Disclaimer thingy: Nope I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other charaters or places within said books.
Can you get rabies from a plot bunny?
I hope not.
Plot Bunny free to a home (anyone will do). Unfortunately he is uninterested in Harry Potter. Has facination in Ganster movies. His idol is Al Capone. Had to chase him down at work the other day he was going to break a girls knees for the cucumber she was eating while walking through the mall. I told him that was inappropriate behavor, that was when he bit me on the ankle several times. So Frankie needs to find a new home where he can hop down a plot trail and inspire someone else. Plus, my akle bones can't take many more bites.
Alfie says hi and hopes you enjoy this chapter. He'll be sad to see little Frankie go but if he lives a happier life begin able to hop down his chosen path of plot trails, he'll be happy, too.
Chapter 7
Truth and Lies
After almost collapsing from over use of my magic, Snape uses the next several days and teaches me more potions. While I work he has been pouring over countless books in search of something unknown to me. When I tried to find out what he was in search of he snapped at me to get back to work and to stop pestering him. If reading books makes him so out of sorts it's an occupation he should give up.
I finish brewing my potion and begin to clean up. Just as I finish putting away the rest of the unused potion ingredients Snape snaps shut the book he has been pouring over and strolls over to where I am.
"Come with me." he requests gesturing toward the door. I follow him as he leads us down the hall and outside into the bright evening sun. We stroll along in the direction of the lake, the bright summer sun sparkles off the water as a cool breeze skims across the surface making small ripples. We walk around the waters edge until we are in the cool shade of the woods that stretch out from the far side of the lake. Snape conjures up a bench and motions for me to sit, he joins me.
"It's nice to be outside the manor. I didn't know if I'd ever get to come outside except for when I am being sent on a mission." I tell him.
"Yeah you've been cooped up in there, but I brought you here because we need to talk. I've been researching on your abilities. I believe what you have is an extraordinary gift. I have yet to tell the Dark Lord of this gift and I urge you to do the same. Tell no one about your abilities until I have finished my research. I need to go away for a few days to continue my research. I will leave you with some reading assignments to do while I'm absent. I suggest that you do not go traipsing around the manor and stay in you room as much as possible. I have arranged with the house elves to provide your meals in your room while I gone. Please try to keep your self out of trouble."
"I will only if you promise that I don't have to read that boring book you gave me the day you asked me to that dinner."
Chuckling, "No I won't make you read that one."
"Yea!" I hug his arm.
He reaches up and caresses my cheek. For awhile we just sit and watch the lake in silence.
"Come, we should head back. I need to be leaving soon." We stroll our way back to the manor. He gets me my reading assignments and escorts me to my room and leaves me to go do his research.
Snape apparates to Diagon Alley and heads to Flourish and Blotts bookstore, after several hours of browsing the stacks he takes the few books he has found and purchases them. Exiting he heads to Knockturn Alley. There he searches through a few more shops for books on the subject before retiring to his room at the Three Broomsticks. He reads way into the night before extinguishing his candle and retiring for some much needed sleep.
The next day he apparates to small village in the north, he knows an old wizard who lives here and has a large collection of rare wizarding books. On occasion he has allowed him to barrow a book or two. Hoping that he is in a generous mood Snape heads up the road through the small village that is linded with quaint small cottages. Just on the other side of the village on a small hill sits a small cottage. The lawn has not been taken care of in a long time and the shrubbery is in dire need of trimming. The hedges along the front side almost cover the windows entirely. Snape approaches and squeezes pasted the battered and broken gate that is hang half open off its hinges. He manages the way up the ruff stone walkway through the over grown yard to the man's door and knocks.
"Who in tar nations is at my door?" the old man grumbles.
"It's Snape sir, Severus Snape."
"Oh, well I haven't seen you in a while." he says opening the door. "Come in and have some tea with an old man."
ÒI would be delighted too, sir." Snape ducks inside and joins him in a nice cup of tea.
They sit in the library in two old and very worn wing backed chairs. The shelves lining the walls are packed tight with books. Every flat surface is cover with stack after stack of books. Small narrow paths have been made between the stacks on the floor and the furniture. Many stacks seem to teeter on the brink of falling over at any given second.
"So what brings you so far north to see me?" the old man asks.
"I'm doing some research on ancient wizards and their unique abilities."
"Ancient wizards? Yep, I got a few books here on them." he slowly rises from his chair and weaves through the stacks. Stopping he picks up a book. "Slugs, Snails and Squid- Their Many Uses in Potions and Stews. Nope, nope that won't help you. "Maybe over here, Spells and Potions for Wart and Unwanted Hair Removal, definitely not, um, ah yes Powerful Witches and Wizards of the Early Years and History of Magical Phenomenon's Among the Wizarding World. Oh and these might help you, too" He gathers several large volumes and weaves his way back to Snape. "Here feel free to borrow them as long as you need."
"Thank you, sir." Snape browses through them before placing the books in his bag which makes them magically light. "I don't mean to rush out but I have several more places to stop yet today."
"Oh no bother, you just run along and take care of your business. It was nice to see you again." he rises and leads Snape to the door.
Snape apparates back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron and begins to pour over the new books. Intrigued by the little bits that he had read at the old mans house he had to make an excuse to leave and begin working. Again he works late into the night.
I'm sitting in my room reading, some more. As evening is slowly approaching. My eyelids have begun to droop. The book is about to fall to the floor out of my limp hands. I jump with a start and the book goes flying.
"Oww, damn that hurts" I exclaim to an empty room as my dark mark flares as I am summoned. I retrieve the book placing it upon the bed I walk to the door and wait for someone to come. I don't know why he feels the need to summon me this way when I can't leave the room on my own or at least he doesn't know I can leave the room. Tired of waiting here staring at the door I wander over to the window and stare out at the lake and watch the last of the sun light slowly fade. I hear the door open but I don't tear my eyes away from the beauty before me. Because I know who is here, the evil, vial Malfoy. He quickly closes the space between us. I can feel his presence behind me, it send a chill down my spine.
"Dreaming of running away." he purrs in my ear. "He will never let you go. The Dark Lord would have you hunted down. I would gladly do it for him. Come along he is waiting." Grabbing me by the back of the neck he turns me toward the door and roughly shoves me toward it. I stumble and nearly fall down, Malfoy chuckles at me. We head downstairs to the ball room and find the Dark Lord there as usual giving orders to a handful of death eaters. We approach the throne as he dismisses the death eaters gathered there. Malfoy bows deeply before the lord and I reluctantly join him. All of a sudden without warning I'm blasted back by a spell aimed at me by the Dark Lord. I slide across the floor and slam violently against the wall. Stunned by this I sit in a heap upon the floor nearly knocked unconscious. With a flick of his wand I am standing on my feet in front of him.
"You were summoned and did not come, why?" He hisses in my face with his barely a few inches from mine. I can feel his breath upon my face. Inwardly I cringe at his closeness.
"There were wards on my door, so I couldn't get..."
"Liar!" With a flick of his wand I go flying across the room again and slam hard into the wall. My right arm and several ribs brake on impact. I cry out in agony as the pain sears through me. He pulls me back in front of him with another flick of his wand. I feel like a puppet in some macabre dream. The world has begun to take on a haze.
"I know you can make the wards drop. I can sense the power of your magic. I felt it the night you figured out you could make them drop. I know everything that goes on in this manor. Don't think you can hide anything from me." He spats in my face. "Heal yourself." Turning he releases me and I fall to the floor in a heap screaming out in agony as I land hard on my broken arm. I've tried to heal some of my injuries but in my current weakened state and from the over use of my magic a few nights earlier I am unable to do so. I maybe a powerful witch but I have yet to develop the ability to sustain that power. Extensive use has weakened my abilities.
"I can't. I'm..." I weakly squeak out.
"Lying again?" He rips open the sleeve of my robe exposing my healed arm.
"She can heal herself?" Questions Malfoy.
"Yes, she learned this also the night she learned to drop the wards." He rips open my other sleeve reveling my mangled arm, grotesquely misshapen above the elbow from the severity of the break. I've healed cuts but I do not know if I can even mend bones. "Heal it."
I concentrate on my broken arm, willing it to mend. I effort is making the world more hazy. My focus is beginning to fade as I slip into unconsciousness. Abruptly the world comes back into focus as Malfoy has once again back handed me across the face, splitting my lip, blood trickles down my face.
"You're not leaving us yet, little one." Malfoy says to me.
I glare up at him and heal the cut on my lip with little effort. With my uninjured hand I wipe the blood from face not once do I break eye contact with Malfoy. His draws his wand and points it at me.
"May I punish her for he insolence, sir?" ask Malfoy. The Dark Lord nods in agreement and returns to his throne. "Crucio!"
The spell rips through my body. My muscles spasm and the broken bone ends grind painfully together. Luck or not I quickly lose consciousness and slip into blackness.
(The girl with a cucumber in the mall is a strange but true story. The whole thing peeling and all...)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. For those of you looking for the romance it will come, eventually, I swear.
