Hiya Everybody! Sorry for the late post, but it took me a while to write this (it's a goodie, I promise!) and then I was visiting some relatives in Montreal, so I had no access to a computer! Quite frankly, I'm surprised that I survived. LOL Anyways, I'm glad to be back in the good ol' T.O. with my sweet lil' compy and my poor neglected snakie-poo. (No one in my family except me likes Scipio, so he was a lil' lonely…) So here's the latest installment! By the way, go get the song Gramarye cuz it's really good and I love it!Thanks to my faithful reviewers, you know who you are!
Chapter Eight: GramaryeYou show me a sign …
To rise up from the world we know
And she's strung out on life
He soon rolls his teeth
Spilling out from a mouth fit to overflow
Back into me
She moves and it's fire (Fire underwater)
Speaks of its flame (She speaks my name)
Well they all really want you
If only you that wanted them
Lights move in the chalk lines
Chains that define who I am
Here we are again
How could I have seen? (Always she's driving)
How could I have known? (Right through the strangest calling)
I should have known (Straight through the sound)
Gramarye, I've found (See how she's driving me down)
Straight from the sound…
She's seen as a bright sun to anyone
Hollow and mined
With the weight of the world
Trailing out till the last train
Discovers me alive on Vine
As you move in a chalk line
Change in the dream that I am
Here we are the same
I used to see something in the idea
But only once did my hands reach
Anything beautiful
Now she's turned away
And I…
We move in its fire (Fire underwater)
Speaking its flame (It speaks my name)
She proves the liar (He soon rolls his teeth)
On every one of them (We are the same)
Lights move in a chalk line
Change in the fire, who I am
Here we are again
How could I have seen? (Always she's driving)
How could I have known? (Right through the strangest calling)
Straight through the sound (Gramarye, I've found)
See how she's driving me (Always she's driving)
Back through the strangest calling (Straight through the sound)
Gramarye, I found (See how she's driving me down)
— Gramarye by Remy Zero
The sun was just sinking into the horizon as Mavet winged her way towards the highest turrets of Hogwarts. The sun had become a red fireball, a ruby tear falling down a dusky midnight cheek. She swooped, almost lazily, towards the rim of the nearest tower, flaring her massive wings to break, and stretching out her talons to grasp the ledge. After slipping inside, the Angel lost her wings, winding her way down the corridor until she came to the main stairway – the one, whose staircases loved to play tricks on their climbers. Seeing as the stairs were not arranged to her liking at this particular moment, she leapt over the rail, much to Severus's discomfort, and fell the three stories to the main hallway, landing catlike on her multi-jointed legs.
You could have let me off first, or at least warned me before performing some dastardly stunt like that. Severus complained and clung tighter still to the Angel's collar.
Though the halls were dark and it was far past the student's curfew, Mavet decided she was taking no chances. And there were still the prefects who roamed the corridors after dark. She immediately changed back to her completely human form, voluminous black robes materializing around her.
"You needed to get back to the dungeons anyway, Severus. You'd still be up on that bloody staircase if I hadn't jumped. As for the stunt, I was in perfect control of what I was doing. I would never let you perish on my account." By now, Severus had fluttered to the floor and resumed his human form as well, so Mavet smirked devilishly at him.
"You're Death, Seraph. Everyone perishes on your account." He said this sounding rather bored, and earned an infectious stream of laughter from the Angel. "I assume you'll be wanting your ring back," he said, as he slid it off his finger and proceeded to hand it to her. She raised her palm for him to cease, however, and said, "No, keep it. You may need it more than I, in the future." She bowed, solemnly and headed down the hallway to her classroom in the obvious pretense of preparing her classes for the next day. Severus, however, headed towards the Headmaster's office; he had a report to give.
The sixth-year Gryffindors assembled for their next Defense lesson as always, outside Professor Seraph's classroom; the classroom that had been home to a different teacher for each of their previous school years. Last year, Harry, and he was inclined to believe that his friends would share his opinion, would have said that Professor Lupin had been their best teacher, but now he wasn't so sure. Professor Seraph was a wonderful teacher, and she was exceedingly inspiring, if not a little intimidating. She had an air of knowing more than she let on, an air of one possessing knowledge so vast that it could enrapture the many students surrounding her for centuries, if only they should ask.
Only Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, could even come close to figuring how much their mysterious professor could teach them. Though many of the others found it rather suspicious when both she and Professor Snape disappeared at the same time, the vast majority were glad of her return, eager to resume their lessons of combat and swordplay.
Harry, though, was more than slightly nervous when it came his turn to face her in single combat during their next lesson, finding it more than difficult to meet her sinister gaze, now that he knew her true identity and was aware of her power.
"Concentrate, Harry," she encouraged, as she cornered him against the wall of on looking students. "One, five, eight, six, three…" she numbered off the combat maneuvers for Harry as she, in turn, blocked each of his moves. "Now let's see how you do on your own." Professor Seraph had spelled her weapon so that it would not cut flesh, only bruise, but as Harry had seen how each of his classmates had fared against her, he began to realize just how formidable an opponent she could be.
His professor blocked his first swipe quite easily, so he stabbed and thrust again, exceedingly faster in each further attempt, when his professor had blocked and advanced with a vicious attack of her own, but Harry blocked this as well. For nearly five minutes, the game played on, as teacher and student attacked and blocked each other in rapid succession, each occasionally catching the other off guard. Lastly, Harry made a surprise move of his own, after ducking beneath his professor's blade, and would have nearly sliced her in half had she not quickly flipped backwards, catching the hilt of his sword with her boot, flinging it into mid-air and catching in upon her own landing.
"Very good, Harry," she said with an exhausted smile as she handed him back Gryffindor's sword, hilt first. "You're improving quite nicely, I see. You simply have to practice your footwork, and you may match me soon enough." She smiled again and Harry rejoined his classmates, still fighting to catch his breath.
As the Gryffindor sixth years assembled at their table for dinner, they proceeded to discuss the afternoon lesson with Professor Seraph. As the talk progressed, Harry realized that he was one of the very few who hadn't received a single bruise from his professor's blade. Hermione, on the other hand, had trouble sitting, and even reaching across the table had become painful. Ron and Harry had helped to treat to her sores just after class, only to find that her sides were almost completely purple. There was also a nasty mark above her left shoulder.
"They should be gone by tomorrow morning, thanks to this salve," Harry had said in hope of cheering her up slightly. However, Hermione had discovered quite painfully, that this might be one area of study that she couldn't excel at from the aid of literature.
"I guess I'm just not cut out for physical torment." She sighed, and winced again, as Ron applied more salve. "Wow, Seraph is good," she marveled.
Harry laughed. "Well, obviously; she's had a lot longer than us to perfect her fighting style." That, at least, brought a smile to Hermione's face.
"Well, you seem to be doing well." Ron noted. "Not a single bruise to show for yourself, eh mate? Good job. So what's your secret? I think I could use a little help as well." He demonstrated this by applying a little of the salve to his upper arm, after he finished with Hermione.
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "I… I guess… It was like I could see what she was going to do next… or sense it, at least, maybe."
Clearly, from the expression on his face, Ron had said this in jest, but it appeared that something was, indeed, amiss.
"Maybe I was hallucinating… or not thinking right, or something," Harry insisted, trying pointlessly to disavow his friend's worries.
"Harry, we know that you've got fast reflexes, but now that you've mentioned it, you were acting pretty quickly today. Almost unnaturally so." Hermione sat up, facing him as she said this. "Maybe this is another sort of dream seeing? I think you'd better ask Professor Snape about it… or at least mention it or something."
Harry nodded distantly, lost in thought, but this wasn't good enough for Hermione.
"Promise me you'll ask him, Harry," she said.
"Alright, I promise."
Severus Snape had seen neither hide, nor hair of his angelic colleague for the past two days. She was never at the high table, he noticed, during meals. And what was all this rubbish about 'if you need me, you know where to find me'?" She was never where he'd expected her to be. He'd tried her office, her classroom, and the staff room… But Professor Seraph was nowhere to be found. He sighed restlessly and picked at his plate somewhat lazily. He wasn't really hungry; he didn't usually eat much anyway, so he excused himself and set off down the empty, and now somewhat lonely, halls of Hogwarts.
As he wound his way down towards the courtyard, Severus found himself bathed in moonlight; it was a full moon tonight. Suddenly, Severus's thoughts jumped to Remus Lupin. No doubt the man was suffering through his own ordeal tonight. At first, the resident Potions Master drifted aimlessly, gliding like an ominous black shadow across the deep verdant grounds. Then something glistening caught his eye at the edge of the lake and he strode forwards to investigate. Another black form, sitting at the water's edge turned and smiled back at him as he approached, twirling an orb of green flame flamboyantly between her long, white fingers.
"Ah, Severus…" she said, holding the 'S' at the end of his name. Her voice was soft tonight, like falling snowflakes across the water. "I see you've found my hiding place." She smiled again, in a self-satisfied way and stared out across the lake. "I knew you'd find me if you really needed to."
"It was a mere coincidence that I wandered out to the lake tonight." Severus replied quietly, yet harshly, as only he could do.
"You think so?" asked the Angel with an enigmatic smirk Severus could only compare to the Mona Lisa. Neither one said anything for a while, they simply stood at the water's edge, watching the last bits of fog fade from the black rippling surface. Or, rather, Severus stood and Mavet knelt at the shoreline. At last, the Angel rose from her crouch and leaned gently against her human companion, lightly wrapping her arms around his thin waist.
"Aren't you cold?" asked Severus, as he draped an arm, and with it his cloak, around the seemingly frail form that was pressed against him.
"Just a little." She looked up at him with a bittersweet expression and then she smiled. "Dance with me?" she asked, stepping back and gently tugging on his arm. She stepped back again, and Severus moved to steady her, fearing that she had forgotten the edge of the shore and stepped unknowingly into the lake. He froze mid-cry, however, and realized that Mavet was no more sinking to the watery depths than he was, though her foot had clearly passed the water's edge. He looked down in shock and saw that she appeared to be standing on the water's surface, and that the water had turned to ice where she had stood upon it, outwards of a three foot radius.
"You can walk on water?" asked Severus as he regained his composure.
"Remember when I told you what would happen if you hurt me with the Sword of Water?"
"Yes," Severus nodded.
"I cannot touch water in its natural form. Whenever I do, it becomes ice." She looked down and moved backwards again, stepping fully onto the lake, this time drawing Severus along with her. He gasped, but due to the fact that he was standing on water, or out of shock that she had pulled him so harshly, the Angel could not tell. "Dance with me," she said again, this time more a command than a request. She shifted her stance and the ice spread slowly outwards again.
Severus tested it gingerly with a toe, as Mavet gazed at him, somewhat amused. "Are you sure it's strong enough?" he asked glaring suspiciously at where the water lapped at the thinning edge of ice.
"Just don't go near the edges," Mavet advised. "Stay close to me." She slipped one hand around his neck and grasped his hand in her other as she nudged the reluctant professor into a slow waltz. The pair traveled elegantly around the lake, its surface turning to ice wherever they went, and melting again as they passed. Severus was a remarkably good dancer, Mavet realized, and he never faltered once, though he was quick to become used to his… unusual surroundings.
Their movements ceased after a while, and Severus soon found himself standing at the center of the lake, on a dais of ice, arms wrapped possessively around the ethereal being before him. He looked down into her remarkably bright eyes, and pressed his palm to the side of her face, lightly stroking her cheek with his thumb. It was Severus who initiated the kiss this time, pressing his mouth to hers and feeling her lips part beneath his. He trailed kisses down her neck and came to suck at the hollow of her throat, earning a sigh from the Angel as she tangled her fingers in his ebon hair. Mavet leaned up to kiss him again, and soon felt content to simply rest her head against his chest. He gently laid his chin atop her head and felt as her arms ensnared him, once again, holding on so desperately, as if he were a shadow that would suddenly vanish.
"You're afraid of being alone, aren't you?" she asked quietly, as Severus's fingertips traced abstract patterns lightly on the back of her neck.
"Terribly so," he agreed. "But there are worse things."
"Mmm…" she said in assent. "Yes… There are many things that are infinitely worse."
"What is Hell like?" Severus asked suddenly. His curiosity was getting the better of him.
Mavet laughed, a delightful sound that reverberated against his chest. "You ask about Hell? Most people ask first about Heaven."
"But I am asking of Hell," Severus repeated. "Can you not answer my question?"
"Indeed I can, but of all the descriptions I can give you, none of them will matter, because you have not experienced Hell for yourself."
"So then tell me of Heaven."
Mavet looked up at him, sadly.
"The same answer, I gather?"
"Yes."
"I swear, you will be the end of me, Angel," the wizard began. "And for the life of me, I can't seem to understand how I came to fall in love with you." Severus was only vaguely aware of what he had said. He knew that by admitting his feelings, he was granting her a sort of power over him, but at the moment it didn't matter.
Mavet laughed again, delighted. "The feeling is mutual, I assure you."
Ah, Severus thought. So the exchange in power has been returned. He smiled, self-satisfied, knowing that Mavet couldn't see him.
"You know," she said devilishly, as she kissed just beneath his jaw. "We could easily escape to your chambers if you wanted to continue this…"
Severus gave no verbal answer. Instead, he captured her mouth in his, once again, exploring her with his tongue.
Mavet tilted her head back, and spread the wings that had materialized from her shoulders. She flapped them once, lifting the pair of them off of the ice dais, which melted as they did so. Another flap, and they were engulfed in a flaming orb, and instantly transported to Severus's bedroom. They kissed again, sinking down into the soft darkness that engulfed them, with no company other than the shadows and the silence.
Heh… leave all my lil' readers hanging with a bit of out-of-scene sex… LOL I'm bad… Okie-dokie, people! You know what to do! Press the lil' review button and tell me whatcha think! Ask me something interesting, and I'll reply in my next author's note! C'mon, you guys! You know you want to!