Ancient: The Legacy of Slytherin

Secrets of Salazar

Author's note: I have had so much fun with you all so far. From this point on, the story is really going to start to take shape, and our various adventures and flashbacks will all start to intertwine and become significant. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll reply! I hope you all enjoy the direction we're going.

Strap in.

"And baby Hell don't scare me,
I've been times before."

Arabella POV

I was exhausted, beaten and bruised after Niahm's trial. I didn't bother disillusioning myself as I walked from Headmaster Black's tower, which may have been a mistake as I bumped into a very tall, very sturdy man.

"Ah, just the person I wanted to see. Did you just come from Black's office?"

I knew who the voice belonged to without looking up.

Perfect.

"How is it that you manage to appear at the precise moment I would least like to see you, Marvolo?"

I kept walking past him and I'm sure I was limping. Before I made it fully past him, he grabbed my arm and forced my head up.

"What the fuck happened to you?! You look absolutely dreadful. And you didn't answer my question."

"Please let me go, Marvolo. I just want to sleep." His grip on my arm tightened.

"You're not going anywhere. Answer me."

His tone was so commanding I wanted to cower into myself. I had already been through so much tonight, I wanted to cry.

"It's ancient magic stuff, Marvolo. I can't tell you more than that."

"Fine." He loosened his grip on my arm. "But I need your help. I was planning on finding you tomorrow but seeing as you're here now, no time like the present. Come along." He started dragging me down the hallway and I didn't have the strength to fight him off.

"Why would I ever help you with anything?"

"Because you owe me for saving your life. You wouldn't have made it out of Harlow's stronghold without my help, so I'm cashing in. You're going to help me access Salazar Slytherin's Scriptorium."

At the mention of that wretched place, I dug my heels into the ground to try and stop him.

"Please don't make me go back there Marvolo! I'm begging you. I'll go anywhere but there. I- I don't think I can survive that again. Not after what I've already been through tonight."

He paused and turned to look into my eyes. I could tell he was beginning to get lost in them. For a brief moment, I saw something flicker in his own eyes before it quickly disappeared, like our moment in his dorm room. He raised a hand to my bleeding temple and used his thumb to brush away the blood that was still pooling there.

"Merlin's fucking sake Arabella, who did this to you?" His voice was gentle but pointed, and his thumb lingered on me. I closed my eyes so I didn't have to stare at his green ones. When I finally spoke, my voice was barely a whisper.

"Why do you touch me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Delicately. Intimately."

His jaw tensed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You touched me like that before the Quidditch game too. And in your dorm room."