Disclaimer/Author Note/Rating: Please see Chapter 1 for full disclaimers, legal info, etc.
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Mercury Gray… Now that, my friend, is a reaction!
Rushumble… Yes, it is a risky move, isn't it? That may factor in later…
Silverthreads & Twistedmind… Chilling? The most horrible type of suspense? Ah, you both flatter too much, but thank you!
Wyall Jared… Got you hating Malificus, do I? Most excellent!
Lady of the Dog Star… Pleased the flashbacks worked…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 27: Dominatus Unleashed
Severus was in a foul mood. He'd received a note from a parent insisting on an after-hours meeting… They hadn't shown up. He'd waited almost two hours until he'd finally lost his temper and left. On the way to Serena's, he ran across a trio of students from Ravenclaw. The three were out just after curfew and he promptly tore into them and deducted House points.
His determined stride slowed as he got to the cottage. The door was wide open, unusual for Serena. Slowly, he walked in the door.
"Serena?" he called. There was no answer. His eyes went from the kitchen to the living room and he froze. Cushions were on the floor. The coffee table knocked over. Crystals were scattered on the rug, and a shattered teacup lay on the floor. He rushed over and knelt down. The tea was cold.
Where are you, Serena? What happened? He felt cold inside. Snape spun and rushed out of the cottage. He had to find Dumbledore…
In the Dark Arts classroom, Malificus was still gloating. "I had thought about using the Imperius Curse on you, Serena, but that doesn't serve my ultimate goal." He toyed with the ends of her hair. "But don't think I haven't dreamed of all the things I could make you do… Even without the Curse, the things we could do right now…"
Malificus left the thought unfinished and watched the revulsion and fear skim over Serena's face. With a feral smile he stepped back a few paces and pulled a wand out of the folds of his robe. He tossed it carelessly to the floor about 10 feet from Serena. It was her wand – her main wand – a solid shaft of Irish Blackthorn wood with a unicorn's tail hair at its core. It had been her main wand since just before Castlebann although she kept a wand made of willow in her bedroom. That one had been her childhood wand, and she kept it more for sentimental reasons than anything else.
He watched her look at the wand, calculating how far she would have to lunge to get it given the chance. Good, he said, I need you to bring your power up, Serena. I need all of it. And that means I need to make you angry.
"I can't believe you actually let Snape into your bed," he said derisively.
Serena's head snapped back around. "You know nothing."
"I know he's a Death Eater…"
"WAS a Death Eater."
Malificus laughed. "Do you think it is that easy to leave the Dark Lord's service? Foolish girl. But you had the chance to be rid of him. He never would have told you, you know… if it hadn't been for my note."
"You wrote that note…" It wasn't a question; it was confirmation. She should have guessed sooner that Malificus was the driving malevolent force that the Tarot showed.
"But for some reason, you took him back. Is he that good in bed, Serena, or is there some other reason? Something that made you look past his affiliations… "
Serena wasn't about to tell Malificus anything about the Order of the Phoenix. "Sometimes love makes you see things differently," was her curt reply.
"Love? Love is a dream for the weak and a tool for the powerful."
"Of course, you would know nothing of love, Malificus."
"Oh, I know all about love. I know how it can be manipulated. Maggie Mulvaney taught me that." He looked at her pale face and changed the subject. It was time to raise the stakes in this game; he was starting to run short on time.
"So you've forgiven your lover for what happened at Castlebann?"
"Severus wasn't at Castlebann."
"So he says." Malificus raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reaction.
He's trying to bait you, Serena. Don't give him the satisfaction… "I believe him."
"Well, at least your instincts have improved as you've gotten older, Serena. You're right, Snape wasn't at Castlebann… I was."
Serena's world froze and faded into a distant background. All she could see was Malificus Malfoy.
"You were at Castlebann." There was a flatness in her voice that should have chilled Malificus to his very core, but he was too busy gloating over her pain.
"At Castlebann?" He laughed again. "Hell, Serena… I PLANNED Castlebann."
It took a full ten seconds for his words to fully register. Malificus had been at Castlebann. He had planned it. Malificus had murdered her mother…
"You bastard!" she shrieked. "You heartless bastard! Why?"
"To get you."
Torn between rage and confusion, Serena didn't even speak.
"When I failed to seduce you to the Death Eaters as I'd been instructed to, I needed to atone for my mistake… Lucius never let me forget that I disappointed him." There was some venom in the voice.
"Why did you have to kill everyone? Why didn't you just kill me?" Her voice was soft, laced with new grief.
"I didn't want you dead. I needed you alive… with you as a part of the Death Eaters, our power would have expanded and that meddlesome Potter boy wouldn't even be an issue today. I thought the grief would overwhelm you and that would be my opportunity to sway you. Instead, it propelled you… it takes mastery and daring to command thunder and lightning. I saw then why the Dark Lord was so interested in you."
Folding his arms, Malificus watched Serena. Her eyes were closed tightly as she struggled against the memories of Castlebann, against the vengeful ghosts that had haunted her for so long. Malificus would have enjoyed tormenting her longer; the feeling of power he had was truly intoxicating, but time was growing tight and Lucius would be merciless if he were late.
He gestured quickly and Serena's free arm shot out against her will. He held out his wand and drew a straight line in the air. "Exsanguina Minu."
Serena watched, horrified as a red line appeared on her arm and blood began to flow, dripping from her arm to the floor. Malificus caught some in a small crystal bowl and then turned his back on Serena, putting the bowl on the table. With a small knife he cut his own hand and watched his own blood drip in and mix with Serena's.
"Reparum edae," he said and watched his own hand heal instantly. Feeling Serena's eyes on his back, he turned and smiled at her.
"By the way, your mother was begging for her life when I killed her."
Serena lunged at him, nearly dislocating her shoulder. She cursed in Gaelic and English, and looked over again at her wand. If only she could reach it, Malificus would be no more than a cinder to be swept up and disposed of.
"You want your revenge?" he asked. "Go ahead… Restrictum Ex!"
Serena felt herself sag as the binding spell was removed. She looked at him and coiled to leap at her wand. He's already ready with his wand, she warned herself, he'll cast a spell before you ever reach your wand… But this was her only chance. She couldn't turn away from it.
Do it! thought Malificus. His eyes lit up as she started to move. Serena leaped for her wand and skidded across the floor, hoping she could dodge quickly enough to avoid any spell he cast at her. As she moved, Malificus threw the bowl of blood up in the air, pointed his wand and shouted, "Dominatus vitae parasetum!"
Serena was on one knee, reaching down for her want when she heard his incantation. He's insane, she thought.
A streak of red fire shot out from his wand, struck the bowl and splintering it. From the shattered bowl, two bolts of red fire emanated. One went streaking toward Malificus, the other towards Serena. She twisted her upper body towards him, raising her left arm as if she were blocking a blow even as her right hand desperately reached for her own wand. The red stream of fire struck her in dead in the center of her upper body and she froze. All around her clear crystal started to appear and the other end of the red stream of fire connected with Malificus. It hit him with enough force to make him back a several steps. Once anchored, the red line it hung in space between them, a pulsing, malevolent umbilical cord.
"Now you see," he said. "The Dominatus Crystal will slowly transfer your life, your power to me. By the time we have retrieved the Rorret Medallion, you will be dead, and I will be preeminent among the Death Eaters. Even Lucius will be forced to admit my success."
Serena wanted to cry but the crystal had fully encased her. She could see the room, hear what went on although she wished she could block Malificus' voice out. He leaned down and stared at her for a moment.
"The seduction would have been so much more enjoyable… for me."
With that, he walked across the room and picked up a glove that was lying on the floor, halfway to the door, and disappeared with a crack. Some kind of portkey, she thought. One that he's taken with him.
A numbness started to seep into Serena's skin, sinking slowly towards her bones, as the darkness of the room closed in around her.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Last chapter got some very emotional and visceral responses from some of you. Hopefully the trend will continue! Please read/review!
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Mercury Gray… Now that, my friend, is a reaction!
Rushumble… Yes, it is a risky move, isn't it? That may factor in later…
Silverthreads & Twistedmind… Chilling? The most horrible type of suspense? Ah, you both flatter too much, but thank you!
Wyall Jared… Got you hating Malificus, do I? Most excellent!
Lady of the Dog Star… Pleased the flashbacks worked…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 27: Dominatus Unleashed
Severus was in a foul mood. He'd received a note from a parent insisting on an after-hours meeting… They hadn't shown up. He'd waited almost two hours until he'd finally lost his temper and left. On the way to Serena's, he ran across a trio of students from Ravenclaw. The three were out just after curfew and he promptly tore into them and deducted House points.
His determined stride slowed as he got to the cottage. The door was wide open, unusual for Serena. Slowly, he walked in the door.
"Serena?" he called. There was no answer. His eyes went from the kitchen to the living room and he froze. Cushions were on the floor. The coffee table knocked over. Crystals were scattered on the rug, and a shattered teacup lay on the floor. He rushed over and knelt down. The tea was cold.
Where are you, Serena? What happened? He felt cold inside. Snape spun and rushed out of the cottage. He had to find Dumbledore…
In the Dark Arts classroom, Malificus was still gloating. "I had thought about using the Imperius Curse on you, Serena, but that doesn't serve my ultimate goal." He toyed with the ends of her hair. "But don't think I haven't dreamed of all the things I could make you do… Even without the Curse, the things we could do right now…"
Malificus left the thought unfinished and watched the revulsion and fear skim over Serena's face. With a feral smile he stepped back a few paces and pulled a wand out of the folds of his robe. He tossed it carelessly to the floor about 10 feet from Serena. It was her wand – her main wand – a solid shaft of Irish Blackthorn wood with a unicorn's tail hair at its core. It had been her main wand since just before Castlebann although she kept a wand made of willow in her bedroom. That one had been her childhood wand, and she kept it more for sentimental reasons than anything else.
He watched her look at the wand, calculating how far she would have to lunge to get it given the chance. Good, he said, I need you to bring your power up, Serena. I need all of it. And that means I need to make you angry.
"I can't believe you actually let Snape into your bed," he said derisively.
Serena's head snapped back around. "You know nothing."
"I know he's a Death Eater…"
"WAS a Death Eater."
Malificus laughed. "Do you think it is that easy to leave the Dark Lord's service? Foolish girl. But you had the chance to be rid of him. He never would have told you, you know… if it hadn't been for my note."
"You wrote that note…" It wasn't a question; it was confirmation. She should have guessed sooner that Malificus was the driving malevolent force that the Tarot showed.
"But for some reason, you took him back. Is he that good in bed, Serena, or is there some other reason? Something that made you look past his affiliations… "
Serena wasn't about to tell Malificus anything about the Order of the Phoenix. "Sometimes love makes you see things differently," was her curt reply.
"Love? Love is a dream for the weak and a tool for the powerful."
"Of course, you would know nothing of love, Malificus."
"Oh, I know all about love. I know how it can be manipulated. Maggie Mulvaney taught me that." He looked at her pale face and changed the subject. It was time to raise the stakes in this game; he was starting to run short on time.
"So you've forgiven your lover for what happened at Castlebann?"
"Severus wasn't at Castlebann."
"So he says." Malificus raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reaction.
He's trying to bait you, Serena. Don't give him the satisfaction… "I believe him."
"Well, at least your instincts have improved as you've gotten older, Serena. You're right, Snape wasn't at Castlebann… I was."
Serena's world froze and faded into a distant background. All she could see was Malificus Malfoy.
"You were at Castlebann." There was a flatness in her voice that should have chilled Malificus to his very core, but he was too busy gloating over her pain.
"At Castlebann?" He laughed again. "Hell, Serena… I PLANNED Castlebann."
It took a full ten seconds for his words to fully register. Malificus had been at Castlebann. He had planned it. Malificus had murdered her mother…
"You bastard!" she shrieked. "You heartless bastard! Why?"
"To get you."
Torn between rage and confusion, Serena didn't even speak.
"When I failed to seduce you to the Death Eaters as I'd been instructed to, I needed to atone for my mistake… Lucius never let me forget that I disappointed him." There was some venom in the voice.
"Why did you have to kill everyone? Why didn't you just kill me?" Her voice was soft, laced with new grief.
"I didn't want you dead. I needed you alive… with you as a part of the Death Eaters, our power would have expanded and that meddlesome Potter boy wouldn't even be an issue today. I thought the grief would overwhelm you and that would be my opportunity to sway you. Instead, it propelled you… it takes mastery and daring to command thunder and lightning. I saw then why the Dark Lord was so interested in you."
Folding his arms, Malificus watched Serena. Her eyes were closed tightly as she struggled against the memories of Castlebann, against the vengeful ghosts that had haunted her for so long. Malificus would have enjoyed tormenting her longer; the feeling of power he had was truly intoxicating, but time was growing tight and Lucius would be merciless if he were late.
He gestured quickly and Serena's free arm shot out against her will. He held out his wand and drew a straight line in the air. "Exsanguina Minu."
Serena watched, horrified as a red line appeared on her arm and blood began to flow, dripping from her arm to the floor. Malificus caught some in a small crystal bowl and then turned his back on Serena, putting the bowl on the table. With a small knife he cut his own hand and watched his own blood drip in and mix with Serena's.
"Reparum edae," he said and watched his own hand heal instantly. Feeling Serena's eyes on his back, he turned and smiled at her.
"By the way, your mother was begging for her life when I killed her."
Serena lunged at him, nearly dislocating her shoulder. She cursed in Gaelic and English, and looked over again at her wand. If only she could reach it, Malificus would be no more than a cinder to be swept up and disposed of.
"You want your revenge?" he asked. "Go ahead… Restrictum Ex!"
Serena felt herself sag as the binding spell was removed. She looked at him and coiled to leap at her wand. He's already ready with his wand, she warned herself, he'll cast a spell before you ever reach your wand… But this was her only chance. She couldn't turn away from it.
Do it! thought Malificus. His eyes lit up as she started to move. Serena leaped for her wand and skidded across the floor, hoping she could dodge quickly enough to avoid any spell he cast at her. As she moved, Malificus threw the bowl of blood up in the air, pointed his wand and shouted, "Dominatus vitae parasetum!"
Serena was on one knee, reaching down for her want when she heard his incantation. He's insane, she thought.
A streak of red fire shot out from his wand, struck the bowl and splintering it. From the shattered bowl, two bolts of red fire emanated. One went streaking toward Malificus, the other towards Serena. She twisted her upper body towards him, raising her left arm as if she were blocking a blow even as her right hand desperately reached for her own wand. The red stream of fire struck her in dead in the center of her upper body and she froze. All around her clear crystal started to appear and the other end of the red stream of fire connected with Malificus. It hit him with enough force to make him back a several steps. Once anchored, the red line it hung in space between them, a pulsing, malevolent umbilical cord.
"Now you see," he said. "The Dominatus Crystal will slowly transfer your life, your power to me. By the time we have retrieved the Rorret Medallion, you will be dead, and I will be preeminent among the Death Eaters. Even Lucius will be forced to admit my success."
Serena wanted to cry but the crystal had fully encased her. She could see the room, hear what went on although she wished she could block Malificus' voice out. He leaned down and stared at her for a moment.
"The seduction would have been so much more enjoyable… for me."
With that, he walked across the room and picked up a glove that was lying on the floor, halfway to the door, and disappeared with a crack. Some kind of portkey, she thought. One that he's taken with him.
A numbness started to seep into Serena's skin, sinking slowly towards her bones, as the darkness of the room closed in around her.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Last chapter got some very emotional and visceral responses from some of you. Hopefully the trend will continue! Please read/review!