Chapter 9 – Just Talking to Snakes
Draco Malfoy, two days lucid, was summoned to Professor Vox's office.
He brushed his hair back, inhaled deeply, and entered her office with a heavy heart.
Professor Britomartis Vox was at her desk, writing something. She was still beautiful, the turquoise gown draping about her curvy body and her ash blonde bob brushing against the tops of her shoulder. Sunglasses still on, and the snake laying comfortably around her neck.
The room itself was a study in Goddess-centric coziness. The stone walls were draped with sheer materials featuring gold snakes, double-axes, and spirals. Her desk was large, black lacquered, piled with books, candle holders, stones - one end held a bronze statue of a Snake Goddess. Bookshelves behind the desk held more books, larger semi-precious rocks, and more candles. The stained glass window had an altar before it, covered in magical tools he had never seen before.
She seemed to take her cult magic seriously.
"You wished to see me, Professor?"
She looked, her mouth set into a thin line. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Please sit."
He sat in the chair in front of her desk, waiting for her to speak.
Britomartis got up, rounding the desk to lean against it in front of Draco. "Well, Mr. Malfoy. Your housemates have decided that your proclamation of claiming me is the result of a concussion, and that you weren't in your right mind when you did it - " He opened his mouth, but she raised her hand. " - Your reputation as a cold-hearted little Nazi is still intact." Her expression became even more neutral, which irritated Draco. "Now, down to business ... why did you strike your House Master?"
Draco Malfoy slid down in his chair, not wanting to look back at the blackness of her sunglasses. "Defending you."
"From what?"
"Snape."
"Why?"
He looked up. "You deserve better than that coward. My father said he was such a lowly, freaky, weakling back in school, that you - two years younger than all of them - had to come to his rescue."
She broke into laughter. "And you - a snotty little Nazi of a twelve-year- old who hasn't dropped 'em yet - is more worthy?" She stopped laughing, her mouth neutral again. "Yes, Professor Snape and I were friends - best friends - I was the only real friend he had. Even your father - the great Lucy Malfoy and Slytherin Brother to Severus Snape - was not as good as friend as I was."
"Weakness is not acceptable for a Slytherin."
"Neither is abandoning one's brothers and sisters." She crossed her arms, the snake rearranging itself around her shoulders. "It's none of your business of our past, to be completely honest. And it's certainly none of your business of our relationship now."
Draco's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open in shock. "You mean - er - I - he - "
She leaned close. "None of your business." She pulled back. "And blackmail won't work, either - I've nothing to hide and neither does Professor Snape, so you can tell anyone you want what you think is going on. You're a little punk, just like your father - and I will relish the day you discover the world does not revolve around you and your obsessions."
He frowned. "May I go now?"
"One more thing." She cupped his chin. "If you try to use any charms, spells, or enchantments on me, I will personally break your arms and legs and make sure Nurse Pomfrey does not heal you up or administer painkillers of any sort." She smiled a Slytherin-style cold smirk. "Do we have an understanding, Mr. Malfoy?"
He nodded his head in her hand, and she released him.
"Dismissed."
He scrambled out, shutting her office door, and leaned against the hallway wall.
The nice one was over with. Now he had to serve detention with Professor Snape.
Who would not be nice enough to break his arms and legs.
* * *
December flew by quietly. It appeared the attacks were over with. However, whispers echoed, circulated around the school, their messages never dying down ... is it Harry Potter? Is it someone in Slytherin? Has the Chamber been opened before?
It was after a faculty meeting (of which Professor Flitwick caught Britomartis and Severus holding hands under the table but did not say a word - only grinned in that way that fae creatures do) that Britomartis had discovered something odd running past her in the hallways of Slytherin House.
Spinning right around, she noted the retreating figures of Draco Malfoy's goons Crabbe and Goyle - one with messy dark hair, the other with a shock of red hair.
Leaping across the area between herself and the figures, she landed right behind them, placing her long green-nailed fingers over their heads. "Hello ... boys ... " They shrieked in terror, frozen to the spot. Now she knew this was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with a Polyjuice Spell wearing off them. "And what are you doing in Slytherin dorms, pray tell?"
"Uh, we were trying to pick up Slytherin girls?" Ron suggested. "And figured we had a better chance as Crabbe and Goyle?"
"No go, and you know it."
Harry turned around under her hand. "We just wanted information about the Chamber of Secrets, ma'am, and - "
She released their heads. "Well, why didn't you say so? Although there's damned little you'll find out here."
Harry put his glasses back on. "Actually, we found out a lot from Malfoy."
"Yes," she acknowledged. "He always did have a hole in his lip. Similar to the one his father had in his head."
Harry grinned. "Is there anything else you can offer us?"
She shook her head. "I didn't find out about it until the attacks started." She gazed down at them. "Mr. Potter, I do suggest you watch yourself from now on. No one has forgotten your use of Parsel-tongue."
His expression became somber. "You work with snakes." He indicated Snookie-poo who was currently trying to crawl around his small shoulders. Ron whimpered in fright from the snake's tail flickering against his chin. "You know about them."
"A bit. Why do you ask?"
"Do all snakes recognize Parsel-tongue?"
She nodded. "From what I understand, it's a unified language among the serpents - garter snakes, cobras, pythons, rattlers, sea serpents, basilisks, and some species of dragons - "
"Martis," Professor Snape's voice called down the hall.
"Get going," she whispered. "I won't tell anyone you've been here."
"Thanks, Professor Vox," Harry whispered as he handed Snookie-poo back to her. Both boys ran off down the hall just before Severus rounded the corner.
"I thought I heard you speaking to someone," he commented.
"A house-elf," she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now, Severus, do you think the children will miss us if we disappear to our conversation room for a couple of hours?"
He smiled, drawing his robe around her. "For merely conversation, Martis?"
"Among other things." She kissed him.
"Not yet." He pulled away and placed a hand on her cheek. "Not yet."
"I'll wait as long as you want, my love."
Draco Malfoy, two days lucid, was summoned to Professor Vox's office.
He brushed his hair back, inhaled deeply, and entered her office with a heavy heart.
Professor Britomartis Vox was at her desk, writing something. She was still beautiful, the turquoise gown draping about her curvy body and her ash blonde bob brushing against the tops of her shoulder. Sunglasses still on, and the snake laying comfortably around her neck.
The room itself was a study in Goddess-centric coziness. The stone walls were draped with sheer materials featuring gold snakes, double-axes, and spirals. Her desk was large, black lacquered, piled with books, candle holders, stones - one end held a bronze statue of a Snake Goddess. Bookshelves behind the desk held more books, larger semi-precious rocks, and more candles. The stained glass window had an altar before it, covered in magical tools he had never seen before.
She seemed to take her cult magic seriously.
"You wished to see me, Professor?"
She looked, her mouth set into a thin line. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Please sit."
He sat in the chair in front of her desk, waiting for her to speak.
Britomartis got up, rounding the desk to lean against it in front of Draco. "Well, Mr. Malfoy. Your housemates have decided that your proclamation of claiming me is the result of a concussion, and that you weren't in your right mind when you did it - " He opened his mouth, but she raised her hand. " - Your reputation as a cold-hearted little Nazi is still intact." Her expression became even more neutral, which irritated Draco. "Now, down to business ... why did you strike your House Master?"
Draco Malfoy slid down in his chair, not wanting to look back at the blackness of her sunglasses. "Defending you."
"From what?"
"Snape."
"Why?"
He looked up. "You deserve better than that coward. My father said he was such a lowly, freaky, weakling back in school, that you - two years younger than all of them - had to come to his rescue."
She broke into laughter. "And you - a snotty little Nazi of a twelve-year- old who hasn't dropped 'em yet - is more worthy?" She stopped laughing, her mouth neutral again. "Yes, Professor Snape and I were friends - best friends - I was the only real friend he had. Even your father - the great Lucy Malfoy and Slytherin Brother to Severus Snape - was not as good as friend as I was."
"Weakness is not acceptable for a Slytherin."
"Neither is abandoning one's brothers and sisters." She crossed her arms, the snake rearranging itself around her shoulders. "It's none of your business of our past, to be completely honest. And it's certainly none of your business of our relationship now."
Draco's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open in shock. "You mean - er - I - he - "
She leaned close. "None of your business." She pulled back. "And blackmail won't work, either - I've nothing to hide and neither does Professor Snape, so you can tell anyone you want what you think is going on. You're a little punk, just like your father - and I will relish the day you discover the world does not revolve around you and your obsessions."
He frowned. "May I go now?"
"One more thing." She cupped his chin. "If you try to use any charms, spells, or enchantments on me, I will personally break your arms and legs and make sure Nurse Pomfrey does not heal you up or administer painkillers of any sort." She smiled a Slytherin-style cold smirk. "Do we have an understanding, Mr. Malfoy?"
He nodded his head in her hand, and she released him.
"Dismissed."
He scrambled out, shutting her office door, and leaned against the hallway wall.
The nice one was over with. Now he had to serve detention with Professor Snape.
Who would not be nice enough to break his arms and legs.
* * *
December flew by quietly. It appeared the attacks were over with. However, whispers echoed, circulated around the school, their messages never dying down ... is it Harry Potter? Is it someone in Slytherin? Has the Chamber been opened before?
It was after a faculty meeting (of which Professor Flitwick caught Britomartis and Severus holding hands under the table but did not say a word - only grinned in that way that fae creatures do) that Britomartis had discovered something odd running past her in the hallways of Slytherin House.
Spinning right around, she noted the retreating figures of Draco Malfoy's goons Crabbe and Goyle - one with messy dark hair, the other with a shock of red hair.
Leaping across the area between herself and the figures, she landed right behind them, placing her long green-nailed fingers over their heads. "Hello ... boys ... " They shrieked in terror, frozen to the spot. Now she knew this was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with a Polyjuice Spell wearing off them. "And what are you doing in Slytherin dorms, pray tell?"
"Uh, we were trying to pick up Slytherin girls?" Ron suggested. "And figured we had a better chance as Crabbe and Goyle?"
"No go, and you know it."
Harry turned around under her hand. "We just wanted information about the Chamber of Secrets, ma'am, and - "
She released their heads. "Well, why didn't you say so? Although there's damned little you'll find out here."
Harry put his glasses back on. "Actually, we found out a lot from Malfoy."
"Yes," she acknowledged. "He always did have a hole in his lip. Similar to the one his father had in his head."
Harry grinned. "Is there anything else you can offer us?"
She shook her head. "I didn't find out about it until the attacks started." She gazed down at them. "Mr. Potter, I do suggest you watch yourself from now on. No one has forgotten your use of Parsel-tongue."
His expression became somber. "You work with snakes." He indicated Snookie-poo who was currently trying to crawl around his small shoulders. Ron whimpered in fright from the snake's tail flickering against his chin. "You know about them."
"A bit. Why do you ask?"
"Do all snakes recognize Parsel-tongue?"
She nodded. "From what I understand, it's a unified language among the serpents - garter snakes, cobras, pythons, rattlers, sea serpents, basilisks, and some species of dragons - "
"Martis," Professor Snape's voice called down the hall.
"Get going," she whispered. "I won't tell anyone you've been here."
"Thanks, Professor Vox," Harry whispered as he handed Snookie-poo back to her. Both boys ran off down the hall just before Severus rounded the corner.
"I thought I heard you speaking to someone," he commented.
"A house-elf," she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now, Severus, do you think the children will miss us if we disappear to our conversation room for a couple of hours?"
He smiled, drawing his robe around her. "For merely conversation, Martis?"
"Among other things." She kissed him.
"Not yet." He pulled away and placed a hand on her cheek. "Not yet."
"I'll wait as long as you want, my love."
