Here's chapter 10! This one is where the real action begins. Ready for Voldemort and Death Eaters, not to mention Sirius-as-Padfoot (that one goes to Lives2fly, who wanted Sirius as Padfoot). You'll also get Sirius POV, mainly because Sasha can't know what he's doing right now. I'm not sure what year it said in the books that the Marauders succeeded in becoming Animagi, but I'm going to assume it was before this point in time. Anyway, read. Review. Here you go:
Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Harry Potter or Set Fire to the Rain.
Sasha was getting tired of sweet apologies when Sirius came up to her once the high emotions from the ball had worn off. Honestly, she wasn't that peeved. It wasn't like he'd done anything serious. Like kiss you again? that annoying voice in her head repeated for the umpteenth time, But wait. Why would that irritate you? You would like that, wouldn't you. She shook her head wearily to clear it. Sasha was in love with Severus, and that was that. There were no "but's," not anymore. At least, that was what she told herself until a very strange conversation at the window of her dorm in Ravenclaw tower.
It was late at night - long after her classmates had fallen asleep. Sasha, however, was still laying awake, staring up at the ceiling, lost somewhere in a maze of fantasy. She started when she heard a soft tapping on her window, thinking of owls delivering letters. Only, no owl would be delivering a letter this late at Hogwarts. She cautiously approached the window, wand out, and threw it open, only to jump back at the sight of her boyfriend's face.
Giggling slightly, Sasha shot him a questioning look. "Um, Severus? What do you -" she cut off abruptly, spotting four other Slytherin boys suspended on broomsticks behind him. There was one broomstick aloft that had no rider - as of yet. "Where are you going?" she whispered furtively, filled with a sense of dread. This could be nothing good.
"Well, you know how I told you about becoming a Death Eater early?" Severus queried, his face alight with excitement. Sasha's heart sank. "We're going! We're going to meet the Dark Lord!" Biting her lip nervously, she looked away, hating to see this kind of enthusiasm for something like this. "So, I know you said you would think about it, but now you have to choose. Do you want to come with, Sasha?" When she still looked uncertain, he leaned in closer and implored, "Come on, Sasha. Can you imagine what an honor it would be to serve the Dark Lord? Come with me!"
Come with me, Sasha thought, her grey eyes lighting up. Would Severus have asked Lily Evans to come with him, to share his dream? For a moment, she was uneasy - maybe he would have, had they been dating. Maybe he would have expected her to completely change her views for him. But maybe not. No, he wouldn't have, Sasha realized. Evans was a Mudblood, and love or not, Severus would never have asked a Mudblood to come with him.
Sasha grinned, grabbing her cloak and throwing her legs out of the window one at a time and hoisting herself onto the broom. "Of course I'll come, Severus," she assured her boyfriend, before zooming out after him, until they reached a spot on the boundary of the Hogwarts grounds, from which they Apparated to the Dark Lord's current headquarters. She felt a rush as the blackness crushed her - she was finally beating Lily Evans, becoming the girl that Severus could depend on, forever.
Sirius was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, staring, without blinking, at the small dot labeled "Sasha Williams" on the map sprawled out in front of him. "Padfoot, you need to get over this girl," James Potter complained. "Honestly, you haven't been any fun lately. I mean, Moony's been better to hang out, and he doesn't do anything but read his books! We're not like this, Padfoot. We're players and proud of it."
"You're one to talk," Sirius snarled. "Lily Evans ring a bell?"
"I have decided I am officially over her," James declared grandiosely, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Sirius didn't respond, but seemed to be glaring at the dot. "What is it?" James asked, apparently recognizing his friend's change in manner.
Sasha's dot was moving, Sirius noticed. His gaze turned to a glare as he saw who was outside her window at Ravenclaw Tower. Severus Snape. "What's he doing outside of her window?" Sirius snarled, about to go rescue Sasha from the indignity, until he saw that Snape wasn't going in, but Sasha was leaving. Four other Slytherin boys went with them, heading towards the edge of the grounds. "Where are they going?"
James had joined him by the map, a shrewd look on his face. Then he turned to Sirius, who met his gaze steadily. "You really care for this girl?" he asked. Sirius hated to admit it, but he was really falling for Sasha. She was amazing - intelligent, sarcastic, and beautiful. When he was laughing with her, he felt like he wasn't worthy of the pleasure. And when he'd kissed her - it was indescribable. He nodded in response, and James gathered up his robes and said, "Let's go, then. If we hurry, we can catch up."
Remus and Peter followed without question, Remus throwing James' invisibilty cloak over all of them. Their feet didn't quite fit, but it was dark enough so that it didn't really matter. "You know I can't turn into Moony, right?" Remus asked in a whisper as they raced across the grounds towards the six black figures in the distance, who had already stopped.
"We can think about that later, Moony!" Sirius panted, wishing that he could change into his dog form, if only for the running part. Fortunately, all four boys could sprint fast enough so that they managed to grip pieces of the Slytherins and Sasha's robes as they vanished into the blackness. It was a struggle to hold on, when they didn't even have flesh to hold onto, just fabric, but they managed, and emerged in front of a large estate.
"Where are we?" Sirius heard Sasha ask from the other side of what seemed to be a tall hedge, although he couldn't tell in the darkness. Reaching out a hand, he realized it was really just two of the Slytherin boys, large, stupid blokes, clumped together.
Grunting disgustedly, Sirius stood up, carefully following Sasha, Snape, and the rest - along with his friends, whose presence he felt beside him, - so that they couldn't sense him, but so that he could still hear them. Snape was replying, "...and so he's using their place as headquarters."
"Wait, does he know we're coming?" Sasha queried. Judging by a slight edge in her voice, she was nervous. Sirius snorted inwardly. Couldn't Severus tell she didn't want to do this? If he couldn't understand that, then he didn't deserve to be with her.
"Of course," Snape responded, placing a reassuring arm around Sasha's shoulders. So maybe he did realize she was apprehensive. Snape began to say something else, but Sirius didn't hear, because now James was speaking, hushed but urgent.
"Padfoot, I can't go in. I'm too big," James explained, and Sirius understood that he meant his animal form. "But you and Wormy can, with disillusionment charms. Me and Moony'll wait, under the cloak, and if we see any disturbance, we'll come in and save you. Okay?"
"Alright," Sirius agreed, already changing into dog form. Wormy soon appeared beside him. Sirius felt a tickling temptation to step on the rat's tail, but resisted, only because Sasha was in danger.
It was Snape who knocked on the grand front doors of the Manor. It was opened by Narcissa Malfoy, recently married to the young Lucius Malfoy. Padfoot stopped behind him, his lips forming a doggy grin. That Narcissa was far too hot to be married to a cocky Pureblood like Lucius. He almost barked a laugh. Lucius. It was a ridiculous name, in Sirius' opinion. Lost in thought, he almost missed the door, only coming to his senses when Wormy bit his leg, hard.
Nearly whimpering in pain, Padfoot loped through the doors just before Narcissa closed them. His eyes followed her greedily for a moment, before he shook himself awake. Sasha. Sasha. She was in danger, and he had to save her. Resolved, Sirius calmly followed, Peter gripping one of his legs, until they found themselves in an ornate sitting room. The dog and rat slinked to the back of the room, where they hoped they could remain unnoticed by the figure at the other end of the room, whose back was still turned.
Sasha nearly screamed in fright as the Dark Lord turned to face him, but managed to keep her face impassive. He was a truly frightening figure - pale, pale skin, scarlet eyes, and inhuman facial features. Furthermore, he emanated terror and power in waves, each of which hit Sasha harder than the previous. "Welcome," the Dark Lord greeted them in a cold, clear voice that sent shivers down her spine. "Please, seat yourselves." All six students fell backwards into chairs, but the Dark Lord remained standing. "So you are the six that wish to become Death Eaters before you finish school," he continued, in a tone that indicated he was only mildly interested.
Sasha shrank back as the Dark Lord walked forward, only to seat himself in a grand, throne-like armchair and wave his wand so that a feeble fire sprang up in the fireplace. He sat there, looking each of them in the eyes for a few moments. Legilimency. Sasha had read about the Dark Lord and his power, but try as she might to hide her doubts, she couldn't, not when those frightening scarlet eyes stared into her eyes. Finally, his lips curved into something resembling a smile, and he spoke again. "Oh, you will do. You will all do. Now, truthfully, having student spies within Hogwarts will help me very much. I have been yearning for a way to get into there, since that it, after all, where Dumbledore spends much of his time." The Dark Lord paused for a moment, spider-like fingers playing with his yew wand.
"However, I cannot let you join my precious Death Eater ranks untested," he decreed, and Sasha felt a sinking sensation. What would this be? Some horrible magical test, in which she had to prove herself a true Death Eater, or else...? But, to her surprise, the Dark Lord's next words were, "This test will be fairly simple. I need you to find out what the organization known as the Order of the Phoenix is doing on the 5th of May."
Sasha blinked. He wouldn't seriously entrust such a mission to six unproven students, would he? "Ah, I sense your doubts as to the wiseness of this decision, Williams," the Dark Lord told her softly. She looked up, startled. "But never fear. I have...other means...of learning the truth, should it become necessary." Eyebrows rising, Sasha wondered if he was implying what she thought he was implying. But he couldn't really be implying anything, since it wasn't even an answer. The Dark Lord was clever, she realized, as they exited the room, to return to Hogwarts. Momentarily jostled by something brushing against her leg, however, she lost her train of thought, and soon forgot what she was trying to decide. It was confusing.
But it was also the choice she'd made.
I'm not sure I made Voldemort creepy enough, so he may be a little OOC. But I do think I got his general creepiness down. If that makes any sense. Tell me what you think, now that we're getting into the action-plot of the story! Please, please, please review! Mostly because I know you want a certain James-Sasha moment in the next chapter that I'm excited to write... Also because I have DOZENS of alerts and favorites for this story, but a sad little nine reviews. Come on, people. Step it up! I know you can do it. I want at least three more reviews before I post Chapter 11, so lurkers, stop lurking and start reviewing! PLEASE? So to whoever actually reads these notes - REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. Okay, rant over. But REVIEW.