Alex was infuriated. She had called an immediate meeting in the Ravenclaw Common room, and now sat in an outrageous silver armchair placed in front of the fireplace. The effect was that the flames cast her in shadows, the whites of her eyes flashing at the insubordinates in front of her. They knelt on the floor, some of them intimidated, some petulant.
"I would like to know what you thought you were doing today? I believe that I am Prince here, by blood, oath and combat! My word is law." Alex hissed her voice sinister. The students in front of her trembled, the power in her voice made them shiver, "Listen well, if you ever directly disobey me again your punishment will be much worse than what I'm giving you today."
"And what will our punishment be, oh Prince?" Eddie sneered, rolling his eyes.
Ales moved so fast her arm was only a blur. The resulting thud and Eddie's head snapping to the side were the only visible signs she even moved. Gingerly he turned back to face her, his cheek split just as Draco's had been. A thin line of blood trickled down the side of his face, and his eyes bore a newfound respect as they met hers.
"Carmichael, you will be employed however the Deuxième Serpent wishes. The rest of you will be used as dueling partners for the Slytherin Prince's guards. I hope you all learn something from this. Next time you think to disobey me I will deal with each of you personally." Alex paused to let her words sink in, "I thought that Ravenclaws were supposed to be the intelligent ones of this lot, but it doesn't seem that that is the case here. I will expect those of you who stood idle today to report to me by the end of this week how exactly you are going to apologize to the Serpent Seigneur."
She paused to take a deep breath, slowly letting it out as she gazed around the room. Her loyal people were ranged around the outside of the room, and she found the number lacking severely. She took another breath and slowly reached around the side of her chair, where a dark, slender hand met hers.
"I would also like to introduce you to your amoureux à ailes," Alex was a good deal calmer as she drew Blaise out of the shadows.
Blaise stepped out from behind her chair to sweep a disdainful glare over the 'traitors', "Good evening."
There was a gasp as people recognized who he was and where he stood in the hierarchy of the school. Eddie bowed his head in defeat, all thoughts of forming a rebellion leaving his head. This Prince was strong and had formed an alliance with the strongest house in the school. Any rebellion would be ruthlessly squashed, her punishments meted out quickly and painfully. He touched his cheek, fingers coming away bloody. He was lucky to get away with just that, some Princes were inclined to be more drawn out in punishments that challenged their authority in front of the house. Being stripped of his title had put him at the bottom of the flock, and the embarrassment of being below even the nestling first years strengthened his determination to respect this new leader.
Blaise watched with calculating eyes as Eddie's face changed from a smoldering hatred to a fledgling respect. Bending his head to Alex's ear he whispered, "Alex, Charmical is a good enforcer and he knows this house better than you do right now. It might be a good idea to reinstate him to troisième aile. It will earn him your loyalty and help quell the unrest in this house."
Alex thought for a moment, eyeing the boy in question. She knew that she must position her people quickly, her aile guard needed to be assigned as well. "Edward. I am reinstating you to troisième aile. Do not make me regret this choice. Natalie Warner, Robert Lancaster, James Barberry, and Katherine Francis I am appointing you as my aile guard under Blaise. Luna Lovegood is my deuxième aile and you serve her as you would me."
Alex paused and tapped her fingertip against her lips. She had chosen her most loyal people as her protectors, and they looked pleased with their positions. While there was still dissent among the house it seemed to have dimmed to a mummer in the background.
"I do so hope that we can put this unpleasantness behind us. I would hate to see our proud house fall in favor. I will not allow that to happen. There will be a mandatory meeting in the room of requirement every Wednesday for the aile guard, and mandatory training for the flock every day that you do not have classes. Do not try and lie to me, Professor Flitwick has been very helpful in supplying your class rosters. Dismissed."
Alex sighed as her flock went up the staircases to their dorms. She swore she saw Rowena Ravenclaw's statue wink at her, and shook her head. Blaise glanced down at the motion and waited for her to dismiss her lieutenants before asking her leave.
"I'll come with you Blaise. I did promise Draco to return you in one piece."
Two days later, Draco was eyeing a bowl of watery soup disgustedly, "Ginny I love you, but I'm not eating that.'
"Draco dear, I'll give you a kiss if you eat it." Ginny replied, running her hand through her hair.
"But, it doesn't even have meat, or noodles, or crackers or…..ANYTHING!" Draco replied childishly.
"I know love, but if you eat it when you get out I'll fetch you all the food you want from the kitchens," Ginny thrust the bowl into his hands and backed away, "Madam P said that if you eat all of it you could get out. Do you want to go home or not?"
"Home?" His voice sounded hopeful.
"Yes Draco, home. To Slytherin."
Draco smiled warmly and chugged his 'soup', "Let's go home love."
Pansy and Millicent met the two outside of the Hospital Wing to escort them back to the Commons.
"Aren't you two supposed to be in Snape's class right now?" Draco demanded.
"Nah, we explained to him what happened and he gave us passes," Millicent waved the piece of parchment in front of his face.
Ginny grinned at his face, "It's okay honey."
Just then a group of Ravenclaws and a few scattered Hufflepuffs joined the procession silently.
Pansy narrowed her eyes, "Who are you?"
"We're here on the orders of our Princes respectively. Our Winged One ordered us to guard you Prince." The boy scowled darkly, "We dare not disobey her again."
Ginny, Pansy and Millicent smirked. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Draco rolled his eyes, "I don't need guards."
"Your performance the other night says otherwise, Sir." A boy on his left replied.
Draco's mouth fell open, then snapped closed in a tight dissatisfied line. He sulked for the rest of the trip, the three girls trying not to burst into giggles.
At the entrance to the Commons the group left them. Draco glared at their retreating backs, and then he turned to Ginny with a tight smile, "When is our next meeting with our dear Envolé?"
"Don't forget Damien, those were some of his people to," Pansy said helpfully, her pulse racing at the thought of him.
Millicent was watching her skeptically, "I think Pansy here has a crush on dear Alex's charming twin."
Pansy blushed madly, "I do not Millicent Elizabeth Bulstrode!"
"Oh I think you do dearest Amelia Pansy Parkinson," Millie replied, darting through the passageway, Pansy hot on her trail.
"Will they ever grow up?" Draco sighed.
"Do you really want them to?" Ginny asked, linking her arm with his and following the two at a more leisurely pace.
Alex was sulking. Not in a good I'm-so-sexy way either. Blaise had dragged her out of her Common room to stop her from causing serious damage to some of her people. Apparently some of the fifth years were still hot under the collar from all the rousing speeches that had gone on before her lecture. Unsure how to handle it she had left those in Carmichael's hands and let Blaise escort (drag) her to the Slytherin common room. She realized that she'd probably thank him later. But for now she was going to sulk in the overstuffed armchair across from him in the Slytherin Commons.
"You can't stay mad at me forever." Blaise informed her, munching on a peach.
"I hate you, I hate my house, I hate this room, and I hate peaches," She bit off.
"You don't mean that. I am your amoureux à ailes, you aren't allowed to hate me," Blaise licked some stray juice from the corner of his mouth. Alex watched not at all surprised when she felt a slight tingle in her gut at the sensuous way his tongue worked to catch the peach juice dripping down his chin.
Blaise watched her out of the corner of his eyes, practically daring her to act. Being her Aile Guard didn't immediately mean that he was going to share her bed, but he was finding himself more and more inclined to be the one she chose to take to bed. Watching her gaze turn from frustrated to amused to aroused in turn made him want her even more. He snaked his tongue out to caress the peach again, deliberately mimicking other acts.
'Mustn't give in to him, he is only doing this to test you….' Alex was no stranger to desire and before now had given in whenever the need arose and the feelings were returned. However, with Blaise there was a deeper connection, something she sensed was more than just bed play. The potential for more was hiding just below the surface of his smoldering gaze, offering it to her if she would only take it.
Unable to resist him and his wicked tongue she leaned forward in her chair and braced her hand on his knees. He gazed across his peach at her, his eyes dark with promise. Daring, hoping she had read him right, she leaned forward and licked the corner of his mouth, 'Mmmmm…..when was the last time I tasted peaches? I will never think of them the same way, ever again.' She teased him with her lips as she ran her hand down his arm.
She sat back with her prize clutched in her hand. She bit into his peach as he slowly refocused his eyes on her. She grinned at him, "These are really good dearling."
"That was mine, my heart," Blaise snarled, narrowing his eyes at her.
Alex smirked, licking the juices running down her arm, "So it was Amoureux À ailes, what are you going to do?"
Blaise growled and leapt from his chair to pin her back against hers. He tickled her mercilessly, avoiding her thrashing limbs and laughing. In her sense of confusion she didn't notice him snatching the peach back out of her hand until he was suddenly back in his seat, eyeing her as he ate the last bit of the peach. He magiced the pit over to the waste basket, and stretched lazily.
Once her breathing was under control Alex sat up properly in her chair. She wandered over to where he sat and leaned against his chair, "Blaise may I ask you something?"
"Of course Mon Ange, what is it?" Blaise queried, itching to run a slim fingered hand through her soft blonde hair.
"What is this? Is this some kind of magic, something to bond you to me so that you put me before yourself? Or is it something that would have come naturally, something more than a power struggle?"
"I don't know all the answers my dear," He smiled up at her and tugged her down into his lap. He nuzzled his nose against her neck, making her shiver. "I know that I want you, have wanted you since you fell through the ceiling of the great hall like some kind of faire that lost her wings. I know that I am willing to see where this takes us, power struggle non-withstanding. I want to be your Aile guard in more than just title, if you'll have me. Suddenness doesn't matter here, not in this place of magic and mayhem. We could be attacked tomorrow so why not make the most of today?"
He smirked and placed a few kisses on her skin before pulling back to rest his head on top of hers. She turned her face into his skin, her nose scenting him. She would know his scent forever now, be able to suss out where he'd been. It was a gift of hers, this heightened smell. Her mother always used to say it was the blood of her thrice great grandfather, the werewolf, which had skipped a couple generations.
There was a crash and she froze, her face buried in the skin of Blaise's neck. Two figures ran through the Commons shrieking like harpies, and a few minutes later two more strode in.
"Why Blaise, I didn't know you had company," Draco drawled, raking his eyes over the diminutive female curled in Blaise's lap.
Said female turned her head to glare up at him, "Good evening Serpent Seigneur."