Chapter Seventeen: Tempest's Fury

Severus found himself at one of Silas' never ending parties. He was at the Malfoy mansion and the air was full of spices. Music was blaring in his ear and the sweet smell of expensive wine and tempting foods beckoned to him almost as strongly as the perfumed scents the laughing, attractive women. He made his way towards the main parlor, trying to slip into the overly crowded room. Somewhere over the din, he could hear Silas proclaiming, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die!"

He was about to greet Silas when someone spilled wine on him. Snape recoiled, "You idiot!"

"Sorry about that." It was the lioness.

Severus took one look at her arresting gold eyes and his anger disappeared. He shrugged it off. "No, the fault is mine."

The lioness smiled. "You're Jacqueline's newest catch."

"Severus." She seemed amused by his name. He shrugged. "With the name like that you don't really have a lot of career choices."

"Lucinda." The lioness introduced herself, giving over her hand. Her gold eyes were slightly glassy from the wine but her entrancing smile still won him over.

"You're Valkyrie." He stated, amused by her.

She nodded coolly. "You know what that means, no touching."

He reached over and brought her face to his. Then, with as much tact and grace he could manage. He kissed her softly but meaningfully. He pulled away slowly only to feel Lucinda grab him by the nape of his neck and kiss him passionately.

He was going to like it here.

"NO!" The scream that broke through the air was desperate. Lucinda laughed a little and grabbed Severus' arm to led him into the circle. Silas was clearly in charge as he kept his arms stretched out to hold back the circle of men. Severus looked out at the faces of the playboys. In their eyes was sheer energy, a crazed excitement never seen before. It was a frenzied, barbaric and a little frightening. Severus could feel the heartbeat of the men on either side of him. He could feel their strength and will pressed together but barely contained. The sheer presence of the power engulfed Severus and beckoned to him like some siren's song, waiting patiently knowing he would come around in time.

Another scream sounded, one that finally brought Severus' eyes to the center of the circle, to the cause of the energy. It was a woman, but barely that, clutching the remains of a dress. Severus tilted his head and stared at her. She would have been pretty if she weren't panicking for her life. Severus chuckled and rebuked himself for finding it all very amusing. But in a way, it was.

She would back into the edge of the circle only to be pushed back towards the center again. As she backed into Tadeusz, the man met Severus' eyes and pushed her towards him. She shrieked before falling into his arms.

She met his eyes. Hers were small and hazel but barely noticeable under her curtain of fizzy dirty blond hair. She had a weak face overall: common but not ugly. She couldn't have been in his arms for more then a second but she seemed to see something in him.

"Please!" She shouted, clinging to his arms. "You've got to help me. Please! You aren't like them! Please!" Her last words were cut off by another scream.

Tadeusz had his wand aimed for her back. He had barely muttered the word Crucio.

Severus stood at once entranced and repelled by the sprawling animal on the floor. In a moment's time, the woman had digressed and become something brute and inhuman. He was amazed and intrigued by it all. The creature before him was not intelligent or beautiful or even real. She had become a toy of greater men to be enjoyed and discarded like on would a pet dog or some other dumb beast. He felt arms wrap around his. Lucinda edged closer, also watching the entertainment. He clapped his hand over hers and smiled.

He awoke later that night gripped in cold fear. Lucinda stirred and turned over to keep close to him. He patted her leg and rubbed the tears from his eyes. All he could remember was that he had enjoyed the baiting as much as Tadeusz had. The euphoria of the night had entranced him, gripped him and pierced him. The night had awakened something brute and lethal in him. It had quickened some sort of transformation inside of him.

The ease of the quickening and how quickly Severus had accepted it scared him beyond words. He was not a Death Eater! He was an Auror!

His family's deaths hadn't changed that, it had only confirmed it, and he was still Alexander Rouge. Underneath all his pain and planning there was an Auror's heart and their code. There was a spy in the Ministry, feeding information to Voldemort and his Death Eaters about the Aurors. He reminded himself why he was there. He was going to single handedly find the traitor and deal with him.

But was he winning to risk his soul to avenge his family?

The image of the woman came to his mind's eye. Her hazel eyes seemed burned across his heart. He had done nothing to help her.

Was he losing himself in this storm? He couldn't deny he was part of this world. He belonged to the Ascendancy as much as he belonged to the Aurors but the lines between the two and his loyalties to each were beginning to blur. He lived in a world of tradition and power where people age gracefully, outliving their humanity.

He had been gone too long from the Aurors he loved. He had been gone to long from Hecate. He was beginning to forget who he was…these were uncertain times for him during which subtle distinctions blurred together: crime and play, genius and insanity…

Honor and revenge…

He shifted again, pressing even nearer to Lucinda. In the dim light, his lioness looked angelic even graceful, a sharp departure from the deadly, lustful woman that had adorned his arm earlier. He reached over and pulled her unto him. She opened her eyes, smiled, and wrapped her arms around his, falling asleep again. Reassured of her presence, Severus settled back and considered.

No, he thought, they couldn't change him. He was an Auror.

He was at his heart; Alexander and no one could take that from him. He had not abandoned the Aurors, just their weaknesses. An Auror's code was that no one should perish. It was an impossible dream but the purpose was to try harder to ensure each victim was the last. That's what he was doing. He was going to find the spy who had betrayed his family and him. Once that was done, he could return to the Aurors, to his life as Alexander. But until then, Severus would have to bury Alexander Rouge deep inside until he could reclaim himself.

This deal with the devil wouldn't last forever. He would not be like that hazel-eyed beast. He would not be so easily conquered. He knew who he was. He was Alexander Rouge, after all was said and done, after the final curtain call; he was Rouge.

He had been his brother's ghost, his family's avatar and his partner's guardian. But in one night, all that had been taken away from him. It had been stripped from him and all that had remained was Rouge. The only part of Severus' personality that he was certain was his and his alone. He would get his job done and return to the Aurors. But first, traitors must be dealt with.

Curling into Lucinda's arms and content with his beliefs, Severus Alexander fell asleep.