Penance - Hello and welcome to the west stairway!

Insomniac Cat - Thanks for reviewing. (You made it all the way to chapter 29 even though Severus creeps you out!) *grins*

Iggie - Underpants??

The West Stairway ~*~

Lucius Malfoy ran up the last fight of stairs and into the hallway on the west side of the tenth floor, and he immediately saw Fincastle coming back down the hall toward him.

"Anything?" he asked impatiently.

"No. We need to go to the east side," Fincastle replied.

"No time, Ian. We've got company." He indicated the stairway behind him.

"Guards?" Fincastle asked.

"No. Snape and two others," sneered Malfoy.

"Snape? Are you quite serious?" The two men were now walking quickly up the hall again.

"Yes. There's a witch and an auror with him," Malfoy reported.

"He just doesn't quit. He must have barely survived our last meeting," Fincastle said with disbelief.

At that moment the trio being discussed arrived at the top of the stairs.

"There!" Moody pointed at the two Death Eaters further up the hall. The two masked men each ran in a different direction at the next crossing hallway.

"Damn it. They've split up," Snape cursed even though he knew they would.

"You take that one, I'll take this one," the younger Moody said, and ran after Lucius Malfoy before Snape could stop him.

He turned back to Lorien. "You should see if you can locate Fudge, and then get the hell out if you don't find him."

"What do you think you're going to do?" she asked.

"I'm going after Fincastle," Snape said.

"Severus, let him go. It's not worth it," Lorien said.

"No. He needs to be stopped, Lorien." Snape was adamant.

Lorien tried to reason with him. "It's too dangerous. We should get out. The ministry guards will be here soon."

"He'll be gone by then." Snape started to walk the direction he had seen Fincastle go.

Lorien stepped in front of him. "If you're going so am I."

He opened his mouth to protest about it being too dangerous, and then thought better of it. He finally nodded and they cautiously started down the hallway together.

Keath Moody may have seemed a little overzealous when he split off to go after the first Death Eater, but the young auror thought he understood the risk he was taking. The thing he didn't understand was exactly who he was after.

Malfoy rounded the corner and plastered his back against the wall, willing his breathing to slow so the approaching auror wouldn't hear him. He held his wand ready as the younger man neared him.

Moody crept along with his back against the wall, edging slowly closer to the corner. He moved along silently until he was a foot from where Malfoy waited around the other side. Both men waited to see if either could tell anything about the other's whereabouts.

The auror had a feeling that the Death Eater was lying in wait. He hadn't heard continued footsteps or any doors. He just didn't know exactly where. He got ready to spring.

Malfoy knew the auror would be getting close and he slowly raised his wand to chest level. He intended to blast the blue-robed wizard the minute he made his move.

Moody dove and Malfoy fired just over the auror as he hit the ground and slid across the hallway. A chunk of wall exploded where Malfoy had missed, and then a second one exploded next to his head as the auror returned fire. The Death Eater flung himself out of the way reflexively and Moody took advantage of the split second delay to grab the man's leg. He pulled as hard as he could and Malfoy crashed to the floor next to him, his wand skidding a short way down the hall.

Moody brought his wand up but Malfoy was quick and scrambled to grab the auror's arm. Red light flashed as the spell sailed harmlessly passed Malfoy's shoulder down the hall.

Malfoy seized Keath's wand hand with both of his own, trying to turn the wand back on it's owner. Desperate as he felt the Death Eater overpowering him, Moody swung at the man's head with his free hand. It connected and surprised and enraged Malfoy further, and he flung himself on the man on the floor next to him.

The two men rolled over and over on the floor, grappling for control of the wand.

Suddenly Keath was on top struggling to point the wand at Malfoy's head. He came within an inch of doing so when Malfoy let go with one hand, but he never uttered the spell as Malfoy's free hand drove the knife he had been carrying in his belt into the auror's back.

The young auror merely looked surprised as he collapsed, and Malfoy shoved the man off him with disgust.

Lucius Malfoy stood over the dying man and snatched the wand out of his hand. "Pathetic," he sneered as he snapped the brittle wood in half and threw it back at the floor. He stalked down the hall to snatch his own wand off the floor, walked to the door at the end of the hall, and went up the stairs that led to the roof.

Keath Moody was left lying in a slowly enlarging pool of his own blood. His last thoughts before everything went black were of his sister.

Lorien didn't think she had ever been so nervous in her life as she opened the doors and searched the rooms with Severus. Each time they flung open the door to an empty room she found the tension within her mounting further. They had found no one but were running out of rooms.

The next door led to an office suite with multiple rooms and Snape motioned that she should go left and he would go right. They would circle and meet around in the last room. She nodded silently and crept to the left hand room, part of her hoping she wouldn't find the man, part of her hoping Severus wouldn't be the one.

Snape readied his wand as he started through the door to the right and jumped as he heard the noise over his shoulder. Even as he turned he knew he had been tricked by the noise spell thrown behind him, and he continued to spin completely back outside the doorway just as the second spell was thrown. He managed to evade the fireblast that hit the doorframe he had ducked behind, but the impact knocked him off his feet.

Fincastle rapidly approached where Snape had hit the floor, but he never got the chance to finish the words he was about to utter as he was interrupted by the fireblast returned at him by the woman across the room. He copied Snape's movement and barely cleared what was left of the doorway.

Fincastle recovered and held up a hand, returning fire quickly at the woman in the room as Snape was scrambling to get to his feet. Severus was horrified when he saw there was no way Lorien could move in time, and he cringed as the blast hit her. He was relieved when he saw her draw her hands up in front of her and the fire deflected to either side. The shielding spell was water to combat flame.

The Death Eater ducked further into the dark rooms behind him calling to Snape in a taunting manner. "Why Severus, I see you've been keeping company with a Nemorosi witch."

Snape started warily after the other wizard after looking at Lorien to make sure she followed. "Give it up, Ian. We've got you cornered and the Ministry guards will be here soon," he called into the darkened room.

Fincastle laughed from the depths of the next room somewhere. He continued to taunt the black robed mage. "Cornered? If you say so. You know, Severus, you looked a bit worried when I blasted your lady friend there."

Lorien followed Snape as they moved cautiously toward the Death Eater's voice.

"I think you like her Severus," the voice called again. "What a pity. You remember what I did to the last woman you liked, don't you?"

Snape was furious inside as he remembered what had happened to Ursa, but it was mostly the implied threat in Fincastle's words that enraged him now. He fought to restrain himself. He knew the Nemorosi wizard was trying to get him to do something rash.

"I remember, Ian," he said, more calmly than he felt. He stood on one side of the doorway and motioned for Lorien to take the other side, wishing that she were anywhere but here near the threat that Fincastle presented.

Fincastle continued as the other two positioned themselves at the doorway. "I must say, I think your taste in witches has improved. It's such a shame we aren't on better terms, Severus," he purred. "I can easily imagine borrowing her if we were."

Snape held his tongue with great effort, and looked at Lorien who obviously found the thought extremely distasteful.

"Nothing to say, Severus? Maybe you like the thought of me getting under her robes?" Fincastle tried to get Snape riled. "Maybe you'd like to watch?"

"That's enough, Ian!" Snape was furious, and hatred of the man in the darkness before him that had rekindled itself anew, now blazed into a raging fire. He instantly regretted his reaction that would confirm that the woman meant something to him. He knew it was a mistake, but he was determined that it would be the only one he made tonight.

"That's what I thought," commented the detached voice in an amused way.

Snape knew instantly that Lorien was in jeopardy, and he was already moving as Fincastle spoke again.

"Now, what a shame it would be if anything happened to thissssssssone."

The large serpent flew through the doorway at Lorien, but Severus had been ready this time, and Lorien sprawled on the floor with Snape on top of her as the enormous snake shot past them and out the door.

Snape looked up and saw that Fincastle had disappeared. He looked back at the woman on the floor, more relieved than she knew that she was lying there giving him the perturbed look she now wore. "Are you alright?" he asked her as he got to his feet. He held out his hand.

"Yes." She took the hand he offered and he helped her up. "You know, that's the second time tonight you've done that," Lorien said, putting her hands on her hips.

His eyes met hers and then she looked at him slyly. "Why, I didn't realize you liked to play rough, Severus," she said suggestively.

Snape opened his mouth but didn't manage to say anything.

"Oh, please," she said over her shoulder as she turned and walked toward the door, "don't tell me the thought has never crossed your mind."

Snape followed her shaking his head. Fincastle was right. He definitely liked this one.

There was only one place the serpent could have gone in the direction he'd headed.

"We'll have to go to the roof," Snape said as he caught up to Lorien who was sputtering to herself. "He must have gone up there," he said.

"He better hope he disapparates before I get there," Lorien snarled. "Borrow me, indeed!"

It was Snape's turn to smile slyly as he walked alongside Lorien. He leaned over in a conspiratorial way. "I know, can you even imagine?" Snape passed her and spoke back over his shoulder as he reached the door. "Like I'd let him have you when I haven't myself....yet." He went through the door and Lorien hesitated for a moment as she realized what he'd just implied.

They both were dead serious by the time they cautiously opened the door out onto the roof. The air was cold, and as they stepped out into the night the wind caught both sets of black robes and began to tug at them repeatedly. There was almost no place anyone could hide and Lorien spotted Fincastle almost immediately.

"Severus!" She was already running when he looked where she was headed.

He would have gone with her if it weren't for the voice he heard behind him, coming from next to the stairwell. One of the few places someone could hide.

"My old friend," Malfoy spoke as he stepped out of the shadows. "How are you, Severus?"

Snape had faced the new threat immediately, and now stared his former friend in the eyes. "Lucius."

"We all wondered if you'd survived the last meeting," he said sarcastically.

"As you can see, Malfoy, I've never been better," Snape replied.

"Pity that won't last very long." Malfoy raised his wand to a dueling stance.

Snape raised his own wand as the two Death Eaters squared off.

Lorien had closed the gap between herself and the other Nemorosi to next to nothing before he turned.

She readied herself as the wizard whirled around and he laughed when he saw she had pursued him.

"Tired of playing with Severus already?" he asked sweetly. "Finally decided you'd rather be with me?"

"I'm not playing, Fincastle," Lorien snarled.

"No? Severus never introduced us properly, now did he? My dear, you have me at a disadvantage." He was deceivingly cordial.

She hesitated.

"Oh, come now. Your name, Sylvanesti," Fincastle coaxed.

She told him.

"Ah yes. Taber's protégé. What on earth are you doing keeping such...dark company these days?" He walked much closer to the Nemorosi witch.

She said nothing as he approached and watched him carefully. She knew enough to keep her guard up while the wizard had been talking.

"Nothing to say?" Fincastle asked. "Well, then perhaps you'd care to dance?"

He moved quickly and made a throwing motion at Lorien, but she was already drawing her hands up in front of her. The ball of fire hit a wall of water and was doused.

Lorien didn't hesitate and continued the movement to swing her arms completely above her head and then to bring them to her sides quickly in imitation of great wings. The shadow hawk born of the air spell dove at Fincastle with razor sharp talons and he threw himself to the side to avoid the diving apparition.

It only took him a second to recover and he drew one hand across in front of him, invoked water and then hurled the large icicle he held to pierce the form of the bird and it vanished.

The two Nemorosi squared off again, each glaring at the other and waiting to see who would make the next move.

Fincastle spoke in an oily smooth voice. "Tiring of our little dance so soon? Ready to move on to something more...intimate?"

Lorien's eyes narrowed and she braced for the next spell.

"Alright, my dear," he said sweetly, "then how about a little foreplay?"

Lorien never expected the backhanded slap across the face that sent her spinning to the ground.

Malfoy and Snape eyed each other for a moment longer and then it began. Light flickered wildly as the two wizards traded and countered two spells apiece in rapid succession as they anticipated each other's opening moves. They hesitated and circled each other, each breathing a little faster.

"We've known each other too long, my friend," Malfoy said with a mirthless laugh.

"Indeed, Lucius," Snape replied icily.

Malfoy moved quickly and blasted the section of roof that Snape was standing on, but Snape had realized what he was doing a fraction of a second before the hole appeared beneath his feet and jumped back, staggering a little.

Snape's eyes narrowed. He flung a mind-numbing spell at Malfoy who barely managed to dodge it by flinging himself sideways. Snape turned with the dark wizard to keep the man directly in front of him.

"Nice recovery, Severus. Too bad your lady friend doesn't appear to be enjoying her partner as much." Malfoy seemed amused.

Snape knew better than to look behind him, but he was suddenly worried that Malfoy's comments were not merely a bluff.

Lorien was surprised by the blow but managed to keep enough presence of mind to scramble backward the second she hit the ground. Chunks of roof exploded from where she had fallen as she struggled to get to her feet. She managed to get to one knee as the next blast hit and all she could do was block it. She had barely managed to do so and felt the intense heat against her hands.

"Begging for more? I'm flattered," Fincastle said as he strode closer to where she was.

She finally managed to get to her feet but she was off balance in her haste and the Death Eater swung at her again, the back of his hand connecting brutally with her cheek. She once again crashed to the ground. When she got to her feet it was because Fincastle had grabbed her arm and a handful of hair and pulled her up as he twisted her arm behind her back painfully. He spoke the word that bound her hands and then the Nemorosi curse that would keep her from apparating.

"Alright then, Lorien, let's see just how much Severus likes you, shall we?" Fincastle spat the words as he grabbed her by the neck and shoved her forward.

"Not going to look, are you?" Malfoy was amused.

Snape had all he could do to keep his attention on Malfoy. He knew he wouldn't be able to help her if he didn't finish this.

Malfoy attacked again, hurling two new curses, and Snape parried with the correct counterspells once more. Severus knew that they were pretty evenly matched and he needed a way to gain the upper hand. It was then that the idea hit him. He needed Malfoy to attack again.

"Not quite as fast as you used to be, are you Lucius?" Snape taunted the Death Eater in front of him.

"You want to see fast?" Malfoy said arrogantly. He spoke the one word stunning spell that Snape had anticipated, and smiled wickedly as the man before him moved just a bit too slow and was grazed by the curse. Snape staggered and sank to one knee, dropping his wand.

Malfoy triumphantly stepped in for the kill and raised his wand, but it was in that instant that he realized that Snape's hands were moving. They shouldn't have been moving if the man was stunned at all. It was the second he hesitated that gave Snape the time he needed to hurl the contents of the tiny potion vial.

Too late, Lucius Malfoy realized that Severus Snape had tricked him. The man had pretended to be hit and dropped to one knee just long enough to retrieve the vial from his belt, and Malfoy screamed with fury as he felt the effects of the powerful potion go to work.

Snape survey the effects of his handiwork and allowed himself a brief smile. The shrinking potion had worked immediately and he now faced an 8 inch Death Eater. Snape snapped his fingers, conjuring a small cage and shoved the furious Malfoy bodily inside. He locked the door and picked up his wand.

"Get used to the bars, old friend." Snape smiled wickedly at his adversary, kicking the cage and sending it rolling wildly before he turned and walked toward Lorien and Fincastle.

A/N: Two chapters left...