Apples and Snakes

Dueling

"Up! Up!" I heard knocking at the door. I shot out of bed, and threw my boots on, unlaced, and threw my black robe on over my clothing, and practically ran out to where the guards were waiting for me.

Emrys noticed my slept-in appearance, and smirked. I rolled my eyes. Here we go again.

Isn't he so annoying, that voice in my head said. Always treating you like dirt, just like the rest of the world. Prove him wrong.

I merely raised my eyebrows as we began down the stairs, into the gardens, and into the living room of the Malfoys where we'd been before. Voldemort was waiting for his two apprentices.

"Ah, my apprentices." He said. "First, dear Alice needs her wand." He handed it to me, and I carefully took it, not breaking eye contact. I recognized it as a little Slytherin game. Keeping eye contact means that you aren't going to fall for anything they throw at you.

"Thank you, my liege," I said evenly, as I stepped back.

"First, I think I shall see your already-present abilities. Fight each other." Voldemort ordered.

"What?" Emrys was stupid enough to let surprise onto his face. "F-fight her?"

"Yes," Voldemort said coldly. "Don't worry, neither of you are skilled enough to do permanent damage to each other yet."

Try me, I thought with a smirk.

"Step into the ring." I looked to see a huge ring drawn with salt of some sort in the middle of the room. Malfoy must be hating this. I stepped over it, and got in the ring. Emrys did the same.

"Get closer." Voldemort sounded amused.

We did so, until there was only a few feet between us.

"Bow."

We both did so, catching each other's eyes as we rose. There was fear in those eyes, I realized. Lots and lots of fear. Interesting.

"Take three steps back." We did so.

"Turn, and begin!"

I whipped around. "Ventus trio!" Emrys flew, and he would've gone past the ring, except where the salt was, it was like he had hit a wall.

"Ow," he muttered, just sitting there.

"Furnucula!" I cried.

"Protego!" He shot back, as he got to his feet. I ducked, and the spell hit the ground, and did nothing.

"Aquify!" Emrys cried. A wave of water headed my way.

"Ignis!" I yelled back, and a wall of fire quenched the water, and began moving in.

He looked left, then right, at the full wall of fire that was heading his way. Emrys then punched the wall caused by the salt, for some reason, but then he jumped off of it, over the fire, which dissolved as soon as it hit the salt.

"Caelstis!' I shouted as he advanced closer to me. Lightning hit, but I'd missed, although it did enough of the trick. Emrys fell back onto his back.

"Umbrify!" I cried triumphantly. Emrys looked up, and smirked. Right before the black ball hit him, he turned to a shadow, and disappeared, only to reappear out of the shadows at the edge of the circle.

Oh crap. I dodged the purple light that issued from his wand.

"Stupefy!" He dodged the one I shot, and shot another purple light out of his wand. I slid under it, and scrambled back to my feet, and cast another Stunning Spell.