Chapter 24 A Witch Scorned
Scabior woke up in the Room of Requirement. The same room he'd woken up in the last time Snape had knocked him out. He slowly sat up, clutching his pounding head.
"How do you feel?" Kaila asks, quickly snapping her book shut, standing up and rushing towards him.
"'Orrible." He mutters, rubbing a hand over his forehead.
"Good," She answers in annoyance, hitting him over the head with the hardback book.
He ducks his head and raises his arm to block another blow. "Bloody hell, woman! What was that for?"
"Arden lied to you, you big oaf!" She snaps angrily, hitting the arm he was holding up to defend himself. "You should have asked me to confirm what he said before you decided to crucio him!"
He lowers his arm as she starts to turn away, but then she turns back and hits him over the head harder than she had the first time. He quickly stands up to face her, nearly losing his temper, but she draws her wand and waves it in his face.
"Don't make me hex you, Scabior!" She threatens, her eyes telling him that she couldn't be more serious.
"You told me to leave and the next thing I know your beau is thanking me for convincing you to marry 'im. What was I supposed to think?" Scabior counters defensively.
"You? Convincing me to marry him? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds, Scabior?" Kaila laughs bitterly.
"When the spell I intended for 'im 'it you instead, I thought you might 'ave thought I attacked you intentionally." Scabior replies apologetically, slowly bringing himself back under control. "Your parents weren't going to approve of me. They wanted you with Resor. I thought you'd choose them over me. It was me you made leave, not 'im."
"You thought wrong." Kaila sighs, "I did make Resor leave, and I told my parents that we, you and I, both would be sure not to bother them again. You should have talked to me, Scabior. If Severus hadn't found you and Resor before an auror did, you would be sent to Azkaban! Severus said you nearly killed him!"
"Severus needs to keep that big nose of 'is out of my business." Scabior mutters.
Kaila throws her book at him, "You know, for someone who's twenty years older than me, you're incredibly immature! Severus saved your arse and brought you back to me, and all you have to say is he needs to 'stay out of your business'?"
"Kaila-"
"No!" She snarls, shaking her head and backing away. "You made me want a real man, Scabior, rather than the boys I went with before you. With the way you're acting, you're no better than he is. When you decide to start acting like a real man rather than a drunken idiot, let me know. Until then, fuck you."
She whirls around and storms past Severus, who had just entered the room. Severus's eyes dart from where Kaila disappeared into the wall, to the look on Scabior's face.
"She was concerned for your safety. She told her parents to bugger off so that she could be with you, and you repaid her by nearly getting yourself thrown into Azkaban, if not worse. If you had gotten your way, the consequences would have been you abandoning her to fend for herself. Can you blame her for being angry with you?" Severus points out firmly, offering him a hangover relief potion. "This might clear your mind so that you may understand the consequences of the decision you made."
Scabior snatches the potion away from him. He'd used this sort of potion so many times that he could recognize it even if it were slipped into his drink behind his back. He takes it all in one swallow before replying, "If you 'adn't interfered, no one would 'ave found me."
"I got your location from the head auror herself. She practically begged me for a reason to arrest you. You were practically gifting them with one." Severus counters calmly.
Scabior runs a hand over his face as the potion took affect, driving away the pounding in his head. Well, most of it anyways. Scabior wouldn't be surprised if a book could be considered a deadly weapon in Kaila's hands.
"Did Resor survive my wrath?" Scabior asks hesitantly, unable to remember.
"I had a house elf take him to St. Mungo's. Kaila is supposed to go check on him today." Severus answers.
"She's going to go see 'im?" Scabior snaps, obviously not fond of the idea.
"You will not disturb her. If you even sound as though you might attempt to control her, my wife has threatened to sleep on the couch if I don't keep you locked up in here. If I have to wake up without my wife by my side, the aurors will be the least of your worries." Severus tells him sharply.
"So I can't go with 'er?" Scabior frowns.
"That depends on why you would want to go. You nearly killed the man. The ministry doesn't know that, but I do…and I do not intend to give you the opportunity to finish the job." Severus answers, "You will have to come up with a reasonable excuse to go, and you cannot lie to me about it. I'm a ligillimens."
Scabior glares at him.
Severus gives him a pointed look before turning around and walking out of the room, leaving Scabior with his thoughts.
Kaila arrived in Arden's room just as he was getting ready to leave.
"I knew you'd come back to me after you realized how dangerous that psycho snatcher is." Arden smiles at her.
Kaila smiles back sweetly, "Actually, I came to make sure you recovered so that my darling psycho won't be sent to Azkaban."
"Why would he be sent to Azkaban? He wasn't the one who attacked me." Arden frowns, "Except for that one time in your parents' house."
"Really?" She pushes, "I could have sworn he lost his temper when you told him you were going to marry me?"
"He did. He crucio'd me for it, but your Uncle broke us up and sent us out of the pub. I went for a walk to blow off some steam and some blonde guy in Diagon Alley robbed me." Arden explains. "So what do you say? Want to pick up where we left off? I hurt all over. You can kiss it to make it feel better if you want?"
Her face turns red and she was about to snap at him when a low voice coming from behind her beat her to it.
"'er lips are called for." Scabior interrupts, walking up behind her and slipping an arm around her waist. "As is the rest of 'er."
Kaila quickly turns to face him and moves to stand between him and Arden, gripping her wand tightly.
"She was mine first," Arden retorts.
Scabior offers Kaila a half smile, "That's not necessary, pet."
He takes her wrist and gently pulls her to his side before turning his attention back to Resor. "I'm not going to say it would 'ave made much of a difference, because let's face it, Your personality and sex appeal are weak compared to mine…but if you 'ad treated 'er the way she deserves to be treated, perhaps she would 'ave 'esitated a bit longer before jumping into my bed."
"Coming from the guy who hexed her across the room," Arden points out.
"It wouldn't have hit me if you hadn't decided to use me as a human shield." Kaila retorts.
"That's true," Scabior grins for a moment, but the turns serious again, "I didn't come 'ere to argue with you. I've already won. 'owever, I did want to point out that, if you 'adn't turned her parents against me and claimed Kaila 'ad agreed to marry you, I wouldn't 'ave felt inclined to torture you. On the other 'and, I should 'ave found a more creative way to take my anger out on you than through the use of the cruciatus curse. Forgive me."
"Is that your twisted idea of an apology?" Arden demands, not sure whether he should be offended.
"That's the closest to it that you're ever going to 'ear." Scabior counters smugly.
Arden sighs and turns his attention back to Kaila. "I'm starting to feel like trying to get you back isn't even worth my time. This is your last chance. Ditch him and beg me for forgiveness, or I won't be here waiting for you when you finally realize your mistake." Arden threatens calmly, completely serious.
"Oh! How will I ever choose?" Kaila sneers sarcastically. "The only mistake I made was running off with you…but that lead me to Scabior…so I forgive you Arden, but if you ever come after him again, I won't try to stop him when he kicks your arse. Remember that the next time you consider telling someone I'm going to marry you."
"Your parents will never accept him," Arden objects defensively, his face turning red, "They chose me!"
She could feel Scabior stiffen beside her and she glances up at him, reassuringly meeting his gaze before replying, "Well, it's too bad that it's not their choice to make, because I choose Scabior, and they're just going to have to deal with it…but hey, if you ask really nicely, they might just let you take my place as their child!"
Arden glares at her and makes for the door. He attempts to shove her on his way past, but Scabior pulls her out of the way and Arden stumbles into Scabior instead. Scabior shoves him towards the door. "Be careful not to 'urt yourself on your way out."
Arden storms out of the room fuming and Kaila laughs, turning towards Scabior and resting her hands on his chest. She smiles up at him. "I'm proud of you."
He meets her gaze, studying her with a playful gleam in his eyes. "'ow… proud…exactly?" He asks seductively, pulling her tight against him.
She tangles her fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth closer to her before replying, "Let me show you."
He tilts her chin up with one hand, brushing his lips against hers.
"Hmmm…a little prouder than that," She says, keeping her expression serious, but a playful seductiveness in her eyes.
"Really?" Scabior murmurs before brushing his lips against hers again, a bit more firmly this time. "We may need to find a more private place for you to express yourself."
She smiles, "I know just where to find one."
"Lead the way, Minx." He murmurs, his voice husky and his accent more prominent. He takes her hand and pulls her out of the room, ignoring the curious glances the mediwitches sent their way as he made his way out of his old life and into a new, much more pleasurable one.