A/N:
This is
a revised version of chapter 4. In the
original I accidentally, through my haste, left out two lines of dialogue from
the scene between Snape and Dumbledore.
Now the flow of conversation will make more sense. Secondly, I have the Divine List of
Reviewers. So if you already read this,
skip to the end to get the new stuff.
Chapter
4: "By the
Pricking…"
Over
the next couple months, Mallory had to admit that she was warming to Severus
Snape. Well, as much as she was capable of warming to anybody. She really didn't talk to him often; Just a
nod in passing or having polite conversation at meals. Of course polite is very
loose term when describing any exchange with Severus. She reckoned she liked him because he made no effort to be
liked. He never meditated on the
effects that his words will have on the listener. To Mallory, this was
refreshing. She'd met many a person that talked to her only out of obligation
or pity. She knew full well, Severus
only talked to you if he truly wanted to.
He was the most nonsuperficial and sincere person she had met in a long
time. She recalled a talk she had with
him at the end of the first week of classes:
"I've
heard that you managed to upset a student on your first day,
congratulations."
"It
was wrong for me to speak to her in that manner."
"Who
was it"
"Hermione
Granger."
"Really?"
He was intrigued. "What exactly did you say to her?"
She
sighed. "I was rather sarcastic when answering an inquiry and practically
telling her to push off. The worst part is that even when I apologized to her I
was less than amiable."
He
laughed. "Good for you, I always figured Miss Granger would do good with a
slap in the face, verbal or otherwise."
"That's
horrible."
"What?
Saying what every teacher thinks? That certain students deserve a good bout
about the head."
He
turned away from her and she took to the opportunity to give him a coy smile.
All
right, no use denying it: She fancied him.
She wasn't even sure why. She didn't want to, it scared her. The last man she loved was cruelly taken
away from her. No, best just ignore
these feelings, they'll pass.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It
was early October and late at night.
Voldemort had changed his centre of operation. This complicates things. It seemed the gatherings were now taking
place in an old abandoned castle. Specifically the throne room. Snape stood by an open window. The cold autumn breeze tugged at his black
robes.
He
watched the dais where The Dark Lord was addressing Pettigrew. Just to look at Voldemort with his blazing
red eyes and ghastly thin frame sent shudders down Snape's spine. His terrible voice was ringing high and
sharp in the chamber. It's a Miracle that
my ears aren't bleeding.
"Wormtail,
When is the next full moon?"
"The
31st my lord."
"Ah,"
he turned to face his disciples, "Halloween, how appropriate."
A
soft "coo" came from the window.
Snape ignored it, trying to listen. "It's time to show our
hand. The moment is at hand to reveal
ourselves to the world, let there be no mercy to those who would oppose us.
Those fools at the ministry can no longer ignore us. We shall see them tremble
and plead at our feet as they did before.
"Is
our target Hogwarts?" Piped up one Death Eater. Snape's blood ran frigid.
Voldemort
laughed, a high cackle, "No, not now, but it is our ultimate prize."
The
coo cam from the window again. Snape
looked for the source. There, on the windowsill sat a small white bird. It's head cocked in all directions. Most strangely, the bird bore some odd,
orange marking on its breast.
Intrigued, he tried to snatch it from its perch, but it flew away before
he could touch it. Only slightly
annoyed by this defeat, his interest returned to the front of the chamber.
"Now,
the details of this action will only be divulged to those whom I have chosen to
participate." A wave of disappointed groans rippled through the assembly.
Voldemort held up a hand for silence.
"Now, now, no need to worry.
You all will have the opportunity to assist in my rise to my former
glory!" Oh, goody. "You all
are dismissed."
As
Death Eaters Dissapperated, Snape glanced out the window one last time. Before he vanished, he caught sight of a
white bird soaring past.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halloween
finally came. Snape was able to warn
the ministry of the planned assault, but could not venture any details. Unfortunately (or fortunately in some
respects) Cornelius Tucker was not among the select few to participate in the
evening's events.
Making
his way to the Great Hall, he could already hear the incessant chatter of the
multitudes of students. Opening the large doors, he was greeted by the bright
lights from the chandeliers and large Jack-o-Lanterns. The roar of voices flooded the hall. Snape
swept over the cheery young folks with a cynical eye. None of them knowing what
horrors could enfold tonight, each one blissfully unaware that tomorrow morning
they may hear of a loved one's death.
Shaking
his head, he sat in the seat left of and next to O'Kenly. Her black robes
greatly contrasted her skin. She looked
trouble. Poor dear looks more distressed
than I feel.
He
asked her, "How are you holding up?"
She
looked at him from out of the corner of her eye. "I've been better she said quietly.
He
made no reply, he just dwelled on her statement. He has certainly seen her worse, but he doubted her mood could
get any better than this. Her head was
now tilted up, her eyes watching the night sky through the enchanted ceiling. The night was dominantly overcast, but once
in a while the clouds broke and the gray glow of the full moon brought soft
light to the dark sky. Snape's mind
began to journey. He imagined all of
the candles being put out with the moon for the only illumination. He pictured how her skin would shine silver
in the pale light.
He
was taken from his sweet reverie by a burning on his left forearm. It wasn't the usuall painful heat, but more
like an extremely irritating itch.
Snape had half a mind to push up his sleeve and vigorously scratch it,
but that would've been extremely stupid.
He knew that this the small prickle on his arm meant something was
up. He tried to silently get
Dumbledore's attention, at that moment a large horned owl swooped in and
dropped a letter in front of the Headmaster.
Dumbledore's
expression remained stoic while he read, but Snape had a pretty good idea what
the letter pertained to. His suspicions
were confirmed when Dumbledore rose and headed in Snape's direction. But Dumbledore stopped next to O'Kenly and
said something in her ear. She got out
of her chair and followed the headmaster out of the hall. After lees than a minute, Dumbledore returned,
but not O'Kenly. What the hell is going
on?
Dumbledore
sat down and couldn't help but notice Snape's bewildered expression. Dumbledore just smiled and gave him an
acknowledging nod. Snape wanted to say
something about the prickling of the Dark Mark, but something about the old
wizard's visage told him to leave it for the time being. Snape tried to shake the thoughts from his
head and concentrate on shrewdly watching the student body for any
inappropriate behaviour. But the
prickling of the Mark wouldn't let him be. Well,
this puts a twist on the old quote from Macbeth…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It
was almost midnight. At least that's
what Snape's clock said. It could be
fast, not that it mattered to an insomniac.
Snape laid on his bed, still fully clothed, and staring at the ceiling. He was contemplating the night's
events. More so he pondered O'Kenly's
involvement in it all.
Was
she a Death Eater gone to join in on the activities? No, she didn't disappear until Dumbledore led her away. Besides,
Dumbldore wouldn't knowingly higher a Death Eater. He has before. But his was a different case.
An
Auror? Her? No! Besides, he knew all
of the Aurors who were out on the field.
Her name wasn't on the roster.
Another
Spy? No, that didn't make sense either.
How could she do it? The attackers tonight were handpicked by Voldemort,
they would know if an unwelcomed part member appeared. Unless… Well, that
brought him back to the Death Eater theory. Damn, this whole situation was
making him run circles in his mind.
Since
it was midnight, and the stinging in his left arm subsided, he decided to pay
Dumbleodre a visit. Surely by now he's
been informed about the details of the nights' events. Maybe this will put Snape's mind to rest. Not Likely.
He
ascended the spiral stairway to Dumbledore's office after saying the pass word
at the gargoyle (peanut-brittle). He mused still on what news Dumbledore had.
So much so that he didn't see the other person coming round from the opposite
direction. Nor did the other person see
him. They collided.
"Umph!"
Recovering
from the mild impact, Snape looked down and there was Mallory O'Kenly sitting
on the steps, rubbing the back of her head.
He resisted the impulse to help her.
Instead he went with his natural instinct, after all, he hadn't decided
if she was trustworthy. "You should watch where you are going," he sneered.
"Aye,"
she said between gritted teeth, "but you ought to practice what you preach,
Snape."" She stood and brushed past him. "Practice what you preach."
He
watched her till she disappeared around the bend. Well, at least she's safe. Safe? He didn't know if she was in any
danger at all. Trying to push the Irish girl out of his mind, he knocked on the
office door.
"Come
in."
The
Headmaster's office was warm. It was
always warm, always inviting. Fawkes
was perched on the arm of the unoccupied chair across from the desk. "Ah, Severus, I gathered you'd be up here
anon. Come, take a seat," he said pleasantly.
Snape
shooed the phoenix from his perch and settled himself in the chair. "So you
know why I'm here."
"Yes."
"And…"
Dumbledore
stood. "Well thanks to you, Aurors were
alerted at the first sign of disturbance."
"Is
there casualties?"
"No,"
Dumbledore stood, "after all this isn't a war, Severus."
"Not
yet."
"Anyway,
all they were able to accomplice was some vandalism, a few started a fight with
a Muggle-born in the tavern, Rosmerta
was a bit shaken…"
"Rosmerta?!
Sir, are you telling me that this took place in Hogsmeade, so close?"
Dumbledore solemnly nodded. "I hope we're canceling all student trips."
"Of
course."
"The
outcry will be deafening. Of course it
would be because they aren't going to be given a valid nor the real reason
why." He gave Dumbledore a criticizing look.
"You
know I am under direct orders from the ministry not to tell the students. They
don't want any panic."
"Sinve
when have you gone step-by-step with the Ministry playbook?"
Dumbldore
had been pacing, but stopped and gazed out of a window. "These are delicate times. My position is hanging on a thin thread, and
I know there are certain people at the ministry who would find any excuse to
cut that string. I can only imagine who
they would get to replace me." He turned
and gave Snape a significant look.
"You
mean someone like Lucious Malfoy, a bloody Death Eater." Snape was
exasperated.
"You
never know."
"Bloody
hell."
Dumbledore
let out a heavy sigh. "It's late,
Severus, and its been a long day. Time
to get to bed, goodnight."
"Goodnight,
Headmaster." He got up to leave but turned at the door. "I know it's not my place to pry, but
what were you talking about with Professor O'Kenly?"
"You're
right, it's not your place to pry."
Snape
nodded and went back to his room. It was futile to even try to sleep. He hasn't had a descent night's rest since
he'd left the Death Eaters so many years ago.
Usually it was from haunted dreams and nightmares, but tonight it was
because he couldn't stop thinking about Mallory O'Kenly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay!
Now for the Divine List:
Thumper, Marvin, Sphinx, Rusumble, Rosmerta, Hippy Gypsy,
aeiou, Melissa Ivory, Thea, Bluemeanies,
Lilith Morgana: Its never a bad review if its nothing but
kind words;-)
Iphigenia (AKA The Greek Goddess of all
things "Little-Bitty"): The opinions of
the characters are not necessarily that of the author. I do like Hermione, Mallory doesn't. Maybe someday she'll appreciate her, just
not yet.
I apologize to anyone I
missed. Th eother Chap. 4 reviewers will be thanked later.