Last of The Fae

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Walking into her room, Daphne wasn't surprised to find Thane standing with a vacant look in his eyes, "Was I wrong to leave the three of you?" 

"You and I both know you know the answer to that question," Daphne replied, but she moved over to Thane, who opened his arms to envelope her. 

"Then why do I still feel guilty about it," Thane muttered with a sigh as he rested his chin on top of Daphne's head. 

Daphne pushed her forehead into Thane's chest, "Because you care, you want to help Rose, but you're afraid that your actions may do more harm than good." 

"I want Rose to be independent," Thane said plainly. The problem is that she's been deprived of love her entire life. If I shower her with it now, she will drown. Fortunately, you seem to be handling it well." 

Daphne smirked as she lifted her head to look up at Thane, "Progress is being made, but Rose needs to find her own identity, one that's not rooted in seeking approval and validation from others." 

"What about Luna?" Thane asked, switching topics as he released Daphne from his tender embrace instead of holding her at arm's length, allowing him to gaze at her beauty. 

"Oh, she's in the Infirmary." 

"What!?" Thane shouted, concern clear on his face. Then, a devious smile crossed Daphne's lip as she laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." 

Thane sighed, "Can I assume that means Luna is not injured?" 

"Luna is in perfect health. She's just helping Madam Pomfrey," Daphne explained. 

Thane raised an eyebrow, "Helping her with what?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but from how Luna describes it, it's more like an apprenticeship rather than volunteer work. I've even seen Luna looking over test sheets with the madam's markings all over them." 

"When did this start?"

Daphne pursued her lips in thought. "Now that you've pointed it out, I believe the day your interview was published. You should have been there. It caused quite the stir at breakfast." 

"Did anyone make trouble for you after?" Thane asked, still concerned. 

"Of course not," Daphne replied with a scoff, "I believe most haven't even placed the two of us together." 

"Speaking of us," Thane started, reaching out and intertwining his fingers with Daphne's. Have your parents said anything?" 

Daphne sighed, "They've been...hesitant, or at least my mother has been." 

"Was I not persuasive enough?"

Daphne shook her head, "It's the opposite. You offer too many benefits...I believe they're trying to milk our courtship for all its worth." 

"What more should I offer them?" Thane asked, prepared to give up all the money in the world if it meant buying Daphne's parents' approval. 

"You won't offer them a single sickle more," Daphne insisted, "That's part of their test, seeing if you'll fold when left out to dry." 

"Was creating a thriving business not enough for them," Thane asked sarcastically. 

"Nothing is ever good enough for their little girl," Daphne replied in a sickly sweet voice before sighing, "Just give them time, and eventually, they'll come around with a counteroffer. But whatever you do, don't accept their first offer. You'll be expected to negotiate." 

"Was this part of your noble upbringing?" Thane asked, half joking, "Discussing how best to market yourself for a potential husband." 

"You joke, but yes," Daphne answered seriously, "For myself and my future children." 

Thane sighed and shook his head, "Can we both agree never to use our children as political tools." 

"While I would like to agree with you, speaking in absolutes is a dangerous game. However, I would prefer that our future children find qualified suitors with whom they naturally fall in love." Daphne countered as she pulled Thane towards her bed, pushing him to sit down before straddling his lap. 

Thane's hands trailed down Daphne's back before coming to rest on her ass, "Is there anything else I need to be made aware of?" 

Daphne sighed as she arched her back, pushing her butt in Thane's hand, "Well, there is one small detail...during the Halloween Feast, Mrs. Noris was found hanging by her tail, paralyzed and nearly bled to death with a message on the wall written in her blood." 

"You mean Flinche's cat?" Thane paused, only for Daphne to nod, "What was the message?" 

Daphne looked off into the distance, trying to remember, " It was something along the lines of: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE." 

Thane's eyes widened in recognition, "Are you confident the message said Chamber of Secrets?" 

"That's the only part I'm confident about," Daphne replied, "It was a rather cruel joke, poisoning and torturing a poor animal." 

"Well, it wasn't a joke," Thane muttered, "The Chamber of Secrets is a real place, created by Salazar Slytherin after he left the school as a safeguard against muggle-born and half-blood students. It's said to contain a monster that only the Heir of Slytherin can control." 

Daphne blinked, "I thought that it was just a myth?" 

"All myths have their roots in the truth," Thane refuted, his brow furrowing in thought, "You said Mrs. Noris was paralyzed." 

"Yes," Daphne confirmed, only to frown a second later, "Actually, when I used the term in front of Luna, she corrected me and said that it was technically partial petrification." 

"Shit..." Thane clicked his tongue in frustration, "Was there any glass or water near where the cat was found?" 

"Y-yeah, the second-floor bathroom had flooded. There was water all over the floor." Daphne answered, "Have you figured it out?" 

"Unfortunately, I have," Thane muttered as he picked Daphne up by her waist and placed her on the bed, "And I would rather not deal with it, but if I'm right, we're dealing with an ancient magical beast that's at least four hundred years old raised by one of the most powerful mages in recent history." 

"What?!" Daphne exclaimed as Thane stood up, an annoyed look on his face. 

"There are only three creatures capable of petrifying a human. The first are Gorgons, a species of sentient beasts that haven't been seen in millennia. Then you have Cockatrices, a type of chimera between a rooster and a lizard. It's possible that one of them is to blame, but if I were a betting man, I'd say that Salazar, the original Parseltongue, who put a snake as his house's emblem, went for the last and most troublesome option." 

"You can't possibly mean," Daphne started. 

"Yes, I do," Thane refuted as he adjusted his robes, "We are dealing with a Basilisk, the proclaimed King of Serpents. Possessing a gaze that can instantly kill when looked at directly and petrifies when looked at indirectly." 

"How is that possible? If a giant Basilisk were moving about the castle, someone would have caught sight of it," Daphne challenged. 

Thane grinned, "Not if the creature had a means of moving about Hogwarts undetected." 

"How would it-the plumbing!" Daphne exclaimed, piecing together the puzzle, "That's why the bathroom was flooding. It must have broken a pipe!" 

Thane nodded, "The only question that remains is why an ancient creature that's been dormant for over a hundred years has suddenly decided to wake up." 

"Perhaps it's hungry?" Daphne suggested that Thane shake his head only. 

"A Basilisk this old would have to eat an entire herd of cows to get full; if it were hungry, people would have started to go missing by now." Thane explained, "The most likely scenario is that the myth is coming true. The Heir of Slytherin has returned and is trying to purge the school of all impurities." 

"Do you plan to tell the teachers?" Daphne asked as she lounged back on her bed. 

"Of course not," Thane replied instantly, "Where would be the fun in that?"