Chapter 34. Dispute
Diagon Alley.
Throwing the door open, Severus finally drew a deep breath as he took in the familiar interior.
"Home. sweet home. It is only been three days, and I already miss that calm feeling, when you do not have to pretend and you can just be yourself."
"You were not really pretending," Nagini said, crawling out of his sleeve and into the kitchen.
"I would not say that. Slughorn is one thing, and I have gradually changed my relationship with some people, but with others I still try to keep a low profile. I do not even socialize much with my own house, except for Regulus. he reminds me of a good friend of mine."
"Are not you with him because of that bitch?"
"Bitch? No. that is putting it mildly. She is a real crazy witch, but. I have strange tastes, I cannot do anything about it. As for Regulus, that is only one of the reasons," Severus said with a smile as he watched Nagini rummage through the refrigerator. "If anything happens, I will be on the second floor, in the training room."
"OK."
He climbed to the second floor, stopped in front of a smooth wall, and tapped it several times with his finger. A magic circle appeared in empty space. He placed his palm against it, and the next moment a door materialized to the right.
Behind the door was a small room, and after a few seconds it began to expand exponentially.
"Okay. time to get to work." A vial of blood appeared in Severus's hand, and he began to pour it onto the floor. When the last drop fell, he tossed the vial back into his wallet and pointed both palms at the blood.
The blood immediately began to move, spreading across the floor and forming a circular pattern. Within it, various symbols started to take shape. The one in the center, inside a small circle of runes, stood out the most: a dragon's head with glowing turquoise eyes.
"The first part is ready, and now the second." As soon as the runic circle flared, a massive dragon heart dropped straight into the center. It began to slowly disintegrate into tiny pieces, forming the image of a dragon with a long tail studded with spikes and a fairly intimidating face, also covered in them. Strangely enough, Severus was not frightened by the roaring dragon at all. Instead, he felt mildly disappointed. "Not the best specimen, but there is no choice. This will have to do."
He clasped his palms, and the dragon's image began to shrink sharply, the heart breaking down faster and faster. All of it was accompanied by the dragon's enraged roar and a wave of uncontrollable magical power that crashed toward Severus and tried to force its way into his mind.
"A bit weak. Try harder."
As if it realized it was being mocked, the roar grew even more furious, but it still failed. Finally the heart dissolved completely, and in its place only a dark yellow crystal remained, radiating a warm and at the same time terrifying aura.
"Still, it turned out pretty well," Severus said. He took out a small box, placed the crystal inside, snapped it shut, and sent it back into his wallet. "Just a little rest, and then I will have to start the second ritual. Ah. what a chore. It eats up almost all my mental energy."
Closer to ten o'clock in the evening, while Severus was busy with his work, Nagini decided to stay on the first floor so she would not disturb him. The faint streams of terrifying aura leaking from the room were very unpleasant for her, since she was overly sensitive to them.
Curled up on the sofa Severus had put in place of the tables, Nagini snored quietly. A few seconds later, she suddenly opened her eyes, hearing the front door open.
A thief? No, nobody would sneak in through the front door, which means. She looked up and saw Bella in a dark dress, long dark hair falling over her shoulders, frowning as she surveyed the room with her wand still in hand. Bella. what did he see in her? Nagini thought with discontent, and a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes.
"Hm?" Bella kept looking around, and then she finally noticed the sofa, where Nagini was watching her. "That color. very poisonous. He has an interesting pet," Bella said, pointing her wand at her with a grin. "I wonder if he will be very angry if I kill you?"
Nagini caught the ominous gleam in Bella's eyes and that smile. She glanced at the wand aimed at her and only snorted contemptuously.
If she attacks me now, I can bite her without a twinge of conscience. Nagini hissed, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction and flicking out her tongue. She did not strike first, because she did not know how Severus would react to it, but she was absolutely certain it would not be positive.
"What are you staring at? Do you really want it that badly?"
~ Hesssssss. (And you try it.)
"Hm! Do you really want me to attack?" Bella narrowed her eyes in response to Nagini's grin and hissed at her again.
But at that moment, footsteps sounded on the stairs, and then the voice Bella hated so much rang out.
"I see you have already met?" Severus asked with a smile, sensing Nagini's slight disappointment.
"You know, if you had been even a little late, you would have found only a dead Nagini here."
"Do not be so sure. If Nagini had wanted it, you would have been dead a long time ago." Severus walked past Bella, and she looked a little stung by those words. He sat down beside Nagini, and she quickly crawled onto his lap. "And you behaved foolishly. I would not have done anything to you if Nagini had attacked first, but I still would have been offended."
~ Tch!
"Alright, let us forget it," Severus said, lifting his gaze to Bella's frown. He smiled warmly at her and waited.
"My Lord wishes to meet you, and also." Bella's expression turned so sour at the next words it looked like she had swallowed a whole lemon, ".he does you the great honor of offering you a place among the Death Eaters."
"Oh."
"And that is all you have to say?"
"Should I jump up and dance for joy? Forgive me, my dear, but I refuse. I do not want to brand myself with a slave mark. My freedom is dear to me."
"How dare you call it a slave seal?!" Bella burst out, her wand trembling as she pointed it at him.
"I call it what it is, and I have no desire to become a chess piece in the game between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Why would I limit myself to that, when I can become the third king?"
"So you want to become our enemy?" Bella growled, narrowing her eyes.
"God forbid. Why would I want that? I will leave the country as soon as I graduate Hogwarts. I could not care less about your little war, even if you tear each other apart, but you." Severus rose from the sofa and approached Bella, and Nagini gave a disgruntled hiss. He stopped close, touched Bella's cheek, and smiled. "That is completely different. How about joining my side?"
Instead of the rage and attempt to kill him on the spot that he expected, Bella laughed out loud, and Severus was slightly confused.
"To a half-blood like you? Without power, wealth, or even influence?"
"So if I have all that, you will be mine?" Severus drawled. His eyes narrowed predatorily, and his cloyingly sweet voice sent shivers down Bella's spine. "Alright. I accept your condition."
"Why should I agree to this adventure?"
"I will stop supplying the potion. Why should I help your group if I will not get anything out of it?"
"Fine! If you can achieve it, I will agree to your terms. But if you cannot do it within two years, you will become my slave and do everything I say. Do you dare accept those terms?" Bella stared him in the eye with a scornful smirk. Inside, she felt a sharp irritation, because she could not see even a hint of fear on his face.
"No problem. But I want something as proof of our dispute."
"Shut up! Do it. I want to get this over with quickly!"
Severus raised an eyebrow in confusion as Bella rose up on her toes and closed her eyes.
"Well, since you are asking, I will not refuse," Severus said. He pulled Bella toward him and covered her lips with his, and his hands immediately settled on her thin waist.
But she was not content with a simple kiss. When his hand pressed against the back of her head and his tongue slid into her mouth, Bella could not contain her shock. The moment their tongues met, she tried to bite him again. It was useless: his tongue was so strong she could not do anything. She tried to push him away, but the odds were too unequal, and she had no choice but to endure the invasion. A few seconds later, to her own shock, she got caught up in the game, her mind slightly clouded by overwhelming emotions.
Only after a few minutes did Severus pull away from those sweet lips with a satisfied smile, and only then did he finally let her go.
"Pervert!" Nagini cried, displeased, but Severus ignored her.
"Did you like it?"
Bella came to her senses and shoved Severus away. With real rage, she raised her wand at him, but only a couple of sparks leapt out.
"Did you like it?! I will kill you right now!"
"You suggested it yourself," Severus said with an indifferent shrug, studying the dark necklace in his hand with interest. "Actually, I meant this."
"This. GIVE IT BACK! That is a gift from the Dark Lord! How dare you touch it with your filthy hands?!"
"Hm? Then I will take it as proof of our argument," Severus said, and it vanished from his hand. An identical one appeared in its place. "Here, a temporary replacement. And do not make empty threats. If you truly wanted to kill me, you would have used the dagger on your left side, the one you can reach easily."
Bella's gaze burned into him, and Severus could not help smiling.
"Once you become my slave, your life will turn into hell!" Bella snatched the fake necklace from his hand. She stomped out, slamming the door behind her, before she lost control and finished him off, because he was still very important in this war.
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