Author's Note: IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ. I must recognize you've been awfully patient, again. This is the last chapter before the IB mocks, my graduation trip and the actual IB exams, so some time will pass before I update again, I'm terribly sorry. On the positive side, much UST between Best Wishes,
Artemis Samhain,
Hell's Librarian
"For Merlin's sake, Licia, you've been rummaging for hours! I think I started to grow roots on this place, for crying out loud"
Angelina's voice sounded impatient and rightly so. For two and a half hours Alicia had been having the time of her life inspecting the trunks of clothes Jareth had brought from his personal wardrobe that was, as expected, befitting a king both in size and richness. He had only brought those clothes he believed better suited the mortal realm. He actually had some clothes that had been acquired Aboveground to blend with the crowd when he had to do business in that realm for some reason or other. From the other realm, his realm, he had all sorts of breeches, tunics, cloaks, capes and boots made out of the most rare and amazing fabrics and materials. Ones were light as air and other twice as thick as the thickest wool everyone had ever seen, and other thin and yet cosy enough to keep warm in the most hellish of temperatures. The colours, the contrasts, the textures were all a gift for the senses and so utterly precious it was magical just to see them.
Sarah, however, refused to be impressed. After all she had some clothes acquired in the Underground as gift from her friends, and all the new things were usual for her in many ways. What impressed her though was the sobriety of the colours and the type of clothes, but there were also as she suspected more daring clothes forming part of the Royal wardrobe that, in more ways than one, was a mere reflection of Jareth's constant duality.
"You cannot rush geniality, Lina dear" Alicia's voice drifted back in answer from the pile of clothes and trunks scattered in the floor. Jareth looked at them with a slight eyebrow arched, as if slightly puzzled by the whole affair.
"Is she this enthusiastic about other people's clothes?" he drawled in his smooth, mellifluous voice, his lips twitching into a faint smile of amusement.
"Don't even ask. It's just Alicia, that's the way she is" Sarah replied from her spot in a chair next to him. For all of her mental tirades about him being her mortal enemy they were drawn to each other and sat close. Flashbacks from her dreams assaulted her at times, when hands brushed and skin met skin, and the remembrances became vivid experiences and she felt so… so…
"Merlin, I'm doomed" she sighed inwardly, shaking her head. No, she was not going to give him the pleasure of showing that she dreamt of him and, besides, there was a world of difference between her Jareth, the one of her dreams, and the real one. Like day and night, light and darkness, a complete mismatch.
"Come on, honey, can't you just pick something up from the whole bunch? Everything would be just fine, you know? And I'm going to start getting jealous in just about four minutes and thirteen seconds!"
The twins were both sitting upside-down on two identical chairs, throwing Bertie Bott's Ever-flavour beans and swiftly catching them with their mouths, smiling in pleasure or making gagging noises whenever it was appropriate. Hermione and Ginny were promptly dozing off in a corner, Hermione with an open book lying on her crossed legs. Severus, Minerva and Headmaster Dumbledore were still whispering amongst themselves in another corner of the room, darting a look or two to the immortal when they thought he was not noticing.
"That's it, Licia, I cannot see you suffer like this" Sarah finally let out, getting up with care for she felt still a little bit wobbly and strode to were Alicia Spinnet was sitting rummaging through a pile of pre-selected items. She grabbed some clothes with swift, yet precise movements and, after picking up a pair of boots, presented the bundle to Jareth without further ado.
"You can magic yourself away to change if you like" she said quietly, not noticing the intake of breath of the Fae when her fingers touched his, too focused on evening her own breathing.
"How thoughtful of you" he said in a mocking tone before disappearing in a flash of light.
"Well, you certainly did not have any trouble selecting his clothes. Think about them often, don't ya?" Alicia said in a singsong-y voice while fluttering her eyelids in an innocent gesture. Sarah threw her an indifferent look and tried to retreat to her usual countenance, knowing it was no good to feed her friend's imagination with detail. Alicia was a terrible romantic at heart and saw love everywhere, in everyone.
"Don't even start thinking about it, Licia" she warned with a look that could have frozen Hell in the hottest day of a blazing summer "Or you'll start sounding like the fairies near the edges of the Labyrinth. Tiny bloody buggers" she muttered under her breath. Rumours were abuzz in the Labyrinth about the so-called infatuation of the immortal ruler over the conqueror of the game, the girl who had come and turned the place upside-down in less than thirteen hours.
"And you don't have to deal with the courtiers of the Masquerade, the Labyrinthine Court" a deep, rich English voice murmured next to her "They haven't talked about anything else besides us since seven years ago when my spell sent us into their waiting hands"
Sarah didn't even turn, it was useless anyway. She glanced over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow.
"Never thought one of your charms could go awry and bounce back at you" she smiled then, a cynic half-smile and turned to survey her choice of clothes "But I can hardly see why they would gossip. We danced, and not even close enough to elicit gossip. Besides, it was clear the entire time that we hated each other's guts"
Both Katie and Angelina snorted in unison upon hearing that remark, exchanging knowing looks behind Sarah's back as the dark-haired witch adjusted the collar of the freshly-pressed shirt Jareth was wearing.
"Of course you are right, but try and tell them that" the Fae agreed instantly while helping Sarah with the collar at the back "They just keep muttering this rubbish about sparks flying and such nonsense"
"There you go" she whispered when her work was finished and, seeing the amused looks from Fred and George who were making little kissing noises she took a step back and turned around "Though I still think it is all a rather stupid idea"
"Why?" the voice of the immortal sounded tired and strained, as if dreading the answer.
"Because I still fear you, and you still want revenge" Sarah took a deep breath "Because there is nothing I can do to stop mistrusting you and there is nothing you can do to relinquish the idea of vengeance. Because it is our nature to be separated by a gap and sooner or later it will be too wide for any of us to reach over"
There was so much truth in those words that Jareth didn't even try to say something in his defence. The monster of vengeance lay coiled inside him seething with anger. His very nature, ruthless, uncaring, unfeeling was screaming for him to take back the power that had been stolen from him. His calculating mind was capable of separating his sides, to appreciate the opportunity to spend some time with the mortal who had managed to fascinate him beyond comprehension and then swiftly exert revenge on her without and ounce of regret. It was the way things were meant to be, and he was quite incapable of changing it. He did not want to. He was enjoying the game.
Lucky then that she was aware of it. She was, after all, always a good player.
"Now, now, that is talking nonsense. For the time being you are here to help each other. And we are talking about fashion now. Retribution can certainly wait for later"
Alicia's cheery voice brought everyone back to reality. The Goblin King straightened up and let the experienced eyed of the seventh-year Gryffindor exam him. He tied neatly his hear with the black silken ribbon he was given and put on the silverine, frameless glasses he had brought and, when Licia nodded with a smile, it was all done and approved of.
"He looks as much as a wizard as he'll ever manage" she announced proudly "Merlin, if I didn't know the story I'd think he was just a really gorgeous guy"
There was a "Hey!" from the general direction were the twins were, followed by "You ungrateful girlfriend!" uttered in a too-dramatic-to-be-believable voice while Ron doubled over in laughter with the not-mortally-offended twin. Angelina and Katie shook their heads again and sighed in frustration. No one seemed to be saying the right thing at the moment.
"Well, well, if you are all done with your childish bantering there are certain things to be discussed" the silky, baritone voice of professor Snape cut through the room. The three teachers had finally managed to come to a resolution. They all listened intently as Albus Dumbledore's soothing voice explained in detail the aspects of the plan. Sarah turned from white to red and to white again as she heard it, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"I will most certainly not do that, professor, I'm sorry!" she stuttered, losing her composure yet again "It is not even necessary"
"It may very well not be, but I would pay good galleons just to see it" Fred whispered to his twin while wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way. They were promptly drenched from head to toe by the very same pitcher that had performed some time ago the same task for the same witch. Sarah just smiled and once again hid her wand.
"I'm afraid it is quite necessary as a part of the charade, Miss Williams" the Headmaster promptly interjected, trying to hide his amusement "If we want it to be believable we will need your cooperation"
"I do not see the necessity of… that THING you are proposing in the plan, so I will not do it" her tone spoke volumes of her respect for the headmaster and her determination to still have her way and everyone sighed in frustration. That always meant that she had reverted to cold-unmovable-Sarah and there was nothing anyone could say to make her change her mind.
Oh… Right. The typical case of the unstoppable force meeting the unmovable object. Fun.
"Such a spoilsport, Sarah" Jareth chided from his place precariously perched, or rather sprawled like a feline, in a chair while one of his feet used the edge of the table to swing it a little, always with a grace that could have shamed any of the Malfoy family any day "Don't you want to have some fun? Besides you were always acting when you were a child. I know you can pull it off"
Generally that statement would have been met by a blank stare but Sarah actually arched an eyebrow towards the King. Ginny and Hermione gasped. That had never happened before.
"Do not try to sweet talk me into this, your Majesty, for it won't work"
And suddenly he was off the chair and behind where the mortal was seated, his upper body lowering till his mouth was besides her ear.
"I dare you, my dear" he said in a firm, yet mellifluous, husky voice, his stare burning as if he was down with some kind of potent fever. Sarah, instead of quickly dodging him and getting out of his way, titled her head so that their eyes met and their foreheads almost touched.
"There is nothing you can utter that will make me change my opinion" she challenged and the ice in her eyes melted. Her voice was unlike anyone had ever heard coming out of her, so soft, so provocative, so… so burning.
She was definitely taunting back and it was a sight to behold. But Jareth's smirk just grew into a predatory smile and, moving slightly forward till almost not even a sunbeam could have passed between their lips he delivered his final blow:
"I double dare you"
And just as Sarah's eyes went from green to solid silver she rose from her chair, covering the space between them just as Jareth straightened up, so it seemed as if they were same poles of a magneto, repealing each other and yet managing to get close enough. It had been a movement that almost appeared as if it had been choreographed, some part of a rare mating ritual dance of some obscure Fae tribe somewhere.
And Jareth knew exactly what it meant. He smiled even more.
"You've got yourself a deal" she announced loudly "And you'll live to regret it"
Her voice held an unmistakable promise of living Hell and as she turned to go Albus Dumbledore smiled
"It is indeed a dangerous game the two of them are playing, Minerva" he observed quietly "But I believe Miss Williams is more than up to the challenge. The entire affair seems most promising"
Minerva McGonagall arched a finely-shaped eyebrow, her look stern as one would put in front of a misbehaving child.
"I know you, Albus, and I am beginning to think you want to meddle in the middle. I know also that there is nothing I can do to try and stop you but you must at least promise to be careful. This goes well beyond the usual, we are talking about different realms here" she lectured but after that she looked at the retreating forms of the Fae and the girl and asked curiously "And this game… How is it going to end? Who will win?"
The twinkle in the blue eyes of the old wizard never even once flickered as he smiled a benign, gentle smile, as if watching a couple of kids play with each other:
"Neither of them will win, they will both lose. And in doing so they will gain so much more"
Dinner was expected with anxiousness by all those involved in the little happening of later days. Fred and George were looking gleeful as they ate their beef and pumpkin pie, snickering every now and then as Lee Jordan regarded them with a raised eyebrow. Angelina, Alicia and Katie were too busy shaking their heads at the twin's behaviour and whispering among themselves as were Harry, Ron and Hermione, as usual. Ginny sat in a corner, next to a calm, expressionless Sarah, and toyed slightly with her food.
"I know it was you" the black-haired girl suddenly said before seeping some of her pumpkin juice and frowning. She still could not get used to it, no matter how many years passed.
"You… know?" the red-head quietly asked while dropping her fork and gulping silently. She was ready for whatever may come. She had, after all, been the one at fault.
"Don't look so horrified, Gin, I am not blaming you for anything. You summoned the only being in this world and beyond that could've helped me at that moment, you saved my life. And for that I am grateful" Sarah paused to take a deep breath "And I know what that book can do to a person. It is charmed, it draws you in. I wished my baby brother away, and not for charitable reasons so as long as you understand me there is no reason why I should not understand you. And we can keep it a secret if you want"
And just as Ginny smiled and opened her mouth to say thanks a disrupted house elf staggered into the Hall, alerting the staff and students.
"Headmaster sir, there is someone at the entrance doors claiming to want an audience with you, Sir. Me and the other house elves, sir, we tried to stop him, but he just came in all the same and…"
But the little speech of the squeaky creature was interrupted by a deep, husky voice belonging to the stranger that had just entered the Hall, black cloak billowing around him.
"Oh, yes, I must apologize for that"
There were many gasps (and many more sighs) from the populated room as the man came to the light. He wore a great black cloak of a warm, rich material that fell to the floor in long folds. The sleeves were broad and reached up to his knees when he folded his arms. Behind the cloak there was a black set of loose robes, such as a wizard wore over other clothes. It was cut in a most flattering fashion and embellished with silver buttons with dragons engraved and a coat of arms of a rose on fire and a sword with a hilt made in the fashion of a dragon also. A white shirt of a fine material and a pair of black slacks and leather boots completed the attire with the aid of black, elegant gloves. The hair of the unknown man was pulled back in a ponytail tied with a black ribbon of silk. The pale gold hair and mismatched eyes were a rarity, but also the rimless glasses of a slightly grey hue made him look out of place. He was tall and slender, but with a presence that exuded power from every pore.
He was, to most people, almost kingly in appearance.
"Who are you?" the pleasant voice of Professor Dumbledore resounded in the Hall. To everyone's utter shock Professor Umbridge made a gesture for Dumbledore to shut up and rose herself to enquire something, her beady eyes intently looking at the 'wizard' that had just walked into the Hall when she herself was interrupted.
"Jareth!" a female voice full of surprised happiness attracted everyone's attention and people were shocked yet again as they saw Sarah Williams rise from her seat and, quickly picking up her robes, run towards the stranger. With a smile and a little cry of happiness Sarah Williams, Ice queen extraordinaire, flung her arms around the man's neck and hugged him tightly, as the stranger smiled and held her against him by the waist, lifting her up in the air.
"My dearest Sarah" the very British voice said aloud, the words echoing in the hall several times "My precious little one"
"You… You… you idiot!" Sarah slapped lightly one of Jareth's shoulders before burying her face on his great cloak "You should have been here sooner, I've missed you so!"
And jaws dropped open, and forks clattered as they made contact with half-full plates, and eyes popped out, and more gasps ensued. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled, Alicia and Angelina whispered something and giggled as Katie shook her head in disapproval and their twin boyfriends snickered at the shocked face of Lee Jordan who was stuttering something about Ice queens, shows of affection and the probabilities of hell freezing over. Ginny and Hermione had a dreamy, faraway look in their eyes and were looking at the scene as if taken out of a romantic movie. Jareth finally let go of Sarah before softly caressing her hair and leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"It's been a long time since Bella's funeral, I know, but I couldn't get out of my other responsibilities sooner, my dear. But I'll have you know that I came here faster than it was even possible. Nothing could keep me away from you for long"
And that was the last straw. With a strangled cry of: "I object!" Roger Davies sprang up from his seat. Fred and George Weasley finally managed to actually choke on their food after laughing so hard that Lee had to get Harry's and Ron's help to slap the backs of the twins and make them stop coughing beef and pumpkin pie in front of their much disgusted girlfriends and a horrified Katie. Professor Umbridge managed to get her voice back and, with insistent cries of: "hem, hem" she silenced slowly all the gossip and exclamations abound in the Hall. Sarah Williams smiled briefly against Jareth's neck before releasing him and looking around in the room with wide eyes, as if she had just noticed that there were more people with her. She cast a particularly puzzled look at the outraged face of Hogwarts Head Boy and arched an eyebrow, her expression normal again. She was, after all, the Official Ice queen. She needed to keep up appearances.
"Got a problem, Davies?" she asked in a low voice "And Professor Umbridge, are you all right? You seem to be coughing more than usual"
Minerva McGonagall had a hard time biting back a smile and Albus Dumbledore's twinkle was more pronounced than usual. There was some snickering from the Houses' tables and professor Umbridge narrowed her eyes before Jareth stepped closer to Sarah and wrapped a protective arm around her waist whilst apologizing.
"I am most sorry for the intrusion, Sir" he said smoothly, addressing Dumbledore and nodding at him once respectfully "I assume you are Albus Dumbledore, am I right?" he did not wait for an answer, and he moved on "I do understand that it was most inconsiderate of me to barge into here with no warning, but I didn't have time to announce my coming"
Playing along Dumbledore rose and slowly went to greet the man, his poise calm and collected. Extending a hand he commented with that gentle voice of him, all natural:
"And who might you be, sir?"
A gloved hand shook the old, wrinkled one of the Headmaster just as a smooth, tenor voice replied:
"I am Jareth Sidhe, Sarah William's magic tutor, his guardian till she reaches the age of eighteen."
"That's…" a blond-haired, sky-eyed Ravenclaw witch stuttered "That's not fair!"
Raised eyebrows and fits of incontrollable laughter met that statement. Gwendolyn McGregor, the popular witch of seventh year who had the men of Hogwarts wrapped around her little finger blushed and promptly shut up, staring still at the amazing sight of that man who called himself the Ice-Queen's tutor. That Williams' girl, the bloody Gryffindor, did not deserve it! She had gotten, after all, most things that should have belonged to her. Prestige, the Head Girl title, the link with the teachers, all of it. And the friendship of the Boy-Who-Lived, above all things, and of the rest of the Gang.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected" Dumbledore said with a cheerful voice while shaking the man's hand with a force remarkable for someone with a beard reaching the floor "I am pleased to make you acquaintance, Mr. Sidhe. I've been expecting this meeting for a long time, after the Head of the William's Family died. I knew she would have appointed a magical guardian since Miss Williams here is the only one left of her family with magical abilities and I had started to think you would never come at all"
It was all so perfectly staged and yet it seemed all so perfectly real. Sarah wondered at the natural way in which Jareth moved, his calm, elegant movements so precise, his words perfectly measured. He was a master of that art and she was quickly noticing she didn't do half bad at it either.
"I'm sorry I never told you about Jareth, sir, but it slipped my mind completely. Besides, well, I don't divulge it too much. My father could hear of it and he would be sad, you know, because he would likely feel he cannot be there always for me and…"
Her voice trailed off, a slight, very slight, hint of sadness in her tone. The Goblin King bit back a smirk at the outstanding performance and gently tucked a stray bang of her hair behind her ear.
"It's all right, my dear" he said soothingly, smiling down at her in a way that one would have had to be very close to them to notice the true mocking nature of his smirk.
The annoyingly persistent cough of Professor Umbridge finally got too loud for any of them to ignore. Embracing his Sarah in a move that hadn't at all been planned, that had been born from him, had come as naturally as breathing, Jareth turned lightly to face the toad-like woman, his expression one of neutrality almost bordering boredom. Sarah flinched upon that, but couldn't exactly blame the Fae. The woman was really annoying.
"Well, hello there, Mr. Sidhe" the woman stated in that horribly soft and girlish sort of voice "I am afraid that you must not know that, apart from the Headmaster, there is now another high authority in Hogwarts, the High Inquisitor which is me, Dolores Umbridge, representing the concerning parents and guardians of this children, like you, that are worried about the safety of their protégées in the school. I am here to ensure that those fears are rightfully to be put to rest"
Jareth's eyebrows raised and he gallantly kissed the offered hand of the woman and, with a charming smile he replied, his voice dripping courtesy:
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Umbridge and I am touched by your concern for my Sarah but I am afraid you are wrong… I've never worried about her safety. I know than in Hogwarts she is in the most capable hands possible"
OUCH. The insult, so blatantly obvious was yet delivered in a way that left everyone wondering whether Professor Umbridge had just been complemented or thoroughly offended, left people wincing in appreciation. Sarah hid a smile behind a demure gesture with her hand while Professor McGonagall used the wide brim of her hat. The students, no fools, were deathly quiet for a couple of seconds before chattering resumed, though much of it was forced as the attention still lingered in the stranger, the Head Girl and all the faculty members.
"And… What is it that you are doing here, Mr. Sidhe? I mean, what brought you to Hogwarts? After all, with your Sarah being in such capable hands…"
There was a sugary quality to her tone, but Professor Umbridge was pissed, to put it in plain terms. Horribly pissed.
"I appreciate your concern in my personal business. I am here to train Miss Williams in the arts and secrets of the family. The Williams' have traditions and ritualistic ways of magic that date back to Merlin even, and Miss Williams is the last one of the kind and, as such, the one with the duty to keep the customs alive as was Belladonna's wish"
It seemed all-too-plausible, the perfect excuse that would cover up many future incidents. Sarah stifled a laugh when she thought of all kind of compromising situations she could be found in but as her mind drifted from the more hilarious scenarios (like being spotted trying to sneak Nazgul the dragon around Hogwarts or levitating without a wand) to the more… er, lets say rather less… innocent ones, elicited no doubt because of the connotation of the phrase 'compromising position' she shook her head and prayed that the slight warmth she felt spreading across her face was not a blush. Blush was never an option for one such as Sarah Williams, cold-hearted witch extraordinaire.
The little speech and the manner in which Jareth had drawled the words, so utterly charming and strangely Malfoy-ish seemed to make Professor Umbridge quickly switch sides and decide that she most certainly did not want another person in the castle against her, no matter what. Besides, the William's tutor seemed delightful.
"Oh, well, Mr. Sidhe I do understand you completely" she said, her sugary voice making some first years gag "And I would like to welcome you to stay at Hogwarts as long as you need. The school's doors are always open for the relatives of our children"
"Her children?" Fred choked on his food as he gasped the words out "Did she just call us her children? I think I'm going to be sick"
George patted his brother's back as Fred brought both his hands to his mouth, while Ginny said that it was their horrible eating habits and not the words of the toad teacher what was causing that sickness. Minerva McGonagall was trying hard to conceal her indignation at the thought of that woman playing the Hogwarts' Hostess in front of her and Dumbledore, while the headmaster let it slide, a gentle smile on his face.
"What a wonderful idea, Dolores!" he said cheerfully, his eyes calculating all the possibilities, the wheels of his head turning at a speed that Minerva thought she could hear them "We should offer Mr. Sidhe a chance to be near his protégée, of course, so as to train her. I know it will take time but Miss Williams is a most capable young lady and she will be able to deal with everything, I gather. Wonderful idea indeed, Dolores"
His voice was light and enthusiastic and even Jareth was impressed. The man was obviously an experienced and consummated manipulator, as subtle and as conniving as the best Fae.
"Does it mean that Jareth can stay here?" Sarah said aloud, her tone hopeful. A wide smile spread across her face and she spun around to quickly hug Jareth and give him a peck on the cheek before thanking the professors quietly. Inside she was begging some god or the other to end her suffering quickly.
"Oh, well, I guess we better make the guest feel welcome. There is a guest room next to the Gryffindor Tower that I think will suit or guest just fine. The door is hidden by the portrait of The Three Graces and the password is "cambio" and you can change it on the spot if you like"
It was all perfectly falling into place at a speed that was impressive. Of course to crafty manipulators working at once did a better job than just one but it all still seemed too good to be real.
"Miss Williams can show you the way and help you get settled in calling one of the house elves. It would give you also the perfect opportunity to catch up as I am sure you are dying to do"
The last comment from Professor Dumbledore caught Sarah's attention and she nodded mutely, keeping her arms wrapped around one of Jareth's. Unwilling to prolong the show any more the girl gently but firmly led the Sidhe out of the Hall after gently asking Tiptin- the house elf who had 'announced' his presence earlier that evening- to bring his luggage to the spare Gryffindor Room. After some pleasantries were exchanged between the professors and the Fae he let his eager guide drag him out of the Hall and, once they were out of sight, he bowed deeply.
"Long live the Queen of Shams, it seems"
His taunting voice teased her ears and she was more than willing to rise to the occasion.
"That coming from his Majesty the King of all things Twisted and Fake is quite a compliment" she retorted with a small curtsey of her own, using her robes as a sort of gown. Flashes of the dreams floated through the Fae's mind as he saw her gesture but he quickly shook them off. They were still too close to the Hall and he had to stay focused. Placing a hand on the small of her back and thinking at the same time that the action did not help him at all he motioned her to escort him.
"We have to wait, I'm sorry to say, if we want to catch the eight o'clock shortcut through the staircases" she said and motioned up to where the staircases were slowly re-arranging themselves. The sound they produced was muffled by the chattering of the portraits and the faraway screams of Peeves. The entire seen was bathed in the light of the candles and torches that either floated through the air or were precariously hanging from the walls and, as a whole, it was rather beautiful.
"I must admit it does have its charm" he approved through gritted teeth. Giving his approval was something he was desperately trying not to do too often there "Care to tell me a little about the place, luv? I don't want any nasty surprises"
"Hogwarts… is very much like the Labyrinth. To some extent it's alive" the girl said as they climbed still-rotating staircases with ease one would usually relate to felines "The stairs are in constant movement, there are ghosts everywhere, the paintings talk and some hide rooms and entrances, like the Fat Lady who guards the entry of the Gryffindor tower or the Three Graces, that guard your door. Peeves, an obnoxious Poltergeist, drifts from here to there trying to scare the living headlights out of everyone who dares cross his path but he is strangely afraid of you…" she paused and stopped walking, arching an eyebrow at him "He knows you. Firenze does also and I bet many other magical creatures do. Care to explain me why?"
Her tone was neutral.
"The old ones do not forget. When we left, some of us stayed here. They were tied to the place or had mixed with mortals, such as the human werewolves had. They decided to remain Above and forget everything, become mortals. But the old ones remembered and passed the story of another realm, a realm of the Forever Young, existing along with this world, teaching them about its ruler and its power, along with the legend of the Wished away. They might have adapted to this world, Sarah, but they still remember their other home and I still have power over them"
It was quite a favourite phrase of him, the last one. And he said it with such a nonchalant air that it lost its powerful air to become… a fact. A flat fact.
"Oh" she said, resuming their walk "At least that will be helpful with Peeves"
It was all well beyond surprises by now, so she didn't question him. Actually, she had been expecting that kind of answer. Firenze was, after all, very close to the elders of the Forbidden forest and Peeves was, even if it didn't look like, a very old spirit who had settled in Hogwarts soon after it had been built in the first place. It seemed logical that they would both know.
"And here we are" the girl announce with a hint of pride as she gestured to three portraits along a wall. The one in the centre was of a Fat Lady in a dress that looked at the gently. The one to their right was a scribe frantically taking down notes on a large piece of parchment that rolled from his desk to the floor and lost itself in the infinite of the canvas. He looked up from his work briefly to glance at them over his rounded spectacles and smiled cheekily before returning to his work. To their left was a painting of three scantly-dressed women (and by scantly dressed it is meant 'with slips of white cloth carefully arranged on their bodies to cover strategic places') dancing arm in arm, looking all very roman. The women were giggling and, as soon as they saw the couple halted, flipped their curly long brown hair and stared at Jareth appreciatively.
"Girls, girls, that is no way to greet anybody" the Fat Lady chided softly, scowling at the graces who just giggled and winked at Jareth "Now, my dear, who is this charming fellow?"
Her tone was soft but her curiosity evident and Sarah smiled kindly while making introductions, not at all bothered by the motherly gestures of the portrait who, in a way, seemed to watch over all Gryffindors all the time.
"His name is Jareth Sidhe and he is my guardian and tutor" she explained softly before turning to the Fae "Jareth, she is the Fat Lady and guards the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower. I'll show you inside once you get comfortable in your room"
She waved at the portrait before turning to the three roman ladies smiling at… well, not at her, actually.
"Sorry to interrupt the ditzy contest, girls, but we need to enter" she said in a tone that had earned her the Head Girl Badge "the password is cambio but Jareth might want to choose another one"
The girl looked back at the Fae who quirked an eyebrow, deep in thought, while the girls in the portrait sighed.
"You can pick any word you want, master" one of the girl said, highlighting the 'any' with a suggestive tone "We are here to please you"
Sarah snorted as Jareth looked politely not interested and turned to her with a dazzling smile.
"You know me far too well, my dearest. Care to select a new password?"
OUCH. The graces looked as if they had been hit by the Knight Bus and for a moment Sarah had to fight hard not to laugh. It was the first time their little sham had worked for her advantage for a change.
"The new password is 'Masquerade', alright?" she said after some minutes of thinking. She smiled cheekily at Jareth as he smirked and before any nasty comeback could be heard she slipped into the room after the portrait swung aside.
The room was vast and decorated in rich dark colours: and almost burgundy red and a dark gold, the Gryffindor signature all over the place. There was a coat of arms with the tell-tale colours and the self-assured lion standing in two proud legs pawing at an invisible foe above a very expensive chimney (with the usual flowerpot filled with floo powder at the top) and an impressive painting of the Hogwarts castle that actually showed itself at the time of the day that it was in the real world, giving at that time a view of the castle during the evening, the first stars beginning to appear. The canopy bed was an amazing piece of furniture ruling the room: made out of a dark reddish wood it was king-sized and had silken gold sheet and a sating red bedspread with gold linings and strings making a pattern across the fabric. The wood of the bed was intrinsically carved and the feet of the bed were all lion's paws, adding to the atmosphere. Candles illuminated the place as well as the roaring fire and there were three doors, one of them hidden as if it were a part of the wall. One of the doors hid a walk-in closet and the other a richly-equipped bathroom that resembled the Prefect's bathroom a little, only with touches of gold and red. The third door, the hidden one, lead strangely to the common Room of the Gryffindor Tower.
"Well, that's odd, but really handy" Sarah muttered as she walked through the narrow passage towards the end, were a large rectangle in the middle of one of the Common Room's walls was hid by a large portrait of Godric Gryffindor. Swinging the portrait aside the girl stepped into the room, Jareth in tow.
"And this is the Common Room, were we Gryffindors study… Well, some of us study and the rest hang around" she said in a while gesturing at the desks, cushions, sofas and armchairs and then at the roaring fire. A few students looked at them oddly, obviously having skipped dinner and not knowing who he was, and Jareth assumed his role at once.
"It is truly lovely, my dear, it reminds me so much of the castle back home…" he replied, a hand caressing Sarah's hair in a way that it seemed as if it was the most natural thing in the world "Don't you think this place has the same charm?"
He had sat down on the sofa that was directly in front of the fire and tugged at her hand to make her fall alongside him. Smirking with the knowledge that she could not snap at him in front of the others he waited fro her move, as in a chess game. Sarah accepted the challenge gracefully and snuggled close to him, a hand catching a wisp of his hair and toying with it lightly.
"Yes, from what I can remember the school is very much like your castle. Maybe that is why it feels like home" she replied while staring at the fire with a thoughtful expression before shaking her hand and smiling up at him, laughing lightly at his temporary shocked expression and pulling him closer so he wouldn't be able to read her expression. Two more comments like that one and she was going to drain that smugness right out of him.
"It's been good for the land and the people to have you near anyway"
His whispery voice somehow told her they were past the shamming and the pretending and that somehow they had gotten themselves deep into serious conversation. They had seven years to talk about… Years of brushing but never touching, of being so close and yet so far away, invisible to each other's eyes. Sarah was at a disadvantage, however, as she ignored her dreams were more than just dreams and that Jareth had them too.
"It's been good for my spirit too… It's been hard, growing up without magic but with the dreamer attitude" she commented, the fire and the warmth and magic of his body, a quite intoxicating aura, lulled her into sleep "Without the Labyrinth, I might have wilted and died on my home. I would have… never discovered…" she was closing her eyes against her will "magic and… Hogwarts… and Hoggle, Didymus, Ludo… Nazgul, the will-o-wisps or…" she yawned silently and let her head fall back completely against him "or you"
She was fast asleep as soon as those lasts words left her lips. One of her hands was curled around a piece of his shirt and the other one lay limp on his shoulder, still slightly tangled with one of his bangs. Her own hair was spilled over his chest and the sofa, a contrast against hers and his ivory white skin. She was beautiful under the dim and flickering light of the fireplace and for a moment Jareth pretended that they were not enemies and he wasn't looking for revenge and she did trust him… But it was of no use. They were still who they were, players of the never-ending game.
"There is a hole in the world" his High Advisor had wisely told him once "A hole deep enough to swallow everything good, bad and indifferent. It travels the centre of the Earth and lays dormant, dead from years ago. The hole used to be full to the brim, warm and humming but now is insensitive and lifeless. 'tis like you sometimes, my Lord. There is a hole in your world too"
All of a sudden he felt as if the hole was being filled with scalding lava and ice-cold water at once.
But it didn't hurt.
"You'll e the death of me" Jareth whispered silently to the sleeping mortal as he placed a kiss on her raven hair and silently extricated himself from her loose embrace "I can feel it as I fell my heart beating"
He retired with those words, going back through the portrait to his chambers. From there he would teleport to the Underground, deal with the paperwork and hear the report from his Advisor, whom he had left in charge, and possibly try to get images out of his head. He wondered briefly what the outcome of this strange turn of events would be and though he couldn't even begin to fathom it, he knew he had been waiting fro it ever since he had seen her act in the park, young, naïve, strong and jaded all at once, and full of promises that he had seen fulfilled.
"She'll be your undoing" one of the courtesans of the Masquerade had told him once. And, for the first time he acknowledged in private the truth of her words.
On the positive, what a ravishing undoing she was.
