{Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World was created by J.K. Rowling and rights and owned by, but not limited to, Scholastic Books and Warner Brothers. I, therefore, own no parts of this save for Andromeda McGee and Wyvern the cat.}
Chapter 19
Until Death Do Us Part
What I see in the night
What I feel in your heart
All your dreams, all your lies
Can you tell them apart?
See the hands on the clock
Are you watching them turn?
For your candle is quite low
We've been watching it burn
Do you lie here awake,
As the shadows look on?
Should they cry for your sake?
Should you sleep in their arms?
For the shadows see all
And they rarely forget
Every dream that you've had
Every act you regret
"Midnight"from the musical Beethoven's Last Night by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Andy awoke from a short afternoon nap feeling groggy and unfocused. She supposed it was almost time to get ready, but was unwilling to do so. Instead, she reached over to the folded parchment seated on her nightstand. She turned it over in her hands fingering the green and silver wax seal. It was in the shape on the letter "M" intertwined with two serpents. Malfoy…She opened the folded paper, reading it again as she had done numerous times before.
"Dear Andromeda," it began. Andy wanted to know when Lucius had decided that they were on a first name basis.
"You are cordially invited to a New Year's Celebration at the Malfoy Estate. The festivities will commerce promptly at 8 o'clock p.m. on December 31. Please RSVP by owl no later than December 30." It was signed in the fancy scrawl of Lucius Malfoy himself.
Naturally, she had no other choice than to RSVP and accept the invitation. She had asked Severus about the so-called "celebration" and he had explained that it was simply a cover up for the Induction. He had received a similar invitation, which made Andy glad that she wouldn't have to enter the serpent's lair completely alone. Thank gods for that small gift.
Andy placed the invitation back on her nightstand and reluctantly got out from under the covers. Checking her watch, she noticed that she had a little over three hours to ready. Knowing that she wouldn't need all of the time to get ready, even though it was important to look good enough to make a decent impression on her host and Lord Voldemort for that matter. She decided that the best thing to do first would be to take a long, hot shower. It would not only clean her up, but wake her up as well, which was something she really needed at the moment.
She was correct in that aspect at least. The shower did help her wake up and focus, but it did nothing to quell the nervousness rising inside her. She donned a burgundy bath terry cloth bathrobe with fuzzy slippers and made a mug of mint tea in hopes it would grant her some essence of calmness.
Sitting in an overstuffed chair with a large mug of tea, Andy wondered about the night's upcoming events. It wasn't something she looked forward to doing, but she knew it was the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She had never dreamed of herself being in this position to become servant to a Dark Lord she did not want to serve. It couldn't be helped. It had to happen. Anything that she could have done to get out of this would only make her dead. This option at least prolonged her life for a bit longer.
There was nothing that she could have done differently. Sure, she could have not felt bad for Severus after he had been injured, which would have made it so she wouldn't have been in the hospital room with him when the port key transported the two of them into Voldemort's palace and the only thing she could do to keep them both alive was to brew the Merlin's Potion, even though it was faulty. That was how Lord Voldemort came to be convinced that he was invincible and that she was now on his side.
This, of course, she could all blame on Severus Snape who had saved her from Azkaban in the first place, bringing the wizard's debt upon her even though he did help her regain her memories and her life. So therefore, Andy reasoned as she took a sip of her tea, this whole problem could be rooted back to Severus for rescuing her in the first place. That meant that he was the root of all her problems. That made her feel a little better, but not all that much.
Finishing her tea and not feeling much better than before, Andy reluctantly approached her wardrobe, not wanting to put on what was hanging inside. It would only bring her closer to her destruction. She opened the doors any way, knowing she couldn't stop the inevitable from occurring. Severus had told her that the party was a formal ordeal, as in black ties and long dresses.
The dress Andy had purchased was a simple-cut backless, black halter with gold trim and a neckline cut a little too low for her tastes. Severus had explained it would get her on Malfoy's good side if she showed a bit of skin. Not that she had much to show off in the first place. She snorted that that idea. She had always been small built with just enough curves to show that she was a woman. All through her childhood, she had been jealous of the girls who had curvy hips or chests that guys admired. She didn't care any more. It wasn't like she had men chasing her by the dozen. She didn't need them anyway, not during times like these. Right now she just needed a better life.
Andy slid the dress on over the necessary under garments. Looking in the mirror, she decided that it didn't look all that bad. She added a pair of matching gold sandals to complete the outfit. Simply stunning, she thought to herself, though the hair could use a bit of work.
Her hair had grown out since she had last cut it, but it was still short and spiky, the way it had always been, since her release. Ben had told her that she looked like a shorter version of Meg Ryan with her hair cut like that. Andy disagreed, except for the hair part. She twisted her bangs back, pinning them with red rose buds. It looked better than before; she had to admit that much. She added a spritz of her favorite perfume, a delicate hint of lavender flowers. She added a touch of smoky eye shadow, mascara, rouge, and lipstick. Grabbing the matching cloak, Andy made her way to Snape's rooms and knocked at the door. He was her only way to get to the party.
Snape heard the insistent knocking at his door just as he was knotting his tie. "It should be open," he snapped, frustrated at his uncooperative neckpiece that did not want to tie correctly. He heard the thick door open and close as some one entered the room. With a final tug, he gave up on his tie and he turned to meet his guest.
The sight he beheld amazed him, though he chose not to show it. Andromeda had some how become a completely stunning creature. Delicate heels made tall enough to be more noticeable and the dress showed enough cleavage to make a man look twice. "Impressive, McGee," he kept his reaction to himself. "You clean up better than I would have thought."
Andy smiled and Snape could have melted there and then. His training as a Death Eater was the only thing that prevented him from doing so. "You aren't so bad yourself, Sev, though the tie needs a bit of work." With gentle hands she unknotted the tie and retied it so it lay straight and flat against his chest. "There, all spiffy." She gave him a once over glance. He wore a black tux with a deep emerald shirt and the uncooperative black tie that she had tamed. His normally loose hair was neatly pulled back at the nape of his neck.
"Here," he pulled a small box from his pocket and gave it to her. "This was supposed to be Christmas gift, but I didn't have the chance to give it to you properly."
Andy opened it, finding a gold chain with a ruby pendant. "It's gorgeous!"
"It was my mother's," Severus explained. "After she died, all of her possessions became mine. I wanted you to have this. There is a protection spell on it that will lessen the effects of some of the curses." He clasped it around her neck, noticing that it matched her outfit perfectly.
"Thank you," she whispered, softly caressing the cold stone. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Andy had been depressed when she had given Severus a nice silver pocket watch with a serpent on the front of it, but this definitely more than made up for it. The room fell silent for a moment as they both collected their thoughts.
"All ready to go?" he asked, not wanting to bring her to this fate, but not wanting to stay alone with her so close much longer.
"As ready as I shall ever be," her wide grin had morphed to a dejected countenance. "I don't know if I can do this, Sev. I really don't."
Severus placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "You've been through Azkaban, McGee. This can't be much worse than that."
"Yes, it can," her voice was a little bit above a whisper. "I know the people who are going to hurt me."
Snape didn't know how to respond. It was the truth. She knew him and she knew a few other Death Eaters by acquaintance. It was different to be tortured by those you know than those you didn't. He pulled out his invitation, turning it in his fingers meditatively. "You will get through it. Alive. Trust me, McGee. If everything else fails, I will get you out of there alive."
"You promise?" she looked him straight in the eye. He noticed tears were starting to well up.
"Yes, I promise." Andy wrapped her arms around his waist, getting her last hug of comfort before she would face one of her worst fears. Snape gently hugged her back, knowing that she would need all the support she could get tonight. "Alright, Andy," he figured that now would be a better time than never to actually use her given name. "It is time go. To be early is to be on time."
"Okay," she sounded dazed, but that was to be expected.
Snape pulled a small silver serpent from his robes, similar to port key that had brought them Lord Voldemort months ago. Andy touched it and felt the familiar sensation of a hook grabbing her bellybutton and pulling her toward the destination of the Malfoy Estate.
The Estate was a gigantic, ornate building, more of a castle than anything else. She had expected as much. Severus offered his arm to her and she took it, needing all the support she could get. He knocked on the door.
It opened on its own will and Snape lead her inside. Andy had to do all she could to stop from gawking at all the gold and antiques. She knew the Malfoys were a prestigious Pureblood family, willing to flaunt all that they could. Taking notice of all their possessions would only show her weakness. She had to act as if she was used to all the glitz.
Lucius Malfoy appeared, dressed in formal black. "Ah, Severus, Andromeda, nice of you to make it." He kissed Andy formally on the back of the hand. "The house elves will take your cloaks. Come. The celebration is just through the foyer."
After depositing their over garments to the waiting servants, Andy and Severus followed Malfoy into what could only be called a Grand Ballroom. It was at least as large as the Great Hall in Hogwarts, decorated with fantastic tapestries and portraits. Candelabras stood tall and gilded at intervals around the walls. A giant fireplace was roaring with flames. Three chandeliers hung from the ceiling, giving enough light to make a pleasant, if not mysterious atmosphere. Andy was thoroughly impressed even though it would not be correct etiquette to show it.
Malfoy had wandered off to speak with other guests, leaving Andy and Severus alone. Andy busied herself by admiring the décor. "We should mingle with the other guests," Snape spoke quietly, "both of us. It is better for our images."
"Even though I don't know any of these people?"
"That is what I am here for. Some of these people are less harmful than others, so I will introduce you to them." Snape offered his arm to her again and the two set off into the crowd.
"Hello, Severus," a deep voice offered greeting to their left. "I see you finally found a lady friend."
Snape turned toward the man, glaring slightly at him. He had been the brunt of many jokes due to his confirmed bachelorhood. "Andromeda, this is Ignatius Bennett. Ignatius, this is Andromeda McGee,"
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Madame," he kissed her hand. It seemed to her that was the form of greeting used to here for women at least. "I'm glad some one finally changed Severus's mind about staying single. Took him long enough, it did."
Andy glanced at Snape, seeing how he took it. He kept a carefully blank expression. Neither knew how to take it. Snape thought about it for a moment and decided to use Ignatius to his advantage.
Bennett continued, "Well, you folks, take care, I think I need a drink." He left them alone as he wandered in search on the punch bowl.
"Sev, what do we do now?"
The Slytherin smirked. He had a plan. "It is quite simple, Andromeda. If he wants to think that we a couple, then we let him. In the long run, it will keep the other Death Eaters from getting their hands on you if they know I already have a claim on you."
"So you're asking me out, again?" She remembered last year when they had plotted against Sirius by hooking up, if only for a few days.
"If that's how you want to take it, then yes, I am, for tonight at least."
Andy smiled at him. "Yes, Sev, I would love to go out with you, even if it is only for a night."
Snape felt his heart flutter. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do under the circumstance, but if the other Death Eaters knew that he had laid a claim to her, they would keeps their hands off. If he didn't have a claim on her, who knew what some of them would do her. But with her being his, he could control her fate, even if it meant cursing her or worse. Hopefully she would be able to forgive him for what ever he would be forced to do to her.
Andy wasn't sure what to think. She agreed with him that it would be for her protection, but actually dating Severus Snape was something she never thought of. She had always been with Sirius until he disappeared and everything went wrong. Sev was different. He wasn't as caring or lovable, but he could be sweet when he put his mind to it. She liked the idea.
A quartet in the corner began to play. The music drifted over the conversations, cutting through the words to make the melody heard. "Shall we?" Andy gazed up into his dark eyes.
"Shall we what?"
"Dance. You used to dance."
"Andy, that was a long time ago. I can't now."
"Come on, Sev, please? Other couples are dancing."
She was right. He had been decent on the dance floor. He really didn't want to but supposed it would further their plot against the other Death Eaters. "Fine, but only once." He offered his hand to her and they maneuvered out to the dance floor.
Severus took her into his arms, feeling how light she was. He hadn't danced with a woman in longer than he could remember. Andy was a pleasure to have in his arms, light on her feet and following his every move. He felt her head lay on his chest, making his heart stir with emotions that had never been there before. It wasn't love. No, he wouldn't call it that, but he did care for her.
Andy was thrilled that he had agreed to dance with her. She remembered him being a fabulous dancer. The picture that Ginny had found in the album of the two of them dancing filled her memory. Tonight more memories would be made, both good and terrible.
{Author's Note: The phrase "To be early is to be on time" is part of my Drama Director's favorite speech which goes as follows: "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is unacceptable." I know I said the Induction was going to be in this chapter, but some how I started writing this and it got up nearly 3000 words so I figured that I would split that chapter and write the next one as the Induction. The first part of this chapter was written in a notebook listening to Linkin Park while I waiting for the two year old to wake up from her afternoon nap. The last part of the chapter was done while listening to Beethoven's Last Night by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which is an awesome CD. Where else can you hear Beethoven and some Mozart on electric guitar?
Josie: As soon as I figure out how to make living snow globes, you will be the first to get one. And sometimes, I don't even know what I am doing with this story. Take this chapter for example.
Sora: It wasn't much shorter than usual. I think all the dialogue made it seem that way. I think Snape does cheer her up a little bit here.
Peace, Love, and Peanut-butter Chocolate Smidgens, Nataly Ravenlock}