After Draco slipped back out, Raeyne leaned back into the chair again, closing her eyes briefly. One hand curled loosely around the tea cup, and the other rested in her lap, her fingers lax. She appeared the picture of exhausted teacher, though that was not as near the truth as one might think. Exhausted, perhaps, but not likely, not for those who knew her well.
"Well, Victoria, you've gotten yourself in a right ruddy mess this time." Her voice was quiet in the empty room, her eyes still closed. "Your brother has gone and royally screwed the pooch this time, and it isn't even going to keep their attention diverted long enough for plans to fall into place. You ever were the right fool, Lucy dear."
*And you are any better?* The annoyed thought slithered across her own. *You fell for that traitor, Snape.*
"Dear Lord, don't remind me." Raeyne groaned, trying to forget the last memory she had of Snape before she'd entered the great hall that evening.
***
"You're still playing the slut, as ever, Raeyne. Still playing for the highest coin." Severus's sneer sliced into her heart as deeply as his words. She hid it well, simply glaring back at him as he continued to shread her verbally. "What did he buy you with? Jewelry? Perhaps a nice little addition to the Byrne lands? Or did he simply buy you off like a cheap whore, with simple galleons?" They both knew who Ôhe' was, and Raeyne hissed back, her tone biting and acidic.
"You sodding son of a bitch. As if I would ever sleep with Lucius! It would be like fucking my brother, if I had one." She still couldn't tell him, her pride still stinging from her supposed parents lies after all these years. "Damnation, Severus, the only man I ever slept with is you, and you should know that!"
"How can I trust you?" His eyes held more than a hint of angered betrayal. "You've been sneaking around behind my back to go see Malfoy, and I've seen the glances you two pass back and forth!"
"Christssake, Severus, you're being paranoid! If I'd ever known you would be so fucking jelous of a mere friend, I never would have seen you after that first dinner!" She whirled, stalking to the doors, his soft, silky voice stopping her as she reached the door.
"Is he only a Ômere friend', Raeyne?"
She turned back, her eyes flashing with anger. "You've already judged him, Severus. What in hell can I say to change your mind?" She left, slamming the heavy doors of the library behind her before she fled the Snape family home, leaving everything she had been given by him behind. Including the tiny diamond ring he'd given her only three months earlier when he'd asked her to marry him.
***
"Good God, Vicky," muttered Lucius softly as he caught the memory surfacing in his twin's mind. It had only been recently they'd found the twin bond worked for something other than knowning where the other was, and sometimes it was still a pain. He'd almost give anything to not have some of the mental images he'd gotten from when his sister was remembering things. Or some of her odder dreams.
*What?* There was a snappish tone to her thoughts that she normally had when she was tired and in a bad mood.
"You never told me he asked you to marry him."
*And until he became a possessive, jelous son of a bitch, I was even going to go through with it. Pity I thought it might happen. Otherwise I'd not have a number of problems.*
Lucius raised an eyebrow, knowing what at least one of those problems was. Actually, that problem was the reason he was sitting in a Ministry holding cell right now. "Speaking of problems, Vicky, dear, it's your daughter that has me in this mess."
*Hmm? I was under the impression you were being a complete idiot in full view of... oh dear God, she didn't?* There was a flash of sheer rage with an intensity that always made Lucius wonder if perhaps there had been something his mother hadn't told him. *Oh, come off it, Lucy. If it wasn't clear twenty bloody years ago that I am clearly a Malfoy - well, clearly when you are related to me and can see under that god-awful illusion that I've still to figure out how to unravel. Brilliant, our parents, yes, but damned annoying this is. But you distracted me. Juno pulling her tearful waif routine again?*
"Of course. And the little brat..."
*My daughter is not a brat. She is simply difficult.*
"As I was saying, the little brat told them I had kidnapped her..." Lucius nearly growled when a stream of curses both creative and vindictive cut him off, though he suspected not all were aimed at him.
*I will be down to London as quickly as I can grab a cloak and get off the grounds. Christssake, is that girl going to get it. I do not need this right now, life is quite complicated enough as it is.* There was more muttering at the back of his mind, but Lucius ignored it as the door was opened to let in Narcissa, her expression none too pleased.
She did have the courtasy to wait until the door was closed before she spoke. "What have you gotten yourself into now, Lucius? We can't afford another scandal like the one last year." She sat across from him, her eyes narrowed with anger.
Lucius silently asked what he did to deserve this, and got a dry comment back that he was the one who'd married her. "That was not helpful, Vicky," he muttered under his breath, drawing a worried glance from Narcissa.
"Lucius, dear, are you feeling quite all right? We'll get you home on the reason you are obviously not in your right mind, and...."
"Damnation, woman, I'm not insane." Lucius glared at her, as Vicky chortled in the back of his mind. She did find some of the oddest things funny.
*Of course you're not insane, Lucy. You just never told her you're beginning to pick up my thoughts, and a good deal of what I say, anymore than you told her that you call me Vicky. And it works the other way, I might add, so I do wonder how we've managed to both stay sane.*
"I'm not sure you are sane, Vicky." His temper was rapidly fraying at this point, and if someone didn't do something to get him out of here, and away from the two women who seemed bent on driving him to St. Mungo's, it would quite probably snap.
Narcissa regarded him oddly a moment longer, before leaving again, watching him warily as she left. He was certain she was about to tell them he was not in his right mind, and perhaps they should commit him to St. Moungo's.
***
Raeyne stepped out of her office, swirling her cloak around her. She'd have to pick up her daughter from the Ministry, and make sure Lucius got out without being sent to St. Mungo's, and all of this without letting anyone know where she was going.
She made it out of the castle without incident, hurrying to the edge of the grounds to Apparate directly to the Ministry, impatiently making her way to the front desk. "Pardon me, but I have just heard that you are holding Lucius Malfoy for kidnapping my daughter?" She managed not to reach across and strangle the woman as the witch raised a startled eyebrow. "A girl rather small for her age, looks to be about twelve or thirteen at most. Blond hair and black eyes, very difficult to miss."
"Oh, Juno. She's such a sweetie." The receptionist smiled, and she reminded herself that murdering people inside the Ministry was not a good idea. Especially her daughter when they girl had wrapped people around her little finger. "She's down in the Law Enforcement offices, I'll tell them that you're here. They were about to send an owl off to Hogwarts to contact her father, but I'm sure that won't be neccessary now."
Raeyne had gone paler than normal at that statement, and by sheer force of will kept from casting an Unforgivable then and there. "No," she replied, her voice remakably unforced and normal sounding, considering she'd just been broadsided by a barn. "I'm sure it won't." She turned towards the elevators, familiar with the layout of the Ministry from the images she'd plucked from Lucius's mind. "I'll just go on down, if that is not a problem?"
"Let me call ahead, and have them send someone up, Mrs..."
"Byrne," she supplied absently, tapping her foot impatiently.
"I'll have someone bring Juno up, Mrs Byrne."
It wasn't very long before the elevator opened, and disgorged several people. Narcissa Malfoy had an expression of disdain on her face, and Lucius, behind her, look distinctly aggrieved by the Auror who had a firm grip on his arm. And preceding them out was a pouting girl in black robes, who glared at her mother as they brought her out.
"Juno, what have you been up to?" Raeyne's voice was cold as ice, her eyes narrowed in anger. "I just heard you accused your godfather of kidnapping you."
"I don't like staying there when you're away, mother. Christssake, it's boring, and all..." Juno was cut off by a sharp smack across the jaw from her mother, and her own dark eyes narrowed, her hands clenching into fists.
"You do not need to make a scandal out of it." Her voice was now a hiss, and she siezed her daughter's arm, smiling absently in thanks to the Auror who'd brought her up. "I will not tolerate you making a spectacle out of yourself, and making a mockery of the family name, much less that of your godfather."
"Ahem. Ma'am, if you would please sign this...?" One of the female Auror's held up a roll of parchment, and Raeyne scanned it a moment before raising an eyebrow.
"You expect me to corraberate my daughter's outlandish tale? I can assure you, Miss, that Lucius Malfoy would never harm my daughter - his goddaughter - in any way. Take her story for what it is. The ravings of a teenager who wants nothing more than to make a bit of mischeif for everyone."
"But, ma'am... He's a known Death Eater..."
Raeyne cut her off with a cold glare. "I do not care what you think you can prove. I will not have my daughter's name or my own dragged in such a scandal as you and she seemed to be determined to cook up. Good evening." She turned, stalking towards the door with Juno's arm firmly in her grasp. Only once they were outside did she pause, waiting for the Malfoys to catch up with them. "Juno Arabelle Malfoy, what in God's name have been doing?" Her voice was a low, and dangerously soft tone as she looked down at her daughter, anger flashing in her eyes.
Juno merely glared back, trying to yank her arm out of her mother's grip. "I won't stay there, mother! I don't like Uncle Lucius, and Aunt Narcissa hates me as much as I hate her. Why can't stay at home with the house-elves? It would be far more enjoyable..."
"I do not care what you think would be enjoyable. To leave you alone would be irrespossible, and the it would create is not something I will have blackening the family name. You will remain with your uncle and your aunt until I return from Hogwarts in June. And you will listen to them, and to your tutor, and you will not cause anymore trouble like you have this evening." The towering fury lit her eyes with an unholy light, and Juno pouted, her expression sullen. "Is that clear, Juno?"
"As crystal." Juno's reply was forced and irritable, her lower lip stuck out in a pout as Lucius and Narcissa emerged from the Ministry. The raised eyebrow that Lucius favored Raeyne with told her he had heard every word she'd said to Juno. She merely shrugged in way of reply.
"I shall entrust my daughter to your care once more, Lucius. I trust that she will not have the chance this time to cause any more of the trouble she has this evening?" Her voice was cool, and there was barely a trace of the anger that had been there seconds before the couple had followed mother and daughter out into the night.
"There will be no trouble, Raeyne." Lucius nodded, his hand coming to rest on Juno's shoulder. "I apologize for calling you out so late in the evening to deal with this matter, but you are aware of the Ministry's opinion of me."
"Of course. I wish a good evening, Lucius. And I will see you during the Christmas holiday, as usual."
"As always, Raeyne. Good night."
******
Author's Note: And thank you to JessieRose for reviewing. I will try to have another chapter up in about a week or so, depending on RL, and the other stories I'm working on. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as the last one!