V: Slytherin Thinking

Chapter V: Slytherin Thinking

Morgana's heart was beating so hard that she was afraid it would crack a rib. And her mind was racing.

What the hell had she done?! The mere thought of being close to Bellatrix Lestrange made her skin crawl and her stomach turn. And still, she had let the woman touch her. And even worse, she had touched Bella, in the most intimate way imaginable. Why? In the name of Merlin, why?!

Back at the Manor, her reasons had seemed crystal clear. At first, she had wanted to toy with Lucius. She had seen the lusty look in his eyes the moment she had arrived at the Manor. And when the opportunity had presented itself, she had been unable to resist the temptation of making him see what skills she possessed, of making him long for her even more.

And then she had remembered Snape. The son of a bitch had humiliated her best friend only hours earlier by turning her on and then dropping her like a hot potato. Making out in front of his eyes was the perfect way to get back at him. Yes, she had done it to avenge Charis, Morgana tried to convince herself. But deep down, she knew that she was kidding herself. The fact that Snape had made advances on her friend had been a huge blow to Morgana's ego. She had been the one to work her butt off to get his attention. She had been the one to write an essay on lust potions. She had been the one to risk detention just to be close to him. And still, he had chosen Charis! So she had taken the chance and made out with a woman right in front of his abnormally large nose. And she had seen him shift in his seat, had seen the bulge between his legs. And her Slytherin mind had triumphed.

Yes, back at the Manor, her reasons for making out with Bellatrix Lestrange had seemed crystal clear. But now, back at Hogwarts, back in Snape's office, Morgana felt dirty and disgusted with herself. Her first impulse was to run, to hide herself from the world for a couple of hours, preferably taking a hot bath and wash off the feeling of disgust that was sticking to her very skin. But she never got the chance as Snape stepped out of the fireplace only seconds after her.

'That was quite a show you put on back there, Ms Belakane,' he growled, dusting ashes off his robe. 'Seducing one of the most dangerous Dark witches alive and then getting her brother-in-law to fuck her senseless? Fifty points to Slytherin for sheer audacity.'

Morgana didn't know if she was supposed to grin jubilantly or duck. Snape looked as if he was about to explode any second, but his voice didn't carry the usual sharp tone he used when telling off students. But she had never heard him swear before, and that alone scared her. She opted for silently inclining her head and then started to count backwards from ten, bracing herself for what was about to come. There was just no way in Hades that Snape would let her get away with what she had done that afternoon. Sure enough, he inhaled sharply as she had reached seven.

'However,' he went on, his voice still uncannily calm, 'fifty-one points will be taken away for doing it all right in front of my nose. There are some things I have no desire to see, Ms Belakane.'

Morgana bit her lip not to laugh. The bulge between Snape's legs was still very existent and suggested that he might just have liked what he had seen after all. But she knew better than to point it out.

'I know all about girls like you, Ms Belakane,' he snarled. 'Wanton little harlots, flaunting their sexuality ...'

He was standing behind her now, so close that Morgana could feel his breath tickle her ear.

'I believe,' he went on, his voice low, a mere whisper, 'the correct term for girls like you is prick tease.'

Morgana tried not to flinch. She would have lied if she said that touching Bella and having three men stare at her had not aroused her. And having Snape stand so close to her now, whispering in her ear, did not make things better. But she tried to steady her breathing, willed her heart to beat slower and kept staring straight ahead.

'You put me into a very compromising position, Ms Belakane,' Snape went on, sounding more and more menacing with every word. 'I am your teacher, your Head of House, and you seduced a woman in front of me in order to arouse me, to provoke a physical reaction out of me. Do you deny it, Ms Belakane?'

Morgana felt her breath hitch in her throat. He knew. Snape knew that she had tried to turn him on. Or was he just guessing?

She closed her eyes for a second and tried to fortify her mental barriers. It would be in vain, she knew that. Snape was one of the best Legilimens in the country. And the little she knew about Occlumency would not stop him from invading her mind if he wanted to. Still, she chose to lie.

'I very much deny that, sir.'

'A liar as well as a slut, are we?' Snape's voice was suddenly cold. And when he swept around Morgana to stand in front of her, she saw that his eyes were just as cold as the tone of his voice.

'What the hell were you thinking, you silly girl?' he asked. 'I tell you to be careful, and you engage in a sexual tryst in a room full of Death Eaters, right in front of your teacher. Do you not grasp the severity of the situation?'

Morgana looked up at him, and her blue eyes locked onto his black ones. And she felt her self-control crumble. 'I had to do this,' she whispered. 'I needed to know how much power ...'

Snape didn't let her finish. 'Is that what this was all about, Ms Belakane?' he bellowed. 'A twisted little power game?'

Morgana lowered her gaze again. 'You have no idea.'

Of course he didn't. Snape believed that she had done it in order to get to him. But he had no idea why she wanted to have power over Lucius Malfoy, why she needed to have this power. And Morgana desperately hoped that he would never find out either.

'I am forbidding you contact with Lucius Malfoy from now on, Ms Belakane,' Snape went on with a tone that did not allow any protest. 'And if I find out that you have been in touch with him in any way, you will face expulsion. Do I make myself clear?'

Morgana's bottom lip started to quiver, and she felt tears of anger fill her eyes. Snape couldn't do that to her. He mustn't.

'Do you really think I was enjoying this?' she spat.

Snape glared down at her. 'I most certainly think you enjoyed making a room full of men aroused at your Sapphic display. And I will force Veritaserum down your throat if you try to deny it.'

Morgana's head snapped up, and there was now cold fury glistening in her eyes. And before she could stop herself, she told him to go ahead.

Snape didn't need being told twice. In a blink of an eye, he had retrieved a bottle of Veritaserum from inside his robes. He forced a few drops into Morgana's mouth, and she had no choice but to swallow as he was clamping his hand tightly over her mouth.

'The truth, Ms Belakane,' he demanded as he let go of her. 'Did you or did you not enjoy that sexual tryst at Malfoy Manor?'

'I did not,' she answered truthfully. 'The mere thought of being in the same room as Bellatrix Lestrange makes my skin crawl, and I hate Lucius Malfoy with every fibre of my body.'

Snape's eyebrows shot up in surprise. That had obviously not been the answer he had anticipated. 'Why do you hate Lucius Malfoy?' he enquired. 'He is your patron. He has paid for your education ever since your parents disappeared.'

Morgana struggled for a moment. She did not want Snape to know. She did not want anyone to know. But there was no use. The Veritaserum made her talk. And she had no choice but to reveal to Snape the secret she had carefully hidden away for so long.

'Lucius Malfoy has never done anything out of charity,' she spat. 'My parents did not just disappear. They were killed because they resisted Lucius Malfoy. They were killed because they resisted the Dark Lord.'

Morgana broke off. Veritaserum or not, she could not make herself go on. It was too painful. She dug her nails into her palms and willed herself not to cry. She couldn't tell him. She had never told anyone. And if Snape pressured her, if he made her talk, she would surely break.

To her surprise, Snape changed subjects. 'This does not explain why you are engaging in little sexual power games with the man, Ms Belakane. And it most defiantly does not explain why you found it necessary to do it right under my nose.'

'You did not seem to want to look away.' Morgana bit her lip, knowing that she had walked right into his trap.

'Then you admit that you enjoyed me watching you, Ms Belakane?'

'Yes, sir.' Damn that Veritaserum.

'And did you enjoy arousing the other men in the room, Ms Belakane?'

'I did not care about the others, sir.'

'But you enjoyed arousing me?'

'Yes, sir.'

Morgana groaned inwardly. Fucking Veritaserum. She had not wanted him to know, ever! She had seen what he had done to Charis the night before. And now he would certainly try to embarrass her in a similar way.

But Snape surprised her once more. Without a single word, he handed her a small phial.

'Drink this,' he ordered. 'It will counteract the Veritaserum.'

He watched her drink and continued, suddenly sounding tired. 'It has been a long afternoon. I would suggest going back to the Slytherin common room and staying there, Ms Belakane. You will not speak to anyone of this incident. And I mean what I said: no further contact with Lucius Malfoy. It is too dangerous.'

Morgana expected to be dismissed and flinched when Snape reached out and cupped her chin with his long fingers. 'I believe you owe me an apology for you behaviour, Ms Belakane.'

Morgana gulped. The effects of the Veritaserum must have worn off by now, but still she found herself unable to say anything but the truth.

'I apologise for putting you in an awkward situation, sir,' she whispered, not trusting her voice enough to speak up. 'But I will not apologise for having enjoyed you watching, because that would be a lie. And if there is one thing I don't do, then it's lying.'

To that, Snape let go of her chin and smirked. 'Liar.'

* * *

Snape had just closed the door behind the girl when a whooshing sound from the fireplace made him spin around. Someone was trying to contact him using the Floo network. To his surprise and uttermost irritation, it was Lucius' face that appeared.

'Severus, my dear friend. You departed rather hastily. Is everything alright?'

Lucius' eyes darted around the room. He was obviously looking for the girl. As he couldn't see her anywhere, a knowing smile appeared on his face. 'Worn her out, have you, Severus? I cannot blame you.'

'For your information, Lucius, I did not touch the girl,' Snape cut him short. 'I sent her back to the Slytherin common room.'

'Yes, of course you did.' Lucius was grinning. Obviously, he didn't believe a single word. 'I do hope you'll bring her with you again the next time you come for tea, Severus,' he went on. 'She's such an adorable little chit. So young, so innocent. Do enjoy her.'

Lucius' face had barely disappeared when Snape's whisky glass flew into the grate and shattered into thousand pieces. How dare Lucius insinuate that he was sleeping with one of his students? How dare he even think that he had any interest in the girl whatsoever? But then again, Snape had to admit that Morgana's little performance hadn't left him completely unmoved. And he was indeed intrigued by her motives.

He conjured a new glass and filled it to the brim with Firewhisky. He could just as well get drunk now. Lucius' little visit had destroyed any desire he might have had to retire to his bedroom and enjoy some moments of privacy with the memories of recent events.

He took a swig, pondering all that had happened that afternoon. What the hell had the girl been thinking? He had noticed the calculating look she had given Lucius at the Manor. At first, he had thought that she was trying to seduce the man, that she was enjoying the attention she was getting from one of the most influential wizards in Britain. But the bitter tone she had used to talk about the man later was disturbing. And Snape could not help but wonder what exactly was going on between the two.

Lucius' behaviour at the Manor had fascinated him as well. Lucius Malfoy was known for always getting what he wanted. And what he didn't get, he took. It had been very obvious that he lusted for Morgana, that he wanted to have her for himself. But when he had had the chance, when she had been kneeling on the floor right in front of him, he had not touched her. He had taken Bella instead. And Morgana had let him. What kind of twisted power game was the little vixen playing? And what was Malfoy doing, letting her slip through his fingers if he wanted her so badly?

Power. Snape sneered and emptied his glass. He had to hand it to the girl: she had held a power over the people in the drawing room that had been stronger than any Imperius Curse. Avery and Lucius had been so turned on by her little performance that they wouldn't have noticed if the Dark Lord himself had entered the room. And judging from the delicious noises Bella had made, she had not wanted the girl to stop. And as much as Snape hated to admit it, he had not wanted her to stop either. He had found it hard to take his eyes of her nimble little fingers, her delicious lips. And the mere thought of them made him get hard again.

He angrily shook his head. It was bad enough that he had let himself get turned on by Morgana's performance. But what annoyed him the most was that she had noticed.

He had shown her the cold shoulder ever since he had noticed her interest in him, had enjoyed her trying harder and harder every day, and had relished the power he had held over her. But the moment she had notice him looking, he had lost that power. And that annoyed him beyond anything else. But he would regain his power, there was no doubt about that. The girl may have succeeded in ruffling the feathers of her usually stoic and unflappable professor, but she would not get away with it lightly.

* * *

Charis was comfortably snuggled up in one of the comfy armchairs in Ravenclaw Tower when a loud crack made her jump. She lifted her gaze from her Arithmancy book and came face to face with Winky, who was holding out a scrap of parchment towards her.

'For you, Miss,' the elf squeaked and Disapparated without any further comments.

Charis recognised the handwriting of her best friend at once. And she also saw that the note had been written in a great hurry: the letters were uneven and the ink slightly smeared.

Room of Requirement. Now.

Charis smiled. She and Morgana had discovered the Room of Requirement during their fifth year, and they often met there to escape the judging looks from their House mates. Well, Morgana's House mates. The Slytherins – not all of them, but quite a few – did not like it when one of their own befriended a student from another House, especially not a Muggle-born. They had always been very clear about that, and had often given Morgana a hard time, but this year was worse than ever. The pureblood Slytherins – with Draco Malfoy at the lead – were convinced that the Dark Lord had in fact returned and that he would soon rise to power again and reward those who were loyal to him. And whereas they earlier had looked down at any Muggle-borns with slightly wrinkled noses, they now glared at them with open disgust. Many Slytherins had crumbled under the pressure and had all but broken with their friends from other Houses. Few dared stand up against the likes of Draco Malfoy. And those who did were treated in the same way as the Muggle-borns. And although Morgana did not seem to care what her House mates said, Charis knew that even her tough Slytherin friend needed a quiet place to retreat to now and then.

She found the Room of Requirement furnished with two squishy chairs, a huge sofa and a coffee table which was almost breaking under the weight of ice cream buckets, bags of crisps and a big bowl of chocolate. It often looked that way when Morgana and Charis met there. By now, the room even knew which crisps and chocolates they preferred.

Charis let herself fall onto one of the squishy chairs and put her feet on the coffee table, fishing for a bag of crisps. This was exactly what she needed today: some junk food and her best friend. The events of last night were still gnawing at her, and she had not even dared to look towards the staff table in the Great Hall because she had been afraid to meet Snape's eyes. Hopefully, Morgana would be in the mood to trash talk her Head of House tonight.

When Morgana arrived, she was wearing a long black robe, her hair was unkempt, and she had not bothered to put on any make-up either. In her left hand, she was holding a glass of whisky. On the whole, a very unusual sight.

'Care for a drink?'

Charis narrowed her eyes. Morgana and alcohol were two things that just didn't mix. 'Who are you and what have you done with Morgana?' she teased.

The red-haired girl just sneered, sipped at the amber liquid and grimaced.

'It is you then,' Charis joked. 'I'm so glad you're back safe.'

'Safe is not a word I would use,' Morgana responded before taking a healthy gulp.

That made Charis react. 'Merlin's sac, Morgana,' she exclaimed. 'You don't drink!'

Morgana shrugged. 'No, I normally don't drink. But then again, this afternoon has been filled with things I normally don't do.'

'I don't like the sound of this, Morgana,' Charis pointed out as she poured some Odgen's in another empty glass that had conveniently appeared and took a snifter herself. 'What the hell happened at Malfoy Manor? Are you okay?'

'Oh, I'm great,' Morgana answered with exaggerated enthusiasm. 'Did you know Snape thinks I'm a slut?'

Charis eyes widened. 'Did he say that?'

'I believe he used the term brazen little whore. And it looks like he has had that opinion of me for quite a while.' She emptied her glass and grimaced, silently wondering why that fact annoyed her so much. Why did she even care what Snape thought of her?

Charis snapped the glass from her friend's hand and stared at her. 'Tell me what happened now, Morgana! I've been really worried about you. Still am! You're acting very weird.'

Morgana slumped back in her chair. 'Well, let's see then, shall we,' she started, her voice bitter as an Arctic wind. 'I had lunch with eight Death Eaters, was drooled over by Lucius and Avery, got administered Veritaserum by our dear Potions master ...'

'Veritaserum?' Charis interrupted. 'That's forbidden. Why the hell did he give you Veritaserum?'

'Because he wanted to know if I enjoyed making out with Bellatrix Lestrange in front of him.'

Charis spat out her whisky and stared at her friend as if she had just been hit by a Bludger. 'You did ... with Bella ... WHAT?! How the hell did that happen? Did she give you Amortentia? Did she hex you? And why did that bastard Snape not try and stop it?!'

Charis' little outburst made Morgana sneer. 'Dear Professor Snape was busy watching and pretending that he wasn't.'

Charis put down her glass. Her hands were shaking too much to be holding it safely. 'I ... I don't understand, Morgana,' she stammered. 'How did this happen? Did Bella pounce on you or anything?'

Morgana shrugged. 'She sat behind me, stroked my hair, touched me. And I let her, for a while at least.'

'Are you out of your freaking mind?' Charis exclaimed. But she regretted her outburst seconds later as she saw her friend bury her face in her hands.

'I created one big mess, Charis,' Morgana started, her voice muffled by her hands. 'I wanted to toy with Lucius, wanted to show him what he is missing.'

'But,' Charis started, 'fooling around with Bella ...'

Morgana snapped up her head and her eyes flashed dangerously. 'I made a mistake, alright? Against common beliefs, I am not a slut!'

Charis flinched at her friend's tone. She had never seen her react that vehemently. Normally, Morgana seemed to find it amusing that the whole castle thought her experienced. But then again, she never talked about any of the guys she went out with. And suddenly Charis wondered if the rumours about her friend were just that, rumours.

She wanted to say something, but Morgana cut her short. 'I am sorry, Charis. I am being mean to you.'

Charis immediately accepted her friend's apology. Morgana didn't apologise too often. But when she did, it was sincere.

'Why don't you just go on and start from the beginning, Morgana?' Charis said in a calm voice. 'I thought you fancied Lucius Malfoy, and that you were flattered by his attention?'

'I hate that man, Charis. He needs to be destroyed! In the same bloody way he destroyed my family.'

Charis didn't follow. 'But, Morgana, I thought your parents died in a car crash when you were a baby.'

Morgana snorted. 'Nice cover story, isn't it?'

She got up and started pacing the room. She had to let it out now. Snape had managed to open the door behind which she was hiding her darkest secrets, and now she found herself unable to lock the door again.

'The Belakanes are one of the oldest Wizard families in the country,' she started. 'And sixteen years ago, when the Dark Lord was at the height of his powers, Lucius Malfoy had the brilliant idea to give us as a present to his master.'

Charis frowned. 'What do you mean, present?'

'How happy do you think the Dark Lord would have been if someone had persuaded the Belakanes to join his ranks?' Morgana went on, surprised at how calm her voice was. 'My father resisted, of course, and was killed. What happened to my mother, I don't know. According to the Ministry, she disappeared. And I was sent to one of the finest orphanages in Britain, all paid for by my honourable patron, Lucius Malfoy.'

'My God, Morgana,' Charis breathed. 'How do you know all this?'

'That is not important!' Morgana snapped.

She wasn't proud of the way she had got hold of her information. She had always wondered why an influential wizard like Lucius Malfoy was taking care of an insignificant orphan like her. She had suspected that he might have been her mother's lover, and that he was now taking care of her out of guilt. But when he had started inviting her to Malfoy Manor and started making advances, she had become suspicious. She had not understood why he was interested in her, and she had started snooping around the Manor. And one evening, she had forced Veritaserum down a house-elf's throat.

A slight touch on her shoulder made Morgana snap out of her thoughts, and she looked up into her friend's green eyes.

'You know that I am here for you, don't you, Morgana?' Charis asked. 'You don't have to tell me anything. But if you want to talk, I'm here. Okay?'

Charis reached out to hug her friend, but the Slytherin shrank away. And Charis retreated, giving Morgana the space she seemed to need.

'How did you...' Charis started, 'I mean, has anything actually happened between you and Malfoy? You know... physically?'

Morgana sighed. 'Something happened last summer. Lucius invited me to the Manor, and conveniently enough, Narcissa and Draco were out of town. We kissed and touched, you know, petting. It never got heavier than that. Oh, he was charming, Charis. He promised me the moon, and I believed him.'

It sounded dumb now as she was saying it out loud. But she really had believed him when he had told her how much he cared for her. And she still did every time she looked into his eyes. Maybe Lucius was trying to make up for what he did in his past after all.

They sat some moments in silence, Charis nibbling on a piece of chocolate, trying to take in these new revelations, Morgana crushing crisps with her thumb. Her thoughts seemed to be far, far away.

'Do you think Snape enjoyed it?' she suddenly asked. 'Watching me and Bella, I mean.'

Charis laughed, a short, bark-like sound. Sometimes, her Slytherin friend could be so naive. 'Of course he enjoyed it. Seeing some girl-on-girl action would give any man a hard-on. But he had the duty of care to you, as a pupil!'

'He knows that I noticed, Charis,' Morgana said slowly, her voice trembling due to the panic that was rising in her chest. 'And he knows that I liked that he was watching.'

Charis paled. 'Now he knows we both fancy him. Oh, this is not good! He'll use that on us!' She paused for a moment. 'He'll try to come between us, won't he, Morgana? He'll toy with both of us and make us jealous of each other.'

Morgana looked her friend straight in the eyes. 'Charis, do you have feelings for him? Actual feelings?' She had to know. If they were to continue this game, she would have to know how far they could go before anyone got hurt.

Charis blushed and lowered her gaze. 'It's just a crush.'

'If you had to choose, Charis,' Morgana went on. 'Love him or shag him. What would you choose?'

'Can't I have both?'

'No.'

The Ravenclaw thought for a moment, weighing up the logic of her decision. 'Then I'd say love. Because love comes with the promise of sex, whereas sex does not come with the promise of love.'

Morgana groaned. She had feared that much. 'Oh, Charis! If Snape asked you to sleep with him, you would. And then you would be longing for him every day for the rest of your life, hoping he'd fall to his knees and ask you to marry you.'

Charis cast down her eyes. 'I know I am pathetic.'

'No, sweetheart, not pathetic, just hopelessly romantic.' Morgana cupped her friend's chin and made her look at her. 'Don't. Let him. Get to you. Do you hear me, Charis?'

Charis looked into Morgana's eyes and nodded. But they both knew that it was not going to be that easy.

The loud crack that signalled the Apparition of an elf made both girls jump. And when Morgana recognised the elf, she felt all the blood leave her face.

'That's Lucius' elf,' she breathed. 'Silvy.'

'Silvy is having a message for Miss Morgana,' the elf said in a piping voice and held out a tiny box. 'Master Lucius apologises for his behaviour and wishes to give Miss Morgana a present as a token of his apologies.'

The elf opened the box and revealed a beautiful silver ring made up of a coiled snake with emeralds for eyes.

'Oh, my,' Charis breathed. 'It's gorgeous.'

'This is crazy,' Morgana snapped. 'I am sure it is cursed or jinxed. Or maybe it's a Portkey.'

'There's an easy way to find out.' Charis withdrew her wand from her pocket and waved it twice over the ring, muttering an incantation.

'Well, it's not a Portkey, that's for sure. But we need to get this looked at properly, Morgana. There might be a Trace on it. Or it might be bugged.' Once more she waved her wand over the ring.

Morgana narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on the elf. 'Silvy, what are your master's intentions with this ring?'

'M-master said it's from Diagon Alley, Miss, f-finest money could buy,' the elf stammered. 'Master Lucius is very sorry, Miss.'

'Does your master send any other messages, Silvy?'

'Master says he had a lovely afternoon and would like to do it again some time.'

Morgana rolled her eyes and sighed. 'Silvy, take the ring back to your master and tell him that I am not allowed to be in contact with him anymore.'

The elf's eyes widened in fear. 'Oh ... Master Lucius will not like that, Miss.'

'You cannot send the elf to deliver that message to Malfoy, Morgana,' Charis exclaimed. 'He will punish her for it!'

'What the hell do you want me to do, Charis?'

'Keep the ring and send the elf back.'

'Silvy must not return without reply, Miss. Master has said so.'

Charis thought quickly. 'Then tell him that Morgana is delighted and that she thanks your master for his kind gift.'

To that, the elf bowed and Disapparated with yet another loud crack.

Charis swirled around to face Morgana. 'What do you mean, you're not allowed to be in contact with Malfoy anymore? Did Snape say that?'

'Of course Snape said that,' Morgana snapped. 'Who else? Merlin?' She snatched the ring from her friend's hand and held it up against the light, watching the emeralds sparkle. 'The man has taste, no doubt about that.'

'Are you going to keep it?' Chairs wondered, craning her neck to get a look at the gorgeous piece of jewellery herself.

'My brain tells me to go and tell Snape,' Morgana replied. But the grin that was forming on her lips suggested that her Slytherin vanity had already dictated that she had no intentions of doing so.