Chapter 3 - Choices Made, Alliances Forged
All characters are the property of J.K. Rowling except for Viviane, who is mine.
"No, Draco, the thirteenth century invasion of the Northern wizards did not take place in France. It started in Italy. Otherwise, you've drawn some interesting parallels between-"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw her sneakoscope start to whirl. Hagrid, signaling me at this hour? she thought. That's a new tactic by the Death Eaters. She turned to Draco. "I just realized that I've got another appointment today. Keep working on that paper – it really is interesting, except for the blatant plagiarism on pages three through five and the slight problem with location. Fix those and get back to me."
"Do I have to-" Draco caught Viviane's expression. "OK. I appreciate you lending me some of your books. The invading wizards were really powerful – I can't believe that they ended up being defeated, and I'd like to find out more about why. We don't have much on this topic in the Hogwarts library."
"You've actually been in the Hogwarts library?" she teased. "I'll be happy to lend you books any time. See you in class!" She ushered Draco out of her office and donned her sword. As she headed out towards Hagrid's cottage, she spotted a thin line of silver shoot up from the edge of the forest. Quickening her pace, she hurried to the source of the signal, and to her surprise found Albus, Harry, and a groggy Krum.
She arrived at the same moment as Hagrid and a then a second later Moody showed up. Viviane stood quietly while Dumbledore sent off Hagrid with Harry, Krum with Karkaroff, and Moody into the Forest to look for Crouch. Finally, he turned to her.
"Do you have a theory about what has just happened?"
Viviane paced in a circle, looking down and thinking. She gave Dumbledore a wry smile and said, "I was never a fan of Barty Crouch. He's a frigid excuse for a human being, and hard to fathom. But attacking a student and then disappearing is not his style at all. It doesn't make a particle of sense."
"No, it doesn't," replied Moody, returning from the Forest. "Are you sure you don't have any other information you'd like to share with us, Professor Chance?" His blue eye spun wildly at her. "I remember you and Barty in the old days. You and he wore out an entire barn full of owls arguing by letter as you tried to get Death Eaters out of their proper punishment. You didn't win very many of those fights, did you?"
"No, I didn't. It was odd, how that justice system you put so much faith in worked. Bagman and Malfoy get off, while hundreds of witches and wizards lacking connections and who got coerced or intimidated into working for Death Eaters sit rotting in Azkaban. If their souls are still in their bodies, that is-"
"We don't have time for this now. Viviane, Alastor, we're all working towards the same goals. Please remember that." Dumbledore gave both of them a warning look and turned to walk back to the castle. As soon as he was out of hearing, Moody leaned towards Viviane and whispered, "Are your goals really in line with Dumbledore's? I'll be keeping an eye on you to make sure they are."
Viviane brushed by him just hard enough to throw him off balance and he fell over with a 'clunk' of his wooden leg. "Fuck you, Moody," Viviane snarled as she set off after Dumbledore.
****
It was the night before the final task. Dumbledore had invited parents to an impromptu feast, and after the meal Viviane made her way amongst the crowd in the Great Hall until a hand pressed firmly into her back and guided her to a window casement.
"So, Professor Devereux, how do you find the Tournament progressing? And what did you and Severus Snape find so interesting to do for hours on Wednesday nights?" she heard as she turned to see who spoke.
"I find the Tournament most enlightening," she answered Lucius Malfoy and immediately turned her back on him to gaze out of the window.
"And your collaboration with Snape? Viviane remained silent. Malfoy leaned forward to whisper, "By the way, I demand that you leave my son alone. I see what you're trying to do and it won't work. He has too much loyalty to both me and our family traditions."
"Really. It sounds to me like Draco is getting tired of being underestimated, Monsieur Death Eater," Viviane replied.
She felt Malfoy stiffen and he hissed into her ear, "You refuse to give me any information on your project with Snape. I'll be more generous and share some information of interest to you. You've never been told just how your parents died. Let me do you the favor. I was there. They died a fool and a coward; it wasn't a pretty sight. Your father perished miserably, tortured to death after being captured. He made one too many foolhardy gestures while fighting a battle he could not win. Your mother begged pathetically for mercy and finally disclosed your whereabouts to save her own life, in vain, as it turned out. I still remember how quickly she betrayed you. Yet here you are, fighting the same hopeless fight your father did. Are you a coward as well?" Viviane, breathing rapidly through her nose, nonchalantly turned to face him and said "Oh yes, my father was a most impractical man, but he had his moments. My mother was a ruthless woman who loved life with a passion. I'm not surprised she risked mine to save hers." Suddenly her eyes flashed and she stepped even closer to Malfoy. "Don't test me, Lucius. Or do." Viviane laid her hand on her sword. "Test me. Test to see which traits I've inherited."
As Malfoy glared at her, Viviane swept out of the casement and back into the Hall. She kept getting detained by parents who begged her to look out for their children, adding to a burden she didn't quite know how to bear. Bill Weasley was trying to get her attention, but she couldn't face him and headed out to the garden, which was still lit from the Yule Ball.
Viviane crossed the lawn, trying to get far enough away to escape anyone who might want to talk to her. She needed time to recover from Malfoy's attack and regain her mental equilibrium. So, Madame, it was you that betrayed Aquitaine. Damn you for the vain fool you were, she thought. As she stood in the back of the garden, gazing up at the lights and absentmindedly ripping a rose to shreds, Viviane concentrated on controlling her breathing and trying to dismiss the memories Malfoy brought back. I need to get out of Hogwarts. After this year is over, I'm going back to New York. My past keeps resurfacing here in the most awful ways. She had just succeeded in recovering her breath when she heard, of all people, Snape asking her if she was all right. "Yes, I'm fine. Leave me alone, please," she said, startled by contact with him after weeks of successful avoidance tactics.
He stood for a moment, looking at her, and finally snapped, "Have it your way. Oh, I know what you think of me." He stepped forward, his face distorted by the most intense emotion she'd ever seen from him. "You think I'm just a Potions master with a bad temper and … and bad hair, someone to be avoided while you pine after the likes of Bill Weasley. Fine. I won't bother you again." He turned and walked away, leaving Viviane standing, shaking from a mixture of adrenaline and sudden enlightenment.
She ran after him, asking him to wait but he ignored her until she planted herself in his path, forcing him to stop. "Severus, that is not how I think of you. I think you're a brilliant teacher and a man of rare integrity and quiet courage and …" as she realized what she was saying, her voice faltered. Embarrassed, she looked away from his face and spoke to the top fastening on his robe. "And I've avoided you because I never thought you could fall for a woman with disreputable contacts, no home, no family, one who is poorly educated-"
"Look at me, Viviane," she heard Snape say, and somehow gathered the courage to meet his eyes. He was gazing at her with desire and doubt and an emotion she couldn't quite identify. "Do you care for me?" he said quizzically.
Viviane couldn't speak, but reached up and traced a shaky finger along Snape's cheekbone. At his impatient expression she snatched her hand back and finally mumbled, "Yes. Quite a bit, actually." Snape placed his hands tentatively on her shoulders and drew her into a kiss that went from awkward to experimental to passionate.
In the middle of a second kiss, they heard someone walking along the path. They hastily broke apart, and Flitwick appeared, announcing an immediate faculty meeting to plan for the final task. As they walked into the castle, Severus and Viviane only had time for a quick glance over Professor Flitwick's head and after a review of the plan with the entire faculty, each went to their own quarters to try and get some sleep against tomorrow's challenges.
****
Viviane awoke the next morning, in a welter of emotions ranging from joy to intense trepidation. She stretched her arms over her head and wished she could stay in bed and revel in the thought that Severus Snape – the Severus Snape, Potions master - cared for her. At least he seemed to. Blushing slightly as she recalled his kisses, she tried to concentrate on getting dressed and going over her security plan for the third and final Tournament task. Viviane checked herself over in the mirror. She looked like her usual slightly haughty self, but what if-
"Severus Snape." Viviane studied her face and tried to listen to herself as she said it aloud. "Severus Snape." She couldn't help breaking into a momentary grin, and she said sternly to herself, "Stop it! He's just another professor. He's rude. He's annoying. He'd probably deny it ever happened."
"Professor Snape. Good afternoon, Professor Snape." Well, at least I sound normal, even if I get a silly look on my face. Then she rolled her eyes and scowled at herself in the mirror.
"We've got completely different jobs to do today. I probably won't see him until late tonight, if then. Concentrate!" she told herself as she flounced out of her room and towards the Quidditch field.
The maze on what used to be the Quidditch field spread out below her, and Viviane surveyed it from her seat atop the stands, scanning for anything unusual besides the team of Blast-Ended Skrewts parading around amongst the other obstacles.
As the stands filled and the contestants gathered in the tent, she felt all of her senses grow almost preternaturally alert and she quivered with anticipation. The champions entered the maze one by one, and all seemed to be going well. Then she saw sparks go up – Fleur! And then another shower for Krum. Neither champion should be out so soon. Something was dreadfully wrong, and Viviane's mind raced as she thought up and discarded scenario after scenario. She found herself staring at the Cup. The Triwizard Cup – the winner needed to get the Cup. The next thing she knew she was hurtling down the bleachers from her perch, yelling "Stop! Harry! Cedric! Stop them! Don't touch the Cup!" but was so desperate that she forgot to magnify her voice and no one heard her.
Halfway down an unbearable pain hit her in the back, lifting her off her feet and causing her to tumble down the steps of the stands and roll on the ground, writhing. She tried to reach for the wand stuck in her swordbelt, but every time she nearly got it another blast would hit her and her body would curl up helplessly in pain. Giving up on her wand, Viviane tried crawling forward to reach the maze, but felt herself beginning to lose consciousness. Before she did, she looked up and saw two hooded figures pointing their wands at her, blasting her with the Cruciatus Curse. The crowd had scattered away from them, and then a huge gasp went up. Viviane could only wonder what it meant as she passed out from the pain.
****
She awoke to find herself in the infirmary of Hogwarts, Bill Weasley sitting next to her bed. Groggily, she sat up, exclaiming "Harry? Cedric? What's happened? Where are they? The Cup – there's something about the Cup-"
Bill sat down on her bed and took her hands. "Viviane, something terrible has happened."
"Harry? Oh no-"
"No, Harry is fine. Sort of. At least, he's alive. But Cedric-"
Viviane gazed at Bill in horror. "Dead? Cedric is dead? How? Did Death Eaters-"
"No. You're right about the Cup. It was a Portkey. Harry was supposed to get it, but he and Cedric both grasped it, and were transported to Voldemort. Viviane, he killed Cedric outright, and used Harry's blood to brew a potion. Harry managed to escape, but he's back, in human form." At Viviane's expression, Bill pulled her into his arms and buried his lips in her hair. "I know, it's beyond horrible. I'm so sorry."
Viviane broke the embrace and sat bewildered. "I failed. I failed Harry and I failed Cedric. And Voldemort is back. It has begun." She swung her legs off the bed and shakily got to her feet. "Where's Harry? I need to speak to him."
"Two beds down. But Viviane-"
She left him sitting on the bed, and went to stand beside Harry's. Looking down at him while grasping the footboard, she said, "Harry, I failed you. As Albus once said to you, sorry doesn't make it acceptable-"
The sound of angry voices came echoing into the dormitory, and Viviane got a sense of déjà vu as Fudge, Snape, Dumbledore and McGonagall swept into the room, arguing about feeding Barty Crouch to a Dementor. Viviane, in shock and only half listening, sat down on Harry's bed, idly twisting her serpent ring, thinking that at least this time nobody would start blurting out her secrets, and that Crouch had done an excellent job impersonating Moody. She also noticed that Sirius was present as Padfoot.
As Fudge began protesting the truth of Harry's experience with Voldemort, she thought, once again, the Ministry has it so wrong, the blind fools. Preparing to stand up and join the argument, she caught Snape's eye. He gave her a desperate glance as he rolled up his sleeve and revealed the Dark Mark to Fudge.
Viviane was stunned. Severus, a Death Eater. I suppose I've always assumed he'd been one, but never really thought about the implications. Albus must have known…what has Severus done to regain his trust? And for his past to be exposed in this manner; what a blow to such an arrogant man. A surge of pride in his courage made her lift her head and she looked at him with glowing eyes, momentarily forgetting that she must keep her feelings a secret from everyone. But Snape did not look at her as Sirius changed into human form and after a forced accord both were sent off by Dumbledore. Viviane wanted to catch Snape's hand as he left the dormitory, but she didn't dare, and he left without a single look in her direction. Sirius laid a hand on her shoulder as he went past, but what looked like a comforting gesture to spectators was a warning to Viviane, as he dug his fingertips painfully into her flesh and whispered sarcastically "Brilliant job, Viv," before leaving the room.
Both Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep Viviane in the ward overnight, but she insisted on returning to her quarters. She closed the door behind her, unbuckled her sword and threw it across the room, screaming, "Useless piece of trash!" as it knocked over a pile of books on her desk. Then she sank to the floor and rolled over, gazing at the ceiling. "I've failed. I've failed Cedric, Harry, Albus, Hogwarts. I've allowed Voldemort to reassume bodily form." She stared up, letting the feeling sink into her. "Failed," she whispered, and finally the sobs overtook her, and through the rest of the night she lay weeping or screaming into the carpet or lying spent, with Malhereuse standing next to her and helplessly pecking at her hair.
The next morning she picked herself off the floor, exhausted, her body sore to the touch from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. Going into the bathroom, she gazed into the mirror. She looked terrible, her face so pale that her normally light green eyes looked like poor-quality emeralds and the circles around them were starkly evident. Viviane submerged her face in a basin of cold water and chafed it with a towel. Then she drew a bath and started a pot of coffee, trying to steel herself against the meeting with Cedric's parents.
****
At the entrance to Dumbledore's tower, Viviane paced around for a few moments, trying to tamp down the panic that was rising at the thought of what was to come. Albus had asked all of the faculty left at Hogwarts to meet with the Diggorys to express condolences and try to explain a little of what had happened. She glanced through the windows of the entrance hall and imagined herself running across the lawns, escaping, Apparating to somewhere. Anywhere, except here. I knew this was a crazy idea, coming to Hogwarts. Albus should have known better than to talk me into it. I don't fit in here. I can't handle this kind of responsibility. Obviously, considering the outcome.
Viviane stopped and squared her shoulders. Well, this is it. After this, I'm sure leaving won't be a problem. I'll be asked to, probably. A fleeting thought about Severus made her close her eyes, but she dismissed it. He must blame me as well. "Fizzing Whizbees," she murmured, and started up the staircase.
****
On entering Dumbledore's circular room, Viviane was surprised to find it empty except for Albus himself. "We are meeting in the conference room through there." He pointed to a doorway that Viviane was sure she hadn't seen before, and Dumbledore smiled at her confused expression. "I hate meetings, and that conference room reminds me that they exist. So I make sure the room is hidden unless it is in use."
"Oh, good plan," said Viviane absently, and headed toward the door. As she walked into the room and took a seat at the table, she noticed that the real Moody, looking even worse than usual, was sitting with the rest of the faculty, and that Mr. Diggory gave her a look of intense loathing before dropping his gaze back down at the table. Dumbledore followed her into the room and sat down.
"Amos…my dear lady," he began, laying a hand on Mrs. Diggory's arm. "We want you to know how sorry, truly sorry-"
Mr. Diggory got to his feet and pointed at Viviane. "If you're sorry, then why is she still here! She was supposed to protect my son, but my son is dead. Dead, Albus. Where did you find her anyway, and why did you trust her enough to put the lives of our children in her incompetent hands? She's not even from Britain, let alone Hogwarts-"
Dumbledore sighed and said quietly, "There was nothing anyone could have done, Amos. Cedric ended up in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and the only one to blame is Voldemort. I alone decide whom I trust and who I hire, and will continue to do so. You son will not be forgotten, and I will make sure every faculty member and every student understands what is now at stake."
Amos Diggory took the arm of his wife, who was weeping quietly, and headed towards the door. Just before leaving, he said, "I'm sure you do your best, Albus. But I warn you, the Ministry is going to take a hard look at your faculty, and I'll stand by whatever they have to say."
"Your point is taken Amos," Dumbledore said as the couple left the room. He then turned to Viviane, who was sitting silent and composed, if paler than usual. "Viviane? Are you all right? You do know that it is his grief that made him say what he did."
She looked at him, her eyes expressionless. "He said nothing that I haven't said to myself. Albus, I think he may be right and I should leave. I did fail-"
Dumbledore stood up. "There is another reason why I called this meeting. Viviane, I believe you were there when I sent Sirius Black out to contact 'the old crowd,' including your friend Remus Lupin. They are part of an – organization – that fought Voldemort in the last war, as is everyone else in this room.
Normally, joining the group requires absolute unanimity, because among ourselves we need absolute trust to succeed. However, I would like to ask you to join now, although it wouldn't be official until everyone else returns and there is no objection made."
"Let me save you the trouble, Dumbledore," rasped Moody. "I object – strenuously object – to Viviane Chance or Devereaux or whatever name she's currently using being at Hogwarts, much less in the Order."
Dumbledore looked surprised. "I know you have had your differences, Alastor, but in the larger view-"
Moody turned to Viviane. "Shall I tell them the beginnings of our animosity? The reason you spent so many years wandering around Europe and America? The truth is she murdered Ezekiel Forrester, the finest Auror that we had, and my best friend. She did it in cold blood-"
Viviane leapt to her feet. "That's a lie! It was self-defense. But you made sure the rest of the Aurors heard your side of the tale, and forced me into exile by repeated attempts on my life-"
"Oh yes, poor Viviane had to wander the earth, absolutely forced to learn the most dangerous arts and pick up every outlawed skill she could find." Moody laughed. "You hypocrite. The Avada Kedavra is an Unforgivable Curse, but you murder people at will with that sword of yours. Quite a career you had going, undermining our work against Death Eaters and killing off whomever you liked, before you left. Dumbledore, this woman has no loyalty but to herself, and has been working against the Ministry since she washed up here from France."
Viviane glanced around the silent room from under her eyelashes. The rest of
the faculty looked like they'd been frozen and placed around for decoration,
and the old, familiar rage took hold of her, the rage that she thought had
mellowed over the last few years. How dare they sit there, acting like
they've never experienced war and death, these people that did nothing while
Aquitaine was destroyed, she thought. I'll be happy to leave them to
deal with the mess they helped create.
Eyes cold, she turned and slammed her hands on the table, then bent her elbows down to bring her face close to Moody's. "I haven't limited the use of my considerable powers to love potions and beauty charms, Moody. I have used – not Dark – but shall we say, gray arts at times, to achieve my ends."
She bent even further towards him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "But I've always been most effective, haven't I?" Energy from the hatred and the barely suppressed curses crackled between them almost visibly, and Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick, as well as Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey, involuntarily leaned away from the pair. Viviane smiled slightly as she sent out a mental scan towards Moody, just brushing her mind against his to let him know she could do it. The effect was immediate.
Moody's face contorted even more than it already was, if possible, and he said in a voice that should have been lethal, "Using forbidden arts even here? Still consider yourself above the rules, naturally. How about a duel, Chance? Now. You and me. I have some scores to settle with you-"
Viviane laughed as she straightened her back and crossed her arms. "Oh, I couldn't, dear Alastor. I would have an unfair advantage, in your present state. If you couldn't bring me to your idea of justice while you were young and still had all your limbs, then taking me on after being captured and locked in a trunk – it was your own trunk, wasn't it-"
"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore caught Moody's wand as he was preparing
to blast Viviane with a particularly nasty curse. "I have let this go on longer than I usually would, hoping that you two would realize how absurd you sound. Apparently, that is a vain hope. I need both of you in the conflict we may be facing. Is it too much to ask to put aside your differences for our students, and for Hogwarts?
"What, me?" said Viviane, affecting wide-eyed innocence. "I would be happy to work with Alastor, as long as I don't have to turn my back on him."
Moody stood, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Albus, knowing what she's done-"
"I know Viviane's history quite well, Alastor," replied Dumbledore. "While I do not condone many of her actions, I do admire the compulsions behind them. She has saved many innocent people from Azkaban-"
An audible snort from Moody made him pause.
"-and she has consistently worked against Voldemort and the leaders among the Death Eaters." He gave Viviane a look of such confidence that it made her cringe.
"Albus, you must know. I really shouldn't be here, but not for the reasons Moody brought up. There's something I need to tell everyone, and it isn't an easy tale to relate. Some of you may already have heard it from other sources."
Viviane got up and walked to the fireplace, where she picked up a candlestick and revolved it in her hands as she spoke. "My father, Philippe Devereaux, is considered a hero by most. He was the first to stand up to Voldemort in France, at great personal risk, and sent warnings to England about what was happening. He sent his sword to me at Aquitaine, knowing that I might need it and leaving himself vulnerable." She looked down at the candlestick in her hands and put it back on the mantle. "To balance out these admittedly heroic deeds, he was the one who came up with the idea of Dementors as guards for proven Death Eaters. He also committed the truly idiotic act of endowing me with some kind of power that Voldemort knows about and wants, then complicated the matter by dying before he could tell me what it was, or what would activate it."
"Oh, how convenient," Moody remarked. "So you just dropped in here for some protection. You're a regular Voldemort magnet, you are. I bet you can't wait to find out just what sort of destruction you can wreak when it becomes evident exactly what your father-"
Viviane turned on him, eyes blazing and face contorted with fury. "I hate what he did to me," she shouted. "He did it with my knowledge but without my consent. As a Devereaux you don't argue when told to do your duty, so he sent me into a trance. When I woke I'd become a moving target for Voldemort and a pawn for whoever wanted to use me, without knowing why. Well, I'm no longer a Devereaux and I refuse to act against my conscience in the name of duty or be used to achieve someone else's goals.
"I watched Aquitaine get destroyed and all the students and teachers killed while I cowered in safety. I saw and I memorized the faces of those who did it, and I vowed to hunt every single one down and see them dead. There are still quite a few I need to get reacquainted with."
She turned to Dumbledore. "Which makes it rather impossible for me to become part of this group, Albus. I've been acting on my own for too long to follow the rules of others. And Moody, for once, is right. Voldemort will come looking for me, and it was foolish of me to put Hogwarts in more danger than it already is. I'm sorry, Albus, I really am, for everything. I'll be out of here by tomorrow. Excuse me." Thoroughly upset, Viviane made for the door, but Professor McGonagall, until now silent, stood up and caught Viviane's arm.
"Viviane – don't go." Holding Viviane in a surprisingly strong grip, she turned to Moody. "While you were locked in that trunk for the past ten months, Viviane has been teaching our students Defense skills, patrolling the grounds, fighting magical creatures that Death Eaters have been planting in the Forbidden Forest and keeping three sets of students from mauling each other. We've asked for far too much from her, and she has gone beyond all that we've asked her to do." She turned to Viviane. "Stop overdramatizing the situation. Cedric's death wasn't your fault, and Voldemort wants all of us dead in the end, so you aren't any more of a magnet than I am. Viviane, we could really use your knowledge and your skills, and if you work with us you'll be revenging Aquitaine by saving Hogwarts. And I, for one, would trust you with my life."
Deeply touched, Viviane found herself near tears as she replied, "Oh Minerva, the trust is mutual, but-"
"I agree with Minerva." This time it was Flitwick speaking up. "Does anyone not? Besides Moody?"
He was greeted with silence. Dumbledore smiled at Moody and said, "Well?"
Moody glared at Viviane briefly then turned to Dumbledore. "All right, Albus. But you can't ask me to trust her absolutely. She'll have to earn it. Perhaps it's better to have her here, where I can keep an eye on her, than worrying about the trouble she'd be causing elsewhere." He gave Viviane a penetrating stare, and the approximation of a nasty smile from his gash of a mouth.
"It is good enough, for now, Alastor. We just need to wait for the rest of the Order, and I'm sure they will have no objection. Is anyone else hungry? I am starved, and Dobby has informed me that there will be chops tonight!"
As the meeting broke up and everyone headed downstairs, Viviane thought, It's
so like you, Albus, to assume I'd be more than happy to join your little group.
As I recall, I haven't said yes, yet. And you're in for a big surprise when you
ask Sirius what he thinks of me.
****
Dinnertime at the faculty table was unusually subdued that evening, and after it was over Viviane escaped to the terrace, where she gazed out over the newly green lawn to the hills in the distance. The edge of my world, my only horizon, if I accept Albus' offer, she thought. It would be the end to my personal quest for revenge, the thing that has defined my life for so long. It would be the end of my freedom. I'll probably die here, fighting, without seeing New York or Vienna or St. Petersburg again. If only I'd known what I would be drawn into when I came to Hogwarts. As she paced along the back of the castle, she caught sight of a gargoyle in the shape of a serpent and was reminded of Snape.
Oh Severus, I could really use some of your divertingly rude comments
right now. Please, come back safe. The night he'd kissed her in the
garden seemed like it had happened years ago. She leaned on the railing, closed
her eyes and recalled the embrace. Severus is much stronger than he looks,
she thought, remembering how firmly his hands had slipped from her shoulders
down her back during the second kiss, pressing her against his chest. The
unexpected sensuousness of his touch had taken Viviane's breath away then, and
gave her goosebumps from the simple memory of it now. His kisses were far
more…Viviane tried to think of an exact word, and finally came up with
insistent. Insistent, yes, than Bill, who teased and hesitated and kept
things light.
Viviane wondered at herself for running from Bill, who seemed to melt every woman he met, to Severus, who was more inclined to freeze them. And yet, I feel far more comfortable around Severus. Perhaps because I can't shock him like I continually shock other people. He's so consumed with his own past that he doesn't care about mine. Viviane recalled a conversation, years ago, with Remus, where they'd settled that they had no lustful feelings towards one another. "Remus, you're a gorgeous, wonderful, sweet man. But as I'm sure you've noticed, I like to run with the bad boys," she'd said. And I still do, she thought wryly, remembering how Severus had bared his teeth with annoyance when the approach of Flitwick interrupted their tête-à-tête.
Stirred you up a bit, did I, Severus? Just wait until I get you alone for more than five minutes. Viviane smiled to herself. I bet he's never had to deal with a lusty Frenchwoman who likes a challenge. It will be amusing to watch that cold intellectual succumb to passion. She wondered what Albus had sent him to do. Judging from his demeanor, it was not a request the Headmaster made lightly.
What will he request of me, if I commit to Hogwarts and join the Order? It means loss of independence, loss of flexibility. Loss of a part of myself, the part that I created. Viviane tried to remember how she'd gotten here, from the terrified girl who'd landed in England, unprepared for life, to this woman who'd done everything from mind reading to murder, but it all seemed blurred into this greater crisis. And yet, she thought, it might be nice to be part of a group; I've never been asked to join one before. A legitimate one, anyway. To work with dear Remus, her oldest friend. She smiled as she thought of his reunion with Sirius. I don't like the man, but he's so important to Remus. And I have a feeling that Albus will get around him as well, as far as letting me into the Order. Albus always does get what he wants in the end.
Viviane swung her legs over the railing and sat down on it, Malhereuse joining her seconds later. "Well, my dear, we may be at Hogwarts for a while, after all." The falcon eyed her for a second and flew off, returning moments later with a dead mouse that he dropped in her lap. "Oh thanks. I guess that means you like it here. I don't have much use for this though – too bad Sirius isn't around," she laughed. As she offered the mouse back to Malhereuse, she spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking across the lawn towards her.
"Professor Chance!" Ron hailed her as they neared the terrace. "Are you OK after that Cruciatus Curse? I mean, two blasts at once-"
"Oh, I'm fine. But they're nasty things, aren't they, Harry? How are you feeling?"
"All right. It's all kind of blurred, though."
"That's just your mind, healing itself. Your memories will get clearer once you're ready to handle them. Harry, I only wish that I was able to stop what was happening before-"
"Professor Chance, nobody could know. You did everything you could."
Viviane looked down at the three students, and her conversation with Sirius
came forcefully to her mind. I only hope we can give these students a few
more years of normalcy, a few years of memories to sustain them when all hell
breaks loose, and their world collapses. Now that seemed like hopeless
optimism, and Viviane grit her teeth, vowing to herself that she'd fight
Voldemort with everything she had. He has destroyed one generation. He will
not destroy another, she promised herself. I suppose joining the Order
is the best way to stop him.
"I did not do enough, apparently. But Harry, I will do everything in my power to help you grapple with Voldemort. I've been standing on the fringes for too long now, and after what happened to you, I will no longer do so." Viviane's eyes glittered, and her nostrils flared as she looked towards the forest. "It is time to get to work."
"So you're going to stay? We- I was hoping you would, even though the Slytherins were telling everyone you would be leaving because- because- er-"
Viviane looked down at the trio and startled them by bursting into slightly hysterical laughter. "I think I am going to stay. Yes, I suppose I'm here for the duration, unless, well, if things turn out correctly."
Ron looked at Harry and said, "How about getting soundly beaten in a game of chess?" Harry agreed and they began to walk off, looking back when they realized that Hermione was still standing near Viviane. "Coming, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"No. I'll see you in the common room later," she said, causing the boys to shrug and head inside.
"Well, Hermione." Viviane indicated the railing. "Take a seat? I dislike talking down to you."
Hermione climbed up and carefully sat at a distance, her hands twisted together.
"Hermione?"
The girl took a deep breath and said, "Professor Chance, I realize that you tried to save Harry at the third task. We've learned a lot in your class. Professor Lupin trusts you. But-"
Viviane gave her a keen look. "Have I frightened you that badly? Hermione, surely you know that the world is a complicated place. Yes, those things you just said are true, and yes, I've also done things that I'm not proud of. But some of them were necessary, and-"
"When you helped me out with the Shield Spell and took control of me, I was able to feel- to sense-" Hermione had begun to shake a little, and Viviane, genuinely surprised, reached out her hand to steady the girl.
Hermione flinched away from her and whispered, "You have so much power. I felt it. How do you keep it hidden away? How did you acquire it? And every time things seem to calm down, you get involved in some crisis and reveal another secret you've been keeping. I'm afraid that you-" she stopped and looked at Viviane apprehensively.
"You're afraid I'll turn out another Voldemort?" Viviane sighed. "Hermione, I have no interest in immortality, nor do I ascribe to anything that that creature stands for." Viviane practically spit the words out.
"I'm not afraid that you'll become like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I didn't realize, well, that we were capable of- of- so much-"
"I have a very different sort of education than the average witch and wizard you're aquainted with. And I've been involved in parts of the wizard world that you'll probably never see, at least I hope you won't. So I've acquired and used skills that are not looked upon with favor by the Ministry, as well as some that are less, er, controversial. I know we've not had the best of relationships, but it looks like I'll be around for quite a while, joining in the fight against Voldemort. That power you're so leery of will be used to defeat him. And Hermione, you have the capabilities to attain the level that I have done. Even more so, because you have opportunities for training that I never had." Viviane gave a short laugh. "The Headmaster and some of the faculty are just as powerful as I am. I merely let you sense the extent of mine."
Hermione sat, biting her lip. "I suppose. You'll be teaching next year, won't you?"
"Probably."
Hermione gave her a wan smile. "Good. If nothing else, your class is always interesting." She jumped down from the railing and walked into the castle without another word or a look back.
****
That night Viviane sat at her desk, reeling a bit from the events of the day and with the memory of her failure to save Cedric still occupying her mind. She was startled from her thoughts by a knock at the door, and at her invitation Dumbledore walked into her office and sat down across from her.
"No, my dear, don't get up. I just want to discuss a few things concerning your membership in the Order."
"Albus, I haven't yet agreed-"
Dumbledore took her hand and looked at her sternly. "Viviane, is your personal revenge really more important than the permanent defeat of Voldemort? Worth risking the destruction of yet another school?"
Viviane sighed and withdrew her hand from his, standing up and walking to the fireplace in her agitation. "No. I've thought about it and I-"
"Good! The rest of the faculty will be most relieved to hear you'll be joining us. However, there are a few guidelines you'll need to follow. Viviane, I've been most lenient with you, because I realize that you've lived an unusual life, at best. But from now on, you must work within the rules of the Order. There will be no going off on personal quests, and no use of the kind of magic you unleashed on Moody today." Dumbledore's voice became almost harsh. "To use a Cerebellus Scan within the walls of Hogwarts is absolutely forbidden, not to mention the strict Ministry laws against them. You knew that, and if you do it again, there will be severe –
very severe penalties. Can you accept these limitations, and learn to trust us?" Dumbledore got up and walked over to her, his voice confident but his expression anxious.
Studying her hands, Viviane stood for a few moments before saying,
"Yes." She looked up at Dumbledore. "Yes. I accept the
limitations. And I do trust most of you. I'll work on learning to trust the
others." Even as she spoke, Viviane felt an odd, terrible sense of loss. All
the things I've learned on my travels, the parts of me that are special and
unique, I've just renounced. What is left?
Dumbledore noted her devastated expression and gave her a comforting embrace. "It will be all right, my dear child. It will be. It will come right." She felt him sigh deeply before he let her go and smiled. "Now get some sleep. You deserve it!"
Viviane gave him a faint smile as he left, and tried to prepare for bed, but she could not settle down. Finally, unable to stand her room any longer, she left it and began to walk the halls of Hogwarts until she found herself wandering down to pass by Snape's office, knowing that he was gone but needing to try and reassure herself that he would indeed return. To her surprise, there was light under the door and after momentary hesitation she tried the latch and walked boldly in, startled by the lack of Guard Spells.
Snape looked up at her from behind his desk, and said coldly, "Professor Chance? I'm busy. Come back later." Viviane, shocked, stood for a moment and queried "Severus?" but he only said, "Not now," while refusing to look at her. Still in shock, she turned automatically towards the door but as she reached towards the latch looked back at Snape.
He had gotten up and was leaning against the desk, his face buried in his hands. Viviane softly locked the door and walked back to Snape, pulling his hands away from his face. "Was it so bad, my dear?" she asked quietly. "I've been dreadfully worried about you."
Snape gazed into her eyes, and finding something there he'd never encountered before, wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder. "You can't know – you can't even imagine," he murmured. "I thought you must hate me…" Suddenly he wrenched away from her, saying bitterly, "Don't feel you have to be kind to the former Death Eater, marked for life by this ugly burn." Snape clutched his forearm and walked away. "I saw how revolted you were by it. I know what you've lost through Voldemort and the Death Eaters." He glanced at her. "You are formally absolved of any connection with me. I won't press you for any sort of relationship besides the academic one."
Viviane reached out and tried to take the arm disfigured by the mark, but Snape shook her off and said coldly, "Just go." Viviane remained where she was, looking at him with a faintly bemused expression until Snape turned on her and shouted, "Get out of my office, you wretched woman!"
"So that's it, then?" Viviane demanded. "You can't trust me, you can't trust yourself, which is it? You think a scar on your arm is going to change how I feel about you? You want to talk scars? Here." She unfastened the bodice of her gown and pulled down the sleeve to reveal a thin, raised ridge of scar tissue down her bicep. "I got this one while acting as enforcer for a mobster." She turned and showed another on her shoulder blade. "This was from a battle protecting one of the sleaziest wizards I've ever met." She raised her skirt and showed an indentation in her calf. "A young wizard took out a piece of my leg. I deserved it, because I was guarding property that was rightfully his, for the man that stole it. We all have scars from past lives, and the mistakes we've made in them. Would you like to compare body counts as well? I bet I'd win that contest easily. So stop acting like this and kiss me."
Snape stood silent and surveyed her through narrowed eyes as she yanked the shoulder of her gown back up and refastened the clasps. Finally he said slowly, "But Viviane, your scars come from necessity. You had to survive somehow. Mine was the result of a choice."
Viviane reached out and tenderly took his arm disfigured by the mark. "Voldemort has scarred all of us, in some way, by forcing us to make impossible choices. If you'd refused the Death Eaters when they recruited you, would you be alive now? Once we defeat Voldemort, perhaps some of our scars may disappear." She lightly ran her fingers down his forearm and tried to catch Snape's eye, but he steadfastly stared down at the floor. "You misread my expression in the infirmary. I think that revealing this mark in front of the people you did is the most courageous thing I've ever witnessed. Oh, Severus," she said, and she could say no more and only looked at Snape, who caught her fiercely to him and kissed her so passionately her last coherent thought was relief that she had remembered to lock the door.
For an epilogue to this story (containing Snape's thoughts the morning after) go to Snapeview.