The
Retreat
Chapter 6
by: Mashnut
Jaina, along with several of her friends, spent most of the day sorting the party stuff out, while Harry just hid himself away in the bedroom. He spent the time mulling over his run in with Severus earlier that day and how little he truly cared for Jaina on an intimate level.
As the evening rolled around the Floo network went into overdrive, Fred and George tumbled out the fire and into Severus' cabin. They were covered with soot and looking ecstatic with their latest achievements.
"We invented a few new tricks..." started Fred.
"...just for this occasion," ended George.
"And what, pray tell, are they?" Severus asked, and while George set out the candies Fred explained what each one could do.
"Her favourite gum now has a little truth to it." Fred pointed to the magically rewrapped package of gum. It was almost impossible to see where they had tampered with the innocuous looking item.
"Meaning?" Severus quirked an eyebrow at Fred, his curiosity was now peaked.
"It's laced with a simple truth serum, which is all legal of course when administered at that level, in case you were wondering. As she chews, she'll spill secrets to the person they were hidden from. George and I just know that she's not telling Harry something."
"She is." Severus was being his typical reticent self and not divulging any more than was necessary. He loved playing with the twins and wanted to see them ask for the information.
"You know what it is? We've been trying to figure it out for weeks." George butted in.
"She's only after him for his money," Severus stated bluntly and to the point.
"And there Harry was thinking that she wasn't after him 'cos of his fame. This innocent little chocolate bar acts like alcohol, only quicker and stronger." Fred continued as he held up the item in question. It looked perfect, perfectly innocent indeed. Severus thought the twins were devious geniuses. He might not have condoned their pranks while at school, but he had certainly admired their creativity and enthusiasm for their art.
"Is it safe?"
"I tried it myself and I'm still here. It gives the consumer the ability to go after anyone they fancy. So it might be best that you don't feed it to Harry." Fred cautioned his ex-potions professor.
"Indeed." Severus just grinned his patented smirk at the thought of how the evening would go. He couldn't wait to see the look on Harry's face when the lies Jaina had been telling came spilling out of her mouth.
~*~*~*~*~
The party started with a bang as Fred, George and Severus entered before many of the other twittering little girls, all of whom Severus wanted to turn his trademark sneer upon. He found them to be annoying in the extreme.
"Severus. How wonderful to see you, and who are these lovely men you have brought with you?" Jaina greeted them with a patently false smile on her face.
"This is Fred and George. Harry's old school mates." Severus pointed to each accurately as he introduced the twins.
"Pleased to meet you." Jaina replied. The twins and Severus could hear the lack of pleasure in her voice, but decided to play along.
"And we are definitely pleased...." Fred started.
"... to finally meet you." George finished.
"I brought these for you. I noticed in the store earlier that you seemed to favour these brands." Severus handed over the doctored sweets.
"Great! I've just run out of gum. Thanks ever so much." She opened up the pack almost immediately and threw three pieces into her mouth. George tried to say something as he watched her do that, but received a sharp elbow in the kidney from Fred.
"Severus could I speak to you?" Fred cut in, disturbing the falsely, congenial scene everyone wanted out of anyway. Severus had been gritting his teeth, just standing there hating having to force himself into her loathsome presence. They moved over to a corner away from the small crowd that had just entered.
"The dose will be too strong. It's slow acting and one piece would have taken till after the party to affect her."
"So what will that amount do?" Severus asked cautiously.
"In about an hour we'll find out all her secrets." George looked around worried.
Within the first hour of the party starting almost everyone else had arrived, including Oliver Wood, who had driven up from muggle Glasgow. Unbeknown to the others, Oliver had become rather close to Harry once they had both left Hogwarts and looked on him as a younger brother. More importantly, Oliver was an older brother who did not judge Harry on the girl or boyfriends he had.
Jaina had dragged Harry from the bedroom as soon as the majority of the other party goers had arrived and they preceded to start off the dancing. She was talking to those around her as she tried in vain to make Harry dance to some unknown pop tune. His lack of interest might have had something to do with the fact that Harry was trying to catch little glances of Severus.
Severus and the twins had stayed off the dance floor and had watched Jaina and Harry dance. Severus looked longingly at the younger wizard as he was wrapped up in that little twit's arms. He didn't honestly care if anyone else saw him at this point.
"Five, four, three, two, one," Fred counted down as the hour since Jaina had taken the gum ran out.
"Harry, I want the necklace," Jaina said in a very loud voice. One of her daft friends that had been looking after the hi-fi stopped the music so everyone could listen in.
"I've told you before, I will not give it to anyone," he replied in no more than a whisper, but with the music off and everyone having fallen silent to listen in to the conversation people five miles away could hear a pin drop in the room, therefore all the party goers heard what he said.
"How much money do you have?" she continued. Harry looked horrified and refused to answer. He looked around at the other partiers, all of whom were now staring at them in horrid fascination. Severus as well was looking his less than usual sneering self and had a look of concern instead. Harry was thankful it was not a look of pity. Pity he did not think he could take from the man he still loved.
"I really only want you for your money, you see." As the tears started to pool in Harry's eyes, Jaina did not seem to know what was happening. Two of her blonde friends dragged her off to the bedroom.
"I snogged your boyfriend last week." Jaina's voice filtered back into the living room along with the sounds of a sharp ringing slap. Severus could not believe the level that the girl had stooped to.
~*~*~*~*~
"What did you do that for?" shouted Jaina as one of her, probably now former, blonde friends ran out of the bedroom and left the cabin in a hurry. She walked back out and was confronted by an outraged Harry.
"Jaina, I want you to leave this cabin for good," he was having a problem keeping a lid on his anger and the hurt that was still taking hold in his heart at being used, "You are not welcome here anymore."
Turning around he silently walked out the back door, followed by a grey looking Oliver. Jaina slammed her fist into the nearest wall, making little dents in the plaster. She took the chocolate bar from her pocket and unwrapped it; Severus, Fred and George were too busy trying to lip read what Harry and Oliver were saying to notice her swallowing it whole and walk off to the bedroom to pack.
Nearly all of Jaina's friends packed up and left, the party was definitely over. George and Fred returned to the sofa, dragging Severus from the window, de-seating a sleeping blonde friend on the way.
The mood in the bedroom darkened as Jaina packed. It became increasing hard for her to focus or balance, Jaina walked out through the sitting room, picked up the car keys of her sleeping friend and left.
Fred dived for the floor just as the front door clicked behind Jaina.
"What are you doing, boy?" came Severus's scathing question.
"She's eaten the chocolate bar!" Fred shouted, waving the wrapper in Severus' face.
"And she's taken those car keys," George stated as the car in the driveway started up and pulled out. Severus was up and heading for the back door before Fred could stand.
"Potter! Wood! Jaina's taken the car! You have to go after her!" he shouted.
"Let her. Why should you care?" Harry shot him a dark look, while entering the cabin.
"It's our fault." A sheepish looking Fred and George stood up.
"The gum Severus gave her made Jaina spill all those secrets," George admitted, staring at the floor.
"And this chocolate bar," Fred added as he held up the wrapper, "Makes the consumer act like they had consumed enough alcohol to make them drunk."
"Then she's driving under the influence?" spoke Oliver for the first time, "We need to go after her."
~*~*~*~*~
The five men ran out, slamming the door behind them and got into Oliver's car. Only one small problem, where had Jaina gone?
"Any idea where she might have gone to?" Oliver asked.
"Back south, where her family are now, um.... Stirling?" an anxious Harry scanned the road ahead as they set off.
~*~*~*~*~
Jaina was speeding, over one hundred miles per hour, on a deserted stretch of road heading back to her parents. The tears flowing down her face stared to obscure her vision and the music coming from the radio was only getting louder. She tried to turn it off, she could not drive with that infernal racket and the images of Harry that flashed before her eyes as that song played. The one they had danced to at the party. Where had it all gone wrong? What had she said? The only memories were of dancing, then getting slapped in the bedroom by Jennifer.
A road sign flashed past too quickly to see. It warned of a sharp turn and Jaina was going too fast to ever take it. Even the steel barrier could not stop the car as it flipped over and slid down the embankment. The music continued to play as blood dripped onto a picture of Harry and Jaina looking happy, from a wound on an unconscious Jaina's head.
~tbc~
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Chapter 6
by: Mashnut
Jaina, along with several of her friends, spent most of the day sorting the party stuff out, while Harry just hid himself away in the bedroom. He spent the time mulling over his run in with Severus earlier that day and how little he truly cared for Jaina on an intimate level.
As the evening rolled around the Floo network went into overdrive, Fred and George tumbled out the fire and into Severus' cabin. They were covered with soot and looking ecstatic with their latest achievements.
"We invented a few new tricks..." started Fred.
"...just for this occasion," ended George.
"And what, pray tell, are they?" Severus asked, and while George set out the candies Fred explained what each one could do.
"Her favourite gum now has a little truth to it." Fred pointed to the magically rewrapped package of gum. It was almost impossible to see where they had tampered with the innocuous looking item.
"Meaning?" Severus quirked an eyebrow at Fred, his curiosity was now peaked.
"It's laced with a simple truth serum, which is all legal of course when administered at that level, in case you were wondering. As she chews, she'll spill secrets to the person they were hidden from. George and I just know that she's not telling Harry something."
"She is." Severus was being his typical reticent self and not divulging any more than was necessary. He loved playing with the twins and wanted to see them ask for the information.
"You know what it is? We've been trying to figure it out for weeks." George butted in.
"She's only after him for his money," Severus stated bluntly and to the point.
"And there Harry was thinking that she wasn't after him 'cos of his fame. This innocent little chocolate bar acts like alcohol, only quicker and stronger." Fred continued as he held up the item in question. It looked perfect, perfectly innocent indeed. Severus thought the twins were devious geniuses. He might not have condoned their pranks while at school, but he had certainly admired their creativity and enthusiasm for their art.
"Is it safe?"
"I tried it myself and I'm still here. It gives the consumer the ability to go after anyone they fancy. So it might be best that you don't feed it to Harry." Fred cautioned his ex-potions professor.
"Indeed." Severus just grinned his patented smirk at the thought of how the evening would go. He couldn't wait to see the look on Harry's face when the lies Jaina had been telling came spilling out of her mouth.
~*~*~*~*~
The party started with a bang as Fred, George and Severus entered before many of the other twittering little girls, all of whom Severus wanted to turn his trademark sneer upon. He found them to be annoying in the extreme.
"Severus. How wonderful to see you, and who are these lovely men you have brought with you?" Jaina greeted them with a patently false smile on her face.
"This is Fred and George. Harry's old school mates." Severus pointed to each accurately as he introduced the twins.
"Pleased to meet you." Jaina replied. The twins and Severus could hear the lack of pleasure in her voice, but decided to play along.
"And we are definitely pleased...." Fred started.
"... to finally meet you." George finished.
"I brought these for you. I noticed in the store earlier that you seemed to favour these brands." Severus handed over the doctored sweets.
"Great! I've just run out of gum. Thanks ever so much." She opened up the pack almost immediately and threw three pieces into her mouth. George tried to say something as he watched her do that, but received a sharp elbow in the kidney from Fred.
"Severus could I speak to you?" Fred cut in, disturbing the falsely, congenial scene everyone wanted out of anyway. Severus had been gritting his teeth, just standing there hating having to force himself into her loathsome presence. They moved over to a corner away from the small crowd that had just entered.
"The dose will be too strong. It's slow acting and one piece would have taken till after the party to affect her."
"So what will that amount do?" Severus asked cautiously.
"In about an hour we'll find out all her secrets." George looked around worried.
Within the first hour of the party starting almost everyone else had arrived, including Oliver Wood, who had driven up from muggle Glasgow. Unbeknown to the others, Oliver had become rather close to Harry once they had both left Hogwarts and looked on him as a younger brother. More importantly, Oliver was an older brother who did not judge Harry on the girl or boyfriends he had.
Jaina had dragged Harry from the bedroom as soon as the majority of the other party goers had arrived and they preceded to start off the dancing. She was talking to those around her as she tried in vain to make Harry dance to some unknown pop tune. His lack of interest might have had something to do with the fact that Harry was trying to catch little glances of Severus.
Severus and the twins had stayed off the dance floor and had watched Jaina and Harry dance. Severus looked longingly at the younger wizard as he was wrapped up in that little twit's arms. He didn't honestly care if anyone else saw him at this point.
"Five, four, three, two, one," Fred counted down as the hour since Jaina had taken the gum ran out.
"Harry, I want the necklace," Jaina said in a very loud voice. One of her daft friends that had been looking after the hi-fi stopped the music so everyone could listen in.
"I've told you before, I will not give it to anyone," he replied in no more than a whisper, but with the music off and everyone having fallen silent to listen in to the conversation people five miles away could hear a pin drop in the room, therefore all the party goers heard what he said.
"How much money do you have?" she continued. Harry looked horrified and refused to answer. He looked around at the other partiers, all of whom were now staring at them in horrid fascination. Severus as well was looking his less than usual sneering self and had a look of concern instead. Harry was thankful it was not a look of pity. Pity he did not think he could take from the man he still loved.
"I really only want you for your money, you see." As the tears started to pool in Harry's eyes, Jaina did not seem to know what was happening. Two of her blonde friends dragged her off to the bedroom.
"I snogged your boyfriend last week." Jaina's voice filtered back into the living room along with the sounds of a sharp ringing slap. Severus could not believe the level that the girl had stooped to.
~*~*~*~*~
"What did you do that for?" shouted Jaina as one of her, probably now former, blonde friends ran out of the bedroom and left the cabin in a hurry. She walked back out and was confronted by an outraged Harry.
"Jaina, I want you to leave this cabin for good," he was having a problem keeping a lid on his anger and the hurt that was still taking hold in his heart at being used, "You are not welcome here anymore."
Turning around he silently walked out the back door, followed by a grey looking Oliver. Jaina slammed her fist into the nearest wall, making little dents in the plaster. She took the chocolate bar from her pocket and unwrapped it; Severus, Fred and George were too busy trying to lip read what Harry and Oliver were saying to notice her swallowing it whole and walk off to the bedroom to pack.
Nearly all of Jaina's friends packed up and left, the party was definitely over. George and Fred returned to the sofa, dragging Severus from the window, de-seating a sleeping blonde friend on the way.
The mood in the bedroom darkened as Jaina packed. It became increasing hard for her to focus or balance, Jaina walked out through the sitting room, picked up the car keys of her sleeping friend and left.
Fred dived for the floor just as the front door clicked behind Jaina.
"What are you doing, boy?" came Severus's scathing question.
"She's eaten the chocolate bar!" Fred shouted, waving the wrapper in Severus' face.
"And she's taken those car keys," George stated as the car in the driveway started up and pulled out. Severus was up and heading for the back door before Fred could stand.
"Potter! Wood! Jaina's taken the car! You have to go after her!" he shouted.
"Let her. Why should you care?" Harry shot him a dark look, while entering the cabin.
"It's our fault." A sheepish looking Fred and George stood up.
"The gum Severus gave her made Jaina spill all those secrets," George admitted, staring at the floor.
"And this chocolate bar," Fred added as he held up the wrapper, "Makes the consumer act like they had consumed enough alcohol to make them drunk."
"Then she's driving under the influence?" spoke Oliver for the first time, "We need to go after her."
~*~*~*~*~
The five men ran out, slamming the door behind them and got into Oliver's car. Only one small problem, where had Jaina gone?
"Any idea where she might have gone to?" Oliver asked.
"Back south, where her family are now, um.... Stirling?" an anxious Harry scanned the road ahead as they set off.
~*~*~*~*~
Jaina was speeding, over one hundred miles per hour, on a deserted stretch of road heading back to her parents. The tears flowing down her face stared to obscure her vision and the music coming from the radio was only getting louder. She tried to turn it off, she could not drive with that infernal racket and the images of Harry that flashed before her eyes as that song played. The one they had danced to at the party. Where had it all gone wrong? What had she said? The only memories were of dancing, then getting slapped in the bedroom by Jennifer.
A road sign flashed past too quickly to see. It warned of a sharp turn and Jaina was going too fast to ever take it. Even the steel barrier could not stop the car as it flipped over and slid down the embankment. The music continued to play as blood dripped onto a picture of Harry and Jaina looking happy, from a wound on an unconscious Jaina's head.
~tbc~
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!