Anaxarete swept up her long dark hair in a shining bun, letting a few delicate strands fall around her face. She smiled in the mirror at her reflection and stood, her long emerald robes swooshing gracefully around her. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She hadn't had to deal with her miserable husband at all over the summer, since that fool Dumbledore was having him work over the summer. She did not care! He only seemed to be content when he was working. Severus Snape was an insufferable human being who loathed all and all loathed him. She had not spoken to her father since he had arranged her in this hellish marriage. If only she had stood up for herself! She deserved far better.
A muscular arm snaked around her waist and she felt a trail of kisses on her neck. She smiled contently and chuckled.
"Casius... I thought you were leaving." she said.
The man chuckled and nuzzled her affectionately. "Why? Are you afraid that your husband will find us?" he smiled.
She frowned and pulled away from him, her mood beginning to turn sour.
"I told you to never mention him." she said poisonously.
Casius sighed and ran his hands through his long blonde hair.
"I'm sorry Ana... it's just that it.. bothers me. Why do you stay with him if you hate him so much"
Anaxarete turned on him, her eyes gleaming angrily.
"And what?! Live the life of a beggar?? My family does not care!" she hissed.
Casius fell silent and pulled his nightrobes around him tighter.
"Well... if divorce isn't an option... than why not just kill him"
Anaxarete stood and stared in stony silence at him. He shifted uncomfortably under her cobra like stare. She began to laugh cruelly.
"KILL him? Casius, my husband... you do not know him..." she continued to laugh and shake her head. "He cannot be killed"
Casius frowned at her.
"Anaxarete"
She sat down on her seat, still laughing. Then slowly she began to weep.
"No... I... oh, why?" she sobbed.
Casius was completely taken aback by this change in her attitude.
"Ana," he asked going over to her. "What's the matter? Why"
But his gentleness only seemed to infuriate her more.
"I have... I have tried..." she sobbed. "I hate him... but I cannot do anything about it! You do not understand... my family... No..." she said her body shaking with her sobs.
The very idea of trying to kill Snape had passed through her mind many times, but she had only actually attempted it once... and he had caught her in the act.
Caught her poisoning his drink... she should have known that he would know.
Snape's eyes narrowed with fury.
"So... you mean to kill me do you? YOU UNGRATEFUL WHORE!" he bellowed.
He threw the glass against the wall, where it shattered into a million tiny fragments on the floor.
Anaxarete was frozen where she stood. She had never seen him this angry before. She held up her head defiantly and gave him a careless smirk.
"Whatever do you mean my dear husband? Don't you know how much I CARE about you?" she laughed.
Snape lunged at her and pinned her against the wall.
She screamed out in fright, as he reached out to strike her, but he stopped.
He lowered his arm and breathed rapidly like an angry animal.
"If... you ever... try to do anything like that again. I may not be the one who ends up dead." he hissed angrily.
The window behind her shattered, scattering broken fragments of glass all over the marble floor. A cold gust of wind filtered through the room, sweeping the curtains about like ghostly sheets.
She gasped frightened under his tight grip on her. He had thrown nothing.
he had not cast any kind of spell... and no one had broken it from the outside.
He had broken it with his fury... and only very powerful fury could produce such an reaction.
"Do you understand me, woman?" he hissed, his eyes boring daggers into her soul.
Her hatred of him was written all over her face.
His grip tightened on her as she remained silent.
"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he said again more forcefully.
"You bastard. You deserve far worse than anything I could do to you." she said.
He pushed her hard to the floor, making her gasp in pain, as a shard of glass cut into the skin of her arm.
He stood over her for a brief moment before sweeping out of the room. She quickly got to her feet, shaking with anger and defeat.
Casius leaned his head on her shoulder, trying to console her.
"Ana... I could kill him for you." he said.
Anaxarete lifted her tear streaked face up to his and shook her head.
"Don't be a fool! You couldn't kill anything if you wanted to." she said harshly.
Casius looked hurt.
"What do you mean"
Anaxarete waved her hand angrily and shook her head.
"Never mind! Just don't speak of him anymore"
Casius nodded and sat down on the edge of her bed.
Outside the window, a small brown owl was fluttering, clutching a heavy envelope made of yellow parchment. It flapped against the window, causing Anaxrete to turn around very rapidly.
When she saw the little owl, she walked over to the window and opened it.
The bird flew into the room, happy to have successfully found the owner, and it landed on the back of her chair, sticking it's foot out that had the heavy envelope attached to it.
Casius watched as Anaxarete opened the letter and scanned the contents.
A dark smile crossed her lips as she read.
Casius looked puzzled.
"Perhaps, miracles do happen..." she said.
