Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Once again, I do not speak French. I am using a dictionary/translator on my computer, so I'm aware it won't be perfect. If you do speak French, I would like to apologize now for any slaughtering of the language I may have inadvertently caused. Otherwise, what do you care, right?
French translations: ((example))
Author's Note: When speaking of the gods, I capitalize 'He' and 'She' and such, but only when someone other then themselves are referring to them. If a god is referring to itself or one of its brethren, 'he' and 'she' are lower case, unless it involves the Ladies. Just to clear up any confusion!
Other Note: You may have noticed that I haven't been translating the small pet names and the word 'yes' in French in the last chapter or two, and it was because I figure you know those by now since I've used them quite a bit. If anyone has any serious complaints about this, let me know and I'll start doing the common ones again.
Responses to reviewers for the last chap: tkmoore, oh, sweet goddess, I am once more at your feet. That stuff about Blaise…(sniffles) You're too good to me! Jan, their guards didn't want to lose both, they knew how dangerous it was. Might be explained farther, I'm not sure yet. lol. cloaked, I just love you! (kisses!) seri-chan, me and you think way too much alike! lol. And that Spiderman crack had me laughing forever! Chaney, me and you also think too much alike! Thanks for the cool review! resentment, okay. I hope you had fun going…wherever it is that you went. RavenClawson, thanks! little-munchkin-poo, hope this meets with your approval! Bome, thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me. Quartz, thank you! Midnight's Rainstorm, behold happiness. (well, mostly. sort of.) lol. Meryl12, hope this was soon enough! musiclover86, thanks! Akasha, I'm honored and thank you! Shelby, the next chapter (not so much this one) should satisfy your question, I hope! angelfire33, behold the Draco-goodness! lol. ColeForever16, THANK YOU! short arse, quite evil. :) xxbabysparklesxx, thanks! Jaxindi, well, it's before Thursday! lol. aoi-yuki-yume, have I mentioned that I adore you and your reviews? Thanks! SamiJo06, thank you! Shadow Psi, thanks! Leeta1, thank you! Evilkitty51, hehehe…that was great, wasn't it? lol. a.sam, love you, as always! TarynMalfoy88, hope you like this one! Iced Faerie, thanks! power of the stars, wouldn't we all like to choose 'or'? lol. babykelyse, another reviewing goddess! (bows) Now, to the story, and if I forgot anyone, sorry!
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Cocidius watched. Fuming and more angry then he could remember being in a very long time, he watched as that damnable Lady meddled with his Chosen, spinning Her web as effectively as always. He had been seconds from snatching his silver prince out of the portal when She had interfered, and his rage could be felt throughout the Dark Realm. Mars, Ares and quite a few of the others he called friend had arrived shortly afterwards, but they had not been able, nor very much inclined, to soothe him. They detested the gleaming Lady as much as he did, and none of them took kindly to Her occasional bouts of interference.
Time moved strangely in the Underworld, and what to Draco had felt like moments had been much longer in the Shadow Realm. Already furious, Cocidius had very nearly exploded when She had gone so far as to take his remaining Chosen from his grasp as well. But as he watched Her work Her confusion spells on them, as he watched Her have the same conversation with his two princes and one remarkably similar, yet different, with his flame-haired vixen, his friends began to wonder if they could stop him when his control finally eroded. Or if they would even try. The Lady had gone too far this time.
One deity, even one of the Ladies, didn't just abduct another deity's Chosen on a whim. Yes, Her vision was important, but there was no reason for Her not to have informed Cocidius beforehand, and even less of one for Her to cut his Chosen off from their Marks, which is a feat no one else but Cocidius himself or the other Lady could have done. But when She gave them their choice and laid illusions of each other before them, while they were none the wiser of her duplicity, Cocidius became eerily silent and still. Mars moved up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist, but the other made no indication that he even knew Mars was there.
"She will not take them from me." He said suddenly, breaking his silence and causing quite a few of his friends to jump. "She abhors me as much as I do Her. What else could She hope to gain but their deaths by putting the three of them through the same ordeal, with the same choice?"
"She is still the Light, my friend." Ares said hesitantly from his other side. "She must have a purpose."
No more words were spoken as Cocidius opened his connection with his three beloved Chosen to the fullest extent that he could, although they were not aware of it. He readied himself as their thoughts swirled madly; prepared himself to unleash everything he had upon the Lady's wards if She carried through with this deception. He felt their initial resistance, felt them ready themselves to tell Her no, but Her confusion charms were too strong. Their attention went back to the illusions they believed to be their lovers, and their pain swamped him, causing his ire to sharpen into a deadly point. Her spell was working just as intended, and their determination wavered.
Because they each believed Her lies. They believed Her because they knew as well as any the distortion of time where they were. They believed Her because She clouded their thoughts, because She wouldn't let them access their Marks for confirmation. They believed that the ones they cherished above all else had spent what seemed like days in the Deep Lord's clutches. Two of them knew what an extended visit like that could do to the strongest person's mind, and the other could only imagine, horrid images running through her head. It was absurd, of course, since that Deep Lord was currently chained, whimpering, to his parlor wall.
But his Chosen, his precious, precious Chosen, knew that not. As much as they wanted to save their dying loves, they feared bringing them back and having them heal, yet stay broken in a way much worse than that of the body. They feared earning their hate for forcing them to live with so much torment. They feared bringing them back only to have them become grisly, macabre shells, mere echoes of what they once were. He could also feel their hate of the Bane. Draco's went deep, as did Blaise's; both had intimate experience with that most twisted of creations. Both had fought off its foul touch when their sires had tried to damn them as they themselves were damned.
And Virginia loathed it because she had grown up her entire life hearing it talked about in nothing more than disgust-filled whispers, decrying its evil. And they all loathed it not only because of its taint on the land's people, but also because of its taint on the land itself. That was something that most witches and wizards, whether they be dark or light, abhorred down to their very cores. The Lady played on those feelings, played on those primal instincts to protect the Realm that housed them, and their minds began to break under the strain. She used their love and fear against them in an unforgivable way, and Cocidius snapped.
Calling on every bit of energy he possessed, drawing it to him a ferocious rush, he paid no heed to his friends' exclamations of shock and threw it all at the Lady's wards. But he did not attack as he had first planned, did not try to hit Her, but instead aimed it down his link to his Chosen, breaking through the dazed, devious fog enveloping their minds in one savage thrust. Full alertness came back to them with a jolt, awareness filling their eyes as he poured his divinity into them in a continuous stream. The Marks on their arms flared to life and they each drew in deep, ragged breaths. Cocidius distantly felt Mars shaking him and screaming for him to stop, but he had no intention of doing so.
That Dawn Star bitch was not taking the ones he had fought so hard for, was not taking those who had given him life once again. They were utterly loyal to him, he knew that, knew that they would die for him, in his name, should he ask it of them. But the ties of the Marks went both ways, and he would not do any less for them. Gods could not be killed, true, but one learned after an endless eternity that there were worse things than death and oblivion. Crossing one of the Ladies was not particularly wise, even for the High Kings and Queens, but he was willing to take the risk for them. Besides, many would say that Falling from Heaven was unwise, but he would still do it again.
He felt it as his Chosens' thoughts shifted, as they weighed the situation from a clear perspective, and his spirit sang with triumph. They still believed their lovers held prisoner, as the bitch was somehow blocking him from revealing everything to them, and he just hoped it was enough. Because if they chose to let each other Pass, She would hold them to it even though none of them had been so much as touched thus far. So he stayed silent as they viewed the situation from all angles, and he felt a surge of pride at their careful consideration and estimation. He also felt a surge of a different sort, only to be suddenly revitalized by an outpouring of familiar power.
He looked up briefly, giving Mars a thankful nod, before his attention went immediately back to his Chosen. They knew what most would expect of them in such a situation. They knew that most would tell them to end their lovers' agony, to destroy the world's Bane. They knew that it was the right thing to do, the noble thing to do. They knew that it would end much suffering, that it would allow the land to finally heal. That last called to them strongly, as it would to any of their kind. And their ties to the land were stronger then most, turning the usually gentle call into a siren's song. As one, they came to a decision, and their voices flowed out in perfect unison, though they knew it not.
"I would see the Bane destroyed." They said, and Cocidius heard Mars suck in a resigned breath, as if he'd seen the same before and had known what they would choose.
"Is that your decision?" The Lady asked, Her voice cheery and bright, as if She weren't condemning three of his Chosen to their deaths.
"No." They replied as one again, and this time Mars' gasp was one of shock, as were the others that sounded behind him.
"No?" The Lady asked, Her voice tinged with disbelief.
"No. Not if it means sending them to their deaths. They are stronger then you think; this will not break them. And for them, I would let the world burn and crumble into dust." Those words were slightly choked, and all watching knew how much it cost the three to make such an oath.
"You would be so selfish?" The Lady demanded, all traces of comfort and encouragement gone from Her tone. "You would put your own happiness over that of millions?" She scoffed harshly.
"Yes!" They screamed simultaneously. "I will not forsake them!"
Cocidius braced himself, ready to take the force of the blow if She attacked, but the Lady merely laughed. Cocidius and the watching gods froze. They knew that laugh. And it wasn't the Lady of Light's. No, it was a deep, feline purr, darkly feminine and impossibly sensual. It tingled over their skin, crept into their souls, and all resistance buckled as the gods and Chosen alike fell to their knees. Everything around them faded, the white halls disappearing as the void seeped in and covered all. Faint specks were the first things to reappear, growing stronger until they seemed surrounded by stars and complete, velvety blackness.
His Chosen started as they looked up and saw each other whole, the illusions gone with the brightly lit room. They were dressed identically in long, sweeping robes of impossibly black material that seemed to eat up the starlight. The robes molded to their figures perfectly, drawing the eye to their lithe forms and sleek muscles. They were buttoned up the front with small, ebentine buttons, and there was no telltale bulge of a bandage under Draco's robes, the Lady seeming to have healed him in those dark moments. The front of their hair on either side of their faces had been elaborately braided, while the rest flowed freely down their backs, shimmering in the low light.
A heavy presence lingered all around them, but they could only sense Her, not see Her as the gods could. The gods who watched Her with rapt, devoted eyes as She slid in and out of form, Her beauty and grace incomparable. No denizen of the Shadow Realm could look upon Her and live, but many would deem the sacrifice worth it. She was all that was dark, all that was fierce. She was passion and pride, love and lust, rage and destruction. She truly was the darkness personified; She was the mother of the void itself. None compared to Her, though Her sister vainly tried.
"Well done, Chosen of my Chosen." She crooned softly, sending shivers down their spines and drawing moans from their throats. Everything about Her was seductive and alluring to those drawn to darkness, without Her even trying. She was their goddess, their true mother. She was glorious. Twilight's Pride.
"Great One." His Chosen intoned, but there was no mockery in their voices, only awe and devotion.
"You chose well." She said lazily, and black streamers stretched out from the starry walls, reaching for them and caressing them lovingly. Their faces were masks of ecstasy, their eyes darkening as Her power infused them, and they were barely able to form a reply.
"W-We did not anger you, then?" They asked, their vocal symmetry still perfectly intact with the Marks open so wide, and the gods could hear traces of Her voice within their own.
"Far from it." She purred, and Her attention turned to the gods. "Come, Cocidius, will you not greet me?" She asked, and his Chosen turned as he appeared, the wards that had kept him out long gone, and he flew easily towards them.
He briefly touched each of their upturned faces before continuing past them to the impenetrable darkness above that was bereft of so much as a single star. That was where She waited, nothing but twisting shadows to the eyes of his Chosen, but She was everything to him. Long had he followed Her, and he knew Her as well as anyone could ever hope to. She was ever-changing, yet never-changing, protective and malevolent, and She was his Lady. He drew even with Her, and Her power embraced him instantly. He knew nothing but Her for what seemed an eternity, yet when She released him, he thought it over all too soon. She did not send him away, however, but kept him with Her as She turned back to his Chosen.
"You three," She started, Her tone husky and pleased, "and your Lord, did remarkably well. The world does not need more careless heroes. The world needs protectors. And as you proved just now, you will do anything to keep one another from harm."
"But what does that have to do with protecting the world, my lady?" There was such utter reverence in their voices. They reminded Cocidius of himself, and he allowed a small, ironic smile to curve his lips. "We refused its saving grace mere moments ago."
"I know how hard your choice was. I know how the land sings to your blood. You wish to return its vitality almost as much as you desire to keep one another from harm. And as long as your lovers breathe, you will protect the land in order to protect them. It is a cycle, darklings, and one that you are all well equipped for. But this path shall not be forced upon you, nor will it be easy should you choose it."
"And what would be required of us, my lady?" They asked, and Her addictive, sultry laugh was intoxicating.
"Do not fret so, cherished. I am not asking that you look after those too foolish to bow to you. I ask only for the sake of the land and the animals. I do not care overly much for mortals. I find them quite…crude. They abuse what they were given and sworn to protect. But there are some, some that still worship, those with the blood of my divine children. But you three…Much has been Seen regarding you. Had you answered any differently, though...Your destinies would have diminished greatly."
"My lady?" Draco asked suddenly, breaking the chain of simultaneous speech between the three.
"Yes, prince of dragons?" She asked, and he looked slightly startled at the title.
"If we do this, can I please kill Harry Potter?" The question hung in the air, completely heartfelt, and silence covered all for a moment. Then, for the first time in his long acquaintance with Her, Cocidius could have sworn She was actually slightly sheepish as She replied.
"I'm afraid not." She said, and Draco's face fell slightly, as did Blaise's. "But it is not forbidden for you to take justified revenge when necessary." She added, and their spirits lifted a bit again. She laughed softly at their eagerness, and all three trembled visibly in pleasure. "So will you begin healing the earth for me? There will be those who oppose you, and it will not be an easy task. I believe you capable of it, though, and I would not entrust this task to any others." They were silent for long moments, and Cocidius felt them communing with one another. He left their thoughts to themselves, as he had no plans of swaying them one way or the other.
"We would be honored, Lady." They finally responded, and Cocidius smiled, letting them sense his approval.
"So be it." The Lady said, Her throaty, carnal voice leaving them near breathless. "For your willingness and loyalty, I have a gift for you. Consider it a little piece of me to carry with you to help you in the days ahead."
With those words said, the darkness moved in, enclosing everything once more. She drew Cocidius and his Chosen close to Her, and began a rapid descent into the void. What should have crushed and killed his favored ones did not, and he felt a moment of wonder. She had spoken literally, then, and had truly given them a great gift. A piece of Herself. He looked closer, past their forms to their cores, and he saw Her darkness latch onto theirs, expanding it and intensifying it beyond what they should have been able to endure. But endure it they did; in fact, they seemed to revel in it, their souls completely rapturous. But still they went deeper.
To his surprise, Cocidius felt his own darkness expanding, and realized it was time. His inheritance was upon him, and he surrendered to it freely. The last of his mother's light spluttered and died, and cold, sweet power rushed in to fill the empty space. It kept coming and coming, and he was vaguely amazed through the rush. No wonder Dagda had so desperately wanted to keep him from this. The Lady swerved suddenly, and they were shooting upwards instead of down. He recognized the scent of the Shadow Realm above them, and realized Her intent. He sent a flicker of a thought to his woozy, power-high Chosen, but they could barely form a coherent thought between them.
Amused, and feeling the Lady's own amusement, he grinned and slowed their progress, as the darkness around him called to him and obeyed him like never before. The Lady's dusky, nebulous laughter echoed around him, and they placed his Chosen quite gently back in their own Realm. Then the Lady coiled around him and dove again, Her body molding against his deliciously. He was shocked when soft, ferocious lips captured his, and his body stirred like never before, pulling his soul along with it. Then She disentangled Herself with liquid grace, nipping his lip sharply with one delicate, razor-sharp fang, and shot off below him. Disappointment and despondency fell over him, until that blessed voice drifted up to him, full of dark promises.
"Long has it been since I have found a worthy lover. Catch me if you can, Consort."
The last words in both sentences struck him like lightning, and a feral smirk twisted his lips. His Lady wished to play? He was more than happy to oblige.
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It was still an over an hour before dawn when Hermione snuck out of her room, stealing down the stairs and exiting the tower quietly. Technically, she wouldn't get in trouble for being out so late (or should she say early?), since she was Head Girl, but she tried to be as discreet as possible anyway. She didn't really want to answer Filch's questions on where she was headed. She had her heavy cloak wrapped tightly around her to ward off the cold, and had forgone her house shoes in favor of her winter boots. The freezing air hit her hard, and her cheeks were burning within moments. It was snowing again, and it made her trek to the pitch all the more difficult.
She slowed as she approached, and by then her fingers and face were completely numb. She could see the group of Slytherins still around the open portal, far enough back not to be in any danger. Most were still awake and looked warm enough, which irked her quite a bit considering her miserable state. The nine guards were standing around them, their hooded faces trained towards the portal. She wondered if they'd moved at all lately, considering that snow had built up on their shoulders and robes. She moved closer, not watching where she was going, and slipped on a patch of ice. A small, high shriek escaped her as she landed hard on her butt.
"Granger?" Anton's voice questioned somewhat incredulously, barely concealed laughter in his tone. Already embarrassed, she felt her cheeks flame up even through their numbness, and she could hear footsteps approaching from in front of her.
"What on earth are you doing?" Pansy asked from above her, and Hermione stared at the bottom of her robes, desperately trying to come up with something to say. "You're too curious for your own good, you know that?" The girl continued, and Hermione latched onto that, trying to change the subject.
"Maybe." She said, getting to her feet slowly. She really didn't want to look up, as she was sure that Blaise, at least, would know the real reason for her being there. But she made herself anyway, and was surprised when she didn't see him or Ginny anywhere. "Where are they?" She blurted, and Pansy and Anton exchanged looks, knowing who she meant.
"Oh, you know, places." Anton said dismissively, and Hermione sighed, seeing she wasn't going to get more out of them. "I'm more interested in what you're doing here. And without your faithful protectors." He added with a suggestive leer, and she backed away a step in spite of herself, her face heating again.
"Oh, how cute." Pansy drawled, obviously still in a foul mood. "The little mudblood's blushing." Laughter trickled from behind her from the listening Slytherins. "Maybe she fancies you, Anton."
"I do not!" Hermione said indignantly, putting her hands on her hips.
"No, I don't think she does." Anton surprisingly agreed. "But I know who she does fancy." Mocking 'Oooohs' and 'Ahhhs' came from his Housemates, and she started to rethink this whole idea.
"I wonder who that could be?" One Slytherin called sarcastically. "Do tell us, Anton, dear." He nodded, and started in a low, secretive whisper.
"Well, he has hair of silver, eyes of steel!"
"No, really?" The Slytherins chorused back, thoroughly enjoying Hermione's horror.
"Yes! Who know what secrets they might reveal?"
"Secrets…" The Slytherins hissed.
"She loves him though he loves her not…"
"Poor thing." They crowed, barely stifling their laughter.
"'Tis a love she never should have sought!"
"Never, never!"
"She toys with fire and with thunder…"
"Does she wish to die?"
"The cause of her death will leave none to wonder…"
"Toyed with fire, toyed with thunder!"
They couldn't hold it back anymore, and as one, the Slytherins, even Snape, disintegrated into hysterical laughter, while Hermione's fondest wish was to melt into the snow and disappear, preferably forever. She was more mortified then she had ever been in her life, and was positive she would never live this down. Anyone else might have applauded their synchronicity and improvisation, but she saw no upside to it at all. She was just about to try and slink into the shadows, when a whirring noise reached her ears. It halfway reminded her of an airplane's engines, but that was ridiculous. They were at Hogwarts. Which is probably why what happened next shouldn't have shocked her as much as it did.
But really, who wouldn't be disconcerted at seeing three of their schoolmates suddenly appear out of the center of a pit of nothingness? And not just simply appear, oh no, not those three. More like lifted out by two huge, ghostly hands, one like a piece of the night sky and the other a sliver of the moon, and placed softly on the snow with the utmost care. The hands disappeared and the three newly returned figures lay still, wearing blacker robes then any she'd ever seen before, and the front of their hair had been plaited in tiny, impossibly complicated braids. No one moved for a long, stunned moment, and then their guards were there, kneeling around them and whispering frantically, but not touching them.
"We're fine!" Blaise's voice could be clearly heard, though it was slurred and a bit deeper than usual. The Slytherins seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, and moved towards them at once.
Hermione fell into place beside them, and she soon realized why the guards hadn't laid so much as a finger on the three. Their skin was covered in darkfire that was blacker than any she'd ever seen before, and their eyes were the same shade, even the whites. They were shaking; but their faces weren't contorted in pain. They actually looked, well…wasted. Really, really wasted. Fucked up almost beyond comprehension. They were trying to get to their feet, but kept slipping back down, goofy grins on their faces. It was one of the most frightening things that she'd ever seen. They looked demonic, yet cheerful, and it was just…creepy.
"This is impossible!" Virginia finally exclaimed, and darkfire actually flowed from between her lips as she spoke. She turned to her boyfriends and huffed. "Do your legs work?" She asked, and Draco and Blaise…giggled. Holy fucking shit, Hermione thought wildly, and noticed that the Slytherins looked just as confused and disturbed as she did for once.
"No." Draco crooned, falling back into the snow again, which fluffed under him automatically. He stared at it for a moment, before muttering, "Cool."
"What's cool?" Blaise asked, also having given up on trying to stand, and was currently fascinated with his hair, staring at it with wide eyes as he twirled a raven lock between his fingers.
"The snow!" Draco replied, blinking his solid black eyes and lifting a handful of the white powder in front of his face. "It likes me." He stated, his blue-tinted lips quirking. "I didn't know that snow could talk. Wanna see if it'll listen to me?"
"Yeah!" Blaise and Ginny agreed, abandoning their own pursuits and moving closer, their own black eyes reflecting the last of the moonlight that was shining on Draco's silver hair.
Draco leaned forward, whispering a few words into his hand, and the snow fluttered, then started spinning. It whirled above his palm and started twining around itself, beginning to form a shape. It started as a dragon, then swirled into a snake, a tiger and back into a dragon again, before swooping away and flying around his lovers' heads, brushing their cheeks and causing them to laugh delightedly. The snow didn't melt against the darkfire on their skin like the snow on the ground that their bare skin had touched did, and Hermione would have wondered at it if she weren't so utterly disturbed by the scene in front of her.
"It listened!" Ginny cried happily, and once more tried to stand. She made it halfway up before those inky black eyes glazed and she fell again, this time into Draco's lap. "Oh, fuck it." She sighed, and slammed a hand into the snow. A small explosion of white, fluffy flakes surrounded it, startling quite a few people, but not nearly as much as her next words did. "Is it hot or is it just me?"
"It is sort of warm, isn't it?" Blaise drawled, oblivious to the choked exclamations from his Housemates after his girlfriend's quite lewd-sounding question, and got shakily to his knees. He started to fall, but reached out blindly, grabbing the sleeve of one of his guard's robes. It steadied him for the moment he needed, and they watched in silence as the sleeve fell to ashes at his touch, spreading up the entire arm before the guard could stop it. If that had been his skin…Hermione took a few steps back before she even realized it.
"Why?" Draco asked slyly, giving Blaise a look that couldn't be mistaken and that made the watching people's hearts skip a beat. "Want help getting those robes off?"
"Why?" Blaise turned his own question on him smoothly, reaching up for the buttons on his robes and undoing five before she even saw his fingers move. "Would you like to see them come off?"
"That's enough." Snape's voice cut through the spellbound atmosphere, sounding more than slightly exasperated, but Draco and Blaise simply turned wicked grins on him and licked their lips. She gasped when they did, as even their tongues were black, making their teeth seem all the whiter and deadlier. They started to respond, but Virginia, surprisingly, beat them to it, a surge of black fire over her skin seeming to give her the skill to stand. She sauntered towards Snape, swaying her hips enticingly, and Hermione goggled. She'd never seen Ginny look more alien. And entirely inhuman. Not to mention utterly seductive if the Slytherins' appreciative gazes were anything to go by.
"What's wrong, Severus?" She asked sultrily, her voice a soft, melodious purr. She reached him and circled his rigid form slowly, drawing a sharp nail over his shoulder and around his back, before leaning in and whispering silkily, "Can't take the heat?"
Then she walked away, leaving an astonished Snape and smirking Slytherins staring after her. She made it back to her boyfriends before her newfound walking ability seemed to leave her at once, and she crumpled back down to the snow, giggling madly, as were her lovers. But when the tears that ran down their cheeks from their mirth were actually black as well, Hermione didn't know if she could take much more. What the hell was wrong with them? Everyone else had seemed worried at first, too, but now they were grinning like it was all very amusing, which it was not. Oh yes, she was seriously reconsidering just how great of an idea this had been.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and turned to Pansy. "What's wrong with them?" She asked, and the girl rolled her eyes.
"They're power-high. Very, very power-high. I do suppose you can figure out what that means on your own?" Pansy snapped irritably, but her eyes were smiling as she watched her friends, her dark, scary friends, giggle in the snow like children. Although, they did have rather nice laughs when they were short and genuinely happy like that…In fact, it was very nearly like soft music.
"But how did Blaise and Ginny get down there?" She asked, ignoring the blatant hint in the girl's last comment.
"Gee, I fucking wonder, Granger." Another impressive eye-roll. "How do you think? They jumped."
"But they didn't…Oh. After, then." Hermione said, putting two and two together quickly, as she was wont to do. "But what made them like…Well, like that?" The other girl spun on her heel so quickly that Hermione barely had time to take an instinctive step back.
"Let's try something, mudblood." Pansy hissed, moving closer and poking Hermione hard in the chest. "Let's reverse the situations, hmm?" Another hard poke. "Let's say that your best friend, or someone equally as dear to you…Oh, wait, I guess we can keep it as Dray after all, eh?" A vicious smirk as the other Slytherins snickered and Hermione blushed anew. "Well, let's say that it was your precious Potter, just to make a point." Another poke and Hermione shuffled backwards, Pansy mimicking her movements perfectly and moving in time with her. "Let's say that he just fell down a portal into Hell, and you'd been up all night worrying, when your other two best friends decide to join him." A rough shove and Hermione found her back pressed against the stands. "Then, along comes, oh, say, me, asking all kinds of annoying, unwanted questions and sticking my nose, once the fuck again, somewhere it doesn't belong."
The girl's eyes were glittering dangerously at this point and Hermione was so scared that she could barely breathe. It had been beyond foolish to come into their midst alone. What the hell had she been thinking? There would be no rescue, for she was utterly alone in a crowd of Slytherins who despised her with every breath that she continued to take. And it's not like Ginny would be much help in her current state. Hermione had always prided herself on being so bloody smart, yet she had willingly walked into a situation that she should have known would end badly. The heavy silence stretched and she waited with a pounding heart for the first blow to land. She squeezed her eyes shut and nearly fainted when a voice cut through the stillness, satiny smooth.
"Foutre." An amused snicker. "I think Pansy's going to kill the little mudblood." More snickering. "Daddy'd be sooo pleased." Now that had the Slytherins gaping, Hermione saw as she cracked her eyes open. Pansy turned, her mouth hanging open in a most un-Pansy-like way, as she gazed speechlessly at the three laughing (and at this point, Hermione thought, completely psychotic) Chosen, who were all quite giddy over that last comment, to everyone's bafflement. ((Fuck.))
"Wouldn't he though?" Blaise replied, an airy, singsong lilt to his already-musical tone that was completely at odds with the fierce darkfire crackling in his eyes and over his alabaster skin. "After all, what did they say? 'It matters not if you show no mercy'…"
"'For the sun still shines on the wicked'!" Draco finished for him, laughing again while Hermione reeled. Their fathers actually told them that?
"Does it truly matter?" Ginny asked, tugging gently on the end of his silver hair, which, miraculously, didn't burn into nothing. In fact, it seemed to absorb the black flames. "For I don't much care if I ever see it again!"
"Funny." Blaise murmured, running a fingertip down her cheek fondly. "I've felt that way for ages." Her eyes turned and met his, a tongue as black as theirs darting out and moistening her crimson lips.
"You know what?" She asked huskily, and the tone in her voice had Draco and Blaise instantly alert. Well, as alert as they could be, considering. "I'm suddenly exhausted. A little sleep wouldn't hurt, hmm?" Dark flashes sped across the two Slytherins' forms, much the same as what had happened with Ginny earlier, and they were steadily on their feet in seconds. Each held a shadowy hand out to her and she took them without a drop of hesitation, rising smoothly to stand beside them.
"We'll see you later." Draco said distractedly as they started to leave, and Severus stepped forward, looking stern.
"I don't think so. None of you is in any condition to go traipsing about. I'm not entirely sure I even want to know what could have possibly gotten the three of you so…unhinged. But I do know that you'll be like this for the better part of the day, and quick to anger. Not to mention that I'm going to have to get you lucid enough to perform sight shields so you don't go to classes and terrify the students. Any more, that is." He added dryly. The three shot him such utterly pitiful looks that he couldn't stop a small smile dancing across his lips. Hermione nearly choked. Snape could smile? Harry and Ron would never believe her. Not that she could ever tell them about coming here in the first place. "Oh, and Granger?" He called, causing her head to snap up and dread to fill her.
"Yes, Professor?"
"You'll be serving extra detention with me. This is no Head Girl duty that has you out at such an inappropriate time." He said, his smile turning nasty, and she stared. He was giving her detention? More detention? Oh, yes, a very foolish idea, indeed, she thought ruefully.
"Oh, come now, Severus." Ginny said, to the surprise of all. "She was only worried, after all. Can't you cut her a little slack? My brother will hound us to no end if he hears about this." Shocked, Hermione met her eyes and nearly fell. Because for all that the girl had just taken up for her, the look in her eyes was anything but friendly. It wasn't exactly hostile, but more as if she were some slightly intriguing new form of insect. Slow, lazy, dangerous smiles crossed her lovers' faces, and their black eyes became hooded as they regarded Hermione with an unsettling intensity that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Snape caught their looks and sighed, shaking his head.
"Fine." He said, his eyes glimmering strangely. Had she known him better, she would have recognized it for the barely-concealed humor that it was. "But you'll be helping me in her stead, Ms. Weasley. I'm in need of more Aetherius Draught."
Hermione was instantly dismayed. That was a horridly difficult potion, and Ginny had only been trying to help her, no matter how she had looked. Had Hermione had the knowledge that the Slytherins did, she wouldn't have felt so guilty. But she didn't, and so had no idea that Ginny had a passion for potions, and that that wasn't a punishment at all, but a regular weekly occurrence. Her guilt driving her and lending her courage, she ignored the Slytherins' glares and caught up with Ginny as everyone started making for the castle. Draco and Blaise gave her mildly venomous looks, seemingly mindful and respectful of Ginny's decision on whether or not to speak to her, but just waiting for her to screw up.
"You didn't have to do that, Ginny." Hermione said, and those black eyes settled on her again. Eyes just aren't supposed to look like that, Hermione decided firmly, fighting to keep her feelings on the matter from reaching her own eyes. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feeling or anything. It had been a hard enough night on her already. She didn't want Ginny to see her discontentment and fear on top of it all.
"It's nothing." Ginny replied, another flash of darkness pulsing around her. Hermione assumed that small bursts were what was keeping them so levelheaded for the moment, and she was grateful. They still looked hazy, but at least they weren't giggling insanely for the time being.
"No, that was really nice of you." Hermione said sincerely, reaching out to lay her hand on Ginny's shoulder unthinkingly. The girl jumped back so swiftly that she nearly collided with Blaise, who caught her by the hips easily. Her eyes were wide as she looked over at Hermione, who had frozen, her hand still outstretched. The very tip of her middle finger was turning black at an alarming rate, and blood oozed out from around the fingernail.
"Shit!" Ginny exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?" She grabbed Hermione's hand, pointedly not looking at the blood, and murmured a few words in the old tongue. She was learning the healing arts quickly, and with the Marks open, she was even better. Something small and caused by her own magick would be simple. And it was. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as the pain vanished and her finger returned to normal.
"Sorry." She said weakly, once more completely humiliated.
"That was good." Draco said, and at first, she thought he was mocking her. But his tone was sincere, and her head shot up, only to find him staring at Ginny with a mixture of affection and pride. Degrading herself for being so stupid, she couldn't help the shot of envy that coursed through her. And worse yet, she could feel those eyes on her, and didn't dare turn her head. The last thing she needed was for him to have reason to go at her again. Such a bad idea, she chided herself once more as they continued walking for the castle.
"I can't believe you snuck out." Ginny commented when they were halfway there, and Hermione glanced over at her quickly. Ginny cocked an eyebrow at her. "My brother and Harry would freak, you know."
"I know." Hermione agreed, seriously wanting to drop the subject.
"So why'd you come then?" Ginny continued, and someone that sounded suspiciously like Anton snorted. Ginny ignored him, those disturbing eyes leveled on Hermione. Knowing better than to lie outright in the company she was currently in, she settled on a half-truth.
"I wanted to see if you were okay." She said, and Ginny's eyebrow rose again. "You just bolted after…well, afterwards, and I wanted to make sure that you hadn't done anything…rash. I was apparently too late, however." She said lightly, making sure that her voice didn't sound accusatory. Honestly. She'd never been as paranoid in her life as she was around this bunch.
"Well, that was…nice of you." Ginny said, repeating Hermione's words from earlier, her voice slightly off, as if she had heard the ring of truth in the other girl's statement, but had expected something different. Hermione felt a shade of relief until her eyes accidentally met Blaise's and she saw her death written in those bottomless black pools. Within a split second, her insides turned frighteningly cold and she looked away hastily, her heart pounding wildly as it tried to escape through her throat. She vaguely wondered if this was how the rabbit felt right before the panther pounced, and her fear was only intensified when Ginny's eyes flashed oddly.
"Hermione, what…" The girl started, her nostrils flaring slightly as if she could smell Hermione's distress, and she turned slowly. Draco was openly watching Hermione with the same intent look that Ginny had, knowing what had caused her sudden shift in mood, but he was obviously not the cause of it. The girl's eyes moved to Blaise, who met her gaze without the slightest bit of guilt.
"I didn't do anything." He said at his girlfriend's unspoken inquiry, and she leaned in, whispering something to him. His eyes went from Ginny's hair to Hermione, and the look he gave her made her feel as if her flesh were being flayed off with a dull knife. She was pretty sure that his 'un-intense dislike' of her ignorable self had just escalated quite dramatically. Having his girlfriend reprimand him because of her had seemingly done the trick. Cursing inwardly, Hermione turned away only to come face-to-face with Anton.
"He's going to kill you one day, you know." The handsome Slytherin said thoughtfully, his dark hair falling in front of his face. Needless to say, his comment did nothing to assuage her fear. "I wouldn't blame him, either."
"I didn't think you would." Hermione bit out, her skin still crawling.
"Fine." They heard Blaise hiss from behind them, and turned back around slowly. "But when that little mudblooded bitch betrays you, nothing and no one will stop me from snapping her fucking neck."
Hermione must have made some startled noise, because his attention was suddenly on her, and she knew that he was not in the least bit joking. Not that she had ever assumed he was. His ebony eyes were sparking, a purple sheen seeming to gloss over them, but another flash of darkfire and his face went blank again, his eyes returning to the now-regular, unsettling, unrelieved black. Ginny said nothing, simply laid a soft kiss on his lips before once more starting for the castle, taking his hand in one of hers and Draco's in the other. They seemed to forget about everyone else as they spoke quietly in French, so Hermione once more found herself unwillingly sharing words with Anton.
"Tell me something, Granger."
"What?" She asked warily.
"Do you have a death wish?" He questioned, and she felt her temper flare. They made it so hard to be civil!
"Oh, just shut up." She said acidly, and he smirked.
"I'm serious." He said, and he did actually sound that way. "And so is he. He will formally challenge you if you push him much farther."
"I haven't done anything to him!"
"Oh please." Anton snapped. "We're not blind, you know."
"What are you talking about?" She asked, feeling her face start to heat again. She saw that they were almost at the doors and nearly cried out in glee.
"What I'm talking about, Gryffindor," he said, moving closer and whispering in her ear, "is that you would do well to set your sights elsewhere if you wish to keep your eyes, let alone your life." Then he moved away smoothly, his mask firmly in place, but his eyes glinted threateningly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She mumbled, and saw Snape throwing up temporary sight shields around Draco, Ginny, and Blaise. They would look mostly normal to anyone who saw them, and Hermione considered those who were spared quite lucky as she passed through the entrance doors. She started to head for the stairs when a voice stopped her.
"Ginny!" Was that Lauren? It most certainly was, she saw a moment later as the girl slid out of the shadows and approached Ginny slowly. An ominous feeling clenched Hermione's stomach, and for some reason she couldn't name, she silently went to Ginny's side. For once, her attention was fully on the redheaded girl, and she didn't notice Draco and Blaise's glares.
"Hey, Lauren." Ginny said casually, somehow not seeming to notice the girl's hesitation and anxiousness. Everyone else did though.
"Umm…Do you think…Could we talk, Ginny?" Lauren asked, flickering nervous glances at Ginny's boyfriends and friends.
"Sure." Ginny said, a small smile on her face. "What about?"
"Well, I really wanted to talk to you alone." Lauren said, stressing the last and clenching her hands tightly in her robes. Hermione wondered if she had looked that scared earlier, and then wondered how in the hell Ginny didn't see it.
"I don't think that's such a great idea." Draco interceded, and Ginny looked at him, surprised.
"Why on earth not?" She asked, and Hermione saw the telltale glaze that briefly settled over her once-again charcoal eyes, knowing that under the shield she had just replenished herself with another of those little bursts.
"Couldn't it wait just a bit, love?" Blaise suggested, a flash of…something crossing his elegant features.
"I won't be long." Ginny argued. "Really. We'll just go to the Girls' Washroom. You can wait outside if you're so worried." She said, and her boyfriends nodded reluctantly, then told the other Slytherins to go on and thanked Snape for waiting for them all night. Their Housemates left, shooting unsure glances back at them until they disappeared down the steps leading to the dungeons, while Snape headed towards Dumbledore's office.
"I'm coming with you." Hermione stated out of nowhere, surprising even herself. Lauren started to say something, but Hermione just looked at her. Then the other girl nodded and turned on a heel, heading for the first floor bathrooms. They reached them relatively quickly, and the three girls went in, leaving the two Slytherins leaning against the wall, their eyes icy and foreboding.
"So what's this all about?" Ginny asked, sliding up onto one of the counters in a single, fluid move. Her multi-hued red hair fell around her face in tight curls from behind the braids, the ends brushing past the tops of her knees as she sat. With her small, light frame and sculpted, delicate features, she appeared harmless. A remembered flash of solid black eyes quickly dispelled that illusion for Hermione. No, she knew all to well what it was liked being pinned to a wall by the fiery girl. Quite literally.
"Ginny…" Lauren started slowly, but seeing her friend look as she did then seemed to give her courage. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"What?" Ginny asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"With-With all of this!" Lauren said, waving her arm erratically. Ginny grinned before she saw the look on Lauren's face.
"And what is 'this'?" Ginny asked quietly. Her seemingly meek demeanor seemed to bolster Lauren's boldness even more.
"Dating two guys who are totally hot and dark is one thing." Lauren said, her voice becoming harsh. "But being dark is something completely different." Something odd flickered in Ginny's eyes, but her tone stayed the same as she responded.
"So this is about me then."
"Yes!" Lauren exclaimed. "And being a Chosen is one thing, but Cocidius's? Have you forgotten the legends about Him?" At that, Ginny's smoky eyes went so blank and cold so quickly that Hermione shivered.
"Leave my Lord out of this." Ginny said, her voice neutral and her expression completely void of any emotion. All Hermione could think was, 'Why does Lauren have to do this now of all times'? The girl hadn't even so much as said that she was happy Draco had come back alright, or even asked if Ginny was okay.
"That's what I'm talking about, Ginny!" Lauren said scathingly. "That look that you have right now! You're falling, being sucked into their trap by pretty words and prettier faces!" Were Ginny's eyes beginning to burn?
"And just who is it that you think is trapping me?" Ginny asked, her voice deceptively even. Lauren goggled at her.
"Who?" The girl asked in disbelief. "Who do you think? Those 'boyfriends' of yours have fucking tainted you and you don't even seem to care!"
Ginny froze in mid-blink, her eyes coming alight with such broiling, white-hot fury that Lauren gasped and choked, falling backwards into the wall and staring fearfully at her former best friend. Hermione had a second to realize the stone counter under Ginny's hands was melting before the girl sprung. Hermione closed her eyes, waiting for the first shriek of pain, and was surprised when it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw Blaise and Draco with their arms firmly wrapped around Ginny, whose sight shield had burned away, leaving her in all of her dark glory. Hermione realized that she'd only thought the look Blaise had given her earlier was horrible beyond imagining.
Because the enraged glares he and Draco had leveled on Lauren were wholly terrifying. And the darkness in their eyes…She knew, on some deep, instinctual level, that it was the sort of darkness that had inspired legends, the sort of darkness that could send even the bravest of men screaming. Lauren sat pale and shaking as their eyes bored into her, whimpering and trying to push back through the wall behind her. And Hermione knew that the only reason they had stopped Ginny from killing her was because of how their girlfriend would feel about it later. Then they turned their gazes back to Ginny, murmuring to her softly as they swept her away.
Hermione knew better then to follow, and she actually felt sort of sorry for her Housemate. Moving slowly so as not to alarm the panicking girl, she kneeled down beside her only to get her knees soaked. Shocked, she glanced down to find that the girl had wet herself. She moved hurriedly back, and the sudden movement spooked Lauren. She cowered farther down the wall, not seeming to see Hermione, and the older girl took pity on her. Performing a few quick spells, she got the mess cleaned up, but vowed to throw her robes away anyway. Putting the shook up girl to sleep, she started her way back to Gryffindor tower, levitating Lauren in front of her and wishing wholeheartedly for some sleep of her own.
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Virginia barely noticed they were even moving as her lovers led her to the dungeons. How could she have been so stupid? How had she not seen through Lauren's act? It was obvious that Draco and Blaise had, but not her. No, she had just let herself be led stupidly along, making a complete fool out of herself. It's just that they had been friends for so long…How could Lauren do this? How could someone she had considered her friend have said those horrible things? She wasn't devastated or anything, but more disgusted with herself. They had started to grow apart lately anyway, and she had become closer to Pansy, Melody and Daphne then she had ever been with Lauren.
But it still hurt.
"We're here, ma âme." Blaise said softly, jolting her out of her thoughts. The wall was beginning to open in front of them, bleeding its phantom blood, and she silently thanked him for giving her time to school her features. They walked to see that their friends had emptied the common room, and only Pansy, Melody, Daphne, Anton, Crabbe, Goyle were waiting for them. Pansy was on her feet in seconds and hugging Virginia the next. She pulled back, searching her best friend's eyes, and her own turned viperous.
"You go and let those two pamper you, alright?" Pansy said quietly, pinching the end of Virginia's nose lightly. "Don't worry about classes today. We'll make your excuses. I think you could all use a day off." Then she leaned in, her short hair tickling Virginia's cheek, and whispered, "And I'll take care of that little bitch for you." A swift, friendly peck on the lips later, and Pansy was heading for the exit before Virginia could protest. She smiled wryly at their other friends as Draco and Blaise led her to their room, and they blew her smirking, yet understanding, kisses before disappearing after Pansy.
"Gods, what an incredibly horrible few hours." Virginia muttered, as they made it to the room, Draco and Blaise dropping their remaining sight shields. She headed straight for the bed and paused, tilting her head to the side, a sinful grin curving one side of her mouth. "Oh, except for meeting the Lady and those wonderful hours we spent under a tree." She had to stifle her laughter as Draco's eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously, while Blaise attempted to look innocent.
"Oh really." Draco drawled mildly. "And what tree would that be, hmm? Whatever could have been so interesting about it?" When neither of them said anything, a feral light filled his obsidian eyes. "Ohhh, I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to take you both then, yes? To make things even."
"Is that a promise?" Blaise purred, wrapping his hand in all that silver hair.
Virginia moved with him, pressing her body against Draco's from the front as Blaise moved behind him, teasing his neck with sharp teeth. The sense of completeness was back, swamping her senses as her lips met his. The issue with Lauren was still nagging at her, though, and she decided on something that she'd been considering for a while. It would place the final ties between them, and with that secure, she could close her heart to others. Not Pansy, perhaps, and a few others, but she was determined not to let herself fall into the same situation she had earlier. She would not grow close to anyone else. Lauren had taught her something after all.
"I have a favor to ask of you both." She murmured against his lips after a few more intoxicating moments, and two sets of onyx eyes gave her their full attention. She bit her lip, suddenly nervous. What if they said no?
"What is it, cher un?"
"Well, sixteen is the age of consent." She said, and they nodded, looking slightly confused. "All forms of consent."
"Oui. And…"
"I want to be with you." She said, looking them both in the eyes. "Forever." Their eyes widened at that last part as they instantly understood her meaning, and after a full minute of them not saying a word or so much as blinking, she bit back a sob. "I'm sorry. I didn't, I mean, it doesn-"
"Shhh, ma soleil." Draco soothed, pulling her tightly against him once more. ((my sun))
"We were merely surprised, love." Blaise crooned, embracing her from the other side.
"We had hoped you would join us one day." Draco said, laying soft kisses across her cheeks.
"Eternity would be impossible without you, ma cherí." Blaise added, his tongue darting out and licking a tingling trail down her throat. "But are you sure you truly wish for the Blood?"
"Yes." She moaned, letting her conviction fill her voice as their hands ran over her, leaving her trembling.
"And what has brought us this great joy?" Draco asked, his lips meeting Blaise's over her shoulder.
"My love for you both." She breathed as their lips returned to her wanting skin. "And Lauren said that I was falling into darkness. If so, I plan to enjoy my descent to the fullest."
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Dear, dear, lovely reviewers! Please tell me what you thought!