I don't own Harry Potter.
Having someone delve into your mind forcefully is not a very pleasant experience. A mix of several images filled Airiala's mind as Voldemort scanned her memories for the Ultimate Truth.
Some were images that Airiala had conjured while thinking of things to distract him. Imagining fairy tales as actual beings going through a story was even more difficult with him pulling memories of her childhood and recent past into it.
Airiala watched as Red Riding Hood ran through her mother's kitchen, her father chasing her like he was the Big Bad Wolf, Humpty Dumpty playing music in her bedroom, and Cinderella sitting next to her on her way to Prom.
Voldemort was getting frustrated, Airiala could tell. He was having a hard time telling what was real and what wasn't making it nearly impossible to tell him anything regarding the Ultimate Truth.
Finally, after seeing her in bed with Prince Charming (who had black hair and dark eyes), Voldemort tossed her to the ground.
Airiala hit the ground hard, air escaping from her lungs at the impact. She took a deep breath feeling the bruises she was sure were forming on her.
"You may be able to hide the Ultimate Truth from me with your little mind tricks, but make no mistake that I have other ways of making you tell me what I want to know," he growled at her before turning to Lucius.
Airiala took a moment to relax from the mental attack and prayed that her message had reached Lando and the other Elementals. Hopefully they were making some sort of plan to stop Voldemort without the Ultimate Truth.
Cause as long as she was in his grasp she could never reveal it.
"What do you mean Airiala is calling for you?"
Lando was smiling the widest smile Raina had ever seen. It was a little annoying considering that the reason he was smiling was because Airiala was in danger.
"I mean that she sent a message to me using the Earth below her feet. Smart girl really. Had she tried to send it to anyone else it wouldn't have done anything, but it came to the Earth Elemental. I knew that she needed me. I knew it!"
Raina looked at Pyro who was looking at Lando concerned.
"What did it say exactly?"
Lando turned back to the other two Elementals, who were both looking at him like he was crazy. He blinked at them and then glared at them.
"Are you implying that Airiala wasn't calling for my help? I'll have you know that I know that she needed me otherwise she would never have sent me a message."
"But you said it yourself," Raina said softly. "The message only came to you because you are the Earth Elemental. Had she tried to send it to me or Pyro it wouldn't have gone anywhere. Just because she used the resource she had doesn't mean that she was calling for you specifically." Lando's eyes narrowed further and Raina lifted her hands in defense. "I'm just pointing out facts Lando. I don't want you to get your hopes up."
Lando laughed then, an angry laugh that had Raina backing up closer to Pyro. "You really think that she wouldn't fall for me?" Lando said harshly. "She knows the consequences of falling for a non-Elemental and that is why she wants nothing to do with that nasty Potions Master. She will come to love me, and this message is just the first step to her accepting me as her own."
Pyro pulled Raina behind him and stepped forward. "What are you talking about Lando? What consequences?"
Lando shrugged. "Anyone stupid enough to reject an Elemental's love is doomed to extreme pain for the rest of their lives, that is all. I found that information in the library and brought it to her attention is all. Couldn't have her going off falling for someone else when she is destined to be mine, now can I?"
Raina gasped. "You showed her that? But what about the other half that shows that if the non-Elemental loves the Elemental as strongly that that love will last for all time, did you show her that?"
Lando looked at Raina with disgust written on his features. "Why would I do that? It isn't the important part of it."
Pyro's eyes flashed as anger washed through him at Lando's actions. "That is the most important part, especially if she was beginning to fall for Severus."
"The Potions Master again? Listen, Airiala came to her senses and turned that man away. She knew better than to try and make it work with him when she knew that I am the much better choice."
Pyro wanted so badly to hit him, but he never got the chance. Raina stepped forward and slapped Lando across the face, knocking the boy to the ground.
Lando groaned as he hit the ground. He looked up at Raina and Pyro with shock and confusion in his eyes. Raina glared at him while Pyro looked at her in shock.
"I've seen a lot in my time here at Hogwarts Lando," Raina said in a firm tone, "but I have never seen anyone act as selfishly as you have. If you want Airiala to love you then you need to be honest towards her and know that, in the end, she may not choose you, and you should accept that gracefully. Airiala deserves to be happy with a man she chooses, not one that forced himself upon her."
Raina turned and walked away, leaving both the men behind her. Lando looked up at Pyro with hurt in his eyes.
"Pyro?"
Pyro shook his head. "She's right. Airiala and Severus may not be the same when it comes to magical abilities, but I know that he cares for her far more than you, or he, think he does. Airiala deserves that, not a spoiled little boy like you."
Lando looked down at the ground, the words of his friends going through his head. He listened as Pyro walked away from him, he didn't bother to look up to know that he had gone after Raina.
Was it so wrong of him to want an Elemental to be his wife? To want someone who understood the call of his element when it called to him and who had her own element that called to her as well?
He didn't think it was wrong to want someone to spend the rest of his life with and for that someone to be of equal ability to him. But they were right about one thing and even he knew it, Airiala deserved to make that decision on her own.
Even if her choice wasn't him.
Lando stood and took off after Pyro and Raina. There was a map included with Airiala's note, and he was going to need all the help he could get to rescue her.
She felt the fingers grasping her hair moments before she was lifted off the ground by it. She had seen it in the movies many times, but never imagined that being lifted by the hair would hurt so damn much.
She was turned and found herself face to face with Lucius Malfoy. He looked so happy to finally have her in his grasp and Airiala couldn't blame him for that. She had been embarrassing him most of the year.
"I think that I know exactly what this little Wind Elemental holds most dear to her heart that we could use against her," Lucius said firmly. "And if I'm wrong then at least we still get the satisfaction of taking revenge against that traitor."
Traitor? Airiala narrowed her eyes in confusion before realization dawned on her and her eyes widened in shock.
Severus.
They wanted to hurt Severus.
Lucius smiled at her reaction. "Seems I hit a nerve," he said in a confident tone. "I knew the moment I saw you in the Great Hall and Severus was trying to pass you off as a student to protect you that there was something more going on than meets the eyes. Tell me," he ran a finger down her cheek causing Airiala to shiver in disgust. "Was he very good to you, when you were in bed together?"
Airiala forced the memories down, knowing that Voldemort was still reading her, but it seemed as though he had found exactly what he was looking for and was pushing that forward.
Memories of Severus from the past year filled her mind.
Severus in Hagrid's hut, healing shirtless as he ate the stew she brought him.
Severus adding potions ingredients as she read them out to him.
Severus yelling at her.
Severus' shocked expression when she kissed him.
Severus eyes when they made love.
Severus's hurt expression when she told him it was just lonliness.
Severus fighting with the other teachers.
Severus.
Voldemort's laughter brought Airiala back to Earth as Lucius dropped her back to the ground. She glared up at the two men with such hatred that it couldn't be denied.
"Severus will suffer either way," Voldemort said firmly. "But this does make it much more interesting."
Airiala glared up at Voldemort and then at Lucius. "You want to know the Ultimate Truth?" she said firmly.
Lucius raised an eyebrow at the girl and Voldemort smirked at her. "I knew you would tell us in exchange of Severus' life."
Airiala took a deep breath. "The Ultimate Truth is..."
Voldemort and Lucius leaned forward to listen to what she had to say.
Airiala glared at them both before speaking.
"I hate Severus Snape."
It was subtle change in the air, but everyone stopped when it happened. The wind had stopped completely.
Severus was in the middle of a planning session when he felt the change occur. He didn't know how he knew that something had changed, but he had.
He saw across the yard when the Water Elemental fell to the ground, tears in her eyes. The Fire Elemental pulled her into his arms and held her. Severus didn't know he was moving until he reached them.
"What is it?"
Pyro looked up at Severus, sadness filling his eyes. "The wind has stopped."
Severus nodded. "I noticed, what does it mean?"
Lando came up then, his own eyes filled with sadness. "It means that the Wind Elemental is no more and soon another will take her place."
Severus' eyes filled with shock.
"It means, Airiala is dead."