Perfect Slytherins - Tales from the Fourth Year
Part 1
By Jeconais
Author Notes:
Thanks to Kokopelli for betaing this.
Chapter is a bit Snape heavy, but then, you need to lay foundations at times.
The fourth year was the year that was both the ending and the beginning of something else.
As with the previous three years it was a year that was memorable for all concerned with the Addams.
As was habitual for Snape, he spent the first week recovering from the rigours of teaching. Only this year, he was bored senseless after the first day.
The excitement and sense of adventure had become almost addictive, and being alone was no longer the panacea that it once had been.
And so, he hadn’t been surprised when he had received an owl on his third day after his holiday.
Severus,
The marriage contract between the Black and Malfoy families has ended with the death of Lucius. Harry has ensured that Narcissa can keep the Black name for now.
You may be aware that Draco is also a Black now. Lucius disowned him while in jail, however, he failed to disinherit Narcissa, so she has inherited the Mansion and what remains of the Malfoy money (His support of Voldemort was expensive, so the Malfoy estate is not what it once was).
In other news, Harry has decided that he would prefer a competent be placed in charge of leading England, and as such we Addams will be quietly supporting Amelia Bones.
Please find attached some helpful charms.
Regards,
Morticia
Severus sighed faintly as he looked at the attached charms. The message was unmistakable, he was to get off his arse and get on with the job in question: dealing with Narcissa Black.
The attached charms were more to do with his hair and the perpetual grease he endured due to his work with potions.
Why, exactly, he hadn’t thought of using a potion to reverse the effects probably had more to do with a complete lack of need, rather than any lack of thought.
He followed the instructions thoroughly, and was vaguely amused when he got an owl from Daphne, with included some instructions on how to put his long hair into a ponytail, and a leather twist to hold it.
He walked around his cottage, placing numerous privacy charms, and then closed his Floo so that he would not be disturbed.
His first step was a long shower, and vigorous use of the supplied potions. When he finished, he followed Daphne’s instructions to the letter, before reluctantly walking over to his potions desk.
He took a deep breath, and opened the book.
Welcome to Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to the perfect smile!
Five minutes later, the book was on the floor, having been Crucio’d and then had the Killing Curse thrown at it, and Snape was hard in research, looking for a potion to do the same job.
Seven hours later, he gave up, threw a few ingredients into a cauldron, and brought it to boil. A few swirls, a few drops of blood of a virgin elephant, a few hags teeth, and six Jolly Ranchers later, and he had a potion.
He poured it into a beaker, took a large sip, swirled it around his mouth a few times, and then spit it out.
He walked over to the mirror, and managed to get about four steps before he fell to the ground and started to moan as his teeth exploded in pain. He tried to reach one of his pain numbing potions, but they were to far away, and all he could do was curl up and wait for it to stop.
When it finally did, he stumbled to his feet and looked in the mirror, and smiled. His teeth, while not perfect, where a lot better. With his hair tied back, his nose re-arranged by Marcus, and his teeth fixed, he hardly recognised himself.
While he was no judge, he thought he looked decent enough to approach Narcissa now.
The next day, with his hair washed once more and feeling better than it had in years, and in some nice robes, he stepped in the Floo and called for Malfoy Manor.
He arrived in the luxurious entrance hall and looked around curiously. He had expected some changes with Lucius’ death, but the room was identical to the last time he had visited.
“Severus,” Narcissa greeted him coolly, as she walked into the room. She was wearing black mourning robes.
“Narcissa,” he greeted her.
“You have done something with your hair, finally.”
“Indeed.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
He smiled faintly. “I am here to claim you.”
“Severus!” Narcissa said, in a completely shocked tone of voice.
“Surrender,” he suggested as he wandered over to one of the uncomfortable sofas and settled down.
“I demand that you explain yourself!”
“You know that I’ve wanted you for years,” he said.
Narcissa nodded. “But you have always acted correctly.”
“Quite. However, I have decided that I do not want to be alone.”
“A new decision?” she asked acidly, as she sat primly opposite him.
“Indeed, and as you are the only person I particularly like outside of my Clan, I had Lucius killed.”
Narcissa blinked at him, before she shook her head as if she hadn’t quite heard him properly. “I’m sorry?”
“I had Lucius killed,” he repeated slowly. “By my Clan leader, who decided that I needed a happier home-life.”
“You had your Clan leader murder my husband so that you could have a relationship with me?” she asked in disbelief.
“Exactly,” he agreed.
“Oh,” she said in shock.
Snape smiled slightly. “To be brutally honest, you haven’t got much choice here. If you say no, you’ll be thrown out of the Black family, and probably killed. Draco will be dealt with as well. Lucius made himself an enemy of my Clan, and they only changed their plans for me.”
“This Clan of yours, who are they?”
“The Addams family Clan.”
“The mixed-bloods!”
“They would take that as a badge of honour, not as an insult,” he mused. “And I would advise keeping these silly prejudices to yourself. Blood is irrelevant, power is what matters. The days of the Pure-Bloods are coming to a close. The most powerful students in Hogwarts are no longer Pure-Bloods, as in the old days. Why I am a Half-Blood myself.”
Narcissa looked amazed. “Severus!”
He shrugged. “I hid that fact for most of my life, now I say it with pride. It is remarkable how times are changing, even if no one actually knows yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“That no one can see the change that is coming out of Hogwarts. The students are now convinced. Why, even a Greengrass has changed sides.”
“Daphne!? It can't be Astoria!” Narcissa asked in shock. “But her parents would never stand for that!”
“I doubt they know. She is just one example of the fact that Slytherin house is now run by people with completely different agendas, and that the people running it make Voldemort look like a shrinking violet when it comes to eliminating people in their way.
“Slytherins are taught to follow power, and the people now in control wield power like a surgical instrument.
“The other houses have joined in. Hufflepuffs are becoming stronger by association, Gryffindors are thinking more, and Ravenclaws have realised that not everything is to be found in their books.
“An entire generation has been switched around and everyone is focused on this farce of an election.”
“A farce?”
“Amelia will be elected; she has the support she needs.”
“No she doesn’t,” Narcissa said with a frown. “High society is backing Scrimgeour.”
“Narcissa, Narcissa, Narcissa,” he said mockingly, “do pay attention my dear. I said that she has the support she needs, not the financial support of the Pure-Bloods, but the backing of the Addams Clan.
“She will be elected.”
Narcissa shook herself. “You had Lucius murdered?”
“Yes, we’ve established that,” he agreed.
“And if I don’t go with you, I’ll lose all this?”
“It wouldn’t be a big loss,” Snape sniffed. “I’ve seen more comforting mausoleums.” He smiled faintly. “Bad analogy.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see, later.”
Narcissa frowned faintly at him. She sighed slowly. “You’ve finally grown up.”
“It happens to the best of us.”
“If I agree to this, then Draco becomes your problem as well.”
Snape frowned, he hadn’t thought of that. “Agreed,” he said, a little reluctantly. “Is he still an idiot?”
Narcissa glared at him.
“Stop that,” Snape snapped. “The boy told Wednesday he was planning on raping her. It was all I could do to keep him alive.”
Narcissa softened slightly. “He has changed, a little,” she admitted. “He is no longer quite so idiotic. But he is still my child.” She looked at him for a long moment. “He does not enjoy Beauxbatons. Durmstrang would eat him alive.”
“If he comes back to Hogwarts he’s going to be a complete laughing stock.”
“But you can stop that,” Narcissa pointed out. “Your Clan can protect him.”
“I think you’re over-estimating both my own, and your potential, value to them.”
“That is my price, Severus.”
“Your money, your wealth, your position, against one child?”
“That child is still mine.”
Severus nodded slowly. “Agreed, then.”
Narcissa blinked. “Oh.”
Severus shrugged. “As long as we agree that he doesn’t have to keep the Malfoy name.”
“He has no right to it any more.”
“He may use the Prince name.”
Narcissa slowly smiled. The expression softened her harsh face somewhat. “Severus,” she said softly, “you know that we always wondered if you would ever become a proper Slytherin.”
“I had no real incentive before hand. I do now. Eternity beckons.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m afraid that until you are a member of the Clan, I can not tell you.”
“Do I not get membership with you?”
“No. I am only a provisional member.”
“How is this different to joining the Dark Lord?”
“Don’t call him that, he does not deserve such an honorary title. How has he acted like a lord? And don’t give me any nonsense about power. Power is for the use of the people you support.
“Torture and contempt are the marks of a despot, not a lord.”
“Why Severus, you almost sound passionate.”
“Stop that,” he said irritably. “They will push you to be what you can be, drive you to it. Bad behaviour will not be tolerated, but rather than using fear of a curse, they use the fear of the worst thing imaginable. Expulsion.”
“Surely that is not a bad thing?”
“If they are feeling merciful, then expulsion will be death. If not, then you will live, for the rest of your life, knowing that you were in on something world-changing, and now you are doomed to be forever looking in.
“Or, in perhaps terms you are more familiar, it is being shown ultimate power and the ability to use it, and then being made to sit at the back, left behind.”
“And yet you have not told me what they do,” Narcissa pointed out.
“They have not yet informed me, but the hints they have given have me here, now, talking to you.”
“Finally,” Narcissa muttered. “If you’d been more of a Slytherin, you would have dealt with Lucius years ago.”
“I liked him, then,” Snape pointed out dryly. “Before he became an idiot.”
“It’s hereditary,” Narcissa sniffed. “Draco gets it from him. So, my cousin is alive?”
“And well,” Severus agreed. “And working for the Clan.”
“I thought as much, when we were allowed the name. Your Clan at work again?”
He nodded.
“What about Bellatrix?”
“She’s dead.”
“No, she’s not; her place is still on the family parchment.”
“She is not aware that she is dead, but she has been given to Wednesday. She will not live past the next year.”
Narcissa sighed softly.
“However,” he suggested, “you could always rekindle your relationship with your other sister. Lucius is no longer here to complain.”
“I would have to apologise, though,” Narcissa pointed out.
“Merlin forefend,” he retorted dryly.
Narcissa gave him a brief smile. “It would help if I could invite her back into the family.”
He rolled his eyes. “Is there anything else?”
She thought for a few seconds. “What happens to this place?”
“We sell it, and buy somewhere more manageable and less museum like.”
“Agreed. So, you will arrange for Draco to get back to Hogwarts, and be protected, and for Andromeda to be invited back into the Black family, and for us to move to a more suitable accommodation?”
He nodded.
“Then we have a deal.”
“Is this where I jump at you like a slavering dog?” he asked, as he watched her body language turn slightly defensive.
She winced. “Could you come up with a more appropriate analogy, please?”
He blinked, and then laughed. “My dear Narcissa, if I was to jump at you like a mangy mutt, it would be with the firm intention of doing a lot more than getting your clothes dirty.”
“Even so, Sirius and sex are not two words I have any need to have associated with each other.”
“Fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Like an enthusiastic squid?”
“Much better. And yes.”
“Sorry, but I prefer my partners slightly more willing than resigned.”
She looked at him blankly.
“Oh god,” he murmured. “It’s true, Lucius really was crap in the bedroom. How the hell you two had Draco, I don’t know.”
“Nonsense,” Narcissa said. “We had a – a satisfactory love-life.”
“Satisfactory, how wonderful. I’ve had a satisfactory relationship with my fist; but that doesn’t mean that I want to stay single for the rest of my life.”
“Severus, how crude!”
“Grow up, Narcissa,” he murmured. “It sounds like you know about as much about making love as I do about astrophysics.”
“What’s astrophysics?”
“Exactly.”
Narcissa suddenly laughed loudly. “So, if you are not going to do a squid impersonation, what are we going to do?”
“When is Draco due home?”
“He is having some remedial lessons at Beauxbatons; he is due home in two weeks time.”
“In which case, you can go and pack for a few weeks, I’ll introduce you to the Clan.”
She nodded. “And our relationship?”
“I hope it will evolve naturally. As I said, I want you as a willing and active participant.” He looked at her for a long moment. “I have loved you for a very long time, Narcissa, and been content doing so. If you can not return my affections, then I will continue to be content. I will not let you suffer.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, lightly putting her hand on his knee. “I must confess that I would have not been so open if it had been any other man in your position.”
He smiled and nodded. “Will three hours be enough?”
“I can have the elves pack me with in an hour.”
“I shall return then, with a Portkey.”
“Until then,” Narcissa agreed.
He turned and walked to the Floo, throwing some powder into it. Back in his cottage, he walked down to the nearest public telephone. A surreptitious use of his wand ensured that the machine was under the impression a large amount of coins had been placed in it. He dialled a long number from memory.
“You rang?” a heavy and deep voice intoned at the other end.
“Lurch, would you please put Morticia on?” he asked.
There was silence from other end, before Morticia’s regal voice echoed down the phone. “Addams Residence.”
“Morticia, it’s Severus.”
“Severus, how wonderful to hear from you.”
“Thank you. I’ve succeeded in my latest task. Would it be possible to arrange a Portkey as soon as possible?”
“We can have one with you with in a couple of hours.”
“Thank you. We will be ready shortly. Please send it to Malfoy Manor.”
“Excellent. In which case, I would suggest that you spend the time you are waiting at the Greengrass residence. Daphne has been invited to join us, however, I believe that there are… some complications. Harry is contemplating sending Wednesday to see her.”
“I’ll deal with it,” he promised. “The three of us will arrive this evening.”
“Excellent news, I shall inform Grandmama.”
He smiled in to the phone.
“And of course, Harry will have some of his potions,” Morticia finished.
“My thanks, as always.”
“Tell me, Severus, what was her price?”
“Strangely reassuring. Her son’s happiness, and her own.”
“Excellent. People who do not know happiness are rarely worth the effort expanded on them.”
“Quite,” he agreed, wondering if he would ever stop feeling like a ten year old around her.
“Would you prefer one bedroom, or a suite?”
“A suite, please.”
“We shall anticipate your arrival with a great deal of pleasure.”
“Until later, Morticia.” He hung up the phone and cancelled his spell on it. The telephone clacked for a moment, before disgorging several coins into the chamber at the bottom of the phone. He smiled and left them there. Once home, he quickly packed. He didn’t have much to do, as he had not really unpacked from Hogwarts.
He was planning on staying for the entire summer, so he ensured he had everything he would need for the next Hogwarts term, and prepared his cottage for an extended absence.
He contemplated selling it, but decided that it would make a nice holiday home for the two of them. It would do Narcissa good to enjoy a slightly simpler life.
With everything he needed in his trunk, he dragged it over to the fireplace and floo’d back to Malfoy Manor.
Narcissa was sitting elegantly next to a window, drinking a cup of tea. A slightly smaller trunk than his sat to one side of the fireplace.
“I think I will miss the gardens,” she murmured
He sat opposite her.
She turned to look at him. “I am ready.”
“I’m afraid that we have to try and save some friends of ours first. Daphne wishes to join us in America. Agatha and Mark appear to have an issue with that.”
“And?”
“And Harry was contemplating sending Wednesday to see them.”
“Ahh,” Narcissa agreed. She stood, and he realised that she had changed out of her mourning robes. “Severus, it is important to me that they believe that we are together properly now.”
“So you are saying that I should be affectionate?”
She nodded primly.
“Narcissa, I am not Lucius,” he pointed out with a sigh. “I am capable of emotion, and of showing it. Please, if there is something you desire, tell me so, but don’t expect me to act like him.”
“I am sorry,” she said, looking down.
“Damn it, Narcissa,” he half-roared. “If I wanted a sheep I’d date a Hufflepuff. I want the Slytherin bitch of my youth back.”
“I’ll see if I can remember how to be her,” she murmured, a faint smile appearing again on her face.
Severus sighed again. “We’ll find her.” He stood, and offered his hand to her. She took it, and accompanied him over to the fire.
“Greengrass Residence,” he called. He tightened his hold on her as they flew through the Floo, arriving in the living room.
“Uncle Sev,” Daphne cheered, as she jumped at him. “Get me out of here before I curse these idiots,” she muttered through clenched teeth.
“Daphne,” he said, catching her and giving her a quick hug. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I’ve been sent to help keep them alive.”
“You,” Mark sneered at Severus, as he stormed into the room. “This is your fault.”
“Oh, do be quiet, Mark,” Narcissa snapped. “Where’s Agatha?”
“Here,” Agatha, a tall dark haired woman said as she entered regally. Daphne had got her colouring from her mother and her looks from… well, he wasn’t quite sure where.
Severus nodded at Agatha.
“Are you packed, dear?” Narcissa asked.
Daphne nodded. “Yup.”
“That’s yes, Daphne,” Narcissa said firmly.
“Sorry, Aunt Narcissa.”
Narcissa nodded at her and gave her a small smile. “Go and get your stuff. We’re leaving from the soon-to-be-defunct Malfoy Manor.”
Daphne smiled and bounced off.
Mark scowled.
“Don’t even think about it,” Narcissa advised primly. “You are not that important.”
Mark and Agatha both started to turn red.
“You do realise that your refusal to let Daphne attend the Addams had Harry contemplating sending Wednesday to see you?” He automatically purred the sentence, like he was dealing with an irritating student at Hogwarts.
The two elder Greengrasses went very still.
“To be precise,” Severus added. “Wednesday Addams, the girl who believes that genocide is a fun hobby for a morning, coming to see you to talk about your attitude.
“Harry, and his intended, have accepted your oldest daughter’s request to join them. You really have no choice in the matter. She will come with us, she will be happy.”
“But we have arranged her marriage,” Mark said. “She has to spend the summer with her intended and his family.”
“You have done what?” Daphne demanded as she walked in, pulling a large trunk.
“Arranged your marriage. To Angus Nott’s child.”
“To Theodore?” Daphne asked in disgust. She turned and stormed out.
Narcissa smiled faintly. “Oh dear, you do seem to have been caught not paying attention. Surely you noticed that Lucius, Angus, and the old crowd are dead? That Rufus is going to fail in his bid to become Minister.”
“What?” Agatha demanded. “He will not fail, he has our support.”
“And we have given our support to Amelia. Perhaps it is time for a competent leader, rather than yet another corrupt one.”
“But she believes in all that mixed-blood nonsense.”
“As was said to me recently, blood is irrelevant, power is what counts.”
Daphne stormed back into the room, she had another couple of bags with her. She looked at her parents. “Well, I’d say it’s been fun, but I’d be lying. It took two years of two very special people working on me to open my eyes. I will not go back to being blind now. You wanted a perfect little girl to do your bidding, only you wanted a house-elf, not a human. I am my own person, finally. You can continue to have your fun with my darling soon-to-be-ex sister, by the way, have you told her that Draco's a Eunuch yet?”
She pushed her trunk into the Floo, and stood there for a second. “I won’t be back. Don’t worry about paying for my tuition, I’ve got it covered. Oh, and don’t try anything funny, I do know where all your skeletons are buried. Malfoy Manor.”
With a flash, the teenager vanished, leaving behind two shell-shocked parents.
“You know,” Severus said slowly, “even if this whole thing with Harry was not happening, I’d still help Daphne if she asked for it. Theodore can hardly string two sentences together on a good day; he is nowhere near good enough for Daphne.”
Mark scowled. “What have you done with her?”
“With Daphne?” Severus asked. “Introduced her to a future where she will achieve her potential. An arranged marriage to an idiot Pure Blood is hardly that.”
“Hypocrite,” Agatha retorted.
“How?” Severus asked. “I am a Half-Blood myself. You can continue to be hung up on something as stupid as blood, you can ignore the fact that all the Pure-Bloods are creating squibs at never before seen levels, and you can continue to pretend that you matter. That has no bearing on me, and now, the only person I truly care about in your family has left. However, once, we were friends. So I will give this advice. Examine your beliefs. The revolution is coming, sooner than you think, and those on the wrong side will be eliminated.”
Narcissa smiled coldly. “I am leaving the country for a while. I would suggest meeting with some of your friends and discussing what you know. I am hoping that you choose to ignore our warning. It will be fun to watch you crushed. Perhaps that will teach you the proper behaviour of how to deal with a recent widow,” she finished with a sneer aimed at Mark.
Severus felt Narcissa’s grip on his arm tighten, and he was led to the Floo, and they soon arrived back at Malfoy Manor.
“What did you mean by that?” Severus asked.
“Mark invited me to be his mistress,” Narcissa replied primly.
Severus growled and turned back to the fireplace.
“No,” Narcissa said firmly. “He is not worth it.”
“Yes, he is,” Severus responded. “Killing him will have no serious repercussions, and it will send a message that you are not to be touched.”
“However,” Narcissa said, still clutching his arm, “it is far more fitting that he answers to Agatha, and that he spends the rest of his life in an unhappy marriage.”
Severus sighed. “I will at least ensure that he is incapable of having sex with anyone other than her, that sex with her is unpleasant, and that the longer he goes without sex, the more painful it gets, so that the only relief he can have is unpleasant sex with Agatha.”
Narcissa smiled coldly. “You are a Slytherin,” she said with a large degree of approval.
“Poor dad,” Daphne said, reminding him of her presence. Her voice was deeply insincere. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer couple of people.”
“How are you, dear?” Narcissa asked.
“Will be better when I can talk to Harry and Wends,” Daphne said. “They’ll help me deal with it.”
“Will they?” Narcissa asked gently.
“Sure, that’s what they do. They look after people in the Clan.” She sighed. “They warned me that something like this would happen. Part of my price for membership was that I would lose my parents and sister. At the time, I didn’t know if that would be a good thing. Turns out that it is. I should have known, really.” She shook herself slightly. “So, Uncle Sev and Aunt Narcissa?”
“You knew?” Severus asked.
“Part of the Clan,” Daphne replied cheerfully. “Did you know that Lucius was the first person Harry has killed in cold blood? That’s why Wednesday didn’t want to give him the knife. She wanted to do it herself. She’s very protective of him.”
“At one stage, I did love Lucius,” Narcissa interrupted. “Can we not talk about his murder please?”
“Sorry,” Daphne said. “Anyway, are we going?”
As if by magic, a house-elf appeared with a large bald eagle. The eagle dropped a letter in front of Severus, and then flew out of a window – breaking it in the process.
Daphne giggled.
Severus smiled as the elf started to repair the window. He floated over Narcissa’s and Daphne’s trunks, and arranged them in a circle. He sat on his, and indicated for the other two to do the same. He held out the letter, and as they touched it, he whispered, “home.”
They arrived in the same garden that he had appeared in last year. This time, however, it was lunch time, and the sun was high in the sky. The temperature was a lot more pleasant than what they had left in England.
“Good afternoon,” Morticia said as she glided toward them. “Narcissa, Daphne, I bid you welcome to our home.”
“Thanks, Mrs A,” Daphne said happily. “Thank you for giving me the chance to come here.”
“You are welcome, Daphne,” Morticia said with a smile at the girl. “Did you have any further trouble?”
“Erm, yeah,” Daphne mumbled. “I kinda found out that Mum and Dad had arranged for me to be married to an idiot. I refused, and walked out, and I don’t intend on going back.”
Morticia nodded slowly. “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice acquiring the tone of power that Morticia used whenever she wanted a direct answer.
“Totally sure, I am an Addams,” Daphne replied firmly, even as she paled dramatically.
Morticia studied her for another moment, before she moved forward and hugged her. “Welcome home,” she said softly.
Daphne burst into tears and hugged the older woman back.
“There, there,” Morticia whispered.
“Tears before dinner?” Gomez asked, as he appeared. Despite the heat he was still fully dressed in a suit, complete with an extravagant red cravat. “Grandmama will not be pleased. Tears should be reserved for afterward, after coffee.”
“Gomez,” Morticia chided lightly. “We have a new family member here.”
“We do? How wonderful. I didn’t expect Harry to start recruiting properly for years yet. Welcome, Daphne.”
“Thanks,” Daphne mumbled.
“‘Tish, why don’t you take her shopping?”
Morticia blinked.
“Those clothes are hardly suitable,” he pointed out, indicating her trunk.
Morticia stared at it for a moment. “You poor child,” she muttered. “Come. Lurch, prepare the car.” Before Daphne could blink, she was being guided down the path by a resigned looking Morticia.
“My wife will look after her,” Gomez said proudly. “Harry mentioned this might happen, unfortunately, he has Wednesday tied up at the moment, and can’t be disturbed, or he would have taken care of it himself.”
Severus wondered if that was a deliberate slip of the tongue, but decided not to ask.
“Anyway, Severus, my good fellow, it’s a delight to see you again, and you’ve bought company.”
“Narcissa Black, may I introduce Gomez Addams,” Severus said formally. “Gomez, this is Narcissa.”
“Enchanted,” Gomez said smoothly, as he bowed dramatically, took Narcissa’s hand, and kissed the back of it. “I must congratulate Severus on his taste, such beauty is rare.”
Severus hid his smirk as Narcissa blushed like a school girl.
“Welcome to our home,” Gomez continued, as he dropped her hand and stood again. “Before I give you the tour, I wonder if I might have a few minutes of your time?”
“Of course,” Severus said instantly, recognising the command hidden in the polite question.
“Splendid,” Gomez cheered, as he reached out and placed one hand on Severus’s shoulder, and one on Narcissa’s. There was a strange feeling of movement, like a cross between Apparation and a Port-key, and they appeared in the middle of a large office.
In front of them, a huge desk dominated one corner of the room, with a large bookcase on each side.
Gomez jumped forward, into a cart-wheel, which he followed with several back-flips, before he pulled off a double-somersault with pike, over his desk.
With a rakish grin, he landed, lit a cigar, and offered the two seats in front of them.
Severus guided Narcissa to the seats, and settled down.
“Cigar?” he offered.
“No, thanks,” Severus replied.
“No,” Narcissa said in surprise, as she was offered one as well.
Gomez shrugged and settled back in his chair. “I felt it best to warn you that Harry’s birthday is going to be a little special this year.”
“More so than last year?” Snape asked, remembering Pinhead all to well.
Gomez thought for a second. “Yes, but in a different way. We’re not expecting Elliot to visit this year, but I have called for the entire Clan to be here.”
“Oh?”
Gomez nodded enthusiastically. “I’m retiring.”
“You are?” Severus asked.
“Yes, from being the head of the Clan. I’m passing the glorious baton to the younger generation.”
“Harry?”
“Exactly.”
“Aren’t you a little young to retire?” Severus asked.
“Nonsense, old boy, don’t let these devilish good looks fool you, I am over three hundred years old, and well, I have a new priority. ‘Tish is pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” Narcissa said.
“Thank you,” Gomez beamed. “Our new child will be arriving around April. This seemed like the perfect time to lighten my load a little.” He frowned softly. “‘Tish and I were not really happy with what we had to do with Wednesday, and to a lesser extent, Pugsley, to ensure that she would be capable of leading the Clan, but it was the only way we could ensure her survival.
“Our new baby will not have that responsibility, and we will try and raise our child to be a valuable member of society.”
“And not a psychopath who treats genocide as a hobby?” Severus asked lightly.
“Exactly,” Gomez cheered, thumping his hand down on to the desk loudly.
Narcissa frowned. “And how exactly, do your current children feel about this?” she asked.
Gomez blew a perfect circle of smoke into the air, and then sent another small piece through the centre.
“Who do you think added fertility and energy potions to our evening meal, and then locked us in a room with a gallon of fresh whipped cream, two riding crops, a pair of handcuffs and the 1812 Overture and the Ride of the Valkyries on repeat play?” Gomez asked dryly.
Narcissa blinked several times.
“It may seem strange,” Gomez said whimsically, “to one who is not an Addams, but we could not be prouder of our children. Harry, Wednesday and Pugsley have grown into fine people who are a great credit to our Clan. I would not dream of handing this burden over to anyone who was not ready for it.” Suddenly the clown disappeared, and the head of a worldwide Clan appeared. He stared at Narcissa. “Do not ever think that we do not love our children, or that we would do anything that would hurt them. They mean everything to us.”
Narcissa paled dramatically, and shivered back into the seat. Severus sighed under his breath. “Gomez?”
Gomez looked at him directly, and Snape felt the power that Gomez contained. Like Morticia, it seemed to bypass his Occlumency shields with ease and read his soul.
Snape didn’t look away.
Gomez was suddenly blowing smoke rings again. “Harry made a good choice,” he mused to the ceiling. “Anyway, this is the first full Clan meeting in over fifty years; all sorts of people are going to be there. Harry is planning on supplying calming potions to those who want it.”
“Thank you for letting us know,” Severus replied.
Gomez was out of his chair and across the office. “Come,” he said exuberantly, “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Narcissa was still shaking slightly as Severus pulled her out of the chair and they followed the tall Addams patriarch through the house. It didn’t take long until they were at the very top of the mansion, where they found four rooms for them – two bedrooms, a sitting room and a bathroom.
“This is brilliant,” Narcissa praised.
“’Tish does like to decorate,” Gomez said proudly. “Now, you settle in, dinner’s at the normal time. Marcus is planning on dropping by later to say hello. Enjoy your stay.” And with that, he was gone.
Narcissa dropped on to the nearest couch. “You were not joking about the power, were you?”
“No,” Severus agreed. “Morticia is normally the one to do that, she’s a little more subtle than Gomez.”
“I didn’t feel like that when Voldemort looked at me.”
“Voldemort?”
“Now that I’ve met Gomez, Voldemort isn’t quite as unique as I feared.”
“Harry and Wednesday love Gomez and Morticia,” Severus said as sat in an arm chair opposite her. There was a small tray with two glasses and a carafe of brandy. He poured out some of the brandy into the glasses, and passed one to Narcissa. “And I know that Gomez and Morticia love them back. There is no way they would do anything as huge as having a new baby without talking to them.”
“It just seemed wrong,” Narcissa said. “It hit close to home, with the similarities between that, and what Lucius tried to do to Draco – turning him into a little clone, and practically ruining his life.”
“The difference, is that Gomez and Morticia were forced to do it, as the eldest child, Wednesday was always going to be a target, from people who you will meet later. They are charming, fun, engaging, intelligent, and completely ruthless killers. Marcus, who is a good friend of mine, is a vampire, for example.
“And Gomez and Morticia could not commit to fight all of Wednesday’s battles for her, as that would have been self-defeating. Instead, they gave Wednesday, the tools to do the job. What they didn’t expect was Harry.
“The Addams consider Harry to be their own, regardless of the fact he was born to different parents. Pugsley considers him to be a brother, and his Clan-leader, and Wednesday loves him in a way that I doubt I will ever understand. They have suffered together through things that make me physically sick to even think of them.
“I don’t know what they did to Wednesday,” he finished softly. “But I know that this new child will not under go the same treatment.”
Narcissa nodded slowly. “This is going to be interesting. Who is Elliott?”
Severus winced. “Would you believe the Dark Pope of Hell?”
Narcissa paled dramatically. “He is a myth!”
“You’ve heard of him then?”
“He is mentioned in several of Lucius’ books on the occult. I believe that Voldemort was contemplating approaching him at one stage, but decided not to.”
“A wise decision,” Severus agreed. “Pinhead would have eaten Voldemort for breakfast.”
“And he came to Harry’s birthday last year?” Narcissa prompted.
“Quite, it seems that Harry and Wednesday spent some time in his domain, and he wanted to drop off a present.”
Narcissa shuddered deeply. “This has been a day of surprises,” she said. “All the same, I feel more excited than I have in a while.”
“Good.”
Narcissa stood and walked over to a desk. “I do believe that I will send Andromeda a message.”
Severus nodded. “I’m going to head down to the library.” He stood as well, and walked out of their suite, and down several flights of stairs, to the first floor library. The room was dark, illuminated only by a thin shaft of light that came through a hole in the wall. He pulled out a potions book and sat in an arm chair. The lamp next to him burst into light, and he smiled.
“Severus?”
He looked up, he had no idea how long he had been sat there. “Marcus,” he greeted the vampire.
“I’ve been sent to get you and your missus for dinner,” he explained. “I figured that a vampire appearing would be a bit of a shock.”
Severus smirked. “Possibly, or you’d find yourself attacked.”
“That too,” Marcus agreed. “How have you been?”
“Bored senseless,” he admitted. “I hate being on the periphery of things.”
“And it’s addictive.”
“Quite,” Severus agreed as he placed the book on the table, and walked back up toward their suite with Marcus. “Should we get Gomez and Morticia a small present?”
“For the baby? Good idea, but no. We’ll wait until the kid is born, and then we’ll all spoil it rotten. It will mean they have to work harder to bring up a proper Addams,” Marcus finished with a grin.
“Git.”
“Of course.”
Severus knocked lightly, and then opened the door. Narcissa was still at the desk, and as she looked up she threw the quill to the desk in disgust. “Writing an apology is more difficult than first appeared,” she said with a sigh.
“Narcissa, this is Marcus. Marcus, Narcissa Malfoy.”
“Charmed,” Marcus said, as he bowed floridly.
Narcissa moved over to them smoothly. She curtseyed. “Delighted to make your acquaintance. Severus spoke most highly of you.”
“I did?” Severus asked in surprise.
“Oh yes, you called him a friend. You do not have many of them.”
Marcus sniggered. “And another bachelor is caught,” he announced. “She clearly knows you better than you do.”
“Caught is hardly the right word,” Severus protested lightly.
“True,” Marcus agreed. He offered his arm to Narcissa. “I have lots of gossip about our Severus.”
Narcissa smiled coolly and placed her arm in Severus’.
Marcus rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know you’re here with him. One of the rules of the Clan is no poaching. Your virtue was quite safe with me.”
“Maybe I just don’t like you,” Narcissa replied.
“Nonsense. Every one likes me, it’s the law.”
“Laws have never really applied to me.”
“No, but family customs have.”
“Touché.”
“Yay, I win,” Marcus cheered. “Now, let’s get down to dinner before they send a search party for us.”
The three of them walked down to the basement, where the table had been expanded. A potion sat in front of one of the chairs, and he guided Narcissa to that seat. “For the food,” he explained.
She nodded and took it. She smiled. “I do like raspberries.”
“Severus, Narcissa, welcome,” Harry said as he and Wednesday joined them.
Narcissa smiled. “Thank you for inviting us.”
“Oh dear,” Wednesday muttered, as she looked at Narcissa.
“Not at the dinner table, dear,” Morticia murmured. She was at the far end, with Daphne, Gomez, Pugsley and Fester.
“But…”
“I know,” Morticia said. “After dinner.”
Wednesday nodded and sat down opposite them. Harry slid into the seat next to her. “We’re glad you’re here,” he said. “We need some help tomorrow with a ritual.”
Severus leaned forward. “Oh?” he prompted.
“Last year we arranged for Remus to teach us to become Animaguses,” Harry said. “We don’t particularly appreciate our animals, so we are going to change them.”
“The Egyptian ritual of Animal Change?” Narcissa asked curiously.
Harry looked at her for a long moment.
“I’ve had little else to do but read,” Narcissa explained with a faint blush. “I’ve done some quite esoteric research over the years.”
“Excellent,” Harry said, before he looked at Severus. “You chose well.”
Severus did not blush; he merely smiled faintly, and concentrated hard on any thing other than the response he felt to the praise.
Dinner passed quickly; he had forgotten just how much he enjoyed the broth. As soon as everyone had finished, Wednesday grabbed Narcissa and almost bodily hauled her out of the kitchen.
Severus looked at Harry, who shrugged. Morticia sighed softly. “I’ll protect her,” she promised, as she followed her daughter and the blonde Black out the door.
“Daphne.” The single word had a lot of command in it, and Daphne obediently moved over to him. “The library I think,” Harry continued. He stood and guided Daphne in front of him, indicating to Severus that he could follow if he wanted to.
Snape stood quickly, and was flanked by Marcus and Pugsley as they headed back to the library.
In the library, Harry sat down in one of the chairs, Daphne sat next to him, and the others found their own chairs.
“You talked with Wednesday last year about joining.”
“I did,” Daphne said clearly.
“As with everyone, the price you pay is nothing and everything, and is personal.”
She nodded.
“You made a commitment to Wednesday that you would pay the price, and now you are here, with us.”
She nodded again, proudly this time.
“Daphne, this is your last chance. You may back out now; we will still take care of you, and pay your Hogwarts fees.”
“I am an Addams.” Her voice was proud and stern.
Harry leaned forward, across the chair, and gently kissed her. “Welcome to the Clan, friend.”
Daphne looked at him in shock as he pulled back, before she jumped out of her chair and hugged him tightly. She kissed him hard on the lips for a second, then buried her face in his neck.
It was over a minute before she let him go, and she had tears in her eyes.
“Come on, Daph, I’ll show you to your room,” Pugsley said.
Daphne smiled and followed him out of the library.
Severus looked at Harry. “Should I be worried for her virtue?”
Harry looked up and met his eyes. He stood and moved toward the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “Wednesday prefers blondes,” he said, as he exited the library.
“Oh for the love of Gorgonzola,” Marcus muttered. “‘Wednesday prefers blondes’” he mimicked. “If that’s true, why haven’t they grabbed Melissa? And does that mean that if she’s a blonde, Wednesday will approve, but otherwise not?”
Severus shrugged. “Was he even telling the truth?”
“What, you think he might have been winding us up?” Marcus asked. He sighed. “For humans, they’re all so bloody fascinating. Vampires tend to be more fun than normal humans. When you face immortality, you slowly find that standard entertainment can get a little boring.” Marcus scratched his head for a second. “Damn it, he said that on purpose just to drive me nuts. He implied that there might be something there, but there could easily be an innocent explanation. They don’t lie.”
“True,” Severus agreed.
“Bah, well, I’ll take my leave and go terrify some Muggle who deserves it.”
“Who deserves it?” Sev asked.
“I’ve found that it’s more fun when they’ve done something that deserves it – they put up more of a fight.” Marcus winked and vanished.
Severus smiled and picked up the book he had been reading earlier.
“Severus?” Narcissa called.
He looked up, to find that she was wearing a pure white floor length gown. Her long hair was loose around her head, and draped over her shoulders. “You look lovely.”
She blushed prettily, and gave him a small smirk, showing that the Slytherin was very much in control.
He followed her up the stairs, making no secret of his admiration of the way her rear looked in the gown.
As he entered their suite, he found it impossible not to notice that the two previous bedrooms had been changed into one.
“Narcissa?”
“Do you have any idea,” she said, as she turned and started to slowly walk around him, “what it is like to have a fourteen year old girl laugh at your sexual experiences? When you are a widowed mother of a boy the same age as her?”
Wisely, he said nothing.
“Or for that girl to give the same older woman a thorough explanation of everything she had missed over the past twenty years?”
Not one to muck up a good thing, he kept quiet again.
“I was shocked, my dear Severus, to discover that my view of my proper role and participation was, to say the least, quite limited, and that things like handcuffs can be used for fun and games.”
Not for the first time, Severus felt that joining the Addams Clan was the best thing he had ever done in his life.
Narcissa kept her slow pacing. “This girl had pictures, diagrams, spells, devices, and potions for almost everything. And then, her mother chimed in with a few more ideas, the likes of which I had never even considered, as I am an extremely good girl. I remember my mother talking to me about sex. The instructions were brief, mechanical, and largely unsatisfactory - which, it turned out, fitted the act in question.
“Now then, Severus, do you think that you need to study?”
“No,” he said quietly, more than confident.
“Good answer,” she purred as she stopped in front of him. “Take me to bed, dear.”
Severus tried as hard as he could to control his grin as he joined the others for breakfast.
“Thank you,” he said to Wednesday.
Wednesday nodded calmly. “Poor girl, she was such a child,” she said.
He didn’t have a clue how to respond to that, so decided not to.
“There are sound proofing charms on all the guest rooms,” Harry said.
Severus nodded. “Narcissa is sleeping in this morning.”
“We’ll start the ritual at one,” Harry replied, before turning to talk to Pugsley.
After breakfast, Severus took some broth up to Narcissa. She was still asleep, covered in a thin silk sheet. He sat next to her and softly stroked from her hip, up her chest, to her shoulder.
She smiled faintly and opened her eyes. “You’re going to need some of those potions,” she said as she sat up, apparently unconcerned about her nakedness. “I have twenty years to make up for.”
“Challenge accepted,” he agreed.
She took the broth and ate it quickly.
“We’re helping with the ritual at one,” he informed her.
She finished the broth. “I presume they will have studied the ritual?”
He nodded.
“It will be painful. From what I remember, the old animal has to forcibly expelled from them before they can create a new one. It is not a ritual for the faint hearted.”
“I’m sure they will be ready.”
Narcissa nodded. “In which case, I need a bath. Join me.”
Not an invitation he had to think twice about.
Freshly clean, and dressed in formal robes, he headed toward the Library, with Narcissa beside him. Harry, Wednesday, Marcus, Pugsley and Daphne were sitting around a table.
“Excellent,” Wednesday said eagerly as they entered. “We’re through here.”
They entered a large elevator, which promptly dropped down. No one blinked as the elevator hurtled at an ever increasing speed.
The elevator came to a sudden stop, and Severus could feel the charms ensuring he didn’t get hurt.
They walked into a huge domed room, the walls were bare stone, with torches at regular intervals.
“Welcome to the Addams Family Ritual Room,” Pugsley said softly. “Generations of witches and wizards have charmed this room to accept the most potent of spells and remain undamaged.”
“We come here for only the most serious spell work,” Harry added. “Narcissa, would you explain what you four will be doing while Wednesday and I prepare?”
Narcissa nodded. “Our job is mainly containment. We will each stand between the points of the Pentagram and cast the spell of Shielding. We will reinforce the Pentagram to keep the magic contained.
“Harry and Wednesday will stand together in the circle, facing each other as they chant the spell. They will chant it four times, before the magic will start to grow. It will ask for a sacrifice, blood naturally, and they will cut themselves, and allow between a pint and a pint and a half of blood each to drop into the magic.”
“That’s a lot of blood,” Daphne muttered.
“Yeah,” Marcus agreed, absently licking his lips.
“The magic will take the blood, and if it is happy, will grant the request – the one of animal removal. Once that is complete, the second stage will begin, where they will call forth the primeval spirit of the animals they desire, and request a joining.
“At this stage, no one knows what happens, as the walls of the Pentagram will go opaque, however, we will have to continue our spells. At the end, the walls will drop, and they will either be alive or dead. Those that live, never talk about what happened.”
“When you are ready,” Wednesday called.
Narcissa quickly taught Daphne the spell of Shielding. Snape was comfortable with it, he’d used it numerous times when making volatile potions.
Pugsley looked excited as he bounced into place. The boy was wearing formal robes, and appeared to have grown as well have lost some weight.
Daphne was in very fine looking black silk robes with dark red trim. She had a confident look on her face, and she moved into position.
Marcus was dressed in formal robes from a century past, and yet they suited him down to the ground. He took position as well.
Snape and Narcissa took the remaining two places. In the centre, the two Addams were staring into each other’s eyes. There was no movement between them, as they suddenly started to chant.
The words were harsh and complicated; they appeared to be dragged out of them backward. They sounded painful and were in a tone not meant for human vocal chords to produce.
“Cast the spell,” Narcissa ordered.
In unison, the five of them said the words, and the Pentagram started to glow, before a transparent barrier rose around the edges.
Harry and Wednesday started on the second chant. Then the third. It was readily obvious that it had started to work, as the pressure against the shield was growing. A small light appeared between them, as they started the fourth.
This time they had to scream over a rumbling noise.
With a shocking silence they finished. Wednesday reached to her side and pulled out the silver knife Harry had given her. Harry held out his arm, and she cut it, severing the vein. Blood spurted out, and he heard Marcus groan next to him, as all the blood was sucked into the light. After a few seconds, Wednesday reached up and healed the wound. She passed the knife to Harry, who sliced Wednesday’s wrist open.
After Harry had healed it, they held each others hands again and waited.
They didn’t wait for long, as the magic granted their request. How much it hurt them was not immediately obvious, although they did start to shift. Harry was the first to react; he started to breath heavily, as he squirmed. He didn’t move away from Wednesday, even as his eyes went blank.
Small cuts started to appear on his visible skin, before a bulge appeared under his robes. From his chest, there was a magical explosion, as the outline of a giant white leopard tore itself from him.
The only sign of the pain this would have caused was the whitening of his knuckles, and his death grip on Wednesday’s hands.
Harry panted for a few seconds, before he shook himself, and concentrated on Wednesday.
A faint sweat appeared on Wednesday’s forehead, as she stared into Harry’s eyes. Like Harry, small cuts appeared on her face, before the outline of a wolf exploded from her chest.
They both chanted together, and two new lights appeared, they were huge, and pressed against the shields. They seemed to illuminate the entire room.
“Concentrate,” Narcissa shouted. “Put everything into keeping the shields up. If they fail, not even this room will contain the blast. There are two primeval spirits in there, and they are bigger than they should be!”
Severus blinked, he could hear the undercurrent of fear in Narcissa’s voice, and that was all the inspiration he needed.
The shields went opaque, and all the noise died. The pressure from the inside was immense, and he was struggling to hold it, when suddenly it vanished.
He dropped the shield, as did the others.
Harry and Wednesday were on their knees. Slowly, they stood.
“It worked,” Harry rasped. His face was covered in blood, as was Wednesday’s. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Together, they limped off, into the Elevator.
“Harry?” Marcus called. “What were the animals?”
Harry smiled faintly. “You’ll see.”
“He does that just to annoy you,” Pugsley said. “Narcissa, I thought that the spirits were supposed to be small, not huge and bright enough to almost blind me.”
“Yes,” Narcissa said. “The cuts are different as well. All I can assume is that they called forth primeval spirits of powerful animals.”
“Like?” Marcus prompted.
“I have no idea,” Narcissa said with a small pout. “We’ll have to ask them when they’re not drained.”
“Well, as we’re down here anyway,” Marcus said, “I may as well see where you all are on your defence.”
“Excuse me?” Narcissa asked.
“Nope,” Marcus replied. “I’m nominally in charge of making sure you can all handle yourselves.” He swayed to avoid a curse Pugsley threw at him, before launching several back that made Pugsley dive to one side. “So I’ll do my job. Try and hit me.”
With a blur, Marcus vanished, before a stunning curse flew straight at Daphne’s face.
She dropped to the floor, allowing it to fly over her, as she snarled and rolled to a corner, erecting a light shield. Pugsley did the same thing. Narcissa backed up, and Snape decided to stick with her.
Marcus flashed past, destroying Daphne’s shield. She used the faint burst of light to launch a curse over him.
Narcissa leaned and whispered in his ear. “Send the other two a message to prepare, and then guard me.”
He quickly sent two messenger Patronesses to the other two, and started to cast some charms, trying to locate Marcus.
Pugsley and Daphne soon joined him; methodically casting spells to illuminate the room.
Marcus responded by covering the room in a thick fog, rendering the light useless.
“Move,” Narcissa hissed.
Severus dived out of the way, as Narcissa released a spell. Everything seemed to change to a sickly green colour; before he realised he could see four other heat sources. One was next to him; the other two were in corners.
With a grin, he cast Diffindo at the remaining shape.
The shape moved dramatically, into a stunning spell thrown by Daphne. The shape flew into a corner, before it shook slightly, and got back to his feet.
“Excellent,” Marcus called. “That spell of Narcissa’s turned your eye sight to infra red?”
“Correct,” Narcissa agreed, as she cancelled the spell. “I’m not much of a fighter.”
“Not every one has to be,” Marcus replied. “Research is just as important. Severus, nice use of resources and protection. Pugsley, Daphne, what is the first rule of being an Addams?”
“An Addams never stands alone,” they recited.
“So explain why you both backed into a corner alone?”
“Erm,” Daphne said. “We forgot what Harry taught us last year?”
“Correct,” Marcus agreed. “And to refresh your memory, I think the two of you can do some laps. And no, you can’t get changed; you won’t have time in attack to get out some gym clothes. Eight, please.”
As the two children started to jog, Marcus looked at the two of them. “We’ll practice some of your spells,” he said. “Diffindo is an old favourite, but really, it’s to slow and easy to dodge. There are several other cutting curses that are more obscure, but faster to throw.” He demonstrated, and a bright orange curse came out of his wand.
“Isn’t that Czech?” Narcissa asked.
Marcus nodded. “I spent some years over there at the turn of the century. Now, if you two could cast the curse.”
For the next three hours, they worked together on new spells. Daphne and Pugsley joining them when they had finished their jog. It seemed to have put Daphne in a foul mood, if the strength she was putting into her curses was any indication.
Marcus seemed to encourage it, using every opportunity to provoke her. Eventually, Daphne half-screamed, turned, and punched him in the face.
Marcus didn’t move, and Daphne shook her hand. “Always check who you are hitting before you do so,” he instructed her. “I’m a vampire; I’m far stronger than you.”
Daphne nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said sweetly, as she stepped up to him, and rammed her knee into his groin.
Marcus didn’t go pale – he was a vampire after all – but he did drop to his knees. Daphne turned on her heel and strolled to the elevator.
“Good,” Marcus said as she vanished up. “She will be fine.”
“You have to push things, don’t you?” Pugsley asked.
“That’s my job,” Marcus responded. “You know how our politics can be. She’s going to grow up gorgeous, and be a member of a phenomenally rich Clan, with the direct ear of the Clan leader. She’ll have men after her like flies on blood, and as many enemies. She has to be able to look after herself, and it’s my job to ensure that she can. Harry and Wednesday will protect her, but no one can protect her for her entire life.”
“Interested, Marcus?” Severus asked softly.
“She’s too young for me,” Marcus replied. “Standard creepiness rule is ‘half your age plus seven’. That, of course, doesn’t really apply when you’re immortal, so I had to adapt, and decide I’d only go for species long lived enough to understand what sleeping with a Vampire is like.”
“Bland, disappointing and very quick?” Pugsley asked with a grin.
Marcus cuffed him on the back of the head.
“Try feral,” Narcissa said. “You do have interesting habits.”
Marcus grinned. “I’d offer to show them, but you’re both taken and a human. I’ll stick with Veela, Succubi, Werewolves and the like, thanks.”
Pugsley looked at his watch. “Dinner time.”
“Great,” Marcus cheered. “I’m famished.”
-----
Author Notes:
Next chapter finally answers some questions ...