Chapter Nine
"Rayna Dumbledore."
The room was dark. Rayna whipped around to see from where the voice emanated, but before she would see anything, a cold, pale finger reached out to stroke her cheek.
"I've been wanting," the speaker took a breath, "to meet you," a hand landed on Rayna's shoulder, "for some time." He was getting closer. He took a deep, nasal breath near her hair. He snapped his fingers and fire leapt to life in torches around the room.
Without moving, Rayna surveyed the chamber. The stone walls and floor were unadorned. Lucius Malfoy skulked in a corner.
He captor walked around in front of her. He turned. His red eyes gleamed.
"Voldemort." Rayna hissed.
"Yes. May I say, Rayna, that you are looking lovelier than ever?" Even in the attempt at civility, no chill was missing from the voice.
"I would rather you didn't."
"Have you reconsidered?"
"Reconsidered what?"
"You know perfectly well what."
"If you even think that I would abandon my father for you, you would be foolish enough to ask me again."
*
Snape cursed and he pulled on his robes. Rayna was safe in Voldemort's hands, he knew that as well as Dumbledore. He glanced at Hermione's sleeping form. He had other things to attend to. If Dumbledore was so set on getting his daughter away from Voldemort, why hadn't he gone? Nearly everyone, her dear fiancée included, knew that Rayna was the only person Voldemort had ever voluntarily spared. No one knew why, but rumors were rampant. He had proposed, and would not harm her until she answered? Snape considered. That was probably the most likely reason. But, why? And why did he have to go after her when there were so many more useful ways he could spend his time?
*
Sirius leapt up eagerly at the sound of someone knocking at the door to the Shrieking Shack. "It's about time!" He said as he threw open the door, but he froze dead in his tracks at the sight of Dumbledore again, looking somber and holding up Rayna's wand.
"She dropped it just there." He said motioning behind him. "Now, Sirius, I don't want you to do anything," He stopped abruptly as Sirius swept past him and out of the house. "rash."
Sirius stood over the spot where Dumbledore had motioned. "This is it? You're sure?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes regretfully. "Yes." A rather complicated charm later, Sirius was gone.
*
Rayna gave a small gasp of surprise.
"What?" snarled Voldemort.
"Nothing." She kicked Lucius Malfoy again as he was trying to tie the robes around her wrists. Just don't look in that corner, she thought desperately.
Suddenly, a crash resounded from another room. Malfoy and Voldemort rushed out to investigate. As Rayna's eyes flashed back to the corner, Sirius stepped out of the shadows, knife in hand.
TBC
A/N: I told you guys that the re-written version would be under Snape's Choice II, but it is under Two Men Shunned instead. The next few chapters will have the major plot changes and background information you'll need if you're going to read it. The plot will end up being VERY different from this Fic.
"Rayna Dumbledore."
The room was dark. Rayna whipped around to see from where the voice emanated, but before she would see anything, a cold, pale finger reached out to stroke her cheek.
"I've been wanting," the speaker took a breath, "to meet you," a hand landed on Rayna's shoulder, "for some time." He was getting closer. He took a deep, nasal breath near her hair. He snapped his fingers and fire leapt to life in torches around the room.
Without moving, Rayna surveyed the chamber. The stone walls and floor were unadorned. Lucius Malfoy skulked in a corner.
He captor walked around in front of her. He turned. His red eyes gleamed.
"Voldemort." Rayna hissed.
"Yes. May I say, Rayna, that you are looking lovelier than ever?" Even in the attempt at civility, no chill was missing from the voice.
"I would rather you didn't."
"Have you reconsidered?"
"Reconsidered what?"
"You know perfectly well what."
"If you even think that I would abandon my father for you, you would be foolish enough to ask me again."
*
Snape cursed and he pulled on his robes. Rayna was safe in Voldemort's hands, he knew that as well as Dumbledore. He glanced at Hermione's sleeping form. He had other things to attend to. If Dumbledore was so set on getting his daughter away from Voldemort, why hadn't he gone? Nearly everyone, her dear fiancée included, knew that Rayna was the only person Voldemort had ever voluntarily spared. No one knew why, but rumors were rampant. He had proposed, and would not harm her until she answered? Snape considered. That was probably the most likely reason. But, why? And why did he have to go after her when there were so many more useful ways he could spend his time?
*
Sirius leapt up eagerly at the sound of someone knocking at the door to the Shrieking Shack. "It's about time!" He said as he threw open the door, but he froze dead in his tracks at the sight of Dumbledore again, looking somber and holding up Rayna's wand.
"She dropped it just there." He said motioning behind him. "Now, Sirius, I don't want you to do anything," He stopped abruptly as Sirius swept past him and out of the house. "rash."
Sirius stood over the spot where Dumbledore had motioned. "This is it? You're sure?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes regretfully. "Yes." A rather complicated charm later, Sirius was gone.
*
Rayna gave a small gasp of surprise.
"What?" snarled Voldemort.
"Nothing." She kicked Lucius Malfoy again as he was trying to tie the robes around her wrists. Just don't look in that corner, she thought desperately.
Suddenly, a crash resounded from another room. Malfoy and Voldemort rushed out to investigate. As Rayna's eyes flashed back to the corner, Sirius stepped out of the shadows, knife in hand.
TBC
A/N: I told you guys that the re-written version would be under Snape's Choice II, but it is under Two Men Shunned instead. The next few chapters will have the major plot changes and background information you'll need if you're going to read it. The plot will end up being VERY different from this Fic.