Pandora's Box: Chapter Six
yeah, yeah. i know you all forgot. i didn't. the git wasn't cooperating with me. so i had to wait until i could pounce on him and hold him down, make him help me out here. so, after much work and pounding away at the keyboard today, i'm proud to present the next installment in my trade fic with Gin.
i know you thought i forgot, love. nope. i didn't.
Title: Pandora's Box
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: adult, mature. no one under 18. not even with a parent. no smut for you kiddies.
Warnings: sex, language, possible violence at some point. whatever i really feel like using, honestly
Disclaimer: none of the characters portrayed in this work of fiction belong to me. Pandora belongs to the lovely and talented Ginevra. the rest of the recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling. they're not much, much as i'd like them to be. i make no money from this. the only payment coming my way is the joyous comments that are left to my journal. please don't hurt me.
Pandora's Box - The Index
Chapter Six: Like An Angel
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The house loomed large before him, ancient vines clawing their way to the rooftop so that it was hard to tell what color the edifice was done in. The windows on the first floor were lit with mellow light, candles flickering behind the lace panels that offered a sense of privacy while still allowing light to flood in from over the bright Mediterranean with the afternoon sun. There was a wide patch of emerald grass laid out before the house, flowers in various sizes in a riot of colors and scents decorating the area. Several large, old trees cast soft shadows, providing shade and privacy for the home.
The laughter of children mingled with the cries of birds as they circled over the sea. There were boats on the horizon, fishermen out making their daily catches in order to provide for their families. The little village was idyllic and picturesque. It was also filled with poor people and he simply couldn't understand why Pandora's family hadn't left to live in one of their ancestral estates.
Angelo De Domenico stood for a moment at the gate in front of the Vitale home. There was a cobblestone walk that cut the grass into two neat halves, creating a trail from the wrought iron gate set in a stone wall to the massive front door of the house. He took a few moments to adjust his clothing, smoothing both his robes and his thick hair into place. A wave of a hand saw the gate swinging open, then he allowed himself to stride purposefully up the walk.
The middle step creaked as he put his boot on it, the wooden planks making up the porch in desperate need of fresh paint. He rapped his knuckles sharply against the bright red door and waited for someone to answer his summons. It took several moments before the door creaked open and Angelo found himself staring down at a young boy who bore a striking resemblance to Pandora. He offered the lad a smile. "Good afternoon. Is Pandora at home?" he asked politely.
The boy stared at him for a few moments, then slammed the door in Angelo's face. How rude! Obnoxious little brat. He could hear the child on the other side of the door, bellowing loudly for his parents. It was another several moments before the door was opened again. Angelo found himself staring at Pandora's mother and father. He offered them a smile. "Good afternoon, Signore. Signora. I've come to speak with Pandora. Is she available?"
"Welcome, Signore De Domenico. Please," Nicola said and stepped back to allow Angelo to enter. He stepped into the darkened hall and frowned. The interior of the house was in desperate need of remodeling, giving the appearance of faded grandeur that seemed sad and forgotten. Pandora's mother showed them into a room just off the main hall that must be some kind of living room. The older man motioned toward the small, shabby living suite that was located around one of the numerous fire places. He made his way over to the least worn looking chair and lowered himself into it. Pandora's parents followed at a slower pace, settling uneasily on the sofa. "Would you care for some tea or other refreshment?"
"No, thank you. I only wish to speak to Pandora. Where is she?" Angelo looked around the room. He noticed the brat who'd opened the door peeking through a pair of drawn curtains that hid another chamber from view.
"She isn't here, Signore," Isabella replied, her hands moving nervously in her lap. Angelo frowned at that.
"What do you mean? Where is she? I stopped by her little school house and they said she hadn't been there in more than two weeks."
"Signore," Nicola began. Angelo didn't like his tone and a frown slid across his face. The old man fell silent and shifted in his seat.
"Where is Pandora?" he asked again, his tone practically glacial.
"She's engaged," Isabella declared somewhat defiantly. Angelo stared at the woman as if he hadn't understood her. Pandora had gotten engaged? Why? She'd known he was coming back for her after his business was completed.
"To whom?" The words came out in a whisper.
"To an Englishman," Isabella stood, moving across the room to a small, square table tucked between two wing back chairs. She scooped up the paper laying across it, then returned to where they were sitting. Wordlessly, she handed the article off to him. It was a copy of The Daily Prophet from London and the paper was turned to the wedding announcements. There was a photo there, larger than life, of Pandora and some man as they danced about a crowded ballroom.
There was a gentle, almost loving expression on her face as she stared up into his. Angelo was ready to find this Lothario and beat him soundly. Then the couple turned as they continued around the floor and he caught sight of the man's face. There was something familiar about him that Angelo couldn't quite place. His eyes drifted lower to scan the accompanying announcement beneath the photo. Professor Severus Snape dancing with his beautiful bride-to-be, Pandora Vitale. His mouth pulled down at that. Severus Snape? The Severus Snape who'd served with the Dark Lord? That Severus Snape?
How was such a thing possible? Pandora had never traveled abroad, saying she had responsibilities to her family that took precedence over mindlessly wandering Europe for excitement and adventure. It was part of what Angelo had found appealing in the girl. Not that she wasn't a beauty, because she was. Pandora was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever set eyes on. Her quiet innocence and sweet, dark looks would be a perfect foil for his more angelic ones. And, if he was to believe her parents and the paper he held, she not only knew who Severus Snape was but she was engaged to the git. A sallow, surly, utterly corrupt and unpleasantly unattractive excuse for a man. There was something not quite right about this.
"Where did she meet this man?" he demanded. He stared at the elderly couple before him, noting the nervous expressions on their faces. "Signore, where did your daughter meet her fiancé?"
"He is an old friend of the family. He has known her since she was child," Nicola got out evenly enough. The sheen of sweat on his brow was telling, though, and Angelo had to wonder just what his sweet little Pandora had been doing in his absence. An old friend of the family? Surely the two of them were lying to protect themselves. The Vitale family had proclaimed, more than once, that they'd found everything the Dark Lord stood for to be vile and morally corrupt. They'd publicly denounced him. Their position was well known public fact.
And yet, their daughter was engaged to a man who'd supported the Dark Lord at least once in his life. He didn't buy that they were old family friends with Severus Snape. The lie was plain to see. He simply needed to find out why they would lie about such a thing. Pandora had known that he would come for her and make her his bride. What had happened that she'd felt she couldn't wait for him? Thoughts of all kinds rolled through Angelo's head. Perhaps he could discover the information he needed else where and his attention slid back to her parents. He studied the two thoughtfully for a moment or so, then offered them a slight smile.
"Forgive my reactions. This has just come as a shock," he told them, adopting a look and tone of regret. "The last I spoke with Pandora, we were discussing our future together. So much has changed while I was away on business. Tell me, when is the wedding to take place?"
"Soon. Dora has not sent us word yet, but we expect it any day now," Nicola replied evenly.
"You must be very happy for your daughter," Angelo said smoothly, watching both of them carefully. He was determined to spot the lie in their words. Something about this situation wasn't right and he was going to find out what it was. Dora was his and no one was going to take her from. Not even some washed up Death Eater who now taught potions.
"We're happy that Dora's happy," Isabella replied steadily. Angelo had to hold back the frown. Her words were too certain, too assured. They knew something, were hiding something from him. He was sure of it. He offered them a smile meant to cover the swelling anger.
"Dora's happiness is what's most important," he responded evenly. He rose to his feet and stared down at her parents. "I should be on my way. I have another engagement that I cannot find my way out of. When you next hear from Dora, give her my respects and tell her I'm pleased for her."
"We're sorry, Signore De Domenico. We thought Dora had told you," Nikola stood with him. The pitch of his voice, the tone of his words, told Angelo that this was a lie. They'd known full well that Dora hadn't told him anything about this. He suspected that they weren't sorry about it, either. Perhaps they weren't now. But they would be.
"Its quite alright, Signore Vitale. Good day Signore, Signora."
"Good day, Signore."
~*~*~*~*~
Finneas Mellenbee's offices were dark and cramped. And they smelled. Badly. Angelo hadn't taken the offered seat yet. He was afraid that something in the chair would stain his five hundred Galleon designer robes. Instead he stood and stared down at the man before him. The little bastard was settled snugly in the large leather chair behind the heavy wooden desk, looking up at Angelo with a smirk that suggested he knew what was going through the man's head and found it funny. Mellenbee hadn't changed since the last time Angelo had been in his office.
"Mr. Di Domenico. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my humble office?" Mellenbee asked in a nasal whine. Humble wasn't quite the word that Angelo would have used to describe it. The area was small and cluttered with filing cabinets and boxes. The walls had once been papered in something bright and cheery, but the paper was now stained and peeling. It looked as if it had tried to decide what color it liked best and couldn't, so had gone with both a rusty brown and a putrid, swampy green. What wasn't either of those shades was violent yellow.
There were stacks of newspapers in one corner. Another wall held a battered, beaten up sofa that looked as if it were home to a family of rodents. Tarnished hooks sat on the wall by the door. There was a tall lamp in the corner by the couch, the shade ratty and torn. Only the desk and the computer equipment that sat on one corner of its massive bulk were new and shiny. It did nothing to dispel the look of disuse. And the smell was making his eyes water. Angelo would never have come here if Mellenbee wasn't the best there was.
Finneas Mellenbee was a private detective with a twist. He worked both the Muggle and the magical world. He was a disenchanted Wizard who used his powers to gain the knowledge he needed. And he didn't care who he hurt to get the job done. Whenever Angelo needed something important done, some scrap of information he could use to destroy a person with, Mellenbee was the man to do it and find it. For that reason alone, Angelo would put up with the stench and clutter and general dislike.
"I have a job for you," Angelo informed him quietly.
"Do tell," Mellenbee smiled. It was an action that reminded Angelo of a shark.
"I need you to look into a couple for me."
"What am I looking for?" the detective asked, his American accent grating painfully on Angelo's nerves. How the man managed to find information without leaving a trail behind was a mystery to Angelo. But he didn't care, so long as Mellenbee found that information.
"Whatever you can find that will benefit me, of course," Angelo snapped. "If you can do so quickly and quietly, there'll be a fat bonus waiting for you."
"Must be important if you're going to pay me extra. Who am I spying on?" Greed shown in Mellenbee's eyes and Angelo imagined it was only manners that kept him from rubbing his hands together like a robber who'd just managed to steal the money in Gringott's bank and retain his life.
"A man and a woman."
"Ah. Lover's quarrel, eh?" Mellenbee chuckled. Angelo frowned at him.
"Her name is Pandora Vitale. His name is Severus Snape," the aristocrat sniffed and tossed an envelope down on the desktop. Inside, Mellenbee would find the first half of his fee, as well as information on the two. That included pictures and last known residences. Sadly, it wasn't as much as Angelo had hoped to give him.
Mellenbee eyeballed him for a moment before shoving the envelope back toward him. Angelo frowned at that. The detective sat back in his chair and glared up at Angelo. "You ain't got enough money in the world to make me spy on the likes of Severus Snape. The man's supposed to be as deadly as a lightning strike. I might be crazy, but I ain't that crazy. I go sniffing around his pant legs and he'll hex me until I bleed. It ain't happening. And, before you try to add more and convince me, let me say this. Go fuck yourself. Now get out of my office."
"You're refusing to take my case?" Angelo couldn't quite believe it. Mellenbee had never refused a case before. He'd never refused anything, no matter how dirty it would be.
"You're damn right I'm refusing. I'm not stupid enough to take on the likes of Severus Snape. Trust me, back away from it now. He catches you snooping, he'll kill you himself."
"I've never seen you afraid of anything in your life, Mellenbee."
"This ain't fear, Di Domenico. This is smarts. And if you got any smarts at all, you'll drop the idea of checking out Severus Snape and keep your dick where it belongs," Mellenbee warned.
"I don't think you understand the importance of this job, Mellenbee. This man has stolen the love of my life," Angelo protested. Perhaps, if he played his cards just right, Mellenbee would feel sorry for him and do this out of the kindness of his heart. If the little bastard had one, that was.
"Holy Christ on the Cross! You want me to investigate the man and his fiancée? Are you completely fucking insane?" Mellenbee stood to glare at him from his full height, hands planted firmly on the desk top. "I don't know if you've seen the society papers lately, man, but he's gone on that girl. And she looks wrapped up in him. If he's found himself the one woman who'll put a smile on his miserable face, I ain't going to be the one to ruin that.
"Pandora Vitale was going to marry me once I was finished with a business trip. It was the understanding we had when I left. When I returned home, it was to find that she'd moved to London and was engaged to a man that I'm sure she'd never before heard of. I want to know what bloody happened!" Angelo slapped a hand down on the edge of the desk.
"I hate to burst your bubble, Di Domenico, but the last person in the world you want to fuck around with is Severus Snape. He's a mean sum bitch. He didn't survive as a Death Eater because he was a pretty face. Public knowledge says that man knows more curses than the books."
"I don't care one whit what public knowledge says. I want you to investigate him and find out what the hell he's done to my sweet Pandora. He has to have done something to her!" Angelo insisted.
"Tell you what, Di Domenico," Mellenbee crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I'm going to give you a little free information. I suggest you take it for the warning its meant to be."
"Free information? Has Hell frozen over, then?" Angelo snorted.
Mellenbee ignored him and instead shot a cool look his way. "I've been around a long time, boy. And I know a thing or two. I was knee deep in Death Eaters when you were soiling yourself on a regular basis." Angelo sneered at that, but Mellenbee only smiled and fixed him with an unwavering gaze. "You think you're a bad one? The Death Eaters ate pups like you for breakfast. They had no fear, no mercy. They didn't skulk around in the shadows and let someone else do the dirty work for them. They did it themselves. They killed anyone who got in the way. Men, women, children. No one was spared if they set their sights on them. Those men followed a madman and there was nothing they wouldn't do for him."
"Yes, yes. We all know the stories of the Dark Lord," Angelo waved his hand, as if dismissing the words.
Mellenbee frowned at him. "You must be as stupid as a lump of bat shit, boy. Those stories ain't just stories. Everything you ever heard was true. And the man you want me to investigate was part of the Dark Lord's inner circle. He knows things that no one else knows. He can do things no one else can do. There's no way in Hell I'm going to investigate him. If you want to find out how he took your girl, you're on your own. I'd like to keep my pecker right where it is."
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that you'd turn down money. You rotten bastard. You're the best there is and I will not allow you to back out on me now! Not when I need you most. There has to be some..." Angelo snarled, his temper showing in the high color on his cheeks. He only went silent because Mellenbee had drawn his wand.
"Get out of my office, you chicken shit little bastard," the detective growled. Angelo frowned at him, backing away slowly as Mellenbee rounded his desk. "Take my advice and leave Severus Snape alone. If you don't, you're only asking for trouble. And if your lady friend is mixed up with him, there ain't a damn thing you can do for her. Best chalk it up to a bad experience and move on."
"Don't tell me you're afraid of this man? What can he do to you?" Angelo persisted, trying to understand how he'd lost control of the situation. Finneas Mellenbee had rubbed shoulders with some of the worst criminals known to man in order to find the information he needed. The fact that he refused to do so now was confusing.
"I ain't afraid of Snape. I respect his knowledge. The man could kill you in a hundred different ways without trying. He knows more about the Dark Arts than anyone alive. I'm trying to save your neck, boy. Just let it be. And get the hell out of my office. Don't come back. Next time, I won't be nice. You ain't got any business that interests me and your money ain't any good."
Angelo stared. Mellenbee had never, ever turned him away. He'd never turned down a job before. Why now? What was so bad about this Severus Snape character? Of course, everyone had heard the tales of the Dark Lord. And they'd heard about his Death Eaters, about the men and women who did their master's bidding. He'd known that Snape was a member, but he'd never known that the man had been part of the inner circle. Legend had it that those of the inner circle were the worst of the lot, depraved and truly cruel. If it was true that Snape was one of those men, what did that mean for Pandora? How had she gotten herself involved with a man of that nature?
Angelo leveled a gaze at Mellenbee and frowned. "You're ruined, Mellenbee. I'll be sure to tell the authorities where to find you. Its common knowledge that the authorities have a price on your head."
"And they don't have one on you, Di Domenico? What's the real reason behind wanting to know about Snape? Going to try and wrestle the girl from him? What I hear, he's a man who doesn't give up his possessions. You got a death wish? Be my guest. But don't expect me to do the dying for you. Now get out. I'm closed for the day."
"Trust me, Mellenbee," Angelo snarled at him. "This is far from over. I will come back and deal with you later. No one says no to me."
"Ah. So that's why you're all hot and bothered by the little princess. Good for her. She'd be wasted on a shit like you," Mellenbee flicked his wand at the door. It swung open with a creak. "Good bye, Di Domenico. Don't come back. Don't write. Don't call me and I won't call you."
"I won't forget this, Mellenbee. Count on it," Angelo hissed and stepped out into the hallway. The door slammed closed behind him. He could hear Mellenbee on the other side of the door, moving about. Muttering to himself. Angelo smiled, a vile and twisted thing that would have scared a saint, and stalked up the hall.
He hadn't lied. No one told him no. Mellenbee was going to find out what happened to those who did. Just as soon as he dealt with Pandora.
~*~*~*~*~
The street looked deserted, every single one of the houses on either side of the street run down and dark. If anything inhabited them, it didn't need light to move about by. Angelo spared a glance for the sad dwellings that seemed to press beseechingly in about him before turning his attention to the prize. The house at the end of the street. It, like the rest that lined the drive, looked forgotten and washed out. Except for the lights that shone from the windows on the lower level. Someone was at home here.
It had taken a few days to find enough information on the elusive Severus Snape. Few people knew anything and even fewer wanted to talk about him. It had taken, finally, a night spent liquoring up some pathetic looking little man to budge any information on his quarry from him. Even then, after house spent in the man's company that had left him wishing he could scrub the putrid scent of his informant from his nostrils, he'd come away with little more than a location.
Spinner's End.
Angelo was surprised to find that it lay in the heart of a Muggle neighborhood. Even more surprised to find that it was small, cramped and simple. The shabby appearance of the place was more than enough to convince him that Snape was either very frugal or very poor. What had driven Pandora into his arms? It was time to find out.
Striding forward, Angelo felt a tingle of something down his spine a moment before the door to the place opened and a tall, pale man filled the opening. Light poured out behind him, but there was enough to clearly show the wand clasped loosely in his hand. Angelo was sure that the man's eyes glittered in the darkness as they took him in. A scowl settled over his face and his fingers tightened on the wand. "I do not know who you are or what you want, but I suggest you leave now. I have no patience for visitors or salesmen."
"I'm no salesman," Angelo countered smoothly. "And I don't intend to stay long. I simply wish to discuss a matter of great importance with you."
"Unless your matter has to do with how painfully you wish me to hex you, we have nothing to discuss," Snape said, voice low and almost bored. Angelo frowned at that, but pushed on.
"I've come to discuss Pandora," he replied lightly. There was silence a moment and nothing registered on Snape's face.
"What is there to discuss about my fiancé?" the man asked, voice sounding supremely bored.
"She was my fiancé before she was yours, Snape. We were supposed to be married. We'd discussed it several months ago, before I went on an extended business trip," Angelo announced. "I was so looking forward to returning to my blushing bride-to-be. Imagine the pain and agony when I got home and found that she'd gone off and gotten engaged to another man. I'm heartbroken."
"I see," Snape returned, nothing in his voice to indicate whether he felt anything or not. Angelo waited several moments, expecting something more. When Snape didn't speak further, he stepped closer and held his hands out in a gesture meant to indicate that he was pleading.
"I love Pandora with all my heart. I would ask that you step aside and allow me to marry her, as we'd originally planned," he put on his most innocent look, the one that was said to make the angels he was named after weep.
"I am afraid you have come this way for nothing, sir. Pandora is my betrothed and she seems quite happy to be so," Snape told him quietly. There was a hint of threat in his voice that Angelo didn't like. With the man's wand out, he'd have no time to go for his. Snape would hex him before he had the chance. "I should hate to shatter her heart by calling off the wedding when we were so close to exchanging vows."
"And what of my heart?"
"Pandora's heart is the only one I care for. However, if the thought of losing her so sorrows you, I am quite certain one of the tarts in Knockturn Alley will happily mend it for you. For a price, of course," Snape suggested, sounding very unapologetic. Angelo found himself grinding his teeth in frustration.
"If I'd wanted to employ the wiles of a whore, I would have done so already," he replied in a steady voice. Something in Snape's posture shifted.
"If you want me to believe your tale, it would perhaps have been prudent to at least rid yourself of the scent of a cheap perfume before coming to speak with me. I can smell it on you from here. Tell me, sir? Was she any good? Was she capable of making you forget about sweet Pandora the whole time you were buried between her thighs?"
"Heartless bastard!" Angelo snarled.
"Thank you. It pleases me to know that I am not out of practice. If you will excuse me, I have things I must do before getting back to the school. I have classes to tend to," Snape turned to leave.
"Its Friday night. And I'm not through yet." Angelo drew a heavy pouch from under his cloak and tossed it across the space between the two of them. It hit the ground with a loud, jingling thud only inches from Snape's feet. " Five thousand Galleons. All for you. All you need do is break off the engagement with Pandora. If you do so, I'll transfer another five thousand to your Gringott's account."
"What kind of a fool do you take me for, boy? There isn't any more than one thousand in that pouch. And what kind of a bastard are you that you think so lowly of Pandora as to try and purchase her from someone else?" Snape flicked his wand and the pouch lifted into the air. It floated back to where Angelo stood and dropped heavily to the ground. "How dare you insult me by trying to buy her from me!"
"You're making a mistake, Snape. I'm a powerful man with plenty of connections. You don't want to make an enemy of me," Angelo hissed at him. The other Wizard had the audacity to laugh at him.
"I think you are the one who has made a mistake, sir. Pandora is mine. We shall be married soon. And she is quite happy with the arrangement. However, if this does not make any sense to you, perhaps what I am about to say will. I do not give up my possessions. Ever! Go away, boy, before you get hurt. I am not the kind of man you would wish to anger."
"You'll regret turning me away, Snape. I'll be back and I'll have what I want. Mark my words."
"If I were frightened by every little boy who threatened me, my hair would have gone gray years ago. I do not frighten easily and I do not take kindly to threats. Now," Snape managed to cross his arms across his chest without shifting the tip of his wand away from Angelo. "You have exactly one minute before the wards are activated. Should you be caught on my property when they do, I cannot say for sure if you will wake up with all of your body parts still on your person."
There was something in the way he issued the threat, so casually, almost negligently, that made Angelo think there was perhaps truth to his words. He snarled at Snape one last time for good measure, more to make himself feel as if he hadn't come out of the encounter as poorly as he had than to actually frighten the man. He was starting to see why Mellenbee hadn't wanted anything to do with his quest. The problem was, if he didn't marry Dora, then he'd be in deep trouble. There had to be another way.
Angelo stepped back until he was in the middle of the street. Almost before he was fully away, he felt the wards that Snape had mentioned snap into place with a ferocity that would have frightened the most unsavory of Angelo's acquaintances. Even from where he stood, he could feel the dangerous air of them, the force of the magic enough to injure a person. There was no telling what would happen to them if they actually stood in the center of those wards. Angelo had heard many tales of the Death Eaters and their various misdeeds. He'd heard even more about men such as Severus Snape.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that they were all true.
Snape still stood on his front stoop, wand in hand, when Angelo turned to walk down the street. He was there when Angelo turned back to check when he'd reached the end of the block. He suspected that Snape would stand there until after Angelo Apparated away. Mistrusting bastard.
How was he supposed to get Dora away from such a man? Everything hinged on his marriage to her. But first, he had to find a way to convince her to leave Snape and marry him. He'd thought that the matter was settled before he'd gone off to Bermuda for a month. He hadn't lied about having business there, but it had been seen to and out of the way by the end of the third day. After that, he'd spent his time in the company of a very accommodating blonde who happened to think he was one of those heavenly creatures he'd been named for. He was too much the gentleman to tell her she was wrong and had spent many a pleasant afternoon on her private beach.
Until Gaston had found him. That had prompted his flight back to Italy and his sweet, loving, beautiful, blind, biddable Pandora. It had been a large disappointment to find she'd run off to England to get married.
Angelo smiled as he thought of Pandora. Well, there was more than one way to skin this cat. Turning back to glance at the worn down house that Snape called home, he tossed a jaunty wave at the man. As he'd thought, the tall and imposing figure of Severus Snape still stood before his door, watching Angelo go. And he would go. He had other fish to fry. All he'd need was a little luck and some patience. And a little charm.
And he had plenty of that to go around.
~*~*~*~*~
Diagon Alley was bustling with activity. Mothers with small children wove in and out of shops, bags of purchases under their arms. Men standing in groups to chat. Young people starting their adult lives as they looked for work or shopped for needed supplies or simply sat at tables and ate, talking animatedly with one another. There was noise on the air, the many voices layering over one another to create a singular voice that made every sound in the world at once. Added to that single voice were the calls of owls and cats and the cries of a baby or two. The narrow lane of shops was alive with activity. It made it easy for Angelo to blend into the crowd.
He wandered down the cobbled street, glancing every now and then into a shop as if interested in what was to be had there. He knew where he was going, but he had to bide his time. It hadn't taken much to find out the residence of Severus Snape's fiancé. A few well placed coins had found the tongue of a gossip wagging without shame and he'd soon not only learned her address but her shoe size and the vast estates she was bringing to the marriage. He'd also heard her praises sung as if she were an angel made flesh and bone. He'd clubbed the gossip upside the head and taken his coin back from a limp hand. Then he'd staked out her building.
He'd been rewarded for his diligence and cunning. At precisely noon, Pandora had stepped out of the building's front door. As lovely as ever, she'd been wearing a stunning ice blue ensemble that had accented both her complexion and hair color. He'd been about to cross to her when a smile had lit up her face. And then he'd seen Snape. Blast the man and his timing. Angelo had been forced to follow them at a discreet distance. The three of them had wound up in Diagon Alley.
He watched in silence, anger bubbling up within him, as Snape escorted Pandora along, her hand caught in the crook of his elbow. They were talking softly, her head tilted in toward him in an intimate manner. He barely caught himself from plowing into a flower cart. He had to find a way to speak to her. Alone.
They'd been wandering along, eyeing the shops they passed with little interest, for more than half an hour before Snape and Pandora disappeared through a doorway. Angelo drifted closer, spying the name of the business. He smiled when he realized that it was likely Severus wouldn't remain. Five minutes later, Angelo had to step back behind a group of people when Snape left the shop. Pandora was not with him.
Angelo waited until Severus had disappeared from sight and a good five minutes more before he crossed the distance to the door of the establishment. Casting one last glance in the direction the other man had headed, Angelo walked with head held high into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Now was the best time to speak to Pandora.
The interior was light brightly, both with the sun pouring through the large plate-glass window and numerous candles scattered through out the interior. There were racks upon racks of clothing in every color and size imaginable. Men's and women's and children's. Dress and casual wear. There was the chatter of excited voices from the back, so he drifted that way slowly, pretending to look at the offered clothing.
He found Pandora standing in the middle of a clearing on a small raised dais, staring helplessly at a squat Witch who seemed more than pleased to have her there. "Honestly, Miss Vitale," the woman was saying. "You should go with something much more befitting your station. I have some lovely items over here."
"I do not wish anything else, Madam," Pandora protested, her voice soft and gentle. "I simply need some plain garments. Every day wear. I require nothing fancy."
"But you would look much better in something other than that plain thing," Angelo drawled. Her head whipped in his direction and he thought she looked panicked. Odd reaction. "Good day, Pandora. I hear congratulations are in order."
"Angelo. What are you doing here?" she asked, eyes shooting past him to search the shop behind him. When she realized that Severus wasn't there to help her, she inched back toward the smaller woman.
"I came home to find you gone. Did you think I wouldn't seek you out? I believe you owe me an explanation, my dear."
"There's nothing to explain. Please go away. Severus is a difficult man and I don't know how to explain this to him," she told him. He watched the smaller woman's eyes go wide and smirked. He could just hear the gossip now.
"Surely he wouldn't hurt you, my dear," Angelo managed to look and sound deeply concerned.
"No. He wouldn't hurt me. But he might hurt you," she told him. That answer wasn't comforting and it left him struggling for something else to say for a few moments.
"I think I can handle one jealous suitor, Pandora."
"Boy, if you think you can handle Severus Snape, you need to have your brains checked," an older woman's voice prevented Pandora from answering. A withered old crone joined them, a pile of robes tossed carelessly over one arm. She pinned Angelo with a dark stare. "That man's as black as sin and he doesn't care who he has to hurt to prove it. I suggest you find another young miss to court. Snape's made his pledge to this one. He isn't a man to go back on his word."
"Malthina, are you done picking your choices?" the squat Witch asked, eyes flicking back and forth between the older woman to where Angelo stood. The horse faced woman shoved her choices into the squat Witch's arms and closed the distance between herself and Angelo.
"A word of advice, boy," she looked him up and down. "Don't mess with that one. He isn't a nice fellow. And, to be honest, Miss Vitale seems quite taken with him. I'm afraid you've missed the boat there, boy. Go home. Go back to your goats. Leave Severus Snape alone."
"Goats?" Angelo sputtered. What was it with everyone trying to tell him what to do? First Mellenbee, then Snape and now this old hag. Did they think him so incapable that he couldn't handle one bloody Wizard? "I think you're mistaken here and perhaps should..."
"Shut your pie hole, boy," the old had poked him in the chest with a bony finger. "Whatever you think you had with the girl is no more. Go mourn it the proper way, between the thighs of a whore. Leave the girl and her man alone. He isn't the sort you want to take on in a duel. As a matter of fact, he isn't the sort you want to piss off. He doesn't know the meaning of the word forgiveness. And he's a dead on shot with his wand. Let it go, son. Let her go."
"Miserable old hag," Angelo spat at her. "This is none of your affair."
"Maybe not. But I bet its his business," she smirked a moment, then began cackling with vindictive glee. Angelo spun to find Snape glaring at him, wand already in hand. "Severus, my boy. Good of you to come rescue your betrothed from this young buck."
"I forgot to mention, Madam Malkin, that everything Pandora chooses is to be charged to me," Snape said over Angelo's head. Then his wand flicked twice. "As for you. Should I see your face again, you will not recognize it once the bandages come off. Leave off immediately."
"You haven't heard the last of this, Snape. Not at all."
"I am all aflutter with excitement," Snape intoned, no discernable emotion in his voice. Angelo swung around to face Pandora again.
"We will discuss this, you and I," he promised.
"By all means," Snape smirked at him. "I do so enjoy a fool with a death wish."
Angelo stalked past the man, glaring at him as he went, and stepped out onto the street. He had to find some way to make Pandora give up this foolishness. If he didn't... He shuddered as he thought of that last man who'd crossed Gaston.
Failure wasn't an option. He had to marry Pandora. His very life depended upon it.
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