A/N: Chapter 2 is hurrrrr! Finally!
I am so incredibly sorry for such the late update, you honestly have no idea. Forgive Me?
I'm going to try to update again before for the 1st of August butttt, if I don't I give you full permission to leave me nasty threatening PM's.
Thank you so much to my one and only reviewerRacina Victorine Black!Extra Hugs and Cookies to you!
Also, thank you to all my favoriters/readers/alerters. Every single one makes me incredibly happy. :D Remember! Reviews motivate me to get my lazy arse over to the computer so please push that lovely little button at the bottom of the page. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!
Chapter Two:
My Dearest Blaise,
I had the most wonderful chat with Tommy the other day. It was so nice to finally be able to catch up with him after my years of absence. He asked about you naturally; wanted to see how you were doing. He informed me that, once again, he is recruiting new apprentices, and after a bit of persuasion on my part he agreed to offer you a position.
Next Monday, you are supposed to meet with your mentor where he will discuss with you the training course that you will need to ensue. Meet him at noon in the leaky cauldron. There will be a room specially reserved in your name so the two of you may privately discuss your new expectations.
You know how much this would mean to me if you did accept. Please do consider.
Your Loving Father,
MZ
The letter was signed with a stamp, similar to the one that adorned the back of the envelope as the seal. The initials were long and loopy, written in the same elegant print as the letter itself. The letters making up the initial were a brilliant shade of green masked ever so slightly by the enchanted black dust that shimmered above, making it appear as though the letters were slightly and slowly, slithering back and forth as they emitted a charcoal stream of smoke.
The initials each were guarded by a lean, long, graceful, and yet vigorous serpent, with scales paler and more lustrous than the moon. The ominous never ending orbs that were situated on either side of the elegant creatures face seemed as if they were seeing into your soul. Dark, powerful, and all-knowing, they seemed to be able to peer into every crevice of your mind, insinuating the idea that none of your secrets were safe.
The serpents were intertwined, each coiling as if ready to strike, glistening fangs bared, around their own individual letter that made up his father's initial, the bodies continuing to spiral until they reached the base were they met in the center to twine together and form one.
The snakes, Blaise believed, had originated in Australia. The creatures were known for the monstrous size, their speed, their power, and the deathly venom that dripped from their fangs.
Although now quite rare, the snakes once flourished the land in abundance, causing them to be the most feared and most dangerous of all its sisters. That was of course until it was discovered of the pure aptitude the venom hidden inside those fangs held.
Once it came to attention that the venom itself was a key ingredient in a drought that was supposed to bring loved ones back from the dead, the serpents became almost completely extinct as did the population of magical folk all over the world.
The venom held magical power yes, but legend tells that what lies inside that mouth is enough to take down an entire Ukrainian Ironbelly, something even an extremely powerful witch or wizard who was trained in the art of dragon slaying had a great deal of difficulty with.
For this reason, few survived the ingredient collection process, and those who did were not able to get what they went there for.
All in all Blaise believed that the emblem represented his father rather perfectly. To Blaise, the man was nothing more than a slimy two faced git, represented beautifully by the snakes. His Father defined the definition of Slytherin. Sly, cunning, and mischievous to the core. And to top it all off Marcus Zabini was one of the most frightening men Blaise had ever met ranking number two in the man most likely to make you shit your pants scale right behind of course none other than the dark lord himself.
Yes, Blaise's father was one freaky dude. His appearance in itself was nothing to alarm. In fact he rather looked like a fatter, hairier, wrinklier version of Blaise. Everything about the man was quite normal save for one feature. His eyes.
To look Marcus Zabini in the eye was almost as worse a fate as having a staring contest with a basilisk. Guaranteed death.
His father's eyes were almost exact replicas as that of the serpents that adorn his seal. Dark, deep, ominous, and all-knowing, everything about his stare is absolutely violating. Staring into his eyes, you feel as if he is sifting through your soul, invading every personal thought you have ever had.
Blaise tried, but he could not bring himself to break his stare with the piece of parchment in his hands. Merlin, that slimy scum had reached an ultimate low. Mr. Zabini may be a frightening man but he is by far the biggest pussy Blaise has ever known. And now his father was counting on him, his own flesh and blood, to take the mark and save his sorry ass.
For the past seventeen years Marcus Zabini has not exactly been in good terms with the Dark Lord, and for the past sixteen and a half has been hiding in his luxurious vacation home atop some deserted mountain in Spain.
Until now apparently, when his father found the sudden need to go crawling back to the Dark Lord, tail tucked between his legs and pleading for forgiveness.
It was probably due to the fact that he had finally depleted his Gringotts vault for even though he had gained quite a fortune from his years amongst the Dark Lord it would come to no surprise that he has been living life a little too comfortably which is why he discovered a new found desire to once again sit in the dark lord lap.
And of course the Dark Lord had accepted, agreeing to put the past behind them and clear up the Zabini name once and for all. But, with the Dark Lord there is always a catch, and it appears that this time Blaise just so happens to be that catch.
Giving the life of his son away to a madman to spare his own was just his father's style, after all, he had not always been in the Dark Lord's bad side. In fact for many a year he had been ranked amongst the top of the 'Inner Circle' right along none other than Bellatrix LeStrange constantly caught up in their game of who could be a better ass kisser, serving as the Dark Lord's most loyal and dutiful followers.
That is until about seventeen years ago, precisely three weeks after Blaise had been born.
The Dark Lord, after succeeding exceedingly well in an Auror ambush had held a revel in celebration where all his little followers sat dutifully at the long oak table in Spinners End, anxiously awaiting for the arrival of the Mudblood prize (or prizes) of the evening where then they would torture, rape, and murder the whole lot of them.
At least, that was the plan.
Although Blaise had never been sure of exactly what, something that night had gone terribly and disastrously wrong.
According to his mother who is normally an extremely reliable source of information seeing as she is always in on the latest gossip she tends to leave quite a few details out when regarding her son there had apparently been a mishap between Blaise's father and the Dark Lord himself, regarding that nights means of entertainment somehow along the way enraging the Dark Lord to the point where Mr. Zabini was nearly Avada'd right there in front of all his fellow death eaters.
With the horror of disappointing his master, the one thing in the world that he would give anything for, he was sent into a fit of despair, leaving him in a Death Eater's version of depression.
Barely a month later, he was up and gone, leaving Blaise's mother behind with nothing more than the signed divorce contract and their new born son.
Suddenly, Blaise's thoughts were interrupted as a pair of small warm hands began to knead gently at the stress unknowingly building in his shoulders. He let out a small sigh of contentment at the release of all the tension that had slowly begun to build ever since he had picked up his father's letter that had arrived in the Great Hall during breakfast with the morning post.
"Hey Blaisey" A seductive voice murmured softly in his ear, causing a multitude of shivers to race down his spine. Her lips continued, gently caressing their way down his neck, leaving behind the tingle from the soft tantalizing kisses until she reached the spot, the one that would cause him to let out a deep, guttural moan of pleasure, where she lingered for a moment, breathing ever so slightly against it.
"What ya' reading?" The question in itself was completely harmless and innocent, but it was the way her voice dropped even lower, softer, captivating him with every word, every breath, and every movement that she made.
Eva Gutierrez just had that affect on him.
The woman standing before him was, by far, the best thing that had ever happened to Blaise in his sad excuse of a life.
They had grown up together, playing in the meadows and forests of Zabini Manor as children, riding their first brooms, walking together hand in hand to Diagon Alley to get their first wands when they turned 11, waiting anxiously in line with the rest of the first years to see what house the Sorting Hat would place them in at the start of first year, they had all done it together, side by side.
And now, now they were 17, days away from graduating, a multitude of breaths away from stepping away from the place they had both come to of known as home, and their friendship had grown into something spectacular. It had transformed, slowly but surely, into a beautiful dream that Blaise could only begin to comprehend.
She was, by far, the sexiest witch he had ever laid eyes on.
Her long, silky, ink-colored hair tumbled like midnight waves over her shoulders and down her back, springing gently into tantalizing locks that framed her prefect tanned Spaniard skin alluringly.
Her cheek bones were held high and when they flushed with color, he found himself virtually melting into the floor beneath him.
Her lips were soft, gentle, and full. Shaped perfectly, luscious, and often stained a brilliant red.
Her most exquisite feature however would not doubt her eyes.
She has the eyes of a dragon. Fierce, feisty, and dangerous, yet filled with more gentle grace and passion than you could ever imagine. They're the color of sea foam. Stormy grey, soft emerald and a hint of sapphire, all mixed together in an ever moving pool, calling him to swim in their warmth every second of every day.
And although she has a body that seems as if it was sent straight from the heavens, her personality was something to be reckoned with.
She had a temper like no other and could easily beat himself and any other boy on campus for that matter, in a swearing contest.
But when she was truly pissed off it was an absolutely terrifying and yet beautiful thing.
Her cheeks would flush red with fury, eyes doubling in size as her hair which normally was practically perfect flew out in all directions, words flying out of her mouth which would cause any man, woman, or child to tremble in their spot.
But how you know when you've really ticked her off is when she begins to cuss you out in her native tongue.
Yes, when those Spanish words which were all too familiar to Blaise come pouring out, you know you truly have buried yourself in a pile of troll shit.
"Blaise?"
"Blaise!"
Her voice was frantic now, causing him to snap out of his day dream and enter back into reality.
"What's wrong Eva?" He replied almost as franticly as she had.
She merely shook her head, smiling slightly to herself.
"What's that in your hand?" She questioned, curiosity dripping from her voice.
Blaise glanced back down to the parchment now clenched uncomfortable tight in his fist, remembering his reason for being in the common room in the first place.
"Nothing to worry yourself about, love."
He turned himself back around, glancing up into his girlfriend's eyes to give her reassurance before he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Everything is fine." He stated again, now reassuring himself more so than he was the person who was standing before him.
He knew his father well enough to break easily through his cheesy code. The letter was not a request to follow in his father's footsteps. It was a command. And Blaise was worried what would happen if he didn't show up to that meeting in few days time, not caring about his own fate, but about the fate of the two people he loved most in the world.
Here, he could protect Eva, at least for a short while until he figured out a game plan, but his mother was on her own. She was miles away, alone, and completely vulnerable.
He had to do something, and fast.