The next day, Olivia arrived at the Great Hall early, had a quick breakfast, and avoided Severus. She went to the Owlery to send a letter to her friend, then headed to the Hospital Wing, luckily managing not to run into him throughout the entire process.

Following the instructions of Healer Madame Poppy Pomfrey, she first familiarized herself with the location and names of the commonly used potions.

"Madame Pomfrey, what do you usually do when there are no patients?" Olivia stood before a large glass cabinet filled with various healing potions, memorizing their locations while making small talk.

"Liv, I've told you to call me Poppy when it's just the two of us. Minerva won't know," Pomfrey said, sitting down at her desk and gently stroking the old book she was reading. "I read more books, find ways to create new potions. The children these days are getting more and more mischievous. Sometimes I don't understand why some foolish kids create spells that harm themselves."

She smiled at her. "Not everyone is as well-behaved as you."

Olivia pointed to her hair and winked at Pomfrey. "My mother was too surprised yesterday to ask about this. I don't think a well-behaved child would do what I did."

Pomfrey shook her head in disagreement. "A wise person doesn't judge others by their appearance. Olivia, you are a good person."

She avoided those sharp, all-seeing eyes, pretending to look at something else and turning her back to her. She desperately wanted to say: "Olivia is not at all what you think. No good person has hands stained with blood."

"Madame Pomfrey?" A voice broke the silence. Olivia saw the man enter, her cheeks flushing at the thought of last night. She immediately turned back to the medicine cabinet, pretending to be focused on her research.

Pomfrey stood up with a sigh. "Severus, is it your stomach again? Honestly, I've told you to come here for your potion every day." She said as she walked to the medicine cabinet.

Severus gave a forced smile. "I just ran out of the potion, and I forgot to brew more last night. I didn't want to bother you." He then glanced at the girl with the striking hair nestled in a corner.

"So you're not bothering me now? Oh, I left it in the storage room. You'll have to bear it for a moment while I go get it." Pomfrey quickly left.

Olivia wanted to follow her; she didn't want to be alone with this man. But that would be rude.

Severus was still leaning against the wall, his dark hair falling over his deep-set eyes. Silence. The space between them grew thick, the only sound was the clinking of glass as Olivia unconsciously rearranged the potion vials. She glanced at his hands, long and pale, hanging loosely at his side. Those hands Suddenly, the pungent scent of valerian root from a nearby cauldron hit her. The smell of damp earth, of bitter herbs. The smell of the small house in Spinner's End. The smell of ten years ago.

The memories came flooding back like a torrent.

~~~

10 years ago

The alley in Spinner's End was always damp and smelled of refuse. Severus walked briskly, his collar pulled up to cover half his face, just wanting to get home quickly. But then an unusual patch of white in a stagnant, dark corner caught his eye. Not moonlight, but the white of fabric. He squinted, moving closer, his hand unconsciously gripping the wand in his coat pocket. A little girl. Curled up like a wounded animal, her blonde hair matted with dirt and dried blood, her once beautiful white dress now torn and tattered. He could hardly breathe. He spoke, trying to keep his voice from trembling. "Kid... are you alive?"

The voice woke the little girl. Olivia opened her eyes, trying to see who it was, but everything before her was blurred as if covered by a layer of fog. A sense of unease made her shrink back against the wall. "Who are you?" Her voice was a mere whisper, almost inaudible after more than a day without water.

The young man didn't answer, shocked and pained as he looked her over. She was so different from the last time he'd seen her, he couldn't believe they were the same person. He knelt down, his voice choked with emotion. "Liv? Is that you? Where are you hurt?"

Olivia clutched her white dress, stained with mud and dried black blood, her hair a tangled mess. Her panic grew. "How do you know my name?" Have old Galvin's men found me?

At that thought, Olivia pushed the young man away and ran, despite seeing everything through a white haze. But she was caught after only a few meters. She struggled desperately, screaming as loud as she could, "Help! Help me!!"

A hand covered her mouth. The person spoke in a gentle, soothing voice. "Liv. It is I, Severus Snape. Have you forgotten me, little one?"

Olivia shook her head, biting the hand covering her mouth, forcing him to let go. "You're one of old Galvin's men! Please, let me go, please let me go."

The sight of Olivia desperately pleading only deepened the pain in Severus's heart. He embraced the little girl. "I don't know who Galvin is, but I would never harm Olivia. Shall we go home?" He then began to hum a melody in a low, deep voice, the emotion in each note as if he had sung it many times before.

Sleep now, my dear, the night is slowly spreading
Lavender petals tremble, gently brushing past.
A sweet fragrance on the gentle night breeze,
Dream of wonders beyond compare.

Sleep now, my dear, the moon shines bright,
Lost in fragrance, until the morning light.
A dry skull on a branch, the wind softly whispers,
Sleep now, my love, in peaceful slumber.

Sleep now, my dear, the purple petals fade,
Into the silence, no longer afraid.
The sweet scent of flowers will lull you to rest,
Sleep now, my precious, you are at peace.

His deep voice was like a steady thread of sound, pulling her from the abyss of panic. The familiar melody seeped into her mind, untangling every knot of fear in her chest. The warmth from his chest and his gentle singing were the only anchor in the storm. She had no strength left to resist, letting herself sink into the peaceful darkness his voice brought, with one final question lingering: "Why... is it so familiar?"

"Liv, my sweet, stay right here."

"But Mother..."

"Shh... remember our song? When you sing it for the fifth time, I'll be back..."

~~~

Severus pushed the door open to find Olivia curled up in a corner. His forced smile vanished. He placed the tray of food on the table and went to sit beside her. After a moment, he spoke. "I'm sorry for... putting you to sleep."

A long while later, as Severus was about to stand up, Olivia spoke. "I understand. I'm sorry for biting you and screaming. I thought you were one of old Galvin's men." She tilted her head to look at Severus, but in her eyes, everything was now covered by a blurry white veil.

Severus suppressed the urge to ask about the person who had frightened her. He said gently, "Shall we have something to eat?" Seeing her nod, he waved his wand, and the tray of food floated to her.

She flinched slightly at the movement in front of her, but the smell of food made her forget the strangeness. The little girl's trembling hands touched the warm ceramic bowl. The steam from the porridge, fragrant with the scent of grains, hit her nose, making her stomach clench with hunger.

Olivia carefully brought the first spoonful of porridge to her mouth. Its gentle sweetness spread, nearly bringing her to tears. How long had it been since she had tasted something other than moldy leftovers? Tears welled up, but she quickly swallowed them down with the porridge, trying to keep her movements normal. She couldn't let him know... not yet, not about her eyes.

Severus watched her the whole time, noticing something was off but not sure what it was. After Olivia finished eating, he took the tray, about to leave, when she spoke. "Can I use the washroom?"

"Of course. Follow me." He said, walking to the wardrobe to find a t-shirt and shorts for her to change into. Hearing a crash, he immediately drew his wand and turned to see Olivia stumbling, her hands on the table for support, a chair knocked over.

It was then that Severus truly realized. The little girl's beautiful, slate-grey eyes, though wide open, were empty and unfocused. They passed over him without stopping, as if he were just air. A chill ran down his spine.

He stepped in front of her. "Liv," he called, his voice low, trying to suppress the rage boiling up inside him—a rage directed at the one who had committed this crime. "Look at me. Tell me, can you see me?" Olivia leaned against the table, trembling, thinking Severus was angry at having saved a useless, blind person. "I'm sorry, I can't see you right now... or anything else..."

Severus took a deep breath, reining in his explosive anger. He gently took the little girl's hand. "Let me guide you. This way."

After describing the layout of the bathroom, Severus went downstairs and stood in the middle of the book-filled living room. He paced back and forth to control his anger; this dilapidated house wouldn't hold if he lost control. But the thought of the bastard who had hurt Olivia only made the fire inside him burn hotter. His anger needed an outlet.

He threw open the window, letting the cold night wind rush in. Putting two fingers to his lips, he let out a sharp whistle that pierced the night's silence. Almost immediately, a dark shape shot towards him like an arrow. Viper. His hawk landed silently on the windowsill, its black feathers glistening in the moonlight. Its eyes, two pieces of burning amber, looked straight at him, intelligent and sharp, awaiting his command.

Severus quickly scribbled a note. He stroked the hawk's head and tied the note to its leg. "Take this to Lys, Viper." The hawk immediately launched itself from the windowsill and flew off.

He stood watching Viper's form disappear, carrying with it the hope of quickly healing the little girl. Olivia.