Soren, let's go inside, darling," and the two of them began walking toward the house.
"Do not dawdle, Ms. Cloutier, I don't want you indulging him with hugs and cuddles when he's meant to be reflecting on his abysmal behavior. I will meet you in the parlor shortly."
Instead of heading inside, Snape took a brisk stroll through his gardens to calm his nerves. He checked on some of his plants while he tried to settle his heart-rate and get control of all of the feelings he wasn't prepared to be dealing with. In all of his years of looking after students and protecting the Potter brat, he had never felt the terror he felt today watching Soren nearly fall out of the tree. He was angry, of course, but that wasn't the emotion that was bothering him, it was the gut-wrenching fear that he was going to see something terrible happen to his child and he wouldn't be able to save him.
But that wasn't all. If he was completely honest with himself, Soren's words had cut him deeply, making him feel like an abject failure. Marie was right, the boy loathed him and would rather fall to his death than trust his father to take his hand and protect him. It made him sick because he knew exactly how it felt to be that child and he hated himself even more.
Snape walked a few more circles of the garden path before he turned back toward the manor. He could have stayed outside for hours— he had no desire to return to the chaos awaiting him in the manor, but he knew he had no choice. He steeled himself to face it all head-on.
When he stepped into the parlor, Marie was waiting for him on the couch, sipping on a fresh tea that Tinny had put out for both of them. "Feeling better?"
"Not particularly," he answered honestly. And it was evident on his face, he looked defeated as he collapsed into his arm chair, his usual impeccable posture replaced by a limp form slumped onto a single armrest.
Marie took a moment before she spoke up. "We can talk about it, if you want to." And it looks like you need to, desperately. She had never seen the man look this way before, it was like a whole different person.
"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Cloutier, but I hired you as a governess for my child, not a therapist for me." As much as I apparently need one. He took a sip of tea, but it might as well have been dishwater, the taste in his mouth was a foul mix of bile and adrenaline dryness.
"That was really scary, I can still feel my body trembling. I thought for sure I was going to see both of you fall to your deaths." She paused for a moment before she asked the question she'd be wanting to pose to him since it happened. "Did you…fly?"
"Extraordinary things can happen when your adrenaline surges." Snape was not about to discuss how he learned to fly, it was one of those rare skills that was almost always associated with dark wizards. And he was still not ready to address his past and who he really was with a woman he barely knew.
"It was brilliant. They say only the most powerful wizards are capable of something like that, in fact, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'm not sure I would have ever believed it was possible. You must be really gifted. And you saved Soren's life."
"Hmmm," Snape hummed, closing his yes and leaning back in his chair, not wanting to continue this line of discussion. Several minutes passed before he took another sip of his dishwater tea and stood up, a hand reflexively going to his brow. "I should go get Soren, it was not my intention to leave him in the corner for more than 20 minutes."
Marie swallowed. "I can go, if you want. Maybe you should take a rest, your body must be really depleted after all of that."
Snape shook his head. "No, I need to handle this. Sooner rather than later."
"What are you going to do?"
Snape raised a lazy eyebrow. "I'm not sure that's really your concern. This is between Soren and myself."
Marie flushed slightly. "Please don't be too hard on him, he's been through so much and he's struggling with a lot of big feelings. This might be the perfect time to try to build trust and communication." She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she had to try.
"How I handle discipline in my house is not up for debate. I told you that when you started here. I like you, Ms. Cloutier, and I can see my son adores you, but I refuse to have this conversation every time Soren finds himself in trouble. I can assure you that I will not be unreasonable or cruel. Now please excuse me."
Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and took the steps slowly. The truth was he still didn't know how he was going to handle things. He didn't want Soren to think he could cry to Marie everytime he misbehaved so she could rescue him. He had to know there were consequences