Brave Knights

Part 3

I wake up again, this time in the middle of the night. Madam Pomfrey was very insistent to have me sleep at the Hospital Wing for a night again that I am still there, and the bandages are too visible under my pajamas. It hurts me to see them there, like a big neon sign saying that I won't have my former body, ever. I know I told everybody it was fine with me, but you have got to be realistic ; even though I never really liked my body, I don't like to have it scarred, almost from head to toe. Will I ever wear swimsuits again ?

I throw the covers away and decide to go out for a walk : I can't sleep with these burns. They just hurt.

I take that map Pomfrey gave me earlier, and tug it into my pocket, and off I am. I walk in the silence, shushing the portraits who sometimes say hello, and avoiding a professor. Even though I am not a student, I am fairly sure that venturing in the school grounds at night - precisely two in the morning - is not recommended.

Oh well.

Suddenly, around a corner, a light. "Marine ! What are you doing here !"

Malfoy. We live in a little world... "It hurts. I just needed to walk. And may I point the fact that you are here too ?" He grins evilly, but makes no move to explain himself. Oh, well, it's none of my business, though I feel extremely curious. But let's change the subjet. "I wanted to thank you, for what you have done. Pomfrey told me you took the time to Heal my face, my hands and my feet... I will never thank you enough for that."

He shakes his head. "I didn't Heal the rest, that should give you a reason to hate me."

I dismiss his very romantic whining with a smile. "You're just fishing for a declaration of love." He laughs a little bit.

"Hey, you want me to show you something ?" I nod, my curiosity will kill me, like it did for my cat. "Come here." We leave the little stone path of the corridor, and enter a cute garden, Eden of the outside in the inside. Yeah, very clear thinking, May, keep it on. We sit on a bench of very old stones, and he takes my hand between both of his hands. I she going to declare his undying love for me ? "Do this to me." He drops my hand, and I take his the way he was holding me. His skin is really smoothe. Incredibly enough, we have exactly the same creamy, milky tan.

My hands are small, it was a nuisance when I first tried to learn how to play the guitar, but his fingers are typical of the pianist : the man whose hands are not rough like the worker, but still agile and muscled because he works with them. The hands of an artist.

"Close your eyes." I am beginning to think he tries to be romantic - I pretty much have a one-track mind - when I feel a surge of power through my veins, coming from his hand. Gasping in stupor, I open my eyes, look at him, smiling, and giving me power, energy, whatever it is ; it feels good.

"What was that ?" Not a declaration of love anyway, too bad.

"Healing energy. You felt it, didn't you ?"

"Why, yes." My reaction should have been enough of an answer.

"People don't just feel magic, Marine. They understand something is happening, but they don't see it." He smiles again, one of these smiles he doesn't give in public, but which are so beautiful. I'm already addicted to those smiles. "Now, try to do it to me." I still hold his hand in mine, and I try to reproduce the incredible feeling he gave me.

Nothing. I feel empty. "It doesn't work."

"Try again." I try harder, and something snaps in me, I feel and see a red stream running from my heart to the veins in my arm, my hand, and I shoot it with all my might of beginner in Draco's hand.

Now, something really strange happens : his eyes roll in their sockets, his head shoots back, he arks his back as much as he can, tense from head to toes, and I am horrified to see that he has an instant erection, from the aspect of the bulge in his pants. He gives a loud and low moan, from the back of his throat, something almost animal, and tenses. As he most obviously gets his release, and moans again, this time harshly, through a ragged breathing, I step back, letting his hand go, feeling horrible.

When his breathing calms down enough to let him talk, he point out : "This was no Healing energy."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. You are okay ?" He looks at me, and I am afraid to cross his eyes. He nods slowly.

"This was the fastest erection I have never had. How the bloody hell did you do that ?!" I feel myself reddening all over.

"I don't know. I tried to do like you. It most definitely was not my intention and I am mortified." He laughs. Obviously I am the one having trouble with the issue, not him, though he is the one sticky in the pants. "Laugh as much as you will, I am not touching you anymore." Ever. Yeah, right, who am I kidding ?

"Oh, no, I was thinking about the way Potter would react if you did the same to him, in a DA meeting." I toy with the idea a moment, and then decide to have mercy on poor Potter.After all, he didn't do anything to me.

"Well, it is only natural to be embarassed. Don't you ever react naturally ?"

He shoots back. "Don't you ?" Geez, it's way too late for psychology !

"Oh, no. It's boring and dangerous. Anybody can figure you out."

He frowns, lost in thoughts. "Why don't you want people to figure you out ? I mean, it's not like your life is in constant danger... Well - was." I appreciate the correction, but it really does not make me feel better.

It is really strange to get away with anything until the day one person can read you right. Before that, I could confuse them all, but Draco just works the same way as I do. "Instinct, I suppose. I hate to give people power over me." He nods, lost in thoughts again.

Sitting of that stone bench, still in all-black clothes, staring into space and thinking, but relaxed, his skin made paler by the obscurity of both his clothes and the night, he is beautiful. I would like to say handsome, but in my mind it depicts too much the kind of muscled man you can find in the magazine, all with the same features and the same colgate smile, and with no brain, no history, no brain weight.

Draco is beautiful like you say that the sky is beautiful. It doesn't make it girly, just... defined. Not rough. Elegant. Subtle. Witty. Something you want to paint to prove yourself that it can exist. I believe that the aftermath of an orgasm helps his very relaxed posture, and his eyes dozing off.

My bandages start to ache once again. Did Pomfrey forget the soothing spell or what ? I shift uncomfortably, and his gaze turns back to me. then he stands up, and the magic of the moment is broken. "You really should rest. I'll show you the way back."

*

*

*

I climb up the stairs to the Headmaster's office, eager to have a look at the formidable man, and knock at his door. "Come in."

The office is in fact the size of my appartment in Paris, with lots of living portrait and a complicated mess of things everywhere. It makes think about a mad scientist's laboratory, not that I ever saw one, but... The man is old, very old, but his eyes are twinkling in definite amusement.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Mademoiselle. I am glad to see you are fine." Yup, my entire body is burnt and I have super power that I don't know of, and that, most obviously, I can't control, and all is just fine. I don't say that, after all he is sheltering me so I need to be polite ; I just smile and nod in aknowledgement. "I trust that the members of the DA have explained you the reasons of your being here ?"

"Yes, they were crystal clear, Sir. I am a Reader and I am here to train.."

"Good, good. If you have any question or problem, please, do not hesitate to ask myself, or any member of the DA, they all have my unshakable trust.."

"Thank you, Sir." His half-moon spectacles catch the candle light. I relax in my seat, he is harmless and trustable.

"Arrangements have been made to give you living quarters, and they are ready now. There is the fact that we can't tell the students the real reason of your presence here, it could prove hazardous to your safety. Ah, Severus, here you are." The door has opened, and a man glided in.

I recall the scorn on the face of the man, he looks at me with a clear distaste. He was the one who helped Draco bring me to the Hospital Wing ! "Headmaster, please make it quick. I have lessons to prepare." Ah, charming. There are icicles in his glare.

Albus Dumbledore merely smiles. "Mademoiselle, every teacher in this school is allowed to have their families live with them." My eyes widen - I understand where this is going only too well. "Professor Snape and you have similarities in your features, and I trust Professor Snape entirely with your safety within the walls of the castle. Officially, you will be his niece, whose parents died not so long ago, and come to live with her uncle - your only remaining relative."

There, I could feel it coming, but I still need some time to adapt to the news. I wonder how this lie is ever going to work if he keeps looking at me that way. And I feel insulted that they think we have the same type of features ! Is my hair like that ? I sure hope not ! And how about my nose !? I know I consider it too big, but not that big ! Damn, the comparison hurt my feeling like nothing has before.

"Is this all right ?"

"Yes. Sure." What else can I answer, huh ? No, I feel insulted anyone would think I am related to this, this, this... Is he even a human being ?

"Well, in that case, Severus, maybe you could show her her room ?" Severus Snape scwols inelegantly, and starts through the door. After a twinkling in the eyes, the Headmaster motions for me to follow him, which I do.

We follow the corridors, through intersections, take stairs down from the third floor to the dungeons, where the Slytherin population dwells. I remember that Snape is Potion Master and Head of Slytherin house, and I remember that the girl - Pansy - is a Slytherin, as well as Draco. Hmh. Interesting.

We go through a Potion classroom where it is FREEZING, and enter an office, a potion storage room, and then living quarters. Snape doesn't even look at me when he says : "These are my quarters, the rooms behind these two doors are off limits. Is it clear ?" I nod, intimidated. The man is going to eat me alive ! And that's saying something, I am hard to intimidate !

He walks to another door, and opens it without deliquacy. In fact, he slams it open.

"These are your quarters. You have a room and a bathroom, feel free to use whatever's in there."

I grumble : "Thank you."

Whatever. "You will notice that the only way out is through the classroom and my office. Do not disturb my classes, nor my working hours. I will only accept very few interruptions."Now I get a dagger-throwing glare. Hey ! What did I do, what did I do ?

I decide to be annoying, and give him a flashing smile. "Yes, Sir, and thank you very much for your help. I immensely appreciate it."

"Had I had a choice, you wouldn't be here. Remember that and don't be a nuisance." Another glare and scowl. "The password is mala vera. Do not share it if you wish to stay."

"Understood. And, Sir ? My name is May. If you are family, maybe you should call me that." He grumbles.

"In public, you may call me Severus." I grin, and he leaves the room.

Maybe I can have fun, then. I am sure that if I focus on it, I can have the man like me and be at least civil. I observe the room, it is cold and the walls are made of stone. I open a cupboard, to see it full with clothes, undoubtedly perfectly my size. There are some books, paper and pencils, and candles. There is also a fireplace with cold ashes and sooth, and I wish there was a fire in it. A clock points the time : ten to noon.

In a little while, I will go in the Great Hall for lunch, and then I'll try to occupy myself until eight in the evening, the time to go in the Room of Requirements.

Freezing, I grab a second sweater and put it on. Why did I ever agree to this ? Oh, yes. I had no choice.