Ron sat in the great hall, he hardly touched the breakfast plate in front of him. Lavender and Parvati kept shooting him dirty looks a few tables away and then leaning across to the other occupants of their table to confer with Padma and Cynthia. Ron rolled his eyes, they had been training with the Elite for almost two months now and it had only gotten worse. While any bruises encored by himself, Harry or Ginny could be chalked up to Quidditch practise. Hermione's were immediately put down to abuse on his part, if he showed her any affection he was making up for a fight and if he ignored her, he was going to beat her again. He just couldn't win.
Not that Hermione was helping dispel any rumours, her lies just got worse and worse and she seemed to spend less and less time with him and more and more discussing the Elite with Harry. The Elite had yet to make a second dinner appearance, they could still be seen flitting about every now and them but it was just as Nightgaurd had said it would be, the school moved on and they seemed to fade into the background. People hardly noticed them anymore, except of course when one of the girls decided to wear a skirt and then, ears perked up and eyes bulged just to get a glimpse.
There was a Hogsmeade trip coming up that Ron wasn't looking forward to. Hermione would, as had become the norm, be engaged in hushed conversations with Harry, who in turn would be unwilling to let go of Ginny. Ron had never felt like a loner, growing up with the family he did, he'd never had much chance to be alone. Now that he had he didn't care for it, especially under the circumstances. He barely lifted his head as more people entered he great hall. The new arrangement was actually working quite well, three of the four houses enjoyed being able to talk to their other friends without leaning across tables or tramping all the way across the hall.
Someone slid into the seat next to him and Ron was immediately aware of the fact that the great hall was much quieter, he looked up. It was Blake. She didn't say anything; she simply picked up a piece of toast and began to silently nibble it. Ron looked around and noticed that the rest of the Elite had dotted themselves around the room. They were all quietly eating; he noted that Zandra and Smith were again sitting with the Slytherins. Draco didn't even seem to notice as he continued some argument with Blaise. Ron turned to Blake, "What's going on?"
"Breakfast," she said simply between nibbles.
"Yeah, I realised that, but what are you guys doing here?"
"Eating," she said continuing to gnaw at the same piece of toast.
Before Ron could even begin to get to the point; Harry and his two girls entered. Ron had nicknamed them that in his head. The fact that his girlfriend spent more time talking to his best friend than to him didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. As long as she was happy, he was happy.
He had meant what he said to Ginny, they really didn't have enough time to sweat these small things this year could be their last. The goal was happiness. They sat on the opposite side to Ron and Blake, all giving the same questioning look. Blake sighed, "Look, I'm only here because I have to be." she said rolling her eyes and going back to her toast.
Ginny shrugged and picked up an apple, "So are we." Ron noticed Blake hide a smile with her toast. He also noticed that her hair wasn't black like he had originally thought; it was brown with subtle reds in there as well as the odd blonde hair every now and then. She was, like the rest, a very pretty girl. He just hadn't bothered to notice before.
"So what exactly was that thing at practise today?" Harry was asking when Ron tuned back in. Hermione perked up attentively, where as Ginny rolled her eyes, "Harry, she's suppose to be pretending that she's not super trained witch not giving you tutorial sessions."
It was harder for Blake to hide her laughter this time, "It's ok, I don't mind. It'll make me feel like there's some point to me being here."
"Why do you guys come out if you obviously don't want to be here?" Ron asked, the words falling from his mouth before her realised what he was asking.
Blake gave him a searching look, resting the half eaten slice of toast on the plate in front of her. She was seriously thinking through the questioning, wondering if it was ok for her to tell...the truth, "I told you, because we have to be." she said quietly.
"But why?" Ron continued, leaning in slightly.
"Because. . . we always do what we're told. Even if we don't understand why we have to do it."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Ron continued, "But that doesn't seem fair at all. We all got a choice about whether we wanted to be apart of this. You don't seem to have that privilege."
"We don't have alot of privileges."
"Why?"
"Privileges lead to distractions, distractions lead to mistakes. We don't make mistakes."
"But everyone makes mistakes," Ginny said in a slightly shocked voice, her apple mere centimetres from her mouth. Ron and Blake looked up before leaning away from each other, Ron took no notice of whatever emotion was flashing behind Hermione's eyes. Blake turned to Ginny, "We don't. Mistakes aren't acceptable at the Alliance, and when you don't exist. There's no one to run to."
"What about your-" Harry began
"Family?" Blake shrugged, "I don't know if I have any, I've been at the Alliance since I was three."
"and the rest of you?"
"Pretty much the same, any memories we did have of them are gone now."
"They didn't-"
"No," Blake cut in, "They didn't erase them, we just. . .forgot. Replaced them with new ones."
The table fell silent, Ginny rested her apple on her plate not feeling that hungry anymore. She realised that while she envied their power, she didn't envy them. The Elite were all missing something she couldn't imagine living with out. They looked up as Zandra approached the table, she rested a delicate hand on Blake's shoulder, "We can go," Ginny realised it hadn't been a command. She had simply been informing Blake of the change but Blake rose obediently anyway.
Ginny's eyes flicked over to the doorway where the rest of the Alliance were waiting, but there was two more in their numbers, Draco and Blaise leaned casually against the door frame waiting for Zandra, Smith and now Blake to catch up.
"The Slytherins seem to be bonding nicely," Harry muttered, there was a hint of jealousy in his voice. Ginny raised her hand to wrap it round him but Hermione was already patting his back. She dropped her hand and looked back over to the door. Draco's eyes had already found hers, she spoke with out looking away, "They have alot in common Harry."
"What?"
"No childhood." Draco, Blaise and the Elite stepped through the door and out into the hall.
"You know you guys aren't as scary and imposing as you think," Draco said simply, halfway down the hall. Zandra quirked an eyebrow but didn't reply, he was standing on her right and Smith was on her left. They were walking the two Slytherins to their potions class on their way back to their own rooms.
The Slytherins were easier to be around, they operated on the same wave length as the Elite, a very simple. Don't ask, Don't tell, they asked no questions and they got no answers. It was simple being around them, normal even. They stuck to topics such as sex, Quidditch, and sex.
"Really?" She questioned.
"Yeah,"
"Just like, I don't know caterpillars aren't scary and imposing at all...right?"
Draco froze in his tracks, "Caterpillars are fucked up insects, ok? It's a totally rational fear."
Blaise laughed openly at his friend's expense, Zandra turned, "Yes, it's almost as rational as fish." she said, something in her face portrayed slight disgust. Blaise immediately shut up and it was Draco's turn to smirk.
"Ok, so you're very imposing and scary," Blaise said gruffly.
"Thank you," She said quietly, "We have to go now, excuse us." with that they all filed off in the direction of their practise room. Draco assumed of course that their rooms were somewhere down there too, "I would so very much like to fuck her," he said as Zandra and her team disappeared around the corner.
"What about Ginny?"
"Huh?"
"I thought you wanted Ginny?"
"I do, I want her in my bed every morning when I roll over, next to me in the great hall, and be able to buy her presents and stuff you know but Zandra," as they spoke Draco and Blaise didn't notice the potions class door open behind them, "Zandra, I'd just like to-" Draco felt the impact of a palm against the back of his head, "Ow! What the-" he turned and was facing Severus.
"As your gaurdian, I don't suggest you finish that sentence. . .ever."
Draco fell silent, following Blaise into the classroom, "Besides Draco's new fondness for Zandra, How is the training?" Professor Snape asked taking a seat on the edge of his desk.
Blaise shrugged, "Ok, I guess. I'm getting a little sick of getting the shit kicked out of me,"
"Once by a girl,"
"Sophie is not a girl, she's...inhuman."
"Part Bas to be exact,"
"SEE! Bloody fish"
"Bas the cat goddess, of Egypt...Bastet. Not the fish."
Draco rolled his eyes, but relented.
"Anyway, other than the constant aches, that we're not allowed to go to Pomfrey for. It's going great."
"Draco, You don't seem to be in any pain,"
Draco shrugged, "I'm not, but that could have something to do with the fifth of firewhiskey I downed before breakfast. The stuff of champions you know."
Snape gave a small nod, he did know, thinking back to the aged scotch he had waiting for him back in his office. He realised there was something he had to ask, "Why do you want to fuck her?"
Draco shrugged, "There's just something about her. . .It's just-"
"The fact that she wouldn't sleep with you in a Millenia?" Blaise offered.
Draco punched him in the arm, "No, I just know that she would be like noone else. Ever."
"Don't you like the little Weasley?" Snape asked folding his arms across his chest.
Draco rolled his eyes and Blaise smirked, "That's what I said"
"I do like Ginny ok? I'm not saying I don't. I'm just stating that since, at this point in time I'm still perfectly single I would like to have a romp in the sack with another perfectly single person my own age."
"She's older than you," Severus replied curtly, hesitating to correct Draco's assumption that she was single.
"By what a month?"
Severus didn't answer simply opting to shake his head. He rose from his perch on the desk and moved off behind his desk, as the rest of his class filed in, "No way, she's more than a month older." Draco muttered to Blaise. Blaise shrugged and opened his potions book.
Draco frowned and sat back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. He watched inattentively as Professor Snape went about teaching his class. Draco frowned as he noticed something glinting from his teacher's neck. It wasn't the first time he had noticed it, Severus never took it off and when Draco asked about it he always changed the subject.
It was two simple thin gold chains, every few centimetres there was a gold plated disk, formed into the same bent shape as a eucalyptus leaf with a green pearl placed next to it. When it wasn't tucked under his robes, Draco knew that it clinked loudly as the pearl beads beat against the gold leaves. He sighed wondering exactly what was so special about it. One of these days he would get Severus drunk enough to tell him.
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the library working on their charms assignment. Two feet of parchment on the bird conjuring charm ['Avis']. Ron shut his book, "Done," he said rolling up his parchment. Hermione frowned, "Are you actually done, or have you just given up? I mean honestly Ronald, I know balancing isn't your strength but this is due-"
"No, Mione. I'm actually done." he said unscrolling his homework and showing Hermione. She scanned the page and blinked, "Wow, well then." Hermione said slightly awed. Ron re-rolled his scroll and shrugged. Packing his things into his bag, "Do you want me to wait?" he asked already halfway out of his seat.
Hermione smiled and shook her head, "No, You go. Harry and I'll be finished eventually." Ron nodded, with a goodbye to Harry; he placed a kiss on Hermione's cheek and left the library. Hermione and Harry sat quietly opposite each other working steadily on their essays.
"Mione, I need help with the paragraph."
Hermione got up and slid into the seat next to him. She read the essay he had pushed towards her, pulling her quill out of his mouth she began to scribble over his last paragraph. He leaned over her shoulder, Hermione bit back a smile feeling his hot breath on her neck. She ignored it and continued to write but soon enough his lips were at her ear, "This is really very wrong of us," he whispered quietly slipping an arm around her waist.
She nodded and bit her lip, "Then why does it feel so, right?" She leaned back slightly.
Harry shrugged and placed a small kiss on her neck, she turned into him and their lips met. Her hand tangled in his jet black hair almost instantly.
"Why are we doing this to them?" Hermione breathed against his lips.
She sat silently under a large tree, the Alliance building in the distance. Zandra turned the page of the book she had read a thousand times already, in the distance she could hear Smith and Blake arguing about who was going to jump off the waterfall first, before Susan announced that It would be Trebovir. Zandra smiled and shook her head, Susan really knew how to suck the fun out of a good argument.
As she returned to the pages of her aged book, the reflection of the lounges glass doors blinded her momentarily. She looked up as the doors swung closed again, she bit her lip, smiling as he walked towards her. His cloak billowing behind him, she noted the small vile in his hand and sighed.
Severus crouched at her side, "May I sit?" he asked politely.
Zandra nodded. He handed her the vile as he took a seat on the warm grass next to her, "If you insist on being out in the sun, at least drink that."
"A little sun never hurt anyone," she said jokingly uncorking the vile.
"In your case a little sun hurts everyone," he commented dryly, resting his arms on his knees. She downed the silver liquid in one and shivered, "Mint-y." she said recorking the bottle and resting it on the grass.
Severus turned to look at her, "Your lips are blue," he said lightly.
"Good blue or bad blue?"
"Good blue,"
She smiled, and touched them lightly, "They feel cold,"
"Well we wouldn't want you to get sick, I may have to warm you up a little,"
"I thought I wasn't allowed to get hot," she said sarcastically.
"Well as your adviser, I advise that you stop being such a smart mouth,"
She quirked an eyebrow, "Oh really, and what are you going to stop me?"
"I'll just have to find a way to keep that mouth amused," he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. They were cold just like she had said, but that was quickly replaced with flushed heat, Severus was very careful and as soon as a slight moan escaped her lips he pulled away. She pouted and sighed, "Always at the best part,"
"Because the best part-"
"Could kill us both." she rolled her eyes.
"Control before cockiness, ok?"
She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, before continuing her book. Severus sighed and wrapped and arm around her shoulder, I don't know why everyone thinks I can protect you. He thought resting his lips in her hair.
"Why are we getting married again?" She said quietly not looking up from her book.
"What? Don't you like me anymore?"
She smiled, "It's not that and you know it,"
He sighed, "Your mother told me to keep you safe as possible,"
"So it's not because you're like head over heels in love with me," she prompted.
Severus chuckled, "Of course what was I thinking, We're getting married because I never ever want anyone else to have you ever. I am in my heart of hearts a selfish being, and this way you will always be mine."
"You can't worry about knowing your opponent if you don't know your team," Zandra said at practice the next morning. Everyone sat scattered and sweating; they had finished their workout, but were no where near finished training. Zandra pushed the black velvet bag containing the Hogwarts student's wands to the side, and taking a seat.
"For example," she continued, "Susan, what's Blake's favourite food?"
"Caviar." Susan answered simply.
"Sophie, Treb's favourite colour?"
"Pastel Yellow," Sophie replied, biting back a smile. Trebovir rolled his eyes at the chuckles emitted from the few Hogwarts students, "It's soothing ok?" he said folding his arms.
"Of course it is, the point is we know each other inside out. With what we do on a regular basis secrets aren't feasible when you risk your life all the time and we've grown above secrets and petty jealousy. Now I don't expect you all to start spilling your guts here and now, but between yourselves when you have time, you should start getting things out in the open" Zandra turned toward the velvet bag and pulled the top to open it, "Come and collect your wands; you can go," she said calmly. The Hogwarts students were more than a little confused by this but rose to collect their wands anyway. As they filed out the elite rose, and waved goodbye to Zandra.
She sat patiently waiting, she didn't have to wait long until the door opened again and Dumbledore entered the large room. His face was as warm and inviting as always, he bowed his head in greeting and she returned it, "Shall we begin?" he said softly.
Zandra nodded, "The sooner the better, I guess." She sat on the cool marble floor and crossed her legs, "Ready?" Dumbledore called from somewhere in the room as she closed her eyes. Zandra nodded and took a deep breath, "Ready."
As the Hogwarts students made their way to breakfast there was a nervous silence between them, they were all mentally reviewing their secrets. How could she know? Of course, she knew everything, but how could she expect them to just tell each other.
So many secrets . . .
Harry and Hermione stole glances at each other over Ginny's head. Ginny kept her head down on Harry's chest trying to keep her thoughts Draco free. It was the tensest silence they had ever experienced, it seemed to consume them. They barely spoke or even touched their food during breakfast.
"Well, I guess I'll go first," Ron said putting his fork down after being unable to put any food in his mouth for the fourth time. The group looked up at this waiting silently for Ron's revelation, "I don't think I've said this enough to any of you, but all I want is for you to do what makes you happy, before it's too late to enjoy it."
As he took his seat again there was a loud scrape as Hermione buried her head in her napkin and left the room tears streaming down her face. Ron stood and went after her to make sure she was alright, "She seems a little sensitive," Blake said taking up her recently vacated seat. The elite had entered the room during Ron's declaration.
"So everyone spill their guts yet?" Trebovir asked pulling Ron's abandoned plate of scrambled eggs towards him and loading it with pancakes.
"Only Ron, and he's wasn't really a secret but it was really sweet and honest," Susan said taking up a fork and spearing one of Ginny's untouched strawberries from the bowl in front of her.
"How do you –" Harry started
"Seer," Susan said tapping the side of her head, "Remember?"
Harry nodded before becoming very still, "How much do you see?" he asked nervously.
Susan smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know, lover?" She blew Harry a kiss across the table; Harry's jaw tightened but before anyone could question her, Susan as well as Blake and Trebovir broke out in fits of laughter. "Relax, no matter what I see my lips are sealed for the greater good, I can't affect the future or I'll be brought before the awakening council blah blah blah."
Harry relaxed noticeably, "I mean I still tell these guys," she said indicating to Blake and Treb, who smiled and then went back to their conversation, "but they're harmless really." Susan smiled politely and speared another one of Ginny's fruits.
Ginny was only half listening her mind was on her brother, he had humbled so much this year. He had managed to change for the better without anyone even seeming to notice, everyone seemed so self involved when all he wanted was for the people he loved most to be happy and enjoy their lives as they didn't know how long they had left.
And he was right they had to just enjoy what they had and if they didn't, change it.
That left only question for Ginny, was she really happy?
"Any thing to tell me?" Blaise said to Draco as they sat with Smith and Foxworth having their usual breakfast.
Draco thought about it momentarily then looked over at his friend, "You need a haircut," Smith and Foxworth chuckled into their forks as Blaise smacked Draco's arm, "What, I already tell you everything, Name something I didn't tell you?"
Blaise was silent
"See you can't because you know everything, now shut up and eat your peas,"
"It's breakfast,"
"And you're just proving my point, you know everything,"
Blaise rolled his eyes and continued to eat his breakfast, "You have anything to tell me?" Draco asked through a mouthful of bacon.
Blaise shrugged, "Not really, I'm not one for secrets."
Draco nodded and they continued eating in silence. In cases like this being a Slytherin made life easier, as their were very few expectations where outsiders were concerned and on the inside they were a close knit group where secrets seemed irrelevant nor were they possible to keep. Everyone knew everything about everyone whether it was through other friends or their families it just seemed to happen.
Smith and Foxworth simply continued their meals, knowing that as far as this task was concerned they had picked the easy table.
It was probably the tensest day any of them had experienced, they barely spoke to each other or anyone else. How were they meant to be brutally honest with the people closest to them when the only thing they wanted to do was protect them.
The main question was how long did they have before Zandra broke their silences for them?
The elite had other worries on their minds, how long could Zandra keep control under this sort of pressure?
They were use to life and death decisions they made them everyday, but they knew all too well that emotional stress was far more dangerous that physical strain. Especially, with powers as fragile as Zandras
HELLO!!!!!!!
LOng time, no story. I know i know, you're going to kill me slow and painfully, and i'm sorry. It's been a year!!!
But i told you i wasn't abandonning and there's no way any of you could find out that i've had this chapter written for over a year.........oopps
but anyway, here it is and i'm working on the next one i promise!
AND to all the grammar pirates out there this is AGAIN not beta'd but i'll get on that ASAP. I'm at University now, studying Egglish lit so I'm sure i can find someone!!!!!!
LOVE YOU ALL!
~Flutterby