The Game of Seduction
Chapter 8: Castration
It was always dark in the Slytherin Common Room, not to mention eerie. The lamp- light cast a dull green glow over the dusty furniture, and the dirty windows made it impossible for moonlight to come through. The only other source of light was from the fire, and even that was halfway obscured by the shadow of a boy. In a way, to Sybil Trelawney, the presence of the seventeen- year- old sitting by the fire was even more disquieting than the room itself. She cleared her throat nervously.
" Err.Tom? You said you wanted to meet me here?" He turned to her slowly, and smiled devilishly, baring teeth that were just a little too long and pointed for her liking.
"Of course, Darling. Come, sit with me?" Had he just called her 'Darling'? His invitation had obviously been meant to be a question, yet it still left no room for argument. Sybil approached him, cautiously, and as she sat down on the seat cushion next to him, he moved in for the kill. Oh, God.
Whispering sweet nothings, tongue flickering around and around, snake like, and Sybil had to wonder: was Thomas Marvolo Riddle the Devil himself?
"Sybil..Sybil!"
Oh, his voice was still in her head!
"Come, Darling, you must wake up!"
And she did. She was in a place she didn't know, but wherever she was, it sure looked like a dungeon. She was surrounded and encircled by dozens of dark-hooded figures that stood motionless, and seemed to be waiting for something. What was going on? But before the question could even become fully formed, a voice spoke to her.
"Sybil." The voice made her shiver involuntarily, though, not because of its cruelty, but because of its familiarity.
"Tom."
"Yes, and no, Sybil. I was Tom, but now I am nothing less than Lord Voldemort."
Sybil Trelawney was always concerned about the future, not the present, (always imagining the direst of situations in order to prepare herself for what was to come). But, for the first time in a long time, Sybil was terrified of what was happening to her NOW, and for the life of her, she could not predict her own future.
"Now. To business, Darling. I understand that, not too long ago, you were in a meeting with the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Applying for a job? I also understand that, on that very same night, you gave a certain Albus Dumbledore a prophecy about The Dark Lord's downfall? If you don't mind, I would like to here it for myself."
So that was what he wanted? "Whatever made you think I'd give you anything, you piece of manticore dung?!" Voldemort gave her a mocking look.
"Darling, why not? You used to give me anything I wanted. Sometimes, without me even having to ask.." He bent down, and licked the side of her face, and Sybil was disgusted to see that his tongue was forked at the tip, and blood red.
"Oh, God, Tom! What have you done to yourself?"
Voldemort drew back slowly, and glared at her, hard, with glowing eyes. "Do not address me by such a filthy name." He was rewarded with a little shiver, and his smile was intact once more. "All I want is one little prophecy, Sweet. It won't matter if you tell me now. I'll find out sooner or later." He paced around, and around her like a shark about to devour its prey.
As much as she hated to admit it, he was right; he would find out sooner or later. It was probably better if she told him the truth. "I don't remember the prophecy, Tom." He stopped in mid-step, and his smile had, once again, vanished.
"What do you mean 'you don't *remember* the prophecy'? You're the one who delivered it; HOW COULD YOU NOT REMEMBER?!"
Maybe she shouldn't have said anything? His face was purple from anger, and it looked as if sparks could have flown from his eyes. "I was in a trance! I didn't know what I was saying!"
"*Crucio*! "
A scream was torn from her throat, and she almost fainted from the pain. She wished she had fainted, had died, anything was better than this, it was all around her, it was-!
Suddenly the pain was gone, and she was left with an aching body, gasping on the cool, hard floor.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!"
"I can't!"
He raised his wand-
"WAIT!" He lowered it. "The Prophecy! Albus thinks it's about James Potter!" He paused for a moment- then raised his wand once more.
"You've been most helpful, Darling. More helpful then you'll ever know. *Avada K-*" Just then she remembered! She grabbed for her teacher's pin, and she-!
Sybil Trelawney had vanished. And Lord Voldemort cursed violently.
"Damn! Damn Dumbledore and his stupid tricks! Must've given all of them port keys, the clever little bastard!" He turned on his heel. "NARCISSA!"
Instantly, a black-cloaked figure stepped forward from the circle. "Yes, Master?"
"Your time has finally come to prove yourself, Black. It has been predicted that Potter's heir will be my downfall, and though such predictions seem foolish, a little insurance couldn't hurt. I'll need you to-"
"Kill him?"
"Hardly. He's too well protected. But you, Narcissa.. You're beautiful, intelligent, cunning, and, most importantly, you're loyal. Your mission: to seduce the boy. However, when the time is right.. Castrate him." There was sharp intake of breath from all the men in the room. "Do it any way you want, as long as it's not too messy. That should keep him from having an heir."
"As you wish." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I can't take it anymore!"
Lily jumped at the sudden outburst. She had been staring at James, and it was quite a rude interruption.
"Can't take what?" asked Katherine.
"I can't take her! She's like a zombie! All she does is ogle him all day long, meanwhile, I've asked her if she's got a date to the Spring Dance at least ten times, already!" To her chagrin, Lily discovered that Tara was pointing at her.
"Who, me? Who've I been ogling?"
"You know very well who you've been ogling, Little Missy, and I, for one, would like to know why you've been ogling said person!" Tara screeched. The entire Gryffindor table was looking at her at this point. "Hey, find someone else to look at!" Everyone looked away, at once. "Come on, Lily, we need some 'girl time' out in the hall, NOW!"
And before she could say a word, she was being swept out of her seat, and pushed into the Entrance Hall. "Hey! What's this all about?!"
"You know exactly what this is about, Lily Evans! I want to know what's up with you!"
"There's nothing 'up' with me!"
"Oh, really? Then why have you been staring at James Potter for the past week? Did he do something to you?"
"No!"
"Then what?"
"I- I just can't tell you right now."
"Why?" Silence. "Okay, Lily. You know I'd never hurt you, right? Well, never on purpose, anyway. I'm just concerned about you! You're acting so strangely!"
"I know I am. I guess I'm just- well.. You know, the whole Hogsmeade thing.."
"Oh, Lily." Tara looked on the verge of tears as she jumped up, and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Lily! I had no idea that all that was still bothering you!" Lily pulled away, abruptly.
"Well, of course it's still bothering me! People died there, Tara!"
"I-", she stuttered, "You know I didn't mean it that way, Lily. It's just that everyone is trying to move on. Everyone, except for you. All I'm saying is that you should try to put it behind you. You can't let fear rule your life!"
Lily turned, and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'm not afraid of anything!"
Tara walked right up to her, and turned her around. "You're acting childish, now. If it's not Hogsmeade that's bothering you, then what is?" As Tara looked into Lily's eyes, she could see the anger in them ebb away, only to be replaced by nothingness. Tara stepped back in surprise. "Oh, Sweetie.. What's wrong with you?" she asked quietly.
Lily's shoulders slumped. "Tara.. I just can't tell you right now, okay? Just trust me. I'll sort everything out eventually."
She and Tara walked back into the Great Hall, for dinner, but Lily had lost her appetite. She excused herself, and went up to the common room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When James saw Lily excuse herself from the table, he got up and followed her. He hadn't really spoken to her since their meeting with Professor Dumbledore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mr. Potter, and Ms. Evans. Please, sit down." Professor Dumbledore gestured at the two wooden seats opposite his desk chair. Lily and James sat, both a bit nervous for what was to come.
Dumbledore looked older than he had that morning, which was strange to James, since he had never considered his beloved Headmaster old.
"As you both know," Dumbledore continued, " Your Divinations Professor has been taken by no other than Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore looked at the two students before him, carefully, and was pleased to see none of them had flinched at the sound of his name. "As you are the Head Boy and Girl, I'd just like you to be the first to know how much confidence I have in Professor Trelawney, and, though she might present herself as a batty old hag, (with her wits about her) she will probably be back at Hogwarts within the next few days." At this point, James and Lily exchanged doubtful glances, and Dumbledore smiled thinly at them. Neither James nor Lily had ever seen anything come from Professor Trelawney that resembled wit.
"Now that that's been said, onto business! James," he looked up, " as you may, or may not have noticed, Lord Voldemort is after you." James snorted, as Lily looked alarmed. "Now, I've been doing some thinking, and I couldn't think of any other form of protection better than our own Ms. Evans." Both of them looked alarmed. "Whether you know it or not, you two make a great team. You both have un-relinquished powers (that will come in time) and the brains to use them. Together you will be unstoppable!"
Lily and James looked at each other, shocked.
"Trust me. I don't expect you to be friends right away, but at least attempt to be civil. I'm counting on you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*END*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dumbledore had been right. Professor Trelawney had returned Monday afternoon, claiming that she had forseen a way out of her situation, and had escaped by trusting only her instincts. No one had questioned her.
But James did have to question Dumbledore. Didn't he know that Lily still hated his guts? Sure she had kissed him (*she was dreaming!*), and yeah, they had called a truce (*because she had punched him!*), but James was still pretty sure she still hated him. There was also the little matter of her not talking to him for over a week. Did Dumbledore really think she would stick by him in a fight?
Just as he was bounding up the second flight of stairs, James' backpack ripped in two, causing everything he owned to spill down the staircase. He sighed loudly, and was about to start picking up his stuff when he heard someone cry-
"Oh, my!"
James looked up for the source of the voice, and was surprised to see Narcissa Black hovering over him, her hand pressed over her mouth in surprise. Narcissa Black, a.k.a. Malfoy's girl.
"Whatever happened to your pack?" she asked in alarm, bending down to help him pick up his things.
"Broke," he grunted, trying to shift his things away from her probing hands. "Don't worry about it. I can do it myself."
"Oh, no. I insist." Narcissa picked up everything with lightning speed before handing it over to him.
"Uh, thanks."
"Oh, anytime. Is there anything else I can do for you?" She smirked at him.
Was it just him, or was she coming onto him? "Er.no. I'm fine, thanks."
"You sure are." She pouted, and before he could stop her, she had reached out to grab his butt, and moved in to whisper in his ear. He stiffened. "Good-bye for now, Lover. If you need anything," she tightened her grip, "just say the word."
And then she was gone, her hips swinging sexily, from side to side. James stared after her.
"Now that-," he paused for effect, though no one was listening, "was insane." He continued on his way, now, more than ever, bent on seeing Lily.
A/N: Before you kill me, I am deeply sorry for the delay of this chapter! A lot of stuff's been going on, and I just needed to sort it all out. Castration- To remove the testicles of a male. Don't worry about James, readers. Narcissa is a very experienced castrator!
Thanks to all my reviewers: *takes a deep breath*
* Nicole11, me, Starlight26, IHAgUrLz, hello, zwizwi, Black Rapture, anon, lily_james2001, Lady Lightning, GirloftheBlueFiresofNever, Halley, Kathryn, Brittney-in-Texas, meee, Heather, kt, Latin-SlytherinMuggle, Jade, sour- peach, miss wings, faith, Addy, Rosie Posie, twinangels, Marie4, Lost-Lil- Gurl, yo yo, Agloechen, LadyLupin1020, siffixchick123, Nami1, icemint, carolinastylus, Jason, dieselbaby, Tara, Lena Ketina, Anarane Anwamane, Nike25, and last, but not least jkitty.
Everything you guys wrote was so sweet! I was bright red by the time I had finished reading! Thanks, you guys, and I wasn't kidding Agloechen; what you wrote meant a lot.
I'm still a bit undecided about the whole apples and bananas thing, but right now, I'm leaning more towards lemons. I don't know how many chapters there are going to be in this story, but whatever amount, the lemon (if I put it in) will probably be towards the end. Keep voting!
I'm happy to say that this story is no longer a rendition of Brenda Jackson's book (*Fire and Desire*, for those of you who want to know), but my own story. *Takes a moment to dance with her large stuffed octopus* Come on! Get down! (It's good to cut loose once in a while)!
So with this, I say adios!
~*Majestic Waters*~
Chapter 8: Castration
It was always dark in the Slytherin Common Room, not to mention eerie. The lamp- light cast a dull green glow over the dusty furniture, and the dirty windows made it impossible for moonlight to come through. The only other source of light was from the fire, and even that was halfway obscured by the shadow of a boy. In a way, to Sybil Trelawney, the presence of the seventeen- year- old sitting by the fire was even more disquieting than the room itself. She cleared her throat nervously.
" Err.Tom? You said you wanted to meet me here?" He turned to her slowly, and smiled devilishly, baring teeth that were just a little too long and pointed for her liking.
"Of course, Darling. Come, sit with me?" Had he just called her 'Darling'? His invitation had obviously been meant to be a question, yet it still left no room for argument. Sybil approached him, cautiously, and as she sat down on the seat cushion next to him, he moved in for the kill. Oh, God.
Whispering sweet nothings, tongue flickering around and around, snake like, and Sybil had to wonder: was Thomas Marvolo Riddle the Devil himself?
"Sybil..Sybil!"
Oh, his voice was still in her head!
"Come, Darling, you must wake up!"
And she did. She was in a place she didn't know, but wherever she was, it sure looked like a dungeon. She was surrounded and encircled by dozens of dark-hooded figures that stood motionless, and seemed to be waiting for something. What was going on? But before the question could even become fully formed, a voice spoke to her.
"Sybil." The voice made her shiver involuntarily, though, not because of its cruelty, but because of its familiarity.
"Tom."
"Yes, and no, Sybil. I was Tom, but now I am nothing less than Lord Voldemort."
Sybil Trelawney was always concerned about the future, not the present, (always imagining the direst of situations in order to prepare herself for what was to come). But, for the first time in a long time, Sybil was terrified of what was happening to her NOW, and for the life of her, she could not predict her own future.
"Now. To business, Darling. I understand that, not too long ago, you were in a meeting with the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Applying for a job? I also understand that, on that very same night, you gave a certain Albus Dumbledore a prophecy about The Dark Lord's downfall? If you don't mind, I would like to here it for myself."
So that was what he wanted? "Whatever made you think I'd give you anything, you piece of manticore dung?!" Voldemort gave her a mocking look.
"Darling, why not? You used to give me anything I wanted. Sometimes, without me even having to ask.." He bent down, and licked the side of her face, and Sybil was disgusted to see that his tongue was forked at the tip, and blood red.
"Oh, God, Tom! What have you done to yourself?"
Voldemort drew back slowly, and glared at her, hard, with glowing eyes. "Do not address me by such a filthy name." He was rewarded with a little shiver, and his smile was intact once more. "All I want is one little prophecy, Sweet. It won't matter if you tell me now. I'll find out sooner or later." He paced around, and around her like a shark about to devour its prey.
As much as she hated to admit it, he was right; he would find out sooner or later. It was probably better if she told him the truth. "I don't remember the prophecy, Tom." He stopped in mid-step, and his smile had, once again, vanished.
"What do you mean 'you don't *remember* the prophecy'? You're the one who delivered it; HOW COULD YOU NOT REMEMBER?!"
Maybe she shouldn't have said anything? His face was purple from anger, and it looked as if sparks could have flown from his eyes. "I was in a trance! I didn't know what I was saying!"
"*Crucio*! "
A scream was torn from her throat, and she almost fainted from the pain. She wished she had fainted, had died, anything was better than this, it was all around her, it was-!
Suddenly the pain was gone, and she was left with an aching body, gasping on the cool, hard floor.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!"
"I can't!"
He raised his wand-
"WAIT!" He lowered it. "The Prophecy! Albus thinks it's about James Potter!" He paused for a moment- then raised his wand once more.
"You've been most helpful, Darling. More helpful then you'll ever know. *Avada K-*" Just then she remembered! She grabbed for her teacher's pin, and she-!
Sybil Trelawney had vanished. And Lord Voldemort cursed violently.
"Damn! Damn Dumbledore and his stupid tricks! Must've given all of them port keys, the clever little bastard!" He turned on his heel. "NARCISSA!"
Instantly, a black-cloaked figure stepped forward from the circle. "Yes, Master?"
"Your time has finally come to prove yourself, Black. It has been predicted that Potter's heir will be my downfall, and though such predictions seem foolish, a little insurance couldn't hurt. I'll need you to-"
"Kill him?"
"Hardly. He's too well protected. But you, Narcissa.. You're beautiful, intelligent, cunning, and, most importantly, you're loyal. Your mission: to seduce the boy. However, when the time is right.. Castrate him." There was sharp intake of breath from all the men in the room. "Do it any way you want, as long as it's not too messy. That should keep him from having an heir."
"As you wish." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I can't take it anymore!"
Lily jumped at the sudden outburst. She had been staring at James, and it was quite a rude interruption.
"Can't take what?" asked Katherine.
"I can't take her! She's like a zombie! All she does is ogle him all day long, meanwhile, I've asked her if she's got a date to the Spring Dance at least ten times, already!" To her chagrin, Lily discovered that Tara was pointing at her.
"Who, me? Who've I been ogling?"
"You know very well who you've been ogling, Little Missy, and I, for one, would like to know why you've been ogling said person!" Tara screeched. The entire Gryffindor table was looking at her at this point. "Hey, find someone else to look at!" Everyone looked away, at once. "Come on, Lily, we need some 'girl time' out in the hall, NOW!"
And before she could say a word, she was being swept out of her seat, and pushed into the Entrance Hall. "Hey! What's this all about?!"
"You know exactly what this is about, Lily Evans! I want to know what's up with you!"
"There's nothing 'up' with me!"
"Oh, really? Then why have you been staring at James Potter for the past week? Did he do something to you?"
"No!"
"Then what?"
"I- I just can't tell you right now."
"Why?" Silence. "Okay, Lily. You know I'd never hurt you, right? Well, never on purpose, anyway. I'm just concerned about you! You're acting so strangely!"
"I know I am. I guess I'm just- well.. You know, the whole Hogsmeade thing.."
"Oh, Lily." Tara looked on the verge of tears as she jumped up, and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Lily! I had no idea that all that was still bothering you!" Lily pulled away, abruptly.
"Well, of course it's still bothering me! People died there, Tara!"
"I-", she stuttered, "You know I didn't mean it that way, Lily. It's just that everyone is trying to move on. Everyone, except for you. All I'm saying is that you should try to put it behind you. You can't let fear rule your life!"
Lily turned, and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'm not afraid of anything!"
Tara walked right up to her, and turned her around. "You're acting childish, now. If it's not Hogsmeade that's bothering you, then what is?" As Tara looked into Lily's eyes, she could see the anger in them ebb away, only to be replaced by nothingness. Tara stepped back in surprise. "Oh, Sweetie.. What's wrong with you?" she asked quietly.
Lily's shoulders slumped. "Tara.. I just can't tell you right now, okay? Just trust me. I'll sort everything out eventually."
She and Tara walked back into the Great Hall, for dinner, but Lily had lost her appetite. She excused herself, and went up to the common room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When James saw Lily excuse herself from the table, he got up and followed her. He hadn't really spoken to her since their meeting with Professor Dumbledore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mr. Potter, and Ms. Evans. Please, sit down." Professor Dumbledore gestured at the two wooden seats opposite his desk chair. Lily and James sat, both a bit nervous for what was to come.
Dumbledore looked older than he had that morning, which was strange to James, since he had never considered his beloved Headmaster old.
"As you both know," Dumbledore continued, " Your Divinations Professor has been taken by no other than Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore looked at the two students before him, carefully, and was pleased to see none of them had flinched at the sound of his name. "As you are the Head Boy and Girl, I'd just like you to be the first to know how much confidence I have in Professor Trelawney, and, though she might present herself as a batty old hag, (with her wits about her) she will probably be back at Hogwarts within the next few days." At this point, James and Lily exchanged doubtful glances, and Dumbledore smiled thinly at them. Neither James nor Lily had ever seen anything come from Professor Trelawney that resembled wit.
"Now that that's been said, onto business! James," he looked up, " as you may, or may not have noticed, Lord Voldemort is after you." James snorted, as Lily looked alarmed. "Now, I've been doing some thinking, and I couldn't think of any other form of protection better than our own Ms. Evans." Both of them looked alarmed. "Whether you know it or not, you two make a great team. You both have un-relinquished powers (that will come in time) and the brains to use them. Together you will be unstoppable!"
Lily and James looked at each other, shocked.
"Trust me. I don't expect you to be friends right away, but at least attempt to be civil. I'm counting on you."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*END*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dumbledore had been right. Professor Trelawney had returned Monday afternoon, claiming that she had forseen a way out of her situation, and had escaped by trusting only her instincts. No one had questioned her.
But James did have to question Dumbledore. Didn't he know that Lily still hated his guts? Sure she had kissed him (*she was dreaming!*), and yeah, they had called a truce (*because she had punched him!*), but James was still pretty sure she still hated him. There was also the little matter of her not talking to him for over a week. Did Dumbledore really think she would stick by him in a fight?
Just as he was bounding up the second flight of stairs, James' backpack ripped in two, causing everything he owned to spill down the staircase. He sighed loudly, and was about to start picking up his stuff when he heard someone cry-
"Oh, my!"
James looked up for the source of the voice, and was surprised to see Narcissa Black hovering over him, her hand pressed over her mouth in surprise. Narcissa Black, a.k.a. Malfoy's girl.
"Whatever happened to your pack?" she asked in alarm, bending down to help him pick up his things.
"Broke," he grunted, trying to shift his things away from her probing hands. "Don't worry about it. I can do it myself."
"Oh, no. I insist." Narcissa picked up everything with lightning speed before handing it over to him.
"Uh, thanks."
"Oh, anytime. Is there anything else I can do for you?" She smirked at him.
Was it just him, or was she coming onto him? "Er.no. I'm fine, thanks."
"You sure are." She pouted, and before he could stop her, she had reached out to grab his butt, and moved in to whisper in his ear. He stiffened. "Good-bye for now, Lover. If you need anything," she tightened her grip, "just say the word."
And then she was gone, her hips swinging sexily, from side to side. James stared after her.
"Now that-," he paused for effect, though no one was listening, "was insane." He continued on his way, now, more than ever, bent on seeing Lily.
A/N: Before you kill me, I am deeply sorry for the delay of this chapter! A lot of stuff's been going on, and I just needed to sort it all out. Castration- To remove the testicles of a male. Don't worry about James, readers. Narcissa is a very experienced castrator!
Thanks to all my reviewers: *takes a deep breath*
* Nicole11, me, Starlight26, IHAgUrLz, hello, zwizwi, Black Rapture, anon, lily_james2001, Lady Lightning, GirloftheBlueFiresofNever, Halley, Kathryn, Brittney-in-Texas, meee, Heather, kt, Latin-SlytherinMuggle, Jade, sour- peach, miss wings, faith, Addy, Rosie Posie, twinangels, Marie4, Lost-Lil- Gurl, yo yo, Agloechen, LadyLupin1020, siffixchick123, Nami1, icemint, carolinastylus, Jason, dieselbaby, Tara, Lena Ketina, Anarane Anwamane, Nike25, and last, but not least jkitty.
Everything you guys wrote was so sweet! I was bright red by the time I had finished reading! Thanks, you guys, and I wasn't kidding Agloechen; what you wrote meant a lot.
I'm still a bit undecided about the whole apples and bananas thing, but right now, I'm leaning more towards lemons. I don't know how many chapters there are going to be in this story, but whatever amount, the lemon (if I put it in) will probably be towards the end. Keep voting!
I'm happy to say that this story is no longer a rendition of Brenda Jackson's book (*Fire and Desire*, for those of you who want to know), but my own story. *Takes a moment to dance with her large stuffed octopus* Come on! Get down! (It's good to cut loose once in a while)!
So with this, I say adios!
~*Majestic Waters*~