A/N: I own nothing
"OWLs are far more difficult than I expected." said Clio as she walked out of the Great Hall with Hermione "My brain feels like it's going to melt."
"That's physically impossible under normal circumstances." said Hermione.
"I was talking figuratively, Mione." said Clio.
"I know~" said Hermione with a smirk that just looked silly on her face.
"What would I do without you, Mione?" asked Clio sarcastically but with a smile on her face. Clio felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she half turned to glance behind her, only to be hit by a jet of red light. A choked noise escaped her throat as she fell to the ground, her body alighting with a white hot pain that she experienced once before. Someone had just cast the Cruciatus Curse on her but, thankfully, she only had to endure it for one excruciating minute before the spell faded.
"Clio!" cried Hermione as she dropped down next to her friend "Clio are you alright?"
"Wha-?" croaked Clio as she tried to sit up.
"It was Ron." said Hermione as she helped Clio sit up. Clio saw that Ron was being restrained by a few of the OWLs Examiners.
"You bitch!" yelled Ron "I'll kill you! You ruined everything! You should've died with your mudblood mother you filthy half-blood!" he broke free from the examiners and slashed with his wand in Clio's direction "Sectumsempra!"
"Look out!" said Hermione as she got between Clio and the spell. Clio's eyes widened as a few drops of blood hit her face before Hermione slumped against her.
"Mione?" she said "Hermione?!" She groaned slightly but didn't answer and Clio feared the worst as several professors came running up. Hermione was quickly taken away and Clio was left sitting there, trembling, until Lulubell came.
"Are you alright?" she asked as she crouched next to her.
"Why?" asked Clio as she watched Ron get taken away, cursing and screaming at her the whole way "Why did Hermione do that?" She startled when Lulubell suddenly hugged her and her eyes were wide when Lulubell finally pulled back.
"Let's get you to the Hospital Wing to get you looked at." said Lulubell as she helped Clio to her feet. Clio nodded and allowed the Noah of Lust to lead her to the Hospital Wing though Clio was having a bit of difficulty walking. Her legs felt like they were full of pins and needles and her body was throbbing. She fought back tears as she prayed for Hermione to be alright. When they reached the Hospital Wing, she noted that a curtain had been pulled around one of the beds and she could see shadows behind it as well as hear murmured voices. Clio sat down on one of the beds with Lulubell sitting next to her, providing comfort with her silent presence. Time seemed to drag on until Madam Pomfrey finally pulled back the curtain. Clio watched as Snape swept out of the room. Why had Snape been here? A tingle of magic made her look at Madam Pomfrey as wisps of smoky magic surrounded her before blinking a few different colors.
"There isn't any permanent damage from the curse, thank god for that." said Madam Pomfrey "But you might feel a few twinges of pain over the next few hours."
"How's Hermione?" asked Clio.
"She'll be fine." said Madam Pomfrey "She'll be in pain for a few days but it was healed quick enough and I applied dittany so it won't scar. She should be able to sit her OWLs tomorrow so long as no complications crop up."
"Thank you." said Clio. Madam Pomfrey nodded before disappearing into her office. Clio gave a relieved sigh before standing and allowing Lulubell to lead her out of the Hospital Wing.
"I'll inform lord Millennium of this incident." said Lulubell "That boy will be dealt with accordingly." Clio nodded but remained silent. She didn't pity Ron Weasley when Adam got a hold of him or even worse, Sheril. A shudder went down her spine at the thought of Sheril finding out about what happened to Hermione. He would torture the boy in the worst way possible, that was certain. The two of them stopped at the Fat Lady's painting.
"I will leave you here." said Lulubell "Please try to stay out of trouble."
"I'll try." said Clio.
-line-line-
She was in the white room, sitting at the white piano. Her fingers danced across the ebony keys as she played a soft melody that was sad and heartfelt.
"I thought I'd find you here, Eve." She stopped playing and turned towards the person.
"Lord Noah." she said "I'm sorry, I just couldn't sleep."
"You've managed to work your way though the night once again." said Noah "Adam worked himself into a panic because you weren't there when he woke up."
"I love that man to death," she said with an exasperated sigh "But we only found out that I'm pregnant a week ago and already he's acting like a mother hen." she closed her eyes and took a relaxing breath before opening them again "It's morning?"
"Yes." said Noah.
"It is... difficult to tell time in this room." she said "Plus I got so caught up in my work."
"The song sounds beautiful." said Noah "The Ark loves it already, I can tell."
"I might have the melody perfected, sir." she said "But it is far from complete. I still need to come up with lyrics and I'm having trouble with that."
"I'm sure they'll come to you eventually." said Noah "Now come, before Adam decides to level the Ark searching for you." She nodded and stood.
"Sometimes I'm tempted to tell him about this place." she said as she followed him to the glowing doorway "But then I realize that I'll never get a moment's peace if I do. Besides, some secrets are better left secrets."
"Indeed they are." said Noah "It is best if only our Musician knew of this room. The secret room of my secret Fourteenth Disciple."
-~~end dream~~-
Clio blearily opened her eyes when she heard a trilling noise close to her ear. A flicker of blue and black caught her attention and she saw the butterfly golem Adam had given her fluttering just above her head. Sitting up, she yawned before glancing around the Common Room, noting that it was empty and fairly dark. The only light came from the dying fire in the fireplace. Her golem trilled again and she allowed it to land on her palm.
"What is it?" she murmured as she studied her golem "I was having an interesting dream that you interrupted." It trilled again as it moved across her palm before fluttering off. Clio yawned and stood before turning with the intent to go to her dorm, only to crash into something. An arm snaked around her waist and steadied her as she stared blearily for a moment before looking up at their face.
"Adam?" she said. Adam smiled softly at her as he cupped her face with his free hand before gently kissing her.
"Hello darlin'." he said softly "How are you feeling?"
"Alright." she said "Why are you here? I thought you were in China?"
"I came as soon as I sensed something wrong." he replied as he sat down and tugged her onto his lap "Lulubell filled me in on what happened. Are you certain that you're fine?"
"Yes." she said as she shifted to look at him "I'm certain. Pain is something I'm use to by now. Especially after the childhood I had before coming to Hogwarts."
"You were neglected by your guardians."
"Not just that. I...I didn't tell you the whole truth about my childhood. Like the fact I slept in a broom cupboard until I got my Hogwarts letter." She felt him go deathly still.
"What?" hissed Adam "They made you sleep in a cupboard?" Clio shrank back a bit and he quickly reined in his temper "I'm sorry, my muse. I didn't mean to scare you." he hugged her in a comforting manner "Clio, I must know. Did they ever harm you physically?"
"Yes." said Clio after a moment "It was mainly my Uncle and cousin but my Aunt did take a swing at me with a frying pan once or twice. All of my ribs have been broken at least twice, both of my arms have been broken, both of my shoulders have been dislocated several times, and I've gotten more bruises than I can count as well as several broken noses from my cousin, who beat me up like it was a game."
"Oh, my muse." said Adam before kissing her cheek "My poor little muse. Why didn't I check on you sooner? I could've prevented all of this."
"You're a busy man." said Clio as she rested her head on his shoulder "And you hadn't even known about my parents' deaths until this past summer."
"It's still unforgivable." he said sadly "It was my duty to ensure that you were being taken care of. I could have prevented the abuse, the neglect, and the suffering you had to endure since your parents' deaths."
"Adam." she said as she placed a hand on his cheek "I don't blame you for anything. You saved me and that's all that counts." She placed a kiss on his cheek and he turned and caught her lips with his before she could pull back. The kiss was gentle and sweet but he pulled back after a brief moment and rested his forehead against hers before closing his eyes. It was times like these that Clio found herself forgetting that he was an ancient and dangerous man who was destined to drag the world into a second darkness. He just seemed so weary and sad, like the weight of the whole world rested on his shoulders. Clio noticed that he seemed more than content to just sit there with her in his arms and that was alright with her. She felt warm and she soon drifted back to sleep, vaguely realizing that she still needed to ask him about the Fourteenth but deciding that she'd just ask him later. Adam opened his eyes a moment later and smiled faintly when he saw that she was asleep. He stood with her in his arms and gently laid her on the couch in the most comfortable position he was able to maneuver her into. Then he conjured a light blanket, which he carefully laid over her.
"What would I do without you, my muse?" he said as he brushed a few errant strands of hair out of her face "You are my light. You are they only thing keeping me from descending into the maddening darkness that has been eating at me for seven thousand years." He placed a kiss on her cheek before straightening up. It was time for him to head back to the manor and do a bit of planning.