#7 ~ The Ghost and Lady Snape

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR (except Marcus Delaluci). All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 19 ~ Endora

Marcus found himself back at the Three Broomsticks Inn. He was still in his wifebeater and jeans, and looked delicious. More than a few female heads turned when he walked in the door. He walked up to the bar, and glanced at himself in the mirror.

“Looking good, old boy,” he thought as Madame Rosmerta walked up, all smiles.

“Hello, Professor,” she purred at him.

Marcus raised his eyebrows, and smiling, kissed her hand slowly, his violet eyes never leaving her face. Rosmerta tittered like a schoolgirl.

“Madame Rosmerta,” he said.

“Well, what can I do for you tonight?” she said suggestively. Marcus grinned.

“A firewhiskey, for now,” Marcus replied, giving her an unmistakably lecherous look.

Madame Rosmerta giggled and fixed him a firewhiskey.

”The first one’s free,” she purred. Marcus’ raked his violet eyes across her body openly, and she flushed at the bold way he looked at her.

“Thank you,” he said, “perhaps we can chat later.”

Rosmerta smiled, “Maybe more than chat,” she responded, her eyes taking on a heated look.

Marcus said goodbye to the innkeeper and found himself a table. He watched her over his firewhiskey.

“Hmm. I bed her and I save on room cost,” he thought to himself as he eyed her backside while she served drinks. He let his eyes drift around the inn. There were quite a few patrons, mostly women in little groups. He caught more than one interested eye looking his way. He smiled politely at every woman who looked at him, not wanting to alienate anyone, but not wanting to invite anyone over at this point.

He looked over his right shoulder and noticed a mousy little witch sitting alone, drinking something that had a small umbrella sticking out of it. He looked closer. It was the same witch who had been with Cassandra, the Obeah. Making a decision, he rose and walked to her table, coming up behind her. He leaned over her.

“Excuse me,” he said.

The poor witch started, almost spilling her drink. She turned quickly in the chair, peering up at him through her glasses.

“Yes?” she asked, rather timidly. Marcus was a big wizard. A good-looking one too. She wasn’t used to either.

“I was wondering if I might join you,” Marcus said smoothly, smiling at the witch.

She looked around as if to see if he were speaking to someone else. No one else was within earshot but her. She looked at him again, closely. She hesitated.

“Well, I usually don’t socialize with strange wizards,” she said, “ a witch can’t be too careful.”

Marcus smirked. “I’m not a strange wizard. I didn’t get a chance to meet you last time I was here, but I did talk for a moment with a friend of yours. Her name was Cassandra.”

The witch looked at him closely, then her wide hazel eyes widened even more with recognition. “Oh yes, now I remember. Please, sit down, Mr…”

“Marcus. Marcus Delaluci,” Marcus said, pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down, “and what is your name?”

The witch blushed at having such an attractive wizard sitting with her. She could feel the eyes of the other witches in the inn looking at her. She stretched out her hand to Marcus.

“My name is Endora,” she said.

She thought Marcus was going to shake her hand, but the blonde wizard brought it to his lips.

“Pleased to meet you, Endora,” he practically purred.

Endora blushed over her entire body. Marcus looked on, amused. He knew the witch was not used to attention, much less male attention. He studied her. Her brown hair was rather lank beneath her witch hat, and she wore no makeup which made her look a little plain, but her eyes were lovely behind the glasses. Her robes were a bit oversized. She probably was uncomfortable with her body. But when she moved he could see she had nice sized breasts. He noticed she was almost finished with her drink. He looked at it, then up at her.

“May I buy you another drink?” he asked.

She looked at a loss. “Oh, that won’t be necessary, Mr. Delaluci,” she said.

“That’s Marcus. Mr. Delaluci was my father,” Marcus replied.

“Marcus,” she said, “um, I can pay for my…”

“Nonsense. What kind of gentleman would I be to sit here and not at least buy you a few drinks in return for sharing your company?” he said, motioning to a waitress.

Endora watched helplessly as Marcus told the waitress to bring her another drink, and keep them coming. He turned back to the witch and smiled at her. She looked mesmerized. Marcus was tempted to seduce her, simply because she looked like she’d never been seduced, or even touched for that matter. But he thought better of it. She was a friend of Cassandra’s. The Obeah might not take kindly to Marcus trying to court her if he had her friend first. Plus, the virginal types got really clingy, really fast. Marcus liked to come, then go.

“So, did Cassandra say anything about me?” he asked, diving right into the reason he was sitting with her in the first place.

Endora thought about how much she should disclose to the violet-eyed wizard sitting across from her. Cassandra did imply a marked interest in him, but said he had to battle a dangerous enemy and she didn’t know if he would survive. She was curious about the battle. She hadn’t met many heroic wizards in her life.

“Well, she said you were going to have a dangerous battle, and she didn’t know if you would survive, though she hoped you would.” Endora offered, hoping he would have more to say about the subject.

Marcus smiled. So the black Obeah really was interested in him. He saw the eagerness in Endora’s eyes.

“Well, I hope to survive the battle too,” he said, “I go to fight tomorrow evening. It will be decided in a few hours whether I live through it or not.”

The witch gasped, holding her hand to her breast.

“Aren’t you frightened?” she asked before she could help herself. She shouldn’t have asked him that. It was much too personal. Marcus looked thoughtful.

“Frightened isn’t the right word. I feel a little apprehensive, I suppose. But it doesn’t matter. I will have to fight no matter how I feel about it,” he replied, gazing at the witch intently.

“So this is your last night out, before you face death,” she whispered.

Marcus nodded.

Endora considered him. “I would think that you would be…um…looking for some solace,” she said delicately, her hazel eyes widening a bit.

“There’s time for that,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink and setting it on the table.

“Actually, I am very interested in Cassandra. What can you tell me about her?” he asked.

Endora sipped her new drink.

“A lot of men are interested in Cassandra. It’s said that she is part siren, and when men hear her voice, they are drawn to her. But that’s just a rumor, I think. She is from the Islands, though she is very secretive about which island. She doesn’t like uninvited guests. She has to hide from her suitors.”

“I can understand that,” said Marcus, remembering the Obeah’s beauty. “If she lives in the islands, why was she here?” he asked.

“For supplies. It’s cheaper to come to England to buy the supplies herself than order them. Big mark-up.’

“What kind of supplies?” Marcus asked.

“Mostly magical ingredients for spells. She is an Obeah, but she does practice magic of a sort. I met her while on holiday several years ago. When she visits, she stays with me.”

Marcus absorbed this. “What kind of magic does she practice?” he asked, interested.

“Well, Obeah deal with spirits quite a bit. It is a gift handed down from generation to generation. She gets them to obey her wishes. She burns certain herbs and ingredients to lure them to her, then bends them to her will. She is very powerful. People come from all over the world to consult with her,” Endora said, lowering her voice a bit.

Now Marcus really wished he could have got to know the Obeah better. She could have helped him in the battle. He gave Endora a measuring look. He wondered if she could contact Cassandra, and would she, if he asked. He reached across the table and took the witch’s hands in his own, caressing the back of them with his thumbs. Endora looked shocked, but didn’t pull her hands away.

“Can you contact Cassandra?” he asked her, looking into her hazel eyes, “I am in great need of her help, Endora. My battle will be with a spirit, a very evil spirit…”

And Marcus told Endora all about Alistar. The witch had turned all kinds of colors at the tale, especially the murders of the muggle-born witches, and how he was attempting to possess another muggle-born witch even now.

“Gods, that is horrible,” Endora gasped, removing her hat and fanning herself with it. She polished off her drink. “Marcus, how can you defeat him when he has the blood of the muggle-borns grounding him?”

Marcus shook his head. “I don’t know, Endora,” he said honestly, “I just have to try.”

Endora looked thoughtful.

“There is a price for Cassandra’s help. A vial of your blood and an oath of a future service of her choosing.” And even if you give those, there’s no guarantee she will help you if Alistar poses a danger to her as well,” Endora said.

“I’m willing to give both. But how would we get them to her. I have less than twenty-four hours,” he said, “the islands are too far for an owl to reach overnight.”

Endora considered him. He was a brave wizard, a real hero. She made her decision.

“I can get it to her. But you will have to come with me,” she said.

Marcus didn’t have to think twice. He called the waitress over and paid their bill, over Endora’s protestations. They left the inn together and walked to the public apparition point. Endora looked at the wizard rather shyly.

“You’ll have to hold on to me,” she said, looking at the ground.

Without hesitation, Marcus wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her close.

“I’m holding,” he smiled at her.

Endora had never been embraced like this before. She felt rather strange. Kind of warm. She shook herself, took a deep breath, and they apparated.

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A/N: To be continued next chapter. What do you think of Endora? I saw a \"Bewitched\" commercial while writing and just couldn\'t resist. lol. What do you think of this chapter? Maybe the calvary will come, eh? Please review.