Prosapia Aenigmatis - The Family Riddle

Chapter 19

Aislinn walked quietly through the halls of Dunvegan Castle and down several staircases to reach her destination. She was sure that everyone else would still be sleeping given the previous nights activities. When she reached the kitchen however, she found that she was mistaken. The lights were all on and she heard voices, two voices, male voices, her father and Mr. Malfoy. They were talking quietly about something and Aislinn decided to linger by the door, hoping to get an ear full.

"So he hasn't any idea where it is now?" Lucius asked her father. He sounded exhausted and Aislinn reckoned that he probably hadn't slept either.

"No, it's been missing for several hundred years," her father replied, "but we must find it. Marsali is in the library researching several of the old family books he brought here years ago after he met my mother. They are ancient texts, some written by Salazar himself. We are certain there is a way to locate it. She ought to be returning with the information soon."

"I certainly hope we can find it, Walden," said Lucius, who let out a loud sigh. "Time is not on our side."

"Indeed," her father replied.

There was a long silence and Aislinn figured they had finished talking. Her stomach gave a great rumble and prompted her into the kitchen. She walked into the large room and found her father and Lucius sitting at a table near the bar. Her father was holding his head in his hands, rubbing his temples vigorously. He appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown. Lucius on the other hand, was perfectly collected, resting against the back of his chair with his hands folded on the table. He was the first to notice her when she entered.

"You're up rather early this morning, Miss Macnair," Lucius said with a slight smugness in his expression. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No sir, not at all," she replied and sat down across from him. Her father was at the left end of the table and he raised his head to smile at her.

"Good morning, darling. I'm sorry that you couldn't sleep. Considering what has just taken place, I doubt many of us slept at all," her father said. His voice was very gentle and loving. He confused her greatly. It was hard for her to believe that this kind man was the same person who was the son of the Dark Lord, trying to bring him back to power. Aislinn certainly hoped he wouldn't bring this line of conversation any farther than this and was relieved when he next asked, "Are you hungry, dear?"

Aislinn nodded. With a flick of his wand, her father conjured a self-refilling glass of orange juice and a plate of hot bangers and toast.

"Thanks dad," she said as she grabbed a piece of toast and took a bite. She became very self-conscious as she noticed that Lucius was watching her while she ate. Aislinn glanced at her father who had resumed his temple rubbing while staring at the table. Aislinn looked back at Mr. Malfoy but he wasn't looking at her any longer. He was looking past her toward the door.

"Well, did you find out anything?" Lucius asked. Aislinn turned around and saw Marsali standing in the doorway. An evil look of satisfaction covered her face.

"Of course I did, Lucius darling. Are you forgetting who you are speaking to?" Marsali replied and crossed the room quickly. She took the chair next to Lucius and moved it as close to him as she could without having to sit in his lap. Lucius didn't seem to mind at all; he raised an eyebrow and looked at her with mild amusement. 'Merlin, Draco is just like him,' Aislinn thought. Marsali pressed herself against him, licked her lips slowly and ran her fingers through the ends of his hair, but before it could go any further, and much to Aislinn's relief, her father cleared his throat loudly.

"Lucius, I don't think Narcissa would appreciate how friendly you are with other women. I know I certainly don't appreciate your behavior in front of my daughter; and Marsali, lay off the poor man will you? You have been pulling this for years now," Walden said in an exasperated tone, still rubbing his head quite vigorously.

"Certainly, little cousin," Marsali replied, and Walden suspended his rubbing briefly to shoot her a venomous look. Marsali laughed and continued, "Aislinn, I am sorry if I have offended you with my behavior, but certainly you can understand that I can hardly help myself." Aislinn froze and looked at Lucius who was looking smugly at her cousin. Marsali couldn't have known about what happened during the holiday. Her cousin started speaking again.

"You seem to be quite good friends with that gorgeous boy of his," Marsali winked. Aislinn began to panic as Lucius smirked, and her father jerked his head up so quickly that Aislinn was sure he must have suffered whiplash from the force of it.

Her father seemed to have reached his limit. He slammed his fist down on the table and everyone jumped. "Enough of this! Marsali, did you find out how to locate it or not?" He seemed to be desperately trying to control his temper. It was all for Aislinn's benefit and she knew it. She had never seen her father angry before.

"Yes Walden, I did. It is rather simple really. All you need to do is co-" Marsali started, but Walden cut her off with a glare.

He glanced at Aislinn and back at Marsali. "I am not the person you need to be telling. Go and tell him, he is in the parlor waiting to hear the result of your research. Tell him that Lucius and I will be along shortly and we can all talk then. We must see the children off before we can meet him," her father said, this time his voice was much calmer.

"Alright, Walden." Marsali ran her hand slowly across Lucius' shoulder and then down his arm. "Just take a look at this list before I go." She grinned at him before looking at Aislinn. "If I don't see you before you leave dear, have a good remainder of the year. And do come back soon, it is wonderful to have you here." Marsali walked around the table and brought her arms up to hug Aislinn good bye, causing Aislinn to catch a glimpse of the horrible black skull on her arm. Aislinn shuddered a bit and then smiled weakly at her cousin. Marsali left the room with a smile, and Aislinn took another bite of her breakfast. Her father and Lucius left the room not long after Marsali, and Aislinn was left to contemplate all she had seen.

She wondered what this "it" was that they were so desperate to find, and also what would happen once it was found. She hoped that whatever it was, it would be far away from people so that no one else had to get hurt. Aislinn finished her breakfast and sat at the table reading "Teen Witch Weekly" for nearly an hour, as various family members flitted in and out of the kitchen seeking breakfast. They had all left the castle, and she had finally gotten a moment's peace when she heard the shuffling of feet as someone entered the room. It was Draco; a very groggy, crazy-haired, bleary-eyed, slipper-wearing Draco to be precise. Clearly he was not a morning person. Aislinn giggled silently as she looked away from the magazine, and noticed that his slippers were pale blue and a bit on the fuzzy side. She looked up at his near comatose expression, grinned, and continued reading her magazine. Draco sat across from her and snatched her glass of orange juice with much more force than necessary, especially given the fact that the juice could put up no great fight of its own, and emptied it three times before returning it to the table.

"Good morning sunshine," Aislinn said as brightly as she could, trying not to laugh out right at his expression.

Draco groaned loudly. "How can you be so chirpy with only a few hours sleep?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes furiously.

"Try no sleep, Malfoy. I have been in here since a little before six," Aislinn said. She looked back at the article she was reading, "Hot Quidditch Wizards Who Know How to Use Their Brooms." Several young men were flying across an enormous Quidditch pitch, winking and waving at the camera. Two of the flyers seemed to be having a row over who was the better player, and one of them was nearly knocked off his broom before a surly looking witch in referees robes flew up and righted the angered boy.

They sat in silence for a while as Draco ate the still hot bangers and drank her glass of orange juice repeatedly. Aislinn merely read the magazine, glancing over at Draco every so often to see if he was finished eating. He ate for nearly thirty minutes, and Aislinn was becoming ill thinking of the amount of food he consumed.

"Better watch it, Malfoy. You might be able to fit into one of Bulstrode's negligees soon if you keep eating like that," Aislinn said over the top of her magazine. Draco scowled and put down the piece of toast that he was about to shove into his mouth. A loud crack startled them both, and she saw a small house elf standing at the end of the table.

"Excuse me Miss and Sir, but your fathers have sent me to inform you that you will be leaving shortly to return to school. They would like you to be ready in an hour," the elf said, and with another loud crack he was gone. Aislinn smiled, she was finally going back. Even though she had only been gone a day, it seemed like an eternity. She had so much to tell Quinn.

"I'm going to go and shower," Aislinn said as she quickly stood up and left the room, leaving Draco alone with the rest of the food that Aislinn was sure he would finish as soon as she was gone.

She showered and dressed in her Slytherin robes, and an hour later her father was at her door, waiting to take her down to the parlor to go back to school. It was only 9 a.m. She wouldn't miss too much of her first class. Perhaps she wouldn't have to go to it at all; she could just take a bit of a nap before lunch and then start her lessons.

They met Draco and Lucius in the parlor. Her father took a small glass bottle out of his pocket and handed it to Aislinn. "Now, you and Draco are going to take this portkey straight into Hogwarts. It will land you in your common room, and Severus will be there waiting to make sure you get back ok. The portkey is voice activated. The activation word is Hogwarts. When you two are ready just say it and you will land safely back at school. Lucius and I will be taking a portkey to Hogsmeade shortly after you two leave. We have a few errands to run." Aislinn nodded and her father gave her a tight embrace. "Have a lovely end of term, dear." Aislinn nodded again and noticed that Draco and Lucius were not saying goodbye's to one another, but merely standing there watching her and her father. Aislinn took the portkey from her father and stepped over to where Draco and Mr. Malfoy were standing. Lucius gave her a brilliant smile and she smiled weakly in return.

Aislinn held the bottle out to Draco. "Are you ready then?" she asked him. He nodded his head and grabbed hold of the bottle. His hand wrapped around hers and she was reminded of the night before. With a faint blush creeping over her cheeks she said "Hogwarts," and the two of them were jerked away, leaving their fathers behind.

They landed in the middle of the common room. It was empty save one person in all black, sitting in one of the leather armchairs reading a book. Professor Snape had his legs crossed and looked up from the book as they stumbled into the room, each holding a bag full of their things. "You two have been excused from your first lesson of the day. You may sleep if you like, or you may stay in the common room. Miss Macnair, I believe you are friends with the Finnigan girl, are you not?"

Aislinn was startled by the mention of Quinn. "If you mean Quinn, then yes sir, I am."

Snape closed his book and stood up quickly. "Once you have put away your things, you will be allowed to visit her in the Hospital Wing before your next lesson if you so desire."

"W-what? Quinn is in the hospital? Why, is she hurt?" Aislinn felt her stomach drop to the floor as she stared at her Head of House. She couldn't fully grasp what he was saying. Quinn had been just fine yesterday morning.

Snape ignored her questions and continued with a sneer. "And after you see her, I would like for you to come to my office. I wish to discuss your last essay if you don't mind," Snape said and quickly strode out of the room, through the hallway that led to his office. Aislinn stood there staring at Draco for a moment before she threw her bag onto the sofa and bolted out of the common room. She didn't know what was going on; she only knew that she had to find out what happened to Quinn.

Aislinn ran as fast as she could through the halls toward the hospital wing. Classes were still in session, so the corridor was thankfully empty of anyone who might get in her way. She wondered what on earth had happened to Quinn. Had she gotten her letter? Had she tried to do something to help?

If she were hurt badly because of this, Aislinn would never forgive herself. She rounded the corner and burst into the hospital wing. She scanned the room quickly and saw that Ginny Weasley was in a bed on the far side of the ward. Dean Thomas was in a bed directly across from Ginny. Aislinn found Quinn a few beds down from her and rushed to her side. Quinn was awake and looked fine. Aislinn felt her heartbeat return to normal as she approached her friend's bedside.

"What in Merlin's name happened Quinn? Are you alright?" Aislinn asked as she sat down heavily in a chair next to Quinn's bed, exhausted from having run clear across the school.

* * *

Quinn looked up, a bit startled to see her friend. Then a rush of relief passed over her. "Thank God you're back. I was worried they might..." Quinn looked around nervously. Anyone could overhear them in here. She reached to the small bedside table, setting down her book on Vocarius Charms and retrieved her wand.

"Subausculto," she said, rotating her wand above her head and ensuring that the silencing charm encased them. "I was worried that, you know, he might be angry enough to do something to you. You know how hard it was for me to come back here, knowing you were still with him? And do you realize how furious I am with you? That note, I thought you were my best friend. You can't just rush off to meet an evil overlord and leave me a note." Quinn scowled at Aislinn and continued to rant. "I am so sick of you taking these problems as your own responsibility Aislinn. It's not your fault who you're related to. You should have come and found me. How long did you know you would be leaving anyway?"

Aislinn tried to interrupt, a confused look still on her face, but Quinn continued. "And of course I got blamed by Professor Snape, big shock there. That man has more compassion for the giant squid than he has for his students. Now I'm stuck in this horrid hospital bed with itchy sheets. Terry Boot keeps coming in with hair care products and offering to wash my hair. I can't get to class, exams are coming up and I'm going to be doomed if I don't keep up with our work. If my grades slip I want you to know I blame this on you," Quinn said, finally running out of things to rant about. Aislinn looked completely bewildered and Quinn smiled. She reached out and hugged her friend furiously, so happy to see her safe again.

Aislinn broke away from her friend's overly enthusiastic embrace. "What in the hell are you talking about Quinn? What do you mean how hard it was to come back here? And what did Snape blame on you? What happened, where did you go? And why is Terry trying to wash your hair?" Aislinn asked, she was completely confused and she wanted answers.

"Oh I don't want to tell the whole story again!" Quinn said exasperatedly. Aislinn gave her a furious look. "Okay fine. I got your note and I flew to Dunvegan. Oh wait you don't know yet," Quinn sighed. "I'm an eagle, that's my Animagus form, a very specific eagle. I'd show you if I wasn't stuck in here until dinnertime. I saw you; I saw the whole ritual. That was me." Quinn nodded, watching the realization dawn on Aislinn.

"That bastard Malfoy caught me, and he-" Quinn paused. She remembered promising not to tell Aislinn about the Vocarius Charm. "After you all left," she continued, "I couldn't hold my form anymore; I popped back into my body. None of the Death Eaters saw me, thank God, but Dumbledore's operatives did. They brought me back here with Harry and Ginny." Quinn sat back and then realized she wasn't done with her story.

"Oh, but that's not what I told everyone. They think I used a locating charm to find Ginny and didn't arrive until the ritual was over. So don't tell." Quinn leaned back again and watched the range of expressions that crossed Aislinn's face.

Aislinn sat back and let everything sink in. "Ok, let me get this straight. You were the eagle in the ritual? You saw it all? You flew from the safety of this school to find me, and were caught and forced to partake in it yourself?" Aislinn's voice was rising and she was grateful for the silencing charm.

"Quinn! That is the most irresponsible, stupid, gah...why would you do that? You knew where I was going, how could you put yourself in a position to possibly be hurt like that? God, if you had been found out, oh I can't think about it." Aislinn slumped back in the chair and looked around the room. She didn't want to look at Quinn. If she had been hurt, it would have been her fault. Aislinn glanced over at Ginny. "Is she ok? What they did to her was horrible."

Quinn looked over at Ginny and bit her lip. "She's fine. I," Quinn allowed herself a small smile. "I did some healing charms when I reached her. Madam Pomfrey said they were really good..." Quinn trailed off, looking at Aislinn. She was blaming herself again, lost in thoughts of cursing her family back into the Stone Age. Quinn wasn't sure whether to let her muse or interrupt. "Aislinn it's not your fault. In fact, if it weren't for you, no one would have found out about the ritual. It might have actually been successful! You saved us all really."

Aislinn looked back at Quinn and snorted. "Saved us? Not hardly, but I don't want to think about it anymore. I'm just so glad that Dumbledore's plan worked. If he had drunk the potion..." Aislinn trailed off, she didn't want to think about what she might have helped take place. Then she thought about the two Potters. "Hey, did you see who the second Potter was, or the first, or...well, we were really confused about that."

Quinn was momentarily taken aback as Aislinn said 'we.' The idea of her sitting calmly with a room full of Death Eaters, and wondering aloud about the undoing of an evil plan was more than a bit unsettling. Quinn shook herself, trying to rid that thought from her mind.

"It was someone named Mundungus Fletcher, the first Potter that is. It was Polyjuice Potion; they sent him in as a distraction. Then the real Potter arrived- they weren't planning on that." Quinn remembered the look of confusion on everyone's face as the two Potters stood side by side. "Harry was furious-the real Harry that is. No one would tell him what was going on and he went after Ginny when she went missing. Said he had some dream, I'm not really sure what happened." Quinn couldn't think of anything else to say. It seemed so odd to be sitting here, on a warm spring day, discussing such horrific things.

Aislinn slumped even further in the chair. "I met him you know, talked to him," she said in a quiet voice. "I was terrified. It was very strange though, not at all how I expected. He was almost, nice. I don't know; it was really weird. He told me that I needn't be scared of him, as long as I choose the right path." Aislinn looked away from her friend now for some reason. "He also told me that my necklace was a gift to my grandmother from him." Aislinn ran a finger along the pendant around her neck and sighed, thinking about all that Quinn had told her.

"Wait, did you say you came back with Ginny and Potter? Did they see me? What about Draco, did they see him? Did they tell anyone?" Aislinn was now sitting on the edge of her chair, anxiously awaiting Quinn's reply.

"No, no one saw you. Dumbledore asked them all and Ginny can't remember a thing. She lost too much blood. Potter didn't see you either, he was furious that Voldemort got out. As for the members of the Order, they all knew you would be there anyway," Quinn explained, and Aislinn let out a breath of relief. "Dumbledore has it all worked out."

"See, after Dumbledore talked to me alone we went down to the hospital wing," Quinn said, leaning forward and preparing to delve into her story. "Madam Pomfrey was taking care of Ginny, and Potter was pouting in the corner I think. I've never seen him so mad, it was kind of..." Quinn took one look in Aislinn's eyes and realized her friend wasn't in the mood to joke.

"Anyway, he asked them what they remembered, what they saw. They didn't really see much I guess. Ginny was still pretty out of it." Quinn paused, looking back at where Ginny was sleeping, pale and fatigued. "Then, get this," Quinn grinned with excitement. "Cornelius Fudge walks in with a bunch of those white-cloaked people, the members of the Order."

"Fudge came here?" Aislinn asked as she began to panic. "But wait, the Order? Wh-"

"I'll explain about the Order in a minute, but Fudge came in and he was furious." Quinn's eyes widened as she tried to illustrate her point. "He started yelling at Dumbledore about overstepping authority and Dumbledore- Aislinn I've never seen him look so mad. I couldn't hear everything, but he told Fudge that without his interference Voldemort would be back in power at that moment." Quinn shuddered at the thought.

"Fudge didn't believe him at first, but as members of the Order arrived, they all verified that they had seen him. He looked like his head was going to explode. And then," Quinn almost giggled, she felt a rush of adrenaline reliving the tense moment. "Sirius Black walked in." Quinn paused, half for affect, and half remembering the amazing way his eyes smoldered when he was upset. She shook the thought from her mind. "He and Fudge just stared at each other for what seemed like five minutes. No one said anything."

"Holy shit Quinn! Sirius Black is here, in this school? Why aren't the Dementors here, what is wrong with Dumbledore? Bringing a murderer in this school! If my father knew..."

Quinn felt her temper flare up. "You sound like Draco," she said scathingly. "Just listen! So they're just standing there right, staring at each other," Quinn paused again. "Then all hell broke loose. Fudge was trying to hex Sirius and Dumbledore disarmed him. Well that didn't seem to sit very well with Fudge- cant imagine why- and he started screaming again about how Dumbledore couldn't be trusted, about him flouting the Ministry's authority. Then, Mundungus Fletcher stepped forward. He's the one that posed as Harry, only he was back to himself now. He got right in the Minister's face, and he smells badly too so no wonder Fudge was intimidated." Quinn took in a breath and continued talking at breakneck speed. "He said- he growled more like it- that Sirius was innocent and they could prove it."

"Innocent? Sirius Black is innocent? But he was in Azkaban, he was tried and convicted, how could he be innocent?" Aislinn asked. Her mind was reeling from an information overload.

Quinn let out what might have been a growl. "Can't you just let me tell the story?"

"I am letting you tell it but-" Aislinn interrupted and Quinn felt her temper rise.

"Then let me tell it!" Quinn said, swatting Aislinn on the arm. She was just getting to the best part and all Aislinn could think of, was Sirius being a criminal. If she had seen the way he stared at Fudge, anger emitting from every inch of him...Quinn shook her head again, trying to focus. Aislinn was glaring at her expectantly.

.

"Anyway, Professor Lupin steps forward and he's levitating this- oh my God I forgot to tell you!" Quinn exclaimed. She leaned forward again, and spoke in a low voice. "After the ritual, I saw him. I saw Sirius, and he was leaning over this-"

Aislinn looked ready to interrupt again and Quinn gave her a furious glare. "He was leaning over the Death Eater that Harry-er-Mundungus had stunned during the ritual. The one with the creepy silver hand, did you see him?"

Aislinn crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So I'm allowed to talk now, am I? Yes, I saw him. They call him Wormtail. That's all I know about him."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Well I don't know much about him either, but apparently he means something to Sirius. See he was leaning over him, and he just had this haunted look on his face," Quinn stared off into space for a moment, remembering the hollow look in his eyes. "Uh...oh yeah, so he's leaning over him and then he started kicking him and yelling about him 'taking them away' and Professor Lupin had to hold him back. Oh God," Quinn sighed dramatically. "And then he cried, and he was just so...sexy," Quinn grinned happily.

Aislinn could not believe her friend was grinning like an idiot over an escaped killer. "Quinn, have you lost your mind completely? He... murdered... thirteen... people!" Aislinn drew each word out for emphasis. "That is not sexy, that is horrid. How could you sit there, staring at this horror of a man and think he was sexy? That is...that is beyond disturbing. You really need to get a grip! Crying murderers are not sexy, got it? Not Sexy! I still can't believe Dumbledore would let him in this school. And Professor Lupin was helping him! God what is going on here?"

Quinn felt her temper rise again. "Well if you would let me finish...I told you he's innocent. You think you're a better judge of character than Professor Dumbledore?" Quinn glared at Aislinn who glared back.

"Anyway, so Professor Lupin stepped forward and he was levitating that...that Wormtail guy, who was still stunned." Quinn remembered the look of shock on Fudge's face with distinct satisfaction. "Fudge flipped out, I guess Wormtail was supposed to be dead. The whole story was sort of jumbled because I had no idea what they were talking about." Quinn had been trying to piece the story back together most of the morning. "But somehow, Wormtail being alive proved that Sirius was innocent. He was one of the 13 that Sirius was convicted of killing." Quinn scrunched up her eyes, trying to remember.

"Then Dumbledore said something to Fudge about that night during our second year when he was caught, remember?" Aislinn nodded and Quinn plowed back into the story, trying to tell it before the details leaked from her brain.

"He said that this proved it, and said that only a bit of Veritaserum was needed to remove all doubt. Well Fudge got really puffy and sort of...stumbled over his words, he looked almost afraid of Dumbledore. I'm not entirely certain he even believed him, but he eventually admitted that Sirius was innocent! They took that Wormtail person off to give him Veritaserum I think, but Sirius went around hugging almost everyone. He had this big grin on his face and..." Quinn drifted off again.

"So he was really innocent? Wow, that...I don't know what to say. I suppose he could be sexy now, so long as he hasn't killed anyone." Aislinn said with a smirk. She leaned forward and nudged Quinn with her elbow and winked. "So, did you get a hug from Mr. November?"

Quinn blushed and felt herself get both embarrassed and upset. "Yes I did. But if you're going to make fun of me, you don't deserve to hear about it. Not that you should make fun of me, considering your taste in men," Quinn said, pouting slightly.

"I'm not making fun of you. And besides, there is nothing wrong with my taste in men. Ok, sure Draco isn't exactly the most wholesome of people, but the boy sure can kiss." Aislinn grinned and raised her eyebrows at Quinn's expression.

"Wait...WHAT?" Quinn asked, sitting bolt upright. "You kissed him?" Quinn wasn't sure how to react. She knew Aislinn still had a thing for Draco, but somewhere deep inside she had hoped that nothing would ever come of it. "You...so you liked it then?" she asked tentatively.

"Well, I...well yeah, I guess. I mean, it was a really good kiss, don't get me wrong. But I tried to stop him, and I did eventually. And we mainly just talked. Quinn, he told me he didn't want to be a Death Eater. He is still a prat, but he has changed a bit. Of course, it could all be a huge joke on me, so I'm not really going to think about it too much. You should have seen him when we were introduced to Voldemort, he didn't even flinch. He was so..." Aislinn stopped herself. She was beginning to sound like Parkinson. "Um, anyway, yeah I guess I liked it." Aislinn bit her lip and looked out the window.

Before Quinn could say anything, Archimedes swooped inside the hospital wing and landed softly on Quinn's lap. She stroked her owl softly and removed the letter from her leg. Quinn recognized her mother's fancy stationary at once and opened the letter with interest.

Quinn,

We received a letter from Professor Dumbledore late last night. We are rather upset that you felt the need to break school rules just to visit your friend. Since you can't seem to stand being alone, we've spoken to the Macnairs and they have agreed to let Aislinn stay the summer. That should discourage you from any more shenanigans.

Love,

Mum and Dad

Quinn wondered if her parents had even bothered to read the entire letter from Dumbledore. Apparently they had missed the bit about going after Ginny in order to save her from mortal danger. Still, she felt a rush of relief that Aislinn could come stay the summer. She handed the note to her friend with a mischievous grin.

Aislinn took the letter from Quinn and read over it quickly. "Wow, I get to stay at your house for the entire summer?" Aislinn grinned mischievously. "We are going to have so much fun. I wonder what my parents are going to do then; they have never taken a vacation without me. I bet they will be relieved for some time alone." Aislinn handed the note back to her friend and rose from her seat. "Well, seeing as how you are ok and not dying, I'm going to go. I have to go see Snape; he said he wanted to talk to me about my last essay, although now that I think about it, we haven't had an essay in his class in months. I wonder what he really wants." Aislinn bit her lip and realized that she had been staring at the wall, talking more to herself than to her friend and Quinn's confused expression did nothing but confirm this. Aislinn grinned and with a wave, turned and left the hospital wing, headed for the dungeons from where she came.

Quinn watched Aislinn walk out of the hospital wing and quickly picked her textbook back up. Fred had brought her the book, on her request, when he had visited before class. Quinn may have been stuck in this hospital bed, but she was putting the time to good use.

The information she was finding, however, was not encouraging. Quinn had researched the most common ways to remove a Vocarius Charm. She had been hoping there might be a way to get what she needed from Mr. Malfoy without him knowing it. Quinn had hoped that perhaps she only needed a hair or some other item from Mr. Malfoy.

This book, however, claimed that only the castor could remove the charm. Quinn was very frustrated, but she kept reading:

The Vocarius Charm is among an ancient form of magic, which traces the line of light and dark. Dark wizards, determined to control the will of others, first discovered the Vocarius. Later, the charm evolved into what is now known as the Imperius Curse, which provides total control for the time the curse is held. The Vocarius, however, provides control until the spell is removed. This effect usually only manifests in the presence of the castor. Because of this, the Vocarius was made legal in 1647 for use by Healers and health professionals.

Quinn sighed. The more she read about this charm, the worse it sounded. She had had no idea that the charm was related so closely to an Unforgiveable Curse. She tried not to worry, not to think about the burst of submission she had felt when Mr. Malfoy had touched her.

"Quinnypoo?" A playful voice broke Quinn's thoughts. She clenched her teeth. Lately Fred had been calling her horrible pet names, every chance he could. She hated it. The worst, thus far, had been Q-ball. She shuddered remembering it.

Still, as she looked up at him, she couldn't help but smile. He had been so concerned about her that morning, and she had blushed at the look in his eyes. He still wore that look, masked behind a smile. Quinn bit her lip happily.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her softly. Madam Pomfrey sent them an evil glare. Fred smiled brightly at her.

"You have a fabulous rapport with the female faculty, do you know that?" Quinn said sarcastically. Fred grinned more.

"I got you something to read while you're in here. Much more fun than that library book," Fred said, pulling a small book out of his pocket. "It's the sequel to yours," he said and offered the book to her. Quinn's eyes widened as she took in the title: Wenches and Werewolves. "From the author of Vixens and Vendettas," was written in the bottom corner. Quinn watched as the large wolf on the cover morphed into a man and began ravishing the woman nearest him. Quinn blushed.

"Let's read a bit then," Fred said, opening the book happily. A bit of steam was rising from the more scandalous parts of the book, and Fred quickly flipped to those areas.

"Oh, no-" Quinn said, trying to grab the book from Fred's hands. He swatted her away and began to read aloud. Quinn glanced nervously at Madam Pomfrey and felt her face turn slightly scarlet.

"Heat, everything was heat, burning within and without. Ambrosia shuddered with it, her body writhing to escape it, yet yearning to be consumed by it," Fred said loudly and theatrically. "Jumps right into the good stuff I guess," Fred said before turning back to the book.

"Ambrosia tried to scream but the man was too quick for her. He muffled her cry with his powerful hand and pushed her firmly up against a tree, pinning her hands to her side. Ambrosia could feel his desire pressing into her hip, and with a quick swipe of his hand had ripped away her bodice. He held her hands over her head now with only one of his and used the other to explore her milky white breasts. The sensation brought her to new peaks of pleasure and Ambrosia soon gave up her struggle."

"Fred, shh, Madam Pomfrey will hear you!" Quinn said pleadingly. Fred didn't look at her; he now seemed rather absorbed in the book.

"The man gave a feral growl as he then ripped away her skirt and it joined the heaping mound of fabric that was her bodice. Ambrosia could feel her own body burning with desire for this man, this wonderfully rough and powerful man. She didn't know who he was, nor did she care as he threw her down to the ground and covered her quickly with his weight. The power that he held over her was intoxicating and Ambrosia wanted to drown in it. The man growled again and ripped his own trousers off, throwing them into the ever growing mass of discarded clothing. Her bosom heaved tremendously as the wolf-man wrapped his hands in her hair and roughly pulled her mouth to his in a searing kiss. Bodies were pressed together. Hands were groping, lips emitting feral moans of longing and need. He grazed his teeth against the length of her jaw line and she panted in his ear, "Show me your darkness. Fly me on the forbidden wings of night!"

"Fly me on the forbidden wings of the night?" Fred re-read aloud. "Wonder if anyone has ever said that to Professor Lupin?" Quinn briefly wondered at the sanity of the author, but more importantly, wondered if she would ever recover from the embarrassment if she were caught with that book. Fred continued, ignoring her pleas.

"She did not understand, but there was no time for understanding. Only sensation as he descended, caught the soft skin of her shoulder between his teeth, pulling her against him as his surging hard-"

"Fred Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey screeched, making them both jump. "Give me that book this instant!"

"I can buy you a copy as well, Poppy," Fred said jovially. "So glad you liked it, but this one is Quinn's." Quinn blushed furiously as Fred handed her the book.

"Mr. Weasley I cannot have you in here reading to my patients, books that will obviously provoke...that type of reaction." Madam Pomfrey said, furiously wagging her finger at Fred.

"Perhaps it merely provoked that sort of reaction from you. I'll pick you up a copy," Fred said with a very innocent look. Madam Pomfrey looked both infuriated and embarrassed. She gave Fred an evil glare and retreated to her office, a pink tinge on her cheeks.

"Well, now that we're alone..." Fred said happily, moving to sit on her bed. Fred kissed her and Quinn took in his scent of ink and oranges. Fred's hands traveled over her, one tickling her side, the other in her hair. Quinn felt sick with happiness at being safe and close to him again.

Fred's hand, which he was using to prop himself slightly over her, found a folded piece of parchment. He broke the kiss to look at it.

"Oh," Quinn said, realizing it was the letter from her parents. "I meant to tell you, I...I can't come to stay this summer." Quinn, who had been very excited about her summer with Aislinn, now felt a crushing blow in her heart.

Fred's face showed his disappointment for just a moment then he resumed his usual grin. Quinn had rarely seen him look so disheartened. He nodded and pretended to look happy at the news. Quinn watched him pick the romance novel up and flip to the steamiest page.

"That's okay," he said, giving her a very genuine smile. It probably would have fooled anyone but Quinn. Quinn had watched him for so long, known him so well before they had ever talked. She looked at his cheek fondly, remembering how she had first learned to tell the twins apart.

Now he was all hers and Quinn only had a bit of time before they would be apart. Fred and George were making progress every day toward a shop in Diagon Alley for their inventions. They could barely wait to be done with school and start working on it.

Quinn's first loyalty was to Aislinn, and always would be. The girls needed this time together, for both their sakes. Quinn knew it would be an amazing summer. Still, she wished she didn't have to choose between Aislinn and time with Fred.

Quinn wondered what it would be like next year, without Fred around. She watched him as he read. A thin blush was creeping across his cheeks. The book was issuing more steam.

Quinn absentmindedly ran her fingers through Fred's soft hair. He looked up at her and Quinn pulled him softly in for a kiss. She wasn't ready to let him go. Quinn felt Fred's breath catch as her hand found its way into his robes to tickle him. As he kissed her, Quinn thought about the next two months of school and knew she'd have to take advantage of all the time she had with Fred.

Class was still in session so Aislinn was thankfully alone again as she made the journey back down to the dungeon where Snape's office resided. She walked leisurely this time, wondering what on earth he would want to see her about, then wondering if he had been there the night before. She hadn't recognized anyone that looked like him, but then again all the Death Eaters had been wearing masks. Aislinn wondered if he had been the one who had cast the Imperius Curse on Ginny. She decided that Snape would not do that, even if he was trying to play the role of a loyal Death Eater.

She passed Peeves who was arguing with the Bloody Baron over something Aislinn could not hear. The Baron seemed to be winning this argument with flying colors and as soon as she neared the Slytherin common room entry, the poltergeist flew off with his head hanging down, looking ultimately defeated. The Baron had an enormously smug expression on his face, and upon noticing Aislinn, greeted her with a flourish of his sword, a swift nod and a "Good Morning, Miss Macnair" before he floated off to places unknown. Aislinn had always liked the Bloody Baron despite his sinister appearances. He was a good man- ghost, and despite what the other houses thought of him, he was quite a friendly character.

Aislinn entered the common room and found Draco lounging in a chair near the fire, quite asleep. She resisted the urge to poke him and walked past quietly, opening the door to Snape's office corridor and closing it soundlessly in order to let Draco sleep. He was quite the grouch when exhausted. Aislinn walked nervously down the dark corridor that led to Snape's office. She had never had a pleasant experience in there and she was fairly certain this wouldn't be one either.

She paused for a moment when she reached the office doors before knocking quietly. Maybe he wasn't there; maybe he had decided he didn't want to talk to her after all. No such luck, he immediately opened the door and stood back, allowing her to enter. He closed the door quickly behind her, muttered something and swept around her and sat behind his desk with his hands folded neatly on top of it. Aislinn sat down across from him and kept her gaze on a neutral patch of floor until he spoke.

"Well?" Snape said.

Aislinn looked up and saw him leaning over his desk, staring at her with narrowed eyes. "Well what, sir?"

Snape leaned back into his seat and sighed. "Well, Miss Macnair...I thought that perhaps you would like to tell me if anything interesting happened to you over the past twenty four hours."

Aislinn was more than confused. "Sir, you were there weren't you? Did you not see it all?"

"I saw the ritual, if that is what you are referring to, yes," he said as he opened one of his desk drawers and pulled something out and let it rest on his lap, out of Aislinn's sight. "I was not, however, at Dunvegan Castle after you arrived. Nor was I there after last nights proceedings took place. I was wondering if there was anything you would like to talk about that happened independently of the ritual itself."

"Oh...yes sir," she said. "Well, when we arrived at the castle, I was introduced to him." Aislinn purposely did not mention Draco. She didn't want to get him into any more trouble than he might already be in, although Aislinn knew that Snape knew he was there; especially seeing as how he was the one who welcomed them both back to school upon returning.

Snape sat patiently for a moment, apparently wanting her to continue. Aislinn sighed and told him everything that had happened up until she returned to school. Well almost everything, she really felt that it was none of Snape's business what she got up to in her own bedroom at night. Snape seemed particularly worried about the "it" her father, Lucius and Marsali had been discussing.

He stood quickly and paced the room in a circle, precisely as he had done so many months ago when she had been led into his office after her emotional collapse. He paused in front of a bookshelf and drew a book off it, opening it quickly and thumbing through the pages until he stopped abruptly and stared at it. He stood there for nearly ten minutes staring at the page and Aislinn's mind began to roam.

She stared at Professor Snape as he contemplated the book in his hands, and thought back to the beginning of the year when she and Quinn had sat in the library, goggling over the calendar that her friend had found. She also thought about how much they had both changed since then, the things they had seen and learned, things no fifteen-year-old should ever have to cope with. Aislinn knew that difficult times lay ahead of them, and that there was nothing they could do but stand firm and stick with what they believed in. With all the insanity in her life, Aislinn was never more thankful to have a friend like Quinn than she was now. Quinn was more like a sister than a friend really, and Aislinn knew that she couldn't have made it through everything without her. She smiled to herself, knowing that in this one minute, everyone she loved was safe and out of harm's way. She only hoped it remained that way, although she knew it wouldn't.

She was startled out of her thoughts as Snape slammed the book shut and then stared at the wall, absently fumbling with something in his pocket. Aislinn wished he would say something, anything to break the uncomfortable silence that she found herself in. It was times like these when she was helplessly drawn to the Potions Master. When he was deep in thought, his brow would crease slightly and his eyes would glitter with intelligence. Aislinn had to close her eyes to get hold of herself. When she opened them again, she noticed that he had taken the object out of his pocket and was now twirling it carefully in between his long, white fingers, surveying it with utmost concern.

"You may go back to the common room, Macnair. I need to speak to the headmaster," he said.

Aislinn nodded and walked to the door that led back to her dormitory. The last thing she saw was a glass vial being handled carefully with long, delicate pale fingers.

* * * *

Three hundred miles away, another glass vial of potion was being twirled by a set of long, pale fingers.

Marsali eyed her Lord apprehensively as he delicately handled the potion. What was taking Walden and Lucius so long? she wondered. Marsali had never felt overly comfortable in the Dark Lord's presence, especially alone. She suspected that anyone who did was either very confident, or a mental case. She heard footsteps coming from down the hall, and sighed with relief as the door opened and her cousin stepped in, followed by Malfoy.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting, My Lord. The children had to be sent back to school, and we awaited confirmation of their arrival from Severus," Walden said and bowed deeply. Lucius nodded and bowed with him. Both men stood and took their seats at the table.

The Dark Lord raised his gaze to the two men, his red eyes flashing with anger. "Perhaps the two of you have forgotten," he sneered down at them with contempt, "but Lord

Voldemort is not a patient man." He walked slowly around the table to face them.

"After the disaster which took place this morning, I am not in a forgiving mood. Do not try my patience." He nodded toward Marsali now. "For your sake, Lord Voldemort hopes you have good news. Begin."

Marsali took a deep breath and drew a folded piece of parchment from her robe pocket. She opened the folded sheet and raised her eyes to meet not the Dark Lord's gaze, but her cousin's. "There is a locating spell that we can do. It is dream magic." She looked over to Lord Voldemort as he nodded his head for her to continue. "This is a list of ingredients for the dream potion. When you drink it, My Lord, you will see the location of the item. We will need to gather all these things a week beforehand and infuse them with the particular magic we will be using."

"Bring me the parchment, Ms. MacLeod," said the Dark Lord.

Marsali nodded and walked around the table where he was sitting. She handed him the parchment and returned to her place. Voldemort read over the list of ingredients briefly before turning his gaze to them again.

"I trust you will be able to acquire the necessary ingredients by the end of the day in order to begin preparing them for the potion. I want to find it as quickly as possible." The Dark Lord's gaze pierced through them, communicating quite clearly how serious he was about this mission.

The three of them nodded and turned to make their leave, when the Dark Lord called after Marsali.

"Are you quite sure this is all that is involved?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, after reading the list carefully.

Marsali bowed as she approached him once more. "Yes my Lord. After we gather these ingredients, the only thing that we will need will be the blood."