To My Reviewers:
Kuroi Neko: Yes, dear, the slash was an interesting lil' tidbit, now wasn't it? Expect a bit more angst later on with regard to that scene… maybe some more male/male flirting, if I'm in the mood ; )
Amy Rose: Yes, Snape with wings is definitely sexy, but let's face it, he'd be sexy in mud. ; ) Yes, I should do a drawing of that… hmm… inspiration, here I come!
Meresger: Yay! Another Dogma fan! Alan Rickman all the way baby! I must admit, though I loved him as Metatron, you'll find that my Metatron (which, incidently, makes his first appearance in this chapter) is quite a bit different from Alan Rickman's character. But I'm not all out of surprises! Stay tuned for some… 'Dogmatic' surprises!
Chapter Twelve: SinYou give me the reason
You give me control
I gave you my purity
My purity you stole
Did you think I wouldn't recognize this compromise
Am I just too stupid to realize
Stale incense old sweat and lies, lies, lies
It comes down to this
Your kiss
Your fist
And your strain
It gets under my skin
Within
Take in
The extent of my sin
You give me the anger
You give me the nerve
Carry out the sentence
I get what I deserve
I'm just an effigy to be defaced
To be disgraced
Your need for me has been replaced
And if I can't have everything
Well then just give me a taste
It comes down to this
Your kiss
Your fist
And your strain
It gets under my skin
Within
Take in
The extent of my sin
– Sin by Nine Inch Nails
"Let me kill him."
Mavet snatched back the black collar of her colleague as his fingers tensed and he let out a soft growl. She grabbed him in a headlock to prevent any unwanted escapage. "Absolutely not, his time's not up just yet."
"Let me kill him and you can snuff me out of existence. I just want the satisfaction of seeing that poor fool's life drain slowly away."
"Well, well, having a sadistic day, are we?"
"You know it's true. Isn't there some sort of punishment for close-minded ignorance?"
"Not that I'm aware of, sadly," Mavet said as she stared glumly down at the gaggle of people who were quickly surrounding Minister Fudge.
"Will you let go of me?" Severus glared sullenly up at the pale visage of the Angel of Death.
She laughed maliciously and only tightened her grip on her struggling accomplice. "Oh, but I much prefer you captive." Her tongue darted quickly over his lower lip.
"You are insufferable." Severus finally wrenched himself away from the Angel, and peered sulkily over the crevice edge. "It's just some publicity gathering, I assume," he began intelligently. "But of all the places – Stonehenge?"
"Well, it does have a long history with Britain's mythology."
"I know that!" Severus replied irritably. "It was a rhetorical question."
"You're going to be my distraction," Mavet decided.
"I what?"
"You're going to fly down there and distract Fudge while I prepare the portal," she explained.
"I doubt Fudge cares enough to let a little bat bother him." Severus's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"What about one with a twenty-five foot wingspan?" Mavet's eyebrows arched coyly.
"Excuse me?"
"You have Angel blood running through your veins, Severus, growing wings shouldn't be a problem.
"I'm listening." It was too much to hope that Severus would allow any more of his obvious interest to show.
"Angel magic is different from wizard magic mainly because it relies solely on the power of intent. Where you wizards draw energy from spells and conductive substances, Angels focus on willpower. This is your magic now, too, Severus. If you will it, it will be so. Simply will yourself to have wings, and you will."
Severus obliged, and closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly, but surely, great long shapes emerged from his shoulder blades, poking hand-sized holes in his cloak. Severus spread his new wings slowly, opening his eyes and twisting his head to get a better view. They were jet black, and nearly as giant and powerful as Mavet's. Their only exception was that they were featherless, and largely resembled those of a dragon, rather than an eagle.
"Incredible," he breathed as he tentatively flexed the new appendages.
"Oh, and we'll have to do something about those robes. Neither of us is appropriately attired for where we are going."
"If the thought of sheer white robes even crosses your mind, I'll leave you here," Severus said stiffly.
"Don't worry," Mavet said with mutual disgust, "there will be nothing of the sort." She snapped her fingers and Severus's outer robe disappeared only to be replaced by a new, hooded one of fine black silk, embroidered at the hem and edges with intricate patterns of silver. He looked up to discover that Mavet now wore an identical robe over her leather and sword belt. "Now do me a favor and distract Fudge while I set up the portal." She crept to the edge of the makeshift outpost, then turned back and said, "Oh, and you might want a tail, I find it's rather difficult to fly without a suitable rudder." before she leapt from the edge and circled widely around some minor outcroppings with the eventual intention of landing in the shelter of Stonehenge. Severus decided to take a more direct route.
"Dragon!" came the screams from below, a chorus of panicked men and women, who were frantically milling about, running this way and that, eyes darting constantly up at the sky. They were disapperating, trying to evade the dark shape that circled high above the minister and his aurors.
Severus had to admit that his silhouette was probably very easily mistaken for a dragon with the widespread dark wings, and the long tail that whipped out behind him. He gave another deliberate, graceful pump of his wings and swooped lower to come within hailing distance of Fudge, his ministry personnel and any other witches and wizards who had not yet fled.
"Good day, Minister!" Severus called with sarcasm, and smiled gleefully at the horrid expression on said minister's face as the apparent recognition washed over him. "Might I inquire as to what you presume to be doing at this particular location at this particular time?"
"Snape!" spat Fudge dangerously. "Good lord, what have you done to yourself? Filthy Death Eater scum dabbling in Dark Arts. What sort of sorcery is this?"
"The best kind, I assure you. Now answer my questions."
"How dare you! I would demand that you leave, however I think it would be more profitable if I were to bring you in instead." He nodded to his aurors, but Severus was too quick; he snapped a wing backward through the air and spiraled out of range. Out of the corner of his eye he checked on Mavet and saw that she was aglow with white light and beckoning to him. He whirled around and made another pass over Fudge and his party on his way to the stone formation.
"Rest assured, Snape," Fudge called again. "I don't care what Albus Dumbledore seems to think of you, I will have you locked away in Azkaban before this war is over!"
"I quiver with fear," Severus drawled as he swooped lazily past Fudge and towards Stonehenge.
Fudge followed his gaze and spotted Mavet, his face twisting in anger. "Stop them!" he called to his aurors, and they were on their feet and running, though no match for Severus on the wing.
Said Professor landed daintily beside his glowing counterpart and resumed his human form. Mavet did not speak; she had a look of intense concentration on her face and Severus feared for her to break it with ministry aurors less than fifty yards away. She did offer her hand, however, which Severus took in his own. Lastly, she swiveled her head to stare in the direction of Cornelius Fudge and flashed him a taunting smile accompanied by a snarky wave before she closed her eyes and the pair of them disappeared upwards in a beam of white light.
The first thing Severus felt seconds later was bliss. Simply bliss and a dazzling onslaught of whiteness that seemed to penetrate every one of his senses. A peaceful haze accompanied the feeling of bliss, and Severus doubted if he could ever be angry again. Sadly, the white light dimmed, and though the world around him was still predominantly white, he could now make out the details and identify the objects that littered this new landscape. Severus stood beside Mavet on a vast featureless plain with white smoke – clouds, he realized – swarming at his feet. There was a collection of thin white pillars, Roman or Greek in architecture, spaced two feet apart in a large circle with a white marble dais at one pole with a plain featureless throne of the same material atop it.
The remarkable thing was the figure that occupied the throne. Severus's first thought was of Albus Dumbledore, except that this man seemed neither aged in appearance, nor even remotely amiable. He was seated, but was still recognizable as tall, incredibly thin, though with an energy that gave the impression of anything but frailty. He wore simple, yet voluminous white robes that seemed to radiate purity, and his long ivory hair shone with the brilliance of a thousand stars. He had a fierce, angular face with intense colourless eyes that seemed to delve into Severus's very soul.
And he had wings. Oh, what wings he had, white on white with each feather more perfect than the last. Severus felt sure that, had this Angel angled his wings just right, he could have blinded a person with their luminescence.
"Metatron," Mavet took a step forward and the white-winged Angel turned his attention upon her. She swept herself into an elegant bow, and spread her wings to their fullest extent in a gesture of submission. She rose again and spoke. "I pledge myself ever-loyal to the throne and wish to present my soul bonded lieutenant, Severus –"
"Snape." finished the Metatron as he directed his gaze, once more, to Severus. The white-winged Angel rose from his throne and approached the black-robed professor with careful, calculated steps. Severus did not see his feet as he drew near. The Angel said nothing, yet he peered down into Severus's usually void black eyes, and the professor found himself unable to wrench his gaze away. It was much like being interrogated by the Dark Lord, except that the power of this being before him was much more potent. Severus could tell; he felt it in the air around him.
It seemed an eternity before the Metatron ceased his scrutiny of Severus's soul, but when he was done, he turned and said quite plainly to Mavet, "And what happens when the life you've taken fades away? I'd imagine that Lucifer would decide to state a claim?" He spoke plainly, yet sternly and with the voices of thousands. Together they flowed like the howling of a violent wind, neither male, nor female, human or not.
Mavet couldn't seem to find an intelligent answer to the white Angel's query, but she seemed determined nonetheless. "I do not have an answer, Metatron, but I will find one."
"Very well, Mavet. But I would hate for you to lose such a precious soul."
"Thank you, Metatron."
The Metatron nodded. "It is good of you to visit. I will miss you when you leave."
Mavet bowed again, and Severus followed suit, before following her to the opposite end of the circle, beyond the white pillars, where Severus discovered there were stairs leading to a sort of city. It seemed that everywhere he looked, all there was to be seen was the everlasting white of the cloud-like floor.
"What was all that about?" Severus whispered, not wanting to be overheard by the Metatron.
"I'll explain later," said Mavet tersely. "You should put your hood up, I don't particularly care to speak to anyone at the moment, and if our hoods are down it is considered an open invitation."
Severus followed Mavet's instructions and trailed closely behind her as she descended into the Angel metropolis of Heaven. It was more like an open marketplace, Severus decided, or a village. Angels with features of every sort, and wings of every colour populated the city with its simple, open dwellings and streets defined only by where they couldn't possibly lead.
Strangely enough, or perhaps he should have expected this, the crowd parted for them wherever they went, and Angels and humans stopped to stare more at Mavet, with her folded ebon wings, than at Severus himself, though he was suddenly thankful for the black silken hood that kept his face in shadow.
The further thy traveled out from the Metatron's central sanctuary, the more the featureless plane of Heaven grew less featureless. Here and there, trees sprung up from the ground and Severus even felt the familiar crunch o grass beneath his feet. Soon they were out of the marketplace and people became more scattered. They clumped together on benches in makeshift parks, several people or a few, talking and laughing or simply sleeping, as the case happened to be.
"Lady Death?" a tentative voice spoke suddenly as they passed another group, and Mavet's head snapped over to peer in the direction the voice had come from. She lowered her hood and a smile came across her face as she approached a pretty redheaded woman with vibrant green eyes. Lily Potter, Severus came to realize with a suppressed gasp. He decided to keep his hood down.
Severus followed Mavet to stand before a congregation of four people seated on four chairs surrounding a café type table like many others that were scattered here and there in bunches. Lily retook her seat between two people whom Severus recognized instantly – Sirius Black and James Potter. Mavet simply stood and surveyed the group.
"Ah, Godric, I should have known," she said to the fourth person, a man with red-brown hair, solidly built, and cloaked in red and gold with amber eyes.
"Don't criticize me for preferring the company of my own house, Death. As I've heard, you haven't had company for some time now, so you shouldn't be one to judge."
"It's my prerogative to judge, Gryffindor, and I'm starting to regret my choice regarding you. My only consolation is that I don't travel up here often enough for you to bother me."
Severus allowed himself a small grin beneath his hood. He regretted to admit that he enjoyed the sight of Mavet putting the famous Godric Gryffindor in his place.
"Please, please, let's not fight," Lily began, raising her arms in a gesture of peace. "Godric, don't start. Lady Death, would you care to join us? How's Harry doing? And why don't you introduce your companion?"
Severus cringed in annoyance under his cloak. He really did not want to have to be in the company of these people, let alone speak with them. But he lowered his hood, nonetheless, when Mavet gestured to him, saying, "I believe you already know Severus."
"Severus!" Lily gasped in shock.
"Snape?" asked both James and Sirius in slightly disbelieving tones.
"Severus Snape, meet Godric Gryffindor," Mavet said with a careless wave, and Severus nodded silently to the group.
With a wave of her hand, Mavet conjured two gothic looking bar stools and she and Severus joined the four around their little table.
"Another Slytherin, Death." Godric 'tsked'. "You're getting predictable in your bad taste of souls."
"If you're referring to Salazar—"
"I am," Godric interrupted. "How's he doing? I haven't heard from him lately."
"How dare you! I should have sent you to Hell," Mavet hissed.
"Yes, you have interesting connections to Hell, don't you?" Godric asked, grinning with glee.
"But, Severus," Lily continued, trying to diffuse the argument. She laid a hand on his arm, causing him to flinch. "You, I mean, you're not dead… are you?"
"No," Severus began resentfully. "But nor am I alive."
"Well, you never were, really," said James with a laugh.
"Excuse me for trying to do something with my life." Severus retorted, defending his interest in academics.
"What, like becoming a Death Eater?" Sirius shot back."
Severus smiled coldly and said, "Well, at least it's better than rotting in Azkaban for twelve years."
Sirius glared. He looked like he was about to pounce on Severus, but Lily grabbed him and kept him in his seat. "Can the three of you please stop it?" she said angrily. "Honestly, are you teenagers or grown men?" She sighed heavily, and turned again, to Mavet. "Have you seen Harry? How's he doing?"
"Insufferable brat," Severus muttered quickly.
"He is not, Severus," Mavet said sharply, nudging him hard with her wing. There was a downcast look on her face when she next looked at Lily and James. "I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you about your son."
There was a pregnant pause in which Lily and James exchanged worrisome looks. Lily eventually turned back to the Angel and said, with much trepidation, "Go on…"
"There is more to why Voldemort went after Harry than him simply being your son. He was ordered to."
Severus's eyebrows arched in confusion and interest, as he witnessed the scene before him. There was much Mavet had kept from him, he realized.
"Ordered? But that's nonsense! Who could possibly order Voldemort to do anything?" asked a shocked James.
"Lucifer did. He promised Voldemort a weapon of great power if he killed Harry. Though things seem to have worked out better than Lucifer anticipated. He's found a new use for him. One which requires Harry to still be alive."
James looked crestfallen. Lily simply stared. The she shook her head in agitation, clearing her head. "What – I don't understand. How can Lucifer possibly use Harry? He's just a boy!"
Mavet closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She whispered softly to herself, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," and then met Lily's now horrified gaze. "He's a Nephilim, Lily." Mavet looked like that had been the hardest thing for her to say.
Lily gasped and held a hand to her mouth. James and Sirius simply stared. Godric looked like a particularly offensive word had been uttered.
"Harry is part Angel," Mavet continued. "His soul is a melding of mine… and Salazar Slytherin. His existence is an everlasting blemish on my soul."
Hi kids! Princess Nekita here! Stay tuned for updates within the next two-three weeks, cuz the next week's pretty much shot. I can't wait to here from old reviewers and new, so give me a shout and tell me what you think!