The Slytherin Princess

Chapter 57

ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ⁵⁷⁻ "ᴵ ʰᵃᵈ ᶠʳⁱᵉⁿᵈˢ"

The days had been going by quickly. I didn't see my friends every day because all of us were busy doing one thing or another.

I would usually see them during our tasks, but even then, we didn't have much time for chit-chat.

Pansy had specifically asked Millicent to stay away for the time being. She was the only one among us who was still attending Hogwarts.

Theo, Blaise, Pansy, Draco and I were the ones who were with the death eaters since we had asked Daphne to stay away as well. She was a good person and far too uncorrupted to know the horrors that we had to endure. The others more than me.

Since I insisted on joining my friends on their missions, my aunt had asked Severus to train me. I would often join my godfather in his office to train for battle.

Our training didn't just include duelling or fighting but also Occlumency and Legilimency.

"Immobulus!" Severus pointed his wand towards me.

I ducked behind the table quickly, avoiding being hit. When I was successful, I did not get up but instead pointed my wand in his direction and yelled. "Mobiliarbus" With that, I moved the vase next to him and smashed it by his feet.

I thought he was distracted and thought it was a good time to come out of the hiding spot. When I did, Severus shot a spell that just missed me by an inch.

I gave him a wide-eyed look which he simply ignored and shot another spell. I ducked and he kept on shooting spells. I kept using defensive spells while he kept shooting offensive spells.

Just when I thought I had the upper hand, my godfather did something I didn't expect anyone to do.

"Aguamenti," he said and water shot out of his wand and right into my eyes. My wand dropped from my hands as they instinctively began to rub my eyes.

"You foolish girl!" he yelled out. "You dropped your wand in the middle of a battle!"

"Because you just blinded me!" I yelled back trying to open my eyes.

He scoffed and walked next to me. He began to use a counterspell. "I could've done worse. One small slipup could result in your death, Cassiopeia," he chastised for the hundredth time.

"I know," my voice came out soft.

"Then why are you not fighting like your life depends on it?" he increased his voice. "Do you think your opponent will take pity on you? That they will hold back because they're fighting the great Cassiopeia Ambers?"

I scoffed and elbowed him out of my way. "Of course, not"

We were silent for a minute until Severus turned to face me again. "Caught your breath yet?"

I took a deep breath and nodded after adjusting my jacket. I wiped the pool of sweat gathered on my forehead.

We both raised our wands and I was the first to shoot a spell. "Flipendo!" I jinxed the chair in front of Severus.

He swiftly dodged it and simultaneously shot a spell. "Stupefy"

"Ennervate," I countered before using my next spell. "Expelliarmus"

"Protego!" he was quick to protect himself and shoot his next jinx.

This went on for about half an hour and ended when I accidentally exploded two chairs and a vase at the same time.

Severus and I were panting when our fight ended. He was trying to conceal his exhaustion but I wasn't. I couldn't have hidden it even if I tried. We had been duelling since the afternoon.

We then proceeded to work on tactics and strategies. He would teach me how I should use my strengths and how I should hide my weaknesses. How I could use my short height to my advantage.

We would often break into an argument where I would say I wasn't that short and he would make fun of me unintentionally.

That evening he also introduced me to the spells and jinxes he'd created when he was in school since, apparently, Harry Potter knew about them.

"How lonely were you to make your book of potions, Severus?" I asked gulping down a glass of water. I then began to pour myself some more. "I mean, nobody popular would go to such lengths"

He seemed offended by my question. "I had friends," he replied taking a seat on the only remaining chair. "If that is what you are curious about"

"Really?" I asked widening my eyes. "Who?"

He gave me an evil look but answered me nonetheless. "Your aunt"

I furrowed my brows when he didn't say anything more. "That's it?" I pouted.

That was the first time I heard Severus let out a soft chuckle. "I didn't need anyone else. She was a handful enough," he replied. "She and a few years later, your mother"

I could feel a smile make its way onto my lips. I didn't get to spend much time with my mother. I barely remember the time I spent with her. When I thought of a mother, only Lillian came to my mind.

It wasn't that I didn't love my mother, I just never got a chance to know her.

So, obviously, I loved to hear about her and her doings. How she looked, how he acted, what she wore, what she ate, what she liked and disliked, who she liked and disliked. Just about anything about her.

She felt like a character from a book. I loved her but as a person, not as my mother and I always felt guilty about that.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked, my smile slightly fading and my eyes focused on the pieces of the broken chairs. "I don't really miss her," I sighed fidgeting with my wand. "Does that make me a bad person?"

I didn't know if Severus was the right person to talk to about this but then again, was there a right person to talk to about my dead mother?

"How could you miss her if you never knew her?" Severus answered. "It isn't your fault. It isn't anybody's fault"

"Would she have liked me?" I asked, eyes not wavering. "Not as a daughter but- but as a person"

"It doesn't matter because she isn't here," Severus replied in his monotone voice. "What matters is that Arnold and Lillian love you and are proud of you"

"Are you?"

"Extremely"