January and February flew by quickly. Regina barely had time to sleep or make further plans between their classes – and those were bad. Each professor seemed to fear that the lot of fifth year would fail the coming OWLS so they piled the essays on. Regina and Jillian also were piling the pressure on the Beginner Class for Dark Arts. They were now introducing the Unforgivables to the five. This was always a difficult time, especially for the ones they hoped to corrupt.
They still snuck out late at night to feed their baby. Sadly, they didn't often do it together. Since both now could speak parseltongue, they often did it separately. Clearly Azure was watching and following Regina. It was often easier to allow Jillian to go out because Azure didn't follow her.
Azure Zabini was impossible – even with the knowledge that her brother was trying to court Regina. Flowers and cards and chocolates would often appear. Regina was genuinely impressed at Blaise's effort. But Azure seemed to desire a conflict with Regina. Azure had little understanding for society and politics. Blaise had his sources inside and even once sent Azure a howler because of her work to undermine his courtship of Regina Fawley.
But at last Regina and Jillian were wearing some of their finest dresses on their way to dates at Hogsmeade. It was the fated weekend of Valentine's. Jillian would be at the Three Broomsticks with Malcom Braddock, her on again off again boyfriend. But she was really nearby for back up, as was Malcom and Regina's own on again, off again boyfriend, Graham Pritchard.
The ladies parted company with their dates at the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Regina took Blaise's arm and tried to let the young man charm her. She continued to be impressed. He started by taking her to Honeydukes and bought her a large heart shaped box of chocolate. She took it, but inwardly she winced knowing that she would have to hand it back at the end of the day. They traveled the customary walk through Scrivenshaft's and Dervish's. Regina didn't really need anything – she was an impeccable planner.
Finally, they sat down at the Three Broomsticks. Conversation started light.
"So, did you ever see yourself going on the typical Hogwarts date again?" She asked.
It was clearly a good way to break the ice. Blaise had always been charming and sweet and seemed to see the light start as a good start to the moment when Regina would probably announce her intentions.
"I admit this seems kind of childish to me now," he said with a blush.
Regina smiled gently. "It isn't as if there are many adult things that can be done at Hogsmeade – and I am still technically not of age." Then she batted her eyelashes and bent closer, "And think about my virgin reputation."
Blaise chuckled. He did remember the vehement denials he once made to his friend Draco Malfoy: "I will never be seen coming back to Hogsmeade like some of these losers to catch Azkaban bait."
He chuckled keeping it light, but curious to see if he could bring things to the point. "Well, I am in the presence of one of the most beautiful woman –" he started. "Not just in Hogwarts, but in the Wizarding World. I am willing to endure much for your presence on my arm."
She chuckled at the blatant attempt to sidle into her graces. "There are plenty of beautiful ladies that would grace your arm, Blaise."
"But none," he retorted, "have the wit, charm and grace of Regina Fawley."
She smiled. "I would like to think that I have all those things –"
The two did not speak for a while as the food came to the table. They ate quietly. Finally, Regina spoke up. "How would you feel if I were to seek employment as one of our Lord's Death Eaters, maybe even the Inner Circle?"
Blaise stopped the glass of butterbeer that had just touched his lips. Her question had hit at the crux of several issues. That question asked these without saying them out loud: "What kind of relationship would we have? Who is the bread winner? What do you think if I believe my ambition is to be greater than the sister you fear so much?" Regina had come right out and brought it all to the forefront.
Blaise tried to gather his thoughts, but she clearly had him on the defensive. No answer that he would want to give and mean would put him in a positive light. Finally, he settled for putting his plate and drink aside for a minute and took his hands across the table to take Regina's hands in his own.
"You can't want those things, Regina Fawley," finally came rolling out of his mouth. He kept talking but he watched her. She did very little to show a reaction, but he was no fool. There was just a little narrowing of the eyes which told him he had played his cards. "I want my wife at my side. She will like my mother grow the Zabini family empire. She will host galas. I believe you could host a gala greater than the Malfoy Boxer Day Party. I wish you could see yourself, Regina. You are the Queen."
Regina with a quiet hard voice spoke, "But you would still be the king."
She squeezed his hands as she looked into his eyes, piercing him. "I don't think you understand your sister. I understand her too well. In the Muggle world, your sister and I would be best friends and Jillian MacDougal would be lost in the dust." Her hands squeezed him harder and her eyes narrowed further. "I understand your sister perfectly well and she understands me. Neither one of us is interested in love – only power. If I could have power at your side, ruling the Zabini family, hosting parties – I would." She released his hand. "While you so chivalrously think you can protect me from your sister – and your mother," she added. "You would sign my death warrant. I am too much the Pureblood Queen for them to sit back and allow to rule their family. I would lose all my power and control because the man whose ring I wore would be so busy trying to keep his sister and I from war, that he would find himself dead and myself with nothing."
Blaise stood up with conviction in his voice. "That isn't how it is going to go, Regina Fawley."
She spoke hard, but quietly. "I see it in your sister's eyes. She is powerful and ambitious, but she lacks subtlety. If she could bide her time, she would allow you to succeed. But she is too proud and certain of her righteousness to not play her deck. First, I would be forced by my husband to grant her prestige and power. Then, when she married, I would be forced by my mother-in-law to allow her and Azure to put me into the background. When I have made a baby, I would be put down. Then the Zabinis would have the vast fortunes of the Fawleys and they wouldn't have to pretend to give one child the Fawley name."
Blaise was angry at her. He denied it all so loudly in front of the young lovers. But his words sounded hollow and he knew it.
"You have intelligence, wit, and looks," Regina told him. "You have power in your own right. But we would not be a good match. I am sorry," She told him.
"She'll kill you," he said. "Before the year is out –"
Regina smiled and barely whispered the words. "Let her try."
+ + + +
She didn't try yet. But Azure ended any weak attempts to get along with Slytherin's Ice Queen. The trouble was that she found herself continually out maneuvered. When she tried to gather the sheep to her, they followed her only long enough to find Regina. If Azure scored a point higher than Regina in class, it was Regina's grace and tact that made her look boorish when she pointed out her successes. When she sought to waylay Regina in the corridors, she would find herself hexing poor 3rd years and coming face-to-face with Regina without any excuse for magic in the halls. Each time Regina treated her not as an enemy, but as a friend. Regina refused to take away points. She continued to speak of Azure as one of her friends. It felt like a show to Azure, but as Regina had said to her brother – and she had heard the accusation. Azure lacked the subtlety to get into a social war with Regina Fawley.
So, Azure played to her strength, but failed to realize the way Regina played her again. Things finally boiled over on the last day of March. Regina had outmaneuvered Azure again in front of all Slytherin and Azure was bound and determined to fight it out in the dormitory room if necessary, but Regina wasn't there.
So, she thundered into breakfast and threw her first spell a nasty Dark hex at Regina. Somehow Regina seemed to slide away from it. It missed her, but it hit a 1st year Ravenclaw. The only staff was Oliver Wood who stood up and yelled a worthless removal of points. Regina elegantly stood up and made her way to the center of the Hall.
"Azure," she said, "For attacking a student in the Great Hall, I take five points."
"You are a ridiculous, Prefect," she replied.
"Is this the time and place, Azure?" She asked.
Azure growled. "You are dead, Fawley –"
"Promises ... promises," Regina replied.
Azure struck again, going with her strongest spells first. Regina danced out of the way and countered with sticking jinxes and light jinxes. While the ferocity of Azure's attacks turned the Hall into an uproar with screams, the practicality of Regina's retorts safely removed the other students and kept others from involving themselves.
At this point, Headmaster Snape strolled into the room. When he quickly saw what had happened and that Regina had safely provided protection for the other students, he quietly gave Slytherin fifty points then he looked for students to ascertain exactly how the battle had started.
Meanwhile Regina's sticking, bubble, and light jinxes had created a bubble around the two aspiring Dark Witches. Now Azure's spells didn't fly into unsuspecting students.
"How weak of you to waste such time doing that – " Azure growled as she continued to send cuts and pain, even a Crucio or two at Regina.
Regina didn't respond, but smirked. She knew that Azure had misunderstood the danger. When Regina had maneuvered herself to a particular area, she waited for Azure to strike, thinking it was time for Azure to try a Dark bombarda. When she raised her wand, Regina did a light disillusionment and when Azure struck she was blinded, unable to see her opponent. She sent her strongest blasting hex at where she thought Fawley was. But she had moved away. The spell hit the gooky dome that Regina's quick thinking had created and it came back like a terrible reflection. The blast struck Azure in the center of the chest. Regina was lightening quick. She came back into view.
"Accio wand," she shouted at Zabini. The fight was effectively over. Azure slowly came to her feet, looking for her wand and looking to strike the blond who barely had a scratch, just a smattering of dust or two."
But Headmaster Snape had made his way into the circle along with Professor Carrow.
"That will be enough, Zabini," he said. "Another one hundred points to Slytherin for Fawley's effective methods of ending a fight without bloodshed."
Azure growled.
"I'd take points from Slytherin, Zabini," he said, "But I think that would be rather pointless. But for attacking a student unprovoked, Detention."
Azure's eyes narrowed. "For refusing to stop after a Prefect reprimanded you and for hurting an underclassman without provocation, Detention." He looked at Professor Carrow. "That's two detentions. But before I give her to you for her punishment. For use of the Dark Arts in a public setting against a Pureblood who did not attack you first, I remove you from your position as my assistant in the Dark Arts classes."
"NO!" Azure shouted. She pulled out her hand to strike, but she forgot that Regina had her wand.
Professor Carrow reached out his hand, "I will relieve you of that, Miss Fawley," Regina walked smoothly and confidently without a scratch to hand Azure's wand to Professor Carrow. Then, she started to help the other Prefects clean up. She did not see Zabini fight against the invisible binding as she was levitated away for punishment. Regina knew that both Carrows were terrible teachers, but they were good at one thing, dishing out pain.
Following clean up and the younger years going to Wizarding Etiquette, Headmaster Snape called Regina and Jillian to his office.
"I saw everything, ladies. I don't need a recap. It is dealt with, though I will have to Floo the Zabini household in a minute. But I have two questions. First, who would you recommend to replace Zabini as my assistant?"
Regina looked at Jillian who looked back at her. Clearly, Jillian wanted to defer to Regina. Regina's eyes bugged at her, and finally she heard her speak through their Horcrux link. "You are being given the opportunity to share your opinion. Tell him!"
Jillian turned to the Headmaster finally. "I believe that Graham Pritchard is the next best at Dark Arts after Regina, Azure, and myself."
Regina chuckled. "You have that order almost right."
Jillian's eyes winked at Regina's joke. She didn't understand. On the way out of the Headmaster's office, Regina took her arm and whispered in her ear. "You are farther along than Zabini. In fact, you're going to be the one who kills her."
Jillian turned to her friend – disbelief on her face.
+ + + +
The last two and one half months were filled with essays and finally the arrival of the OWL examiners. Azure was a shell of her former self. While her attack on Fawley was not treated as an expulsion, it was treated as poorly planned and executed. She was truly ostracized by everyone. And the method of her defeat plainly grated on her. Regina had shown everyone – I'm so much better at the Dark Arts that I don't need them to put down Zabini.
Her failure also forced her to rethink her strategies. Her mother had sent a Howler for embarrassing the family with her horrible behavior. But the real secret quiet howler had been the letter from her mother with one sentence: Don't bother coming home without Fawley's dead body. The worst indignity came on the Train ride back after the end of year feast. Azure was so shunned there was only one compartment she was allowed in, Regina Fawley's. Fawley made it clear that she did not fear her. Technically, neither did MacDougal.
It was Jillian's own dismissive attitude to Azure that led her to follow Jillian with the makings of a plan. Everything went perfectly when Regina went off with the Lestranges and Jillian was alone in King's Cross Station among Muggles. She was following Jillian out of the station, preparing to push her into an alley when she lost MacDougal.
She cursed loudly at how easily the other had gotten away, when suddenly, she felt a strong hand and the twist of her navel. Portkey –
They were in a field far away from London. MacDougal had turned away and gave Azure a blank look.
"You must have a Death wish, MacDougal," Azure taunted. Jillian slowly brought her wand up, appearing to hesitate with what she planned to do next.
"Well, let's make this quick. If you're dead, then Fawley will come looking for you, then I can kill her –"
Jillian's movements did not prepare Azure for the feeling of one nasty Cruciatus curse. Azure fell to the ground screaming. The pain electrified her body as she stretched and twisted for minutes. She didn't know how long she lay there screaming but when it ended, she slowly got up to see MacDougal was still alone and now she had Azure's wand in her hand.
"Petrificus Totalus –" Jillian said dismissively and Azure's arms and legs snapped together and she fell into the wet mud of the ground.
Jillian walked over, and ripped Azure's clothes off, leaving nothing on. Then, she took a hold of Zabini's hand and popped them away.
As Azure found herself led through a dark tunnel, one thought kept moving through her head, "How is MacDougal able to apparate already. Zabini did not know where they were and Jillian said nothing. Eventually she stopped in the middle of the tunnel. She waved her wand and opened a side corridor. Then, they traveled deep into the earth, at last coming to doors sealed by the symbol of two snakes intertwined.
"Open," Jillian hissed.
It was the sound of Jillian's voice that made Azure feel terror for the first time ever. She had always been so sure of herself, even after she had lost to Fawley, believing she had lost because of Fawley's protection of the students and not because of Regina's skill. She believed she had underestimated MacDougal, but felt she still could defeat her. But now she felt terror as Jillian pulled her into a dark corridor that ended at the statue of Salazar Slytherin.
"Where are we, Jillian?" Azure asked. But Jillian said nothing. She lifted her arms to the sky and hissed again. Azure did not understand it, but Jillian said, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four," in Parseltongue. Azure realized now what the hissing was and she knew that things were dark for her.
The mouth opened and a snake came out. She stood below as Jillian walked right up to the serpent and touched its scaly underside. She petted the demon creature – to Azure's furthering horror. She rubbed her face and hair against it. When she had done enough, she finally turned and spoke to Azure for the first time.
"Regina was right all along –" she started. "About everything."
Azure glared. "But what I didn't realize until today was that she was right about me." Jillian continued. "She told me that you were not just beneath her, but beneath me. She told me. It will be so easy. We will lead her along. She will follow you, Jillian. Take her to the field where we killed the Mudbloods. Let her talk, but not too long. Strike her before she thinks you are able. Don't let me think that she has any ability to stand against you."
Jillian walked toward her. "I told her that you were greater. I tried to insist on it, but now I see how easy it was to manipulate you and to hit you." Jillian who was always so meek and mild, laughed hard and long. "I took you down with one lousy Crucio –" She continued to mock Azure. "A Crucio –" She shook her head. "I would never try that trick on Fawley. She'd be in my pants fifteen seconds after I started her on the Crucio. And I'd be begging for the Crucio too."
Azure tried to talk but couldn't. But she thought. "Did these bitches fuck each other after hitting each other with the Cruciatus?" She was dumbfounded. Her mother – she had been so wrong. Even Blaise was wrong, and she was dead.
"Well," Jillian stated, "I want to go back for my bed at Fawley Manor. And Regina said we need a decoration."
"Finite Incantum –" she said.
Azure was able to move. She looked up at the menacing snake. Jillian turned to look into the water. "You might want to look over here. That snake can kill with just a look." She said. Azure wondered. "Is that a basilisk?" Jillian paid her no heed as she looked into the water.
"Come, baby," Jillian hissed. Azure turned her head to the water, terror running down her body. The snake lifted high above the ground, but didn't strike. Then, she saw the eyes. Jillian turned. Azure tried to turn, to move, then she tried to scream. Then, she remembered no more.