Chapter Ten: Enter Death

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.

Under the protection of the shielding spell he led her to one of the other rooms on the second floor of Spinner's End. It had been his bedroom as a child. He rarely entered it anymore. There was simply no reason to bring back such painful memories.

The room was rather tiny and felt claustrophobic to him. There was a small bed in a corner covered in grey bed sheets and a black, faded comforter. A dresser sat opposite the bed and a desk rested against the far wall. He walked to the closet and pulled the doors back. His hands wandered through the neatly hung clothes for a moment before he pulled out a set of black robes. "I believe these may be small enough to suffice for the time being." He handed her the robes, but the frown on her face told him she was not thrilled with his choice.

"Would it be too much to ask to remove the Slytherin crest?" Ophelia pouted.

On some level it amused him that she had maintained a sense of humor through all this drama, but he did not let her see that as he pointed his wand at the crest on his old Hogwarts robes. The patch fell to the ground. She pulled off her stained robes revealing her camisole and leggings. He felt is body jump at the sight as he watched her pull the dark robes on to her frame.

"They fit you well," he stated as she finished buttoning the robes. It bothered him to see her standing there in the black robes that hung loosely from her shoulders. She seemed frailer and paler and somehow altogether 'darker' now.

She smiled softly. Then she sat on his bed and sighed. Seeing her there, he couldn't help but think that if he had known her back when this room belonged to him, his life may have turned out quite differently; at least he would have liked to believe it would have, although he doubted that much could have distracted him from the path he had chosen.

"Now what?" Her eyes were full of fear as she glanced up at him from the bed.

"No sense it putting off the inevitable. I believe I have the supplies necessary…" He approached her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Yes, the potion is in your pantry, though the gods only know why you keep that on hand…"

"Is it not obvious?" He sighed. Of course someone that had longed for death for so long as he did would keep such a potion on stock. So many times he had removed that vial from the cupboard, held it between is fingers, even uncapped the stopper to smell its deceptively sweet scent.

She placed a hand on his thigh and gave a gentle squeeze. She then placed her head on his shoulder. "Let's get this over with then."

He stood, and she followed. "I believe we should return to your property for this. I will gather our supplies. The shielding spell will have to be dropped in order for us to apparate."

She nodded. "I know…"

"Gather your things then, and meet me in the sitting room. We will floo to Hogsmeade and apparate to your place." With that he left the room in a flurry of dark robes.

Snape stepped heavily down the staircase. He headed straight to the pantry door and opened it. He pulled out the small black opaque vial of Essence of Death, uncapped the lid, and took a long sniff of its aroma. It was just as he remembered, sickeningly alluring.

He capped the vial securely and slipped it into his robes. He did the same to another vial, this one containing an iridescent clear liquid; it was the antidote. He then moved into the sitting room.

Ophelia was already there pacing the floor. The satchel was draped over her shoulder. He did not need her abilities to feel the nervousness pouring from her.

He approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her anxious movements. He then looked into her eyes as he pressed the vial containing the antidote into her palm. He knew she understood his silent thoughts by her expression as she tucked the vial safely away within her robes.

"Are you ready?" He pulled her close as she nodded.

"Ready as I can be to lose my sanity again…" she whispered as she looked up at him.

Damn, why is this so difficult…Snape thought as he looked down on her. He pressed his lips into hers.

She pushed him away and smiled weakly.

He reversed the shielding spell and watched as she cringed. They then used the Floo Network to arrive in Hogsmeade before he took her again in his arms and apparated to the pasture in front of her home.

The sun was beginning its evening decent, and the sky was brightly colored in summery décor.

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Ophelia's head was spinning. She could hear the Dark Lord at her ear again. He was more persistent than ever. He must have felt her resistance falter. He must have sensed that she was about to do his bidding. She felt his icy cold hands on her body; her neck; her wrists; her abdomen. It made her tremble as she walked through the pasture towards her willow tree. Snape followed behind.

She mumbled back to her haunter as she walked. Her hand stroked the vial within her pocket as she moved. She was going to give herself over to the Dark Lord, but she mustn't forget that she was Snape's only hope of returning to the land of the living if their plan was successful. When, not if…

"Yes, Girl. You are finally beginning to understand. It is the only way. You must give in to it." Voldemort hissed. "We will rule the Death Eaters together, you and I. All powerful. Unstoppable. "

Ophelia tried to tune the voice out, but the Dark Lord's soft enticements were slowly getting to her once again. He filled her mind with images of her commanding dark armies of Death Eaters. The people she despised most in this world were bending to her will at the slightest mention from her lips. And every being around her was an open book to her abilities. People were afraid to say her name like it would set their tongues on fire at the mere utterance. These images both repulsed and thrilled her at the same time. She was the new Dark Ruler.

Finally she stopped at the base of the willow tree and glanced around at her surroundings. She hoped that by choosing this spot she would be able to cling to enough sanity to remember her true mission. Snape placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. No words were necessary.

It still amazed her that he was the same man she had been intimidated by so many years ago, and also how quickly his walls had fallen. She still felt guilty for involving him in this fight, but she knew that she would not be successful without his assistance.

He rolled up the sleeve of his robe and presented his arm to her. Ophelia stared into Snape's eyes as she stroked her fingers over his forearm. "I am sorry," she whispered softly as she pressed her wand against the Dark Mark.

The foreign voice within her head whispered the powerful words as she repeated them. She felt the energy surge from her and into her wand. Snape cringed as his body tensed beside her.

Ophelia's eyes stayed locked onto his as he placed the black vial to his lips and drank the elixir down in one quick swallow. "Evanescence corporal…" he whispered with his wand pressed to his own chest.

His body fell limp at her feet just as she sensed the arrival of the first Death Eater's. She caressed the vial within her pocket as she took a deep breath. The Dark Lord congratulated her for her decision. She shuddered. There was no turning back now.

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It did not feeling anything like what he had expected it to. In fact, he did not feel all that different at all. If it wasn't for his own slumped, lifeless form lying at his feet, he would have doubted the spell even worked.

His wand was in his hand as he glanced around. He could see the world which he had left as a haze around him. Ophelia stood, wand drawn, in the center of a circle of masked Death Eaters. She looked crazed, and even through the haze he saw her dark sapphire eyes had dimmed and shadowed like the full moon that was just beginning to rise.

"Thank you all for your quick response as I can imagine my call comes as quiet a shock to most of you…"

Then he saw him, the Dark Lord. He stood over Ophelia, his lips at her ear and one hand caressing her wand and down her arm and the other around her waist. The sight sickened him. He raised his wand.

"Get away from her!" He struggled to remain in control. He was unsure what Voldemort was capable of doing to Ophelia in this phantom state. Even without a wand or physical body, he was sure to be very powerful and very dangerous.

The Dark Lord's eyes glowed fiercely as he turned them on Snape. "Ah, Severus," he hissed in a low voice. "So, I finally learn the truth of your loyalty. And to think, all this time…"His glare was almost painful.

"Power is not everything, I have learned."

"Perhaps not," Voldemort's eyes narrowed and with a flick of his fingers Snape felt his wand leave his grasp. "But it certainly helps." He laughed darkly. "I must thank you, Severus. Your appearance expedited my plans rather nicely." His reptilian fingers stroked across Ophelia's cheek as he leaned in close to her. "Lovely, isn't she?"

She seemed completely unaware as she spoke to the men and women surrounding her. "The power of the Dark Lord lives on. Your loyalty will be rewarded." Her eyes glanced around the circle. "And your disobedience will be punished." Her wand motioned to the crumpled form of Snape's body.

Snape felt a chill down his spine. Even through the haze he sensed Ophelia was not merely acting. She had finally given in. Her dark nature was now in control.

"It is a pity she never trusted you enough to allow you access to my records, or you may have understood before it was too late."

"What do you want with her?!" There was a hint of desperation in his tone. His jaw was tight with rage.

"The same thing you do, my Old Friend." His hand swept down the witch's shoulder to caress down her flank and came to rest on her hip. "Her body." He licked his lips. "And the power that is within..."

His hand moved to stroke her abdomen softly, almost lovingly. "I hand selected this little beauty the first time I saw her. I sensed her abilities then and knew she would be a perfect companion once I asserted my rule." Then Voldemort leaned in to the girl's ear again whispering.

Snape could see her wand was fixed on Lucius. He was waiting for her to take control of the book before he made his move on her tormentor. His eyes searched for his wand and he found it resting a short distance away from the Dark Lord's feet.

He stared as Lucius convulsed with pain. Ophelia was taking vengeance. It was clear from the look in her eyes that having mercy was not an option as her mouth curled into a twisted smile. Lucius fell to his knees. She laughed as she released the curse. "Where is the book, Lucius?"

Snape returned his attention to Voldemort. "Yes, she does have certain irresistible charms," he admitted.

"That is precisely the reason I convinced her father to lock her away all those years. I could not have her spoiled before I was ready for her. A treasure like this would not remain unclaimed for long. I also ensured her access to my notes. No one can resist such knowledge for long. I knew once she had been exposed her darker side would be much easier to take advantage of. "

From the corner of his eye Snape saw Lucius collapse again in pain. It would have been a pleasant sight to behold if not for Ophelia standing over him. Instead, he felt nauseous.

"A lovely plan, but foiled in the end it seems," he questioned as he craved more details while the Dark Lord seemed to feel rather verbose, and Lucius still possessed the damn book. Hurry up, Ophelia, My Dear…

"Yes, my ideal plan was indeed destroyed in part thanks to yourself I believe." His slitted eyes shot daggers at him. "But you have redeemed yourself by securing my Plan B."

"Oh?" Snape raised a black eyebrow.

"You have given me a second chance to accomplish what I desire. Soon, I will have new life, and then I shall be unstoppable. All thanks for your insatiable desire and surprising… virility…" He smiled wickedly as he patted Ophelia's abdomen softly.

Snape's eyes widened as this new information set into his consciousness.

"With genes like these, I will have powers greater than ever before. It must be such an honor to have brought about my second coming."

"NO!" Snape shouted with wrath as he dived for his wand. Snape did not know how he intended to do it, but it was now clear that the man he wished nothing more than a painful, miserable death was planning to reincarnate himself as the child currently developing in Ophelia's womb; his child.

He did not have adequate time to process the full magnitude of this information nor did he even have time to contemplate its validity. Surely, the girl had the Contraceptus Charm placed on her years ago like most young witches.

Snape heard the menacing laugh of the Dark Lord as he aimed his wand again. "She will not bear the child if she discovers your plan."

"Ha! I have her so brainwashed that she would not even consider doing otherwise." The tone of his voice softened then. "Go back to her, Severus. Think of it. The two of you could lead the Death Eaters back to glory until the time that I retake command. She will need you by her side. You have already trained her beautifully. Her powers are quite remarkable."

Snape felt his opponent attempt to disarm him again, but this time he was prepared. His thoughts were racing. A part of him found the suggestion appealing. He could have Ophelia as well as the power he so dearly hungered after.

Two months ago he would have accepted the offer without a second thought. But now…He glanced at Ophelia, still seemingly unaware of anything taking place between himself and the Dark Lord. Did she enjoy the power? Would she want more? What of her aspirations?

"Open the book, Lucius," Ophelia commanded, her voice threatening and confident. Her wand was focused on the wizard hunched over before her. She pressed her wand to the page Lucius presented to her. The words quickly developed across the page, and the blond wizard's eyes widened as he read. "Yes, it is true. You must now serve me or suffer the punishment of disloyalty." She laughed.

She looked around the circle; her eyes were fierce. "Anyone not willing to continue what Lord Voldemort started?" Not one person even dared to take a breath. "Good!" She tore the book from Lucius's grasp in a sudden but smooth movement. He cowered from her.

She then glanced down at Snape's lifeless form, pausing for a long moment as her demeanor momentarily softened, and she allowed her eyes to scan the area. "Good girl," Voldemort whispered in her ear. "Look how he now fears us, My Dear."

Snape felt a complicated mix of emotions boiling up within him suddenly as he watched the ghost of the Dark Lord caressing Ophelia's body again. "ENOUGH! You won't steal her from me too!" He contemplated how to strike him without risking harm to her.

"Still bitter about that, are you Severus?" Voldemort's reptilian features twisted in pleasure as they formed a malicious smile.

Snape laughed as the words filled his thoughts. His conscious now remembered something he had seen while exploring Ophelia's precious thoughts; a spell in the Dark Lord's own writing. He knew then that they were designed exactly for a moment like the one before him.

"Mortem obire!" Snape shouted and dispelled every ounce of energy he could find within his own spectral being through his wand aimed directly at his nemesis's chest.

Weakness fell over Snape then as he heard the agonizing scream of the Dark Lord. He collapsed to his knees as he stared. The figure haunting the woman he had grown so fond of faded before his eyes. The glowing eyes were the last to disappear as they stared longingly at Ophelia.

A disturbing thought occurred to him then – what if Ophelia's feelings towards him had all been manifestations of the Dark Lord's master plan? Would their relationship fade along with the ghost of Voldemort?

Then Snape's world went dark…

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It was silent. There were no more screams, no more whispers, and no more icy fingers against her body; just the circle of masked Death Eater's watching her anxiously and silently. She was in control. They would do anything she asked, even die for her, she sensed that easily.

Her ability was more discriminating than ever. She knew exactly who hid under each grotesque mask and why they had come to her. She wanted to destroy each of them, one by one, in an angry rampage. The spells hung on the tip of her tongue as she savored the thoughts. It was everything the Dark Lord had promised and more.

Her hand then brushed against the vial in her pocket, and her thoughts returned to Snape. "You are dismissed," she hissed at them all with one last disdainful glare down at Malfoy. The Death Eater's disappeared as quickly as they had come.

She suddenly felt herself hyperventilate as she struggled to breathe, and her heart pounded as all of her confidence seemed to drain out like puddles at her feet. She knelt on the ground next to Snape's body. She sensed nothing from him and felt no pulse at his wrist.

She rolled the man over to his back and tilted his head as she placed the vial to his lips. She allowed the thick shimmering liquid to drip into his mouth as she kept one hand in place on his wrist searching for a returning pulse. Her mind felt empty as she counted the seconds anxiously. She feared the worst.

She sensed his energy before she felt his pulse as she let out a large sigh of relief. He had returned from the realm of death. She waited patiently, chewing her lower lip, as he pulse slowly strengthened.

Finally, his eyes fluttered open, and his hand squeezed hers gently. "Oh thank the gods, Severus." She smiled down at him.

He sat up suddenly and stared into her eyes. "How are you feeling?" From his overly concerned tone, she could sense that there was a deeper meaning behind the words.

"What do you mean – how am I? You are the one that just returned from death. How are you feeling?"

"Humor me, Ophelia, and answer the question." His gaze was intense as he looked her over quickly.

"What has gotten in to you? Did something happen? You did destroy him didn't you?"

"Yes. He is gone; hopefully permanently this time. You do not still feel his presence do you?" His eyes wandered to her abdomen, and suddenly she understood his concern.

"No." She smiled weakly.

There was a long awkward silence, and then Snape reached for the notebook that lay on the ground beside him. "And this?"

"Nothing more than a pile of parchment now." She took it from him and flipped through the pages. The words were no longer hidden. She tore a page from the book and handed it to him and watched as his eyes widened.

"You knew?!" He handed the entry back, and she glanced at it again.

Soul Switching – may be accomplished while inhabiting the ghost plane if, and only if, the spirit is present at the time of a developing fetus's first heartbeat within the womb. To do so will displace the incoming soul into the ghost plane and may lead to a lifetime of haunting from the displaced soul. The risks of Soul Switching include potential loss of previous powers as well as some or all memories of past life. The soul is limited by the capabilities of its new physical form and it is currently unknown what effects soul switching has on personality and beliefs…

"No. I just figured it out. I remember this entry, but it never concerned me. But once I regained the book from Lucius, I felt the Contraceptus Reversal hex on it. I had somehow missed it before." She stared down at the grass too uncomfortable to make eye contact with those piercing eyes. Her cheeks burned as she flushed. She was sure Snape could see it in the bright moonlight.

There was another long silence. Ophelia then set the book before them and aimed her wand at it. "Imcendia!" The pages sparked and then slowly caught fire. Snape reached his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they watched the blaze consume the cursed manuscript. "We succeeded," she whispered softly.

He kissed her forehead softly. "I hope you will still see fit to keep me around. I believe I have grown rather fond of you over these past several weeks, Ophelia."

"I know," she laughed softly. "The feelings are mutual. I only wish you could feel them the way I can feel yours."

Snape let out a small quick chuckle of a laugh. "An extraordinary thing, Fate…" Snape whispered under his breath as the two fell back on to the soft grass and stared up at the starry night.

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A/N: Mortem obire = meet death. Please help me improve on this piece. What did you think of Ophelia's character? How was my interpretation of the canon characters? What was the best and worst parts of the story? Thank you!