Flame to the Fyre Chronicles #1: Black Blood

Sinia'd not been paying attention. How very foolish of her, being in a car with her charge and his closest friends, and being avoided by them completely. Ignoring them completely. She felt alone and very empty, certainly not in the mood for civil conversation. Hope and helplessness had been battling for her attention all morning. Remus was asleep, using her as a pillow, which did not bother her a fraction of an inch. But she'd not been paying attention.
Stupid.
There was suddenly a hush and fearful aura floating around the room, and her ears picked up on it at once. It seemed as though light and happiness were being sucked out of the car into a vortex at the doorway. She turned to look. Her eyes widened in fear and her neck craned backward in revulsion. The dementor turned to look straight in her eyes.
"Sinia Santrai, I am sending you to Azkaban, you are not going to get a trial, and you will stay until you confess your crimes and tell me what I want to know."
"That's the problem, Crouch. I don't know anything!"
"Then I guess you'll rot, won't you?"
"Sirius will come for me."
"Sirius is already there, waiting for you. What a honeymoon, eh? I think I should take this-"
"NO!"
"Too slow, dearest. A Black Blood Sorceress, engaged to Voldemort's right hand man, how could you not be involved, answer me that? So, I think I've found the perfect way to consummate your marriage. The dementors will certainly make better lovers than your lord ever did..."
"Barty Crouch, you dare-"
"Miss Santrai, I do. You go to Azkaban, under Dementric Rape, until they are finished with you or you tell me what I want to know."
Sinia turned her eyes away, away from the memory, away from the dementor, away from the pain. She nudged Remus as hard as she could. He awoke with a start, then analyzed the situation before challenging the dementor, a thing she hadn't the strength left to do. She turned to face the window, and didn't move from the position for the rest of the trip, fighting the tears that threatened to spill. Her right hand was at her ring finger again.
***
"Sinia, get some sugar in you, I'm really not kidding on that one," Remus insisted for the umpteenth time.
"Thank you, Remus, but no. I'll be fine."
"Sinia," he grabbed her by the arm, spinning her to face him, "you are either swallowing this willingly, or I can use my tongue to ram it down your throat. I'm not kidding."
Sinia looked at the hunk of chocolate. "Dumbledore force fed me nothing but chocolate for six months once I got out of Azkaban, Remus. You know that story?"
He nodded slowly.
"It didn't help then, it doesn't help now. Please get the stuff away from me before I vomit."
"Sin-"
"Please, Remus." She turned to face away from him, towards the lower stairwell, swallowing her nausea. "Come on, I need to show you your quarters before dinner."
He followed her silently down the dark hallways, contemplating. She turned into a side doorway, and he followed her, surveying the bare classroom. He'd only have a few days to prepare.
"The doorway behind the platform leads to your office, from there there's a storage room and the door to your personal rooms. Your trunks are already in there." Sinia broke the eerie silence. "The Sorting Ceremony is in fifteen minutes. I trust you can find your way?"
Remus nodded.
"Then I'll see you there. I have prior engagements." She turned to leave, then stopped, her shoulders dropping, and turned back. "And Remus?"
"Yes?"
"If you need me, yell. I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too."
***
Sinia walked back down the dungeon hallway, her feet echoing softly with each step. She'd long ago mastered the art of silence, to the point that it was natural for her to be almost unheard in the dungeon, where an echo carried forever. She passed by the potions classroom and heard the door open and shut a few moments later. Her mind and heart, in such state as they were, did not see the point in trying to avoid the bane of her existence. More was the pity.
"Sinia.." she'd never had more distaste for her own name than when it came from his lips, stinging like poison, like fire, like a bed of nails.
"Leave me be, Severus," the tone was forceful, but the volume was low. She wished to brood in peace.
"Now," and with that syllable he used leverage against her shoulder to force her back to the wall, "why should I do that?"
"Have you forgotten, already?" She asked quietly, her hand running up the side of his face to rest her fingertips on his temple.
"Forgotten what?" His face was so close to hers that their lips almost touched.
"That I don't need a wand to kill you," she dug her fingernails into his temple then, and his eyes widened slightly at the challenge.
"Sinia, you kill me and a much worse fate awaits you. You wouldn't dare, Sorceress." The name was spat.
"One day, Severus," she whispered. "You will leave me with no other option but to do so. Then you will learn- what I dare and what I do not."
With that, she faded away slowly, leaving Severus Snape to catch himself from falling into the wall.
***
Sinia had slid into the Great Hall just behind Dumbledore's chair, as usual, unnoticed. Except by Dumbledore. He waved her close enough to speak freely, and she took the handful of steps necessary to stand beside him, kneeling slightly to be at eye level.
"Sinia, I resent the fact that you see it unnecessary to inform me of Severus's actions toward you. I cannot protect you from the dementors, should he say anything… indiscreet… to the Minister of Magic…"
"Sirrah…" she searched for an explanation, looking forward, as though chided by a disappointed parent. "I have to keep some pride. When they find Sirius, the dementors will have me, too. So it doesn't matter what happens between now and then, because no matter what the causes, the effect is the same?"
She looked up at him, almost wanting him to contradict. But instead she got a small, half- hearted smile.
"Astute," he sighed. "You always were. I will say nothing about any actions you take, provided that you remain faithful to our original contract." Dumbledore looked over the crowd momentarily, until his eyes found a particular point to rest. "I can't blame you if you want to see him, Sinia. I know you are innocent. You proved that to me twelve years ago, and you are here so that I may guard you just as you guard Harry. But-" he raised a hand before she could interject, "I cannot believe you in Sirius's case. He was their secret keeper, Sinia."
"The more I look back on it, the more I…" she stopped, shaking her head. "I didn't see him for a week before we were arrested. The night after he left was the night Voldemort made his proposal to me. I don't know." Silence ensued as she followed her keeper's gaze toward her charge. "He loved Harry like his own son, Albus. We babysat for James and Lily once, and he kept going on about it. How our children would grow up together, we'd get houses on the same street, and watch them play… I know his heart, Albus. Well enough to know his motivations. But this stumps me. He so disliked the thought of being their secret keeper. He was afraid Voldemort would take us both in one fell swoop and that would be the end."
"Maybe he gave away the Potters to save you?" the suggestion was tentative, almost apologetic.
"No," she almost laughed at the thought. "Sirius loved me, granted. But he wouldn't have traded James for me. He would die for me himself, but he wouldn't kill James for my sake. Besides, chronological order, following your train of thought, says otherwise. But I don't believe that's what happened, sirrah. Good night."
With that, she slid out of the room, leaving Albus Dumbledore to brood on those past events.