Mksfroogle here! Thank you guys so much for the reviews, and views and everything else! I hope everyone will like this chapter as much as me. Please vote for my other Fanfiction, 'A Different Alternative to War'. What song should Remus Lupin have Draco Malfoy sing? The Poll will still be up on my profile page until November 30th! Please vote! And please review this chapter as well!
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Marie was absolutely mortified when she saw who it was that was behind her. Why did she think that Lord Voldemort smelt good?
'Oh Merlin, what is wrong with me? Did I actually think he smelt good? And why does he look kind of handsome tonight?'
Although Voldemort still looked snake like with no hair, extremely pale, sharp nails, a nonexistent nose and thin lips, he made that black suit look good. His blood red eyes contrasted with his skin and the suit and Marie was surprised at how handsome and good looking he seemed.
Voldemort smirked slightly and Marie looked away immediately.
'Oh geez! I completely forgot he can read my freaking mind!'
"Oh Ms. Potter, you look lovely tonight as well, my dear."
He leaned over a little close to her, causing Marie to almost flinch back in surprise. Marie could almost feel his nonexistent nose against her cheek as he sniffed her softly. Then he leaned back.
"You smell nice, too, Marie. Like apples and lilacs."
Marie's blush was a magnificent beet red and Marie couldn't help but to look away and lock eyes with Draco who looked pissed and disguised it poorly. He clenched his jaw and growled a little under his breathe.
Voldemort smirked at her and chuckled lightly, glancing back at Slughorn who just looked completely flabbergasted at his old student's behavior.
"Oh , um. Tom-"
Voldemort snapped his head glaring at Slughorn.
"What did you call me?"
Slughorn looked petrified, "Uh, um. I'm sorry, my Lord. Please forgive me? Minister?"
Voldemort still glared at him and Marie feared the worst with Voldemort's temper concerning his name. So Marie tried something drastic.
'Voldemort?'
Voldemort glanced at Marie but said nothing, his lips becoming too thin with anger.
What Marie? This is none of your concern.
'I know but please just lay off of Slughorn? He's done nothing wrong. He's just an innocent old man'
If only you knew everything about your dear Professors Marie. Then you would think differently.
'How?'
Nothing. Never mind.
Voldemort seemed to calm down visibly during his and Marie's mental conversation as his shoulders relaxed and his eyes softened. He turned to Slughorn.
"Don't worry Horace. It was an honest mistake. You seem to be stuck in the past sometimes to what things used to be like. Let this be a warning for you. Never say nor call me by that name again. Ever."
Slughorn nodded his head in acceptance, "Yes of course, my Lord. Thank you for your forgiveness, my lord."
Voldemort curled his lip in disgust but didn't respond. Instead, he looked back at Marie.
Are you happy now? You little brat.
Marie said nor thought nothing but just winked at her minister.
Then a sudden throat clearing drew Marie's attention to Draco, who was trying to get her attention.
"Marie can we talk?" he glanced at Voldemort, "Alone?"
"Young Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure that anything you say can be said in front me as well. Horace, if you would please leave us?"
"Yes of course, my Lord"
Slughorn hobbled away as fast as he could over to another Ministry worker. Meanwhile, Voldemort, Draco and Marie stood in silence, waiting for someone to say something.
"Malfoy. What is it you wanted to say to Marie?"
Voldemort's voice was hitched as if he was just waiting for an excuse to curse Malfoy. Draco looked conflicted but when Marie gave him a gentle nudge, he spoke freely.
"Marie, Mclaggen hasn't stopped watching you since you walked in. If you, my Lord, were not here right now, I'm sure he would have been encouraged to come over when Longbottom walked away."
"Why should Marie be concerned about Mclaggen, Draco?"
Even though Voldemort already knew why and was taking precautions to protect Marie anyway, he wanted to know as much as he could about the stupid Gryffindor boy.
"My Lord, Mclaggen has been constantly harassing Marie about going to the Yule ball with him."
"Why won't you?"
Marie spoke up, "Hello Voldemort?! He is a freaking creep! There is absolutely no way I would ever do anything with him!"
"Marie calm down," Draco pressed, "As much as I love your snarky, Slytherin attitude right now, you might want to keep a little more quiet. Mclaggen will hear you."
"I don't care. I want him to hear me!"
Voldemort smirked and chuckled at her anger towards to Gryffindor.
"Marie, if hears you, he will not let it go. He will try even harder to get to you!"
Marie's heart sunk and she knew Draco was right. Mclaggen would probably see it as a challenge.
"Marie, are you afraid of the boy?"
Hearing Voldemort's voice, Marie looked back at him, almost forgetting that he was even there. It angered Marie that Voldemort would even think in that matter.
"Why would I be afraid of Mclaggen when I'm not even afraid of you, Voldemort?"
Voldemort chuckled darkly, "Marie, my dear, you don't fear me because there is nothing to fear from me anymore. You do, however, have something to fear from Mclaggen. I cannot protect you from other students."
"Who ever said that I needed your protection?"
Voldemort's nonexistent nose wrinkled, "Because I am your guardian. Or did you forget that?"
Marie flinched back in shock. She had forgotten that Voldemort was and is her guardian. She had even forgotten that Snape was technically her guardian as well since he hadn't been around for a while, being on a mission for Voldemort for no unknown reason.
Suddenly, Pansy ran up to Draco and wrapped her arms around his neck, making Draco step back in shock.
"Drakey Poo! Come with me, I want to show you something"
"Uh, Pansy, I'm kind of busy right now."
"It's okay, Draco. Go and have fun with your date. I have to talk with Ms. Potter alone, anyway."
Draco looked a little skeptical at first at leaving Marie alone with Lord Voldemort let it be, knowing that Marie would be perfectly fine with their deal intact. He nodded and bowed slightly in respect to his Minister and Headmaster.
With Draco and Pansy gone, Marie and Voldemort were left in silence together. Each not knowing what to say to the other, Marie decided to look around a little. But unfortunately, eyes locked with Mclaggen.
Mclaggen was wearing a traditional tux, his blonde hair slickened back slightly, but his curls still showed dramatically. His blue eyes eyed her like a predator, making Marie squirm and shiver in fear slightly.
Then she felt a cold hand on her shoulder, making her turn to see Voldemort's hand on her shoulder. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Mclaggen, glaring at him until he realized where his hand was resting. Obviously it was unintentional and he jerked back slightly, removing his hand from her warm and smooth skin.
"Not afraid of the boy, hmm?" he said but didn't allow her to respond as he continued, "Anyways. I wanted to talk with you alone about Severus."
"Is he okay? I thought you said it was a harmless mission! That he wouldn't get hurt-"
"Marie" he stopped her, "He's fine. The mission is harmless. He will actually be here and back to teaching tomorrow, in fact."
"Oh."
"Yes. Oh."
Silence once more enveloped the two in awkwardness. Marie shifted a little bit away from him.
"Well," she finally spoke, "That's good news."
"Good news? You don't like my teaching?"
Marie rolled her eyes at him, "Of course I just love it when you torment the Gryffindors. Especially Ron. And your teaching really isn't that bad, I guess. I've really learned a lot. You have actually been the best Defense against the Dark Arts/Dark arts teacher since Professor Lupin."
"You mean Remus John Lupin? The werewolf who bonded us within our deal?"
"That's the one. Why?"
Voldemort glanced away and back at her, noticing that a few others were staring at them, "Well, I received a letter from him a few days ago."
He paused on purpose, making Marie tense in suspension. What had Lupin wrote? Does he truly hate her now too?
"He wants to see you, Marie. He said in the letter . . . Actually, how about I just give you the letter? Come by my office tomorrow after your DADA class with Snape and I'll give you the letter."
Marie smiled at him, making Voldemort a little nerved. He still wasn't used to a positive feedback concerning his ex-enemy.
"Thank you, Voldemort. Really, I appreciate it immensely."
"Don't thank me. I don't need your thanks, Marie."
His sudden change of attitude concerned Marie. One minute he was kind and protective, the next he was cold and dense. But then she understood why. Lucius Malfoy and a few other Deatheaters were nearby. Marie knew right then that he was only protecting his own reputation. Voldemort wouldn't want any of his wavering deatheaters to think he was getting soft by being kind with anyone.
Voldemort fixed his suit slightly, fixing the tie, "Well I'll see you tomorrow in my office, Ms. Potter. Have a nice night. You look beautiful tonight."
As a parting, he lifted her wrist and placed an open mouthed kiss on the top of her hand. The kiss was soft and gentle yet cold. She swore she could feel his forked tongue glide lightly over the skin. She barely even realized when he pulled away, letting her hand go and fall to her side like a feather. When he turned to leave, Marie touched her hand as if not believing what Voldemort had just done.
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It was an hour later of mingling when Marie finally decided to leave. It had been a few minutes after Voldemort left when Draco came back to the party, his hair a little ruffled and he looked slightly out of breathe. Marie obviously knew what he had been doing. He was with Pansy after all! Draco had come up to her and led her to his father, Lucius Malfoy. Even though she hated Draco's father, Marie held a decent conversation with him and Draco with Draco's help. But before she left them, Lucius also took her hand and pecked his lips on the top of it. It wasn't as graceful and toe curling as Voldemort's kiss, but Marie thought it must have been an old Slytherin thing.
After mingling, Marie finally left, Draco having left already with Pansy. Marie knew that Neville, Ginny, Hermione and Ron had already left but she knew that Mclaggen stayed the whole time as Marie did. Reluctantly, she left the party and tried to almost run to the dungeons. She was almost there. One more flight of stairs down, and it would be home free from there.
But suddenly, Marie felt someone grab her arm and twist her around. She yelped in pain.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, kitten!"
Marie cowered in fear yet in anger, "Kitten?"
Mclaggen smirked at her, standing a step taller than her with the stair's help. He seemed like a giant now.
"Yes, kitten. Don't you like the new nickname I gave you? So shy and timid yet fierce and cowardly at the same time when threatened. You are my little kitten, Marie. Will you go to the Yule ball with me?"
"Hell no. And I'm not anyone's 'kitten'! Just leave me alone Mclaggen!"
Marie turned to leave, but he grabbed at her arm again, this time, twisting it intentionally, making her yelp and try to flinch away. Mclaggen, however, kept a good grasp on her so she couldn't escape.
"Kitten, I have been very patient. Now you will give me an answer by December 23rd, so I can get a good tux and look good for you, you understand? You are mine, kitten. And don't you dare tell anyone of this little encounter. Unless you want everyone to see how much of a slut you are flirting with the Minister, with the Malfoys and practically all of the Slytherins."
Marie smirked despite the situation she was in, "Do you actually think I care what everyone else thinks of me? If you go around spreading that rumor, I'll make sure Lord Voldemort knows what you said and he'll torture and kill you for spreading rumors involving him!"
Mclaggen brought her closer, despite of her struggling and hissed dangerously in her ear, "Let me revise that. If you tell anyone of this, I will kill you but not before I take you and rip you of your innocence. Do you understand me now?"
His voice was soft and controlled but Marie could tell it was very dangerous and full of promise so she did what she knew would get her out of trouble. She nodded her head, making Mclaggen smile and let her go slowly, "Now remember kitten. I want your answer by December 23rd."
Finally, he turned around and walked back up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, leaving Marie shivering in fear and utter terror. She wouldn't tell anyone if she knew what was good for her. She knew that Mclaggen would keep his promise if she did. Slowly, she made her way down to the dungeons, Mclaggen's sick words still ringing in her head. She cringed in disgust at the thought of being with him.
But then again, the thought of Remus' letter brought her hopes up. What did Lupin say in the letter that Voldemort thought best for her to read it herself?
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