A Mortal Enemy

This is the sequel to "Destiny of Souls". You should read that story first, as this

one will make little sense if you have not. Many many thanks to Sarah, my Beta reader.

Chapter 2: The Chamber of Tears

Kara wondered what Snape was thinking as they slowly walked from Dumbledore's office to nowhere in particular. Would he attempt to deal with his feelings now, or repress them? She had to admit that the quick way Dumbledore told them and then hastily pushed them out of his office was disturbing. It was as if he expected Snape to have no feelings at all on the subject. Granted that wasn't entirely shocking, considering how closely guarded Snape kept his true feelings.

"The Chamber is finished," he said, breaking the silence. "I had hoped that was why he called me to his office. To ask for a final report."

Snape was choosing repression for now.

"Just in time, as the term starts soon. How are you guarding it?" she asked in a neutral tone.

"There is a portrait over the entrance. The portal itself is charmed so that only individuals with Inner Focus can open it."

"That's wise. That will allow him some privacy. When can I see it?"

"Now?"

She nodded and they headed towards the dungeons in silence. Snape's pace was quick as they proceeded through the stone hallways, down the stairs and past his office. They arrived at a portrait of an extremely unattractive woman. She stood in her painting and greeted them both anxiously.

"Good-day my lady, I'm Eliza Degaus. I am very pleased..."

But Eliza didn't get to finish her sentence. Snape had opened the portrait with his mind and stepped inside. Kara followed and what she saw next was stunning. The corridor that stretched out in front of her was completely covered in black marble. The ceiling extended up twenty feet and was lit by stone chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. It was cold and slightly damp. It reminded Kara immediately of a crypt.

Kara and Snape took a few steps down the hallway, their feet making a cacophony of noise as they walked. The disturbing sound of their feet clanking against the unforgiving rock suddenly dissipated as Snape placed an anti-echo charm on the marble. The hallway was so long that one could not immediately see where they were going. Shiny marble slabs reflected what little light existed in the corridor and added to the illusion of an endless hallway. Eventually they took a sharp right turn after walking for several minutes and the stone floor beneath them began to decline slightly. The next thing Kara knew they were standing before a wooden door that reached upwards toward the ceiling. It was covered in highly decorative carvings that looked unmistakably like Arithmancy symbols. Snape opened the heavy door with his mind and she gasped.

The Chamber itself was circular and had artistic marble carvings along every surface. The center of the room was framed by a set of stairs that lead down to what looked like a pyre set atop a marble platform. Kara looked up towards the ceiling to see more marble carvings thirty feet above her.

"You've been busy," she said, her voice clearly indicating her shock.

"The House Elves have been busy," he retorted.

"You know what I mean. You contrived all of this. Why?" she asked dumbfounded.

"This is nothing compared to the Chamber of Secrets. Potter managed to destroy our hopes of using that ever again, so I figured we might as well replace it with something of equal stature."

There were no paintings on the walls and no furniture. In fact the Chamber had nothing that wasn't part of the floor, ceiling or walls. During intensive training it was common to stir up winds within the confined area of a room. Having loose objects was not only dangerous but it was impractical as it wore the wizard or witch out more.

The pyre in the middle of the room lit up, filling the frigid dampness with warmth. No doubt Snape had done it with his own Inner Focus so that Kara could get a better view of the Chamber. She walked down the stone steps and stared at the ceiling, admiring the intricate carvings of trees, dragons and pixies. She almost thought she recognized a very familiar looking long bearded wizard riding on the back of a hippogriff. After a few minutes of gawking, she returned to the moment and noticed Snape looking down at her from the upper portion of the Chamber.

He still had the fifteen scrolls in his arms and an unmistakable look on his face. Kara looked deep into his eyes.

"Severus..."

But the look on his face told her that clearly he didn't want her prying just then. Kara sighed audibly and nodded. She could see the grief written in his cold sneer and could hear the rational thoughts forcing his conscious to push the sorrow out of his mind. He wanted to continue on as usual - with the plan - whatever that plan was. The thoughts she heard in those few moments were startling to her 'Don't cry now. Don't let her see you cry. Ever. Lacrimal Terminus. You never cried when you killed people. You didn't cry when you supplied poisons to Voldemort or when you watched him torture Muggles. She would never understand.'

"Severus. No one will fault you for grieving; least of all me. You should know that by now." Her words echoed through the Chamber and then died out as he cast the anti-echo charm on the marble.

Snape swallowed hard and his face relaxed. He had never grieved like this before; he was never able to. The Dark Mark had always suppressed regret and allowed him to walk through life without a sense of knowing. He had never grieved his friends' deaths, his parents' deaths or even Lily's. And now, for the first time, he was faced with a loss so monumental that he was on the verge of breakdown. She knew he would try to suppress it any way he could.

The scrolls in his arms levitated and gently settled to the floor as he joined her in the pit of the Chamber. She extended a hand lovingly, which he took it without question and then moved in close to hold her. Kara wrapped her arms behind his back and rested her head on his chest. She could feel his breath catching, but she knew no tears would fall. Snape would never let her watch him cry, even if his heart was breaking. His face came down to rest on top of her head and they stood this way for quite some time. Kara closed her eyes and tried to enjoy his closeness as she held her own grief inside. Snape practically melted in her arms.

In some part of her mind Kara knew that grieving was illogical. First off Dumbledore had planned his death and did so in a way to benefit everyone, including himself. Secondly, Kara and Snape had been brought up to believe that Dark Wizards don't show this type of emotion. The fact he was allowing her to see this at all was some sort of perversity of his ideals.

But what tore her apart at that moment was that the other half of her knew that he needed this. He needed to feel for the first time in so long.

She pulled away from him, looked up into his eyes and cupped his face in her hands. She could feel the warm smooth skin beneath her palms. The same skin that rubbed against her face and neck in the night.

"Severus?"

He closed his eyes; he knew Kara was reading his mind.

"Headmaster?"

His eyes shot open and a wicked smile crossed his face for a brief moment. Snape was many things and ambitious was one of them. She knew this opportunity, while sad in its nature, was ferociously stroking his ego. This realization seemed to momentarily break him out of his grieving cycle.

She smiled back.

He reached up and took her hands in his and then sighed heavily as he regained his composure.

"You should move Potter here immediately. I have notified the House Elves that he is to be attended to in whatever way necessary. There is a small study room off to the side behind the engraving of Hecate. There are also bathing facilities through there," he said as his eyes fell on the shadow-defined figure of the goddess. His ability to rapidly change the subject in difficult times always amazed Kara.

"Do you think it will be suspicious to the other students if he is constantly sneaking into the dungeons and past your office at all times of the day?"

"I have considered that. It's time Potter put his damned Invisibility Cloak to good use," he spat. Kara gave him a questioning look. She never knew Snape had issues with Potter's Invisibility Cloak. Snape read the look on her face accurately.

"I have been trying to convince Dumbledore to take it from him for nearly six years and now when I'm actually in a position to do something about it there is actually a legitimate reason for him to have it," Snape said with slight malice in his voice.

Kara blanched at the harshness of his voice. Time to change the subject, she thought.

"His timetable is prepared. Minerva and I looked over it yesterday," Kara said as she let go of one of Snape's hands and led him to sit on the stairs with her.

"Is he dropping any classes?"

"Divination."

He nodded slightly as he looked towards the ceiling.

"And Quidditch?"

"Minerva refused to hear any argument of mine on the matter. She began explaining how the students would think it unfair. She was no doubt already aware of the Headmaster's plans. It would look suspicious to the students I suppose."

"Yes, I'm sure it would result in an all out Gryffindor revolt," he said lightly; the sarcasm rolling gleefully off his tongue in a voice that made Kara's heart jump.

Her lips curled up into a smile. It wasn't quite a joke, but it was close as Snape ever got.

"She also insisted it would help him keep balanced and despite myself, I'm inclined to agree."

"Until he starts cheating."

"What makes you think he'd cheat?" she scoffed. "You played Quidditch while you were here and he knows that. You won't get past him with that argument."

"And I cheated, which is precisely my point." Snape replied as he turned towards her and gave her a wicked, knowing smile.

They sat for some time in silence while admiring the Chamber. Kara could see immediately how suitable it would be for meditation. It was perfectly quiet. There were no birds perched outside the windows singing their happy melodies in the midday sun. There were no screaming children to be heard here. The room was large, but clearly gave one the feeling that tons of rock and mortar surrounded it. It was enclosed, comfortable and safe.

She stood and walked over to the small room that hid behind the engraving of Hecate. Snape hadn't mentioned whether it required a password or an open command but as soon as she approached the wall she could see a small handprint beside the face of the goddess. Kara placed her palm in it and the wall disappeared.

Inside was a large room with empty bookshelves lining the walls. A fireplace, and several couches stood near the center of the room. The floor was not marble, it was plain stone covered with thick wool rugs. To her left was a door leading into the bathroom. Large white marble slabs made up the walls and floor. The tub was as big as a Muggle Jaccuzi and had several golden taps.

If Kara didn't know better, she'd say Snape was coddling Potter.

"You don't suppose he'd ever try to bring Ginny here do you?" she pondered as she glided back into the Chamber. Considering the fact that this was isolated from most of the staff and all of the other students it would be ideal for the two of them to come for privacy. Privacy for two young teenagers was something one wanted to limit in a school like Hogwarts, not promote.

"Advise him against it. It's not impossible for her to cross the barriers, but"

"I understand," she said, interrupting him. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss teenage hormones with Severus Snape. They had encountered enough snogging students in their nighttime patrols for her to realize that.

** *

Kara and Snape declined dinner with Dumbledore, Minerva and the four students that evening, preferring the comfort of one another's company. Considering the shock that they had been through that day, Dumbledore didn't object and let them alone. They ate quietly in Snape's quarters and when they were done they enjoyed brandy and a warm fire together.

She curled up with the latest copy of Witch's Weekly, something she wasn't entirely proud of, but did so in order to keep up with Paris fashion. Snape was perched behind his desk carefully reading each of the fifteen scrolls Dumbledore had given him.

She heard a loud exasperated sigh coming from his side of the room. Kara looked up from some article on winter wear to find Snape shaking his head. She raised her eyebrows at him in hopes of coaxing him into talking about whatever it was that vexed him.

"Not a single qualified candidate," he finally said.

Kara wondered if that was actually true. What was it Dumbledore said? Make sure he considers them all?

She happily put down her magazine and waltzed over to the desk. She sat on it, facing him, and picked up a scroll. She was rewarded for her presence when Snape wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head in her lap. It was an obscure form of affection on his part, but she wouldn't complain.

Kara read one application from a man named Peter Squiggly who had spent fifteen years as a bartender. He claimed he was well suited for teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts because of the rowdy customers he dealt with. A definite no, Kara thought.

The next scroll was from a witch named Agatha Ripcorse. She had no experience to speak of and was just out of school from Beauxbatons. While her marks were exemplary, the students would need someone more expertise, especially this year.

She read twelve more scrolls and fell into agreement with him. None of these candidates were appropriate.

"What qualifications did you have in mind?" she probed as she picked up the last scroll.

He stirred slightly on her lap and began to speak. She could feel the vibrations of his voice echoing through her lower body. It was slightly arousing. Kara ran a free hand through his black hair, which in this light looked greasy. But it was as soft as silk and probably smelled of cedar.

She wanted so badly to dig her nose into it right now.

"Obviously someone with Dark Arts experience; either as an Auror, or direct education. Preferably someone capable of being strict and someone the students would fear enough to respect," he replied softly. So in other words, someone just like Snape.

She unrolled the last scroll and nearly dropped it when she read the name. This particular candidate had been an Auror, and had a surly background. In fact, his background was so heavily scarred that she wondered if the students would ever step foot in the classroom with him. What was it that Dumbledore had said? Consider all candidates - seriously. Kara rolled her eyes. Even Dumbledore's puns were tiring. The name on the scroll read Sirius Black.

Kara set the scroll down and ran her hands through Snape's hair again. He moaned softly in response to her soft touch. Before attacking the subject, she needed to carefully consider whether she even thought it was a good idea. Would Sirius Black prove to be an asset to the school? Well there was the fact that he had some unique qualifications. He had spent many years in Azkaban and could give direct testimony to the consequences of turning to men like Voldemort. Prior to the Potter incident he had been an Auror. But there was also the tension with Snape. How could the two ever form a working relationship?

Somehow he knew what she was thinking.

"McGonagall will be retiring in a few years," he said. "She told me so today after I returned to my office."

"Then it would be nice to hire someone that can replace her House duties as well in a few years."

"Yes."

Well that would be one reason for hiring Black.

"Severus..."

"I couldn't ever bring myself to offer it to him."

His face was still buried in her lap. He was almost like a very sad child latching onto his mother.

"He has extremely unique qualifications and a clear instinct for survival. I doubt that working with you would be anywhere near what Azkaban was like. In addition he has clear intentions to work against Voldemort - a problem you might find yourself having if you hire a complete stranger. And if he's lucky enough to keep a long tenure he'll be able to fill in for McGonagall as Head of Gryffindor when she leaves. In my opinion you'll find no better candidate, especially if you're out to look for someone as intimidating as you are in the classroom."

His head shot up at the comparison she made.

"Was he decent in Dark Arts in school?" she asked quickly

"Second only to myself. He even managed to beat out Potter and Lily," he muttered as his head returned to her lap.

Impressive.

Snape pulled her closer to him and rested his nose into her belly. If the boys at Durmstrang hadn't helped her get over her tendency to be ticklish, she might have laughed as the pointed appendage dug into her belly button.

"I suppose it's what Dumbledore had intended," she said as she ran her hands through his hair once more, letting the dark locks slide gracefully through her fingers.

"Yes."

They sat in contemplation for a few minutes. Snape's warm breath penetrated her robes and made her whole body limp. She didn't know whether he had intended to arouse her. Kara would have thought he was far too grief stricken to engage in an evening of passion with her, but she would never bet against his strength of will.

"I will summon him tomorrow then. I don't know how much he has been told. I will need to speak with Dumbledore about it."

His hands unhooked from her waist and he stood up and went into the bedroom to sleep. Apparently he was not in the mood she thought he was. Kara took a deep breath and sat in his chair. After summoning her magazine from the chair she had previously occupied, she sat back and settled in for the night.

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