Sorry this took so long…golf, work, you know. Hope you like it!
Chapter Five
The vow—A kiss
Reign stood at her window, looking out over the land, as an angel would, or a queen. Her arms hung loosely across her chest, her posture relaxed against the wall. A cool breeze met the humid air of her bedroom—Reign closed her eyes and let the spirit of the wind whisper to her, cool her in those hot spring months.
Summer was drawing near, as was graduation...for Caelan, for Harry. And so was Severus' promise. He vowed to travel with her to her homeland, so that she may find some resolution to her grief. As the days dragged on, Reign longed for the journey back home. She would have dreams of what her land used to look like, before the destruction. Laughter would ring in her ears long after she awoke from the memories. She was itching to climb atop Cypress and run off into the sunset as she did so many years ago.
Reign shivered. A lot had changed since she first arrived at Hogwarts. She had changed a lot since then. At that time she was running away from her past, and now all she wanted to do was embrace it, salvage what was left of it.
***
"I want to go home."
"Pardon?"
They were in his classroom, a week earlier, passing the time together. Reign had resorted to such a pastime, just watching Severus as he worked. At first he was turned off by the idea, telling her she could find a much better way to spend her time. Reign had retorted by reminding him that she had all the time in the world.
"I want to go home." She was sitting by the window, watching the moon as it cast its luminous glow over the land. Severus turned to her. She resembled an ancient goddess, wrapped in her winter cloak and her black coat (it was unusually cold in his classroom that night), with her pale hair reflecting the light of the moon. He was stunned at her appearance and her interruption—she obviously had not been paying attention to their discussion.
"That was a bit random, wouldn't you say?" Reign turned slowly toward him, her emerald eyes piercing his obsidian ones.
"I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "I'm just anxious, I suppose." Snape turned back to his papers.
"A few more weeks, Reign. Just be patient."
***
And now, as she stood at the window in her bedroom, her patience had run out. A tear fell slowly from her eye. She felt like a bird trapped in a cage; she longed to break free and fly away.
Nothing was really stopping her. Only her own heart. She wanted so badly for Severus to go with her. Knowing she would need someone there to hold her when it came time to face her past.
A few more weeks.
After graduation.
That's what they had been discussing that night. What to do about graduation.
About Caelan.
Her bond with Voldemort was nearly indestructible. There was no doubt as to where she would go after her time at Hogwarts. To the one man who promised her everything...through another.
***
"What is your fascination with this?"
The night of Caelan's seduction, she laid in Malfoy's bed, his blonde head rested against her breast, his finger traced the crescent birthmark over and over.
"Lucius?"
"Hmm?" He looked like a young child, playing with a toy he did not know how to work.
"What are you not telling me?" The circling stopped. Everything stopped. The only feelings were of moist skin and hot breath. Caelan shuddered at Malfoy's breathing; it was slow and steady. He lifted his head to meet her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Has the Dark Lord told you of your true origins?" he asked as he lowered his head.
"Only that he created me."
"And how did you take that news?"
"I figured that he is my father." Caelan felt Lucius' laugh below her as he chuckled against her chest.
"If that were the case, he would have told you he was your father."
"I don't understand."
"Caelan," he said, rising once more to meet her gaze, "he created you."
"For God's sake, Lucius, I heard that already! What the bloody hell does it mea—" Lucius put his finger to her lips, silencing her. He rested his head and continued tracing her 'birthmark'.
"When the elf first arrived at Hogwarts, she did so to escape the Dark Lord's wrath, but it was a very foolish move on her part. The Dark Lord was watching her every move through a precious stone he had stolen from the Archives of the Ministry.
"It was one of the seven sacred emeralds—believed to be some of the most powerful magical items in the world.
"It was rumored that they were scattered throughout the world, but that one of which had fallen into the hands of an elvin tribe a thousand years ago." Lucius paused as Caelan shifted under him. "The Dark Lord found out about this through a very reliable source, broke into the Ministry, stole the emerald they had, and used it against Reign.
"Her powers and the emerald's powers are one, and are shared with the rest of the stones. The night he brought her to the woods was the night he created you." Caelan took a deep breath as Lucius kissed her collarbone.
"He never wanted that silly potion of the elf's...what he was really after was a strand of her hair, and a drop of her blood. After she ran off we were summoned to defeat the foolish animals of the forest while our master brewed a most powerful potion...one that would create a creature of his liking.
"He was rather fond of Reign's looks, and especially of her powers. After he lifted your small body from the cauldron, he held you in his arms and drew the emerald from his pocket. He placed it above your heart and spoke an inaudible spell. A bright green light blinded us all and before we knew it, your soft skin had swallowed the stone, leaving this mark." Caelan's sharp intake of breath created a smile upon Malfoy's lips. He lifted those lips to hers and kissed her softly, moving from her mouth, to her neck, and finally to her mark. He smiled at the small bumps popping out of her skin.
"This is why you can feel her pain..." He took her skin into his teeth and relished at her gasp. "Her pleasure..." Sucking the same skin in, he traced his hands over her body. "Her powers..." He moved back up to her lips, kissing her harder than before.
"Why didn't he just use the emerald for himself?" she asked, pushing him away. Lucius sighed.
"Because a stone like that can only be truly effective if it is given to someone upon their birth. That is why it works for Reign, and that is why it works for you." He kissed her softly once again, whispering into her mouth. "You are destined for the Dark Lord's ranks, Caelan. It is only fitting that you rejoin your creator while you are still in your prime." He moved himself so he was directly over the woman. "You must promise your allegiance to him." He nipped her ear, pressing her harder into the mattress.
"Yes," she breathed.
"Say the words," he said into her ear, making her shiver.
"I vow my mind..."
"Yes..."
"Body..."
"Yes..."
"And soul..."
"Yes..."
"To my one and only master..."
"Mmm hmm," he said into her hair.
"To the Dark Lord I give myself..."
"Yes...yes...finish it..."
"May he welcome me as his own, and do with me as he wishes—" Caelan gasped. "So that the world will fall on its knees before us, and a new Order shall begin." The woman wrapped her arms around Lucius, kissing him with every last ounce of strength she had. Her lover laughed in her mouth, pulling back to look into her eyes. He brushed a strand of hair from her brow as his own fell upon her face and neck.
"Good girl," he whispered.
***
That same moment, both Reign and Harry sprang from their beds. Their scars burned and their minds raced with fragments of horrible nightmares. Harry's pain died quickly, and he was left with a dull throbbing as he laid his head back onto his pillow and fell asleep.
Reign, however, could not ignore the pain coming from her side and wrists. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and rested her head in her hands. The nightmare she experienced was a flashback of what she assumed was the young girl's death she had read about in the Daily Prophet. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she lifted herself from her mattress and paced around her room.
Not only had Nivah's death been shown to her, but another, more horrible vision, also. Her view was from beside a fireplace, in a bedroom she presumed was at Hogwarts. Facing the bed, she saw Lucius making love to her.
And she seemed to be enjoying it.
His pale hair covered her own, but the female voice was unmistakably her own.
Reign grabbed her robe and threw open her bedroom door, determined to get a decent night's sleep, even if it meant breaking into the Infirmary. She had run out of her supply Sleeping Draught, and as she rounded the corner she ran into the only person besides Madam Pomfrey who had a stash of his own.
"Oomph," she grunted as she ran head on into Snape's chest. He quickly took hold of her shoulders before she fell back onto the ground.
"Reign?" he asked into the darkness, the elf's hair the only feature that distinguished her from students in the dim moonlight.
"Severus...what are you..."
"Doing my rounds, of course," he replied coldly, straightening his robes and smoothing back his hair. "It's late, what are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep...again." She looked down at her feet. "Do you think I could borrow some of your Sleeping Draught?" she asked, raising her head to look pleadingly into his eyes.
"Reign, you know you can become addicted..."
"I don't care...if it lets me get some bloody sleep than so be it." Her eyes were ablaze and her fingers dug into his robes.
"All right, all right. Just...calm yourself, woman," he said, pulling her talons from his chest.
They walked in silence to the dungeons, to his domain. Reign wanted desperately to tell him of her dream about Nivah, but the words would not come. The part about her and Lucius would never be revealed.
"Two sips, Reign, that's all it takes," Severus said, handing her the vial from his office. She sat on his bed, her feet dangling above the rug. He turned his back on her and she disobeyed him.
Two sips were enough for a human, an elf needs at least...Reign counted in her head as she lifted the vial to her lips...five sips. She downed nearly half the bottle, taking gulps instead of sips. When Severus turned around she had on a lazy smile. He looked down to her hands and his eyes grew wide. Rushing toward her he tore the bottle from her grasp, staring at her with extreme agitation.
"Reign..."
"Severus..." she teased, punching him in the chest. She belched as he stomped back to his desk and threw the vial on top of a stack of papers. When he turned around again, Reign had fallen on her back. Crossing his arms, Snape rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sighed. Then—rolling his eyes—he moved toward her. Careful not to wake her, he pulled her robe from her shoulders, turned down the covers of his own bed, and slipped her between them. He pulled the sheets over her and smiled at her gaping mouth. Shaking his head, he lifted her chin to close the gap.
He didn't move for a long time, leaning over her to watch her sleep. Something came over him as he traced her tattoo beneath her eye and the lines of her youthful face. He ended his path at her lips, wondering if she would even feel it, if he dared tried to...
She stirred beneath him, causing him to spring backwards.
Get a hold of yourself, man, he told himself.
The clock next to his bed said it was midnight already. If any students were out of their beds now, they surely wouldn't be in the halls...
Severus removed his robes and undid the countless buttons upon his frock coat and vest beneath. He pulled off his shoes and undid the first two buttons of his shirt, and then he climbed into bed next to Reign.
It had been a long time since they had lain next to each other as they did that night. Severus was asleep faster than he had ever been before.
Reign awoke an hour later to find Snape's arm had found its way across her body. His head rested against her own, his slow breathing sending the hairs on her neck spiraling upward.
But it was so comforting.
Like old times.
So she placed her hand on top of his, and let the potion take over once more.
The next time she woke, it was three o' clock. The scratching of a quill against paper had stirred her from her rest. As her eyes focused against the harsh light of the candles in front of her, she noticed Severus sitting at his desk, scribbling fiercely, his hair disheveled and his white shirt laying carelessly open.
Reign stayed frozen as she watched him work...with passion. His hands moved across the parchment so effortlessly...his hair fell into his eyes and he didn't care to reposition it...the muscles in his forearm flexed as he wrote and tossed papers into their appropriate piles.
Unconsciously, Reign took a deep breath. The writing stopped. Severus raised his head and locked eyes with the elf.
She was caught. Giving a weak smile, she lifted herself from the soft pillow.
"How long have you been awake?" he asked, returning to his work. Reign wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Not long." She gazed into the fireplace, her eyes clouding over from lack of sleep. It seems half a vial wasn't even enough for her. Throwing off the sheets, she sauntered over to his desk. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking over his shoulder.
"I should think that is quite obvious," he mumbled.
"Okay, what I meant was...why?" He stopped again. Her presence over his shoulder was making his upper lip twitch.
"I couldn't sleep," came his cold reply.
"Oh..." Reign returned to the bed and jumped up to sit on it. With her hands folded in her lap, she studied the man before her. After a long pause, she spoke softly.
"Maybe I should go."
"What?" he snapped, bringing his head up. "Why?"
"It's obvious I'm the reason you're not getting any sleep." Snape's mouth opened to protest. "I should be sleeping in my own bed anyway." She hopped off the bed and gathered her robe. "Thank you for the potion, Severus," she said as she made her way to the door. Before her hand reached the handle, however, a voice stopped her.
"Wait," Severus choked from his position. Reign turned around to see him get up and walk toward her. "Are you going to be all right? I know we changed your room around, but sometimes I think it had little affect."
"I'll be fine, Severus. Really, I will. You should get some rest, too." She turned from him.
"Wait," he said again, more desperately. "Don't go." Reign looked into his pleading eyes and let her hand drop from the handle. "Really, just stay."
"Severus..." she warned as he took her hand and led her back to the bed. He sat down and pulled her down next to him. She pulled her robe tight to her chest and avoided his gaze as he pushed a stray strand of hair behind her pointed ear.
"God your beautiful," he whispered. Reign's head immediately shot up. "I'm sorry," he quickly recovered. "It's just...we were so close..." Reign closed her eyes as his warm fingers lingered on her cheek.
Get a hold of yourself, elf.
"Severus...I've already told you..."
"I know," he said sadly as his hand left her face and fell into his lap. He turned away from her as she gazed at him. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she said softly,
"Severus, my life...I'm going through extremely hard times...what I need more than anything right now..." She pulled his chin toward her. "What I need is a friend...not a lover." Her statement took him by surprise. It was so...honest.
"I understand," he replied. And from the look on his face, Reign knew that he really did understand, and she smiled.
Suddenly a wave washed over her and Time stood still.
Reign threw up her hands in disgust and shook her head. She sighed deeply as she looked at Severus, and cocked her head as she noticed a rather surprised look on his face. His lips stood partially open.
They looked rather inviting.
Reign stared longingly at them.
Then she leaned forward.
One kiss wouldn't hurt, right?
She hesitated...as long as Time wouldn't fool with her and continue right in the middle of it.
Please...oh please...I'm doing this for him, she said as her lips touched his. His frozen mouth welcomed her. It was an odd feeling—kissing someone who didn't kiss back, but didn't refuse you either. She willed Time to stay as it was, so she could savor the moment. He tasted of fire whiskey. The bittersweet taste melted her body and she completely lost herself.
When she finally pulled back, he was still wearing the same expression on his face, though his lips were red and in an awkward position. Smiling to herself, Reign lifted the sides of his mouth, kneading the skin until it was in the desired position. Then she slowly got up and exited the room, mumbling a thanks and goodnight to Severus.
When she left, Time continued in the normal fashion, and Severus snapped his mouth shut.
He had been smiling.
Looking frantically around the room for the elf, he stopped abruptly at the door.
And then the tingling sensation crept over his lips. His eyes widened as he touched the skin there, realizing just what had happened. And then a true smirk spread over his face.
***
Reign stood at her window, touching her own lips, remembering that kiss that seemed so long ago, though it was only the previous night. Closing the window, she walked slowly to the door, as if in a dream, and walked into the vast body of Hogwart's castle, down to breakfast.
***
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