Disclaimer: Okay I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this for that matter apart from a few that you haven't seen in the books... They are the creation along with the scenery of J. K. Rowling, the plot however is mine, and well, J. K. is hardly likely to think this junk up...
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Author's Note: Hello again, I am high - again, how monotonous, and cooking curry, man I love curry, and Snape him too hehehe... I'm very sorry, this story yet again gets stranger and stranger and keep with it cause the next chapter drives me nuts..... ::gets all excited:: yippee! Nearly there though that isn't the end either, and well... I was hyper when I wrote this, or it was 3 am I'm not too sure, probably... Please review! I need more reviews, I'm so hyper and yeah.. I actually finished Higher Learning, thank god for that, I'm glad that's over with, hehehe. Anyway I do hope you like this chapter, it took me long enough, and well I liked it... Please review!
erm... Long chapter ahead, please read, I swear its not that bad, I just got a little carried away.
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The light burns and the darkness freezes.
Shiver
Professor Dumbledore sat in his office more preoccupied than usual, something was happening at his school and for once in his life he wasn't sure what it was. It appeared to be connected to two of his teachers who seemed to be behaving oddly even for their usual quirks. He placed some of his memories into the pensive before placing it back on the shelf behind him. Just as he'd taken his seat again there was another knock at the door; it was becoming an unusual evening even though he was relieved about one event - at least Severus had returned to Hogwarts unharmed.
"Come in," he called looked expectantly at the door. The large polished oak door opened and Severus stepped through the door clutching his arm followed by Raine who appeared to be a little shaken - her face was pallid and she appeared to have a red hand.
"Something is happening Sir and I don't know what," Snape said lifting his sleeve, the area around the Dark mark was bright red, the mark itself was bleeding, blood flowing from the eyes of the snake and the teeth, the edges of the tattoo seemed to be cut and he didn't seem to be too bothered about it - the pain had been taken from him.
"How did that happen Severus?" Dumbledore asked getting to his feet and walking up to them to get a closer look.
"I don't know but I think I'd be blind by now if Raine hadn't done something," he looked to Raine and held out her arm, it was washed red and a small amount of blood running from somewhere on her arm but there were no cuts, grazes, nothing that could offer an explanation as to why the blood was there. It appeared to be coming from the same places as Severus'
"What did you do Raine?" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, she was pregnant and this was dangerous, in a way he didn't want to see this child harmed and if she was harming it on purpose she not only risked it but her own life hung in the balance. It was strange to think this unborn child could become the master of evil... some how it didn't quite gel.
"I used the..." She started.
"She robbed me of the pain and inflicted it upon herself..." Severus rushed in, he didn't want Dumbledore to know exactly what she had done just in case he flipped and sacked her. "Then she blasted it out of herself and this happened," he continued pointing to his arm hoping to draw the Headmaster's attention to his arm and away from what Raine had done in an effort to save his neck.
"I think you should go to see Madam Pomfrey... Both of you," Dumbledore said, he didn't need telling what she had done, he could tell by the way Severus hadn't let her finish, he was pretty sure she would have told him the truth and it didn't really bother him even if she had, she wouldn't have risked Severus' life that was clear and her reasoning seemed innocent enough.
"I don't think I can make it there, I'm feeling kind of dizzy..." Severus said beginning to sway on the spot loss of blood however was something that the absorption charm couldn't stop. Dumbledore pointed his wand at Snape's extended arm and as a spray of golden light engulfed his arm the blood stopped flowing and he began to get a grip on himself.
"That better?" Dumbledore asked as Snape stood blinking, that had been a strange sensation. "Now please go have Madam Pomfrey check on you please... Raine, I want you to go as well. Take Severus down there and stay there, I don't want you to leave without having Poppy take a look at you," she nodded though she had no intention of doing what he asked She opened the door and guided Snape out of the room and don the staircase, Raine hated hospitals, they were creepy and usually stank of disease - or at least the ones she had been to often had. Hogwarts however wasn't that bad but she still didn't like it, she couldn't hide things from Madam Pomfrey she could from everyone else.
"What do you think happened there?" Severus asked as Raine walked by his side to the Hospital wing.
"I don't know that was really creepy, I thought you were going to die," she said calmly without looking at him.
"You weren't actually going to tell Dumbledore what you did were you?"
"I think he already knew," she said walking up the steps. "You can't hide anything from Dumbledore Severus; it's kind of annoying."
"I don't think so; it's a very uncommon reaction to someone who's suffering from an unknown affliction, why did you do it?" He kept throwing questions at her and she didn't want to answer them, she didn't want to tell him her real reasons, she felt silly, his reaction would be... she didn't know and she was sure it was a hormonal imbalance from the foreign body within her.
"I told you before, I don't like dead things, I can't stand death it makes me ill." Would he believe that? Well tough that was all he was getting.
"There has to be a better reason than that." It seemed stupid to Snape that she would have risked her neck because she hated dead things... no that made perfect sense if he didn't know her to be cold hearted and generally deadly. Death wouldn't bother her in the slightest; she seemed like the person that would be doing the killing.
"Well there isn't okay!" She snapped opening the door for him, she hid her arm and got Madam Pomfrey told her what had happened to Severus and then excused herself, left out the fact that she had absorbed the pain and injured her head on the door. She was happy to be out of anyone's site it was a feeling of freedom. She looked at her arm again; the bleeding had stopped, that was extremely strange, that had never happened when she'd done that to people in the past.
On heading back to her office she heard some footsteps, heavy footsteps, someone who was not ashamed of who they were because she could tell by the sound that they had a proud walk. Raine popped her head around the corner to get a look at who was approaching and before she could do anything the tall looming figure had grabbed her by the arm and was marching her down to the dungeons. Every effort she made to struggle made him increase his iron like grip, she wanted to scream but before she had the chance he silenced her voice box completely. He walked her down to the statue of the one eyed witch and opened the tunnel before dropping her into it, she threw her hands into her pockets and found her wand, she immediately undid the silencing charm before she was grabbed from behind by the first hooded figures associate. She let out a small yelp before the other man lowered himself into the tunnel and the second man placed a hand over her mouth, he smelt a little like alcohol but medicinal alcohol, not ale or spirits. His fingers were long and emaciated, she wanted to bite him to get his hand from her face but considering the position she was in she considered that to be a bit of a poor decision.
"You could have been a little more careful when dropping her down here Malfoy; the Master wanted her unhurt remember," the second man said he had an unbelievable deep voice that was definitely put on, there was almost something recognisable about it.
"Untouched I think was what he wanted," Lucius said looking at the second looming dark figure smooth his fingers down her waist, she cringed.
"Who are you people... Let me go!" She yelled kicking her feet about as the man holding her lifted her effortlessly from the ground.
"Quiet you stupid woman, or would you prefer we knock you out," Lucius snapped, she thought about it for a second.
"Help!" She screamed, as Lucius' fist came flying at her face. She ducked her head out of the way and instead of hitting her he hit the man holding her who then released her and she was able to step away from them, the second and shorter of the two was cursing Lucius for being a clumsy idiot.
"Don't worry my dear I won't hurt you," Lucius whispered like she was some kind of child easily fooled.
"Excuse me? Look Malfoy I'm not an idiot and want to know who this other bigot is!" She roared yanking the hood off the man who started to stumble about trying to hide his face.
"Get her off me!" The man called to his associate before she pulled his head back by his hair, jet-black and straight...
"Quentus!" She breathed stumbling back against the wall and falling over.
"She knows you Matrix?" Lucius said looking at Raine as she tried to lift herself from the floor but she hurt her back and kept falling back again once the pain became too much.
"Get her off the ground! We've got to get her to the Master," Quentus said approaching her again holding his eye when Lucius had hit him.
"What are you doing?" She said in disbelief looking at Quentus again to be sure she wasn't seeing things. "I trusted you... Not completely but in a way... What have you become?"
"What have I always been you mean?" He said pulling her from the ground by her hair and placing his hands round her chest holding her off the ground cupping her breasts in his hands. Raine began to struggle wildly, she hated him and he made her feel dirty, disgusting, vile, infectious man, her stomach twisted as she nearly lost her lunch.
"How do you know each other?" Lucius said looking at Quentus who was smelling her hair holding her extremely tightly under his powerful grip.
"She's my sister," he mumbled moving one of his hands from her chest to her face and turned it to face him. "Isn't that right?" He said in his normal slippery voice. She tried to look away from him his eyes blazing a pale blue. "I said isn't that right?!" He yelled at her before attempting to kiss her, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to look away from him.
"That's disgusting," Lucius said knocking Quentus round the face allowing Raine to fall to the floor again. Quentus looked at him with distain and placed his hand to the eye that Lucius had hit yet again, stuck in the same eye twice in minutes, how annoying.
"It's only by name!" She yelled at Quentus as she managed to pull herself to her feet. "And I'm not yours in that way either! I have a brother, a real one and he's nothing like you! He's nothing like me either!"
"But that's not what you want though is it?" Quentus said clamping the front of her robes in his fist and dragging her to him. "You want me, family or no, I will have you!"
"Take your hands off me!" She snapped forcing a flat palm into his face breaking his nose. "Not so perfect anymore is it?!" She said maliciously.
"Fucking bitch!" Quentus yelled walloping her round the head into Lucius who threw her over his shoulder and began to walk out of the tunnel into Hogsmeade, it was very late and no one would have seen or noticed him walking her alone, they would have thought her to be drunk, he was shortly joined by Quentus who was fuming. He'd never really been so angry.
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"What are we going to do?" Hermione cried looking down the tunnel, she Harry and Ron had been hiding in the tunnel under the invisibility cloak the whole time, when they were sure that the two Death Eaters had gone the didn't know how to respond. They'd heard the scream for help while passing in through the dungeons on one of their late strolls about the castle.
"Get Dumbledore, and McGonagall," Harry said looking down the tunnel after them he wasn't too sure the Death Eaters had gone yet.
"Why McGonagall... What use could she be?" Ron asked thinking about their house mistress, she didn't strike him as the kind to deal with this situation even though he believed she probably could cope, he just suspected they'd lose about three hundred points for Gryffindor just for being awake let alone in the dungeons.
"Well Snape isn't here, otherwise I would get you to get him because they're his 'friends', and he's tougher but needs must and she's in trouble," Harry said, Hermione blushed and Ron gave an awkward smile, Snape would probably be as bad if not worse on the point's score but he definitely meaner than McGonagall.
"Snape is back, he caught us trying to get into Hogsmeade..." Harry looked at them, then decided to dismiss that. He didn't want to know what they were planning, decided it was better not to ask them.
"Just get them, I'll wait here in case they come back," Harry said sounding very authoritive, Ron and Hermione had learnt not to disagree with him too often, it became boring since he always had to be the one to find things out.
Hermione started towards McGonagall's office when she came across Snape. He was walking slowly but appeared to be a little better than he had been when he caught them earlier.
"Sir! - Professor Snape!" She called, he looked at her coldly and stood still.
"What is it this time Granger?" He drawled.
"Stark! Professor Stark is in trouble... two men dragged her unconscious from the school," she said catching her breath.
"Have you told Dumbledore?" He said sounding a little more alert than before.
"Ron has just gone to get him. Come quickly, Harry's down in the tunnel under the one eyed witch by himself... what if they come back?!" She said staring to run back to the tunnel. Snape over took her and threw himself down the tunnel landing on his feet looking about himself scanning the area.
"Where did they go Potter?" He snapped looking at Harry as he walked back from the opposite end of the tunnel.
"I saw than drag her to the caves then they disapparated," Harry said a little sheepishly.
"Then it's no good waiting down here... they'll not be back," Snape said calmly though he wasn't feeling too calm. "We'd better see Dumbledore, tell him what you saw," he appeared to be being civil to Harry though he was too tired to completely lose his head.
"I know..." Harry said, he didn't really want to explain why they had been in the dungeons to hear her scream.
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On their way up to Dumbledore's office they ran into the Professor himself who was on his way down to where they had come from.
"Why aren't you down there?" The Headmaster asked a little perplexed.
"They're gone there's nothing down there... I do however think we should gather all the information they have to find out why they might have taken her," Snape suggested as Dumbledore looked at the three of them, Harry was trying to hide the invisibility cloak behind his back.
"Very well Severus, my office please you three," Dumbledore said turning around and heading back to his office. Reaching the gargoyle muttered the password and the door opened, they stepped onto the revolving staircase and when the reached the top of the stairs Dumbledore opened the large oak doors with ease for such an old man, and asked them each to take a seat, he took his seat behind his desk calmly but Severus could see that he was extremely distressed. The Death Eaters were becoming more brazen and taking more risks.
"Could you explain to me exactly what you saw please Harry?" He said looking at Harry who seemed to be looking pale. He went through the whole situation he had witnessed along with helpful descriptions from Hermione and Ron, they each seemed to be sure that the tall darker man calling himself Quentus Matrix had same form of relationship with Professor Stark but she despised him, they were each able to see that from the look on her face as he had tried to kiss her. Severus was burning deep down, this man was making him angry and he had never met the man... He couldn't quite pin point where all the aggression was coming from but he knew it was there.
"Any observations you made about her mannerisms around either of the men?" Severus asked, his voice was angry, anyone in the room could tell that... Harry couldn't see why he would be so angry though he had seen what happened in the Great Hall at Christmas and was beginning to believe the rumour that was flying around the two Professors.
"When she addressed Mr. Malfoy she was quite coy but she seemed too angry to be bothered about something... She definitely was bothered about something round him though, I could sense it. Professor Stark was not herself down there, she seemed scared and when she had uncovered the second man she nearly fainted. She was clearly taken aback by him. then she started to say how she had trusted him and asked him what he was doing there... He told her he was what he had always been," Hermione said looking to Ron who was agreeing with her.
"What does that mean?" Snape asked Dumbledore, he didn't appear to know. The older wizard shook his head and began to think about the whole situation.
"Harry could I?" Dumbledore pointed to the pensive with his wand, Harry nodded, Dumbledore tapped Harry's right temple and a little cloud of thought appeared on the tip of Dumbledore's wand. "You're free to go now," Dumbledore said looking into the pensive at all the information. Normally Severus would have felt he had to question why they were down there but for once he didn't, he decided that it would be better to let it be than to horang them with questions and punish them for stumbling upon something they didn't intend to in a way he was glad they had seen it, it gave them more to go on.
"What do you see?" Severus said looking at Dumbledore who frowned at the vision before him in the pensive.
"You see that man, Matrix, he's very familiar to me and I don't quite remember where I place him, but there is definitely something about him that I recognise. Though the attitude has changed a lot," Dumbledore was trying to place this Quentus in his past because he was sure he had encountered him before.
"You know him?"
"No, but I recognise him," Dumbledore returned the pensive to the glass cabinet and placed his wand back into his blue robes.
"What are we going to do now... I can't approach Voldemort I've not been summoned, and Raine... he might kill her," Snape panicked.
"He's not going to kill her, Voldemort asked for her to remain untouched and unharmed so I doubt very much he's going to kill her," Dumbledore said getting out of his seat. "The best thing to do in my opinion is to wait around the cliffs something tells me she's going to be released around there... I'm not sure why."
"Then we'd better get going, it's been half an hour already... What do you suppose he could want with her?"
"No idea..." Dumbledore didn't like lying to Severus but he was sure the truth wouldn't go down to well and perhaps in a way Raine had been right to wipe his memory so he hadn't a clue.
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Disapparating made Raine feel sick, it couldn't be good in her condition, she'd only disapparated twice since she had become pregnant and the later into the term she did it the worse she felt. Lucius and Quentus walked along in front of her expecting that now she would follow them but she remained still. Quentus looked back at her with disgust and stood waiting expectantly for her.
"Come on Raine!" He snapped. "We don't have all day!"
"I can't... I think I'm going to be sick," she knelt on the floor clutching her stomach, Lucius looked at her, he though that the whack to the head had done more damage than to subdue her, he was beginning to think that Voldemort wouldn't be very please with him.
"Well we were told to get you there quickly so... up you get," Quentus said lifting her to her feet and guiding her to Voldemort. He was sitting looking very pleased with himself as he looked to Raine who was slumped as usual to hide the fact she was getting bigger.
"I see you're trying to hide the truth Miss Stark," he hissed looked as she was pulled before him.
"Forgive me, but I'm not well..." She said holding her stomach and retched.
"Unwell?" He said looking at both Lucius and Quentus who shrank back.
"These two chimpanzees disapparated with me and... it's not good for me," she said gagging again.
"Chimpanzees? Lucius... Did I not instruct you to leave her untouched," Voldemort hummed his voice a cold hiss.
"But my Lord I didn't..." Voldemort lifted his wand and Quentus had a small cruel smile slip up his face, Raine couldn't stand the way Quentus was always so smug, she could lie, he'd have more than a broken nose before the night was over.
"It was Matrix!" Raine coughed before she threw up, Voldemort's wand immediately changed direction and pointed at Quentus who looked a little puzzled briefly, it all happened very quickly.
"Crucio!" He roared. "I knew I couldn't trust you to leave her alone!" Quentus was writhing on the floor in agony but was refusing to utter a scream, Raine knew that he would never show pain if he could help it when he was sober. "Why isn't he screaming?!" Voldemort was annoyed by the lack of sound and glowered at the man who just rolled around his face showing the pain but his vocals refusing to give in. Raine stepped forward and looked to Voldemort.
"You need to distract him," she said in her normal, I'm a mindless zombie voice. "Like this," she said throwing her foot into his stomach, he let out the more hideously loud howl of pain she had ever heard, Voldemort covered his ears. Raine revelled in the sound, no one deserved it more. She was also proving to Voldemort she could stomach being evil.
"Oh..." He hissed looking at the fallen man who was now making sufficient sound, his pride had now been damaged and Raine knew that she was in for it the next time they met.
"You wanted to see me my Lord..." She said falling to her knees as Voldemort lifted the curse from Quentus, she kissed the hem of his robe and it felt like her spine had evaporated.
"Yes... Stand up straight Miss Stark," she did as she was told hoping to be deceptive and keep him from cursing her. "Very good..." He hummed a small note of pleasure seeing the small swell at her hips. "Come closer..." He hissed taking his seat again, she closed her eyes and did as she was told, she felt a skeleton like hand touch her stomach, Voldemort smoothed his fingers over the swell she felt a sudden rush of sickness sweep her as the reptile touched her, she stepped back and went to run.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lucius said, as she ran into him, he grabbed both her wrists and glowered down at her.
"I have to be sick..." She said hoping he would let her go and do what she had to do.
"You'll wait until the Master is finished with you," he said in an oily tone.
"No... Please you don't understand..." She said gagging, he turned her around and brought her to Voldemort again.
"Don't displease me again Miss Stark... You're not safe forever," he hissed dangerously. "Get her out of my sight," he ordered, Lucius dragged her out of the room.
"Let me go!" She cried as he got her out of the room.
"I'm returning you to your school... Just one point, you have a problem with my son... I would suggest you leave him alone if you want to keep you job much longer," he said dangerously.
"And I suggest you let me go now unless you want a face full of my breakfast!" She snapped, he released her and she doubled over making a sound that made Lucius feel queasy.
"Are you quite finished?" He said his back to her, there was no sound. He turned around, she'd gone... bitch!
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Raine apparated out on the cliffs outside Hogsmeade. She felt sick again, she hated disapparating but she couldn't stay around them, it was making her feel worse. She had to get back to the school only she was a bit further out on the cliffs than she had planned.
She felt like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards and been smacked around the head with a wet kipper. She wandered for a while then realised she didn't know where she was, what an idiot, she'd lost her sense of direction too, she may as well just kill herself now, save the embarrassment of asking someone for directions... if she ever found anyone.
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"So when do you think they'll let her go?" Severus asked Dumbledore anxiously as they headed out onto the cliffs.
"Soon I would imagine," Dumbledore said walking out by the cliffs in the wind, his beard was beginning to annoy him, why didn't he ever trim it? Snape's hair was blowing about but it would be no way near as annoying as having a waist length face wig blowing in your eyes, it refused to tuck into his belt today he wasn't too sure why.
"I hope we find her soon..." Dumbledore took time to notice Snape was worried, it seemed that he was hiding less and less every time he went near Raine... it was a strange concept but Severus appeared to care for her, it was sad to think what had happened, it may have been very different now if what had happened hadn't.
"She can take care of herself Severus, you know what she's like," he wanted to reassure Snape, he didn't quite know if it was working but he had to try, he didn't like to see Severus this way, it was far too strange.
"We'd better keep looking," Snape said looking at Dumbledore briefly, judging by his expression he wasn't too sure about the statement he had just made.
::~::~::~::~::~::
"Well what can I say? Your mother is a moron, and she's talking to you," Raine looked at herself and then thought about what she was doing, it was completely crazy, it couldn't hear her. "Yes definitely lost it. Got anything to say?" Raine paused for a while waiting, she'd only been on her on for a while and she was talking to herself. She didn't like to sit about, it was annoying plus it made her gain weight not that she could help that at this present time. "I thought not... sorry," she said, trying to make some form of primitive communication with the child seemed to be rather futile. "Any ideas as to what to do next? No... you're going to be as useless as me... I don't know why the cretinous snake wants you... if the circumstances were better I assure you I would be keeping you, raising you myself," she began talking as if it could hear her. It was giving her a little chance to explain to herself what she was doing and why. "So I'll apologise now, okay? I'm sorry I'm a coward and can't face you... You'll spend time with your aunt and uncle, Gregory and Eida, they'll be much better parents than me, they'll give you the life you deserve," she couldn't believe her throat actually had a lump in it. "I'd be a terrible mother you know... It's true, I'd make you go to bed early, I guess I'd be a bit of a disciplinarian and then you would end up the way that reptile wants you and it would be all my fault because I was too strict and would annoy the crap out of you," she closed her eyes and thought about what she was doing but then thought she'd just stay still and continue talking. "Put any thought to what you want to be called?" That was a silly thing to ask it, how could it know unless she knew what sex it was and she wasn't even sure of that. "Yes I know I'm an idiot how can I ask that now... I appreciate it's a little early and late now, I know I've been selfish and haven't slept a lot but it's because I've been worried about your father..." She clapped her hand to her mouth, what was she saying? This was terrible. "No... I've not been worried about him, I lied, I lied!" It wasn't like she was talking to the child any more it was like she had placed herself in front of a jury and was being informed she'd said something illegal... then she was claiming she'd lied, that was like purgery... shit!
"Just trust me, I promise now I'm sure of what I'm going to do with you I'll take a little better care of you... yes I'll stop disapparating because it isn't fair I know... It also makes me ill so I can understand where you're coming from there... or was that you. Okay I accept that as your revenge," she began talking to her stomach again.
::~::~::~::~::~::
Dumbledore wandered a little further along than Severus because some muffled talking drew his attention, he stood and listened for a while, he knew it was Raine, she appeared to be talking to someone, well he knew who it was.
"All I can say my dear is that I hope you're a Hufflepuff - that would really put the wind up red eyes wouldn't it?" She gave a small laugh... "Future of all that is evil... patient just and loyal, that would really annoy him wouldn't it?" She laughed again before patting her stomach lightly. "I'm going to sleep now... you're not very good company really so I'll sleep and do us both a favour," Dumbledore was able to see as she rolled onto her side and curled up.
It was almost touching, she was showing warmth to something she didn't even want and she was giving up, she didn't bother to move. Dumbledore noticed she had just curled up and was trying to sleep on a cold cliff face, it was a heart-breaking scene. She didn't look pregnant from where he was standing and he would be able to get Severus to help her with him without giving the game away.
"Severus," he called. "I've found her," he said softly, Severus strode from cave he was looking and stopped next to Dumbledore who was watching her as she drifted into a calm easy sleep.
"She's not..."
"No, come on, let's get her back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said approaching her, she was shaking. "Raine?" He called softly.
"Albus? What are you doing in my office and who switched the heating off?" She looked blankly at him as Severus' face came into view. "I really don't know what you guys are doing in here?" She said looking at their sad and serious expression. "Am I fired?" She said remaining curled up but her voice a little worried.
"No Raine... You're outside, you can't stay out here," Dumbledore said calmly.
"So that's why it looks a bit of a mess round here... I was thinking someone had been in and ran sacked the place, oh I'm so relieved," Severus took his long heavy black cloak off and wrapped it round her as Dumbledore helped her to her feet.
"Are you okay Raine?" He asked as she placed an arm about his shoulders to help herself stand.
"Oh, you know, the usual, bit tired kinda snappy and really hungry," she said now sure her feet were firmly on the ground and she was sure she could walk, she was hungry but for several things which she didn't care to go into but one of them wasn't the eating kind, he eyed her shrewdly.
"The sandwiches?"
"How did you know?" She said beginning to walk off in the wrong direction, Snape and Dumbledore both remained where they were. "Do you have any?" She said hopefully but not bothering to look at either of them.
"It's this way Raine," Severus said lifting an eyebrow.
"Just stretching my legs, I knew that... I really did. Now this way you say..." She said pointing behind them, they both nodded. "Lets go..." She reached them again and they began to walk off as she stopped. Dumbledore looked at her strangely, she held up her hand and motioned it so that who ever was watching knew to look away, Dumbledore did so immediately and all Severus could hear was a gut wrenching gurgle - he swallowed hard.
"Okay I'm ready now," she said walking off again.
"Sure?" Severus asked to make sure. She started walking really quickly his cloak billowing after her.
"Positive," she said absently, Dumbledore smiled slightly and they two stragglers picked up their pace.
"What did those men want with you?" Snape couldn't help asking her.
"To drag me up before a jumped up grass worm and try to make me press my lips to those hessien robes of his, of course I declined, that sort of black never did suit me," she joked, he wasn't too convinced that had happened but he didn't want to question her, she seemed to be a little ill.
When they reached the castle Dumbledore was sure to see she got to the Hospital wing and stayed there this time she had a habit of saying things she didn't intend to stick to. Severus was a little surprised at her behaviour, she was being generally light headed and acting a little stupid. What had they done to her?
::~::~::~::~::~::
When Raine woke after what seemed like a week in the hospital wing, but actually turned out to be twenty-four hours she was given strict instructions to go to see the Headmaster, she felt like a student again. Madam Pomfrey had been so adamant that she accompanied Raine there herself to make sure she didn't stray off along the way. When she got there Madam Pomfrey made sure Dumbledore had noticed she was there before leaving them alone.
"You wanted to see me Albus," she said calmly. "Though I don't understand the need for the armed guard." She referred to Madam Pomfrey who wouldn't be shaken off.
"I just have a few questions Raine," he said looking into the Pensive.
"A few? Shoot," she said looking at him as he continued to furrow his brow looking into the stored memory.
"This Quentus fellow... what's his surname?" Raine looked perplexed why was he asking about Quentus other than the fact she wanted him dead what was to know?
"Stark... I think," she didn't sound too sure though.
"I had that checked," he said seeming to have more of an idea what to say than she did. "There is no such person," he eyed her suspiciously. "How many more Stark's do you know?"
"Two," she said slowly.
"Well I'm going to put it to you like this, I know that isn't the original surname."
"Then what is Quentus' surname? I mean, we do work in the mysteries department, the reason for them remaining unfound makes perfect sense." She said trying to think.
"In the tunnel Lucius Malfoy referred to Quentus as Matrix, I had that looked up, there is no one by the name of Quentus Matrix either, but then I thought how common can the name Quentus be? I looked that up as well... The only one I was able to find under the name of Quentus who was still alive was someone by the name Quentus Maytricks - this was someone I remembered. Do you remember exactly what he specialised in?" Dumbledore was deducing everything and these were facts that even Raine didn't know about him.
"Medicine, he was a Doctor," she said.
"Exactly, he was the Doctor at the Ministry of Magic for about ten years, then he was transferred to a different section of the Ministry. You said that he was your brother?"
"In name," she said quickly. "I can't stand him, he makes my skin crawl. He tries to abuse his power at the Ministry and uses the fact that we aren't blood relatives to get close to me, or he would if I'd let him."
"When he was about sixteen he ran away from Hogwarts, no one heard from him for years and his parents believed him to be dead. I had to deal with them, he had been a Gryffindor and in my house at the time. A very smart young man if a little hot headed," Albus was making Raine's headache, she'd never been sure of his past and all this was news to her even if it did make perfect sense, he was getting a little close to other information though, information Raine didn't wish to give up.
"Extremely hot headed. But why are you telling me this?" She said wanting to know exactly what he was getting at.
"You say that he's your brother?" Dumbledore asked patiently.
"In name - he was my teacher, taught me basic medicine and gives me instructions about what my next missions are to be... or something like that, well that's what he's supposed to do but he usually tries to..." she broke off. "Then I beat the hell out of him before he goes away for a while then comes back to give it another go."
"So he's your boss in a way?"
"Something like that but I didn't hear anything from him since December and neither has Astix," she said thinking about Quentus' real role in her life.
"Astix? Another Stark?" Dumbledore asked picking up on the name.
"He too acquired the name..." she said sheepishly... too close.
"Astix Wise?" Dumbledore asked calmly, he seemed to have more of a command over this name.
"Yes, he's a..." Dumbledore cut her off... far too close.
"Potions Professor at a University, the one with no name, personally I find that pointless but anyway; he went here as well, an extremely smart man, level headed and a little too smart if you ask me. He's about seventy now," Dumbledore said with surprising ease. "Yet another run away case, his disappearance was less clumsy than that of Mr. Maytricks, who chose to run away on the night. Astix disappeared in the middle of the night leaving no clue as to where he went, I was to discover later when playing bridge with him that he had learned the invisibility charm and simply walked out. It didn't really surprise me really... he was a Ravenclaw after all," he looked at Raine again who was beginning to turn white. "Who was the other?"
"Hombruh..." she said breathlessly taking a seat opposite Dumbledore and generally looking sheet white gripping the arms of the chair so tightly her knuckles went white.
"Hombruh Genis?" Raine nodded, her voice wasn't working... warning! Warning! Too close! "He was about the same age as Severus if I remember rightly. A very edgy young man but very loyal to everyone he knew, he was a Hufflepuff, not exactly smart, a little distracted, he had golden eyes which I thought was extremely strange and often disappeared for weeks on end but kept coming back until his final year when he disappeared completely just before he was due to take his N.E.W.Ts." Raine colour continued to drain, she had a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "All these men changed their names after several years, Astix was still Astix Wise the last time I saw him about forty years ago but is now Astix Stark am I right?" She nodded again trying to avoid eye contact. "Now this leads me to you Raine... you are a recorded member of society I have however been unable to discover where you were educated, there hasn't been a Raine Stark pass through Hogwarts, Durmstrang or Beauxbatons... I say Beauxbatons last because you don't strike me as the French type and I don't think you would have been to Durmstrang for seven years simply because you sound very English, as if you'd only spent about a week away just to catch the sun and then didn't enjoy yourself," Dumbledore gave her a penetrating stare and she looked at the floor tiles even more intently, he was far too close.
"I did go to Durmstrang!" She said trying to sound convincing though he had already mentioned she'd been to Hogwarts on her first day... she hadn't picked up on it, how could he have known? "The fire must have affected the records!"
"And that would make you how many years old? Eighty? The records remained unharmed then as well so I don't know why you don't just tell me the truth," Dumbledore gave a shrewd and he appeared to be a little annoyed she was with holding information, Raine however didn't see the relevance. It didn't affect who she was.
"Home school?" She tried hopefully though she now had completely blown the plan she had given
"There is one missing piece to this puzzle Raine and it's you... Now Quentus had been a Gryffindor and left Hogwarts before he was supposed to in suspicious circumstances. Astix was a Ravenclaw and he too left a little early though no one had really noticed he had gone. Mr. Genis was a Hufflepuff and I don't quite know how he got out..." Dumbledore looked at Raine who started to speak if a little quietly.
"Animagus... Hawk, flew," she said softly lightly flapping her arms but still concentrating on the ground.
"Oh yes, that makes more sense now... Minerva will be pleased. That and we found golden feathers in the owlery," Dumbledore paused for thought. "There is only one of the Hogwarts School houses that remains absent from your group. Slytherin, there is no one from Slytherin," he looked at Raine shrewdly again. "There is only one other disappearance from Hogwarts that stands out to me... Of a young girl who just dropped dead before the body miraculously disappeared in the night without trace."
"You aren't suggesting that was me?" Raine said coldly.
"Of course not Raine, but it would make a lot more sense. I can wait for your response Raine but you are going to tell me the truth," Dumbledore watched her sharply as she got to her feet and headed to the door.
"I am Raine Stark... It's preposterous to suggest that I have ever been anything else," she blurted out before trying the door, she got it open before Dumbledore blasted it shut.
"Tell me the truth Raine," Dumbledore said softly.
"The truth! I am the truth!" She snapped before she looked down at the swell of her stomach. "Look I know I promised and everything but.... Look I'm sorry okay," she muttered to herself.
"What are you doing?" Dumbledore asked puzzled.
"One..." She took a deep breath. "Two..." she looked at Dumbledore who didn't seem to know what she was doing, it looked like a poor impression on the big bad wolf. "Three..." 'Pop' she disappeared, Dumbledore looked a little shocked for a minute before he remembered something he'd forgotten. Auror's were given the power to disapparate anywhere in case they got into trouble and needed a quick get away. He was able to do it even though he didn't usual bother, it was another reason why he had suspected Mad-eye Moody to be a fake two years ago... Moody had often chosen the shortest route to places because of his leg.
He knew the truth about her now, but he was going to wait for her to come to him. Perhaps he'd try her office, 'pop' he'd landed in the middle of her office in the chair opposite her side of the desk, he'd forgotten how painful it could be to disapparate inside of Hogwarts because of all the magic within the walls. She wasn't in there he looked at the picture on the desk. The frame had been repaired but the tear was still there, he could see it now. Hombruh was on her right, his head scanning the area like he had acute paranoia and Astix on her left, smiling.
::~::~::~::~::~::
When she reappeared Raine discovered herself to be in one of the empty baths in the Prefects bathroom. She tried but she couldn't pull herself out of the bath.
"Oh shit..." she grumbled lying in the bath until the morning, she'd have to wait for a student to help her out. She'd done some silly things in her pat but this just took the biscuit. What an idiot... she told herself.
::~::~::
Author's other notes cause she can't leave you people alone (mwahahaha) : What is going on, OoOoOo... I know, well of course I know what a silly thing to say, I think those twisted fries went to my head at lunch well never mind, hope you like it, please tell me please, pretty please? I implore you, Review! Anyways better leave you alone now.
Ciao
I.C. Fire
silver_shadow54@hotmail.com
(Burning rice gwaaaaa! ::runs to fix it::)