– Mistress Mine –
-
Chapter Ten
The next day, you pass Miss Connors in the corridor. You spot her before she sees you, just in time to purposely maintain a blank, professional expression.
"Zabini." She greets, before breezing away after your courteous nod. You wonder when you will next she her. When she will want to talk over the Pensieve with you. What your purpose is in this game if chance.
That evening, you steal down the stone steps in silence, seeing no sign of Flint. You haven't seen him down for a while –perhaps the Pensieve has led him somewhere else in the evenings?
Eagerly, you peer over into the silvery depths, waiting for your presence to be noticed.
You don't have to wait for long – It seems the Pensieve is as excited as you are.
The Dark Lord points his wand at a snake engraving above the mantelpiece, "Severus!" He called.
The Death Eater appeared immediately, looking embarrassed either for your Deputy or of her, you couldn't quite tell. Behaving as if the young woman was not there, he tapped Narcissa on her shoulder and she dutifully stood up, turning to him and curtsying. He nodded in acknowledgement and she lightly breezed out of the room with elegance and charm, as if determined to show the newcomer how a proper lady should behave.
"Severus what is the meaning of this?" he hissed. He called for a House Elf, "Investigate the wards." He commanded before turning back to Severus,
"Master." The man looked sincerely embarrassed and stricken at Chy's actions, "Please, I forbade her to leave my residence – you may have guessed that she does not set much score by the rules." Severus' obvious mortification put a smirk on The Dark Lord's face.
"Well, she had better learn to set score by my rules. Perhaps she is right, Severus, maybe you should let her know more about becoming a Follower." He restrained his laughter as he dismissed them.
Severus strode over to Chy, his face unreadable as he took hold of her arm and apparated them away. You think the memory is about to end, though you sense no fading or blackness.
"Narcissa…" The Dark Lord drawls, as she steps forth into the room, "You behaved yourself rather well during that encounter." He softly praised, "I believe you deserve a reward." He paused slightly before drawing him closer to her – so close she must tilt her chin upwards to meet his eyes, "What reward would you like?" He smirked.
She smiled in return, moving her sparkling hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder and you turn away, willing the memory to change.
The Pensieve senses your wish; for once again, you open your eyes to the Slytherin Common room.
Flash! Here we go again... you sincerely hope Narcissa isn't involved. Chy certainly will be though, as you find yourself at Spinners End.
Chy
stands in the room, looking pleased with herself. Severus looks as
though he's about to explode. She just stands there, and then
suddenly bursts into laughter. "You got me involved with
your bloody Death Wish and you laugh." Severus snarls,
appearing to be an inch away from cursing her. "Did you
see that woman? Acting the part of a true lady? That was laughable."
Chy gasps out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Dimly, you realize
she is borderline hysterical. Severus glares at her, though
he seems to realize this as well. "We'll talk in the morning."
he snarls and retires to bed. He makes the mistake that a hysterical
Chy is a homebound Chy... a mistake one should never attempt. She
walks out the door, not noticing Severus clutch his arm and apparate
away... to an impromptu meeting. Meanwhile, you follow Chy as
she walks... and walks. For nearly an hour she walks, before
apparantly snapping out of her reverie. Her eyes almost glow when she
does, and Chy apparates. She pauses at the wards, now keyed
especially to keep her out. A bit of coaxing, and a few
moments later she appears with a crack in center of the meeting hall.
"Hello Everyone." Chy says with a vicious smile,
her eyes glinting before turning to The Dark Lord and curtseying...
though it appears to be more mocking than anything. "So nice to
see you again."
Swearing, you feel a familiar pull. Talk about a cliff-hanger!
After quite a wait, the Pensieve has found the next piece of the memory. Hang on, there seems to have been, in your judgement, two phrases missed out.
The Dark Lord is striding along a corridor, alone. He sprints up two flights of stairs, his cloak billowing out behind him. He draws his wand and blasts open a door, which has enough sense to shut behind him after he has walked through. You see Chy sitting elegantly on the cushioned loveseat in the corner of the room, toying with a candle.
"I'm sure you have reason enough for this preposterous behaviour." He said silkily as he shot his wand at the empty fireplace; flames immediately started licking the wood there.
Your Deputy Head smiled charmingly at him, though you could sense her nervousness, as if only just realizing what she had done. As if to confirm her realizations, The Dark Lord looked at the door, and it obediently clicked its lock into place.
"Well?" He prompted, standing by the fire, his expression unreadable.
As the room faded into the Slytherin Common room, you hope your quest continues. The pensieve obviously was rushing you – it clearly had a destination it wanted you to arrive at. Your curiosity bubbling over, you return to your dormitory.
-
Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter; this is purely for the entertainment of myself and others, yet no money is being made in the process.
Acknowledgements
SailorHecate – otherwise known as Chy, my memory co-writer. Also, for letting me steal her characters.