Disclaimer: JKR owns all. Nough said.
A/N: We apologize profusely for our serious lack in updating over the past few weeks. Things
have been...hectic, to say the least. We got started on a new story that was nagging at our brains,
and we both also fell ill; though Jordan more so than Taryn. We feel we've recovered enough to
finally get another chapter up.
Severus stood, thoughtfully gazing into the blazing midst before him. He seemed utterly lost, but
none-the-less, peaceful in his current state. Hermione eyed her husband with curiosity as she fell
gracefully into one of the two large, leather, wingback chairs situated before the roaring fire. She
too looked to the fire, but only to find her gaze back to her husband a moment later.
"Jordan didn't take the Athame." Severus declared, staring blankly into his half empty glass of
brandy.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Severus, but didn't Jordan /admit/ that he took it?"
"EXACTLY!" He exclaimed harshly, hurling the glass into the fire. Glass shattered against the
heated brick as the flames grew in intensity from the alcohol. Hermione cowered back in fright,
willing her husband to calm down before he took his anger out on someone, rather than
something. "That's why I /know/ he didn't take it. He couldn't have.." Severus trailed off, lost in
his own mentation once more.
"But why would he lie and say he did?" She inquired softly, flinching as he kicked the other chair
in frustration.
"I.." Her question startled him, and he paused in thought. An array of emotions flitted across his
aging features, before finally settling on confused. "I don't know." He sighed heavily, collapsing
into the abused chair as he ran a shaky hand through his tousled mane of gray speckled, black
hair.
"Well, shouldn't you speak with him about this?"
"Hermione, my thoughts were straight before you began badgering me with all these questions."
Severus muttered, covering his face with his hands and silently praying that he had an extra vile
of headache relief potion in his stores.
"I've been asking them all my life, dear." She pointed out as she stood and moved swiftly across
the room. She disappeared behind a concealed door, returning moments later with the very potion
Severus had been praying for.
"Yes...Yes, I know." He rubbed his temples, taking the proffered vile with silent thanks and
downing it in one gulp. Silence fell upon the room as the couple waited for the potion to take
affect. When Hermione noted that her husbands facial features began to relax, she moved onto
her next question.
"Who do you think took it?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" He roared, springing from his seat and storming into his office.
"Severus?!" The door slammed shut behind his back; a silent 'click' told Hermione that he'd
locked and warded it.
"And I thought I had PMS..." Hermione mused to herself.
~*~
"I rather enjoyed myself today." Jordan cackled mirthfully as he sat stiffly in the middle of the
Forbidden Forest.
/You made a fool of me./ The boyish voice in his head spat back, fighting to regain control of his
body.
"No, I did not." Jordan's voice became smooth; demanding submission in a hypnotic taunt. "They
are the ones who make you play the fool... You are nothing but a puppet to them!"
His mind flashed bright with the cruel things that had been done to him in his life. Anger began
to rise from deep within; eliciting a response from his comatose body. He howled with a mix of
exasperation and pain as his cold knuckles came into contact with the nearest tree. Leaning his
weight up against his damaged hand before he pulled it away; he watched as the dark blood
trickled from the deep wounds. The sight was mesmerizing and had a calming effect. Jordan felt
himself losing control as his body stiffened once more.
"How does that make you feel, Jordan?"
/I hate.../
"Yes?"
/I hate them./ Jordan's voice had gone eerily flat; Voldemort laughed demoniacally as he sensed
the last of the boy's resolve melt away.
"Hate is a strong word you know."
/They deserve what they get./
"Come now! I think you could do much better, hmm?"
/Maybe./ Jordan seemed apprehensive, not knowing what to do about the situation.
"I think it's time for you to get a little revenge." Jordan rose to his feet and began to head out of
the forest, back to Hogwarts.
/Yes./ His eyes flashed red as he let himself be swept away by Voldermort's reign.
"Is there anyone in particular that you'd like to come to terms with?"
Almost instantly, Jordan's last argument with Shane Thomas began to run through his head.
Anger swelled within his chest as he relived the encounter.
/Shane./
"Yessss..."
~*~
Shane Thomas was discussing the next Quidditch match with Cael Finnigan that evening at
dinner when a lone owl soared through an open window and landed gracefully on his plate.
"Who would be sending you a letter this late?" Cael inquired, eyeing the tawny owl suspiciously
as it pecked at the food on Shane's plate.
"One of my many admirers, no doubt." Shane smirked, shoving the owl away from his food.
"If your ego were any larger, we'd need a shrinking charm just to fit it in this room." Cael
declared, grabbing another chicken leg off a nearby plate.
"Like you're any better."
"Just open the letter!"
Shane rolled his eyes at his witty friend as he picked up the discarded letter. Turning it over, he
noticed the wax seal was embossed with the Slytherin crest. His heart began to beat rapidly as he
chanced a glance at his rival house's table, settling on the back of a certain blonde's head.
Grinning deliriously, he tore the letter open and read it's message.
:: Shane,
Over the past few weeks I have found you rather...intriguing. I would be thoroughly pleased if
you will meet me in the Forest at midnight. There's something I want to do to you...
There will be a snake waiting for you at the edge of the forest. Do not fear her, for she will not
harm you unless I wish it so. Follow her and she will lead you to me. Her name is Nagini.
Until tonight,
Aradia Malfoy ::
"Well, what does it say?!" Cael exclaimed, watching with amusement as Shane's face turned
three shades of red.
"None of your damn business." He muttered, shoving the letter into his pocket. He ignored his
friends for the rest of dinner, anxious to return to his dorm to prepare for the evening. Taking a
last swig from his goblet of pumpkin juice, he scrambled from his seat and nearly ran from the
Great Hall.
As he was hurrying through the empty corridors, he spotted a Slytherin first year on her way
down to the dungeons.
"Hey, you!" He shouted, catching her attention.
"What?" She whipped around, glaring at the older Gryffindor.
"I need you to deliver a message for me." He explained, rummaging in his bag for a quill and
spare bit of parchment. The Slytherin watched with curiosity as he scribbled a quick note and
rolled it up, tying it shut with his shoelace.
"Give me one good reason why I should run an errand for a no good Gryffindor such as yourself."
The girl spat, eyeing the parchment with distaste.
"Because if you don't, you'll spend the rest of the year with nasty boils popping out all over your
body at random intervals." Shane growled, shoving the note into her dainty hand. "Give it to
Aradia Malfoy." When she didn't move, he pulled out his wand and pointed it in her face.
"NOW!"
Rolling her eyes, the Slytherin turned on her heals and headed for the Great Hall where most of
her house mates were still eating dinner. Pushing her way through a group of first year
Hufflepuffs, she entered the hall and scanned the Slytherin table for Aradia.
Spotting a blonde head near the opposite end of the hall, the young girl walked briskly through
the throng of departing students.
"Aradia, some arrogant Gryffindor wanted me to give you this." She dropped the note in front of
the startled Malfoy and grabbed a roll from the table.
"Thank you, Melanie." Aradia smiled at the young girl. "If you've finished dinner, go to the
common room. I'll not have you losing house points for wandering around after curfew again."
"Yes ma'am." Melanie saluted with mock severity and marched from the room. Smirking, Aradia
turned her attention from Melanie to the note sitting desolately before her.
Curiously, she untied the shoelace and unrolled the parchment, surveying its contents.
:: Midnight at the forest? A bit unorthodox, I guess. I'm rather fond of the Astronomy tower
myself...but if you say so!
I can't wait for tonight.
Shane ::
Aradia knew right away that it was from Shane Thomas, a Gryffindor who'd had a crush on her
since last year's Yule Ball. However, she had no clue what he was talking about.
Rolling up the parchment and placing it in her bag, Aradia resolved to find out what was going
on.
"There's definitely something not right about all of this." She muttered as she hoisted her bag
onto her shoulder and exited the Great Hall, unaware of a pair of crimson eyes following her
retreating form.
A/N: We apologize profusely for our serious lack in updating over the past few weeks. Things
have been...hectic, to say the least. We got started on a new story that was nagging at our brains,
and we both also fell ill; though Jordan more so than Taryn. We feel we've recovered enough to
finally get another chapter up.
Severus stood, thoughtfully gazing into the blazing midst before him. He seemed utterly lost, but
none-the-less, peaceful in his current state. Hermione eyed her husband with curiosity as she fell
gracefully into one of the two large, leather, wingback chairs situated before the roaring fire. She
too looked to the fire, but only to find her gaze back to her husband a moment later.
"Jordan didn't take the Athame." Severus declared, staring blankly into his half empty glass of
brandy.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Severus, but didn't Jordan /admit/ that he took it?"
"EXACTLY!" He exclaimed harshly, hurling the glass into the fire. Glass shattered against the
heated brick as the flames grew in intensity from the alcohol. Hermione cowered back in fright,
willing her husband to calm down before he took his anger out on someone, rather than
something. "That's why I /know/ he didn't take it. He couldn't have.." Severus trailed off, lost in
his own mentation once more.
"But why would he lie and say he did?" She inquired softly, flinching as he kicked the other chair
in frustration.
"I.." Her question startled him, and he paused in thought. An array of emotions flitted across his
aging features, before finally settling on confused. "I don't know." He sighed heavily, collapsing
into the abused chair as he ran a shaky hand through his tousled mane of gray speckled, black
hair.
"Well, shouldn't you speak with him about this?"
"Hermione, my thoughts were straight before you began badgering me with all these questions."
Severus muttered, covering his face with his hands and silently praying that he had an extra vile
of headache relief potion in his stores.
"I've been asking them all my life, dear." She pointed out as she stood and moved swiftly across
the room. She disappeared behind a concealed door, returning moments later with the very potion
Severus had been praying for.
"Yes...Yes, I know." He rubbed his temples, taking the proffered vile with silent thanks and
downing it in one gulp. Silence fell upon the room as the couple waited for the potion to take
affect. When Hermione noted that her husbands facial features began to relax, she moved onto
her next question.
"Who do you think took it?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" He roared, springing from his seat and storming into his office.
"Severus?!" The door slammed shut behind his back; a silent 'click' told Hermione that he'd
locked and warded it.
"And I thought I had PMS..." Hermione mused to herself.
~*~
"I rather enjoyed myself today." Jordan cackled mirthfully as he sat stiffly in the middle of the
Forbidden Forest.
/You made a fool of me./ The boyish voice in his head spat back, fighting to regain control of his
body.
"No, I did not." Jordan's voice became smooth; demanding submission in a hypnotic taunt. "They
are the ones who make you play the fool... You are nothing but a puppet to them!"
His mind flashed bright with the cruel things that had been done to him in his life. Anger began
to rise from deep within; eliciting a response from his comatose body. He howled with a mix of
exasperation and pain as his cold knuckles came into contact with the nearest tree. Leaning his
weight up against his damaged hand before he pulled it away; he watched as the dark blood
trickled from the deep wounds. The sight was mesmerizing and had a calming effect. Jordan felt
himself losing control as his body stiffened once more.
"How does that make you feel, Jordan?"
/I hate.../
"Yes?"
/I hate them./ Jordan's voice had gone eerily flat; Voldemort laughed demoniacally as he sensed
the last of the boy's resolve melt away.
"Hate is a strong word you know."
/They deserve what they get./
"Come now! I think you could do much better, hmm?"
/Maybe./ Jordan seemed apprehensive, not knowing what to do about the situation.
"I think it's time for you to get a little revenge." Jordan rose to his feet and began to head out of
the forest, back to Hogwarts.
/Yes./ His eyes flashed red as he let himself be swept away by Voldermort's reign.
"Is there anyone in particular that you'd like to come to terms with?"
Almost instantly, Jordan's last argument with Shane Thomas began to run through his head.
Anger swelled within his chest as he relived the encounter.
/Shane./
"Yessss..."
~*~
Shane Thomas was discussing the next Quidditch match with Cael Finnigan that evening at
dinner when a lone owl soared through an open window and landed gracefully on his plate.
"Who would be sending you a letter this late?" Cael inquired, eyeing the tawny owl suspiciously
as it pecked at the food on Shane's plate.
"One of my many admirers, no doubt." Shane smirked, shoving the owl away from his food.
"If your ego were any larger, we'd need a shrinking charm just to fit it in this room." Cael
declared, grabbing another chicken leg off a nearby plate.
"Like you're any better."
"Just open the letter!"
Shane rolled his eyes at his witty friend as he picked up the discarded letter. Turning it over, he
noticed the wax seal was embossed with the Slytherin crest. His heart began to beat rapidly as he
chanced a glance at his rival house's table, settling on the back of a certain blonde's head.
Grinning deliriously, he tore the letter open and read it's message.
:: Shane,
Over the past few weeks I have found you rather...intriguing. I would be thoroughly pleased if
you will meet me in the Forest at midnight. There's something I want to do to you...
There will be a snake waiting for you at the edge of the forest. Do not fear her, for she will not
harm you unless I wish it so. Follow her and she will lead you to me. Her name is Nagini.
Until tonight,
Aradia Malfoy ::
"Well, what does it say?!" Cael exclaimed, watching with amusement as Shane's face turned
three shades of red.
"None of your damn business." He muttered, shoving the letter into his pocket. He ignored his
friends for the rest of dinner, anxious to return to his dorm to prepare for the evening. Taking a
last swig from his goblet of pumpkin juice, he scrambled from his seat and nearly ran from the
Great Hall.
As he was hurrying through the empty corridors, he spotted a Slytherin first year on her way
down to the dungeons.
"Hey, you!" He shouted, catching her attention.
"What?" She whipped around, glaring at the older Gryffindor.
"I need you to deliver a message for me." He explained, rummaging in his bag for a quill and
spare bit of parchment. The Slytherin watched with curiosity as he scribbled a quick note and
rolled it up, tying it shut with his shoelace.
"Give me one good reason why I should run an errand for a no good Gryffindor such as yourself."
The girl spat, eyeing the parchment with distaste.
"Because if you don't, you'll spend the rest of the year with nasty boils popping out all over your
body at random intervals." Shane growled, shoving the note into her dainty hand. "Give it to
Aradia Malfoy." When she didn't move, he pulled out his wand and pointed it in her face.
"NOW!"
Rolling her eyes, the Slytherin turned on her heals and headed for the Great Hall where most of
her house mates were still eating dinner. Pushing her way through a group of first year
Hufflepuffs, she entered the hall and scanned the Slytherin table for Aradia.
Spotting a blonde head near the opposite end of the hall, the young girl walked briskly through
the throng of departing students.
"Aradia, some arrogant Gryffindor wanted me to give you this." She dropped the note in front of
the startled Malfoy and grabbed a roll from the table.
"Thank you, Melanie." Aradia smiled at the young girl. "If you've finished dinner, go to the
common room. I'll not have you losing house points for wandering around after curfew again."
"Yes ma'am." Melanie saluted with mock severity and marched from the room. Smirking, Aradia
turned her attention from Melanie to the note sitting desolately before her.
Curiously, she untied the shoelace and unrolled the parchment, surveying its contents.
:: Midnight at the forest? A bit unorthodox, I guess. I'm rather fond of the Astronomy tower
myself...but if you say so!
I can't wait for tonight.
Shane ::
Aradia knew right away that it was from Shane Thomas, a Gryffindor who'd had a crush on her
since last year's Yule Ball. However, she had no clue what he was talking about.
Rolling up the parchment and placing it in her bag, Aradia resolved to find out what was going
on.
"There's definitely something not right about all of this." She muttered as she hoisted her bag
onto her shoulder and exited the Great Hall, unaware of a pair of crimson eyes following her
retreating form.