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Serpentine Series	By : HarmonyB Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 12060 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO THE HARRY POTTER FANDOM NOR DO I MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
PART THREE:

Disarmed

CHAPTER NINE
When Harmony stirred from her sleep the next time, her eyes opened effortlessly, and she was able to easily move her arms. The first thing she did was bring a hand up to check and see if the face scarf was well in place.
Her stomach grumbled and she ate as much of the food on the bedside table as she could before swinging her feet out of bed and trying to stand. The sudden movement made her dizzy and she had to clutch one of the bedposts until her head cleared. When she could walk straight without falling over, she peered out the open door curiously.
A few dirty windows let in a dreary, overcast morning light. She was in a room near the end of a long hallway. She noticed a flight of descending stairs at one end of the hall, and a room at the other end with the door cracked open partway.
Harmony crept out of her room and quietly walked toward the room at the end of the hallway. When she approached it, she noticed a portrait of a beautiful brunette woman and a handsome, brown-haired man. They were both dressed in wealthy clothes and held themselves with importance. Harmony did not study it in any great detail as she passed and placed a gloved hand on the door to open it further. She recognized the room immediately.
Though she had never entered the room, she had watched as Snape and Master conversed here the first night she came to Riddle Mansion. She found it hard to believe only a few days had passed since then. The fire still blazed, and she spotted the top of Master's head of dark hair poking above the back of his armchair.
When she crossed over into the room, it felt as if she had passed some forbidden threshold, and her heart raced wildly. The flickering of the flames brought everything in the room to life as they danced in the fireplace.
She glanced over at the huge bed and repressed her desire to run her fingers over the velvet coverlet that looked so inviting. Of course, her own bed had been covered in velvet as well, but a velvet so filthy she could only guess at the color. She could at least see the sumptuous green color of this one clearly.
Master had left a book open on the little table again, but when she tried to read the spine, she could not make out the title. A little green orb of light floated over it, but it had become dim.
Harmony walked around the chair and saw that Master's eyes were closed. She glanced at the bed. It looked like it had not been slept in for quite some time, maybe even years.
Looking at the man again, she saw that Master's face, usually stiff and grim, had now smoothed with the calmness of sleep. A slight smile played about his mouth, and Harmony wondered what he was dreaming about.
Harmony watched him for a while, not wanting to see the smile fade and the grim affectation return. But she knew she could not stand there forever, so she eventually stepped up and bent her head close to his ear.
She was close enough to catch the scent of his skin and found it somewhat pleasing. She whispered in his ear, "Master?"
Two sapphire orbs popped open the same moment he reached for his wand. The tip was suddenly only centimeters from Harmony's nose, and she jumped back in alarm.
"Wait!" she gasped, her hands flying up in defense. "It's me."
Voldemort's features shifted from surprise to recognition, and then became stern as he dropped his wand and rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the palms of his hands.
"Sorry, my Lord," she said, dropping her hands. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"You didn't frighten me," he said tersely. "I'm astonished that you're awake so soon. I didn't expect the potion I gave you to wear off for at least another day."
She was too curious about the potion he had given her to resist asking, "What was that you gave me? I wasn't familiar with its smell or taste."
He glanced up at her pointedly and said, "It is a potion to cleanse you of the magic you were exposed to. It induces sleep and restrains any mobility to ensure every ounce of energy is focused on rehabilitation."
"How much of that magic was I exposed to?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"It wouldn't have taken much more to kill you—or worse."
"Worse?" Harmony said. "Worse how?"
"If darkness doesn't kill you, you become a part of it," he explained. "Trust me. I know firsthand."
Harmony frowned, and then looked into his eyes. "Why?" she whispered, almost to herself.
"Why is there such magic in a place like this? I'll tell you: the whole house is cursed because of a grudge. A grudge against me." He looked away from her to stare into the flames of the fire. She could see his mind wandering and wished he would let her in.
"What did you do?" she asked. It was silly question; no doubt whatever he did was as abhorrent as the other atrocities he had committed in his lifetime. All the same, he didn't answer her. She just watched as the emotions played across his face, and she acknowledged that there was so much left unspoken between them. But she wanted to bring him out of whatever dark thoughts had claimed him, so she said, "I haven't thanked you, my Lord."
He blinked up at her and stared as though he had misunderstood what she said.
"For saving my life, I mean."
"It was my charm that saved you. Not me," he told her as he waved a hand at the tattoo he knew lay hidden beneath her clothes. "It constricts whenever it senses you are in any danger, and I will feel the same. The closer I am, the more I can feel it. That is why I was able to find you."
Harmony nodded, understanding now why her arm had cramped up while she had been lost in the labyrinth of hallways. She remembered how the snake charm had also constricted while Barty had been staring down at her last night. She didn't need another reminder to remain wary of him.
All the same, it was thanks to him she was still alive, and she said very softly, "I suppose it's not a curse like I thought, then." After a quiet moment passed between them, she added almost reluctantly, "Maybe I ought to be a little more grateful for it."
Voldemort came to his feet and towered over her. He stood there, closer to her than she was comfortable with, and his new position cast shadows across his face that concealed his eyes. He looked angry and surprised and furious and incredulous, all at once, while saying nothing. He looked as though he wanted to do something—curse her, hit her, touch her, run away—she wasn't sure. But a familiar spark of fear ignited in her middle.
When he spoke, his voice was low and grating, "Your actions were thoughtless. I warned you of the danger, but you turned a deaf ear. You try my patience. This is the second warning, and my last."
Harmony had been looking at the floor in shame, but her head snapped up at his last words. Her emotions warred in her eyes, a mixture of anger, fear, and confusion. She spoke before she could stop herself, "By 'your last' do you mean that you'll just get rid of me? Kill me?"
Master gaped at her forwardness, but said nothing.
Harmony took his silence as an affirmation, and she grit her teeth as she looked away. "Excuse me, my Lord. I'll say no more about it."
An awkward silence passed between them while Harmony wished only that she could return to her bed and sleep forever. A small smile had formed on her Master's lips when she dared to look up at him again.
"What?" she asked callously.
"It seems that last night's near-death experience has loosened your tongue," he said mockingly.
Harmony flushed a deep shade of crimson. "Maybe I figured out there are worse fates than death," she muttered under her breath.
"Oh, yes," he said in agreement. "Of that I am certain."
"I wish to continue learning," she said suddenly.
"And so you shall," he said with a nod. "We will meet here in the morning so I can show you how to find the lesson hall." He sighed then, and looked her over. "But I will give you one more night to rest, first. The next spell we'll be learning will require an exceptional amount of strength. Rest now, and you may use my washroom, should you need it."
Harmony bent her body in a half-bow and looked at his feet as she answered, "Yes, my Lord."
"Go," he said. "I will see you tomorrow morning."
Harmony returned to her new bedroom and decided to look around. Rays of sunlight peeked in behind a large cloth thrown over the window. She grabbed the bottom of it and yanked it off. Sunlight poured in and filled every dark and damp crevice with light. Every speck of dust was set aflame as they swirled around and settled down again.
She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the new light. The window was so dirty she had to wipe the glass clean to look outside. Her eyes widened in wonder at the spectacle in front of her.
Her window faced the backside of the mansion, and in the distance was a field of tall grass rippling in the wind like water. Further back were some trees, and more trees, and more trees until the giant forest touched the very horizon. The rays of the sun played through the trees, making them look like they were on fire.
Each tree shifted in the breeze and moved as if they were part of one great, living being. For a moment, the scene set Harmony's anxious heart at ease, but only for a moment. She remained fully aware of the dangers that surrounded her. Her life depended on her awareness of what she may face in the future.
Master and Harmony worked on the Disarming spell a couple more days. Sometimes they would work well into the night without food or drink; other times, he became so frustrated he would shout, and Harmony could feel his power surge through the huge room. At first she thought these fits would lead to her death, but she eventually figured out the man wasn't crazy, just temperamental.
They kept up the dueling for an entire week before Harmony finally blocked one of his spells. It happened so suddenly Harmony froze in shock. A small smile formed on her lips when she saw the mirrored shock on Voldemort's face, but he recovered quickly and, with a wicked grin, sent a spell at her that knocked her off her feet.
He smiled derisively as Harmony scrambled back to her feet, gripping her wand. She wanted to send a spell hurtling right into that smiling face of his, and she would have too, but he didn't raise his wand again. Instead he tilted his head slightly and said, "You've passed your first test."
Harmony's eyes opened wide in shock.
"We'll conclude the lesson for today. We can pick this up tomorrow," he said as he walked up to her. When he was near enough, he looked into her eyes and scrutinized her. "You're surprised."
Harmony took a deep breath to relax, and then she thought about what Claudia had said the last time she saw her. "Are you pleased with my progress, my Lord," she asked softly.
"You have been progressing faster than I expected," he admitted, then added, "It won't be long now."
Harmony shot at him a confused frown.
He stepped toward the door. "Accompany me back to my room, we will eat there."
Harmony followed, her boots mere centimeters from the hem of his black cloak as it flowed behind him. She moved forward so she walked beside him as they entered the hall, and their feet were perfectly in step with each other.
"Are any of your other followers here? I only ever see Barty around," she asked without looking over at him.
"They are here at times, but I send them away to do my bidding quite often," he explained. "I believe some of them have just returned from a recent excursion to Borgin & Burkes."
As if on cue, Harmony spotted a group of people ahead of them down the large hallway. The group saw their Lord and bowed in unison as the two approached. Out of the corner of her eye, Harmony saw Master tug the hood of his cloak over his head to shadow his face.
When they joined the others, she was surprised by the large amount of people she saw. She immediately recognized a few familiar faces. Barty stood off in the corner, while Bellatrix, whose dark eyes cast daggers in Harmony's direction, also stood amongst the group.
After Voldemort acknowledged the group with a slight tilt of the head, Harmony became painfully aware that all of their eyes were on her. Many expressions mirrored the glare Bellatrix had cast—angry and mistrustful. A few others looked like Barty, smug and amused. But overall, they were amazed to see a woman stand beside their Lord and Master as if she were an equal.
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Serpentine Series