Back at the castle, Severus had loaded y/n with several of his old textbooks and sat her in his office to read and study before he would allow her to even bring her wand out in his presence. He silently worked at his desk as she read and made notes.

Y/n reached a passage she didn't understand, by habit, she read it out loud to help her comprehend, which helped, but questions flooded her brain. "So it's possible for someone to invent spells?"

Severus didn't look up from his own work. "Of course it's possible. I've invented several spells of my own."

"Judging by your untidy handwriting, I could tell you've at least tried. It's interesting."

Severus finally looked up at her with his eyebrow raised. "Of course spell theory is interesting, you halfwit."

"I meant your handwriting." She said ignoring his insult. She was getting used to his meanness. She told herself she didn't have to like him, but he did hold a wealth of knowledge and wisdom she couldn't ignore.

"And what's so interesting about it?" He spat

"It's messy. Your brain moves faster than your hand."

Severus's irritation softened ever so slightly, he bit back any further snide remarks finding her statement oddly…. flattering, but certainly wasn't about to show it.

"What are these symbols?" She asked, holding the book up.

"Runes." He gave no other explanation and she didn't ask further. He returned his focus to the parchment before him. She continued to read silently. Severus would steal glances at her on occasion and watched her reading pace quicken, occasionally she would run a finger over the words he had written in the margins. She knew that if they spoke to each other for too long, it would only end in a shouting match, and y/n didn't quite feel like losing her temper.

Severus found it mildly surprising that she was able to keep her mouth shut for more than five minutes.

"I don't understand!" Y/n said back in his office the next day. She had been attempting levitation charms all day. So far she had managed, only out of frustration, to tip bookshelves, explode glass specimen jars and catch bits of parchment on fire. She had not yet managed to make a simple feather float. "How come I can use magic sometimes, but not all the time?"

Severus was growing impatient. She wasn't listening to him and his frustration was nearly at a breaking point. "Your magic has laid dormant in you for 30 years. You need to feel it and learn to control it! Try again."

Y/n stared at the feather on the desk. "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather did nothing.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your wand work is sloppy and try to enunciate like you have half a brain!"

Y/n sighed, her own frustration creeping up on her; Severus's constant barrage of insults certainly didn't help. "Wingardium Leviosa" The feather still didn't budge.

"You think magic is just a bunch of ludacris wand movements? You think the words don't matter? You're foolish if you believe you're a witch. I'm beginning to think you belong back in America. Back to your silly muggle job. Leave the magic to us real wizards."

"You're insufferable!" Y/n yelled back at him, anger now creeping up within her. "Insulting, rude… and they let you teach children?"

"I'd rather teach dunderheaded children than a halfwitted grown woman!" He spat at her.

She tried to ignore him, she tried to focus on the feather once more; pointing her wand she tried the spell again, this time her anger present in her voice. "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather shot straight up crashing at the ceiling as if it were being pulled by a strong invisible rope.

Severus stood emotionless. "Your abilities are abysmal."

Y/n glared at him, the tension in the room was palpable. She wanted nothing more than to throw something at him. His smug sense of condescension was getting to her. She looked over at a stack of books and imagined hurling them at his face. As she imagined it, the heavy tomes flew across the room in his direction. Severus quickly waved his wand deflecting the books, sending them crashing against the wall to his side.

"GROW UP!" He hollered at her.

Y/n threw her hands up in frustration and the books on the floor caught fire.

"Control your temper. You'll never harness your magic unless you do." He waved his wand lazily extinguishing the fire. "Sit down!"

Y/n sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Severus took the seat opposite her. He took a deep breath pinching the bridge of his nose. He sat silently for several moments wondering why on earth he let McGonagall charge him with this stubborn and foolish woman's training. "Your magic is wild and unpredictable. Have you always been so quick to lose control of your temper?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She yelled at him. "I get attacked by some horrible creature. I get taken away from my home, my job, my friends! I haven't slept properly in weeks. Everyone treats me like a science experiment, except you! You treat me like I'm an imbecile. And you want to know why I lose my temper so easily?"

Severus was about to make a rude remark when there was a soft knock to the office door. Severus stood to answer it and brought back with him a golden cart adorned with plates of food. "Eat." He said returning to his desk. "Perhaps this will make you more docile."

She ate in silence as Severus trained his focus on some scrolls on his desk. The atmosphere of the small office calmed. When he noticed she was through, he placed the feather before her on the desk.

"Try again."

Y/n pulled her wand out, set her focus, and spoke the words she knew to make it float. "Wingardium Leviosa." The feather lifted gently and floated as if it were in a gentle breeze above the desk. It hovered for a few moments then slowly drifted back down. She smiled for the first time that day and a small giggle escaped her.

Severus scoffed. "Clearly it doesn't take much to impress you."

Y/n kept practicing late into the night. The spell was coming much more naturally. As the night drew late, she had not only mastered levitation of the feather, but any other object she set her focus on. Not even Severus could find disappointment as she mastered the simple spell.

"We'll stop here for the night." He said.

Y/n opened her mouth to protest, but a long yawn only escaped. She looked exhausted, he noticed, and thought back to her long rant about not sleeping properly. He stood to leave the office. Y/n quickly followed after him, knowing he wouldn't wait for her. He brought her back down to the corridor of their rooms, but stopped her before she got to her own door.

"Wait here." He commanded. Y/n stood in the cold hall as he entered his room and emerged a moment later. He shoved two small vials in her hands. "Calming drought and a dreamless sleep potion. I will only administer these to you when absolutely necessary. Frequent use will perpetuate dependency, do you understand?"

Y/n looked at the small vials in her hand and then back up to him nodding. At that, Severus turned back to his own room, shutting the door forcefully. Y/n could hear the latch lock from behind.

She entered her own room, showered and changed. As she climbed into the bed she looked again at the potions he gave her. She set them on her nightstand, refusing to take them. As she dozed off, the night terrors crept upon her once again. She didn't want to take his potions. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she needed him.

Her exhaustion got the better of her. When the nightmare jerked her awake again, she took both vials drinking each in a single gulp. To her surprise, they both tasted very pleasant and complemented each other. As the calming drought slid down her throat the feeling of peace and tranquility enveloped her. She settled back down into her bed and rested her head upon the pillow falling asleep immediately.