A/N - smut (near the middle. Snape doesn't get any. Sorry... or... you're welcome... whichever applies ;P ) Oh, and the twins alternate. We all know this. I give up saying who's talking each time ;)

------

Chapter 34

The Slytherins all looked up as Snape entered. He just stood there while Draco came over and cast the detecting spell on him as they had agreed. When Draco was done, Snape sealed the House. When he was done, he lowered his wand and put it away, but didn't turn back towards them. Almost everyone was looking at him at this point, noticing the unusually somber air around the normally smirking and sarcastic man.

"What's happened?" Draco asked softly.

Snape took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then turned to face his students. "There has been another... incident..." He said, his voice flat and emotionless.

"What incident?" Draco asked, his concern growing. He'd never seen Snape so devoid of emotion... Draco and Snape had come to know eachother rather well over the years... and he knew for a fact that such an emotionless exterior meant that he was quite the contrary on the inside.

Snape took another breath. "It... took Hermione Granger."

Ron felt like he'd been hit in the stomach. He looked over at Ginny, who was looking back in horrified shock. "What do you mean it 'took' her?" Ron asked, his voice tight with emotion.

"Her soul." Snape said softly.

There was a horrified intake of breath.

"She's dead?" Ron squeaked in anguish.

"No." Snape said, his voice growing stronger and gaining a spiteful edge. "I mean she is without a soul. Her body is laying in the hospital wing, but it is merely an empty husk now... nothing of Hermione Granger remains in it."

Ron's legs buckled and he sat abruptly on the floor. He couldn't speak for several minutes. The rest of the students remained quiet, watching him pensively, knowing how close he had been to her. Pansy helped Blaise over to him and he sat behind Ron, wrapping his arms around the distraught boy and holding him to him.

Ron's head was spinning. All he could think was how little he'd seen of her since coming to Slytherin... and he had known how sad and distressed she'd been... He hadn't spoken to her for more than a few minutes that entire week! He'd been a wretched excuse for a friend, and she'd never even done anything to him to justify it!

At length Ron looked up, tears streaking down his cheeks. "Is... is there anything that can be done?"

Snape's jaw tightened. "We have to either force it to release her soul, which is very unlikely, or kill it." He said grimly. "When it's destroyed the souls it holds will be released... and if their bodies remain alive, there is a chance they may return to them. It's a slim chance, but her only hope."

A look of angry determination set on Ron's face. "Then we kill it. Use me as bait. Stake me to a bloody tree at midnight, I don't care, but kill that bloody thing!"

--------------------

Ginny hugged Ron, tears streaking down her face. She couldn't help but feel guilty as well. She had seen Hermione, seen the anguish she'd been in, and done nothing. She sighed and hugged herself as Ron went off, letting Pansy and Blaise comfort him.

She looked around, surprised Draco hadn't so much as come over... She caught a flash of unmistakable white-blond hair rounding a corner down one of the corridors. Puzzled as to where he could be going, she followed. She paused as she came to the corner, hearing voices.

"I'm fine Draco. Go away." Snape said crisply, followed by the sound of a door opening.

She peeked around the corner and saw Snape disappearing into the room he'd been using while the dungeon was sealed, since his own quarters were outside the Dungeon. Snape made to close the door, but Draco stopped it with his hand, forcing his way in.

She saw a glimpse of Snape looking irritated, then they disappeared behind the door. She moved closer...

-------------

"Don't give me that 'I'm fine' shite Snape. We both know you aren't." Draco said, folding his arms across his chest, making it clear this subject would not be dropped.

Snape glared at him.

"I know we joke about it, but we both know how much she means to you." Draco said seriously.

"That was a past mistake. Why can't you leave it in the past?" Snape said irritably.

"I will as soon as you do." Draco countered just as irritably. His eyes dropped, spotting something. He went over, pulling aside Snape's robes, noting a slight glistening to the dark material. He touched it and his fingers came away red. "Bloody Hell, Snape." He said, stripping off the robes without asking.

Snape looked at his side, mildly surprised. He'd been so numb emotionally that his physical pain had been all but forgotten as well. He didn't bother objecting as Draco stripped off his vest and outer shirt, knowing it would be of no use. When he was down to his white cotton undershirt, Draco grimaced at the amount of blood staining the cloth. He pulled the bottom of the shirt loose and lifted it. "Bloody hell..." He muttered again, pulling out his wand.

Without another word, Draco cleared off the small desk and made Snape sit on it, then set to work casting healing spells.

"You aren't exactly a medi-witch... where'd you learn so many healing spells?" Snape asked.

Draco paused, looking up at him. "You know my father. You figure it out." Draco said with a bitter edge to his sarcastic tone.

Snape chose to remain silent after that. When Draco was done, he cast cleansing spells, but the pristine white material still retained a slight discoloration.

Draco shrugged. "We had house elves for the laundry." He said with a smirk.

Snape rolled his eyes and sighed. "Thank you very much for your assistance, Draco. You can go now."

Draco tucked away his wand. "Like hell I will." He said, shifting over and taking a seat on the desk next to him. "What happened?" He asked, his voice becoming gentle, but retaining an insistent edge.

Snape sighed, staring at his hands, "It cornered me in my office..." He said softly. "By the time I realized it was in her, it had already disarmed me without my even noticing..."

Draco looked at him, surprised. "And it didn't do more damage than that?"

Snape was silent for a minute. Draco waited patiently, not wanting to push him. Finally he answered, still staring studiously at his hands. "It's not supposed to kill me. Apparently your father hasn't divined my true alliances as of yet... It made me an offer... hand over the Weasleys and it would leave the Slytherins alone. Of course I refused..." He closed his eyes, unmistakable pain etched on his face, "It's my fault... it only took her to get back at me..." He said in a hoarse whisper.

Draco put his hand on Snape's shoulder, then sighed and wrapped his arms around him.

Snape tensed, "I'm not a child, Mr. Malfoy." he said shortly.

"I know..." Draco said, not releasing him, "But we all need comfort sometimes... it might not be much... but it's all I have to offer..." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I know what it feels like to lose a love..." He said gently, his voice unmistakable Darien's, "I got mine back... and so will you."

Snape's stiff posture eased some. Ginny watched incredulously through the little gap in the door... there was a tear slipping down Snape's cheek. She bit her lip and backed away from the door. After a moment of indecision, she turned and left.

---------------

Ginny pretended to be asleep when Draco returned. She just lay there with her back to him and her eyes closed as he got ready for bed. She tried to make her breathing slow and even as he slipped into the bed beside her.

He cuddled up to her and slipped his arm around her waist, gently kissing the back of her neck. "I'm not buying it." He murmured, smirking against her.

She sighed.

He shifted up on one elbow and turned her to lay on her back. "You ok? I'm sorry I ran off..."

She gave him a little weak smile, "That's ok..."

He eyed her silently for a moment. "You followed me." It wasn't a question.

She bit her lip.

He sighed, closing his eyes tiredly.

"Did he... really... I mean Hermione?" She asked incredulously.

Draco gave a little shrug. "I admit, the first time I... um... found out... it was a bit shocking for me... but mostly because she was a Gryffindor... and a mud... um... muggleborn..." He said, quickly catching himself.

Ginny glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest angrily. "Don't tell me you're still hung up on that whole 'pure blood' thing? I mean would you have even looked at me twice if I was a muggleborn?"

Draco sighed. "To be honest, I might not have..."

Her jaw dropped in shock.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Ginny..." He sighed, "You have to understand what it's like for us... all our lives it's been drummed into us... and occasionally beaten into us..." He said darkly. "It's not the easiest thing to overcome... I have nothing against them personally... and I'm trying... because I know how much you hate that... but..." He shrugged, "It's just difficult..."

She sighed, the anger easing from her face. It was just so hard to stay mad at him when he looked so sincere... she decided drop that for now. "But still... she's his student! How could he?"

He smirked, "She started it actually... He and I had a long talk after I found out... guess a detention went a bit awry... they got into a bit of a row and then suddenly..." He shrugged, "Well... anyway... I learned a lot about Snape from that talk that I never even suspected... they may have a lot of differences... but once you come down to it... they are a lot more alike than I think even they want to admit. When he went to school here, he was the one who was a bit of an outcast because he knew so much... his teachers called him a know-it-all..." Draco said with a smirk, "Of course he wasn't fortunate enough to have friends like she does..."

"But... she always hated him!" Ginny said, confused.

Draco smirked. "Like they say... there's a fine line between love and hate. It's not that uncommon for two people who appear to hate eachother with a passion to end up falling in love..." He looked down at her with a significant smirk.

She blushed and grinned. She had to admit, she had really hated him... She could still remember how absolutely brilliant it felt to curse him less than a year ago... "Still..."

He chuckled, "Give him a break... he's taught here for fifteen years now and he's never laid a finger on a student before... and I'm sure more than one has tried... the other Houses might not care for him, but there is always at least a couple of Slytherins that are completely in love with him." He said with a rueful smirk.

Oddly enough... having spent some time in Slytherin and seeing how he acted when there were only Slytherins around... she found that surprisingly easy to believe. "Ok, so maybe he's not a complete nonce, but as you just pointed out, he's been teaching here nearly as long as she's been alive!"

"So? Witches and wizards can live to be as much as two hundred years old... what difference does a couple little decades make?"

She lay there silently for a minute, then looked over at him. "Does he really... love her?"

Draco dropped his eyes and reluctantly nodded. "He's not the most open person emotionally... but I can relate to that." He said with a rueful smirk, "I can tell he's still in love with her... I doubt she has any idea how hard he took it when she chucked him the minute Potter showed an interest... He hasn't been quite the same since..."

Ginny looked over at him. "If you knew it was hurting him... I mean isn't it a bit cruel to be teasing him like you do?"

Draco gave her a little smirk and shook his head. "He doesn't mind that. I've never told another soul about him and Hermione... after she broke it off, I told him I'd stop... he told me I didn't have to... he said when I tease him... it... well... it reminds him of a promise kept... a trust unbroken... Helps him remember that there's someone he can trust... no matter what."

She blinked up at him. "That's... almost... kind of sweet..." She said, surprised.

He grinned. "Don't tell him that."

She smirked, then it slipped away. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore... I mean... she's...."

He put his finger over her lips, silencing her. "I have no intention of letting that bloody demon keep her soul. Granger may get up my nose to no end, but I'm going to do anything I can to get her back... even if she doesn't deserve it. For Snape. He's done far more for me than anyone else has ever bothered to."

She sighed, slipping her arms around him and cuddling up to him.

He held her tightly for a few minutes before breaking the silence. "It scares me..." He reluctantly admitted.

She looked up at him. "What does?"

"How easily she was taken... it terrifies me to image that happening to you..." he said softly.

The open fear and worry in his expression was heart rending. She shifted up, capturing his lips and kissing him deeply.

When they broke, he smirked at her, his sense of humor obviously recovering from the seriousness. "I can cast that little invisibility spell if you'd like..." He said, wriggling his eyebrows wickedly.

She giggled. "That was fun, but I think I prefer you hot and visible..." She said with a smirk.

He smirked. "As the lady wishes..." He said, then glanced at her mischievously. "It occurs to me... there's something I've never done to you while I was all 'hot'..."

She was about to ask him what when he disappeared under the covers. She felt a trill of excitement as he pulled off her knickers with practiced ease, then spread her legs. She gasped as he settled down between her legs. His hot tongue felt even more incredible than it had their first time together.

He grabbed ahold of her hips and held them down. It felt amazing, but she quickly started feeling frustrated... he wouldn't let her press up against him and her body was quickly aching for penetration... which he was stubbornly denying her.

She reached down and pulled the covers off, then looked down. His eyes were closed, and he looked blissfully intent on his task. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it almost as much as she was... Her head started to swim as she watched him, and a sudden, unexpected peak rushed through her, making her cry out.

Even before that one had passed, she felt another rising as he kept up his onslaught without pause. His ministrations were quickly becoming nearly excruciating in their intensity. "Draco..." she said between gasps, her voice pleading.

He immediately released her hips, sliding up and plunging himself into her in one fluid movement. She cried out and came as he started thrusting into her hard. He groaned as she clamped down and writhed under him, pushing harder.

As much as she was moving around and crying out, it wasn't long before he was close as well. He sped up even more, then rammed himself into her and tensed as he spent himself with a deep groan.

As the tension drained out of him, he slumped down on top of her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. "No one is ever taking you from us again..." He said softly, gently kissing her.

----------------

The twins looked at the door before them, then looked at eachother. They had been waiting for word from their mysterious contact with both impatience and apprehension. Fred had sent off an owl to Draco the day before telling him they had made contact... and asking why the bloody hell he was so amused that they didn't know what the letter said... his response had read simply "I'm trusting you with Blaise's life. Don't let him down." They found that somewhat less than reassuring... They braced themselves, then reached out, taking the doorknob at the same time.

And then they were back in the ancient looking livingroom. Their host was sitting at the large desk against the opposite wall this time, facing away from them. He was sipping tea as he looked over some parchment. He was wearing robes today, but was still decked out completely in black. "Cuppa?" He asked offhandedly without looking.

"No thanks." They said in unison.

He set down his cup, then slipped the cloth back up over his face before turning and glancing over, looking amused.

"We got your owl..." Fred began.

"Do you have the ingredients?"

"Most of them." He said offhandedly, tapping a slender finger against one of the boxes on the desk before grabbing up a quill and scribbling something on the parchment.

The twins hurried over, looking in the box.

"This is only three of them..."

"There were six on the list..."

"That's hardly most..."

He looked over at them, his eyes narrowing in an irritated glare. "I have one other as well, but I'm hardly just going to toss it in some box. I have to be sure payment will be received before I part with that item."

The twins looked at eachother, then back over at him.

"He said you had access to his vault..."

"Can't you just get the payment yourself?"

He looked amused again. "Not everything is for sale... some things must be bartered for... money is grand, but only has so many uses. Draco's letter assured me that you would perform any services necessary to procure the items requested."

They shared a nervous glance. "Um..."

"What do you mean by services?"

"Usually I need test subjects for potions I'm working on... things of that nature... the rarer the item you are bartering for, the longer I get you and the more dangerous the tests... and this is an exceptionally rare item..." From the look in his eyes, they had no doubt the cloth over his face was covering a particularly mischievous smirk. "But you will be an exception... I've had a theory about twins I've been wanting to test for years... as close as you two are, you will be simply prefect."

"Now hold on a bloody minute!"

"We're not merchandise!

He chuckled. "Very well. Let the boy die. Makes no difference to me." He shrugged, settling back casually in his chair. "I've received payment for those items. Take them and go." He said, his voice rife with amusement, "But I can guarantee you won't find the last item on your list anywhere else in the whole of Europe. Draco undoubtedly knew that when he sent you. He also knew I wouldn't part with it without very good reason. This is a limited time offer, gentlemen. You accept it and fulfill the agreement today or the item will be off the table. Permanently."

They looked at eachother contemplatively. Draco apparently knew this person well... and he wouldn't put their lives in danger, would he? They were practically family now after all... and Ginny wouldn't take kindly to him sending them to their deaths... Besides, they'd read the descriptions of what the White Wraith curse did to its victims... horrific didn't even begin to to describe it... how could they let that happen to Blaise if they could prevent it? He had been very special to them, and they couldn't stand the thought of the vibrant, loving boy being ravaged by that curse. It wasn't as if they had much choice... These thoughts flowed through both of their minds without any need to put them to voice.

They turned back to him as one. "What does this service involve?" Fred asked cautiously.

He looked pleased. "Just an hour of your lives. After that you are free to take your precious ingredient and leave. Cooperate and do as you're told and I promise you that you will both come out of this without any permanent damage." He said mirthfully.

That wasn't exactly as informative as they would have liked, but they both sighed and nodded.

"Brilliant. Just sign here and we'll get you ready." He said, pushing the parchment he'd been working on where they could see it and holding out a quill.

"You didn't say we had to sign a contract..."

"What's this about then?"

He grinned. "Everyone I gain services from must sign first. It just states the conditions of our agreement that I have already informed you of, and gives me exclusive rights to any results of your services. Pretty standard. You have test subjects for your little gags and such don't you? Surely you make them sign something..." He looked between the two, noting their blank expressions and laughed. "My... trusting lot, aren't you? Well your Ministry can be a right pain in the arse if you don't have your bases covered, so I must insist. You're free to read it of course."

Fred picked it up and they read it in silence. It did indeed appear to say exactly what he said it did. Well, at least they would have the 'no permanent damage' in writing... His signature was already on the bottom, though it was in that strange language. The reference to 'your Ministry' hadn't passed their notice. The ministry was a bit... uncharitable with outsiders...

They sighed and took turns signing it, then handed it back. He glanced over the signatures, then rolled it up and stuck it in a little cubby that had been sitting open. They heard a definite click as he closed it.

"Alright then!" He said, flowing to his feet, "Let's get you through decontamination." He said, strolling off.

They followed, looking confused. "Decontamination?"

"What do you mean by that?"

He led them out a door and down a dim corridor, "You reek of errant magic. Probably use yourselves as test subjects..." He said mirthfully, "I need to remove all residual effects and charms." He opened another door and led them into what appeared to be a regular bathroom. "All clothes and such are to be left on the shelf over there, and definitely leave your wands and any charms there. If you haven't noticed, I have a dampening field, so they are useless here anyway, and if you take them into the shower with you I can't guarantee they will work again even after you leave. The water is spelled to remove all charms, hexes and minor curses and their effects... It's abilities are limited, but I've already checked you and you appear to be free of anything major. So hop in, get cleaned up and go through that door over there." He said, pointing to another door. "Take as long as you like, but your hour doesn't start until you enter the other room."

With that, he left through the indicated door, though they couldn't see through it at this angle. They looked at eachother, then sighed and stripped down. When they had everything on the shelf, they went over to examine the 'shower'. It looked like a regular shower stall... though a very large one. The sliding doors were made of a kind of smoked glass, the interior tiled with subdued golden tiles inscribed with thin white scrollwork. There was a drain, but no apparent shower head. They got in hesitantly and then started slightly as the door slid shut behind them. As soon as it sealed, water began falling from the ceiling of the stall. It had no particular source... more like a drenching rainfall.

They both let out little groans as it washed over them. It was the perfect temperature... and it seemed to instantly begin washing away every ache and pain in their entire bodies.

"Blimey... we have to see what it'd cost to get one of these..." Fred murmured appreciatively.

"Too right..." George sighed. "That catch in my shoulder's already gone... had that for weeks..."

They fell silent for several long minutes, just enjoying the soothing comfort of the water. It was even healing aches and pains they never even realized they had...

"What ya think he's going to do to us?" Fred finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Dunno. But then again... if he lets us back in here after, it might be worth it." George said with a smirk.

Fred chuckled, then sobered. "We should probably get this over with..."

George sighed and nodded, regretfully sliding the door open. The water stopped immediately.

There were two large white towels that they didn't remember being there before hanging from a bar outside the stall. They each took one and toweled off. Fred glanced up and sighed. Their clothes were gone of course. George followed his gaze and sighed as well. They secured the towels around their waists and made their way to the other door.

When they went through the door, they looked at eachother uneasily. The room was decorated entirely in shades of gray, the walls a dark slate color... and there was a very large bed covered in black silk against the opposite wall. They spotted their host easily enough. He was sitting on a stool with his back to them, finishing up writing something on a scroll. He had removed his hood and startlingly white hair flowed down his back and several inches past the stool. Half of it was worked into intricate braids, the rest hanging loose.

"I think we've been tommed out mate." George whispered ruefully.

Fred had to smirk. "Could be worse then..." They we're really that into males, but they could put up with an hour of shagging with just about anyone.

"You won't need those..." He said, snapping his fingers. Their towels dissipated like smoke.

They looked over as he set aside the quill and rose. Their eyes went wide as he turned...

He had to be the most beautiful creature they'd seen this side of a Veela. The skin matched the hair, being a ghostly white... but somehow it didn't look unhealthy. The periwinkle eyes glowed vibrantly against the pale complexion, a little smirk flitting over pale lips. And the ears... gracefully arched works of art curving up to a delicate point. They just stared in shock.

"I trust you boys are smart enough to figure out what I want from you..." They just watched mutely as the black robe came loose, slipping down to pool on the floor.

Their eyes went even wider. They just stared in an entirely impolite manner. "But..." Fred stammered in amazement.

"You're..."

"A... GIRL!" They just stared. Her body was slender and willowy, but unmistakably female.

Musical laughter emerged from her throat. "How very astute... actually I haven't been a girl in nearly three centuries, but I am a woman... so nice of you to notice... you may call me Kulia." She said, her tongue rolling slightly as she pronounced it, "It's probably as close as you're going to get to my name in your tongue..."

"What are you?" George asked, awed.

More laughter. "My, tactful as well." Kulia said sarcastically, then smirked at them, "I'm a Snow Elf of course..."

"But those are..."

"Extinct!"

She smirked again, "Not quite, obviously." She said, turning and gliding over to the bed. They just watched as she draped herself across it, propping her head up with one hand and looking over at them, her pristine white flesh set off vibrantly by the jet black sheets. "So... am I going to get some service out of you two, or are you just going to stand there catching flies all day?"

They looked at eachother, big grins plastering themselves across their faces.

-------------

A/N - I don't usually do this, but here's a couple replies to reviews...

dementorchic - I don't like to torture my characters, I just... I mean it just kind of happens... and... hmm.... (thinks about it) Dang! I guess I do... (sadistic grin)

ladyjinx - just thought I'd comment... I think Blaise is so great because he is a J.K. character, but at the same time a blank slate that we can play with and form however we want! It's much more fun than having set rules as far as how they act, personality, etc.... oh, and as I read your review and your comment about the lobotomy, I couldn't help remember one of my favorite 'songs' growing up that was played by "Dr. Demento" on a local radio station very late at night... Existential Blues by T-bone Stankus (sp?) "'I would rather have this bottle in front of me... than a frontal lobotomy!' 'How profound wizard...'" (giggles) and they wonder why I'm so odd...

And can I just say... the bugs appear to be ironed out of chapter 29 (knock on wood) YAY!!! I had to reupload that bloody thing twice to get it to take!!!