[Disclaimer: see Chapter 1, por favor. I don't owe, I'm not making money.
All of it belong to JKR, except Adelaide. She's my own twisted invention.]
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A troubling letter arrived for Snape mid-morning, just over two weeks after Adelaide had disappeared..
It was usual for the mail to arrive during breakfast, where both teachers and students would receive their letters and parcels. However, this was one letter that nobody wanted to receive. Snape retrieved the letter from the leg of a rather unremarkable looking barn owl who had perched himself on the window of his Potions classroom. Thankfully, no students had been around to observe the black enveloped-letter. Snape held it in his hands for a moment, knowing full well whom it came from. With a sound of disgust at his own hesitation, he ripped the envelope open to find a white letter, with a few words.
Five o'clock, tonight. The apparition point on the path to Hogsmede.
After musing over it for several minutes, he slipped the letter into his robes, tossing the envelope into the fire. Snape left the solace of his dungeon classroom to speak with Dumbledore. His sneer seemed more severe today, more dangerous than before, and every student he encountered, including his precious Slytherins, darted out of his way. Snape seemed more like an angry black storm bent on destruction than an upset professor, but that had become the norm in the past few weeks, though today his anger seemed more acute than ever. His eye fell upon Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, both seventh year Gryffindors, whispering in the hall and obviously eyeing him. No doubt he was the subject of their curiosity.
"Miss Brown, Miss Patil. Twenty points from Gryffindor. I do believe you have class to attend, do you not?"
He sneered at them, his black eyes burning holes into the two girls. Looking flustered at having been noticed, they nodded quickly, not trusting themselves to speak, and dashed towards the stairs, no doubt towards Divinations. The thought merely made him wish he had taken more points, for believing in such a ridiculous class. Divination indeed.
The last two weeks he had been extraordinarily foul-tempered. The students had no idea why, of course. Although, they did know that Adelaide was out 'sick'. It had been by luck, actually, that they had come across the perfect story. Hermione Granger and Hannah Abbott, both in Adelaide's advanced Runes class, had stopped Madam Pomfrey to ask if Professor Gentry was feeling all right. She assured the girls that things were under control, and promptly went looking for the youngest professor. Obviously unable to find her, Pomfrey went straight to Dumbledore, who informed her that Adelaide Gentry was working for them and that she had to leave suddenly on a pressing matter, and it was unknown for just how long she would be gone. As Miss Granger and Miss Abbott had given the perfect excuse, it was announced that Professor Gentry was quite ill, and had returned home to recover. In the meantime, Professor Flitwick assigned their projects and her students would work on those during her absence. If she died.at least they would have a plausible explanation. In the meantime, only Dumbledore and Snape knew the full truth.
Snape pulled himself out of his reverie as he reached the entrance of Dumbledore's office.
"Lime sherbet" he snapped impatiently, and dashed up the moving stairs, not waiting for them to halt before ascending. Once up, he found the elderly headmaster seated at his desk with a cup of tea waiting. The Potions Master scowled, and set the letter in front of Dumbledore before taking the tea and sitting himself down.
"This just arrived?"
Snape nodded, sipping his tea gingerly.
"My assumption is that they're returning her body."
Dumbledore passed a hand over his eyes, looking very old indeed and quite worn down. He had demanded that Snape find him immediately should any word come-positive or negative. And now, it was nearly over. Perhaps. But to lose another, especially one so young..
"I hope she is still alive. To lose another of us.."
Snape frowned, lost in thought, reflecting on the deaths he had caused, and those he could have prevented. Adelaide Gentry was just one more to add to the list.
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He was at the apparition point a few minutes early. Snape stood a few feet within the bounds of Hogwarts grounds, safe for the time being. It was certainly true that no one could apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds. If a person wanted to apparate, they had to get past the school's boundary, and the road to Hogsmeade village was the most used.
The evening was chilly, but Snape didn't feel the cold under the layers of robes. He had not worn his Death Eater garb, for the evening wouldn't require formality. Before he could Begin to wonder at what could have possibly occurred, five figures shrouded in black appeared in a semi-circle. In the center figure's arms was a black figure, limp.
"We have a present from our Master for you, Severus."
Snape's heart bottomed into his stomach, yet he sneered at the lead figure.
"Malfoy."
He glanced at the other four figures.
"Avery. Macnair. Hampton. Mirabella."
A glance down to the figure at Malfoy's feet was enough to tell him. Red hair fell from under the black cloth, matted and darkened with dried blood.
"You know, Lucius, you've created quite a problem for me. I must now think of a plausible reason to feed Dumbledore as to why Ms. Gentry is dead."
The gray eyes peering from out of the hood's slits frowned in annoyance.
"She's not dead, Severus. We merely had to teach her a lesson. And no doubt the good Headmaster knows why and where she was gone too. Keep an eye on her." A pause, as triumph lighted the eyes. "We will see you again, soon, Severus."
He gathered Adelaide in his arms, startled to find her blood had seemed into the ground where she had lain, and his hands were becoming slick with it. He turned, and began to walk back towards the school waiting for the Death Eaters to disappear.
"Soon, Severus," called Malfoy, and five 'pops' sounded through the cool evening air.
Quickly, he set her down, delving into his robes for what he knew was there- a button. Lifting Adelaide and placing it in her hand, with him touching, they disappeared. Thanks to the portkey, Snape had avoided many a difficult situation. Keyed for his rooms, it kept him from moving to sneak throught hec astle corridors when it would be least opportune to be found.
She felt too small, too light. And he couldn't feel her breathing. Only the fact that she was bleeding was proof that her heart was still beating. He laid her on his bed, and ran to the fireplace.
"Dumbledore."
Seconds later, Dumbledore's head popped into the fireplace.
"I'm in my rooms. Get Poppy. She's dying."
Without another word, he cut the connection and went back to the bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everything hurt, so badly. Was it really worth it to wake up? The darkness was so nice, so comforting.
"Adelaide."
[Why won't he leave me alone?]
"Adelaide."
[Go away.]
"Addy, please."
[Severus?]
"Stay with me."
[Severus, I can't.]
"Please."
[It hurts too much..]
"I love you."
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[A/N: Glee! Let's here it for Erin calling me a wench. She isn't too happy I ended that chapter there. She'll now nag me to write another one, so she can find out what happens. cheers! -Wench!Ade]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A troubling letter arrived for Snape mid-morning, just over two weeks after Adelaide had disappeared..
It was usual for the mail to arrive during breakfast, where both teachers and students would receive their letters and parcels. However, this was one letter that nobody wanted to receive. Snape retrieved the letter from the leg of a rather unremarkable looking barn owl who had perched himself on the window of his Potions classroom. Thankfully, no students had been around to observe the black enveloped-letter. Snape held it in his hands for a moment, knowing full well whom it came from. With a sound of disgust at his own hesitation, he ripped the envelope open to find a white letter, with a few words.
Five o'clock, tonight. The apparition point on the path to Hogsmede.
After musing over it for several minutes, he slipped the letter into his robes, tossing the envelope into the fire. Snape left the solace of his dungeon classroom to speak with Dumbledore. His sneer seemed more severe today, more dangerous than before, and every student he encountered, including his precious Slytherins, darted out of his way. Snape seemed more like an angry black storm bent on destruction than an upset professor, but that had become the norm in the past few weeks, though today his anger seemed more acute than ever. His eye fell upon Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, both seventh year Gryffindors, whispering in the hall and obviously eyeing him. No doubt he was the subject of their curiosity.
"Miss Brown, Miss Patil. Twenty points from Gryffindor. I do believe you have class to attend, do you not?"
He sneered at them, his black eyes burning holes into the two girls. Looking flustered at having been noticed, they nodded quickly, not trusting themselves to speak, and dashed towards the stairs, no doubt towards Divinations. The thought merely made him wish he had taken more points, for believing in such a ridiculous class. Divination indeed.
The last two weeks he had been extraordinarily foul-tempered. The students had no idea why, of course. Although, they did know that Adelaide was out 'sick'. It had been by luck, actually, that they had come across the perfect story. Hermione Granger and Hannah Abbott, both in Adelaide's advanced Runes class, had stopped Madam Pomfrey to ask if Professor Gentry was feeling all right. She assured the girls that things were under control, and promptly went looking for the youngest professor. Obviously unable to find her, Pomfrey went straight to Dumbledore, who informed her that Adelaide Gentry was working for them and that she had to leave suddenly on a pressing matter, and it was unknown for just how long she would be gone. As Miss Granger and Miss Abbott had given the perfect excuse, it was announced that Professor Gentry was quite ill, and had returned home to recover. In the meantime, Professor Flitwick assigned their projects and her students would work on those during her absence. If she died.at least they would have a plausible explanation. In the meantime, only Dumbledore and Snape knew the full truth.
Snape pulled himself out of his reverie as he reached the entrance of Dumbledore's office.
"Lime sherbet" he snapped impatiently, and dashed up the moving stairs, not waiting for them to halt before ascending. Once up, he found the elderly headmaster seated at his desk with a cup of tea waiting. The Potions Master scowled, and set the letter in front of Dumbledore before taking the tea and sitting himself down.
"This just arrived?"
Snape nodded, sipping his tea gingerly.
"My assumption is that they're returning her body."
Dumbledore passed a hand over his eyes, looking very old indeed and quite worn down. He had demanded that Snape find him immediately should any word come-positive or negative. And now, it was nearly over. Perhaps. But to lose another, especially one so young..
"I hope she is still alive. To lose another of us.."
Snape frowned, lost in thought, reflecting on the deaths he had caused, and those he could have prevented. Adelaide Gentry was just one more to add to the list.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was at the apparition point a few minutes early. Snape stood a few feet within the bounds of Hogwarts grounds, safe for the time being. It was certainly true that no one could apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds. If a person wanted to apparate, they had to get past the school's boundary, and the road to Hogsmeade village was the most used.
The evening was chilly, but Snape didn't feel the cold under the layers of robes. He had not worn his Death Eater garb, for the evening wouldn't require formality. Before he could Begin to wonder at what could have possibly occurred, five figures shrouded in black appeared in a semi-circle. In the center figure's arms was a black figure, limp.
"We have a present from our Master for you, Severus."
Snape's heart bottomed into his stomach, yet he sneered at the lead figure.
"Malfoy."
He glanced at the other four figures.
"Avery. Macnair. Hampton. Mirabella."
A glance down to the figure at Malfoy's feet was enough to tell him. Red hair fell from under the black cloth, matted and darkened with dried blood.
"You know, Lucius, you've created quite a problem for me. I must now think of a plausible reason to feed Dumbledore as to why Ms. Gentry is dead."
The gray eyes peering from out of the hood's slits frowned in annoyance.
"She's not dead, Severus. We merely had to teach her a lesson. And no doubt the good Headmaster knows why and where she was gone too. Keep an eye on her." A pause, as triumph lighted the eyes. "We will see you again, soon, Severus."
He gathered Adelaide in his arms, startled to find her blood had seemed into the ground where she had lain, and his hands were becoming slick with it. He turned, and began to walk back towards the school waiting for the Death Eaters to disappear.
"Soon, Severus," called Malfoy, and five 'pops' sounded through the cool evening air.
Quickly, he set her down, delving into his robes for what he knew was there- a button. Lifting Adelaide and placing it in her hand, with him touching, they disappeared. Thanks to the portkey, Snape had avoided many a difficult situation. Keyed for his rooms, it kept him from moving to sneak throught hec astle corridors when it would be least opportune to be found.
She felt too small, too light. And he couldn't feel her breathing. Only the fact that she was bleeding was proof that her heart was still beating. He laid her on his bed, and ran to the fireplace.
"Dumbledore."
Seconds later, Dumbledore's head popped into the fireplace.
"I'm in my rooms. Get Poppy. She's dying."
Without another word, he cut the connection and went back to the bedroom.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everything hurt, so badly. Was it really worth it to wake up? The darkness was so nice, so comforting.
"Adelaide."
[Why won't he leave me alone?]
"Adelaide."
[Go away.]
"Addy, please."
[Severus?]
"Stay with me."
[Severus, I can't.]
"Please."
[It hurts too much..]
"I love you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
[A/N: Glee! Let's here it for Erin calling me a wench. She isn't too happy I ended that chapter there. She'll now nag me to write another one, so she can find out what happens. cheers! -Wench!Ade]
