Disclaimer: Not JKR, don't own it.
A/N: Obviously, this is an AU story; Serena Snape doesn't exist in the novels, the war is over, Voldy (and Snape, and many of the other characters I'll use) are dead…but I have a tendency to pretend JKR didn't kill off all the characters I like :) Anyway, Post-Hogwarts fic and that's about all I'll divulge :)
Chapter 1: The Darkness in the Light
Serena Snape pushed her black hair out of her eyes, ignoring the burning in her left forearm. Turning to the young man next to her, she heaved a sigh and spoke; "Well, looks like we must be leaving this…lovely gathering. Ready Drake?"
Draco Malfoy looked up from where he was playing with the bones of his dinner, Mrs. Weasley's famous chicken and potatoes, and responded to his friend with a mere nod. The two young people stood up, and turned away from the rest of the Order, but not before Harry Potter spoke to them, saying the same words he told the three of them before every "Super Fun Happy Time;" as Serena called the Death Eater meetings she attended faithfully with Draco Malfoy and her father, Severus Snape, whenever their "master" called.
"Don't get caught, and if you do, touch your feather. We'll be ready." It was always the same, and Draco and Severus usually chose to ignore this comment, but Serena always responded with an "aye aye Captain" and a salute to the Boy-Who-Lived. Though Harry barely tolerated the three Death Eaters, it went unsaid that they were very important to his cause, and any member of the Order was worth being protected when necessary. The feather Harry referred to was a combination of his idea and Hermione Granger's Charm skills, with a little bit of Lord Voldemort's fanaticism thrown in for good measure.
Each member of the Order of the Phoenix had a single Phoenix feather "tattooed" somewhere on their bodies. While its properties were similar to that of the Death Eaters' Dark Marks, these feathers could be hidden with a Concealment Charm combined with an Untraceable Spell to make the marks invisible to others. For many, it was easier to communicate using these tattoos instead of casting a Patronus. And since no wand was necessary to contact other members, it was dead useful in the ever-increasing skirmishes Order Members faced.
Serena turned her bright blue eyes to her father and Draco in the hallway. "Well gentlemen, it's about that time." And with a muttered spell, her eyes were the same black as her father's; she needed to blend in as much as possible in these meetings, being Severus Snape's only daughter was bad enough, she didn't need her mother's bright blue eyes to make her stand out as well.
Draco handed her the ornate antique diamond ring, passed down from Malfoy heir to Malfoy heir for generations, and she slipped it on her left ring finger. Another part of the ruse was her "betrothal" to Draco. Yes, the two had grown up together and kept in touch even when Serena went off to the North American Institute for Wizarding Studies in Salem, Massachusetts, but they were never romantically linked. Draco was currently in a relationship with Hermione Granger, much to Serena's (and her father's) disgust. However, during Meetings, and in public most of the time, Draco and Serena were to act like an engaged couple, to keep their butts safe, and the Orders'.
Severus looked over at his daughter and his godson and frowned. He wished for another life for the two of them, but since Serena's mother died and she was sent to live with him, it was impossible for him to say no to her, especially when she looked at him with her mother's eyes. Ever since her arrival in England, it was the Serena Show in the Snape household. Serena immediately joined the Death Eaters when she came of age, much to the horror of Draco and her father and to the pleasure of Lucius Malfoy and Lord Voldemort.
Within a week of her initiation she was betrothed to Draco, within a fortnight she was a member of the Order and spy for the Light, and within a month she was going to the Inner Circle meetings with her father, fiancé, and future father-in-law. Needless to say, Bellatrix LeStrange was not pleased when Serena usurped her as the Death Eaters' alpha-female.
Severus turned to the now black-cloaked Draco and Serena and said "You two go first, I'll follow in a moment."
Draco and Serena walked out the front door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, closed their eyes and turned in unison. When they opened their eyes, they were in the familiar field where meetings and other…activities were held. Draco immediately dropped Serena's hand and took her arm, leading her like a proper gentleman to their spots in the circle, right between Lucius and Severus.
"Welcome my children;" Voldemort turned his red eyes to the pair, "you are just in time for an important announcement." Usually he did not acknowledge the arrival of specific Death Eaters, preferring to keep them all in an anxious silence until he felt it was time to speak. Serena glanced around and noticed a few empty spots; to her right, were her father would stand; two across from her, where Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott would stand, next to his father; and one more at the outer edge of the circle, for Bellatrix.
Just as Serena was starting to worry her father would be late, she felt the rustle of her cloak and her father's muted "good evening, Daughter" as he slid into place beside her. She turned her masked face towards him and nodded in acknowledgement. There were two more pops of Apparation, and a disheveled Pansy and Theo were bustling towards the circle, straightening robes and masks. Apparently Lord Voldemort had summoned them while they were in the middle of their own extracurricular activities. Serena felt a slight nudge from her left and turned to see Draco's grey eyes giving her his best "suggestive" wink. With a roll of her own eyes, Serena turned back to face the center of the circle.
That still left Bellatrix's spot empty, it was practically unheard of for her to be late to a meeting. Just as Serena was about to alert her father to this peculiarity, Voldemort spoke; "It appears that our circle has a gap, I suggest it gets closed, Gregory!" With this pronouncement, Gregory Goyle started then slowly stepped into place between his father and Rudolphus LeStrange, the spot left empty by Bellatrix.
No sooner had the younger Goyle stepped into the spot and masked eyes met across the circle in confusion, than a high-pitch scream was issued somewhere behind Draco and Serena.
"What in the flying fuck is going on? Why is he in my spot?" Bellatrix screeched, rushing forward through Serena and Severus, purposely knocking her sideways and almost to the ground. Draco caught her with a muted snarl in the direction of his Aunt. "First, Severus's bastard daughter takes my spot just because she's about to be married to my nephew, now my new spot is given away to a living, breathing STONE?!?! My lord why did you do this? My lord please, I've done everything for you! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!" With that being said, Bellatrix pulled her wand out and aimed it directly at Serena's chest, "I WILL get my place back! Crucio!"
Several things happened at one moment. One, Serena Snape saw her life flash before her eyes. Two, she wondered if she should be touching the feather at her right wrist about…oh three seconds ago. Three, Bellatrix cackled evilly. Four, three men yelled "Protego" at once. And five, Serena watched the Crutacius Curse bounce back at Bellatrix while her father, her fiancé, and Lord Voldemort lowered their wands.
As Bellatrix writhed under the pain of her own curse, Serena caught her breath, and Draco and Severus wished they could curse the woman in the middle of the circle. Voldemort chose that moment to speak, in a perfectly controlled, though deadly tone; "You will not talk to me or any Death Eaters like that LeStrange. You are a disgrace to me and my cause. Since you had the audacity to act like a petulant child, I will treat you as such. I do not wish to see your face here anymore. Crucio. Serena, come forward."
Serena, nudged by her father, walked forward, head held high and back straight. She bowed. "Yes, my lord."
"Administer punishment as you see fit to this disgrace of a witch, who's acting no better than a common Mudblood." He spoke, finally lifting the curse.
Serena took a moment to decide what she wanted to do, but Bellatrix saw the hesitation in her eyes and took it as weakness. "Too much of a coward to do anything? You are your father's daughter!" and with that, Bellatrix used her remaining strength to spit on Serena's immaculate robes.
Listening to the angry noises made by her father and her best friend, Serena lowered herself to eye level with the former Death Eater and spoke, in a tone very much like her father's. "Never speak ill of my father again you worthless excuse for a witch. Sectumsempra." And with that, Serena turned her back and walked off, flanked by the Order's two best spies, Bellatrix's screams echoing in the cold night mixed with Voldemort's mirthless laughter. They had some important news to report to Harry Potter.