Chapter 10
(I truly used my artist's license on this one, as I have NO idea what Azkaban is like on the inside.)
I stepped out of a large fireplace and shivered violently. I was hit with sudden gust of freezing cold air, but it was not just the air that was cold. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and replaced with a cube of ice. Snape followed me out of the fireplace, guiding Shue out with his wand. He didn't appear to have been affected.
"I feel like an empty shell," I said quietly as I followed Snape out of the large, dark, dungeon-like room and down a hallway.
"I told you not to come," Snape said briskly. "It's the dementors, they will do that to you."
Shue whimpered. He, apparently, was not doing well either. His once ruddy cheeks were nearly grey, and his usually boisterous voice was silenced.
"Shut up!" Snape spat, prodding Shue with his wand. "Stay close to me," he added, looking back over his shoulder. "Have you seen a dementor before?"
"No."
"Best brace yourself then,"
"For what," I was about to ask, but just at that moment we reached the end of the hall and I saw them.
Three dementors were standing behind a very roly poly middle-aged man. Their dark hoods shook a bit, and they seemed to want to leap forward at us as we entered the room. I could hear a faint rattling noise coming from them, and the hollow feeling worsened. I wished I could cry, just to show some emotion, but I could not. I felt terrible and empty, and my head was filled with every terrible memory I had.
The short man stepped forward and smiled. I could not smile back, though I wanted to.
"Severus Snape, I presume?" He asked, holding out his hand. Snape took it slowly, and gave him a very brief handshake. "And this, is Mr. Shue?"
"Yes," Snape said sharply and glared at the simpering Shue.
"And who is this?" The man asked, turning his attention to me.
"Miss Meta Cockerham," Snape said. "She was the one taken captive."
"Oh! You're a brave lass," he complimented.
I nodded. I could do nothing else.
"My name is Boris Bottoms, by the way. Head of Azkaban Dementor Relations for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Just a fancy way of saying I tell the dementors what to do, really. Unless someone particularily nasty comes in, then the big guns deal with it."
"How interesting," Snape said sarcastically.
"Thank you," Bottoms smiled, obviously not catching on to Snape's sarcasm. "Well, I suppose we'd best get on with it."
"Yes, I think that would be a good idea," Snape replied, glancing briefly at me.
Bottoms released Shue from his cords and waved his hand. The dementors swept down on him and he squealed. I thought for a moment that they were going to give him a Kiss, and I threw my hands in front of my face, but they merely reached out there slimy looking hands and led him out the door.
I heard the rattling mixed with Shue's screams grow softer and softer, until I could hear them no more, and it became eerily silent.
"It's always difficult," Bottoms said, shaking his head. "But it must be done. Well, good luck, Miss Cockerham. You're a brave girl, you are." He said again.
"Thanks." I mumbled. Snape looked at me and hurried toward the hallway that we had come in from.
"We must be going. Miss Cockerham has had a very difficult few hours and I'm sure her aunt is anxious for her to come home."
"Yes, yes, of course, good-bye then," Bottoms said cheerfully and waved at us as Snape turned me around and led me down the hall.
He didn't speak, only glanced down at me from the corner of his eye. We reached the large fireplace and he grasped some Floo powder from his pocket.
"You don't look well," Snape said before softly pushing me into the fireplace.
"I'm fine..."
Snape stepped into the fireplace beside me and threw the Floo powder down.
"Cockerham Estate," he shouted, and the green flames engulfed us.
In less than a second we were in my Aunt Agnes' large study. Aunt Agnes herself, however, was not there.
"Thank you, Professor," I said, meaning to say goodbye, but he was still clutching my arm protectively.
"Where is your aunt? I'd really like to make sure she's here."
"Oh, she's here somewhere..."
"But you were kidnapped! I told her you'd be coming home in a few minutes, and that was nearly an hour ago. Shouldn't she be worried?" He looked very angry, but I didn't know why. I thought of all people, he'd know that my Aunt Agnes was not the sentimental type.
"It's fine, I'm fine," I insisted.
He squeezed my arm harder, and it began to hurt.
"Professor, my arm," I said quietly.
"Oh," he looked down at his hand and quickly let go. "Sorry. I didn't realize..."
"Well, I'll just be going now--"
"You should have some chocolate."
"I will, I'll eat some straight away."
"I really would like to speak with your aunt."
"That's not necessary--"
"What do you need, Severus?" My aunt casually walked into the room holding a wine glass. "Would you like some wine?"
"You do realize what your niece has been through don't you?" Snape demanded angrily.
"Oh yes, you informed me of her situation."
"Situation?" He said, clutching his fists.
"Professor, it's fine," I interrupted. "Please, this is just the way my aunt is, I'm fine, you can go."
"This isn't right, Meta. She should--" He said quietly to me.
"I should what, Severus?" Agnes glared and took a sip of her wine. "Sob and throw my self at your feet? She's only my niece. I do thank you for her return, but if you don't mind, I must get back to my pedicure." She gestured toward her toes and walked out the door.
"That woman." He glared daggers at the door after she shut it.
"Yes... She cares only for herself." I slumped down in a leather armchair. I was exhausted and really just wanted Snape to leave so I could go to sleep.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, yes," I waved my hand at him. Normally I would be ecstatic at his amazing amount of concern for me, but I was tired, dirty, and emotionally drained.
"Good-bye Miss Cockerham," he said apprehensively, and before apparating away he grasped my hand and gave it a quick, tight squeeze.
(I truly used my artist's license on this one, as I have NO idea what Azkaban is like on the inside.)
I stepped out of a large fireplace and shivered violently. I was hit with sudden gust of freezing cold air, but it was not just the air that was cold. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and replaced with a cube of ice. Snape followed me out of the fireplace, guiding Shue out with his wand. He didn't appear to have been affected.
"I feel like an empty shell," I said quietly as I followed Snape out of the large, dark, dungeon-like room and down a hallway.
"I told you not to come," Snape said briskly. "It's the dementors, they will do that to you."
Shue whimpered. He, apparently, was not doing well either. His once ruddy cheeks were nearly grey, and his usually boisterous voice was silenced.
"Shut up!" Snape spat, prodding Shue with his wand. "Stay close to me," he added, looking back over his shoulder. "Have you seen a dementor before?"
"No."
"Best brace yourself then,"
"For what," I was about to ask, but just at that moment we reached the end of the hall and I saw them.
Three dementors were standing behind a very roly poly middle-aged man. Their dark hoods shook a bit, and they seemed to want to leap forward at us as we entered the room. I could hear a faint rattling noise coming from them, and the hollow feeling worsened. I wished I could cry, just to show some emotion, but I could not. I felt terrible and empty, and my head was filled with every terrible memory I had.
The short man stepped forward and smiled. I could not smile back, though I wanted to.
"Severus Snape, I presume?" He asked, holding out his hand. Snape took it slowly, and gave him a very brief handshake. "And this, is Mr. Shue?"
"Yes," Snape said sharply and glared at the simpering Shue.
"And who is this?" The man asked, turning his attention to me.
"Miss Meta Cockerham," Snape said. "She was the one taken captive."
"Oh! You're a brave lass," he complimented.
I nodded. I could do nothing else.
"My name is Boris Bottoms, by the way. Head of Azkaban Dementor Relations for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Just a fancy way of saying I tell the dementors what to do, really. Unless someone particularily nasty comes in, then the big guns deal with it."
"How interesting," Snape said sarcastically.
"Thank you," Bottoms smiled, obviously not catching on to Snape's sarcasm. "Well, I suppose we'd best get on with it."
"Yes, I think that would be a good idea," Snape replied, glancing briefly at me.
Bottoms released Shue from his cords and waved his hand. The dementors swept down on him and he squealed. I thought for a moment that they were going to give him a Kiss, and I threw my hands in front of my face, but they merely reached out there slimy looking hands and led him out the door.
I heard the rattling mixed with Shue's screams grow softer and softer, until I could hear them no more, and it became eerily silent.
"It's always difficult," Bottoms said, shaking his head. "But it must be done. Well, good luck, Miss Cockerham. You're a brave girl, you are." He said again.
"Thanks." I mumbled. Snape looked at me and hurried toward the hallway that we had come in from.
"We must be going. Miss Cockerham has had a very difficult few hours and I'm sure her aunt is anxious for her to come home."
"Yes, yes, of course, good-bye then," Bottoms said cheerfully and waved at us as Snape turned me around and led me down the hall.
He didn't speak, only glanced down at me from the corner of his eye. We reached the large fireplace and he grasped some Floo powder from his pocket.
"You don't look well," Snape said before softly pushing me into the fireplace.
"I'm fine..."
Snape stepped into the fireplace beside me and threw the Floo powder down.
"Cockerham Estate," he shouted, and the green flames engulfed us.
In less than a second we were in my Aunt Agnes' large study. Aunt Agnes herself, however, was not there.
"Thank you, Professor," I said, meaning to say goodbye, but he was still clutching my arm protectively.
"Where is your aunt? I'd really like to make sure she's here."
"Oh, she's here somewhere..."
"But you were kidnapped! I told her you'd be coming home in a few minutes, and that was nearly an hour ago. Shouldn't she be worried?" He looked very angry, but I didn't know why. I thought of all people, he'd know that my Aunt Agnes was not the sentimental type.
"It's fine, I'm fine," I insisted.
He squeezed my arm harder, and it began to hurt.
"Professor, my arm," I said quietly.
"Oh," he looked down at his hand and quickly let go. "Sorry. I didn't realize..."
"Well, I'll just be going now--"
"You should have some chocolate."
"I will, I'll eat some straight away."
"I really would like to speak with your aunt."
"That's not necessary--"
"What do you need, Severus?" My aunt casually walked into the room holding a wine glass. "Would you like some wine?"
"You do realize what your niece has been through don't you?" Snape demanded angrily.
"Oh yes, you informed me of her situation."
"Situation?" He said, clutching his fists.
"Professor, it's fine," I interrupted. "Please, this is just the way my aunt is, I'm fine, you can go."
"This isn't right, Meta. She should--" He said quietly to me.
"I should what, Severus?" Agnes glared and took a sip of her wine. "Sob and throw my self at your feet? She's only my niece. I do thank you for her return, but if you don't mind, I must get back to my pedicure." She gestured toward her toes and walked out the door.
"That woman." He glared daggers at the door after she shut it.
"Yes... She cares only for herself." I slumped down in a leather armchair. I was exhausted and really just wanted Snape to leave so I could go to sleep.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, yes," I waved my hand at him. Normally I would be ecstatic at his amazing amount of concern for me, but I was tired, dirty, and emotionally drained.
"Good-bye Miss Cockerham," he said apprehensively, and before apparating away he grasped my hand and gave it a quick, tight squeeze.