A.N.: Warning: The following chapter depicts graphic violence and gore. As well as non-con explicit content. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter 20
Thestrals and Werewolves
Time passed so slowly that Laurel had decided to keep the curtains permanently closed; she could not bear to see how the scarce sunlight faded and the nights fell without having any news of Severus.
She preferred to do her waiting in the gloom, accompanied only by the hundreds of magic books. She spent most of the day in complete silence, rereading brewing instructions, practicing the potions that didn't require a magic wand, and studying Severus' notes. She only broke that self-imposed vow of silence when Enoby brought her daily food ration. A somewhat dormant existence that was only stirred by the sudden chemical reactions of a failed brew or by the inopportune memories of the hungry kisses of the man who had opened her eyes to a whole new world.
She pushed the image of his thin face, of the long black lashes adorning his closed eyes, to the depths of her mind. She also pushed away the tingling sensation at the thought of the greed with which he had devoured her lips, with the thirst of a man abandoned in the desert. She did not want to remember. It was torture enough waiting in total solitude.
She turned her attention back to the scribbles in front of her:
R. Lupin – (b. 1960 h. 6′2″ w.162)
Werewolf
The subject has shown a total fixation for Akardos blood. Loss of consciousness and seizures as a result of ingestion of at least 20 ml of blood sample. Next lunation: December 24th".
She raised an eyebrow curiously. She had seen that name before, R. Lupin. She read it on one of the sample labels Severus kept in his lab. She made her way to the other end of the long table that, by now, Laurel was convinced was being held up by some magic spell given the sheer amount of lab instruments, samples, and ingredients on top of it. She searched for it among the enormous number of bottles and vials and soon found it. The glass bottle labelled R. Lupin contained samples of already clotted blood. She examined it against the candlelight, but then the sudden sound of the door handle startled her.
She felt herself blush suddenly, the butterflies in her stomach made her nauseous and she felt the need to adjust her hair, to stand up straight and appear more attractive, though, she couldn't help but put on a simping smile. However, Severus didn't go through the doors. The handles shook a second time, but the doors kept shut.
Laurel approached them slowly, tuning her ears and trying to discern who was on the other side. She pressed her ear against the wood and could make out a high-pitched, somewhat muffled cry. It was Enoby, there was no doubt.
"Enoby?" - She whispered concerned. - "What's wrong?"
"Your Mistress orders it, house-elf". - Said a strangely lethargic voice that Laurel could distinguish as Narcissa's. - "Obey him".
With a loud snap, Enoby appeared inside the suite, but this time she was not alone, Greyback pressed his arm against the elf's delicate neck, holding her in the air, cutting off her breath. When he met Laurel's shocked eyes, he let out a triumphant roar. His wounded face contorted in wicked laughter. He took a step toward Laurel, who pressed her back against the door in complete terror. She reached for the door handle with one hand, not taking her eyes off Greyback's hulking figure and desperately tried to open the door but her effort was in vain.
"No, little lamb, now I'm the one holding the keys". - He said shaking Enoby's fainted body and then throwing it aside. - "We will have a good time, I promise you".
"Don't do it". - Laurel pleaded. - "If Severus finds out ..."
"Severus?!" - Greyback repeated with an indignant growl. - "Wow, I see that so much time together has brought you too close. A soulless and a half-breed snogging under the roof of the haughty Malfoy family. What would Lestrange say if she knew? Or the Dark Lord himself? It is a great affront against blood purity, you know? An abomination".
Greyback had gotten so close to Laurel that she had to turn her face to the side, away from him. The stench of his breath, mixed with the necrosis of his jaw was unbearable. She held her breath for a second, trying to control her nerves, her urge to vomit.
"Greyback, I beg you ..."
"No!" - He roared, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. - "Call me Fenrir, little lamb. I want you to be as close to me as you are to your dear Severus".
Grabbing her by the neck, he lifted her up hard, slamming her back against the door. His bandaged hand reached under her robes, tearing her trousers and her underwear, reaching her genitals, fondling her with his fingers; a depraved gleam crept into his blue eyes as he stared at Laurel.
"D'you like it?" - He growled in a low voice as he pressed his mouth against her cheek, nibbling and inhaling her skin.
Laurel was choking, a desperate gurgle coming from her throat, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water; her body jerked, her legs flapped in the air and her vision started to blur. A second later Greyback dropped her to the floor, and she put her hands to her throat, trying to calm the sharp pain she felt as she gasped for air, hot tears streaming down her face.
"Don't cry, sweetheart." – Greyback knelt in front of her, his hands stroking her head.
"Did you cry too when Snape fucked you? I certainly did not when he fucked me". – He said, pointing at his destroyed face. – "He was jealous, envious of my good looks. The bastard wishes he had my charm".
"Please… just kill me fast". – She murmured, her voice raspy and painful.
"Fast? That's not going to happen. I have all the time in the world. Especially now that shit is going down in Hogwarts. The greasy git must be hiding under Dumbledore's robes, scared to come back here until things settle down. We will have plenty of time my dear".
He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the bed, her feet dragging behind her as she tried to resist, her face turned away from him, her eyes staring at Enoby's tiny body, pleading that she could regain consciousness. He tossed her onto the bed and Laurel whirled around, trying to escape, but a hard punch to her face knocked her down again. It didn't take long for her to feel the rusty taste of blood, gushing from her broken lip. She turned her gaze to Greyback who looked stunned, his pupils so dilated that now his eyes were as black as Severus's.
Laurel was about to cry out, but then Greyback smashed her lips with his mouth, sucking the blood, hurting her with his sharp teeth. Laurel hit his chest with her fists trying to push him away, but that only made Greyback squeeze her closer, laying on top of her, pinning her down with his knees. His saliva and fluids dripping from his infected wound trickled down her face.
"Don't you want to be my girlfriend? No one loves a baby lamb better than a wolf".
"Why do you do this to me?" – She begged.
"Because I can, and I want." – He said smiling subtly but with no mirth. - "And you should accept it. Don't make it harder on yourself".
He opened her robe and ripped her shirt quickly, exposing part of her chest. With one of his long yellow nails, he made a shallow cut from the base of her neck to her breastbone. Little droplets of blood began to emerge, bright and warm against the broken skin. The werewolf buried his head against her chest, licking the blood hungrily. Laurel soaked the sheets with her thick tears, terror made her lose the perception of reality and she was in a trance, her gaze lost in the intricate designs carved into the wood of the four-poster bed.
A second cut was followed by a third, and then one more until she seemed to be wearing a sort of ghoulish necklace. However, Laurel barely felt that acute burning, her absent mind was miles away, flying high, remembering the beautiful colours of the dawn above the clouds. She hadn't noticed Greyback starting to move down her body, rubbing his face against her abdomen until she felt his teeth dig into her skin, biting her savagely. The pain was visceral, the torn flesh letting blood gush out, spilling onto the bed, staining Greyback's face, who was swallowing it in a frantic way, making disgusting noises as he sucked it, moaning with satisfaction.
She closed her eyes and screamed loudly convinced that this would be her end. She tensed her body, trying to free herself from Greyback's grip, but he bit her a second time. Small black dots began to appear in her field of vision as she began to lose consciousness. Her breathing accelerated, as her heart's weak pulse thundered inside her head. Images flashed through her mind: Her mother, Fern, her little nephew who would never get to know his aunt. Her thoughts dwelt now on that night in Hackleton. She had decided to stay with Severus, despite the risk, despite everything, she had promised to help him finish his investigation… Loss of consciousness and seizures as a result of ingestion of at least 20 ml of blood sample… Those words written in the familiar cramped handwriting glowed in the growing darkness.
Laurel blinked a couple of times, clinging to that idea. Her own blood would be her salvation. Quite a dangerous gamble, if he wasn't affected in the same way as this Lupin lad, but Greyback was a huge man, how much more he had to drink? She gritted her teeth and prayed that this last hope was real, she prayed it wouldn't take long to work. She had nothing to lose, if it didn't work out, she was sure she wouldn't get out of there alive.
That sparkle of hope made her adrenaline surge and she began to wriggle, trying to squirm herself free, it was then that she felt the thin shape of a magic wand with her knee. She reached out her hand carefully and was able to pull it out of his pocket, pointing it at him, ready to stab him in the eye.
Greyback looked up at her, his ragged beard dripping blood, his eyes wild. He roared and lunged for her neck, but before he could reach her jugular, he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach, as if he had consumed fiery embers. An icy sweat broke out on his body and a thick fog blinded him completely. His roar died away, turning into a gasp that then transformed into violent retches that shook his body. His arms and legs began to shake uncontrollably. Laurel watched in horror as the gigantic man fell with all his weight on her. His eyes rolled back, drooling a thick, reddish, frothy liquid. Laurel screamed for the elf, and with all her remaining strength, she pushed the heavy body aside.
She struggled to her feet, causing a new flow of blood to gush from the deep bites on her abdomen. Laurel tried to stop the bleeding, squeezing the wounds with her hand. She walked slowly toward Enoby, breathing jagged, fighting not to lose consciousness.
She shook the elf's shoulder a couple of times, but she didn't wake up. At least, she was sure, she was still breathing. Laurel then went to the cabinet where the ingredients of the potions were kept, desperately searching for something she could use to revive her. Her hands were shaking, and several jars fell to the ground, bursting and spilling their contents. She realized that beads of cold sweat fell into her eyes, preventing her from seeing, her breathing faster and shallower. She held onto the shelves, trying to stay on her feet, but her body gave way and she collapsed, taking with her the ledge she was holding on to, soaking herself up in the contents of the bottles, and getting hurt on the broken glass. She was about to give up, to close her eyes and drift into the serenity of unconsciousness when a bellow made her eyes widen.
Greyback had awakened. He was shaking, vomiting on the bed, searching with his watery eyes for the bitch that had caused him such agonizing pain.
"How dare you take my wand?! I'm going to kill you, scum!" - He managed to say before expelling another jet of vomit.
Laurel gritted her teeth in anger. She was not going to make anything easy for that beast. Her hatred gave her new strength to stand, grinning venomously at the werewolf, dropping the wand to the floor in front of her.
"Look what scum can do to you, Fenrir." - She said with virulent hatred as she stepped on it, levering hard with her hand and breaking it in two with a dry noise.
Greyback gave a desperate cry and tried to launch himself at her, but a new spasm in his body prevented him. His wild blue eyes just stared at the crackling of white lights coming out of the splintered wood.
Narcissa Malfoy found herself in control of her mind and body again. She looked around in anguish, remembering how she had gotten to the door of Snape's suite. The vague feeling of having been under the Imperius curse still in the back of her mind.
"Greyback" - She whispered furiously, realizing that he had used her to gain access to where the Akardos was.
Without a second's hesitation, she opened the chamber doors, her wand drawn, ready to take revenge for the terrible affront that that despicable werewolf had committed against her. The doors opened without resistance, allowing the witch to enter in the same way that they had previously allowed her own son to pass.
"Incarcerous!" - She yelled, pointing at the huge figure of the man who convulsed on the bed.
Thick ropes came out of her wand and bound Greyback, immobilizing him. His bound body wriggled as he had another bout of vomiting. Narcissa looked at him in disgust, and then she turned her eyes to the woman who was standing, clutching her stomach, her clothes ripped and full of blood, her face pale as death.
Laurel stumbled toward her and Narcissa took a step back, pointing her wand at her, repulsed by her.
"ENOBY!"
The utter devotion to the Malfoy family was an unbreakable magical bond, that made the house-elf instantly come to her senses upon hearing her mistress's call. She ran to her, bowing her head.
"Mistress!" - She screamed with her shrill voice and her eyes filled with tears. - "Enoby has followed the mistress's orders and has disobeyed Master Snape's order. The soulless was harmed while in the care of Enoby. Enoby is confused and she thinks she should be punished!"
"Quiet, elf!" - Narcissa exclaimed in exasperation. - "Go to Hogwarts and inform Snape. Tell him to come immediately!"
Enoby bowed deeply and disappeared. Narcissa turned her eyes to Laurel, who was staring at her, her body shaking.
"Thank you". - She squealed weakly before passing out.
. . .
Severus was at Horace Slughorn's Christmas party. He had attended only at the request of Dumbledore to ensure that Draco did not decide to attack the assistants. He was surprised when Filch brought him in, dragging him by one ear, like a naughty child.
"Is this really the one who is supposed to assassinate Dumbledore?" - He thought, frustrated at Draco's complete incompetence.
He had tried to reason with him, offer his help, extract information from him, but the boy flatly refused. Severus was even surprised to realize that Draco had learned to use Occlumency, denying him any glimpse into his mind.
"I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco…"
"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, He gave it to me. I've got a plan and it's going to work; it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"
"Stupid child" - He whispered through his teeth as he returned to the party again, pretending nothing happened.
He hoped to spend only a few more minutes there before retiring to the dungeons. The students would go on vacation the next day and Dumbledore would finally allow him to return to the Malfoy Manor. He had only to endure one more night at Hogwarts.
Slughorn had managed to corner him again. The new potions master had put his arm around his shoulders, offering him a glass of mead with his pudgy hand.
"Come on, Severus!" - He said while guiding him to a new group of people who were chatting animatedly. - "I hope you hadn't been too hard on the Malfoy boy, it's not a sin to want to be invited to a party".
"Draco has been neglecting his studies too much, Horace. It is my duty as Head of House to reprimand and punish him for being out of bed after hours".
"Whatever you say, Severus." - Slughorn answered between hiccups. - "It's honestly a relief not to have to be Head of the Slytherin House, I couldn't handle all the work. I'm only sorry for the pay, the salary is a little better than that of the general staff, but hey… "
Severus was looking at him with a sneer on his face. Slughorn had been his Head of House when he was a student, and he never showed any interest in him. Despite being constantly beaten and abused by the select group of Gryffindors led by James Potter, Severus had neither the surname nor the affluent looks that could attract the vain Slughorn's attention and protection.
"It's not an easy job". - Severus replied sarcastically. - "Being aware of all the students is exhausting, but I try to ensure that all my Slytherin students are treated equally. There is no 'Snape Club' with me in charge".
"Well, you should make one. It has its advantages." - Said Slughorn impassively, taking a snack from a silver tray carried by a house elf. - "Pumpkin pasty?"
Severus stayed long enough to finish his mead. He left the party without attracting the attention of the other guests, relieved to find himself in the quiet hall. He walked briskly down the stairs that would lead him to the dungeons when he bumped into something in the dark. He couldn't see anyone and for a moment he thought it must be some prank from Peeves, but a shrill voice made him look down.
"Master Snape must return to the Malfoy Manor immediately!"
His heart plummeted a dark shaft when he realized that it was Enoby.
. . .
"Severus!"
Narcissa was finally able to let out a sigh when she saw the wizard enter the room. Laurel's body was still in the same place where she had fallen. Narcissa was too nervous and nauseous to try to move her. Greyback was still flailing on the bed, in a pool of blood and vomit. Severus didn't even stop to ask what had happened, he felt totally dazed when he saw Laurel. A lump formed in his throat and his eyes burned warning him that he was about to let out a despairing sob, but he held back. He rushed over to her, cradling her in his arms, brushing her hair from her face, seeking for her pulse.
"She's still alive." - He whispered to himself.
He produced some bandages to try and stop the bleeding flowing from the bites, but his hands were shaking and slipping with her blood. Narcissa was looking at him overwhelmed. She approached and taking the bandages from his hands began to bandage the wounds herself.
"Thank you". - He mumbled.
Narcissa felt a slight feeling of déjà vu upon hearing him speak. She nodded and went back to her task as Severus called for the elf.
"Enoby, go back to the Hogwarts grounds. Find Hagrid, tell him to give you a thestral and bring it to Malfoy Manor, and hurry."
"What are you planning to do?" - Narcissa asked, finishing adjusting the bandages.
"I'm going to get her out of here." - Severus said, as he took off his cloak and coat, wrapping her fainted body before picking her up and leaving the room. Narcissa followed closely behind.
"What happened to Greyback?"
"He had an adverse reaction to the Akardos blood." - Severus replied rushing down the steps. - "That bastard will be lucky if he dies tonight because I'm going to torture him until he wishes he had never been born".
"No, you will not. I'll take care of that". - She said. - "He threw an Imperius curse on me. When Bellatrix finds out..."
They finally stepped out into the snow-covered garden, waiting for Enoby to apparate with the creature.
"There will be consequences, Severus". – Narcissa whispered, watching how the wizard, more than holding the Akardos body, was hugging her tenderly, resting his cheek on top of her head.
"She almost died. She will not stay here". – He answered in his cold tone.
A loud crack warned them that Enoby had appeared. Beside her stood a creature that seemed to have fallen halfway between a dragon and a horse, its black, winged, skeletal figure standing out against the whiteness of the snow.
Severus hurried toward it, accommodating the limping body as best as he could on top of the creature. He conjured ropes and belts to keep her firmly tight against the silky coat of the thestral.
"I am sorry, Laurel". – He whispered in her ear, his face lingering close to hers for a couple of seconds before he stepped away, giving the thestral a firm pat on its bony rump.
The creature opened its huge bat-like wings and rocketed upward at lightning speed. Severus tried to make out the winged figure in the clear sky but was unable to. Frowning, he suddenly remembered that dream he had a few days ago. He had already lost Lily; he was not willing to lose Laurel.
He walked back to where Narcissa was, who was looking at him with an incredulous face.
"You love her". - She whispered perplexed and seeing for the first time in many years a twinkle in his black eyes she added:
"I won't say anything, Severus."
A.N.:
Hello!
Thank you so much for reading my story! If you have enjoyed it so far, have any suggestions or reviews please leave a comment. It will make me so happy to read you. :)
Cheers!
