Hey everybody! So I finally got the review back for this chapter and the next.
It is basically the same, a few things were changed. You should still read it.
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I do not own Harry Potter or anything that goes along with the universe. This is just a fan fiction. I have never nor will ever claim anything.
Although seriously that would be awesome.
The Cave- Chapter 2
The Engagement
"Professor?" I asked, sticking my head into the dimly lit office of the head of house.
"Yes?" Professor Snape answered, looking up from his desk, students' papers in neat piles around the sides, no doubt separated by house, or by whom he tolerated the least. He scribbled something at the top of the page and moved onto the next one in the pile.
"Professor, No doubt you have heard about the plans to break into Azakaban Prison"I began.
"No, I have not, Miss Malfoy. I do not believe that it is any of your business what happens with the Dark Lord's followers, since you declined an invitation to join. You should do your best to put it from your mind and focus on your studies." He did not look up from his papers. His face bent to them, trying concentrate; his nose almost touched the paper in fact.
"Well Professor, that's just it. I can't. And with you-know-who staying at my family's house and the break-out happening soon…I need to be able to keep to myself, so to say. I wish to learn occulemncy."
"Why may I ask?"He finally looked up from the papers. Sitting up, he looked more intimidating, and I almost stepped back, but I knew that if I stood my ground, I would have a better chance at getting my favor fulfilled. I stood up straighter and raised my chin.
"No you may not, although I do believe that if you understood my predicament-you know my family's beliefs and my Aunt's mania… " I trailed off, moving my hand ever so slightly to touch the scar on my right forearm. "I believe learning occulemncy would be in my best interest, sir."
"Very well then, I do see your point," he grudgingly admitted. "Meet me back here tomorrow night after dinner. I believe that I do not have to ask you to keep this to yourself, as you well know I do not give private lessons to students." He gave a brief glance at my arm, his eyes lingering on the scar there.
"Yes, of course, sir. Tomorrow it is." I turned and walked out of the room.
I heard a rustling of branches behind me as I walked down towards the edge of the pond. I quickly looked around to see who the intruder was, but there was nobody there. I cleared my mind to make sure my thoughts were safe. With my aunt around, however, there was no telling how safe anybody was.
Dismissing the sound as just the wind, I turned back to the pond and stared into its depths. How easy it would be to jump in, and be immersed in the cool waters, be surrounded by the friendly hands of the grindelows. In some ways, what I wouldn't give to be away from all of this, I thought. Away from the hatred and the wars, the violence and prejudice. Just to be, or not be, because if I was there and not here, I would be neither here nor there? It would just be nothing, but would there really be nothing? If I was to sleep under the lake would it really be sleep, uninterrupted slumber pure blissful nothingness, or like so many long nights of thunder where interruptions came and went like the sun and always were promised to come back like a new days dusk. That there is the new question, what would this new-found freedom bring? Would the trouble to end all of the pain end the inherent anguish or would it in turn cause more? But if there is trouble would it be so much worse than it is here? Where love is ignored and rejected and authority questioned. Here where the wrong is right and the right is wrong. A dark shadow fell over the pond and cold shivers ran up my spine. It was as he, the one not from our world, the one we all will meet and have our last dance and our final kiss, Death. In the darkness he waits patiently, watching us, eager for the chance to take us from our lives. Whether we embrace Death as a lover, a friend, or our enemy he takes us all, the young and old. He is the one the Dark Lord fears most.
"Nice night, isn't it?" A cool voice interrupted my whirling thoughts. I froze, but looking up, found the cool blue eyes of Rabastan gazing into mine. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, his "depth" was nowhere to be found in that azure stillness. His eyes, like a well, reflected but gave out no light.
"Yes. That's why I came out for a walk," I replied.
"You seem to be doing a lot of walking. Do you always ignore your surroundings when you are out?" He asked inquisitively.
"Of course I know what's going on around me. " I replied with a short smile.
"Oh really? So you know that Fenir Greenback's watching you from behind the bushes?" He gestured to a dark clump of greenery a few feet away. Sure enough, there was Greyback. My blood ran cold "I saw him following you out, and wanted to make sure that you were alright. He has a nasty temper and wouldn't mind a new addition to his pack," Rabastan added, he smiled sweetly. There was something creepy about him. He gave me goose bumps. I knew that he was just trying to scare me and I let him have the satisfaction, but I was intrigued and comforted that he seemed interested in my safety.
We walked back up to the mansion together. I guess I should have felt like being nicer, as this was probably the first real human contact that he had had in a long time, but the fact that he was a Death Eater just disgusts me. He landed himself in Azkaban. He was deranged and vile, and if he ever found out that I wasn't for their "cause" I would be dead. My aunt would personally see to it.
As we came up to the French doors, Belatrix's voice echoed over us: "…Can even use Great Grandmother Violetta's ring. Do you still have it, Narcissa?" My father sat in the armchair by the fire; Draco and my mother were on the love seat, while Bella and Rolodophus sat on the couch opposite them. As we came strolling in, they all looked up at us, Draco with an apologetic look for some reason Bella on the other hand looked excited to see us.
"Did you have a nice stroll Rosaline?" My father asked me.
"Yes, it was lovely." I said, I sat down on the other couch opposite my father, Rabastan next to me. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, we were just talking about your future," Bella replied with an evil grin.
"My future?" I asked.
"Yes, your engagement specifically," My father calmly answered.
Shocked, I sat there gapping at them. Draco's guilty look made sense all of a sudden. He knew what they were going to ambush me with. I glanced at the little weasel and to his credit, he looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but sitting there. I don't really blame him, I would rather be anywhere.
"Engagement? What engagement? I'm not engaged, I'm not even dating anybody," I said as serenely as I could.
"Well, you see we think it would be best if you settled down with a respectable pure blood," father purred, tossing his long mane.
"You've already made that clear." I interjected.
"Well, since you haven't found anybody on your own, we-" he motioned around the room-. "felt that it would be best to arrange a marriage for you. Both of our marriages were arranged," he added, nodding to my mother and my aunt and uncle.
"Who exactly I am being forced to marry?" I asked. I was perturbed that they thought I couldn't find myself a husband when I hadn't even left school yet.
"Rabastan, the man himself." Bella replied smiling. Rabastan shot her a look so swift I thought he would get whiplash. "Rabastan and you will be married," she in that false sweet voice of hers, pretending to act caring.
"What? No. I mean no, he's my uncle." I said. Rabastan himself seemed dumbfounded by the news. He just stared at Bella saying nothing.
"Only by marriage and very distantly yes, since all pure bloods are related," Bella replied unconcerned. "So shall we set the date?"
"No date, there isn't going to be a wedding. I'm only 17!" I objected.
"Rosaline, be reasonable, if you haven't found anybody by now, you never will. Both your mother and aunt were married right out of school," My father said.
"They may have been, but I'm not. I'm still in school," I argued. Rabastan was strangely quiet; I guess he wasn't as opinionated about his future as I was. "I'm not going through with this."
"Only for a few more months." Bella replied.
"You can't be serious. Sure only for a few months but after that, what about a job?" I said.
"This is a respectable marriage, and once the Dark Lord has taken over you won't need a job." Bella said. "So stop being ungrateful and accept it."
"No. I won't, you cannot dictate my life." I said.
"Rosaline, I am your father and you will do as I say. If you do not, we will disown you." My father said sternly but my mother practically shrieked at his words. She would never let me be disowned, she wouldn't openly reject this marriage but she might be willing for one with one of my fellow students. I would still object to them. Terrance Higgs felt me up at the Yule Ball so I hexed him, so he was out in my mind. Marcus Flint had asked me out a few years back, I told him I had standards.
"How about once you graduate? We could have a lovely summer wedding." Bella replied, ignoring my protests. She knew she would win out in the end.
"What about the next summer? Let Rosaline figure out where she is going in life and let the details of her dream wedding be worked out later,." a cold voice intoned from behind us. I looked around to see the Dark Lord standing there. "We have plans for taking over the Wizarding world, and I need my best followers to be on the top of their game. Once everything is settled then we can have a wedding. Anyway don't all comedies end in a wedding? Why shouldn't ours?" He smirked. At his words my fate was finalized. I didn't have to choose an action; it had been chosen for me.
"Well then, I guess it's settled," Rabastan said matter-of-factly but I still couldn't tell what he was thinking. Did he want to get married?
"Let me be the first to congratulate you two and give you my blessing" Voldemort bowed graciously. "Let us have a toast. To Rabastan and Rosaline." He said raising a glass.
"Alright," I said. I had to at least feign acquiescence. I knew that much. If I was disowned there would be no future for me. I could have joined part of the resistance, but I could never fight my family.
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