Choosing Darkness

Arista was there at least 15 minutes prior to the appointed time. She paced back and forth before his office door, uncertain as to whether he was already within or if he had yet to arrive. Her deep kelly-green dress was of a thicker fabric today to off set the chilliness of London and it whispered loudly around her ankles. Clutched within her hand was a short list of what Dumbledore thought she needed. The topmost thing was WAND.

Finally, she decided to knock on the heavy oaken door. If he was there, he was there, and if not...well, who warded their office against staff members? Arista heard no response, and checked the latch. It was unlocked and unspelled. Perfect. It took both hands to open the door, yet it moved smoothly on its hinges. She entered Severus\' seemingly bare study. It was stripped of all \'comfort items\' that one might see in any other teacher\'s office. Not one picture marred the walls, not one tome or vial was misplaced. The dark wood desk whispered of ancient wealth as did the velvet lined chair. The hearth was off to the side so that it was not the center of attention, but not so far away that a chair could not be turned. Attatched to the mantle was a piece of parchment that seemed to move on its own in a breeze she could not feel. Arista stepped forward, grasping the at-first blank sheet. Flowing script began to appear and coallesce once the parchment was in her hands.

Take some floo powder from the jar and toss it into the flame. Clearly state your destination: The Leaky Cauldron.


S--


\"Some invitation,\" she muttered a smirk as she studied the hearth again. Arista would definitely have to consult him on his direction giving. \"Forgot to say that in order for one to \'floo,\' one should most likely have a fire going.\" With a small chuckle, she crumbled the parchment into the hearth and spoke a few words, bringing the fire to life. Her hand dipped into the earthen jar hanging in the sconce to the right and tossed it into the flames. Tongues of yellow flashed to a brilliant green.

\"The Leaky Cauldron!\" Arista announced, looking at the fire. There was another flash, but nothing else. Minutes ticked by as she waited for something to happen. \"Oooo-kay.\" A cricket began to chirp in the corner. Still nothing. Finally, she broke the silence. \"What the heck am I supposed to do, walk into the flame---eeeeeeeee!\"

The next moment she was dumped uncerimoniously on the stone floor. Coughing, she looked up to see several faces staring at her. Arista hoped that there was enough soot covering her face to hide the flush she felt in her cheeks. The Leaky Cauldron seemed to be like another bar/eatery place. Not one person was going to help her, either. She rose to her feet, carefully smoothed out her dress, ran a hand down her plaited blonde hair and re-clasped her cloak at her throat. Her grey eyes scanned the room, falling upon the keep who was cleaning a table. Her steps carried her forward to the man, ignoring the stares she was receiving. \"Escuse me...I\'m trying to find Severus Snape--\"

A crash was heard in the background; someone had dropped a glass. A hurried whisper later, and the glass had reformed. Arista could feel even more stares boring holes in the back of her head as she waited for an answer. \"Have you seen him?\"

The keeper looked as if she had just declared herself to be the anti-christ. The frazzled looking wizard shook himself to alertness and replied in a low voice. \"Second floor, room 313.\"

\"Thank you.\" Arista looked for the stairs admist staring folk, and then headed up the stairs. The door she sought was a few steps off to the side, and she stood before it a moment before knocking. When there was no reply, she knocked a little harder. That time, she received a response.

\"I TOLD you, I wanted nothing!\"

\"Severus?\"

Her answer was silence, and then the door creaked open. \"Hurry up.\" Arista quickly entered and then closed the door. Once her eyes fell on the Potions Master, the slight annoyance with having to deal with floo-ing disappeared. He was in dreadful shape, barely standing and much paler than usual. It was almost as if he was suffering from a hang over, but she had sense enough to believe that Snape was not of the binge drinking types.

\"What happened to you?\"

\"None of your business,\" he snapped surly, attempting to straighten his towering form and glare down at her. Snape wavered dangerously. \"You\'re late.\"

\"I\'m late? You said meet you in your office. You weren\'t there.\" Her grey eyes quickly flashed ire again. \"And you had some pretty shoddy directions for that floo powder crap. I\'ll have you know I\'m sending you my cleaning bill. And, I\'m going to remind you, Severus, I am not one of your stud--\"

Arista was by his side and supporting him as he collasped. Snape gave a small grunt, aware enough of her strength. \"I cannot assist you in your search for items, today, Miss Starfyr.\"

She didn\'t answer him as she walked him to the only chair in the room and bade him to sit. Arista straightened her back and eyed him. \"What happened to you, last night?\"

\"Not your concern-\"

She didn\'t buy it. \"What happened? Your magic\'s all a jumble, your circle might as well be shattered, I\'m surprised you can bear the very air at all.\"

\"What?\" He felt her cool hand press up against his forehead, and before he realized it, pressed up against it for relief. He was roused a little out of his fever when he heard a clicking noise and then a soft word come from her lips. Severus opened his eyes when she didn\'t respond to him.

He watched with fuzzy vision as Arista rumaged through her cloak, pulling out various packets and setting them on the little table with the pitcher of water. All her movements were graceful and with purpose, like a dancer\'s or even a Potions Master. Her brow was furrowed with concern as she checked the packets again. He really had little knowledge of what was going on or that her worry was for him until he was hit with a wave of acute pain. Her head swerved and her grey eyes shot sparks into his, causing him to gasp and then cough again.

\"Relax,\" she murmured to him as her hand touched fevered-since when did he collect a fever?-cheek. \"Breathe slowly, not too deeply. You\'ll only make it worse if you put forth more effort.\" Once she was certain he was stable, she went back to the pitcher of water and packets she procured from her cloak.

Snape was able to watch her as long as he kept minimal focus on his breathing. His fever must have been working overtime, for he could swear that Arista was a vision. If he didn\'t know better, she could have been and angel as she worked on some instant potion. He heard her speak, but didn\'t understand the words. It was a spidery magic language that he felt that if he could listen hard enough, he\'d be able to understand it.

\"Where did you learn that?\" he asked in a voice that was suddenly dry and cracked. He was so thirsty, yet the thought of water quenching his parched throat pained him.

\"As I said before,\" Arista murmured quietly as she softly blew on the hot water in her pitcher, \"I\'ve come from and old school from an equally old world whose name you\'ve never heard of.\" She procured a cup from a word and thin air and dipped out some of her concoction. \"You need to drink this, and we need to be out of here by noon.\"

\"What is it?\" Snape asked before he allowed her to help him into a sitting position.

\"Trust me, you don\'t want to know.\" Arista smiled grimly as he made a face against the awful taste. When he drank all he believed he was able without vomitting, she put the cup down and sat on the bed beside him. \"So...who cast that spell on you?\"

\"What spell?\" All he could think of was the Cruatius, but he never had side effects from that Unforgivable like this before.

Arista shook her head, turning away a little. \"Get some sleep. I\'m going to go find some supplies, and I\'ll be back to wake you before we go. I\'m warding the door; no one will disturb you.\"

Against all his instincts and fears of being found out as a double spy, he relaxed under her gaze and laid his safety into her hands. Just before he closed his eyes under the fog of the sleeping draught ingrediants in her potion, he noticed a blue tattoo on Arista\'s left arm, right where he had his Mark.