My Wings Are Black

Severus Snape turned in surprise to see Odette stumble into his office, the cloak draped around her shoulders swinging as she collapsed into the chair by his desk. Her hair fell forward as she put her face into her hands and the twisted snake heart stood out vividly dark in the room. Snape stayed calm, getting up from his position at a small storage cupboard and sat down in his chair facing the girl. He placed his pale hands together and cleared his throat.

He heard Odette give a shaky sign and for the first time he noticed the creased white paper in her hand. He plucked the letter from her frail grasp and his eyes zoomed across the parchment as he read the Dark Lord’s letter to Odette. He rose his eyebrows in surprise, “well, it looks like you’re back in favour.”

Odette’s pale face shot up and a sneer was present on her curved lips, “Of course or maybe Severus, you dim-witted fool he has decided to get rid of me once and for all.”

Snape’s mouth twisted cruelly, and in an act of cruelty he rarely showed upon Odette, he pointed his wand at her and watched as she twitched in sudden agony at the torture curse she had not been expecting. Her newly healed body did not react well, and the barely forgotten memory of the bruises and wounds that had magically disappeared began to burn again.

She froze after the first unexpected twitch and allowed the curse to burn through her. She had been raised on torture and did not let the pain show anymore, as Bellatrix Lestrange as found out as she did so to an inch from death. Odette gritted her teeth and stared furious green eyes upon the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor as he lifted the curse and leant his greasy head over to an inch of hers, “Don’t forget I am your higher here Miss. Silver. I won’t be insulted by a teenager.”

Odette sneered again and a cruel twisted smile formed upon her face, “then you better hope for your sake he will kill me tomorrow. Because if I’m back in favour, My Lord won’t like you cursing me. You’re nothing but a traitor, always have and always will.”

Snape stood up, his chair falling backwards to the floor with a bang. With a swish of his wand, Odette was throw backwards, her body hitting the stone wall behind her with a nasty smashing sound. She opened her eyes and looked at the blood that dripped upon her hand from a new cut upon her forehead. A strange look came across her face and a sadistic grin that morphed her features into an almost psychopathic look. Snape blinked, suddenly seeing the Death Eater Voldemort had marked rather than a frightened teenage girl. He swore her eyes flashed red.

O goodness, just when Fred had thought she’d turned to the good side. Maybe it’s a true what they say. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.

Odette stared at Snape from her position on the floor, “What’s wrong Severus? Can’t bear handling the truth. You ran from him when he needed your help, you abandoned him. As did so many others. You’ll do it again, I can see it in your eyes.”

She stood up from the floor in an instant and Snape didn’t even see her wand stab at the air. A pain shot through his head of such intensity it rendered him weak to the floor. He clutched his hair, begging for the pain to stop, his surroundings becoming forgotten, as his company. As he fell, Odette waved her wand lazily to the door, a muffling charm placed around the office so no-one could hear the suspicious noises of…torture.

She lifted Snape’s curse and watched him gasp on the ground. She smirked, kicking him over onto his back with her foot, “Often I do believe you forget who you’re dealing with Severus. Don’t forget what I’m capable of, if you value your life.”

Snape stared at her, fear pounding through him all of a sudden. She would kill him. He knew she would if incensed to do so. She was marked as the female equivalent of Voldemort. She would murder him on the cold stone floor of Hogwarts without a backward glance at his still body, without an ounce of regret in her eyes.

Then he laughed at her, “You say I’m treacherous. I’ve seen you, who you look at. It’s not Draco. I don’t think our people would be happy at your alliance with the Weasleys.”

Odette didn’t let her stunned look pass her face instead bent down to Snape’s level, “Aren’t I allowed my plaything if I’m to stay in this horrid place. He’ll be discarded when I’m done.” Her mouth twisted in another sadistic grin and she whispered in his ear, “Or maybe, I’m like you…prone to the red-heads?”

Shock passed through Snape’s face at the mention of his beloved Lily, and then fury. He scrambled to his feet, his wand held at Odette’s throat. But with another strange charm she appeared behind him, and laughed as she trailed to the door, picking up her letter on the way that had once left her terrified but now excited.

She looked back, “Thanks for the talk Sev, it’s really…wakened me up. I’ve been asleep far too long.”

Snape watched her go and then buried his head into his hands. What had he done? He’d released her monster.

~

Odette appeared in front of the little cottage once again, and stepped past the lantern and into the Manor House of Voldemort. There was no-one home this time, which caused concern to flicker through Odette, maybe he was going to kill her.

Her hand trailed the still portraits on the wall as she walked up the grand staircase towards the dining hall, the biggest room in the house. He would be there and she was right.

It was only he and Bellatrix who turned and yelled in anger as she spotted Odette. Odette threw back her hood, her long raven hair glistening in the light of the candelabra’s and her green eyes glistening even more fiercely. This time, she’d take no shit from a Lestrange.

“What is she doing here My Lord?” Bellatrix screeched and Odette fought back a smile knowing one never questions the Dark Lord in such an authoritative tone. She bit back a grin of pleasure as he snapped at her and Bellatrix screeched in pain at the torture curse Voldemort passed through her.

“Leave us Bellatrix.”

Bellatrix got up shakily but then regaining her strength shrieked with anger, and rushed out of the room, her heavy lidded eyes glaring at Odette all the way.

Voldemort turned from his place at the large fireplace and spread his arms, “My dearest,”

Odette heaved a sigh of relief and sunk to the floor, her cloak and long green robes pooling around her like evil flowing water. She kept her eyes lowered as he advanced, she at least knew how to please her lord, unlike that awful woman. It was she he marked, not Bellatrix, and Bellatrix ought to remember that. If there was ever a choice between the two, he would always choose his little swan.

Her hands trembled as he came near, and she could see the bottom of his robes in line with her gaze. He moved and his hand came down to rest upon her chin, forcing her head to look up and look into his red eyes,

Odette took a deep breath, praying for her voice not to sound weak and frightened, “My lord?”

Voldemort stroked her cheek with his long thin finger, “All is forgiven my dear. You need no longer fear. Come back to me.”

Odette rose to her feet to look at her master as he kissed her hand and then her forehead. A shiver ran through her, of disgust or pleasure she no longer knew. All thoughts of Fred flew from her mind as she was ushered into the arms of her lord.

“Oh My Lord. You are so very kind,” she murmured and Voldemort chuckled, his fingers running through her hair in a loving gesture as Fred’s had the night before.