Everything You Are

Chapter Four:

The next day passed quickly, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy passing very quickly for Sirena, however, she had already begun to dread the double class with her father by the end of Divination on Monday.

She walked through the dungeons on Wednesday morning, lingering briefly outside the door to Severus' dungeon. She had a fleeting urge to go in, but continued walking until she stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. She stopped dead when she realized it was only Draco Malfoy and a few scattered Slytherins besides herself and her father in the room. She sighed and went to take a seat in the back when her father cleared his throat.

"You're marked up front here, on the seating chart, Sirena." He said.

She glared, walking back to the front of the room and sitting down. "You have to make it difficult, don't you?"

"It makes things much easier like this." He said, out of the corner of his mouth.

"Figures... well, if we're going to do it, might as well do it right." She muttered, plastering on a smile and walking up to give her father a very staged hug.

The rest of the class filed in slowly and Sirena went back to her seat. Remus glanced at her before he began to speak. "Good morning class. Today, continuing on the thread of remedies, the headmaster has requested I teach you all to care for an open wound from a..." he paused and took a breath. "...a wound from a vampire bite."

Sirena's jaw dropped, almost audibly. For the second time in three days, she felt everyone stare at her as if she was a threat to the safety of the room. She glared up at her father more fiercely than before.

He tried not to notice and continued. "Now, I myself have had quite a bit of experience with vampires, however, most were pleasant." He bit the inside of his cheek. "I, myself, have willingly given blood to vampires in the past to help them sustain life, and it's not all that dangerous if the vampire is trustworthy enough not to drain you." a few people snorted at 'trustworthy.' Sirena glared at each. "You also must be careful if you do not wish to become a vampire yourself. From the moment a vampire bites you, if you happen to ingest any of their blood, you will be one of them. There is no reversal for this." He spotted hid daughter's raised hand and impatient expression. "Yes, Sirena?"

"I've had a vampire wound for fifteen years. Do you think I can go to the infirmary and get it fixed, please?" she said dryly

Several people laughed, Draco holding in a huge laughing fit at her expression. Remus sighed, not amused. "I suppose this lesson IS of very little use to you, Sirena, but you ARE in this class..."

"Yeah, well, I really don't feel well. Can I go see Madame Pomfrey?"

"That's fine." He sighed in defeat, waving his hand for her to go. She picked up her things and walked out, letting the door slam behind her. Remus rolled his eyes and continued the lesson. "Now, receiving a bite..."

Sirena threw her bag over her shoulder and trotted off to her dorm. The classroom had been unsafe for her. She knew the bloodlust would be back any minute and the talk of vampirism didn't help, so she put her things on the floor and stretched out across her bed.

In another hour, she ran off to Divination. After breezing through the class, she decided to skip lunch and go back for some alone time, but was rather surprised to find Severus in the common room when she got there. "Aren't you usually at lunch around this time?" she asked, stepping in.

"I could ask you the same." He said, looking up from the paper he was grading.

She shrugged. "I didn't feel like being there. What's your excuse?"

"My office is being de-fumed. We had a problem with some stink pellet. The staff room is nearly just as unpleasant at the moment." His lip curled into a small smile. "Your father is looking for you."

She rolled her eyes, going over to sit down. "I left his class five minutes in. I really don't have any use for knowledge on how to treat an open vampire bite wound. First of all, if anyone ever DARES to bite me, that will be the LAST thing on my mind. My healing mechanisms kick in anyway. Even if it's someone else that got the bite, I lick the wound and it's healed."

He went back to the paper. "You know how to brew most of the potions I explain, but you never walk out of MY class..."

She paused to choose her words. "Well, you're not my father and you haven't given me reason to want to avoid you yet. I don't see the purpose in drawing attention to myself."

He stifled his laughter. "If you think you don't draw attention..."

She rolled her eyes again. "I don't want to look like a prima donna," she paused, "or draw suspicion."

"You say that almost as if it's an afterthought."

"Very funny." She said. She stood up and stretched a bit. "If you'll excuse me, I have a thing or two to take care of before class."

"See you then."

Sirena went into the great hall to find Draco and walked over to him. "I want you to come to the meeting Friday." She whispered into his ear, skipping right to the point.

He turned around, alarmed. "You scared the shit out of me..."

"You better clean it up then." She said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm taking you and another... friend with me. We'll all be leaving out of Hogsmeade, since I'm the only person who can apparate at Hogwarts and you can't do it at all. We're going to travel by floo at a secret spot I know of. Be ready and out by the Whomping Willow for 5 o'clock sharp." She answered each question before he could ask and looked him in the eyes. "Are you ready, Draco?"

He nodded in shock. "Friday, then..."

For Sirena and for most of the rest of the school, the week dragged by slowly. Back to the usual grind of classes and homework, people saw very little to be excited about, except Sirena. Friday night came, and with the Hogsmeade trip lined up, the Death Eaters' meeting couldn't have been more perfectly planned. They all met outside, just as Sirena had said to, and Sirena looked to Severus. "You told Dumbledore it was a routine thing?"

"I'm helping you to clean up the Shrieking Shack in case of a wolfsbane shortage. Draco is in Hogsmeade with the others." He said, relaying his excuse back to her.

"Good. Let's go, then." She said, stepping cautiously towards the charmed tree. She walked with light feet and confidence, so as to avoid the branches.

"Erm... am I missing something?" Draco asked, bewildered.

"Never mind." Severus said, shortly. Sirena pressed the button and crawled into the opening.

"All clear." She said, quietly, ushering both in. Draco looked around in wonderment, while Severus looked rather uncomfortable about being there. Sirena's voice cut the silence like a knife. "Would you be so kind as to close that, Severus?"

"Certainly." He shut the door carefully as Draco looked around.

"Exactly what kind of a secret spot does this lead to, Sirena?"

"The Shrieking Shack." She said, almost lazily. "That's where I do ALL my dirty work."

Severus laughed at her. "Getting into the stereotypical villain role, are we?"

She grinned. "It's fun."

"Riiiiiiight..." Severus laughed. "Well, lead the way, your evil-ness."

Sirena smirked. "Don't laugh... once we get there, I'll accept nothing less." She raised an eyebrow and turned to Draco. "I am to be addressed as 'my lady' once we arrive. You're new, so I intend on being a bit more lenient with you, but I don't think Voldemort will be as kind, understood?"

Draco nodded, slightly overwhelmed. "This leads to the Shrieking Shack?"

Severus made a face and Sirena pushed open the door to the small shack, a musty smell invading her nose. "Right here..."

"And you guys have been IN here before? I mean... isn't it HAUNTED?"

Sirena laughed and Severus smiled, though not as amused. "My father used to transform in here. They thought it was haunted because he screamed and all that." They followed her in and over to the fireplace, where she lit a fire and grabbed the floo powder from her bag. She took a pinch and tossed it in. Handing the bag to Severus, she spoke just loudly enough. "The Lair at the Hill"

Severus sent Draco ahead and followed after him. They all appeared in a dark room, decorated in black and dark green with silver accent. Sirena sighed happily. "Home sweet home."

Severus stepped up beside her. "This is where you've been?"

She nodded. "Quite cozy, really, and it will work nicely for our little meeting. If you two would wait here, I'm going to go get Voldemort. He's in this house, somewhere..." she laughed.

She came back a few minutes later, Voldemort beside her. Severus immediately dropped and kissed the hems of his robes, but Draco hesitated slightly, not knowing what to do. Voldemort noticed Draco and looked at him for a moment. Draco felt a chill run down his spine as the red eyes pierced his gray ones. Sirena held up a hand. "This is Draco Malfoy, Lucius' son." She explained.

"You look just like your father," Voldemort said, a small smile on his face, "but you are young."

Sirena shrugged. "He's my age now. We had spoken briefly about him joining us and I decided now would be a good time to introduce him to our way."

Voldemort looked at her a second. "Do you really think that's... wise, my lady? He could easily pass information to Dumbledore." Severus tried to remain calm, knowing full well what the punishment would be for spying.

Sirena flinched slightly, despite efforts, at Dumbledore's name. "I'm not afraid of Dumbledore. The question, my lord, is if you are." She smiled wryly.

"Then there is no question at all." He turned back to Draco. "Has Sirena explained the rules to you?"

"N-not yet." He stuttered nervously, looking at Sirena, who had a reassuring look in her eyes.

"Well, Sirena and I need a moment to organize for our meeting, so if Severus would be so kind, you can learn from him."

Sirena and Voldemort walked into the next room. Sirena smiled, hearing Severus' deep voice begin to explain what he needed to do, and sat down across from Voldemort. They came out after a few more minutes, when Sirena heard Severus finish explaining.

Sirena pressed her finger to Severus' mark, and the meeting began.