Evil Still Blooms: Slytherin's Story
Chapter 7: Deceit in the Chamber
By this time, the woman seated in the chair left of the throne had arisen and come forward. "And this is Erica," Voldemort said as he turned toward her. "I believe that you and Severus have already been acquainted?"
"Indeed," Erica replied, and she smiled crookedly.
Snape had a look of utmost surprise on his face.
"Please sit down," insisted Voldemort. He and Erica returned to their seats. Pansy sat in the chair to the right of the throne, and Snape was seated in a chair off to the side of the room.
"Wormtail, please make sure that Miss Parkinson's chamber is prepared and ready." Wormtail, who had been the figure kneeling before the throne, hurried away, and Voldemort continued to speak. "Now, down to business. Erica Wilmorei and Pansy Parkinson, one of you will be the one to help me regain my full control and power. It will bring you riches, fame, and anything else you could possibly desire.
"But the decision will take some time and work. For I can only have one real wife, after all."
Since Voldemort had introduced himself, Pansy had been staring at him in wonder. He was rather handsome... but what about how Potter had described him? How could Voldemort have become so strong and... attractive?
Voldemort seemed to have read Pansy's mind. "My returning strength has allowed me to survive without the use of another's body. Now, I can be on my own; I can be truly alive..." His eyes glittered for a moment, and then he faced Pansy.
"Pansy, dear, how old are you?" asked Voldemort in an oily manner.
"Fifteen."
"I see." He leaned closer to her. "You're very beautiful. Did you know that?"
Pansy blushed and didn't answer.
"I'd like you to come to my chambers tomorrow morning... get to know you better... have a little chat..."
Pansy turned pale, but managed to murmur, "Yes, master..."
Voldemort chuckled. "Already so obedient! She'd make a fine partner..."
"Partner? In what?" Pansy thought to herself with a feeling of dread.
Hermione had now fully recovered from her shock, but began to realize what danger she was in. If Voldemort knew of her presence. Hermione shuddered when she thought what could happen. He would kill her instantly with the flick of his wand and not care less. But how could she leave the castle and get back to Hogwarts? Or where could she hide?
"I must stay with Pansy," thought Hermione. "I'll just have to reveal my presence to her and hope she'll keep it a secret. Oh, I hope she will..."
Wormtail re-entered the room and knelt once again before Voldemort's throne. "Miss Parkinson's chamber is ready, My Lord," said Wormtail meekly.
"Thank you, Wormtail," Voldemort muttered absentmindedly. He stepped down from his throne and stood before Pansy. "One of my servants shall lead you to your chamber. I will see you tomorrow morning, then." He kissed her hand and then placed it back on her lap. "Good night."
Pansy got up from her chair, curtsied to Voldemort, and began to follow a guard who had stepped forward.
Careful of her footing, Hermione trailed behind them.
~*~
Moments later, Snape was led to his own chamber. He was pleased to see that his luggage had already been brought to his room and that everything had been prepared quite nicely. The bed, which was much bigger than what Snape was used to, had soft sheets and a fluffy comforter. The room was nice and warm because of the lit fireplace. Snape also found that a marble bathroom was attached to his chamber. Needless to say, Snape was very content.
He had just begun to unpack when there was a soft knock at his door.
"Severus?" someone hissed.
Snape hurried to open it, and his face fell when he saw that it was Erica.
"I've been wanting to speak to you, Severus," she whispered as she stepped into the room. "We never got a chance to really talk since- you know-"
"Yes, yes," rushed in Snape, "I know-"
"Good," interrupted Erica. She pulled a bottle of wine from behind her back. "I thought maybe we could talk over a drink." Erica winked. "Chardonnay. Your favorite." She set the bottle down on a table and pulled two wine glasses out of a cupboard. She then sat down at the table and began to pour the wine.
Snape sat down across from her. "Does Voldemort know you're here?"
Erica laughed. "No, certainly not. If he did, he'd give me quite a good beating." She offered Snape a glass of wine and took a sip of her own. Then she smiled. "Oh, I've missed you, Severus. It's been so long, too long." She gazed at him longingly. "'Do you remember how things used to be?"
Snape nodded and sipped his wine.
Erica walked over to his bed and sat down on it. "Mmm, Severus, your bed is so comfortable!" A glimpse at Snape told her that he hadn't caught the hint. "Oh, Severus-"
Snape put his hand up. "Enough, Erica. What did you really come here for?"
"Well, I've missed you, and-"
"You know as well as I do that that's not the reason. What do you want to know?"
Erica sighed. "This Pansy girl. I wanted you to tell me about her. You seem to know her well enough."
Snape smirked. "Let me guess- you want to find out her strengths, and especially her weaknesses- any information that will help you get closer to what you want."
"It's not Voldemort I'm after," Erica said, frowning. "It's-"
"The money, of course. The power." Snape shook his head and laughed quietly. "You were always like that."
Erica grinned. "Well, I suppose I was always that way... so, will you tell me anything?"
"There's a price," Snape whispered slyly.
~*~
"Pansy. Pansy?? Can you hear me?"
Pansy jerked her head up. She had scarcely been in her room for ten minutes and it was already becoming creepy. "Who's there?"
"It's Hermione. I'm under Harry's invisibility cloak." Hermione poked her head out of the cloak. "See?"
Pansy gasped. Then she whispered, "What are you doing here?! Do you know what would happen if Voldemort found you?!?"
Hermione pulled her head back inside the cloak. "Never mind that. I'm here to help you out." The sound of pages being turned was heard from under the cloak. Suddenly, Hermione cried, "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Pansy asked, unable to hide her excitement.
"Erica is a kind of flower! There's Erica Herbacea, and- oh my God- Erica Wilmorei!! It's right here-
Pansy groaned. "So that's why she's here! Now I'll never have a chance..."
"You don't actually want to be The Bloomist, do you??" Hermione questioned in disbelief.
"Well-"
"Listen Pansy, I saw how insecure you were up there when you were talking to him, when he was giving you those fake compliments and making you embarrassed on purpose! Do you actually think you could spend your life with- with HIM?? Have you thought about how unhappy you'd be?"
"But I would be happy!" Pansy insisted. But she knew that Hermione was probably right...
"That's what you might think. But anyway," Hermione continued, "As you said yourself, no one can find out that I'm here." She sighed heavily. "I had no clue what I was getting into..."
Pansy felt extremely cross. She liked Hermione less every minute...
"Do you promise you won't tell?" Hermione sounded desperate.
"Yes, I promise," mumbled Pansy, as she crossed her fingers behind her back.
Chapter 7: Deceit in the Chamber
By this time, the woman seated in the chair left of the throne had arisen and come forward. "And this is Erica," Voldemort said as he turned toward her. "I believe that you and Severus have already been acquainted?"
"Indeed," Erica replied, and she smiled crookedly.
Snape had a look of utmost surprise on his face.
"Please sit down," insisted Voldemort. He and Erica returned to their seats. Pansy sat in the chair to the right of the throne, and Snape was seated in a chair off to the side of the room.
"Wormtail, please make sure that Miss Parkinson's chamber is prepared and ready." Wormtail, who had been the figure kneeling before the throne, hurried away, and Voldemort continued to speak. "Now, down to business. Erica Wilmorei and Pansy Parkinson, one of you will be the one to help me regain my full control and power. It will bring you riches, fame, and anything else you could possibly desire.
"But the decision will take some time and work. For I can only have one real wife, after all."
Since Voldemort had introduced himself, Pansy had been staring at him in wonder. He was rather handsome... but what about how Potter had described him? How could Voldemort have become so strong and... attractive?
Voldemort seemed to have read Pansy's mind. "My returning strength has allowed me to survive without the use of another's body. Now, I can be on my own; I can be truly alive..." His eyes glittered for a moment, and then he faced Pansy.
"Pansy, dear, how old are you?" asked Voldemort in an oily manner.
"Fifteen."
"I see." He leaned closer to her. "You're very beautiful. Did you know that?"
Pansy blushed and didn't answer.
"I'd like you to come to my chambers tomorrow morning... get to know you better... have a little chat..."
Pansy turned pale, but managed to murmur, "Yes, master..."
Voldemort chuckled. "Already so obedient! She'd make a fine partner..."
"Partner? In what?" Pansy thought to herself with a feeling of dread.
Hermione had now fully recovered from her shock, but began to realize what danger she was in. If Voldemort knew of her presence. Hermione shuddered when she thought what could happen. He would kill her instantly with the flick of his wand and not care less. But how could she leave the castle and get back to Hogwarts? Or where could she hide?
"I must stay with Pansy," thought Hermione. "I'll just have to reveal my presence to her and hope she'll keep it a secret. Oh, I hope she will..."
Wormtail re-entered the room and knelt once again before Voldemort's throne. "Miss Parkinson's chamber is ready, My Lord," said Wormtail meekly.
"Thank you, Wormtail," Voldemort muttered absentmindedly. He stepped down from his throne and stood before Pansy. "One of my servants shall lead you to your chamber. I will see you tomorrow morning, then." He kissed her hand and then placed it back on her lap. "Good night."
Pansy got up from her chair, curtsied to Voldemort, and began to follow a guard who had stepped forward.
Careful of her footing, Hermione trailed behind them.
~*~
Moments later, Snape was led to his own chamber. He was pleased to see that his luggage had already been brought to his room and that everything had been prepared quite nicely. The bed, which was much bigger than what Snape was used to, had soft sheets and a fluffy comforter. The room was nice and warm because of the lit fireplace. Snape also found that a marble bathroom was attached to his chamber. Needless to say, Snape was very content.
He had just begun to unpack when there was a soft knock at his door.
"Severus?" someone hissed.
Snape hurried to open it, and his face fell when he saw that it was Erica.
"I've been wanting to speak to you, Severus," she whispered as she stepped into the room. "We never got a chance to really talk since- you know-"
"Yes, yes," rushed in Snape, "I know-"
"Good," interrupted Erica. She pulled a bottle of wine from behind her back. "I thought maybe we could talk over a drink." Erica winked. "Chardonnay. Your favorite." She set the bottle down on a table and pulled two wine glasses out of a cupboard. She then sat down at the table and began to pour the wine.
Snape sat down across from her. "Does Voldemort know you're here?"
Erica laughed. "No, certainly not. If he did, he'd give me quite a good beating." She offered Snape a glass of wine and took a sip of her own. Then she smiled. "Oh, I've missed you, Severus. It's been so long, too long." She gazed at him longingly. "'Do you remember how things used to be?"
Snape nodded and sipped his wine.
Erica walked over to his bed and sat down on it. "Mmm, Severus, your bed is so comfortable!" A glimpse at Snape told her that he hadn't caught the hint. "Oh, Severus-"
Snape put his hand up. "Enough, Erica. What did you really come here for?"
"Well, I've missed you, and-"
"You know as well as I do that that's not the reason. What do you want to know?"
Erica sighed. "This Pansy girl. I wanted you to tell me about her. You seem to know her well enough."
Snape smirked. "Let me guess- you want to find out her strengths, and especially her weaknesses- any information that will help you get closer to what you want."
"It's not Voldemort I'm after," Erica said, frowning. "It's-"
"The money, of course. The power." Snape shook his head and laughed quietly. "You were always like that."
Erica grinned. "Well, I suppose I was always that way... so, will you tell me anything?"
"There's a price," Snape whispered slyly.
~*~
"Pansy. Pansy?? Can you hear me?"
Pansy jerked her head up. She had scarcely been in her room for ten minutes and it was already becoming creepy. "Who's there?"
"It's Hermione. I'm under Harry's invisibility cloak." Hermione poked her head out of the cloak. "See?"
Pansy gasped. Then she whispered, "What are you doing here?! Do you know what would happen if Voldemort found you?!?"
Hermione pulled her head back inside the cloak. "Never mind that. I'm here to help you out." The sound of pages being turned was heard from under the cloak. Suddenly, Hermione cried, "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Pansy asked, unable to hide her excitement.
"Erica is a kind of flower! There's Erica Herbacea, and- oh my God- Erica Wilmorei!! It's right here-
Pansy groaned. "So that's why she's here! Now I'll never have a chance..."
"You don't actually want to be The Bloomist, do you??" Hermione questioned in disbelief.
"Well-"
"Listen Pansy, I saw how insecure you were up there when you were talking to him, when he was giving you those fake compliments and making you embarrassed on purpose! Do you actually think you could spend your life with- with HIM?? Have you thought about how unhappy you'd be?"
"But I would be happy!" Pansy insisted. But she knew that Hermione was probably right...
"That's what you might think. But anyway," Hermione continued, "As you said yourself, no one can find out that I'm here." She sighed heavily. "I had no clue what I was getting into..."
Pansy felt extremely cross. She liked Hermione less every minute...
"Do you promise you won't tell?" Hermione sounded desperate.
"Yes, I promise," mumbled Pansy, as she crossed her fingers behind her back.