The day had been grueling.
Ancient Runes had been manageable—Sia was above average, though not exceptional. Herbology, however, was an utter disaster. Plants, soil, magical properties—it all blurred together in a frustrating mess. And just when she thought she was done, Astronomy pushed her brain past its limit, drowning her in constellations and planetary alignments.
By the time she returned to the Slytherin common room, exhaustion clung to her.
Most of the house had already retreated to their dormitories, save for a small group of sixth-years gathered near the fireplace. Their conversation halted the moment she stepped inside.
A beat of silence. Then, as if rehearsed, they dispersed.
All except one.
Severus Snape remained.
He stood in the path leading to the girls' dormitory, forcing her to walk past him. Sia had no patience for this. She was too tired. Too drained. Whatever game he was playing, she wanted no part in it.
But as she approached, his voice cut through the quiet.
"So, a prodigy, huh?" His tone was unreadable, but there was something sharp beneath it. "Seeing as you're the daughter of Eleanor and Vincent Ashford, I expected something much better. And much faster."
She froze.
"Don't have their genius in you, do you?"
A cold, twisting sensation coiled in her stomach.
The words were too familiar. Too familiar.
For four years, she had heard them whispered in different voices—her parents', disappointment laced into every syllable. If she wasn't perfect, she wasn't worthy. If she wasn't the best, she didn't deserve their attention.
Her grip tightened.
No.
She wouldn't let him undo everything her grandparents had built back up.
Sia exhaled, her expression smoothing into cold indifference. "Well, you would've brewed it just as well," she said, "if you hadn't been too busy staring at Lily Evans."
She barely saw him move.
One second, there was space between them. The next, he was there.
Sia stumbled back, fingers scrambling for her wand. But Severus was faster. His wand was already pointed at her, and he took another step forward. She instinctively retreated, her back nearly against the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory.
Boys couldn't follow past a certain point.
She just had to reach them.
But before she could move, he was in front of her, wand pressing sharply against her chin, forcing her to tilt her head up.
"What was that, Ashford?" His voice was low, laced with something dangerous.
His free hand hovered between them, blocking any movement.
Sia forced herself to stay still, her breath steady.
"Move," she said flatly. "I don't have time for this."
His grip on his wand tightened. Then, without warning, he leaned in.
Close.
Too close.
His breath brushed against her ear as he murmured, "Don't say her name in front of me."
Sia stiffened.
Why?
She thought back to Diagon Alley. Lily and James. The way Severus had watched her all day in class.
Something clicked.
"Why?" she mused. "Did she leave you for a better lover?"
The reaction was instant.
Severus lunged.
His hand shot out, fingers closing around her throat—not tight enough to choke, but firm enough to make a point.
Sia inhaled sharply, her hands flying up to pry him off, but before she could touch him—
"Immobulus."
Everything locked into place.
She couldn't move. Couldn't so much as flinch.
Severus exhaled slowly, his grip remaining firm as he studied her.
Then, without a word, he leaned in further, pressing against her frozen form until the heat of his breath ghosted against her skin.
She couldn't even turn her head away.
"You don't know when to stop, do you?" he murmured, his voice almost soft. Almost.
His lips hovered just beside her ear, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down her spine.
"You will always be inferior, Ashford."
His fingers flexed slightly around her throat, a silent reminder of her helplessness.
"This is my house," he whispered. "At my word, your life here will be hell."
The wand at her chin pressed deeper.
"When the other houses turn on you, when your own house turns on you—let's see how long you survive then."
Sia wanted to glare. Wanted to speak. Wanted to move.
But she was trapped.
She could feel his breath—each word brushing against her skin, his voice curling into something both quiet and suffocating.
"You should learn to keep your mouth shut," he continued. "It won't be repeated."
Then, just as suddenly as it started, he released her.
The spell wore off a second later, her limbs trembling from the sudden freedom.
Severus pulled away, his expression unreadable as he took a step back.
Then, without another glance, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the boys' dormitory.
Sia exhaled shakily, barely registering her own movements as she stumbled toward her dormitory.
Her mind should have been spinning with his words.
But instead, all she could think about was that feeling.
That strange, unsettling feeling that had crept up in his proximity.
And it wasn't fear.
It was something far worse.