Journey to Passion

Chapter Thirteen - Diagon Alley

It was the third time now that Jessica reached her warm fingers out to clasp Snape's hand in her own only to have him bat her away like a filthy pet. He barely looked at her or spoke a word to her as they walked down the busy streets of Diagon Alley. Jessica looked up at him curiously and subtly squinted her eyes as she tried to determine what in the world had gotten into him. None of the emotions she sensed from him led her to believe he was irritated with her. Although he wasn't usually in a sociable mood, Jessica was certain something about her being with him had Snape on edge.

After a moment of awkward silence, Snape turned his head and looked sideways at her. He saw the look of scrutiny on Jessica's face and twisted his own expression up to nearly match her own.

"What?" he grilled with a hint of agitation in his velvety voice.

"Permission to read what's on your mind?" Jessica said before tying to slip her hand around his arm once again.

Snape pulled the sleeve of his grey, wool coat out of her grasp and switched the parcels he was carrying into the arm nearest Jessica to create some distance between them. "You know bloody well what I've got to say about that," he told her.

"Then talk to me Severus, why so tense?" Jessica asked.

"I am not tense, I just want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible." With his hands full, Snape whipped his head to the side to move his hair out of his eyes. A small strand caught around the hook of his nose. Jessica put both of her bags in her left hand and delicately reached her fingers up to tuck his hair behind his ear. He held still long enough to let her clear his view and then nodded her hand away with a small gesture.

Jessica slid her right hand down his back and then held her palm flat against the small of his back. She soothingly massaged her fingers into the thickness of his overcoat and then began to slip her hand into his pocket.

"Stop it Jessica," Snape commanded. "Put your hands in your own pockets, I don't want you getting cold."

Jessica's pace slowed until she gradually came to a stop. Snape walked a couple of steps ahead until he realized Jessica had stopped. "Get cold?" she repeated angrily. "Well, I really appreciate the concern for my well-being, Severus," Jessica said sarcastically. "What's wrong with you? Why won't you let me touch you?"

"I don't mind you touching me Jessica," Snape admitted honestly. "But now is not the time nor the place."

"Why?" she asked him. "Is it because there are people around and you're uncomfortable being seen with me?"

"Yes Jessica, that is precisely why. Now may we please continue?" Snape began walking again and turned back once to look at Jessica. She didn't follow, but he didn't care. He figured that sooner or later she'd stop being stubborn and catch up to him.

Jessica watched him turn into the owl emporium and then forced herself to follow after him. She stood in the old wooden doorway and watched as he arranged for some owls to transport his packages back to Hogwarts.

Jessica loudly cleared her throat. "Severus." The tone of Jessica's voice was so firm and demanding it caught the attention of everyone in the tiny shop. Flooding with silent rage and humiliation, the Hogwarts professor looked at each pair of eyes that were looking back and forth between him and Jessica.

Snape slowly turned back to the small white haired wizard standing behind the counter. "Excuse me for one moment," he said before walking over to the door where Jessica stood with a very irate expression on her face. He took her by the arm and hauled her outside back to the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. "Look," he began before giving her a moment to speak. "To you this may just be a little shopping spree, but I am not here on a leisurely vacation. This is a professional endeavour and I would very much appreciate it if you treat it like one!"

Jessica tore her arm from Snape's grasp and took a step away from him. "I wasn't going to start ravishing you!" Jessica assured. "I just wanted to hold your hand. Escorting me along the walk doesn't look unprofessional. It's polite and I'd appreciate it!"

"You've got your hands full!" Snape pointed out. "What the hell is all of this rubbish anyway?" He slipped his fingers into one of the pink bags she held in her hand and tried to pull it open so he could peek inside.

"Get out of there," Jessica demanded and pulled the bags away. "One of them happens to be your Christmas present, so if you want it, you'd better work for it you ruthless git."

Snape resented the name she had just called him. Jessica could feel his shock spread throughout her body like pins and needles. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just want you to cheer up a little. I don't want your dismal mood to turn tomorrow night into an awkward engagement."

"Tomorrow night will not be awkward because we will be in the privacy of our own chambers," Snape assured. "This is awkward because we are in the middle of Diagon Alley and-"

"I know, Severus." Jessica reached her hand up to his lips and hushed him. "I understand and I'm sorry. I'll try not to make any suggestive gestures. I wouldn't want to ruin this brooding, desolate image you have manufactured for yourself."

Jessica grinned cleverly as Snape gave her one more defiant stare and turned around to go back into the shop so he could see his parcels off. Jessica watched him through the window for a moment and then stepped over to the next shop and browsed at the Christmas displays in the windows.

A few feet away Jessica saw Professor Quirrell standing by himself under an awning covered with snow. A few clumps of snow started to tumble down the side and fell to the curb of the street right next to Quirrell's feet. He looked up to where the snow had come from just in time to see a large section of the compact snow breaking apart and start sliding down over the awning heading straight for his head.

Jessica was just about to say hello to the professor when she saw him cover his head with his arms before the snow hit him. She saw the snow coming down from the awning and quickly lifted her arms up as if to catch the snow in her hands. In one swift motion, Jessica swished her hands off to the side and directed the snow to fall off to the side rather than on top of the professor.

The block of snow fell a few feet away from where Quirrell was standing and crumbled. Quirrell let out a small cry and jumped back a step. "D-Dear me," he stuttered and looked at Jessica. "A c-close one, wasn't it?"

"Very close," Jessica agreed. "In fact, missed a bit." Jessica laughed very quietly and reached her hand up to Quirrell's purple turban to brush away the snow that had fallen onto it.

Quirrell jumped again when he saw her hand reaching for the purple cloth wrapped around his head. His hands came up in front of his face and blocked her from touching him. "S-Sorry," he muttered when he saw the surprised look on her face. Quirrell reached up and brushed the snow away himself.

"There, you've got it all," Jessica told him.

Quirrell looked back up at her and began to smile before he saw the dark figure looming just behind her.

"S-Severus," Quirrell began when the professor's eyes locked with his. His bottom lip bobbed up and down as if he had more to say, although it didn't seem like any words had come to mind.

"You had best get a move on," Snape spoke instead when he noticed Quirrell's empty hands. "We will be leaving shortly."

The rest of the necessities Snape needed to purchase were all down Knockturn Alley, which was a tiny lane just off of Diagon Alley. He'd planned to pick them up on the way back to Hogwarts after seeing Jessica off at the Leaky Cauldron. Nothing could ever convince him that it would be wise to bring her along with him down Knockturn Alley, even if she never left his sight for a moment. Too many people, and all the wrong people would recognize her.

Quirrell had gone ahead to collect what he needed for his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes while Snape waited with Jessica several shops away from the opening of the shadowy alley. He'd been gone for nearly twenty minutes and Snape was beginning to lose his patience.

"So what exactly have you got planned for tomorrow night?" Jessica asked Snape after an uncomfortable moment of silence. Remembering not to touch him or draw any unnecessary attention to him, Jessica kept a respectable distance from him but didn't let her smile hide the fact that she was crazy about him.

"Nothing spectacular." For the most part, Snape stood perfectly still and kept his eyes open for Quirrell. "I will take you to dinner with the rest of the staff. Then afterwards - provided you haven't already driven me insane - we can retire to my quarters. If you would like, I am willing to share a drink with you."

"If I would like?" Jessica repeated as if there could possibly be the slightest chance that she wouldn't care to join him for a drink after dinner. "Come on Severus, if we don't wind up alone in your quarters tomorrow evening you'll never find out what's in these bags," she said and held the two pink paper bags up a little ways.

Snape eyed the pink bags curiously and then showed Jessica an equally interested look. "If there is anything pink in there for me, you'd best take it all back right now."

"Relax Severus," Jessica told him. "If there's anything pink in these bags they're surly not for you. However, if you don't think you'll fancy seeing me wear pink under my clothes, I will take it all back."

"Under?" Severus whispered silkily. "May I ask, what exactly have you planned for tomorrow night?" He took a step closer to her and leaned his shoulder up against the wall she'd been resting against.

Jessica managed a weak grin. It grew, however, into a beautiful, seductive smile. "I know you're a little disappointed that we won't be able to spend this evening together and I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you myself. Uncle Albus told me it would be best if he spoke to you instead." Hidden by the bags she held in her left hand, Jessica delicately ran her fingers along the sleeve of his overcoat and paced one step closer to him. "Anyway, I want to make it up to you. I want tomorrow night to be special...intimate, and romantic, if you'll permit me to use that word."

Jessica could feel the flood of emotions that were beginning to swell inside of him. Passion mixed with anxiety. Excitement, anticipation and trepidation all at once. He'd been waiting a long time to hear her say those words. She knew how badly he wanted her. Since the moment he first laid eyes on her Jessica could sense how much he wanted her, and not because she was an empath, but because of the way he looked at her on that unforgettable Halloween night. With such hunger for passion in his dark eyes, who could miss such obvious yearning?

"Do - do you really want to..." The mental image of having Jessica in his quarters wearing nothing but tiny pink undergarments kept Snape from being able to find the words he wanted to say before Jessica began to giggle.

"My goodness Severus," she said between giggles. "That's the first time I've ever heard you stutter." She smiled glamorously at him and raised a hand to the side of his face. To her surprise, he didn't bat her away. "But in answer to your question, yes I do. I love you, Severus." She took her hand away from his cheek and picked his hand up by his wrist and dotted him with a kiss. "You don't have to say it back to me now, but I do want you to know that it will be the last thing I hear from your lips before you and I become lovers."

He knew immediately that those words weren't going to come very easily. With the exception of the time Jessica had bewitched him near the Quidditch pitch, he'd never once told a woman he loved her. He'd told her he loved her because he had no choice. Jessica's ability to bewitch him drove the truth out of him. Although it was true - and he knew it - Snape never would have told her he loved her if she hadn't manipulated him.

"Ah, if it isn't my dear friend, Professor Snape."

Snape turned his head around at the familiar sound of the sleek, icy voice. Just emerging from Knockturn Alley, Lucius Malfoy approached the pair with his snakehead cane in a gloved hand. He was wearing a black overcoat buttoned up to his neck and a shiny pair of black boots that squeaked quietly as he stepped over the fresh powder snow.

"Lucius," Severus greeted and extended his hand.

"I've just spoken to Professor Quirrell," Lucius said and raised his eyebrows elegantly. "He said I'd probably see you here with a lovely young lady." His eyes slithered over to Jessica and the shapely grin that appeared on his face made Jessica feel slightly uncomfortable as he gave her a once over.

Snape led Jessica by her arm in front of him. "Jessica Van Eden, meet Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy."

His eyebrows rose inquisitively again as the sound of her name sparked great interest. "Van Eden," he repeated interestedly and extended his hand towards her. The reaction she sensed from him when he said her name churned uncomfortably in her stomach.

"It's a pleasure to-" the moment Jessica touched her hand to his she felt a sharp pain burn at the small of her back. It had only lasted for a second or two but had taken her by surprise. "-to meet you, sir." Jessica pulled her hand away from Lucius rather quickly and took one step back closer to Severus.

"Likewise, Miss Van Eden." If Jessica weren't an empath she would have believed that the confident look in his eyes and the calm way he spoke suggested that the man had nothing to hide. Nonetheless, she could feel a scheming flood of motivation swimming around in his head. "I knew of your mother," Lucius continued. "You have my sincere condolences."

"Thank you," Jessica said softly, although she knew he didn't feel any pity for her at all.

"Tell me Lucius," Snape began, "is that bloody oaf anywhere near assembling his provisions? I've got to have Jessica at the Leaky Cauldron very shortly."

"I can't say for certain," Lucius told him. "If you'd like to go on and take a look for him yourself I wouldn't mind staying here with Miss Van Eden." The brilliance of his glacier blue eyes sparkled in the bright sunlight and his shiny blonde hair looked almost white. He had his long hair pulled back and tied behind him with a black, velvet tie.

"That is very kind of you," Severus said. "But I will not-"

"It's all right," Jessica interrupted. "I don't mind at all." Whatever it was that Lucius was hiding, Jessica felt certain that she'd have a better opportunity to find out what it was if Snape weren't around.

"Be that as it may, you know perfectly well that as long as we are here together you are my responsibility," Snape reminded.

Jessica nodded confidently and smiled as she touched a warm hand to his. "Go on, let Mr. Malfoy and I get to know one another." Her bewitching touch sent warm tingles up his arm.

His dark eyes slithered over to Lucius Malfoy. He did trust Lucius in a twisted sort of way. Maybe not alone with Jessica, but at least in the middle of a crowd he did. They'd known each other for years and had never turned on one another.

"Very well," he finally said. "Stay right here, I will be back very shortly." His hands hugged tightly around her arms before he stepped around her and made way for Knockturn Alley. Jessica watched him until he disappeared into the dark, narrow alleyway.

"He seems to care very deeply for you," Lucius observed. "After all, Knockturn Alley is no place for a witch like you."

Jessica looked up into Lucius' stunning blue eyes. "A witch like me?" she repeated. "And what kind of witch am I?"

His head shook as if he were disappointed to hear her ask such a thing. "You're going to be a legend. I suppose you think no one knows much about you just because you disappeared from the wizarding world after your escape from He Who Must Not Be Named. The story of you and your mother is practically legendary. Who could forget the rescue of Espiranza Van Eden and her illegitimate child bearing the same blood as-?"

"You were one of them," Jessica affirmed. "Weren't you?"

"All in the past," Lucius declared. "Then was a time of great confusion and-"

"You're still one of them," Jessica interrupted. "Nothing's changed other than the fact that your master has disappeared. You're still loyal to him, waiting faithfully until he returns."

An intriguing expression appeared on his face. "Well, well, well," he whispered. "Clearly you are your father's daughter. I can't easily put anything past you."

"Not easily," Jessica agreed.

She intimidated him. Only slightly, but Jessica could still feel the trepidation eating away at him. "Anyhow, it's only a matter of time before you'll be united with the Dark Lord. He's waited twenty-five years for you."

"I'll never unite with the likes of him or my father," Jessica assured. "I'm nothing like either one of them." She'd changed her mind about wanting to stay here with Lucius. Obviously the anxiety he felt earlier had everything to do with knowing that she'd see right through him and know that he was still deeply involved with the Dark Arts. She threatened his freedom and yet he made no attempt to deny his involvement.

Jessica peeked over Lucius' shoulder hoping that she'd see Severus coming back from Knockturn Alley with Quirrell right beside him. He wasn't there.

Perhaps Snape wouldn't fret too terribly if she went to find him. Compared to the company she had out in the openness of Diagon Alley Jessica felt she'd be a lot safer at Severus' side down Knockturn Alley.

As soon as she tried to step around Lucius Malfoy, she felt his hand quickly grasp a lock of her hair. He held on tight and lured her back to him. "He won't let you slip away so easily," Lucius assured. His face was a mere inch away from hers when he eased up on the hold he had of her hair. Lucius took a deep breath of her hair as he let the strands slip through his gloved hand.

As the last of her hair fell through the gaps of his fingers Lucius lifted the head of his cane to the side of her face and ran the silver snakehead down along her cheek and then along her jawbone. Jessica lifted her chin and looked deep into his eyes.

Lucius stared right back at her and pondered. He looked inquisitively at her and then hummed for a moment. "Remarkable," he said proudly. "Except for the brilliance of your mother's eyes, you look just like your father when he was a young man."

Jessica narrowed those emerald green eyes he was talking about and glared at him. "Well that puts an 'X' through your name." Jessica lifted her chin over the head of his cane and started to step away.

Lucius made a swift move and pulled her right up against him. He stared intently at her for a moment and then let the vicious curves of his face soften. A laugh sounded from the back of his throat. "I was only a small boy when you came along. It would be far more likely to believe that you and I were lovers," he whispered this word very sensually, "than it would be to believe that I could be your father."

An involuntary shiver worked its way through Jessica's body and lingered deep in the pit of her stomach when Lucius ran his pointer finger down the side of her face and then grasped her silky hair. He closed his eyes and forced himself to imagine what it would be like to have Jessica alone with him in his bed. A soft moan escaped from his mouth just as Jessica tried to pull away from him.

"You're a sick man," Jessica proclaimed as soon as she sensed the explicit sensuality of his thoughts.

As Lucius opened his eyes, all of the erotic images vanished and a sly smile appeared on his face. "I see you're empathic and telepathic abilities are still very well in tact. Obviously everything else is still intact as well. I'd have thought you'd given yourself to him by now."

"I beg your pardon?" Jessica snarled at him in disgust and tried once again to pull her arm from Lucius' strong grip. He held on tightly and refused to let go of her.

"Severus," he said almost gleefully. "You haven't given yourself to him after all. You're still a virgin."

Disturbed by his remark, Jessica yanked once more on her arm and tried to free herself from Lucius' iron grip. His hold was too tight. Her arm began to feel numb he was squeezing so hard. The tips of her fingers tingled in the cold and started to hurt her.

"You've no right to inquire of such a thing," Jessica assured. "Who I give myself to is of none importance to you."

Not the least bit intimidated by her fierce tone, Lucius returned to the delicate personal subject without hesitation. "You're right, it isn't," he agreed. "However, I do know that there is someone who would be awfully upset to hear that a former Death Eater made love to his woman."

"What are you talking about?" Jessica questioned. "I'm no one's woman."

For a brief moment as another couple passed them by, Lucius loosened his grip around Jessica's arm and gave a small nod of acknowledgement at the passing witch and wizard. They nodded in return and then carried on down Diagon Alley. Immediately afterward Lucius resumed his secure hold around Jessica's upper arm. For that brief moment that he had released her Jessica felt a mad rush of hot blood race down the length of her arm. It burned and tingled all at the same time.

"Surly you must know that your father chose a mate for you long before you were born," Lucius said in a low velvety voice that shared none of the warmth Snape's voice did. "You're destined for another, Jessica."

"You lie!" she shouted at him.

"Oh I'm being perfectly honest with you," Lucius promised. "If you're still a virgin - which I believe you are - you can sense it." His eyebrows turned up in anticipation of seeing the conquering look on her face. Slowly, it did come. She could sense that he was telling her the truth. "But, if I happen to be wrong and you're not, I can guarantee someone will be very, VERY upset. Your gifts will no longer be of use to him and twenty-five years of preparation will all have been in vain. And you can imagine how much that would infuriate the Dark Lord. You'd become expendable, just like Espiranza... and so would the man who cheated him out of his victory." Lucius took another step closer to Jessica so that his lips were but an inch away from her ear. "Now, we both know Severus is a good man, you don't want to be the cause of another loved one's death, do you?"

The tainted words dripped from his lips like ice and drove shivers up and down her spine. Jessica swallowed hard and felt the sensation of his mind penetrate through her entire body. He spoke no word of a lie. Voldemort would do as the man had said. Lucius and Jessica both knew it, too.

"No," Jessica finally whispered once her voice found its way past the swollen lump in her throat.

"Good," Lucius said and took a step back from her. "Now, remember that when he pretends to affectionately whisper sweet nothings into your ear only to lure you into his bed."

Jessica glared at him and fought to keep her tears back. The moisture that swelled in the corners of her eyes glittered in the sunlight and Lucius could see how near she was to crying. "Severus would never do that, he respects my body and he loves me."

Lucius tilted his head back a little ways and laughed at her. "Come now Jessica, you and I both know very well that he could never love you. He will never love anybody. When he finds out he can never grasp the full intimacy of your embrace, the love you think you have will crumble, I guarantee it."

"Let go of me," Jessica demanded in a low voice. She could feel how much Lucius enjoyed tormenting her. The smirk on his face was enough to ensure that much. He was a hard man to read, but nonetheless wasn't impossible. Jessica knew very well he was everything a Death Eater was.

"Let go of me!" Jessica demanded again. "You're hurting me. Let go before I..."

"Before you what?" Lucius questioned. He tightened the agonizing grip he had around her arm and stared deep into her eyes as he waited for an answer.

"Before I bite you." Jessica stilled her arm and gave Lucius one more opportunity to release her. She'd had enough of his company and was more than ready to go look for Severus down Knockturn Alley.

Lucius chuckled at Jessica and reached the head of his cane up to touch her face. Tired of the way he'd been treating her, in the blink of an eye Jessica suddenly transformed into the Fierce Snake. She wrapped the length of her reptilian body around his neck and swiftly dashed her small head down and plunged her fangs into the opening of his hand between his thumb and pointer finger.

An ear-piercing scream sounded from the depths of Lucius' lungs. He howled in pain as the sharp fangs penetrated through his leather gloves and contaminated his veins with the most toxic snake venom known to man.

Before his agonizing scream could attract anyone's attention, Jessica transformed back into her human appearance and stood in front of Lucius as he fell to his knees, his punctured hand held up in front of him. His good hand wrapped around his wrist and squeezed to keep the venom from flowing up his arm. His bloodshot eyes looked up at Jessica in sheer pain. His face reddened and Jessica could see his entire body beginning to tremble.

Jessica slowly reached into her jacket and pulled a small vial out from her pocket. She dangled it in front of him and swung it back and forth for him to see.

Unable to do anything more than keep his hand squeezed around his burning wrist, Lucius stared up at Jessica with a look of pure hatred. The poison was travelling through his body so quickly he couldn't even move his jaw to curse her.

"You're experiencing muscle contractions because you're under respiratory distress and your body is going into shock," Jessica told Lucius as his body began to stutter. "I've just injected your body with nearly one hundred milligrams of toxic venom. This vial right here in my hand is probably the only thing within your reach that will spare your life." She teased him again and let the vial dangle just a few inches out of his reach. Lucius tore his eyes away from the vial when the nauseating feeling in his stomach forced him to turn his head to vomit. He coughed repeatedly and spat into the snow next to him. "Soon you'll experience convulsions, perhaps even paralysis. You'll feel dizzy and confused shortly before you slip into a coma, then within the next ten minutes you'll be dead."

Blood began to trickle from each of his nostrils. Lucius stared up at Jessica and glared malevolently at her. "You... wouldn't... kill... me," he managed to stutter. Jessica could see the bouts of sweat trickling from his forehead. His body began to jerk around uncontrollably in a wild spasm.

"Why wouldn't I?" Jessica asked. "I was bred to become a killer. Killing you would make my father proud, wouldn't it? He doesn't hesitate to kill his own kind, does he?" Jessica knelt down to his level and popped the cork to the vial. She put her hand under Lucius' neck and poured the antidote down his throat.

As horrible as it tasted, Lucius desperately tried to swallow the antidote. He choked on the last drop but instantly felt it move through his body and stop the convulsions. His head still ached in fury and the dizziness enveloped him.

"I've spared your life for one reason, Mr. Malfoy," Jessica began and stood up straight. "You'll deliver a message to my father at once. Tell him that I'm not afraid of him or his Master. His threats are meaningless to me and from now on Severus and I are going to live happily with one another. I'll not have anything to do with him or his people."

The antidote finally spread throughout his entire body and Lucius could stand up again. His heart still racing, he straightened his clothes and backed cowardly away from Jessica. "You want me to tell your father that?" he questioned.

"Yes," Jessica said, her answer as assuring as the antidote that had just spared his life.

"Well, Miss Van Eden," Lucius said respectfully. "I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

"Because my lady, he is already dead."