Summer's night was cold. While the day had been sultry, the night was shocking in its contrast. Briskly he walked, knowing full his destination and what would have to take place. He knew it would not be an easy task, but sometimes you had to do things you didn't like. Taking this girl away from her home and forcing her back into the world of magic, a place she did not wish to return to would be no easy chore.
The house before Severus's stone eyes was built of crisp white siding. Shutter framed windows stared back at him, with an equally vapid expression. Effortlessly, he took the low concrete steps in one stride, making his way swiftly to the head of the porch. Smooth wood soon took place of the concrete beneath his feet; and to his left was a swinging bench, cushioned with burgundy pillowing.
Chills glided down his spine, reaching out like lightning through his veins. Lucius Malfoy had stood in this very same spot, but his intent had been considerably darker than Severus's. There were few times in his life that he could remember being truly hesitant, this was surely one of them. Fighting for his usually cool, careless, emotionless character, Severus knocked on the gleaming front door.
Seconds crept passed, minutes crawled, and soon it was evident that there would be no answer to his knock. Opting for his only other alternative, short of breaking in, he rang the doorbell. Still there was no reaction.
Wishing he did not have to force his way in, Severus carefully took out his wand, after murmuring a short charm, the door was opened to him. His quiet entrance had brought him into a clean, well-kept foyer. Polished wood glared accusingly up at him through the cloak of darkness. Wishing not to continue in the gloom, Lumos, and his wand was immediately lit with a soft glow.
The gentle knocking on her front door woke Melody, carefully she had thrown her feet over the side of the bed, and they met noiselessly with the plush rose shaded carpet. Moving stealthily she made her way through the hall and to the top of the staircase. With left foot poised in mid-air, ready to descend onto the stairs, the bell rang. Insufferable was the sound that haunted her with nightmares. Frozen in her stance, she stared down into the bleak nothingness that blanketed her front room. Ready to die she waited and watched for any sign of entrance, pitifully hoping that whoever it was would simply leave. Who could be there at that hour?
When the creaking of an opening door whispered in her ear she though she would depart this life. Someone was entering her house…uninvited. That could hardly be a glorious thing. Heart pounding erratically in her chest, and blood gushing through her veins, where the only things she could hear or feel. As a light began it's soft flush, moving silently into view of the staircase, Melody went cold.
A face became visible, barely. As it did, she went empty. Her heart seemed to stop, all feeling and all thought vanished. Hell, even blood seemed to be vacant from her cooled veins.
Severus watched Melody pale to such a staggering degree that he could not help feeling a prick of pride. As uncertain as he felt, he could still strike fear into her heart with just a mere glimpse of his face. He could feel the cruel smile slide expertly onto his lips. "Melody, please come down here. Be assured, I have not the desire to harm you." The silky voice purred without effort from his mouth. This same tone, same expression, had earned him the honor of most feared professor at Hogwarts. Git, bastard, he took all the various pet names with vulgar smugness. He was feared, hated, but most importantly respected.
He beckoned with his porcelain white tapering fingers. Not leaving her still form, his ebony eyes worked to draw her near. Although she stood atop a high staircase, the same gothic aura that had greeted him at the funeral met and seemed to surpass his own.
He could practically envision the wheels furiously turning in her brain. Escape, that's what she sought…but how? Severus knew there was no way for her to get away, unless she concluded that suicide was better than what he had planned. Flinging herself out a window and plummeting to death's waiting arms was by far too simple. Melody was much too strong for such a cowardly act; her father's venomous blood wouldn't stand for it. Though if she were to rid Severus of his doubtlessly joyous mission he would only be too happy.
Furious that she refused to respond, Severus spoke again, slower and softer. "Melody you must come with me." He waited, but her insolence was appalling. "If I intended to harm you girl, I would have taken these pathetic steps like lightning, striking just as the comprehension dawns upon your face. Come down here now, less I have to go and fetch you."
His booming timbre rocked her, at the menacing command she padded almost silently, barefoot, down to meet him. Reasoning and fear battle within her, he said he didn't wish to harm her, but he had just broken into her home. What could he possibly want?
Standing before him finally, she was more than faintly aware of their difference in size, she was barely five foot, and he had to be six something. Forcing herself to look into his eyes, she was stunned with their dark, bleak beauty. Deep pools of onyx glittered before her, dazzling her in their sinister dance. They scowled down, each topped with one perfectly black eyebrow arched to the heavens.
"Get out of my house." She knew the order was pointless, yet she breathed the words despite. It wasn't as though he was simply going to shrug and respond with 'oh well, since you just told me to leave, after I went through all that trouble of breaking in and all…I'll just be on my way, and good day!'
In fact, she didn't get an answer at all; just one evil grin that stretched across his gorgeously pale face. This sick smile revealed one clean-cut row of white enamel. She studied him closely and noticed that he seemed to ooze cynicism. It dripped through his oily black hair, from the long clear fingernails, and from that pointy hooknose. He was not bad looking at all; in fact, in a gloomy way he was beautiful. But he was here to do something terrible to her, so she should probably stop marveling at his wicked good looks.
"I do believe there is a discussion at hand my dear." The words ran like freezing liquid off his tongue.
Without waiting for her response, he made his way to her fine sitting room. Like the bench upon her porch, the creamy leather sofas were flushed with burgundy. Carelessly he settled into Melody's favorite chair, crossing his lean legs, and draping sturdy, wiry arms over the rests. Choosing to sit as far away as possible, Melody made to sit at the far end of her couch.
"No no my darling." Motioning to the comfortable loveseat much closer to him, he lazily implied that she would sit near him.
Refusing to look away from him, she settled onto the tiny couch, nestling one of the grand pillows onto her lap.
"Melody," he spoke after she had settled in, "I am here to deliver you back into the world of magic. You will…"
"No! No I will not go ba-"
"YOU WILL." His resting hand rolled into a lily-white fist, slamming against her chair. The sudden violence made her jump; yet she was relentless.
"I will not. You cannot force me. I hate it, I hate…"
He stood, wordlessly, yet it was enough to send her sputtering, sentence unfinished. He was very serious, that scowl more grave then threatening. Towering over her he whispered, slowly. "You will join me on the trip back to Hogwarts, I trust you have heard of the school?" At her timid nod he continued, " You will meet Albus Dumbledore, the reason for your return. Once there you will learn some indefinitely interesting things about yourself." That was it, he then moved past her, in search of the kitchen. The journey had been long, and he had had little to eat since his last breakfast at the High Table.
Melody remained on the loveseat, furiously contemplating his words. What interesting things? She knew so little about her own life, her own beginning. Her mother had been Paula Renee Joseph, though her father she had never heard anything from or about. Where had she been born? Who had taken her in? Melody's earliest memory was sleeping out in winter's frost, but surely it hadn't always been that way, there had to be someone who had nurtured her until she was about four.
Following the man toward her kitchen, she dared to speak. "Who are you?"
"Severus Snape."
"Why Hogwarts?"
"It is my home, I am the Potions Professor."
"Oh."
"Where is your food?"
"Well, I haven't been to the store, since…um, well…"
"Indeed. No matter, collect your things and we shall be on our way." There was a pause; she still did not want to go. "I pray you realize by now, you have little say in this matter." He was speaking, still with his back to her.
"I know."
And thus began the unraveling of her destiny. Discarding the black bible with its rich golden engraved cover, she collected few personal possessions, photographs of Caleb and her mother, a white linen dress that had been a favorite of Caleb's and various other clothing articles. Wedged into the relatively small duffel bad was her journal, the precious account of her everyday with Caleb. Bursting with pictures and drawings the book had its own soul, holding inside its lined white pages her very life.