Murky Waters

well, well.... look who dropped in. no, no.... please don\'t go away. we want you to stay and enjoy yourself. sit back, read a spell. maybe have a cold drink and some popcorn. take the time to really relax and get into the story. just keep in mind that, while i write all this down for you, i\'m only borrowing much of it from j.k. rowling. thanks to her, there is much harry potter fodder to send my fevered brain into fits of plotting and scheming and rapture. know that i do this purely for your enjoyment..... ok, and mine, too. no money has exchanged hands at all. i don\'t think anyone would pay me for this..... maybe to stop doing this! ;p

i will enact the standard raunch warning. caution, raunch may ensue...... be forewarned, and take you rubbers. it\'s gonna get squishy.

please drop me a review if you find this to your taste. let me know what you think..... just remember. no flames! i will use them to roast your ass with. then the dragon gets involved and it can become quite messy..... i\'m not cleaning it up. the last time it happened, the House Elves went on strike.... so not doing it.....

Chapter Fifteen: Chaos, Panic, Disorder.... Her Work Here is Done.
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Illiana ran along the stone passageways to the Great Hall. She was supposed to be at the table this minute for breakfast. Draco, however, had pinned her to the soft mattress of the bed she\'d been given and instituted other plans. His attention to every last detail had made her abominably late. Not that she would complain too long and loud. It had been a most pleasurable reason that made her tardy.

She allowed herself a moment to dwell on the previous evening. He had shown up in her rooms while she\'d been bathing, taking his robes off to reveal he wore nothing but his shoes and socks underneath. He\'d pressed her to the bed, taking her without a word. She had stopped him long enough to make him take his shoes and socks off. Talk about a pet peeve. But he\'d done as she\'d asked. Then he\'d promptly buried himself within her again and spent a good portion of the night giving her one of the best Christmas gifts she\'d ever had.

Then there had been this morning. She\'d barely pried an eyelid up when his tongue had gone to great lengths to make sure she was properly enjoying the Christmas holidays. She\'d spent a good portion of the dawn muffling his name into her pillow, as she wasn\'t certain if there was a silencing spell cast on the room or not. She\'d certainly not had time to cast one. And she hadn\'t done it when she\'d gotten there, as she wasn\'t aware she would be needing it.

Which brought her to her present situation. Running willy nilly along the corridors of the school, trying to get to the Great Hall sometime before lunch was served. She saw the doors to the Hall looming up ahead of her and skidded to a halt. She waited a moment, trying to catch her breath, making sure she had all the gifts she had brought with for her friends. Then she proceeded into the Great Hall. She was happy to see Kendra just sitting down to the table.

All eyes turned to her expectantly. She moved over to an empty seat near Kendra and sat. \'Sorry I\'m late. I overslept,\' she told them. She could feel the blush staining her cheeks and decided that no one was likely to believe her.

\' It\'s perfectly alright, my dear. Kendra and Severus only just arrived themselves,\' Minerva said, the smile on her face a bit too broad for anything other than a knowing one. The violet eyes turned to Kendra, who grinned sheepishly.

\' I\'m afraid the only reason why we were late was because it took me forever to waddle up here,\' she replied. \'Severus could have been here half an hour ago and been done with breakfast, had it not been for me.\'

\' It doesn\'t matter,\' Dumbledore smiled, then clapped his hands. The trays on the table filled with food, and breakfast was begun. Once they had eaten, all the dishes were magicked away. Professor Flitwick, dressed as Father Christmas in robes of red and white and matching hat, left his place at the table and moved to the center of the room, where a very tall Christams tree stood. With a flick and swish of his wand, he began delivering gifts to the staff at the table. When they had all been floated to their proper recipients, he returned to his seat and they began the opening of them.

When the teaching staff had opened all theirs, all eyes went to Kendra and the pile set before her. She sighed, then unwrapped each one. The gifts were mostly for the babe, though there was one from Dumbledore that she seemed quite unnerved by It appeared to be a gift certificate to some bookshop, but Illiana could see no reason why it would make the other girl uncomfortable. And there was the high chair from Hagrid that was made of beautiful, hand carved wood.

When she had finished with the pile before her, Illiana spoke up. \' I have a few gifts to give.\' All eyes at the table swung to her. She passed them out quickly, giving one to Kendra, Snape, Dumbledore, and Hagrid. \'To you, Professor, for allowing me to stay in the castle and pretend I have family for the holidays. To you, Hagrid, for carrying all that luggage of mine. It is rather heavy. And to my friends Kendra and Severus.\'

She watched as they each opened theirs. She had made a booklet for Kendra, offering flying lessons for the babe when it was old enough. She had done the same with Severus, only his was for free babysitting. For the Headmaster, she had gotten a gift certificate to Honeydukes. She\'d found out that he had a terrible sweet tooth. For Hagrid, she had found the newest edition of Magical Creatures. They each thanked her, then Severus announced he and Kendra were returning to the dungeons. Once they had gone, Illiana made to leave herself.

\'Miss von Haifisch? Do you have a moment?\' Albus Dumbledore\'s voice broke over the murmurs of sound filling the Hall. She stopped halfway to the door and turned to look at him. He motioned her over with one hand. She retraced her steps up to the table, stopping before him on the opposite side. \' It has come to my attention that we will have an opening for a Quidditch coach next year. If you had nothing prior lined up, perhaps you would like to have the job.\'

\'You\'re offering me a job?\' she asked, astonished.

\'Yes, Miss von Haifisch. I was much impressed with your Quidditch skills at the Expo and think it would be of benefit to the new students to have you coach them. That is, if you would like to,\' he sat back in his chair. She stared at him for a few moments, then smiled and nodded vigorously. She had hated giving Quidditch up in the first place. This would be an answer to her prayers. She could still play, but not have to worry about travelling.

\'I would love to teach Quidditch here!\' she smiled at him.

\'Very good, Miss von Haifisch. Come see me when the term starts up again. And Happy Christmas,\' the Headmaster smiled at her.

\'Happy Christmas to you all,\' she returned, then made her way to the doors once more. When she made the hallway outside the doors, she kicked up her heels and ran all the way back to her rooms. She was to meet Draco at his flat after her morning meal. Now, she had more than one reason to go back to his flat. She had good news to tell him.

~*~*~*~*~

Draco sat in one of the chairs, a glass of pumpkin juice in his hand, when Illiana stepped from the hearth. He looked up at her and smiled. She moved over and sat in his lap, leaning in to place a healthy kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, he stared at her. \'What was that for?\' he asked.

\'No reason in particular. I felt like it. I\"ve had a very happy Christmas, indeed. The Headmaster has just offered me a job as Quidditch coach next season. I can stay here and teach. Isn\'t that wonderful?\' she asked, then kissed him once more before he could say anything more. He finally had to physically set her from him.

\'Keep that up, and I\'ll forget that I have a gift to give you,\' he told her. She grinned, then leaned forward to whipser in his ear. Her voice was husky.

\'Perhaps you are the only thing I wish to unwrap at the moment.\'

\'Be that as it may, I do have some thing for you,\' he informed her. She sighed reluctantly, then slipped from his lap. He got up, heading for the stairs that lead to the shop. She had to wonder what he had gotten her. If it was in the shop, it was related to sex. Not that it would be a bad thing. But that wasn\'t what she thought of when she was buying gifts for people for Christmas. He was gone a moment or two, then she could hear him coming back up stairs. \'Close your eyes, or I won\'t give this to you.\'

\'Very well,\' she sighed, shutting her eyes as instructed. She heard him come into the living room, heard the door swing shut behind him. It took a few moments, but he finally stood before her.

\'You can open them now,\' he said gently. She did as he instructed, opening her eyes slowly. She found him standing before her, a cage held in one hand. There was no cover on it, so she could plainly see the owl inside. It had brown feathers on it\'s body, with a white face. There was a brown ring around the face. But it\'s most striking feature was the pair of Halloween orange eyes that stared at her.

\'You got me an owl?\' she asked.

\' It\'s rather an exotic bird. Not native and all. I thought you might like to have an owl to send messages with. When I saw him, I thought if you. I don\'t know why....\' Draco told her, sounding very unsure of his gift of a sudden. Illiana smiled, then hugged him tightly.

\'Thank you, Draco. I love him,\' she assured him as she took the cage from him. The owl made a soft noise as the cage changed hands. It\'s wings flapped, then it settled back onto the bar and continued to stare at her silently. \'Does he have a name?\'

\'Yes, he does. I\'ve been keeping him at Potter\'s, and naturally, the Gryffindor git had to give the bird a name. He\'s been callling it Shiva. Some name he got from Granger. A moon god in Indian religion,\' Draco told her. She looked from him to the owl\'s face.

\' It fits him,\' she nodded. She took the cage, lifting it high so she could stare at her owl a moment. It looked back, as if it were judging her worthiness. Then it made a soft noise and went back to looking about the room. She felt she had been accepted. She set the cage down on the coffee table, then headed for the bedroom to retrieve the gift she had gotten for him.

The box she came out with was a medium sized one, not overly large, yet not so small that it could only be something stupid like a tie pin or cuff links or some such other thing he\'d heard Muggles complaining about before. It was wrapped gaily, the paper a green and red plaid with lines of silver and gold running through it. A plain bow in gold sat on top, giving it a decidedly festive look. She set the gift into his hands and watched him anxiously.

Draco tore at the paper as if he were still five years old. It was something he had never quite out grown. Christmas morning was as much fun for him now as it had been when he was a small child. A gift was a gift. And as such, it was deserving of a certain kind of treatment. Once the paper was pulled free of the box, he lifted the white lid off and moved aside several layers of tissue paper.

\'This is beautiful, Illiana,\' Draco told her as he lifted the item from the box. She had found him a tapestry for his wall. The very center of the piece was a large, winged dragon. It was facing the front, it\'s large wings spread out behind it. The reptile was done in silvery Slytherin green, the background being black. There were several pale silver wisps of figures behind the beast. The border was done in bright silver, a celtic weave that flowed about the edges of the tapestry like water. In the lower corner, so small so as not to be noticed straight away, was the Slytherin crest. All in all, a very nice, rather expensive piece.

\' I had it woven especially for you. I thought you could put it on your wall or....\' her voice trailed off as he set the gift down and looked up at her. The gleam in his eyes was enough to make her flush with need. Desire had turned the gray orbs to liquid silver. One of his hands reached for her, capturing her chin in it\'s grasp. He pulled her forward, his mouth covering hers for a steamy kiss that made her toes curl in her shoes.

She brought her arms up, wrapping them about his neck as she pressed herself to him. He was hard for her already. His hips ground against her as his hands slipped down to curve over the contours of her ass. When he lifted his head, her eyes had already lightened with need. \'Let us retire to my bed chamber, so that I may properly thank you.\'

Illiana could only nod, allowing him to break from her. One of his hands stayed around her, his hand pressed to the small of her back to guide her as they walked the short distance to his bedroom. Before he had the door shut behind them, his hands were already busy at pulling her robes from her. She joined in, her own working at divesting him of his own clothing. It only took them a few moments to strip the garments from each other\'s bodies. Then he tumbled her to the bed, his naked flesh pressing hers into the softness of the mattress beneath them.

His mouth found one of her breasts, his lips wrapping around the peaked nipple to suckle. One of his hands went searching, finding the juncture of her thighs. Her legs spread of their own accord, allowing him to slip a finger between already swelling pussy lips. She was hot and wet for him after just a kiss. It brought a groan to his lips, and his cock jerked against her stomach.

She arched up as he slid one finger into her hot channel, stroking it in and out lazily. Her hands found the pale locks on his head, twining in them and pressing his mouth closer to her breast. Her reaction prompted him to slide another finger into her. She moaned as he curled them on his outward stroke so that they grazed over her g-spot. Her hips arched with each one of the following strokes he made.

A third finger joined the first two, his tempo increasing slightly. He allowed his thumb to settle over the swelling bud of her clit, alternating with rubbing and pressing it. Mewling sounds rolled up the back of her throat, her body already tightening with an impending orgasm. She felt his smile against her soft flesh, then his hand was redoubling it\'s efforts. It stroked faster, harder, working deep to bring her ultimate pleasure. At one time in his life, it had all been about his pleasure. Now, he found he gained more when his partner was as satisfied as he at the end of the love play.

His thumb pressed down hard at the same moment his fingers shoved themselves deep. A keening cry left her lips as her body arched up. He felt her shudder, her muscles clutching at his pistoning digits while her orgasm shook her. It took her several moments to fall back upon the bed, panting for breath. He lifted his head and smiled at her.

\'That was..... gods....\' she moaned softly, panting into the silence of the room. The panting broke off on a startled squeak when his mouth took the place of his hand, his tongue dipping into the folds of skin to taste her copious amounts of nectar. \'Merlin!\' she ground out. Her hips shifted beneath him, so he brought his hands up and wrapped them about her waist, making sure to hold her still. \'Draco...\'

He smiled, blowing hot air against her well heated flesh. She groaned again, then tried in vain to shift her hips once more. His tongue delved deep, flicking over her swollen clit every several strokes. Her hands found his head, once more twisting into the golden strands that were now falling over his forehead with his exhertions. She pressed him to her, wanting him to go deeper. He obliged her, sending his tongue into her still clenching pussy as far as he could manage.The cries he received for the undertaking told him he had done what she\'d wordlessly asked for.

It seemed an age passed with Draco\'s head buried between her thighs. Illiana wasn\'t sure how long he\'d been licking, sucking, and kissing the folds of her nether lips, couldn\'t recall how much time had passed as he fucked her senseless with his talented tongue. She only knew that her orgasm was builiding again. The need to explode was overwhelming. She found herself biting her lip to hold back, her hands so tight in his hair that she was sure she\'d pulled some strands out and his scalp was sore.

He did something, some little maneuver that sent her over the edge into bliss. Her body tensed as she cried out, her back arching up off the bed as her orgasm washed over her. He lifted his head to watch her, see the pleasure he\'d given her take control. Her eyes were closed, her mouth hanging open as her muscles twitched and shivered. He would admit that he liked hearing how spectacular he was from a woman\'s lips. But to see Illiana or any other woman like this, mindless with completion and spent passion, was worth more than any words.

When she settled back down on the mattress, he slid up over her until the head of his erection pressed the open folds of flesh between her thighs. She managed to pry her eyes open, her pupils so dialated that he could barely see them, even with the color gone so light, it was nearly transparent. He smiled down at her, a genuine smile, then lowered his head to kiss her. His tongue thrust into her mouth, letting her taste herself on him. She moaned, her arms going about his back to draw him nearer.

\'Do you want me?\' he asked, drawing his head back far enough to look down at her. She opened her eyes again, nodding at him wordlessly. He smiled again, then nudged her thighs further apart. He sank into her, his cock filling her as he slowly pushed in. She moaned, her back arching once more. When he was fully seated, the head of his erection pressed to her cervix, he leaned forward to kiss her again. Then he rolled his hips.

Illiana\'s eyes slipped shut, her hands slipping up to make an even further mess of his hair. His tempo was slow, his strokes going deep as he rocked himself into her. She bit her lip again, the tension already building. It was pure heaven to feel him inside of her, his thick cock stroking in and out with slow, heady precision.

Her legs came up, wrapped around his waist. She locked her feet in one another so that he was held by the powerful muscles of her thighs. He altered his rhythm, stroking long and deep, then suddenly pistoning into her with force and speed. She moaned and groaned, grunted and whimpered with need.

His mouth slipped over the line of her jaw, latching onto the sensitive flesh of her throat. His teeth nibbled as he sucked. He would leave her with a mark, reminding her that he had thoroughly pleasured her when she looked at it. Until the two of them parted, she would know she belonged to him. Only him.

She\'d lost track of time when she finally felt his cock swell even further with in her. She\'d also lost track of the number of orgasms he\'d given her. She was mindless and boneless, and still he kept filling her with his hard, thick length. His hips increased their pace suddenly, and she found him slamming into her with a great deal of force. He groaned as he drove himself deep with hard strokes. Her hips rose up to meet his, riding him with as much intensity as he did her. She\'d just rolled into another mind shattering orgasm when she felt him tense inside of her. He made some noise between tightly clenched teeth, then he was cumming hard. His seed flooded up into her, milked by her own body\'s contractions.

He was panting as hard as she was when he finally collapsed on top of her.

~*~*~*~*~

Illiana sat at the small table in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron, nursing a glass of pumpkin juice and glaring at the copy of the Daily Prophet that sat before her. Since she\'d been asked by Dumbledore to stay and help teach Quidditch to the students at Hogwart\'s, she\'d put more effort into finding her own flat. No matter how much she enjoyed Draco\'s company and attentions, she could not spend her entire life hiding away in his flat. She needed to get out and stand on her own two feet. A flat of her own was just the way to do that.

She had found, over the course of the last few months, that some of the memories she\'d carried with her when she\'d come to England last October had faded. She could still recall them, but they didn\'t hurt as much. Karayan didn\'t hurt as much any more. She felt that her time in England had helped with that, but she still had some healing to do. She needed to learn to function on her own, to be able to face a day without having someone around as a crutch. As much as she didn\'t want to admit it, she had used both Viktor and Draco in just that manner. She had leaned on them for support, forgetting that she was capable of supporting herself. Another reason for her to find her own place to live.

The problem she was encountering was a certain lack of flats to be had. Most of the places she\'d looked at were unfit for habitation by even a rat. They were small and cramped and down right unpleasant. If she couldn\'t find one, she\'d be stuck at Draco\'s flat until the new school year began. That was when she joined the staff at Hogwarts. She would have rooms at the school then. But that didn\'t solve the problem she faced now. She glared down at the Daily Prophet once more, upsetting the picture of a befuddled Gilderoy Lockhart on the front. He stared at her a moment or two, then his lower lips quivered and he stepped out of the frame.

\'Oy, why the long face?\' Illiana looked up at the question and found herself staring at Fred Weasley. His twin stood just behind him. She offered the two of them a smile. \'Mind?\' Fred indicated the chair before him.

\'Please do,\' she replied. Both men sat and stared at her.

\'So what\'s got your knickers in a twist?\' George asked.

\' I\'m attempting to find a flat. The key word being attempting,\' she explained.

\'Ah. Nothing to be found, eh?\' Fred grinned at the sour expression she gave him in response to his question.

\'Maybe we can be of some help,\' George\'s words had her looking up at him. The red head grinned, matching the expression his brother still wore.

\'How?\' she glanced from one to the other.

\'We have an empty flat above our shop,\' Fred explained.

\'Having troubles renting it, are you?\'

\'Oh no. No troubles in letting it out. The trouble is keeping it habitated. It seems people don\'t care to live over the joke shop,\' George told her. \'Can\'t figure out why.\'

\'Not a clue,\' Fred added. Illiana had her suspicions as to why, but she decided she wouldn\'t say anything. \' If you\'re interested, we\'d be more than willing to let it out to you. Come on. We\'ll even show it to you.\' She thought it over a moment or two, then nodded and stood. The twins mirrored her action, then lead her from the pub and out into the daylight.

No one saw Gilderoy Lockhart\'s face peer around the edge of the photo, checking to see if the coast was clear.

~*~*~*~*~

Draco sat on his couch, staring at the stack of trunks sitting up against the far wall, near his new tapestry. It had been a week since Illiana had come in and told him most gleefully that she had finally found a flat of her own. He had been most shocked by the announcement. Then he\'d found out that the flat was over the Weasley\'s shop. He\'d felt a pang of something rather like jealousy flare through him like a match being struck. He sighed.

He knew that it was never meant to be a permanent situation, but he found that he was going to miss having Illiana there. It was rather comforting to have somebody to hold at night. To wake up to..... with, in the mornings. To argue with. To talk to about any number of things. In short, he had discovered, when he knew he would be alone, that he enjoyed having someone there to keep him company. He was not taking the whole moving thing well.

Illiana stepped from his bedroom, a small bag in her hands. She saw the look on his face and moved over to where he sat. She kneeled before him, taking his hands in hers. he looked at her, a carefully blank expression on his face. \' It\'s not like I\'m going back to Bulgaria. I\'ll only be up the street a bit. You know you can come and visit me any time you like. And I am certain that we can carry on our relationship. Unless you are tired of me already?\'

\' I am not tired of you,\' he replied, managing a faint smile.

\'Perhaps a shag before I go?\' she suggested, her hands already reaching for the button and zip on his trousers. He gave her a pout, then leaned back when her agile fingers quickly did away with the closures of his trousers. She reached in, her hand curling around the limp length of his cock, stroking it gently as she pulled him from the confines of his clothes.

Her mouth dropped tiny kissed along the head, her tongue darting out to lap at the slit while her hand continued to slip and and down the now hardening length. She knew how much he enjoyed having his cock sucked, and she was going to make a good show of it. When there was some steel to his erection, though still not one hundred percent, she slipped her mouth down over it. She brought him to the back of her throat, swallowing just a touch to squeeze the head. He groaned, his hands curling into her silvery locks.

She began a slow up and down motion on his hardening length, taking him deep before sliding him out almost past the ring on his head. His hips were already shifting, thrusting his cock into her moist mouth with the same amount of zeal he used when fucking her pussy. She shuddered, feeling her channel grow moist. She was going to bring him to the verge of orgasm, then she was going to slide herself down on top of him and ride him until she was hoarse from screaming.

She could feel him holding onto his reactions, his muscles all tense from the effort to keep from exploding. She smiled, wrapping her tongue around the shaft, licking at it as she slid up. He groaned, his hips thrusting up to drive himself back into her mouth as deep as he could get it. She lifted her head, smiled at him as she slipped the panties she wore off.

She crawled up on the couch, lifting the skirts of her robes and gown up so he could see her bared pussy. His hands slid up the insides of her thighs, his fingers stroking at the slit. She was just lowering herself onto him when she felt cold power skitter up her spine. She looked around wildly, wondering what was happening. Draco had apparently noticed it, as well. He looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and pulled her down. She had just sank onto his cock, it\'s length and breadth filling her deliciously, when the shockwave hit them both.

Draco\'s cock went limp instantly.

\'What the bloody fucking hell was that?\' he bellowed. Illiana got off him, wondering why she suddenly felt nothing. The desire and lust coursing through her veins was gone. As if it had never been.

\'Someone\'s cast a spell, it seems,\' she replied. He looked to her, wondering how she knew. The look in his eyes told her as much. \'Didn\'t you feel it?\'

\'Yes, but.....\' he raked a hand through his hair. She moved to him, intent on soothing him. When her hand curled around his flaccid member, she got no reaction. He looked at her, his eyes wide with fear. \'What the hell is going on? *THAT* has never happened before, I assure you.\'

\'I\'m not certain,\' she shook her head, then dropped to her knees. She took his cock into her mouth once more. No matter what she did, nothing happened. She could not get him hard. And she didn\'t feel anything at all. She was suddenly very pissed off, indeed.

~*~*~*~*~

Illiana glared at the green door before her, intent on having this mess out. It had taken her some time to discover just what had happened. When she and Draco had finally realized what had happened, they\'d been furious. It had taken most of the day to figure out that their inability to become aroused stemmed from the fact that someone had cast a spell on them. It was frustrating, and neither one of them could figure out who would do such a vile thing to them.

She should have known right off, but she hadn\'t. She had stupidly gone from one person to the next, kissing complete strangers to see if she could pry some reaction from her body. She\'d tried it on Seamus first off. There had been nothing. If the situation hadn\'t been so serious, she would have died with laughter to see Draco try the very same thing. He had to be desperate if he thought that he would get some sort of reaction kissing the Irishman. Both men had, after finishing, wiped their lips and swore never to speak of the event to anyone.

It wasn\'t until some time later, when Seamus had mentioned that Kendra and Snape had been in the shop on that very same day did any of it make sense. It hit her then, that this was the work of the scheming red head. She\'d decided that she couldn\'t take the flat over the twin\'s shop, and she\'d owled them to let them know. She\'d given them some bogus excuse, of course. So she was still staying with Draco, and the two of them had decided that they would give the appearance of being a couple until they could figure out how to fix the problem.

Which was why Illiana found herself on Kendra\'s doorstep. She was going to have it out with the Witch and get the whole mess straightened around. She made a fist and pounded on the door. It took some time for Kendra to answer, so Illiana shoved the door open and let herself in. She was standing in the hallway when Kendra came out to stare at her, still half asleep. The girl was huge, and Illiana decided that she must be due to give birth anytime now. Just so long as she fixed what ever it was she did before the blessed event happened.

\' Illiana?\' Kendra asked softly.

\'What the fuck did you do?\' she demanded, her voice low and lethal. She could see the desire in the other girl\'s face to run. Good. The conniving little bitch aught to be afraid.

\'Care to be a bit more on the specific side?\' she asked, crossing her arms as best she could. They ended up tucked between her bosom and belly. Illiana made a move toward her, but Kendra\'s glare halted her. As well as the wand she had pulled from her robes. \' I think, until we can sort out your ill temper, that you\'ll stay where you are. Now tell me what has your knickers in a twist.\'

\'You and that bloody spell you cast!\' she nearly shouted. Kendra sighed heavily.

\' I\"m sorry you were caught in that, but there was no help for it.\'

\'No help for it? Do you know what was happening when that damned spell took effect?\' Illiana\'s voice went even lower. Kendra had the grace to blush, knowing instinctively what had been happening. \'Remove it! This instant! Now!\'

\' I\'m sorry, Illiana. I can\'t,\' Kendra shook her head.

\'Can\'t? Or won\'t?\' she narrowed her eyes in speculation.

\'Can\'t. The spell is irreversable. I\'m truly sorry. I.....\'

\'You\'re sorry? I can\'t.....Draco..... neither one of us can...... How could you do this to me?\'

\' I wanted the Primal Lust spell permanently dismantled. This was the only way to do it,\' Kendra explained. A faint grimace crossed the red head\'s face, but she went on. \' I\'m really sorry you were caught in it. If you hadn\'t have taken the spell down in the first place, you wouldn\'t have been in the cross fire.\'

\' I can\'t have sex! With anyone! Because you couldn\'t fucking leave well enough alone, I can\'t have sex!\' she blurted, some of the anger leaving her voice. \'Trust me, I tried. Draco can\'t arouse me. Nothing can arouse me. I even asked a complete stranger out of desperation. There was nothing! It took me some time to figure out what had happened. When Finnigan mentioned that you and Severus had been in the shop, I knew....\'

\'You will be able to have sex again. As will Draco,\' Kendra explained. She took a step forward, then stopped. \'As soon as you each find your soul mate, you both will.....\'

\' Soul mate? I\'ve already found mine! He\'s bloody dead!\' Illiana shouted, her voice breaking into a sob at the end. Kendra groaned and moved forward. Her wand was forgotten, the hand holding it slipping it back into her robes. She put her hands on the other woman\'s shoulders.

\'No, he\'s not,\' Kendra replied.

\'Yes, he is!\' Illiana snapped. She shoved Kendra\'s hands from her shoulders to glare at the younger woman defiantly. \'He died some time ago. And now you\'ve cursed me for the rest of my life! I hate you!\'

\' I swear to you, Illiana. I researched everything thoroughly. If I had thought that you would be....\' Kendra began. She stopped, though, watching as Illiana\'s hand drew back for a slap. Kendra sighed. \'Go ahead and hit me. I deserve it,\' she admitted.

The anger left Illiana. She let her hand fall back to her side, feeling disgust at herself for even considering hitting a pregnant woman, much less her friend. She stared at Kendra warily for a moment before sighing, trying hard not to give into tears. \'Why do you have to be so?...\'

\'Meddlesome?\' Kendra asked with a faint smile. \' I don\'t know. I guess it\'s just my nature to do such stupid.....\' her voice trailed off with a gasp, her hands immediately going to her stomach. Illiana watched her face go white. Concern flooded her features immediately.

\'Kendra?\' she asked, moving over to take the other woman\'s arm in her hand.

\' I think I\'m alright,\' Kendra managed to pant out. \' I should like to sit down, though. I feel as if.....\' she never finished her sentence. A low, pain filled cry left her lips.

Illiana swore softly in German, as it appeared that the baby was about to make an appearance. She was at a loss for what to do. The House Elf Severus had placed in the cottage to look after Kendra kneeling next to the pregnant girl, holding her face between the long, knobby fingers. She heard Snape\'s voice and sighed. Things would be fine now that he was here.

~*~*~*~*~

It was late the next evening when Illiana could finally see Kendra again. She\'d sat by the girl\'s side on and off for the last twenty four hours, holding her hand as the red head had progressed through her labor. Severus was sitting next to her, his eyes on his wife as she held thier infant daughter in her hands. Both looked up when Illiana approached. \'Congratulations,\' she told them both.

\'Thank you,\' Kendra nodded. She looked tired and pale, and Illiana guessed she must have had a rough go of it. \' Illiana, I\'m sorry.... It appears that I didn\'t think things through as well as I thought I had. I never intended for you to be.... I\'m sorry. But I\'m certain your soul mate is out there. All my research points to it.\'

\' I tried to tell you, brat. But you refused to listen,\' Severus looked to his wife, his arms crossed over his chest.

\'Right. See if you get a shag anytime soon,\' Kendra stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled at her, then let his gaze drift to the sleeping babe in her arms. Kendra returned her attention to Illiana. \' I swear to you that you have a soul mate out there. And I swear you and Draco will both know when you find them.\'

\'That remains to be seen. But I need to get back. I\'ll come see you when you\'ve moved home. Congratulations again,\' Illiana told her, then stepped away from the cot. She heard the dark Potions Master begin chastising his wife for her foolish actions. The act was oddly soothing to her battered emotions. She found the nearest hearth and flooed back to Draco\'s flat. He was pacing impatiently, but stopped when she stepped from the fire place.

\'Well?\' he demanded. She dusted the soot and floo powder from her robes and sighed. \' I thought you were going to be back yesterday? What took so bloody long? Is she going to reverse this damned spell?\'

\' I ran into a complication. Kendra went into labor yesterday. She and the Professor are the proud parents of a baby girl,\' Illiana explained. \' As for the rest, she said it\'s permanent. Until we find our soul mates, we will be..... abstinent.\'

\'What? The bitch!\'

\'Yes,\' Illiana nodded. \'Rather the same thought I had.\'

~*~*~*~*~

Hogwart\'s was bathed in the bright sunlight of June as Illiana and Draco made their way up the walk to the front of the school. The sounds of yelling students, laughing children, could be heard all the way to the gates. Despite the past few months of strained unhappiness, thanks in large part to Kendra\'s meddling ways, both of them felt a deep sense of peace at stepping onto the grounds once more. To think the entire escapade had started her little over half a year ago.

They headed for the pitch by mutual, silent consent. They had, for the sake of their battered egos, maintained the appearance that they were a couple. It made the pain and embarrassment of their odd predicament easier to bear if people were under the impression that they were sleeping with one another. No need for explanations neither one wanted to make.

Several riders on brooms were already up in the air, circling the pitch as they passed a quaffle back and forth. It appeared they were working on getting an impromptu game of Quidditch going. Illiana saw the unmistakable red head of Ron Weasley next to a darker one that she knew had to be Harry Potter. She was proved right when the two flew lower, coming to hover just above their heads.
\'Malfoy, care to join us in a game?\' Potter asked, then looked to Illiana. \'You\'re welcome to join us, as well. Draco can use all the help he can get.\' The green-eyed young man grinned as he said it.

\'Piss off, Potter. I\'m a bloody good as you are, and you know it.\'

\'And this would be why the last time we played, you ended up taking a Bludger to the arse?\' Ron snickered as he asked the question. Draco blushed. Illiana looked from one face to the other until it dawned on her what they were talking about. She\'d seen that bruise. It had been on his bum the morning after the incident with the \"potion\" he\'d given her. She\'d been under the impression she\'d been responsible for that bruise. He\'d gotten it playing Quidditch? Oh, she would get him back for that.
\' As a matter of fact, Harry. I would like to play. But I want to play against him. If that\'s alright with you,\' she replied. The young man nodded and pointed to a long trunk near the playing field.

\'Spare brooms are there. Feel free to help yourself,\' he instructed. She nodded and made her way toward the indicated supply trunk. She was busy selecting her broom when she felt a tenative tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Kendra looking at her, a faintly unsure look in the other girl\'s green eyes. A tiny bundle lead the way as Severus came up behind his wife. Their daughter was clasped lovingly in his embrace.

\'OY, everyone! Look! Snape\'s got a baby!\' someone called, and they were suddenly flooded with a large group of people. Most crowded around so they could see Cerridwen. Illiana sneaked a peak at her, noting that she had her mother\'s red hair and her father\'s piercing black stare. She was all pink and fresh and cooing happily at the attention bestowed upon her.

\' I wouldn\'t blame you if you were still mad at me,\' Kendra said tenatively, her smile a little weak. \' I truly am sorry for mucking everything up. But I know things will work out. Can you forgive me?\'

Illiana stared at her, not certain how to answer. She had been trying to decide that very same thing since the whole sordid mess had taken place. She wasn\'t sure she could ever forgive Kendra for doing something so horrible to her. Best interests be damned. She had stayed away from the woman since it had happened, hoping she could make heads or tails of the situation. She had felt betrayed and hurt in the beginning. Now she was numb. There was so much she thought she should say to the other woman. But she couldn\'t find the words.

\' I see,\' Kendra sighed, her tiny smile slipping. \' I\'ll just be off then. We\'re taking Cerri in to see Minerva and Albus. As if they hadn\'t just seen her three days ago.\'

\' I told you, brat. You wouldn\'t listen to me,\' Severus\' voice was not harsh, but it wasn\'t completely kind as he made his statement. Kendra nodded, taking the baby from him wordlessly. Illiana didn\'t know why, but she suddenly felt like a heel. She shouldn\'t, as Kendra was the one to take the blame for the spot she found herself in. All the same, Illiana felt like a heel.

\'Hey, MacLeod! Didn\'t you used to practise Quidditch when you thought no one was paying attention?\' Oliver Wood\'s voice cut into the somber scene. Kendra turned to look at the ex-Gryffindor Keeper and Captain. She nodded silently. \'We need another for a game. We\'re short a Chaser. Care to give it a go?\'

\' I don\'t know. I need to make sure Cerri is....\' she began, her voice clearly showing her desire to play. It was obvious she was torn between the idea of flying and having fun and taking care of her small daughter. Severus saw the unhappiness in her eyes and nudged her with an elbow, pushing her toward the field.

\'Go, brat. You\'ll not be happy until you can make mischief. I\'ll take Cerridwen in to Grandpa Albus,\' at this, he rolled his eyes. The young woman giggled at the sight, not bothering to cover her mouth with her hand. \'And he can make sure she is happy. I\'ll expect you in to feed and change her, though, as it\'s your turn.\'

\'Thank you, mo piseag,\' she went up on tip toe to kiss his cheek. His face remained impassive as she did so, his look daring any one to say anything to him. She gave him back their child, taking a moment to look at the tiny bundle with a terribly motherly look on her face. Then she was on her knees, digging through the trunk to find a broom she liked. Severus rolled his eyes, wondering how he\'d managed to get stuck with the far too charming little vixen. Illiana smiled up at him, then watched as he carried his beaming daughter toward the castle.

Kendra was already in the air, circling the pitch like a seasoned pro when Illiana found a broom to her liking. This would prove to be a very interesting game.....

~*~*~*~*~

The Quidditch game hadn\'t lasted as long as Illiana would have liked. Kendra seemed to be as good at Quidditch as she was at everything else she put her mind to, and she\'d managed to make several scores for the team she and Illiana had played on. Draco had grumbled from the moment they left the ground to the moment they\'d touched down again. They had put all the equipment away before heading up to the Great Hall for a small gathering Dumbledore had planned.

Both she and Draco were not looking forward to the get together. Seeing Snape and Kendra together had driven home to her the painful reality of her situation. She wasn\'t certain she\'d ever be able to forgive Kendra for her meddling. As luck would have it, the two of them were the very last ones to make it up to the Hall for the gathering.

They stepped through the double doors together, stopping just inside to look over the group spread across the Great Hall. There were plenty of faces she recognized there, as well as some she didn\'t. She spied Hermione Granger standing next to Professor Snape. She was talking, her hands gesturing rapidly as she did so. Her gaze seemed to be locked upon the small bundle of baby he held. Judging by the look on his face, the Know It All was asking personal questions he\'d rather hex her for than answer. Kendra moved up to him, smoothly taking the babe from his arms and steering Hermione away from him.

Ginny Weasley stood in one corner, surrounded by several of her brothers. The look on her face plainly said she\'d rather not be any where near the lot of them at the present moment. Seamus Finnagan stood with Neville and Harry, the three of them talking about something in a rather heated manner. The staff milled amongst one another. The noise was minimal, a soft buzz that filled the air. Illiana looked to Draco and plastered a smile on her face.

\'Shall we, then?\' she asked him. He squared his shoulders, nodding as he did so. The two of them were about to step fully into the room when a rather strange feeling hit Illiana. Her entire body tightened with need in a moment. She could feel her nipples pressing the material of her gown. She glanced to Draco, noting the shock on his face. If she had to make a guess, she would say he was intensely thankful for the fullness of the robes he wore at that moment.

\'What the hell was that?\' he whispered to her.

\' I would have to hazard a guess and say that we will owe Kendra a huge apology. It appears that she was right after all,\' Illiana shook her head, knowing that she should never had doubted the girl when she\'d said that things would work out. Kendra had the unbelievable ability to make everything work, it seemed.

\'The bloody spell really did what she said it would?\' he asked, his voice showing surprise. She nodded, then couldn\'t help but chuckle at the look of complete shock on his face.

\'How could you doubt that it would do anything but?\' Illiana asked him. He stared at her a moment, then shook his head.
\'What now?\' he questioned, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

\' I think you and I should have a fight. We need to break up in front of all these witnesses. So that our soul mates know we\'re free,\' she told him, sighing at what they were about to do in the presence of all these people. It was for the best, though, if they wanted to get on with their lives.

\'What should we argue about, then?\' he questioned, his gaze roving over the small gathering. She imagined he was trying to figure out which person in the crowd was his soul mate. Her gaze searched the room, wondering the same thing herself. There were far more men in the crowd than women, so her search would take more time than Draco\'s. She wasn\'t sure if she was ready to apologize or not.

\'Just follow my lead. I\'m sure we can make it convincing enough,\' she instructed, then moved into the center of the room. She whirled on him, her eyes sparking fire with her dredged up, completely false anger. \'How dare you say something so vile to me!\'
All noise in the room suddenly died out as Illiana\'s voice echoed loudly in the large, stone Hall. Draco didn\'t miss a beat, but stalked toward her, his lips going flat in an expression of mock rage. \' I\'ll say anything I bloody well like to you.\'

\' I can\'t believe it! You get pissed at me because I chose to play on the opposite team? At least my team has always won! What about yours? And I have never been hit by the Bludger. Never!\' she hissed. He gave her a pained look at the mention, but seemed to be willing to let it slide.

\'Are you so damned perfect then, that I can do nothing right in your eyes?\' he shoved his face toward hers. She smirked, mocking his own version of that expression almost perfectly.

\'If the shoe fits, as the Muggles like to say,\' she replied smugly.

\'You\'re are an unmitigated bitch.\'

\'And you are an ill-tempered, ill-behaved, snarky little prick!\' she returned heatedly. She could feel the entire room staring at them. She was sure the school hadn\'t seen something like this with in it\'s halls in sometime. Likely, it wouldn\'t see one again for a while.
\' I have to wonder what I ever saw in our game to begin with,\' he remarked, his tone low and lazy. She almost forgot that they were acting the fight out, that it wasn\'t real.

\'Sod off!\' she got out, her teeth gritted to keep from laughing. The wide eyed stares were about to send her into fits of hysterics. They were buying the act. She was tempted to slap him, but held the need in check. \' I never want to see you again!\'

\'That\'s bloody fine by me!\' he snapped back at her. The two of them stomped away from each other, making a show of going in opposite directions. When the crowd had gone back to mingling, Illiana motioned to him discreetly. She stepped out of the Hall and moved away from the doors. Draco joined her a few moments later, wondering what she was up to.

\' I think that did just the trick. I want you to know that you will remain my friend, no matter what else happens after today,\' she gave his a quick hug, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. He smiled down at her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.

\'As you will still be mine,\' he confirmed, his eyes conveying the warmth and friendship he held for her. She returned his smile, looking back to the doors that lead into the Great Hall.

\' I suppose we should get back in there, before they miss us and wonder what we\'ve gotten up to,\' she sighed, wondering how she was expected to find her soul mate amongst all those men. He clapped a hand on her back, a confident grin curving up his sensual mouth.

\'Yes. Let the hunt begin,\' he quipped, then made for the doors. Illiana followed behind him, smiling wickedly at the thought. Oh yes, let the hunt begin....

end chapter fifteen.
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end Murky Waters
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yes, folks..... here\'s the end. but fret not. i will not leave draco and illiana in this limbo for long. each one has their own story planned. it\'s just a matter of getting to them.

my thanks go to madam shark. all the help and suggestions and beta-ing.... and all you get are a few lousy pennies. i love you, hon.

thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed. it is apprecitated.

~brightest blessings~
ladydeathfaerie