The Fire Wand

The Fire Wand

Chapter 9: Safety in Seclusion

'Never known, I could feel like this.
Like I've never seen the sky before.'
Moulin Rouge - Come What May.

Where am I?

~ You know where you are. You're not at home at least, that's one thing. You know where you are. Are you feeling safe Siana? Are you? In the last place you'd ever thought you'd be. ~

What happened?

~ Don't you remember? You've lost everything. ~

Except for my knack of melodrama of course. Except for my knack of making the worst of every situation.

~ Except for that. Don't think you could ever lose that. It's been bred into you, almost selectively one could argue. Your Mum saw the worst in everything, and your Dad? Do we even need to go there? ~

I'm alone?

~ Yes I rather think that's what this is. Of course, if you wake up, it might not be so bad. But you never know, waking up is painful, and none of us like to wake up to pain. You have things to think about Siana, lots of things, things to organise, things that must be dealt with. It's not over you know, not by a long shot. ~

I'm frightened.

~ It's all new. If it's any comfort Siana, and I can imagine it probably isn't a comfort, we're both scared you and I. ~

But you're me.

~ Yes. That's why I can imagine it wouldn't comfort you. ~

Her eyes flew open.

They were crystalline violet, clear and reflecting the dim candlelight that gave her face an eerie ivory glow. Her skin, so pale against the green sheets, seemed unearthly. Her hair, which was so used to being tied back now flared unruly black behind her sore and aching head.

It had been two days. Not long at all, since she had seen Athena massacred in the bathroom. Two days since she had fallen into shock, and Dumbledore had announced that for the time being it was safer that she was shifted into the dungeons, where there were more secrets and passwords than anyone was aware. Into the secret chambers she went, constructed with protection in mind, and only one other voluntarily went with her - because it seemed that he needed the protection as much as she.

Severus Snape however, was still free to come and go, as he had to teach his classes. He had adamantly argued with Dumbledore about Siana's safety with Harry Potter and his Invisibility Cloak. It wasn't until Dumbledore stated rather calmly that Harry couldn't get anywhere once Dumbledore was through with a particular section of the school that Snape seemed to settle. Though he had once, briefly, pointed out that Harry Potter got his name into the Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore had said nothing then, Snape had tactfully backed down.

Apart from that particular argument Siana rarely heard from him. Her hours seemed to be filled with sleep and nightmares. When she was awake she drifted aimlessly, wandering to the bathroom and out again, wandering to the adjoining reading room and leaving again. She wished she'd had the book Snape had given her, she wished she could see the outside world again.

Now and then she changed into a fruit bat for the hell of it and hung upside down from the rafters, seeing everything from a different perspective.

Another time she transfigured everything into the room, with her new wand, into flowers and trees. It had been exhausting, but worth it, and she had sat - teary eyed - in the parody of what only a few weeks before, she had been able to access.

Things were up in the air. She had no idea what was going on, and she had no idea if she wanted to know. She could surmise that she was in great danger, but otherwise she didn't know why her Uncle was still alive, when she had seen his body. In her mind, she was drifting between denial and terror. He was one of the few people she feared so much it sickened her.

She had thrown up everything her stomach attempted to digest every time she thought of him. Her thoughts felt as massacred as Athena had been.

Two days. Two days. It hadn't been long. Siana was aching with imprisonment already.

'You're awake. I want you to drink this,' said a clipped voice from her side and Siana gasped and jolted upright, green sheets falling from her body - which remained covered by a thin, black robe. Her pupils flared and then contracted, her eyes stopped reflecting dim candlelight and now reflected Snape's face. Snape's face. God, what's he doing here? I thought he couldn't stand me, he's hardly ever here. But I suppose...all those classes. He looks, really out of it. Tired.

'Drink what?' Siana said defensively and Snape looked pointedly down at a fragrant, steaming chalice which seemed to have a dull grey liquid in it. She grimaced. 'That looks like liquefied soot.' Her voice was tinged with disgust and she shook the sensation out of her body. 'I'm sorry.'

'Whatever for?' Snape said as he handed her the chalice. She eyed the potion thoughtfully before looking at him.

'For this. I know you aren't really candid with what you think, but I am. It's the way I am I guess...and I'd just like to apologise. Why are you giving me this? I'm sleeping okay.'

'You're sleeping too much. And you've been having nightmares,' Snape said after a long silent. He paused and looked away as Siana looked at him accusingly.

'You've been watching me.'

'Oh it's been enthralling too...' he said gravely though Siana swore that there was a twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes. Siana sighed, the hint of a smile returned to her face.

'I'll bet. I know that all facets of me are enthralling, especially when I sleep. You must have thought you were watching the best theatre show ever.'

'Are you going to drink that?' he said pointedly and Siana blushed. She impatiently pushed her hair away from her face and sniffed the potion. It smells like liquefied soot.

'What's going to happen from here?' she asked and Snape, apparently convinced she wasn't going to talk any time soon, settled back into his chair. 'Dumbledore isn't entirely sure. I have some bad news Siana, your Uncle escaped a few hours ago.'

'What?' said Siana, automatically looking around the room, scared out of her wits. He's escaped? He's going to kill me! Snape cleared his throat and Siana licked her lips.

'It's alright for you. You've never met him.'

'No. I met his curse,' Snape said blandly and Siana gasped.

'Oh right. Sorry. But I mean...'

'I know. Anyway, this has thrown the Ministry into further disarray. Mayor Fudge doesn't want to listen to Dumbledore - he's maintaining that Frederick Basilica is trustworthy. We'll have little support from them. Voldemort is getting more desperate to get his hands on you it seems. He's been scouting out Dumbledore's haunts outside of Hogwarts - he's convinced you're not here. But that's probably because no one's heard anything from you in two days.'

'He'll find out,' Siana said and Snape nodded.

'I don't doubt that. Dumbledore is proposing that we go to a place that only I know about. No one's ever used it for asylum before. But it would mean leaving Hogwarts...'

'Leave Hogwarts? I have a better chance of survival here than anywhere else. I still think I should just go to Voldemort,' Siana admitted painfully, her throat going dry at the very idea. Despair however was a potent force within her, driving her to desperate acts and thoughts. 'Maybe if I do all of this would stop.'

'Maybe it would, but maybe you'd just be giving him something to make him stronger and more powerful. You're highly depressive at the moment. Can you please drink that? Its potency is already starting to wear off,' Snape snapped and Siana gulped it down quickly, not wanting to arouse anymore of his wrath.

She choked as it burned down her throat, and then suddenly her stomach felt like it was turning, and then she blanched white as the turning shifted to a rumbling feeling.

'Oh,' she cried out, and the chalice fell out of her hands. Snape was there in a second, hand to her forehead.

'Damn,' he whispered, and then placed both hands on the side of her head, forefingers pressing gently into her temples. He frowned and then moved away, a mild, almost indistinguishable look of relief on his face. 'You'll be alright. It just needs a minute to settle. To spread out of your stomach,' he said clinically and Snape was right. After about thirty seconds the strange feeling had already started to spread out.

'I'm not used to potions. Not really,' she admitted shakily, clearing her throat. She was already starting to feel more awake.

'I'm not used to finding this room looking like a garden.'

'You mean you saw...how?'

'You forgot to change it back. I didn't know how either, Transfiguration was never my major, I had to wait for the blasted things to fade back into their original shapes. Some gift you've got, bored were you?'

'You have no damned idea,' Siana said as she threw the sheets off her and got up. She was already feeling the rejuvenating effects of the potion. 'I need to get out of here. Just for a few hours. Just for ten minutes. I just need fresh air. You could get me out, couldn't you?'

'Do I look like the type who would give you something just because you asked for it?' Snape said darkly and Siana scowled.

'What was that for then?' she said pointing at the chalice. Snape shrugged.

'You were being noisy, and I was trying to concentrate. You forget that I have to spend a lot of my time here too.'

'You poor thing,' Siana said scathingly. 'It must be really really hard, only being able to go up whenever you have a class, and actually see the blasted sky.'

'Then agree to come with me to Sibilant Stow,' Snape argued and Siana turned on him.

'Even if I say yes. Why the hell do you care? What's in it for you?'

'For your information, something of which you've probably already gathered...Albus Dumbledore has informed me that my life is in as much danger as your own. I have no idea why.'

'That's great. Get me out of here!' Siana shrieked and Snape's eyes narrowed.

'You're a rash, insolent, petulant and mostly ungrateful child. I don't imagine any amount of discipline kept you in line,' he snarled and Siana huffed.

'No! You know why? Because I stand up for myself, because no one else gives a damn about me so why shouldn't I? Huh? Don't you understand why I'm like this?! Don't you understand anything? Or are you so bloody heartless that you couldn't possibly conceive that I've lost everything! I have to stand up for myself now!' Siana's breathing was laboured, her eyes sparkled, glittered unhealthily. Snape raised his hand for a second, a strange expression flashing in his eyes.

'Come here.'

'Why, you're going to hit me?'

Snape's lip curled in revulsion.

'Come here,' He pressed and Siana, on the verge of sparking into flame, stalked angrily towards him. She stopped, half a metre away, and rolled her eyes in exasperation as Snape touched her forehead again.

'I know. You want to blame my irrationality on the potion! Well get used to it buster this is me!'

'Charmed.'

'Bite me,' Siana growled and Snape's eyes widened slightly and then it was Siana's turn to feel shock at the smile she saw forming on his face as he turned abruptly away. However when he turned back, the smile was gone, his usual unimpressionable self back.

'If no one cared, then why would Dumbledore be so concerned about saving your life?'

True. Siana thought. And why would you give me a potion that hasn't killed me yet? Why would you care? Why do you care Snape? What's in it for you?

'Dumbledore just doesn't want Voldemort coming back to power, it has nothing to do with me.'

'This is ridiculous,' Snape suddenly barked. 'You're a two year old with a semi-expansive vocabulary, who is in desperate need of some form of connection with the real world around you.'

'And you're a three year old with the dress sense of a vulture! You great bully!' she retorted lamely and blushed.

At any rate, you bring out the worst in me.

Siana suddenly looked towards the door at the sound of singing, it was eerie singing, unlike anything she'd ever heard before. She wasn't frightened, merely curious, and moved towards the door intrigued. A hand against her chest barred her way, and she looked sideways to see Snape looking cautiously down at her. 'It could be a trick,' he whispered and she nodded mutely.

The sound of footsteps, light and rhythmic stopped at the door. The sound of singing did not stop, merely continued, ebullient.

'The password is incolumitas, Severus. Please open the door,' came Dumbledore's rumbling voice, and Snape went to the door quickly, unlocking it and showing the wizened man inside. Fawkes was trilling on his shoulder, a beautiful song that changed Siana's curiosity to wonder, her wonder to awe, and finally her awe to a sense of astounding beauty.

Fawkes finished piping and looked at her seriously and then at Dumbledore. There was a flashing of red wings and Siana found the breathtaking bird now perched upon her shoulder. He was a lot lighter than she thought he would be. 'He's been mourning Athena. You'll have to forgive his behaviour. He's a bit out of sorts,' Dumbledore said with a sad smile and Siana looked at Fawkes sympathetically. It's nice to know that someone else feels the wrenching pain that I do. Athena deserves more than a mortal grieving for her anyway...she was a special bird.

'It sucks doesn't it Fawkes?'

Fawkes merely started to preen one of his wings in reply and she smiled wryly. Once a bird, always a bird. Even if you are immortal.

'We've agreed, somewhat barely, to go to Sibilant Stow,' Snape interjected and Dumbledore's face turned grave. He nodded once and then stared for a moment at a corner in the dank room.

'You'll be residing together. The only people likely to be able to break through the barriers around Sibilant is myself, and yourself - Severus. I trust you remember the procedure?'

'Yes.'

'Good. I'll accompany you both by means of Apparition this evening. Siana will you want the things you purchased moved there?'

'How. How long will I be staying there?' Siana whispered and Dumbledore looked at Snape once. His eyes were piercing and blue when they turned back to her.

'As long as it takes. There's a few of us working as hard as possible to discover exactly why you're wanted now. We've discovered nothing so far to give us any answers.'

'And...did, Harry end up speaking to you?' Siana asked and Dumbledore's eyebrows raised. She thought she could see a small and sad smile behind his beard. Snape opened his mouth to say something and then turned instead and pretended he was intensely interested in something else.

'Yes. He came to me. I take it you were the Professor he told me he was talking to?'

'We had an interesting discussion.'

Snape snorted in the background and Dumbledore's lip quirked then. Fawkes butted his head against Siana's ear, in the same way Athena used to. For a moment Siana almost reached around to hug her owl in response. She checked herself when she realised that Fawkes was not an owl, and probably wouldn't appreciate any sort of unsolicited physical contact. Especially from a mere mortal.

'Severus I trust there will be potion ingredients you'll be bringing with you? And potions?'

'I'll not leave some of the contents of my private stores here to be ravaged by certain students,' Snape said angrily and then stared at Dumbledore squarely. 'I trust you want me to take the majors with me? You won't be needing them here?' 'I have no call for them without you to administer them Severus. I doubt that your stay in the Stow will be very long. We have the best of the best working on a solution.'

Snape looked as though he wanted to ask why he wasn't being included on the team - but Siana knew that if Snape was in as much danger as she, it probably wouldn't be safe for him to know too much. After all, it was a dangerous world once captured, and the less Snape knew about the situation he and his peers were in, the better for him and those around him. Snape was already turning away, he walked off into another room silently.

Stone silent. You'd never know he was around. Bastard. I can only do that when I'm a fox.

Dumbledore was looking at Siana closely.

'I'll trust you'll remain civil towards one another?'

'We're managing civil Sir,' Siana said with a smile and sighed. 'I'm exhausted. I mean, his potion helped...' she amended, not wanting to complain.

'It has been an exhausting ordeal. You're a Basilica however, and with your headstrong tendencies comes an innate strength which your family, before your father, was famous for. I remember a time when a Basilica was known for stubbornness, strength and stoic and unwavering values.'

'I've been known to waver.'

'As have I,' Dumbledore acknowledged with a gently and understand smile. He looked towards the metal doorway through which Snape had just exited. 'Look after him, Siana. He is often too sacrificial for his own good, which in the past has benefited us, but now could be detrimental to a greater cause.'

'I understand. Sort of. Anyway, I'll start packing shall I? Snape will probably come with you?'

'Yes. I don't know how else I'm going to pack my potions,' Snape said from just behind her and she jumped about a mile in the air, her hair flaring.

'Can you not do that?'

'Sorry. You'll probably want to get dressed too in the meantime,' Snape said softly and Siana glared after him.

Fawkes trilled cheerfully before fluttering off behind Dumbledore and Snape, like a hovering golden lamp.