Black Aeon

Chapter Eight

Colours of the Rainbow

"It's all so... bright."

"I know."

"But look at it all! The reds, the greens, the blues and the yellows! It's amazing!"

"We have been seeing this for a week or two now Wyl'. We aren't as fascinated by it as you." Wylow grinned, and squeezed Hunter's hand tighter. The young man smiled at her, a little shyly, his mocha eyes twinkling. It was odd really; her mother had been with some one who was so much taller then her, and now Wylow was the same. After the kiss in the hospital wing, Hunter had immediately asked her out. She had said yes, of course; why shouldn't she? Hunter was damn sexy! His brown blonde hair flopped into his eyes slightly, and his dark brown eyes always had a secretive look in them, as though he knew something about you that even you didn't know. He had strong hands too; they were firm, but gentle. And amazingly agile and slender; potion makers hands. Like the rest of him, his arms had a light tan over them. The tattoo just drew attention to that (unlike her first guess, it was actually black and green, rather then black and grey.) In general, Hunter was gorgeous. And he was all hers. As it should be.

"Babe? Come back, you're drifting off into your own world." She blinked, and then smiled at the young man.

"Sorry Hunt', I was distracted." A leering grin passed over his face, as he leaned closer.

"By me?"

"Actually, as delightful as you are, I was distracted by the fact your elbow is in my breakfast." Jacob sniggered, and Arielle snorted into her coffee, as Hunter rolled his eyes, and wiped the worst of the damage off of his sleeve. Wylow grinned, and covered her mouth politely with one hand to hide the fact that she was fighting off a laugh. A quick glance at the Staff table showed that Dumbledore was still deep in conversation with Lucius Malfoy, who had come in to discuss a donation to the school. She looked up the Slytherin table, to find Draco Malfoy staring at her. Immediately, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he lowered his eyes. Interesting... she grinned evilly at him, pulled out her wand, and subtly pointed it at him. Time to test out her inheritance. "Afrosia." Almost immediately, the gel that usually slicked Malfoy's hair back melted, and his hair stood up in wild, perm-like curls. With his colouring, it looked utterly ridiculous. Like an albino poodle standing on its hind legs. Crabbe looked up, saw his boss, and grunted in apelike surprise. Wylow grinned wickedly, and pushed her glasses up her nose, as Pansy Parkinson screamed in horror, and began trying to swat Malfoy's hair away, as if it was a living thing that had attached itself to his head. Now there was a thought... "Livett!" the hair, which before had taken the beating with jolly good grace, gave a strange rumbling growl, and began to 'eat' Pansy's hands. The screams became louder, and Wylow finally couldn't take it anymore. She burst out into hysterical laughter, and had to chew on her fist to muffle the sound. Professor Dumbledore watched for a moment, and then called across the room with a Magnified voice.

"Miss Le Fey- Potter, must you constantly cause some sort of up roar in my Hall?" Immediately Wylow stopped laughing. Lucius Malfoy turned his head slowly, looked at Wylow, and a small smile that meant no good began to creep over his face. She was not entirely happy, as the look made a rather horrible shiver run down her spine. It was the smile of some one planning something.

*

Slowly, her fists clenched around the letters' sides, and she lowered it to stare at Remus.

"This is a joke, right?" Slowly, Remus shook his head, and sat down on her bed, running his fingers over the deep green duvet. Again, Wylow turned her eyes to the letter.

'Dear Mr. Lupin,

Having given a deal of thought to my son's future, I have decided that as a pure blood, and one of such old lineage, your Goddaughter is the perfect bride for my son. As you are in charge of her estate until she comes of age, or unless she is married before she reached that age of eighteen, I believe I am correct in writing to you about a proposal of marriage to the Lady Le Fey- Potter. I have already discussed with this matter with my son, and he has shown a deal of enthusiasm as to this match .As you know, arranged Wizarding marriages take place a month after the legal matters are done with, and legal matters take less then a day. I hope to hear from you soon, to be able to being the legal side of this matter.

Yours truly,

Lucius Malfoy, Esquire'. A muscle in her neck twitched, and she slowly tore the letter in half once, then in half again. She continued until she began to find it hard to continue shredding. Upon which, she threw the pieces on the carpeted floor and spat on them.

"Not a chance in Hell, Remus! I refuse to even consider marrying that... that... spoilt brat!" She couldn't think of anything else to call him, she was so angry. Remus looked up at her.

"Wylow..."

"No, Remus, I won't! I won't even consider it! Don't even think about this marriage thing, because my answer is no, and you can't marry me off against my will!" her Godfather shook his head.

"Do you honestly think that I would even think for a moment about giving you to that snake pit?" Wylow blinked, and smiled slightly.

"That's true. Besides, I have Hunter to consider now, don't I?"

"Ahh yes, Hunter. How is he?"

"Oh, he's just fine." A sly grin slipped over Wylow's face. "How's his brother?"

"Oh, Falcon's great." Realising what he had said, and how his Goddaughter had tricked him, Remus shot her a glare that would have made rock into lava if it were possible. It was, apparently, the glare he saved especially for her father when ever he accidentally mentioned Remus's Lycanthropy. "You are a foul child. Stop being so much like your mother." Wylow laughed.

"But still, I'm curious about you and Falcon! Tell me!" He looked uncertain, so Wylow used her fatal puppy eyes look. "Please, Mussy?" She had him, and she knew it. Remus sighed, and shifted so that he was lying with his back on the bed but his feet on the floor.

"Alright, alright. Well, Fal' and I were... a couple in our seventh year. We stayed together until three months after we graduated, then I... was forced to move to France. I couldn't keep contact with anyone but Lily and James, as they were in hiding themselves. Fal' tried to contact me, and he tried hard, but no matter how much I wanted to reply, I simply couldn't. I hadn't seen him for over... well, about seventeen years, until we met at the train station at the start of this term." Wylow felt a huge rush of sympathy to her godfather and friend. That must have almost killed him with the effort not to get in contact with his lover.

"So... what have you two been up to then, since I last saw him?" a shy smile and small blush crept over Remus's face.

"Nothing incriminating. We've been out for coffee, and lunch, and just generally begun to get to know one another all over again."

"Have you kissed him yet?"

"Wylow Amelia Lupin!" Wylow smiled brilliantly at the use of her old pseudonym.

"Well have you?"

"That is none of your business!" He looked at the ceiling. "Of course I have."

"Oooh, Remus, you sly old devil!" the two of them burst out laughing.

*

"So, how is my fiancée this afternoon?" the moment that Wylow heard that drawling tone, her entire day was ruined. She had managed to avoid Malfoy for a week since she had received that letter, but now he had confronted her. Hunter stopped beside her, and turned to stare at her in surprise, horror, and suspicion.

"Fiancée? What in the name of arse is he going on about?" With a sigh, Wylow pushed up her right sleeve and rubbed her snake tattooed skin. Malfoy sneered.

"You are going to get rid of those as soon as possible. And remove some of those earrings. No wife of mine will be so badly... marked." That was is. Remove her tattoos? Her precious pictures? And her earrings? Not a chance in hell!

"First of all, Malfoy-"

"Draco." The purr in his voice annoyed her so much.

"Malfoy, I am not going to be your wife. And Secondly, I would never remove my earrings or tattoos for any one, especially not you. Be gone from my sight you annoying little wretch. And yes dumb ass, this DOES mean that I am rejecting your proposal." With a flick of her hair, she stalked off to Defence Against The Dark Arts, Hunter in her wake, looking back at a dumbstruck Malfoy.

She always chose a seat near the back. She never chose right at the back, but always close. With a sigh, she dropped into her usual chair, and pulled out her straight black quill, a bottle of her own private ink mix, some parchment and her book. She casually tucked her wand behind her ear, and settled down to read through the chapter on werewolves in the book. She felt some one sit beside her on the bench, and, assuming it was Hunter, ignored them from embarrassment about the Malfoy incident.

"'Ganie, are you alright? It isn't like you to begin studying immediately when you sit down in class. Well, it isn't like you to study at all actually." At that voice, she jumped.

"Gods Jay, you scared me! Don't sneak up on a girl like that." Jay grinned, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Such a pretty green, she had missed that colour. And it was so unlike her own green, which had yellow streaks running through it.

Jays' friends Weasley and Granger walked in and Granger sniffed at the sight of the brother and sister sitting together. Jay sighed, and shook his head at them; he was going to sit with Wylow for this lesson. When Wylow's friends walked in, Jacob and Arielle grinned and winked at her, before going to bags the desk beside hers. Hunter, how ever, shot her an odd look; maybe he was cross that she chose one of the two seater desks down the middle of the room rather then one of the three seaters down the sides. Oh well, he would cope.

"Harry mate, come sit with us!" it was Weasley, calling to him from the back of the room. Jay turned slightly in his seat.

"I'm going to sit with 'Ganie for this one."

"Come on mate, we've got the seats by the heater!"

"I'm sitting with 'Ganie." And with that, he turned away from Weasley, and began setting out his books. Weasley shot Wylow a glare, then sighed and straightened his Head Boy badge. Which reminded her...

"Granger? Might I have a word please?" Granger blinked at the authority in Wylow's voice.

"Look, I heard that you did an excellent job of filling in for my Head Girl duties while I was... indisposed. I'm impressed." The brunette blushed happily, and stroked a finger down the badge that she had pinned over her Prefects badge. It just so happened to be Wylow's badge. "And I was thinking... as you've been doing such a good job..." The Gryffindors' eyes jumped up to meet hers, filled with hope. Hope that Wylow would permanently surrender her post to her probably. "That if I'm ever at a loss for the staff, I'll tell them to go straight to you. Maybe. Can I have my badge back please? The snake engraving really doesn't suit your house." An angry, embarrassed flush raced over Grangers cheeks, and the Slytherins around them sniggered as the proud Muggle Born witch handed the badge she had worn with pride for a week back to its rightful owner. Wylow smiled sweetly, and went back to her seat, pinning her badge back to the front of her shirt. With a sigh of relief, she loosened off her tie, unbuttoned two buttons and rolled her sleeves, up, revealing the long snake tattoo and the winged Serpent Wolf Moon. A flash of silver caught her eye on her right hand, and she paused. It was her mothers' rings; she had completely forgotten about them. Thoughtfully, she stroked the red streak in her hair as she sat back down. Malfoy walked in alone, his lackeys not anywhere near smart enough to get the grades needed for this class, and had just seated himself when the teacher walked in.

Professor Thyme was an attractive woman in her thirties. When she had been in school, she had been in Hufflepuff, and was a sweetly innocent woman; some how, she had managed to get married, discover she couldn't have children, get divorced and get a teaching job yet manage to maintain an endearing innocence that made Wylow like her. The bubbly blonde smiled at her class.

"Good afternoon, everyone! And welcome back, Wylow, it was unfortunate you missed your first lesson, I-" She froze, her eyes fixed on Wylow's left eye. Her lips still had the shape of the word that she had been about to say on them, and her body was completely still. Wylow felt a little uneasy.

"Um, Professor, are you alright?"

"Lili..." she blinked at her teacher.

"Professor?" Professor Thyme shook herself slightly, and glanced at Wylow.

"I would like to see you after class please Miss Potter. You will wait behind." Oh joy. What had she done now? Wear too much eyeliner? That did sound like her...

A note landed in her lap, and she looked around to see who had thrown it. Everyone was listening to the Professor as she talked. A little confused, but curious, she opened it.

I understand that I'm not your favourite person, but must you be so completely horrible to me? It isn't my fault my Father decided that I should marry you!

Oh joy; she was receiving notes off of Malfoy. Picking up her quill, she dipped it in her ink and began to write in a flowing black- green ink.

It wasn't the fact that your Father was an obnoxious git in the letter and wrote about me as though I was an object who had no choice in the matter; it was the way you just assumed that I had said yes! And expecting me to get my tattoos removed was a big NO. And the way you spoke to me? N o man would survive two minutes being married to me if they spoke to me like that.

She calmly folded it up and flicked it with her wand. It vanished, and then appeared on Malfoy's desk. He flicked a glance at her, and opened it. His eyebrows raised a fraction as he read, and he quickly began scribbling. For a moment, she mused on the amusing fact of her passing notes with her arch nemesis, but that train of thought swiftly vanished as the note reappeared.

It was Father who wanted you to get them removed. I rather like them myself; they give you something to look at in class when you're bored. How many of the fascinating pictures do you actually have?

By the way, I like the snake. Very Slytherin. And did you add those streaks to your hair yourself?

That was BIZARRE. Draco Malfoy complimenting her?!

Nice to know they provide others with amusement. I have five of them; one on my collar bone, on around my navel, one on my left are, one on my right arm, and my back. And I'm glad you like the snake; my brother hates it. Joy. And no, I didn't, they appeared after my coma thingy. And are we having a conversation?!

She quickly passed the note on, her heart pounding in her throat when Hunter shot her a hurt glare; he had watched her writing the note, and seen where it went. He had obviously hoped that it was for him. As fast as she could, she scribbled a little, sweet and affectionate note to her boyfriend, putting a little picture of a willow tree and a hunting spear at the end of it. A joyful smile light his face as he read it, and he turned around and blew her a kiss, where upon he was caught by the Professor and yelled at. The poor love.

*

You know, I rather think that we are. How strange; us having a conversation!

Oh well, stranger things have happened at sea, as they say.

Who the hell did invent that saying any way?

I haven't the faintest idea. It's bloody stupid though.

For the first time, I agree with you. What was Carlisle glaring at you about?

He thinks I'm flirting with you.

What business is it of his? And aren't you?

It's his business because he's my boyfriend, and no I most certainly am not.

Is he why you got so angry at me? Because I mentioned that letter infront of him?

It's one of the reasons. I haven't told people about that letter, and I don't intend to; I tore it up and spat on it. And I believe that you are supposed to separate the 'in' and the 'front' when you say in front. Now leave me alone, I have an NEWT in DADA to pass with flying colours.

My thanks on the correction. And I was about to say the same thing. Bugger off Le Fey!

*

Wylow winked at Hunter as he left the classroom reluctantly with the rest of the DADA class, looking over his shoulder at her. She stood up, crossed the room, and settled herself on the edge of Professor Thyme's desk. The blonde woman took her time getting back to her, rearranging her room for her class the next morning before coming back to Wylow. She smiled tentatively.

"I didn't realize you would look so much like your mother. It was a bit of a shock." This really was not the conversation that she had envisaged herself having with the Professor.

"You knew my mother?" The older woman smiled slightly, and pulled a photograph out of her pocket. She looked at it for a moment before handing it to Wylow.

In the picture were several people, mainly in couples. There was Remus and Falcon, Lily and James and Sirius and a young blonde girl (could that be Professor Thyme?), and a young man with black hair which flopped sexily into his eyes. She blinked, and looked up at the teacher, tearing her eyes away from the smiling, waving people for a moment.

"Is this you? Are you the blonde girl?"

"Yes, I am. Those were good times. Lili was my best friend, with Fal' and Sev'." As she said the names, Professor Thyme tapped the faces of the people, the last being the black haired boy. A thought dawned on her.

"Sev'... would that be Professor Snape?" The teacher grinned, and nodded.

"Don't tell any one that I told you." Wylow was about to say something else, when a raven flew in through the window and dropped a letter onto her lap. The letter was in a black envelope, embossed with a skull with a snake coming out of it.