A/N:

Note: I give Treasure a hard time in this chapter. Please, don't flame me.

Free To Fly Tonight

Chapter Sixteen

Candles were lit. Their soft perfume filled the silent room. Severus, in only a pair of black silk boxers, was holding Hermione, who wore a midnight blue sating nightgown, in his arms. They both needed this comfort of each other. After having to tell Remus about the surgery (they didn't go into detail), they needed quiet. They needed peace. They needed the feel of something real because the rest of their life felt like nothing more than an illusion.

"Severus? Hermione?"

The two of them turned towards the voice coming from the fireplace. After a moment, Severus found his voice.

"Yes, Ginny," he called.

"Treasure is out of surgery. You may come to the hospital wing to see her."

"We will be right there."

In silence, they dressed. Hand in hand, they went to the hospital wing to face this together. The moment they had stepped foot into the room, Poppy ushered them into her office. The three of them sat down and Madam Pomfrey got straight to the point.

"The surgery was successful," she told them, "There wasn't a single complication. Treasure will have to take it easy for the next week, and I would recommend that she wait two weeks before she plays Quidditch again."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and Severus nodded.

"She will be very displeased about not being able to play in the game on Saturday," he said, "but at least she will be well. Thank you, Poppy."

"You are very welcome, Severus."

"When can we see her," Hermione asked.

"Now if you would like."

Hermione rushed from the room. As eager as he was to follow, Severus calmly stood and shook Poppy's hand.

"Thank you again," he told her and walked out into the main room.

Hermione was sitting beside Treasure's bed and holding one of her limber hands. Severus stood behind Hermione, just watching his daughter sleep. He noticed that her eyelids gradually began to fluctuate and, a moment later, her eyes were open, looking at her father. A smile spread across her face, but it wasn't a warm one that Severus was always pleased to see. It was one that told him that she was rancorous.

Granger, he thought.

"Mommy," she said in her sweetest voice, "Daddy. What happened? Where am I?"

Severus didn't like this game he was playing with his daughter, you know exactly what is going on, you harlot.

Hermione didn't notice the new, more effacious glint in Treasure's eye as she explained to her what went on earlier. Inside, Granger was milking the ascendancy that she thought she had for all it was worth. For now, Granger was playing her game, and the noxious look that Severus was giving her didn't ravage her merriment one bit.

"You are going to have to inform Phoenix that you are not permitted to play in the game on Saturday," Hermione told who she believed was Treasure.

Granger put her hand to her mouth. She forced tears to her eyes and did whatever Treasure would do in this situation.

"Oh, but mother! Phoenix will be so disappointed in me! I can't not play this Saturday! I am the best partner he has got!"

A tear fell down Granger's cheek and Hermione swept it away.

"I know Treasure dear. I am so sorry."

Inside, Granger was laughing.

I have got these fools wrapped around my finger, she told herself, this is just to easy.

"Please! Please somebody help me!"

Treasure was still standing in the middle of Phoenix's bedroom, hours after Granger had left her.

"Shut up, will you? Nobody can hear you except for me, unfortunately. Can you not see the damn door?"

Treasure spun around. Granger was standing there, wearing a short, black skirt and a black halter-top midriff.

"My Gods, I am so glad you came back. I thought I was alone for good."

"Sweetie, you are alone," Granger said, "Very. Much. Alone."

"You aren't going to help me out of here?"

"Does anything penetrate your thick scull? I put you here. Why would I help you get out? I truly believed that you had gotten the point of this exercise."

Treasure shook her head, "Are you playing a game with me?"

"Good fucking Gods, she got one on her own."

Granger began walking towards Treasure slowly, clapping her hands in a slow, sarcastic applause.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Girl, you are on a roll."

Treasure raised her fist at Granger, "Give me my life back – NOW!"

Granger laughed, "Do you think that you can really hurt me? You are in good shape, but you have nothing against my powers."

Despite this warning, Treasure threw a punch at Granger. With a wave of her hand, Treasure flew across the room and into the wall.

"Your generation has had too easy a life," Granger told her, "and every generation is the same. The weak follow the powerful and the powerful feed off of the weak. I am going to have loads of fun."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I tell you, it will ruin the surprise! Just watch and learn."

It was a few days after the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch game. Slytherin took an undeniable victory and Phoenix was still talking about it as Chris, Ani and Granger say in the Slytherin girls' dorms listening to him talk about it.

"…Ducked under the Beater, did an airplane move to dodge a Bludger, went into a Wronski Feint to make two of the Hufflepuff Chasers collide and pulled up just in time to catch the Snitch," Phoenix exclaimed, sitting on the end of Treasure's bed, "That was an exciting play, Riddle, a very exciting play."

Granger smiled, "Do you know what I just realized?"

"What," Ani asked, hoping that it would take the subject away from Quidditch and take the spotlight off of Chris.

"Phoenix saying your last name triggered it…do you know who you are descendants of?"

"Yeah," Chris replied, "The Little Hangleton Riddles – our grandfather was Thomas Riddle, our great grandfather was Marvolo. Our grandmother was Thomas' second wife. He and our great grandparents died while visiting our great grandparents in the Riddle Manor a long time ago."

"Our mother was so distressed that she didn't want to claim the rights to the house," Ani added, "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know who your cousin was? Tom Marvolo Riddle," Granger asked.

Ani and Chris shook their heads and Granger raised her hands above her head. Words came from the palms of her hand and formed a name – a filthy Muggle name.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

"Wow, how'd you do that," Ani asked.

"It's a trick I learned," Granger said as though it was a thing that was done by underage wizards everyday, and then, with a snap of her fingers, the letters rearranged themselves to form:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Lord Voldemort," Phoenix asked, "Isn't that the Dark Wizard that your mum and dad helped defeat, Treasure?"

"Yes," Granger replied, "I have been reading about him – mostly in books that I have snagged from the restricted section. His means were dark, but his legacy was great.

"So…what," Ani asked.

"Do you want power beyond anything imaginable," Granger asked.

The three others liked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Then we will rebuild his kingdom," Granger informed them, "Halloween is two weeks away. We will execute our plans then. The Death Eaters will return, the Dark Mark will rise and our Lord's throne will, again, be feared by all."