Evil Still Blooms: Slytherin's Story
Chapter 8: Misconceptions of the Heart
Author's Note: Okay, this'll be a quickie. First of all, this story, sadly, will be over soon (it's gonna have 10 chapters), but I'm letting you know now that I will be starting another HP fic as soon as I finish this one. So don't run away and forget about me!! Also, IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES EVERYONE ELSE IMAGINE THE VOLDEMORT IN MY FIC AS A BLACK-HAIRED LEGOLAS?!? *Clears throat* Now that that's over with, on with the story!
Left, right, left, right... Pansy watched her feet as a guard led her to Voldemort's chambers. She was so nervous... she hadn't even felt this sick when she had tried to seduce Snape... at least then she knew that Snape wouldn't put a curse on her if she did something wrong... Voldemort was so dangerous... he could kill her in an instant if he wanted to.
They had arrived at some double doors. The guard opened them for her, and Pansy walked through, fearing the worst.
The room was huge- perhaps as large as the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Hundreds of bookcases were lined up against the walls, which were made of rough, dark stone. The floor was covered with a soft green carpet made of the finest silk available in the world. At the far end of the chamber was a gigantic bed (Voldemort's, Pansy assumed), above which was a magnificent stained glass window. It was at least ten feet wide and twice as tall. Dark and dismal in color, the window portrayed the victory of evil over benevolence. And there was a scarred ambience, stitched with the threads of sin and immorality... something told Pansy that horrible things had happened here, and those things were far from over...
"There you are, my dear Pansy."
Pansy was startled. She hadn't noticed Voldemort sitting in a chair near one of the bookcases. Pansy lowered her gaze and curtsied, trying to keep her knees from shaking.
Voldemort shook his head and laughed quietly. "There's no need for that anymore: curtsying and being so respectful. After all, you might soon become my equal." For a moment, his expression was almost kind. But then, as if he realized he had said too much, Voldemort became stern again and called out, "Come here, Pansy."
When she reached him, Voldemort stood up and touched Pansy's face slowly with the tips of his fingers. He peered into her eyes, and although she averted his stare at first, she dared to glimpse at his expression. His eyes were full of sadness; they lacked the red glint that Pansy had seen when they first met. He was remembering something. Pansy suddenly wondered what Rose Rentrer looked like, and if she was similar to her in any way... Voldemort was still staring at her. She felt as if he could read her soul... didn't enjoy it... wanted him to stop...!
Voldemort turned away from Pansy and sat down again. "I have a few questions for you, Pansy, and then you may go."
He motioned toward a chair that was across from him, and she gratefully sat down. Then Voldemort asked, "Do you find me to be... charming? And tell me the truth, for I will know if you are lying."
Pansy grimaced. "Yes," she answered... but seriously, what an egotistical question...
Voldemort smiled, but Pansy saw the red glint in his eyes and knew that he had heard what she had thought to herself. "Do you find me to be intimidating? Frightening? Or perhaps... dangerous?"
"Yes."
"Lastly, would you do absolutely anything and everything that I asked you to do?"
Pansy hesitated. What could he possibly be implying? But she had no choice... "Yes."
Voldemort appeared to be very pleased as he took Pansy's hands and got up from his chair, pulling her up with him. "Thank you for your time, my sweet blossom. I will send for you later. Feel free to explore the castle... it will soon be yours as well as mine." He slowly let go of her hands and nodded his head. Pansy saw that she was supposed to leave, so she began to walk toward the double doors. But then she stopped and turned around.
"... Voldemort?"
He was facing the ground, looking at his hands. "Yes, Pansy?" He glanced up at her and saw that she was crying.
He immediately rushed to her side. "My, my, what is wrong?" he whispered. He took out a handkerchief and placed it in her limp hand. "Please, tell me. Have I upset you?"
Pansy shook her head. "Not at all... I'm sorry..." She wiped her face and looked up at Voldemort with a smile. "Thank you. Thank you..."
He smiled back. "What for?"
She shook her head again. "I don't know... I guess it's because you're the only one... the only one who's really cares about me..."
Voldemort looked away, but Pansy didn't notice.
"...And I have to thank you for that. It means so much to me... to be cared for, and loved, and appreciated." Pansy sniffed. "I've gotten hurt so much. But now, it's all worth it. Now I know that it just takes a while to find that right person..." She beamed. "I have faith in you."
"I have faith in you, also," whispered Voldemort, but his voice was trembling and his heart was beating fast.
"Thank you so much..." Pansy lay her head against his chest and put her arms around him.
~*~
"You're joking!! You can't be serious-"
"Unfortunately, I am serious. Now, you must tell me everything you can. When did she disappear? What has Dumbledore told the students? When did you see her last and what was she doing??"
"She was gone when everyone woke up this morning- Dumbledore only said not to worry and that they were searching for her-"
"And Severus left, too!! He probably heard that stupid legend! Must be acting all high and mighty now, when he doesn't even know what it means!!"
"But what are you going to-"
"I'll have to sort out this mess by myself. Severus has no clue what he's doing... hasn't been keeping in touch with the Dark Eaters for years... you must go back to school. There's nothing you can do about all this... damn Severus..."
~*~
Pansy skipped down the hallway. She was The Bloomist!! Voldemort loved her. And she would have power over the whole world... wait until she told Hermione!! She'd forgotten to tell Voldemort that Hermione was sneaking around the castle... but she could do that later. And imagine, once the ceremony was performed, she could say, "Oh, Voldemort, my darling, I request that you blast Hogwarts and all its contents to pieces," and he would listen to her! Oh, he loved her, and they would be so happy together...
She suddenly looked up and saw that Snape was passing by her. He seemed to be tired... his robes were wrinkled, and his hair was even greasier than usual... Pansy felt a pang of guilt. What would happen to Snape once she and Voldemort were married? Surely Voldemort would give him an important position in the castle. It had been Snape who had brought her here, after all. But what about the feelings she had for Snape? Pansy sighed. She supposed that their relationship would be over now...
How odd. Snape was being let into Voldemort's chambers now.
Pansy continued to walk down the hall, occasionally peeking back at the double doors. She was so preoccupied that she barely noticed when she bumped into someone. "Sorry," muttered Pansy absentmindedly, and then she skipped all the way back to her room. She couldn't wait until Voldemort sent for her...
Chapter 8: Misconceptions of the Heart
Author's Note: Okay, this'll be a quickie. First of all, this story, sadly, will be over soon (it's gonna have 10 chapters), but I'm letting you know now that I will be starting another HP fic as soon as I finish this one. So don't run away and forget about me!! Also, IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES EVERYONE ELSE IMAGINE THE VOLDEMORT IN MY FIC AS A BLACK-HAIRED LEGOLAS?!? *Clears throat* Now that that's over with, on with the story!
Left, right, left, right... Pansy watched her feet as a guard led her to Voldemort's chambers. She was so nervous... she hadn't even felt this sick when she had tried to seduce Snape... at least then she knew that Snape wouldn't put a curse on her if she did something wrong... Voldemort was so dangerous... he could kill her in an instant if he wanted to.
They had arrived at some double doors. The guard opened them for her, and Pansy walked through, fearing the worst.
The room was huge- perhaps as large as the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Hundreds of bookcases were lined up against the walls, which were made of rough, dark stone. The floor was covered with a soft green carpet made of the finest silk available in the world. At the far end of the chamber was a gigantic bed (Voldemort's, Pansy assumed), above which was a magnificent stained glass window. It was at least ten feet wide and twice as tall. Dark and dismal in color, the window portrayed the victory of evil over benevolence. And there was a scarred ambience, stitched with the threads of sin and immorality... something told Pansy that horrible things had happened here, and those things were far from over...
"There you are, my dear Pansy."
Pansy was startled. She hadn't noticed Voldemort sitting in a chair near one of the bookcases. Pansy lowered her gaze and curtsied, trying to keep her knees from shaking.
Voldemort shook his head and laughed quietly. "There's no need for that anymore: curtsying and being so respectful. After all, you might soon become my equal." For a moment, his expression was almost kind. But then, as if he realized he had said too much, Voldemort became stern again and called out, "Come here, Pansy."
When she reached him, Voldemort stood up and touched Pansy's face slowly with the tips of his fingers. He peered into her eyes, and although she averted his stare at first, she dared to glimpse at his expression. His eyes were full of sadness; they lacked the red glint that Pansy had seen when they first met. He was remembering something. Pansy suddenly wondered what Rose Rentrer looked like, and if she was similar to her in any way... Voldemort was still staring at her. She felt as if he could read her soul... didn't enjoy it... wanted him to stop...!
Voldemort turned away from Pansy and sat down again. "I have a few questions for you, Pansy, and then you may go."
He motioned toward a chair that was across from him, and she gratefully sat down. Then Voldemort asked, "Do you find me to be... charming? And tell me the truth, for I will know if you are lying."
Pansy grimaced. "Yes," she answered... but seriously, what an egotistical question...
Voldemort smiled, but Pansy saw the red glint in his eyes and knew that he had heard what she had thought to herself. "Do you find me to be intimidating? Frightening? Or perhaps... dangerous?"
"Yes."
"Lastly, would you do absolutely anything and everything that I asked you to do?"
Pansy hesitated. What could he possibly be implying? But she had no choice... "Yes."
Voldemort appeared to be very pleased as he took Pansy's hands and got up from his chair, pulling her up with him. "Thank you for your time, my sweet blossom. I will send for you later. Feel free to explore the castle... it will soon be yours as well as mine." He slowly let go of her hands and nodded his head. Pansy saw that she was supposed to leave, so she began to walk toward the double doors. But then she stopped and turned around.
"... Voldemort?"
He was facing the ground, looking at his hands. "Yes, Pansy?" He glanced up at her and saw that she was crying.
He immediately rushed to her side. "My, my, what is wrong?" he whispered. He took out a handkerchief and placed it in her limp hand. "Please, tell me. Have I upset you?"
Pansy shook her head. "Not at all... I'm sorry..." She wiped her face and looked up at Voldemort with a smile. "Thank you. Thank you..."
He smiled back. "What for?"
She shook her head again. "I don't know... I guess it's because you're the only one... the only one who's really cares about me..."
Voldemort looked away, but Pansy didn't notice.
"...And I have to thank you for that. It means so much to me... to be cared for, and loved, and appreciated." Pansy sniffed. "I've gotten hurt so much. But now, it's all worth it. Now I know that it just takes a while to find that right person..." She beamed. "I have faith in you."
"I have faith in you, also," whispered Voldemort, but his voice was trembling and his heart was beating fast.
"Thank you so much..." Pansy lay her head against his chest and put her arms around him.
~*~
"You're joking!! You can't be serious-"
"Unfortunately, I am serious. Now, you must tell me everything you can. When did she disappear? What has Dumbledore told the students? When did you see her last and what was she doing??"
"She was gone when everyone woke up this morning- Dumbledore only said not to worry and that they were searching for her-"
"And Severus left, too!! He probably heard that stupid legend! Must be acting all high and mighty now, when he doesn't even know what it means!!"
"But what are you going to-"
"I'll have to sort out this mess by myself. Severus has no clue what he's doing... hasn't been keeping in touch with the Dark Eaters for years... you must go back to school. There's nothing you can do about all this... damn Severus..."
~*~
Pansy skipped down the hallway. She was The Bloomist!! Voldemort loved her. And she would have power over the whole world... wait until she told Hermione!! She'd forgotten to tell Voldemort that Hermione was sneaking around the castle... but she could do that later. And imagine, once the ceremony was performed, she could say, "Oh, Voldemort, my darling, I request that you blast Hogwarts and all its contents to pieces," and he would listen to her! Oh, he loved her, and they would be so happy together...
She suddenly looked up and saw that Snape was passing by her. He seemed to be tired... his robes were wrinkled, and his hair was even greasier than usual... Pansy felt a pang of guilt. What would happen to Snape once she and Voldemort were married? Surely Voldemort would give him an important position in the castle. It had been Snape who had brought her here, after all. But what about the feelings she had for Snape? Pansy sighed. She supposed that their relationship would be over now...
How odd. Snape was being let into Voldemort's chambers now.
Pansy continued to walk down the hall, occasionally peeking back at the double doors. She was so preoccupied that she barely noticed when she bumped into someone. "Sorry," muttered Pansy absentmindedly, and then she skipped all the way back to her room. She couldn't wait until Voldemort sent for her...