Seven Years Later...
Chapter 10
"Release the Hounds"
Author's Notes: Now we finally begin the beginning of the final battle, woo hoo us... This story is so good, but that is just our opinion... Its kinda like our kid so we are bias... So review and tell us if we are right or wrong..
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Alexis and Ron sat cuddling on her bed, him nuzzling her neck with his face as she ran her fingertips over his knuckles of the hand that rested on her thigh. She sat curled up with him; sleepy, content, and for once, secure. That was when the knock sounded.
It wasn't the normal, 'get out here now or I'm coming in there' knock, but the other knock. She stiffened and Ron looked up in confusion. She bolted up, and Ron jumped in surprise.
"What? What is it?" He asked in alarm. She looked at him a passion burning in her eyes.
"There's gonna be a fight." She stated simply, but the tone full of eagerness. She jumped out of his arms, stood straight, and stopped. She swayed precauriously, falling back. Ron stood quickly and caught her, helping her sit down on the bed as she held her head. He asked in a worried tone. "Alexis, are you sure your up to this?"
"I'm perfectly fine." She countered. Standing up slowly, she walked over to the expandable suitcase, dropping to her knees in front of it in a tired manner. Ron stood up, watching her in concern. "No you're not. You were just exhausted a minute ago. Are you fit enough to be doing this?"
She turned and stared him straight in his eyes. "Ron. I am going to fight, wether you like it or not. I'm not, under any circumstance, going to sit out and miss this." She finished and stood, throwing a case onto her bed. She hurriedly opened it, tenderly extracting her dueling outfit. She ran a hand over it's smooth cloth, then proceeded to lift her shirt.
Ron coughed in alarm, turning away quickly. Alexis froze, slowly turning around and lowering her shirt.
"Um... sorry... I'll , be in m, my bathroom..." She stammered in slight embarassment, grabbing her outfit and dashing into her bathroom and locking her door.
Ron paced in front of the fireplace, concerned for her health. He'd have to stick close to her for a while, and she wouldn't like it, but he had to make sure she'd be okay. That is if he couldn't talk her out of it for at least this one day.
Alexis reemerged, shaking her head roughly as she quickly downed a small vial of potion. She swayed once more, holding on to the doorframe.
"Alexis, you shouldn't..."
"And you think you're gonna stop me?" She asked, almost threateningly as she stood straighter, staring at him defiantly.
"I, just might..." He trailed off unconvincingly. She smirked.
"Oh, and how so may I ask?"
"I'll... just have to... punish you, in... some way..."
"Oh, right. What are you gonna do? Spank m... you know what, I'm not going to finish that sentence." She said quietly, quickly exiting the room without looking at him.
Hahaha Artimis intoned, having been listening to see if Alexis was awake. Alexis shook her fist and replied. (EVIL) as she walked towards her workout room to get her equipment.
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Artimis, dressed in her mother's dueling cloaks and full battle gear, paced the conference room. She shook her head in dismal at herself, knowing that she would be risking much at this battle. One wrong move, one push the wrong way. Then again she had also fought the battle before her capture and survived capture being pregnant. Madam Pomfrey had told Artimis she was about four and a half months pregnant. She shook her head dismissing those thoughts as she went over procedures in her head. She would need to let Carpe Diem and Carpe Noctum of their leashes to patrol the grounds, she would need to put the house on lock down, and she would need to inform the house elves of their duties. It had already been decided that Parvati, Narcissa, Athena and Damien would stay at the Manor, under high security. Even though the house was secret kept, it was safer to have a system. Artimis paced in front of the fireplace, pondering who would be called to the battlefield, how much supplies she would need to bring and who would be doing house checks at night. Severus would be fighting on their side this time, fianlly standing up to the power Voldemort had over him. Artimis felt a hand on her shoulder and she was spun around.
"Artimis, I can't let you go." Draco spoke to her, a dead set look in his eyes. She pulled his hand off her shoulder, frowning at him.
"I am going to fight. If I die, I die. I don't fear death." She spoke and he glared.
"Well if you don't care about your own life then what about it's life?" He spoke, placing his hand gently over her stomach.
"If we fail, what kind of a world would that be to raise a child in. I don't want my child to have to fear He-Who-Must-Now-Be-Named, but instead to hear about him as a fable. I am fighting. I plan on being careful. I can still shift at this stage of pregnancy, Madam Pomfrey said I can still do that for a week or two more. If I need to get away, I'll shift and be out of there faster than you can call my name." She spoke, covering his hand with her own. He looked at her and knew she wasn't going to back down. He decided that he wasn't leaving her side in this battle.
"Are we interupting?" Alexis asked as she and Ron entered the room. Draco removed his hand from her stomach and said. "No not at all."
"Sit, This is lock-down time." Artimis spoke, walking over to the table and Alexis looked at her in her fighting gear.
"You're not going are you?" Alexis asked, confused and warily, watching her carefully. Ron watched her also, watching for any signs of her losing her temper on Alexis again, ready regardless Artimis's excuse for it.
"Yes, I am fighting too. Don't start with me." Artimis spoke as everyone else filtered in. They all looked at her like she was crazy.
"Ok folks, this is it. The Order sent us an Owl, stamped with Dumbledore's mark. We are to tie down the fort and report to Stonehedge. We will be camping there with the others who have been called. Bring your tents, we will be CAMPING! When we leave here, I want the dogs off the leashes, I want all defenses on the house up. I mean I want the Tower armed. Vicky and Erica aren't Order, but they should be showing up to watch over the girls. Are we ready to prep to leave?"Artimis spoke with authority and everyone looked at her with a nod.
"Who does what?" Hailey asked.
"I want everyone to get their tents and stuff, and be wearing your damn port-keys. Then I want you Alexis to go let the dogs out. DO NOT PLAY WITH THEM. Command them to guard. Ron, I want the food stores in my tent filled, so everybody can eat. Hermione, get your texts for odd and dangeruous spells. Draco, go into my lab and get my potions out of the cabient. Hailey, get your healing equipment, potions and crap, all set. Everybody else, I want every door and window locked, I want the front and back gates shut down and I want you back here as soon as possible. Go." She spoke and the room was cleared except for Severus and her.
"Callabella, are you foolish or just plain don't care?" He asked as he approached her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, checking her potions belt on her outfit.
"I mean, you are pregnant and you going to go fight against Voldemort's forces. Does that not seem reckless and foolhardy to you? You're now risking two lives, not one." He spoke quietly and she looked at him oddly. She grasped her chest and dramatically fell down.
"I must be dead, Severus Snape cares for someone besides himself!"
He had been moving toward her to see if she was ok, but as she spoke he drew back and glared.
"You shouldn't be that dramatic, wouldn't want anything bad to happen." He spoke as he walked out of the room. Artimis began to laugh and rolled over to get up. She got on her knees and felt a tug in her stomach.
"Oh no you don't, not now." She spoke to her stomach as she downed an anti-nausea potion. She got up and walked over the table, waiting for everyone to get back.
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Alexis walked out a back door of the Manor, heading down a short trail that led to a clearing in the surrounding forest. She smiled widely, seeing the 12 foot tall chain link and magic reinforced fence emerging out of the trees. Loud growling rumbled around, and Alexis could feel it in her stomach, it was so deep and loud.
She barely felt a thud under her feet, and concluded that they were playing. She turned into the clearing, seeing two large forms racing around the large, dirt arena where the dogs were kept.
A six foot tall stark white dog barked loudly, lowering its two wide heads and racing head on at an equally tall jet black dog, also with two heads. The black dog crouched down, watching the oncoming beast with calculating eyes. It bounded aside as the white dog rammed towards it. It spun around, and the two dogs faced off for a minute. Then they leapt at each other, colliding into two huge bundles of black and white fur and fangs, thudding to the ground as they fought for dominance.
Alexis sauntered up to the reinforced gate, unlocking it with her wand. She laughed at them and stepped in the pen.
"Diem! Quit starting stuff!" She called. The two animals four heads darted up as they froze. They growled in unison, and bounded towards her. Alexis braced herself as the ran head-long at her. At about ten feet, they pulled back, skidding to a halt not a foot from her.
"Wow, you guys are getting better at that." She cooed, patting the white dog, Diem's heads. Noctum whined and shoved the white dog aside, wanting his share of attention. Diem snapped at him.
"Hey, quit it guys." They quieted and wagged their tails, looking down at her from their superior heights. Noctum nudged her gently with one head, making her stumble slightly as the other head reached down and lifted a thick log of sorts.
"Sorry Noctum, can't play right now. I've got a job for you guys." Their ears perked up as if they understood what she was saying. She opened the gate wide, gesturing for them to exit. They cocked their heads in confusion.
"Well, get going. You're on guard." Alexis ordered, standing clear of the exit. They closed their panting mouths and gazed at each other. A second later, in a flurry of feet, both bounded out the gates and howled loudly, racing towards the Manor. At the last moment, they touched noses and split, dashing around opposite sides of the house, occasional barks echoeing around the property. Alexis smiled, walking back down the trail and entering the house once more.
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Artimis nodded off to sleep, her head on the table and she heard grumbling. She lifted her head to see Ron stomping in, grumbling about Alexis demanding to fight. She laughed at him and he shut up. She stood up and looked at him.
"Jessh, you're already acting like your married. Draco doesn't even do that." She spoke.
"Yeah, we'll your a bloody moron, going to fight and you're pregnant. Where's your common sense? I mean you should be staying here resting." He spoke and Artimis glared at him, shadows wisping around her slightly.
"My common sense is where I want it. Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do." She growled and Alexis rushed in, seeing Artimis wisping slightly.
"Um... Ron, Come help me close the foyer bars." She spoke and he looked to her in relief as he rushed out of the room. Artimis snickered. She let the shadows fall back into her and sat at the table, watching as the rest of the house filtered in.
"What in the hell do you call those two beasts running about the yard?" Severus asked with annoyance.
"Well I think we call them Diem and Noctum, Fluffy's offspring, but I may be mistaken. Oh and they are dogs." Artimis spoke and everyone laughed.
Remus shrugged and commented, "When we get back I think I'm gonna go play with them on the full moon."
"Yeah, just make sure you lock the gate, we don't need you going wiggy on us." Draco spoke and Artimis tossed a book at him.
"Sorry, but it's the truth." Draco spoke and Artimis surveyed the room. Aaron and The Twins were strapping each other's rapiers on, Hermione was braiding her hair back, with the help of Hailey. Harry, Apollo and Crabbe and Goyle were discussing strategy and partols over some Stonehedge maps. Ron and Alexis walked in, silent arguing about her going to fight. Severus, Remus and Draco sat around the table looking at her. Everybody was there, this was it, this was going to be the beginning of the Final battle.
"Let's go." She spoke and they all grabbed ahold of the rope Artimis had enchanted to port-key them to Stonehedge.
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Deep Shadows: Artimis is so headstrong and brave... smiles with pride
EckoStalker: She's a damned fool is what she is... Fighting and Pregnant...shakes head in dismayal
Severus: As ashamed of this i will be later... Must agree with EckoStalker...looks at Remus, who is shocked
Remus: Hey, I understand her reasoning man, she's about to have a kid and wants to make a safe world for it, Its the whole guard and protective mother nature... You know...gesture to Severus
Severus: Crosses arms No... I don't...
Deep Shadows: Gets between the two Professors Thank you Remus... Ecko, Sev, go back to you holes in the ground...
EckoStalker holds up hand in offense Excuse me... I have a lair, not a hole in the ground...
Deep Shadows: rolls eyes Well Read and Review while I try to explain Artimis's reasoning to these two hard-heads...