Armilla

Chapter 67

Aurelius?

My heart, which had been pounding so hard that it seemed near to an explosion, suddenly seemed to stop. This man next to me, holding my hand so tight as if afraid I would disappear, was my father?

Was it an act? Was it Lucius pretending to be my father so I would be more compliant? How did Rougier fit in? The panic inside me was growing at a very rapid rate. I had no wand and I had no idea where I was.

"I apologise for having to collect you in such an indecorous manner," the man said pompously, not letting go of my hand. "But desperate times call for desperate measures, I'm sure you understand."

The terror inside me had reached an alarming level before my senses had returned and overridden my shock. I should have been be occluding from the moment we had landed. I had already failed my brother in that regard.

My pearl! I needed to contact my brother. I had been wearing the small pearl ever since Snape had done up its fine silver chain around my neck on the day I had woken up in the Secret Wing.

"All you have to do is press your index fingers against it until it turns red, and I will come. Do you understand?"

I couldn't very well do it now, nor could I whip out my chocolate frog card. I didn't know exactly how the pearl contacted Snape. Did he have a pearl which held a connection with mine or did it make some sort of mental connection? I didn't know if raising the alarm would disclose my location to my brother. I had no idea where I was.

In any case, I couldn't lose more time. In a massive effort, I tried my utmost to push the panic away and put up my mental shield. It wasn't as strong as I was used to having it, but hopefully it would get stronger as the shock of the situation wore off.

"No," I said quietly, meeting his gaze. "I don't understand."

"You never did understand much," Rougier scoffed, shaking her head disdainfully.

"I beg your pardon," the man said sharply, his eyes flashing in anger as he turned to Rougier. "I will not tolerate you speaking to my daughter as if she was some common muggle born."

Rougier flushed. "I am sorry, sir. I forgot myself."

He nodded curtly. "Clearly," he sneered. "Remember your place, Zita. My daughter is one of the wealthiest pureblood witches in Britain. Pay her the respect her position deserves."

Rougier nodded, her face expressionless.

Respect for my position? What about respect for me? Actually, I held very little respect for myself at the moment. All those months of training and I had failed to occlude upon attack and I had already been disarmed. Snape would be so disappointed. But I couldn't think about that now. I had to somehow get myself out of this.

Though I had much bigger things to worry about at the moment, I did feel a small jolt of excitement as Rougier was reprimanded. This man did certainly seem to be my father. But I wasn't going to acknowledge him as such until he resumed his usual appearance. I wondered how long it would be before the Polyjuice Potion had worn off.

"Where are we?" I asked, wondering if I would get an honest answer.

"Far from home, far from Hogwarts," was the man's reply. His cold eyes were surveying me calculatingly. "And no portkey to get you back. The one I used was one-way."

Ah, I supposed it was a silly thing to ask a kidnapper. It really irked me seeing Lucius Malfoy talk but having to remind myself that it was probably Father on the inside.

I broke eye contact and looked around the room instead. It was hard to make out everything in the dim light that was shed from the candles on a few sconces around the room. The room was smaller than the sitting room Snape and I shared at Hogwarts. The shabby grey carpet was certainly not shown up by the walls, which had peeling yellowing wallpaper on them. There was an old dark green armchair in one corner, and an old wooden table across the room with a couple of cardboard boxes on it, but that was it.

There were no windows, so I couldn't attempt to guess the location by looking out the window. There were two doors. One I supposed led outside, while the other must have led to a bathroom or corridor. I didn't know if we were in a house or a two room cabin. Whatever it was, it seemed in disrepair, and must have been abandoned many years ago.

"Not our usual standards, is it?" the man said, also looking around the room. "The room is certainly fit for filthy muggles."

"This is a muggle house?" I asked, looking back at him. I wanted information. If this was a muggle house, then I could rule out the all-wizarding suburbs and areas I knew.

"Heavens no," he answered, looking revolted. "I wouldn't resort to occupying a space that a muggle has touched. This place was abandoned by a wizard many years ago."

"How did you know it was here?" I questioned, though I knew my thirst for information was not quite subtle at the moment. However, I kept my questions in as much a conversational tone as possible.

He merely raised an eyebrow. "As a wizard of considerable fortune and assets, Armilla, I have many connections, and that is all you need to know."

It wasn't like I expected to receive proper answers. He didn't trust me with information, which I supposed was wise on his part.

"Are you going to tell me why we're here?" I asked softly, careful not to make my tone demanding. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rougier flexing her fingers. Lucky for her that she was now standing slightly behind the man and he didn't see her.

He inclined his head. "You're entitled to know why we are here. In fact, I believe if you knew the whole story as to why we are here then you wouldn't feel inclined to plan an escape."

Now, that was interesting. It would have to be a pretty impressive piece of information to persuade me to stay and take tea like a lady with Rougier. I would much rather enjoy my brother's typical afternoon tea: sugarless English Breakfast tea and no cupcakes.

"Alas, I have not the time to tell you the tale at present," he went on. "I have business to attend to in the grounds surrounding this house that cannot be delayed. I do promise to inform you upon my return."

"How long will you be gone?" I asked. As dangerous as my father was (I was starting to acknowledge him in my head as my father, if not openly), I did not feel comfortable being left alone with Rougier, especially after the last time I had seen her. My brother had threatened her in Diagon Alley and had made it perfectly clear that she would regret it if she came near me again. I was sure her sole motive for involvement in this was revenge.

"Anxious, are you?" he asked, taking my hand in his. "Do not fear that your safety will be compromised. I firmly trust Zita here, and as the Secret Keeper for us, I assure you that she has your best interests at heart."

Secret Keeper? Oh, excellent. Rougier had the power to reveal our location? What great luck. If he had to have a Secret Keeper, what had possessed my father to pick the governess, whom he had only met upon hiring her for me? Behind my father, who still looked like Lucius Malfoy, Rougier gave me a thin smile. I was in trouble.

I tried to show my anxiety in an effort to make Father stay a little longer. I wanted to hear the story before I devised a plan to escape.

"I still won't feel safe if you aren't here," I said quietly, looking pleadingly up at him.

As hard as it was hard to detect any emotion coming out of Lucius Malfoy's face, I thought I saw the tiniest flash of feeling cross his face. He felt needed by his daughter, and I supposed that comforted him in a way.

"There's no need to be concerned," he said, squeezing my hand a little harder. "I will still be in the grounds, and they are also protected by the Fidelius Charm."

"I don't feel safe being left alone with Madame Rougier," I insisted, ignoring the governess shifting slightly behind my father. I knew my father wouldn't hex me without a reason. As for Rougier, I knew she was just itching to hex me. She had once said that she didn't do such things, but I had the feeling that she had changed her mind. I was without my wand, and I didn't want to face Rougier alone. "Couldn't I come with you?"

He stared down at me, now looking a little suspicious. "Of course you cannot come with me. I have secret business to attend to and you are better off here with your governess." He turned to Rougier. "Zita, my child seems to feel anxiety about being left in your care. Would you know why that is?"

Rougier gave him a warm smile. "Well, I do not pretend to be a psychologist, sir, but I imagine that Armilla is simply feeling a form of separation anxiety. I believe she must feel it more acutely when left in the care of a woman, as she has become so accustomed to the guardianship of wizards."

Father nodded in understanding, but I shook my head. "No, that's not the reason-"

Father held up a hand to stop me. "Hush, Armilla. I will have no more complaints on your part. Zita is among the best in her field and I trust her implicitly."

Best in her field? I certainly agreed with that. Best in the Manipulative Conceited Foul Hags Field.

Rougier now gave me a wide smile. "Don't fret yourself, dear," she simpered. "We will be so busy that you will barely notice the time passing and your father will be back before you know it."

Ah, I forgot to add Patronising Fool to her list of achievements. It was such an honour to be exposed to the condescension of Zita Rougier.

"Well, that's settled then," said Father, dropping my hand. "Get yourself settled, Armilla, and I will join you both for dinner later on."

Dinner? But that was hours away. I wanted to be back with Snape in the dungeons before then. See? I did have an optimistic side. I didn't like using it a lot because often it seemed out of touch with reality.

He turned to go, but I caught his hand.

"How long do you think we'll be staying here?" I asked, occluding hard to keep my dread of the answer away.

Before he could answer, the hand in mine seemed to become a little rougher. In an instant, I knew what was happening. I was about to see proof that the man was indeed my father, as the effects of the Polyjuice Potion were wearing off. Lucius Malfoy's face held no discomfort or even interest at what was happening. Before long, Lucius' face had disappeared to reveal the hooked nose and cold black eyes of my father. His long dark grey hair reached halfway down his back.

Back in his usual form, he gave himself a slight shake, as if ridding himself of Lucius Malfoy. "That's better," he muttered. He released his hand from mine without glancing at me and approached one of the doors. "In answer to your question, Armilla," he said, as he placed his hand on the doorknob, his back to us. "We will be here indefinitely." Saying no more, he opened the door and left.

In the brief second that the door was open, I caught a small glimpse of what was outside. There were lots of trees, all clustered together, and as a result there was not a great deal of light. We must have been in some sort of forest.

I stood staring at the closed door. What was I going to do? I had to rely solely on my own abilities to get myself out of this. I honestly didn't think it was wise to try anything though until I had heard Father's story. He had to have a motive for suddenly abducting me from Hogwarts when he knew perfectly well that I had another exam to sit. I hadn't stopped to think that I was currently missing my History of Magic exam. I wondered how long it would take for the staff to realise that I wasn't in the castle. My presence would have been immediately missed because of the empty exam desk in the Great Hall behind Zacharias Smith and in front of Dean Thomas. I wondered what my brother was doing right now.

"Did you hear that, dear little one?" said a simpering voice. "Indefinitely, your father said. Better make yourself comfortable then."

Biting back the lovely range of retorts that had entered my head, I turned to face the woman. I needed to distract her in some way so I could use my pearl to warn Snape that I was in danger. I couldn't risk doing it right in front of her, and asking to use the bathroom right now would seem a little too obvious. I needed to gain more information and I hoped Rougier would be stupid enough to give it to me. She certainly had the credentials.

"So how did you get roped into this job?" I asked, trying to ignore my fetish for making sarcastic comments in her presence.

Rougier folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Let me make it plain right now that any attempts to obtain information from me will be unsuccessful. I have no desire to share the nature of this situation with you."

I shrugged. "I was only asking how you got involved. I don't recall asking for any more detail than that."

She gave me a sour look. "Oh, so innocent, aren't you?"

I gave no answer; I merely stared at her indifferently.

Rougier held a hand up to her ear, pretending that she was trying to listen for something.

"Oh, what's that?" she said sarcastically. "Is that Severus I can hear?"

I folded my arms. "Excuse me?" I said dryly, occluding away the pain I felt at hearing my brother's name.

She kept her hand behind her ear, apparently straining to hear. "I'm trying to hear Severus," she said in a high girly voice not unlike Umbridge's. "Is that him pounding on the door, demanding that you be released to him at once?" She dropped her hand and clasped both hands in front of her. "Oh, that's right," she said smugly. "He's not here to protect you, is he? Whatever shall you do now?" She let out a cold laugh as she surveyed me through narrowed eyes. "Should I be worried that I'm ignoring his threat?"

I shrugged, pushing away my utterly vicious remarks. "It's up to you," I answered, showing no sign that her words bothered me.

Rougier raised an eyebrow. "No emotions to show then? Trying to be brave, are we? That's the spirit. I was growing rather worried just now when you were too scared to have your adoring father leave. That seemed so out of character for you."

I pushed away a desire to yawn. Really, Rougier had an unfortunate tendency to talk too much. If Snape was here right now, he would probably make some remark about her having consumed a Babbling Beverage.

"Nothing to say then? How surprising," she drawled, now looking bored.

I looked around the room, noting the lack of furniture again. "Where am I to stay then?"

"We're sharing a room," she said shortly, not looking particularly thrilled with the idea. "That way I can keep an eye on you. Either myself or your father is to be with you at all times."

Damn. That was inconvenient. "What, even bathroom use?" I asked, appalled.

Rougier pulled a face. "You will have a time limit when it comes to bathroom use," she said dryly, "even then, I will have to stand outside the door to make sure you're not using the bathroom for any alternate purpose, such as attempting to contact your brother, which reminds me-" She took out her wand and pointed it at me. "Accio items in Armilla's pockets!"

Several items flew out of my robes, but not my precious chocolate frog card. Snape had placed a charm on it long ago so that it couldn't be magically retrieved by anyone else. In fact, I was pretty sure that if Rougier actually put her hand in the pocket of my robes, she wouldn't feel it.

"Nothing much here," Rougier murmured, looking at the items in her hands, which consisted of a couple of hair pins and a chocolate frog packet that Terry had given me a couple of days before. "You certainly don't need this chocolate," she said, tossing it onto the small table. "And collecting chocolate frog cards is juvenile."

I didn't bother answering. I didn't want to start a conversation about chocolate frog cards. There was only one chocolate frog card that meant a great deal to me, and all I wanted right now was to activate it to contact Snape. But then, I didn't know what wards were in place around the house and grounds. I might not be able to contact him.

Rougier opened the other door and a narrow corridor was revealed. I followed her as she walked down it and opened a door on the right.

"You and I are staying in here," she said, not bothering to go in. From behind her I could see a dark windowless room with two single beds and an old cupboard in a corner. Like the main room, this room had peeling wallpaper and old threadbare carpet. Nice. My father provided supreme accommodation.

Rougier shut the door with a snap and continued down the hallway.

"Your father's room," she said briskly, waving her arm at a closed door on the left. "You would know, of course, that you have no business going in there."

"Of course," I murmured, following slowly, my mind buzzing with too many thoughts.

"And the bathroom," she said finally, opening the door at the end of the corridor to reveal a dingy tiled room that barely fit an old bathtub, toilet and basin.

"You have limited access to the bathroom," she went on, standing back as she left the door open. "No need for you spend unnecessary time in there plotting. Therefore I will decide when you may go. You may go in there now for three minutes and once again before you go to bed tonight."

I gazed back at her, keeping the incredulous feeling I had from my face. This was ridiculous.

She glared back at me. "Don't you need to use it? I'm already timing you."

Not even sparing her one cold glare, as I had promised Snape long ago that I wouldn't let the governess make me snap, I moved passed her and even managed to close the door quietly.

I knew Rougier was going to stand right outside the door the whole time so I had to be quick with attempting to communicate Snape.

I lifted the toilet lid, making sure it made a noise. Then, quick as lightning, I took out my chocolate frog card. My heart seemed to skip a beat when I saw that the wizard on the front was snoozing. No message. That wasn't a good sign. Snape must have known by now that I was missing, and the fact that there was no message must have meant that the card couldn't receive communication due to Father's wards. All the same, I activated the card and tried to send a message. No matter how hard I tried, no words would appear on the card.

Trying not to panic, I pocketed the card and took hold of my necklace so that it was hanging on the outside of my robes. I took the pearl between my two index fingers, as Snape had instructed long ago, and waited. My heart pounded as nothing happened, but then, after what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only about fifteen seconds, it glowed red.

I tried to subdue my sigh of relief as I tucked it safely under my clothes again. The magic of the pearl must have been stronger than the magic of the card. Perhaps there was a technicality that allowed the magic of the pearl to get through Father's wards.

Even though I had sent Snape a warning that I was in danger, I didn't know how he was going to help me. We were in a location guarded by a Fidelius Charm. I couldn't see how Snape could possibly find me. And the whole thing couldn't possibly be hushed up. After all, all the fifth year students would know that I wasn't there. The news that I was missing would travel. I couldn't imagine that the Dark Lord would be impressed to have one missing Death Eater, and the son of that Death Eater, another supposedly faithful servant, searching for me.

But it was all I could do for now and my time was nearly up. I wouldn't put it past Rougier to barge in. I flushed the toilet and turned the water on at the basin for a few seconds. Finally, trying to get my pounding heart under control again, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

I nearly bumped into Rougier, who had kept her word and was standing right outside the door.

Barely sparing me a glance, she turned on her heel and walked back down the corridor to the main room. I followed, wondering what we were going to do until Father got back.

Rougier pointed a slender finger in the direction of the old green armchair in a corner. "Sit there," she ordered. "And keep quiet. I've got to conjure things for this room, and as you have no access to a wand, you'll be of no use." She smirked. "Though, it's not like you're much use with a wand."

Ignoring the urge to roll my eyes, I crossed the room towards the armchair.

"Stop!" she commanded.

I turned around and looked questioningly at her.

She had a look of disgust on her face. "Have you not remembered anything I taught you last December? I did not teach you to walk like that."

Personally, I thought there was nothing wrong with the way I walked. It was no different to the way Lisa or Hermione or any other of my friends walked. After walking 'like a lady' day after day while Rougier was a Father's house, I had resumed my usual walk once I had gotten back to Hogwarts.

"Go back and start again," Rougier instructed, folding her arms and raising her chin so she was looking down at me. It was really unnecessary; I was a lot shorter than her anyway.

Rather than offer a customary sarcastic remark, as I knew I would have done last December, I quietly went back and began again, this time trying to imitate the walk Rougier had demonstrated the last time.

It ended up taking five attempts before Rougier was satisfied. I thought I had walked fine each time, but I knew the rotten hag was just baiting me to snap at her.

Venting just a little of my frustration, I sat down onto the armchair with a little more force than necessary, and was surprised when I felt something small hit me just above my knee. Looking down, I couldn't see anything, but my senses came to me and I realised that it was something in the hem of my skirt.

I waited until Rougier had turned around before I moved my hand and felt the hem. As I felt it, I realised at once what it was and was thankful that I hadn't squeezed it too hard.

Knockout Powder. A gift from Fred and George Weasley last Easter. In a strange way, it had been a present for Snape, but they had given it to me. Fred and George had been grateful that Snape had seemed to help them with the right combinations of potions ingredients during their detentions. Because they had believed that Snape would never acknowledge doing such a thing, the Weasley twins had given me a gift bag instead, containing products that included those that had only come into existence due to their Potions Professor's help.

I knew the Knockout Powder was one such product. I had read the instructions for it on the night I had received it, shortly before the twins' departure from the school, and I had carried it around in the hem of my school skirt since, just like their sister Ginny did. It consisted of a small grey pod, and a small packet of gum. To activate the pod, I had to break the seal and drop it, which would make a yellow vapour to appear. If this was inhaled, it would knock out anyone within a couple of metres. By chewing on the gum, I would be immune to the vapour.

I was so thankful that I had been taken by Father whilst in school uniform. I had completely forgotten that it was there! It was light enough that I generally couldn't feel it when walking around. It was lucky that I had sat down with enough force to notice it.

There was the issue of when would I use it. Would I use it when Rougier and Father were both there, or just Rougier? Would I activate it while backs were turned or would I be able to find another way when I could be completely sure that they weren't looking?

I sat contemplating this as I watched Rougier at work. She was busy using magic to attempt to fix the wallpaper. She had already tried fixing the carpet and had made little progress. It seemed the carpet didn't want to be fixed. The wizard who had lived here years ago had probably fixed it so many times that the carpet was too full of magic to respond to any more. So far, it seemed the wallpaper was going to be just the same.

If I used the Knockout Powder while both Father and Rougier were around, there was a higher risk of being caught out. I couldn't guarantee that they would both be near the pod once I had dropped it. I could drop it just as one of them walked away, and then I would have the problem of one berating me (at the very least) for doing such a thing, whilst the other was on the floor. If I was caught out in this way, I could be sure that measures would be taken to make sure I had no such opportunity again. They were being quite lenient at the moment with letting me move about.

I could always whip it out and drop it while Rougier's back was turned, like it was now. But then there was the risk of having trouble with breaking the seal before I dropped it. What if Rougier turned around whilst I was breaking the seal? What if I threw it down in her direction and she got away before she had inhaled the vapour?

I decided that I couldn't possibly do it while both Father and Rougier were there. There was too much chance that the vapour would only hit one, if any, and then I would have to deal with the consequences. I only had one pod to spare. If I failed, then I was stuck here.

The only way that I could guarantee that it would only hit one without the other seeing straightaway was by putting it somewhere in the bathroom...or by dropping it in there on my next trip, and opening the door for Rougier of Father to inhale, depending on whoever was waiting outside the door. It would probably be Rougier, as Father wouldn't bother himself with such a task. Rougier would be knocked out, and then I would take her wand and use a stunning spell on her just to be safe.

Then there was the question of my father. He would either be somewhere else in the house or out in the grounds. I wished the situation could be different so that Father was the one knocked out, and Rougier was the one I had to deal with. It would just be easier that way. I had a strong feeling that Rougier was nowhere near as good with a wand.

But planning a way to knock out Father was no where near as easy. Also, I didn't know if he had already been clever enough to take potions (containing the same or similar ingredients to the chewing gum) that would immunise him against such substances. Snape had once told me that some wizards did that sort of thing when they didn't trust those around them. Of course, they couldn't be immunised against all vapours or substances, but I didn't want to take the chance that Father would only get a small headache from inhaling the potion. If that happened, I would get more than a headache in retaliation from him. I knew Fred and George's vapour was an innovative one, but still, I didn't want to take the chance.

I would have to knock out Rougier and then deal with Father. How? It was beyond me. I didn't know if his duelling skills had become weak enough, or if mine had become strong enough. Also, once I got out, I would have no idea where to go because I didn't have the faintest idea where I was. It perturbed me that if I did manage to escape, I had a forest and more of Father's wards to deal with outside. I didn't know if they would let me through. It could all come to nothing. I could escape from both of them only to find that there was some sort of barrier to stop me from leaving.

I wouldn't use it until I had heard Father's story though. He had to have a good reason for keeping me here like this. I wasn't about to waste my only possible escape route; I needed as much information as possible.

After having limited success with the wallpaper, Rougier began conjuring more things for the room. She conjured another couple of green armchairs, in much better condition than the one I was currently confined to, and chairs to go around the table.

Satisfied with her work, she pocketed her wand and looked around at me.

"It's unusual to have you so quiet," she commented. "Normally you would have offered a scathing remark or attempted to insult me in your uncouth way several times by now."

I stared back at her. "What would you like me to say?" I asked quietly.

She narrowed her eyes. "I prefer it when you don't talk at all. Your speech does nothing to improve your character. I was merely commenting on your lack of unnecessary remarks."

"Oh," I said. "Well, you did tell me to stay quiet, so I did. I was just obliging you."

Her mouth twitched and she gave me a curious look, as if trying to determine if I was really mocking her authority after all. I would never follow her instructions out of respect. I was only following them because it suited me at present.

Offering no more conversation, Rougier turned and went and sat down at the table, facing me so she could watch me. She reached for the cardboard boxes on the table and began pulling some food out of them. Before long, she had various vegetables being cut up magically with knives, whilst she had conjured some sort of small stove and was busy adding some ingredients to a pot.

At first I wondered why she hadn't demanded that I help her, as I was sure she would have loved to have made me do everything without magic. But then I realised that knives were involved and she didn't trust me with a knife.

There was a piece of irony. It would be a weird thing to escape from Rougier by brandishing a knife in her direction. I didn't associate knives with escape; I associated them with Shar and the day he had attacked me in Merle's kitchen. It would be strangely ironic to get out of another dire situation by means of a knife. Clearly, Rougier had thought about the repercussions of letting a hostage near a knife.

"Why isn't there a kitchen here?" I asked suddenly.

Rougier looked up from her ingredients. "This is a one bedroom house," she said shortly. "Your father's bedroom was the kitchen. There was too much old and very stubborn magic holding this house together to allow us to add another room. It was enough that your father managed to transform the kitchen into a bedroom."

"You make it seem like he wasn't competent enough for the task," I said, keeping my tone conversational.

Rougier glared at me just the same. "I merely meant that there was stubborn old magic holding the cracked tiles to the kitchen walls. It took a lot of advanced magic on your father's part to be rid of the tiles and kitchen bench."

"Oh," I said. "Did he do that this morning or something?"

"Yes," she said, looking annoyed by my sudden willingness to chatter. "Enough talk."

I nodded, feeling a little happy and little nervous at the same time. I knew that though he was very skilled in performing advanced magic, it tired Father out a lot more these days. Chances were that he was using more advanced magic out in the grounds right now. That meant that when he returned tonight, he would be exhausted. This was one of the reasons that he was not of great use in the Dark Lord's active roles for Death Eaters. His use of advanced magic tired him now because he had not learned to refine his use of it during his youth.

All of this meant that my best chance of escape would be tonight when I was allowed my final use of the bathroom before bed. I would have to knock out whoever was standing guard outside the bathroom door, take a wand and defend myself against the other person. This was a big ask, but it was time to put the mental duelling shield Snape and I had been working on for so long into practice.

I didn't really fancy wandering out into the forest during the night, but if I waited until morning, Father would be more rested and more in control of his magic. I just sincerely hoped that Father would tell me all I needed to know before it was time to go to bed.

I didn't move from the chair for the rest of the afternoon. Rougier prepared the ingredients, but didn't start cooking them. Instead, she opened a book and only spared me a glance every time she turned a page.

I spent time contemplating the possible creatures out in the forest. I hoped there were no werewolves. There could be unicorns, or Abraxans or even Thestrals. I wondered if the magical creatures would be able to see me if the house and grounds were under the Fidelius Charm.

Though I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I knew about defending myself against magical creatures (provided they could see me), my thoughts kept wandering back to my brother. I wondered what he was doing right now. I wondered how long it would be before I saw him again. I didn't want to think about the possibility of never seeing him again.

At six o'clock, Rougier put her book down and began cooking dinner. Father came home not long after, and I was pleased to note that he was looking quite weary.

After removing his cloak, he nodded at Rougier, who handed him a glass of wine, kissed me in greeting and then sank into the newly conjured armchair next to me.

"I see the magic in the wallpaper and carpet here proved to be just as obstinate as the magic in the kitchen, Zita," he commented, looking around the room.

Rougier looked up from her magical stove and gave him a grim smile. "Obstinate is an understatement."

Father let out a dry laugh. "Well, everything else you've conjured will work out fine." He took a sip of his wine and then turned to me. "And what have you been doing this afternoon, Armilla?"

I thought answering with a simple "nothing" would not come across well. I still told the truth though. "Madame Rougier told me to sit here, and so I've been sitting here ever since," I said, using the most polite tone I could muster.

Father raised an eyebrow as he turned back to Rougier. "Zita, have you left my daughter sitting here like this all afternoon with nothing to occupy her?"

Rougier flushed. "Well, I was busy, sir, and I needed Armilla out of harm's way while I was conjuring magic."

Father looked far from impressed. "Well, the next time I am absent, Zita," he said, his voice cold, "I suggest you occupy Armilla with a suitable book from the collection I brought with me, or else converse with her about something educational. I taught Severus from the moment he was walking that idleness is not a virtue, and I won't have Armilla being idle either."

"Very well, sir," said Rougier, looking a little put out. "I apologise. I-"

Father waved his hand towards me. "You are Armilla's governess. It is my daughter who is owed an apology."

If I had been in a happier and more relaxed mood, I would have laughed at the slightly affronted look on Rougier's face. Forcing her face into a calm expression, she looked at me.

"I apologise for keeping you unoccupied this afternoon, Armilla," she said stiffly.

Father looked expectantly at me.

"That's alright," I said, looking back at Rougier.

Father nodded. "Well then, that's settled." He took a sip of his wine and Rougier stared determinedly down at the pot on the stove.

"Are you back to stay?" I asked softly, looking at Father.

His usually cold black eyes held something different in them as he looked back at me. It wasn't warmth, but it wasn't something negative either.

He shook his head. "No, I am not quite finished," he said quietly. "I will have to go out again later on tonight. But I will stay here with you for the next couple of hours."

I nodded. "Thankyou."

It was better for me if I made it seem like I wanted Father's company. It made him think that I felt secure with him. If I acted indifferent to his company then that would cause him to be suspicious.

"Can you tell me why we're here before you go again?" I asked, again keeping my voice soft. Any tone that seemed the slightest bit demanding would not go down well with Father.

He sighed, and took another sip of his wine. "I did promise you I would," he answered. "I am tired, but I will tell you."

I remained silent.

"Neither Severus or I let you in on the details of our lives as Death Eaters," he began, leaning back in his chair.

I shot an alarmed look at Rougier.

"It's alright," said Father, looking from me to Rougier. "Zita does know the details of this and she will be keeping it to herself."

Rougier looked up long enough to give Father a brief nod. I wondered what kind of painful death she had hanging over her if she betrayed Father.

"As I was saying," Father went on, "Severus and I made the joint decision to keep our lives as Death Eaters separate from you." He suddenly sneered. "I am still not convinced that Severus really supports our Master's side, but that is another story."

I offered no comment to this; I waited for Father to continue instead.

"I am not as young as I once was, Armilla," he said quietly, staring straight ahead. "I am not as much use in the Dark Lord's...ah...more active roles."

Ah, just as I had thought.

"I can design hexes and contribute ideas, but I have come to accept that my place in the Dark Lord's circle is no longer what it once was."

Now he actually looked a little depressed.

"Lucius Malfoy," he continued, suddenly looking contemptuous, "still holds a valuable place in our Master's eyes. In fact, he was called upon to play a leading role in an act at the Ministry today."

What? Something was going on at the Ministry?

"There is a valuable weapon that our Master wants from the Department if Mysteries. I was not asked to join the group of Death Eaters involved in the task. However, Lucius Malfoy was told that if he was successful, he would be greatly rewarded." Now Father looked depressed again.

"Do you know what kind of reward?" I asked.

He let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, yes, I certainly know. Lucius couldn't wait to tell me. He told his son, and he told me. Lucius was bold enough to request a reward of the Dark Lord."

"He grants requests?" I asked. That seemed a little strange.

Father shook his head. "Not usually, no. This was an exception. I believe the Dark Lord only offered to grant the reward to give Lucius something to work towards...something he really wanted."

"What's the reward?" I asked softly.

Father sighed and looked over at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. "He promised Lucius that if he was successful, he would command your brother and I to acknowledge you and Draco as a betrothed couple."

I stared back at him, his words echoing in my head. Betrothed couple? Draco Malfoy and I? I had received many shocks in the past eight months, but feeling yet another one, and not the first that day, did not make the sensation any easier to deal with.

"But..." I began, not exactly sure where my words were taking me, "We can't be. I..." I couldn't really explain to Father how I felt about the idea of being engaged to Draco Malfoy. I knew very well that he wouldn't understand. In fact, I knew that my reasons for not wanting to marry Draco would be of little consequence to Father.

"There's no need to offer your opinion on the subject," he said shortly, confirming my thoughts. "I do not approve of an engagement between you and the offspring of Lucius Malfoy."

Ah, well that was reassuring in a strange way.

"I always had the impression that you did approve," I said, meeting his gaze again.

He studied me for a moment, through slightly narrowed dark eyes, which didn't resemble my brother's at all in my opinion.

"It was always a possibility," he said finally. "The Malfoys are a respectable pureblood family whose level of wealth is certainly acceptable to my expectations for my daughter. However, I have not made an agreement with any family, though I assure you that I have had many offers since I hosted our dinner party last December."

Offers? Was I up for auction or something? I very much wanted to make a remark about using my inheritance to bid for myself so I could lead a spinster's life, but I didn't think my father would accept that kind of talk, no matter what his mood was. I was fairly certain that such a statement would have cracked a small smile on my brother's face. As he had repeatedly told Mother, he was more than satisfied with leading a single life.

"When Lucius told me of his promised reward," Father went on, "I was furious. How dare he request such a thing? You are not the Dark Lord's to give away to another Death Eater's child."

Well there was an interesting statement. Father resented the Dark Lord using his power in that way, yet I was sure Father had happily acquiesced in the past when it came to murdering innocent people. After all, the lives of those people weren't my father's or the Dark Lord's to take. My future was not my father's or the Dark Lord's to control either, yet my father failed to understand that.

"Lucius and I have had a number of arguments about it ever since," said Father bitterly. "He doesn't see why I consider it an offence to bring the Dark Lord into the situation. He fails to see my point that I am the head of my family, not the Dark Lord, and it was not his place to meddle."

"So if Mr Malfoy is successful in the Department of Mysteries," I said slowly, "then there's nothing we can do to stop Draco and I becoming engaged?"

"Yes, I've already taken the steps to prevent it," said Father. "That is why you're currently here rather than Hogwarts. Draco cannot officially become engaged to you if you cannot be found."

"And if Mr Malfoy fails?"

"Then we shall remain here until I decide it is safe for us to rejoin society," he said curtly. "I have means by which to find out the outcome of today's plan at the Ministry, but I will not be able to access the information until tomorrow morning. I have no idea what time it is all to take place, but I expect it to be sometime this evening."

Knowing that I was pushing my luck, I asked a dangerous question anyway. "Won't the Dark Lord be wondering where you are?"

Father flashed me a warning glare, but decided to answer the question all the same. "I have...fallen out of favour with the Dark Lord lately...I had been trying to hinder Lucius in any way I could before today's events came about...it did not turn out well and I was discovered by our Master." Father's face twitched slightly. "He was not pleased. In any case I was ordered to play no involvement in the Ministry plans and so here I am, far away from it."

This sounded extremely dangerous for me if I wanted to get out. I wondered if I was perhaps safer staying right here where I was. Should I wait until the morning to find out whether Lucius Malfoy was successful? If he had been successful, Father might increase the strength of the wards even more. At the moment, I didn't know the nature of the wards or even if I had a chance of escaping. If I did escape, I had no idea how to get back to Hogwarts. I just prayed that if I did escape, my chocolate frog card would work and I would be able to contact Snape.

But what if the Dark Lord was monitoring Snape's movements because he had a missing Death Eater who was a relative? Provided he knew about it, the Dark Lord would not look kindly on my father's disappearance. It was possible that the Dark Lord might think that Snape was hiding his father and sister. At least Snape could honestly say that he knew nothing about it.

"Why didn't Mr Malfoy tell Severus about the plan?" I asked.

Father sneered. "Because he didn't receive a very good reaction from me. Lucius already knew the tetchy attitude Severus showed when the subject of your marriage came up. Seeing as he didn't receive the expected reaction from me, he didn't bother springing the news on Severus, and became tight-lipped about it."

"Why didn't you tell Severus about it?" I asked, being very careful to leave all traces of resentment out of my voice.

"Simply because he would have gotten in the way of my plans to hide you."

"Oh." I knew Snape would never have agreed to let me go into hiding with Father. I knew that if he had known of the situation, he would have appealed to Dumbledore or devised his own measures for my protection.

"That explains why Draco's suddenly changed towards me," I said suddenly.

"Yes, Severus said as much when he came to see me recently," said Father, nodding. "Sounds like Draco has become as arrogant as his father."

"Wouldn't Draco have known that his father would be at the Ministry this afternoon?" I asked. "He would have been confused to see his father at Hogwarts."

Father nodded. "I disguised myself as Lucius because I could guarantee that the real Lucius would be at the Ministry. When I saw Draco in the corridor he asked me what time I was going to be at the Ministry and I rebuked him for being interfering where it wasn't his business. I asked him at that point if he had seen you and luckily you came along then."

"Excuse the interruption," came Rougier's voice from the other side of the room, "but dinner is ready."

"Excellent," said Father, standing up. "Come, Armilla."

I stood up, but suddenly became very nervous about the idea of eating whatever Rougier had prepared for me. How did I know that she hadn't added some sort of potion that would make me more acquiescent to their bidding? It was far too suspicious that I had the freedom to move around the house, even if one of them had to be with me at all times.

"I don't think I'll eat," I said to Father, who was sitting down at the table. "I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense," he said, sending me another glare. "Zita has gone to the trouble of preparing a meal. You will sit down at the table and eat it."

Rougier flashed me a nasty smile as she refilled Father's glass with wine.

I was stuck. I didn't trust either of them not to have tampered with my food. If I didn't eat though, I knew I could expect a hex from Father.

"Sit down, Armilla," Father said impatiently.

I sat down, but didn't start eating like the other two. Rougier had prepared some sort of satay dish, and my food looked exactly like theirs, but still I didn't want to touch it.

"Eat!" Father snapped, shooting me a vicious look.

"It's alright, sir," Rougier simpered, giving him an understanding smile. "I am an experienced governess and I've had plenty of children in the past make mealtimes a trial. When you go out later on, I can make sure Armilla eats a sufficient amount."

In my attempt not to send a vicious glare her way, I bit very hard on my lip. I knew what Rougier meant. She had a wand, and I didn't, and I wouldn't put it past her to force-feed.

"That will not be necessary," said Father, shaking his head. "Armilla should have no reason to think that we've put something in her food." He gave me a meaningful look.

Ah, so he knew why I didn't want to eat.

"I haven't put anything in her food!" said Rougier, looking affronted.

"Armilla is very shrewd about these sorts of things," said Father quietly. "Not unlike her brother. I must say that it is not a bad habit to be in, just in case she is ever in the company of people who cannot be trusted. However," he looked over at me with a stern expression on his face, "You are in the company of people you can trust, and so you should have no reason to suspect that something unsavoury has been added to your meal."

I said nothing, and did nothing.

Father sighed and picked up a clean fork. "Excuse my brief lack of table manners," he said politely to Rougier. He reached over and picked a small piece of meat off my plate with his fork, and then ate it himself.

Still, I said nothing.

"As you can see, Armilla," he said, after swallowing. "Nothing has changed. There is nothing wrong with your food."

Yes, but he might have consumed the antidote. I was probably being paranoid, but I would rather face a hex from Father than eat the food. Actually, I was terribly thirsty, but I didn't want to drink the water on the table either. That was another reason to keep to my plans and escape later that night. If I stayed, then eventually I would have to eat their food and drink the water.

That was it. I was going to attempt to free myself tonight. After Father had gone, I would make use of my last trip to the bathroom before bed and drop the Knockout Powder pod in there. If it failed to knock out Rougier, then I was in trouble. But it was the only plan I had.

After that, there was the risk of facing my father out in the grounds. I didn't know how big the forest was, but I certainly didn't want to meet Father out there. Then there was the question of if I was able to get through the wards. I didn't know what kind of wards were in place.

And if I was lucky enough to manage that, then there was the question of getting back to my brother and staying out of danger.

I had no one to confide in as to whether it was a foolish plan. It could be a remarkably ambitious plan. But, if Lucius Malfoy was successful, then I would rather have my safety measures determined by my brother rather than my father.

"What is the problem, Armilla?" asked Father irritably, still glaring at me.

"I don't want to eat," I said quietly. I had no other excuse to offer. Feigning sickness would do no good, because Rougier would just whip out potions to cure whatever I claimed I had.

"Honestly, sir, I can make sure she eats later," Rougier insisted, looking impatient herself. "Severus probably doesn't bother to make sure she eats at mealtimes."

Ha. That's all you know. Snape was weird about me eating everything on my plate.

Father sighed as he looked from the governess to me. "My patience is wearing very thin, child. I don't know what nonsense your brother puts up with, but I will not tolerate it. I will overlook this behaviour tonight seeing as I did put you through an unfavourable ordeal this afternoon."

Rougier was looking resentful as she looked from me to Father. I was very much relieved; I honestly thought I was about to be on the receiving end of one of Father's creative hexes. My father was so unpredictable. He could almost appear understanding and nearly human at times, and seem like a barbarian at others.

"But be warned, Armilla," Father continued, his voice severe. "Tomorrow is a new day and I will expect you to eat everything you are given, or else suffer dire consequences."

"Yes, Father." Hopefully I wouldn't be around tomorrow to eat Rougier's food.

He nodded. "Very well," he said curtly. He picked up his wand and I held my breath, waiting for the hex to come. "Accio book box."

I quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

A small cardboard box on the floor, which had been sitting on the table when I had arrived, zoomed over to father and he caught it so it wouldn't land in his dinner. He rifled through it for a moment before pulling out a thin hard-covered book. "Here you are," he said, handing it to me.

I looked down at the cover. Gourmet Cooking for Wizarding Families by Maddison Lawson and Margaret Joy.

"Of course, I don't expect you'll ever do a lot of cooking," said Father, his eyes fixed on the book in my hands. "You'll marry into a family with at least one House Elf and of course, you'll inherit Jiffy upon my death."

Urgh. I did not want Jiffy in my home. I loved Docky very much, but Jiffy was another case entirely.

"However," he went on, "It is beneficial to have knowledge of those recipes and what meals go well together at dinner parties and so on. I expect you to study this tonight."

"Yes, Father." Oh boy, what fun. Actually, I preferred to read a recipe book over the books I had to read at Snape Manor about the role of a pureblood witch.

"You're excused then. Go and sit over there," he said, nodding at the armchairs we'd just been sitting in.

Thankful to leave the table, I got up and sat down in the armchair I had been sitting in before. Father and Rougier resumed their dinner, and I noticed that there was very little conversation between the two.

I would have loved to have known why Rougier was the Secret Keeper. Last I had heard, Rougier was unavailable to fill the role of my governess. Father had asked Mary Donahey, Tonk's persona, to fill the role instead. I had thought Rougier had said she was unavailable because of my brother's threat. So why was she here now? Had Father threatened her?

I turned the pages of the book, not paying a lot of attention to the recipes that were there. My thoughts turned to Snape. I wondered what he was doing at that moment. Was he at Hogwarts? He would have contacted Dumbledore about my disappearance. All I wanted was to be sitting with him in the sitting room in the dungeons at Hogwarts. Actually, I hadn't planned on staying in the dungeons tonight. I had planned on celebrating the end of exams with Lisa and Terry and the other Ravenclaws in the common room. I wondered what Lisa and Terry were doing right now.

I then thought about what Lucius Malfoy was doing at that moment. Snape never told me about Death Eater activities, so I didn't know whether or not he knew about the assignment at the Ministry of Magic.

My thoughts went everywhere from my friends, to my mother, to Merle, to Shar, to Rougier, to Father, to Draco Malfoy and especially to my brother. I wanted him badly, and I didn't know if I would see him again.

Thinking about my brother, I suddenly thought about what he would say if he knew what I was thinking about at the moment. I could guarantee that he would sneer and tell me to occupy my mind with the plan to get out and get myself to safety. I could almost hear his sneering voice say "Now is not the time to think about all of us. Get moving on a plan to get out, you silly girl."

So for the rest of the time Father spent at the table with Rougier, I replayed over and over how I would knock out Rougier later that evening. It was a little hard to plan what I would do once I got outside, but the range of protective charms Snape had taught me had to serve their purpose.

When the meal had ended, Father picked up a book and sat down in the chair next to me. Not saying a word, he opened his book and was soon absorbed in it. I supposed he was waiting for more of his magical strength to return before he went outside again.

Rougier went about cleaning up and then disappeared into our bedroom. I guessed that she was improving the look of the room in there. It certainly wasn't very impressive as it currently was. I couldn't imagine someone like Rougier being comfortable sleeping in such a room. That was another reason I didn't want to stay. If I was forced to share a room with Rougier, it would be a difficult task trying to stay awake. I certainly would not let myself sleep because I didn't trust Rougier. I doubted I would sleep tonight anyway, since I would be wandering the forest, but at least it would be easier to stay awake that way.

Confident that I knew exactly what I was doing once the opportunity for my bathroom visit came about, I began to concentrate properly on some of the recipes in the book. I was worried that Father would test me on some of them before he left. I had luckily escaped a hex before, and it would certainly not do now to receive one when I wanted to be in a good state to escape. Good enough anyway. I was thirsty, hungry and very tired, not to mention the fact that I really did need to use the bathroom.

Out of no where, my brother's voice suddenly came into my head. "Well go to the bloody bathroom then! I'm not stopping you!"

I nearly smiled. I had never forgotten that night in the Secret Wing. It was the night I had gone sleep-walking and Snape had chased me through corridors as I had searched for the puddle in my dream. In the end, I had been very embarrassed and in great need to use the bathroom. But at least I had found out what the puddle had meant. And Snape had enjoyed making snide remarks about the puddle dream ever since.

I imagined what he'd say about me thinking about that. "Stop thinking about things that aren't going to help you, Armilla." Yes, Severus.

Rougier came back into the room at ten past eight. She sat down at the table with a sewing box and began to use magic to direct a needle and thread through a piece of material.

It wasn't until eight-thirty that Father finally closed his book and stood up. "Well, I have business to attend to outside," he announced. He leaned down and kissed me. "Goodnight, Armilla. I want you to go to bed soon."

"Would you like me to test her on what she has learned from that book, sir?" Rougier asked, looking up from her sewing.

You twisted hag. You only want to test me so you can hex me for getting something wrong.

Father shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary."

Good heavens. Was he going soft? I never knew where I stood with that man.

Father put on his cloak and was gone a moment later.

Rougier went back to her sewing without another word and I looked back down at my book, my heart pounding. It was going to happen soon. I had to stay in control. Snape had taught me Occlumency for a reason, not to mention all the other skills. I was not going to fail him.

At nine o'clock, Rougier put her sewing away.

"Well, come along then," she said curtly. "It's time you went to bed. God knows you need the beauty sleep."

Biting back a vicious retort, I put my book down and stood up.

"You may use the bathroom first, and then go straight to bed," she said, walking down the corridor and gesturing for me to follow.

I didn't reply. I just followed her.

She turned around when she had reached the door to the bathroom. "You have three minutes," she said, a nasty smile playing about her lips.

I moved past her and closed the door. As quickly as I could, I actually did use the bathroom because I didn't fancy finding a place to go out in the forest. I flushed the toilet, washed my hands and then quickly reached into the hem of my skirt and pulled out the pod and gum.

I quietly opened the packet of gum and hastily put it into my mouth and began to chew very hard. It was a strange flavour that I couldn't identify.

Occluding very hard, and staying very calm, I carefully broke the seal on the pod. I stood behind the door and dropped the pod onto the floor. Immediately a yellow vapour rose out of it.

"Hurry up!" came Rougier's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Still chewing on the gum, I opened the door just wide enough so that Rougier wouldn't see the pod on the floor.

She did see the yellow vapour though.

Her face contorted with fury. "What on earth is-"

I never heard what she was going to say next. Her eyes rolled back into her head and a moment later she collapsed on the floor with a thud, clearly knocked out.

I grinned. "Excellent."

I reached down and felt in the pockets of her robes. I pulled out her wand and pointed it at her.

"Stupefy!"

I cast the spell just to be safe. I didn't know how long it would take for the vapour to wear off. I felt in her other pockets for anything of use, but found nothing else there except for the chocolate frog packet that she had confiscated from me before. Though she had thrown it on the table at the time, she had snuck it into her pocket later. I nearly laughed. So Rougier liked chocolate frogs after all. I knew it was my chocolate frog because there was a small rip in one corner. Terry had accidentally made the rip when the packet had gotten stuck to another packet and he was trying to separate them.

I kept Rougier's wand in my hand. I wanted my own wand back, but Father had it and I doubted I would get it back.

I pulled Rougier into the bathroom and then went out, closing the door behind me. I performed a complicated locking charm on the door, another of Snape's inventions.

I could have searched through the house for things to take with me, but I didn't know what time Father was getting back and I wanted to be gone by the time he did.

Still holding Rougier's wand, I turned to walk back down the corridor when I heard the front door open. I froze. Then I heard the door being closed.

Father was back.