Descendant of Merlin Book 2: Darkness and Desire (Severus Snape)

Arguments, Goblins, and Muggle Shopping

~ As with book 1, the new cover for this story is provided by the talented SamanthaWilde. I appreciate her willingness to help bring this book to a higher level.

Warning: The first book of this series was the most light-hearted and youth-friendly. The story will grow more mature in many ways and is written with an older teen/young adult (16 and up) audience in mind. I love all of my readers, but you have been warned.

I thank all of you for reading, and I hope this story continues to please. Feel free to comment or message me. I do try to respond quickly.~

       I've been staying at Severus's home for a few weeks now and things are going fairly well. We've argued several times, of course, but we got over the squabbles pretty quickly. Severus has turned out to be an excellent cook, which certainly came as a surprise. He does it the muggle way too, which I find strange.

       Right now we aren't speaking because he made a very rude comment about my eating habits so I told him there's a reason all the other students call him greasy...Not my finest moment. I felt bad and wanted to make it up to him since he was sulking in his room.

       I got my pouch of floo powder and went to the large fireplace in the family room. I took a pinch out and deposited the pouch inside my robes.

       "Diagon Alley!" I called clearly, throwing the powder into the dying flames. I waited for the spinning to stop, and emerged onto the endlessly bustling street. I inhaled deeply feeling very glad to be out of the house. Severus didn't like me going down to the muggle town near his house. He said he tried to keep a low profile among the muggles and that they were the kind to notice anything out of the ordinary immediately.

       I wished I could shop around, but I was just here to take out my money from my school-use vault. I was glad my parents had gotten me my own vault when I entered my fourth year and started spending more time at Lynx's. My father had said he wanted me to have access to some money in case I needed it. I usually just used a few galleons for sweets or games. Occasionally I would need to buy an outfit for some occasion with it, but mostly the vault sat unused.

       I started on my way to Gringott's bank. As I entered the goblin at the door bowed. It made me a bit edgy like I always feel around Allistor's house elves. My father had adamantly refused to have house elves despite my mother's obvious frustration over it.

       I approached the head goblin and placed my key in front of him. He sneered down his nose at me with a grunt.

       "Can I help you?" he asked nastily. I straightened my posture and replied in a hard voice.

       "I am Isabella Fellstone, and I would like to make a withdrawal from vault 678. That's the key."

       "A deposit was just made to that fault two days ago by a man with your last name; a father I presume. Very well," he snipped. Another goblin stepped forward and took my key. He started swiftly away, and I followed closely so I wouldn't get lost.

       We boarded a rickety cart, and one roller coaster ride later we arrived at my vault. I stepped unsteadily from the cart and waited while it was unlocked. The cavernous area was dank and smelled strongly of damp earth and mold. I ran my fingers through my hair and winced when they snagged on a tangle. I hated riding the cart down here for that very reason.

       Once he had opened my vault the goblin stepped back. I entered to find my coin pile had nearly doubled. There was around eighty galleons, one hundred and twenty sickles, and forty-three knuts.

       I scooped most of it into the leather bag I had brought and pulled the bag closed. I exited the vault and the goblin re-secured the door. Once again we were on the random roller coaster ride.