Armilla

Chapter 69

We must have been very far from Hogwarts; it seemed as if we had been flying for hours. Actually, we probably had been; I didn't want to risk letting go of the thestral to check my watch.

Early on in the flight, I had concluded that flying thestrals wasn't likely to become a favourite pastime of mine. Though I had become more a little more comfortable with the experience as the flight went on, it didn't change my opinion.

We were up very high, and it was frightfully cold. The icy wind succeeded in making my joints feel stiff and sore. Eventually I had to keep shifting ever so slightly when I felt my arms and legs start to go numb.

My head was still throbbing, and the pace at which we were travelling was doing nothing to help my fuzzy vision. I felt a little dizzy, and I spent much of the flight with my eyes closed.

When I did have my eyes open, I could see distant lights down below, and many trees.

"Are we there yet?" I murmured. I could have sworn that I had mounted the thestral over three hours ago.

I wasn't as if I had expected a reply. The thestral's wings continued at the same fast pace; I wondered briefly if thestrals ever got tired.

"Can you land in the Forbidden Forest," I yelled, "on the side closer to the school?" I hoped the thestral heard me over the wind. I had suddenly thought that it would not do to land in the open grounds, no matter if they were in darkness.

Praying the thestral had heard me, I closed my eyes again, thinking about what my brother might be doing at that moment. Would he even be at Hogwarts? He might have left the school to search for me. But that wouldn't be a wise thing to do. Upon discovering my absence, he might have suspected a trap and decided to remain within the school wards. I believed it would be more sensible for Snape to stay at Hogwarts in case I returned and have others search for me.

The trip went on for much longer than I had hoped, and I found myself nearly drifting off to sleep, even though I was many feet up in the air. After that, I tried to keep my eyes wide open so sleep wouldn't threaten to take me. It proved much more difficult than I thought, and I was very thankful when I saw that the thestral was descending.

There were many trees below and off in the distance I could see the castle. Seeing Hogwarts gave me an unbelievable amount of relief. I knew that seeing my brother would bring even more. If he was there...

We passed over many more trees, and finally the thestral landed softly in the forest, not too far from Hogwarts.

I climbed off the thestral, wincing with pain from my broken wrist, and promptly fell to the ground. It seemed that my legs had gotten too used to being bent into position on the thestral.

"You might have warned me, you know," I grumbled, looking at the thestral. "My legs feel numb."

It responded by sitting down next to me so it could lick my leg again. I didn't have the heart to tell it to stop; it had after all delivered me safely back to the school.

I pulled out the Chocolate Frog card. There was just enough light in the forest to make out the words on the card. I didn't really want to risk lighting my wand in the forest. I activated the card and sent Snape a message.

I'm in the Forbidden Forest

With my good hand, I rubbed my aching head while I waited for a response. My heart thudded with every second that I waited. What if I got no reply?

Before my paranoia could set in, I saw a response appear.

I'm coming now. Where in the forest are you?

I breathed a sigh of relief. I'm not far from the school...that's all I can tell you.

I'll find you. Stay where you are.

I remained where I was, blinking back the tears that had appeared upon seeing the words from my brother. He was coming.

I sighed and looked over at the thestral. "He's coming," I said softly. It completely ignored me and kept its interest solely in my leg.

I waited silently as the minutes passed. I didn't know exactly how long it took to get from the school to the forest, but I supposed it seemed longer when you were anxious to see someone. Finally, I heard the sound of someone running and I looked up in the direction of the school to see a figure in the distance running towards me. Though the person was far away, I could tell in the darkness that it was my brother by the way his robes billowed out behind him in the wind. I had never met another person whose robes billowed the way his did. When I had been a first year, I had thought that it was the man's trademark.

When he came closer, I could finally make out the face and confirm that it was my brother. His expression was very intense, but also very hard.

He came right towards me, so I didn't have to bother calling out to him. When he reached me, he waved his wand to create a sound-proofing charm around us. He bent down and gripped my upper arms.

"Armilla, are you alright?"

Blinking back the tears that were threatening, I gave a small nod. There was no use in crying now. He was here. "Can't complain," I said thickly. "Better now..." I felt faint; I was so cold.

I wanted to tell him to loosen his grip on my arms, as I was in enough pain as it was, but his intense expression told me that he needed to hold on tightly to reassure himself that I was there.

"You weren't followed?"

"Not that I'm aware of," I answered.

For a moment we just stared at each other. He was a lot paler than usual, making his black eyes even more prominent.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

He frowned. "Whatever for?"

"I..." I shook my head in frustration, tears welling in my eyes. There were so many thoughts swimming through my head that I couldn't explain them by combining them into one coherent sentence.

Snape didn't press the matter. He straightened up, glanced at the Thestral, who had stopped licking my leg to look at him, and then returned his gaze to me.

"I need to know everything," he said quietly. "But we must talk inside where it is safe."

I nodded, shifting slightly from where I sat in the dirt. My legs were still a bit stiff.

Snape reached down and lifted me to my feet. My legs threatened to give way at first and upon realising this, Snape held on. I moaned slightly when my broken wrist reminded me of its presence.

"What's hurting you?" he asked, not letting go.

"I think I broke my wrist."

Seeing that I was now stable on my feet, he reached for the injured wrist, which was still bound with the strip of material I had put on before the ride on the Thestral.

I gasped as he felt the break. "Indeed you have," he murmured. "Easily mended, but you won't be able to use it for a day or two." He looked up and gave me a disapproving look. "I don't think you are alright then," he said. "You need to reassess what you think qualifies under alright."

"I thought you meant in general," I whispered back, blinking back the tears. "I'm not in a real bad state."

"Well, that's subjective," he said. "You don't strike me as a person who would choose to sit in the dirt unless she had to."

I looked down to see that apart from my robes being covered in dirt, there was dirt and sand stuck to my bleeding leg and arm; obviously the Thestral had gone for the clean blood first.

"It's just a bit of dirt," I said quietly. I felt in great need of a shower.

"And blood," he replied, bringing a hand up to touch the side of my face. "It's on your face too."

I brought my good hand up and felt the blood on my face. Snape looked terribly worried; it was especially troublesome to see him in that state. Generally he kept his worries under wraps and didn't let them near the surface unless he had to.

There was now blood on my hand and I wiped it on my already dirty robes.

"Can you walk well enough?" he asked quietly. "We must be getting back to the castle."

I nodded. "I think so. My legs went all funny after spending so long on a thestral."

Snape's eyes widened. "You rode a thestral?"

I nodded, looking down at the thestral next to me.

Snape looked at it too.

"I assume that this is the hijacked thestral?"

"I didn't hijack it. It wouldn't leave me alone. It's got a thing for my blood."

"Thestrals are lured by raw meat, Armilla," he said quietly. "It obviously smelled your blood."

"Well, he's been helpful anyway," I murmured, bringing my left hand up to rub my tired eyes.

"He?" said Snape, still looking at the creature.

"I decided that it's a he."

"Oh. Come, we must be getting back." Snape started walking and beckoned me to follow.

"Are we just going to leave him there?" I said, looking at the thestral.

Snape paused in his steps and turned around to look at the thestral.

"There are other Thestrals in the forest," he said quietly. "They're not territorial creatures, so I am certain that your thestral will have no trouble finding a home with them."

I looked back at him, still uncertain.

He sighed. "No, you may not keep him."

The thestral began licking my leg again.

Snape glared down at him. "As much as you appear to enjoy it, I would appreciate it if you refrain from doing that."

It stopped to peer up at him.

"Thankyou for flying me back," I said. The creature looked at me, and then proceeded to lick my leg again.

"Yes, thankyou for your timely assistance," said Snape, sneering slightly, "but your services are no longer required."

It ignored him this time. Clearly it thought that licking my leg did not come under 'services' and so was free to do it.

"Go and find some other thestrals," I said, taking a step away. "Go on."

The thestral just looked at me, tilting his head to one side.

Snape shook his head. "I am not wasting time on this. Come."

He started off at a much faster pace than I was comfortable with, and it was all I could do to keep up with him. I turned around every now and then and was glad to see that the thestral had chosen not to follow us. I hoped that he would stay and live with the other Thestrals in the forest.

We were very close to the entrance to the forest when I started to lag behind. My vision still wasn't the best; the fuzziness in my eyes was still there, and my head ached. I couldn't help being slow; I had done so much running already that night and my legs had become stiff and sore from the cold and riding the Thestral.

Sensing that I wasn't right behind him, Snape turned around, looking a little impatient. I knew he was just anxious to be inside so he could find out what had happened.

"I know you're tired," he said quietly, when I had reached him. "I will fix everything when we get inside." He held out his hand for me to take. I knew such an offer wouldn't have come if we were in broad daylight and students and teachers were about. As it was, it was still very dark and everyone would have been in bed at this hour.

I put my good hand in his and he squeezed it slightly. This action produced another rather large lump in my throat. I was back with Snape. Father and Rougier were far away. But what about the Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy? Had Lucius succeeded? I wondered if whatever he had to do was done now...

"I...," I stopped, a little surprised that my voice had started to shake. "I'm not sure you can fix everything," I whispered.

Snape looked sharply at me, his eyes fixed intently on mine.

I blinked back the threatening tears and shook my head. I couldn't understand myself. I had faced Rougier and my father. I had gotten around both of them, yet seeing my brother in the flesh pulled out all the emotions I had been trying to subdue.

"Come," he said again, though we were already walking. He picked up his pace even more, and before long I started to lag behind, even though I was holding his hand. This did nothing to stop the man's pace. His desire to hear the events that had transpired as soon as possible seemed to make him content to pull me along behind him.

When we arrived at the entrance of the castle, Snape slowed down slightly and my legs were grateful. Snape had ended up pulling me along most of the way back. He didn't seem to mind at all, but I felt a little bad. I knew he had not slept either and was more than likely tired.

"Nearly there," he said quietly in my ear as we moved into the Entrance Hall. We moved across the hall and were nearly at the dungeon stairs when we heard the sound of running footsteps from above. We both looked up as the sound came closer and a moment later, two figures appeared at the top of the staircase.

Lisa and Terry. They were in their dressing gowns, and had their wands out in their hands. They came rushing down the stairs and stopped when they caught sight of Snape and I.

They both had looks of utter shock on their faces. I didn't know whether to put it down to my unfavourable appearance or the fact that I was holding the hand of the formidable Head of Slytherin.

"Ten points each from Ravenclaw for being out of bed and roaming the halls," said Snape icily, glaring at them.

"We saw you coming back through the window," said Terry breathlessly, as Lisa clutched at what I supposed was a stitch in her side. "We wanted to see-"

"Yes, I know who you wanted to see, Mr Boot," said Snape, his voice hard. "I have yet to determine if she is alright."

I said nothing. It felt like an age since I had seen my friends; the lump that had settled in my throat was threatening to grow bigger again.

"If you must travel through the halls after hours," Snape continued, "or before hours I should say since it is past three o'clock in the morning, do so quietly." He paused to give them a scathing look. "But you would do well to know that I don't condone such behaviour."

They both said nothing. They look from Snape to me, their faces pale.

Snape sighed, and began walking again, not letting go of my hand.

"Come and make yourselves useful then," he said, glancing back at my friends.

Surprised to hear my brother say such a thing, I looked back in time to see the two exchanging an alarmed look, and I felt a little sorry for them. Clearly, they had just come down to see if I was alright. Now they probably thought that they would be doing a detention in their dressing gowns. I felt some warmth towards them at the thought of them waiting by the window to see if I would come back.

We all walked along through the dungeons corridors in silence. I shivered, still cold from riding the Thestral. The dungeon weather certainly wasn't a help.

When we reached the portrait of Hortensia Kinchela, which concealed the entrance to our quarters, Snape took out his wand and performed a couple of charms in rapid Latin. When he was finished, he touched the serpent's head at the feet of the woman and was allowed entry.

Snape and I went inside, but Lisa and Terry lingered in the doorway.

"I've charmed the wards to recognise you both as invited guests," said Snape, sneering slightly, "so do not feel as if you will be hexed for coming inside."

Looking extremely self-conscious, they both moved in far enough so that the portrait-door could move back into place.

"Armilla and I are going into another room," he went on, not looking discomforted in the least. "I am not sure how long we will be, but you may sit here in the meantime." He indicated the sofa, and my friends immediately moved towards it. "But do not touch anything."

My brother certainly knew how to make people feel right at home. Lisa and Terry sat down in silence, and I knew that they were wishing they could be elsewhere.

Snape indicated for me to follow him and we went into the lab. "Stay here a moment, I will be back shortly," he said. He went out again and went in the direction of his bedroom. Our quarters were heated, and I welcomed the warmth in the small room.

Shortly after Snape returned, and closed the door with a snap behind him. He took out his wand and sound-proofed the room. He strode over to the workbench and began to summon a range of potions and other things. "I had to alert certain Order members that you were safe," he said quietly, when he had finished. "Come here."

I moved towards him and he lifted me onto the bench. "I am going to heal your wrist using a charm," he said. "I'll wrap it too, but I do not want you using it more than you have to for a couple of days. The bone needs time to regain strength before you put pressure on it again. I have a potion that will aid in giving it strength."

I nodded. "Can I have a headache potion?"

He nodded. "I'll get you one in a minute."

I rubbed my head. The pain above my eyes was terrible.

"That bad, is it?" he said, not looking at me as he unwrapped the mock-bandage on my wrist.

I nodded. "My vision's gone a bit fuzzy."

Snape looked up at that. "That's a symptom of a migraine," he said shortly. "I'll give you a stronger potion."

He summoned another bottle from the cupboard and measured a small amount of purple liquid into a vial. "Here," he said, passing it to me. "It should provide relief over a few minutes."

I accepted it gratefully, willing to take anything over the pain I was feeling. Within seconds, I felt the pain start to subdue.

I watched as he waved his wand over my wrist, chanting a string of words under his breath. I gasped in pain as I felt the bones move. It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. When he had finished, he used a cloth to wipe away the blood and dirt on the arm, and then tightly bound my wrist with more than one bandage. He then found the source of the blood; a cut near my elbow had been dripping blood down my arm. He healed and covered that too, and then cast another charm.

"I've cast a water-repelling charm on the bandage," he explained, putting his wand away.

"I'll have a hard time ridding myself of dirt if I can't use that arm," I said grimly.

"That's why Miss Turpin is currently sitting in our quarters," he said smoothly, measuring another potion into a vial. "I didn't invite her in for a social visit. She can be of assistance to you."

"Oh."

I looked down at the bench I was sitting on and realised that some of the dirt from my robes had fallen onto the bench. I hadn't realised out in the dark that I had become so dirty from being on the ground during the Cruciatus curse. I would have bet that I had been covered in more sand and dirt before I rode the Thestral. I was sure that some would have come off from the fast ride.

"Never mind that," said Snape, pushing the vial into my hand. "Drink it all."

I downed the potion, doing my best to ignore the bad taste.

"Do tell me," Snape said, his voice hard, "how is our dear father?"

"You know?" I breathed, as he took the vial from my hand.

"When I couldn't contact Father earlier I deduced as much," he answered, his eyes narrowed. "Jiffy was not a great help."

"He used Rougier as his help," I said bitterly, shivering slightly.

Snape's face expression grew severe. "You saw Rougier? After I threatened her? I-" He seemed to take Rougier's disregard of his threat as a great insult. He sighed, and sat down on one of the stools. "Start from the very beginning, Armilla."

I nodded. "I left here to go up to the Great Hall for my exam-" I stopped as the thought of my exam came into my mind. "I missed my exam!"

Snape held up a hand. "We will talk about that later. There is no need to worry about it, I assure you." He fixed me with a stern look. "Continue."

"I met Lucius Malfoy on my way...he was talking to Draco. He told Draco to go and find Umbridge for him as they were supposed to be going to Hogsmeade. Draco went, and then I went to move too because I didn't want to be alone with him, but he grabbed my hand...he had a Portkey in it."

Snape pursed his lips, his face hard, and I paused, feeling nervous. He seemed furious.

I looked away. I couldn't help the feeling of guilt that was creeping into my mind again. "He disarmed me as soon as we landed...I wasn't quick enough."

His expression remained the same, and when I spoke again, my voice shook. "We landed in a place guarded by a Secret Keeper...Rougier. She gave it away that it was really Father on Polyjuice potion, not Lucius Malfoy."

Snape's expression was making my nerves run riot. He was listening intently, but the harsh look on his face was most unsettling.

"I had to stay at the place with Rougier while Father went outside for hours on end," I said, my voice low. "Father had decided that we would all be staying there indefinitely."

"Had he?" said Snape coldly, his lip curled.

I nodded, looking away. "He came back before dinner and explained it all to me." I looked up and met his gaze. "We were right about Draco knowing something," I whispered.

"Go on," he said, his lips barely moving.

"Lucius Malfoy was given the task of retrieving a weapon from the Department of Mysteries."

Snape looked sharply at me, but said nothing. He looked ready to snap in my opinion.

"The Dark Lord said he would be greatly rewarded if he succeeded," I went on, my voice starting to shake again. "Father wasn't asked to be involved, but Lucius Malfoy sought him out to tell him what he had requested as a reward."

Snape frowned. "Lucius requested a reward?"

I nodded. "If Mr Malfoy succeeded, then the Dark Lord would make you and Father give your permission to have me betrothed to Draco."

He stood up abruptly, his face twisted in fury. "How dare he-" He began pacing the room.

"Do you know if anything has happened?" I asked quietly.

Snape stopped, his furious expression changing to one of anxiety as he looked at me. I could tell he knew something, but was debating whether or not to tell me.

"You know something. Has he succeeded? You would tell me if..." I broke off, tears in my eyes.

He shook his head as he moved closer to me. "I do not know the outcome," he said quietly.

I stared up at him. "But something has happened?"

He nodded. "Potter had a vision of Black in the Department of Mysteries yesterday afternoon. His arrogance with him as always, he took matters into his own hands and disappeared from the school grounds along with five others. I concluded that he had gone to the Department of Mysteries and so I alerted the Order. There are members of the Order there now," he paused, bringing a hand up to brush his hair from his face. "The other members of the Order have been trying to locate you. There was the fear that your disappearance was connected with what's going on in the Department of Mysteries."

"When did you find out I was missing?" I asked.

"When you used your pearl to communicate with me," he replied. "I received a mental message that you needed me. I tried to contact you via the chocolate frog card but the message failed to get through." His eyes flashed suddenly. "I was furious. No one had come to tell me that you had not turned up to your exam. When I questioned one of the examiners, she told me that a message had been sent to the Headmistress. Umbridge had not bothered to inform me. I suppose now that she was hoping to solve it on her own before the end of the exam."

"Won't it be all over the school now?" I asked quietly.

"We'll downplay it as much as possible," he said, sitting down again. "I contacted Dumbledore about it and he and a few other Order members began a search for you. Being the only Order member at Hogwarts, I had the orders to remain where I was in case you appeared back at the school. I had to keep a low profile and not question Umbridge on the matter. The hope is to cast a memory charm on her and bring in some excuse for the examiners for you not being at the exam. I saw Umbridge late in the afternoon anyway when the Inquisitorial Squad caught Potter in her office. It seemed she was much preoccupied with Potter's wrongdoings anyway to worry herself about your disappearance. She disappeared into the forest with Potter and Miss Granger and I haven't seen her since. As far as I know, the others are still at the Ministry."

I looked down at the floor. "Father didn't want me to leave because he doesn't want me to marry Draco."

"I should think not," Snape snapped. "I can imagine that Father would have been highly offended that Lucius would request such a thing. I most certainly am."

I said nothing more, but continued to stare at the floor. My thoughts were preoccupied with the question of Lucius Malfoy's success.

My brother reached over and took my good hand in his, and I looked up to meet his gaze.

"Armilla, I assure you that if the outcome of the night's proceedings are unfavourable to us, then everything will be done not only in my power, but in the Order's power to protect you."

I nodded, but my worry did not stop. "I know," I whispered. "Father told me that I was safer staying with him, but I couldn't..."

Snape squeezed my hand before letting go. "Which brings us back to your dealings with him tonight. Father explained that he took you to protect you from a marriage to Draco. Please continue."

"We were to stay there indefinitely, and I had to stay in the company of one of them at all times, so it was a little hard to come up with a plan."

"The fact that you didn't have a wand wouldn't have been a big help," he put in, his face hard again. Immediately the guilt from before crept back; a reminder that I had failed to protect myself upon being attacked.

I chose to continue, pushing the guilt away. "I was allowed timed visits to the bathroom, so I knew I had to plan something in there..." I looked up at him again. "Now is probably a good time to tell you that you received an Easter present from Fred and George Weasley."

He gave me a strange look. "I beg your pardon?"

Well, this was going to take some explaining. I took a deep breath. "Ages ago I was getting something out of the Potions storeroom in the classroom, and I saw Fred and George in there doing what they said was one of many detentions that you had given them."

Snape nodded. "I did."

"They said that their task of copying out Potions ingredients and their properties was helpful because every now and then they would find something useful for their inventions. They figured that you were secretly helping them, and had gotten Filch to oversee the detentions so they wouldn't ask you questions."

Snape neither confirmed nor denied this. He simply waited in silence for me to go on, his face impassive.

"I saw them just after Easter and they told me that thanks to you they had perfected new products. They said you wouldn't acknowledge that you'd helped them, but they wanted to thank you with an Easter present."

Snape folded his arms. "Did they perfect invisibility then? I never received anything."

I shook my head. "They didn't want to give it to you. They gave me the present, with the impression that the contents would help me, and by doing so, would be a thankyou to you."

He narrowed his eyes. "A little complicated, Armilla. How does this relate to what has just happened?"

"They gave me something called Knockout Powder," I explained. "It's a small grey pod. When you break the seal and drop it, a vapour comes out and knocks people out within a certain vicinity. There's a gum you can chew so that you won't be affected."

Snape gave a curt nod. "I can name which ingredients they would have used to come up with that."

Was that a confirmation of his involvement? I didn't ask. "I've been carrying the pod and gum around in the hem of my skirt ever since, like they recommended. I waited until Father had gone out after dinner. I was allowed to use the bathroom before bed, so I used the opportunity to release the vapour in the bathroom. Rougier was waiting just outside."

Snape nodded in approval. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad you took their advice and held on to that product."

His anger seemed to have faded a little, and I felt more at ease as I went on. "I dropped the pod and opened the door. Rougier was knocked out. I took her wand and left her in the bathroom."

"Locked?"

I nodded. "Locked. Then I heard Father come home."

At the mention of Father, signs of anger crept back onto Snape's face.

"I pocketed Rougier's wand and told Father that she was in the bathroom. He went to bed and then I tried to leave, but I couldn't open the door."

Snape nodded. "Father also knows some creative locking charms."

I nodded. "I didn't think I was going to get out. I was looking at my bracelet, annoyed with it because it wouldn't help me escape Father...and then a light burst out of it. I shone the light at the keyhole and it not only unlocked the door, but also locked it again when I had gotten out."

He frowned. "Be specific. Did you have to give a message to the bracelet to make that happen?"

I nodded. "I worked out later on that it could help me escape another pureblood family member. I told it that I needed a way to escape Father. When I was outside, I used it to point to me to an exit to escape Father. I have to mention who the person is in order for it to work."

"It certainly needs more research," he said, his eyes on my bracelet. "There must be some boundaries."

I shrugged. "It pointed me in the right direction, and I just kept running."

"Father would have had some strong wards in place," Snape stated, looking back at me.

I nodded. "He did, but I didn't make it to the wards as quickly as I wanted to. Father found me."

Snape's eyes flashed as before. "So he had alarms in place to warn him that you'd escaped," he said quietly.

"I suppose so."

He looked furious again. "Go on."

"I was hiding, but he knew where I was. He kept telling me to come out so we could go back to the house. He said I wouldn't be able to get through the wards, and that even if I did leave, I would have to marry Draco Malfoy." A rather large lump settled in my throat again at the thought of Lucius Malfoy succeeding. "He said you wouldn't be able to help me and that I was a weapon for you to use as blackmail."

"That's all he knows," Snape scoffed. He gave me a stern look. "I won't sport with your intelligence by offering up that comment for further discussion-"

"I know it's not true," I said quickly.

He nodded curtly. "I know. It doesn't mean I like you hearing such things."

"I ignored the things he said," I continued. "I tried to attack him."

Snape wore a very strange expression at this. It was like he wasn't sure whether to smile or frown. "What do you mean tried?"

"He kept blocking my spells, saying that he didn't want to duel with me. But I kept going, and in the end he finally fired back."

Snape's face looked impassive. "And?" he said.

"My mental shield blocked his spells for awhile..."

"For awhile?"

I nodded. "When I refused to stop, he started using the Cruciatus curse."

For the second time, Snape stood up abruptly, looking enraged. "He used the Cruciatus curse on you?" he exclaimed, his face contorted with fury.

I nodded, watching him pace again. "My mental shield blocked it at first," I said, my voice wavering, "but it just couldn't handle it. It gave way in the end."

Snape stopped and looked at me. "How long were you subjected to it?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper.

I stared back at him, lost in thought as I relived the experience in my mind. "I don't know...I lost track of all time while it was happening..."

He brought his hands up and rubbed his temples.

"I was glad he used the curse," I said quietly, and Snape looked sharply at me while I explained. "It drained him of his magical energy. It was a lot easier to finish him off. I cast Stupefy at him a couple of times and he wanted me to stop."

He looked incredulous. "He asked you to stop?"

"He couldn't take any more of it," I said softly. "I cast it again though and he was knocked unconscious."

Snape stared at me, his black eyes glittering.

"You defeated him," he said, more to himself than to me.

I shook my head. "No. I didn't defeat him at all. He was just too drained to keep going. If he had kept on at using the Cruciatus curse then I'd probably still be there with him. I just got lucky, that's all."

Snape fixed me with a calculating look at this statement. He looked far from pleased.

"I retrieved my wand from him," I went on.

I reached into my robes and pulled out Rougier's wand.

"Rougier's wand," I said. "I'd love to destroy it, but I suppose its evidence."

Snape nodded. "It is."

"I've got something else," I said, reaching into my robes again. I pulled out the second wand I had taken that night and placed it on the bench next to Rougier's.

Snape stared at it for a long time in silence. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, or even what he was feeling.

"Father's wand," he said finally, not taking his eyes from it.

"I didn't want to leave it there," I said. "Do you think I should have?"

He shook his head. "He'll have a harder time without it, but I daresay he's got a spare in the house somewhere." He broke his gaze from the wand and looked at me. "I always dreamed of defeating him and taking his wand to destroy."

"I'm sorry I ruined it then," I said, feeling a little crestfallen.

"Ruined it?" he repeated, giving me a shrewd look. "At least one of us did it."

I said nothing.

"Keep going, Armilla, you haven't told me how you managed to end up on a Thestral." He folded his arms and looked expectantly at me.

"The Thestral showed up after I left Father and kept following me," I explained. "I used the bracelet again to get through the wards. The light from the locket managed to cut out a door. The Thestral came with me and we ended up finding a river. It was dark and I fell down a small slope and that's how I broke my wrist."

He nodded. "Lucky that happened after you duelled with Father."

I nodded. "The locket wouldn't help me find a way to escape Father after that because it seemed to think I was safe from him. Instead I asked it to show me a safe way back to you. The light pointed at the sky. I asked it how and it pointed to the Thestral. I had no other choice. I didn't want to ride it."

"No, I don't imagine that you did," he said softly, looking closely at me. "After what you had already gone through."

I suddenly felt embarrassed. Snape had been through plenty of horrible times. I hadn't done much at all. I had used a present from Fred and George to escape Rougier. I had duelled with a man who had been magically drained and then I had ridden a Thestral home. I was sure Snape had suffered the Cruciatus curse plenty of times.

"I ended up in the forest, and then I contacted you," I finished, disregarding what he had said.

Snape frowned for a moment, his eyes fixed on mine, before standing up again.

"What happens from here?" I asked, as he stepped closer.

"Father's whereabouts are protected by the Secret Keeper," he answered, still looking closely at me. "If he wakes, it is up to him how he handles his own situation. I daresay that from here on both the Light and Dark sides will be looking for him. The Dark Lord does not look favourably on deserters, and the Light side will want to find him so that-"

"He doesn't try anything again," I finished for him. The lump in my throat was growing bigger.

Slowly, he nodded. "Like I said, Armilla, we will do everything in our power-"

"I know," I said, blinking back tears again. I wasn't sure why I was upset. It was probably for many reasons. I felt guilty for getting disarmed so quickly. I was terrified that Lucius Malfoy would succeed. I was frightened that Father would find another way to take me. I didn't want the whole experience to be made bigger than it was; Snape had been through a lot more. I felt guilty that after all his training, I couldn't keep my wand.

Snape took another step closer. "Armilla-"

I shook my head, wiping tears from my eyes. "I'm sorry," I murmured.

He frowned. "That's the second time you've said that and I don't know why."

Sniffing, I looked away, wiping my face. My hand came away with more blood and dirt. I tried to wipe it off on my robes.

Snape conjured a wet cloth and reached for my hand. He silently wiped away the dirt and blood and then spelled the cloth clean.

I went to wipe the tears from my eyes again, but Snape caught my hand first.

"I just cleaned that," he said. I blinked and became very embarrassed as the tears fell. I looked away, not wanting to meet my brother's gaze.

Snape reached out and held my chin in one hand, and began to clean my face with the wet cloth in his other hand. "You're home now," he said quietly, wiping blood and dirt from my forehead. "You don't have to be so brave."

I shook my head again.

Snape paused and stared at me, his black eyes slightly narrowed. He said no more, but continued to clean my face in silence. He healed the cut where the blood had come from, and then moved onto the blood on my leg, which came from a cut below my knee.

"Well," he said finally, straightening up after covering the cut. "I believe I have left your friends waiting long enough."

As I was still wiping away tears, I wasn't sure if I wanted to face my friends at the moment. I really wasn't in the best state. Everything was well and truly catching up with me.

"I do however want to pick up that conversation later," he said quietly. "I expect you are tired, but a couple of the things you said have perplexed me."

"I don't know what I mean," I said absently, still wiping my eyes.

"Indeed," he said, taking my hand again and wiping it dry so I wouldn't wipe it on my robes again. "I am not sure if you know what you mean either, but I do wish to clarify a couple of things with you later...for my benefit, and for yours."

Putting the cloth aside, he reached out and lifted me off the bench. When he set me on my feet, he ran a hand across my wet cheek and then kissed me.

"We will talk again later," he said, letting go of me. "You know I will expect proper answers, so be prepared to give them."

I looked up at him and he stared back at me, his face impassive. "Is that clear?" he said, his voice a little harder.

I nodded. "Yes," I whispered.

He nodded curtly. "Come."

I followed him to the door. He waved his wand to take down the sound-proofing wards before opening the door.

As we stepped out into the corridor, I wondered if my friends had drifted off to sleep out in the sitting room. We had certainly been a long time.

I followed Snape down the corridor, hoping my face wasn't too red. I had even kept my tears for Merle from my friends.

At the sound of our footsteps, Lisa and Terry turned to look at us. Their eyes settled firstly on Snape, but flew quickly to me as we came to a halt in the sitting room. I was half-standing behind Snape, but that didn't stop the gaze of my friends being upon me.

"Firstly, let me make it clear," said Snape, in a very business-like tone, "that for the moment no information is to be divulged to you regarding what has happened. You may be sure that it is very serious and I am not requesting, but ordering you to keep your questions to yourselves."

Lisa and Terry maintained eye contact with Snape, but they now looked very uncomfortable at not being allowed to know what happened.

Snape glanced back at me before looking back at my friends. "Armilla will not give you information either," he went on, his voice hard. "I am not certain how long it will be before you will be informed of the details, or if you even will be."

They both nodded. Lisa looked upset.

"Your discretion is needed," Snape said. "If anyone asks you about Armilla's whereabouts, you may simply tell them that she is in the castle, as would be expected."

Again, they nodded.

"Miss Turpin," said Snape, sounding like he was about to ask her a Potions-related question. "Armilla broke her wrist. I have mended it, but she is not to use it more than she has to for a couple of days. She also has other injuries which are healing. As Armilla needs to shower before she goes to bed-"

"I'll help her," said Lisa, jumping up.

Snape looked annoyed at being interrupted, but to his credit, didn't dock House points for such an offence. "Yes," he said, nodding. "I was about to ask you to be of assistance to her if she needs it." He turned to Terry. "Mr Boot, I would like for you to go down to the kitchens and find some house-elves to prepare a small meal for Armilla-"

"I'm not hungry," I murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. "I just want a drink."

"And a hot drink that she will have with her meal," he finished, flashing me a glare. I knew I wasn't about to get out of eating.

"Yes, sir," said Terry, getting up. He moved towards the door and turned around. "How will I get back in, sir?"

"I will receive notice that you are outside," Snape answered. "I will let you in."

Terry nodded and then left.

Snape turned around to face me. "Go on then," he said. "I have a few things to do that cannot wait any longer."

I nodded. Lisa just stood behind Snape, looking a little uncomfortable. "Come on," I said to her, and she walked past Snape and followed me down the corridor to my bedroom.

Once inside, I lightened it, and then walked into the bathroom and did the same.

Lisa closed my bedroom door behind her and then gave a small gasp as we heard a loud screech.

Morag soared from her perch in my bedroom into the bathroom and landed on the space next to the basin, blinking up at me.

"Hi Morag," I said tiredly, "how are you?"

She gave a small hoot and moved forward to nibble affectionately at my finger.

"That's Morag?" asked Lisa, coming into the bathroom. My friends had never seen Morag.

"Yeah," I said softly, not meeting Lisa's gaze. I looked at Morag instead. "Morag, show Lisa what you can do."

Morag hooted in reply and then gave a little show. She went through every colour of the rainbow and grew and shrank. Lisa watched with her mouth slightly open.

"Wow," she breathed, when Morag had returned to her usual size and colour. "What a great present."

I nodded in agreement. "Go back, Morag," I instructed. She obliged me and went back to her perch, hooting softly.

I turned to Lisa. "I know what Severus said, but I think I will be okay having a shower."

She smiled. "I thought you'd say that. But I'm sure you'd prefer me to Madam Pomfrey, Mill. You're too proud to ask her for assistance."

I smiled back. "I know. Look, I'll see how I go, and if I need you I'll call you."

She nodded. "Alright." She took a step closer, looking serious. "I respect that I can't know anything, Mill, but we are here...if you need anything..."

I nodded. "I do know."

Lisa waited in my bedroom while I showered. Morag, who held delight in showing off, happily entertained Lisa with her colour-changing skills and other charms.

It was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated getting the dirt out of my hair with one hand, but I managed to do it.

I changed for bed, and we both sat on my bed so Lisa could wand-dry my hair.

"Thankyou," I said quietly, as she began. I generally hated being helped with simple things. Lisa was right. I was too proud.

"Your hair is getting too long, Mill," was Lisa's reply.

I shrugged. "Why were you and Terry waiting by the window?"

Lisa didn't answer at first. "We couldn't sleep," she said finally. "Knowing that you were missing. We just sat by the window, coming up with possible theories about where you were. We didn't actually think that we would see you coming out of the forest...but you have no idea how relieved we were when we did." She paused for a moment. "I bet Snape's relieved," she said quietly.

I nodded. "He is."

"Terry and I went down to the dungeons to ask him if he knew where you were," she whispered. "He sent us away without an answer, but he looked furious."

Again, I nodded. I couldn't really let Lisa in on the story.

We sat in silence until Lisa finished.

"You have a nice bedroom down here," she commented, putting her wand away. "It's very...Slytherin out in the other room, but otherwise it seems a nice place to stay."

I smiled. "It is a nice place to stay," I agreed. "Did you suspect lots of jars with potions or weird plants or insects suspended in them?"

Lisa laughed. "No, of course not."

"I guess Terry must be back by now," I said, standing up. I didn't want to leave Terry out in the sitting room with Snape. Snape's hospitality could often leave a lot to be desired, and I knew Terry would be uncomfortable.

I opened my bedroom door and Lisa followed me back out into the sitting room. Terry was sitting on the sofa, looking very out of place. In front of him on the coffee table was a tray with a sandwich on it, as well as tea.

Snape was nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks, Terry," I said, sitting down next to Terry on the sofa. Lisa sat down on the other side of him.

Terry gave me a nervous look. "You'd better eat that, Milly. I'll be in trouble if you don't."

"Where's-"

"He left for a moment," Terry answered.

My heart seemed to skip a beat. Snape wasn't nearby? Maybe Rougier had been right. If I hadn't suffered from separation anxiety before, I felt something like it spreading through me now.

"He let me in and then said he had to go somewhere for a few minutes," Terry went on, as I stared at the door. "He said to tell you to make sure you eat everything, and if you don't, I will have detention until the holidays."

"Oh," I said, looking at the sandwich. I really didn't want it, but the intimidated look Terry gave me motivated me. Terry had taken the man at his word. I certainly couldn't deny that Snape would do such a thing.

"We're glad you're back," said Terry, as I started eating. "You've no idea how worried we've been."

"I hope it doesn't get around the school," I said grimly, looking at the door again.

Terry shook his head. "It won't if we downplay it," he said, pouring me tea.

Lisa nodded in agreement. "Your seat in the exam was towards the back, so hardly anyone noticed that you weren't there, except for the examiners of course. Everyone else was too preoccupied with the exam to pay your absence much heed. We're all pretty used to you being down in the dungeons a lot now, so no one was suspicious when you weren't at the end-of-exam celebrations in the common room."

I nodded, lost in thought. Would my father be exposed for this? If so, then I certainly couldn't avoid the rumours that would start. The Ministry would notice my father's absence, since he was regularly there.

I tried to keep my mind from exploring such thoughts. "How was the exam?" I asked.

The both shrugged. "Boring," said Terry. "I'm not taking it for NEWT level, no matter what my mark is."

"What are you going to do about missing the exam?" Lisa asked, looking worried.

I shook my head. "I don't know; I suppose Severus will look into it."

I mainly listened to Lisa and Terry talk as I finished my meal, looking at the door far more often than necessary. I was grateful to hear them chatter though; it saved me from thinking about less pleasant things, such as the question of an engagement to Draco Malfoy.

I had just finished when the door opened and Snape came in. A strong sense of relief spread through me at the sight of him.

Closing the door, his eyes fell upon the empty plate on the tray. "Ah, well I see we won't have to arrange a detention, Mr Boot," he said.

Terry actually looked relieved. "No, sir."

Snape nodded curtly. "Thankyou both for your assistance. I think you should both return to Ravenclaw Tower before dawn." He opened the door again and my friends stood up.

"Remember to use discretion," Snape said quietly, watching them as they made their way over to him.

"Yes, sir," they replied.

They both turned around at the door.

"See you later, Mill," said Lisa, while Terry nodded.

"Bye."

They left and Snape closed the door after them. I watched in silence as he took out his wand and vanished the tray. He looked exhausted. He probably very much wanted to go to bed himself.

Putting his wand away, he joined me on the sofa.

"Does your head still hurt?" he asked, looking closely at me.

"Not really."

"Good." He leaned back into the sofa. "I want to pick up that conversation with you before you go to bed."

"Oh," I said. I hadn't really thought about how I was going to explain myself. But there was a question lingering on my mind.

"May I ask you something first?" I asked.

He inclined his head. "You may."

"How exactly does the pearl work? I couldn't communicate with you using the chocolate frog card, but you said that the pearl did contact you."

He didn't look surprised by my question. "The chocolate frog card," he began, "as you well know, was simply used in the beginning to inform you of any messages regarding your extra lessons. It just became convenient for us to use it to contact each other all the time." He paused for a moment. "However, no matter how useful it has been, don't assume it has an equivalent level of magic as the pearl."

I shook my head. "I don't think that."

"You are aware," he continued, "that the pearl you are wearing came from my vault at Gringotts, since you found its empty box when we were there."

I nodded. I remembered thinking it was weird at the time that Snape had loaned me a pearl that had belonged to his mother before he had discovered that we were related.

"This is just conjecture," he said, "what Mother has passed on in small anecdotes to me. Years ago when the bracelets were made, apparently they were supposed to have pearls on the lockets. The pearls were designed to carry out the same sort of function as the emerald and the locket on your bracelet. But not all the families involved in the design wanted a pearl. Hogwarts was founded around the same time, and many parents wanted a stone for whatever House their daughters were sorted into."

I looked down at the emerald on my bracelet. "So the first witch to wear this was a Slytherin?"

He nodded. "Though, like I said, this could just be a myth. The story goes that the pearls had already been produced when families started to change their minds. The families wanting pearls still used them, but the other families just kept the pearls, either for rings, or on a chain like the one you're wearing. The pearls which weren't used for the bracelets still contained to some degree the magic that would protect a pureblood witch. According to Mother, that pearl you're wearing is the one that should have been on the bracelet. It has been passed down through generations. The key point to note is that while your bracelet is fixed, the pearl isn't. You can take it off at any point. Any pureblood witch is able to use that pearl to contact a selected person, as long as the other person is also of pure blood. Your bracelet, as you know, is completely different. It serves you and you only, and as you discovered, strictly only helps you in regards to matters relating to pureblood family members."

I frowned. "Why didn't you tell me about this that day in the Secret Wing, when I asked you what you knew?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Because we didn't know that we were related then. I was not about to tell you that you were wearing my mother's pearl. If you remember, I told you that I would tell you factual information about the bracelet only. I knew the pearl could be used to contact other pureblood people, but the connection to the bracelet has never been proven."

"Why did you trust me with the pearl before we knew we were related if it's so important?" I asked. "Surely there could have been other ways of communication?"

He considered this for a moment, running a finger back and forth across his mouth. "We could have arranged other forms of communication," he admitted. "But the pearl delivers an instant message to the other person's mind-"

"What sort of message?" I asked.

He gave me a brief look of irritation for interrupting, but answered me anyway. "It's like a flash in the mind, and I receive knowledge of the location. Unfortunately though, a place guarded by a Secret Keeper will not be identified. When you contacted me, I just received a warning that you needed me, and the whereabouts were private. That immediately indicated that you were in a place guarded by a Secret Keeper."

"Oh. That's interesting," I said, distractedly.

"Indeed. May I go on now?"

I nodded, making a personal note not to interrupt again.

"The Headmaster had the idea that it would be beneficial for you to use the pearl," he paused, sneering slightly. "In fact, he insisted upon it."

"I'm sorry," I said. I had always thought that it had been Snape's idea.

He raised an eyebrow. "You have nothing to apologise for. I told you to wear it and you obeyed. After we discovered our relationship it seemed an absurd idea for you to take it off." His hard expression softened slightly. "It is well and truly yours now, and rightfully so."

We were both silent for a moment.

"Why did the Headmaster insist I wear it?" I asked.

"He knew it was a reliable means of communication," he said simply. "He knew that both our bloodlines were pure so it would work without trouble or the risk of being tampered with somehow...I believe he was suspicious about us after hearing what happened when I touched your locket during your detention. Perhaps he was hoping that we would try to prove it ourselves."

I smiled. "Not likely."

He smirked. "No. I was already furious enough that it was left to me to baby-sit you. But the Headmaster likes to get his own way."

"So the pearl is able to disregard wards that block communication?" I asked. "It couldn't give you the location, but you did receive two warnings?"

He nodded. "Since it was intended for the bracelet, the pearl carries a valuable source of magic. Now you can see just how useful it is?"

I nodded, looking down at the bracelet. "Now I regret the times I wished I could be rid of it."

He looked thoughtful. "No, you have a fair point. No one would like to have something on them that they can't take off."

Suddenly I had the impression that he wasn't just talking about me. The Dark Mark would never have been far from his mind.

"Now," he said. "Were those answers detailed enough to satisfy you?"

I nodded, resisting the urge to yawn.

"Alright then," he said, looking serious as he met my gaze. "Now perhaps you will oblige me by providing detailed answers."

"Oh," I said, feeling anxious. "I don't think I'll be very good at it."

His stern expression didn't falter. "I will take into account that you are tired," he said. "But answer me honestly and I am sure you will have no trouble."

"Alright," I said, uncertainly.

"When I came to you in the forest earlier," he said, his eyes fixed on mine, "almost immediately you said that you were sorry. Later on in the lab, you said again that you were sorry out of the blue. You offered no explanation each time and I would very much like to be informed the reason for you seeking my forgiveness."

I didn't answer at first. The man was just so articulate; it made me feel all the more anxious when trying to pull my thoughts together into a logical answer.

I took a deep breath and decided to get everything out at once, no matter how jumbled my explanation seemed.

"You've spent months and months teaching me how to defend myself," I said. "But I still managed to be the victim of an impostor with a portkey. I was disarmed as soon as we landed, even though I should have been alert enough to defend myself straightaway. I thought I had let you down as soon as I was disarmed. It should never have happened. Everything came down to luck. If I hadn't been carrying Fred and George's gift around then I wouldn't have found a way around Rougier. The fact that I noticed that I had the pod was luck. The fact that the plan worked was luck, and the credit there goes to the twins."

I stopped for a moment to take a breath, and then went on.

"If the bracelet hadn't helped me then I wouldn't have been able to leave the place. It was just luck that I happened to be letting my frustration out on it and it helped me. I didn't defeat Father. I was lucky that he had been using so much magic on the wards that he was starting to feel drained. My shield failed under the Cruciatus curse and Father would have won, had it not been for the fact that he was drained. My magic couldn't handle the Cruciatus curse. It wasn't about my skill that made Father give up. I wasn't a hard competitor. He just gave up on himself. I brought back his wand, but it wasn't skill that allowed me to have it. I feel worse that you have the skill to defeat him; you deserve to take his wand. I took it because I was lucky and it was just there."

I stopped for another breath, and realised that through my rant, my eyes were brimming with tears again. Damn annoying things. Snape would kill me if I used Occlumency. As it was, he was just listening with an impassive face, his eyes never leaving mine.

"The thestral just kept following me because of the blood. I didn't seek it out or have the bright idea to actually use it. I actually wanted it to go away. I used the bracelet to get through the wards only because I knew I had been lucky before. Then I managed to fall down a slope when I should have been paying more attention, and I broke my wrist, which could have hindered things greatly if I hadn't had the Thestral to ride back."

I took a deep breath. "The whole night was about luck. It was luck that helped me to escape...I said that I was sorry because I felt so guilty the whole time. I let you down from the moment I was disarmed, and I had to rely on luck to get back. If I get into a similar situation again, I don't know if I will be so lucky. Father only went into hiding so the Malfoys couldn't claim me, but you'll have to put up with the interrogation over Father's absence from the Dark Lord because of it."

I stopped to take another breath, noticing that my heart was racing. I blinked back tears again and continued. "It's not like I went through anything overly traumatic. People have put up with a lot worse. I'm sorry that I lost my wand so quickly...and I'm sorry that it will lead to a lot more trouble for you."

Finally finished, I took a long breath and found that I didn't feel better at all for spilling my mind. I felt more exhausted if anything.

For a long time, Snape said nothing at all. When I had finished, he had continued to watch me for a few seconds, but had then turned his gaze to the space in front of him.

I leaned back on the sofa, waiting for him to make a response.

"You expect too much of yourself," he said finally, his voice low.

"No I don't," I said thickly.

He glared at me. "Yes you do," he snapped angrily. "And do not argue with me."

I didn't reply. I didn't expect too much of myself. I only expected what I thought I should be able to handle, nothing more.

"You've only just turned sixteen," he went on, his voice hard. "The fact that you feel guilt over something most qualified witches and wizards would struggle to handle is most unsettling to me. I feel I am to blame for this sort of reasoning to have grown in your mind."

"No," I said at once. "I don't-"

"Do not interrupt me," he said, narrowing his eyes. "If you had gotten into this situation without my teaching, you would have tried to make the best of the situation, but you wouldn't have had such high expectations of yourself. I have taught you some very complex magic, and as a result you have put pressure on yourself to never falter."

I shook my head slightly.

He raised an eyebrow. "You disagree? Tell me, would your expectations of yourself have been the same if I had not taught you a thing? Keep in mind that you had not been in the habit of duelling before I started teaching you. Also consider the fact that your magic had not been explored and expanded to the extent it is now." He gave me a stern look. "So enlighten me, Armilla, have your expectations remained the same?"

"I suppose not," I said quietly.

He nodded curtly. "In teaching you, I hoped that if the occasion ever came up, which it did, you would be more prepared to defend yourself, and you were."

"But I wasn't," I insisted. "I was disarmed."

"Do you think my magical competency is extensive, Armilla?" he asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Well I should consider it blow to my ego then that I was disarmed by Potter, Weasley and Granger when you were in your third year."

I stared at him. I hadn't known that.

"If you are affronted that Father, a skilled and experienced wizard, disarmed you after a surprise portkey trip, then should I consider myself grossly incapable because three third-years managed to rob me of my wand?" He gave me a cold look.

"No..." I said, feeling terrible.

"Do you see my point then?" he said harshly, his black eyes glittering.

I nodded. "I do."

"I feel guilty now," he said quietly, his face softening slightly, "because throughout all the months of teaching you, I didn't take the time to instil in you the fact that you could never be fully prepared for any situation. You speak of luck as the enemy of skill. Yes, you had luck, but the greatest figures in history often relied upon luck. It is about knowing what to do with that luck, Armilla. You used your good judgement to decide the best means to use the Weasley twins' pod. If you had used it at the wrong moment, then it could have turned disastrous."

I nodded, feeling stupid that he had to point this out to me.

"Yes, it was lucky that your attention caught your bracelet," he went on, "but it was your mind that worked out what you had to say to it to make it work for you. Surely you can see that?"

I nodded again.

"Yes, Father's magic was drained, but he was duelling with you for awhile it seems before he resorted to the Cruciatus curse. He wouldn't have made that choice if he had been able to defeat you with a simple disarming spell. It appears that your shield held him off all the time. Am I correct?"

"Yes."

"And did your shield crumble as soon as the first Crucio hit it?"

"No...I managed to hold it up; it just shook a lot."

He looked extremely interested all of a sudden. He leaned forward and looked at me closely.

"So it crumbled on the second Crucio?"

I shook my head. "No, it crumbled on the third."

He was now regarding me with a calculating look. "You are saying that the shield we worked on for months managed to survive two lots of the Cruciatus curse?"

I nodded. "It just kept shaking; I couldn't hold it up any longer."

He sighed. "No wonder you're exhausted. Your magical ability was put to the test."

"In the end I wanted him to use the curse."

His look remained shrewd. "Go on."

"The Cruciatus curse requires a great deal more energy than a disarming spell. I could tell that it was draining Father even though I was struggling. I held up for as long as possible in the hope that it would finish off Father."

He raised an eyebrow. "Finish off?"

"Defeat him, I mean," I said quickly. "I worded that badly." I suddenly felt alarmed. "What if I killed him?"

He shook his head. "You wouldn't have killed him, Armilla." He folded his arms. "And so you suffered the Cruciatus curse on Father's third attempt?"

I nodded.

His face looked impassive, but there was something in his eyes that showed feeling. "I hope you never have to suffer it again," he said quietly.

We were both silent for a moment, lost in thought.

He suddenly shook his head, a look of bewilderment on his face. "And to think you believe that you survived a duel with Father based on luck. It may have worked to your advantage that he was drained, Armilla. I would have used that to my advantage too. Your shield certainly wasn't supposed to have handled two bouts of the Cruciatus curse. We hadn't developed it to that level yet. If that's not skill and regimented control of magic, then I don't know what is. I am going to put it down to exhaustion, but your logic tonight has baffled me."

"I shouldn't have said all those things," I admitted.

He shook his head. "No, I am glad that you did. I would rather know your thoughts than try to guess at them; then we are free to examine where you obtained certain ideas. One in particular that I would like to clear up is in relation to Father's wand. I believe you feel it was my right to take the wand in triumph, not yours."

I nodded. "You have more to accuse him of."

"Perhaps," he said, "but only because I have spent more time in this world than you. However, let me assure you, Armilla, that when you took out his wand earlier, the sense of triumph it produced within me was unlike any other I have ever experienced. Yes, I had dreamed of taking his wand in victory one day, but that did not mean that I was not proud that you did it instead."

I frowned. "Even though he was magically drained at the time?"

Sneering slightly, he placed his hand over mine. "Yes. It appears that you don't want to give yourself credit for such an admirable escape."

I shook my head. "I escaped, but it was far from admirable."

"Oh, I beg to differ," he said curtly, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. "And you know how rarely I give out praise, even to you, so recognise it when I offer it."

"I'm sorry for making you feel guilty," I whispered, leaning against him. "I don't want you to feel guilty. I was too thick to realise that I wouldn't be completely prepared."

"Call yourself thick again," he said acidly, "or any word like it and I will set you a ten foot essay detailing the points why you cannot possibly be...and you'll have to use small writing because you'll struggle to fit the reasons into ten feet."

Despite the alarming threat, which I wouldn't have put past him to carry out, I smiled.

"As for the guilt I feel," he went on, in a much softer tone, "it will pass." He moved his hand up and down my back. "I place so much value on learning complex and powerful skills that I do not always stop to analyse the psychological effects behind conquering them."

It was so warm in his arms that it was hard to resist closing my eyes. I was so tired. But I still very much needed to know something. "Won't the Dark Lord interrogate you over Father's absence?"

Snape's hand rested on my head. "More than likely."

My heart seemed to skip a beat at those words. I had expected them, but it didn't make hearing them any easier.

"But that is my job," he said quietly. "That is something I must deal with, and something you must not spend time worrying about."

I closed my eyes. "Guess I won't be visiting Father this summer..."

"Indeed not," he said. "You will have to put up with me all summer I fear."

"I can live with that," I said sleepily, "as long as you don't employ a governess."

"Speaking of whom," he said, his voice laced with so much fury that I opened my eyes. "I don't take kindly to my threats being ignored. If I come across Zita Rougier ever again..."

I smiled, closing my eyes again. "You can ask her if she's misplaced her wand."

Though my eyes were closed, I knew his lips were twitching into a smile.

"Severus?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think Morag and Docky would object to having a thestral at home?"

He cleared his throat. "No, but I would. A hyperactive house elf, a conceited Metamorphmagus owl and a teenager with an alarming degree of humility are enough to be getting on with."