The Serpent's Teeth:
His Desires

The game has changed...

Haylee

Haylee stood up after a few minutes of thinking.

She would have to go back to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow, and there she would see how far she could take her new plan.
First, she should apologize again.

Although Snape was indeed the one to blame...
He had been waiting on the other side of the door, and it seemed to her as if he was looking past her until she noticed that he was looking at her bare shoulder.
She quickly pulled her cloak up.
What he might well think of her?
Exactly the right thing, said the quiet voice of reason.
Haylee glanced briefly at his cheek, where the impact of her bare hand had left a red spot behind.
"Has the Dark Lord seen you now?"

Her good intentions for an apology vanished.

"Seen, yes."
"Oh, just seen?" Shaped asked as he looked at her shoulder.
"If you do not want to have me here, then just say it!" She snapped.
"I have no intention of torturing you with my presence."
"I see, unfortunately, there's no way to change that."
"There are other places where I can go."
"If that were so, you wouldn't be here."
"You think so? I am, however."
He turned away and wanted to just leave.
Angrily she stomped one foot.

"I hate it that you always think to know everything better."
Snape paused and raised his eyebrow.
"All right. Then prove me wrong. Why are you here?"

"I thought we were friends," she muttered.
"You and I?" He repeated incredulously.

"You thought wrong, Haylee.
We never were, and never will be friends."
"What are you talking about? Maybe we drifted apart after Hogwarts, but there we were something like friends."
"Oh, yes, and what friends we were." Snape folded his arms across his chest and glared angrily.

"We spoke every once in awhile, and sat together in class at times, and that's about it."
"Why are you so angry at me? If it's because of the slap, then-"
"If such a small thing angered me that would be - how would you express that? - Ridiculous."
"Don't make fun of me!"
"I wouldn't even think of doing that!"
And with that, both went on their way.

They successfully avoided one another until Haylee went to the Ministry of Magic the next day.
Dumbledore was already waiting for her, and according to his expression it didn't look like he had been able to do much.
"The trial is scheduled for next week Wednesday," that's the only that said.
"Damn it!" Haylee took a deep breath.

"Do you think... They'd let my brother free, if ... if I deliver them names?"
"Wha-?"
"Death Eaters. I know a lot. "
Her former headmaster didn't seem at all surprised.

"Asking will cost nothing," he said, and escorted her to Mr. Goodwin, to whom Haylee had been yesterday.
They submitted her proposal.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying about, Miss?" Goodwin could not believe what she had just told him.
"Yes. I'll give you names, but let my brother free."
"Your brother has offered me the same, you know. So does everyone that we catch. "
"But I can bring youall. All."
"That's nonsense. That must be hundreds."
"Correct."
"And you say..."
"If you free my brother and remove him from any blame."
"Sounds reasonable," said Dumbledore.
"Have you also gone crazy? Something like that is impossible. Even our spies have failed..."
Said Goodwin in a flutter and threw a quick glance at Haylee, as if he had said too much.

"Why do you want to do that?"
"Sibling love," she said mockingly.
"Why do you care?"
"I'll think about it and obtain further advice."
"Do what you want. Just don't go to Jake Miguel."
"Miguel? You're seriously telling me that he is a follower of You-Know-Who?"
"Correct."
She could see the wires working behind Goodwin's forehead.

"I'll talk to Mr. Barty Crouch."
"As long as it's Barty Crouch senior, I don't mind."
This time Goodwin was rendered completely speechless and only found his voice again after a minute.

"Crouch jr. is... no, that's impossible."
"Believe me. I have seen him several times."
Thoughtful the wizard rubbed his temples.

"Good," he said at last.

"Write the list. Then your brother will be free."
"Could I have that written?"
With a muttered "Crouch will kill me" Goodwin grabbed parchment, Quill and ink.
****
After Haylee had said goodbye to Dumbledore, she Apparated right after Spinner's End, though she actually wanted to go somewhere else, for example Diagon Alley...

But with a document in which her betrayal was recorded officially, she could barely walk around so easily.
Betrayal, Haylee repeated in her mind.

Actually, it wasn't really betrayal.
After all, she hadn't sworn allegiance to him.

Snape wasn't there and Haylee was seriously thinking of lecturing snape about the fact that he had just left her siblings alone.
When she however saw that Cathy and Tim sat obediently in her room and magic played chess together, she calmed down.
From Tim she learned that Snape had told them to stay in this room and to behave, until their sister came back.

Back in 'her' room she wondered where she could hide this 'contract'.

She hadn't brought a lot of things with her.
A few clothes for herself and her siblings, two books, a wallet with her special stories and everyday objects such as a hairbrush.
She opted for the the wallet for the time being.

Tom

That blasted woman had actually dared to reject the Ring!
The Dark Lord walked angrily up and down in his room.

How dare she?!
Did she seriously think that she was something special?
And for this little bitch he had let go of Bellatrix....
Bellatrix had become boring quite some time ago, but now?
Now he had neither Bellatrix or Haylee.
And damn, the worst was that he still wanted her!
Somehow, he had to have her again, without letting her believe that she had some sort of power over him.
After all, she was nothing but a cheap replacement for Hazel.

On his desk he saw the story that he had taken from Rosier Hall.
Why not?, he thought and let it float over to him.
He began to read.

Initially, it should only have been a nice distraction, but the story of Amalia's victims, had something which reeled him in.

Haylee had a captivating writing style that he had to admit, but it was more due to the story itself. Somehow it seemed familiar, as if he had heard, read or seen it somewhere.
At the point where Amalia cut off the head of the General and took it to her city, The Dark Lord let the sheets of parchment sink thoughtfully, before he went on with reading.
Amalia's city was liberated of the enemy forces at the end, because Amalia had gone into the enemy's camp, seduced the General, and had then killed him at the end of the night.

Pretty implausible, he thought, what woman would raise up so much courage...
Then the story slipped out of his hands and remained lying on the ground.
If he associated 'Amalia's sacrifice' to the presence... no, that was illogical.

Why should... and yet... it would explain everything.
That is why her thoughts were always so strangely empty.

This must have kept her busy all the time.
For a moment he was amazed.

The next moment he smiled coldly.
Nobody played him for a fool.