Chains of Fate

Chains of Fate

Here I Go Again (2/?)

And here I go again on my own,
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.
And I've made up my mind,
I ain't wasting no more time.

-- Whitesnake

The hallway was dark and forbidding. Silver brackets hung on the dark dungeon walls, holding softly burning torches that flickered in the still, damp air. The stone floor was slippery; coated with slimy green moss that muffled the footsteps of the blonde man who was tiptoeing down the hall.

An ominous presence was hovering not too far ahead. The blond man could tell it radiated annoyance and discomfort. He advanced upon it, taking care to not startle it. The man was becoming a bit worried as he neared the end of the tunnel and he still hadn't come upon the creature that he was looking for. Suddenly two yellow eyes appeared just meters away from his face.

He jumped and his hand went to waist where his wand was hanging, a grim look on his face.

The yellow eyes rolled in the darkness. "Hello Locky," it rumbled. Lockhart scowled and stuffed his wand back into his shirt.

"What are you doing here?" he asked peevishly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's nice to see you too." It ignored his question, and instead gave a polite reply. It still sounded distressed. "What are you doing here?"

Locky snorted. "I got a call from a witch in the area. She was very distressed because something funny has been going on over here."

"So?" It replied all too innocently.

The torches flickered. Locky began tapping his leather booted foot on a patch of dead moss. "Have you anything to do with it, Ra'an?"

Ra'an rolled his eyes again. "I assure you, it wasn't me."

"One of your friends then?" Locky countered.

He blinked. "It wasn't anything demonic, Locky." Lockhart cringed at the use of the disgusting pet name

"How many times," he growled, irritated, "Have I told you not to call me that?" He stomped his foot, but Ra'an only snickered, agitating the man more. "Then who is it?" Lockhart demanded.

"Why don't you look behind you," he replied gleefully. Lockhart spun around, pulling his wand out of his shirt as he did so.

A man stood behind him, looking sinister with the shadows playing off his angular features and long black hair. Locky paled as the man stepped into the light, watching him in amusement. "Severus?" he choked out, watching the other man warily.

Severus Snape smiled in a way that could only be described as disturbing. "Yes Locky?" he drawled. Lockhart flinched; Severus smirked.

"You startled me . . . that's all," Lockhart murmured, regaining his composure. "What are you doing in a place like this? Oh, wait . . . this probably isn't much different from your own home, is it?" He stuck his nose in the air for good measure. Severus, however, was unfazed by this remark.

"It reminds me quite a bit of my torture chambers," Severus replied, looking around the walls and effectively missing the look of revulsion that crossed over the other man's face. "I rather like dark places such as these."

"You would," Lockhart said, peevishly again. Severus pretended not to hear him. "Why are you here, Snape?" Severus shrugged. "You've got to have a reason."

Ra'an coughed. Lockhart spun around, startled, having completely forgotten about the demon. Severus snickered and Ra'an looked as though he were enjoying himself. Embarrassed by his foolishness, Lockhart blushed. He scowled at Ra'an and turned back to Severus. The two men appraised each other silently.

Severus, as usual, looked perfectly sinister in his exquisite and obviously expensive black robes. His shoulder-length black hair was slightly oily looking, as usual, but his pale skin was without blemishes. He contrasted greatly with Locky, who was wearing a pair of form-fitting white pants and a loose green shirt. His long golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and sleek green dragonhide boots adorned his feet.

Ra'an snickered, pulling the two men away from their evaluations. Both men glared at the demon, though Lockhart was secretly pleased; Severus' stare was beginning to unnerve him. Lockhart turned back to Severus and said, "Why are you here?"

Severus blinked at him.

"I live here," he murmured quietly as Lockhart opened his mouth to speak again. He snapped it shut promptly and gave him a searching look. Severus sighed. "I've lost my house, Lockhart. The Ministry raided the Manor a week ago. They didn't find anything, of course. Yesterday, however, several Aurors showed up with a bunch of legal papers and told me to 'get lost.'" Severus snorted. Lockhart uncomfortably stuck his hands into his pockets.

"So . . . you want to live here?" He asked in disbelief, glancing at the moss-slick walls.

"No, I don't want to live here any more than you would. But I don't have much choice in the matter. No one will hire out to a suspected Death Eater, and I just can't afford to buy another house. They've also confiscated my Gringott's vault. The only money I have is what I kept in the house, and that wasn't much." Severus sighed and Lockhart was amazed to see nothing of the Severus Snape he thought he knew. This man looked like a broken replica of himself.

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Lockhart gained the courage to speak again. "Why don't you stay upstairs? This entire building is empty, after all. I'm sure it would be more comfortable up there."

To his surprise, Ra'an replied, "This old house is used by Voldemort to conduct his Death Eater meetings. And one of them started about half an hour ago. So you, Locky, are in quite a bit of danger right now." Lockhart blanched.

"They are in here now?" he whispered, his eyes darting around nervously. Ra'an nodded seriously. "Then how am I supposed to get out of here?" he squeaked, gripping his wand tightly.

Severus stepped up to Lockhart and gripped his elbow. "I am going to show you the way out." Lockhart stared at Severus in surprise. Severus rolled his eyes. "That's why I came down here in the first place. And you can bet those ridiculous boots of yours that they already know you are here."

The other man gaped at him like a fish out of water. "Why?" He managed, finally.

Severus started pulling Lockhart down the hallway, Ra'an in tow. "Escape now, questions later. Got it?" Lockhart nodded dumbly at Severus's back. Demons he could handle. Death Eaters he could not. Ra'an seemed to sense what he was thinking, and as soon as Severus let go of his arm and let him move of his own accord, he rested a 'hand' on Lockhart's shoulder. Lockhart was happy for the comfort. The demon knew how much Death Eaters terrified him.

Severus led them through a door only partially concealed behind a rotted tapestry and they found themselves in a dead end. Lockhart blinked and stared around the small space and opened his mouth to question Severus's motives when the man in question touched a spot on the stone wall in front of him and stepped back. The wall slid open, revealing a moonlit garden.

Lockhart and Severus stepped out of the passage, and Ra'an watched them from the shadows of the doorway. "If you follow this path until you reach a fork and go left towards the rose bushes, you'll find yourself at the front gate." Severus pulled off his cloak and handed it to Lockhart. "If you wear that, no one will stop you as you pass through the gates. Keep your head down and don't let that hair of yours escape from the hood." He started back into the passage.

"Severus, wait," he stammered. Severus stopped and turned to face the blonde man. "If you want, you could always come live with me." Ra'an chortled and Lockhart flushed. "What I mean is, my house is big enough for the both of us, and no one would dare harm you there so long as my father is around . . . ."

Severus smirked. "Thanks for the offer. I'll think about it." He turned and went back into the passage. Lockhart watched him as he touched another spot on the wall, and the door slowly slid shut, leaving no trace of its existence.

He pulled the black cloak over his clothing and set the hood over his head, enveloping his face in shadow. He glanced once more at the wall and turned down the path that led to the heart of the garden. He paid no mind to the dead and decaying flowers; his thoughts dwelled upon Severus.

That man was an enigma, as far as Locky was concerned. They'd known each other in school. Both were Slytherins, though Severus was a year above him. At Hogwarts, Severus had been the star of the House. He was so powerful and dark. Many girls from all the houses had been entranced by his mysterious aura. The Head of House doted on him, as did many of the younger Slytherins. He was like a god to some of them.

On the opposite end of the spectrum had been James Potter, his archrival. James was to Gryffindor what Severus was to Slytherin. But the only thing that James had that Severus didn't was the Headmaster. Dumbledore had always been fond of James, and that is what made him Head Boy. The two men hated each other then, and they hated each other now. Lockhart wouldn't be surprised if he found out that James had something to do with the mess Severus was in.

Locky came to the fork in the path and he faltered. He was in front of a large water fountain that depicted a naked mermaid sitting on a rock, water spouting out of her tail and mouth. He sat down on an old stone bench, and started gnawing his lower lip. How had Severus known his way around those passages so well? He had only been there a day, according to what he had told him. Yet he knew his away through those passages like he had been traveling them for years. "He isn't telling me something," Lockhart muttered to himself.

Sighing, he stood up. The longer he stayed in one place, the more likely he was to be found. He turned down the left path and made his way through the rose bushes. They smelled strongly of death. Lockhart shuddered and quickened his pace.

He slowed down as he approached the gates and pulled his hood down as far is it would go. He slinked past the gates without issue. He quickened his pace as soon as he was clear of the gates and didn't stop until he reached a big willow next to the side of the road quite a few meter's up the path. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching and Disapparated.

He appeared in the entryway of his house, and he threw the door open and walked down the hall and into his study. He unlaced his boots and collapsed on the couch. A fire sprung up in the grate and a House Elf appeared in front of Lockhart's face. He shrieked and jumped up. The Elf's eyes widened and he scurried away from his frantic master. When Lockhart had regained control of himself, he sat back down and scowled at the Elf. "Don't ever do that again! You nearly scared the magic out of me!"

"I is sorry, sir," the elf stammered. "Biddy is coming to see if sir would like some tea, sir. I is not trying to scare sir, sir!" He looked terrified. Locky's features softened and the elf's ears stopped quivering.

"Sorry, Biddy," he said, massaging his temples. "I've had a rough night. I don't think I want any tea . . . but I would like to speak to my father. Do you think you could get a hold of him for me?" The elf nodded vigorously and disappeared with a pop.

Lockhart sank back into the couch and dug in the pockets of his pants. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit the cigarette, tossed the lighter and the box onto the coffee table, and stared at a painting on the wall in front of him, smoke dancing around his face.

Biddy appeared seconds later, and Lockhart accidentally blew a cloud of smoke into his face. The elf choked and coughed, but Lockhart didn't even notice. He just continued staring at the painting. Once the elf stopped coughing, he said, "Sir's father is not here!" Lockhart slowly brought his gaze down to the elf, who immediately paled. "His elf, Peridot, is sorry to inform sir that he is at a meeting, and is not expected to return until late," he stammered.

"Bugger," The man murmured, absently watching ash fall onto his couch. He inhaled from his cigarette once more before stabbing it on the table. He exhaled slowly, and smoke trailed out of his mouth and nostrils like some sort of strange fog. Biddy blinked and discreetly cleaned up the burns on both the table and couch.

"Would sir be liking Biddy to do anything else?" he asked, tentatively.

Lockhart was about to wave him away when chimes sounded, letting him know someone was at the door. "Could you get that, Biddy?" he asked, picking up his box of cigarettes and choosing another one. Biddy nodded and left the study. Locky sighed and lit another cigarette.

He heard the familiar voice of a certain Ravenclaw female a few seconds later. "Oi, Locky, where are you?" she hollered, followed by the frantic high-pitched squeak of Biddy saying that there was no need to yell, and that he was in the study.

Lockhart glanced up at the doorway just as a blonde haired, gray-eyed woman stumbled into the room, smiling. She dashed into the room and sat on top of Locky, who dropped his cigarette in surprise. The male version of her walked into the room soon after, and smirked at the sight before him.

After everything had settled down, Lockhart sat up. He looked despairingly at his fallen cigarette as Biddy picked it up and threw it away. Then he turned to face the twins, who were now sitting in front of him. "Hello Tabre," he said, nodding at the woman who sat on the edge of his desk, "and Sabre," he said, smiling slightly at the man who occupied his armchair. "Isn't it a bit late for visiting?"

Tabre grinned at him, her ridiculously white teeth flashing at him. "Nonsense," she said. "It's only 9.30 . . . ."

Sabre rolled his eyes. "I tried talking her out of it," he drawled lazily. "But she wouldn't have it. She insisted we come see you."

Lockhart watched the two in front of him, a smile creeping onto his face. Sabre and Tabre Malfoy were an odd pair. Their family had practically disowned Tabre when she was made a Ravenclaw. But Sabre had stuck by her side (he himself was made a Slytherin) and the family eventually started accepting her again. Most of them, anyway.

Biddy reappeared in the room, and asked the twins if they wanted tea. Sabre agreed but Tabre opted for coffee. Locky dug another cigarette out of his pocket, thinking that Tabre had always been the odd one. He searched around for his lighter but couldn't find it. Shrugging, he stood up and went over to the fireplace. He stuck the cigarette into the flames and stuffed it into his mouth. He stood up to see Sabre, Tabre, and Biddy staring at him.

"What?" he asked,

Sabre blinked. "How many cigarettes have you had since you came home?"

Now it was Locky's turn to blink. "Three," he said. "But that one fell on the floor when Tabre sat on me . . . ."

"And how long have you been home?" Tabre asked.

Locky looked at the clock that was perched on the mantle. "Half an hour?"

Tabre stood up and plucked the cigarette out of his mouth, tossing it into the rubbish bin, which started smoking. Biddy took it out of the room and closed the door behind himself silently.

"Why did you do that?" Locky demanded.

She ignored his question and instead directed him towards the couch. Once he was seated, she stood in front of him, hands on her hips and a determined look on her face. "What's wrong with you?" Locky crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at her. Sabre laughed.

"It's nothing," he muttered, not looking at her.

"I don't believe you," she retorted, looking to her brother for backup. Sabre suddenly got serious and came to stand by his sister.

"It is very odd, Locky, for you to be smoking so much. Last time I saw you like this was when she left," Sabre said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"This has nothing to do with her," Locky said stiffly.

"So you admit there is a problem then?" Tabre prodded. Locky stared straight ahead. Tabre turned to Sabre. "I think this does have to do with Rachel." Locky's eye twitched.

"I don't know," Sabre said quietly, watching Lockhart.

"Will you stop talking about me as though I'm not here?" He asked, standing up and pushing Tabre out of the way. "Even if I had a problem, which I don't, it would have nothing to do with her!" He started pacing, glaring at the rug. "I haven't even thought about her in months."

Tabre rolled her eyes. "Right. I believe that." Sabre elbowed her in the ribs. "Ow!"

Lockhart stopped pacing and turned to glare at the two in front of him. "Enough!" The twins shut up immediately. "Nothing is wrong! I'm just a bit stressed about work. Just shut up and tell me what the hell you came over for."

Tabre gaped at him. Sabre's eyes widened. Lockhart smirked. Someone stumbled out of the fireplace.

"What did you just say Gilderoy Lockhart?"

Locky, Sabre, and Tabre paled. Mildred Lockhart straightened her dress and adjusted her glasses. "Hello . . . Mother."