**Disclaimer- I rule the world. Well, most of it anyway. Just not Hogwarts- though Paxia is mine all mine.
**Reviews:
~PokeyOoOky- lovey-dovey ain't my cup of tea, but those two deserved some serious fluff time after all I put them through.
~LA- ah, yes, the joys of the fuckrat. I've exacted my revenge. Oh, and the next time Gorski comes in and grabs my disk, remind me not to blush. Oh! And paper jams while printing chapter 5 for the lunch table story time!! Soooo wrong...ketchup!!
~Midnight Rain- if only this wasn't fiction.
~Ai Kemi- thanks for the Snape critique. You're right, he's a scary-ass creep...but thanks for realizing his purpose. And you need not fear hyperglycemia- I'm not as saccharine sweet as some other fics I've read can be *shudder*
~Croft and Sex & Diamonds- I was worried as to how ppl would react to me having Draco say 'fuck off'. There are some lines I don't like crossing. But I'm glad you took those strong words to heart- sometimes love has to over ride logic.
~hasapi- This story is a journey for me. I don't know how much longer it will take, because my characters are still developing. I have a rough idea of where they're going though- I'm not totally blind- but I don't think even a rough estimate would be appropriate. Hope you don't mind if I let this flow a while longer!
~sugar- thanks. I didn't want it to be vulgar or dirty or rough. The first time is special, and I wanted to capture it as such.
~Sex & Diamonds- romantic sex should be followed by fluff, at least, I thought it was appropriate.
**A/N: Fair warning- prepare to be jarred out of romantic bliss.
Corrupt
Chapter 10
Bitter Vengeance
Morning filtered through the pale emerald panes of Draco's former bedroom. As the rising sun strengthened, it penetrated his eyelids, and he pulled the covers over his head to shield himself from the dawning light. He breathed in and heard a soft breath beside him. Eyes still closed, he
tightened his hold on her and pressed his lips to hers.
She smiled and he felt it.
"You're still here," she whispered.
"Why should I leave?" he questioned, reassuringly.
"I love you," came the honest answer.
"I know. I love you, too." The night before, any confession of love could be dismissed as post-coital joy, harmony, and all that other nonsense. The real test is always the morning after. Those moments when what you've just done sink in, and those first moments define the memories that remain stamped in our hearts and minds for eternity. Those were the most
important words to utter, and that they did so willingly and, without prodding, sealed their true affections.
The room was mostly packed up, so they had no way of determining the time, but with the strength of the sun, they estimated that it was approximately seven in the morning. Breakfast was downstairs, to be served in a matter of minutes. They could be late and have no one notice, and it would probably benefit them not to cross the common room just then. After all, that room was supposedly unoccupied- eyebrows would raise no matter who walked out.
Since his only coverage was clinging to the edge of a chair too far away for him to grab decently, he clung to the comforter as Hermione wrapped herself in the bed sheets. The linen clung seductively to her hips, and he let her enter the shower alone. There was something magical in the room that he couldn't place, and for once he knew this was the kind of spell you couldn't find in a book or capture in a wand.
Smiling and holding hands, Draco and Hermione rushed through the empty common room, into the corridor, down the staircase, and entered the Great Hall without creating too much commotion. Their robes billowed behind them, and they sat down for a hearty breakfast. Draco served Hermione, and though they brushed it off as his having been raised with manners, they all knew he wouldn't have done that for anyone else. Both famished from the previous night's excursion, the late comers finished their meal first, and began a discussion with the table about the upcoming experiment in Potions. A rumor had circulated that Snape's concoctions were
dangerous and possibly fatal if done incorrectly; there was no doubt the whole school knew by then what had happened to Hermione yesterday morning.
"Do you want to pair up, Hermione? I mean, I know we don't usually, but I figured that since, well, since," color was beginning to permeate Draco's ears and cheeks, and Hermione cut him off...
"Since you caught me last time?" she laughed. "Of course, my hero," she feigned a swoon. The table began to laugh heartily, but Draco knew she'd saved him this time. What a change- serious Granger and Malfoy...joking around. It was a welcome addition to the group, who all enjoyed a
laugh, whether it was at a Gryffindor's expense or otherwise. She knew that Draco wanted to pair up for a million reasons...to protect her, to be with her, but possibly above all, because he would screw up his potion if he stared at her the entire time from his seat.
Halfway down the table was the ever darkening form of Paxia. Her moves were always silent, and her voice deep, rich, and velvety. The gentlemen that adorned her as an entourage made aware their inclinations toward the tortured, corrupt soul that she seemed to exude. But Paxia's fate had been sealed otherwise. Yesterday's seduction had the professor glued to her mind, and her to his.
She sat with her back to the wall, able to perfectly take in the Great Halls sights and sounds. Her gaze fell to Harry Potter. His dark hair had been spiked, and she noticed how five years of maturation changed him from an awkward youth of a boy to a strong, powerful, daresay handsome young man. When provoked, he was able to channel a passion only tasted in the past twenty-four hours. A faint smile brushed her lips as she thought of the potential he held, potential to succeed on the dark side. Ah, a Gryffindor trade over? A task unheard of. A task she reveled in
accomplishing.
As she reached for an orange, her hand was met by Goyle's. It was careless, neither really noticed, but it shifted her gaze to just beyond his burly physique and unto Draco and Granger. Carefully observing their conversation, Paxia realized that, while their discourse was public at
the table, they were constantly stealing sly looks to each other. And smiles. *So, the night before hadn't ended when I left. And they didn't break the rules, because they really didn't leave Slytherin House. Oh, Snape.....* she thought, tauntingly.
Ms. Devastarium needed no encouragement to expose her findings to Snape. Any exposition in front of him at the moment would be fine with her, and at this thought she nearly smirked aloud. His body and mind were hers, but what of his affections? She had won him over for Voldemort.
Now she wanted to win him over for herself.
As the masses exited the room, Severus followed her every movement with his eyes. Their next destination was one and the same. That would be quite an event to get over, having her body- that same body he'd disrobed but a day prior- next to him....Gathering his thoughts he rose, and
having not planned a single lesson for the day, he hoped she had something up her sleeve. Knowing her, though not well, he still felt as though she would.
A sight escaped his concentration. But not Paxia's, or anyone else's for that matter. Hermione's hand had taken residence in the grasp of Draco's. Lavendar giggled at Pansy's fury. Crabbe scratched his head alongside Goyle's confusion.
And Harry's heart splintered into pieces so irreconcilably broken, he questioned if it would ever beat again.
****
Reaching the room before anyone, Severus attempted to collect himself and his notes enough to successfully torment his students with unnecessary questioning to escape the actualization that he had nothing with which to inform them. No potions to teach, no lessons to dictate, nothing.
"Why Severus, I assume we are on a first name basis, why the puzzled look?" her voice echoed in the empty room, and every nerve in his body tingled into attention. He captured her eyes with his own, and she smiled, evilly, yet so beautifully. Why, dammit? Why couldn't he control
himself.
"I suggest you avoid pulling any stunts today. You need an air of professionalism this first morning- don't forget your guise- my assistant. I am in control, and you are here to assist. Stay behind the table at all times and follow my lead," he instructed.
"And what lead would that be?" she knew how flustered she'd made him. Ah, to have him at her mercy was a sweet morsel she melted in her mouth. Though at the moment, chocolate was the furthest thing from her mind that she wanted to toy with on her tongue.
She found her way behind his lab table, and brought her hand to his neck. She pecked his lips and pulled back and away. Her hand moved lower and lower as she kneeled in front of him. Moving his robes aside, she found the fly of his pants and began fulfilling her current need. With an open
grade book in front of him, Severus grabbed a pencil and pretended to work.
The class entered cautiously, and mingled for a few moments while their professor appeared to be busy. If he yelled, it wouldn't be the first time, but at that instant he didn't seem to notice their existence. Paxia opened a drawer with her free hand, and pulled out a vile of wolf hair. As he
came into her mouth, Snape broke the pencil he had been holding and looked, stone-faced and firmly, onto the back wall. Zipping him up and standing, she grabbed his arse as she held the vile in front of his face and proclaimed...
"Found it Professor Snape. Now, class, if I could have your attention, please," the devilish actress that she was had done such a job of Snape, that she'd rendered him speechless. Time to take charge. After Snape's pencil snapped, however, the class was already in a frightened silence. It
was his grade book he stood over after all. God knows they figured someone had done something to piss him off so badly their house was about to reach a debt of points.
"I am Paxia Devastarium, Professor Snape's newest teaching assistant. I am a seventh year Slytherin, so I think I know several of you already. My first assignment was to create a potion lab for you to perform. I'm not as masterful in this subject as my mentor is, however, I attempted as best I could. Please gather the following ingredients, and then pay attention to my instructions..." she spoke calmly, coldly, not unlike the feminine form of Snape might appear. Her mention of Snape's name brought him to attention, and he regained his composure. Grabbing her arm, he sharply whispered into her ear...
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Taking charge? They'll think me a fool- weakened, lenient..."
"No such thing. They'll think me the ultimate prodigy of Severus Snape, and fear me as they would fear you. Besides, the properties of wolf's hair are perfect for a little experiment I want to do. Have you noticed something professor?" she motioned to the lab table where Draco and
Hermione were stationed. At that instant Draco brushed her hair back from her eyes, and she leaned into his touch. Friendly? Too friendly. Now Snape understood her instigation, but what of her intentions?
"Can you trust me?"
"Not your mouth...but your mind is another thing. Just tell me what you're intending to do to them."
"The Dubious Potion disguised as an Attraction Elixir. The students assume they will be drawn to each other through primal attraction, when they will actually be drawn to the person they doubt the most. In the case of innocent crushes, they will seem almost magnetized to the object of their affection, but in the instance of true love- Exhibit A," Paxia shifted her gaze to the young couple, "they have no doubt of the intentions of the other. And so her doubt should be cast upon the one person she lost yesterday, if you recall..."
In that flash of cognition, Severus felt her take the presence of Voldemort himself. This would be fun.
"Now," Snape took over the instruction, "before consuming your potions, since this is a mentality based spell, think of the person you feel yourself drawn to the most, and let us witness if your hearts and minds are as connected as you believe them to be." A power came over Severus and Paxia unlike anything they had ever experienced. A cold wind blew open a window and papers flew into a swirl of confusion.
The classroom silenced in concentration, and slowly, each student downed their concoction, all eyes staring intently on Hermione, guiltily expecting another reaction. Toes grew numb, knees weak, and stomachs turned. Feelings of weightlessness washed over bodies, and levitations began to occur unconsciously.
The first to lift was the light body of Pansy. All assumed her destination lay in the arms of Draco, but her honest doubt of loyalty was with Lavendar. The girls blushed. It was their friendship each knew as being on the rocks, but to the class, under the pretense of attraction, couple number one had been formed. No matter how hard they attempted to free themselves, the girls feverishly began to question their sexuality. This potion was going to ruin lives. And it hadn't even begun to run its full course yet.
Other students drifted towards each other, some with surprisingly positive results. Love was beginning to blossom in the cold depths of Potions class. Hermione felt her heart lift, and Draco's remained annoyingly unaffected. The beautiful woman by his side became enveloped by a glow he came to recognize as the affirmation of his love for her....or was it? Gripping the sides of the table to the point where her knuckles turned white, her body lifted into the plane between floor and ceiling. Reaching for Draco, she moved backwards, down the aisle, and into the arms of-
Harry Potter.
Pale as the color of an invisibility cloak, Draco's mouth gaped open. His, his love. His first love, first romance, first touch, really loved Harry Potter. The level of disgust and disbelief that showered his features was indescribable. That- she- that, she even- that he even ever thought he
would love anything or anyone and now this? This killed him, and Draco gasped for air as he clutched his chair, flinging it into the already weakened lab table, sending it and the equipment it supported crashing to the floor. Struggling to breathe, struggling to walk, he ran drowned in stale tears that bitterly blurred his vision.
"No! Draco!" Hermione screamed- punching against Harry's chest. The magnetism their doubt held was so strong it was unbreakable. Heaving against her own sobs, her heart wrenching and suffering in this twisted agony, she tried desperately in vain to free herself from his body. Harry
couldn't understand what was going on. He didn't love her- if anything he'd grown to avoid acknowledging her existence. He wanted to comfort her, but instead he turned his back, and they remained that way for quite a time, until the spell wore off at the end of the hour.
The class, basking in fraudulent realizations, starkly surmised the situation. Still screaming, her voice growing hoarse, Hermione indirectly professed her ultimate love for Draco. She struggled against Harry's pull more and more strongly as the class progressed, until the potion wore off and she finally freed herself, slamming into the door, pushing it open and speeding down the hall.
Staring after her, Snape felt the need to make something apparent to the students.
"Some times intentions are not as they appear."
****
"What was that, Paxia? The Dark Lord himself wouldn't stoop to that level. You've all but given them the rope by which to hang themselves. You are a cruel, heartless, evil," began Severus, accusingly. He had to back off of this. Draco was sensitive to persuasion, and what had just occurred, he knew, was enough to send him over the edge. Snape wondered how the youth had even begun to fall in love. He cared for Hermione, that was well known, but not in this manner. He saw her as a means by which Voldemort could assuage his power, and Draco, still not quite knowing which way to turn, protected her for fear of good and evil.
"Evil what? Evil temptress? Evil bitch? Evil, here's a notion, Death-eater spy? I have obligations to fulfill Severus. You are nothing but a means by which I will fulfill them. My job here is done. I thought you had understood that, I thought perhaps we'd connected on another level, one that was higher than just sex and power," she knew just what she had done. But guilt wasn't an emotion that registered in her heart. Her loyalties lay completely and totally with Voldemort. Her life lay in servitude to his influence. He would rise, and she would be at his side, above all else.
She turned to storm out, but he grasped her arm and spun her to face him. His look was penetrating, and she suddenly felt naked. A tear streamed down her face.
"And I thought I saw you turn after you'd accomplished yesterday's mission. I suppose we were both mistaken." With that, he shoved his whore away from him. She stumbled and fell, and his body overshadowed her. She won. She had been victorious. But she didn't feel fulfilled.
*Slytherins had no depth to themselves but to duty*
*Slytherins are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves*
The thoughts rang her head, pounding against her skull. Without so much as a breath, she rose to her feet in front of her professor. "I will see you tonight. And this will have been a victory. You've yet to see that Severus, but I already have. I just wish you could have seen this, too."
Paxia left the classroom, and she would never return to it again. She had one more project to attend to, and it would take every last bit of her strength to commit the final corruption.
**Reviews:
~PokeyOoOky- lovey-dovey ain't my cup of tea, but those two deserved some serious fluff time after all I put them through.
~LA- ah, yes, the joys of the fuckrat. I've exacted my revenge. Oh, and the next time Gorski comes in and grabs my disk, remind me not to blush. Oh! And paper jams while printing chapter 5 for the lunch table story time!! Soooo wrong...ketchup!!
~Midnight Rain- if only this wasn't fiction.
~Ai Kemi- thanks for the Snape critique. You're right, he's a scary-ass creep...but thanks for realizing his purpose. And you need not fear hyperglycemia- I'm not as saccharine sweet as some other fics I've read can be *shudder*
~Croft and Sex & Diamonds- I was worried as to how ppl would react to me having Draco say 'fuck off'. There are some lines I don't like crossing. But I'm glad you took those strong words to heart- sometimes love has to over ride logic.
~hasapi- This story is a journey for me. I don't know how much longer it will take, because my characters are still developing. I have a rough idea of where they're going though- I'm not totally blind- but I don't think even a rough estimate would be appropriate. Hope you don't mind if I let this flow a while longer!
~sugar- thanks. I didn't want it to be vulgar or dirty or rough. The first time is special, and I wanted to capture it as such.
~Sex & Diamonds- romantic sex should be followed by fluff, at least, I thought it was appropriate.
**A/N: Fair warning- prepare to be jarred out of romantic bliss.
Corrupt
Chapter 10
Bitter Vengeance
Morning filtered through the pale emerald panes of Draco's former bedroom. As the rising sun strengthened, it penetrated his eyelids, and he pulled the covers over his head to shield himself from the dawning light. He breathed in and heard a soft breath beside him. Eyes still closed, he
tightened his hold on her and pressed his lips to hers.
She smiled and he felt it.
"You're still here," she whispered.
"Why should I leave?" he questioned, reassuringly.
"I love you," came the honest answer.
"I know. I love you, too." The night before, any confession of love could be dismissed as post-coital joy, harmony, and all that other nonsense. The real test is always the morning after. Those moments when what you've just done sink in, and those first moments define the memories that remain stamped in our hearts and minds for eternity. Those were the most
important words to utter, and that they did so willingly and, without prodding, sealed their true affections.
The room was mostly packed up, so they had no way of determining the time, but with the strength of the sun, they estimated that it was approximately seven in the morning. Breakfast was downstairs, to be served in a matter of minutes. They could be late and have no one notice, and it would probably benefit them not to cross the common room just then. After all, that room was supposedly unoccupied- eyebrows would raise no matter who walked out.
Since his only coverage was clinging to the edge of a chair too far away for him to grab decently, he clung to the comforter as Hermione wrapped herself in the bed sheets. The linen clung seductively to her hips, and he let her enter the shower alone. There was something magical in the room that he couldn't place, and for once he knew this was the kind of spell you couldn't find in a book or capture in a wand.
Smiling and holding hands, Draco and Hermione rushed through the empty common room, into the corridor, down the staircase, and entered the Great Hall without creating too much commotion. Their robes billowed behind them, and they sat down for a hearty breakfast. Draco served Hermione, and though they brushed it off as his having been raised with manners, they all knew he wouldn't have done that for anyone else. Both famished from the previous night's excursion, the late comers finished their meal first, and began a discussion with the table about the upcoming experiment in Potions. A rumor had circulated that Snape's concoctions were
dangerous and possibly fatal if done incorrectly; there was no doubt the whole school knew by then what had happened to Hermione yesterday morning.
"Do you want to pair up, Hermione? I mean, I know we don't usually, but I figured that since, well, since," color was beginning to permeate Draco's ears and cheeks, and Hermione cut him off...
"Since you caught me last time?" she laughed. "Of course, my hero," she feigned a swoon. The table began to laugh heartily, but Draco knew she'd saved him this time. What a change- serious Granger and Malfoy...joking around. It was a welcome addition to the group, who all enjoyed a
laugh, whether it was at a Gryffindor's expense or otherwise. She knew that Draco wanted to pair up for a million reasons...to protect her, to be with her, but possibly above all, because he would screw up his potion if he stared at her the entire time from his seat.
Halfway down the table was the ever darkening form of Paxia. Her moves were always silent, and her voice deep, rich, and velvety. The gentlemen that adorned her as an entourage made aware their inclinations toward the tortured, corrupt soul that she seemed to exude. But Paxia's fate had been sealed otherwise. Yesterday's seduction had the professor glued to her mind, and her to his.
She sat with her back to the wall, able to perfectly take in the Great Halls sights and sounds. Her gaze fell to Harry Potter. His dark hair had been spiked, and she noticed how five years of maturation changed him from an awkward youth of a boy to a strong, powerful, daresay handsome young man. When provoked, he was able to channel a passion only tasted in the past twenty-four hours. A faint smile brushed her lips as she thought of the potential he held, potential to succeed on the dark side. Ah, a Gryffindor trade over? A task unheard of. A task she reveled in
accomplishing.
As she reached for an orange, her hand was met by Goyle's. It was careless, neither really noticed, but it shifted her gaze to just beyond his burly physique and unto Draco and Granger. Carefully observing their conversation, Paxia realized that, while their discourse was public at
the table, they were constantly stealing sly looks to each other. And smiles. *So, the night before hadn't ended when I left. And they didn't break the rules, because they really didn't leave Slytherin House. Oh, Snape.....* she thought, tauntingly.
Ms. Devastarium needed no encouragement to expose her findings to Snape. Any exposition in front of him at the moment would be fine with her, and at this thought she nearly smirked aloud. His body and mind were hers, but what of his affections? She had won him over for Voldemort.
Now she wanted to win him over for herself.
As the masses exited the room, Severus followed her every movement with his eyes. Their next destination was one and the same. That would be quite an event to get over, having her body- that same body he'd disrobed but a day prior- next to him....Gathering his thoughts he rose, and
having not planned a single lesson for the day, he hoped she had something up her sleeve. Knowing her, though not well, he still felt as though she would.
A sight escaped his concentration. But not Paxia's, or anyone else's for that matter. Hermione's hand had taken residence in the grasp of Draco's. Lavendar giggled at Pansy's fury. Crabbe scratched his head alongside Goyle's confusion.
And Harry's heart splintered into pieces so irreconcilably broken, he questioned if it would ever beat again.
****
Reaching the room before anyone, Severus attempted to collect himself and his notes enough to successfully torment his students with unnecessary questioning to escape the actualization that he had nothing with which to inform them. No potions to teach, no lessons to dictate, nothing.
"Why Severus, I assume we are on a first name basis, why the puzzled look?" her voice echoed in the empty room, and every nerve in his body tingled into attention. He captured her eyes with his own, and she smiled, evilly, yet so beautifully. Why, dammit? Why couldn't he control
himself.
"I suggest you avoid pulling any stunts today. You need an air of professionalism this first morning- don't forget your guise- my assistant. I am in control, and you are here to assist. Stay behind the table at all times and follow my lead," he instructed.
"And what lead would that be?" she knew how flustered she'd made him. Ah, to have him at her mercy was a sweet morsel she melted in her mouth. Though at the moment, chocolate was the furthest thing from her mind that she wanted to toy with on her tongue.
She found her way behind his lab table, and brought her hand to his neck. She pecked his lips and pulled back and away. Her hand moved lower and lower as she kneeled in front of him. Moving his robes aside, she found the fly of his pants and began fulfilling her current need. With an open
grade book in front of him, Severus grabbed a pencil and pretended to work.
The class entered cautiously, and mingled for a few moments while their professor appeared to be busy. If he yelled, it wouldn't be the first time, but at that instant he didn't seem to notice their existence. Paxia opened a drawer with her free hand, and pulled out a vile of wolf hair. As he
came into her mouth, Snape broke the pencil he had been holding and looked, stone-faced and firmly, onto the back wall. Zipping him up and standing, she grabbed his arse as she held the vile in front of his face and proclaimed...
"Found it Professor Snape. Now, class, if I could have your attention, please," the devilish actress that she was had done such a job of Snape, that she'd rendered him speechless. Time to take charge. After Snape's pencil snapped, however, the class was already in a frightened silence. It
was his grade book he stood over after all. God knows they figured someone had done something to piss him off so badly their house was about to reach a debt of points.
"I am Paxia Devastarium, Professor Snape's newest teaching assistant. I am a seventh year Slytherin, so I think I know several of you already. My first assignment was to create a potion lab for you to perform. I'm not as masterful in this subject as my mentor is, however, I attempted as best I could. Please gather the following ingredients, and then pay attention to my instructions..." she spoke calmly, coldly, not unlike the feminine form of Snape might appear. Her mention of Snape's name brought him to attention, and he regained his composure. Grabbing her arm, he sharply whispered into her ear...
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Taking charge? They'll think me a fool- weakened, lenient..."
"No such thing. They'll think me the ultimate prodigy of Severus Snape, and fear me as they would fear you. Besides, the properties of wolf's hair are perfect for a little experiment I want to do. Have you noticed something professor?" she motioned to the lab table where Draco and
Hermione were stationed. At that instant Draco brushed her hair back from her eyes, and she leaned into his touch. Friendly? Too friendly. Now Snape understood her instigation, but what of her intentions?
"Can you trust me?"
"Not your mouth...but your mind is another thing. Just tell me what you're intending to do to them."
"The Dubious Potion disguised as an Attraction Elixir. The students assume they will be drawn to each other through primal attraction, when they will actually be drawn to the person they doubt the most. In the case of innocent crushes, they will seem almost magnetized to the object of their affection, but in the instance of true love- Exhibit A," Paxia shifted her gaze to the young couple, "they have no doubt of the intentions of the other. And so her doubt should be cast upon the one person she lost yesterday, if you recall..."
In that flash of cognition, Severus felt her take the presence of Voldemort himself. This would be fun.
"Now," Snape took over the instruction, "before consuming your potions, since this is a mentality based spell, think of the person you feel yourself drawn to the most, and let us witness if your hearts and minds are as connected as you believe them to be." A power came over Severus and Paxia unlike anything they had ever experienced. A cold wind blew open a window and papers flew into a swirl of confusion.
The classroom silenced in concentration, and slowly, each student downed their concoction, all eyes staring intently on Hermione, guiltily expecting another reaction. Toes grew numb, knees weak, and stomachs turned. Feelings of weightlessness washed over bodies, and levitations began to occur unconsciously.
The first to lift was the light body of Pansy. All assumed her destination lay in the arms of Draco, but her honest doubt of loyalty was with Lavendar. The girls blushed. It was their friendship each knew as being on the rocks, but to the class, under the pretense of attraction, couple number one had been formed. No matter how hard they attempted to free themselves, the girls feverishly began to question their sexuality. This potion was going to ruin lives. And it hadn't even begun to run its full course yet.
Other students drifted towards each other, some with surprisingly positive results. Love was beginning to blossom in the cold depths of Potions class. Hermione felt her heart lift, and Draco's remained annoyingly unaffected. The beautiful woman by his side became enveloped by a glow he came to recognize as the affirmation of his love for her....or was it? Gripping the sides of the table to the point where her knuckles turned white, her body lifted into the plane between floor and ceiling. Reaching for Draco, she moved backwards, down the aisle, and into the arms of-
Harry Potter.
Pale as the color of an invisibility cloak, Draco's mouth gaped open. His, his love. His first love, first romance, first touch, really loved Harry Potter. The level of disgust and disbelief that showered his features was indescribable. That- she- that, she even- that he even ever thought he
would love anything or anyone and now this? This killed him, and Draco gasped for air as he clutched his chair, flinging it into the already weakened lab table, sending it and the equipment it supported crashing to the floor. Struggling to breathe, struggling to walk, he ran drowned in stale tears that bitterly blurred his vision.
"No! Draco!" Hermione screamed- punching against Harry's chest. The magnetism their doubt held was so strong it was unbreakable. Heaving against her own sobs, her heart wrenching and suffering in this twisted agony, she tried desperately in vain to free herself from his body. Harry
couldn't understand what was going on. He didn't love her- if anything he'd grown to avoid acknowledging her existence. He wanted to comfort her, but instead he turned his back, and they remained that way for quite a time, until the spell wore off at the end of the hour.
The class, basking in fraudulent realizations, starkly surmised the situation. Still screaming, her voice growing hoarse, Hermione indirectly professed her ultimate love for Draco. She struggled against Harry's pull more and more strongly as the class progressed, until the potion wore off and she finally freed herself, slamming into the door, pushing it open and speeding down the hall.
Staring after her, Snape felt the need to make something apparent to the students.
"Some times intentions are not as they appear."
****
"What was that, Paxia? The Dark Lord himself wouldn't stoop to that level. You've all but given them the rope by which to hang themselves. You are a cruel, heartless, evil," began Severus, accusingly. He had to back off of this. Draco was sensitive to persuasion, and what had just occurred, he knew, was enough to send him over the edge. Snape wondered how the youth had even begun to fall in love. He cared for Hermione, that was well known, but not in this manner. He saw her as a means by which Voldemort could assuage his power, and Draco, still not quite knowing which way to turn, protected her for fear of good and evil.
"Evil what? Evil temptress? Evil bitch? Evil, here's a notion, Death-eater spy? I have obligations to fulfill Severus. You are nothing but a means by which I will fulfill them. My job here is done. I thought you had understood that, I thought perhaps we'd connected on another level, one that was higher than just sex and power," she knew just what she had done. But guilt wasn't an emotion that registered in her heart. Her loyalties lay completely and totally with Voldemort. Her life lay in servitude to his influence. He would rise, and she would be at his side, above all else.
She turned to storm out, but he grasped her arm and spun her to face him. His look was penetrating, and she suddenly felt naked. A tear streamed down her face.
"And I thought I saw you turn after you'd accomplished yesterday's mission. I suppose we were both mistaken." With that, he shoved his whore away from him. She stumbled and fell, and his body overshadowed her. She won. She had been victorious. But she didn't feel fulfilled.
*Slytherins had no depth to themselves but to duty*
*Slytherins are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves*
The thoughts rang her head, pounding against her skull. Without so much as a breath, she rose to her feet in front of her professor. "I will see you tonight. And this will have been a victory. You've yet to see that Severus, but I already have. I just wish you could have seen this, too."
Paxia left the classroom, and she would never return to it again. She had one more project to attend to, and it would take every last bit of her strength to commit the final corruption.