From Dawn to Dusk
Chapter 4 : Presents and Lies
Malanda entered the large mansion library absorbed in her own thoughts. When had Moros had time to talk to Antony? It was still early in the day, not yet past eight in the morning – there had not been much time for anyone to carry on a conversation, except over breakfast, and Moros' being a vampire had great effect on her thought that he hadn't attended the morning meal.
Either way, she had things to attend to. She had to find out how the ministry knew what they did, and what was to be done about it. After all, most ministry members were smart enough to put counter-curses on themselves for memory-alteration charms...or were they? There was only one way to find out. Crossing to one of the tall bookshelves, Malanda ran her index finger along the spines of the books, reading each title as she came to it. Which book would tell her what she needed to know? There were thousands in the library, and she knew at least one would have to have the proper information – though most of the books there were dedicated to the dark arts, there were still a few with charms that the average wizard would perform. Her focus was quickly shattered, though, as she heard Antony's voice from behind.
"Looking for something?" His voice was calm, not at all alarming, but Malanda was still startled by hearing him speak. She had entered the library so full of her own mind that she had failed to notice Antony sitting before a large book, reading glasses on, at one of the tables behind her. She smiled slightly when she saw him, but rolled her eyes.
"Well, I was." She nodded to his book. "What's that?"
He held it up. "Charming the Mind by M. F. Jigger." Malanda snickered slightly.
"Precisely what I was looking for."
"Looking up all possible memory charms for Ministry Members?" He smirked at her, his hazel eyes meeting hers for a few moments. Malanda wasn't smiling, though, but instead studying Antony very carefully.
"Yes, actually. Moros told me about-"
"About the ministry knowing about us...I know, I know. Afraid that's not the case though, kiddo."
"...what?" Bewildered, Malanda slowly took a seat at the table beside him.
"I had to get everyone together some how. And that's the only thing that'll ensure that everyone's present." He smiled slightly, though was somewhat unnerved by Malanda's intense glare.
"You scare the living shit out of me, all over a meeting?!"
"The meeting's important, Mal! Really! But I had to say that, or no one would have-"
"Do you realize what that statement meant to me?!" She glared at him, half shouting now. "The ministry's after my ass more than they are yours. I'm one of the most dangerous women in Europe, and I can't even legally drink. If I get caught... it's the end. It's over. And I will not have you using that against me to get me to attend some meeting that I would have come to anyway!" Antony sighed, rising and moving behind Malanda as he massaged her shoulders gently. "Calm down, kiddo." He kissed the top of her head before continuing. "Everyone else got the same message too, alright? Don't take it personally."
"Don't take it personally?" She spun around harshly, causing Antony to quickly remove his hands, but she was somewhat calmer now. "How can I not?"
"Look...kiddo..." He knelt to the ground, so that his eyes were more level with hers, then took her face gently in his hands. "Just leave it be. There's too much important shit going on right now to worry about stupid things like this, alright?" He gently kissed her before watching her a moment as she sighed.
"Alright..."
Antony smiled, rising. "Good. Now, I've got something for you..." Malanda arched an eyebrow as he crossed the room to a large shelf, the only one in the room that wasn't stacked with centuries-old volumes of spellbooks and removed a long, slender box from behind a set of potions bottles.
"What is it?" She studied him and the box carefully as he returned to the table, still somewhat irritated but quickly getting over it.
"Just open it." He placed the wooden box in front of her, watching as she ran her fingers over the smooth mahogany before placing both hands on either side of the box and carefully lifting the lid.
The girl let out a small gasp as she saw what was inside- sitting on a cushion of the finest purple velvet was a sleek, black wand with a very small, silver Îmblânzitor de Serpis emblem embossed at the top of the handle. Almost afraid to touch it, she carefully extended a hand into the box, letting her fingers gently grace the soft wood.
"It's...it's beautiful..."
Antony smiled proudly, obviously happy that she liked it. "Eleven and a half inches, ebony..."
Ever so slowly, she slid her hands beneath the wood and lifted the wand out of it's case, studying it a bit more before turning to Antony. "What's the core?"
His pleased smile twisted into one that was a bit more mischievous. "You tell me."
Malanda's eyes immediately lit up as she looked up into his eyes. "Antony, it's not...there's no way..." As she spoke, she had to turn her head slightly to watch Antony as he moved behind her once more. He bent over slightly, kissing her neck once or twice before whispering into her ear.
"Horn of the most protected dragon in the country..."
"The Romanian Longhorn..." Malanda finished for him, in almost a whisper. She tilted her head back slightly, closing her eyes as she let him kiss her neck. "Antony, it's wonderful..."
"And I'll have you know..." He began, sliding his hands down Malanda's shoulders and massaging them once more. "That is the only Antony Katoracov wand to have that sort of core. I wouldn't even give my little sister one for her first year at school." He laughed slightly, and Malanda just beamed. "It's absolutely perfect...plus the horns are perfect for tough spells and the dark arts..." She sighed happily. "Oh, the things I'll be able to do, now..." Antony chuckled at this.
"But aren't you already one of the most powerful women in Europe?"
Malanda let a wicked smile spread slowly across her face as she glanced down at the wand and placed it gingerly back in the box. "One of the most. I'm not stopping until I'm The most powerful, Antony."
"That's my girl..." He moved so that he was beside her, leaning down slightly and stealing a kiss. Little did he know, however, that someone was standing in the doorway in a most irritated mood, watching his every move.
Chapter 4 : Presents and Lies
Malanda entered the large mansion library absorbed in her own thoughts. When had Moros had time to talk to Antony? It was still early in the day, not yet past eight in the morning – there had not been much time for anyone to carry on a conversation, except over breakfast, and Moros' being a vampire had great effect on her thought that he hadn't attended the morning meal.
Either way, she had things to attend to. She had to find out how the ministry knew what they did, and what was to be done about it. After all, most ministry members were smart enough to put counter-curses on themselves for memory-alteration charms...or were they? There was only one way to find out. Crossing to one of the tall bookshelves, Malanda ran her index finger along the spines of the books, reading each title as she came to it. Which book would tell her what she needed to know? There were thousands in the library, and she knew at least one would have to have the proper information – though most of the books there were dedicated to the dark arts, there were still a few with charms that the average wizard would perform. Her focus was quickly shattered, though, as she heard Antony's voice from behind.
"Looking for something?" His voice was calm, not at all alarming, but Malanda was still startled by hearing him speak. She had entered the library so full of her own mind that she had failed to notice Antony sitting before a large book, reading glasses on, at one of the tables behind her. She smiled slightly when she saw him, but rolled her eyes.
"Well, I was." She nodded to his book. "What's that?"
He held it up. "Charming the Mind by M. F. Jigger." Malanda snickered slightly.
"Precisely what I was looking for."
"Looking up all possible memory charms for Ministry Members?" He smirked at her, his hazel eyes meeting hers for a few moments. Malanda wasn't smiling, though, but instead studying Antony very carefully.
"Yes, actually. Moros told me about-"
"About the ministry knowing about us...I know, I know. Afraid that's not the case though, kiddo."
"...what?" Bewildered, Malanda slowly took a seat at the table beside him.
"I had to get everyone together some how. And that's the only thing that'll ensure that everyone's present." He smiled slightly, though was somewhat unnerved by Malanda's intense glare.
"You scare the living shit out of me, all over a meeting?!"
"The meeting's important, Mal! Really! But I had to say that, or no one would have-"
"Do you realize what that statement meant to me?!" She glared at him, half shouting now. "The ministry's after my ass more than they are yours. I'm one of the most dangerous women in Europe, and I can't even legally drink. If I get caught... it's the end. It's over. And I will not have you using that against me to get me to attend some meeting that I would have come to anyway!" Antony sighed, rising and moving behind Malanda as he massaged her shoulders gently. "Calm down, kiddo." He kissed the top of her head before continuing. "Everyone else got the same message too, alright? Don't take it personally."
"Don't take it personally?" She spun around harshly, causing Antony to quickly remove his hands, but she was somewhat calmer now. "How can I not?"
"Look...kiddo..." He knelt to the ground, so that his eyes were more level with hers, then took her face gently in his hands. "Just leave it be. There's too much important shit going on right now to worry about stupid things like this, alright?" He gently kissed her before watching her a moment as she sighed.
"Alright..."
Antony smiled, rising. "Good. Now, I've got something for you..." Malanda arched an eyebrow as he crossed the room to a large shelf, the only one in the room that wasn't stacked with centuries-old volumes of spellbooks and removed a long, slender box from behind a set of potions bottles.
"What is it?" She studied him and the box carefully as he returned to the table, still somewhat irritated but quickly getting over it.
"Just open it." He placed the wooden box in front of her, watching as she ran her fingers over the smooth mahogany before placing both hands on either side of the box and carefully lifting the lid.
The girl let out a small gasp as she saw what was inside- sitting on a cushion of the finest purple velvet was a sleek, black wand with a very small, silver Îmblânzitor de Serpis emblem embossed at the top of the handle. Almost afraid to touch it, she carefully extended a hand into the box, letting her fingers gently grace the soft wood.
"It's...it's beautiful..."
Antony smiled proudly, obviously happy that she liked it. "Eleven and a half inches, ebony..."
Ever so slowly, she slid her hands beneath the wood and lifted the wand out of it's case, studying it a bit more before turning to Antony. "What's the core?"
His pleased smile twisted into one that was a bit more mischievous. "You tell me."
Malanda's eyes immediately lit up as she looked up into his eyes. "Antony, it's not...there's no way..." As she spoke, she had to turn her head slightly to watch Antony as he moved behind her once more. He bent over slightly, kissing her neck once or twice before whispering into her ear.
"Horn of the most protected dragon in the country..."
"The Romanian Longhorn..." Malanda finished for him, in almost a whisper. She tilted her head back slightly, closing her eyes as she let him kiss her neck. "Antony, it's wonderful..."
"And I'll have you know..." He began, sliding his hands down Malanda's shoulders and massaging them once more. "That is the only Antony Katoracov wand to have that sort of core. I wouldn't even give my little sister one for her first year at school." He laughed slightly, and Malanda just beamed. "It's absolutely perfect...plus the horns are perfect for tough spells and the dark arts..." She sighed happily. "Oh, the things I'll be able to do, now..." Antony chuckled at this.
"But aren't you already one of the most powerful women in Europe?"
Malanda let a wicked smile spread slowly across her face as she glanced down at the wand and placed it gingerly back in the box. "One of the most. I'm not stopping until I'm The most powerful, Antony."
"That's my girl..." He moved so that he was beside her, leaning down slightly and stealing a kiss. Little did he know, however, that someone was standing in the doorway in a most irritated mood, watching his every move.
