Title: Shadows and Glimpses (3/?)
Author: QueenC
Feedback: queenc@HotPOP.com
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Through 'Birthday' on AtS. The first four books of HP.
Summary: What happens when you mix an amnesic Death Eater with a recently demonized Seer?
Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm changing a few things in the AtS world to make this fic work. First of all, Angel and Cordelia are not in love. They are just extremely good friends. Second, Holtz was never pulled from the past. Connor is still here. He's just a baby and staying that way. And finally, Cordelia's apartment is a two bedroom. I think that's it, for now. I'll let you know if anything changes. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in ::'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
Special Thanks: To everyone that reviewed this fic so far. It's good to know that I'm not just writing this for the sake of my muse. You all are great!
******
The moment Wesley entered the office, he began skimming through the contents of the bookshelf, murmuring to himself. Missing the glares Angel was sending to their newest client, he finally gave a sound of triumph, pulling a thin, leather-bound book from the top shelf. Turning around, he watched as Angel roughly pulled the blinds closed.
"So," the vampire said, leaning against the wall. "What's going on? You wanted to talk to me about something?"
Wesley nodded, flipping through the book as he lowered himself into his chair. "Yes." Finally, he paused, skimming over a page. Placing the book on the desk, he spun it around and pointed to a drawing and paragraph. "I was afraid of this. When Cordelia brought her...guest in, I noticed some rather strange markings on his left arm. This, to be exact."
Frowning, Angel picked up the book, quickly reading what was written. Looking at Wesley, he questioned, "Why do I not like the term 'Death Eater'?"
Wesley sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Because it is the term given to someone who has dedicated their life to an extremely dark wizard by the name of Voldemort who has tormented the magical community for decades."
Leaning forward once more, he locked eyes with his friend, his voice growing even more serious. "Angel, that man out there is no more helpless or in need of assistance than you or I. He is very likely an *extremely* dangerous wizard who is intimately familiar with dark magics the likes of which neither of us have ever seen."
Angel nodded, letting the words sink in. Slowly, he placed the book back on the desk and put his hands in his pockets. "It doesn't matter," he said simply.
Wesley's eyes widened and he gave him a disbelieving look. "What? Angel, surely you aren't suggesting we continue to...harbor some fugitive?" he gasped.
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Wes, we don't know that he's a fugitive. We don't even know that he's evil. All we *do* know is that his name is Lucius and Cordelia had a vision about him. Now, let's work with what we've got, okay? Ask around, check your contacts. See if anyone knows of a Death Eater named Lucius that went missing recently," he suggested. "And try to keep in mind that people can change."
Wesley nodded, watching as the vampire walked back to the door. "And what are you going to do?" he asked evenly.
Glancing over his shoulder, Angel answered, "I'm going to work on getting my shirt back." Then, opening the door, he walked back to the lobby.
******
Dennis was busy straightening up after Cordelia when he felt a shift in the atmosphere of the apartment. The feather duster paused in mid-air as the spirit tried to determine what the source for the disturbance was.
Suddenly, five people appeared in the living room, standing in a small circle with their backs to one another. Slowly lowering the duster to the ground, Dennis remained still, grateful for his non-corporeal form. While he would normally leap into action and defend his and Cordelia's domain, something told him that these people were not to be trifled with. Silent and still, he watched as they all put what looked like small sticks back into their robes, a wave of relief washing over them. Turning to face one another, the brown haired young man spoke.
"Well, he doesn't seem to be here," he said. "I don't understand. This is where the spell said to go."
The blonde haired young man sneered at him. "Well, think about it, Potter. We've spent the last three hours getting here. I'm sure my father has left this...place by now," he spat, giving his surroundings a look of contempt.
Dennis tensed, debating on the merits of announcing himself by knocking the blonde across the room. However, he ended up remaining undiscovered as their redhead companion exclaimed, "Oh, shove it, Draco. No one invited you to come along anyhow. Why don't you just go back home and wait for us to send your dad along?"
Suddenly, the older man spoke, causing all of them to fall silent. "Weasley, I will only remind you of this once more. Mr. Malfoy is here at the Headmaster's request. In fact, we all are. Now, unless you have more to offer than immature bickering, I suggest you remain silent and allow me to think of our next course of action."
The redhead fell quiet, nodding. "Yes, Professor Snape," he mumbled.
Finally, the only girl of the group spoke. "I suggest that we split up to search for him. Some of us can remain here, in case he returns. And the rest can go and look for him in the city."
Dennis didn't like that plan one bit. While he knew that they must be searching for the man Cordelia had brought home, the spirit certainly didn't want them hanging about all day, waiting until he came back. Once more, though, he was saved from having to act.
"Don't take this the wrong way, 'Mione, but your plan is a *really* bad idea. If we split up we're likely to never find one another again," Ron stated.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, giving him a dirty look. "Well, I don't see you coming up with anything better, Ron! Unless tossing about insults is your idea of a plan?"
Draco chuckled, watching with interest as the duo began glaring daggers at one another. This was better then when they were at Hogwarts. Then, he hadn't been up close during their fights, and had missed the mumbled insults and dirty looks.
Harry, ever the peacemaker, stepped between his two friends. "Why don't we have a look around, see if we can find anything that would actually prove that Lucius has been here? Perhaps we can find some clues as to his whereabouts while we're at it," he suggested.
Snape nodded, grudgingly giving Harry an impressed look. "Good thinking, Potter."
Dennis watched with growing anxiety as these strangers began walking through the apartment, picking up various items and examining them. Slowly, he eased his way past the redhead and into Cordelia's room. Grateful that the door was shut, the spirit quickly locked it.
Somehow, he knew these people would have no trouble getting the door open. However, he only needed a few moments. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed the number he'd memorized a while ago.
As the phone on the other line began ringing, he heard someone turn the doorknob. Silently, since he couldn't speak even if he wanted to, he willed Cordelia's voice mail to pick up.
"Hey! I've got a locked door, here!" a voice called out, turning the knob once more.
"Well, use your wand and open it, Ron!" came another response.
Finally, Cordelia's voice came over the line, followed quickly by the beep. As he entered in his code, he heard someone saying murmuring something and watched as the lock on the door moved.
Just as Dennis hung up the phone, the door opened, and Ron slowly entered the bedroom.
Watching with growing anger as the redhead began pawing through Cordelia's things, the phantom could only hope that his message had gotten through.
******
Cordelia studied the man in front of her, ignoring the sharp intake of breath that Fred made as he turned around in front of the dressing room mirrors. Looking him up and down, the former May Queen studied how his features seemed even more regal and sleek in the virtually all-black ensemble.
Finally, she nodded. "Okay. That one works, too," she agreed. Glancing at the saleswoman, she said, "We'll take them all. And he'll wear that one now."
The saleswoman nodded, a hungry look on her face as she easily clipped the price tags from his outfit. Gathering up the rather large pile of clothing, she made her way to the front of the store. Cordelia stood, smiling. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" she asked.
"Not when you look good in everything you try on. I swear, we could have gone to a potato farm and borrowed a few sacks, and..." Fred froze, a blush staining her cheeks as she realized she was speaking out loud. "Um, sorry. I think I'll just go wait outside..." Lowering her head, she practically ran from the store.
Lucius frowned, glancing at Cordelia. "Is she all right?" he asked.
Cordelia laughed, nodding. "Who? Fred? Oh, she's fine. Just another case of foot-in-mouth disease. It seems to flare up whenever she's around a hottie." Pausing, she cleared her throat.
Lucius gave her a curious look, amused when she actually seemed to blush. Apparently he was having the same effect on her that she was on him. Interesting.
"So, anyway. Let's go pay for the clothes, then we'll grab a bite to eat before heading back to the office. Fortunately, it seems to be a rather slow...damn."
The man watched with shock and amazement as her eyes seemed to roll back in her head and a look of annoyance crossed her face. Then, she began rising off the floor and the glow he'd seen surrounding her earlier increased dramatically.
"Cordelia?" he asked in concern, moving hesitantly toward her. Looking past her, he worried for a moment that the saleswoman would return, only to find one of her customers a few feet in the air. "Damn it," he swore under his breath. Then, focusing on the Seer again, he said a little more forcefully, "Cordelia!"
The brunette opened her eyes, looking down at his worried face. "Sorry. Vision." Closing her eyes, she concentrated on lowering herself to the floor. Once her feet were back on the ground, she looked at him. "Okay, let me call this in then we'll go eat."
Wordlessly, he watched as she pulled out a cell phone and began dialing a number. Assuming she was calling her friends, he hung back, not wanting to intrude.
"Hey Wes. It's me. I just got a message. Tell Angel to get to the docks. There's a nest that has a couple of teenagers. What? Yeah, we're fine. We've just about wrapped things up here. Then we figured we'd grab a bite to eat. Call me if you need me."
Hanging up the phone, she glanced at Lucius. Opening her mouth to say something, she was cut off as her phone rang once again. Frowning, she picked it up. Glancing at it, she swore slightly.
"Well, so much for lunch. That was Dennis. There's trouble at my place," she said quickly. Walking up to Fred, she handed the girl a credit card. "Get his stuff and then head back to the hotel. I'll explain later." Not waiting for a response, she took off down the street.
Lucius frowned, watching her disappear around the corner. Looking at a baffled Fred, he questioned, "Is it normal practice for a ghost to call someone?"
Fred shrugged, glancing at him. "For us it is."
******
Author: QueenC
Feedback: queenc@HotPOP.com
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Cordelia/Lucius
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. AtS belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Distribution: Anywhere I send it. Anyone else wants it just let me know.
Spoilers: Through 'Birthday' on AtS. The first four books of HP.
Summary: What happens when you mix an amnesic Death Eater with a recently demonized Seer?
Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm changing a few things in the AtS world to make this fic work. First of all, Angel and Cordelia are not in love. They are just extremely good friends. Second, Holtz was never pulled from the past. Connor is still here. He's just a baby and staying that way. And finally, Cordelia's apartment is a two bedroom. I think that's it, for now. I'll let you know if anything changes. As always, Angel is Spike's sire. Words in *'s are emphasized, words in ::'s are thoughts, words in ~'s are dreams, and words in ^^'s are flashbacks. Enjoy!
Special Thanks: To everyone that reviewed this fic so far. It's good to know that I'm not just writing this for the sake of my muse. You all are great!
******
The moment Wesley entered the office, he began skimming through the contents of the bookshelf, murmuring to himself. Missing the glares Angel was sending to their newest client, he finally gave a sound of triumph, pulling a thin, leather-bound book from the top shelf. Turning around, he watched as Angel roughly pulled the blinds closed.
"So," the vampire said, leaning against the wall. "What's going on? You wanted to talk to me about something?"
Wesley nodded, flipping through the book as he lowered himself into his chair. "Yes." Finally, he paused, skimming over a page. Placing the book on the desk, he spun it around and pointed to a drawing and paragraph. "I was afraid of this. When Cordelia brought her...guest in, I noticed some rather strange markings on his left arm. This, to be exact."
Frowning, Angel picked up the book, quickly reading what was written. Looking at Wesley, he questioned, "Why do I not like the term 'Death Eater'?"
Wesley sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Because it is the term given to someone who has dedicated their life to an extremely dark wizard by the name of Voldemort who has tormented the magical community for decades."
Leaning forward once more, he locked eyes with his friend, his voice growing even more serious. "Angel, that man out there is no more helpless or in need of assistance than you or I. He is very likely an *extremely* dangerous wizard who is intimately familiar with dark magics the likes of which neither of us have ever seen."
Angel nodded, letting the words sink in. Slowly, he placed the book back on the desk and put his hands in his pockets. "It doesn't matter," he said simply.
Wesley's eyes widened and he gave him a disbelieving look. "What? Angel, surely you aren't suggesting we continue to...harbor some fugitive?" he gasped.
Angel raised an eyebrow. "Wes, we don't know that he's a fugitive. We don't even know that he's evil. All we *do* know is that his name is Lucius and Cordelia had a vision about him. Now, let's work with what we've got, okay? Ask around, check your contacts. See if anyone knows of a Death Eater named Lucius that went missing recently," he suggested. "And try to keep in mind that people can change."
Wesley nodded, watching as the vampire walked back to the door. "And what are you going to do?" he asked evenly.
Glancing over his shoulder, Angel answered, "I'm going to work on getting my shirt back." Then, opening the door, he walked back to the lobby.
******
Dennis was busy straightening up after Cordelia when he felt a shift in the atmosphere of the apartment. The feather duster paused in mid-air as the spirit tried to determine what the source for the disturbance was.
Suddenly, five people appeared in the living room, standing in a small circle with their backs to one another. Slowly lowering the duster to the ground, Dennis remained still, grateful for his non-corporeal form. While he would normally leap into action and defend his and Cordelia's domain, something told him that these people were not to be trifled with. Silent and still, he watched as they all put what looked like small sticks back into their robes, a wave of relief washing over them. Turning to face one another, the brown haired young man spoke.
"Well, he doesn't seem to be here," he said. "I don't understand. This is where the spell said to go."
The blonde haired young man sneered at him. "Well, think about it, Potter. We've spent the last three hours getting here. I'm sure my father has left this...place by now," he spat, giving his surroundings a look of contempt.
Dennis tensed, debating on the merits of announcing himself by knocking the blonde across the room. However, he ended up remaining undiscovered as their redhead companion exclaimed, "Oh, shove it, Draco. No one invited you to come along anyhow. Why don't you just go back home and wait for us to send your dad along?"
Suddenly, the older man spoke, causing all of them to fall silent. "Weasley, I will only remind you of this once more. Mr. Malfoy is here at the Headmaster's request. In fact, we all are. Now, unless you have more to offer than immature bickering, I suggest you remain silent and allow me to think of our next course of action."
The redhead fell quiet, nodding. "Yes, Professor Snape," he mumbled.
Finally, the only girl of the group spoke. "I suggest that we split up to search for him. Some of us can remain here, in case he returns. And the rest can go and look for him in the city."
Dennis didn't like that plan one bit. While he knew that they must be searching for the man Cordelia had brought home, the spirit certainly didn't want them hanging about all day, waiting until he came back. Once more, though, he was saved from having to act.
"Don't take this the wrong way, 'Mione, but your plan is a *really* bad idea. If we split up we're likely to never find one another again," Ron stated.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, giving him a dirty look. "Well, I don't see you coming up with anything better, Ron! Unless tossing about insults is your idea of a plan?"
Draco chuckled, watching with interest as the duo began glaring daggers at one another. This was better then when they were at Hogwarts. Then, he hadn't been up close during their fights, and had missed the mumbled insults and dirty looks.
Harry, ever the peacemaker, stepped between his two friends. "Why don't we have a look around, see if we can find anything that would actually prove that Lucius has been here? Perhaps we can find some clues as to his whereabouts while we're at it," he suggested.
Snape nodded, grudgingly giving Harry an impressed look. "Good thinking, Potter."
Dennis watched with growing anxiety as these strangers began walking through the apartment, picking up various items and examining them. Slowly, he eased his way past the redhead and into Cordelia's room. Grateful that the door was shut, the spirit quickly locked it.
Somehow, he knew these people would have no trouble getting the door open. However, he only needed a few moments. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed the number he'd memorized a while ago.
As the phone on the other line began ringing, he heard someone turn the doorknob. Silently, since he couldn't speak even if he wanted to, he willed Cordelia's voice mail to pick up.
"Hey! I've got a locked door, here!" a voice called out, turning the knob once more.
"Well, use your wand and open it, Ron!" came another response.
Finally, Cordelia's voice came over the line, followed quickly by the beep. As he entered in his code, he heard someone saying murmuring something and watched as the lock on the door moved.
Just as Dennis hung up the phone, the door opened, and Ron slowly entered the bedroom.
Watching with growing anger as the redhead began pawing through Cordelia's things, the phantom could only hope that his message had gotten through.
******
Cordelia studied the man in front of her, ignoring the sharp intake of breath that Fred made as he turned around in front of the dressing room mirrors. Looking him up and down, the former May Queen studied how his features seemed even more regal and sleek in the virtually all-black ensemble.
Finally, she nodded. "Okay. That one works, too," she agreed. Glancing at the saleswoman, she said, "We'll take them all. And he'll wear that one now."
The saleswoman nodded, a hungry look on her face as she easily clipped the price tags from his outfit. Gathering up the rather large pile of clothing, she made her way to the front of the store. Cordelia stood, smiling. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" she asked.
"Not when you look good in everything you try on. I swear, we could have gone to a potato farm and borrowed a few sacks, and..." Fred froze, a blush staining her cheeks as she realized she was speaking out loud. "Um, sorry. I think I'll just go wait outside..." Lowering her head, she practically ran from the store.
Lucius frowned, glancing at Cordelia. "Is she all right?" he asked.
Cordelia laughed, nodding. "Who? Fred? Oh, she's fine. Just another case of foot-in-mouth disease. It seems to flare up whenever she's around a hottie." Pausing, she cleared her throat.
Lucius gave her a curious look, amused when she actually seemed to blush. Apparently he was having the same effect on her that she was on him. Interesting.
"So, anyway. Let's go pay for the clothes, then we'll grab a bite to eat before heading back to the office. Fortunately, it seems to be a rather slow...damn."
The man watched with shock and amazement as her eyes seemed to roll back in her head and a look of annoyance crossed her face. Then, she began rising off the floor and the glow he'd seen surrounding her earlier increased dramatically.
"Cordelia?" he asked in concern, moving hesitantly toward her. Looking past her, he worried for a moment that the saleswoman would return, only to find one of her customers a few feet in the air. "Damn it," he swore under his breath. Then, focusing on the Seer again, he said a little more forcefully, "Cordelia!"
The brunette opened her eyes, looking down at his worried face. "Sorry. Vision." Closing her eyes, she concentrated on lowering herself to the floor. Once her feet were back on the ground, she looked at him. "Okay, let me call this in then we'll go eat."
Wordlessly, he watched as she pulled out a cell phone and began dialing a number. Assuming she was calling her friends, he hung back, not wanting to intrude.
"Hey Wes. It's me. I just got a message. Tell Angel to get to the docks. There's a nest that has a couple of teenagers. What? Yeah, we're fine. We've just about wrapped things up here. Then we figured we'd grab a bite to eat. Call me if you need me."
Hanging up the phone, she glanced at Lucius. Opening her mouth to say something, she was cut off as her phone rang once again. Frowning, she picked it up. Glancing at it, she swore slightly.
"Well, so much for lunch. That was Dennis. There's trouble at my place," she said quickly. Walking up to Fred, she handed the girl a credit card. "Get his stuff and then head back to the hotel. I'll explain later." Not waiting for a response, she took off down the street.
Lucius frowned, watching her disappear around the corner. Looking at a baffled Fred, he questioned, "Is it normal practice for a ghost to call someone?"
Fred shrugged, glancing at him. "For us it is."
******