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Heart of Darkness and Light	By : Lynne Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 2396 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 7
- 8
Heart of Darkness and Light
Chapter 8

In 10 minutes time, Severus had apparated to the same clearing he was summoned to the week previously. Ariah soon followed in her raven form. Severus was surprised; rarely did they meet in the same place twice. What was more odd was that he appeared to be alone, save the lone raven in the branches of a nearby tree. He felt uncomfortable, a twinge of danger crossing his mind. Ariah shared his feeling. Something was not right. It only took another few seconds for the feelings to be justified.

‘Crucio!’ cried a voice from the shadow of a large tree.

Severus never saw it coming until it was too late and he collapsed on the ground. Lucius stepped out of the shadow and stood over Severus, kicking him twice in the face, drawing blood and breaking teeth. One by one, Death Eaters came out of the shadows and circled around the prone former Dark Wizard. Each of them had his wand drawn and pointed at Severus. Ariah transformed quietly into her energy form. She hovered on the outskirts of the circle of Death Eaters, none sensing her presence. The circle of armed Death Eaters abruptly parted and Voldemort slithered into their midst.

‘Well, Severus,’ hissed Voldemort, ‘seems you’ve been playing both sides against the middle here. We can’t have that, now can we?’

‘You knew what I was, I was working for you,’ said Severus.

‘AND for that fool Dumbledore. How much of our dirty little secrets did you tell that ridiculous old man?’

‘None. Only what you told me to tell him.’

‘And again you lie,’ spat Voldemort, ‘Get him up,’ he ordered the nearest two Death Eaters.

Voldemort sat in a large chair that Lucius had transformed out of a rock, ‘bring him over here.’

He was pulled up from the ground, his body still shaking from the Cruciatus, and thrown to his knees in front of Voldemort. Severus looked up at him through the bloody matted curtain of his hair and spit more blood onto the ground in front of him.

‘If I lie, it’s because you taught me so well,’ stated Severus, his ebony eyes flashing.

‘You betrayed me.’

‘Of course I did. Did you really expect ME of all people to stay loyal to your dirty little cause? To your pathetic attempts to regain power? Once you lost power to that mewling little Potter brat, what was the point in remaining loyal? If a child could beat you over and again, why would I even begin to think you could fulfill a single one of your promises? You promised me power. Where is it? You promised me glory, where is it? I toil in a potions classroom; trying to teach and recruit followers for you, attempting to assist in finding you a way to regain some of your pride while you resort to piggybacking on the skull of a moron and possessing a Weasley to open the Chamber of Secrets. Incidentally, you failed miserably in both attempts, didn’t you? Potter is still alive. The boy has more lives than an average housecat.’

Voldemort hissed. Ariah could feel his anger building. Severus was baiting the Dark Lord and Ariah suddenly understood why. If Severus made this personal, Voldemort would punish him personally, forcing him to expend the limited reserves of power that Voldemort had, buying the Light a little more time.

‘You will suffer for that, Snape,’ spat Voldemort. Lucius raised his wand. ‘No, Lucius, this is MY pleasure. Algidus Sanguinarius!’ Severus felt the blood in his veins to ice.

Again Voldemort pointed his wand at Severus. ‘Deflagratio Sanguinarius!’ Severus felt his blood now boil.

‘Parlor tricks, Lord Voldemort,’ stated Severus. Holding his stomach, Severus began to laugh.

Voldemort’s anger was now palpable. He threw several curses at Severus, who continued to laugh. He bade his followers to make Severus suffer. They surrounded him, wands flashing, feet kicking, fists punching. And still, Severus laughed. Ariah trembled. She knew what he was doing. He was sacrificing himself for the Light. He was giving himself death. She looked over at Voldemort and saw him slumped in his chair, exhausted from his efforts to break Severus. Through it all, he never did. Severus never broke. There was nothing broken about his spirit, he radiated strength and light in spite of the damage the Death Eaters were doing to his body. She saw Lucius step back from the group. The other Death Eaters parted ranks. Lucius looked over at Voldemort, who summoned the strength to nod his assent. Lucius lifted his wand, pointed it at Severus and spoke deliberately, enjoying each of the two words as he launched the ultimate Unforgivable at Severus Snape.

‘Avada Kedavra,’ his wand pulsated and a green light shot out of the tip.

Ariah felt herself coalesce into her human form. She appeared between the killing curse and Severus and raised her arms high. What Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy saw was a sight forever burned into their memories. Ariah, the younger incarnation of the goddess Macha, stood in their midst, arms raised, eyes blazing, electricity emanating from her fingertips. Her appearance was both beautiful and terrible. The Killing Curse entered her body. She flinched for a moment, and then, in a sight more frightening than anything either could remember, she smiled. She clenched her hands into fists and released the green light of the curse into the circle of Death Eaters. The Earth rumbled, the Death Eaters fell. The trees in the clearing toppled, the wind whipped up. Rain pelted those still remaining. Lighting drew its angry lines across the sky. The earth split open underneath Voldemort, swallowing him whole. Ariah knew he would be back. You can’t kill someone who’s already basically dead, she thought. She looked around for Malfoy. He was nowhere to be found.

‘MALFOY!’ she shouted into the wind and rain, ‘YOU WILL PAY!’

Ariah turned to the heap that was her lover’s body. She drew her hands over him, healing him, making him whole. She turned over his arm to display the Dark Mark. With one hand, she wiped it away from his body. When Lucius Malfoy peered out from the hiding place he had found in the trunk of a fallen tree, he saw the goddess cradling Severus in her arms, weeping over him. Then, with a flash of light, they were gone.

* * * *

Sitting in her quarters later than night, Severus sleeping in her bed peacefully, Ariah knew the price she would pay for loving Severus. She defied all rules. She interfered with his death, a death he had freely accepted. She healed him. She removed the Dark Mark. She went to the bed and lay next to him, holding him tightly to her. Her tears fell onto his face, she kissed them away. She traced his face and body with her hands and eyes, memorizing him. She knew this would be their last night together. In the morning, she would be summoned by the other aspects of the Morrigan and punished for her wanton defiance. She held him tightly, feeling his arms holding her as well. He was alive. In the long run, that was all that mattered to her. He was still in this world. And as long as he existed, she would love him. She praised the darkness and cursed the coming morning.

When the light filtered in through the window of the North Tower, Severus awoke. Ariah was sitting by the window, waiting.

‘Ariah?’ he said quietly, ‘Why? Why did you save me?’

‘Because I love you,’ she replied, a single tear falling from her bright blue eyes, ‘and now I have to go. Will you walk with me? I want to see the lake one more time before I leave.’

‘Why do you have to leave?’

‘Because I’ve been summoned by the Morrigan. I pretty much destroyed the rule book last night, Sev,’ she tuned to look at him, ‘and I would do it again in a heartbeat.’

Severus got out of bed and joined her by the window. He put his arms around her and held her tightly. They both drew in each other’s scents. Severus kissed her tenderly, hungrily. Ariah returned his hunger. Silently, she stood up and took his hand. She handed him a fresh set of robes and he quietly got dressed. Together, they exited the castle and walked to the lake. They stood by the lake a bit watching the gentle ripples on the surface. They both heard the call of the ravens. Ariah looked into Severus’ eyes, tears falling on her cheeks.

‘I love you Severus. We WILL be together. Please believe that. I will not face an eternity without you. I will find a way back to you,’ she kissed him, holding him as tightly as she could, ‘Please keep me in your heart because that’s where you are for me. In my heart, in my mind, and in my soul. There is no price I’m not willing to pay to be with you.’

Ariah transformed into her raven form and flew off to the south with the other ravens. Severus watched with tears in his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a fluttering movement. On the ground was a single raven feather. He picked it up and held it to his cheek. He would wait for her, even if it took more than a lifetime. She was his love and his savior.

Severus pocketed the feather, turned to the castle and slowly walked back, tears in his eyes, a scowl on his face, and his black robes billowing behind him, the words from the Muggle book ringing in his mind: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye. Yes, he would wait.
- 7
- 8
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Heart of Darkness and Light