The Pureblood Prince Chapter XIV - The Witch, the Elf and the entrapment.
Exactly two weeks later from the joyous welcome home party that the Snape's hosted, one sole Sinistra lay on her dark bottle green bed, in the house shared by her two adult brothers, feeling very singular. She wasn't quite sure if it was because she actually was in a single bed and thus took the meaning very literally, or if she really did feel this annoyingly pitiable… and if so, she hated herself for it. Correction: she hated Severus Snape. That was what she hated.
How dare he run up to the Astronomy tower and just stare at her! What kind of man did that? Not that he was any sort of man… and for the love of Merlin, why did it have to be him of all people to walk in on her in that kind of state? It was probably the most anyone had cried over him his whole life, knowing his very poor judge of character in his 'friends'… Aurora clicked her tongue… gee, wonder why that was? Could it be that he was so utterly unbearable to be in the same room with for more than five minutes? Could be. She hated how weak and deplorable he had made her feel; it wasn't very befitting for a Slytherin female at all.
"Aurora!"
There was a loud knock at the door. "Not interested…" Aurora hissed with the pillow over her face, her sounds therefore muffled and inaudible but she didn't care. The door creaked open slightly and the pillow was unjustly ripped from her face.
"Leon!"
The somewhat perturbed face of her eldest brother bore down upon her. "You've been lying in the same place since I left for work, Rore; just 'cause it's the holidays doesn't mean…" Leon Sinistra's eyes flicked over onto what was laying across his sister's chest, "… what's that?" he asked in repugnance.
Suddenly remembering that she had fallen asleep with the thing on top of her, Aurora quickly snapped the ancient looking book shut and tangled it under her arms. "It's a thing with words in it that people with brains like to read in order to gain a better understanding of the universe," she replied irritably. "You wouldn't know this, of course, having never opened one in your life."
"This is my house you're living in, sis. I wouldn't try to be smart." Leon threw a rather weighty envelope down by his sister's side. "Looks like the Academy accepted your application then, future Astronomer."
Aurora picked up the parcel and squeezed it almost lovingly in her hands. No, just because it's big it doesn't mean they want you… they could have simply added in a few copies of Heads In The Galaxies – Astronomers Monthly as a condolence gesture… "Yes, well, wish many happy returns to me when I've had a chance to read it, will you?" she retorted promptly, but with an affectionate smirk. Leon Sinistra gave a simple roll of the eyes and excused himself; Aurora dutifully waited for his footsteps to disappear before throwing the parcel to the side, and instead shoved the old copy of Advanced Potion Making into her Hogwarts case, and swore at it when she caught the skin of her finger in between the lock.
"Prick!" Aurora promptly delivered a swift kick to the case and hoped that somehow, somewhere, through the sheer power of voodoo, that the slimy git felt it right between his ribs. She fell to the floor and fleetingly sucked on her bleeding finger roughly. Stupid book. Stupid, stupid book. Stupid book that scared her so much she took one look at it and felt the stupid yearning to steal it away from her stupid Slytherin comrade before he did anything stupid… and now she felt like the stupid one. From the looks of all the messy scribbles within its pages, he had essentially created those enchantments; and if he was gifted enough to invent spells and challenge potion formulas created by the most elite of all wizarding kind, he must have certainly been bright enough to keep copies of his handiwork. Probably didn't even realise that the damned hardback had gone astray.
For enemies… those two words scribbled in such harsh letters had scared her the most. Sectumsempra? It sounded less like the desperate attempt of a teenage boy to make a bunch of bullies pay for playing tricks on him at school and more like the makings of a fully fledged dark wizard. Now she felt absolutely harebrained for panicking and stealing his book; as if this meek and mild act would stop him from becoming the Death Eater it seemed he was "destined" to be.
Aurora screwed up her face and mentally scratched out that last thought… "Destiny"! Do you hear yourself you stupid cow? That's almost Gryffindor talk right there.
She heaved a great, therapeutic sigh and pushed herself up. Moving over to open yet another locked case in which she kept piles of letters sent to and from Hogwarts over the years. It seemed the only sensible thing to do would be to burn that book, have the whole thing over and done with. That or give it up to the authorities to use as evidence against him if he were ever to be captured… Aurora supposed she could reap a nice reward from that. A nice big pile of galleons couldn't spit in the face of seven years of camaraderie, after all.
No. There would be only one way to end this alliance between her and her old Slytherin friend… she would go to his dwelling and give him back his book in person – no sentiment, no poignant goodbyes, just a stoic gesture that would bring closure to this mess. He could do whatever the hell he wanted with it. Aurora tipped the box of letters upside down and searched frantically for it… and all of a sudden there it was, hidden beneath two letters, one from her Aunt and the other a Hogwarts list detailing her fifth year O.W.L. results:
From: Severus Snape
52 Spinners End
Derbyshire
To: Aurora Sinistra
17 Hertford Road
Enfield, Middlesex
Aurora,
I thank you for your inquiry, but rest assured I am quite able to obtain all the Astronomy notes I need from my own books. You know you really needn't bother going through all that trouble if all you wanted to ask me was for Potions notes for your N.E.W.T's… able as you are, I realised from the moment of our partnership in third year that you could do with a bit of assistance from me if you want to achieve a high Outstanding in the subject.
"Bastard."
Holidays have been abysmal, as always… you really shouldn't waste your time asking anymore. I hope yours find you in a much better state - which I assume is highly unlikely, Borealis, as you've probably spent the whole two months quite literally staring into space.
I have attached various notes for you should you require them.
Severus.
Aurora then promptly ripped off the left-hand corner of the parchment containing his address and shoved it into the pockets of the Muggle jeans that she was forced to wear outside. There would be time to do this, but not now. In turn, she opened the package from the Academy and, smiling warmly and momentarily forgetting the people who had brought a significant part of her holidays down a few notches, made her way with the acceptance letter down to the kitchen to show her brothers.
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"Mistress Sera?"
"Missy…"
"Would Mistress like some… some coffee? For Mistresses head?"
Serafina Prince had to smirk slightly from her pillow. "No, Missy. I do not think stimulants are good idea in my present condition."
She turned her head unhurriedly to face her House Elf, pain shooting through every inch of her body as she did so, to see Missy standing by her bedside with a look of child-like confusion on her face.
"No coffee." Serafina explained simply.
Missy continued to blink worriedly at her owner. So much time was spent between the black eyes boring into the beady chocolate ones that Serafina began to feel prickly with irritation once more. "Go and take care of Master Atticus!" she finally spat.
"No, Mistress, I cannot leave you!" Missy seemed on the verge of weeping. "For days Missy nursed Mistress Sera from finding her on the floor of the entrance hall, and Missy has not been able to help her Mistress return back to her usual good health. Missy is a failure…" a tear rolled down the elf's cheek as she looked sadly to the floor.
Serafina sighed sincerely and drew her black hair out of her face; she stared at her waxy, sickly self through the colossal crystal mirror across from her side of the bed. "I am old Missy," she exclaimed sadly – she could almost see her once deeply striking dark looks withering away with each passing day, though she hoped that was the ill health and not her age. "It will take me longer to heal."
"Master Atticus is almost thirty years Mistresses elder and Master is still- still-"
"Breathing? Well, I suppose that is open to interpretation. Now that will do, Missy. I order you to leave me."
"Yes, Mistress Sera…" Missy made her way slowly to the door, so slowly that she was almost dragging her feet. Serafina watched her from the bed and knew that there was still something at the back of her servants mind. She needn't have asked regardless, for Missy turned at the door, opened her mouth one or two times and spoke once more. "…Mistress?"
"What?"
"Perhaps Missy can… contact…"
"What? Contact what? Out with it, or leave me." Serafina hissed touchily. Her nausea was now worse than ever and all of her anti-emetic potion had been drained.
"Contact Mistress Eily?"
The name was like a blunt knife through her stomach. "… what?!"
Missy gave a squeak of fear; but still, though juddering with trepidation, stood her ground. "M-Missy just thought that Mistress S-Sera would feel more comfortable and at ease i-if her daughter came to look after her in her sickness…?"
"Eileenwouldn't set foot in Prince Manor if she was passing by with a pail of water and we were all on fire! Do not talk such nonsense again to me, Missy, or you will regret it!" Serafina began to wretch as the room spun around her in her anger. The terrified Elf needed no further persuasion; she vanished without a trace from the opulent bedroom.
The gash from her head dribbled a few spots of blood from underneath its dressing and Serafina felt as if she were to pass out once more. She tried to keep as perfectly still as possible, holding the bandage tightly and knowing that she would have to get up in a few minutes to prepare another one, and also to prepare more anti-emetic potion… if only her…
Serafina's ever-ticking mind had now shoved itself right back into place, with such a force that if anyone was in the room with her at present they could have almost heard a click.
If only her grandson were here. Her only daughter may not want to have anything to do with her, but what would her daughter's son say if she refused an invitation to care for her 'frail, sick and defenseless' mother calling out for help? Oh yes, it was a wild stab in the dark and there was every chance he really was as loyal to her as he said he was… but it was the best tactic that Serafina currently had to entice him back into their world; to the world of the wizard, and a world of revenge on all those who were disgrace to the very name of it.
Serafina gave herself a moment to compose herself in her own delight, and summoned her brilliant House Elf back once again. This would require some delicate tact, and a splash of Slytherin cunning…
"Missy!" she called with a wave of her wand, in less than an instant the devoted House Elf apparated by her side.
"Mistress! What is it?"
"I was foolish to have turned your idea away so suddenly," Serafina explained calmly. "Your idea was, perhaps, not as far-fetched as my ill-mannered temper would have just had you believe."
"Thank you, Mistress. Missy only aims to make Mistress happy and healthy once more!"
"Indeed you do, and for that I thank you," Serafina said graciously, slowly propping herself upon her silk pillows. "Now, if you please - fetch me ink, a quill and parchment at once… I have quite a special letter to write."
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