Choosing Darkness

Snape was still wandering the halls by sunup. Thankfully, it was Saturday and no classes were held. However, there was a staff meeting to smooth out any first year problems and help out the younger, less experienced staff members with their classes. At the moment, the other professors were attempting to shake off the early morning fatigues. Arista, however, was nowhere to be seen. Albus decided that since Severus was in a particularly sour mood, he should find the DADA professor.

His memory kept going back to the previous night when Arista spoke to the cenataur. Her rich alto voice reverberated in his ears that vibrated through his nervous system. And he wasn\'t entirely certain he liked that. Severus accepted the fact that he wasn\'t woman material a long time age. The history of being a Death Eater detracted the allurement for the girl, and any female that found the Mark as a desirable trait did not appeal to him. His worst fear was that Arista would not be able to see beyond it. Of course, why he would be worried about that was beyond him, but there was something...

As the sun broke over the horizon, Arista was found high in one of the little used towers in an airy and sunbathed room that had windows on all sides. All four windows were wide open with a hawk perched on the sill of the easternmost one. The ceiling spiked and spiralled upwards to the center of the spire.

Her breath came in measured exhalations as she swung the staff over her head and then swept low before her against some mental enemy, singing in harmony with her breaths. Arista\'s braided hair twisted as she about faced and slapped against her cheek. Ignoring it, she continued on the rest of the deadly dance, the only thing mattering was skill and her ability to vanquish the demons in her mind. So many defeated, yet so many more to conquer.

\"Do you intend to staff your students to death, Professor Starfyr?\"

It was pure instinct that drove her towards that voice. It was skill that stopped the staff millimeters from his forehead. Three breaths later, she opened her eyes for the first time in the sun. \"Professor Snape?\" Arista jerked the staff away. \"What are you doing here?\"

Severus forced his breathing back to a normal rate as he watched a flurry of emotions race across her face and eyes. Did he catch a bit of desire there? What did that mean? \"What are you doing here?\"

She made an odd clicking noise that Snape couldn\'t detect the origin of and nodded. \"Touche.\"

\"What? What does that mean? Do you think you can defeat Voldemort by waving a stick around?\"

Arista\'s smile went sly as she finished the routine and then straightened. \"That\'s what the wizarding world thinks. My stick just happens to be a little...bigger.\"

Snape stiffened at the remark, feeling his cheeks flush a little.

\"Besides, it\'s good to practice things non-magic. It balances the mind.\" Arista looked at the Hawk and nodded slightly. With a quiet squawk, the bird dropped out of sight. \"Why did you come up here, Severus? More importantly, how did you find me?\"

The Potions Master glared at her as if she had been tardy for class. He was the one who should have been asking questions, not her. \"There is a staff meeting this morning. And the pictures, here, ~talk~.\"

She forgot momentarily about the magical properties of the portraits, but she did not let that come to her face. \"Well, I suppose I should see what this meeting\'s about.\" The woman sashayed proudly out of the room with staff in hand, pausing when Snape didn\'t follow immediately.

\"Well?\"

Well? What the hell was he supposed to do when she bewitched him with that jasmine perfume? \"Well....what?\"

\"Are you not going to escort me?\"

Great, now she sprouted two heads. \"Escort...you.\" Snape could barely believe that she had gone from warrior maiden to snotty princess in all one breath.

\"You\'re not dim, Professor.\" A slow cryptic smile spread across her face.

\"Don\'t patronize me!\" he snapped, taking threatening steps towards her.

\"It is always proper for a gentleman to escort a lady,\" Arista chastized as if she herself had been speaking to a student. \"Don\'t wizards learn manners? I\'m only trying to give you a second chance after you stood me up the day before last.\"

Snape froze in mid-step, unable to move further or to respond to her. He thought she was lucky enough that she was still breathing-that she hadn\'t been the subject of one of many hundreds of hexes running through his mind. Oh, wouldn\'t he just ~love~ to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off her face!

Arista pat his hand kindly as she tucked one of her own in the crook of his elbow. She swung the staff over her opposite shoulder. \"There, see? It wasn\'t so traumatic now, was it?\"

She managed walking with him down the hall and up two flights of stairs before it finally sunk in. Snape\'s faintly pink cheeks flushed to his forehead and below the high collar of his robes before a strangled roar erupted from his mouth.

\"What are you ~doing~, woman!?\"

Arista never once let go of his arm as his hand gripped into a fist. \"You\'re escorting me to Dumbledore\'s. Is there a potion for adled brains? Did you accidently drink some, or did you miss your dose?\"

A deep seated roar of fury broke out of Snape as he wrenched his arm free and took two steps back. Before Arista knew it, his wand was in his hands and the words came from his lips.

\"Stupefy!\"

Nothing happened.

Arista gave Snape another infuriatingly slow grin.

Snape nearly dropped his wand. \"Stupefy!\" Yes, he was certain he had spoken correctly, he could have done this in his sleep and underwater while reciting ~1001 Useful Minerals~ backwards. he shook his wand, thinking that perhaps it was considering the command for some inane reason. \"STUPEFY!!\"

\"Is there something wrong, Professor Snape?\" asked a quiet voice from behind him.

Snape jumped ~he NEVER did that~ and swerved. \"Dumbledore!\"

\"We were just practicing,\" Arista chirped brightly. \"Especially since I\'ve not the proper chance to see how well my shielding works against your wand magic.\" She glided forwards and passed Snape who seemed well frozen to his spot. \"Considering I\'m still moving, I figure my shields work very well.\"

Albus\' eyes twinkled from Arista to Snape and then back to Arista. \"Thank you for finding Professor Starfyr for me, Severus. Unfortunately, the meeting has ended.\" He offered his arm to her and the blond woman took it, smiling broadly.

\"Perhaps you can fill me in over tea,\" Arista offered. \"I\'m certain it was very important.\"

\"It seems that the anticipation of the new year has many of us out of sorts.\"

\"Ah, that\'s what you call it,\" Arista murmured as they walked away. She then whispered, thinking that Dumbledore was the only one who heard. \"I thought it was yet another classic \'unicorn taunting the dragon.\'\"

Snape watched them go, trying desperately to identify the heat rising from the pit of his belly to his ears. He couldn\'t believe the arrogant audacity she had to pull foolish stunts. She was completely obnoxious, undisciplined, untrained, uncultured, and CLEARLY in need of a good ravishing.

A good ravishing? Why the hell would he think that? She was a fellow professor! Confused, Snape stalked back to his quarters to continue research this dreaming potion Arista needed. He barely took note of the snivelling poltergist in the hallway as Peeves continued the supernatural graffiti. Hardly took notice, that is, until Peeves began speaking.

\"OOOhhhhhh! What\'s the matter, Snapey? Did your girlfriend give you the cold shoulder?\"

\"I. Beg. Your. Pardon.\" His steps slowed as the ghost hovered over him. \"That...woman...is ~not~ my girlfriend. If you ever imply again that we are even remotely compatible--\"

\"She\'s got a secret, Professor Snape,\" Peeves whispered seductively. \"A secret that defies everything at Hogwarts. And Dumbledore knows nothing about it.\"

\"You know nothing,\" sneered the professor as he turned away. There was nothing this troublesome ghost could do nothing useful, anyway.

\"--She speaks to the dead.\'

This caused Snape to stop, then turn around. And just when he had a glimmer of hope. \"~YOU\'RE~ dead, you idiot!\"

But the expression on Peeves\' translucent face was not an expression usually seen on the mischevious spirit. It was a look of utmost seriousness. \"You know what I mean, Severus.\" And then he vapored away.

It left Snape chilled somewhat. He didn\'t knw why, other than it definitely wasn\'t Peeves\' usual behavior. In fact, the ghost actually seemed afraid of Professor Starfyr.

Now, that was a silly thing. Yes, Arista may be able to swing a big stick, but it was nothing to get one\'s knickers in a bunch...

Or...was it?

**

\"That is a very remarkable wand, Arista,\" Albus praised as he set the violet wand on the table to accept the offered tea. \"You say you found it at Ollivander\'s?\"

Arista was quiet as she sipped from her cup cup. She wasn\'t about to reveal that secret. \"There are some things you must know about me, Albus.\"

\"You mean there is more of this enigma?\"

\"He is, that one. I do have loved ones back at home, and one in particular--\"

\"Ah, married. I can send an owl--\"

\"No, you don\'t understand. If something happens, they\'ll need to know.\" Arista\'s smile faded slightly. \"My Promised will know what to do. From where I come from, arrangements are not the same as marriages, here. My soul is yoked, but my heart is not.\"

\"You do not have to justify anything with me, Arista.\" Dumbledore said gently as he placed a hand over hers. \"You have done nothing wrong, child.\"

\"Albus. It matters not if I have done nothing wrong. Wrong always finds me.\"




Later on that afternoon, Arista decided to walk out onto the grounds and investigate the playing field. Already a team was out there on broomsticks, zipping and zooming high into the air. She shook her head slightly as she continued on, wishing she could escape the irony of it all. Once within the arena, she craned her neck overhead to watch the moving objects and brooms. Below was the captain, standing on the ground as she oberved the team. \"Ron, keep that arm straight! You\'re listing to the left! Oh! Professor Starfyr, I didn\'t see you.\"

Arista waived the apology attempt away and took a step back. \"I\'m just watching. I\'ve never seen a game before.\"

\"This is hardly a game. It\'s more like a-a-\" she slapped her hand against her forehead as one of the flyers spun out of control when a bludger smacked into them \"distaster. You need to protect Harry so he has time to find the snitch!\"

One flyer drew still and rose above the action. She assumed it was Harry, for it was the only broom not active in the other three objects. Arista searched the air for whatever Harry was supposed to find, this snitch, she assumed. Despite this sport being in her least favorite element, the air, she found it to be quite graceful.

\"Professor, watch out!\"

She barely had time to register that someone was calling her when the large black sphere dropped out of the sky like a cannon ball. She dove out of the way as the dust blew up around her. Arista was on her feet again as the screams started. A feeling of dread came over her as a robed figure appeared out of no where.