A/N: I decided to change the summary for this. What do you think? I've also changed the character options from Albus D. and Minerva M. to Albus D. and Severus S. since Snape will start to be featured more. I will try to put in some more AD/MM here and there, so don't worry. Thanks for sticking with my fic. : -) As always, I love your comments.
"What is it really that's going on here?
You've got the system for total control
so is there anybody out there?
Now watch us suffer, cause we can't go,
what is it really that is in your head,
what little life that you had just died.
I'm gonna be the one that's taking over,
now this is what it's like when worlds collide..."
- When Worlds Collide,Powerman 5000
Chapter 10
Yesterday, Allexia had failed to mention to her father that she had already owled her associate. I guess I could call Francis a friend, she thought absently. She opened the window to let a small owl in. Allexia removed the missive from its leg and gave it some of Ebony's treats before it took off again. The cat looked indignant at having her own food handed out to a bird and voiced her dislike.
"Oh hush, kitty."
Allexia opened the letter and read it with excitement.
Alexandria,
How surprised I was to receive a letter from you! It has been far too long since we last spoke.
I hope all is well with you, Songbird. I must say that I am intrigued by your description of the symbol.
It sounds familiar, but I will have to see it to be sure. When are you going to go on another dig with me?
This old man could sure use the company. I look forward to hearing more about your symbol.
With Regards,
Francis
She smiled, remembering her time in Italy two years ago. She was working undercover when she met Francis . He invited her to an archeological site and told her all about the symbols and runes they found. He also inadvertently helped her track down an arms dealer she was tracking for Treskov who hadn't kept his end of a bargain. She came clean about her profession and Francis didn't seemed to mind in the least. He thought her life was exciting. She had offered him a cut of the money, but he refused, saying he only wanted to remain in contact. Even though it wasn't her best subject, Allexia had always found ancient runes fascinating and she jumped at the chance to be part of a dig. It was nice to be able to do something that didn't involve violence for a change. She was pulled out of her memories by her father's voice coming from the fireplace.
"Could you come to my office, dear?" he said.
"Sure, I'll be right there." She took a handful of powder and threw it into the fire. "Headmaster's Office," she said clearly, stepping through. She had just moved out of the fireplace when Professor Snape appeared behind her.
Albus Dumbledore stood in front of his desk, resplendent in maroon robes. Amusement shown in his eyes as he watched his daughter and the potions master size each other up. "Good morning, Professor Price, Professor Snape." Allexia's eyes widened at being addressed by her new title. Better get used to it, she told herself.
"Good morning, Headmaster," she replied, using his title as well. Snape, she noted, said nothing, but nodded in acknowledgement.
"I have thought about what you said yesterday, Allexia, and I am giving you permission to pursue it, but on my conditions." He addressed Snape, "Allexia believes that she knows someone who can tell us more about the symbol found on Mrs. Jacobson."
Snape looked sidelong at her, his brow arched in clear disbelief. "Is that so?"
"He lives in Italy and I would like you to accompany my daughter to a meeting with this gentlemen."
"What?" both Snape and Allexia said at the same time.
"Allexia, I do not want you to go by yourself and Severus has been doing his own research, so I believe it will be beneficial for him to go as well."
Snape turned to Allexia. "Who is this man? Can he be trusted?"
"He is a Magical Symbologist, with a specialty in dark rituals. I seriously doubt he has heard of the attack on the Jacobsons and besides, the papers didn't mention what the symbol looked like. He is not connected to the Ministry in any way." She could tell he wasn't satisfied, but he didn't question her further.
Dumbledore spoke again, "How soon can you set up a meeting?"
Allexia looked away guiltily. "I, uh, already owled him and he agreed to meet with me. I just need to let him know when and where."
Her father looked disapprovingly at her, but only for a moment. "You can leave after lunch, then, I will arrange for a portkey to take you to Italy and back to Hogwarts. I don't need to remind you that this is to be kept secret."
Allexia told her father of an alleyway near a pub where they would most likely meet, so he could coordinate the portkeys. She had to send Francis an owl to let him they were coming. Snape cornered her in front of the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"So, how did you see the symbol? I was under the impression that I was the only one shown the reports. Did you go through my office?" he accused.
"I got my own copy, thank you very much, and I most certainly didn't go through your things. How dare you even accuse me! Let me get this straight, Professor, I'm in charge of this little mission. It was my idea and my source, so just keep your mouth shut and be a good little boy, while I do the talking." She got right in his personal space in order to prove she meant business.
"Are you quite through, Miss Price? The sooner this is over the better, even if this symbologist of yours knows anything. Now, kindly get out of my way, so I can get some peace before I'm forced to spend time in your company." She moved aside and glared as he moved past her down the corridor.
"That's Professor Price to you, sir!"
Allexia had written to Francis, telling him to meet them at 2:30 in their usual pub. She also changed into muggle clothes, since they would have to walk through a muggle part of town to get there. She idly wondered what Snape would wear. Allexia chose a loose black skirt and a low-cut burgundy top. She completed her ensemble with knee high boots and her trusty leather duster. She looked at the clock; it showed ten minutes to one. They were supposed to leave at 1:00, so she gathered her notes and wand and headed to her father's office.
Snape was already there with her father. He wore black trousers and a tailored long-sleeve black shirt. Allexia had to stop herself from checking him out. Sure he's not bad to look at, she thought, but then he opens his mouth. The potions master was having similar thoughts after seeing Allexia.
"Well, are you both ready? This portkey will reset in three hours so it can be used to bring you back here. Understood?" Dumbledore explained, showing them an empty beer bottle. Allexia wasn't sure she wanted to know where her father got that. He handed Allexia the bottle. "I expect the both of you to be back here in three hours. I will be waiting."
"We'll be here." She looked at the large grandfather clock. They had a minute to go. Allexia held out the bottle for Snape to take hold of and before long the office disappeared and was replaced by a narrow alleyway. Snape was about to set the bottle amongst some trash when Allexia stopped him.
"Wait a second." She took out her wand and tapped the bottom of it. An "X" appeared, etched into the glass. "There are tons of bottles back here, how else would we know which one to hold onto," she explained.
"I would have remembered," he said haughtily.
Allexia rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get going." He followed her through back alleys and marketplaces. The sun was shining overhead and Allexia discreetly cast a cooling charm on both of them.
"Where are we exactly?" Snape asked, annoyance evident in his deep voice.
"A little town on the outskirts of Rome. We're almost there." Five minutes later they stopped outside a small pub. The way muggles seemed to ignore the building, Snape guessed it was like the Leaky Cauldron. He watched Allexia take out her wand and tapped twice on a knothole on the door. It opened and they went inside. It was much darker in here than it was outside. Snape didn't mind in the least. Patrons sat at tables drinking and eating. Up at the bar were some shady looking wizards drinking scotch and who knows what else. A small band played on a stage in the back. Allexia scanned the room for Francis, but she couldn't find him. It felt strange being here after two years. While she was undercover, she worked here as a waitress. It was a surreal experience to have a "regular" job, but it was fun.
"Alexandria!" A man stepped out from behind the bar and approached them.
"Valentino?" Before she could say anything more, he embraced her and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. She tried to pull away, but her body had other plans. Out of all the men in her life, Tino was the best kisser. She heard Snape clear his throat behind them. Apparently Tino heard too and released her.
"Alexandria, you have returned! Welcome back!"
"I thought you had gone to Paris." Her cheeks were still flushed from the exchange.
"I am still saving money," he said in a thick Italian accent. His attention shifted to Snape. "I have been replaced I see. New boyfriend?" She pleaded the professor with her eyes to go along with it.
"Yes," she chimed in. "This is Alan. Alan this is Valentino." Tino held out his hand, which Snape tenitively took while shooting Allexia the worst glares she'd ever seen.
"Sorry, Alan, about my overly amorous greeting of Alexandria. But when faced with such beauty again, I could not stop myself."
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Snape said. Wanting to stop anything further from happening, Allexia asked Tino where Francis was.
"He is in the private lounge. Go on, I will bring wine."
Snape followed his "girlfriend" into a small room off to the side. There was only one table occupied by an older wizard with gray hair and mustache. He stood up when they entered the room.
"There's my pretty songbird!" Allexia hugged him affectionately. "You look good, Alexandria."
"It's nice to see you again, Francis. You've lost weight, I think!"
"You're right, my dear, I have. You have brought a friend, I see."
Allexia suddenly remembered that Snape was with her. "This is my boyfriend, Alan. We're doing research together."
Francis shook his hand. "Doesn't sound very romantic to me, but whatever turns you kids on." He motioned for them to join his table. Tino came in shortly with a bottle of wine and some glasses. He gave Allexia and Snape plenty of space. The professor's hard stare must have gotten through to him. Once they were sipping merrily at the wine, Allexia got right down to business.
"This is a drawing of the symbol I told you about." She passed him the parchment. Francis put on his glasses and took a few minutes to go over every detail. He would pause occasionally to make a note in his book. He looked at it from all angles, finally giving it back to Allexia. His face was suddenly grave.
"That symbol is part of a very old and very dark ritual. I only know of one text in my possession that references it. Where did you find it?"
"A client of mine found a robe with this symbol on it in her attic. She wanted to know if it made the robe a collector's item. I was also just curious as to its origins."
"Hmmm, I've never heard of it on a robe before, but that doesn't mean anything."
"What kind of dark ritual was it used in?"
Francis looked around, as if to check for spies. "I would not speak of it aloud. Not here, certainly. I can make you a copy of the text in which it is mentioned."
"We leave in an hour and a half. Can you get it by then?" He laughed at her. "Of course I can. Just wait here." Francis disappeared with a pop, leaving Snape and Allexia alone in the private dining room.
"I told you he would help us."
"We shall see. Do you usual make such a spectacle of yourself when you meet old boyfriends?" he said, voice dripping venom. "Speaking of which, I never agreed to pretend to be your new one."
"Sorry about that, but it got Tino off of me. I honestly thought he'd be long gone by now. He got too clingy when we were dating, that's why I broke things off. It's just for today, Professor."
"As captivating as the tales of your love life are, I cannot wait to be back at Hogwarts."
"You really are an asshole, you know that, Snape! Do you have any friends?"
Before Snape could retort, Francis apparated back into his chair, as if he hadn't left. He handed Allexia a bundle of papers and another small book. "That's the book of sonnets you were always so fond of," he said, when she glanced at him questioningly. Allexia shrunk the papers and the book down so they would fit in her jacket pocket.
"Thanks a lot, Francis. It was wonderful seeing you again, but we should be going."
"I'm not letting you go that easily, my songbird. Just one number before you go. Everyone will be disappointed if you don't."
Snape looked at the two of them slightly confused. She began to blush slightly. "No, I don't think I could."
"Nonsense. Valentino!" The bartender came at once. "Ah, Tino, tell the band to be ready. Alexandria's going to perform once more for us."
Tino smiled brightly. "Magnifico! I'll tell the boys." He left in an excited rush.
"Damn you, Francis." She laughed at his face and went out into the main dining room. Snape and Francis followed. The older man headed for a table near the stage and Snape headed for the bar. He saw Allexia remove her jacket and hand it to Francis.
"You are a lucky man, Alan." Came Valentino's voice from behind the counter. "She's a tiger in the bedroom, eh? Don't know if you've found this spot yet, but if you kiss her right behind the ear, she'll purr like a kitten."
Snape moved to join Francis before he punched the smirk off that man's face. "Ah, Alan, sit down. This is how I first met your sweetheart. I would come here every weekend to hear her." The crowd grew silent as a portly man climbed on stage.
"We have a special treat for all of you today. Many of you may remember her when she was a waitress and performer here two years ago. She has agreed to do one number for old times sake. Please, welcome back Alexandria!" Most of the male patrons moved closer to the stage, hooting and hollering as Allexia took the stage. Candles appeared on all the tables, creating a sensual atmosphere. The bandleader cast a small sonorous charm on her voice and signaled the guitar player. Allexia looked out over the crowd and slipped easily back into the role she assumed two years ago. She had always loved music. Her mother would sing all the time and she encouraged Allexia to take voice, as well as, piano lessons. Vincent, the guitarist, began playing a slow, Spanish sounding opening. She launched into the song, her voice deep and husky.
'Everything you are, everything you'll be,
touches the current of love, so deep in me.
every sigh in the night, every tear that you cry,
seduces me.'
She swayed her body to the rhythm of the music causing some of the men to whistle and cheer. As the song progressed she moved down off the stage and into the audience. Serenading various men, one on one, was her favorite part. It made her feel powerful.
'And if I should die tomorrow,
I'd go down with a smile on my face.
I thank God I've ever known you,
I'd fall down on my knees,
for all the love we've made.'
Snape watched with seeming disinterest as Allexia glided off the stage and amongst the patrons. She seemed to revel in their attention. He tried hard not to stare at her, but she was quite commanding. As the song neared completion, she moved in front of stage. Not quite knowing why, she had been purposely avoiding eye contact with Snape. Probably worried about what he would undoubtedly report to her father. For some unknown reason she found herself lost in his black eyes. The professor realized that she was moving closer to him, so close in fact, that she ended up sitting on his lap with her hands pressing into his chest. She moved her face just inches from his as she sang the final bars.
'And all that you do, seduces me.'
The band stopped playing and the room erupted in applause. Allexia remained in that position for two breaths before realizing where she was and quickly got back on stage. She smiled sweetly and took several bows. Removing the charm, she ignored several requests for an encore and approached the table with Snape and Francis. The older wizard gave her a big hug and thanked her for complying with his wishes. Snape reminded her that they needed to be leaving. She could tell he wasn't happy. It took another ten minutes to make it back outside. Everyone wanted to say goodbye personally and she promised the owner that she would come back again soon. Once they were walking down the road, Snape let into her.
"What the hell was all that? That was far from business-like, Price," he snapped.
Allexia stopped in her tracks, her temper flaring. "Well, excuse me for having friends! You didn't expect me to just ignore them, did you? I said I was sorry about Tino."
Snape halted his steps and hissed, "You didn't need to include me in your little exhibition! That sort of thing may charm drunken Italians, but I refuse to be made a spectacle of. I'm just glad this damned excursion is over!" Giving her no time to retaliate, he took off in long strides. Being nearly as tall as he, she caught up in no time.
"Alright, Snape, I'm sorry I drew all that attention to you, but you didn't seem to mind too much at the time. Besides, I had to keep up the charade of you being my boyfriend! Be thankful I didn't sing the whole fucking song to your face." He didn't say a word, so she continued. "Can't you just forget about it and be glad we now have information about that symbol and quite possibly what Voldemort is up to?"
"It would be wise not speak his name, lest you bring unwanted attention to yourself!" he said.
"Don't tell me you're one of those people who are terrified of his name. What if he had called himself Lord Fluffy Bunny? Would you be afraid to say that?"
Snape looked irritated. "Do you take nothing seriously? So many ignore the power of names! In Egypt, Isis became one of the most powerful deities, second only to Re, by simply learning his secret name. Just threatening to expose it was enough to sway the sun god into doing her bidding."
"But that's just myth!" she exclaimed.
"You're thinking like a muggle! Look at the world in which you are a part of. Centaurs, phoenixes, and basilisks are all part of muggle myth, but you and I know these creatures exist. Those who practice the Old Religion sometimes take on another name as part of their dedication ritual. Do not tell me that names hold no significance. Those who have not witnessed the Dark Lord's power first hand would do well not to invoke his name."
Allexia looked at him in disbelief. "And you have?"
Snape chose not to answer and they remained silent the rest of the walk back to the alleyway. Allexia was annoyed with her companion's attitude toward the whole situation. What secrets are you hiding, Snape? She also couldn't quite shake the feeling of his body under hers when she sat on his lap. His chest felt muscular underneath her hands, much to her surprise, and his scent still lingered in her nose. It was a musky smell with a hint of sandalwood. She had felt him tense up and he didn't breathe nor move while she sat atop him, lost in his eyes. Allexia shook her head to stop where her thoughts were leading to and focused on the road. Once they were back in the alley, Allexia found the bottle and checked her watch.
"We still have about ten minutes," she told Snape. He simply grunted in return and leaned against a wall to wait. She sighed and sat down on a crate. Taking out the miniature stack of parchment, she returned it to normal size. Snape moved closer when he saw what she was doing.
"I think we should wait until we are back at Hogwarts before going through that," he commented, making it sound more like an order than a suggestion.
"I was just going to look through it a bit!" she barked in response. Honestly, she was curious as hell. She looked at the heading of the chapter.
Song of the Mastabba Galgal
She could sense Snape watching over her shoulder as she skimmed through the pages. There were about eight pages on the subject, including a diagram of the symbol. Allexia caught words like "heightened powers" and "blood-letting." There also seemed to be a reference to a deity called Adrammelech. She looked at her watch again.
"It's just about time," she announced. Two minutes later, they were on their way back to Hogwarts.
A/N: Allexia sings "Seduces Me" by Celine Dion.