EYES OF THE EVERGREEN - quantum witch © 2001
see Prologue for warnings, rating, and summary
6 : Retegere
Death stared her in the eye, and she could hardly believe it had come about because of a stupid macho pissing contest. If she hadn't been petrified, she'd have laughed.
Voldemort glared at her and she knew he saw her for what she was, saw everything inside her. Or nearly everything, hopefully some of the spells that were most important would hold under his baleful x-ray gaze.
He smiled a too-wide reptilian smile. "So," he hissed slightly, "here is the one among us who spies. And delivered right to my doorstep like a toothsome box of chockies, wrapped in silky ribbon. I should reward those who brought you here… except they don't have a bloody clue what you are. Do they?"
She stayed silent. She'd wondered if Malfoy had guessed, as she feared, or if he was merely being cruel to Snape again. Beginning to suspect it was the latter, she vowed that if she became a ghost, she'd haunt the hell out of him. "No, I don't believe any of them truly know me at all."
"Oh, I'm sure of it," he chuckled coldly. "They are all fools, driven by hormones and lust. You, no doubt, have used that fact to your greatest advantage, gathering information from them without them even realizing it."
She could see no use in denying the fact. "Yes."
"Lusts are useful, in their own way," he went on, coming slowly closer to her, "but must be carefully honed into the proper tools. Lusts of the flesh can only get one so far… But lust for power can take you to the depths and heights of magical ability. Can give you everything you crave…"
She shuddered as he came to within a few feet of her, but held her ground. He was repulsive beyond anything she'd really imagined. She'd heard of all the dangerous magics he'd used, and transformations of body he'd undergone. Painful and harsh, it had turned him into something barely human. He looked half dead.
"Now, why don't we see just what it is you're hiding, my dear little girl," Voldemort said softly. "I warn you, this may… hurt a bit." He raised his hand, holding a wand she now saw, and said, "Crucio."
Juniper fell to the floor, every nerve on fire, shaking as though in her death throes. She wished for death, quickly. But part of her brain, the trained part, tried hard to fight off the curse. She managed a little, and stopped screaming, her voice becoming only an extended moan of agony.
"Finite Incantatem," Voldemort uttered. "Impressive. I've seen few who could battle with the Cruciatus Curse. Mind you, that was only for sport. I intend to find every secret you're hiding and extract them from you, one by one…"
She knew then, that he meant it literally. While she was writhing on the floor, he must have cast a second spell, one to divine what she held within her very body. She looked and saw her wrists, ankles and chest were glowing slightly. He'd put a Locator spell on her. Damn. He was too clever.
"You're wondering, aren't you my dear, how I even thought of doing such a thing," he said with another smile. "Well I have many spells around my private chambers, of course. And one of those is to search out hidden magical artifacts. You set off the alarms, but you obviously weren't carrying much in that outfit." He sneered slightly now. "Silly tactic of my boys, to try and offer me seduction. They shall be punished a bit, I think. But not too much. After all, you are going to give me… great pleasure."
He leaned over her where she'd struggled to sit. "Brave girl. Foolish, of course, but brave. Tell me. Were you in Gryffindor?"
"Hufflepuff, actually," she said defiantly, standing and facing him.
"Even worse. A bunch of hopelessly loyal and hard-working twits." He placed a long bony hand beneath her chin and stared hard into her eyes. "Actually I am quite impressed with you. You have done things to yourself that I wouldn't have believed a simple girl capable of doing. Being implanted with magical artifacts, no doubt enduring rigorous training and discipline and a deal of pain. Working long and hard, like the good little Hufflepuff, to become something totally unique and wondrous deceptive. You remind me… of me." His grin now was almost fond, and it made her ill.
"I'm nothing like you," she said gently, "or I would not still be human."
His eyes narrowed to slits of fire. "I am far greater than any mere human shell, child. I could admire you for the complexity of what you've done, but you are still nothing. A spy that shall be dealt with harshly, as an example to any other who would dare to try." He raised his wand again and uttered, "Imperio."
She felt the possession of her senses, the soft sibilant voice in her mind asking her to release control and worry and just give in. How easy it would be to fall into that darkness. But this at least she knew she could fight, had done so in many training exercises.
He asked her then, "Who sent you? The Ministry of Magic? Who?"
"I came here," she said somewhat remotely, struggling upward from the depths of the curse, "of my own free will."
"Ah. Yes, I believe it was your choice. But surely someone helped you here. Gave you the training, the implants. Who, child, turned you into a Living Artifact?"
"You shall not hear it from my lips," she said with more certainty. And with that she tossed off the curse like a worn rag, staring back into his somewhat surprised eyes.
"So," he said with mild satisfaction, "you are that strong. Good. It shall be even more delightful to break you utterly in the end. We shall see though, whether you can fight potions as well as curses."
She blinked. Her one actual weakness. Of course. She'd known she was going to eventually meet her end, but so soon…
Voldemort hissed, and she realised he was speaking in Parseltongue. A huge snake slithered into the chamber and began to wrap itself around Juniper, until she was held tight from shoulder to floor. It rested its flat head near her face and regarded her impassively.
"Nagini here will crush you, should you foolishly try to harm her or escape. You won't be crushed to death, but you might wish it." He smiled, far too snakelike himself, then walked to the wall and opened the invisible doorway. He stepped outside and she was left alone with the giant reptile.
Once outside in the moonlight, Voldemort raised the sleeve of his robes and touched the Dark Mark, mentally calling his Death Eaters. Only those who were in Britain within the last few weeks, as all others would have no connection to or knowledge of this girl. No sense wasting time.
One by one, the small group appeared, looking curious and grave as ever. Those who had most recently been in the area looked a bit worried, as well they should. He didn't have nearly as much sense of humour as they'd hoped for in their drunkenness.
Forestalling any attempts at explanation, Voldemort simply said to the foursome he knew was responsible for Juniper's delivery, "My boys, thank you ever so much for the delightful toy you've brought me. I shall find it most amusing indeed, for the next several hours."
A few eyebrows were raised, but they merely nodded silently, muttering that it was their pleasure to be of service.
He turned to the smartest of the of the group. "Severus," he said softly, "I need a favour from you."
It was an order, no mistake, and Snape would obey. He schooled himself not to shudder and replied, "Certainly, my Lord. What do you desire of me?"
"I desire a bottle of Veritaserum, which you brew so very well, and also your most virulent poison. One that is painful and preferably has no antidote that can be made quickly enough to counter."
Snape wondered what poor soul had met with such disfavour, but he dared not question the 'request', nor did he dare provide anything less than the true items. He nodded, and Disapparated back to his flat to find them quickly.
Voldemort smiled coldly at the remaining four. "Such an obedient lad. He understands his place in this world. Follows my lead without question. Doesn't try to think I want more than I specifically demand from my own lips," he said pointedly, and lost the smile.
They got the gist, and turned shades of colour, from white to red to green, with fear. They knew punishment of some sort was forthcoming, and each prayed it was no more than the standard few moments of Cruciatus.
"Ah, but I shall deal with your presumptuousness later," Voldemort smiled again, letting them torture themselves for him, for the moment. "I actually must thank you, in earnest. You have delivered, to my very feet, Mata Hari herself."
A moment of confusion then a flash of comprehension. Then fury and excuses. Especially, he noted, from Malfoy. It figured.
"We had no clue, my Lord!"
Voldemort sneered. "That much is obvious."
"Had we known, we'd have killed her ourselves!"
"And deprive me of the joy?" Voldemort tsked them to silence. "No, you've each had your tumble with the slut, as she wormed information out of you. Valuable information that saved the lives of those we still need to eliminate."
And so they'd gone from bad to good to bad again in his sight. There was further squirming, fear and worry. Each looked from their own feet to each other, as if to say it was anyone's fault but their own. But each one of them had said something damning in the girl's presence, thinking her harmless and gormless. Some had shared what they still believed to be even greater intimacies with her. They were all culpable to some degree.
At that moment, Snape reappeared, holding two vials. He presented them to Voldemort with a curt nod and stepped back into the ranks. If he noticed anything changed in the atmosphere, he kept silent.
"Ah, thank you Severus, you are most dutiful. Now, you may all go. I'll deal with the rest of this matter… myself."
NOTES:
· TITLE. The Latin title "Retegere" means "exposed secrets". Boy and how.
· LIVING ARTIFACT. The concept of Juniper being a Living Artifact is my own idea. Again, came to me in a dream. I like the things I dream, when it comes to Snape.