Hey guys. Sorry about how long it took me to update. I've actually had this done for awhile, but never got the chance to update. I've recently lost my muse and therefore came to a writer's block. If you check my profile, you'll see I wrote a new story. it's slash, so if you don't like it, don't read it. I also started like...six new stories and not a single one of them are finished. I'm getting somewhere with them though. I also have like three old stories I'm trying to get done as well. Keeping me from this is school...oh joyous school. I was accepted into my first choice college though with a scholarship and am not waiting to see if I was able to get some type of increase in it after my meeting with them last weekend. So, things are finally settling back down for me.
Anyways, if anyone if still reading, I hope you enjoy this installment. As always, Harry Potter is not mine or it would have been in the adult section.
Soon the light dimmed to nothing. Daralis was left lying flat on the desk with a weak smile as she stared at the ceiling. Letting out a shallow laugh, she allowed for a wide grin to spread over her face. Severus returned the expression, though more discreetly. He still had a reputation to keep, but he was sure that with Daralis being back it would be in tatters just the next day. The blonde pushed herself up from the desk on weak arms. Severus placed a hand around her waist to help her. Dumbledore extended his hand to the young woman with a soft smile and twinkling eyes.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Daralis." He said as they shook hands before turning to the other men and continuing. "If you would escort her to your rooms for the night Severus, I'm sure she'll be quite pleased. Of course, Lucius is allowed to stay in your spare room for as long as you would like." Snape carefully watched his mate as she slid off of the desk and led the rest of the visiting group to the office door.
"Thank you, Albus, for everything. We'll be on our way now. Good night." The potions master arched a brow to the two young male wizards. Harry and Draco shared a look before nodding in quiet agreement. They followed the men out of the tower, but split in different directions at the bottom. They still had classes to attend in the morning. For the other three, it was a quiet walk down to the dungeons. Severus approached a portrait of Salazar Slytherin and spoke his password. The man grunted from being woken up, but swung open.
"I'm going to prepare the rooms. You two make yourselves at home." With that, he disappeared behind a heavy wood door. Lucius glanced down at his daughter. Her eyes were wandering over the walls, inspecting the pictures she had never seen before and the newer leather bound books stacked on the wooden shelves. He nudged her with his elbow. Gaining her attention, he gestured for them to claim seats on the couch. With a wave of her hand, Daralis had a fire gently roaring in the fireplace.
"You don't know how relieved I am to see you, Daralis. Every day I would think about you: what you were doing, how you were feeling, if you were alright, and here you are now. If only James could see you. He'd be so proud." The man confessed to his daughter. She looked at him fondly, but soon the expression dropped.
"What is wrong, Daralis?" Her tear filled eyes blinked at him. She titled her head up in an effort to not let them fall.
"I miss Dad." Lucius wrapped an arm around her as started to weep. His chest became unbearably constricted. He had seen his wife cry, but felt nothing. He saw Draco cry when he was younger. Yes, he had felt bad when he saw the scrapes on his knees, but nothing seemed to grab hold of his heart strings more than his daughter.
"I do too. I loved him. I still do. There is no other person who could ever replace him in my heart." Daralis' crying had subsided, but she stayed curled into her father's chest. In her sleep fogged mind, she muttered something that sent him on edge.
"We should tell him that when we see him tomorrow." Lucius sucked in a breath. What on earth was she talking about? James is dead, isn't he? Does that mean they would die tomorrow? Or did she know something no one else knew? He patted her shoulders trying to urge her on, but failed. Her soft sighs of sleep didn't cease. Lucius settled on stroking her long locks of hair until Severus returned. Upon seeing the distant look in his friend's eyes, Snape lifted his mate from the couch and brought her into his bedroom. Slipping off her shoes and cloak, he transfigured her worn clothes into one of the thigh length night shirts she used to wear before tucking her into bed. Dropping her shoes next to door, he took a seat in the armchair across from the couch.
"What is it, Lucius?" He asked calmly, summoning a cup of tea for them both.
"Dara said something interesting." The potions master's head snapped up.
"What do you mean?" The dark hair man replied. Lucius sipped from his cup before resting it on his knee.
"I told her that I still love James. She said that I should tell him that when I saw him tomorrow." He explained. Severus cocked his head.
"I don't quite understand. James no longer lives. How can we say anything to him, unless he is a ghost?" Lucius shook his head.
"I'm not sure myself. When I tried to get more from her, she was already sleeping." Snape snapped his fingers. A house elf appeared and gathered their empty cups to take to the kitchen.
"I think we're going to have to wait until morning to question her about it." The blonde man nodded and stood, straightening out his robes as he did.
"I believe you are right, Severus. Apparently, we'll be seeing him tomorrow anyways." The men wished each other good night and retired into their separate rooms. As Severus changed into his own plaid pajamas pants, a grin spread on his face. She was finally back safe and sound. He dove under the blanket and pulled her close to his body. Daralis responded by snuggling into his muscled chest. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he finally fell into his first restful sleep in years.
….
The next morning was bright. Daralis blinked her eyes open and found herself faced with another body. Instantly, she tried to position herself in case she needed to fight, but then remembered yesterday. She let her body fall lax and attempted to get closer to said body. A deep chuckle vibrated in her ear. Glancing up, she found her mate staring back with a dreamy expression.
"Good morning." She said, straining her neck to place a kiss on his lips. Severus smiled into the kiss and pulled her over so that she was lying on top of him.
"You know, we never did consummate our mating." The blonde woman smirked and nodded.
"How right you are. I can't believe we've made it this long without the bond killing us both." Severus snuck a hand up the side of her night shirt to feel her bare skin.
"Well, we never stopped believing that we would see one another again." Dara leaned down and allowed her mouth to be ravished for the next hour.
After their morning rendezvous, they both emerged from the master chamber freshly showered and clothed. Severus was in his normal black school year garbs, while fortunately for Daralis; Severus hadn't cleaned out the drawer of muggle clothing she left behind. She wore a pair of dark jeans, a black lace camisole, and grey hooded jacket. She had also pulled her bangs away from her forehead to clip them at the back of her head while the rest of her hair fell to her lower back in loose banana curls. Walking with her mate to the Great Hall, the blonde could feel the tight material of her jeans pressing her wand into her leg. The feeling of freedom it gave her was better than anything she had felt in years. Well, apart from the enormous pleasure she had felt this morning. Her chest suddenly grew tight as a wave of dread washed over her body. Daralis stopped just before the doors of the Great Hall. From where she stood, she could see the high table's seats filled, excluding Severus' own seat. The students were happily chatting about their tables. It all still looked the same. On the left side of the hall were the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables while on the right were the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables. She could even point out her siblings amongst the crowd. An eyesore sat at the high table. Her pink blazer and dark brunette hair contrasted against her pasty skin and clown caked makeup. That woman was the very bane of her existence. She would get the revenge she deserved.
"Are you coming, Dara?" A silky voice said, throwing her from her thoughts. Her blue eyes switched to the direction the sound came from. The potions master was about three steps in front of her and a perplexed expression. She stuck out her chin and nodded hesitantly.
"The moment I step in there, all hell is going to break loose, and you know that don't you?" Severus shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Be it as it may, a certain ministry worker brought it upon herself. She should have never bothered a witch like you." Daralis sighed softly, her fingers inching down to trace the end of her wand through her denim jeans. She sent a nod towards her mate as a silent request for him to take his own seat at the table first. His large hand swept out to caress the tender surface of her cheek before doing as she asked. As soon as she saw him take his seat, she saw her father throw him a questioning gaze from his spot next to Dumbledore. He waved him off, pretending to fill his plate with breakfast items. Daralis straightened out her jacket. She didn't know the outcome of what would happen. Dolores Umbridge wasn't exactly the most predictable person. She wouldn't doubt the second she caught wind of her presence in the hall, the woman would aim an unforgivable at her heart. That was her goal to begin with. Shaking her fears, Daralis took in a deep breath and marched forward.
When the young blonde woman entered, she could instantly feel eyes lock onto her. Heads from all the tables snapped up and turned to face her. Their eyes raked over her body, most with looks of lust or envy, or just plain confusion of who she was. Daralis continued to walk sedately down the aisle, nodding her head to both of her brothers as she went. The sound of a chair scraping the floor and then toppling over rang out in the Great Hall. The expression on the blonde woman's face was empty, her mask firmly in place, but her hand twitched unnoticeably by her pocket.
"YOU,…this isn't possible!" A short toad-like woman in pink screeched as she shot up from her seat. The moment the strange woman entered the room, Dolores knew there was something off about her. The powerful magical aura was one she had felt somewhere before, though it was nowhere near as strong as it is now. It belonged to a measly teenage girl in her sixth year. Nothing but a nuisance she was, and still is!
"You're supposed to be dead! He promised you would—," Daralis raised an elegant brow as the woman's mouth clamped shut. She took a few steps closer to head table, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The blonde veela glanced up innocently with blue eyes.
"Madam Umbridge, whatever do you mean by that? Why would you assume that I was dead, unless…you knew something about my disappearance all those years ago? But that can't be possible, can it?" Her melodious voice floated over the crowd. Umbridge's face turned a deep red from the embarrassment of being called out by someone half her age.
"Of course not, why would I know anything about that?" The ministry worker moved from around the high table to stand a few feet away from the blonde. She sneered at her presence. This damn brat wasn't about to make a fool of her.
"I'm simply here to check up on the school. There have been some rumors spreading around the ministry that Hogwarts was failing the students. I, however, have not found anything to confirm this yet." Daralis scoffed and moved her hand into her pocket. She could feel it. The damn toad was gathering magic in her core, but it wasn't in a way that she had seen her do before. Whatever she was planning was not going to be a joke. Using her left hand in a slight gesture by her thigh, she cast a strong shield over the student tables and the high table. Dara watched as Severus stood from his chair with wide dark eyes as he felt her magic fluctuate and fall around them.
"Well, as always, it's a pleasure to see you. Now it's time to cut the bullshit. Why don't you tell the truth?" Daralis spat with venom licking her words. The other woman huffed, quickly whipping out her wand and holding it out to attack. In the flash of an eye Dolores aim her first attack aimed directly at the blonde's heart.
"Sectumsempra!" She called out. Daralis grabbed her wand from her pocket, but was a tad bit slow on the draw. She ducked to the left, the spell hitting across her left shoulder. When she stood to full height, she stretched out her arm and braced herself for an actual duel. Many students screamed in terror. Being the level-headed Gryffindor she was, Hermione climbed on the table and shouted for them to calm down. They were safe while under the projected shield. Harry was standing against the shield, his hands flat against the invisible surface.
"You're going to have to try better than that, you old bat! Confringo!" She countered. Daralis wasn't concerned about killing the woman. No, she was only concerned about killing the man that truly ruined her life. The blasting curse was aimed straight for the heavy golden locket around her neck. Said locket shot off of her and skidded across the floor. Daralis caught the jewelry with the sole of her shoe, a smirk firm across her face. Dolores' eyes became wide and panicked.
"What's wrong, Umbridge? Are you afraid that your master will grow upset when he finds out what you've lost? Face it, you don't matter to him. He promised you that I would be dead not long after he stole me away from here. He truly believed then that my veela blood would kill me because I was so far away from my mate without actually forming our bond. Voldemort never counted on having my mate accept me without hesitation when I confessed to him. He never knew who my mate was. HE NEVER THOUGHT THAT MY MATE WOULD WAIT FOR ME AND THAT WE WOULD NEVER STOP BELIEVING IN EACH OTHER!" As Daralis' voice level rose, the air became heavy and crackled with raw magic. Severus made his way to the edge of the shield. His fists pounded against the unseen surface. He knew better than trying to fight the shield with his own magic. It would only be rebounded and serve as a threat to the other professors. In a flash of bright light, two large feathered objects sprung out from her slender back. All shouts and any talking stopped. The potions master's hands fell limp to his sides. Never had he imagined Daralis being able to have wings. Sure, she was one hell of a witch and intelligent to the boot, but he didn't think she would be gifted with wings.
Umbridge stared in fear. Of course she knew the Daralis was a veela. If it wasn't the looks, it was certainly the way she seemed to pull people like magnets to metal. But the wings were something she didn't see. Bringing back all her knowledge from reading a text on magical beings, the size of the veela's wings were a true testament of power, and what she was looking at was no joke. From tip to tip, the wings spread out with a width of what appeared to be nine feet at least, the average wings being about six or seven feet. Daralis lunged forward, thrusting her hand out and curling her fingers into a fist. Instantly, Dolores found herself wound tight in thick ropes and her voice gone. The blonde nodded her head and shoved her wand back into her pocket. Waving her hands again, the shields fell. She suddenly found herself wrapped tight into a pair of arms. Dara sighed and took comfort in the feeling of her mate's strength around her.
"Damn it, Dara. I really wish you wouldn't do things like that." She laughed lightly before separating from him. Harry and Draco were inspecting the locket, turning it over and attempting to pry it open.
"Don't worry about opening it right now, guys. Just hold on to it for a moment. I'm sure you know what it is Harry." The raven nodded and let the locket fall into his own jean pocket. Lucius was standing next to Umbridge, his gaze menacing. This vermin was the reason he lost his daughter for the second time. She didn't deserve to live, and no one would have questioned Daralis for shooting her down with the killing curse for the torture she was faced to endure with the Dark Lord. But, he knew better than that. The only reason she was living was because Daralis held too much of James' fair temperament. He always did wonder how she managed to get into Slytherin. Speaking of James, the elder Malfoy had a few questions to ask his daughter.
The Great Hall was soon cleared of students and other teachers. Dumbledore levitated Dolores without so much as a word to Daralis' actions, only a knowing smirk of fondness in her direction. Severus noticed and rolled his eyes. It was just another thing the old coot knew about. He wouldn't doubt he knew what Daralis knew about James. Lucius caught the professor's dark eyes. With a curt nod, they each grabbed one of Daralis' elbows and escorted her from the room. Harry and Draco followed, curious as to what the men were doing. The blonde woman glanced up at her father's face, truly confused as to what was going on. She tossed a look over her shoulder to her brothers. They only shrugged, being just as clueless as she was. Sighing, she let her body be dragged into the classroom in the dungeons with fighting.
"You need to explain something to us, Daralis." Severus waved his wand when the last two teens had entered the room, closing and locking the doors as well as putting up a silencing charm. She was pushed back to sit on the desk while the others lounged on the chairs around her.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She stated. Truthfully, she didn't. Was she wrong for standing up against Umbridge when she clearly called her out in front of everyone? They just up and dragged her out of the Great Hall without a single hint as to where they were going or why. Lucius clasped her small hand in his.
"Last night, we were talking about your dad. I told you that I still love him, and I always will. You said that we could tell him that tomorrow, as in today. What were you talking about, love?" Daralis' eyes shot open. That's what they wanted to know? A soft chuckle bubbled from her lips than soon blossomed into a full out laugh.
"That's it? That's what you all want to know?" The room nodded. Harry stood from his chair next to Draco, taking slow steps towards his sister.
"Are you saying that my dad is…alive?" He asked hesitantly. Dara's laughter ceased. She wiped her eyes and regained a serious expression.
"Oh yes, James Potter is most certainly alive. The key to finding him is inside of the locket, Harry." His eyes bulged.
"In the locket? What do you mean?" She stretched out her hand to him. The young raven dug into his pocket and pulled out the heavy jewelry piece, dropping it into her hand. Her eyes narrowed.
"I need the sorting hat." Severus arched his brow, but moved to step through the fireplace. In a quick moment, he was back with the worn article in hand. Daralis motioned for him to lay it down on the desk next to her.
"What does the sorting hat have to do with this?" Draco asked. She smiled over to him.
"The sorting hat holds many secrets. He is obviously a very intelligent being considering he sorts the students every year. Harry knows a few of them." With that, she hopped off of the desk. Standing before the hat, she let her hand hover the brim. She then stuck her hand inside of the hat, and what she pulled out made the Slytherin men gasped in wonder. A long silver sword slipped out from the aged hat.
"How…how did that even happen?" Daralis smirked at the sword's gleam.
"This was Godric Gryffindor's hat. Only a true Gryffindor can ask his hat for Gryffindor's sword and be rewarded with its appearance. I heard that you learned this in your second year Harry." He smiled remembering how Fawkes had soared in with the sorting hat between its talons and how the sword came out of it, being the key to defeating the basilisk. Snape sneered.
"It would serve me right to have a true Gryffindor as my mate. Better yet, a Gryffindor disguised as a Slytherin." This earned a hearty chuckle from the eldest Malfoy present.
"I always said she was more James than me. I only gave her the looks and charm." His daughter winked at her mate. Drawing in a deep breath, she placed the locket flat on the table's surface.
"You might want to cover your ears for this." She warned. Raising the sword in the air, she struck it back down directly onto the locket. A piercing screech, one that would put a banshee to shame, echoed in the room. The locket cracked under the sword's force. It then crumbled away, leaving a small amount of ash on the table, along with a folded piece of parchment. She stooped down to blow away the charred mess. Plucking up the note, she unfolded it, a broad grin stretching over her face.
"When he said that, I didn't think to take it so seriously." She muttered under her breath. Passing the note to Lucius, Dara held the sword, tip up, in front of her. She leaned over, picking up the hat, and dropped it over the sword. When the sorting hat reached the hilt, Dara pinched the top of the hat to hold it as it swallowed the rest of the weapon. Lucius gasped, falling to his rear on the floor and his cane long forgotten. Draco kneeled next to his father, concern from never witnessing his father in this state on his face.
"What does it mean, Daralis?" Said woman flopped down in a huff next to her father.
"Voldemort confessed that he never killed James Potter, only Lily. He said that he stored him somewhere, somewhere that housed the bane of his existence. When he said that, I simply thought that he was playing games. But, the note says 'Hogwarts knows all.' He's here. We need to ask Hogwarts where." She explained. Severus sauntered over to his mate, offering a hand to help her stand. When she pulled herself up, a look of understanding crossed her expression.
"I can't ask Hogwarts alone. She loves me and everything, but I'm not the bane of Voldemort's existence. Though, I can tell you who is." She turned her blue eyes to her youngest brother. Harry's jaw dropped.
"You're telling us, that you and I need to just ask for him?" She shook her head.
"Of course not. You have to go visit where Hogwarts answers all questions." Draco cocked his head at her, Snape doing the same. A smile split Harry's face.
"You mean, the Room of Requirements?" He asked. Dara cracked a grin.
"Always."
….
Well, I hope my readers enjoyed that it's finally moving somewhere. Someone asked if the final battle will be in here, yes it will. Later on, but it's coming.
Thanks for reading. See ya next time!