ToMoRrow

"Please, please don't burn tonight," Octavia silently begged. She stared at the tattoo on her wrist, the black ink standing in stark contrast with her pale skin. Ignoring a summoning once was bad enough, and there was no way to get out of tonight's rendezvous with Snape. Not that she really wanted to, if she admitted it.

Pulling her sleeve down, Octavia turned her attention to the stacks of parchment before her. She'd pulled out the blank pages and those on which students had written barely a single paragraph, greatly reducing the number of essays that would have to be read. After reading several horribly written essays, some of which were not even on topic, but ramblings of whatever was in the students head at the time, Octavia began skimming through the remaining papers.

Perfectly timed, Octavia put aside the last so-called essay as a knock came at the door. "Enter," she called, not looking up.

"Grading essays already?" Snape asked. He didn't enter the study, but stood in the doorway as before. Octavia ignored the gentle probing she felt in her mind; very few people matched her level of skill when it came to Occlumency and Legilimency. "I suppose you will be spending much of your time doing that from now on."

"The students should be glad these won't be graded, considering less than five would actually receive a passing grade. But, you've already already seen the way they write, which explains why Dumbledore brought me here. Time already?" Octavia rose at Snape's nod.

"So you think you can actually help them?"

"The first and second years, yes. Seventh years are beyond help. As for the others, I wouldn't expect much from them," Octavia explained, following Snape down a dimly lit corridor. She wasn't too optimistic about the second years though.

"I'm sure a great many professors here will be thanking you in the years to come if you do manage to teach them to write," Snape replied. "Though I must warn you that many students have a habit of copying one another's papers."

"They will soon be broken of that habit in my class," Octavia said. "Where are we going? The main doors are the other direction."

Snape raised an eyebrow at her, most likely doubting her assurance. "Mr. Filch will be at the main entrance awaiting any students foolish enough to be outside after curfew. There is another way in and out of the castle just here." Octavia watched carefully as Snape used his wand to tap several stones at the end of the hall, much as one did to enter Diagon Alley from the Leaky Cauldron.

"A useful thing to know," Octavia observed, taking note of where there were outside of the castle. "Is it the same to get back in?"

Snape nodded as the door closed behind them. "I discovered it while still a student."

The pair lapsed into silence, as he clearly hadn't meant to say that, and Octavia's attempts at getting in his mind were unsuccessful. For an hour they walked the grounds, Snape taking points from various houses when students were found out of the castle. Those few students looked terrified when caught, which Octavia supposed she could understand; she and Snape would be a daunting pair, two figures in black apearing out of the darkness.

As they approached the lake, Octavia felt the familiar sensation of someone trying to penetrate her mind. "I should warn you against that," she said. "You may not like what you find."

Snape looked at her, hiding his surprise well. "Dumbledore told me you were skilled. That seems to have been an understatement."

"Yes, I've noticed already that he has a tendency to do so." Octavia again felt the familiar pressure as Snape chose to ignore her warning. Carefully, she prepared herself for what was about to happen. She spun around at the splash behind her, hand flying to cover her mouth. Octavia had expected to give Snape a shock, but him falling into the lake from it was just a happy coincidence. For her, at least.

"What was that?" Snape demanded, dragging himself back onshore.

Octavia could tell he was barely keeping hold of his temper. "That," she explained, pulling out her wand, "was why I warned you not to attempt Legilimency on me." She cast a quick drying spell over Snape. "Memories can be quite terrifying to those who are not expecting them."

"Thank you, " he said coldly. "And what exactly was that a memory of? I'd rather not go through that again."

"I did warn you. That was a hungry wolf attacking. At Durmstrang they taught us to always have a memory ready just for such a reason as this."

"You went to Durmstrang?"

"For a few years," Octavia explained. "The first few were unfortunately spent at Beauxbatons, at my mother's insistence."

"So that is why you always," Snape cut off abruptly. "That's why your accent has been so difficult to place." Octavia followed Snape through the passage from earlier, noting his nerves. "Would you like to join me for a drink?"

She followed into his outer chambers. Octavia settled into an armchair before the fire as Snape poured the drinks.

"I remained here at Hogwarts for the entirety of my education," Snape said, joining Octavia before the fire. "Seven miserable years," he added bitterly.

"And yet you chose to return. Curious."

"Indeed. Albus can be convincing," he said carefully.

The pair sat in silence, taking in their drinks and warmth of the fire. "Thank you for the drink," Octavia said, breaking the silence. "But it is late and I should be going."

Snape rose as she did, nodding in acknowledgement of the thanks. "Goodnight, Octavia."

Octavia paused at the door to face him. "Goodnight, Severus."