Severus Snape Phoenix Freed

Chapter 19 - Alecto

Phoenix woke up early and quietly dressed, trying not to wake her sleeping lover. His face looked so peaceful. She knew he'd gotten up in the middle of the night for hours, and she wondered why he didn't sleep well. He was sleeping now, and she didn't want to interrupt him. She wanted to check on her friends and take them some food. When she approached the girls room, she heard noises, like someone moving furniture. She rushed and opened the door, not waiting to knock. Alecto had Josie pressed up against a wall, her wand drawn. Josie's eyes were closed, waiting for whatever Alecto was going to do to her. "Stop!" Phoenix yelled, and Alecto turned to her with a dangerous sneer, pushing herself off Josie to move slowly towards Phoenix. Phoenix tapped her own wand, reassuring herself it was there and that she could get to it quickly. Alecto came close enough for her to smell her foul breath, guessing it probably came from her equally foul teeth, which were smiling wickedly at her. "This is none of your business," Alecto snarled. "I have a really bad habit at poking my nose in to things that are none of my business. I haven't kicked it yet, and I don't think I'm going to any time soon," Phoenix said, smiling. "Stop... talking," Alecto said, shaking her head as if she didn't like the sound. Phoenix moved around her, not turning her back to her, to where she could pull out her wand without her seeing it. She knew of the Carrow twins. They had been on the top of her list of targets. It was unfortunate that she would meet here her, now, instead of in a back alley. "Let me introduce myself, I am Miss Alder, a new member of the staff, and former graduate of Hogwarts. I can't imagine the rules at Hogwarts have changed so much to approve of this kind of discipline. What had she done, anyway?" Phoenix asked. She saw Alecto thinking hard, lowering her wand. "Miss Alder, Headmaster Snape's new assistant," she said as if she was disgusted. But she also relented, and Phoenix remembered that Severus said they wouldn't dare challenge her. "It's not what she did, it was her friend over there," she said, pointing at Mila. Mila was a slight girl, small for seventeen. She was sitting on her bed, and her cheek looked red. "She was fraternizing with another boy from next door, I've already thrown him back to his room.  She didn't seem to want to shut her mouth, so I shut it for her. This girl," she said, pointing back at Josie, "couldn't seem to mind her business either." Phoenix would love to just take her out now, as she knew the dark witch would be a thorn in her side, but she knew the repercussions wouldn't be good for her or for Severus. "I'm guessing it was Mayor, your brother?" she said to Mila, looking back at Alecto as she said 'brother.'  "Yes, it was Mayor. We were just horsing around, and he was tickling me.  I hate being tickled," Mila said. "You see, maybe not a good look for you to harm or kill one of our students for playing with their brother, or defending their friend. I doubt if the Headmaster would approve," Phoenix said to a silent but seething Alecto. "In fact, the Headmaster has put these children in my care. So unless I require your assistance, and I can't imagine a situation that could possibly present itself where I would, you can mind your own business," Phoenix said, using as many words as possible as they seemed to grate on Alecto's ears. "Maybe you can be a shining example of minding ones own business that I can learn from," Phoenix continued as if she didn't plan to stop talking. "Alright, alright. Just to get you to close your steaming pie whole. But they better all stay out of my way, and that includes you," she moved closer to whisper to Phoenix, "I don't care who's bed you're warming. If you cross me or my brother, no one will want you in their bed when I'm done with you."  Phoenix tried to keep her tongue in check, and it hurt from where she had her teeth clamped down on it. It escaped their grasp, and she replied in her own whisper, "All I would need for that is some polyjuice potion and one of your greasy hairs."  Alecto bared her grimy teeth, then bolted from the room. Phoenix let out a relieved breath, knowing it wouldn't be her last encounter with Alecto. If she could keep it down to a war of words, she knew it would be better for all of them. Next time, she may even let her win a little to keep her appeased. Mila and Josie came and gave her a hug and thanked her. "Come on, let's get the boys and get some food," she said, feeling like she'd won the first round, but knowing it would only get worse. Mayor looked a little roughed up when she saw him. He was as undersized for his age as his twin sister, and it made her blood boil that they'd been treated so roughly. "We're so bored. We're cooped up in our room all day," Calum whined. "After today, we will start meeting to work on your defense skills, and this week the students arrive. Once they do, you can get out with them," she told them as they ate. "But the Carrows are Professors," Edgar said, "We can't fight back against them." "Maybe not, but they're dangerous, and I want you to still defend yourselves against them.  Enough at least to buy you some time to get away. There may come a time where we will be forced to fight back, though, and I want you to all be ready," she said in a low voice. "And this is better than hiding out looking for our next meal, even if we have to watch our backs. We're right where we need to be. Alright?" she said, and smiled reassuringly. The all nodded their agreement. "Have you all decided ranks then?" she asked.  "Most. Josie still hasn't been decided," Edgar said. "What about head of security? Has anyone else been assigned that?" they all shook their heads, and Josie's eyes lit up a bit. "How does that sound?  Head of Security and Intelligence?" Phoenix offered. "That sounds good, Josie, if you'd be willing?" Edgar said. Josie nodded, trying to hold back her smile to look the part. "Alright everyone, give me your ranks. Started with Edgar," she said, and they all sounded off in turn.