Pale Serpents 10: A Handful of Answers
Author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13?
main characters: Willow Rosenberg, Severus Snape QPC #31
story #10 in Pale Serpents
the Quickie Challenge site: http://quickie.moonlightpaths.com
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or from Harry Potter.
distribution: WLS, NHA, Twisting the Hellmouth, Quickie Challenge, Bite Me please? anyone else ask.
Willow was staring at a crystal sphere that appeared to be shot through with threads of gold when Severus Snape entered her rooms. A small table had been set with a mouth watering feast for two, and the soft candles made the room look almost romantic. Even Willow's garments a bit more formal and elaborate than normal contributed to the look. But Severus didn't think that she'd brought him here for an attempt at romance, especially since this dinner had been his idea.
"How did your day go? You seem to have taken a long time."
Willow looked up, as if startled. "Severus... Sorry, I guess I sort of got lost in thought. The day was... oddly fun. See? An Orb of Thessulah. Just one of the nifty things we found today." Her voice was cheerful, but filled with undertones that he couldn't quite decipher.
"Was there anyone else on this trip? Madame Crabbe, or perhaps Constance Bulstrode?" He offered a small smile, pulling her chair out so that she could sit down.
"Not one of those ladies. Or any other ladies of her acquaintance. I met her... well, she referred to him as her uncle Kiarran." Willow looked very thoughtful.
Severus frowned, certain that he'd heard that name before. If he could only remember... an image came to him, a towering warrior with a sword and fangs, threatening an overly foolish Death Eater who'd sought Narcissa's 'company'. As he recalled, the vampire had chopped the Death Eater in half for presuming to lay an unwanted finger on his descendant... "A vampire, if I'm remembering the right person."
"Yes, a vampire. He seemed... On good behavior, and he was being very charming. He also seems to think that Lucius Malfoy is an arrogant pretentious fool that wouldn't be fit to polish the boots of Phoebus Malfoy, who I assume is an ancestor." She smiled just a little. "I had to agree with the pretentious part."
For a moment, he simply stared at her, attempting to reconcile the image of a vampire with a sword, gleefully cutting down drunken Death Eaters with someone 'charming'. Although he certainly agreed with the evaluation of Lucius Malfoy as an 'arrogant pretentious fool'... "There must be some sort of motivation."
Willow put on an exaggeratedly innocent expression. "You don't think someone might just want to be charming to me?"
Silence stretched for a few long moments.
Willow was the one who spoke first, her voice somewhat amused. "Okay, I know there was an ulterior motive. He's on Narcissa's side in this... whatever that she's brewing up, and they want me on their side. And Lucius is NOT on their side. I think he's on the other side, but obviously not alone, or they could have just... offed him, or vanished him. So, they want me with them, against Lucius, who I really don't like anyhow, and it's something big and intimidating..."
"Are you certain?" He wondered what Narcissa was up to, and how much Willow had peiced together.
Sipping at her iced tea, Willow shrugged. "I'm absolutely certain that they're on the same side in this, and that something is making them nervous about it. And I'm really certain that Kiarran doesn't think Lucius is good enough for Narcissa. I don't think what they're planning is quite nice, and maybe a little illegal."
"Lucius most likely would have several other Death Eaters on his side. Depending on how far..." His words stopped as a sudden idea occurred to him. Could Narcissa intend to remove even the Dark Lord? "Do you have any idea how far her plans go?"
Willow chuckled a little. "Severus, I spent the day shopping with Narcissa and her suspiciously charming vampire ancestor. I got some nifty things and a handful of answers, but that wasn't one of them." Willow frowned, her expression turning oddly serious. "But... There's something wrong there, something she was hiding. She... there was a bruise on her face, covered by make-up."
He felt as if something cold had slithered through him. Worry churned, refusing to take identifiable form. "A bruise? Are you certain it wasn't just from a lack of sleep?"
She shook her head, eyes gone unreadable with memories. "It was a bruise. The sort that you get when you hit the ground head first, sort of sideways. Like if a vampire throws you… or if someone shoves you hard into a wall. Or maybe she tripped and fell. I have no idea how she got it, but it was definitely a bruise, and she was trying to hide it. When I helped…" Willow closed her eyes, swallowing hard. "I saw them from fights back in Sunnydale, and I've seen them on my best friend when his father was kicking him around like a punching bag. I know bruises when I see them. It could have been an accident, but… I don't think so."
"Merlin's bones…" Severus didn't know what to say. Narcissa bruised, possibly because of abuse. "Perhaps that would be why she wants to move against her husband…"
Willow opened her eyes, a thin layer of teasing over the agonized worry in her voice. "You have met Lucius Malfoy, right? It's just… He didn't seem quite like the type."
Surprise flowed through him, and he gaped at Willow. "Not the type? What, not the sort to be abusive?"
"No, not the sort to be physically violent. I would have pegged him more for emotional abuse, cruelty of the spirit… maybe even magic. Certainly threats and intimidation. I just can't quite picture him hitting her." There was a shadow of remembered pain on her face.
"There are spells that could cause someone to collapse." He felt a shudder that had nothing to do with the temperature run through him. Could Lucius Malfoy be using those Dark spells on his own wife? Or was someone else responsible for the bruise that Willow had noticed? "Although those spells are considered Dark."
"Lucius Malfoy uses Dark Magic." Willow's voice was low, almost flat. "Not he's felt it, not once upon a time, but recently. It was all over the feel of him when he paid me that visit. I can see him using illegal magic against his wife."
"But we don't know that he did." He hated the words of caution even as he knew they were true. Lucius Malfoy was evil, and had done many terrible things, but they had no proof that he was abusing his wife.
"Right." Willow sighed, picking at her food. "But I think I'll probably end up helping kick his ass if she wants."
Severus picked at his own food, which now seemed rather tasteless. "I just might help, if you'll have me."
Willow looked at him, a tiny smile on her face. "If I'll have you?" She blushed, making Severus realize that his words could have been taken as a proposition. "If it comes down to that, I could use someone to make sure I come back from the edge of magic."
End Handful of Answers.
Author: Lucinda
rating: pg 13?
main characters: Willow Rosenberg, Severus Snape QPC #31
story #10 in Pale Serpents
the Quickie Challenge site: http://quickie.moonlightpaths.com
disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or from Harry Potter.
distribution: WLS, NHA, Twisting the Hellmouth, Quickie Challenge, Bite Me please? anyone else ask.
Willow was staring at a crystal sphere that appeared to be shot through with threads of gold when Severus Snape entered her rooms. A small table had been set with a mouth watering feast for two, and the soft candles made the room look almost romantic. Even Willow's garments a bit more formal and elaborate than normal contributed to the look. But Severus didn't think that she'd brought him here for an attempt at romance, especially since this dinner had been his idea.
"How did your day go? You seem to have taken a long time."
Willow looked up, as if startled. "Severus... Sorry, I guess I sort of got lost in thought. The day was... oddly fun. See? An Orb of Thessulah. Just one of the nifty things we found today." Her voice was cheerful, but filled with undertones that he couldn't quite decipher.
"Was there anyone else on this trip? Madame Crabbe, or perhaps Constance Bulstrode?" He offered a small smile, pulling her chair out so that she could sit down.
"Not one of those ladies. Or any other ladies of her acquaintance. I met her... well, she referred to him as her uncle Kiarran." Willow looked very thoughtful.
Severus frowned, certain that he'd heard that name before. If he could only remember... an image came to him, a towering warrior with a sword and fangs, threatening an overly foolish Death Eater who'd sought Narcissa's 'company'. As he recalled, the vampire had chopped the Death Eater in half for presuming to lay an unwanted finger on his descendant... "A vampire, if I'm remembering the right person."
"Yes, a vampire. He seemed... On good behavior, and he was being very charming. He also seems to think that Lucius Malfoy is an arrogant pretentious fool that wouldn't be fit to polish the boots of Phoebus Malfoy, who I assume is an ancestor." She smiled just a little. "I had to agree with the pretentious part."
For a moment, he simply stared at her, attempting to reconcile the image of a vampire with a sword, gleefully cutting down drunken Death Eaters with someone 'charming'. Although he certainly agreed with the evaluation of Lucius Malfoy as an 'arrogant pretentious fool'... "There must be some sort of motivation."
Willow put on an exaggeratedly innocent expression. "You don't think someone might just want to be charming to me?"
Silence stretched for a few long moments.
Willow was the one who spoke first, her voice somewhat amused. "Okay, I know there was an ulterior motive. He's on Narcissa's side in this... whatever that she's brewing up, and they want me on their side. And Lucius is NOT on their side. I think he's on the other side, but obviously not alone, or they could have just... offed him, or vanished him. So, they want me with them, against Lucius, who I really don't like anyhow, and it's something big and intimidating..."
"Are you certain?" He wondered what Narcissa was up to, and how much Willow had peiced together.
Sipping at her iced tea, Willow shrugged. "I'm absolutely certain that they're on the same side in this, and that something is making them nervous about it. And I'm really certain that Kiarran doesn't think Lucius is good enough for Narcissa. I don't think what they're planning is quite nice, and maybe a little illegal."
"Lucius most likely would have several other Death Eaters on his side. Depending on how far..." His words stopped as a sudden idea occurred to him. Could Narcissa intend to remove even the Dark Lord? "Do you have any idea how far her plans go?"
Willow chuckled a little. "Severus, I spent the day shopping with Narcissa and her suspiciously charming vampire ancestor. I got some nifty things and a handful of answers, but that wasn't one of them." Willow frowned, her expression turning oddly serious. "But... There's something wrong there, something she was hiding. She... there was a bruise on her face, covered by make-up."
He felt as if something cold had slithered through him. Worry churned, refusing to take identifiable form. "A bruise? Are you certain it wasn't just from a lack of sleep?"
She shook her head, eyes gone unreadable with memories. "It was a bruise. The sort that you get when you hit the ground head first, sort of sideways. Like if a vampire throws you… or if someone shoves you hard into a wall. Or maybe she tripped and fell. I have no idea how she got it, but it was definitely a bruise, and she was trying to hide it. When I helped…" Willow closed her eyes, swallowing hard. "I saw them from fights back in Sunnydale, and I've seen them on my best friend when his father was kicking him around like a punching bag. I know bruises when I see them. It could have been an accident, but… I don't think so."
"Merlin's bones…" Severus didn't know what to say. Narcissa bruised, possibly because of abuse. "Perhaps that would be why she wants to move against her husband…"
Willow opened her eyes, a thin layer of teasing over the agonized worry in her voice. "You have met Lucius Malfoy, right? It's just… He didn't seem quite like the type."
Surprise flowed through him, and he gaped at Willow. "Not the type? What, not the sort to be abusive?"
"No, not the sort to be physically violent. I would have pegged him more for emotional abuse, cruelty of the spirit… maybe even magic. Certainly threats and intimidation. I just can't quite picture him hitting her." There was a shadow of remembered pain on her face.
"There are spells that could cause someone to collapse." He felt a shudder that had nothing to do with the temperature run through him. Could Lucius Malfoy be using those Dark spells on his own wife? Or was someone else responsible for the bruise that Willow had noticed? "Although those spells are considered Dark."
"Lucius Malfoy uses Dark Magic." Willow's voice was low, almost flat. "Not he's felt it, not once upon a time, but recently. It was all over the feel of him when he paid me that visit. I can see him using illegal magic against his wife."
"But we don't know that he did." He hated the words of caution even as he knew they were true. Lucius Malfoy was evil, and had done many terrible things, but they had no proof that he was abusing his wife.
"Right." Willow sighed, picking at her food. "But I think I'll probably end up helping kick his ass if she wants."
Severus picked at his own food, which now seemed rather tasteless. "I just might help, if you'll have me."
Willow looked at him, a tiny smile on her face. "If I'll have you?" She blushed, making Severus realize that his words could have been taken as a proposition. "If it comes down to that, I could use someone to make sure I come back from the edge of magic."
End Handful of Answers.