Harriet Potter and the Alpha in the Dungeon

Chapter 98 - Maggie's New Chair

He held eye contact with her as he turned his head to the side and pressed another kiss directly into the center of her palm.

"I see that the passage of years has not diminished your penchant for tormenting me, Mrs. Snape." Severus quipped as he reluctantly released Harriet's waist.

"I promise....." Harriet grinned, "After you and I.....do what we have to do, say what we have to say.......I'll make the wait worth your while."

Severus frowned.

Harriet blinked as she walked past him and shrugged, "Everyone will be busy enjoying themselves, anyway. Who will notice if the headmaster returns to his office for a moment? Plenty of faculty will be there to chaperone."

Severus hoped he could trust the remaining members of the castle's workforce.

During the ball, he intended to return to his office with Harriet for far more than a moment.

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That same evening, Lucretia set into place the ominous scheme she had envisioned for five long years.

It was simple enough.

She would lure Maggie into the Forbidden Forest, throw her out of her chair, call the centaurs, and feed her to the creatures.

With her rival finally out of the way, she and Scorpius could have a proper go at being together.

Lucretia wouldn't even give him enough time to notice that her enemy had gone missing before she began pulling at his heartstrings.

Maggie's foolish nemesis remained ignorant about her private education at the hands of her great-great grandmother.

The note Lucretia had passed her enemy earlier that day had been clear enough:

Meet me by the Lake at seven, next to the forest.

Two minutes past the hour, Lucretia's dark eyes narrowed as she wondered where her irritating foe could be.

A crunching noise sounded.

Lucretia looked towards the castle.

No.

No one headed towards her.

The crunching noise sounded again.

Lucretia turned towards the forest as she recognized the sound of snapping tree limbs.

Her eyes narrowed.

Louder and louder, the crunching noise became a deafening boom until finally, the cause of the racket revealed itself.

Lucretia gasped as she looked up, up, up.......

She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her own terrified scream.

"You wanted to see me tonight?" Maggie called from her perch.

Ancient magic had many forms and many uses, most of which Maggie had acquired enough familiarity to at least utilize.

Wanting to save her strength for the ball, she had instead used her uncommon skills to secure an alternative chair for her meeting with Lucretia.

Sitting atop a massive Acromantula that could have easily bested Aragog in a sizing competition, Maggie's emerald eyes gleamed threateningly in the moonlight.

"I.......I......" Lucretia fumbled.

Her mind raced as she thought of what to say.

What should she do?