FULL SUMMARY: Cecilia Rigby, a student at Hogwarts, is having a REALLY bad day. In one fell swoop, her aunt, a prominent member of the Order of the Phoenix, is killed in front of her eyes, and Cecilia is kidnapped by Death Eaters. When Voldemort gives her to our favorite Potions master as a sort of "present," Cecilia begins to lose hope and resigns herself to a bleak future. But is Severus Snape really the merciless Death Eater she thinks he is? There's no way she could ever begin to trust him-- is there?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter takes place after Dumbledore's death but before the Death Eaters go after the Seven Harrys. It also takes place after Charity Burbage's murder. Just trying to establish a general sort of timeline. If any of you are familiar with my other story, "Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night," this is NOT the same Cecilia Rigby... I just like the name! Haha. Anyway, I must confess that I do not own any of the characters except Cecilia Rigby and a few made-up ones here and there. Severus Snape, Voldemort, and all that lot belong to J.K. Rowling (lucky her!) If you like the story, leave a review and let me know! I'd love to hear from you! Enjoy.
Cecilia Rigby glanced at Gringott's as she hurried down Diagon Alley. She could see that two menacing wizards wearing black cloaks had taken the goblins' usual spot at the front doors. She glanced sideways at the tall woman walking next to her. She asked her aunt, "Are you sure it's safe to be here?"
Delia Hathaway did not immediately answer, her eyes roving the crowd. "Don't worry, you're with me," she whispered. Her aunt had her right hand tucked inside her robe, and Cecilia knew her to be clutching her wand firmly. Her left hand held Cecilia's right. "And besides, you still need to get new books and robes if they insist on bringing all the students back to Hogwarts this year," she said, a note of contempt clear in her voice. Delia's beautiful features were distorted slightly with barely-suppressed rage. She had sources in high places, and almost every one had confided that each child of age in Britain was being forced to come back to Hogwarts. Presumably so Death Eater eyes could be kept on them.
The truth was, her aunt's presence was the only thing that kept Cecilia merely uneasy and not frightened. Delia had told her many stories about joining the Order of the Phoenix before Cecilia was born, and how she had helped put a number of Death Eaters in Azkaban. No, she knew her aunt would protect her. She was a tough woman, even though she was in her mid-fifties, and still a member of the Order. From what other members had told her, she was truly a force to be reckoned with.
Cecilia took in what had become of Diagon Alley as they hurried towards Flourish and Blott's. Dumbledore had been murdered only two weeks ago, but already the alley was robbed of its former splendor. It hung heavy with a thick mist, no doubt brought on by the dementors stationed at every corner. Delia tried her best to skirt as far around the dementors as she could, muttering to Cecilia all the while, "Think happy thoughts, dear."
It was no use, though. Every time she passed one of the dementors, with their scabbed and rotting hands and hood-covered faces, she could think only of her parents. As yet another dementor came into view, she felt a familiar pang of grief reverberate through her chest. She tried her hardest to shake it off. Her parents were dead, killed by an unknown Death Eater more than ten years ago, and thinking about them was hardly going to bring them back. She had to be on her guard and could not afford to wallow in grief, no matter how much the dementors sought to bring it bubbling to the top of her consciousness.
Making their way down the shadowy, deserted street, they passed a large poster of Harry Potter affixed to a store window, emblazoned with the words, "Undesirable Number One." Cecilia chuckled mirthlessly. How ridiculous. She had never officially met Harry, since she was a (soon-to-be) sixth year Ravenclaw, but she had passed him a number of times in the hallways and heard of his exploits. He had always seemed like a good person to her, and she knew he cared deeply about his friends. One of the girls she talked to occasionally, Luna Lovegood, always sang his praises. "He's one of the nicest people I've ever met!" she exclaimed once, beaming at Cecilia. "Although I'm not sure he believes in Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. But still, he's very smart!" No, Cecilia did not think Harry to be an Undesirable, no matter what the number. Did that make him "The Chosen One," then? She didn't know, nor, she suspected, did anybody else. Nonetheless, she hoped he was safe at that moment.
They walked into Flourish and Blott's, Delia shutting the door behind them. There was nobody in the store save for the terrified-looking clerk, shaking behind the counter. "No worries, Alton," Delia said as kindly as she could manage. "We're here to get my niece some schoolbooks, nothing more." She began browsing the tall bookshelves, Cecilia trailing behind her. Cecilia kept one eye on the fidgeting clerk.
"You know him, Aunt Delia?" she inquired.
"Yes, Alton and I were friends during our time at Hogwarts," Delia answered. She noticed Cecilia's anxious expression as she stared at Alton, who was gulping nervously and looking from side to side. "Don't worry about him. Alton's always been an overly nervous fellow. I can't imagine how difficult these dark times must be for him." She glanced at Cecilia. "Stay close." She turned back to the bookshelves, selecting a heavy, leather-bound tome to peruse.
Cecilia sighed and slid a book from a shelf, riffling pages absentmindedly. Now that the dementors had aroused thoughts of her parents, she could not seem to keep them from her mind. Rupert and Cassandra Rigby had been members of the Order, too, persuaded to join by Cassandra's sister, Delia. They had fit in well, according to the stories Delia told her, because they were kind, brave people who were sick of having to fight to stay alive. They helped capture four Death Eaters before they retired, their fears assuaged by the fall of Voldemort and the birth of their baby girl. Shortly after Cecilia's fifth birthday, a rogue Death Eater, no doubt hoping to stay in his master's good graces if he should ever return, killed Rupert and Cassandra as they were on a walk not far from their home. Cecilia had been orphaned, and in her parents' joint will, they asked that she stay with her aunt Delia if that should ever occur. From that day forward, Delia had raised her as her own daughter, and taken good care of her.
While she was reminiscing, she had wandered next to the counter, in front of the doorway leading into the back half of the bookstore. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Alton gazing at her, his eyes wide. He looked around nervously, then beckoned her closer with one finger. Cecilia, puzzled, glimpsed her aunt, shuffling around at the front of the store. She glanced back at Alton, who was still motioning for her to come near. She walked slowly towards him. When she came close enough for her stomach to press against the edge of the counter, Alton suddenly reached over and grabbed the front of her shirt. Before she could even gasp, Alton whispered urgently, "Run. Run, while you still can."
A terrible chill swept down Cecilia's spine. As she spun toward her aunt, a jet of green light shot over her head and hit Alton in the chest. He crumpled behind the counter. She screamed, unable to tear her eyes away from the spot where Alton had fallen.
Suddenly, a rough, hairy arm came from behind her right shoulder, reaching across her neck and pinning her to him. "Don't make another sound, darling," a deep, leering voice whispered in her ear. The man's left hand held a wand at her throat. She nodded once, trembling so hard it was a wonder she could stand.
Delia burst out from behind a bookshelf and skidded to a halt. She was holding out her wand and breathing heavily. "Delia," the man holding her sneered.
"Lovely to see you again, Amycus," she replied softly. Cecilia tried to wriggle a hand free so she could reach into her pocket for her wand, but Amycus had her arms pinned tightly to her chest.
"The joys of school shopping, eh?" rang another male voice. Cecilia turned her head slightly to the right and saw another black-robed man emerging from the doorway behind her.
"Dolohov," Delia said, almost cordially.
"You've been a bother for far too long, Delia," Amycus snarled. "It's time you retire from the Order." He pressed the wand harder into Cecilia's neck and she whimpered. "Permanently."
Delia's eyes, large and concerned, came to rest on Cecilia. "Do not hurt my niece," she implored the two men.
"So that's who this is," Amycus growled. He let go of her and turned her around to face him, gripping both of her shoulders tightly. He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. He was scarcely taller than she was, a stout, thick man. "Pretty little thing, isn't she?"
Delia screamed, "Let her go!" Amycus laughed, swiveling Cecilia around and bringing his wand to her throat again. Cecilia had never seen her aunt so angry before. Her upraised wand trembled slightly and her face was flushed.
"Good-bye, Delia," Dolohov said, raising his wand high. "Avada Kedavra!"
A bolt of green light struck Delia.
"No!" Cecilia yelled.
Several things happened at once.
Cecilia stomped on Amycus's foot as hard as she possibly could, and he spun away, roaring in pain. She whipped her wand out of her pocket, pointed it at Dolohov, and screamed, "Impedimenta!" Dolohov was lifted off his feet and slammed into a wall of books, which cascaded from the shelf and fell around him. Cecilia ran to her aunt, who had fallen backward onto the floor. Her eyes, still open, gazed blankly at the ceiling. "Aunt Delia, no! Please! Come back!" She knew she was being foolish, her aunt was already dead, yet she still clung to her arm. "You can't be dead, you can't be!" The rest of the world, unimportant, disappeared as tears filled her eyes.
"Stupefy!"
Amycus's voice shouted from behind her, and then all was dark.