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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 29, 2005 23:28:11 GMT -5
Chapter One: Prelude to Darkness
The June air lingered, stifling and sticky, although it was well past sundown. The cool of the Hogwarts dungeon was welcoming to Severus Snape as he made his nightly rounds, so it was a shame he couldn't spend his entire time there. Absently he navigated the labyrinthine staircases and passages. There was no real reason why he needed to make his rounds tonight. He knew he wouldn’t find a single student breaking curfew. The students had just gone home for the summer after a very trying year.
“Still awake, Severus?” a voice said behind him. Snape started and realized he had wandered straight to Dumbledore’s office. “Why don’t you come in? I was going to wait until morning, but since we are both awake, I have some things I’d like to discuss with you.” Dumbledore turned to the gargoyle and said, “Blood Pops.” Snape snorted.
“Sit! Sit!” Dumbledore waved to a chair in front of his desk, which Snape took. “ I just made some tea, would you care to join me? I’m afraid I’ve already added the honey however, I hope you don’t mind honey in your tea.” Snape shook his head.
“Now then,” Dumbledore said as he settled himself behind his desk, “to business! First, I would like to discuss your position here at Hogwarts.”
Snape looked up sharply, nearly spilling tea on himself, “My position, Headmaster?” Could it be that Dumbledore finally saw that the students, now, more than ever before, needed a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?
“Yes, well your positi-“
The door flew open and a woman stumbled in closely followed by a breathless professor McGonagall in tartan pyjamas. Dumbledore stood up with a quizzical expression on his face.
“I need to use your fireplace,” She gasped as she sank into a nearby chair, she had a gash across her arm that looked as though it had been cauterized, clearly a spell wound, “Death Eaters…” She stopped to catch her breath, it looked as though she had run the entire way.
“Care for some tea?” Dumbledore offered calmly but the woman gave him a look and waved it away as if it clearly wasn’t the time for tea.
Snape eyed the woman carefully, noting the fact that she wore in her belt a row of sharpened pikes, “Why do you need the fireplace?” Snape asked coldly.
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Finally she looked up, “I was in the woods, when I heard whispering in a clearing nearby, I thought it was possibly a vampire. But I reached the clearing, and it was some sort of … well, I don’t know… it looked like…. Like…. Tangible darkness…” She was calmer now, and no longer out of breath, her eyes began to roam around as she talked, “ I turned around to leave, but a Death Eater attacked me. I was closer to this end of the woods. I ran here. Now, can I use your fireplace?”
Snape looked back at her, saying nothing, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the look she was giving him. He broke his gaze and looked to Dumbledore.
“Ah… what did you say your name was?”
“Deanna, Deanna Sande.”
“Well, Deanna, obviously this must be reported immediately, Severus, why don’t you take our guest to the infirmary? Those burns look serious. Madame Pomfrey will see to them immediately.”
“This? This is nothing… really. I can-“
“Nonsense! I insist. Severus? Will you please?” He gave him a look.
“Certainly headmaster.” Snape said, his face unreadable as he escorted her from the room.
Deanna, "Really, you don’t have to…” Snape said nothing, “I’m fine. It’s just a fleshwound.”
Snape looked as though he hadn’t even heard as he brought her down the hall. "Hey buddy, I’m talking to you…. you mute...?" She asked, not taking her eyes off Snape.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 29, 2005 23:28:58 GMT -5
Snape stopped, “I most certainly am not mute.” He said finally, continuing down the hall with Deanna in tow.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too," she said sarcastically. They both lapsed into silence again, and for a few minutes the only sounds were their footsteps on the marble floor. Finally Deanna broke the silence, asking, “So... who are you anyway?”
“I’m the Potions master.”
"Ahh…right, Severus Snape, now I remember…” More silence. “So it's true what they say about you," Deanna said as they turned a corner in the dark hall.
He drew in a breath sharply, "And what is it that they say about me?"
"You really are a great greasy git."
He stopped suddenly, turning to face her. "And you really are an unfeeling murderer."
Deanna's expression turned dark, "Oh, you’re one of those... bleeding hearts….” She mumbled, “Your hearts really would be bleeding without people like me."
"Surely not every va-" he began before she cut him off.
"Don't give me that,” she spat, looking away. She looked as if she would say more but a low growl echoing from an unknown direction distracted her.
Both of them turned to see a young woman standing in the hallway with a black cat draped across her shoulder. She was quite tall, with the grace and poise of the feline that stared at them from its high perch. She wore deep green robes with a high-necked collar that came to her chin. Her hands were covered in black gloves. Her long curtain of jet-black hair obscured her face, but there was a flash of green as she passed her poison stare over both Deanna and Snape in turn.
"If you two are quite done with your... petty bickering..." She focused on someone who was standing behind the both of them, and her gaze softened slightly. "Albus..."
"I hope I am not too late." The woman again eyed Snape and Deanna.
“Oh, not at all. No rest for the weary, I’m afraid,” Dumbledore said, deliberately misinterpreting her statement. “I have some things to discuss with you. I trust Dobby has settled you into your quarters?”
“Yes.“
“Good.” He smiled and turned to Snape, “Severus, I would like you to meet – or remeet, rather – Miss Raven Xavier, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Miss Xavier,” he motioned in Deanna’s direction, “Miss Sande, a vampire hunter – by the way, Miss Sande, I’ve contacted the authorities – and Miss Xavier, you know Professor Snape already, I believe.”
Raven nodded.
“Good, now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, I believe Miss Sande would probably like to get to the infirmary now. Follow me please.” The group followed Dumbledore to the Hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey stood waiting at the door.
“Ah! Look at those!” Pomfrey tutted. “Do you know which spell was used?” she asked as she herded Deanna into the hospital wing.
“Now, you two.” Dumbledore eyed Snape through his half-moon spectacles, “Severus, would you be so kind as to escort Professor Xavier to the teachers’ wing?”
“Thank you, Headmaster, but I know where it is. You tend to your guest.” She nodded at the infirmary doors and then turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the teachers wing, with her cat still sitting securely on her shoulder.
Neither Snape nor Dumbledore moved until she and her pet were out of sight.
“She’s back, then?” Snape said finally.
Dumbledore nodded.
Snape sighed, “Defense Against the Dark Arts.”
“Severus…”
“We’ve already discussed it, I know.”
“I have very good reasons why you shouldn’t have that position, Severus, and I hope you will trust me on that, as I trust you.”
“Of course, Headmaster,” Snape agreed, though he didn’t sound at all convinced. “So where has she been all these years?"
"Traveling abroad," Dumbledore replied enigmatically.
Snape bit back his growing frustration and hastily changed the subject. "What of that Sande woman, the vampire hunter? We can’t have her prying…”
“I will see to it that she is healed and sent on her way. I have informed Alastor Moody of the situation. Meanwhile, perhaps you can do some reconnaissance in the forest?”
Snape nodded, “No rest for the weary.” He smirked mirthlessly. “I’ll be ready within a half an hour.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As Raven headed to her new quarters, her cat leaped from her shoulder to bound ahead of her. He turned and fixed her with his emerald gaze.
how long are we staying in this place? came a purring voice in her head.
For as long as Albus needs us, she sent back over their mutual link. He helped me out a lot when I was younger, and I owe him. She noticed the feline began to fidget, and she knew he was itching to go out and explore. Thorne, why don’t you go out hunting? There’s a forest nearby, and there should be plenty of game to keep you occupied.
don’t have to tell me twice, he muttered before bounding off to parts unknown.
Once her cat was gone, Raven arrived at her new quarters and immediately began unpacking her few belongings. A few articles of clothing, a sketchbook, several vials filled with a murky solution, and a sharp, curved dagger were carelessly tossed in various drawers before she finally sat on the edge of her bed and looked around in distaste. It was much too opulent in here for her liking... too many unnecessary things. She would seek out the house-elves tonight to get rid of what she didn't need. All she wanted was a cot, a cabinet and a desk. Everything else was wasteful. It reminded her of....
She stopped herself mid-thought, shutting her eyes tight. Must not think of back then.... She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and stood up. She had to get out of here, out of this castle. She left the room, making her way through familiar hallways, until she found herself outside, breathing the cool night air. Thinking only of working off all the tension in her body, Raven made her way towards the Forbidden Forest.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 29, 2005 23:30:02 GMT -5
The darkness of the forest had a calming effect on Raven. As she wandered through the trees, a scent caught her attention. It was the metallic tang of blood.
Curious, Raven followed the trail to a small clearing. There she found the remains of what appeared to be a deer. Pulling off one of her gloves, she knelt down next to the animal's corpse and ran a finger through a ragged tear in its flesh. It was still warm, which meant it was a fresh kill. She stood, absentmindedly licking the blood off of her finger.
you really should be sleeping... came a rumbling voice in her head.
Raven smiled, and answered aloud. "I wasn't tired... and I thought I could use the exercise." She looked up to see large green eyes peering down at her. "I see you've had a nice dinner, eh?" Her question was answered with a snort of disgust.
hunting here is poor. most things in here are skin, bones and fur...
Raven smirked, "You shouldn't be so picky. Come down here."
The tree branches above her rustled as a dark shape dropped smoothly to the ground. It was the size of saber-toothed tiger with inky black fur, silver scythe-like claws, bat-like wings curled tightly over its back, and large green eyes. It moved towards Raven with unnatural speed, but she didn't move, only smiled. Thorne butted his large head against her chest and purred.
Suddenly both Raven and Thorne froze, as a sound reached their sensitive ears.
someone else is here... came his rumbling purr in her head.
"I know," Raven replied quietly. They both looked at each other for a few moments before Thorne nodded his massive head and silently disappeared into the shadows. Raven turned around and watched the forest around her, waiting for Thorne's return.
A few moments later he slunk into the clearing. Thorne, who was now the size of a housecat, shifted back into his natural form. He sat in front of Raven, running his tongue over dagger-like teeth.
a human's in the forest.. the same one from earlier in the castle.
Raven reached out to stroke Thorne's massive head, and tilted her own in thought. So the vampire hunter is in the forest? she thought to herself. What could she possibly be doing?
With a slight nod from Raven, Thorne slipped back into the shadows. Raven made her way in the direction Thorne had last seen the vampire hunter. She decided that it would be better to let her know that there was someone else in the forest. She didn’t relish the thought of having to pull a stake out of herself.
As she stalked through the darkness, her pupils dilated like a cat's, making her surroundings seem as clear as if it were daylight. She saw Deanna ahead of her, distracted by something in the underbrush.
Raven smiled and spoke. "What brings you here so late at night?"
Deanna smirked. "Me? Well... what can I say? I love the nightlife..." she replied smartly. "And what are you doing out here so late?"
Raven's lips twisted into a smirk.
"It was such a lovely night that I couldn't bear to be cooped up inside." She leaned against a tree trunk and snapped her gloved fingers. Thorne, in his normal house-cat guise, dropped down from the branches above to land smoothly on Raven's shoulders.
Deanna smirked back. "Cute cat..." she murmured, raising an eyebrow.
Thorne settled onto his owner's shoulders and looked at the Vampire Hunter straight in the eyes, his piercing gaze filled with intelligence. Raven causally scratched his chin and raised an eyebrow.
"Cute.... Certainly not a word that I would associate with him."
Deanna nodded. "Although much cuter than some of the things I've seen.”
Both Raven and Thorne tilted their heads as if hearing something that the hunter could not.
"Well, it's been... interesting. But I have other things to attend to.... Enjoy your night." Deanna said casually. The thing in the forest wasn't far off. She had to investigate.
Raven slowly turned around, and fixed her with a cold, almost reptilian stare. "Let's drop the pretenses, shall we?" she hissed. "You should be in the infirmary.”
“You’re not my keeper.”
“No. I’m not.” Raven lifted her head, breathing in deep. She caught a strange scent in the air, something naggingly familiar... Deanna took that moment to disappear into the underbrush.
we should leave her... Thorne purred through their mental link.
No, she sent back, something’s wrong with her, she’s seen something disturbing... and it wouldn't do if she saw things that she is not meant to see. Plus, Dumbledore would want to know where she is....
Raven pushed her way through the brush roughly, but oddly not making a noise as she trampled through the forest. Thorne dug his claws into the material of her robes so as to not fall off. He was chuckling softly through their mental link.
lucky for you there's not a new moon out... then she'd get a real eyeful.
Shut up, she sent back. The scent was getting stronger. The familiarity of it was really beginning to unnerve her.
She stopped suddenly and held her hand out for Deanna to do the same. She motioned her head to another clearing just ahead. Something was writhing in the darkness.
Deanna stopped and squinted her eyes and they focused on the dark shadows moving in the clearing. What the... she thought.
The dark whirling mass gathered in the center of the clearing. It seemed to suck in all the light around it. Smoky tendrils snaked across the ground in almost every direction. Raven held her arm out so that Deanna would not go near. "Whatever you do, do not let it touch you.. Don't even go near it," she hissed.
Deanna stared at the thing in the clearing. "What the hell is it?" she asked, her voice hardly audible.
Raven shook her head, "No time to explain," she turned around and stalked back the way they had come, "we need to go back and speak with Dumbledore... Now."
“Oh, you won't be going anywhere…” came an unnaturally-high pitched voice from the shadow of a nearby tree. The tall figure slunk out of the shadows, twirling his wand with a nimbleness that belied his years.
“I suppose you thought I was dead?” he asked them, seeing the recognition and utter terror on Raven and Deanna's faces. “I'm afraid the Ministry has been quite grievously misinformed... I am, and ever have been, very much alive....”
The evil red glint in the man's eyes -- if he could be called a man -- illuminated his snakelike smile.
“It would take a great deal more than a single curse to finish me off....”
It was Voldemort.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:29:34 GMT -5
Fighting back her fear, Raven quickly composed herself. Thorne... get ready, she sent out, as she walked boldly towards Voldemort.
"You won't stop us from closing this rip," she hissed softly, venom dripping from every word.
Voldemort raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Ah... you think to thwart my plans...” the dark wizard chuckled. “No matter... You won’t be around long enough do anything about it....”
Masked Death Eaters appeared out of the thick of the forest, their wands trained on Deanna and Raven -- they were outnumbered three to one.
Voldemort’s gaze turned to Deanna. “You were here before... It would have been wiser to stay out of the Dark Lord's way.... Or have you come for revenge?” He snorted derisively, “How… predictable.”
The Death Eaters closed in on the two, and Raven realized they were being pushed towards the swirling mass. Quickly and quietly, Raven muttered a charm under her breath.
As they faced off, a green light sparked just inches from Voldemort’s head.
“Run!”
Both of them looked around for the source of the voice, but Thorne returned it with a snarling force.
RUN NOW!!
Thorne bulldozed through the phalanx of Death Eaters.
Without further prompting, Deanna and Raven ran towards the black swirling mass. Voldemort saw this and raised his wand, but he was prevented by 600 pounds of coiled muscle wrapped in midnight fur. Thorne had taken his true form and had plowed right through Voldemort with the force of a freight train. His wand had been knocked from his hand and sent tumbling into the forest.
Thorne kept running, passing Raven, who easily grabbed onto the scruff of his neck and mounted his back as if he were a horse. As they followed through the door, Raven called out, "We will close this door. Voldemort, and we'll be back to send you to join my father in Hell!"
* * * * * * * * * *
Blackness swirled around Raven as she was carried through the portal. She felt as if her body was being ripped to shreds and melted back together again. Suddenly the shredding and melting stopped and Thorne skidded to an immediate stop, as Raven hopped off his back.
She muttered uncomprehensible words in a strained voice, slicing her hand with a knife and marking the stone archway with blood. The portal was instantly covered with the same writhing black mass that had previously blocked their path from the other side, “That should keep them from re-entering here again.” Raven stood back, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Thorne brushed up against her and licked the wound on her hand. After a few swipes of his tongue the gash had closed completely, without even leaving a scar behind.
look what the cat dragged in. Entwined in one of Thorne’s serpentine tails was the haggard form of Severus Snape.
“It’s you!” Deanna drew her wand, “I thought you had the looks of a Death Eater!”
“If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead by now.” Snape growled as Thorne set him down like a toy soldier. In a flash Snape had out his own wand.
“Just stop it, you two!” Raven growled to herself, her hand pressed to her temple, as a migraine was beginning to form. "That was the easy part..." she said softly, "We now have a long way to go, getting in was fairly simple, but getting out….”
“Where are we?” Snape asked. Raven looked around the room that the portal had deposited them in. It looked vaguely familiar.
Do you remember this? she asked Thorne.
yes.. and we should all go back now... he hissed uncomfortably, you're in no shape to deal with what's to come...
I have to... It was my bright idea to drag us in here anyways, she replied tiredly.
“Where are we?” Snape repeated. “And how do we get back?”
"We're in an alternate dimension... Not sure where exactly in the dimension we are... I was pretty incoherent the last time I was here," Raven replied as she leaned heavily against Thorn's leg. "As for getting out... Well, we definitely can't go out the way we came in... Otherwise we'll be attacked by Death Eaters."
Silence settled over the group before Snape finally spoke again.
"Uh... Is that -- that isn't your cat, is it?" he asked suddenly, eyeing the large feline with a mixture of fear and awe.
"Yeah, this is Thorne... He's... Hard to explain. He's part of a native and dominate species in this dimension called Draven cats." She pushed herself off of Thorne's shoulder and made her way to the back of the chamber where a doorway stood.
The archway was covered strange script and it led out into a miasma of darkness. Thorne followed her, scanning the arcane signs with mild interest.
Can you help me with this? she sent to him.
Thorne nodded, and scanned the carvings, his large eyes narrowing in thought.
"What does it say?" came Snape's voice from right behind them. Raven jumped a little, startled.
"I.... umm, Thorne's helping me translate..."
The Draven eyed the Potions Master critically for a moment.
it says that to get beyond this chamber to the outside we must face our worst fears, he hissed into everyone's minds.
Apprehension washed over Deanna's face. "Our worst fears... That shouldn't be too bad... Should it?"
Snape sneered at her slightly. “Love to see what yours is…” he muttered.
Deanna scowled but said nothing.
“Let’s go. We don’t have time for dallying about.” Snape said before crossing the threshold, enveloped by darkness. Not to be outdone, Deana plunged right in after him, before Raven could stop them.
"Dammit!" she hissed as she smacked her hand into the door's archway before sliding her glove back on. Thorne shook his head before looking at her.
would have been easier if we had all gone in together, he rumbled, hope they haven't lost themselves in their fears...
Raven sighed and held onto Thorne's scruff, "Let's go... You can find them... right?" Thorne nodded, his tails twitching in agitation. Both of them stepped through the portal, Thorne leading the way.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:30:10 GMT -5
Snape prepared himself for a werewolf attack as he stepped through the threshold. . .
And straight into Dumbledore’s office.
He blinked, totally surprised by his surroundings. Dumbledore didn’t look up, but Snape could tell he was not in a very good mood.
Dumbledore began, “Sit. Now.” Yes, definitely not a good mood.
He took the chair as Dumbledore rose from his desk and paced the room. This was reminding Snape of something, although he couldn’t quite place what it was. Dumbledore continued to pace in silence until Snape thought the headmaster had forgotten he was in the room.
“Do you need to speak with me, Headmaster? Or should I leave?” Finally, Dumbledore faced him and Snape’s blood froze. Dumbledore’s face was twisted into a look of such sadness that it made Snape want to disappear. He had seen that face on him only once before. It was the day Snape had confessed he was a Death Eater.
This face, however, seemed ten times worse.
“You cannot fathom how ashamed I am of you.” Dumbledore began quietly, “I risked my life, my career, my respectability by taking you under my protection and this is how you repay my kindness?” It was merely a question. There was no anger in his voice, only deep disappointment. “I trusted you, Snape. I see now that I was wrong.”
Snape. Dumbledore never called him just plain Snape. “Headmaster,” Snape started, surprised by the quiver in his own voice, “if I may speak--”
“No, you may not. There is nothing left to say.” Snape was totally unprepared for this. If only Dumbledore would become angry or yell or hex him or do anything but be disappointed in him. He swallowed and could feel a lump forming in his throat.
No. I am not going to cry. This is silly. It’s not even real. It’s not real. . . But his face still burned horribly.
“I’m afraid I no longer can allow you to stay at this school. You are hereby relieved of all your duties at Hogwarts. I’ll ask you to never set foot on school grounds again.”
“Albus!” Snape breathed, standing up.
“We are no longer on a first-name basis, Mr. Snape. I bid you good day. Please leave.”
* * * * * * * * * * *
Raven and Thorne wandered through the swirling blackness. Thorne seemed to know where he was going as Raven held on tightly on to his scruff. She kept her eyes tightly shut, muttering to herself, "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real..." over and over again like a mantra.
raven... i found the professor.
She slowly opened her eyes, trying to keep her mind clear, her thoughts focused. She saw Snape and Albus... The look on Dumbledore's face... how many times had she been afraid to see that very expression? Especially after what she did, after what had happened? But no.. there were worse things to be afraid of.. The scenery began to waver slightly.
raven, Thorne hissed, focus...
She took a quavering breath, clearing her mind.. The scenery stilled and came into focus again. While still holding onto Thorne's scruff with a death grip, she made her way to stand behind Professor Snape. She placed a trembling hand on his shoulder.
"It... It's not real..." she whispered, her voice shaking, "Don't let it suck you in.."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"It... It's not real... Don't let it suck you in.."
Snape turned around sullenly. He could have sworn he heard something, but there was no one there. He took a deep breath and headed slowly for the door.
Severus’ quarters had already been cleared of its contents. The house-elves must have done it. There was nothing left for him to do here. He wandered listlessly through the corridors for the last time and found himself in front of his office. He went inside. Everything was rearranged. The same, but different. He noticed several personal items on the desk and picked up a picture. James Potter was smiling and waving with one arm on Sirius’ shoulder. On Sirius’ other side, Lupin stood smiling and making multicolored sparks fly out of his wand at the camera.
The door opened and Snape quickly replaced the picture.
“You still here, vampire?” The new potions master spat. He couldn’t believe who it was.
“Sirius! But you're. . .you can’t. . .”
“I believe you are in my office...Snivellus.”
“He gave you . . . but he. . .my job?”
“Dumbledore happens to think you're the one who caused my death. I think you should leave now. Or do you want me to call the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? I think he knows how to deal with vampires.”
“Who’s teaching the DADA?”
“Me.” The door opened, it was Lupin.
“You!”
“I think you should go now Severus,” Lupin tossed him a smug look, “we don’t need your kind here.”
“You should talk, Lupin!” He growled, clenching and unclenching his fists.
“We’re lucky Harry enlightened us to what really happened with Sirius.” Lupin said while Sirius pulled a small vial from his desk drawer, “I mean, I'd always known you were a slimy git, but I never figured you'd push someone into-”
"But I didn’t. . .” Snape spluttered, “I was only... It is NOT my fault, Lupin! It was his own damn fault if he threw caution to the wind and charged into battle like a fool!"
"You're a much craftier Death Eater than the rest, Snivellus, I'll give you that," Sirius said, "All this time we thought you were just being an ass when really you were putting us through psychological torture."
"I'm not...I didn't! After I risked my life in the service of Dumbledore? Surely you're not serious Sirius! Lupin! You believe me don’t you? Don’t you”
Lupin wouldn’t meet his eyes, disgusted.
“Now!” Sirius yelled suddenly. Before Snape could react, Lupin had pinned Snape’s arms behind his back. He struggled, trying to get loose, but he held Snape fast by the shoulders as Sirius walked out from behind his desk holding the vial.
“What are you doing?”
“I was hoping you’d try this potion I cooked up, I got the recipe from one of your own journals” Sirius’ eyes appeared slightly crazed. He uncorked the vial and advanced towards Snape, who knew on instinct which potion that was.
Snape began to panic and struggled wildly against Lupin’s iron grip. The tears he had successfully fought to conceal while in Dumbledore's office spilled forth with an urgency he had never before experienced, “Lupin! Please! Let me go! Dammit Lupin! I’m innocent! I swear to God I’m not a Death Eater anymore!” The vial was shoved in his face and he clamped his mouth shut, wildly fighting against his bonds and the vial. Sirius grabbed his nose and twisted it. There was a sickening crunch and Snape couldn’t help but yelp in surprise.
The liquid was forced into his mouth and he spit it out (In Sirius’ face, to his satisfaction). He spluttered as the bitter residue of the liquid stung his throat and lungs. His lips became numb and his throat felt as though it were on pins and needles. Blood and tears flowed freely.
"Damn you!" He wheezed. Lupin finally released him and he fell to the floor. Severus felt his insides give a sickening squelch.
“Do you know what it's like falling through the Veil?” Sirius drawled, savoring each syllable, "I do."
Snape's throat felt raw and hot as it disintegrated. He was suffocating in his own fluids. He turned to Lupin, who looked quite sick to his stomach. His lungs screamed for air even as they began to break down. He ears rang and his stomach bloated as the gasses collected. In his mouth he tasted bile and blood and death. Blackness creeped around the edges of his vision and he thought that death could not come soon enough.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:30:54 GMT -5
Snape convulsed on the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head, as Raven just stood there with a look of horror on her face.
don't just stand there, do something! Thorne hissed into her mind, galvanizing her into action. She knelt beside Snape, and muttered softly, "Sorry about this..."
She raised her hand and smacked him, hard.
"Wake-up, Dammit!" she yelled. Snape continued to convulse. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Still he continued to lay there, twitching. Raven took a deep breath and began to smack him over and over again, harder than before.
"Wake-up! Don't just lie there!" she snarled, "Fight it!"
Raven raised her arm to smack him once more when a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Snape sat up slowly, his cheeks red from her blows.
She stood and helped him up as well, as he rubbed his cheeks gingerly.
"Thank you.. I think..." he winced. He looked around for a moment, as if unsure of what had just happened.
"You were sucked into your fear..." she said quietly, "I had to force you out of it somehow. You believed that it was real, so it affected you as if it were... If I hadn't hit you, you would have choked to death."
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Did you see my fear?"
Raven said nothing, just turned back to Thorne, running her fingers through his mane.
"What did you see?" he hissed. Raven rubbed the bridge of her nose with her free hand.
"Let's just say that you should count yourself very lucky that it was I that saw your fear, and not the hunter..." She looked up at him finally, her eyes filled with weariness. "But rest assured I won't tell her... You're not the only one with a skeleton in his closet."
Snape opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was struck speechless for the moment. Raven seized the opportunity to distract him.
"Grab one of Thorne's tails. He'll lead us to Deanna so we can get the hell out of here."
Snape did as she said, strangely subdued. Raven held onto Thorne's scruff as they wandered through black mists to find Deanna.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Murderer!” A pale young man howled mournfully, gathering a bloody bundle into his arms, “We just wanted to be left alone!” He said through racking sobs which left trails down his ensanguined face, “What did she ever do to deserve this? She was just a child! Just a child.” He pressed the lifeless form to him, rocking it lovingly, as if his sobs were some kind of macabre lullaby.
Deanna stood transfixed by the small bloody form. She still held the instrument of the child’s death. She shook herself. No, she thought desperately, She is- was not just a child, she was a vampire. No… I can’t become emotionally involved, I can’t…
And yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the horrific scene that sprawled before her. For a moment, she was beside herself, looking at the entire scene, like watching a movie. Who is the monster here? Who is the life-sucking messenger of death now? Oh God…
The scene had changed, she now stood on what looked like a battlefield. Bodies were strewn haphazardly, irreverently piled, some half naked, some covered in the grime of war, some encrusted in dried blood. It was as silent as death, and just as cold. She shivered. Something brushed up against her leg and she jumped. It was a blackbird with what looked like an eye dangling from its beak. Deanna felt nauseous.
The bird gave a great croak and flew off a few feet into the lead-lined dawn. Not knowing why, she ran after it, trying not to step on the dead in her path. It flew on until she could find it no longer.
“Why do you watch where you step?” A voice said in her ear.
“Perhaps she is afraid she will fall into our stench.”
“Afraid to sully yourself, hunter?”
She spun around unable to pinpoint where the voices were coming from. Suddenly, there was a loud croak in front of her. The blackbird had returned. “That’s not why!” She whispered, “That’s not why!” She said to it.
Before her eyes, the blackbird transformed into the girl from before, the one she had killed.
“Why do you watch where you step?” She repeated the question.
“Because it wouldn’t... It wouldn’t be right,” Deanna stammered.
“They are only vampires. They do not deserve your reverence.”
“It’s… it’s not like that! You don’t know, okay?! You have no idea…”
“I think I have a very good idea.” The girl said with an earnestness that belied her seven-year-old face, “You are the Destroyer of Worlds… you descend upon us like the Angel of Death --“
“Stop --“
“All fear your power over them. And you like it --”
“NO!”
“You thrill in the hunt... the chase...”
“I protect the innocent!”
“How like a goddess you pour out your wrath --“
“STOP IT!”
“-- and Death falls like rain, upon all: the evil and the innocent --”
“I don’t want to hear this --“
“-- the rich and the poor --“
“Stop it, please! Just stop --“
“-- the happy and the miserable --“
“I said to stop!” In a flash, Deanna held a knife to her throat. She just wanted her to stop talking, and if it meant cutting off her head…
“Are you going to kill me again, hunter?” The girl hadn’t flinched, she just looked up, curious, as if she was asking about the weather.
Deanna let the blade fall into the mud.
She fell to her knees, exhausted and miserable and half-mad with guilt, “What have I become?” she whispered to herself, retrieving the blade from the mire and hesitatingly putting it back into her belt. She was answered by a rough and rather large tongue that licked the side of her face. Deanne opened her eyes to the sight of two very large green eyes looking down at her. She scooted backwards, disoriented, and realized that instead of the girl, Thorne, Raven and Snape stood before her.
"We got to you just in time," Raven said softly, looking extremely exhausted. Snape said nothing at all, a sullen look fixed upon his face, while he avoided Deanna’s eyes. Raven motioned for Deanna to grab onto Thorne's scruff. "Hold on to him tightly so we don't get separated.. He'll get us out of here." She then grabbed Thorne's second tail and motioned for the Draven cat to start walking.
why didn't you ask her to take my tail? he asked curiously.
I don't want them snapping at each other, she replied wearily. Please, just get us out of here... Quickly.
Thorne cast one last worried glance at Raven before they navigated their way through the mists.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:31:27 GMT -5
The group’s footsteps began to echo as the mists cleared to reveal a stone hallway. Thorne paused for a moment, unsure of what was happening. He increased his pace, and the others had to jog just to keep up with him. As they wandered further down the hallway, they came to a large portrait of a cruelly handsome man with emerald green eyes and silver hair.
"Oh god... not this...." Raven whispered.
The others turned to look at her, but she was no longer there.
"Where is she?" Deanna asked, looking around wildly.
Thorne let out an inarticulate roar of anger and frustration. the strain was too much for her... he hissed to the others. her fear has taken her. we must find her before...
The room wavered as the scenery changed. They found themselves in a library. A small girl with black hair and large green eyes sat contritely on the edge of a chair. It was an extremely young Raven. Looming over her was the man from the portrait, his eyes blazing like green poison.
"What have I told you about touching my books?" he boomed at the child. She said nothing, but kept her eyes downcast. The man snarled and backhanded the girl hard, knocking her near halfway across the room with the force. She landed with a sickening crunch.
"Stop it!" Deanna yelled, trying to grab the man that now stood over the prone child. Her hands passed right through him.
don't bother, Thorne sent with barely controlled fury, we won't be able to affect anything until we find the real raven... until then we have to sort through her memories until we locate her...
Deanna turned away, her face filled with outrage and disgust.
"Who is he anyway?" she asked softly as they walked away from the man, who was now kicking the little girl.
that was raven's father, viktor....
* * * * * * * * *
They wandered into another memory, Raven was a little bit older and hiding under a bed. She was writing a scroll for her charms class, with only a small stub of a candle to light her work. She froze at the sound of pounding footsteps, and quickly blew out the candle and held very still.
"Raven!" her father's voice yelled. "Where are you?" She kept silent, holding her breath and keeping her eyes shut tight. After a few moments she heard stomping steps and the slam of a door. She let out her breath and was about to light her candle again when a hand grabbed her leg and roughly pulled her out from under the bed. Thorne plowed on, trembling in anger, not wanting to witness anymore.
Finally they could hear the sounds of voices arguing.
"You will do as I say, girl." Viktor hissed.
"Never.. I'm not a child anymore, you can't force me.." came Raven's voice.. The voice of an adult.. Thorne dashed towards the voice, pulling Snape and Deanna behind him.
They came to a room, where Viktor stood facing a 17-year-old Raven. Her eyes blazed with anger and defiance. Her father tilted his head and snarled at her, before backhanding her hard across the face, sending her to the ground.
"You need to be taught a lesson, you little bitch." he hissed as he pulled a curved dagger from his belt.
Raven's eyes widened and she scrambled across the floor in a vain effort to get away, but he was faster, using the blade on her with a ruthless efficiency...
Deanna turned away, tears welling up in her eyes. Thorne howled in anger, his fur bristling. Snape stood and watched, his face unreadable. Viktor finally stood up, tossing the dagger carelessly to the floor, before leaving the room. The young Raven curled into a ball, whimpering as she clutching at her tattered clothing, bleeding profusely from the multitude of cuts that now covered her body.
Snape's eyes alighted on a figure hunched in a corner of the room. He pulled on Thorne's tail to get his attention. The Draven cat looked towards the direction that Snape was pointing to and saw real Raven sitting on the floor, her face blank, her eyes dead and dull-looking. Both the young and the real Raven stood up. The young Raven picked up the dagger that her father had used on her, while the real one pulled the same dagger from her robes.
Thorne hissed in alarm and jumped towards Raven to stop her, causing Snape to lose his grip and fall to the ground. Deanna was jerked forwards with Thorne on his mad dash.
The Draven cat lunged wildly at the real Raven but passed through her as if he were a ghost. She didn't even notice him as she methodically peeled off one of her gloves and held the blade to her bared wrist.
Thorne looked at Snape, his eyes full of fear and despair.
DO SOMETHING!! he yowled in the Potions Master's head before his form began to flicker. Then in an instant both Thorne and Deanna were gone.
Snape hesitated for a moment before he rushed Raven, grabbing her wrists and holding them behind her. The dagger clattered to the floor, but Raven struggled like a wildcat in his grip. Finally Raven stopped her erratic movements and slumped to the floor like a broken puppet, her eyes still dead and haunted. Snape slipped the curved blade into his vial case to keep it from slicing his pocket.
“Raven,” he said, kneeling next to her fallen form. Pulling out his wand, he commanded, “Ennervate!” It didn’t work. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to slap her like she did him, “Raven, wake up!” He shook her by the shoulders as hard as he could. Nothing. He slapped her lightly across the face. It didn’t work. Wincing, he slapped her a little harder this time. Not even a sign that she was alive. He repeated this until he thought he couldn’t have slapped her harder without fracturing her jaw and still, nothing. She was clearly farther gone than he had been.
What can I do?
He thought quickly, rifling through options in his mind until he fell on one he thought could work. He went to pull his potions kit out of his pocket when his hand closed on a bottle. Phoenix tears. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it, hesitating. It was for emergencies only, but if this wasn’t an emergency….
He uncorked the bottle and raised it to Raven’s lips. The milky pearlescent liquid passed between them, and almost immediately, Raven groaned and began to wake. He quickly shoved the empty bottle back in his pocket and helped her sit up.
“What happened?” She gingerly felt her jaw and Snape helped her stand up. They were both shaky.
“I’m- I’m sorry I had to slap you so hard, you were very far gone, I think. I almost thought it wouldn’t work.” There was no need for her to know about the phoenix tears.
“Thanks... I think.” She smiled weakly.
Raven fingered her swollen cheeks, and let out a mirthless chuckle, "I guess we're even now..."
Snape's head snapped up, "What?"
She avoided his eyes and began playing with the sleeve of her robe. "I mean, about the whole smacking bit..." she mumbled. The both of them stood in an uncomfortable silence.
Snape was the first to speak, "I had no idea.” Snape said quietly, “I was wrong not to suspect… I knew Viktor. I should have known… It seems obvious now.”
Raven stiffened slightly. "How... How did you know my father?" she asked with forced casualness.
Snape mentally cursed his indiscretion. “We were associates,” he said, hoping that didn’t shout "Death Eater" to Raven. Suddenly an odd look crossed over Raven's face.
"What's wrong?" Snape asked, panicking inwardly and fighting the urge to grab his left arm.
Raven's brow furrowed with worry. "I- I don't know.. Something's happened to Thorne...."
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:32:17 GMT -5
Thorne and Deanna found themselves surrounded by black mists, separated from the others. The Draven cat looked around wildly, his eyes burning. Deanna moved along the side of his body and hopped on his back, as she had seen Raven do before. She wasn't getting separated from him again. The large feline didn't seem to notice her at all as he sniffed the air, a low growl building in his throat.
Dark shapes writhed as multi-colored eyes stared out at them, and low growls and snarls echoed in the darkness around them. Thorne hissed again, his fur bristling in anger.
"Where the hell are we?" Deanna whispered, holding tightly to Thorne's mane. He again acted as if he couldn't hear her.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" She tried to gain his attention by tugging on his ear, but still got no reaction.
Thorne's body tensed up, as the black shapes took form and loomed over him. Even though Thorne in his natural form seemed alarmingly huge for a cat, he was still very young, not yet at his full growth; the creatures that were born from the shadows were fully grown, larger than houses. With large glowing eyes the size of dinner plates, these beasts were at least five times Thorne's size.
moonslayeerrrrr, came an icy hiss that sent a shiver up both Thorne and Deanna's backs. A monstrous Draven cat stood in front of Thorne, dwarfing him with its immense size. The huge cat's single eye glowed an eerie yellow; his long fangs hung over his lips like tusks.
go away, shadow! Thorne hissed, his back arching, nearly knocking Deanna off her perch.
coward... you can't even protect your pet human, the larger Draven cat purred as he stepped aside. Raven lay on the ground behind him, her body torn and ripped asunder, her dead eyes staring glassily into nothingness.
NOOOOOOOOOO! Thorne roared, running to Raven's corpse. He laid his head down on what was left of her chest and howled in mourning.
Deanna gingerly slid off his back and grabbed handfuls of fur on either side of Thorne's face, trying to get him to look at her. His eyes were now glassy-looking as tears slid down his cheeks.
"C'mon, this isn't real!" she yelled, yanking on his fur, trying yet again to illicit some sort of reaction from him. Thorne still did not respond.
Suddenly an idea popped into Deanna's head. One of her old classmates at Hogwarts had tons of cats, and had once told her the secret to disciplining felines. Cats had very sensitive noses and when you flicked them there, it tended to stop them in their tracks. So, knowing that doing this might incur the large feline's wrath, but really not seeing any other choice, Deanna flicked her nails across Thorne's snout.
He flinched back, snarling, his large eyes blinking in surprise as they returned to awareness.
wha-where... what happened?
"You had me worried there," she stated, noticing that Raven's corpse and the large Draven cats were now gone, to be replaced by swirling blackness. "I guess you were sucked into your fears as well, eh?"
Thorne let out a disgruntled noise as he rubbed his tender nose gingerly with his paw. did you really have to do that so hard?
Deanna shrugged, "Hey, what else was I supposed to do? It knocked you out of it, right?"
i suppose, he conceded with ill grace. c'mon, let's find the others...
********
Raven closed her eyes, opening the mental link that she and Thorne shared.
Thorne?
There was no answer. Raven hissed in frustration as Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
"Not sure yet..." she muttered, as she concentrated harder and sent again.
THORNE!? You there?
Raven felt grief and rage roll through their mental link, then confusion...
Thorne? she sent again worriedly.
i'm here, came a soft reply.
Raven let out a breath of relief. I was worried about you, damned feline... Where are you?
i'll be with you shortly. He paused before he continued almost timidly, are you okay?
Yeah...
"Well, have you found them?" Snape asked, a trace of irritation creeping in his voice.
Raven opened her eyes, and smiled.
"I'll take that as a yes," he smirked.
Thorne and Deanna suddenly appeared in front of them. The cat's eyes brightened at the sight of Raven and he proceeded to butt his large head against her chest and purr very loudly. Raven smiled, a real genuine smile that seemed to light up her entire face. She hugged the Draven cat for a moment before pulling away. "Alright everyone, let's get the hell outta here."
********
The room seemed to be as timeless as the grave. The dark swirling masses stretched on into the distance and obscured a clear view of the room. Snape wondered if that was the essence of their fears. It seemed an appropriate medium: a dark smoke with no real substance to it. They walked on and on until they were sure that somehow they were wandering in circles.
“Are you positive you know the way?” Snape asked although he wasn’t quite sure who he was addressing. No one answered.
They walked on and on and still the undulating smoke threatened to suck them in, like some sort of liquid dementor. That gave Snape a thought. He pulled out his wand, thought of the happiest thing he could manage under the circumstances and said softly, “Expecto patronum.”
A silver wisp fought its way from his wand and died.
“Damn,” He stopped and closed his eyes, sighing heavily and trying again to conjure happy thoughts. Suddenly a smile crept onto his face and he raised his wand, more confidently, “Expecto Patronum!”
Glowing silver smoke shot out of Snape’s wand and splintered off into many smaller flying shapes. The swarm pushed its way through the black smoke, fighting at it mercilessly. Suddenly, the flock faded to reveal a path straight to a door.
Deanna gave him a funny look, “Bats?”
Outside, they found themselves on a moonlit street. Even in the darkness, everything seemed familiar somehow....
“This -- this can’t be right....” Raven surveyed the area.
“What, do you recognize where we are?”
“I’m not sure.” She looked critically at the scenery, turning slowly until she was looking over her shoulder. She gasped, “Look where we are!” She pointed to the building they had just come from. Snape turned around.
“That’s the Shrieking Shack! Sort of…”
“It looks so different.”
“If that’s the Shrieking Shack, we must be in Hogsmeade,” Snape mumbled to himself.
Snape noticed Deanna was peering into the darkness, as if looking for something.
“What’s the matter?” Raven whispered.
“There is a vampire here.” She clutched her necklace, the only piece of jewelry she owned. The pendant was glowing a soft red.
Snape tensed as he peered into the darkness. Thorne made himself less conspicuous and shrunk down to his housecat size.
Suddenly, a shape slipped up alongside them; it was definitely a human shape, tall and thin and well dressed. He walked up to them confidently and stated with authority, “It is past curfew. I will need to see your papers.”
All four of them started in surprise. They all knew that voice -- it was Snape’s.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:33:07 GMT -5
The man stepped closer and they could clearly see the resemblance; he had the same face as Snape, which was looking at them disdainfully, but his eyes were a brilliant green. His silky black hair was no longer greasy or in his face, but hung down his back in a tight ponytail nearly down to his toes.
“Well?” Said the man, testily, “I haven’t got all night!”
Snape instinctively pulled his hood to better hide his own face. When he spoke, his voice was an octave lower than normal, “Ah, yes, our papers, um…” He rummaged through his robe, as the others made similar searching motions while stealing worried glances at one another.
“Well?”
“I... er... we must have left them...”
“Where?”
“Uhhh...”
“At our room,” Raven blurted out, “at the Three Broomsticks.” Snape crossed his fingers, hoping it existed.
“At the Three Broomsticks, I see,” the man with Snape’s voice said silkily. “Well then! Perhaps we should go down to the Three Broomsticks and get them, shall we?” Snape could almost imagine the triumphant smirk on his face, “Come along, follow me!”
They walked behind him, each of them looking at each other worriedly. What would this Snape do if they didn’t have their papers? Deanna kept a suspicious eye on him, for he was the vampire she had sensed, but they all seemed to have an unspoken understanding that they needed to find out a little more about this world before making their intentions known. Anything less would be reckless. Thorne got between them and the Snape-Vampire and began to purr loudly. It took them a minute before realizing he was creating a noise buffer so they could plan what they were going to do.
"Snape!" a sharp voice called. The unmistakable click, click of high heels hitting pavement carried easily through the night air, and in a few moments another figure emerged. It was a woman this time, wearing heavy black robes and a deep green pendant. The angry clicking slowed as she neared the group, and when she stopped in front of Snape her features became more evident.
Crimson red lips, painted or otherwise, were most prominent on her pale face. Annoyed, she shoved a wisp of black hair behind her ear and addressed the vampiric Snape.
"You haven't checked in lately. Over an hour late. The group was becoming worried; one of our best members, lost, killed, captured. I was sent to find you."
A mocking tone crept into her words, but as soon as she had finished speaking she shivered, taking away some of the bite of her speech. He scowled and turned to face her, wishing to put this trifling problem to order immediately.
"Lestrange, don't be stupid. I am not --" he sneered now "-- required to check in like a mewling child every hour. Do you really think I am unsafe at night? Besides," he continued, his tone becoming more pointed, "I have been occupied."
"Like hell you've been 'occupied' with this shoddy group for an hour, Snape," the woman replied snappishly. "And why would I want to come out here after you if not under orders?"
"Simple. You do not trust me."
A sinuously evil smile touched Lestrange's lips, and she laughed aloud. In the empty streets of Hogsmeade, the unnatural laugh echoed slowly into silence, and she looked at Snape with an amused expression.
"You're absolutely right, Snape. I don't. Where are you taking them?"
"The Three Broomsticks. They claim to have left their papers there."
Her smile widened, revealing perfect, white teeth. The absence of any deformity made the woman seem even more twisted. She appeared to revel in the others' growing discomfort, and peered at them all the more closely.
"I will accompany you there, of course. I'm sure there will be no problems locating the papers there..." Lestrange turned back to the vampiric Snape with a knowing smirk and an excited gleam in her eyes.
Suddenly, where once sat a simple house cat was now a juvenile Draven cat. Snape and Lestrange gasped for a moment before composing themselves. Even though Thorne was young, the tops of their heads barely reached his shoulder. He smiled to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
i grow weary of this game, he purred into everyone's mind. it appears that my brother may have been wrong on how lax you security is... Thorne stretched out, his wings spreading and his dagger-like claws tearing into the hard ground.
"What is this? What's going on here?" snapped the Vampire-Snape, his eyes glowing in anger.
Thorne narrowed his green eyes at him. i suggest you don't take that tone with me, he growled.
"We meant no disrespect," Lestrange smiled through clenched teeth, "There have been security breaches as of late..."
which is why i was sent to test you, Thorne rumbled, his mental voice dripping with disgust. i am moonslayer bloodstone, brother of shadow bloodstone, and these -- he jerked his head to indicate Raven, Deanna and Snape -- are my... pets.
Thorne turned his poison green gaze on the three companions. play along, he added in a private message.
"Your... pets? You let them wander around unchecked?" The green-eyed Snape scoffed, his eyebrow raised.
Thorne snarled and in a movement much too quick for anyone to follow, Snape was on the ground, with the Draven cat's paw on his chest, his claws pressed against the vampire's neck. One move and Thorne could have easily decapitated him.
you need to learn your place in the food chain, vampire, he hissed. right now i am at the top -- Thorne pressed his claws in a little deeper, drawing blood -- and you are at the bottom.
"Moonslayer... um... sir?" Lestrange piped up, trying to gently draw his attention. She might have personally enjoyed it if the Draven cat had killed Snape, but she had been told to bring him back in one piece.
Thorne looked up at her, his eyes narrowed in fury. She gulped and continued. "I assure you, he meant nothing by it... They had no papers, and policy states that if there are no papers --"
your stupid human policies do not apply to me and my kind... he hissed before taking his paw off Snape's neck. The vampire glared at the Draven cat with intense hatred and loathing, but said nothing as he stood up and dusted himself off.
now, if you are finished wasting my time, we will be leaving. Thorne glared at Raven, who nodded slightly before leading the others away from Hogsmeade and into the forest. Thorne sat there waiting until they were out of sight. He then turned his eyes on Snape.
next time we meet, vampire, i suggest you keep that forked tongue of yours on a leash... he hissed before disappearing into the shadows.
He caught up with the others a short distance away.
c'mon, he sent to them as he coiled one of his tails around Raven's wrist. i know a safe place where we can rest. it's not far from here.
The subdued group silently made their way through the forest until they reached a small cave.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:33:44 GMT -5
The adrenaline rush of the events of the day began to wear off and Snape suddenly felt so… empty. He stared into the fire as if looking at it would help fill him with a kind of non-physical warmth. It didn’t work. He still felt drained. How had he gotten himself into this? Oh right, Dumbledore had asked him, in his indirect way. Sometimes he wondered why he cared so much about what Dumbledore thought of him. After the events of today, he certainly couldn’t deny, even to himself, that he cared.
That still stunned him. Out of all the things he was afraid of, that was the thing which the room had chosen to create. How could Dumbledore’s trust mean that much to him? He thought back over the years. He could see it now, like he never had before. It almost seemed laughably obvious. Who had he turned to when he realized being a Death Eater was not a wise career move? Dumbledore. Why had he risked his life all those years as a spy? Dumbledore. Why had he gone down the rabbit hole and ended up in this godforsaken world? Dumbledore.
It still didn’t answer his question of why Dumbledore’s trust and friendship mattered. Is that what it was? Was Dumbledore really his friend? He thought hard, progressively moving backwards in time in his mind. He couldn’t remember ever thinking of Dumbledore as anything other than a colleague. But then again, professors don’t normally risk their lives on a regular basis for their headmasters.
So Dumbledore was Snape’s friend. When had that happened? Again he thought back, all the way back to his darkest hours, when he finally decided he had had enough of being a Death Eater. Why had he thought Dumbledore would truly believe his story of reform? He realized with a start that Dumbledore had impacted his life even earlier than that.
Snape had almost been twelve. A Hogwarts second year, or, he would have been, if he could have. All he knew was that there were people not allowing him to attend school. They said it would be too dangerous. But then, he remembered a man with a long graying auburn beard had visited their house. It was almost Snape’s twelfth birthday when Dumbledore showed up at the door (at almost nine p.m.) and talked long into the night with his parents. He couldn’t hear what they were discussing -- not that he cared much anyway -- but they finally called him down from his room.
“Severus, you’ll never believe who this is!” He mother said, beaming at him.
“Who?”
“Hello, Severus,” he said, shaking the boy's hand. “I’m Albus Dumbledore. I’m the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
Snape’s pale young face scowled at the mention of school. “So? I don’t go there,” he said pointedly.
But Dumbledore smiled kindly at him, “That’s exactly why I’m here, Severus. Would you like to go to Hogwarts?”
“I’m not allowed. Because of my… condition.” He scowled again; it was sad to see one so young make a face like that.
“But would you like to go?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so,” He smiled, his eyes twinkling, “Than I promise you. You shall go.”
* * * * * * * * *
Thorne had settled close to the fire, Raven curled up against him. He watched her for a moment, comforted by the sound of her quiet breathing.
Raven squirmed slightly in her sleep, as memories that she had locked up long ago began to creep into her dreams. She could hear her father's thundering voice, as she tried to run away from him. Her legs wouldn't move, she was trapped..
Raven began whimpering softly in her sleep, and tears leaked from her eyes. Thorne made a worried chirping noise as he nuzzled her, hoping to offer some comfort, but it didn't appear to be working. He was tempted to wake her up, but she had been so weak and exhausted that any sleep was a blessing. He sighed and licked the tears from her face, before settling down to take a nap.
* * * * * * * * *
I'm not a murderer, Deanna thought sulkily. The room was nothing but a lie. She kicked at a stone and sent it into the fire they’d made in the cave, sending up a small cloud of embers. She watched them float down again.
It was a slow day (or night, rather) in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, vampire division. Deanna drummed her fingers on the stack of parchment beside her desk. She hated slow days with nothing but paperwork to do. She hated paperwork. She looked up at the clock, nearly three in the morning. She yawned and shoved her paperwork aside. She needed to stretch.
She passed the front office where Maleficent Macnair sat filling out the Daily Prophet crossword puzzle, looking quite as bored as Deanna felt. The coffee room was down the hall. She took her time reheating the coffee cauldron as she stretched her legs. Stifling another yawn, she headed back to her office with the mug of coffee.
She heard two people arguing… one she recognized, one she didn’t.
“She’s out at the moment, sir. You will wait your turn, like everyone else,” said a bored-sounding voice belonging to Maleficent.
“There is no one else here,” the other voice said in a low, strained sort of whisper.
“Sir, please sit down.”
“I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour. I’ve filled out all the paperwork. Please... just let me leave.”
“Your interview isn’t for another fifteen minutes.”
“I can’t wait that long!”
“You will if you don’t want to be breaking Ministry laws on vampire registration.”
“Can't I owl you later?” he cried, desperation in his voice.
“All vampires must submit to an interview on the date and time scheduled by the Ministry.”
Deanna peered into the room. The vampire was standing over the desk where Maleficent continued to do her crossword puzzle. He held tightly onto the desk scratching the veneer off with his nails.
“Sit down sir, you’re breathing on my neck.”
“What is she doing?” Deanna thought. Although the vampires back was to her, she could tell he was looking very ill. He needed to leave. He looked as though he hadn’t fed properly. She shook her head. It was basic Magical Creature training and Maleficent hadn’t noticed yet? Deanna snorted, thinking about all the times in Care of Magical creatures class, how Maleficent had never failed to remind everyone that her uncle worked in the dangerous creatures department at the Ministry. How she had been so outstanding in magical creatures that the Ministry was falling over itself to snap her up…Deanna rolled her eyes. It had nothing at all to do with her uncle getting her the job…nothing at all…
“Let’s see how well you really do with magical creatures.” Deanna stood in the doorway and folded her arms. She was finally going to show up that stuck-up witch. This would be a day to remember.
Maleficent brushed her quill to her lips, “What’s a five-letter word for a common mixture whose main ingredient is erythrocytes?”
“Blood,” the vampire said immediately.
"Oh right... I knew that o--" She couldn't say any more; the vampire had brought his hand to her throat in one quick motion, and there was a sickening crunch as her airway snapped.
Deanna shook herself to clear her head. I'm not a murderer, she thought, Maleficent was a fool. There wasn't anything I could have done.
"Fool," she said under her breath, but now she wondered if that sentiment should be directed at Maleficent, or at herself.
* * * * * * * * *
Snape awoke, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up straight. He looked around, and his eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness of the cave. The fire had nearly guttered out, and it cast faint, flickering shadows all around. Deanna was still asleep in her corner and Thorne was softly snoring on his side, but Raven was nowhere to be seen. Snape stood up and stretched, his back muscles popping. He walked out of the cave, gazing around, when his eyes caught a small pile of clothes neatly stacked by the entrance. It was Raven's robe and gloves...
Curiouser and curiouser, Snape thought before walking out into the night.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:34:27 GMT -5
The woods stretched out in all directions, and Snape took the utmost care not to get lost. He took out his wand and thought, Point me. His wand spun in response to the nonverbal command, pointing due north. After memorizing the position of the cave in relation to the compass, he walked on.
Where was Raven? He was getting agitated. The group shouldn't become separated, he thought she would have known that. While walking, he planned the speech he was going to give her about her irresponsibility in leaving the group and not telling anyone where she was going. And without any clothes?! He was wondering what exactly he’d find… Who knew what sort of dangers were in these woods, at once so familiar and yet so strange?
He began to feel uncomfortable himself... the moon was setting, and it would soon be day. He stopped by a tree to put in his contacts. That was when he smelled it. Blood.
Snape walked a little faster, his stomach rumbling in spite of himself. He swore. Without realizing it, he followed the scent. He broke into a clearing where there was a trail of blood and gore. Something had been killed here, and it must have happened recently...
His nostrils flared as he followed the blood trail, until he came to a large tree. Scattered on the ground were freshly stripped bones, most of which were cracked open, the marrow sucked out, and just resting against the base of the trunk was a skull. It looked to be of the rodent family, but it was enormous, almost bigger than his own head...
Suddenly there was rustling in the branches above him. Snape looked up to see a vaguely humanoid, but clearly female, figure crouched on an overhanging branch, holding a stripped bone. A pair of eyes, large and green and set in a face that was a mixture of human and feline features, regarded him with shock.
The creature moved away from him and farther into the woods, keeping to the tree branches. Snape relaxed and brought his wand down to his side.
“HURRY!” a voice shouted in his ear so loudly he nearly dropped his wand. The person who had shattered the pre-dawn silence pushed at Snape’s side in the direction of the eyes. “After her! You won’t catch her like that, will you? Too slow, you are! Two slow legs, when she has four! Four and twenty black cats baked in a pie... Blood pie! Fly, sky, try, Try to fly in the sky…”
“What?” The darkness was waning and pale light filtered into the clearing through the trees, but had not yet reached into the shadows where odd man stood.
“No, no, listen, don't listen to me, listen. Said the Butterfly. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Bumblebee… dumble bumble mumble crumble fumble …stupid insect…humming humble bumble…”
The man stopped shoving Snape and seemed to float off into his own private world. He started to wander off into the woods again, humming something that was vaguely familiar…
* * * * * * * * * *
She jumped from branch to branch, determined to get back to the cave unseen. She landed hard on a rotted branch and suddenly lost her footing as it crumbled underneath her and she crashed hard onto the leaf-littered ground.
The creature scrambled onto her feet, hearing the sound of someone carelessly making their way towards her. She shifted to her human shape and realized that she was covered in blood and gore. Raven backed up against a tree, hiding herself in the shadows.
Suddenly an old man crashed through the underbrush and walked right past her towards the cave, mumbling and cackling senselessly to himself.
Raven barely tasted the blood on her lips as she murmurred, "What the...?"
Another shape followed, a little stealthier and more familiar than the last. Snape. Quickly Raven used her claws to climb up the nearest limb of a tree. At first, she thought he was going to pass her as the old man had, but he stopped in front of her tree. He breathed in deeply and a glazed expression came over his face.
Too afraid to move, Raven pressed herself against the trunk of the tree, holding her breath.. Her leg hurt from her earlier spill. Suddenly she lost her grip and slid down the trunk, landing in an ungraceful heap.
She winced and slowly stood up to find Snape staring at her with an intense gaze. She felt vulnerable, embarrassed and exposed.. She wasn't nude but had on the Muggle clothing she always wore under her robes: a tank top, some shorts... They were now covered in blood and gore.
Raven averted her eyes from his as she tried to wipe the blood from her lips and face.
Too afraid to move, Snape stood there, staring. Raven wiped crimson off of her lips, smearing it onto the back of her hand. He watched it. He stared at her hand. Don’t move, Snape told himself, do nothing. You will just stand there. Stay put.
‘Don’t move’ became his mantra for an agonizing minute. His higher brain, his sensible self had nearly shut itself off. Only one word rang through his mind. But he knew, if he did nothing, didn’t move at all, nothing would happen. He just stared.
Blood. There was just so much of it... His stomach made a very angry noise at him.
“Raven...” his voice came out, strangled and unnatural-sounding, “...do not move."
She found her voice. "What's the matter? You look... odd." Even odder, perhaps, than the old man who had come barreling through the woods a moment ago.
"Contact Thorne and tell them to bring the red vial that is in my traveling cloak, that's the red one that smells of blood... or else bring the hunter….”
Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move…
Raven looked momentarily confused.
"I have to tell you ... I'm a vampire," he said, still in that unnatural voice.
"I know, remember?" Raven wondered briefly if he had lost his memory as well as his sense. "What's the potion?" she asked curiously.
Right. She had seen his fear.
"It's Vampire's Bane. It keeps me from... from..."
And then, it began.
In his mind’s eye, he could see himself, biting into Raven like some kind of wild beast. Completely amoral. He could feel her life’s blood….
I mustn’t think this. Snape shook his head to clear it, but his pulse quickened anyway. Don’t move, don’t move, dammit! Don’t move! If you hadn’t left your potion behind, this never would have happened... Don’t move don’t move don’t….
"They are still a ways off.." she said quietly, cursing herself for being so messy in her feeding... but it had been so long...
She stepped towards him, and he automatically stepped back.
"If... If you need to feed, you can do so from me..." Her eyes flashed as she held out her arm towards him. "I promise you, you won't hurt me."
"Like hell I won't." Snape's face screwed up in a look of hatred and fear as he remembered himself being bitten, and for a moment Snape thought he had mastered himself. But his thoughts increasingly turned favorably on his attacker, and it utterly appalled and disgusted him even as his thoughts slipped back to blood with a fierce single-mindedness. He shivered and his mouth began to water.
She stepped forward, he stepped back, like some bizarre courting dance.
How long has it been, Snape? Too long? Fifteen years long? Longer even? The last vestiges of his sensibilities began to give way...
He moved.
She held out her arm to him and he couldn’t stand there anymore. Maybe, maybe if I just…I will not bite her, he told himself, I'll just lick the blood from her arm… He knew, though, that he would never be able to hold to that.
He stepped forward and took Raven’s hand. Licking only. No biting.
That lasted for all of two seconds, for Raven stepped even closer to him, pushing her blood soaked hair away and exposing her neck....
It was just too much for Snape. His higher reasoning flickered and died, and he fastened his mouth to her neck.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:35:01 GMT -5
Deanna awoke with a start, as she felt a tingling sensation near her chest. She looked down to see that her pendant was glowing brightly. A vampire... She jumped up to her feet, instantly alert. There was no sign of Raven or Snape, although Thorne was still asleep, curled up close to the fire.
Deanna nudged his large paw with her boot. The feline lifted his head and gave a large yawn, exposing rows of dagger-like fangs. He blinked sleepily and gave her a curious look.
"The others, where are they?"
raven went out to look for food.. i think snape went to follow her as well.. why?
"There's a vampire nearby," Deanna stated grimly, fingering one of the sharpened points of her stakes. "I'll go find them, and warn them." She began to head out of the cave.
Thorne cocked his head for a moment, as listening to something no one else could hear. His eyes widened momentarily.
wait, don't go- he began, but the vampire hunter was already gone...
* * * * * * * * *
Deanna slunk through the forest, peering at her pendant as it pulsed, showing her which direction the vampiric presence was coming from. Suddenly she heard rustling coming from a clearing ahead of her, followed by a low moan. Deanna crept slowly towards the noise and could make out two figures in an embrace. She realized with a start that it was Raven and Snape.
Deanna rolled her eyes. She pondered how exactly she was going to interrupt them, when she noticed that Raven was covered with blood. Deanna's eyes widened and she peered closely at the seemingly amorous couple and saw that Snape was biting to Raven's neck. He was drinking her blood!
A knot of anger and dread formed in Deanna's chest. Snape was a vampire.. That BASTARD! She gritted her teeth and clenched a stake in her hand, before launching herself at the vampire...
* * * * * * * * *
A sudden blow broke the connection between Raven and Snape to Snape’s side. The ground met him and whatever had knocked the wind out of him, pinned him to the ground.
He couldn’t see properly who it was, he was still not fully out of his bloodlust state, and morning sunlight seemed to silhouette his attacker, who now was holding a sharp pointed spike offensively aimed at himself
“Hunter!” He had momentarily forgotten her name, but he didn’t have time to think of it because he was now being hauled up by his collar and shoved against a rough tree. He scratched at her arm with his glassy nails, trying to illicit some kind of response, but she held her ground.
“Vampire…” she muttered, holding up her stake menacingly.
Suddenly Deanna pulled away, or rather, was pulled away by Thorne, who had a firm grip on the back of her jacket with his jaws. She lost her grip on Snape and he slid to the ground again.
"Let me GO!" she snapped angrily through clenched teeth, as she tried to squirm free.
not until you calm down... came Thorne's response.
"Deanna, it's not what you think.." came Raven's soft voice. Deanna turned her angry gaze towards her. Raven's cheeks were red from embarrassment, and she was drenched in blood.
"He was biting you!" Deanna hissed. "He's been lying this whole time.."
"I... know...," Raven said quietly. "I let him bite me..."
Deanna stared at her, her stake falling from her fingers in shock. "You let him?!"
"Yes..."
"You - let - him - bite - you?!" Deanna said again, slowly and deliberately, her eyes wide. "Ok..." she said slowly. "Let me put this a different way... Are you insane?!"
She threw a murderous glare at Snape, who was slowly getting to his feet. He shook his head as if trying to awake from a trance. Deanna looked back at Raven. "Why would you let that... that thing... bite you?"
Raven's eyes narrowed in anger. "He is not a thing. He's a person, just like you and me."
"A person?" Deanna arched her eyebrow incredulously. "He's a vampire for Christ's sake!"
"What a closed mind you have hunter.." Raven growled, "Things are not as simple as that. HE may be a vampire, but the situation isn't as black and white as all that.."
"He's a monster, pure and simple." Deanna shot back.
"Then I guess I'm a monster as well," Raven growled, "I'm not exactly human myself.." Her eyes began to glow as her pupils slitted like a cat.
Deanna rolled her eyes in irritation. "Oh I see... I'm surrounded by liars... and not only that, they're both freaks..."
"Why you stupid little.." Raven began to hiss, but was interrupted by a mental roar.
will the both of you SHUT UP?!?!
Thorne released the back of Deanna's jacket so that she fell to the ground, landing on her rump.
stop it! he hissed. you're acting like children! he glared at Raven, who turned away, blushing, then looked at Deanna, his green eyes glowing.
“She’s right, I am dangerous.” Snape said quietly. Although he was able to get everyone’s attention, “Look,” he gestured to Raven, “ Look what I could have done…”
“Severus…”
“If Raven hadn’t… if she hadn’t been…”
"I'm fine," Raven stated firmly, cutting him off. "This was just a slight lapse in control. We didn't know we were going to be trapped in an alternate dimension, without food or supplies. From now on we'll make sure that you have blood to feed on properly and this won't happen again."
Snape’s cheeks burned slightly, he should have been prepared, he should have been able to foresee something like this occurring. He had been too comfortable with the potion that had kept him safe for so long… he made a mental note not to let himself slip up again.
"It won't happen again," Snape repeated.
The group stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, no one really sure what to say.
Raven sighed and cast a glance at Snape, whose face was blank and expressionless. Regret filled her as she looked back at Thorne. Why did she suggest he feed off of her? What possessed her to do it?
because you've had a crush on him since your last year at hogwarts. Thorne chuckled in her head alone.
Raven scowled at him. One of the disadvantages of him being in her head all the time was that he had access to her thoughts, her memories.
“Point me.” Snape muttered, finding the direction to the cave… He didn’t need to be scolded like a child. “I’m going back to the cave, it isn’t safe for us to be out here…besides, some of us could do with some cleaning up…”
Raven blushed, wishing she could crawl under a rock. She cast Thorne a glance.
""I.. I need to clean up as well." she mumbled softly, almost in a whisper. Thorne nodded and prodded a scowling Deanna back towards the cave.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:35:38 GMT -5
Raven walked off, making sure to go in the opposite direction that Snape was taking. She headed a bit south of where the cave was, to where she knew she would find a small pond to clean the blood and sweat off of herself.
Finally she reached the bank and plunged right in, attempting to dislodge most of the blood from her clothing before pulling them off and tossing them to shore. she dunked her head under the water and wringed her hair out until the water ran clean. She reached under the water, down to her calf, where her wand was strapped, and grabbed it.
"Accio Clothes" she muttered. A few moments later her neatly stacked robes and gloves floated to the bank's edge and landed. She stepped out of the cool water and slowly began to dress herself.
As she finally began to button up the collar of her robe, she winced as the fabric rubbed against the bite Snape had left. She ran her fingers over it for a moment. She really should ask Thorne to heal it, so there would be no trace left... She sighed softly again and finished buttoning up her collar, deciding to forget about it for the moment.
* * * * * * * * * * *
How could I have let this happen? Snape thought darkly as he reached the mouth of the cave, This should not happened. I should not have allowed it to happen… How could Dumbledore trust him when he could so easily endanger the students? Why couldn’t he have controlled himself, like an adult?
“Fluvius.” He said and a jet of water sprung from his wand. He washed himself of the dried on blood and mud that had gotten on his clothes. He took a moment to wash out the vial case, which, he remembered still had potion on it from the day before. He took it out and found the curved blade he had taken from Raven during her fear. He had forgotten to return it. He washed it off along with the rest of the case, remembering the events that had led him to today. He was so engrossed in his task, he jumped when he heard a voice coming from deep within the cave…
“One o’clock, Two o’clock Three o’clock, Four. Who’s that knocking at my door?
Five o’clock, Six o’clock seven o’clock, Eight Four weary travelers sit and wait,
Nine o’clock, ten o’clock eleven o’clock, twelve Not-a-one knows how deep to delve
Thirteen, Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen When will they have heard and seen…
Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty Herein lies a place of plenty.
Twenty-one, Twenty-two, Twenty-three, Twenty-four, Yet you sit here at my door!”
* * * * * * * * * * *
Raven took her time drying her hair and her spare clothing, trying to stall as long as she could. Finally she finished and sent a query to Thorne.
You back at the cave yet?
no, but snape is there. he snickered. you could always neck again...
Shut Up! she hissed.
Thorne just laughed through their mental link. Raven sighed and strode back to the cave, trying to figure out what she was going to say to him. Should she apologize? Should she pretend it never happened? She reached the cave and halted to a stop when she heard a familiar voice..
She peered into the cave and saw Snape standing there, very still. A voice was echoing in the cave.. Raven entered cautiously, her steps light, and passed Snape, heading towards the voice. He grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked back at him, her face hidden by shadows. She then turned away and pulled out of his grasp, heading towards the voice.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The voice, which was strangely familiar to Snape for some reason, continued to echo down the stony winding passages. Thorne and Deanna enter the cave, both their faces showing puzzlement. The group followed the voice, which continuously repeated the rhyme with varying lyrics, down deep into the earth, it seemed they had been walking for hours when they finally reached a dead end.
But the voice was upon them, in the echoing chamber they found themselves, it seemed that it was infused in the very air, they were so close, yet they couldn’t find the source. Snape held his lighted wand close to the wall, looking for some sort of trigger to open a secret hidden door.
“Open sesame.” He commanded over the echo, it didn’t work.
The voice stopped its chant and replied, “Sesame is for birds. Although my bird prefers sunflower seeds…”
“Where are you?!” Cried Deanna while pressing against the walls to try and unlock some secret door.
“I am here.” The voices cheerful tone bounced around the cave.
“Can’t you tell us where you are? Some kind of clue?”
“If I gave you a clue, would you look up to me?”
They all looked at each other… “Yes?” They said, uncertainly.
“Very well then.”
They waited for him to continue, but the voice was now silent.
“Well?” Snape said agitatedly, “Where is our clue?”
“I have already given it.”
Raven tilted her head, trying to determine where the voice was coming from. She turned around the phrase in her head..
"If I gave you a clue, would you look up to me?"
Raven's iris dilated as she peered at the ceiling. She blinked a few times, not sure if she was seeing what she was seeing.
"Thorne.. Come here.." the Draven cat came over and Raven crawled onto his back. "Get me up higher.." Thorne obliged and Raven reached up and pulled on what appeared to be a handle. Suddenly a set of stairs fell down on the ground, leading up to a room above.
This room couldn’t be any more different from the room below. The floor, ceiling and wall (there was only one, as it was a round room) seemed to be made of white marble cut from the living rock. On the floors were scattered colorful tapestries depicting all manner of magical beasts: Dragons, Unicorns, Draven cats, Phoenixes, Basilisks, and Griffons.
The wall sconces flickered, cozily lighting and warming the room and in between each wall sconce was a rather ordinary looking door. And in one of the doorways stood…
At first Snape couldn’t place the smiling figure who seemed to be very pleased that they had gotten his clue. The man scratched his chin and continued to smile warmly at them.
“Aberforth?” Snape said, slightly in disbelief.
The man raise his twinkling blue eyes to meet Snape’s gaze, “Know my brother, do you?”
Snape squinted. Yes, he could see the resemblance, it was in the eyes, although they weren’t wearing any glasses. And his lack of beard? Snape couldn’t believe it, “Albus?”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:36:23 GMT -5
Snape narrowed his eye at the old man.. How where they to know he could be trusted? Suddenly he remembered the foeglass he had in his pouch. Shifting his position slightly so that Thorne's large frame blocked anyone from seeing what he was doing, Snape pulled the foeglass out and peered at it.. It showed nothing.. So this world's version of Albus was no threat to them.
"Aaah so I pass the test?" came a voice directly behind him. Snape turned around to find Dumbledore standing besides him, eye sparkling mischievously.
“Tea?”
“No thanks.”
Dumbledore poured the tea into cups anyway.
“You know, “ He said, and set the teapot down on the wooden table, “Forget the tea.” He poured the tea down a sink. Everyone just looked at each other, “ There are more important things at stake her, no offense Severus. Now, ” he turned to them, “where did I put that tea?”
“You just poured it down the drain.”
“Yes. So I did, so I did…” He muttered to himself stroking his beardless chin.
“He’s mad.” Deanna whispered.
Snape grunted in reply…
“Ah! Yes! Now I remember!…” And he scurried off through a door. They took this time to look at each other, not sure what to think… He came back carrying a box of what looked like tea leaves. Under his other arm he carried what looked to be white cotton robes. In his hand he carried what looked like leather strips…
He poured water into a large cauldron and magicked it over to a firepit. When the water was boiling he poured the whole box of tea leaves.
“So! You all think me mad, eh?” He turned to them as he waited for the large vat of tea to boil, “Well, good! That is the image I wish to project. Makes me not a threat, and therefore, ignored.” He smiled warmly at them. “You all will have to blend in, of course, wizards around here don’t wear such fine robes as you all have, with the exception of Severus. Who, in this world is an accomplished member of Voldemort’s Policing force.”
They exchanged worried glances. He knew that they were from another world?
“Yes, yes…don’t look so astonished, I’ve been monitoring the situation with the spatial rip for quite some time now. My people have informed me of the plan to cross over into your universe and take control…”
“So that’s what they were doing…”
“Yes… The two Voldemort are to pool their resources. Unless they are stopped. Before we get to that, a history lesson. As I don’t know much about the world where you come from: it may be a very similar tale to your own world…ah! The tea is ready!” He picked up the white robes and plopped them into the boiling cauldron, stirring them around with his wand and then he settled himself into a chair.
“Okay, A brief history of our world; I have been told that you don’t have Draven Cats on your world? Here they've been around as long as humans have. Once, millennia ago, humans and Draven cats worked together peacefully. It was said that for every draven cat, there was a human that was their soul partner. One day there was a wizard who had lost his Draven companion. The pain of the separation drove him mad, so he figured that if he had to live without his soul partner, that no one else would share that bond.. So he cast a spell separating the souls of Draven cats and humans alike... Because of that spell it was said that Draven cats were cursed to live a life with only half a soul. Which is why there are so ruthless today.. and so life went on as Our world was dragged into darkness “Dumbledore paused to take a sip of tea, before continuing.
“Do you know about Shadow and Voldemort’s Heir…”
“He has an heir here?”
“Yes, of course! He doesn’t in your world?”
“No…”
“He doesn’t seem like a family man.” Deanna quipped.
“Well, he isn’t really biologically an heir per se… “
Suddenly one of the doors burst open and pale boy with a pointed face burst in.
“Mr. Dumbledore!” He said breathlessly, but stopped when he realized there was company. The blonde boy’s pale blue eyes narrowed as they fell on Snape. In a flash, he drew his wand, “Expelliarmus!” he shouted, Snape drew his own wand but the boy’s curse hit him and knocked him backwards, his wand flying neatly into the boy’s hand. In a flash he was standing over Snape, “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you, vampire.”
“That will do,” Dumbledore said quietly, “He is not who you think he is.”
“Are you brainwashed, old man? Has he got you under Imperious?” He turned back to Snape, “What have you done to Albus?”
But Snape wasn’t paying attention. Things just kept getting weirder and weirder. Why these things still surprised him, he didn’t know…” Draco?! Draco Malfoy?”
“Ah, so you have a Draco too, do you? Good to know… Draco, would you mind giving Severus back his wand?”
He stared at them all as if that was a totally unreasonable request, “I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but I assure you, you will get no information from me. Spiniferate!” His wand became a large pointed pike and he poised it at Snape. His eye gleamed as cold as ice and he set his jaw.
“I said, that will do, Draco. Accio Wands!” Both Snape’s and Draco’s wands flew out of his hand and Dumbledore caught them, “Now, sit down, my boy, and listen to what I have to say. After which, I will return your wand. ” He looked at the pike and it returned to it’s regular form, “Now. It would do you well to know that these people are not from our world. They are from a very similar dimension. You already know of Voldemort’s plans…”
“To overthrow Shadow.” He spat out the name as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Oh, right, you weren’t working on….well never mind then…the process of which Voldemort is overthrowing Thorne, is by joining forces with his other self in another dimension… these people here are from that dimension and are attempting to close the rift before things get out of hand.”
"We are?" Snape said, but it was drowned out by Draco.
“How do you know they aren’t lying to you?” He glared at Snape, “ He’s a vampire, and he’s a Draven.”
“Professor Snape, may I please borrow your foeglass?” Snape pulled the small mirror out of his pocket and handed it to Dumbledore who handed it to Draco, “Do you see anything?”
“No.” He said, sounding slightly disappointed, “Professor Snape?” Still giving him that critical cold glare.
“I’m professor of Potions at Hogwarts, that’s a wizarding school.”
“I bloody well know what Hogwarts is. My father’s headmaster there.” This seemed distasteful to him as well.
“Lucius Malfoy?! Headmaster!” It was difficult to imagine him in Dumbledore’s place, he shivered to think what his office might look like…
“So you have a Lucius too. And what does he do?”
Snape snorted, “Nothing, he’s bloody rich. Hides his misdeeds behind generous donations to charities.” But it finally caught up to him, Snape thought smugly.
“Yeah, that sound’s like the bastard.” Draco snorted. Snape raised an eyebrow, “Let’s just say we don’t get on well.” Draco explained darkly, “So you teach potions, do you? I bet you’re a blind sight better than who we’ve got now. Professor Black hasn’t got a clue. He’d probably mistake mandrake for daffodils.”
“Black!” Snape stood up from his chair, as did Raven. “Not Sirius Black!” “Yeah, the only reason he got the job is because of his Death Eater connections. Same thing with Professor Pettigrew…”
“Pettigrew’s a professor?”
“Yeah. He teaches Transfigurations, the git.”
“And McGonagall?
“Who?”
“I see.” Snape sat down… Sirius was a death eater and had his job. It was exactly like his fear.
A silence spread out in the room. Snape looked at the table in front of him.
"Well!" Dumbledore said finally, "It would probably do you all well if you got some rest for the journey tonight."
"Journey?" Snape said.
"The only way to go back is to go forward, I'm afraid. Intelligence reports have informed me that Voldemort has in his possession an amulet which sustains the rip. You must get the amulet if you want to get back home."
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:46:24 GMT -5
Dumbledore had lead them to a large but somehow cozy room of red and gold. It reminded Snape strongly of Dumbledore’s office back in his dimension. The walls were lined with bookshelves and a roaring fire burned in the grate as Dumbledore conjured comfortable-looking beds. He left the group, taking Draco with him, presumably to talk with him.
Deanna immediately went to the closest bed to the way and laid down, turning her back on the others. It was clear that she was still angry at both Snape and Raven.
Thorne curled up in front of the fire, throwing a look at Raven, which caused her to blush and turn away, before settling his head on his paws and closing his eyes.
Snape and Raven silently got into their respective beds. Snape stared up at the ceiling, which he noticed was enchanted to look like the sky (only from space since it had to be broad daylight outside). Snape wondered if this room served as a sort of observatory.
"Raven?" Snape whispered, hoping she wasn't asleep yet.
"Mmhmmm?"
"How do you feel?"
"What do you mean?" She said sleepily.
"You don't feel... unusual. do you?"
Raven sat up, "Unusual how?"
"Like....like you're changing... dying yet waking up...It's difficult to explain."
"Why would I feel like that?"
"Because of what... of what happened today."
Raven sat up on the bed and drew her knees up to her chest. She gazed up at the ceiling for a while before speaking.
"As I told you before, you didn't hurt me." she stated quietly.
"I bit you." He was glad it was dark, because he didn't want raven to see how his face was burning.
"I asked you to bite me..." she replied, "If you're concerned about infecting me, don't.."
"And why shouldn't I worry? What could possibly make you think you are invincible? And why were you covered in blood anyway?" Suddenly he remembered the skeleton he'd seen in the woods and had a funny thought, which he put away because it didn't make sense. Was she a werewolf? But they were nowhere near a full moon...
She gave a soft mirthless chuckle. "You can't infect me, because I would need to be human for you to do that.. You saw me in the forest Severus.."
"You're not a werewolf are you?" Flashes of the alleged 'Prank' flickered through his mind making him catch his breath.
"No..." she whispered. "I'm something entirely different.. You might say I'm the only one of my kind..." Raven fell silent and hugged her knees tightly to her chest.
Something clicked in his mind, and before he could stop himself from prying, it tumbled out of his mouth, "Does it have something to do with Thorne?"
She looked at the large feline sprawled in front of the fire for a long while before answering.
"Yeah... You remember what you heard about Draven cats and humans being soul mates a long time ago right?"
"Yes..?"
"Well, Thorne is the first Draven cat in centuries to have the ability to have a soul partner.. and I- I mean this world's version of me was his soul partner.. Was supposed to be his partner.. but she was killed before he found out about her..." she paused and stretched out on her bed. "So he found me... At the time I was almost dead.. It was after I tried to..." she stopped for a moment, and Snape was about to tell her she didn't have to tell him, but she started speaking again. "Anyways.. Thorne was just practically a kitten then, still is... Draven cats age much slower than humans do.. He tried to cast a spell to bind our souls together.. and something went wrong." She looked at one of her hands and suddenly 2 inch claws slid out from her fingertips.
"Oh." Snape said. It hadn't been the answer he was expecting, "I see."
He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, anything to lift the depressing silence that had suddenly settled upon them, when they both heard Deanna stir in her sleep. They looked at each other briefly then, by a silent agreement settled down to sleep. It would be a long journey tonight.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:47:51 GMT -5
Severus awoke to a strange sort of singing, is was a minute or two before he was awake enough to identify what was making the noise. It was Fawkes, who was perched on a bed knob on Raven's bed. It turned it's head as Snape sat up.
"Decided to get up?" Deanna said coldly to Snape. She was already out of bed and was walking around the room.
"Not a night person are you?" Snape snapped back at her.
"I sleep at night, like a normal person. And someone make that bloody bird shut up." She tossed her shoe at Fawkes which Snape caught.
"That's a phoenix." He scolded.
"I know bloody well it's a phoenix, it's been doing that for fifteen minutes now.
forget the phoenix, said a voice in their heads, do you ever stop arguing?
"What's going on?" Raven was sitting up in bed
oops, sorry, did I wake you?
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By nightfall, the robes that Dumbledore had been tea staining for them to wear were finally dry.
After a hearty supper he sent them off to change. Thorne waited eyeing Draco warily. The boy squirmed under the Draven cat's gaze. Dumbledore was busy rifling thru a trunk, muttering under his breath.
Finally Deanna, Snape and Raven came forth wearing the brown servant's cloaks. Dumbledore stoop up smiling, holding 3 silver collars, with a clear gem mounted on the front of each one, in his hands.
"Perfect!" he laughed as he handed out a collar to each of them. "Now you just need the right accessories."
slave collars? Thorne asked, obviously impressed, where'd you get those?
"Ahh,” Dumbledore replied, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “that would be telling."
"So what are we supposed to do with these?" asked Deanna as she looked at the silver collar dubiously.
wear it of course.. we need to make sure that everyone who sees you thinks that you belong to me. otherwise we'll have a repeat of what happened when we got here.
They each placed the collars on, and suddenly felt a buzzing in their heads.
"What the..?" Deanna began, but Thorne interrupted.
don't worry. That’s perfectly normal. the collars are waiting for me to mark them, to show that you belong to me.
After a moment the buzzing stopped and the gems turned black.
there.. now we can go. Thorne turned to Dumbledore and bowed his head slightly in respect. thank you for your help. we need to go now and finish this before it gets worse..
The group made it to the mouth of the cave before a tentative voice stopped them.
"Can.. Can I go with you?"
They turned to see that Draco had followed them.
“No.” “Yes.” Snape and Dumbledore said at the same time.
“I think Draco should go, as he knows his way around as a human here better than any of you.”
Draco pulled a collar from a pocket on his tea stained robes, “Dumbledore’s right you know, he’s always right.” He still eyed Snape suspiciously and Snape wondered whether Dumbledore wanted him to go to keep an eye on them.
Thorne rolled his eyes, whatever.. one more won't make a difference... He activated Draco's collar as well, then stalked towards the forest. c'mon, we're wasting time..
The others followed silently, jogging to keep up with the Draven cat's large strides.
The group traveled two by two, with Thorne bringing up the rear. Deanna and Snape were up front while Draco and Raven walked behind. Draco was covertly watching Deanna as he stumbled to keep up with everyone. Raven chuckled softly and reached out a hand to muss up his slicked back hair.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?!" he cried in outrage as he tried to rearrange his hair.
"Because your supposed to be a slave. When's the last time you saw a Draven cat's pet with slicked back hair? Anyways someone might recognize you."
"oh..." he replied quietly. He then ruffled out his hair, getting all the stiffness out until his bangs hung in his face, obscuring it from view. "Is that better?"
Raven smiled and chuckled again, "Yes, much.."
“Where exactly are we headed?” Snape asked, stealing a glance backwards.
you would do well not to question your master, slave!
Snape understood what he was driving at. It would be folly to not act anything less than totally defeated, he slumped his shoulders and looked only at the ground ahead of him.
Thorne sighed, then sent out in a more gentler tone.
we're going due north.. then when we get to the internment camp, we'll go west.. you need to act the part of a slave. keep your eyes straight and don't look back unless I tell you.. from now on if you want to ask me something do it with your mind. the collars sort of open a telepathic link between slave and master.
Snape opened his mouth, then closed it.. He wasn't quite sure how to send to Thorne...
just concentrate on the though you want to send me Thorne sent, as if he could read Snape's mind.. And maybe with the collar he could..
What's this about an internment camp? he sent out tentatively.
it's a werewolf relocation center.. about a mile from here. once we get there we'll go west. it will be a days walk from there to Voldemort's stronghold.
Snape almost tripped over his own feet, but tried to walk on as if he hadn’t. He cast a sideways glance, trying to ascertain if anyone had noticed.
‘Werewolves’ he thought, ‘why is it always werewolves?’ He hoped against hope that Thorne couldn’t sense his apprehension, ‘No need to panic. We’re only passing it. We won’t be going inside. Probably the only good thing about this world, Werewolves are where they belong’ But then he wished he could snatch that thought back.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:54:54 GMT -5
The group walked for about an hour before they saw the heavy iron fencing, topped with barbed wire, that surrounded the camp. The place was reminiscent of a Nazi concentration camp. Raven drew in a sharp breath at the sight of the people behind the fence. They were all thin and starved looking, dressed in rags. They wore plain silver collars, which hung loosely around their necks. The group skirted around the camp, heading west, giving the fence a wide berth.
Snape made sure that Deanna was standing between him and the fence, as his eyes darted apprehensively at the people. Then he noticed one of them stand up and look at them, his eyes wide, his nostrils flaring. It took him a moment to recognize the man, since he was so thin and gaunt. It was Remus Lupin.
Lupin drew near the fence his eyes wide, "You..!" At first Snape thought he was talking to him, but realized that Lupin's gaze was focused on Raven, who was standing behind him. Raven tilted her head, obviously confused.
"You must leave, get far away from this place before it's too late," Lupin said, trying to make sure no one else noticed him.
Unfortunately it was too late. Another of the prisoners noticed Raven as well. His eyes glowed red briefly as he turned back to yell at the others. "There's a loose Werewolf! Get her!"
Lupin gripped the fencing hard, causing his hands to bleed, "Run, Dammit!" he screamed as the silver collar turned gold. His eyes glowed red as well and he began to sprout fur and grow.. "Now!!" he screamed with his last human thought before he became a werewolf. The entire camp erupted in pandemonium as all the prisoners shifted. Then suddenly there was an opening in the fencing as the entire camp of werewolves rushed out towards them.
Snape’s legs buckled underneath him and the world suddenly closed in around him. He clutched the earth in his hands, trying to regain his breath, but he felt as though someone were holding a pillow over his face.
’Dammit, not now!’ he thought desperately. He knew he was hyperventilating. This couldn’t be happening, not again. He had to regain control before the pack of werewolves descended upon them. Flashes of memories mixed with the present and Snape crumpled into a ball.
Thorne snarled as he grabbed Snape by the back of his robes with his jaws and lifted him in the air.
HOLD ON! he roared as he wrapped his tails tightly around the others. The mass of werewolves fought each other to get at them, as Thorne bounded off into the forest.
Thorne ran, his sides heaving from the weight he was carrying. He stopped in front of a cave.. Maybe they could hide here? They definitely couldn't keep running forever. He padded into the cave, taking twisting turns downs random tunnels.
"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Raven asked gripping onto his tail as tight as she could.
no clue whatsoever... he growled, skidding to a halt.. They had reached a dead end. Thorne set everyone down and growled in frustration.
"Damnit!" Deanna snarled when she saw that there was nowhere to go, "Now what?"
"Wait! I found a way out!" Draco cried from a darkened corner of the room. There was a small tunnel. It was big enough for them to squeeze through but it would take time.. And they didn't have much left..
The cavern filled with the echoing howls of the werewolves. They were getting closer.
Raven looked at Thorne intently for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and growled at her.
"Thorne.." she said quietly..
He roared in anger, but Raven looked at him with a steady gaze. Finally his shoulders sagged and he looked away.
"What's going on?" Deanna asked looking at the both of them.
"The werewolves need to be distracted.." Raven began quietly..
"Dammit.." Deanna pulled out two of her sharpened stakes. "We at least we won't go down without a fight..."
Raven shook her head softly, "Sorry Deanna..." she interrupted. "You're not the one staying behind.." and before the hunter could react, Raven pulled out her wand and cast a spell.
"Stupify!"
Deanna fell unconscious to the ground. Draco stared down at her, wide eyed and frightened. Raven crouched down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder, to draw his attention.
"You need to leave.. If any of you get bitten, you will become werewolves as well.. I'm immune, I'll stay behind. It's me they want anyways.." She removed her collar and handed it to the boy and her wand as well. "It's best if these aren't found on me.."
"You can't stay behind.." Snape said softly. Raven and Draco turned to look at him. He was trembling with barley suppressed panic. "We can get out, all of us.. we have to go.." he was beginning to ramble..
The howling grew closer, and Snape shook even harder, his eyes rolling madly in fear. "we're all going to die here," he mumbled under his breath, "they'll tear us into pieces.."
Raven grabbed him by the shoulders and for a moment it looked like she was going to shake some sense into him. Suddenly she pulled him down and pressed her lips hard against his in a kiss. Snape froze, as he was shocked out of his state of panic. Then as suddenly as she kissed him she pushed him away, towards Thorne. The Draven cat wrapped his tails tightly around Snape, binding his arms to his sides.
"What..?" Snape sputtered, still in shock. "Sorry, Severus," she said with a sad smile, "Looks like your not going to die today." She turned a steely gaze on Draco. "Go now.."
Draco hurried into the hole and Thorne crouched down and followed, dragging Deanna in his jaws as he pulled Snape behind him. The last thing Snape saw was Raven shift, her robes shredding as she transformed into a humanoid feline, and the werewolves converging around her..
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:55:58 GMT -5
“Come on, I’ve just realized, I know where we are.” Draco said as he held his wand light high to illuminate as much of the narrow crawlspace as possible, “yes, I definitely know this place, I’ve been here before…”
They walked on until it seemed the cave started on a gentle slope upwards and then the night sky opened up above them. They could feel the cool night air, it was refreshing after being in the damp airless cave.
do you think you can walk? Snape heard in his head as they arrived outside… It occurred to him then just how tired Thorne sounded. He craned he neck backwards and saw Draco walking on ahead and Deanna dangling from Thorns mouth.
“Of course I can!” he snapped reflexively, although he hadn't meant to sound angry.
Thorne set Deanna and Snape down.
should we revive her?
Snape drew his wand shakily, but Draco was quicker, "Ennervate!"
Deanna sat up, "What the hell?"
Draco smirked, "You're welcome." He said as he resumed looking around at the trees and seemed to be summing up his surroundings, "Alright," he said finally, "this way."
"Why should we follow you?" Snape asked
"Because I've been there before," he said darkly, "and it's nobody's but Dumbledore's business why," He frowned at Snape, "This way."
"Wait a minute," Snape snarled, "You expect us to blindly follow you? You obviously don't trust us.. Strike that. .. Don't trust me, so why should we trust you?"
"Because you have no other choice," Draco hissed back.
As the testosterone fest was going on, Deanna noticed that Thorne was faced away from the group, staring back at the cave they had just left. As Draco and Snape's yelling increased in volume, she could see that the fur on Thorne's back began to rise. Finally the Draven cat had been pushed to his limit.
BOTH OF YOU IDIOTIC HUMANS SHUT UP! he roared, the slave collars increasing the volume of his sending tenfold, causing everyone to grasp their heads in pain. He turned to face then and it really hit home how very dangerous he could be. His eyes smoldered with barely controlled fury, but they could see tear trails running down his face.. Had he been crying...? YOU STUPID, STUPID HUMANS he roared as he stalked towards Draco and Snape. Both of them stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with fear. But Thorne did not attack them.. He brushed roughly past them, knocking them both to the ground, and took out his anger and despair on a thick oak tree. As his scythe-like claws easily gouged thru the wood, he cursed Raven for leaving him, cursed the werewolves, cursed the stupidity of the human race, cursed both God and fate for what had happened... until finally he hacked thru the trunk. The large tree fell with a loud crash that resounded through the forest. Thorne stood panting over the fallen tree, refusing to face the others.
"What-what’s wrong?" Draco asked tentatively.
raven... she's dead, he hissed quietly. This announcement sent a ripple of shock through the group.
Deanna stared at him. "How do you know?"
she's not in my head anymore, he replied in a hollow dead tone.
Deanna looked at the others. Snape had a strange, unreadable expression on his face. Draco just looked dumbfounded.
Suddenly Deanna stiffened, her pendant was glowing.
"We have company," said Draco suddenly, his eyes wide. He was staring into the darkness.
Thorne sent a quick glace at Draco and Snape, making sure that they had hidden their faces behind their hair and they had their hoods pulled up. He growled as a familiar scent reached his nostrils.
This world's version of Snape stepped calmly through the trees. He raised an eyebrow when he recognized Thorne, and his lip curled in anger.
"Aaah Moonslayer," he drawled as he casually circled the group. Thorne stayed in his place but kept his narrowed gaze on the vampire. Alter-Snape stopped in front of Draco, who kept his gaze towards the ground. "You seem to be missing one of your pets... and acquired a new one?"
she didn't please me, Thorne replied in an icy tone. so I had her replaced.
The Vampire chuckled darkly and then gave Deanna a passing glance. He smirked and licked his lips as he trailed his eyes down her body. It took a great deal of willpower for her not to wipe that sickening smirk off his face, but she held still, her eyes cast downwards. Finally the vampire went to past by Snape, but froze. He slowly turned, a look of puzzlement crossing his features. His eyes narrowed as he took in the familiar nose and angles of the face in front of him. His jaw dropped in astonishment, as he took a few steps back.
"Y-You look like--" Was as far as he got before large crushing jaws closed over his head. There was a sickening crunching noise as Thorne literally ripped the vampire's head right off.
Snape and Draco stared at the twitching corpse in horror. Draco then looked up at Thorne, his pale complexion going even whiter... “Ah…ah…ah…” he stuttered.
Thorne licked blood from his lips and turned towards Snape.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:56:30 GMT -5
take the clothes off the body and put them on.. you can find out more if they think you're him.. Thorne licked a few errant blood drops off his whiskers. when you’re done i'll dispose of the body..
Deanna paled slightly, "You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do, are you?"
Thorne turned his cold gaze towards her. it's fresh meat. i'm not going to let it go to waste. if your squeamish i suggest you go ahead a bit and wait..
Draco turned several shades of green and looked like he was about to pass out. He stumbled away from Thorne, looking like he was trying his best not to throw up.
Deanna turned away, trying not to let the gruesome scene get to her. You've seen worse.. She told herself, but that didn't seem to help.
Draco made a strained noise and doubled over.
Snape meanwhile wasn't moving. He was staring at the beheaded corpse, his eyes wide. Thorne nudged him. take the clothes... Snape shook his head and looked at Thorne uncertainly, then leant down and started to take the clothes...
He was removing the shirt when he had noticed the Dark Mark on the headless Snape’s arm and wondered whether his own Dark Mark would function in this world. Would it only respond to his world’s Voldemort? Or would this world’s Voldemort be able to call him with it. He looked at his own arm and found that it had once again become visible.
“You have that too.” Draco asked him, peering at Snape’s arm grimly. He apparently recovered enough to come close to the corpse without throwing up again.
“Have what?”
“The Morsmordre. The Dark Mark. This.” Draco pulled up his sleeve to reveal his own Dark Mark.
“How did you…?”
“My father.” Draco spat, “I didn’t want it.” He turned away.
The clothes fit him perfectly (and if it wasn’t such a serious situation, it would have occurred to him that he liked the way they looked). They were extremely comfortable and he was surprised to recognize the scent of sage, cedar and lavender emanating from the cloak as his own combination, (He had stopped perfuming his clothing quite some time ago.). It made him wonder just how similar this Snape had been to himself. If Voldemort had never lost power, would he have indeed returned to him, like the manifest destiny of a vampire? With Voldemort regaining power now, would he still do that? He shuddered to think of the things he had seen and taken part in when he was in Voldemort’s ranks. Now he would have to return there again.
He tried to remember what this world’s Snape’s head had looked like (as it was conspicuously missing), he remembered he had long hair tied back. Snape’s own hair was not as long as his…would anyone notice? Would this world’s Snape have kept the same haircut for years? Judging by his own resistance towards change, he’d say that this Snape had kept himself the same for quite some time. He would have to do something about his hair. He thought about hair growth potions, but he didn’t have the ingredients necessary, and it would have taken too long anyway. What was that spell he had heard that Beauxbatons student using (during class no less)? He thought back.
“Chevelonge.” He pointed his wand at his hair and transparent black locks of hair writhed their way out of his wand, blended with his own hair and grew opaque. He waited until it was down to his ankles before breaking the charm.
“Sexy.” Deanna snorted, although he wasn’t sure she was entirely being sarcastic. He said nothing and tied it back how he had remembered it.
take the boy with you and go to voldemort's stronghold. see if you can find anything useful.
Snape nodded curtly and turned to Draco who looked very pale and tired. Draco cast one last glance at the headless corpse and shuddered before leading Snape away.
Thorne turned his hard gaze on Deanna, his eyes no longer holding the playful mirth they had before Raven had gone. Instead they were cold, hard and calculating.
we are going to my brother's castle to find out what we can from that end, he paused, his lips raising in a snarl ever so slightly. that is unless you have any problems with that?
"Um.. No.. I don't." she muttered in reply.
good.. he sent, then turned his attention to the body. Thorne lowered his head and took one of its arms between his teeth and with a quick yank, pulled it off. In three crunching bites the arm was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thorne and Deanna walked silent through the forest, neither speaking. After the Draven cat had finished his grisly meal, he had given her a curt order to follow him. They might have been walking for maybe half- an hour, tops, but it seemed like hours. Finally Deanna got sick of the silence.
"Thorne.." she began, pausing to put her chaotic thoughts into words... The Draven cat stopped in his tracks, but did not turn to look at her. "Look... Raven could of gotten away. She might still be alive."
Thorne slowly turned to face her, and Deanna took a step back. He was smiling, exposing rows of gleaming white, sharp teeth.
let me make something perfectly clear to you.. he sent in a soft purr..
Thru the collar he opened up his mind to Deanna. She was flooded with memories of feelings. She felt the oneness of two souls joined together, two minds intertwined fully so that it was hard to tell where one stared and the other ended. It was the feeling of never having to feel alone in this world.
this is what it feels like when a Draven cat and his soul partner are together. he purred smoothly, this is what raven and i felt always.
Sudden Deanna felt a sensation of her soul being ripped in half. She cried out as tears filled her eyes. It felt like someone was literally ripping out her heart and soul, tearing into her mind. There was the sensation of utter loneliness, of a loss so great and profound that nothing would ever make it better again.
this is what i felt when we finally got out of that cave, he snarled. she is not there anymore. i have always felt her, she has been a part of me since i found her nine years ago.
Then Deanna felt cold and numb, with an aching hollowness deep in her heart.
and this is what i feel now, what every draven cat feels, because we only half a soul. He turned away from her. so do not bring up petty hopes that she might be alive. she made one last request before she made me leave her in that cave. i was to make sure that you and the others stay safe, and close the hole to the other world. one you and snape are on the other side and the portal is closed i will join her in death.
"You can't just kill yourself!" Deanna protested, wiping tears from her face. Thorne turned his angry gaze back on her.
i am dead already, only my body doesn't know it yet. he hissed. there is no point of existing with only half a soul..
He did not wait for a response as he plunged into the forest.
Meanwhile....
She was aware of darkness... and a cold loneliness that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She was disoriented, with many thoughts jumbled around in her head..
Where am I? ... Shouldn't I be dead..? Is this what Hell feels like?
Her entire body ached, and she ways lying on something hard and cold.. She slowly opened her eyes. Above her was a smooth metal ceiling. She sat up quickly, wincing in pain from the multiple bruises that covered her body. She was in a cage, her arms were chained together with heavy manacles, and she was stark naked. Her hands flew up to her neck and found a cold metal collar. She felt tightness in her chest.. She felt wrong..
Thorne..? she sent.. but she knew something was horribly wrong. She felt empty and numb... What was this? She tried to send out again but there was a giant void... He just wasn't there anymore...
"Oh god..." Raven moaned softly, "he's dead..."
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:57:21 GMT -5
“There it is.” Draco said mirthlessly gesturing to the castle in front of them.
“That?! But that’s…”
“Hogwarts. Ironic that a seat of learning should also be the seat of evil. Alright, we go through this way, the front entrance is for the students. There is a secret tunnel I know of for The Dark Lord’s followers.”
Snape nodded.
“I will pose as your protégée. I am the son of Lucius Malfoy, and I attend Hogwarts, you and Lucius are friends, so it seems like a logical assumption that I’d be apprenticed to you. You should know that you are one of The Dark Lord’s favorites,” Draco said knowingly, “You have quite a bit of power of your own, that should help us.”
Snape wanted to question him, but they were drawing close to the castle and they didn’t want to be overheard.
Draco led him down a spiral staircase, which seemed to drill straight through the depths of the Circles of Hell. At the bottom was a sentinel half asleep whom he thought he recognized as Crabbe. He nodded to them, “Mr. Snape, Master Malfoy.” Snape nodded.
The corridors seemed damp and Snape wondered just how deep beneath the earth they were. It almost seemed fitting that Voldemort’s stronghold would be a subterranean labyrinth like that of the Minoans. Draco seemed to know where he was headed, but Snape doubted it would be possible to remember the way out.
Suddenly Draco stopped at a picture Snape recognized as Vlad the Impaler. Apparently, Vlad recognized him as well, because when he saw them, he gave a slight sneer and swung on his hinges, revealing an apartment lavishly furnished with highly polished cherry wood and red velvet furnishings. He gazed around the room in surprise. He didn’t have anything like this back at home, not on his salary. Snape put the thought out of his mind. I was almost gaudy anyway. He went over to a bookshelf and gazed at the many books. He was surprised to note that very few of them were on potions, many were old copies of Auroring handbooks and strategy guides. He remembered back to when his alter had asked them for papers and wondered if he was some sort of peacekeeper. He continued looking through the book titles until his eye stopped on one that seemed strangely familiar…
Break with a Banshee – Gilderoy Lockhart Travels with Trolls – Gilderoy Lockhart Gadding with Ghouls – Gilderoy Lockhart Year with the Yeti – Gilderoy Lockhart Wanderings with Werewolves – Gilderoy Lockhart Voyages with Vampires – Gilderoy Lockhart Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Garden Pests – Gilderoy Lockhart Magical Me – Gilderoy Lockhart
“What the hell?!” Snape muttered aloud and Draco walked over to him.
“What?”
Snape said nothing, but held up a winking and smiling copy of ‘Magical Me’
“Oh him? That’s Gilderoy Lockhart. One of the best aurors we’ve got.” Draco said reverently, “If we had more of him, then Voldemort would have never gained power.”
Snape stared at him in disbelief “I do hope you’re kidding. Lockhart’s a prig. A fraud. “
“That’s just what he tells people. See?”
Draco flipped the book open and pointed to something on the copyright page.
This is a work of fiction, all names, places, and situations are fictional. Any similarity between real people, places, and events is unintentional. This is for entertainment only.
“Well good! I see in this world he’s recognized for what he is.”
“You’re not listening! He really has done all this stuff! No one pays attention to the works because everyone thinks they’re fiction. But Lockhart’s been feeding Dumbledore information through them for years. No doubt that’s why this world’s Snape has copies of all of Lockhart’s books; he was probably trying to find the pattern. I’ll have to tell Dumbledore they suspect something. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, he should be in the castle right now, Dumbledore had mentioned something to me about him rendezvousing with a contact here. He didn’t tell me who it was though.”
“Lockhart’s still a prig in my world anyway.” Snape said, sulkily.
* * * * * * * * * *
Raven fought with tooth and nail as she was bodily dragged from her cage by a small group of people with dead eyes. They threw her in front of a finely dressed wizard. She looked up and her lips pulled back in a snarl of anger. Smirking down at her was Lucius Malfoy. He placed the tip of his cane underneath her chin and lifted up so that he could get a better view of her face.
"Aaah," he purred, "such a pretty little thing. "
She just snarled at him, trying to will the change to come over her, but nothing happened. Malfoy apparently sensed what she was trying to do and chuckled darkly.
"Trying to shift are you?" he sneered. "Well thanks to the collar around your neck it's not going to happen. You're completely helpless.."
So he thought she was helpless, huh? She'd show him helpless... Raven lunged upwards, her nails raking across Malfoy's cheek. He screamed in pain, raising his cane to strike her, but she grabbed it from him, using it as a bludgeon to hit and strike at him, before she was pulled off of him by a number of hands..
The dead-eyed servants who had brought her here were piling on top of her, trying to overwhelm her with their numbers, but she was riding a wave of adrenaline and she was not easily thwarted. She snarled and hissed like a wildcat as they finally managed to pry the cane from her hands.
Malfoy took his cane back and drew forth the wand that was hidden inside. He raised his arm, the killing curse upon his lips, when a hand grabbed his wrist. Malfoy turned with murder in his eyes, ready to kill whoever it was who had the audacity to stop him, but froze when he saw who it was.
Lord Voldemort released Malfoy's arm and looked down at the still struggling Raven, who looked up at him with pure hate and venom in her eyes.
Voldemort smiled as his reptilian eyes flashed. "Now, now Lucius.. I believe I had told you to bring our guest to me alive... I have uses for her yet..." Voldemort turned his cold gaze on the dead eyed servants who barely held Raven down.
"Clean her up." He hissed softly, "She must look presentable for tonight entertainment.."
The servants pulled a kicking and biting Raven away, but not before she made one last lunge for Malfoy. He visibly flinched away, just out of reach of her flailing foot. Voldemort chuckled at Malfoy, whose pale face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"Come, Lucius, we have things to discuss.." at the Voldemort left the room, his robes billowing around him. Malfoy trailed behind as he mopped up blood from his cheek from Raven's attack.
"Lord Voldemort.." Malfoy began, "What possible reason is there to keep that girl alive?"
"Aaah Lucius, you never were one to look at the big picture.." Voldemort replied. "The girl will be of use for both entertainment plus as a test of a 'gift' we have received from the Draven cats."
Malfoy looked understandably confused. "What do you mean?"
"The Draven cats have given us a collar, similar to the ones they use on their slaves. It, supposedly, would allow us to telepathically control someone by use of a bracelet." Voldemort Scowled for an instant. "I don't quite trust how easily they gave this to us.. But then that's why I've decided to hold a tournament.. "
"A.. Tournament..?" Malfoy asked, looking at Voldemort as if he though that he'd taken leave of his senses.
"We need someone to test out the collar. The winner of the tournament, gets the girl, we put the collar on her, and the bracelet on the winner. If it works then we will be one step closer in defeating the Draven cats.. If it doesn't well.." Voldemort shrugged as if it were of no consequence.
Both men ended up in the great hall, where someone was waiting for them. He learned against one of the tables, his face fixed in a perpetual scowl. He wore black and green robes and his shoulder length black hair was tied into a ponytail, but a few unruly locks worked themselves free, giving him an almost shaggy appearance. Irritation shone in his vibrant green eyes.
"Harry!" Voldemort smiled, "Have the preparations been made?"
Harry nodded, still scowling, "Yes, I got everything ready, just like you said.. Can I leave now?"
Voldemort ignore the boy’s petulant tone, "Not quiet yet. Where's your cousin, Hermione?"
Harry shrugged, looking bored already. "I dunno."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes, a warning tone crept into his voice, "Well then find her then. I don't want her to miss out on the festivities."
Harry huffed in frustration and stormed off towards the bowels of the castle, off to find his wayward cousin.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:58:32 GMT -5
There was a knock at the picture. Snape gave Draco a quick look before opening it. A lithe young girl was standing on the other side, “Hello, Uncle.” She said, “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He said, hoping this was the correct response. Draco heard her and came over..
“Perfect. Come in Hermione, I’ve got some things to tell you.”
How common was the name Hermione? Snape wondered. This girl didn’t look anything like Hermione Granger. And, had she called him uncle?
“Uncle,” She said, with a frank expression which reminded him of Granger, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you know how I feel about- about You-Know-Who-“
“Hermione.” Draco interrupted.
“Let me finish, Draco.”
“But Hermes!”
“You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“It got your attention didn’t it?” Draco smirked.
She rolled her eyes, “Alright, what do you want?”
“That isn’t your uncle.”
“Of course it is! Unless he’s using polyjuice-“
“He isn’t. Do you want the direct version or the one where I beat around the bush, oh hell I’ll just give it to you straight, He’s from another universe, similar to ours, we haven’t time to explain it all, but he’s here to close the portal between our two worlds.”
“And my real uncle? Where is he?”
Draco hesitated, “He got his head bit off by a Draven cat.”
Snape waited for her to get angry, but instead she grimaced, and shook her head sadly, “I knew nothing good would come from being in league with Voldemort.”
Just then, the picture flew open. Everyone whirled around. Snape couldn’t believe his eyes.
“I was sent to get you,” The black haired boy said agitatedly, as if he shouldn’t have had to, “well? Are you coming to tonight’s entertainment or what?” Snape just stared at him. There before him stood Harry Potter, sans scar.
“What’s the matter with uncle Severus?” Harry asked Hermione. She shrugged.
“Well, I don’t care whether you come or not, really. It’s just that Tom wanted me to get you.” He rolled his eyes.
Draco smiled, “You’re on a first name bases now?”
Harry shrugged, “So? You say Voldemort, I call him Tom. We’d better get a move on.”
* * * * * * * * *
Snape watched as a group of servants led a manacled figure out into the arena. The crowd was surprised by what they saw. A woman? She was supposed to be some sort of challenge?
She was lithe, with a well-rounded figure that was shown off by the fact that she had been dressed in mere scraps of green silk that barely covered her modesty. Almost every bit of exposed skin was covered in elegant, vine-like tattoos making her appear to be some sort of exotic dancer. Most of her jet-black hair had been carefully pulled into intricate braids, while the rest hung down her back like a midnight waterfall. Her head was lowered, her face hidden behind her bangs. Suddenly she lifted her face, gracing the audience with a hate-filled gaze.
Draco let out a hiss of surprise, as Snape did his best to keep his face completely neutral. Raven snarled and moved quickly pulling one of her captors off guard, as he fell before her, she dealt out several swift, hard kicks to his ribs. The other servants simply left him to his fate, seeing as all they had to do was get her into the arena. Raven finally stopped her bone-breaking kicks only after the prone form below her stopped moving.
"As you can see the challenger is not totally defenseless," Voldemort chuckled to the audience. "The rules of the Tournament are simple. No wands can be used, all you have to do is slip this collar around her neck without killing her.. Any takers?"
Crabbe was the first victim-volunteer to walk into the arena. He clutched a golden collar and leered at Raven. She stood perfectly still, her head down, her hands clenched into fists behind her back.
Crabbe slowly strolled up to her, probably thinking that all he had to do was hold her down and slip the collar over her neck. He was much larger than she was, so he thought he could easily subdue her. He, of course, was greatly mistaken..
As soon as he was about a foot away, Raven sprung into action. She slammed her foot into his, then stuck his knee, then finally his groin. These three kicks took a manner of seconds to accomplish. They brought Crabbe to his knees where he hunched over and retched from the intensity of the pain. Raven chuckled darkly as she stepped away from Crabbe and sat on the ground.
Snape raised an eyebrow. What the hell was she doing?
Raven brought her knees to her chest and scooted her bound wrists under her hips and feet. She stood up with a satisfied smirk. Now she could use her hands....
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jun 30, 2005 22:58:58 GMT -5
Crabbe was levitated out of the arena, since Raven made no further attempt to do anything to him. A few moments later Goyle entered the arena, his face twisted in hate. He leaned over to pick up the fallen collar, making sure not to take his eyes off of Raven. She smiled sweetly at him, then spat in his face.
Goyle roared in anger and rushed her. Raven ducked out of his way, but wasn't quite quick enough to avoid his hand. Goyle's thick fingers managed to catch hold of the strap that held up Raven's top.
There was a ripping sound as the scrap of silk was pulled off of her body. Both Raven and Goyle froze. Raven's face went blank for a moment, as Goyle looked dumbly down at the scrap of cloth in his hand then back up at Raven. A ripple of laughter went over the audience, as Raven's cheeks flushed red, and she brought her hands up to cover herself. Goyle leered at her and began laughing along with the audience. Raven started to tremble with rage, her fingers hooking into claws..
She let out a roar of fury as rushed Goyle, and luckily for him he managed to get out of the way just in time. Raven snarled and hissed, as she lunged and struck out at Goyle, and he was doing all he could just to say just out of her reach. Snape narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. It seemed when she got angry enough Raven made mistakes...
Finally Raven had backed Goyle against a wall, and she seemed to get a tentative control on the bezerker anger that was bubbling up from inside of her. Her fists slammed into his solar plexus, then her leg kicked out, her foot hitting him square on the chin. There was an ugly crunching noise as Goyle neck snapped from the blow. He fell to the floor lifeless. Raven snarled in disgust then pulled the cloth from Goyle’s hands and put her top back on..
Voldemort smiled darkly. "Who's next?"
"Accio collar.."
The golden collar pulled itself from Goyle's dead fingers and flew up into Snape's outstretched palm. He smirked down at the snarling Raven.
"I think I'll have a go..." he sneered.
His exterior was cold and unreadable as Snape handed his wand to Draco. He had watched the other two matches carefully, probing for weaknesses. And he thought he had found one.
He knew he would never beat her in a physical fight. He had settled into a sedentary life in the Hogwarts dungeons for far too long to be a fair match for her lean musculature. It was strategy and psychological manipulation that would win this fight. There was no room for error or loss. Both their lives depended on it.
He stepped into the arena. Raven glared murderously at him and he smirked in spite of himself. Inside he felt the too familiar demeanor of his Death Eater days, dredged up by the wave of adrenaline that cut through him. He was ashamed to find that he was actually looking forward to the thrill of the hunt. It was paramount that she didn’t know who he was, so it made it that much easier to play his role… or none of them would be leaving the castle alive.
He slowly circled Raven, considering what to say to her. She had only met his alter once before…that would be a start… maybe he could work with that….
“I remember you, “ he began in the most imperious tone he could manage, “from Hogsmeade. You hadn’t any papers.“
She gave an articulate grunt of barely suppressed rage.
He smirked although he had no idea where he was taking this, he reached into his wand pocket, forgetting momentarily that he didn’t have his wand, but pulled his hand out quickly as his fingers brushed against the bolline belonging to Raven. That gave him an idea.
“If I recall, you were with companions, yes?” He held her gaze and said nothing.
He sighed arrogantly, as if he was already bored with her.
“You’ll be happy to know that they died well.” At this, she drew in sharply and let out a low feral growl, he had her attention now, “Yes, the woman put up a small fight, but I’m afraid they don’t make vampire hunters like they used to. I certainly was expecting something with a little more imagination. But ah well, they all taste the same anyway, right?“ He smiled broadly, allowing his pointed teeth to show. Something he did very rarely, even when he was under the influence of Vampire’s Bane. She rushed forward like a mad bull to a matador. It was time to pull the red cape out from in front of her.
Suddenly, Snape apparated on the other side of Raven, trying to get the collar on her before she realized he’d disappeared, but he hesitated a moment too long and she caught him in the shoulder blade, knocking him sideways. He cursed and fell to the ground hard, but quickly got back up onto his feet. Raven circled him, her eyes burning with hate.
"You're lying," she hissed, but Snape could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. He smiled darkly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out her bolline and twirled it between his fingers. Raven's eyes widened in recognition. He apparated again, but this time, she was ready for him and swiftly knocked the air out of him. He quickly apparated a safe distance away again, trying to catch his breath without being mauled. This wasn’t working. It was time to try something else, something he hadn’t done in years.
Snape dissolved in a smudge of greasy black mist. She couldn’t possibly fight the air itself. He made sure to hold the collar tightly in a wispy palm which was concealed by the surrounding cloud of blackness…when he spoke next, his voice seemed to resonate from the air itself.
“Yes and then there was the feline. You’ll be happy to know he was a bit of a challe-“ She didn’t allow him to finish but growled and leapt wildly into the cloud of greasy black smoke.
Click.
The collar snapped tightly into place and Snape allowed her to pass right through him, loosing coherency completely. She slammed against the wall, knocking herself unconscious, and Snape coalesced behind her. Raven laid in a crumpled heap on the ground before his feet. He was dimly aware of the crowd’s cheers and the disappointed scowls on some of the other Death Eater’s faces that had evidently hoped to get a chance to fight her. Voldemort stood up, holding the bracelet for all to see. Snape stepped out of the arena and kowtowed and kissed the hem of Voldemort’s robe.
“Alright Uncle Snape!” Harry said clapping as wildly as the crowed and beaming at his uncle, “I knew it would be you!” It was disturbing to see Potter acting so strangely. He was almost hoping he’d make a snide remark about his overlarge nose or greasy black hair.
“Arise Severus.” Voldemort smiled down at Snape, it was a cold calculating smile that made Snape wonder if the man had any real emotions left, “Once again your cleverness has won out over brute strength.”
“Thank you, my lord.” He said, hoping he sounded sincere.
“Hold out your wrist.” Snape did as he was told.
He addressed the crowd, “To the winner, go the spoils.” He said and snapped the bracelet in place.
Snape felt a tingling all over his body as soon as the bracelet snapped in place. He glanced uneasily at Raven's prone form.
"Don't worry about your new little toy, Severus," Voldemort purred. "We'll have her cleaned up for you and waiting in one of the rooms upstairs."
Severus watched as a group of servants lifted Raven's limp body off the ground and carried her off to parts unknown.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 10:51:00 GMT -5
Thorne was waiting at the edge of a cliff when Deanna finally caught up with him. As she stopped next to him, gasping to catch her breath her gaze followed his. Below them was a massive structure built into the side of a mountain. It was larger than anything she had ever seen, with spiked turrents that seemd to reach high into the heavens.
"What is this place?" She asked, slightly awestruck.
this is a place very few free humans have ever seen.. this is my brother's fortress... you should feel very privledged...
Thorne lead her down a rocky path, to large iron gates that were at least thirty feet tall. He paused for a moment and turned to face her.
before we go in, there are some rules you have to follow. otherwise you will not survive. first you must never speak unless spoken to.. keep your eyes low and never look a draven cat in the eyes, because that will draw attention. you do not want to be the focus of attention. no matter what is said to you, do not lose your temper. some of my breatheren may try to get a rise out of you, just so they have an excuse to.. 'play' with you.... any questions?
"No..." Deanna replied quietly, wishing she was anywhere but here.
Thorne nodded. all right then...
He extended a scythe-like claw to draw a glyph over a panel built into the gate. The sound of metal against metal rent the air as the gates slowly opened before them, revealing what apeared to be the opening into the side of the mountain. Thorne padded down into the depths of the cave, with a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Deanna was right behind him
As they wandered through the corridors, Deanna noted that the walls and floors were crafted from dark obsidian with veins of ruby running through it. Periodically torches, in intricately carved hematite and jade holders, gave off flickering light, barely illuminating their way. The combination created an organic effect that made the dark corridor look alive. The low light level caused figures to meld in and out of the corridor. They stopped just short of a large set of doors that were made of pure onyx, upon which with a battle scene was carved. Looking closer, Deanna could see that the figures were moving, and a re-enactment of what Thorne had done to Snape's Doppleganger was happening to the carved humans.
As they drew closer, the doors started to open and childish giggling made its way through the crack, as four humans wearing the slave collars pushed the massive gates aside. Thorne and Deanna stepped past the threshold, into a throne room. It held what would be priceless works of art back in the other dimension, things that were both obscure and beautiful. The giggling turned to light hearted laughter.
Deanna looked at the sole occupant of the room and barley supressed a gasp... Thorne was big, but the creature before them was immense. Even though he was reclined, Shadow still towered over Thorne. Elegantly tapered horns curled over his head like a crown. His chocolate colored fur was neatly kept and a silver mane spilled down his back. The laughter calmed back down to giggles as Deanna noticed its source. A cage just to the left of the throne. The cage was elevated and its bars were pearlescent and shined in the light. Within the cage sat a short and slim girl. Immediately upon inspection, one could see that her skin and hair were a startling white, not pale as many people can be, but white. One leg was poking through the bars and swinging beneath the cage, the other bent and her slim white arms hugging it. When she saw the newcomers, she stopped laughing. Tentatively sniffing the air, she looked directly at Thorne.
Shadow narrowed his mismatched eyes at his younger brother.
moonslayer, he purred, his tone like steel under velvet, it's been a while.. i was beginning to think that you had gotten yourself killed..
Thorne chuckled softly at his brother, tearing his eyes from the odd human who was so intently focused on him.
you know that i'm very hard to kill, shadow. he replied. i see, you've acquired a new pet in my absence.. but then i seem to remember that you enjoy collecting unusual things.
“You smell funny” The girl’s voice said with childlike innocense. Her crimson eyes swivelled to Deanna’s slightly trembling form. “But she smells funnier.”
Deanna couldn't help but stare at the monstrous Draven cat before her. She felt her heart hammer in her chest, and was certain that it was ounding so hard that the two felines could hear it. She was basically trapped in a room with something that had the power and strength of a dragon, but with the cruel cunning of a human being. She realized that she was begining to hyperventalate and struggled to control her breathing.
Shadow's large ears twitched as his gaze fell on Deanna, her quick breaths catching his attention. Thorne cursed to himself and tried to keep his temper in check.
do not look him in the eyes, he warned, directly into her head,[/i] look at the ground. do not speak, at all, whatsoever unless commanded to. do nothing else to draw his attention if you enjoy breathing.[/i]
She quickly drew her eyes downwards, looking at her feet.
Shadow stood, his massive frame filling the room, the tips of his horns almost scraping against the high valted ceiling. He lowered his head to get a look at the the frightened woman
aaaah what a pretty little gir this one is, he purred.
Although Deanna did not look up as the massive head came near her, she could sense that if he wanted to, Shadow could literally eat her up in two bites.
Thorne's tails twitched in agitation.
i'm just breaking her in, he sent to his brother, she has a great deal of issues that need to be dealt with before she would be acceptable.. shadow.. brother... we need to talk..
Shadow turned his eyes to his younger silbling, taking note of the serious tone of the sending.
what do you need to speak to me about? he asked.
it concerns mother as well.. maybe we can go to her den and i will explain.
Shadow nodded, then turned his gaze back to a quivering Deanna.
your little pet can stay here and amuse my songbird. she is housebroken, isn't she?
Thorne couldn't help but smirk a little at that. she should be fine right here. He glanced at her, and projected another private sending. you behave yourself. don't touch anything.
At that the two Draven cats left the room, leaving Deanna and the laughing girl alone
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 10:52:09 GMT -5
Thorne and Shadow padded down the smooth hallway as torch light flickered over their glossy pelts.
what's on your mind, runt? Shadow rumbled, breaking the opressive silence that had settled over them. Thorne flicked his ears, as he tried to put his thoughts into words.
shadow... Thorne started hesitantly. His loyalties laid only in Raven, but now that she was dead.. He had no love for the human's of this world, and he did not want any harm to come to his family. so he just blurted it out.. voldemort is planning to go to war with the dravens.
Shadow raised an eyewhisker at his young sibling. we heard rumors that he was up to something.. how did you find out about this?
Thorne shrugged, there is a group of human resistance fighters, they were speaking of what voldemort was planning... shadow.. maybe you could form an alliance with the humans?
Shadow snorted and his artifical eye glowed menacingly. feh.. an alliance with those cowards? what could they possibly offer us?
more than you know, shadowsong. came a soft, melodic sending. Shadow's lips curled up in anger at the use of his given name, as he looked up to see that they had reached their destination.
hello mother... Thorne sent almost shyly. It had been a long time since he had seen Fire-Dancer, and he was sure she would be furious at him. To his surprize, her eyes lit up in pure joy at the sight of him. She grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him into the shelter of her paws, where she proceded to lick him from head to toe.
my little moonslayer, she purred, nuzzling her son, while flicking a few licks across his head. i was so worried about you!
moth-er! Thorne yowled, embarrassed by the affection. He tried, unsuccessfully, to wriggle out of her grip, but she lightly cuffed him over the head. He sighed and layed limp until she finished her ministrations.
what's this about the humans being useful? shadow snarled, still bristling over the use of his given name. If it had been anyone else who had called him that, they would have died quite horribly. Only his mother had the distinct priviledge of calling him Shadowsong, but it stil irked him to no end.
Fire-Dancer paused to grace her elder son with a calm green gaze. more and more of the younger cubs are being born like little moonslayer here. she purred. Thorne stiffened at these words. More Draven cubs like him? More who needed soul-partners?
as much as i know you hate to belive it, we need the humans.. she continued. we have to make some sort of peace.. for our cubs.. for your cubs...
Thorne decided that he had stayed silent long enough. shadow.. you are the hyakujuunoou here... he sent, using a term he had picked up in Japan.. It seemed to fit his brother well. you have to think of our race.. do you really want some pathetic wizards to destroy everything you worked so hard to create?
Shadow gazed at Thorne for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally he sighed. fine.. i will take this under consideration.. Shadow chuckled softly in amusment. hyakujuunoou... king of beasts? i like that.. come moonslayer, we will speak more of what you know about that fool wizard's plans..
Thorne cast a worried gaze towards the coridor that led back to the throne room.. but my pet..
oh moonslayer! you have a pet? i simply must go see the darling little creature! don't worry, i'll make sure no harm comes to her.. Fire-Dancer stood, releasing her hold on Thorne, then glided down the hall towards the throne room.
Both brothers sighed in unison before the went off to Shadow's den.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 10:54:44 GMT -5
Deanna sat in the middle of the throne room, curled up in a nervous ball. She desperatly wanted Thorne to return, so that they could leave this place. The flickering shadows that were crawling around the room, were making her paranoid. After the Draven cats had left, the girl had started singing, but the songs she sang were very foreboding and told of death and destruction. Deanna wasn’t sure if she preferred the laughter to the singing. Either way the girl was making her already paranoid mind run on overdrive. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the stone doors that lead into the throne room, slowly being scraped opened. Deanna turned, feeling momentary relief at the thought that Thorne had returned. Unfortunatly it wasn't he, who entered the room. She saw a large male Draven cat with ratty, brindled fur and amber eyes stalk into the room. He eyed her with keen intrest and barred yellow fangs in a horrible grin. Deanna quickly cast her eyes downwards, as Thorne's earlier words of warning flashed through her head. what have we here? he hissed in her head as he drew nearer to her. Deanna kept her eyes downcast, trying to stop herself from visibly trembling. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her head, and her collar glowed and began to buzz angrily. The Draven cat snarled in displeasure. so, you belong to that pitiful moonslayer,eh? well i'm sure he won't mind if i have a little fun...Deanna tried to back away, but was stopped by a huge paw, slaming into her chest. She tried to draw in enough breath to let out a scream, but she could only gasp helplessly, as the Draven cat pressed his paw down on her, his rank breath washing over her. Suddenly Deanna could breathe again as the Draven cat was knocked away from her. She looked up to see a new Draven cat standing protectrivly over her. This one was not nearly as large as Shadow, but still a great deal larger than her attacker. The Draven was clearly female, her lithe and delicate body moving with a supernatural grace. Her pelt was a mix of dark firey reds, and golds. Her eyes were a vibrant emerald green that glowed with fury. grimfang... you should really keep your claws off of the property of others, she hissed angrily. The male lowered his hear in a submissive geasture, his eyes wide with fear. grandmother..i was playing. i wouldn't of caused any permanent damamge to moonslayer's toy.. leave now, grimfang, i'll deal with you later.... she growled. Grimfang slunk out of the room, with his belly low to the ground. The female Draven turned to reguard Deanna with a benevolent gaze. poor little thing... she mused softly as she lowered her head to inspect the human for any sign of damage. Deanna scooted away, her eyes wide and wary. The Draven cat chuffed softly. oh! don't be afraid little one. i won't harm you... she purred gently. do you have a name?Deanna hesitated a moment before she spoke.. "My.. My name is Deanna..." oh what a lovely name for such a pretty little thing, she cooed, you make call me fire-dancer. now.. come with me.. i will take you back to my son.. i think you've had enough excitement for today.. * * * * * * * * * * * By the time Throne and Deanna were reunited, Fire-Dancer had stated that it was really to late for them to leave now, and it was best if they spent the night (well actually the day) in the saftey of the stronghold. After a full meal (raw meat for Thorne and a sort of savory soup with bread for Deanna) they were led to a private chamber to sleep. After they had rested up, Shadow and Fire-Dancer saw them off.. Thorne's mother purred as she rubbed her cheek against his. don't let so much time pass before you next visit, my little moonslayer, she sent as she gave her son a playful lick on the head. Deanna noticed as Thorne's eyes clouded with sadness and regret for one moment, then the emotions were gone. He rubbed against his mother's leg. She lowered her head and he licked her on the cheek. goodbye mother.. he sent in almost a whisper. go ahead, he told Deanna, privately, i'll catch up.. He waited until she left the room, before turning to face his brother, who was smirking at him. mama's cub, he jeered, but not unkindly. you're just jealous cuz she likes me best. Thorne smirked back. safe travels, runt. Shadow lowered his large head and butted it softly against Thorne. Thorne butted back up against his brother in farewell, then turned to leave. He took one last glance over his shoulder, burning the image of his family firmly on his brain, before leaving their lives forever.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 10:57:55 GMT -5
Raven awoke in a panic, the cold hand of fear tightening over her heart. She sat up, gasping, her eyes wide, momentarily disoriented. Where was she? This was no cell but a lushly furnished room, decorated in elegant shades of burgandy and black silks, vevet and brocade. She layed on a elegant canopy bed, with sheets of the softest silk.
Raven looked down at her wrists surprized to find the manacles were gone. Her hands flew up to her neck and felt anger bubble up inside of her. A jeweled collar encircled her throat. She jumped off the bed and hissed to find that this room had no doors or windows.. So it was a cell.. just a nicely decorated one..
Her eyes caught sight of herself in a guilded mirror that hung in a corner of the room. Someone had pulled her hair into elegant braids, she was now wearing some sort of green gauzy gown and glittering earing hung from her ears. They were gold with green gems, matching the collar that hung around her neck.
So.. This is what she was reduced to? A concubine? A pretty little toy for that.. monster to play with? Hatred welled up inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. Her fist shot out, shattering the mirror. The glass showered down to the floor, bouncing off her bare feet. Blood welled up across her knuckles, but she didn't feel the pain. She was to wrapped up, riding the wave of anger that washed over her.
She ws supposed to die! The others were suposed to live. Now.. everyone was dead and she was the toy of the man who killed them. Suddenly her anger quickly turned to sorrow and self-loathing. Everything she touched died. Her mother, Kiyoshi, Deanna, that poor boy Draco, Snape... A pang of regret filled her at the last name, but she quickly brushed it away and her thoughts turned to Thorne.. He had raged against her when she told him to leave her there in the cave.. Maybe if she hadn't left him.. Maybe he'd still be alive..
Tears flowed down her cheeks and she roughly brushed them away. Her eyes caught sight of an especially large shard of glass. She kneeled over and picked it up. She could kill herself.. Her death would definetly piss that bastard off. At any rate, she just wanted for the pain to go away.. She wanted it to all be over. She had failed, she had to pay the consequences.
She held the glass to her wrist but some unseen force stopped her from cutting into her flesh. She could see in the glass's reflection that the jewels on her collar were glowing. She cursed and flung the shard away. That bastard! He was stopping her.. Her anger reached berezerker heights as she took out her hate on the furnishings of the room.
After reducing a cabinet and a wardrobe to smithereens, she stopped, taking huge gasping breaths. She had to calm down. She forced her body to relax as she easily slid into the graceful moves of a kata. It was like a serene and calming dance, performed with all of the power of a born killing machine. Raven's every motion, every gesture was perfectly fluid, balanced and at just the right speed. An eerie calm set over her, as she cleared her thoughs and drained her emotions, focusing only on the precise movements of the kata.
Finally Snape made his way over to Draco, who looked neither pleased nor upset. Harry followed them over.
“Hey, Draco!”
Draco smiled at Harry, pushing Snape’s wand into his waiting hand, “That was an amazing fight, wasn’t it, Harry?” He grinned and pulled Harry aside, enthusiastically giving Harry a play by play of all of the contenders.
Snape opened his hand and found a small piece of parchment rolled around the handle of his wand:
S,
Keep your eye out for golden snitches, especially those from the other team (their captain V and one of his keepers, L ). You never know when one is right by your ear. Keep to the position of beater, don’t let R know you are feinting. We can’t let the other team know either, and if R knows it may tip them off.
D
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Snape made his way to his apartment (how he found his way back, he couldn’t guess) Finally he found the picture of Vlad the Impaler, which swung open the moment he saw him. Turning into mist always drained him (which was one of the reasons he stopped doing it.) Now that he had achieved his immediate goal of winning Raven for himself, he wasn’t quite sure where to continue from there. Raven had never quite explained how to close a portal from the inside while still being able to get through themselves. He was starting to wonder if they would get to their home dimension again. He felt so tired and wondered when the last time he’d slept properly.
Suddenly he became aware of the presence of another in his apartment. He remembered what Draco had said about snitches and wondered if this is what he had meant. While trying to appear unaware of the other being, he drew his wand.
“Expelliarmus!” The strangely familiar voice from the shadows said, and Snape toppled over while his wand leaped from his grasp and hurtled into the shadowed corner where the person snatched it midair.
Thinking quickly, Snape scrambled to his feet and drew Raven’s blade.
“Show yourself!” Snape snarled, although he knew he didn’t really have a chance against an Avada Kedavra.
“Put that silly knife down, Severus Snape. I’m not your enemy.”
With that, the man stepped from the shadows, although Snape had by then realized who’s voice that was.
It was Gilderoy Lockhart.
Snape's lip curled into a snarl of anger.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed, trying to cover his utter embaressment at losing his wand to Gilderoy Lockhart. How could he of let that.. that bubble-headed idiot get the drop on him!?
Lockhart put his wand away and held out his empty hands to show he ment no harm. "We have a few things to talk about," he said in the same tone one would use to placate a mad animal.
"What could we possibly talk about," Snape sneered, putting the knife away. His fingers iched to get his wand back in his hands, but he didn't dare take his eyes off of Lockhart.
"Look, Severus, I-" Lockhart didn't get to finish his thought as Draco came bursting into the room.
"Good God, I thought I'd never get Potter off my case," Draco complained, rolling his eyes, "The stupid git.." Draco paused, noticing Lockhart in the room. He grinned sheepishly and ran his fingers thru his hair."Oh hi, Gilderoy," Draco smiled, "sorry we couldn't meet with you earlier..."
"That's all right my boy," Lockhart flashed one of his patented brillant smiles. It made Snape want to vomit. "I heard about the tournament and knew you'd be delayed. So since Mohamad couldn't come to the mountain, the mountain came to Mohamad."
Draco suddenly became serious and buisness like. "We have a big problem, Gilderoy. Your books.. My father and Voldemort suspect that they are more than just fiction."
Lockhart expression became grave and serious as well. "I suspected as much. It looks like my cover is as good as blown."
"Yes.." Draco sighed, "I'll help get you out of the castle safely." he turned to look at Snape, "Hermione can stay with you.."
“Don’t be a fool, Draco.” Snape hissed. There was no way he was going to let Draco risk his life for Lockhart’s. He was still the same Lockhart even if he did do every last thing in his books. In fact, Snape wondered if his head was even larger in this world because he had done all those things. He was still an arrogant twit, what kind of fool puts their intelligence reports in the form of published books?
“You can’t possibly understand the situation,” Draco dismissed his protest with a wave of his hand, “You’ve only just arrived here,
I’ve been working here for months. And besides, this is Lockhart for goodness sake, he’s the most important man we’ve got. We need him.”
Snape’s eyes flicked over to Lockhart, who was beaming at Draco. Yes. He still had an ego.
Draco continued, “Anyway, I don’t have to take orders from you.” He pushed past Snape followed by Lockhart, who was trying not to look too pleased with himself. Snape didn’t know what he had to be pleased with. He’d just gotten caught because of his vanity and was going to put a boy at risk as well. If Snape couldn’t stop them, he was going to keep an eye on them at the very least.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 11:00:05 GMT -5
Snape waited for Draco and Lockhart to get far enough ahead so that they didn't notice his following. He trailed them through the bowels of the castle, secure in that fact that they didn't know he was behind them. Suddenly something gripped his heart and he felt a momentary panic and disorientation. Snape froze his hand over his chest trying to control his breathing. "What the hell..?" he gasped under his breath, right before the panic turned into an almost all consuming rage. His fangs showed as his lips pulled up in a snarl. Snape gripped the wall trying to control himself, not knowing what was happening to him. Then his mood changed dramatically again to dispair, regret and self-loathing. Nothing mattered, it would be just better to end it all.. He fought against the emotions that held him tightly in their grip as he slowly slid onto the floor.
"No, no, no, no...." he muttered to himself, he couldn't let whatever this was consume him. Suddenly he noticed that the jem on the braclet was glowing.. Wait.. was this Raven that he was feeling? Is this what the collar did? Snape hissed as she switched back into rage again. Taking deep calming breaths Snape turned around and headed back the way he came. He had to find Raven before he was driven insane by her emotions.
He ran into a young initiate who looked at him with awe. "Inspector Snape, Sir? Lord Volemort sent me to take you to your new slave."
Snape nodded through gritted teeth and followed the young man up through multiple passageways. Snape stoped abruptly. The anger was gone, replaced by an eerie calm.
"Is everything ok, Sir?" The initiate asked, when he noticed that Snape had stopped following.
"Yes, yes.." Snape snapped, irritably. "Keep going." Finally they reached a portrait of a young woman, wearing gauzy silks, reclining on a couch. She winked and leered at Snape, moving a little so that her silk top sliped down to reveal..
"Mea Culpa" the young man said, and the portrait swung aside to reveal a door. "I'll leave you to test her out," the young man smirked before he left Snape alone in the hallway.
Snape opened the door to see Raven, with her eyes closed, moving as if in some sort of dance. At first he thought she didn't notice him but in an instant her eyes snapped open and she rushed him. Snape simultaneously recoiled from Raven and reached out to keep her from mauling him with her fingernails. It was surprisingly easy to keep them at bay. He wondered if they had been mistreating her, for her to be this weak, she couldn’t have had proper nourishment or rest.
“Bastard!” Raven screamed and tried to rush him again, but it was almost as if, when she drew near she changed her mind. Suddenly Snape thought he literally felt his blood boil as a paralyzing anger seethed inside him. He wanted to tear her to pieces for her insolence (after all, who was it who saved her life?) but stopped himself by sheer force of will.
He said nothing, but grabbed her wrist and dragged her out the picture hole. He knew it would be impossible to talk here. Draco had warned them about the many listening ears in the castle. The only safe place he could think of would be in his quarters.
Kill him, must kill the bastard! the beast inside of her screamed, but Raven knew that as long as the bloody collar was around her neck, she could not harm him. So if she couldn't kill him, maybe she could get him to kill her?
The vampire Snape began dragging her down the hallway, most likely to her private quarters. Raven let her body go limp and fell to the ground. Snape stopped as she nearly took him down with her. He yanked at her arms, trying to force her to stand up. She just layed there, limp and unmoving dead-weight. He snarled in frustration.
"Get up," he hissed. The jewel on the bracelet, and the gems on the collar began to glow. Raven felt her body slowly and mechanically stand up, against her will. All the anger inside of her drained out. With the collar he could make her do whatever he wished. It was hopeless. She was so tired, she just wanted it all to be over.. Her shoulders sagged and her chin dropped to her chest. Her eyes screwed shut, trying to keep her tears from falling.
"Why don't you kill me?" she whispered, "Just let me die.." He heard Raven whisper and he sighed, it seemed like a good suggestion to him. He looked at the bracelet, it was glowing softly…there was no doubt about it, these were Raven’s emotions.
They were nearly to his quarters when it occurred to Snape just how old he felt. A wave of plain tiredness passed over him and his pace slackened. What was the point anyway? The odds of getting home seemed astronomical.
They finally made it to the picture and Vlad ogled Raven before swinging on his hinge. Snape felt a wave of disgust and he wondered whether it was his own, or Raven’s.
As soon as the portrait closed behind them, Raven slumped to the ground. She didn't make a sound as tears streamed down her face. It galled her that she was crying, but ever since she woke up and found Thorne gone from her mind, she had no control over her emotions.
"Well, aren't you going to kill me or torture me or something?" she asked, her voice dead and hollow. She refused to look at him. Her hate was still there bubbling under the surface, but she was helpless to resit him.He looked at her dead eyes and fought the wave of anger he was sure wasn’t his own.
As Raven slumped to the floor, Snape himself wanted to cry, he cursed, fighting back Raven’s emotions and became angry with himself for wanting to cry.
He turned his back to her and wanted to look for this Snape’s liquor cabinet (he was sure, given this world’s hellish conditions, that he would have a well stocked one). Instead he fell wearily to the couch and sighed, “No. Of course I’m not going to kill you.” He got up again and pulled out his wand, “Clarifacio.” He said and wave his wand vaguely in the air. A ghostly white magical imprint revealed itself where Lockhart had performed the disarming charm. Other than that, no previous magical signatures revealed themselves. No one had performed any magic here recently. He did a quick check of the room, looking for surveillance devices (as he had already done before talking with Draco in here). All the while, Raven sat motionless in more or less a state of resignation.
When he was satisfied that no one was eavesdropping, he came over to Raven and looked her full in the face, “I’m not going to kill you, nor do anything else to you. Raven, it’s me. I’m Severus Snape head of Slytherin House, Potions Master at Hogwarts, under Headmaster Dumbledore. It’s me.” The corners of his mouth curled up in something halfway between a smirk and a smile.
He expected her to practically leap into his arms or at leas smile or laugh or something other than what she did. Her eyes grew wide, as if seeing into the depths of a bottomless pit. “You bastard,” She whispered. Snape suddenly felt his own stomach drop to his toes. He glanced at the bracelet and saw it glowing furiously, “You tortured them for information before you killed them!”
“I-I what!? No. Raven! It really is me! Ask me anything, I’ll answer it.”
“Alright then," she said with an air of determination, which instantly Snape felt. She thought for a moment and then looked him in the eyes, "What happened after- after I left the cave?”
“I went looking for you. I ran into you and I….,” He looked away from her, shame and disgust showing playing across his features, “I bit you.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 11:01:08 GMT -5
Raven's eyes widened for a moment as her hand flew to the scar he had left on her neck. A slow blush spread across her cheeks. 'Oh god," she thought to herself, 'What the hell possed me to ask him about that?! Stupid, stupid!'
"I-It really is you.." she whispered softly, "Isn't it?" her tone begging him to convince her this wasn't some trick or hallucination. He nodded slowly.
She really looked at him, taking in the long hair and green eyes. Her hand reached out for a moment and she quickly drew it back.
"But your eyes.. They're green.."
The edge of his lips quirked ever so slightly. "They've always been this color. I have to wear sunblocking contacts, so it apears that my eyes are black."
'Green eyes suit him..' she thought for a moment, but her concience screamed at her, 'Gaaah! What are you thinking?!! You saw his face when he talked about the bite. He cetainly didn't enjoy it as much as you did. He was disgusted! Disgusted by you!'
Suddenly Raven was keenly away of how little clothing she had on. She blushed deeper her hands covinging her body, she noticed that he was looking at her verry oddly.
"What?" she asked, trying to stop herself from turning any redder, "Why are you looking at me that way?"
Snape noticed as his emotions passed from slightly amorous to disgusted in rapid succession. At the same time, Raven seemed to cover herself up and he felt himself color deeply. Those emotions, or at least the initial one, didn’t belong to him, he was fairly sure of it. If they weren’t his, then that would mean- Could she possibly be carrying a torch for him? He colored again, and this time he was sure it was his own emotional reaction. Could he really have been so blind that it took the collar to make him see it? His eyes grew wide as the new realization dawned on him.
“Nothing.” He choked out far too quickly to be true. Should he tell her he knew? And what if he was wrong? How would she react? And if he was right….?
He panicked inwardly and started to look for that liquor cabinet he knew his alter would have…
Raven bit her lip as Snape moved quickly away from her. 'Yep. That confirms it.' she thought bitterly to herself, 'He finds me totally repulsive.'
"Um.. Could.." she paused, hoping to keep the note of bitterness out of her voice, "Could you lend me a shirt or something..?"
Snape froze, then turned to look at her, realization dawning on his face.
"Egads! I'm sorry!" he said as he hurridly looked through unfamiliar drawers and cabinets in search of a shirt, a robe, something. Finally he found a long sleeved black shirt and held it out to her.
She hesitaed, averting her eyes, blushing again. She mentally cursed herself. 'God's woman! You're acting like a bloody blushing school girl. Stop it!' She took the shirt from him. "Thank you.." she said softly, refusing to meet his gaze.
The picture/door opened suddenly and in walked Harry, followed by Draco and Hermione. “Hey Uncle Snape.” Both Hermione and Harry said at the same time. Raven and Snape both looked deeply embarrassed, Raven held the shirt in front of herself. She didn’t like the look Harry was giving her. Neither did Snape.
“Ohh…she’s even prettier close up…” Harry exclaimed, “and cleaned up. I hope she’s not going to become your midnight snack… seems too pretty for that. I think you should save her for… other purposes.” Snape wanted to smack that smirk right off of his face. Or it might have been Raven who wanted to smack him, it was hard to tell, but Snape forced his features into neutral and uttered a noncommittal grunt.
Harry continued leering at Raven, “I wish I could have competed, but Tom wouldn’t let me.” He gave an angry scowl to the carpet, “He says I’m too important to risk on silly games like that.”
“He’s right, of course.” Snape was worried about saying something suspicious. It seemed better to agree with the Potter from this world. He had to keep himself from staring at Harry’s scarless forehead. It was so strange seeing him without his scar. It made him look even more like James. As if to prove Snape’s point, Harry ruffled the back of his hair, just like James used to do when the girls walked by.
“Yeah…well, he’s always right isn’t he? I can’t wait until I’m running this place.”
“Patience Potter.” Snape reprimanded gently.
Harry’s eyes snapped with green lightning and his face turned into a scowl that made him look more like a Snape than a Potter, “Don’t call me that. You know I hate it.”
“Sorry, Harry.” Snape mumbled.
“Yeah…okay.”
“Harry, didn’t you want to ask Uncle something?” Hermione asked.
“Oh. Right… almost forgot. You’ve been invited for dinner tonight. You too Hermione. And you and you’re dad too Draco. Tom wants you to bring her too,” He looked at Raven and he seemed to brighten, “Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 11:02:42 GMT -5
The dinner was set in a very plushly furnished dining hall in Voldemort's personal flat; The room was hung with dark green velvet curtains with silver tie backs. Tapestries hung on the walls depicting Eve and the serpent in the garden of Eden. And on the floor was a Persian rug with snakes with women's heads all over it. The Nagas were moving slowly about so when you looked at it one moment it might be different than when you looked at it the next. It was probably very old, and expensive, and not to be stepped on, and Snape was sure he saw the corner of it move at one point. A flying carpet perhaps? On the wall behind the head of the table was Salazar Slytherin's coat of arms a great basilisk crossed with two wands.
Snape tried not to look around as though he'd never seen the place before, instead he focused his attention onto the table, wondering where he was supposed to sit. Voldemort would certainly take the head chair, and Harry, from what he could tell, would take a chair by his side... but other than that...he was at a loss on the Death Eater heirarchy in this world.
Luckily, Harry waved him over to come sit by him. He was sitting at Voldemort's right hand, just as Snape had expected he would. Snape took his seat. Lucius was to sit next to him. Opposite Harry sat Bellatrix, on Voldemort's left. Accross from Snape, Hermione and accross from Lucius, Draco.
Raven was at a loss on where to sit. Perhaps partly the reason Snape had been wondering the same thing before himself. Sirius and Regulus Black took seats next to Draco, next to Lucius sat Wormtail. Apparently he wasn't as much of Voldemort's favorite in this world. Other Death eaters, whom Snape only vaguely recognized took other seats around the table. There was no chair for Raven. She stood behind Snape, glaring at everyone.
Out of the corner of his eye, Snape could see Lucius Malfoy glancing aprehensivly at Raven. She just let out a low, barley audible growl and flexed her fingers, while glaring daggers right back at him. There was a thin line where Raven had scratched him earlier, and the memory of the humiliation stung more than the wound had.
Snape and the others planned on making the most of the evening. If Voldemort had the amulet, they had to discover it's whereabouts. They would try to dig for information, but that wasn't, they saw, going to be easy.
Voldemort entered the room, flanked by house-elves carrying heavy looking silver trays laden with food. With a pop, one of them appeared on the table and began pouring the drinks. Severus, and a few other Death Eaters he didn't recognise, were served blood mixed with rum. This made his stomach growel at him, matching the groweling Raven was doing at Malfoy.
"So," Voldemort said sipping a green drink Snape was almost positive was absinthe, "How are you enjoying your new plaything, Severus?" He looked at Raven appreciatively...too appreciatively. And Bellatix didn't look like she was appreciating it.
"I'm very happy I won her." Snape said honestly, "It was a generous gift, lord."
"Now, now, you won her fair and square." Sirius, from accross the table looked like he didn't agree. After all, no one but a vampire could have turned himself into mist. It gave him an unfair advantage over the human Death Eaters. He said none of this however, but contented himself by glaring at Severus and leering at Raven. Actually, it seemed nearly all of the male population of Death Eaters were leering at Raven.
Snape held up his wrist, "This bracelet is a very interesting bit of technology."
"Yes. It was a gift from our Draven brothers." Voldemort said guardedly. Snape wondered what he was hiding, "A generous offering of peace from Shadow himself."
"What does it do precisely?" Harry asked taking a sip of his watered down wine.
"It allows us to have slaves like the Draven cats do," Voldemort explained, "Through the bracelets we are able to make them do whatever we want them to."
"Oh. Like Imperius."
"No. It doesn't tax the bracelet wearer like Imperius does. And there's no danger of the subject going mad." Barty Crouch, near the other end of the table, giggled and gave his goblet to a house elf to be refilled.
"And does it work?" Harry asked Severus.
Snape smirked, "What do you think?" Harry smirked back.
"I do hope," Lucius turned to Snape, "that Severus knows how to share his toys." Draco's pale face colored slightly. Narcissa Malfoy was not here.
"Yes..." Harry agreed, looking at Raven again... Snape's mouth went agape. Then anger and an embarassment flooded him, partly Snapes, mostly Ravens... he stalled for time by taking a sip of his drink.
"Actually," Hermione interrupted, "He plans on making a meal of her."
Both Harry and Lucius looked dissappointed.
Voldemort leaned over and gazed at both Raven and Snape with accute intrest. "So, Severus, there haven't been any problems with the bracelet then?"
"No lord, it seems to be functioning just right."
"Good. Why don't you give us a demonstration?"
"As you wish, what would you have me tell her to do?"
"Surprise me."
"Umm..." He glanced at Hermione for ideas.
"Why don't you make her bow?" Lucius suggested.
"I think I asked Severus to surprise me." Voldemort chided.
"Sorry m'lord." But Snape was already performing the desired task, mechanically Raven got to her knees, and fell face down in a kow tow at Voldemort's feet."
"That is interesting," Voldemort approved, "Let's try something else; I believe she gave Lucius a bit of trouble before... I think he deserves a kiss for his efforts."
'I'm sorry about this, Raven.' Snape thought
Raven moved stiffly towards Lucius, and she was clearly fighting against it every step of the way. Her face was screwed up in digust and humilation as she leaned over to brush her lips against Lucius's cheek, but he had other ideas. His hand shot out to grab a handfull of her hair, as he forced her mouth to his.
Raven let out a snarl of protest, but was unable to fight back. Lucius was thoroghly enjoying her anger and humilation. When he pulled away from the kiss looking very pleased with himself, the other death eaters and voldemort clapped. Draco's cheeks looked like they were on fire and he took a swig of his own watered down wine.
Raven took several shaky steps backwards, her eyes alight with pure and utter hatred as she wiped her hand across her mouth, trying to get the feel of Lucius's lips off of her mouth. She went back to her position behind Snape, and kept her gaze directly at her feet as she trembled with barley suppressed fury.
It was difficult to keep his calm, collected exterior with Raven's rage inside him, he was very glad when the food finally arrived to take his attention away from the burning ball of fury in the pit of his stomach. The conversation drifted to other topics, Snape kept his attention on his food (a prime rib, slightly warmed but not cooked. It seemed to be the standard fare for the vampires at the table.) Dinner ended quickly without any futher events. Snape made his farewells to Voldemort and the other Death Eaters, wanting to return to his quarters. Lucius and Sirius noted his eagerness to leave.
"Ahh I can see youre ready to play with you're new toy," Sirius leered. Raven lifter her head and hissed at him, showing sharp teeth.
"You shouldn't be in such a rush to finish her off, Severus.." Lucius drawled. "She's got as lot of spunk in her.. Might be more satifying to break her first.."
Snape muttered something under his breath and grabed Raven's arm, yanking her out of the room before she could attack Lucius.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Jul 22, 2005 11:10:25 GMT -5
When Raven and Snape got back, they found Draco and Lockhart waiting for them. Lockhart was thumbing through a copy of 'Magical Me' while Draco told him all about the dinner, and what he found out about the bracelet.
Raven flung herself in a couch, still wiping at her lips in disgust. "Please tell me you got alcohol somehwere here," she said in a weary, cracking voice.
Snape went through cupboards and finally found one well stocked with expensive looking bottles of liquour, "What do you want?"
"Umm...anything will do, so long as it's strong."
"Vodka then?"
"Fine." Snape poured her drink and sat down in a chair.
"I'm sorry about-"
"Yeah," She said a little harder than she meant to, "Yeah I know you are."
"Draco here has told me all about what happend!" Gilderoy sat down on the couch. Draco sat on the ottoman, "Is it true about the bracelet? Do they really have a weapon that will make people slaves like the Draven's pets?"
"I wasn't completely honest at the dinner; it's not completely effective. It seems whatever Raven feels, I feel as well. I don't believe that would be an advantage to the Dark Lord."
"You were able to lie to the Dark Lord?" Draco breathed.
"I'm an occlumens."
"Ooh..."
Gilderoy didn't like this snape-centered line of questioning, "So now, we need a plan. First, I see I must report this news back to Dumbledore immediately. It's the important thing."
"Tonight will be the night," Draco said, " They're all snookered from tonights dinner," Snape was even feeling the buzz of the rum, and he'd been careful not to drink too much. He needed his wits about him, "I'll take that opportunity to sneak him out of the castle to safety."
"Good. It's settled then! We flee tonight. We'd better get ready." Draco and Gilderoy left to prepare.
Raven and Snape were alone once more.
"So..." Snape began, hoping to fill the uncomfortable silence that seemed to settle whenever they were alone.
"I'll sleep here on the couch," Raven said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes. "We'll figure what to do in the morning.."
Snape nodded in reply and left the room.
He'd barely dropped off to sleep when the door to his room swung open, causing the both of them to be awoken quite suddenly. A young initiate rushed in.
"Inspector Snape! You are needed at the Forbidden Forest! The other Death eaters have cornerd two traitors.."
Snape got a very clear picture in his mind of Draco and Lockhart. Damn, damn damn, damn damn… he thought angrily, but instead he arranged his face to a look of aristocratic boredom.
“Oh, very well.“ Snape stepped out of the portrait hole and swept past the Death Eater with Raven following close behind.
The Death Eater stopped and held out a hand in front of her, to stop her from following, “Oi, Inspector Snape sir, “ he pointed with his head at Raven, “aren’t you going to leave your amusement at home? I mean, “ and he stared lasciviously at Raven’s fine figure and Snape felt a wave of anger, partially his and partially Raven’s, “ what use is a concubine outside of private quarters?” He smiled suggestively at Snape.
Snape sneered at him angrily, “Oh yes, what other use could there be?” Snape turned to Raven, “Show him.”
Raven knew what he meant. She liquidly slid into a were-draven state, revealing steely claws and canines. The color drained from the Death Eaters face and he said nothing more, but lead them out to where the other Death Eaters were in the Forbidden Forest. Snape didn’t need to be shown where they were, however, because flashes of red and gold and green lit up the woods. There was shouting and the tossing of spells. Snape ran into the fray, very glad that his vision was so much better than the human Death Eaters. He was able to take a few of them out without them noticing who had sent the spell. The rest of the battle seemed to blend together in a myriad of brightly colored sparks, but when the dust settled, he found that the traitors had been apprehended. Snape’s fears had been realized. It was Lockhart and Draco.
"Ahh Severus," came Voldemort's dark voice from beside him. "Glad you could join us.. I hope we didn't interupt anything?"
Snape turned a cool gaze on ot Voldemort. "No, we were just finishing up," he smirked, hoping Raven wouldn't blow their cover. He was pleased to find that she kept a stoney and disintrested face. She radiated the same eerie calmness that she had earlier when she tried to attack him.
Voldemort chuckled as he circled around towards Draco and Lockhart, who were bound and gagged, on their knees before them. "Seems one of our own has turned his back on us, and brought shame to his family." He pulled out a ornate knife from somewhere deep in his robes and lightly traced it across Draco's cheek. The young boy's eyes rolled madly in his sockets, unable to move. Voldemrt laughed again, and turned to Snape, handing him the knife.
"Since you did so well at the tournament today, Severus, I feel you've earned the right to dispose of this little turncoat..."
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