So yeah, Yet another person has been pulled into my furious web of fan ficiton! Mwahaha... and so on, Thank you for kind words and now on to the serious stuff, Keeping in mind the rating it's R, and rightfully so. If you have issues with abuse of a sexual nature I'd advise not reading this or at least try to keep an open mind to the characters and the situations I'm throwing them in. Again I own nothing yada yada yada, if you like it let me know, if you don't, then uh, that's cool too.-D

20 – Sympathy for the Devil

He had left her alone in this dream world. The Knights Duran had parted and in her dreams she smiled to herself. She had always been conscience of her dreams. Even as a small child when the voices began to creep in she would try to manipulate the outside dreams, twist them and turn them until they were her own. It worked for a while but as her mind grew so did the infiltration. Dreaming had become a chore. It had driven her great-grandmother insane. She would not let that happen to herself.

She walked aimlessly for awhile going over the events of the night before. She mused over her attitude. She was almost shocked over what she had done, however, she had been thinking about it ever since he first stumbled upon her that day on the train. She had always wanted it, to feel that closeness. When she met Severus she was finally able to say that she wanted to feel it with that guy in the sunglasses.

She enjoyed sleeping late. There came a time when most of the people that surrounded her awoke and thusly, their minds left her alone. Their ability to hold a conscious thought meant her subconscious could finally have a rest. That's all she ever wanted really, just a break. She continued to wonder and paid no attention as her surroundings began to change. The once darkened room had transformed to that of a large library.

The bookshelves reached higher than she could see; there was no visible ceiling, only a pitch blackness that seemed to absorb everything it touched. The air turned cold. Maylin worried for a moment before eyeing a large door on the far side of the room. She ran to the door. Her bare feet began to ache on the icy floor. "Where the hell am I?" She placed her hand on the door knob but pulled away quickly. It burned. She didn't like where this was going. There was something creepy about the room she didn't trust. It was too real. She circled the room her fingers running over the spines of books. She couldn't read the titles. Something was wrong. She shook her head.

"Wake up May," she spoke to herself.

Nothing happened. She was still sleeping but perfectly aware. She was trapped.

"Wake up May!" She yelled louder, she felt her body stir but could elicit no other reaction.

"Dammit Maylin! Wake up!" She screamed into her own mind but instead of stirring she fell to the floor as a large wind gust blew her backwards. The wind spoke.

"Shh. Hush child, all that yelling you'll wake yourself up."

"Severus?"

The voiced laughed. "No, not Severus."

Maylin circled right then left. There was no one. She spun slowly around again and from the corner of her eye spotted a fireplace that had not been there moments ago. She ducked as she walked curiously towards the hearth. She placed her hand on the side and looked up. Nothing.

Then a fire blazed before her eyes. Smoke filled her lungs as she gasped for breath, her eyes burned.

"Careful child, were you never told not to play with fire." Maylin leapt upwards towards the voice. A figure had appeared; a man. He was tall; his eyes reflected the light of the fire. She saw nothing else.

"Who...who are you?"

The man laughed quietly.

"I am but a dream."

"Bullshit."

"Tsk-tsk, dear, such language, it's not proper for a lady."

Maylin shook her head. "It's not very gentlemanly to lock a stranger in a room and try to set them on fire."

"Ah, but I never said I was a gentleman."

"And I never said I was a lady," she spit back.

The figured appeared to smile. "Touché." Maylin stepped back as the man moved forward. "With an attitude like that, I'm not surprised at all to find you in Slytherin. It is a perfect fit after all, all things considered."

"What are you talking about?"

The man backed her into a wall of books. His voice grew cold. "What do you think I'm talking about you little bitch? I'm talking about who you are. What you can be. You've been placed in a house that can guarantee you a future of power. A future of prestige and wealth should you choose wisely enough to accept it."

Maylin eyed the figure before her. He was a man, older, her face was indistinguishable but she knew those eyes – an idea flashed through her but dismissed it as fast as it came. This was not her father. This was a fucking madman.

"A madman, am I?"

Maylin's jaw felt as if it had hit the floor.

"How did you do that?"

"How do you?"

"I don't know." The man smiled cunningly, "Oh, but you do."

Maylin panicked, this wasn't right. This wasn't real. She bit her tongue till she could taste the blood.

It was real.

"Let me out of here. Now! You can't keep me in here!"

"I will do with you as I please."

"Fuck you. You don't know me. You have nothing to do with me let me out!"

"Let me in!"

"No!"

He hit her. He hit her hard square in the face. She went to hit him back but he grab her by the wrists and ran her into the shelves. Her legs gave out under the strain and she fell to the floor. He hit her again, and held her face by her chin.

"Listen to me you little whore. Do not mess with me!" A tear formed in her eye and spilled down her cheek. She heaved in fear and pleaded, "I don't know who you are."

The man above her smacked her in the face held her chin so hard she could feel the bruise form.

"I am your father, and you will do as I say." He pulled up by her hair and through her on the ground before the fire. He pressed her onto the ground, the full weight of his body strangled her movement, he pulled at her garments and restrained her legs with his.

This isn't happening...it's only a dream, it's not real.

"Oh but it is Maylin," he spat to her face. "And if all you have within you is fear, then I will have to teach you not to cry. The strong do not fear and the powerful do not cry," he hissed. He hit her once more before defiling her body within the confines of her own mind.

Severus, Max and Holden made their way back into the common room, laughing to themselves about some inside joke that, at this point, they themselves couldn't remember how it started. Max stretched and scratched his head. He was feeling particularly observant today and realized that it was most certainly lunch time.

"Hey Severus, get your woman out of the room, I need to change and eat."

Holden nodded, "Yeah, mate, I love May an' all but I have got to get out of these clothes." Severus nodded and made his way up the steps. Max and Holden followed. They reached their room and Severus just stopped. He stood outside the room his hand touching the door. His mind went blank – something was wrong. Holden stepped forward.

"Sev?"

He didn't respond.

"Sev?"

"Get Dumbledore."

"What?"

Severus didn't tear his eyes from the door.

"Get Dumbledore – Now!"

Holden turned away from the door and darted down the steps and out of the common room. Max aligned himself with his friend and together they pushed the door open. Within a half a breath they were by her side.

She was on the floor still naked from the night before, a small stream of blood tickled from her face. Her eyes tight together, her fists clenched above her head; she was crying. Max pulled a blanket from a near by bed and wrapped her as Severus pulled her into his arms. He called her name but she wouldn't awaken. Her legs were spread and she shook violently against a force neither one could see. She spasmed again and screamed. Severus pulled in and did his best to open his mind. In reality he had no idea what to do. When it came to Maylin's seer abilities he just sort of went with the flow, he never tried to penetrate her thoughts without firstly being invited. He quickly decided that that rule was one ready to be broken.

She twisted under the force, Max knelt by her side and held what he could.

"Can you reach her, Sev?"

He shook his no, "Can you?"

"I'm trying but I've got nothing."

Severus and Max continued to hold her as she flailed harder. They were losing control. Severus panicked and rammed his fist in to the ground. "Where the fuck is Holden?!" He demanded. "He's coming mate. He'll be here soon – here let me hold her. You concentrate on getting in there." Severus nodded. Max took the girl into his arms and Severus whirled to her side and tried opening his mind. He centered his thoughts on her. He could see her in pain but he tried to go beyond that. He reached for her hand and when he opened his eyes he saw her again.

It was a library. A fire blazed and before it to two figures struggled. He saw her eyes. She screamed for him.

He ran for her, the figure above her sensed his arrival and quickly pulled away. Severus dropped to her side and touched the blood on her face. She shivered. Severus looked up to the figured that stood before him. He pulled his wand from his pocket and held it up toward the figures head.

"Who are you?"

"So close and yet you cannot tell?"

That voice rang volumes in his ears. Severus stepped closer, the figure did not waver. He saw the figures face. Severus lowered his wand in disbelief. "No."

"No?" The figure laughed. "Oh, yes Severus. Yes – indeed."

"Why are you here!?"

"To teach her strength. If she is to be strong then she must learn not to fear. She fears me...you fear me."

"I do not fear you – I trusted you."

Severus held his wand high and circled the man. "How did you get here?"

"I merely looked for the most beautiful girl in Slytherin. She needs some work, but one day I think she will also become most powerful. She will serve you well."

Severus's nerves began to split with rage. His eyes slit and his voiced hissed.

"Get out."

The figured bowed deeply but his eyes never left Severus's.

"As you wish, Master Snape."

No sooner had the figured stood upright that Maylin's eyes opened wide. Alert she yelled helplessly. Max moved backwards and Severus pulled her close. She spoke between tears. "Who was that?"

Severus whispered in her ear as he held her tight. "His name is Tom Riddle, he was a friend of my father's."

"You...you know him?" Thick wetness fell down her face. Severus nodded.

"What did he want with you May? Why? What?"

"I don't know."

Snape wiped back the tears from her eyes. Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. Holden stood behind him. The old man's kind voice echoed in her ears.

"My child, what has happened here?"

Severus cut in, "Tom Riddle came for her, Sir...He hurt her." Maylin did not speak, she didn't want to speak but Dumbledore looked to her as if she didn't have a choice. "What did he say to you, dear? Why would he do this to you?" Maylin shrugged.

"He only said he wanted to teach me strength. Teach me not to cry." Dumbledore nodded. "Was there anything else, anything he indicated that led him to you?" Maylin looked up at the four concerned faces surrounding her. She didn't know what to say. She hurt so badly she didn't even want to be touched. "No," she lied, "he told me nothing."

Maylin was taken to the infirmary. No severe physical damage had been done but emotionally she could only be compared to train wreck. Severus sat by her side as he would do for many nights in the future just waiting for her to scream out into the night terrified. Sometime during her seventh year the dreams began to fade. By the time he had asked her to marry him, she had learned to finally sleep through the night. The night she left him she didn't sleep at all. The night she returned the only thing she could dream of was his touch.

That day in the infirmary he promised never to leave her, it was a silly promise – they were so young and yet, she believed him. "Wild horses, May." He kissed her forehead and held her close but hse never felt like she could be close enough, "Wild horses, got it," she whispered. It had been a vow. A vow she never wanted to let him break.

Looking back she wanted to believe him again. Her Grandmother once described Severus as tough to like but easy to love. Maylin believed that the same could be said of herself. She loved him. She always had and she always would. In truth, he never left her. He was always there, somewhere lurking in the shadows of memory. She couldn't help but smile when she thought of him. She couldn't help but curse herself when she thought about how it ended. She knew something was wrong. Something else had driven him away, perhaps it was fear, either way, Maylin had learned not to fear; it was the one thing her father ever taught her.