The Shattering of Souls
folder
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
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2,995
Reviews:
33
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
24
Views:
2,995
Reviews:
33
Recommended:
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 Seventeen: Confrontations
well, my pretties. here we are once again. a lovely little corner of the forest where the trees are tall and green, the grass is lush and the birds sing happily. the sun shines through the leaves, casting a green hued, dappled light on the forest floor where a small group of laughing children play happily. women whisper and gossip. and suddenly, the entire scene is ground to dust under the pounding hooves of a black stallion, a fiery beast from hell with eyes blazing fire and breath pluming from it\'s nostrils. screams shatter the tranquility as death....
wait! cut! who gave us this script? this is supposed to be a disclaimer, not the opener to the latest horror film! let it be known, before the writer gets too carried away, that this is not all her own work. she has borrowed some from the talented j.k. rowling in the attempt to smuggle certain individuals out of the... right, shut it you! simply put... what you don\'t recognize is not mine. the rest is. i make no money from this. i am simply a poor woman who has no life and too much time on her hands. please don\'t hurt me.
not sure about smut or dark bunnies. but be careful. they pop up when you least expect them. you have been properly warned.
and as always, if you like... let me know. a kind word. not much more. please?
Chapter Seventeen: Confrontations
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\'Hello, Bri.\'
She froze. Those two words changed her life. One minute, she was sitting in Otherworld, trying desperately to recall her past. The next, she was wishing she could forget again. In one blinding moment, every memory she had came flooding back, slamming into her head with the same force as an out of control lorry. Her head exploded with pain. It took every ounce of strength and will power she possessed to stifle the cry that rose to her lips and she was forced to curl her hands into fists to keep them from cupping her pounding skull. It was several long moments before she could see or think again.
When she finally looked up, Bri found herself staring at a man. He was tall and thin, yet still muscular. His skin had a dusty tone to it, a warm golden brown that made her think of a sunbather. His hair was purple, a deep purple that looked black unless it was under bright light. It hung long and loose down his back, ending somewhere past his hips. He had an angular face, regal and handsome to look upon. His eyes were amethyst colored and she could see sparks of silver in them. She threw herself from the chair she\'d been relaxing in, throwing her hands out in a defensive position. \'Who are you? How do you know me?\'
\'Surely you remember our last visit,\' he cocked a brow at her, a smirk pulling his lips up. A soft light began building around him, a pale silvery lavendar color that she knew she had seen before. In the total darkness of a dank prison. He had suddenly appeared in the cell with her, bringing her attempts to free herself to a stop. His hand had reached for her, the cool skin of his palm laying gently against her forehead.
\'You appeared in my cell and put your hand on my head. Then you closed your eyes and said \"I\'m here to take your memories from you...\" \' her voice trailed off. His picked the sentence up and finished it.
\' I\'m here to take your memories from you, Daughter,\' he finished quietly.
\'Daughter?\' she stared at him, the single word dripping with disbelief. He nodded his head in the affirmative. \'No. You can\'t be. My father is dead. Mother told me that he died when I was a small child. That the Death Eaters had killed him for opposing the Dark Lord.\'
\'Your mother told you that I was dead because she did not wish to explain who and what I truly am. Not when you were younger. And she was murdered before she could tell you the story when you grew older. Diana was a lovely creature. A mix of Grace and Beauty that was gifted to her by none other than the Mother. I was enraptured the first time I ever laid eyes on her.\'
His voice held a musical quality that was stunning to listen to. Bri felt she could sit there and allow him to speak all day long. Instead, she narrowed her eyes on him, not ready to buy into the story he was telling. He smiled at her indulgently, as if he knew what she was thinking. \'Have you not ever thought you were different from those around you, Bri? Have you not ever wondered why you excel at this task appointed to you? The protection of others. Did it not occur to you that you possess senses and abilities beyond that of a mere Mortal or Wizard?\'
\'No,\' she replied a little too quickly to be believed. His smile grew even more tolerant as he merely stared at her. \'You have no idea what you\'re talking about. I know nothing about you. I don\'t even know how you found me. No one can come to Otherworld without permission from the Guardian.\'
\'The Guardian gives me and mine own free pass to Otherworld. We have business matters that are too important to wait for her to grant us passage,\' he explained, as if it should have been obvious through out the entire bizarre conversation. Bri merely stared at him, barely breathing or blinking as she tried to work out just what the hell was going on. \'You really know nothing of this world or the others, do you?\'
\'This is the first time I\'ve been aware of a world other than the one I live in,\' she replied slowly, finally taking the moment to study him. The clothes he wore were very rich, speaking of a man who held a high station in life. He was obviously important to someone. But who? She\'d never known anyone with hair the color of his, though she had been told time and again about the purple that highlighted her own. His eyes glittered like jewels, the purple and silver in them unmistakable. She imagined they would be visible even in the dimmest of lights. The silver flecks were what interested her. She had them in her own eyes, though she knew they looked more like stars glinting in the night sky on the background of blue that colored her irises.
\'There are many worlds, child. Not just the one you inhabit. Now, unless you intend to attack me, put your hand down. Your arm tires. Not to mention that you would fail miserably, should you even attempt to use your magic on me,\' he chuckled at the last, bringing a deep frown to her face. It was an open challenge, plain and simple. One she wasn\'t about to pass up. She glared at him, drawing herself up to her full height. Then she so very casually flicked her wrist.
He staggered back, the force of the blow moving him perhaps two or three feet away from his original position. But he did not end up on his arse as Snape had. Her eyes narrowed on him, her hand lifting to once more attack. She barely caught the movement of his hand before she found herself sprawled gracelessly in a heap on the soft grass. As she picked herself back up, he laughed heartily. Her glare was enough to stop his laughter, and he looked at her with all seriousness. \'You are quite strong for one so young, Daughter. How is it you have accomplished such a thing?\'
\' It is what I trained for. To stop whomever I could. However I could. I studied Defense Against the Dark Arts in school, and I excelled at it. No one could best me,\' she replied, not a trace of conceit in her voice.
\'This class is unfamiliar to me,\' he cocked his head at her, confusion plain to see on his face.
\'A standard class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its where I attended school. Where I learned how to use my magic as best I could,\' she explained to him. She watched as a series of emotions ran across the smooth surface of his beautiful face before a slow smile emerged.
\'Your mother was a Witch and she passed the gift of magic to you. As did I. No wonder you surpass my offlings in your training. The oldest is less than a year younger than you are, Bri. Your brother would be most interested to meet you, I think,\' he said gently.
\' I have a job.... \' she paused as she thought of his words. A family? She had a brother? She stopped and shook her head, her eyes narrowing even further on him. Her tone, when she spoke again, was low and cold. Filled with anger and other things best left buried. \'My family is dead. I have no brother.\'
\'Do not be so stubborn, child. I am your sire and I am not dead.\'
\'MY FAMILY IS DEAD!\' she spat so vehemently, he swore he could see the words shimmering in the air around them.
\'You are Bri Rhiannon nic\'Draconus Wallace. I am your father. I am Kaddyrayth Pdarn Draconus, Lord of Nosse en Coria\'Imirie Ithil\'Loki. I am High Lord to the High King and Queen of Faerie. Their most trusted advisor and the Captain of the Guard. It has been the long line of Draconus that has served the Ruling House, always protecting them from harm. My sons will do the same in my stead when I can no longer do so. And, it seems that my daughter from the Mortal Realm has unknowingly followed the path of her forebears. As I am a Protector, so are you.\'
\'You know my name. My full name. Only my mother knew my full name. It was recorded only once, on a magically sealed parchment. I found it among her things after her death. It sprang open at my touch, and it was there that I found my full name. How is it that you know?....\' she asked, her voice trailing off with in confusion.
\' I gifted you with two of your names. Rhiannon after my much loved mother, who never knew any of her great-offlings. nic\'Draconus means daughter of the Draconus. Your mother gave you the name Bri Wallace and the two became one. We wished to see you given the names of both our families,\' he sighed as he spoke, and the look in his eyes suggested that he was remembering something. Bri watched him for a moment, startled when he next spoke. His voice was full of sadness, his eyes darkening as he looked at her. \'Your mother was excited to find that she carried you. She and I were consorts for a long time. My wife, Shee, knows of the affair. Though she was hurt, she never laid blame on my feet.\'
\'How did you know my mother?\' Bri asked, interested despite herself. She still had no idea just who the man before her was, never mind the claims about being the father she long thought dead. He gestured with an elegant hand to the chair and she sat. Almost without thought, she conjured a second one for him to take. He sat silently, his thank you in the look he gave her.
\' I was in the Mortal Realm to find a traitor and take him home. He lead me to...\' he began, but was stopped when she looked up at him a question in her eyes. He knew what she wanted to ask and told her. \'My home is the Land of Faerie. I am Protector. And, when the traitor escaped into the Mortal Realm, I was sent to retrieve him. He lead me to the place you call Edinburgh. I do not know how he managed this, but he did. And it was there that I was grievously injured. I would have died, were it not for the angel that found me. Your mother took me to her home and nursed me back to health.\'
\'You were hurt? I didn\'t know that. Momma barely talked about how you met. Only that she loved you deeply and that she never wanted anyone else,\' Bri told him. No matter what she wanted to believe, she could feel the truth in his words. He knew a name that only her parents would know. And he spoke of her mother with such passion in his voice. He had to be her father. Either that, or he was a very convincing con man.
A look of intense pain crossed his face with her words, but he pushed it away and continued his tale. \'My convalescence was long and slow. And your mother, my beloved heart, was by my side every single moment. I had just been bound to Shee, and it pained me to be away from her. But I was entranced and intrigued by your mother. Diana was the most beautiful person in the world. While Shee was my life mate, Diana was my heart. We learned much about one another as she helped heal me. And, when I was well enough, we gave in to the feelings we had and shared our bodies with one another.\'
\'What you\'re saying is I\'m the product of a one night stand. An ilicit affair,\' Bri commented softly, her voice so low that it hid the pain she felt. Her mother had always told her that she was the product of a joining brought about by love, that the two of them had loved one another deeply. And now, it seemed as if all that was a lie. Kaddyrayth reached out with one hand to lift her chin, smiling into eyes so like his own and yet so like her mother\'s.
\' I am saying that you are the product of two consenting adults who came together out of deep and undying love. To this day, it pains my heart to know that your mother is gone. That I will never again hold her in my arms and whisper the words that tell her of my affections. I stayed with your mother for nearly an entire Mortal year. I helped deliver you into this world. I saw you, my Daughter, when you were a new spirit. And I have never been able to forgive myself for not taking you and your mother back to Faerie with me. Had I done so, Diana would still be alive.\'
Bri felt tears prick her eyes. She could hear the bitterness in his voice as he spoke. She stood, looking past him to the trees. She didn\'t want to stay here anymore. She didn\'t want to be out in the open. This was too private a moment to risk sharing with anyone else. The forest was calling to her. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she motioned to the woods and moved off silently. When she finally stopped in the darkened interior, where the leaves were so thick that the light filtering through them was dim and tinted green, she found him right behind her. A look of peace had taken place of the sadness, but she could feel that emotion clinging to him like some invisible cloak.
She moved further into the trees until they had come to a small clearing. She took a seat on the thick layer of leaves and moss that covered the ground. She watched, absolutely fascinated, as her father sat beside her in so unselfconscious a manner that she knew he was as home in the forest as he was in the city. Even in his finery, he seemed to fit perfectly with his surroundings. She admired the darkness of his cloak, so black that even night seemed brighter. It was held closed by a brooch of amethyst that matched his eyes. His tunic was of silk, the color of lilacs covered with morning dew. She thought that it would feel as soft as the petals of a rose. His leggings were a tight fit, a silverish-gray color that brought out the sparkles in his eyes. They were tucked into a pair of knee high boots of the finest, most supple leather she had ever seen.
\'Had you taken us to Faerie,\' she began, then paused as the meaning of it sunk in. He was from Faerie. He was a Faerie. He was her father. She was half Faerie. She turned a stunned expression to him, giving him a reason to chuckle. The sound of mirth broke the spell on her wits and she continued. \'Had you taken us to Faerie, what would have happened to us? I mean, you told me you had a wife already. What would?...\' she trailed off, trying to think of the right way to phrase it.
\'Your mother would have been given modest apartments in my home. I would not have been able to spend time with her as I had when in your world, but she would have been well cared for until a suitable mate could have been found for her,\' he told her, watching as the anger rose to color her cheeks at his statement. \'You would have remained in my house. I would have reared you in the same manner that I have brought up the rest of my offlings.\'
\'So you would have kept me and sent my mother away. Because of Shee.You would have separated us because of that?\' she asked carefully, trying to hold her temper in check.
\' It would have been the only way,\' he nodded.
\'Then I\'m glad you didn\'t. I wouldn\'t want to have been taken from my mother because you felt you had a duty to me. Its better I lost her to Death than to you,\' she stood with all the grace of his people to stare down at him. \'Thank you for returning my memories. Now get the hell out of my life.\'
\'Bri, you do not understand the way it is in Faerie,\' he insisted softly. She stared at him impassively, waiting for him to continue. \' I was bound to Shee. That means that my life is tied to hers. Should I have been caught showering my affections on another woman... on a Mortal woman, all of our lives would have been forfeit. I could not do that to either of them. Nor to you.\'
\' I survived all these years without you. I think we should keep it that way. My father is dead, and so is my mother. Good-bye,\' she stepped past him.
\'By the Mother, Bri! Do not walk away from me. From this. It will not do you any good to hide behind such thoughts,\' Kaddyrayth rose to his feet. She stopped, but didn\'t turn. \' I never set out to hurt you or your mother. I love you and her very much.\'
\'She\'s dead. Thanks, but no thanks. I\'ve no need of you,\' she whispered softly. It seemed as if the entire forest held its breath to see what happened next. Silence assaulted them. Even the leaves quit whispering in the breeze as every living thing waited to see what happened next.
\'You have a need of me, Bri. Only I can help you in what is to come. You have a trial to face still, and it will be the death of you if you are not properly prepared,\' he warned gently. She spun to face him with this, her eyes flashing blue fire at him.
\' I had a need of you when my mother was found dead in an alley! The Medi-Wizard who broke the news to me was so repulsed by what he had seen, he was sick in the garbage can next to me. I never saw her. I was too young, they said. I only know that she was cursed repeatedly. That she died in horrible pain. I was just ten when she was killed, and I had a need of you then!\' she spat violently, her hands trembling as the memories rushed over her like cold water, covering her head and pulling her deeper in the dark pit of despair.
The deep and intense anger brought a wave of power to the surface. The air prickled around them as her magic swirled and seethed with the need to be set loose. Kaddyrayth stood slowly, his eyes fastened on his eldest child. Never had he felt such a wave of power on a person before. He actually feared for himself. \'Where were you when I was crying my eyes out in an orphanage where I was forgotten more times than even I can remember? Where were you when I needed a shoulder to lean on and cry out my soul to? Where were you when I needed you?\'
\' I am sorry, Daughter. I couldn\'t be with you. I didn\'t know until some time later that Diana had been killed. I was numb with my grief. When I could finally think again, I couldn\'t find you. No one knew what had become of you. I had feared your death, too, until some time later. By then, I didn\'t dare interrupt your life. You were concentrating on something with great intensity. It seems that my better intentions have hurt us both.\'
\'No, they\'ve only hurt you,\' she pointed out softly. \' I have no father. Now good-bye. And please don\'t seek me out again. I have no wish to speak to you anymore.\'
\'Should you ever change your mind, you have but to come to Otherworld. The Guardian will allow you through to Faerie. All you need do is mention my name,\' his words trailed after her through the trees. She tried to push them from her mind, confused by all the conflicting emotions she felt. She was happy and sad and angry to find that her father was alive. She was stunned to learn who and what he was. And she was now plagued once more with memories and the pain of the loss of her mother all over again. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the numb state she\'d been in since her stay in Malfoy\'s prison.
Her body jerked to a halt as those painfully vivid memories washed over her once more. Images of him standing over her with his trousers undone and a gleam in his eyes. The feeling of complete pain when he\'d shoved himself into each and every one of her orifices. She could still feel each and every one of his invasions so many months after it had happened. She could remember how badly her back had burned when he\'d taken a razor to it and carved the Dark Mark into it. She clearly remembered how Bellatrix\'s laughter, mad and frightening, had filled the stone chamber. The sound of her skirts whispering against her legs in the total darkness. She felt the terror course through her body anew just at the heightened recollection of it all. With the knowledge of who and what she was, it was a hundred times worse.
And all the questions. They had both asked so many questions. But they always wanted her to give them the same information. Malfoy had seemed to want to know it more than Bella. She understood now what he\'d been asking her for. Why he\'d kept her alive. Why he\'d found the most debasing manner to abuse her. He\'d wanted her to give him Harry Potter. And, with her history lost to her, she couldn\'t. Her father had come and taken the information from her head. The question was why?
The questions surrounding her father\'s sudden appearance in her life were quickly shoved aside as she recalled one thing of importance she\'d learned while she\'d been captive in Malfoy\'s personal version of hell. Something that the Lestrange witch had said to her. \"I want to see if I can make you scream longer and louder than your mother did when I killed her.\"
Bellatrix Lestrange had killed her mother. The bitch was as good as dead.
~*~*~*~*~
It was nearly dark when Bri had recovered enough of herself to return to the house. She hadn\'t seen any sign of her father since she\'d left him in the forest and for that, she was grateful. Once she\'d been able to think about anything other than her returned past and what it meant to her and the others, she\'d begun contemplating what was going on around her. Her mind raced as she let it tumble over all that had been happening in the house for the duration of their time there.
Remus and Bill\'s presence there wasn\'t so hard to understand. Snape could brew the Wolfsbane potion. Remus needed it. As much as Snape hated Lupin, the two men were stuck with one another until this exile was lifted. As for Bill, she knew his trip was sponsored by Gringotts. The bank was looking for as much information about all the worlds of Magic as they could get. Bill Weasley was one of their best researchers and curse-breakers. She knew the little demon Goblins at Gringotts wouldn\'t pass up such an opportunity as this.
It was also an opportunity for Bill to work out his grief at the loss of his brother, Percy. She recalled the day of the battle in which Voldemort had fallen. It had been a hellish scene and it was something she hoped she never had to live through again. She\'d missed Percy Weasley\'s funeral because she and Potter had been forced into hiding. She understood from Dumbledore that it had been a terribly difficult occasion and not even Bill had left without shedding his own tears. And Bri knew he blamed Izzy for his brother\'s death. She could see it in his face when he looked at Izzy. The other woman never saw it, but Bri did.
Harry being here in Otherworld was simple to explain. He was still in hiding. She knew that Izzy had been assigned to him, though that assignment was starting to appear to be more dangerous for the two of them than good. Potter was teetering on the verge of complete madness. Even without her memories in place, Bri had seen that. Something was pushing the young man further and further over the edge. If something wasn\'t done about it now, there would be no bringing him back to himself. Bri had to wonder what was going on between Potter and Izzy besides the abusive sex they engaged in. The two of them seemed to be feeding off one another\'s darker natures.
Over the course of the past three months or so, she had watched her best friend\'s mental health decline at a rapid rate. Bri couldn\'t understand what was wrong with Izzy. She wondered why her friend let Potter abuse her in much the same manner Malfoy had abused Bri herself. Izzy acted as if she didn\'t know who Bri was, and that was troubling. She\'d have thought, given the circumstances, Izzy would be doing as much as she could to help Bri get her memory back. Instead, her friend avoided her and cursed her, treating her like vermin.
Bri recalled some of the hot, scathing looks that Izzy had sent toward her and Severus when the other woman thought no one was looking. Such looks of hatred where so unusual. And then it hit her what was going on. Izzy was very unhappy about Severus\' interest in Bri. She wasn\'t at all sure what Izzy was thinking, but she knew that her behavior had to stem from the way they both had been acting.
She scoffed at herself when she went back over how she\'d been behaving of late. It was very, very disheartening to know that she was in love with Severus Snape. A man she\'d never been able to stomach for as long as she could recall. How it had happened, she couldn\'t be sure. But it had happened. She was in love with the sodding bastard. Oh, the irony of it all. She knew he detested her as much as she did him, and here she was. Sleeping in his bed and practically begging him to fuck her every night. Some foul deed was afoot here. What, she couldn\'t be sure. But, knowing what she did about Snape, she was relatively certain that the git was planning something. And she was certain that she was somehow involved.
As much as Bri wanted to go home and forget this place, she couldn\'t. Not yet. She had to find out what was going on. Which meant she was stuck playing the lost soul for just a while longer. Heaving a sigh, she slipped back into the house to pick up the charade and see if she couldn\'t glean some information from the others in the process.
She heard raised voices as she shut the door and stepped into the entryway. They were coming from the living area. Someone was very unhappy. \'Look, Harry. I know I\'ve been the least happy about her presence here, but what you\'re doing is wrong. No one deserves to be treated like this. No one, no matter what they have or haven\'t done.\'
\'Stay out of my business, Weasley. What I do is none of your concern,\' Potter\'s voice was soft and full of menace, underscored with a hint of insanity. There was a soft voice, speaking in hushed tones that Bri barely heard. She knew it was Izzy, though, when she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. \'Shut it! I didn\'t ask for your opinion, did I?\'
She took a moment to try and shift back into her lost persona, then stepped into the room. Harry stood over Izzy, who sat and nearly cowered in a chair. There was a look of such intent hostility on his face that she almost forgot to play her part and hexed him for his stupidity. Bill was staring at the two of them, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. He obviously didn\'t approve of what was happening. He glanced up at her, shaking his head is if in warning. \'But, Harry,\' Izzy began. Potter scowled down at her, shutting her up in a heartbeat.
\'You look like Malfoy like that,\' Bri whispered, managing to pitch her voice low so that she sounded frightened. Harry and Izzy looked up at her, both faces registering a small amount of surprise at her words. \'Just now. That\'s how he looked just before he started beating me. It was so awful. How someone so pleasant to look upon could be so cruel and evil is beyond me. It brings back such terrible memories.\'
\' I\'m nothing like Malfoy,\' Potter snapped at her. But she could hear the doubt in his voice. Perhaps he wasn\'t as far gone as she thought he was. Bri shook her head at him, as if denying his denial, then turned and fled the room in a hurried manner to make them think she was running from the memory of her abuse. As she climbed the stairs, Bri thought she was running from so much more than just that.
~*~
The shower had long ago run cold and yet still she didn\'t move. She was trying to come up with some way to find out what Snape was up to. She had met him in the hall on the way to her room to fetch clean clothes. He\'d smiled at her as he always did, a soft upward lift of his lips that seemed innocuous and sweet. She knew now that it was calculating and manipulative. His lips had been soft and warm as he\'d pressed a kiss to her own, then he\'d asked her what she\'d done that day. As if she were his spouse. She\'d wanted to beat him upside the head, but she\'d refrained and simply smiled, telling him she had spent her entire day out in the forest.
After telling her that there was a plate saved for her, he\'d gone into his private labs and shut the door behind him. She\'d retreated into her room and crawled into the shower, where she\'d let the events of the day roll over her like the water that pounded from the shower head. She\'d cried, much as she hated to indulge, and gotten some of the freshly stirred pain from her system. It had left her feeling raw and exposed, like some kind of open wound that wouldn\'t heal. She needed to find some way to work past it all.
Her mind had come up with the plan to discover what Snape was up to. Though the doing was harder than the thinking of it. The man was like one giant bank vault, all his secrets locked away from prying eyes. No one knew how to breach his walls and find a way in past his natural defenses. If she could do that, perhaps she could find a way to discover what he was planning. Then she could come up with a way to turn it against him.
Finally shutting off the water, she slipped from the stall and reached for a towel. She dried off, then slipped her nightgown on. When she stepped from the bathroom, she found him lounging on the settee, waiting for her. She managed a smile for him, then watched as he stood and moved toward her. He pulled her into his arms, his lips searching out hers. She kissed him hungrily, hating herself the entire time.
She despised her weakness. His kisses were hot and heady, driving rational thought from her mind. She should hate him for this, but she couldn\'t. She simply wanted him with a burning passion that she couldn\'t put out. He\'d brought this to life within her. He was the only one who could quench the raging fire within. He was the only one she wanted. The only one she loved. She hated herself for feeling that way, knowing it would bring her nothing but heartache and pain. But she couldn\'t help herself.
When he pulled back from her, Bri was breathless and in need. Her body was pulsing with desire, the very core of her wet with the desire to have him fill her. When he pushed her silently toward the door, she went without argument. She knew that he wanted her as much as she did him. When they gained the privacy of his rooms, any thought she might have had left her as he stripped her and took her down to his bed.
It was going to be a long night, indeed.
end chapter seventeen.
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any mistakes or errors found in here are entirely my own, as this is completely self-beta\'d. forgive me if i suck.
please feel free to leave me a little something, if you like. i don\'t bite. i promise i don\'t. well, not unless you ask me to.
to Red: you know me. i always have something up my sleeve. and he is being a big prat, isn\'t he? but he might have met his match in bri. she\'s as hard headed as he is. severus is in such trouble now, i think.
to amniarix: wow! three reviews from one person. thank you so much. i\'m glad you found that you like this. i didn\'t know i\'d made snape comic relief, but you\'re right. when he makes you laugh, its dark. and thank you for the compliments. both on my smut writing abilities and my beautifully layered and textured snape. all i could think at first was onions. then shrek. but i appreciate the compliment. and i hope to work in more remus/tyler. we shall see how it goes, though. i do know of nick cage, but i don\'t know of the song you mentioned. as for borrowing snape... i\'ll have to think about it.
once again, my apologies to anyone who can speak Grey\'s Elven and my most likely horrid use of it.
wait! cut! who gave us this script? this is supposed to be a disclaimer, not the opener to the latest horror film! let it be known, before the writer gets too carried away, that this is not all her own work. she has borrowed some from the talented j.k. rowling in the attempt to smuggle certain individuals out of the... right, shut it you! simply put... what you don\'t recognize is not mine. the rest is. i make no money from this. i am simply a poor woman who has no life and too much time on her hands. please don\'t hurt me.
not sure about smut or dark bunnies. but be careful. they pop up when you least expect them. you have been properly warned.
and as always, if you like... let me know. a kind word. not much more. please?
Chapter Seventeen: Confrontations
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\'Hello, Bri.\'
She froze. Those two words changed her life. One minute, she was sitting in Otherworld, trying desperately to recall her past. The next, she was wishing she could forget again. In one blinding moment, every memory she had came flooding back, slamming into her head with the same force as an out of control lorry. Her head exploded with pain. It took every ounce of strength and will power she possessed to stifle the cry that rose to her lips and she was forced to curl her hands into fists to keep them from cupping her pounding skull. It was several long moments before she could see or think again.
When she finally looked up, Bri found herself staring at a man. He was tall and thin, yet still muscular. His skin had a dusty tone to it, a warm golden brown that made her think of a sunbather. His hair was purple, a deep purple that looked black unless it was under bright light. It hung long and loose down his back, ending somewhere past his hips. He had an angular face, regal and handsome to look upon. His eyes were amethyst colored and she could see sparks of silver in them. She threw herself from the chair she\'d been relaxing in, throwing her hands out in a defensive position. \'Who are you? How do you know me?\'
\'Surely you remember our last visit,\' he cocked a brow at her, a smirk pulling his lips up. A soft light began building around him, a pale silvery lavendar color that she knew she had seen before. In the total darkness of a dank prison. He had suddenly appeared in the cell with her, bringing her attempts to free herself to a stop. His hand had reached for her, the cool skin of his palm laying gently against her forehead.
\'You appeared in my cell and put your hand on my head. Then you closed your eyes and said \"I\'m here to take your memories from you...\" \' her voice trailed off. His picked the sentence up and finished it.
\' I\'m here to take your memories from you, Daughter,\' he finished quietly.
\'Daughter?\' she stared at him, the single word dripping with disbelief. He nodded his head in the affirmative. \'No. You can\'t be. My father is dead. Mother told me that he died when I was a small child. That the Death Eaters had killed him for opposing the Dark Lord.\'
\'Your mother told you that I was dead because she did not wish to explain who and what I truly am. Not when you were younger. And she was murdered before she could tell you the story when you grew older. Diana was a lovely creature. A mix of Grace and Beauty that was gifted to her by none other than the Mother. I was enraptured the first time I ever laid eyes on her.\'
His voice held a musical quality that was stunning to listen to. Bri felt she could sit there and allow him to speak all day long. Instead, she narrowed her eyes on him, not ready to buy into the story he was telling. He smiled at her indulgently, as if he knew what she was thinking. \'Have you not ever thought you were different from those around you, Bri? Have you not ever wondered why you excel at this task appointed to you? The protection of others. Did it not occur to you that you possess senses and abilities beyond that of a mere Mortal or Wizard?\'
\'No,\' she replied a little too quickly to be believed. His smile grew even more tolerant as he merely stared at her. \'You have no idea what you\'re talking about. I know nothing about you. I don\'t even know how you found me. No one can come to Otherworld without permission from the Guardian.\'
\'The Guardian gives me and mine own free pass to Otherworld. We have business matters that are too important to wait for her to grant us passage,\' he explained, as if it should have been obvious through out the entire bizarre conversation. Bri merely stared at him, barely breathing or blinking as she tried to work out just what the hell was going on. \'You really know nothing of this world or the others, do you?\'
\'This is the first time I\'ve been aware of a world other than the one I live in,\' she replied slowly, finally taking the moment to study him. The clothes he wore were very rich, speaking of a man who held a high station in life. He was obviously important to someone. But who? She\'d never known anyone with hair the color of his, though she had been told time and again about the purple that highlighted her own. His eyes glittered like jewels, the purple and silver in them unmistakable. She imagined they would be visible even in the dimmest of lights. The silver flecks were what interested her. She had them in her own eyes, though she knew they looked more like stars glinting in the night sky on the background of blue that colored her irises.
\'There are many worlds, child. Not just the one you inhabit. Now, unless you intend to attack me, put your hand down. Your arm tires. Not to mention that you would fail miserably, should you even attempt to use your magic on me,\' he chuckled at the last, bringing a deep frown to her face. It was an open challenge, plain and simple. One she wasn\'t about to pass up. She glared at him, drawing herself up to her full height. Then she so very casually flicked her wrist.
He staggered back, the force of the blow moving him perhaps two or three feet away from his original position. But he did not end up on his arse as Snape had. Her eyes narrowed on him, her hand lifting to once more attack. She barely caught the movement of his hand before she found herself sprawled gracelessly in a heap on the soft grass. As she picked herself back up, he laughed heartily. Her glare was enough to stop his laughter, and he looked at her with all seriousness. \'You are quite strong for one so young, Daughter. How is it you have accomplished such a thing?\'
\' It is what I trained for. To stop whomever I could. However I could. I studied Defense Against the Dark Arts in school, and I excelled at it. No one could best me,\' she replied, not a trace of conceit in her voice.
\'This class is unfamiliar to me,\' he cocked his head at her, confusion plain to see on his face.
\'A standard class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its where I attended school. Where I learned how to use my magic as best I could,\' she explained to him. She watched as a series of emotions ran across the smooth surface of his beautiful face before a slow smile emerged.
\'Your mother was a Witch and she passed the gift of magic to you. As did I. No wonder you surpass my offlings in your training. The oldest is less than a year younger than you are, Bri. Your brother would be most interested to meet you, I think,\' he said gently.
\' I have a job.... \' she paused as she thought of his words. A family? She had a brother? She stopped and shook her head, her eyes narrowing even further on him. Her tone, when she spoke again, was low and cold. Filled with anger and other things best left buried. \'My family is dead. I have no brother.\'
\'Do not be so stubborn, child. I am your sire and I am not dead.\'
\'MY FAMILY IS DEAD!\' she spat so vehemently, he swore he could see the words shimmering in the air around them.
\'You are Bri Rhiannon nic\'Draconus Wallace. I am your father. I am Kaddyrayth Pdarn Draconus, Lord of Nosse en Coria\'Imirie Ithil\'Loki. I am High Lord to the High King and Queen of Faerie. Their most trusted advisor and the Captain of the Guard. It has been the long line of Draconus that has served the Ruling House, always protecting them from harm. My sons will do the same in my stead when I can no longer do so. And, it seems that my daughter from the Mortal Realm has unknowingly followed the path of her forebears. As I am a Protector, so are you.\'
\'You know my name. My full name. Only my mother knew my full name. It was recorded only once, on a magically sealed parchment. I found it among her things after her death. It sprang open at my touch, and it was there that I found my full name. How is it that you know?....\' she asked, her voice trailing off with in confusion.
\' I gifted you with two of your names. Rhiannon after my much loved mother, who never knew any of her great-offlings. nic\'Draconus means daughter of the Draconus. Your mother gave you the name Bri Wallace and the two became one. We wished to see you given the names of both our families,\' he sighed as he spoke, and the look in his eyes suggested that he was remembering something. Bri watched him for a moment, startled when he next spoke. His voice was full of sadness, his eyes darkening as he looked at her. \'Your mother was excited to find that she carried you. She and I were consorts for a long time. My wife, Shee, knows of the affair. Though she was hurt, she never laid blame on my feet.\'
\'How did you know my mother?\' Bri asked, interested despite herself. She still had no idea just who the man before her was, never mind the claims about being the father she long thought dead. He gestured with an elegant hand to the chair and she sat. Almost without thought, she conjured a second one for him to take. He sat silently, his thank you in the look he gave her.
\' I was in the Mortal Realm to find a traitor and take him home. He lead me to...\' he began, but was stopped when she looked up at him a question in her eyes. He knew what she wanted to ask and told her. \'My home is the Land of Faerie. I am Protector. And, when the traitor escaped into the Mortal Realm, I was sent to retrieve him. He lead me to the place you call Edinburgh. I do not know how he managed this, but he did. And it was there that I was grievously injured. I would have died, were it not for the angel that found me. Your mother took me to her home and nursed me back to health.\'
\'You were hurt? I didn\'t know that. Momma barely talked about how you met. Only that she loved you deeply and that she never wanted anyone else,\' Bri told him. No matter what she wanted to believe, she could feel the truth in his words. He knew a name that only her parents would know. And he spoke of her mother with such passion in his voice. He had to be her father. Either that, or he was a very convincing con man.
A look of intense pain crossed his face with her words, but he pushed it away and continued his tale. \'My convalescence was long and slow. And your mother, my beloved heart, was by my side every single moment. I had just been bound to Shee, and it pained me to be away from her. But I was entranced and intrigued by your mother. Diana was the most beautiful person in the world. While Shee was my life mate, Diana was my heart. We learned much about one another as she helped heal me. And, when I was well enough, we gave in to the feelings we had and shared our bodies with one another.\'
\'What you\'re saying is I\'m the product of a one night stand. An ilicit affair,\' Bri commented softly, her voice so low that it hid the pain she felt. Her mother had always told her that she was the product of a joining brought about by love, that the two of them had loved one another deeply. And now, it seemed as if all that was a lie. Kaddyrayth reached out with one hand to lift her chin, smiling into eyes so like his own and yet so like her mother\'s.
\' I am saying that you are the product of two consenting adults who came together out of deep and undying love. To this day, it pains my heart to know that your mother is gone. That I will never again hold her in my arms and whisper the words that tell her of my affections. I stayed with your mother for nearly an entire Mortal year. I helped deliver you into this world. I saw you, my Daughter, when you were a new spirit. And I have never been able to forgive myself for not taking you and your mother back to Faerie with me. Had I done so, Diana would still be alive.\'
Bri felt tears prick her eyes. She could hear the bitterness in his voice as he spoke. She stood, looking past him to the trees. She didn\'t want to stay here anymore. She didn\'t want to be out in the open. This was too private a moment to risk sharing with anyone else. The forest was calling to her. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she motioned to the woods and moved off silently. When she finally stopped in the darkened interior, where the leaves were so thick that the light filtering through them was dim and tinted green, she found him right behind her. A look of peace had taken place of the sadness, but she could feel that emotion clinging to him like some invisible cloak.
She moved further into the trees until they had come to a small clearing. She took a seat on the thick layer of leaves and moss that covered the ground. She watched, absolutely fascinated, as her father sat beside her in so unselfconscious a manner that she knew he was as home in the forest as he was in the city. Even in his finery, he seemed to fit perfectly with his surroundings. She admired the darkness of his cloak, so black that even night seemed brighter. It was held closed by a brooch of amethyst that matched his eyes. His tunic was of silk, the color of lilacs covered with morning dew. She thought that it would feel as soft as the petals of a rose. His leggings were a tight fit, a silverish-gray color that brought out the sparkles in his eyes. They were tucked into a pair of knee high boots of the finest, most supple leather she had ever seen.
\'Had you taken us to Faerie,\' she began, then paused as the meaning of it sunk in. He was from Faerie. He was a Faerie. He was her father. She was half Faerie. She turned a stunned expression to him, giving him a reason to chuckle. The sound of mirth broke the spell on her wits and she continued. \'Had you taken us to Faerie, what would have happened to us? I mean, you told me you had a wife already. What would?...\' she trailed off, trying to think of the right way to phrase it.
\'Your mother would have been given modest apartments in my home. I would not have been able to spend time with her as I had when in your world, but she would have been well cared for until a suitable mate could have been found for her,\' he told her, watching as the anger rose to color her cheeks at his statement. \'You would have remained in my house. I would have reared you in the same manner that I have brought up the rest of my offlings.\'
\'So you would have kept me and sent my mother away. Because of Shee.You would have separated us because of that?\' she asked carefully, trying to hold her temper in check.
\' It would have been the only way,\' he nodded.
\'Then I\'m glad you didn\'t. I wouldn\'t want to have been taken from my mother because you felt you had a duty to me. Its better I lost her to Death than to you,\' she stood with all the grace of his people to stare down at him. \'Thank you for returning my memories. Now get the hell out of my life.\'
\'Bri, you do not understand the way it is in Faerie,\' he insisted softly. She stared at him impassively, waiting for him to continue. \' I was bound to Shee. That means that my life is tied to hers. Should I have been caught showering my affections on another woman... on a Mortal woman, all of our lives would have been forfeit. I could not do that to either of them. Nor to you.\'
\' I survived all these years without you. I think we should keep it that way. My father is dead, and so is my mother. Good-bye,\' she stepped past him.
\'By the Mother, Bri! Do not walk away from me. From this. It will not do you any good to hide behind such thoughts,\' Kaddyrayth rose to his feet. She stopped, but didn\'t turn. \' I never set out to hurt you or your mother. I love you and her very much.\'
\'She\'s dead. Thanks, but no thanks. I\'ve no need of you,\' she whispered softly. It seemed as if the entire forest held its breath to see what happened next. Silence assaulted them. Even the leaves quit whispering in the breeze as every living thing waited to see what happened next.
\'You have a need of me, Bri. Only I can help you in what is to come. You have a trial to face still, and it will be the death of you if you are not properly prepared,\' he warned gently. She spun to face him with this, her eyes flashing blue fire at him.
\' I had a need of you when my mother was found dead in an alley! The Medi-Wizard who broke the news to me was so repulsed by what he had seen, he was sick in the garbage can next to me. I never saw her. I was too young, they said. I only know that she was cursed repeatedly. That she died in horrible pain. I was just ten when she was killed, and I had a need of you then!\' she spat violently, her hands trembling as the memories rushed over her like cold water, covering her head and pulling her deeper in the dark pit of despair.
The deep and intense anger brought a wave of power to the surface. The air prickled around them as her magic swirled and seethed with the need to be set loose. Kaddyrayth stood slowly, his eyes fastened on his eldest child. Never had he felt such a wave of power on a person before. He actually feared for himself. \'Where were you when I was crying my eyes out in an orphanage where I was forgotten more times than even I can remember? Where were you when I needed a shoulder to lean on and cry out my soul to? Where were you when I needed you?\'
\' I am sorry, Daughter. I couldn\'t be with you. I didn\'t know until some time later that Diana had been killed. I was numb with my grief. When I could finally think again, I couldn\'t find you. No one knew what had become of you. I had feared your death, too, until some time later. By then, I didn\'t dare interrupt your life. You were concentrating on something with great intensity. It seems that my better intentions have hurt us both.\'
\'No, they\'ve only hurt you,\' she pointed out softly. \' I have no father. Now good-bye. And please don\'t seek me out again. I have no wish to speak to you anymore.\'
\'Should you ever change your mind, you have but to come to Otherworld. The Guardian will allow you through to Faerie. All you need do is mention my name,\' his words trailed after her through the trees. She tried to push them from her mind, confused by all the conflicting emotions she felt. She was happy and sad and angry to find that her father was alive. She was stunned to learn who and what he was. And she was now plagued once more with memories and the pain of the loss of her mother all over again. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the numb state she\'d been in since her stay in Malfoy\'s prison.
Her body jerked to a halt as those painfully vivid memories washed over her once more. Images of him standing over her with his trousers undone and a gleam in his eyes. The feeling of complete pain when he\'d shoved himself into each and every one of her orifices. She could still feel each and every one of his invasions so many months after it had happened. She could remember how badly her back had burned when he\'d taken a razor to it and carved the Dark Mark into it. She clearly remembered how Bellatrix\'s laughter, mad and frightening, had filled the stone chamber. The sound of her skirts whispering against her legs in the total darkness. She felt the terror course through her body anew just at the heightened recollection of it all. With the knowledge of who and what she was, it was a hundred times worse.
And all the questions. They had both asked so many questions. But they always wanted her to give them the same information. Malfoy had seemed to want to know it more than Bella. She understood now what he\'d been asking her for. Why he\'d kept her alive. Why he\'d found the most debasing manner to abuse her. He\'d wanted her to give him Harry Potter. And, with her history lost to her, she couldn\'t. Her father had come and taken the information from her head. The question was why?
The questions surrounding her father\'s sudden appearance in her life were quickly shoved aside as she recalled one thing of importance she\'d learned while she\'d been captive in Malfoy\'s personal version of hell. Something that the Lestrange witch had said to her. \"I want to see if I can make you scream longer and louder than your mother did when I killed her.\"
Bellatrix Lestrange had killed her mother. The bitch was as good as dead.
~*~*~*~*~
It was nearly dark when Bri had recovered enough of herself to return to the house. She hadn\'t seen any sign of her father since she\'d left him in the forest and for that, she was grateful. Once she\'d been able to think about anything other than her returned past and what it meant to her and the others, she\'d begun contemplating what was going on around her. Her mind raced as she let it tumble over all that had been happening in the house for the duration of their time there.
Remus and Bill\'s presence there wasn\'t so hard to understand. Snape could brew the Wolfsbane potion. Remus needed it. As much as Snape hated Lupin, the two men were stuck with one another until this exile was lifted. As for Bill, she knew his trip was sponsored by Gringotts. The bank was looking for as much information about all the worlds of Magic as they could get. Bill Weasley was one of their best researchers and curse-breakers. She knew the little demon Goblins at Gringotts wouldn\'t pass up such an opportunity as this.
It was also an opportunity for Bill to work out his grief at the loss of his brother, Percy. She recalled the day of the battle in which Voldemort had fallen. It had been a hellish scene and it was something she hoped she never had to live through again. She\'d missed Percy Weasley\'s funeral because she and Potter had been forced into hiding. She understood from Dumbledore that it had been a terribly difficult occasion and not even Bill had left without shedding his own tears. And Bri knew he blamed Izzy for his brother\'s death. She could see it in his face when he looked at Izzy. The other woman never saw it, but Bri did.
Harry being here in Otherworld was simple to explain. He was still in hiding. She knew that Izzy had been assigned to him, though that assignment was starting to appear to be more dangerous for the two of them than good. Potter was teetering on the verge of complete madness. Even without her memories in place, Bri had seen that. Something was pushing the young man further and further over the edge. If something wasn\'t done about it now, there would be no bringing him back to himself. Bri had to wonder what was going on between Potter and Izzy besides the abusive sex they engaged in. The two of them seemed to be feeding off one another\'s darker natures.
Over the course of the past three months or so, she had watched her best friend\'s mental health decline at a rapid rate. Bri couldn\'t understand what was wrong with Izzy. She wondered why her friend let Potter abuse her in much the same manner Malfoy had abused Bri herself. Izzy acted as if she didn\'t know who Bri was, and that was troubling. She\'d have thought, given the circumstances, Izzy would be doing as much as she could to help Bri get her memory back. Instead, her friend avoided her and cursed her, treating her like vermin.
Bri recalled some of the hot, scathing looks that Izzy had sent toward her and Severus when the other woman thought no one was looking. Such looks of hatred where so unusual. And then it hit her what was going on. Izzy was very unhappy about Severus\' interest in Bri. She wasn\'t at all sure what Izzy was thinking, but she knew that her behavior had to stem from the way they both had been acting.
She scoffed at herself when she went back over how she\'d been behaving of late. It was very, very disheartening to know that she was in love with Severus Snape. A man she\'d never been able to stomach for as long as she could recall. How it had happened, she couldn\'t be sure. But it had happened. She was in love with the sodding bastard. Oh, the irony of it all. She knew he detested her as much as she did him, and here she was. Sleeping in his bed and practically begging him to fuck her every night. Some foul deed was afoot here. What, she couldn\'t be sure. But, knowing what she did about Snape, she was relatively certain that the git was planning something. And she was certain that she was somehow involved.
As much as Bri wanted to go home and forget this place, she couldn\'t. Not yet. She had to find out what was going on. Which meant she was stuck playing the lost soul for just a while longer. Heaving a sigh, she slipped back into the house to pick up the charade and see if she couldn\'t glean some information from the others in the process.
She heard raised voices as she shut the door and stepped into the entryway. They were coming from the living area. Someone was very unhappy. \'Look, Harry. I know I\'ve been the least happy about her presence here, but what you\'re doing is wrong. No one deserves to be treated like this. No one, no matter what they have or haven\'t done.\'
\'Stay out of my business, Weasley. What I do is none of your concern,\' Potter\'s voice was soft and full of menace, underscored with a hint of insanity. There was a soft voice, speaking in hushed tones that Bri barely heard. She knew it was Izzy, though, when she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. \'Shut it! I didn\'t ask for your opinion, did I?\'
She took a moment to try and shift back into her lost persona, then stepped into the room. Harry stood over Izzy, who sat and nearly cowered in a chair. There was a look of such intent hostility on his face that she almost forgot to play her part and hexed him for his stupidity. Bill was staring at the two of them, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. He obviously didn\'t approve of what was happening. He glanced up at her, shaking his head is if in warning. \'But, Harry,\' Izzy began. Potter scowled down at her, shutting her up in a heartbeat.
\'You look like Malfoy like that,\' Bri whispered, managing to pitch her voice low so that she sounded frightened. Harry and Izzy looked up at her, both faces registering a small amount of surprise at her words. \'Just now. That\'s how he looked just before he started beating me. It was so awful. How someone so pleasant to look upon could be so cruel and evil is beyond me. It brings back such terrible memories.\'
\' I\'m nothing like Malfoy,\' Potter snapped at her. But she could hear the doubt in his voice. Perhaps he wasn\'t as far gone as she thought he was. Bri shook her head at him, as if denying his denial, then turned and fled the room in a hurried manner to make them think she was running from the memory of her abuse. As she climbed the stairs, Bri thought she was running from so much more than just that.
~*~
The shower had long ago run cold and yet still she didn\'t move. She was trying to come up with some way to find out what Snape was up to. She had met him in the hall on the way to her room to fetch clean clothes. He\'d smiled at her as he always did, a soft upward lift of his lips that seemed innocuous and sweet. She knew now that it was calculating and manipulative. His lips had been soft and warm as he\'d pressed a kiss to her own, then he\'d asked her what she\'d done that day. As if she were his spouse. She\'d wanted to beat him upside the head, but she\'d refrained and simply smiled, telling him she had spent her entire day out in the forest.
After telling her that there was a plate saved for her, he\'d gone into his private labs and shut the door behind him. She\'d retreated into her room and crawled into the shower, where she\'d let the events of the day roll over her like the water that pounded from the shower head. She\'d cried, much as she hated to indulge, and gotten some of the freshly stirred pain from her system. It had left her feeling raw and exposed, like some kind of open wound that wouldn\'t heal. She needed to find some way to work past it all.
Her mind had come up with the plan to discover what Snape was up to. Though the doing was harder than the thinking of it. The man was like one giant bank vault, all his secrets locked away from prying eyes. No one knew how to breach his walls and find a way in past his natural defenses. If she could do that, perhaps she could find a way to discover what he was planning. Then she could come up with a way to turn it against him.
Finally shutting off the water, she slipped from the stall and reached for a towel. She dried off, then slipped her nightgown on. When she stepped from the bathroom, she found him lounging on the settee, waiting for her. She managed a smile for him, then watched as he stood and moved toward her. He pulled her into his arms, his lips searching out hers. She kissed him hungrily, hating herself the entire time.
She despised her weakness. His kisses were hot and heady, driving rational thought from her mind. She should hate him for this, but she couldn\'t. She simply wanted him with a burning passion that she couldn\'t put out. He\'d brought this to life within her. He was the only one who could quench the raging fire within. He was the only one she wanted. The only one she loved. She hated herself for feeling that way, knowing it would bring her nothing but heartache and pain. But she couldn\'t help herself.
When he pulled back from her, Bri was breathless and in need. Her body was pulsing with desire, the very core of her wet with the desire to have him fill her. When he pushed her silently toward the door, she went without argument. She knew that he wanted her as much as she did him. When they gained the privacy of his rooms, any thought she might have had left her as he stripped her and took her down to his bed.
It was going to be a long night, indeed.
end chapter seventeen.
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any mistakes or errors found in here are entirely my own, as this is completely self-beta\'d. forgive me if i suck.
please feel free to leave me a little something, if you like. i don\'t bite. i promise i don\'t. well, not unless you ask me to.
to Red: you know me. i always have something up my sleeve. and he is being a big prat, isn\'t he? but he might have met his match in bri. she\'s as hard headed as he is. severus is in such trouble now, i think.
to amniarix: wow! three reviews from one person. thank you so much. i\'m glad you found that you like this. i didn\'t know i\'d made snape comic relief, but you\'re right. when he makes you laugh, its dark. and thank you for the compliments. both on my smut writing abilities and my beautifully layered and textured snape. all i could think at first was onions. then shrek. but i appreciate the compliment. and i hope to work in more remus/tyler. we shall see how it goes, though. i do know of nick cage, but i don\'t know of the song you mentioned. as for borrowing snape... i\'ll have to think about it.
once again, my apologies to anyone who can speak Grey\'s Elven and my most likely horrid use of it.