Potions: What would a Girl Do without It?
By Slave4Severus
Disclaimer: I still do not own any of J.K.R. characters. Even though I wish I did.
"Is it much farther?" Alanna's side ached from climbing the numerous stairs, her breath hitching with every other step.
"No, this was the last staircase," Hermione answered with an annoying little spring to her step, as they walked into the deserted Gryffindor hallway.
"How do you do that every day?" Alanna gasped, trying to catch her breath in a more dignified manner than a fish would out of water.
"Oh, you get used to it, trust me. Once you begin classes and have to change out your books every few hours you will not even think about the stairs," Hermione said optimistically.
Alanna eyed the Head Girl in disbelief. Thank Merlin she would leave soon…if she found her wand that is.
A stinging sensation on her neck brought her out of her musings. Her fingers deftly began pulling at her tie in an attempt to open the first few buttons of her white shirt, instantly finding the scar and rubbing at it. The sting persisted as the two came to a stop before a huge painting of a Lady, dressed in a pink, frilly silk dress.
Hermione approached her first.
"Password?" She sounded bored stiff.
"Lion's Den," Hermione said softly. With a click, the portrait swung open to reveal something a kin to a hole in the wall, which she began to crawl through, gesturing to Alanna to follow.
Alanna raised a brow, removed her hand from her burning skin, and commenced to crawl after her. Why in the world does a castle not have a proper entryway? Do students like to clamber into their dormitory? She quickly shimmied through and stepped rather awkwardly into the Gryffindor common room.
The first thing she noticed were the colours. Red and gold…and more red. She tried not to stare at the walls too much in fear of being blinded by the brightness of it all. The circular room was littered with numerous squashy armchairs, which had one or two students in them, ranging from very young looking to about her own age. Tables had been placed all around as well, most of the occupied with studying students.
Alanna took everything in with veiled curiosity. On the inside she was bursting with questions, but her father had always stressed the value of not revealing too much of oneself. What a great opportunity to practice what she had learned. Her curiosity was dampened, however, when the students around her stopped talking, laughing, and studying to regard the new arrivals; or rather THE new arrival.
They made her feel as if she was a showpiece broomstick, on display and untouchable. Her teeth clenched and she felt hot and uncomfortable; why were they all staring!
"Attention everyone!" Hermione already held their interest since she had come through the portrait hole. "I would like for you to welcome our newest Gryffindor, Alanna Flint. She will be attending classes as a seventh year and will be staying in my chambers for the duration of the school year. So, let us welcome her in true Gryffindor fashion."
They were still staring at her. If this was the welcome, she could do without. Her face flushed crimson as her temper raised a couple of degrees. She was not an oddity to be gawked at!
"What! Why is everyone staring? Is there something wrong with my uniform perhaps?" She pulled on her tie forcefully, underlining her slightly 'rumpled from bed' look. "Or perhaps my abnormally large nose?" Her left hand made contact with her face in emphasis.
Soft laughter interrupted the ogling contest, in which all eyes shifted to its source. In an armchair close to the fire sat a young man with dark untamed hair and glasses. He was wearing quite the bemused expression as he lifted himself from his seat and walked toward her with a feline-like grace. If she would not have been so preoccupied with his glorious green eyes she would have noticed his tall and finely muscled frame, or that more than one pair of eyes switched from her to attach themselves to his black clad backside.
'Oh, sweet Merlin help me!' How does a girl prepare to meet her first guy…ever! Alanna could feel her hands grow a bit damp, as he extended his hand to her.
"Don't worry about this lot. They are just a little dense when it comes to meeting celebrities. I'm Harry by the way, Harry Potter," he smiled at her and…Merlin..winked. She had no idea what he had said…just Harry something. She had been too preoccupied with those beautiful eyes of his.
"I am sorry, what did you say your last name was Harry?" She felt as if her brain had officially left her body and was replaced with a Cornish pixie.
Most of the assembled crowed looked at Alanna as if she had grown ten heads. How could this girl not recognize Harry Potter when she saw him?
"That is quite alright. It's Harry Potter," he liked Alanna already, just for the fact that she seemed to be clueless as to who he was. A Godsend in itself.
"It is nice to meet you Harry. Alanna Flint," she took the extended hand into hers and froze. The small prickling on her neck that had been an annoyance flared up into a full stab of pain. His green eyes turned dark and fully dilated, as he sucked in his breath, clutching her hand in a vice-like grip. Her first impulse urged her to lift her hand and rub the offensive scar, this, however, was interrupted by Harry's other hand as it cocooned both of her smaller ones into his. The pain subsided instantly, as she stared at him suspiciously. The noise in the common room resumed before Alanna could step away from him.
"C'mmon Harry, you old charmer, let a man through to introduce himself," Ron said behind him. Harry stepped out of the way to give Hermione a meaningful glance before he watched Ron's newest wooing technique.
'What on Merlin's bloody head just happened!'
Alanna's eyes followed Harry as he stepped closer to Hermione's side, whispering something into her hair.
'Surely, this was not a normal occurrence when you touched a member of the opposite sex! And why does he seem so familiar? Alanna, you have absolutely lost your marbles.'
With a mental shake, she turned her attention to the next person standing before her, and instantly recognized him as the mistaken house-elf.
'Most definitely not a house elf,' she thought as her eyes kept traveling up his very tall frame, understanding why Hermione had laughed at her concerns earlier. He towered at least two heads above her and wore a roguishly beautiful smile. His hair was a fiery red that barely grazed his shoulders with piercing blue eyes that twinkled merrily. With a gallant swoop, he caught hold of her right hand and lifted it to his full lips, trailing soft kisses on her knuckles. With a small knowing smile, he turned her hand and began kissing her rapidly beating pulse on her wrist. Merlin! This school was full of sultry, good-looking men! How do the girls study with these…distractions?
"You are much taller than I thought," 'Oh, Merlin, Alanna shut your mouth!'
Ron chuckled lightly at her declaration, sending a rush of hot breath over her skin. "I'm Ronald Weasley, best friend to Harry and Hermione. Would you like a tour of the tower?"
Before she could say anything, he had already placed her hand into the crook of his arm.
Alanna hoped that the blush creeping up into her cheeks would go unnoticed. Therefore, she said the first thing that came to her mind.
"Weasley…Weasley….I believe I met your mother today," Alanna must have said the wrong thing, for she felt the thickly corded muscles in his arm tighten.
"You did? I hope she did not embarrass us…" he did not finish his sentence.
"Ronald Weasley! You better think twice before you insult our mother!" Another red head approached her, placing her hands firmly on her hips and glaring just as Mrs. Weasley had earlier.
"May I introduce my sister, Ginny."
Alanna offered her hand in greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Your mother has spoken highly of you," yea well, she actually had not; however, good manners were important at all times.
Ginny frowned at her brother one last time before gracing Alanna with another beautiful Weasley smile. "Mum told me that you would be coming up here. She was so excited to welcome you into our family."
Before Alanna could respond, Ron jumped as if stung by a tarantula.
"WHAT!"
"Did you even listen to me at dinner Ron? Mum and Dad are Alanna's guardians now. She is officially part of the Weasley clan," she said cheerily, choosing not to notice both Ron and Alanna wincing simultaneously. Ginny sealed Ron's fate with a heart felt, "I always wanted a sister."
"Oh, bugger!" He said under his breath.
"What was that?" Both girls looked up at him, as Harry tried to conceal his laughter, only to earn a cuff in the arm from a stern looking Hermione.
"I said 'I could just hugg'er," a bad save, but a save nonetheless.
"Would you like to take a seat Alanna? I know that you must be exhausted," Hermione untangled her from Ron's grasp and ushered her to where Harry had been sitting only moments earlier, gladly lowering herself into the quite comfortable armchair. Yes, it was red, but she could look beyond that right now, she was more interested in the show of friendship between the four of them. Hermione had settled down in a chair to her right, while Harry draped himself on its arm leaning over the top of the wingback, just as a cat would. Ginny and Ron were sitting on the luscious (red) carpet, stretching their long limbs as they bickered in a familiar way. As fascinating as she found them, she could not help wishing she were back at home. The thought of friendship was so foreign it scared her a little.
Harry's voice pulled back from her thoughts. "So, Alanna, what is your favorite subject?" He was absentmindedly twirling a lock of Hermione's hair around his finger and regarding her with interest.
"I am not sure actually. I suppose Care of Magical creatures is one of them," she thought for a moment, nibbling on her bottom lip, "…and Potions. That subject has fascinated me for a long time now," her face took on a slightly dreamy look, as she thought about her laboratory at home. That muscle relaxant oil sounded heavenly right about now…
Ron swallowed heavily, watching Alanna suck in her lower lip and scrunching her pert little nose in thought. He suppressed a groan. He didn't need another bloody sister! He would go insane during the holidays knowing that she would take showers only two doors down and change into her clothes only ONE down. Merlin knew he was doomed to wake up with hard-pressed problems for the rest of the school year.
"Well, I hope you don't lose your interest for it while you are here. The professor is a right git, that one."
'Great Ron! Wow the lady with putting down Snape.' Ron could have kicked himself.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and looked back at Alanna. "Professor Snape has a brilliant mind, Alanna. There is much to learn from a man who is a Master of Potions, and if you enjoy the subject you will be pleasantly surprised."
Both Ron and Ginny laughed heartily at her declaration. Ginny because she was truly amused at the statement, and Ron to cover up his faux pas and subsequent nervousness.
"Of course you will love it, if you are a Slytherin. However, Alanna is in Gryffindor and will probably have to pay for that offense with the loss of points and a sizable dent in her ego," Ginny said between snickers.
"Do you think he will give her 'the speech'?" Ron asked the group followed by another bout of giggles.
Harry smiled as well, agreeing with the two that it would be rather amusing, although Hermione begged to differ as she scoffed at the scene. Alanna, pleasantly amused, leaned down a bit to get a better look at the siblings' activities.
In a sudden rush of movement, Ginny jumped up from the floor and retrieved her wand from the table. With a tap to her head and a softly muttered word, her hair changed colour to a dull onyx, her once shiny tresses hanging around her face limply. A blink and quick shake of her head changed her eyes into the same hue of blackness, her pupils having disappeared into a fathomless abyss.
Hermione groaned and covered her face in her hands, while Ron and Harry laughed loudly. With a quick shove of her elbow, Hermione deposited Harry on the floor with a noisy thud, which hardly diminished his amusement. The boys' laughter seemed to attract the rest of the common room as most of the others joined in the fun that Ginny was about to begin.
Before Alanna could think it odd that everyone was laughing at a simple hair and eye colour change Ginny advanced on her. Her eyes were the only thing that could be seen in her face, as most of it had been replaced by her raven hair. She silently approached Alanna's with finely arched black brow, lightly tracing the back of her chair and quickly coming around the side, stopping her movement before she hit Alanna's nose with her own.
"So, you are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making?" Her voice had changed to a deeper timbre and the words seemed to roll in a silky-smooth threat off her tongue. Ginny backed up a few inches and gave her a feral smirk.
"As there is little foolish wand waving here…"she tossed her wand over her shoulder, hitting Ron, who had been eagerly watching, upside the head with it, eliciting more laughter from the crowd, "…you will hardly believe this is magic. I do not expect that you will really understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes," Ginny turned her nose up at Alanna and gave her an evil look from slanted eyes, then turning her attention to the others in the room, "…the delicate powers of liquids that creep through human veins," Ginny reached for Harry running her fingertips up his arm and around his neck, making him shiver with a bit of disgust, " bewitching the mind….ensnaring the senses."
She turned once more to Alanna and walked up to her with long strides before dropping to her knees before her and pressing her further into the seat; her hands resting on the arms of the chair. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death…"she hissed the last word menacingly. Ginny leaped to her feet then and stared at everyone in the room. "If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach!"
Everyone began to laugh and applaud the former redhead as she jumped up on one of the tables and continued. "Potter! Twenty points for breathing! Weasley! Fifteen points for looking at one of the Slytherin prefects the wrong way! Longbottom, thirty points! Do I really need a reason Longbottom! Granger!" Ginny jumped from the table and stood facing her friend. "Granger, Granger, Granger….FIFTY points from you, for being an insufferable know-it-all. Oh yes, and did I forget a Gryffindor too?"
More applause ensued and Ginny bowed regally, lifting the charm that concealed her hair and eyes. She smiled and laughed at Alanna's face that had taken on an awed expression.
'Were they for real? Did they truly not appreciate the simmering cauldron and its beautiful fumes?' Alanna was shell-shocked. She supposed that the little display was supposed to scare her into believing this Professor Snape was a right old bastard, but she could not have agreed more with its content. Well the first part that is. Bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses perfectly described her views of potions exactly. The only thing Alanna would regret is not meeting this professor before she left.
"I hope that didn't affect you too much."
Alanna blinked and jumped a bit seeing how close Harry had been leaning into her chair. 'For Merlin's sake, those eyes should be outlawed!'
"No, no, not at all. I just hope I will be able to meet his high expectations, is all," she lied smoothly and topped it with a smile.
Harry cocked his head to one side. "So, which school did you attend?"
Alanna swallowed as multiple pairs of eyes looked at her once more. "I have been privately tutored for the past eleven years."
"I guess all of us must be a bit overwhelming for you," Ginny said and gave everyone crowding Alanna's space a harsh frown.
Alanna laughed softly. "It is actually, and I am afraid I have not fully recovered yet," she rose from her seat and looked to Hermione. "If it is alright with you I would like to retire for the evening, Hermione."
"Oh, of course. Goodnight everyone!" A few goodnights could be heard from the remaining students.
Alanna looked at Harry, Ron, and Ginny with a smile. "It was very nice meeting all of you," and with that she followed the Head Girl out of the common room.
Ron watched his new 'sister' walk out, her hips softly swaying, and her auburn hair tickling her lower back. Bloody hell he was in love! His mother would castrate him and serve his balls on a platter!
"Isn't it great to have a new sister?" Ginny asked with gushing exuberance.
"Yea, absolutely spiffing," Ron grumbled after her as she made her way up into the girls' dormitory. Harry's solid hand fell onto his shoulder with a reassuring squeeze.
"Your mother is going to kill you, you know."
"Yea. Now I just have to figure out if she will be worth that pain," Ron let himself be pulled over to the chess set that had been abandoned earlier by a laughing Harry.
˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜
"How long have you known Harry and Ron?" Hermione and Alanna were walking down the corridor to where the Head common room lay. It had two strategically placed entrances, one annexed to the Gryffindor hallway and one in the dungeon by the Slytherin common room for Draco. Hermione believed that the chambers themselves were located somewhere between the second and fourth floor.
"Ever since first year here at Hogwarts, after a nasty run in with a troll," Hermione laughed at the memory.
Alanna raised her eyebrow; and Madam Pomfrey though she was nutters. "Do I even dare to ask?"
"It really is a long story that I would love to tell you, but I am sure you are too tired right now to hear about exploits from when we were eleven," Hermione approached the painting of a small girl dressed in lavender. "Summer Son." The portrait opened into a very comfortable common room with two different couches, one red of course and the other a deep green, positioned deliberately before the humongous hearth. The only items that did not seem to be green or red were the marble coffee table between the couches and two tastefully crafted writing desks on either side of the room.
"Well, this is it," Hermione said, motioning for Alanna to follow her to the door next to the fireplace that was engraved with a huge Lion. Although she would have rather looked into the room with green snake on it, she followed Hermione wordlessly. Why ask for something she would not care about in a few hours anyways.
"We share the common room with Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Head Boy. I would stay away from him if you can; he is not the most pleasant to deal with. Harry, Ron, and I have had plenty of run-ins with him over the years. Just watch your back around him." Hermione opened the door and led the way into a pristine looking room, about the size of her own back at the manor.
"This is my side," she motioned toward the burgundy and gold blankets draped across the cherry-wood four-poster bed. There was a small nightstand to the left, and on the floor, a fluffy burgundy carpet that Hermione could sink her toes into.
"And this is yours," Hermione shifted a bit and looked to her right. Alanna's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the exact décor from her own chamber at home, which included the many, many books she owned. She went to them first, lovingly tracing her hands over the spines, pulling out her favorite Herbal Antidotes to Common Poisons: A Potions Master's Guide. A frown came over her features, however, when she noticed that it was a brand new copy of her book, and not her age worn treasure with numerous notes within its pages. Alanna grabbed another book, and skimmed it too, and another, flipping furiously through its pages. These were all brand new! Where were her real possessions?
Hermione watched her with mounting concern, as she pulled on the top drawer of her dresser, pulling out a grey sweater.
It was her favorite 'thinking' sweater . . . just that it was not worn in at all. It even smelled of brand new fabric.
"Are you alright, Alanna?" Hermione stepped up to her dresser and peered inside. "Professor McGonagall assured me that these were your things left in a vault for you."
The vault. She remembered the Headmaster mentioning something like that; but that would mean that her father had gathered replacements of all of her possessions over the past eight years. Her sweater alone had been six years old in the least, her mother had often complained about her horrid appearance in it. Had he known that he was in danger so many years ago? She shook herself mentally.
'I need to get to the bottom of this! I need to get home.'
"I am sorry Hermione, I must seem dreadfully odd to you. I was just surprised is all," Alanna forced a smile on her lips. She hated having to lie to the Head Girl, but some things were just unavoidable.
"These are exact replacements of what I owned at home, only newer versions," Alanna moved to her dark-blue hangings around her bed, relieved that they were not red, pushing them aside to the welcoming vision of her own sheets, blankets, and fluffy pillows all in her favorite dark-blue hue and ginger….ginger!
Her eyes came back to the offending colour and looked into the unmistakable yellow-green eyes of a rather large flat-faced cat, whose bottlebrush tail was swishing madly, distributing a fine layer of ginger hair over every pillow.
A gasp of air came from behind Alanna. "Crooks! What did I tell you about lying on Alanna's bed?" Hermione moved a curtain out of the way so she could get around Alanna to pluck the little sheik from his pillowed throne.
"It is quite alright, Hermione, really. I love animals," a light glow came over Alanna's features stopping Hermione in mid grab.
"Crookshanks is not the nicest of cats, though, and he does not take well to strangers…" she watched as Alanna did the most dangerous thing anyone would ever have dared around Crooks. She lowered herself on her knees and came eye to eye with the little tiger.
Before Hermione could stop him, he jumped from the pillows and attacked Alanna's face; or it seemed that he was about to as he stopped right before it and looked at her unblinkingly. Alanna began to coo words of endearments to Crooks, who just stared at her with a twitchy tail. After her third rendition of 'what a beautiful boy you are' the half-kneazle broke out into a bout of thunderous purring, butting his head against Alanna's chin.
Hermione's jaw dropped in astonishment. He just accepted her like that, without any type of reservations. Lord knows that both Ron and Harry still get to feel Crooks' claws every now and then, but an absolute stranger? Her familiar proceeded to fall on his side to let Alanna scratch his exposed belly, which she did without hesitation.
Alanna continued scratching him, running her hands around his thickly furred head. Crooks closed his eyes and promptly began to drool. "He reminds me of my puppy at home," a wave of nostalgia hit Alanna once more. Peaches was probably already worried sick about her.
With a final pet, she got up from her knees and stifled an exhausted yawn, looking down at the hair-covered blanket. Hermione took a hold of Crooks, pulling him off her bed and depositing him on her own. "Did my wand show up while I was moved in?" Alanna tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"Oh, yes. It should be on your nightstand," Hermione dropped Crooks unceremoniously on her bed, still contemplating his odd behaviour. The last time he had been this accepting, it had been Sirius, who had turned out to be more than a friend to the three of them. Hermione turned and watched Alanna gleefully clutch her wand, casting a few cleansing charms over her blankets. There appeared to be quite a bit if information Hermione had to attain concerning this new addition to her house. Perhaps her familiar is a better judge of character yet again…
Albeit being a replica as well, Alanna happily clutched the dark alder-wood wand that would bring her a few steps closer to freedom. With a practiced swish, she divested her covers of fur, feeling the smooth vibrations of her magic being channeled to do her bidding. Satisfied that her wand would perform adequately, she turned and walked to her closet, positioned next to her bed. She emerged a few minutes later with a pair of flannel pajamas and some thick socks, beneath which she hid her black slacks and turtleneck for tonight's excursion. Without a second glance over her shoulder, Alanna threw the covers off her bed and placed her clothes onto the soft sheets.
There was only one thing left to do. She felt unreasoned urge to take a long hot bath before she left, and the purging of her bladder. She would not forget to pee this time around! With this in mind, she turned to head toward the bathroom, Hermione staring after her, while attempting to study for her upcoming potions exam.
˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜
The music seemed to beckon her forward from the darkness. The soft sultry sound of an Arabian Kanoun being played, accompanied by a mandola, guitar, and softly played darabuka drums. Before her vision fully cleared, she could feel her hips moving involuntarily to the mesmerizing music, raising one hand delicately to her forehead, turning it in small circles toward the top of her head. She could feel the cool fabric of several scarves hanging loosely off her gyrating hips, a soft jingle of various coins suspended from her skimpily clad bodice.
Her eyes opened slowly taking in her heavily veiled surroundings, numerous candelabras illuminating the seductive scene. She could feel the cooling wisp of material clinging to the lower part of her face as she inhaled the sweet scent of sandalwood incense. With skilled movements she dropped her hip, kicking softly with her foot as she did so, letting her muscles move on their own volition to the intoxicating rhythm. Her mind, that had remained blissfully blank up to now, came forth with a single notion.
'I am here for his pleasure. My only want is to please him.'
Her eyes closed once again as she poured herself into the music, rolling her body expertly, revealing bits of creamy skin beneath her veils. Her hand slowly spiraling down to detach a colourful piece of gauzy fabric at her hip, pulling it upward and letting it twirl alluringly to the carpeted floor. The music accelerated, enticing her hips to swivel faster, her stomach muscles moving sensuously and dramatically to the beating of the drum.
Her hair had fallen down her back in loose cascades of curls, tantalizingly shielding her exposed back from his view, while she removed yet another veil from her body. Her eyes reopened and focused solely on the man lying before her on various assortments of plush silken pillows, watching her with an intent gaze. His attire pleased her immensely, eliciting yet another well-trained roll from her hips, exposing more of her skin for his viewing pleasure. He was clad in nothing more than flaring, black silk pants held on his hips by a deep green sash, his chest thankfully bare. She could tell that he was straining not to touch her, his muscles working hard beneath his alabaster skin to let her finish. With a provocative smile, her hands lowered to her shoulders, then proceeding to caress over her coined breasts, moving her body into closer proximity to his. Her muscular thighs lowered her downward before his feet, her upper body swiveling backward as far as she could, her head meeting with the Persian carpet, as her hips bucked toward him.
She gazed up at him, an invitation clearly written beneath her veiled face; her master crooked his finger at her, dictating her to come even closer. With slow motions, she lifted her body upward, her hands moving toward the heavens, into an upright position. Growling delightedly at his lust shadowed face, she quickly dropped to her hands and knees, approaching him on all fours, like a lioness would its prey.
With a gracefulness not her own she moved up his body, stopping only at the exposed skin of his belly, before lowing her head and breathing hotly over it, her hair raking over his hips. Her tongue was urging her to release it onto one of his dark pink nipples, but she refrained, positioning her knees above his hips continuing her dance.
She felt him before she realized what he had done. His large hands grabbed a hold of her hips, flipping her expertly onto her back, pinning her down with his weight. In one smooth motion, he divested her of the veil that covered her face, claiming her lips in a crushing kiss meant to be rough and bruising. With a commanding flick of his tongue, he demanded entrance into her willing mouth, which she opened to him without reserve, their tongues beginning a dance of their own.
Her breathing was becoming more laboured with every searing kiss, his chest lowering itself onto hers, pressing the breath effectively from her lungs. With one big gasp, she released his lips and stared up into the dark eyes of her Demon, who was staring forebodingly at her. Another anguished breath tried to make its way to her lungs, but failed darkness pricked the side of her vision.
Alanna woke up with a start, something hindering her from taking a full breath, weighing heavily on her chest. Her hands flew to her upper body and encountered a monstrous, furry object that promptly commenced to purr at her touch. With a half-smile half-wince, Alanna gently moved Crookshanks from her body and onto a vacant pillow, petting him softly before untangling herself from her sheets. Her trembling hands wiped at her damp brow as she recalled her dream with embarrassing detail, not daring to lower her eyelids in fear of seeing his reclining, sinister form on the pillows. There was that small voice inside, however, which begged, pleaded and screamed to get a taste of the unknown charms the nefarious fruit seemed to offer. The persisting burn of the sandalwood had an irrationally calming affect on her raging senses, the memory of it lingering in her nostrils.
'Merlin…it seemed so real.'
This must be what happens when a female is introduced to the opposite sex! Her senses go haywire and she resides in perpetual state of…of what exactly? Hormonal desires? Urges? Represses longings for black, rough, enticing…clothing? Oh, no this would never do. She needed to get a grip on herself and leave.
As quietly as she dared, Alanna slipped from her sheets and pulled her hidden clothing from beneath her pillow and grabbing her wand from the nightstand. A muttered incantation silenced any of her movements while she changed into her clothing, then binding her hair back with a spell, and finally summoning her winter cloak noiselessly from her dresser. With a final look at the drawn curtains of Hermione's bed, Alanna slipped out the door into the common room, closing it softly behind her with a trembling hand.
'You are bloody barmy! It was only a dream nothing more…' with a baleful look at her hands, Alanna pivoted on her heels.
The common room was thankfully empty, only a few books and scrolls of parchment littering the pristine marble coffee table; an inkwell and quill neatly positioned at the far side of the table. The fire in the hearth crackled merrily, urging her to leave the room before its occupants, she gathered the Head Boy, decided to return to his late night studying. Within a few steps, she had crept to the portrait of the snoring girl in lavender, opening the frame to step into the darkened Gryffindor corridor. The portrait closed with a muted click of a latch behind her.
Her eyes darted down the dimly lit hallway, shadows eerily playing across the stonewalls. In a swift motion, Alanna retrieved her wand from the hidden pocket embedded in the lining of her robes, placing a stronger silencing charm on herself and a concealment charm for good measure. Feeling a bit more in control, she rounded the corner to the top of the main staircases, now moving silently, as if charmed as well.
Alanna took a deep breath prior to aiming her wand at her temple, fully concentrating on what she had learned of Hogwarts dungeon labyrinth. The tip of her wand vibrating imperceptibly, an azure shimmer being drawn from her mind.
Her spine stiffened, her wand resolutely pointed ahead of her as she whispered,
"Point me."
Her wand promptly commenced to pull her forward subtly, with a small tug against her clenched hand.
'So far so good,' Alanna thought morbidly, while swallowing her trepidations valiantly. The staircases were also shrouded in shadows, minimal lighting being available at this time of night, which she assumed to be around three in the morning. She took the stairs two at a time, only slowing down when she came too close to the chasm that promised a hideous fall between staircases.
She had lost count of how many staircases she had descended as her eyes focused on two glowing spots ten meters before her. An ice-cold shiver ran up her back, making her shudder involuntarily at the prospect of what Hogwarts had to offer in nightly 'escape-deterrents.'
"Nox," she hissed at her wand, the faint blue light extinguishing instantly.
Alanna stood on the staircase as the orbs moved closer to her, her breathing becoming shallow, her forearm flexing in anticipation for the hex she would be hurling at the monster; a few beads of ice cold perspiration trickling down her neck.
Whatever this thing turned out to be, she would not be deterred in leaving, swearing a silent oath in her Family's name.
A small echoing sound filled the overly hushed semblance around her, croaky, grating, and raspy, with the suspiciously familiar essence of…cat?
The luminescent eyes approached her stealthily evolving into the form of a cat that at one point had seen better days. A very thin, dust coloured cat with glowing eyes approached Alanna and sat two stairs down from her, staring unblinkingly and rather accusatory.
"Grrrreow!"
She seriously had to suppress the laughter that threatened to spill from her lips. How could she have been this scared about a cat? Not that she had ever prided herself in being a brave soul, but this was just too absurd to comprehend.
With a smile, she crouched down and beckoned the animal towards her, the tips of her fingers wiggling enticingly at the poor thing.
"Grrrreow!"
The cat's voice became louder, echoing through the tower. Alanna wrinkled her forehead in concern; perhaps the kitty needed something? Stepping down again, she positioned herself next to the cat, letting it sniff her fingers, while cooing nonsense words at the poor animal. The poor dear looked a fright!
The cat stopped its racket in mid meow, tilting its head to the side and regarding Alanna from head to toe. A small sniff to the air and a swish of its tail later, she found the thing imitating a purr that sounded more like a death rattle than anything else, while seeking attention with its head and body.
A shuffling noise toward the bottom of the staircase ripped her attention from the cat to the …most horrible looking man that she had ever seen! The planes of his face harshly illuminated by the oil lamp he held only a few meters from his eager expression. A depraved smile graced his thin lips, calling out harshly:
"Mrs. Norris! Did you find a student out of bed, my pretty?"
Alanna was rooted to the spot not knowing what she should do next. Though her charm was concealing her whereabouts, she felt more than uncomfortable being in a close proximity to this…man.
"Who is there? Show yourself! You can't hide from me!"
She looked back down at the cat, who continued purring and staring at her with those huge eyes of hers. Then, abruptly, she turned and walked ran down the stairs meeting him halfway, tail high, another rattling Meow cutting through the silence.
"Where are they Mrs. Norris? Show me."
With another look up the stairs, Mrs. Norris disappeared down the nearest hallway, the panting man close on her paws.
Alanna inhaled deeply after realizing she had held on to it for quite some time, rising slowly and creeping down the remaining stairs to the first floor.
"Point me."
The wand resumed its magical pull toward the dark passageway leading to the main doors of Hogwarts. Just when she thought she could make a clean escape down to the dungeon stairs she heard the unmistakable sound of evil cackling from up ahead. A groan of frustration slipped from her closed lips as she spied a snippet of ghost gliding through the walls at a sickening pace.
'Great! A poltergeist is all she needed now!' This night was getting worse by the second.
With a graceful pivot on the balls of her feet, Alanna found refuge behind a rather large suit of armor, waiting for the storm to pass, literally. The bloody specter bounced up and down the hall cackling, spitting, blowing raspberries, making other rude noises, and just being a horrible nuisance. The little patience that had been part of her fear of being caught quickly crumbled – her wand at the ready for some serious exorcism.
"What is that I hear? Be you ickle firsties? Big bad beasty? Or a little snotty Potty?"
'Potty! How rude!' She was more offended over having been called a loo than having been found out; retaliation to the insult had to wait, however.
"Peeves!" A booming baritone voice echoed through the hall, reverberating ominously.
"Yes, sir. His lordship, Baron, sir," the ghost shrieked shrilly.
"I have had enough of your racket! One more sound out of you and I will personally bind you to spend the rest of the school year in the lake!"
'Hear, hear,' Alanna liked this Baron character already.
"Oh, please your royal highness bloody Baron, sir. Peeves felt someone in the hall, your awful gracefulness, sir…"
"Be that as it may! I have tired of your activity this night, having more important matters to take care of," the voice sounded more than perturbed.
"Ohhhh the little Snakey's all alone? What fun, wha…"
"Peeves!"
A loud shriek of laughter later the offending ghost had vanished, the other voice not mentioning anything about his sudden departure. Alanna carefully crept around the suit of armor and followed the pull of her wand, all the while hoping that 'the Baron' would not get wind of her traipsing around in his territory. She did not want to find out why he called himself 'the bloody' after all.
Not long after her ghostly encounter, she found herself staring at the huge double doors of Hogwarts, of which she would have rather seen the other side. Her wand however coaxed her toward a giant archway to her right, eerily illuminated with a forest green tint, a chilly draft making her hair stand on end. With unsure steps, she began her descent into very cold territory.
The dungeon smelled of potion supplies and ancient mildew. A combination that could only be loved by a dedicated student. She felt closer to home with every step as she inhaled the scent deeply; although, the mildew she could have done without, as her nose crinkled in distaste.
Various flaming wall sconces tapered along the walls of the dungeon hallway, giving off a rich green glow that barely illuminated enough for Alanna to see more than a few feet ahead of her. Emblems of snakes graced most of the etched surfaces of the stones, a few huge paintings littering the cold and glistening walls.
She could feel their eyes on her. Cold and calculating, a few sneers were thrown her way, and the grumbling disapproval of 'rude students'. The path made a sudden veer to the left, leading her even farther into the underbelly of the castle, firelight being few and far between.
With a final lurch of her wand, Alanna passed a rather large sconce that brightly flickered with the same magically green flames, licking up the cold wall. The tip of the wood extinguished announcing her arrival at the hidden passage that would lead her to the outside of her stony prison.
"Here goes nothing," she murmured. "Ostendo absconditus," her wand gracefully swept over the stonewall.
A pulsating viridian shimmer traced around the frame of the shrouded doorway; announcing the voluntary opening of the portal with a grinding wheeze.
With an inhalation of relief, Alanna looked down the corridor from whence she had hailed, to assure herself there were no prying eyes witnessing her escape. Two steps toward the passage she found herself repelled by yet another wall, staggering backward against the opposing stone, bruising her back by the harsh impact. The gasp of pain, however, died on her parted lips when her eyes made contact with a dark figure standing across from her, scaring her half to death. Her eyes grew wide as saucers, as the black clad figure stepped into the hall, the light of the fire giving him a sinister and unearthly look to the pallid skin of his face. His unblinking eyes glittered dangerously, in search for the perpetrator who had dared to make contact with this formidable form.
Alanna did not know if to pinch herself or if she should simply enjoy the obvious hallucination, the Fates have so cunningly presented her. If this were a dream, her mind certainly would have stripped him of his many layers of clothing.
With a smooth swipe of his hand, he lunged at the empty space before him, barely missing her flattened body and effectively convincing her mind that this truly was a real encounter with the demon.
Time, air, mind and heartbeat suspended.
Alanna watched him with morbid fascination, as his lightning fast reflexes set out to retrieve his wand from within his black attire. A smooth wand movement later, she could feel the charms that had concealed her whereabouts lifted, the strength of the spell sending her bed-knotted hair into a tangled mess down her back. Instantly he closed the few steps between them, clutching her neck in and unyielding grip and lifting her a few inches off the ground.
Alanna's hands instinctively flew to her throat, one clutching his muscled forearm while the other tried in vain to loosen his grip, her raspy breathing quickly drawing in his unique scent, leaving her memories of it wanting. The vanilla and musk were stronger this time with an undercurrent of sandalwood and something she could not identify. His fingertips were burning into her skin reducing Alanna to a quivering mass of sensation hovering between pain and an unidentifiable excited rush of energy that pooled and swirled into her stomach. Her eyes devoured every line and subtle feature unblinkingly.
"Leaving us so soon, Miss Flint?" His voice made her bite down on her lip to suppress a moan, the soft, silky baritone laced with dangerous undertones. She knew he could feel her racing pulse beneath the thin layer of skin, as she gave her dry lips a tentative lick.
A heartbeat later, he relinquished his hold and stepped back two paces, her body to recuperate by supplying her with much needed oxygen, her eyes roaming over his body.
Only a Goddess could have created this perfection.
"Follow me," not a request, but an order. An order her feet wanted to comply with, but her mind screamed to defy. With narrowed eyes and cold sneer, he pivoted on his heels and majestically strode toward where she had come.
Alanna swallowed painfully and watched the door that promised freedom close excruciatingly slowly. If she moved, right now, she could still make it…but then again how fast could she run from the Angel of Darkness?
There would be other ways to exit this castle; she only had to wait for the opportunity to present itself. For now, she considered herself thoroughly caught.
With a straightening of the spine and a lift of the chin, she turned and followed him silently.
˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜
Author's Note: Thank you to all who succumbed to the Imperius and reviewed. I really appreciate all of you giving me your honest opinions. Thank you Mark Darcey for your constructive criticism. Mysticsong and I have looked into it and discussed further actions. I hope this is to your satisfaction! I had loads of good time writing it!
Thank you Mysticsong…well, you know for what.
Thank you Pink! My muse has returned from vacation.
LKLTB, ThoughandI, Lucidity, this is all for you guys, my most loyal (OMG I SOUND LIKE VOLDI!). Summerkins, Lisa –aka lord Snape's Lady, AND to everyone else who reviews. I love all of them; they make me so happy knowing that my story is worth pressing that little button on the left. Please, do it again! This is how I get paid!