Chapter Five: An Unwelcome Intruder

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter Universe; that honor belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I thank them for the inspiration, however. Also, this story contains sexual and other adult themes, hence the M rating.

The sun rose much too early for Ophelia's tired body. She drew the curtains closed and snuggled close to the man in bed beside her. Memories of the previous night filled her thoughts and she smiled as she glanced up at his pale features. You are insane, Lia. You are only asking for trouble.

It didn't matter, however. She had accomplished her goal and was quite satisfied with the results. She was actually shocked by how easily the Potions Master had been seduced. She thought she would have to hint and tease for several days, but he must have been as needy as she because her charms worked swiftly. The thought of being his first pleased her.

Her fingers stroked across his chest as she attempted to fall back to sleep. She listened to the rhythmic sounds of his breathing and watched his chest rise and fall. She enjoyed the heat of his body pressed up against her. It had been a long time since she had had the pleasure of waking up to someone else, and then it had seemed more awkward than enjoyable. Her experience with the professor was much different than those of her teenage years. She snuggled closer and drifted back to sleep.

A short while later she reawakened. Get up Lia. There is much to do! She yawned and sat up with a stretch. She slipped into a clean pair of leggings and camisole and threw on her robes and shoes before heading to the bathroom. She pulled her hair back into a loose twist at her nape, washed her face and hands, and brushed her teeth. She glanced in on her sleeping bed partner and smiled as she moved into the kitchen.

Ophelia threw some fresh logs on the fire and stirred the embers until flames flickered back to life. Then she tied on her apron and started to make some tea. As she stood waiting for the kettle to whistle, a strange uneasiness settled into the pit of her stomach, and then the hairs on the back on her neck stood up.

She glanced around the kitchen slowly as her hand reached for one of the chopping knives. She realized she had neglected her nightly ritual of assessing the protection spells. Her heart was racing even though she had not yet noticed anything amiss. Then she sensed it – a new dark presence - there was a click; then a second; then a third. Ophelia backed into a shadowed corner as she realized the locks had been released. Momentarily she wondered if her father had possibly survived the Final Battle, but as the door swung open her heart sank.

The cloaked form stepped into her kitchen, wand drawn. She recognized the rigid blond man immediately. "Mr. Malfoy, how wonderful of you to drop by," she hissed venomously as he turned suddenly towards her. Ophelia gripped the blade in her hand tighter, but it remained at her side.

"Back from your travels, Miss Dyson?" He was clearly annoyed with finding anyone in the cottage.

She nodded. "What can I do for you?" Her voice dripped with contempt as she glared at the Death Eater.

He laughed then as his eyes swept across her form, and he licked his lips. "Pity the Dark Lord never got to have his way with you as planned. I imagine it would have been quite a show." His words made her cringe as her stomach churned. "Tell me, Miss Dyson, why do you think I am here?" He stepped closer. She could now smell his cologne.

"I am not a Legelimens, Sir. I have no idea what you could want from the home of a healer as you seem perfectly healthy to me." She paused with an innocent smile. "Tell me, did you miss out on the Final Battle or did you just get lucky enough to emerge unscathed? Or perhaps you just sent your 'people' to do the dirty work for you." Her eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Do not mock me girl! You know exactly what I seek. Give me the notes!" His eyes blazed, and his nostrils were flaring.

She laughed sarcastically. "I've only just returned. I have no idea to what notes you are referring. Perhaps if you would be more specific I can be of more help."

"Do not test my patience further!" His eyes were practically glowing with rage now which thrilled her in a twisted sadistic way. "Where are they, witch?!"

She swallowed hard. She knew exactly what he sought and exactly where they were hidden, but she would not allow such powerful information to fall in the hands of someone as slimy and self-serving as Lucius Malfoy. She continued her defiant glare as a response as she raised the knife slightly.

"Still without a wand, Miss Dyson?" He licked his lips and a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Shall I show you what true power feels like?"

The next thing Ophelia realized was excruciating pain as the blade dropped from her fingertips with a clang, and she fell to her knees. Lucius approached, wand still aimed at her gut. "Can you feel it?" He sneered as his eyes ogled her form. "Scream for me." The pain grew within her, stealing her breath. "Scream, bitch!" He demanded and his eyes locked onto hers.

Ophelia stared back defiantly as she felt her innards twist tighter. Every muscle in her body was tensed and aching, but she remained silent.

"I will kill you without hesitation, Miss Dyson."

"I… have no…doubt…" At this point she was wishing he would actually kill her to end the pain. Then suddenly it stopped. She gasped for air desperately.

"But I think I will wait on that." He reached out and grabbed her chin, roughly as he bent close to her and inhaled her scent. He smiled again as he pulled away. "Now scream for me, Dear," he said softly. His wand poked her in the chest. "Crucio!"

She was overtaken with pain again, and it continued to build like icy hot flames within her bowels. She was doubled over, her head pressed into the stone floor as her arms squeezed over her belly. She gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw. She tried to will the pain away, but her efforts were meaningless.

Lucius stood over her smiling in obvious enjoyment. His eyes fixed on the trembling form at his feet. "Beg me to stop. Let me hear you scream."

"Bastard!" She hissed through gritted teeth. Finally, she could hold back no more. A tortured scream escaped her lungs against her will.

"You sound just like your mother…" she heard him state maliciously, and the pain stopped suddenly. "Now – where are the notes?"

She was weeping now as she struggled to breathe. He was correct, the situation eerily reflected the last moments of her mother's life. She glared up at Malfoy with hatred, but he was no longer looking at her.

"You are too late, Lucius." A silky voice boomed from the doorway of the bedroom, and Ophelia's heart jumped.

"Severus, how interesting to find you here," responded the blond wizard without a hint of emotion. If he was shocked to see Snape alive, he did not show it. "Would you like to assist in my interrogation?" He smiled wickedly as he waved his want at her again. "Crucio!"

"Ooohhh, gods, no more!" She pleaded as she curled into a fetal position onto the cold stones. She felt as though she would soon lose sanity.

"Enough!" Snape ordered as he raised his wand. "She knows nothing. I have interrogated her extensively already. I believe the notes to be hidden elsewhere."

"Perhaps you just didn't try hard enough, Friend." The pain intensified and Ophelia thought it would surely destroy her. She writhed on the ground as Malfoy licked his lips in delight. "Besides, doesn't she look so lovely when she is in such pain, Severus?"

She looked at Snape, silently begging him to save her. She knew he was trying not to let on anything that may raise the suspicions of his fellow Death Eater, but she was desperate for the pain to end.

"Protego!" The pain ceased as Snape's shielding spell erected around her. She closed her eyes feeling as though she may faint. "It is time for you to leave. The item for which you are searching is not here, and this witch cannot help you further. Leave now, and continue your search elsewhere." Snape raised is wand in challenge.

There was a long silence as the two wizards scowled at each other with narrowed eyes. "Very well, Severus." Lucius said finally. "I will humor you for now as I can see this witch has found a soft spot in your dark soul. But when you've had your fun, I will get mine." With that he bowed to the Potions Master, backed out of the kitchen glaring at her, and disappeared with a small 'pop' in a dark cloud.

The next thing Ophelia was aware of was a hand on her shoulder and then a soft voice in her ear. "Try to relax. You will likely be in great pain for a while, but the worst is through." Snape took her weak body in his arms, lifted her from the ground, and carried her into the bedroom. The tea kettle was whistling in the background.

He laid her onto the soft mattress. "Stubborn fool. If you would have cried out earlier I could have been there sooner."

She smiled weakly and curled into the fetal position again as her entire body throbbed. He placed a hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. She was actually shocked by the amount of compassion in the simple touch. Much to her dismay, she began to cry again. She tried to turn away, embarrassed at her loss of control, but he resisted her movements as he continued to stroke her hair softly.

"Stay still, Miss Dyson," he said sternly as he wiped a tear away with the sleeve of his robe. She nodded in response and closed her eyes concentrating on the feeling of his touch. "I have found that time is the only thing that relieves this pain, unfortunately."

She looked up at him and was surprised to see her pain mirrored in his eyes. "Please hold me…" she sobbed as she was overtaken by emotions and pain.

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Snape drew back as if she had burned him, but relaxed when he saw the desperation in her eyes. Never had anyone actually requested physical contact from him in such a way before, but he could understand the desire. He had spent many an early morning in the hospital wing at Hogwarts curled on a cot after an evening with the Dark Lord. The torturous curse creates a feeling of emptiness and hopelessness that is much worse than the actual pain.

He nodded slowly and shed his shoes before crawling into the bed behind her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her petite body against him protectively.

She took his hand then and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered. "And thank you for scaring off Malfoy. A few seconds more and I would have told him everything…"

He tensed then which caused her to groan in pain. "You know?!" He questioned her with a bit more shock in his voice than he would have preferred. He almost shook her in disbelief but caught himself in time. "Why did you not say anything?

"Because no one, especially not Malfoy, can be trusted with the information in those notes."

"You have read them?"

"Most of them, yes… at least as much as I could stomach anyway…" She said softly, clearly still in great pain, but her revulsion was still obvious.

He pulled her closer as he thought about what sorts of horrors were possibly contained within the meticulous logs the Dark Lord had insisted be kept by his followers. They contained records of all the Death Eaters activities as well as the plans for the future. Most importantly, however, were the Dark Lord's many powerful secrets that would be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

Of course, that was the reason for the notes in the first place. They had been started for exactly the events that had come to pass. If the Dark Lord was somehow defeated, he planned to allow his cause to continue via these notes. He had also had the lofty goal of producing an heir and passing on his secrets to him. Those plans were also outlined in these notes. A part of him was jealous of her knowledge because though Snape was aware of the notes, he had personally never laid eyes on them, and he wondered how it happened that they were placed in Ophelia's keeping.

"I tried to destroy them you know. I threw them into the fire, down the well, and even took an axe to them."

"No, I would not expect them to be that easy to destroy. You are fortunate that they did not have any retaliation curses in place." The notes were actually a very clever magic. Each Death Eater had the ability to add to them at any time from any location with just some ink, some parchment, and the proper incantation. In this way the writings were added to the collection without anyone actually knowing the location of the book that contained the collection in its entirety. He had assumed that the Dark Lord had kept the notes with him, but apparently that assumption was in error.

"Yes, but these really need to be destroyed or locked away forever." She spoke slowly and deliberately as she continued to writhe in his arms. He truly felt sympathy for the witch. He wished there was more he could do for her as she stroked her hair, but he knew his options were limited.

"I agree, however, you are in no state to do anything right now. Allow me to mix a sleeping potion for you so that you may sleep through the worst of the after effects."

She nodded. "That would be wonderful." She smiled weakly, but it did nothing to hide the pain in her glance.

He left her then, curled tightly in a ball on the bed trembling. It was an unfortunate turn of events. Hours before that same lovely body had trembled with pleasure. Snape had hoped to be able to enjoy the young witch's charms as often as she would allow as he now found himself practically addicted to her body's ability to empty his thoughts and demand his complete focus. But now, his mind was focused on the Dark Lord's notes. He must keep them out of the hands of the Death Eaters. He must destroy them. But first, he must read them.

He considered the powerful magic he could gain from the notes as he moved about the kitchen searching for the necessary components for a decent sleeping potion. Her stocks were rather meager, especially when it came to some of the more difficult to find ingredients that Snape was accustom to having access to through Hogwarts, but he was able to assemble an acceptable list.

With the efficiency and skill that came with many years of experience, he brewed a suitable potion. He then filled a mug and brought it to the bedroom as his thoughts still raced through all the possible secrets hidden within the Dark Lord's notes. Then he contemplated just where they may be hidden. They must be on the property somewhere for her to have access to them. He sat down next to Miss Dyson and assisted her to a sitting position.

She took the mug from him and smiled. "An ironic role reversal," she laughed and then cringed as she pressed her body close to his.

He nodded in response. "Indeed, but surely, you will be more cooperative than I." He was still deep in thought.

She seemed to be studying him as she took a sip from the mug. "I am not going to tell you where they are unless you are going to help me destroy them."

Snape was speechless. Since when had he become so easy to read? "Drink up and get some rest. This can be discussed at a later time." His voice was low but commanding.

She nodded and drank down the rest of the sleeping potion. "I will not risk allowing such dark magic to be known. This world has suffered enough…" She yawned then, and he could see her eyelids getting heavier, but they did not hide the shadows in her gaze. He watched as she lay down slowly and closed her eyes. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze. The last look she gave him before drifting off to sleep made it clear that her previous statement meant she did not intend for him to be able to read the notes.

We shall see about that Miss Dyson…

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Many hours later Ophelia slowly awoke from her potion-induced deep sleep. She looked out the window to see the sun low in the sky. She groaned loudly as she sat up. Most of the day had passed, and she had gotten nothing accomplished. This setback would put her behind for the entire week. At least her body felt a bit better. The professor had been right, and she was glad for the relief.

As she was moving to slip into her shoes, Snape entered the bedroom. "Is everything alright in here?" He glanced around the room quickly and then looked at her. "Are you sure you are feeling up to that?"

Ophelia nodded and smiled. "I have much to do, Professor, and the day has gotten away from me."

"You needn't worry. I summoned my house elf to assist you after finding your to-do list in your supply cupboard. I think she has managed to get through it quite well. She has even milked your goats I believe."

She stared at him silently for a long moment. "Um, thank you," she finally replied.

He approached her and extended a hand. "Now come have some dinner. I've had Edlyn go shopping, and she has prepared my favorite meal."

"Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she took his outstretched hand with her own as she tried to guess as to what could possibly deserve the label as a favorite in Snape's world; the smell of frying oil in the air was her only clue.

As he led her into the kitchen her first thoughts were how spotless the room looked. Then her nostrils were invaded with the smells of lemon and fish, and she saw the tiny house elf frantically working over the stove, standing on a chair to reach. She sat in the chair that Snape had chivalrously pulled out for her and gave him a smile as she placed the napkin on her lap and watched him take a seat nearby. "Fish and chips are your favorite?" Her tone was teasing.

"What did you expect, Miss Dyson?"

"I don't know, something a bit more … exotic, I guess. But I am definitely not complaining."

The house elf poured them each a glass of wine and placed plates piled high with steaming fried fish and potatoes complete with fresh lemon wedges on the side. Ophelia thanked the elf as she excitedly dug in her dinner. "Mmmmmm, amazing."

"I thought you might approve." Then he pulled something from his robes. "Here are this week's Daily Prophets. A lot has been happening since the fall of the Dark Lord. It appears the Potter Boy somehow survived it all."

Ophelia almost choked. "WHAT? How did the little prat pull that one off?" She had always been annoyed by Potter and his never-ending drama, but mostly she was just jealous that he was able to stand up and fight while she was stuck in house arrest reading about it in the Daily Prophet. She knew the Dark Lord obsessed over the boy's death. The notes constantly made reference to his demise. She found it poetic justice that Potter had survived while Voldemort perished.

Snape raised an eyebrow and gave a half smile at the comment.

"What? You were as annoyed by him as I," she stated and shrugged her shoulders. She took a bite of her fish as she watched her dinner partner. "Oh yes, how I have missed you grease!" She continued to devour the food on her plate in a rather unladylike fashion.

"If you are feeling up to it, tomorrow I suggest we attempt to disarm the binding spell placed upon you and take a trip to Diagon Alley to purchase you a new wand." His eyes locked onto her as her own eyes widened. "If we are going to be successful in destroying the Dark Lord's notes before they end up in the wrong hands, we best act quickly. I anticipate trouble so to have you wandless would be unwise."

She nodded slowly as the words sank in. Her body was seized with excitement and anticipation and she smiled widely as she continued to enjoy her meal. "Of course, Professor. I am very grateful for your assistance in both matters." She tried not to let her excitement show too much but was sure she was being unsuccessful by the smug look on the professor's face.

They continued to eat their dinner while flipping through pages of the Daily Prophet. Ophelia eagerly read each issue front to back welcoming a connection to the outside world and relieved that soon she may be part of it again. She was comforted to read that Hogwarts still stood off in the distance and that Voldemort truly was gone.

Reading the records of deaths from the Final Battle made her ill, however, as she read the names of friends and family. She had known several of the Weasley boys, one intimately. She had been at Hogwarts with Nymphadora Tonks during her first couple years. She was also a student of Professor Lupin during his days teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of course, she also recognized the names of many of the deceased Death Eaters as well, one being her father.

"Is everything alright, Miss Dyson?" Snape questioned softly as he watched her.

"So much death; so much waste…" she mumbled and he nodded.

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Snape watched the young witch as emotions danced through his mind. He felt sadness for the life lost, resentment towards himself and towards Dumbledore for the role he was forced to play, a surprising relief that Potter had survived, and an unexplainable emptiness. The deaths had been great on both sides. So many, skilled and powerful witches and wizards had perished.

"Such is the nature of war…" he thought aloud.

"I just do not understand how someone can want something so badly that they are willing to destroy anyone who dares to prevent them from obtaining it," Her eyes bore into him. Again Snape could swear she was attempting to invade his thoughts.

"Let's hope you will never understand," he whispered, but her words stung him in a way that only one other person had ever been able to. His jaw clenched as he tried not to let that most painful memory enter his mind. He swallowed hard.

Ophelia reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. Her blue eyes were so full of compassion that the memories drifted away unnoticed. Had he ever been so innocent?

"You are fortunate to have survived such dark times and still have such faith in people."

She laughed. "It's not faith, Professor…" She paused as though reconsidering her words. "I've spent many hours among dying witches and wizards working here and at St. Mungo's with my mother. I can't really explain how, but when we get to that point it is as if our powers speak for us…" She paused again and shook her head slowly.

"It tells of the life lived in a way that does not lie. And it reveals our true motivations, our deepest regrets, and our greatest joys. Never have I met someone that has caused me to question an inherent 'goodness' save one…" Her eyes glanced momentarily onto his forearm where the edge of the Dark Mark was visible, and he understood she meant the Dark Lord.

"Hecatius Acceptum, Miss Dyson – a very rare gift indeed." He paused and his eyes narrowed with interest - yet another secret this mysterious witch had been hiding. "It can be trained to read others even without the presence of the threat of death." Hecatius Acceptum was a unique ability even more powerful than Legelimency when properly trained and wielded. The mind was capable of deceiving, but the magic was not.

Snape felt a twinge of jealousy as now more than ever had to resist the urge to delve into her mind. He knew it would be so easy as she stared wide-eyed and trusting at him. He longed to taste her secrets as it was now apparent that there was much more to her than he had once believed.

She nodded. "I've felt it with infants as well. Always so pure and full of inspiration…" she closed her eyes for a long moment as if enjoying an old memory. Then she frowned. "But the Dark Lord… he was the loudest – practically shouting with darkness, hatred, and fear. I became physically ill the first time I encountered him…and I couldn't ignore it like I can with others."

Snape understood that feeling. He had felt the same when warding off the Dark Lord's penetrations into his own mind. He finally understood how this witch had been able to understand so much about his … situation. His jaw clenched as he glanced away from her stare. Her thoughts were practically jumping out to him now, and he wondered why she had dropped her guard. He did not deserve such trust.

"What other secrets might you be keeping, Miss Dyson?" He narrowed his eyes and turned towards her again. He nodded as he felt her mind snap shut. "Yes, you are wise not to be so trusting."

Her eyes darkened. "You do not truly want to know."

Oh yes I do, My Dear, in fact, I must know, and I will know…

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A/N: I can only improve through your feedback so help me out. Thank you!