AN: I hope someone's able to read this, frankly because I can't find my own work (or username) on Fanfiction.net, but yet I can log in and update... Confusing. Oh well, fresh from the beta... Uuuhh... oh yeah! Not only do I NOT own Harry Potter or any such related characters, I also do not own the Jungle Book, and the idea of "phasing" is so blatantly stolden from the X-Men comics/movie/animated series (Kitty Pryde's mutation!) which is owned by Stan Lee and Marvel and probabbly a whole other load of people who I am not. Also everything is used without permisson...
Chapter 5...
Belldani held the Phase charm in her hand as she silently made her way into the flat of Percival Weasley. She diverted her eyes as the former Head Boy padded from the bathroom, towel around his waist, to his wardrobe against the far wall of the small studio flat.
The kitchen was to her right, and the loo to the left. The bed and wardrobe were on the left as well. On the right was a small kitchen table, half of it a desk, and in the far corner was a lone, overstuffed chair next to a lamp and a heavily loaded bookshelf.
Belldani crossed the room and sat down against the wall, leaning on the bookshelf, eyes squeezed shut as Percy changed. She opened them again when she heard noises from the kitchen, he was making dinner. She sighed and thought of Severus, her Severus…
Albus had decided it would be best if Severus were to accompany Hagrid to Madame Maxime's school, Beauxbatons, in France. The three of them were to try to drum up aid from France, although Belldani knew that Severus only was sent to keep him away from Voldemort.
He snuck back to visit her as much as he could, she could do as she pleased while Percy was at the Ministry during normal hours. However, as he felt it important to come in early and stay late, she often ended up sitting by the plants in his office until quite late.
The last time Severus had snuck back, they made it to a Muggle courthouse, looking quite out of place in their wizarding robes, but had managed to be wed by a clerk. Her death was duly noted in wizarding archives, making a normal wedding difficult Belldani thought with amusement, spinning the simple ring around on her left ring finger. Severus had to leave again, right after they were done, and that was last week already… It would be about three weeks, the clerk said, before the offical document could be mailed. What was the address?
Belldani tried to stifle laughter as she imagined the post being collected that day. There was only one Muggle address that either of them could think of…
4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
I really like the sound of Mrs. Snape… Mrs. Belldani Snape, she thought as she dozed, not realizing she was drifting to sleep as Percy sank into the chair for some light reading.
Percy adjusted his glasses, glancing at the clock. 12:30 in the morning… He sighed and shut the book he was reading, The Jungle Book by Kipling. All was silent in his small flat, and he crossed to his bed. There was a snort from behind him, and a second pop. Heart pounding, Percy grabbed his wand and spun around, staring at Lucius Malfoy and another man who he didn't know was Peter Pettigrew.
"What are you doing here? I order you to leave at once!" he barked, trying to not sound scared. Malfoy was a wanted man after his part in the Ministry break-in. He noticed some motion by his bookshelf and stunned the two visible wizards before kicking the air where he thought he saw movement.
There was a yelp.
A young witch's head appeared in midair for a moment, before there was another pop and it was gone. Percy wondered if this was some horrible dream, or a scheme of Malfoy's, when he felt a wand poke him in the back of the neck. It was the last thing he felt before he was stunned.
Belldani cursed as she Disapparated again, trying to guess where her uncle and the other man took Percy. She kicked angrily at a statue of Draco when she found the Malfoy mansion empty. This was pointless, she felt, and wondered if she should just go tell Dumbledore that she had failed.
No, she told herself, there's got to be someplace I haven't tried yet.
When she Apparated next, Belldani stumbled, nearly coming out of her cloak. She was in her own home - the Cirasada home, she told herself. There were Death Eaters milling about, and most were heading down towards the dungeons, a place Belldani knew little of though it was her childhood home. Making sure she was invisible still, she followed a group of new recruits - they were giggles between them, teenagers perhaps? - down into the darkness.
There were cells there. They lined a long hallway which opened into what looked like an ampitheatre. On the stage, was a throne, occupied by one Lord Voldemort. She felt her stomach lurch when she saw what looked like herself, sitting haughtily on a lesser throne next to him. Belldani guessed it was some floozy using Polyjuice, and she felt ashamed to see this faux Belldani dressed up like some sort of bondage queen. She wore a lowcut neck and highcut skirt of tight PVC and impossible looking black boots that came up to her upper thighs. Faux-Belldani was preening and casting loving looks at Voldemort next to her. Percy was at his feet, still Stunned. Belldani hurried to the far side of the theatre and began making her way down to the stage.
Draco leaned back against the stone wall next to his father.
"Will the Weasleys even notice one brat's missing?" he sneered to the older Malfoy. The ampitheatre was almost full; yet again his turn-coat Head of House was absent.
Belldani steeled herself, and prepared to walk in front of her cousins, the Malfoys.
Draco glanced down and saw a second's worth of vibrant royal purple fabric against the dull gray floor. Smiling evilly, he stomped down hard.
Belldani heard Draco stomp his foot, and took off running towards Percy, not realizing that her Invisibility cloak was being pulled off her. She threw herself over Percy, and then realized something was terribly wrong.
The assembled Death Eaters stared in surprise as an apparent double of their leader's wife appeared from nowhere. Draco Malfoy was lifting up a silvery cloak. She was on top of the sacrifice - A roar of laughter rose from the crowd.
"I will not ask how you are alive," Voldemort was addressing her, and in the metal of his throne she saw her reflection. Shit.
"This is most interesting," Tom continued, "For I was so certain that you were dead, my dear. You obviously aren't the corpse that we've been stealing hair from for my Belldani," he gestured towards the faux Belldani, "So I must assume that somehow you escaped, or perhaps you are using Polyjuice as well?"
Belldani snarled.
"I'm not using Polyjuice, not like that whore," she spat on the boots of Lady Voldemort.
"Ahh, such cheek!" Tom laughed sadistically, "You must be the real Belldani then, my dear Miss Cirasada."
She felt a swell of pride rise.
"I am not Miss Cirasada," Belldani smiled smugly, "My name is Belldani Snape." Voldemort only roared with laughter, tears running down his cheeks.
"You're serious?" he managed, slapping his knee, "This is too perfect then! Surely dear Severus will come running the instant he suspects you're in harm's way!" Belldani swore under her breath, why had she said that? Then she remembered the Ghost potion, it was under her stomacher, though as she was currently on her hands and knees, over the prone body of Percy, she couldn't really get to it.
"BELLDANI!" she closed her eyes, trying to fight the bitter tears welling up as Severus' voice rang throughout the room. How was it that they were playing right into his hand?
Voldemort was standing now.
"I see my lost sheep has returned to the proverbial fold," Tom was waving his wand, Severus was landing beside her now.
"Belldani, do you have the potion?" he whispered before Crucio was wracking his body.
Voldemort paused for a moment, and Severus spat blood from his mouth.
"Split it between yourself and Percy, he should be waking up soon," he managed to say before Voldemort cast another spell on him. He was bowing like a ragdoll to the Dark Lord.
Mutely, Belldani drank about half, becoming a ghost immediately.
"I don't want to leave you!" she shrieked as her husband's body was lifted into the air, Crucio cast on him again.
"JUST DO IT!" he yelled, biting his lip again, to keep from crying out. Belldani managed to pour the rest of the potion into Percy's slightly open mouth as the Stunning charm wore off. He sputtered and gasped, lifting up his hand to adjust his glasses, and noticed that he was a ghost.
"Did I die?" he asked Belldani uneasily. She shook her head and motioned to run.
"Just keep running!" she told him, floating up into the air.
Percy shook his head as he floated towards the door over the Death Eaters' heads.
He was floating, he was transparent, he must be a ghost.
Belldani let the tears flow as Severus' body was dropped to the stone floor.
"Sev, I will not leave you to die!" she snapped at him, trying to touch his face, her hand phasing though instead. Voldemort was laughing again, the high pitched cackle that sent shivers of fear down one's spine.
Belldani wondered if he was going to rise up as a ghost, a real one, when he cracked one eye open.
"This is my destiny," he croaked, coughing up blood, "I was told I would die for the woman I love… Now go! I love you Belldani, I'll always be watching over you…" he coughed again, more blood, "I want to see you live your life, fall in love again and be happy, don't be afraid to be happy because of me, this was my prophe-"
Belldani moved back as his body was hit with Crucio again. Fighting tears, she floated up into the ceiling as Severus screamed after her to go.
