Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Web of Redemption COMPLETE	By : FemmeBono Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 3455 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Re: TrickyWoo, this should make the pairing a
tad clearer... and as a heads-up, there may be a *few* more moments that you
won't like. I promise it's necessary.
Chapter 6: Knots entangled, lives meshed



   Screams erupted further down the
path. Crashing through the underbrush, barely able to see and hearing the
rending cries of a woman, he swept on. Branches caught, slashed at his cloak and
trousers as he ran toward the light beyond. Suddenly he came into a clearing to
find chaos. What had been a Muggle campsite was in flames, and on one side,
tearing and ripping at what looked to have been a man, was Fenrir. He looked up
at the sound of someone approaching, his bloody mouth stretched into a grisly
leer. Further ahead, on the ground, was Lucius. So intent was he on tearing the
woman out of her clothes that he did not even register someone had arrived on
the scene. Still she pleaded with him for her life, writhing against him as he
sat on her legs.

   "God! What are you
doing?" he screamed, and found himself bolting straight up in bed.
Clutching at his racing heart, Severus took a moment to realize where he was. As
his breathing slowly returned to normal he cursed the woman who left the
suggestion of coping with nightmares in his head, only to have it fester and
return with some of his own memories brought to the surface again after so long.
And yet, he also felt the pangs of remorse and regret for the one he could not
save and the many others who came after her.

   ***

   The days leading up to start
of term were filled with meetings on the extra security precautions, hallway
duties, including patrolling during classes and in the evenings, scheduling
assignments for classes, and any number of other details to make sure things
started off smoothly and continued that way. Over the course of these sessions
and Cassie's continued interaction with Severus she could never quite decide how
she felt about him or where she stood with him. In fact, she alternated between
wanting to ease the tension crease that formed right between his arched eyebrows
and wanting to show him where exactly he could stick his wand. Did the man
ever smile, she wondered one day during a particularly lengthy discussion of how
to handle the changing of the aurors' shifts on castle grounds. Moreover, what
did his laugh sound like and did he laugh at all? This seemed to be one of the
days when she wanted more to soothe whatever frustrations were creasing his
forehead as she watched him sitting, deep in thought on what she was sure had
nothing to do with the subject at hand. It was at this point that his reverie
was broken and he noticed her staring contemplatively. She shook her head,
flushing slightly, and looked away. Lucky he couldn't read her thoughts now, she
said to herself. "God, don't let me get fixated," she continued in her
inner monologue, "it always happens that I want the ones who don't want me
at all. And yet..." she wondered, "he did compare me to Lily of all
people. But do I want to be compared to the long-dead love of his life? Those
are awfully big shoes to fill."

    At that, the meeting was
adjourned and everyone rose.

    "Professor Pearl, if I
might have a word," said Severus just as she reached the door. She stepped
back, allowing Professor Flitwick to pass and stood waiting for everyone to
clear out.

   "You know, you can call me
Cassie," she replied, somewhat rankled at the formal address.

   "If you'll excuse me, you
don't strike me as quite childlike enough for that name," was the curt
response.

   "Cassandra then?"

   "Perhaps."

   "Being that we're alone now,
what is it that you wanted?"

   "I have something of yours in
my chamber. I thought you may want to retrieve it as I believe it is supposed to
be of value. I'm not quite so sure that it is, however... but if you'll
follow me." And on that mysterious note, he swept out the door and
downstairs to the dungeons.

    Cassie followed him out
wondering why in the world he hadn't just brought it to the meeting or why he
would even leave something in his quarters as opposed to his office. It felt,
well, intimate to be following him back to his rooms, and Cassie tried to ignore
the tingle that blossomed in her belly at the thought. She found herself walking
double-time to keep up with his long strides, determined this time not to follow
like a subordinate. Together they crossed the main hallway of the dungeons, this
time turning left instead of right and stopping midway down in front of a
portrait of a lethal looking adder. Uttering the password ("Prince"),
Severus then proceeded to wave his wand over the face of the portrait, which
only then swung inward to reveal the rooms beyond. He stepped in only to be
greeted by a very distinct, "woof!"

   "Lump?" Cassie couldn't
help it; she laughed out loud when she realized what her "valuable"
was. "But why did you er...lock him in?"

   "It seems this 'lump' as you
put it found the utmost joy in rummaging through the bottom shelves of my
potions stores," Severus said as he brushed at the drool stains on his
knees. "Apparently, being a...somewhat small being with no magical
ability the passwords are unnecessary. He can, it seems, pass straight through
the doors seeing as how they are not of any real substance."

   "He didn't get into anything
did he? Was he sick at all or--"

   "No, although he knocked over
several bottles trying to get into them and was sniffing at a bottle of highly
expensive dragon's blood."

   Cassie's stomach lurched.
"Yeah, I'll bet he was into that. I'm sorry, I just figured he should
explore his new home and get to know where he was going to be living. I had no
idea he could get himself into trouble like that, but then...how will I keep him
from getting into a place he shouldn't be? I can't have someone just put extra
shields up at my door and take them down every time I'm going or coming."

   "Actually, I had a word with
Filch over it and he has taken to dog-proofing the castle as it were. Everything
below three feet in height goes up unless it can be chewed, eaten, or...DROOLED
ON!" His voice raised as he advanced into the room, having spotted any
number of feathers coating his bed, carpet, chair, and side table. Rent fabric
was strung everywhere and appeared to be quite wet. With a lazy flick of his
wrist the pillow re-made itself, down filling and all. One more flick and it was
dry and apparently laundered. Still he advanced, wand aimed at the dog who now
backed up whimpering once and giving a hopeful wag.

   "No, Severus! Behave!"

   "I? Behave?"

   "He didn't mean to--he just
doesn't do well when he's confined and he was bored."

   "Get that bloody dog out of
my quarters at once!"

   "Oh calm down. It's fixed.
And you're scaring him."

   "He ruddy well ought to be
scared." Severus looked daggers at the dog, who trotted over to his mother
and stood looking out from behind her legs.

   Hoping to leave on a lighter note
Cassie ignored the threat and asked, "what's the band around his waist
anyway?"

   "Oh yes, in addition to the
any number of exploits he's been into, he apparently peed on the auror Dawlish
who was posted up on the seventh floor last evening."

   "Ah. Well...thanks for
looking out for him. I'm sure he'll stay out of your way."

   "You just see that he
does." At that, Severus stepped back into his room and slammed the door in
her face.

   "Well done, you big lummox.
You got yourself and your mother in trouble," she sighed, "right when
I thought he was approaching friendly."
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Web of Redemption *COMPLETE*

Web of Redemption COMPLETE