Ugh! Guys I'm SO sorry… yeah… I'm sure you really care. Anywho, I've gotten off my bum and updated. This chapter kinda has some info you'll need… maybe… if the muses don't suddenly change their minds or go on hiatus again. Really rude of them eh? Now, please review, and be specific about what you liked… what could use improvement and such… It'd be very helpful.
I'd very much like to thank whereistruth (A very good writer! Many spiffy stories!) For beta-ing this chapter and hopefully many more. Yes... my comas are where they should be! Albus knows more than the word, "Indeed!" Hm... Maybe ya'll should be scared... I might turn into an actual writer! hehe. Anyway... Thank you!
P.S. I was very tired when writing this A/N… still am. Sorry for the weird vernacular. *Waves* Good night… sleepy by I doth go…
Also… if it's a bit wonky with the format… my e-mail did this evil thing… those things appeared wherever there was an enter and for spaces…. Took me a while to fix, as it was one big messed up chunk o' story but I coulda missed some. Sorry. (Can you tell I don't have her edit my A/Ns?)
~Story!
Blaise watched the American girl leave the Great Hall, a bit stung. So much for being friendly…
She looked up the table and saw Draco Malfoy making eyes at Ginny Weasley. Typical… very typical. Blaise tended to sit at the end of the table, preferring to study her peers than join into their mostly petty conversations. When she did try, as with Ray, she was brushed aside.
She rolled her eyes, looking up to the head table. Prof. Snape was acting less… git-y… since his family had come to Hogwarts. Oddly enough, even towards Harry Potter, whom everyone knew he detested. As if sensing he was being watched, he turned towards her. She met his gaze for a second, and then looked away, towards his brother. Their resemblance was startling.
Blaise looked down at her food, taking one last bite before pushing it away. Sighing, she went back to people watching. After a while, her eyes rested on the Profs. Black. They were sitting close to one another, giving soft glances at each other.
'Must be nice…' she thought. 'To have someone look at you like that.' Honestly though, Blaise couldn't think of a single Slytherin boy she'd like to exchange such a look with. Most were too self-centered for her tastes.
The doors to the Great Hall opened, signaling the end of lunch. Blaise grabbed her books and made her way out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom stared straight ahead into the fire. Albus had just left, and yet again he was alone. Always he was alone, with nothing for company except for the longing of release, the need for repentance. But that wasn't going to happen. Not now… not tomorrow… or the next day. Maybe not ever. He couldn't be trusted.
Albus trusted him to a point, but there was always the slightest chance that HE hadn't been… destroyed after all, and would resurface someday… thus this… prison. But it was what he deserved after all. All those years being able to do nothing while he watched… Horrible things. Evil crimes ordered by…him.
Tom had always been locked away. Well… It'd started when he'd come to Hogwarts. The moment that hat touched his head… it'd started. He'd taken over, leaving Tom to watch from a far off corner in his mind. Now… now there was this.
A log snapped in the fire, but he didn't even blink. This was indeed a prison. A prison almost as bad as the other. Now he was able to control his actions… but now he was dealing with the consequences of crimes he hadn't meant to commit. His eyes prickled, and a now familiar wetness rolled slowly down his cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jamie watched Remus pace back in forth in front of the desk as he explained to the Headmaster what had happened. The headmaster had a twinkle in his eyes, but Remus looked like something wild… something that had been caged.
"…I'm telling you, Albus… I've never seen anything like it! That sort of… power… I could feel it." He looked over his shoulder at Jamie.
"Then I suggest we train her up a bit more, then…. What do you think Ms. Snape?" Albus peered over his moon shaped spectacles.
"Who? Me?" Jamie sat up. "Think what?"
Remus shook his head, but stopped his pacing. "We need to train you more… more complex spells, defense… Everyday charms…"
"Oh." Jamie nodded. "Okay… I just kinda thought that was an obvious thing… cause yeah…one lesson…"
Dumbledore looked down at his desk and grabbed a lemon drop. "Indeed, Ms. Snape."
Remus sighed, scratching the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm sorry. I've just never encountered something quite like this before." He looked at Jamie. "I'm sorry if I appear ru…"He froze looking up. "Someone's coming."
Albus nodded. "I believe so."
"What?" Jamie raised and eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"
A loud knock came on the office door.
Jamie nodded. "Because you know… that was in no way freaky."
The men ignored her. "Remus, could you get that please?" Albus inclined his head towards the door.
The other man nodded and pulled it open. Snape froze, mid knock. "Headmaster." Severus seemed to forget that Remus existed, and frankly, didn't even seem to notice
Jamie. "I've just received an owl from Augusta…"
Remus looked at Jamie, then Albus. "Should I leave?"
Both Snapes spoke at once.
"Yes."
And, "No… Remus…. It's okay." Severus looked at his sister.
"Jamie… what are you doing here?"
She fidgeted. "Well… see… I was naughty. Very naughty." She looked at Remus then blushed.
Remus smiled. "Hardly. Actually… She was so exceptional in her lesson that I felt the need to consult the headmaster."
Severus glared. "Is that so?"
"That is so." Albus interrupted. "Lemon drop anyone?"
Jamie raised her eyebrows. "Er… no thanks." Everyone but the headmaster and herself was standing, and she was getting a crick in her neck. "Am I needed here?"
"Actually… Augusta was only whining because Ms. St. James took her seriously when she was told she was fired." Severus sat heavily in one of the chairs.
"Ms. St. James?" Jamie furrowed her brow. Who the heck was that? It kinda sounded familiar… but not quite…
Remus stood, watching Jamie. She really was quite interesting… very lovely. Her eyes were quite intriguing as well. He shook himself mentally and began to pay attention to the conversation again.
"Ms. St. James is Augusta's companion." Dumbledore leaned his elbows on his desk. "Her family has been forced to work for Augusta since she was a small child."
Severus scowled. "Indeed."
"I don't get it… is she evil or something?" Jamie glanced from the headmaster to Severus.
"No." Albus shot a look at Severus. "No she's not. She's just had a rather unfortunate life."
Severus drew himself together. "I just thought you ought to know."
Remus could feel the resentment rolling off Severus in waves. "Albus, I do believe I'll be going now."
The Headmaster looked at him and nodded. "Once again I extend my gratitude for your part in furthering Ms. Snape's education."
Jamie smiled at Remus even as he replied, "Of course, Albus… I'll see you tomorrow, Jamie."
"Bye, Remus." She waggled her fingers at him, and then looked back at her brother. "Sev… why do you dislike this lady so much?"
Her brother stood, towering. "I dislike her so much because she's a bloody monster." Severus stalked out of the office, an intangible cloud of black anger about him
Alone with the headmaster, Jamie nodded. "Because that explains so much… she seemed nice enough to me…"
"Caryn St. James is very nice…despite her circumstances."
She was almost afraid to ask. "Circumstances?"
"Ms. Snape… Caryn St. James' father was a vampire… as was her mother. Caryn is… a hybrid if you will… when her mother was bitten, you see, she was already in labor with Caryn… very little of the vampiristic traits were passed to her." Dumbledore's eyes held no twinkle as he revealed this.
"Wait, though… what about the guy who got her mom pregnant… what happened to him?" Jamie tilted her head.
"Ah… one and the same. You see, he was turned after he had…impregnated… her mother if you will. He stayed away until the night of her birth… then turned her mother just before Caryn was brought into the world. Caryn… she's very fair… sunlight burns her very easily, though admittedly she does not burst into flames then to ashes. She does not crave blood… unless she is wounded. Caryn does however, have their ability to heal very quickly."
Jamie didn't know what to say, nor could she comprehend why she was being told this. "But why work for Augusta, then?"
He continued, "They served Augusta because her father lost control… he killed a man… before they had managed to keep their feedings secret… but this man was very high profile if you will. Augusta offered to cover this up… for a price. Faced with death or a sum they couldn't possibly pay, they vowed to serve her until she said otherwise."
"Merlin…" She sank back into her chair. Poor Caryn… "But why does Sev loathe her so?"
"That is something only he knows."
"And he's the typical Snape… which means he's all stubborn and will not explain or attempt to think rationality about this…"
"Indeed Ms. Snape." Dumbledore pushed the bowl of lemon drops at her. "Lemon drop?"
I'd very much like to thank whereistruth (A very good writer! Many spiffy stories!) For beta-ing this chapter and hopefully many more. Yes... my comas are where they should be! Albus knows more than the word, "Indeed!" Hm... Maybe ya'll should be scared... I might turn into an actual writer! hehe. Anyway... Thank you!
P.S. I was very tired when writing this A/N… still am. Sorry for the weird vernacular. *Waves* Good night… sleepy by I doth go…
Also… if it's a bit wonky with the format… my e-mail did this evil thing… those things appeared wherever there was an enter and for spaces…. Took me a while to fix, as it was one big messed up chunk o' story but I coulda missed some. Sorry. (Can you tell I don't have her edit my A/Ns?)
~Story!
Blaise watched the American girl leave the Great Hall, a bit stung. So much for being friendly…
She looked up the table and saw Draco Malfoy making eyes at Ginny Weasley. Typical… very typical. Blaise tended to sit at the end of the table, preferring to study her peers than join into their mostly petty conversations. When she did try, as with Ray, she was brushed aside.
She rolled her eyes, looking up to the head table. Prof. Snape was acting less… git-y… since his family had come to Hogwarts. Oddly enough, even towards Harry Potter, whom everyone knew he detested. As if sensing he was being watched, he turned towards her. She met his gaze for a second, and then looked away, towards his brother. Their resemblance was startling.
Blaise looked down at her food, taking one last bite before pushing it away. Sighing, she went back to people watching. After a while, her eyes rested on the Profs. Black. They were sitting close to one another, giving soft glances at each other.
'Must be nice…' she thought. 'To have someone look at you like that.' Honestly though, Blaise couldn't think of a single Slytherin boy she'd like to exchange such a look with. Most were too self-centered for her tastes.
The doors to the Great Hall opened, signaling the end of lunch. Blaise grabbed her books and made her way out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom stared straight ahead into the fire. Albus had just left, and yet again he was alone. Always he was alone, with nothing for company except for the longing of release, the need for repentance. But that wasn't going to happen. Not now… not tomorrow… or the next day. Maybe not ever. He couldn't be trusted.
Albus trusted him to a point, but there was always the slightest chance that HE hadn't been… destroyed after all, and would resurface someday… thus this… prison. But it was what he deserved after all. All those years being able to do nothing while he watched… Horrible things. Evil crimes ordered by…him.
Tom had always been locked away. Well… It'd started when he'd come to Hogwarts. The moment that hat touched his head… it'd started. He'd taken over, leaving Tom to watch from a far off corner in his mind. Now… now there was this.
A log snapped in the fire, but he didn't even blink. This was indeed a prison. A prison almost as bad as the other. Now he was able to control his actions… but now he was dealing with the consequences of crimes he hadn't meant to commit. His eyes prickled, and a now familiar wetness rolled slowly down his cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jamie watched Remus pace back in forth in front of the desk as he explained to the Headmaster what had happened. The headmaster had a twinkle in his eyes, but Remus looked like something wild… something that had been caged.
"…I'm telling you, Albus… I've never seen anything like it! That sort of… power… I could feel it." He looked over his shoulder at Jamie.
"Then I suggest we train her up a bit more, then…. What do you think Ms. Snape?" Albus peered over his moon shaped spectacles.
"Who? Me?" Jamie sat up. "Think what?"
Remus shook his head, but stopped his pacing. "We need to train you more… more complex spells, defense… Everyday charms…"
"Oh." Jamie nodded. "Okay… I just kinda thought that was an obvious thing… cause yeah…one lesson…"
Dumbledore looked down at his desk and grabbed a lemon drop. "Indeed, Ms. Snape."
Remus sighed, scratching the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm sorry. I've just never encountered something quite like this before." He looked at Jamie. "I'm sorry if I appear ru…"He froze looking up. "Someone's coming."
Albus nodded. "I believe so."
"What?" Jamie raised and eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"
A loud knock came on the office door.
Jamie nodded. "Because you know… that was in no way freaky."
The men ignored her. "Remus, could you get that please?" Albus inclined his head towards the door.
The other man nodded and pulled it open. Snape froze, mid knock. "Headmaster." Severus seemed to forget that Remus existed, and frankly, didn't even seem to notice
Jamie. "I've just received an owl from Augusta…"
Remus looked at Jamie, then Albus. "Should I leave?"
Both Snapes spoke at once.
"Yes."
And, "No… Remus…. It's okay." Severus looked at his sister.
"Jamie… what are you doing here?"
She fidgeted. "Well… see… I was naughty. Very naughty." She looked at Remus then blushed.
Remus smiled. "Hardly. Actually… She was so exceptional in her lesson that I felt the need to consult the headmaster."
Severus glared. "Is that so?"
"That is so." Albus interrupted. "Lemon drop anyone?"
Jamie raised her eyebrows. "Er… no thanks." Everyone but the headmaster and herself was standing, and she was getting a crick in her neck. "Am I needed here?"
"Actually… Augusta was only whining because Ms. St. James took her seriously when she was told she was fired." Severus sat heavily in one of the chairs.
"Ms. St. James?" Jamie furrowed her brow. Who the heck was that? It kinda sounded familiar… but not quite…
Remus stood, watching Jamie. She really was quite interesting… very lovely. Her eyes were quite intriguing as well. He shook himself mentally and began to pay attention to the conversation again.
"Ms. St. James is Augusta's companion." Dumbledore leaned his elbows on his desk. "Her family has been forced to work for Augusta since she was a small child."
Severus scowled. "Indeed."
"I don't get it… is she evil or something?" Jamie glanced from the headmaster to Severus.
"No." Albus shot a look at Severus. "No she's not. She's just had a rather unfortunate life."
Severus drew himself together. "I just thought you ought to know."
Remus could feel the resentment rolling off Severus in waves. "Albus, I do believe I'll be going now."
The Headmaster looked at him and nodded. "Once again I extend my gratitude for your part in furthering Ms. Snape's education."
Jamie smiled at Remus even as he replied, "Of course, Albus… I'll see you tomorrow, Jamie."
"Bye, Remus." She waggled her fingers at him, and then looked back at her brother. "Sev… why do you dislike this lady so much?"
Her brother stood, towering. "I dislike her so much because she's a bloody monster." Severus stalked out of the office, an intangible cloud of black anger about him
Alone with the headmaster, Jamie nodded. "Because that explains so much… she seemed nice enough to me…"
"Caryn St. James is very nice…despite her circumstances."
She was almost afraid to ask. "Circumstances?"
"Ms. Snape… Caryn St. James' father was a vampire… as was her mother. Caryn is… a hybrid if you will… when her mother was bitten, you see, she was already in labor with Caryn… very little of the vampiristic traits were passed to her." Dumbledore's eyes held no twinkle as he revealed this.
"Wait, though… what about the guy who got her mom pregnant… what happened to him?" Jamie tilted her head.
"Ah… one and the same. You see, he was turned after he had…impregnated… her mother if you will. He stayed away until the night of her birth… then turned her mother just before Caryn was brought into the world. Caryn… she's very fair… sunlight burns her very easily, though admittedly she does not burst into flames then to ashes. She does not crave blood… unless she is wounded. Caryn does however, have their ability to heal very quickly."
Jamie didn't know what to say, nor could she comprehend why she was being told this. "But why work for Augusta, then?"
He continued, "They served Augusta because her father lost control… he killed a man… before they had managed to keep their feedings secret… but this man was very high profile if you will. Augusta offered to cover this up… for a price. Faced with death or a sum they couldn't possibly pay, they vowed to serve her until she said otherwise."
"Merlin…" She sank back into her chair. Poor Caryn… "But why does Sev loathe her so?"
"That is something only he knows."
"And he's the typical Snape… which means he's all stubborn and will not explain or attempt to think rationality about this…"
"Indeed Ms. Snape." Dumbledore pushed the bowl of lemon drops at her. "Lemon drop?"