Chapter 2
"Sev, Sev, please wait," Anya yelled, running as fast as she could behind her cousin. Although "older" she was still considerably shorter and had never been particularly sporty so the task was taxing, especially as he sped up the moment he heard her.
"Please Sev, I just want to talk," Anya exclaimed behind him. Finally, after yet another turn in the hall, he stopped. He'd somehow made it into a dead end.
Sighing in defeat, Severus turned to his cousin, "What do you want, Anastasia?"
Anya motioned for him to give her a moment as she caught her breath, "I'm so sorry for everything, Sev. I have no idea what has gotten into everyone. I already took them to task for being so mean to you yesterday. And I'm so sorry I hurt you, I promise I was just trying to help. You really worried me for a second there."
"What?" Severus asked, shocked. How was she the one apologising when even he could admit he was a reprehensible asshole, "Why are you apologising? I was the one that was a jerk to you."
"Well, not really," Any replied, shrugging, "I mean, everything you said was true. I'm not even a pureblood but I act like one and expect to be treated accordingly. And I did take the Prince heirship from you. If I could convince Grandpapa to give it to you, I would. And I violated your privacy in such a heinous way. You didn't say a single lie, so I owe you an apology." She finished meaning every word. She hated that her papa's plans and her own hurt him but if it was for the greater good, then some sacrifices had to be made right? Wasn't that what Dumbledore always said? But oh, how she hated that mindset. Any life hurt was too great a cost.
Severus stood frozen in shock. It was moments like this that made him question how on earth someone like Anya had made it into Slytherin instead of Hufflepuff like her mother. Then again, Andromeda and Narcissa Black had always been extremely kind and nice and had somehow made it into the snake house too. Maybe ambition didn't have to equal cruelty.
"Why are you so bloody hard to hate, Anastasia, damn it!" he exclaimed, frustrated with himself, "Can't you just be an asshole for once?"
"Sorry," she squeaked, stepping back at his tone. Severus suddenly stopped when he saw this. It struck a chord in him that the girl who was always so stupidly protective and brave that she could rival a Gryffindor, stepping up to bullies like the Marauders and even other Slytherins like Malfoy and the rest of those wannabe Death Eaters seemed legitimately scared.
Severus took a deep breath and tried to calm down. No matter how angry he was, he knew it was his fault, really.
"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… I just… We both know this is really my fault so can you just let me be for a while. And don't try to fight the rest of the House, they obviously won't listen and you're just making it worse for me," Severus said softly.
"Well, can you at least stay with mama and papa? I hate to think that you're sleeping on the floor in the cold dungeons somewhere," Anya replied, looking down. She wished to argue with him some more, pointing out that she was at fault too but knew it was best to let it rest for now.
"And have uncle Elloid glare at me and aunt Yordanna give me the silence treatment? I think the dungeon floors would be warmer," he snorted in reply.
"I spoke to them this morning and explained the full matter. They may be a bit angry but I promise they will behave," she said, shaking her head.
"Fine," Severus replied. He did like the idea of being able to sleep in his warm bed in his own private room in their dorms, after all. "Now please let me be."
"As you wish," Anya replied before turning and walking away.
"Well, will you explain what happened or will I have to get Yor to talk to you?" Loid replied as he lent against the doorframe. "Or better yet, should I call your mother?"
Severus sighed and looked up from his book to look at the blond man. Although he wished for peace, he knew better than to try and fight him as that would mean having to deal with two very strong and intimidating women instead.
"I thought Anastasia had explained," he sighed in annoyance.
"She did but I also know my daughter well enough to know that she absolved you of all blame and placed it upon herself instead," Loid replied, stepping into the room now.
"Why would you immediately think that?" Severus asked, annoyed.
"Because for all that that girl is as cunning as any Slytherin, she has the bleeding heart of a bloody Hufflepuff," Loid huffed out and crossed his arms.
"Well, she fucking legimenced me, did she tell you that? Without my permission, at that!" the teenager exclaimed.
"She did and she got punished accordingly," Loid shrugged, "She was set to write you an apology and also an essay explaining why her actions were extremely wrong. I think that discovering she could have sent you into a vegetative state if she had accidentally made a wrong move when reading your mind while you were in a state of shock is a harsh enough punishment."
"She could have accidentally done what?!" Severus exclaimed, terrified at the prospect.
Loid raised an eyebrow at that, "So, even unaware of the full consequences of her actions, you were set on being angry, I see."
"Well, she clearly could have destroyed my mind instead of just invading my privacy. I think my anger is more than justifiable," Severus replied angrily as he crossed his arms.
"If you could allow yourself a moment to consider that what is keeping you so angry is your wounded pride over those stupid boys, you could probably redirect that anger to the right place instead of destroying your cousin in the process," Loid replied, tired of going in circles with the barely sixteen year old. Saying that, he left Severus to his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I have been a jerk and ass to you ever since we met and I just continue to treat you like shit and it's not okay," Severus said to his cousin who was sitting quietly in a corner of the Slytherin common room doing homework.
"Also, you shouldn't have to avoid your parents' dorm because of me, that's not fair to you," he added with a frown. He knew very well that Anya preferred to do homework at her parents' dining table, so she could sit beside them as they did their markings. Occasionally she would join her friends in the library or common room to spend some time with Damian but the Quidditch finale was coming up and the Slytherin team was training daily.
Anya looked up, surprised at her cousin's apology. A soft smile spread across her face, "Thank you for the apology and yeah, you have been an ass."
Although she'd often felt terrible about taking what she felt was his rightful inheritance from him, her papa had reassured her in the last few days that it was well-deserved and if it wasn't, magic wouldn't have allowed it.
"We okay now?" he asked with a sigh.
"No, but we will be if you promise to help me with my potions homework for the rest of the year starting now," she offered with a smile.
"Fine," he said, making a show of the effort but hiding a smile as he sat beside her. She nudged him with her shoulder jokingly, forcing his smile out. He hadn't even realised how much he had missed this.