A/N: Well here it is. Another chapter, just like I promised. And just like I promised(a loooong time ago) I have put in a bit of plot by the 15th chapter. There isn't a whole lot but my timeline is against me right now.
And, if I don't say this again(which I will) thank you reviewers!
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There you go. Have fun.
The screams that echoed through the dank dungeon room were only recognizable as male if one listened hard and remembered that the screamer had been screaming that way for hours. Potion ingredients filled the shelves in every corner of the room and cold eyes watched the huddled figure in the room's very center.
At that moment, when the screamer fell temporarily silent, the door burst open and a frantic figure observed the goings on with wand in hand.
"Enough." The word was somewhere between a whisper and a squeak. "Master please. That is enough for now."
The figure in the center of the room, the screamer, rose to his feet with painful grace. The potion he'd been soaking in sloshing over the sides of the huge tub that had held it. The room's last occupant, a large snake, slithered forward, a thick black robe in its fangs.
"It would be enough, Wormtail." The figure half hissed, his voice nearly gone from screaming, "If you were not so useless!"
He stepped onto the cold stone floor deep beneath Riddle Manor and pulled on his cloak. The snake twined around his ankles and her now empty mouth opened to reveal her fangs to the useless servant of her master who cowered upon the stone before them both.
"Your spells are nearly pointless and your potions are worse!"
"B-but Master they a-are all I c-can find!" Wormtail stammered.
Red slitted eyes watched in silence while his only remaining servant squirmed. "Then you will find better." He finally murmured, the softness in his voice worse by far than the harsh anger of a moment before.
"I-I will m-my Lord!
"Yes," Lord Voldemort said calmly, exiting his dungeon. "you will."
"Watch the door!" Alex snapped. "The Professor might decide he forgot something."
Draco and Professor Snape exchanged bemused glances as Vince and Greg moved to do just that, their wands out. Alex stalked over to the desk, her wand in her left hand.
"Bastard Mudblood." She muttered angrily, cupping Draco's bruised face gently with her free hand. Snape's hand found it's way over his mouth.
"He'll be perfectly fine Miss Bellmonte."
"That is for me to decide Severus!" And in that moment Alex could have been her mother. A second after the words left her lips, however, time seemed to freeze in the room. Alex turned slowly to face the Professor, though her hand never left Draco's face. "Lord Snape...I..."
"Professor Snape." Severus corrected coldly. "And I suggest you obtain a better leash for your tongue Miss Bellmonte. You'll need it if you ever plan to be successful in your battle with someone like Mad-Eye Moody."
"Yes, Professor. I apologize." Wincing at her blunder Alex turned back to Draco who seemed surprised that she wasn't a pile of ashes at his feet. "LubeoUtValetudoDecoloAbsentisSano!" the spell words were said all in one breath, as if they were only one spell even though Snape was sure he recognized the last word as a rather basic healing spell. It seemed the girl wasn't about to trust his word on Draco's continuing health.
"Merlin!" Draco yelped, drawing Snape's gaze back to his charge. Every cut, bruise or other injury on his person had vanished. Alex crossed her arms over her chest, a smug smile on her face.
"Never had the chance to try that one on a human before. Pretty clean job for a first go of it." She commented to the silent room.
"You what!" Draco yelled, fury in his eyes. "You've never tried that one on a human before!" he mocked her words. "Are you out of your bloody mind!"
"Me! Ha! With the level of pureness you Malfoys require in your mates, however, I wouldn't be surprised that such inbreeding has taken its toll on your mind, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Alex's wand was still pointed at Draco's face from when she'd healed him. The fact that she left it there was suddenly much more menacing.
Draco grabbed her wrist and yanked her wand away from his face. "Why are you here Alex!" he demanded.
"Because you were a ferret!" she spat back fighting for control of her wand hand. "And because that…Moody creature is a disgusting filthy mudblood hardly good enough to kiss your boot heels!"
From his front row seat Snape firmly suppressed a smile.
Draco blinked at her, the strangest expression on his face. "Alex…"
"Oh shut up! It's not what you think, now give me that!" Alex succeeded in pulling her hand free of his grip. She turned to the Potions Master. "I would like to arrange a time to meet and discuss what you know about the so-called Professor Moody, sir. I'll await an owl at your convenience."
"Very well, Miss Bellmonte."
Alex glanced at Snape. He had sounded…amused? Surely not. "Good evening boys." She said softly as she passed Vince and Greg. "I'll see you in class."
"Alex, wait." She turned to see Vince duck out the door behind her. She raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't someone go with you to watch your back?"
"In Hogwarts, Vince? It's not likely that Moody would attack me just for walking around." She brushed off his concern even while she was touched by it. "Besides, even if somebody did I'm at full strength. Draco was literally shaking while he grabbed my hand…and not in anger."
Vince glanced over his shoulder, clearly wanted to get back to his friend at the news but he stubbornly held his ground. "Greg can take care of-"
"No he can't!" Alex yelled before getting ahold of her temper again. "And if I do get attacked you'd just be in my way. I fight alone."
Groaning and muttering something about "arrogant idiots" Vince disappeared back into Snape's office.
A/N: Alright I know that it's short but you have to forgive me. It's hard to write for He-Whose-Name-Should-Be-Shorter. And besides this chapter has PLOT! Now it will probably be some time until you all see where I'm going with this but you're more than welcome to review or email and try to guess. A hint: it'll involve…Drum roll please!…Alex! What a shock! Moving on.
Update Info: I should have the next chapter up sometime on February 7th.