The Only Protectus

The Darkness of Draco.

Siana, as soon as she changed into her form began cleaning herself. It was a strange feeling whilst being Apparated from one place to another, and the feline in her demanded that she needed the wash. Siana honestly didn't mind anyway, putting off the inevitable was something she had no problem in doing. Besides, the meeting wasn't due to start for an hour, plenty of time to get to the Malfoy Manor, deal with Lucius.

Siana's stomach curdled at the thought of him holding her again. She hated it. That she was so deprived of comfort, of physical touch, she would almost look forward to being held. Despite knowing the cruelty of Lucius, she would have difficulty wanting to hurt him if he ever attacked her.

Throw me a bone and I'm loyal till the day I die really. Pathetic. Frederick, you should have thrown me some more goddamn bones, I'd probably be on your side right now.

Siana turned her head on a very mobile neck towards the Manor, fire-lit windows glittering in the dark night. The moon was waning, and the stars seemed to shine all the brighter for it. Trees cast black hole silhouettes against the sky and she made a mental note that if she climbed up one of those trees and shut her eyes, she would be almost impossible to sense. No human could see their hand in front of their face around the darkness surrounding those trees. As it was, even as a cat she could barely penetrate the darkness of the thick trees around the Manor.

She raised herself off her haunches slowly and began to saunter towards the mansion. Scents wafted towards her, cooking roast, broiling vegetables. I wonder if it's a nice family dinner that's being made. The aromas caressing the sky were pouring from a lit basement window and Siana half purred to herself. So, that was where they kept their house elves. It seemed common practice to keep house elves in a below ground environment.

She leaped up the stairs neatly and slowly walked round to the study window which had been open last time, and the time before. It seemed an easy way to get into the Manor. Siana suddenly froze. What if Lucius became suspicious of the fact that she was only showing up at times of Meetings? Then she shook her head. No. That wouldn't be a problem. He didn't care, as long as he got the extra energy out of her to back up his evil.

Siana jumped onto the windowsill, smelt dust and lint in the corners. She could hear his voice, driven and deep, from a distance. Siana walked towards the sound of it, navigating through doors and corridors. She was so preoccupied on the thought that he would be stroking her, that she was a little unsteady, starting to completely forget about the meeting altogether. As she neared what she assumed must be the kitchen, she heard voices, low, argumentative.

'No. You may not go, Draco.'

'It's an all members invitation.'

'The Dark Lord has expressed his desire for Hogwarts students to not be present. I'm unsure why. Crabbe and Goyle aren't going either so stop complaining!'

Siana meowed softly when she caught sight of them. Narcissa was quietly eating, peeling the skin off her potato with a fork and knife. After inspecting its pallor she wrinkled her nose and moved straight along to the broccoli. Lucius was neatly eating, but wasn't really focussing on the contents of his plate. Draco wasn't eating at all. His fork and knife lay untouched, his napkin still neatly folded. It was he who looked up and noticed her. Siana cringed. She hated his eyes.

'Daddy, your lap-cat is back,' he said coldly and then watched with interest as Lucius turned to face her. He smiled and patted his lap. Siana wasted no time bounding onto his thighs and she purred as he ruffled her fur enthusiastically. Attention is so good. It's sad that I've missed this. So very very sad.

'Mmm...Cassia,' he said and shifted his legs apart. Siana froze as she realised something.

He's getting aroused!

'Lucius, please get her away from the table. It's hard enough eating this rubbish without worrying about her cat fur getting into everything.'

'Oh she's fine here. She's not even moulting.'

No. But I'm hell close to throwing up.

Lucius' hands were pressing her spine firmly down and Siana couldn't block the hiss. Neither could she stop the automatic reaction of unsheathing her claws. In the split second that her wickedly sharp hooks sunk into hot flesh she realised exactly where she'd depressed them, and with how much pressure.

'SHIT! Get off me you vicious bitch!' Siana felt herself be picked up by the scruff of the neck. The plocking sounds as her claws were ripped audibly out of his skin and pants were painfully loud. Then, she was airborne, hurtling through the air. She hissed as she hit the wall and as she fell, was grateful for a cat's body. She twisted herself like a spring and landed not too painfully on all four paws. Shaken. Her still healing thigh shook a little, but otherwise she was fine.

Fine?!

'Damn think tried to butcher me,' Lucius said in horror. Draco grinned.

You going to butcher it back?'

'No. Come here, Cassia,' he called. His voice was dangerously calm. One of his hands had fallen between his legs, hiding the pain among other things. Siana swallowed as she walked towards him, still feeling quite ill. His eyes were glittering maliciously and she felt the hostility coming off him in waves.

Great way to start the night, Siana. Real fucking classy.

As he picked her up, his nails dug into the skin of her neck. Siana winced but bore it. After all, it wasn't in her job description to castrate her surveillance victim. Lucius was standing; excusing himself from the table and Siana used the opportunity to roll and present her stomach. All her logic screamed against the move but her cat instinct demanded a display of submission. Lucius clucked his tongue, trailed his fingers along the underside of her neck delicately.

'Still so trusting!'

'Dad please let me go. Or at least ask when I can next go.'

'No Draco,' Lucius muttered. 'One does not randomly ask the Dark Lord for favours.'

'Favours? I'm a favour? Dad I can be useful.'

'We haven't yet seen the products of your fruitfulness. Your grades are mediocre, excepting potions and that's only because Severus will do anything to stay in my damned favour! You're nothing Draco. Nothing but an annoying thorn in Harry Potter's side.'

'You never give me a chance to be more. You think that's all my fault?!'

Narcissa made a small choked sound in the back of her throat. Siana understood, she sensed it too. Lucius was about to explode.

'For God's sake what will it take to get you to BE QUIET!!!'

There was a pause. Draco's eyes went from fearful, to thoughtful to scheming with speed.

'Her.'

Siana's nostrils flared. Oh no. Oh no. No. You wouldn't Lucius, you wouldn't.

'Why?'

'Practice those curses you taught me.'

'I don't want her dead, Draco. She's useful.'

'I can be useful too.'

It was a big step, but Siana started licking Lucius' fingers. Desperate and afraid. She sensed what he was feeling more acutely now, so attuned to every decision he made. She shuddered as she felt the bolt of acquiescence rush through her.

'Very well. Take her. Clean up afterwards.' His voice was short and Siana's stomach seemed to drop through her feet. She felt very light headed. Oh no, no...don't let this be happening. This isn't happening. Please no.

She went cold as small, pale hands wrapped around her slender form.

'I'm going to clean up and go. Don't wait up for me. Anyone asks, tell them the usual.' As Lucius marched out of the door, Draco brought her head close to his mouth.

'You're not getting away from me this time.'

And suddenly Siana was very aware that this was happening, and there was not one thing she could do about it.

* * * * *

Did I leave it for too long? Perhaps I should have softened it to a simmer to counter the amount of time it was burning for. Yet the colour was correct, it acts like a Wolfsbane potion should. Nevertheless, it's not the type of potion one wants to lose focus on. At least the hardest part was over. I picked a ridiculous time to fit.

And the antidote. I don't know how much longer that will take to brew. Long enough no doubt.

Severus tried to focus on what he was being told, but while Voldemort was talking, and Frederick was watching the Dark Lord with pure adoration, meetings were almost light. The new plan was nothing really surprising, it was pretty much what Frederick had already covered. Some people had extra assignments, but as Severus already knew what his multiple assignments were, he was just one of the bystanders watching everyone else listen. Drifting off frequently into a world of concoctions.

Lucius was standing next to him, arms folded, no black feline by his side today. Severus wondered if it had run away after the last meeting. He wouldn't be surprised if it had. Animals, even familiars, usually didn't stay around Voldemort for too long and he certainly didn't blame them. Lucius, despite being good to cats was no animal lover. Most Death Eaters went out of their way to injure animals. Severus well remembered the days when he did.

Can't escape it can you? Even if you live in the same place as Dumbledore, you're still a Death Eater. Voldemort's play thing. You made some very stupid decisions in your youth Severus. Very. Very stupid.

'Severus you're still keeping your eyes open for any interesting tidbits that might float our way?'

'Always Lord,' Severus said quietly, lowering his eyes in deference. He knew how to stay alive around insane, psychotic people. He'd had much practice.

'Good, Severus. Good. As long as you don't continue to forget whom your true Master is, you should remain relatively respected.'

Relatively respected. "Relatively" being the operative word, I suppose. I wonder if I should have let Lupin know that his potion was ready. No I really have to check it first to make sure it's not toxic, or redundant. Perhaps it doesn't matter. It would be interesting to see the effects of it...no. Check it. You're a responsible potion maker even if you are a sot with everything else.

As Voldemort glided away with two other Death Eaters into the forest to have private words, Lucius turned to him.

'Can you come back to my place tonight? I'd like to have some words with you. Besides, we haven't had a proper talk in quite some time.'

'I'm well aware of that.'

'Ever since you were protecting that Basilican wench. She murdered your sister and you still went all soft for her.'

'I was both under orders of Dumbledore, and under the hypnotic lure of her wand.'

'Ah. I've heard that you're not really getting along lately.'

'I don't voluntarily like any of the Basilicas if I can help it,' Severus said softly and his eyes darted towards Frederick, who was speaking in hushed voices with Yulin.

'We hadn't noticed,' Lucius remarked dryly. 'It's not surprising really. Considering. You know we still don't know why the Basilican family was eliminated? I'm getting told nothing, and all the rumours I hear are ridiculous.'

'I hadn't even heard the rumours.'

'That would be because you're out of the very small, very limited loop, Severus. You remember back in old times, when you would be doing his worst deeds, and there'd be rumours out there about you? How dark you were? How far you'd go? God those were the days. Everyone was jealous of you. The power you had. Of course, everyone was jealous of me too.' Lucius literally preened.

'Lucius, a lot of them are still quite jealous of you.'

'And you. Going to the Dark Lord with such a plan. To become a teacher, to shadow Dumbledore, always watch him. But you went soft after that Severus. You rarely bring fresh meat into the mix. I don't remember the last time you brought your own victim.'

'I like to be surprised with what others provide,' Severus said calmly. 'Besides, I don't exactly have much time at Hogwarts, looking for victims, when I'm trying to sort through the stupidity of most of the students.'

Lucius laughed.

'Speaking of stupidity, how's the crackpot going?'

'Old, full of useless anecdotes. Take away his wand and you've got nothing but a pathetic, wizened man who doesn't know how to handle pain or power, who looks for other people to do his job for him.' Severus smiled slowly as he said it. Some parts of him knew it simply wasn't true, he respected Dumbledore and his handle on power absolutely, yet another part of him felt good saying it. Deliciously sinful. It was that part of him which had gotten him into trouble with the Death Eaters in the first place. That and the belief that he was worthless, he couldn't keep his sister alive, and he might as well have kept himself occupied killing people if he couldn't do anything else right.

'You on the other hand would make a great Headmaster. The best combination of discipline and Dark Arts.'

Severus inclined his head politely, accepting the compliment.

You don't know what you're talking about, but that's fine. You're easy to fool Lucius, one need only be polite and courteous around you, and agree with everything you say and you mostly trust them. Frederick on the other hand, there's a man who knows how to distrust and manipulate. Heaven forbid I ever catch him alone in a dark, infested alley or even more opportune, am allowed five minutes with his dinner and my potions stores. I'll give him Potions Master. How one so irresponsible can be so proud of brewing up such a large batch of Insidious I'll never know.

'Severus, you're glaring daggers at the poor man. No wonder he doesn't like you. Very few people like your glare.'

'How odd.'

'Now don't get snide with me, Severus. I'm just pointing something out.'

'If he doesn't like my glare...' Severus muttered under his breath as Frederick turned to look at him with a sombre glare of his own. 'Then perhaps he shouldn't act in ways that warrant it.'

* * * * *

It had started out innocent, and the dread of waiting had made her feel so sick that in the end she half retched, bile constantly sitting in her throat. Draco hadn't felt the urge to immediately start hurting her, and Siana was caught in a horrible game of wondering what his next move was going to be. So far, all he'd done was stroke her back and her ears. She didn't dare purr. She didn't dare relax. It was useless though. There was no escape. None.

Draco shifted, grabbed her fur between both of his hands and squeezed so hard that she yelped, was paralysed with pain.

'You got away from me cat. That wasn't very clever. I always get my way in the end,' Draco hissed angrily. 'I know you try to be smart now, that you're tricky. I'm not going to fall for any of your tricks again. And you don't have enough time left to play many more.' He looked at her, his eyes cold and hard in his face. Then, with sickening force he smiled. 'Then again, why don't you play your tricks now and we'll see where that gets you.'

Siana's body automatically twisted as she was dropped to the floor, and she landed with a bounce, her internal suspension system catching her. Her breathing was elevated, terror had already sunk it's claws in and it was difficult for her to think rationally. She froze for a second, unsure of what to do. It wasn't the hencoop this time, it was his room, and there was no way out except for the clearly closed window with a latch that looked like a magickal seal. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't get through that, she had no wand. Even if she had a wand, she doubted she could get through.

'Smart enough to realise running is worthless. Are you smart enough to realise that you're worthless?' Draco said softly, and Siana balked as she felt his warm fingertips against her fur. She bolted underneath his bed, which was disgustingly clean. No boxes, paper or rubbish to hide behind. She hadn't expected the Malfoys to be so clean, but then if they had house elves, and a housewife, and an overly strict father. Well. She supposed all in all she shouldn't really be surprised.

She saw his booted feet come along the side of the bed, pace back and forth, and then his head swung down, a mocking grin on his face. Siana gulped and backed up into the wall, aware of how sore her muscles were, of how very dangerous this situation was. This was everything Dumbledore was trying to warn you about, and the first chance you get, you do this. Idiot. Artemis. You're going to die here.

Siana watched as the boots walked away, and heard him shuffling around in a box. Then he was crouching by the bed again, a long claw like thing in his hand. He stretched it under the bed and with a mechanism under his finger snapped the claw several times. The sharp, metal blades clacked at her and she hissed defensively.

'I can bring you out in pieces, or you can come out now. You're lucky I'm even giving you a choice.'

Siana swallowed hard and unsteadily began what seemed like the longest walk towards those outstretched hands. Pale, unmarred, unscarred.

But I don't want to die.

* * * * *

'The thing is, it's not so much that we want to Insidious the whole wizarding population, we just want to affect enough key players that things will start to fall in our favour. Fast. As soon as you're able to administer some to Dumbledore, we're in. Heath is working on Cornelius, he says it's only a matter of time now. I know you don't like him but Frederick has been great, the potion itself-'

'Which is potentially fatal.'

'And is untraceable and expends much less power has been a godsend. Perhaps a Dark Lord send.'

'Hilarious. More hilarious if it kills the Minister and we have to start earning the trust of the new Minister all over again. I take it your assignments are the school board?'

'Yes.'

'Ah.'

'It's not hard, but time consuming, getting them into a position where they'll trust me enough to actually consume food or drink that I provide. Then again it's apt of them not to trust me, I will be lacing the consumables. In the meanwhile, Draco keeps asking for more and more by way of responsibility. I'm torn Severus. I want to involve him with everything, get another Malfoy in the mix, but I also don't want the Dark Lord killing him because of a stupid immature mistake. Unfortunately at his age, he makes a lot of those.'

'Oh and of course, we were incident free.'

'Perhaps not,' Lucius said slowly and sipped from the tea that the house elf had provided. The meeting, which had lasted quite some time, had ended on a relatively high note for Lucius and Severus who hadn't been uncomfortably singled out for any reason. This left them both in relatively good spirits and they were now enjoying a hot cup of steaming (and expensive, being bought by the Malfoys) tea in the small drawing room which Lucius reserved for one on one meetings with other Death Eaters. Behind Lucius a picture of a snake entwined with a mongoose was hung, the snake eating the mongoose, killing it with a single and swift bite. Behind Severus, the image was of a foggy and cloudy landscape, a dull grey castle, a line of pines. It was the Malfoy castle, before it had been utterly destroyed. The mansion now stood in its place. Grey, dull. The weather hadn't much changed either.

'I miss quality tea. Like this,' Severus said softly. Though he didn't much like Lucius, they had enjoyed good times together in the past. They had shared assignments and worked well together, paired up to do dangerous deeds. Consequently, they could talk relatively freely. It wasn't so much a friendship as a very on and off partnership.

'Oh you miss just about everything. I've never seen someone with so much regret. Just think, soon Hogwarts won't even matter anymore, and you can go back and study potions forever.'

'Forever is a very long time to be cutting up roots and looking at liquids, but I would still sooner prefer that over some of the more base forms of magic,' Severus muttered and then looked over his tea at Lucius. 'Draco's grades are slipping.'

'I'm aware of that.'

'He's losing his focus. Perhaps including him in the meetings will exhaust his, er, tendencies towards violence. He'll be able to concentrate a little more.'

'I was hoping he'd exhaust most of his tendencies tonight. I'm trying to give him avenues.'

'What kind of avenues?'

'Just, tokens of my affection,' Lucius laughed dryly. 'He's keeping himself amused tonight with that cat. Hope he doesn't kill her. I should probably go up and check that he's not getting completely out of control.'

'Probably,' Severus said slowly, he still hadn't raised the Svelte situation with Lucius, and doubted that he would.

'I'm going to need more to drink first though. You're right Severus, there is nothing like a good cup of hot, steaming tea after a meeting of mingling...'

'In the cold, frosty night air.'

'My sentiments exactly.'

* * * * *

Siana was crying on the inside, for once she found something to criticise about the feline species. The lack of sobs. Even a fox could summon a chuffing, repetitive howl if it wanted to. Siana however could find no way to express her pain, and her periodic yowls as something new and sharp sliced into her ended sharply, abruptly. At the same time, she was half-grateful. She'd had such a track record of not crying, that she almost didn't want to break it before she died.

Draco's hands, once pearly and white, were now stained red, and Siana's vision was hazing. She had to get away, but she didn't know how. She didn't even know if she could move anymore. And it was getting hard to hold onto her shape.

Please snap out of it. Please please. Please get tired of hurting me.

She'd had just too much experience with pain to know any better.

'I'll show them that I'm good enough to be a part of their games,' Draco was muttering to himself. 'I can handle responsibility, I'm not just a child anymore. You know that, don't you? You know I'm not just a child anymore. I'd frighten most of them. I could even frighten Dad if he...' Siana yelped as he bent her tail backwards harshly. She vaguely heard a bone snap and gasped as pain imploded along her spine and magnified in her chest. '...he gave me half a chance. That's all I want anyway. Half a chance.'

'Sometimes I think that even though he hates Potter, he still wishes that someone like that was his son. All disgustingly ambitious and driven, best on the Quidditch pitch, able to play a game. I'm happy the idiot went to Gryffindork. Would have been too humiliating to have someone like that in Slytherin. Stupid. Stupid,' Draco was muttering to himself as Siana desperately tried to find some part of her Transfiguration knowledge, which would help her change, the excruciating kink in her tail.

Death trap. Death trap. Please think of something else. Of something that makes you feel something other than his. Please. Siana. Find someth...

She almost sighed as an image of Severus peacefully working over his potions drifted over her, the feel of his lips against hers, of all the good things that had happened in Sibilant Stow. The way he had actually seemed to care.

And I know that couldn't have been a lie. I know it. Part of that was real. Surely part of it was...

She half screamed as Draco shook her, exacerbating the thrumming coming from all her other wounds.

'Come on, don't give in now, don't want to lose you yet. I haven't even had half of my fun.'

You little fucking shit. Siana thought miserably as the pain stopped her brain from functioning once more. What about my fun? What about my fun?

She grunted as she hit the floor, he had carelessly tossed her onto the shining slabs of stone, and Siana heard the wet sounds of blood. She tried to roll over, to crawl away, but she had no energy left. Her life was leaking out of her faster than she would have expected. When she heard the vague thuds of footsteps, again she cringed. Images of knives, cruel hands, shark hooks and dull, rusted implements kept filling her vision. She no longer knew how she was holding onto the cat form, perhaps the only thing keeping her holding onto it was the fact that as a human she was more sensitive to pain.

She didn't want to make the pain worse.

Her mind was blackening frequently, soon she'd pass out. She remembered what passing out felt like, she'd done it enough times. It seemed to be her signature piece. However, the thought of losing consciousness now terrified her. It could be the very last time she closed her eyes.

Draco came up alongside her, picked her up by her broken tail, and Siana then had no choice. As the pain transcended sensation and shut down her brain. She blacked out.

When she came to, he was squirting a liquid down her throat that burnt terribly. She squirmed and choked and spluttered and was suddenly aware that she'd continued to keep the form. What if I can't break out of it? What if I'm locked in the shape of a cat forever? What's happening to me? Stop it. Please! Stop stop stop stop. Please no. No.

'Relax kitty, it's just a healing potion. It'll make you all better, and make the fun last a little longer. You're much too fun to kill,' he whispered quietly and Siana panicked. She couldn't have potions, because of the Insidious, she had strange reactions to them.

Siana was just thinking about what kind of reaction she'd have this time when her vision started to haze. The last thing she thought as she blacked out was, please don't let him realise who I am. Let me hold onto the form.

* * * * *

Severus was quiet as he followed Lucius along the hall towards Draco's bedroom. He could hear the small whimpers even as he was climbing the stairs and was amazed that such sounds could now constantly make him feel sick. He didn't even know the cat. The idea of torture and murder were now utterly abhorrent to him.

I'm not sure I belong anywhere. With a mind that both loves the darkness and loathes the light. Yet...loyal to the light, betrayer of the darkness.

There was a strange word in a foreign language, a boom, and then a flash of light from underneath the closed door and Lucius paused, looked warily at Severus, who merely raised both eyebrows.

'You taught him those curses?'

'They're not illegal,' Lucius said evasively and Severus chuckled.

'Not in England they're not. You know as well as I do, that as soon as the Ministry even find out they exist, that they've been invented, they'll be crossed off the great list of what one can cast, and what one can't. Was that the fire pain version or the ice? I've been out of touch with the Grimoire Curses.'

'That was the fire.'

'Pray he puts the cat down then,' Severus muttered and suddenly looked away, unable to stand the guttering supernatural light, and the complete lack of noises coming from animal or boy. It was eerie, disquieting. Lucius noticed and stalked up to Severus. As the Potions Master turned back slowly to meet the clear eyes of Draco's father, Lucius sneered. His trademark.

'You are getting soft. And don't think I haven't noticed Severus. You can't pull the wool over my eyes.'

Severus smirked softly.

'Annoys you does it? That I can still do my job so well?'

'Don't play games with me Severus. You don't torture anymore, you're not in the limited loop. You'll still kill, I know that, but sometimes one wonders if it's only a mercy killing. The Dark Lord knows about your reticence, we've all seen it. You're walking a finely dangerous line.'

'And you're looking out for me are you? So politely pointing out my shortcomings as a Death Eater.'

'All you need to do Severus is get back in the loop. It's not that hard. Start small, start with the Basilican wench, hurt her a bit before you bring her in. Or start smaller. We don't care. We don't want to actually lose you, because you're smart, and you don't seem all that concerned with world domination. That's the thing Severus, you aren't a threat per se. You might be powerful, but your ambition, well...you're so goddamned loyal you could have been a Hufflepuff.'

'I have this strange urge to say fifty points from Slytherin,' Severus said angrily and felt himself bristle. Hufflepuff indeed!

'All I'm saying, is watch yourself, get yourself back in amongst us. Come socialise a little more. Besides, if you want to be entrusted with the part of the plan that involves-'

There was another small explosion and this time the sound of Draco swearing.

'Liquid fire. He picked the Grimoire curses up very fast,' Lucius muttered very softly. 'Come on, let's go interrupt his fun.'

As Lucius reached out for the door however, the door itself was flung open and Draco, looking slightly disheveled and irritated, threw a wet, black lump out of the door. It hit the opposing wall with a wet thud and slid down, leaving a small marker of red. Severus cringed and then realised that it was indeed the cat, and then after a few seconds he realised it was still alive.

'I'm not cleaning this up, Draco,' said Lucius softly, and Severus used the pause to turn his head and hide his cringe. In his mind, where he had quietly been making potions, one of them was starting to boil. It was getting out of control. As Draco explained to his father, that the reason for house elves was so that they could clean (as Lucius would well know, producing a large amount of bloodstains in the house himself), the cat somehow managed to start crawling away. Unnoticed by everyone bar Severus who quietly wished he could just take out his wand now and kill it.

But it would be a mercy killing, and Lucius would know. So focus on something else except for the blackened, bloodstained thing. Kill it if you find it later.

Instead he let the pathetic creature drift out of his line of sight, and instead focussed on Draco who looked like he'd just come off his favourite roller coaster. He also looked mildly frustrated.

'I didn't do the liquid fire spell properly. I thought you said it would be easier to practice on animals than on humans! It wasn't working properly on her.'

Severus' eyes narrowed.

'Perhaps you over extended yourself,' Lucius said. 'Judging by all the decoration, you didn't start off with curses did you? You have to learn that you expend much less energy using a word and some well-placed words.'

'But it's more fun when...' Draco trailed off and looked at Severus. 'Hello Professor. How was the meeting?'

'Fine,' Severus said softly and then because he didn't want Draco to hate him out of jealousy. 'You didn't actually miss out on all that much. A lot of talking. No action.'

'Oh,' Draco said, looking a little bit more content now, a little bit more like a fallen, dirty angel. Blood on his hands. He wiped them on his pants and then sighed. 'Now my hands are sticky. I'm going to go clean my hands, excuse me.'

'I'm going to have to get back to Hogwarts, Lucius. There are a few potions that I need to check on. I haven't been feeling all too well lately and the answer is a fairly complicated brew.'

'Speaking of which, do make us some Veritaserum when you get a chance.'

'Not likely,' Severus said with a small smile. 'Even I don't look forward to Veritaserum. Though it is somewhat satisfactory when I make it well. It's not the kind of potion one makes or attempts lightly.'

'No.'

'So I suppose I'll be seeing you before the next meeting? A general check up? I should really be trying to get back into this loop after all.' Severus fingered the hem of his robes quietly. He'd been given a lot of information tonight to share with Dumbledore. Sometimes his job was exciting, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes he didn't care. Tonight he would have liked to have told Malfoy all about the deviousness of his being a double agent, just to see the expression on his face. Who says I cannot betray like the best of you? I was born for it. I'm a Snape. Enough said.

'Yes. Evening Severus, travel well.'

'Thank you,' Severus said in clipped tones, and left Lucius standing outside Draco's bedroom, waiting patiently for his son to return.

* * * * *

Why am I even trying? Why? Don't try. Just stop moving. Right here. The dirt hurts, it hurts, oh fuck, oh fuck. Oh god I'm going to die right here, a blip in this world of nothing. Oh Artemis, by Artemis I can't do this. Stop moving. There. Stop good. Stop. No.

Ah, at least when you move you stop thinking about the fucking pain.

I'm going to die.

Amazingly enough it's not so much the dying that scares me, as the pain that won't go away. It won't, and Severus, and I could have just changed, and would he have cared? He didn't even know. Thick as thieves like the rest and Draco and the pain and knives and light and I can't think no, no don't start thinking. Just no. No. No.

Siana kept crawling forwards, away from Malfoy Manor, even though she had thought she'd stopped. Her body took instinct away from her, and the cat nature was taking over. Her mind was falling apart. She didn't even notice the footsteps crunching towards her, the hiss, the intake of breath, then the silent curse. She kept crawling, bleeding stomach sliding painfully along the damp and foggy ground. When she bumped into something she stopped, realised she was against a boot.

There was a pause, a long silence. The sound of Siana's breathing was barely audible, and then suddenly laboriously loud. It varied between the two.

'Come here...Cassia...' Severus said softly and Siana looked up past the boot, excruciating pain lancing her spine, causing her muscles to twitch. Her eyes widened in surprise. She saw the wand tip pointed at her and then tried to stand, cried softly at the pain, which rocketed up her side. The sound came out as broken meows. She collapsed onto the ground and breathed heavily, she could feel blood further soaking the dampness underneath her, she was aching to become human again. She wanted nothing more than to be back at home in the Archives, reading a good and brilliant book.

She hissed in surprise when she felt fingers touching her body, and she tried to roll away, wondering if it was Draco all over again. However in her small form, she was no match for the quiet strength of Severus, and she slumped, blood streaked, against him as he picked her up and cradled her close to his body. It was the same position, the same way he held Svelte.

'I don't know why I'm doing this,' she heard him mutter and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd cry, only she didn't think she had the energy to.

In his hands, which were neither taking the pain away nor increasing it, Siana, craving her human form, lapsed into unconsciousness once more.