Ficlet challenge #141: Motivation
Title: Motivation
Summary: Quirrell is aware of his impending madness and death, due to the breakdown of his neural tissue from dark magic. (Set in a backstory fleshed out more at FFnet, where Nagini and Quirrell are both Voldemort’s familiars simultaneously.) Written for the prompt “The Writing on the Wall”.
Characters/Pairings: Nagini, Quirinus Quirrell, Voldemort
Genre: General
Rating/Warnings: PG
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 396
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
I hadn’t actually thought the headaches could get worse. Even through the latest batch of potion 329 (which was delightfully similar to muggle morphine), I could feel it, like a horde of tiny invaders gnawing at my neural gates. I let my finger stroke gently along Nagini’s cheek scales as she lay curled around me on our rocking chair. I can see the writing on the wall, my dear. I know what’s coming. We’re almost out of time.
No! Please, no. Nagini’s terror was a palpable, icy ribbon echoing through my chest as she constricted around my torso.
When the time comes, you have to let me go.
I will not.
I sighed. Sweetheart, it just doesn’t work that way.
Why not? I want you to stay here with me. Make it work that way.
“She has a point, Quirinus.” My Lord’s voice drifted from the back of my skull, his mouth stretching my scalp in a familiar, skin-curdling way.
My sympathetic nervous system had long since given up trying to make sense of this particular dark magic mayhem and simply gone with it. “My Lord?”
“We’ve done quite a few things that don’t ‘work that way’. Why not one more?”
I blinked. “The unicorn blood will only get us so much further and the stone’s a wild card. How exactly am I supposed to cheat death? That’s your department, my Lord, not mine. I’m just the familiar here.”
Not the only familiar. I’m here too.
I smiled. That you are. And a right good one, too. The best of familiars.
Nagini twined tight around my torso. I can hold you. I held our Lord when he lost his body. I’ll hold you too.
I inhaled sharply, thoughts suddenly whirling. “Do you think there’s room for two, my Lord? If the stone fails, we know there’s room for one in Nagini. But what about two?”
“A fine question, Quirinus. I suggest you investigate.”
There is room. Nagini’s voice was a glittering net of love and pain as she twined even tighter about me. For you. I will make room to carry you. You are my Quirinus. Even if your name is ridiculous and hard to say.
I love you too, sweetheart. I coughed, my breastbone aching from the pressure. Now, could you loosen up a touch? It wouldn’t do for me to expire prematurely from strangulation.
18 points
Summary: Quirrell is aware of his impending madness and death, due to the breakdown of his neural tissue from dark magic. (Set in a backstory fleshed out more at FFnet, where Nagini and Quirrell are both Voldemort’s familiars simultaneously.) Written for the prompt “The Writing on the Wall”.
Characters/Pairings: Nagini, Quirinus Quirrell, Voldemort
Genre: General
Rating/Warnings: PG
Medium: Ficlet
Word Count: 396
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
I hadn’t actually thought the headaches could get worse. Even through the latest batch of potion 329 (which was delightfully similar to muggle morphine), I could feel it, like a horde of tiny invaders gnawing at my neural gates. I let my finger stroke gently along Nagini’s cheek scales as she lay curled around me on our rocking chair. I can see the writing on the wall, my dear. I know what’s coming. We’re almost out of time.
No! Please, no. Nagini’s terror was a palpable, icy ribbon echoing through my chest as she constricted around my torso.
When the time comes, you have to let me go.
I will not.
I sighed. Sweetheart, it just doesn’t work that way.
Why not? I want you to stay here with me. Make it work that way.
“She has a point, Quirinus.” My Lord’s voice drifted from the back of my skull, his mouth stretching my scalp in a familiar, skin-curdling way.
My sympathetic nervous system had long since given up trying to make sense of this particular dark magic mayhem and simply gone with it. “My Lord?”
“We’ve done quite a few things that don’t ‘work that way’. Why not one more?”
I blinked. “The unicorn blood will only get us so much further and the stone’s a wild card. How exactly am I supposed to cheat death? That’s your department, my Lord, not mine. I’m just the familiar here.”
Not the only familiar. I’m here too.
I smiled. That you are. And a right good one, too. The best of familiars.
Nagini twined tight around my torso. I can hold you. I held our Lord when he lost his body. I’ll hold you too.
I inhaled sharply, thoughts suddenly whirling. “Do you think there’s room for two, my Lord? If the stone fails, we know there’s room for one in Nagini. But what about two?”
“A fine question, Quirinus. I suggest you investigate.”
There is room. Nagini’s voice was a glittering net of love and pain as she twined even tighter about me. For you. I will make room to carry you. You are my Quirinus. Even if your name is ridiculous and hard to say.
I love you too, sweetheart. I coughed, my breastbone aching from the pressure. Now, could you loosen up a touch? It wouldn’t do for me to expire prematurely from strangulation.
18 points