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The Winged Serpents

Chapter Thirteen: In the Company of Men

***

Dove slid into the comfiest chair she could find. The library was always quiet, always warm, and filled to the very brim with books. If it had not been for the complete lack of comfortable chairs and a fast food restaurant, she could have lived there quite happily. But as it were, she was stuck with a very stiff overstuffed contraption that masqueraded as a chair. She sighed heavily so as to annoy Madame Pince and forced herself to become accustomed to the unforgiving chair.

Sliding next to her was an exhausted black-haired girl who wrapped her robes around herself and muttered a quick Transfiguration spell. In moments, the heavy wooden chair she had taken stretched and molded itself to her, adopting a much softer feel as well. Seconds later, a heavy whisper rattled in Raven's ear.

"Raven Thomas! Just what do you think you're doing?! You Transfigure that chair back this very instant!" Madame Pince's voice struck her harshly, and she was very nearly startled out of her wits. Glancing behind, she was unable to locate the source of the sound. Finally, halfway across the room, she saw the livid librarian holding her wand to her throat and whispering with great animosity, her eyes fixed on Raven's little lounge. "This! Instant!"

Raven recovered quickly and forced a teasing smile across her lips. Batting her eyelashes, she gave Madame Pince her best "I'm-just-an-innocent-little-thing-with-no-concept-of-how-I've-angered-you" look and turned away. That same voice murmured a loss of five points in her ear, mumbled something she surely hadn't meant for Raven to hear, then went back to categorizing the Magical Creatures section. Dove rolled her eyes and turned back to the book she had summoned, and Raven settled herself in for a light kip.

Dove flipped through the index, scanning the pages. This was the last book she had to read through, and hopefully it would give her a bit more insight into their new situation. They'd had to procure special permission to get into the Restricted Section for it, but Professor Lupin had been plenty obliging. He'd had his reservations, naturally, as they'd refused to tell him what they were researching, but they'd promised that the results would be more helpful than harmful, and gave a quick Promise Charm to satisfy him. Now, sitting with the heavy leather-bound tome in her lap, she was very close to breaking that Promise Charm. If she didn't find what she was looking for in these pages, she would surely hex Draco Malfoy to within an inch of his life.

Finally, she found something promising. She turned quickly to the given page and settled in to read.

"Vik'sen are honorary sex demons renowned for their skills in assassination. One-quarter Succubus, one-quarter Siren, half mage. They have the abilities of Entrancing (song) and Sensuality (sexual prowess and skill). While their abilities do not cause death to any of the male species alone, when used together they can prove most fatal.

The Vik'sen are a rare breed of half-demon. Perhaps only a dozen will live every century. While the number of possible Vik'sen are slightly greater, few ever achieve true status. To attain the full title of Vik'sen Divinity, First Class, there are three requirements. Two of the requirements must be achieved through free will of the Dashmir, one must be passed down to her through blood.

The first requirement, the BloodLine, is decided for her. When a Succubus and a Siren form a rare partnership, they will allow their offspring, one half-blood from each, to procreate. The result of this extraordinary joining is called a Dashmir, and has the potential to become Vik'sen. Usually, the Siren and Succubus will raise the Dashmir themselves, teaching her to bring her voice and her sexual gifts to full potency. However, in more recent years, it is not entirely uncommon for the Siren and Succubus to abandon the Dashmir to a wizarding academy and go about their individual ways.

The second requirement, the BloodShare, is the Dashmir's decision as well as her first conscious step towards becoming Vik'sen. Upon reaching puberty (which ranges from the age of eight years old to twenty-five years old for a typical Dashmir), her blood begins to thin slightly. This is a result of the Siren's genes, albeit a much slighter version. A Siren lures her prey with song and renders them helpless, thus giving her the means to replenish her veins entirely, without which she would otherwise die from complete loss of blood. However, the Dashmir's song can only pose a state of semi-consciousness. This state, called Entrancement, is easily broken when the subject of it is distressed in any way. Thus, Entrancement usually proves fruitless in way of victims. It has therefore become tradition for a Dashmir to choose a benefactor. This wizard benefactor, the BloodKeeper, will house and feed the Dashmir, as well as providing them with a light, but steady, flow of their own blood. Once a month, the Blood Keeper will allow the Dashmir to replenish her thinning lifestream. In return, the Dashmir provides sexual and mental companionship, and takes on the duties of bodyguard and assassin. In the Middle Ages, a Dashmir or Vik'sen was a sign of great power and wealth among wizarding families. At the time, a Dashmir might have as many as ten wizarding families vying for her attention. It was a great honor to be chosen by a Dashmir as her BloodKeeper, and remains so even today amongst old wizarding lines.

The third requirement, the BloodFall, is a sacred ceremony carried out before the Dashmir's BloodKeeper. The BloodFall takes place one month after the Dashmir chooses her BloodKeeper. At this time, the BloodKeeper will choose their first victim. The Dashmir will lure the victim through Entrancement, Sensuality, or any other means possible, to the BloodKeeper's home. There, under the BloodKeeper's eye, the Dashmir will carry out her first assassination, thus binding herself to her BloodKeeper forever. Upon completion, the BloodKeeper presents the Dashmir with a gift and she is honored through him as Vik'sen Divinity, First Class."

After that, it went into a dreadfully detailed example of a Medieval BloodFall, which was conducted as the main entertainment of a large birthday party for a very prominent wizard. Dove shut her eyes, willing the page to rewrite itself into something more pleasant, but nothing she could do would change the circumstances. She and Raven would have to allow Lucius Malfoy to believe that they, as Dashmir, were choosing him as their BloodKeeper. The Entrancement they might be able to fake, and they had enough experience that he would never doubt their Sensuality, but the BloodSharing and BloodFall ceremonies might prove a bit more difficult. They certainly weren't in this to become killers, especially not for Malfoy.

Holding a blank sheet of parchment against the page, she muttered a quick "Simulo" and elbowed Raven in the stomach.

"Oomph! Eh?" she grumbled pathetically. Dove narrowed her eyes at her sister and muttered a few choice phrases. "Oi, alright. I'm coming."

The two girls stumbled out of their seats and grabbed their things. Dove returned the book to the Restricted Section, under Madame Pince's ever-watchful eye, and they both left. Upon returning to their room, Dove showed Raven what she'd found. After a few more colorful phrases describing some rather interesting possibilities involving Draco, a broom, and an aphrodisiac-induced mountain troll, they both settled down. They only had a few more days left, and they would need to settle into their roles well.

***

Severus Snape grumbled at his abominable luck. Already three cauldrons had exploded today, due entirely to the ineptitude of a classroom full of ignorant Hufflepuff Second Years, and now he was being invited to Lucius Malfoy's for a drink. He had tried to decline, on the basis that he had to keep an eye on the rowdier Slyths near to the weekend, but Lucius had summarily ignored his excuses and given him no way out. He could tell by the smug grin on Lucius' face that he was going to spend most of the night bragging about something or other, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.

"Alright, Lucius. You've got me here. Now what do you want?" His tone was raspy and sharp, and he curled his lip to add distaste. But Lucius only handed him a small glass of Ogden's Firewhiskey and prompted him to sit down.

"Tsk, tsk, Severus. Surely you can relax for a few minutes at least. Have a drink and we'll talk a bit, shall we?" His eyes glittered dangerously and Snape knew he was in for it.

"Oh, cut to the chase, Lucius. You've got something you want to rub in my face, I can tell. So be done with it already and let me get back to Hogwarts. I've got exams to mark." He sipped at the liquor sullenly, willing the night to be over. Lucius, for his own part, did a half-arse impression of pouting before kicking into high gear.

"You always take the fun out of bragging. But this time, I know you'll be interesting, despite yourself." At this, Severus' ears perked up slightly. "I've just made the acquaintance of two rather remarkable girls. And I believe I'm very close to finally getting one of the only things I've ever had trouble acquiring." Now Snape was really intrigued. "Surely, you must know what I mean."

Snape racked his brain for an answer. Something that Malfoy wanted, but couldn't get? Does such a thing exist? But he mentioned girls...perhaps it isn't a thing, but a person. Who could he possibly be interested in other than...Oh, no. It isn't possible. There haven't been any for nearly twenty-seven years now...But it makes sense... Cautiously, he looked up at Lucius for confirmation. And was surprised to see it written all over his face.

"You've guessed it! I know you have! And it's true, for you must be doubting it even as I speak." Snape's throat went dry at the thought of Malfoy with an exquisitely trained assassin under his command. "And I have come across not one, but two, Dashmirs. Two! And they will both be mine. Unless..." Snape became increasingly cautious as the conversation went on. Surely, he doesn't mean...

"I suppose you could have one, Severus. For a price, of course."

"What price?" Severus was careful to measure his voice as he spoke. It would not do to betray his worry. He was sure that he knew what Lucius was going to ask for, but he wasn't sure if it was worth it.

"The knife, Severus. I know you've got it. All I want is the futile knife. You never use it anyway. And wouldn't it be so much nicer to have a beautiful, young, willing woman to do your very bidding?" Snape winced inwardly at the emphasis on "willing". But in spite of himself, he was rather interested. Still...could he ever let Lucius put his hands on the futile knife? Does he even know what it can do?

"Let me think about it," he said. "I really must go." Lucius looked disappointed, but gave in nevertheless.

"Alright. I'll be meeting with them this weekend anyway. It'll be nice to have them both to myself at least once. I'll tell you about them afterwards, and you can make your decision. And Severus," he took a hold of Snape's arm just before he'd managed to climb through the fireplace, "Be sure that you do think about it." Snape nodded slightly then stepped through into his classroom.

***

It was nearly nine o'clock on Friday night, and the girls were getting antsy. Malfoy had never specified when he would summon them, only that it would be in two weeks. But Friday? Saturday? They couldn't be sure of his intentions, so they decided to prepare themselves for whenever he might request them. As soon as classes were done, they had run to their room. Slipping into their luxurious Everflowing Satin nightgowns and pulling their cloaks on over them. For a moment, they sat bathing in the feel of the glorious fabric, before snapping back to reality and finishing up. They managed their hair up into half-done buns, with curly locks bursting out onto their necks. A style which they found simply  haphazard, but tended to get remarkably high marks from the opposite sex. A few well-placed hair-removing charms got their legs smooth and their underarms flawless, some slight beauty enhancing spells sharpened the eye to their best facial, and figure, features without the bother of make-up. Even magic make-up, they'd found early on, had a tendency to rub off in the throes of passion. And men didn't particularly like to find rouge on their underthings.

After a few other minor preparations, all they had to do was sit and wait. They'd contemplated a quick encounter with Draco, to run over things one last time, but decided that it would only fray their nerves further. So, at nine o'clock on a Friday evening, they were awaiting a summons they weren't sure they wanted to receive. They had almost begun to hope that it would wait until the next night, when the owl came swooping in. A silver parchment canister was attached to its leg, and they untied it quickly, giving the owl leave to go. Popping open the top, they both reached in to grab the tiny scroll inside. Upon touching it, they both disappeared.

***

Wowie was shaking everywhere. She had never liked the man before her much, and she absolutely hated him now. Next to this man, the Master seemed almost kind and thoughtful. She feared for her true Mistress, if she should have to encounter this man. As her thoughts reeled, and her nerves exploded, she heard a slight sound of wood on wood. From a side door, her Master entered.

"Stop teasing the bloody house-elf, Avery. I've just summoned them." Her Master spoke quickly, but without feeling, as if he was distracted. He eyed the man for a moment, then disappeared again. Avery looked at Wowie a bit longer, then released her from the Cruciatus Curse. Chuckling to himself, he followed after her Master. If she hadn't been paying so much attention to the strange visitor, she might have heard her Master muttering that hated spell...

***

A strange tugging sensation had stretched from their very centers out. They had only Portkeyed a few times before, and it was always an interesting sensation. Even more so when you weren't expecting it. When they had finally felt their feet back on solid ground, they had gasped at their surroundings. A gorgeous room, priceless art, beautiful furniture, and all manner of interesting things in glass cases. From a side door, Lucius Malfoy entered. The girls braced themselves, positive that they would be able to feel the evil radiating off of him. But as he stepped closer, they saw that this wasn't true.

While Raven could see the malicious undertones, and cruel streaks woven throughout his Fabric, it was all very easily threaded into other things which seemed quite harmless. She'd never seen anything like it. A man whose nature was so inherently deceitful that his own Fabric strived to deceive. But Dove could not see his Fabric, only his face and body. He looked very handsome in his tailored robes, and his eyes were clear with intelligence. They marveled at how he could be so unlike what they had expected of him. Instead of the sneer they had expected to encounter, a lovely smile graced his features. And when he spoke, he was charming. Any other girl wouldn't have stood a chance. But Dove had Raven to anchor her.

Dove and Raven had seen all manner of beautiful faces and handsome features, tailored clothes and pretty words. Such wonderful things were usually followed by disgusting requests of bedroom play, and twisted wishes of intimate encounters. Raven thought casually and reminded Dove of one such man, and Dove regained herself admirably. Lucius never noticed a thing.

"Dove. Raven." He nodded to each in turn. "It is a pleasure to have you here." He began with all manner of lovely phrases, but everything after their names went in one ear and right out the other. They were both oblivious to what he said because they'd noticed the man who had entered immediately after him. This man, rather than Malfoy whom they'd feared, absolutely radiated evil. Even Dove could feel it.

After a few moments, they saw Malfoy gesture towards this man, and they both tuned back in to learn whatever they could of him.

"...is Patrick Avery. I thought it would be unwise, and rather selfish, of me to meet you both at once," the girls shuddered slightly at the connotation behind the word "meet", "and have thus invited my friend Avery to assist me." The girls looked at each other, flashes of worried thoughts ran back and forth too quick for them to decipher. They hadn't counted on being split up. They steadied themselves, and glanced back up at the two men in front of them. Two matching grins, one deceitfully pleasant, and the other blatantly cruel, shot back at them. And two twin chills raced down the girls' backs.

***

Wowie struggled to keep herself together. Her tiny lavender form was ready to split into millions of tiny pieces. Wowie hates being locked in this damn cell again! Why would the Master do this? Who will watch over the Master when Wowie is locked up? Master needs Wowie! But the cell was set up with very specific charms to keep house-elves – and their extremely powerful magic – inside. Shaking with worry, she blocked out thoughts of that evil Avery man.

Suddenly, a strange feeling overtook her. An oddly familiar feeling. A feeling that had deserted her years before. A feeling that she had only just recently been reminded of. The Mistress...

***

Dove and Raven struggled to keep their faces impassively seductive. Seduction was a trick they knew all too well, and they were glad to be able to fall into a routine. If they'd been forced to keep everything at the front of their minds at once, they might very well have short-circuited their own brains. They were glad to leave Patrick Avery in another room, following after Malfoy like puppy dogs, but they uncomfortable to know that he was here.

What do you think he meant about Avery assisting him? You don't think he meant-

I think that's exactly what he meant, Raven snapped back. She thought a quick apology, but kept her eyes on Malfoy's back. Best to watch him...

Yes, alright. But Raven...if we get split up...

Yeah, i know. Just try not to think about it, okay?

Dove nodded her head slightly, and walked into the room they'd just seen Lucius disappearing into. It was plain and empty. The only outstanding characteristic were the walls. They were painted a bright green which nearly hurt their eyes at the sight of it.

The green room. The other entrance to his father's rooms, do you remember?

Yes! That means that she's just across the hall from us!

But how are we going to get over there?

I'm not sure. I suppose one of us will have to distract him. Dove put the slightest emphasis on the word "distract", and both girls sighed inwardly. They'd never wanted to do this again, never wanted to be this...but it was too late. They would never be innocent again. Not like other girls. They were damaged, broken. And no amount of time would diminish that. Steeling themselves and preparing for the tedious night to come, they stepped inside. And just as the door shut behind them, a depressing thought raced through Dove's mind.

I'll bet nobody's even noticed we're gone...

***

Severus Snape waited patiently as the First Year girl went to fetch the twins. He'd been unable to find Draco and was confident that they might know where he was. The two girls had become rather chummy with the pale-haired boy lately. And while he didn't necessarily enjoy the thought of them with the likes of a Malfoy, he was also aware that there was a better chance of them having a good impact on him, than of his having a bad impact on them.

The blonde-haired girl came back hesitantly, her eyes darting restlessly about as if unsure to relay whatever news she possessed.

"Speak up, girl. Are they coming?" he thundered. He was patient, yes. But he was not going to wait any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Th-the...they're not coming, sir!" she blurted out. She immediately looked stricken, horrified that he might decapitate her for not bringing what he had asked of her. He could almost see her cringing in fear.

"What do you mean 'they're not coming'?" He spoke slowly and quietly. And it had a much greater effect on her than any obscenity he might have screamed instead.

"They aren't here, sir." She whispered. Her voice was ragged with fear, and despite his frustration at the twins' absence, he was enjoying his mischief immensely.

"It is past curfew, is it not?" She nodded her head vigorously. "So they should be in their common room, correct?" Another crazy nod. "But they are not in the common room. And I have personally searched the castle. So where are they?" He'd just finished his rounds earlier. He would resume them of course, but not until after this little mystery was cleared up.

She stood, frozen, unable to piece together any comprehensible thoughts. As he muttered to himself about the girl's obvious lack of steely nerve, he suddenly realized what he'd said. They were not in the common room. They were not in their room. They were not in the castle. His eyes widened a fraction and he very nearly sputtered in outrage. Instead, he growled something at the girl, causing her to slink back to her room in tears, and stormed back to his office.

***

Dove and Raven would have been humiliated if they were capable of such an emotion. Curious as to their capabilities, Lucius' first request was for a striptease and a song. While quite capable, singing was just not something they were fond of doing in front of strangers. But they could only smile slyly and move into position. Raven had the grand fortune of going first.

Putting one hand over the clasp on her robes, she started into the first verso of the only song that popped into her head. Unfortunately, it was a rather bouncy pop kind of song by Rufus Wainwright. And while she was fairly certain it hadn't even been released in this time yet, she absolutely could not think of anything else. So, as she began to smoothly loosen her cloak from her shoulders, she slowed the tempo and lowered her voice to an octave that the greater percent of men found "sexy", while she fervently prayed that Lucius didn't pay close attention to the latest releases of Muggle singers.

"Cigarettes and chocolate milk

These are just a couple of my cravings

Everything I like it seems'

A little bit stronger

A little bit thicker

A little bit harmful for me"

She wanted to flinch at the corniness of the song. But while she wished she'd thought of something a bit more appropriate, she felt sure that Lucius would appreciate the dark humor in the lyrics. Hopefully.

As she sang, she dropped the heavy cloak from around her shoulders and ran her hands smoothly down her sides. She put on a face that most men interpreted as "Oh, I love the way I feel, and I can't wait until you try me out". Although, under these circumstances, it was probably a bit closer to "Oh, I can't wait until my hands are wrapped around your neck, crushing the very life-force out of you". Possibly followed by a cheerleadery giggle.

Lucius' eyes glazed over as he watched her hands move, exploring her arms and legs, and especially her hips. He seemed to enjoy her curvier features, so she made a mental note to linger there. He was impressed with her night gown, obviously (according to the slight tent he was beginning to develop at his crotch), but she was sure that he was unaware of the special fabric itself. And unless she was willing to give him a quick feel (which might possibly result in another less-than-quick feel), it was useless to pause for very long.

She launched into the chorus and sweetly began to pull her nightdress off. His breath became a bit sharper as he saw hints of the soft skin beneath. He was absolutely lost in her when the fabric was dropped.

Unwilling, however, to lose either her bra or panties just yet (if she could help it at all), she cut out the last two verses of the song and pulled it all to a close. With a flourish, she licked her lips and blew a stray strand of hair from her face. This seemed to snap him back. He gazed at her appreciatively, a look which both flattered and disgusted her. Reaching for her nightgown, she replaced it over her body along with her cloak, all the while maintaining her sexy facade, never letting her eyes leave him. If she gave him the impression that she wanted him as well but was able to control herself, he would be that much more interested in getting her to lose control.

He nodded at her and motioned for Dove to stand before him. She complied quickly and easily, moving every bit as easily as Raven had. Luckily, she'd had a bit more time to think about her choice of song. She wasn't entirely happy with it, but it would do. Varying her movements a bit more than Raven, and giving herself a more innocent appearance, she sang in a lovely soprano, slowly and with a breathy hush that Marilyn Monroe would have envied.

"The minute you walked through the door

I could tell you were a man of distinction

A real big spender

Good-looking...so refined

Wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?

Well, let me get right to the point

I don't pop my cork for every guy I see

Hey, big spender

Spend a little time with me"

She had to do a bit of handiwork with the chorus, as it was supposed to be sung in three parts, but she caught him leaning in towards her once or twice, a very good sign for what she was trying to accomplish. He seemed absolutely taken with the way she could convey such intimacy and innocence, especially while moving with such seductive efforts. When she'd just removed her nightgown, she made the conscious decision to step towards him, and softly draped one arm behind his back. With her other hand, she gently dragged her nightgown across his neck, and he sighed aloud at the intense stroke.

As soon as her voice trailed off, the last remnants of the song barely wavering in the air, he was on his feet. He softly grabbed her wrists, pulling her in towards him and inhaled her scent. She nearly started at eh quick movements, but caught herself in time. As he breathed her in, she returned the gesture, softly sniffing at his neck. His chest released a soft gasp at the tingling sensation, and he looked down into her eyes. She gave him her best doe-eyed expression, and she could almost feel him melting. Aware of her sister's victory, Raven sat down.

As soon as she did, however, the chair squeaked its protest. Lucius turned to her, suddenly aware of her presence. Looking back and forth between she and Dove, he made a quick decision and walked to Raven.

"Go downstairs. Find Avery. He'll tell you what to do." And with that, he'd turned away from her. Feeling dejected, and afraid that she may have somehow harmed the situation, she left. But rather than going straight downstairs, she walked directly across the hall. There was no doorway here, but she knew from Draco that it was the entrance to Narcissa's rooms. She put her hand on the wall and muttered "Heartstring", stepping back quickly as the wall seemed to disappear. She stepped forward into a large room. A bedroom. It may have been decorated with some floral design, or it could have been absolutely bare. She could not tell because it was nearly impossibly dark.

She stepped forward and whispered "Lumos" before moving on. Against the far wall was a large bed. She walked over to it and sat down next to the figure lying under the heavy duvet. The figure's eyes fluttered momentarily, and several raspy breaths were taken. But Raven held her lighted wand up to her own face, and the figure's eyes filled with understanding and gratitude. Quickly and quietly, Raven set to work.

***

On his way out to the grounds, Snape ran into Professor Lupin. He scowled and brushed the man aside. Then, realizing where the werewold had probably been, he thought better of himself. Turning slightly back, he called out to the other man.

"Yes?" came the wary response.

"Lupin. You've been in the Forbidden Forest, correct?" A hesitant nod met him. "Did you see anyone else out there? Students?"

"No," was the immediate response. "Of course not. There were no students out there. Why? Are you looking for someone?" Suspicion began to scrawl itself across the other man's features and Snape growled.

"Certainly not. I was only checking. I'm just going to check the grounds quickly. Watch for anyone out past curfew." With that, he turned and stalked away.

***

As Lucius began to undress Dove, pulling her into another room...with a bed, she turned her thoughts to her sister. I hope she's alright.

At the same time, Raven was just finishing up her ministrations to the poor woman lying beside her. Her fingers ached from the extensive efforts she'd put them through, and her back was sore from bending over Narcissa's wounded Fabric for so long. When she'd mended what she could, she spoke to Narcissa. A few quick words of encouragement, and a reminder to wait for her sister. She also made sure that Narcissa understood that she would have to make her recovery seem natural. When she was certain that Narcissa understood, she leant slightly back to admire her work.

Even with her illness, Narcissa looked amazingly better. Her skin was darker, her eyes brighter, and she moved with a bit more of her naturally fluid grace. Raven reeled at the similarities between Narcissa's Fabric and Draco's. But she could not let her mind wander for long. She bid Narcissa a quick farewell and left the room, making her way down to the room in which they'd left Avery. While certain that the man could not have known that she had been stalling, she did not want to give him any great cause become angry. She was unhappy to admit that she was a bit afraid of him. She'd never seen a Fabric like his before. It was sharp, jagged. And she couldn't see where the different pieces met or separated. It was absolutely unreadable, and it frightened her.

She walked quietly into the room he was occupying. He sat idly in a high-backed chair before a fire. The empty look on his face sent another shudder down her spine. He seems to have that effect on people, she thought, and nearly went into hysterics. What is this man? But before she could answer her own question, he turned to her. And a great fire ignited in his eyes.

"You're late."

***

Severus made his way around the perimeter once more. He was cold and near to shivering, but he had still seen no sign of the two girls.

"Where the hell are they?!" he shouted angrily. But the sound gave him no comfort. The still night only managed to disquiet him further. He sat down heavily on a large rock near the lake and tried to slow his breathing. He settled his palms on his thighs and closed his eyes. Taking deep slow breaths, he tried to focus on the task at hand. But just as he was calming down, a loud splash sounded and he looked up. He saw nothing for a moment, his eyes readjusting for the slight sparkle the moon left on the surface of the lake.

As he looked, he found the source of the ripples. He peered out, trying to see what had interrupted him, what was out of bed at this time of night. Then he saw it. Or rather...her. Barely bobbing below the surface. She was obviously struggling to keep herself afloat, but only one of her arms seemed to be working and it was throwing off her balance in the water. She kept paddling and tilting to one side, spluttering for air. Snape reached for his wand-

"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" The voice came seemingly from nowhere. Snape looked all about him, trying to find the source of it. He saw, just fleetingly, a figure on a broom, hovering above the drowning girl, its wand pointed at her. She drifted lazily above the water, wavering slightly, and finally landing with a soft thud beside Professor Snape. He stared openmouthed as the figure on the broom immediately flew away.

A wretched coughing sounded beside him, and his thoughts were pulled back to the girl. She had landed painfully on her stomach, her legs flailed about her and one arm dangling in a strange way out beside her. The arm was obviously broken, and there was blood positively pouring from her. Cuts and scratches, bruises and tears splattered her body, and he mumbled quick drying and warming charms. He moved to turn her over, and nearly swallowed his tongue when he recognized the face.

"Raven?!"

***

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