Chapter 19 – Unwilling Alliances (Part II)
Remus would have never thought, not even in a million years that he would be teamed up beside Severus Snape. Together, they were heading toward Dumbledore's office. The circumstance was grim, but to Remus sadly funny. To think, the reason for their union was their loyalty to a girl that they both loved. In front of the stone gargoyles, both young men stopped before attempting to rouse the Headmaster. Remus clutched at his sides as he tried to catch his breath.
"So tell me-" the Gryffindor panted. "How did you and Alanze meet in the first place?"
Severus eyed Remus wearily, but decided in Alanze's time of need, it would be best to answer all questions thrown at him. "My father, Tobias Snape found Alanze when she ran away from her guardian. She ended up alone in Parasite Alley and my father defended her against another weaker Vampire who only wanted lunch. The only reason Alanze was able to get into Parasite Alley is because she's Muggleborn. Muggle-Borns have blood almost identical enough to that of a Muggle human, so they're ideal for Vampires to feed upon."
Remus looked up at Snape in horror. "Are you… part Vampire or something? If your father is actually what you say he is… wouldn't that trait pass to you?"
Severus looked equally mortified. "I have no idea… but I hope not. I really don't think so because my father was asking me to join him. As a Tremare, the type of Vampire he is… you're elected to become undead. It's really strange."
"This isn't adding up. Your father found Alanze and took her back to your manor where I'm assuming is where both of you met. But why are you both in danger?" Remus questioned, brow furrowed.
"She's in danger because she's been marked by my father." Severus started off. "He accepted Alanze into our home with consequences. She could never go outside the manor, she could never go to Hogwarts or learn any magic, she could never speak to anyone that wasn't him, and that she had to be blood-bonded to him. A Vampiric blood-bind connects a Vampire to a human or Muggleborn so that the Vampire can know where their… victim… is at all time."
"How do you do a blood bond?" Remus questioned, engrossed.
"In Dark Arts books, I've read that a Vampire first drains a bit of blood from their victim, then pricks themselves and feed some of their blood back to them. The same process is done to make someone a full Vampire… but it requires more blood." Severus rubbed his temples.
"And how are you in danger?"
"My father wants me to go meet up with the Tremare leader… Limaiti, I think he called the man… and elect to become a Tremare just like him. My father's been searching for centuries for the perfect woman, which he found in my mother… Eileen. According to his sanity, Eileen gave my father a 'perfect' heir – and he wants me to follow in his footsteps. This talk happened over the winter break. It happened the night Alanze came to… visit me in the Slytherin Common Room."
"So she actually did come to you?" Remus questioned, amusedly. "I only thought it was a rumor."
"I didn't want her to be lonely, so I invited her to visit me." Severus confessed. "I shouldn't have, but it seemed like a worthy idea at the time. We were both bored and being haunted by dreams my father was sending. This brings me to why Alanze's in danger right now."
There was a pause, in which Severus took several deep breaths.
"That whole night was result of my father's power. Sure, hormones had a lot to do with it… but the dreams my father was sending were for us to… erhm… 'Get together' for better terms or face consequences. That night, afterwards, was when my father took me from my bed and brought me back to Snape Manor. Also that night, father bit Alanze again, draining her blood and making their bind stronger. It was then when she reported to the hospital wing that first time."
Because Alanze is pregnant, which is what my father actually had planned to accomplish for that night… my father now wants her. He has this scheme formed in his Vampiric brain that if I won't be a Tremare, he'll raise another heir who will follow in his footsteps. It was almost too perfect that Alanze and I were friends. He planned it all out perfectly, and I was too daft to notice all the warning signs after I refused to follow him."
Remus turned his back to Severus and approached the stone gargoyles. "Licorice Wands!"
The stones didn't move. In response, Remus turned back to Severus.
"We've got to see Dumbledore now. The password's usually a candy. Name some random ones and we'll get in soon enough."
Severus smirked despite the situation and complied.
"Cockroach Clusters!"
"Fizzing Wizzbee!"
"Pumpkin Pasty!"
"Blood Pops!"
Remus gave a revolted look to Severus, who shrugged.
"Chocolate Frogs!"
"Every Flavor Beans!"
"Fudge Flies!"
The gargoyles snapped to life at once. Remus smirked at Severus, and stuck his tongue out rather childishly.
"Bloody Gryffindors." Severus smirked back, folding his arms. "And you called my suggestion weird."
"Hell, I got the weird genre from your ruddy blood pops. C'mon." Remus responded, climbing onto the revolving staircase. It didn't take long for them to reach Dumbledore's office. He seemed as if he were waiting for them.
"Afternoon, gentlemen." Dumbledore greeted from behind his desk. "Kindly, take a seat before we rush into heated discussions. Madam Phompry just owled me about your predicament, Mr. Lupin… but I did not expect Mr. Snape to accompany you. Is there something else going on that I should know about?"
Remus and Severus sat down at two presented chairs simultaneously. Remus beckoned to Severus who immediately understood and started talking. Severus repeated his whole tale, leaving out no details to Dumbledore. Remus listened carefully, making sure he didn't miss any crucial parts of the tale. It took a short while to have the whole story told, and by the end of Severus' reciting, Dumbledore looked quizzical. Remus bit his lip in anticipation.
"First things first. For the custody of Ms. Daniels, Mr. Lupin… are you willing to admit Ms. Daniels to St. Mungo's under Mr. Snape's custody?"
"Yes." Remus replied unflinching. "We both want the best for Alanze."
"Beyond the paperwork, I hope both of you understand that if and when Alanze gets better… the decision of whom she retires to is entirely of her choosing?"
"Yes," the tired Slytherin answered this time. "We both understand that."
"Thirdly, to avoid the possession of Ms. Daniels to Tobias Snape… there are only two methods that are worthy of discussing. The first is go into hiding, which will not be entirely profitable to neither of you, nor to Ms. Daniels' health conditions. The second option is to perform a Fidelius Charm on Ms. Daniels to ensure her ultimate safely."
"That's the charm Professor Flitwick mentioned that may be in our written N.E.W.T.'s. It… makes a person or place… or whatever… entirely invisible to those being repelled from it. They need a "secret keeper" to be the only one who can tell the secret location of where the invisible person or place actually is." Remus recalled.
"Exactly, Mr. Lupin. The secret keeper you both would choose should be trustworthy enough to reveal the location of Alanze to you both and be able to go about their everyday business as usual." Dumbledore nodded, blinking slowly.
Severus' heart pounded heavily. He had no idea on who to trust to be Alanze's secret keeper. Surely, if it meant an offer of power and riches, any of his comrades would easily betray him…
He snapped out of his thoughts when Remus voiced his choice.
"James. James Potter."
Severus' jaw dropped as he listened to Remus' choice. The light hazel eyes locked with Severus' dark ones, and the two were silent as they gazed at each other.
"Is he really trustworthy?"
"He'd die for me." Remus was sure, and told both Dumbledore and the Slytherin this with a high chin. "As I would for him and Sirius and Lily."
Severus noticed he had left out Peter. He didn't know whether it was on purpose or not.
"Fine." Severus willed himself into it. "If Potter will agree, then I'm perfectly willing to let him be Alanze's secret keeper."
Remus looked like Christmas came early. He was just about to speak again, when there was a curt rap on the door. A panicked Professor McGonagall flew in, ignoring the young men completely, and rushing to Dumbledore.
"Oh Albus!" the aged woman clutched at her chest. "There has been a raid – at Hogsmeade!"
Dumbledore was on his feet at once. "A raid? Of what kind?" he asked gravely.
"Death Eaters!" McGonagall gasped, almost collapsing onto the large wooden desk. "They – teamed up with some… other type of powerful Wizard… and they're wreaking havoc on the town!"
Dumbledore's eyes looked concerned. Severus and Remus exchanged uneasy looks. "What of the children?"
Remus scarcely remembered that it was a Hogsmeade Weekend for the school. With a pang, he realized that his friends were out in the village.
"Professor, do you need me to help?" he volunteered his services at once.
"I must go down to the village at once and sort things out. Minerva, I want you to stay here at the castle with the remaining students and make sure they all stay inside." Dumbledore insisted, heading about his desk to his pet phoenix's post.
"Professor, I need to go." Remus insisted, to his feet now. "My friends are at Hogsmeade!"
"No. I cannot allow you to put yourself in danger. I will go and rectify the peace and then return. You both will wait for me here. Do not go to visit Alanze."
"Why?" Severus voiced Remus' question.
"Because I fear that your father, or whomever the leader of the Tremare race is, has joined the legion of Voldemort." Dumbledore spoke, unflinching. "And the last thing I want is for either of you to be at the Hospital Wing and lured into a trap. Stay here. I will return instantly once every student is safe and the fighting has ceased."
The Headmaster said no more as he briefly grasped the tail of his phoenix. They were gone in a ruffle of feathers and a blast of brilliant red light.
Professor McGonagall turned to face them. "Stay here. Dumbledore obviously wants you two protected… but I have to stray down into the school. I'm going to round up the other students into the Great Hall. You shall receive word either when Dumbledore returns or when I think it is safe enough to come out of this office. Do not leave, gentlemen."
Without a word, she headed out of the office and back down the revolving staircase. The door snapped with a resounding 'bang!' as she shut it.
"Why must we be locked up and told to 'stay safe'?" Remus roared almost immediately after McGonagall had left. "We're in our seventh year! I'd think we could make our own choices by now!"
There was a tense silence of which the portraits of Headmasters gloomed curiously down at the two adolescent boys, still sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"Just stay calm, Lupin." Severus chimed after staring outside the window for the longest of whiles. "There's nothing we really can do if Dumbledore wants us to stay in the office."
Remus settled in his chair, elbow propped up against the armrest. For a moment, he fumed in silent anger at being locked away while his friends were out risking their lives. Then for another moment, he was caught up in the heat of the room and staring aimlessly at a Muggle stapler. Idly, Remus wondered why Dumbledore owned a stapler, as Wizards used scrolls of parchment and seals…
After a few minutes of gazing at the stapler, Remus realized that he wasn't conscious anymore.
Absentmindedly, Remus was daydreaming.
-x-
It was really late in the day, and the sun was setting. He was standing on one of the balconies at the top of the astronomy tower. Tonight was a full moon, and usually, Remus always stood somewhere remote to watch the sun lower into the horizon. It was always nice to gaze at, beckoning him to always embrace the day and fear the night that came behind it…
The snap of a door closing alerted Remus that he wasn't alone at once. Rashly, he spun around, and spotted Alanze.
Oh, how beautiful she looked. Alanze smiled at him, smoothing her long black hair off of her face. She was wearing a wonderful form-fitting robe, which held about her shoulders and collarbone. It was of a deep plum colour, perfect for her, and cascaded down about her form in many layers. She had the violet still woven into her locks of hair, and upon seeing it, Remus smiled. He had always loved purple on Alanze, it reminded him of the colour on her cheeks when she blushed.
He walked over to her, realizing that he was in his normal school robes. He suddenly felt foolish as he collected her in his arms. Alanze kept smiling as they hugged, and he looked down deeply into her eyes. Despite his appearance, he knew she loved him. He was just about to press his lips onto hers…
When he realized that it was suddenly dark outside. And the moon was up.
He was transforming into that horrible creature he was forced to become month after month… and Alanze was horrified. He meant to push her away from him, tell her to run for it as he changed, but his shove was a little too heavy. The girl swaggered backwards, until she was hit in her mid-back the guardrail that protected the perimeter of the balcony. Remus had fully changed by then, and as the creature, his turned his glance towards Alanze, cowering in his presence. He took a step toward her.
Panicking, Alanze tried to look for some means of escape, but somehow… the guardrail behind her had suddenly disappeared. She had been leaning on it and out of surprise she stumbled backwards.
All Remus remembered was the creature howling in glee as Alanze fell countless stories to her death. Amongst the Hogwarts grounds, and all through the night, a piercing scream lit up the air.
Alanze was dead.
-x-
She screamed as if her whole life depended on it. She opened her eyes to reveal nothing but darkness, and she was frightened. She wanted to think that she had died, but she knew she hadn't because she still had all her other senses. Her hearing picked up on footsteps, and she tensed at the upcoming intruder, all the while, consistently screaming.
"Kindly, stop that racket," a smooth voice drawled to her. "Welcome back. We never thought you would wake up."
She tried to open her eyes again, and found that she still could not see anything, regardless to her eyelids opening as wide as possible. She tried to use her voice, but could not. Her throat was so dry… so very dry…
"Here," messaged the calm voice, sitting next to her. She felt the weight of her intruder sag under her as she sat in horror. Silently, her captor lifted a thin cloth off of her face. It had been attached to her by some kind of thin elastic. A large block of sunlight hit her right in her dilated eyes. She flinched, and threw her arms over her head.
"Easy, Alanze. Easy." The person, who the girl now recognized as a young woman laughed lightly. "Considering what you've been through, you can't expect your eyes to adjust that quickly to the daylight."
Where was she?
She observed her surroundings in awe. She seemed to be in some type of ward… but how did she get there? So many things were left unclear…
Silently, a hand flew up to her head to message it. The woman looked at her sympathetically.
"You've had a few bruises on your head, Alanze." The woman crooned. "They've been taking their own time to heal. Your head's probably reeling… here. Drink this."
The woman offered a large glass of some liquid. The girl looked at the glass, puzzled, and then back up at the woman. Without thinking, she suddenly snatched it out of the woman's hands and downed its contents. Her head stopped the constant aching at once, and she felt strong enough to speak.
"Where… where am I?" she asked, and jumped. She was surprised at her own voice. What happened to it? It wasn't as soft and childish as she had remembered her tones to be… but deeper and mellower.
"You're at Hogwarts School, in the Hospital Wing, dear." The woman answered kindly. "I am one of your nurses, Madam Jaccobs."
Hogwarts?
All at once, millions of memories flooded into her brain. Her head reeled in pain as she tried to separate each one and remembered what had happened to her. The last thing she remembered was a dark stranger… yelling… and her weeping as she climbed to the tower window…
"Who am I?" she questioned her nurse.
"You are Alanze Haru-Daniels." Madam Jaccobs replied lightly. "A fifth year Ravenclaw and student here at Hogwarts."
"Why am I here?"
Her nurse seemed uncomfortable with this question. "You… you tried to commit suicide."
The thought shocked the girl. "Why?"
"Because your boyfriend made a rash decision about you and your child."
Her… her what?
Impulsively, her hands strayed softly to her stomach. There was a visible bulge there, and as she pressed her hands on the sides, a little prod answered her touch.
Her… her child. Severus' child.
"Where's Severus?" she questioned at once. "Severus… Severus… Snape. Slytherin. Where is Severus?"
"Severus Snape is safe here at the school." Madam Jaccobs answered. It wasn't the answer Alanze wanted to hear.
"Where is Severus, Severus Snape? I need him here, Severus Snape! I need him and I want him here! Where is Severus?" she cried, almost in hysterics.
"Please calm yourself, Miss Daniels. Severus is unavailable for calling right now. He is under the protection of the Headmaster and cannot leave the room," the older woman tried her hardest to explain.
"I need…" Alanze started again. Another vision flashed through her mind, and she embraced it. The colour of gold, a kind face, a loving smile…
Alanze was about to open her mouth when a cold-hearted drawl stopped her in her tracks.
"I've been waiting for a strong memory to surge you out of your slumber, my dear Alanze."
She didn't want to remember him.
Madam Jaccobs was on her feet in an instant, and opened her mouth to demand the name of their visitor. Before she could even speak, however, she was instantly unconscious and fell to the hospital floor with a sickening cracking noise.
"Now that you're awake and the Headmaster's gone… and done me the favor of keeping the meddlers away… I think I can successfully lay out my plans." The visitor, a man drawled. He began to laugh, merciless and cruel.
Alanze held her stomach, closing her eyes and wishing it wasn't real. She held herself up into the point where she felt the creature enclose his hand on her forearm.
She wanted her knight in shining armor to save her. She needed his comfort more than anything.
And she screamed for him.
"REMUS!"
-x-
And he heard her. Nearly two miles away from the Hospital Wing, he heard her call.
Remus Lupin awoke from his daydream so quickly that the sudden movement and noise startled Severus a bit.
"What?" the Slytherin questioned in apprehension.
"Alanze's woken up!" Remus spoke, sweat and tears pouring down his face in fear. "And I know for sure that your father's got her!"