Chapter 13
A/N: Two updates in two days...woo!
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Katherine stared in the mirror, looking at her face with a deep feeling of disgust. Her nose was purple and swollen, and her upper lip was a dangerous looking black color. She knew how to fix it easily enough, but that would require going to the hospital wing. It was an unseasonably warm Saturday morning, and she guessed that many of the students would be up and about already. She would feel ridiculous, and it would look entirely too suspicious.
"You look dreadful." A smooth yet somehow grating voice remarked.
"Severus, I didn't hear you come in." Katherine turned to face him, forcing her voice into a facade of calmness. "Do you always sneak up on people like that? Or am I special?"
She made no move to hide her face, no need to have the potions master think she was vain. She had no reason to be embarrassed anyway. It didn't matter how she looked...right?
"I must say, this is something of an improvement." Severus looked extremely proud of his wit.
"Did you think of that insult all on your own, or did someone help you?"
Severus tossed something at her, a small glass bottle, and she deftly caught it without missing a beat.
"Put it on your face." He remarked coolly. "It will help."
"Are you trying to be kind Severus?" Katherine clasped her hand over her chest in mock surprise. "For the love of Merlin the man just might have a heart!"
"I'm not doing it for you." He snapped, staring longing at the bottle as if he wished he could snatch it back. "I can't let you go walking around like that after last night."
"I was just going to tell everyone that you punched me." Katherine did her best to sound dead serious.
"Keep it up and maybe I just might!"
Katherine suddenly burst out into laughter at the obviously empty threat.
'He's Death Eater, I should be afraid of him.' She thought as he turned and stormed out into the sitting room. 'But for some reason, it all seems like such an act sometimes...'
She poked at her face, cringing at the sudden pain. Why did things like this always seem to happen to her. Carefully opening the bottle, she poured a few drops on her face. It tingled, but almost at once the pain had disappeared.
"Severus." She called into the other room. "We have to get the rest of the ingredients. I'm going into Hogsmeade today."
She heard him drop something, it sounded like a book, and he reappeared back in the doorway.
"No you're not." He looked at her as if she had just suggested she hurl herself off a bridge, or something else equally insane.
"The last time I checked, you weren't the boss of me." She turned and glanced in the mirror, her face was beginning to return to normal. Good.
"I'm coming with you then." He looked extremely put out.
"No, no." Katherine insisted, brushing past him out into the bedroom. "Far be it from me to interrupt your brooding and loathing. You stay, I'll go."
Severus opened and shut his mouth several times, as if he intended to say something but couldn't quite find the words. Katherine grabbed her robes and pulled them over her slight frame, and smoothed out her hair.
"I should go now, so when I get back we can start right away on the potion." Severus didn't respond, but it was clear he had accepted defeat in the matter. "See you later then?"
Katherine ignored his scowl, and glided out of his rooms with a happy expression on her face. She was running her own show now, and it certainly felt good.
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After Katherine left, Severus had felt like breaking something. Why did she have to be so damn infuriating! She reminded him of all the people he had ever hated all wrapped up into one...and yet there was something else about her that he couldn't describe. She was arrogant, yet strangely humble at times. Nasty one minute, and then annoying cheerful the next. She taunted him as if it was a game, but sometimes Severus would catch her staring at him with a strange expression on her face. When it came down it though, the thing that bothered him the most was her lack of fear. He was a supposed Death Eater after all, and yet she treated him like an annoying sibling or an unruly school boy. He supposed the feeling was mutual, he didn't fear her the way he feared Bellatrix Lestrange or the other females of Lord Voldemort's ranks. But she was different then them somehow, innocent almost...
Severus shook his head in disgust. 'I shouldn't be thinking about her like this!' He chided himself. 'It's like she's an obsession.'
No, he couldn't allow himself to become drawn up in her, no matter how attractive he secretly thought she was. He needed to figure out why she was here, and stop her before she could complete her task. He still couldn't think of what it was, he doubted that Voldemort would trust her with anything too vital. To Severus she seemed to be a witch of no extraordinary talent, a run of the mill sort of girl. She didn't even seem to possess the blind obedience that even the less intelligent Death Eaters possessed. Then what was it that he was using her for?
Severus could have pondered this for hours, but he figured it was wise to read more about the antipathy potion he was to brew for her. At least he knew that he personally was in no danger there, he already hated enough people that the potion would be rather frivolous. Taking a deep breath, he opened the weathered book to page Katherine had marked. He read it once, and then again, trying to break the process up into stages. It was simple enough to make, it just required time...
Yawning, he reached for a piece of parchment. Might as well copy it down so he wouldn't have to carry this book around everywhere. As he wrote Severus could feel his head start to become very heavy...he hadn't been sleeping very well lately. He had been staying late in his office just to avoid her, and then by the time he made his way to bed he was so worked up at the prospect of seeing her that he could barely sleep. It was ridiculous really.
Severus slumped down in his chair, his quill pausing in mid-sentence. Maybe if he shut his eyes just for a little while he would feel better. The heat from the fire and the sound of his grandfather clock ticking away was making him so very drowsy...within minutes the potions master was snoring peacefully, unaware of anything other than the sweet release of sleep.
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Hogsmeade was already crowded with people by time Katherine had made the short walk down around the lake. She was glad to be outside, enjoying the breeze off the cool water and soaking in the sunshine. She had even caught a glimpse of the giant squid, which she had thought was just a silly legend. Katherine had almost cringed at the thought of leaving the quite path and plunging herself head first into the crowd, but it had to be done. It was Saturday after all, and this was the only place for miles and miles where witches and wizards could shop and rub elbows together. Katherine always found herself shocked at how wonderfully different it was from the muggle world, though she had to confess that her dealings with muggles had been rather short and not an all together pleasant experience.
Katherine made her way down the bustling street, feeling a bit out of place. She didn't know anyone here, she hadn't really bothered to make friends in England. First she had been too wrapped up with Lucius, and then later when she returned a second time, too consumed with finding her sister, and now...well she doubted she would be staying for long now either. Not if things went according to plan.
An hour later Katherine emerged on the same busy street, clutching her new purchases tightly against her chest. She had to visit more than a few shops to find everything, and she was glad to have it done with. She looked up hopefully in the direction of Hogwarts, if she hurried she could be there in time for lunch...
"Katherine." A hand grabbed onto her sleeve, and she turned quickly.
The potions master himself stood before her, his long dark hair looking seductively unkempt.
"Severus? What are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, nearly dropping her bags.
"Here, let me take that."
He took the two small bags out of her arms, causing Katherine to raise an eyebrow at him.
"Are you running a fever?" She asked. "Why are you being so nice?"
Severus smiled, actually smiled, but didn't answer her.
"What you doing here anyway?" Katherine continued. "I thought I told you that..."
"I know." He said. "But I was concerned for your safety."
"My safety?" Katherine looked around. "Am I in danger?"
Severus ignored her question yet again, and instead balanced her bags in one hand so he could grab for her hand with the other.
"Will you have lunch with me, at the Three Broomsticks perhaps?"
Katherine was unsure whether to laugh or to be worried. This was certainly out of character, and she had to wonder...
"Why?" She demanded. "You've been avoiding me all week, why be friendly to me now?"
"No reason." Severus said in soft voice. "If we're going to have to live together, we should at least be friends."
"Well you didn't seem to keen on being friends before!"
"I was stunned by your beauty." Severus pulled her hand up to his face, and kissed it.
"Have you gone mad?" She yanked her hand away and took a few stumbling steps backwards. "You hate me. You threatened to punch me in the face this morning, remember?"
"Severus threatened to punch you?" He said in a low voice.
"You're talking about yourself in the third person now? Oh for the love of Merlin!"
Katherine turned and started to walk away, but Severus grabbed onto her wrist. He was holding her so tightly that she could feel her bones grinding together.
"Ow!" She exclaimed. "Let me go, you're hurting me!"
A few people turned to stare at the situation that was unfolding, and Severus reluctantly let go of her arm. Katherine rubbed her aching wrist and glared at him as he dug around in his robes. She felt her jaw drop when he took out his wand and pointed it right at her.
"Are you insane?" She whispered, glancing around to see if people were still staring. "Put that thing away right now...wait a second, that's not even your wand!"
"Of course it is." Severus said, waving in at her.
"No, I've seen your wand before. It's brown, this one is black, and look at the carvings.."
"Enough! Three Broomsticks now! Start walking."
He poked the wand at her, and Katherine huffed and began to walk. This didn't make any sense!
When they entered Three Broomsticks Katherine began to walk towards to bar, but Severus grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up the flight of creaky stairs instead.
"I have a room." He whispered in her ear.
"I'm not going." Katherine started to walk down the stairs, but stopped when she felt the wand being jabbed at her spine.
"Oh, yes you are."
Severus dropped the bags on the stairs, and took a handful of her hair, dragging her towards the first empty room. He kicked open the door, threw her inside, and shut the door with the back of his arm. The room was cold and dimly lit, and smelled of burnt wood and stale food.
"What are doing?" Katherine demanded, trying to hold back her rising fear.
"You're my wife aren't you?" Severus took off his cloak, and threw it over the worn looking couch.
Katherine crossed her arms over her chest and backed away towards the window. Reaching in her robes, she clutched her hand around her wand.
"Put the wand down Katherine." Severus shook his head like he was correcting a wayward child. "We both know your magic is no match for mine."
"It damn well is!" She yelled, pulling her wand out and brandishing it like a sword.
She didn't even hear the disarming charm, but she felt it rip through her body. Her wand flew out her hand, and she hit the wall with a loud thud. She reached up to cradle her aching head, looking both shocked and afraid.
Severus turned and faced the fireplace, pulling something out of his robes. It was a vile, filled with a thick purplish solution.
"What is that." Katherine whispered, her eyes searching the dusty floor for her wand. She saw it, lying under a half broken chair. She slowly began to crawl towards it as Severus uncorked the potion and brought it to his lips...
Katherine grabbed her wand, and with a quick swish the vile flew out of his hands and landed on her lap. The purple liquid oozed out onto her robes, and she dipped a finger in it and brought it to her nose.
"A polyjuice potion!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "What the hell!"
She threw the vile across the room, and it exploded into a hundred pieces upon hitting the wall.
"Who are you really?" Katherine held her wand out in her shaking hand, her face locked in a look of steely determination.
"Three guesses my dear."
'Severus' crossed his arms over his chest, not even bothering to reach for his wand to defend himself.
"Lucius!" Katherine spat, a murderous look in her eye. "How dare you."
"I'm a wanted man you know, I couldn't just come waltzing into Hogsmeade. I needed a disguise."
"How did you know that I was going to be here!"
"A lucky guess."
Lucius advanced on Katherine, pulling her into a heated embrace. She struggled to push him away. This was wrong! It was like kissing Severus...but it was Lucius. She knew it was Lucius, but why then, did she stop struggling?
She let him push his warm tongue into her mouth, and run his hands up and down her sides. Her mind was at war with itself, she didn't know what to think. Was this sudden desire for Lucius, or for Severus? She decided not to wait around to find out, and broke the embrace. Panting, she lunged for the door. Yanking it open she ran into the hallway, turning around to glare at Lucius. He was beginning to change back into himself, his hair was starting to lengthen and turn that particular shade of blond. She knew he wouldn't dare come after her now, if someone saw him he would be caught on the spot. She pressed her back against the wall, and smirked at him.
"Next time." Lucius whispered before apperating with a thunderous crack. "You'll be mine."
Slowly Katherine gathered her things from the foot of the stairs, her hands shaking unnaturally. She had not felt such passion...such need...in ages. It was frightening and thrilling all at the same time. As she walked down the stairs she let her hands wander up and graze across her lips. Severus had kissed those lips...sort of. It was so utterly strange...