Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, so I don't own Harry Potter.
~*~*~Chapter Two: The Unbreakable Vow~*~*~
A couple of days later, the sun was actually shining, so Bellatrix told Larisa to go outside for a while. Larisa angrily agreed, grabbing a book before stomping outside and slamming the front door a little harder than necessary. She spotted a large tree near the edge of the Manor's enchantments, and she made her way over to it. There were several knots in the tree, some of which had many holes in them. Tucking her book under her arm, Larisa reached up and grabbed onto the highest knot she could reach. She put her foot on the lowest knot she could find, then did the same with her other foot. After that, though, she lost her balance and fell onto the ground with a dull thud. She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking of a way to get up the tree while holding her book. Suddenly, there was a soft hoot, and Larisa's screech owl, Claire, came fluttering down from the top of the tree.
"Of course..." Larisa muttered, picking up her book. "Claire, can you bring this up to me when I get up in the tree?"
Clarie gave a loud hoot, indicating that she understood. Larisa smiled, then got to her feet. She reached up and grabbed the highest knot she could reach, then found another knot with her foot. Using her now free left hand, she grabbed another knot, and then with her free foot, she pushed off of the ground.
She continued to climb up the tree, until finally, she reached a branch. She reached up and grabbed it, then pulled herself onto it. Holding onto the trunk, she managed to stand up, and then she pulled herself onto the next branch. She kept doing this until she was quite high up, level with the second floor of the manor.
"Come up here, Claire!" Larisa called, and the screech owl took flight, clutching the book with her feet. She dropped it into Larisa's lap, then landed in front of her. "Thanks." Larisa opened up the book, and then she seemed to escape the real world.
Larisa didn't know how much time had passed, and she only returned to the real world when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Hey! What are you doing all the way up there?"
"Reading." Larisa called back, looking down. "Here. Catch." She held the book out and dropped it before scrambling downwards. Claire took off for Larisa's bedroom window as Larisa reached the point where the branches ended, and she climbed down the trunk rather quickly. "So what brings you here?" She asked as she turned around.
"Bellatrix's been giving me Occlumency lessons." Draco replied, holding the book out to her. Larisa took it back, smiling a little. "She told me you were out here. I couldn't find you, though."
"Well, I was up a tree."
"I can see that." Draco said, and her brushed a leaf out of Larisa's hair. "What were you reading?"
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Bella gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday. The Fountain of Fair Fortune is my favorite story in there." Larisa said.
"That's the one where the witch, Amata, marries the muggle knight, Sir Luckless, I think?"
"Yes, that's the one."
"My father tried to get Dumbledore to remove it from the library."
"Did Dumbledore respond by saying that purebloods just lie about muggles, muggleborns, and the like on their family trees?" Larisa asked.
"Yes...That's exactly what he said...How did you...?"
"Wild guess, because it's kind of true..."
"Except in your family."
"Not necessarily. My two aunts were Squibs, but they died." Larisa pointed out as she and Draco started walking back to the house. "I'm sure that there were probably more Squibs in both sides of my family."
"You should check that cursed book. Maybe it has information?" Draco suggested.
"I'll get it out eventually...Right now though, I just like to stare at the wall." Larisa said as she opened the front door.
&%$&%$&%$
There was a faint popping noise, and a short hooded figure went scrambling up a riverbank. There was another faint popping noise, and then a second hooded figure went scrambling up the riverbank after the shorter figure.
"Larisa, wait!" The taller figure called in a low hiss. The short figure turned and lowered her hood.
"No, I can't, Bella." Larisa said before pulling her hood back up and continuing up the bank. Bellatrix scrambled after her, panting.
"Larisa-"
"Bella, I can't live with this!" Larisa hissed, not stopping. Bellatrix hurried to catch up with her as Larisa darted onto an old street, where several street lamps were out.
"Just l-"
"Bella, you heard what Narcissa said! This is impossible! We're going to need outside help!"
"I agree, but going out now? Near midnight?" Bellatrix asked, trying to keep her hood from flying backwards as she ran after Larisa.
"Yes." Larisa snarled.
"But still, we don't know if we can trust him!"
"I trust Professor Snape, Bella. He's in the Order, remember?"
"Yes, but Wormtail is living with him currently, and we know that we can't trust THAT rat!"
"Bella, I can't take his anymore. I don't care if Wormtail overhears, we can just kill him."
"Larisa!" Bellatrix said, gasping.
"Or modify his memory." Larisa said hastily as she turned onto a street called Spinner's End.
"I'm fearing for your sanity, I really am." Bellatrix said, shaking her head. "Wait!" She called, for Larisa had broken into a run again. By the time Bellatrix had caught up, Larisa was knocking on the door. The door opened, and a man with long black, greasy hair and black eyes looked out at Larisa and Bellatrix. Larisa pulled her hood off, and the man took a small step backwards.
"Who dragged who here?" He asked, looking from Larisa to Bellatrix, who had just lowered her hood.
"Well, we were arguing about this, and she just kind of...Stomped out of the house and Disaparated here, so I followed...So...She dragged me here, Snape." Bellatrix said, watching Larisa out of the corner of her eye. Larisa was on the verge of a nervous collapse, much paler than she normally was (A feat very hard to achieve, at that...). Her eyes were very large and glassy, and she started to wring her hands nervously. "I don't think she's right in the head."
"I'm perfectly fine except for some...issues." Larisa said, her voice becoming very strained.
"Some issues? Larisa, you're depressed. There's no denying it." Bellatrix pointed out, setting a hand on her shoulder. As soon as she did this, though, there was a faint popping noise behind them, and another tall figure appeared, slightly taller than Larisa, but slightly shorter than Bellatrix. "Hello, Narcissa."
"How did you-" The figure began to say, lowering her hood.
"You've got, like, some homing device on us both." Bellatrix said flatly. Narcissa looked a little confused. "A phrase that Larisa said she picked up when she was little from a muggle bookshop."
"Oh. Well, anyway, Severus, could, er, we, speak with you? It's very important." Narcissa said, still looking a little confused. Snape looked at the three of them, then stepped aside so they could enter. Bellatrix steered Larisa into the house, closely followed by Narcissa, who's eyes, like Larisa's, were large and glassy. Snape closed the door, and Larisa looked around the room. It looked much like Lestrange Manor when it was still being cleaned up, with dust and old furniture. Snape nodded at the couch, and Larisa sat down, Narcissa sitting down next to her. Bellatrix stood behind them, still holding onto Larisa's shoulder. Larisa opened her mouth to speak, when Snape held a hand up and pointed his wand at a bookshelf. With a bang, it flew open, revealing a hidden staircase and a small man, who had watery eyes and a pointed nose.
"We have guests, Wormtail." Snape said. Wormtail crept down the steps and into the room, and Bellatrix tightened her grip on Larisa's shoulder.
"Narcissa!" Wormtail squeaked. "Bellatrix...And Larisa, too!"
"H-hello..." Larisa said quietly, her voice shaking a little. "Bella, you're cutting off the circulation in my shoulder."
"Sorry." Bellatrix said, and she lessened her grip.
"Now, Wormtail, kindly return to your room." Snape said, glaring at Wormtail.
"You-" He began to say, when Larisa made an ominous hissing noise that made him jump. Quickly, he turned and scurried up the stairs, and Snape flicked his wand, causing the bookshelf to slide back into place.
"What did you tell him?" Bellatrix asked.
"Nothing. I just hissed." Larisa said, her voice cracking a few times. Bellatrix took this as a warning sign, retightening her grip on Larisa.
"Now then...Why have you three come?" Snape asked, and Larisa covered her face with her hands to hide the tears had begun to slide down her face. Narcissa stared at the floor, her eyes also a little wet. Bellatrix looked from Larisa to Narcissa before sighing.
"You two always get so hysterical..." She whispered.
"You said you were a little hysterical yourself, Bella." Narcissa said, her voice strained. Larisa merely nodded her head, her face still hidden by her hands.
"Yes, but I have a different way of showing my hysteria over the whole situat-"
"Hold on a second..." Snape said, holding a hand up. He seemed to be listening for something, and he pointed his wand at the bookshelf again. There was a bang, and then the shelf moved. Wormtail was still standing there, and he looked temporarily speechless. Larisa lifted her face from her hands, revealing that her eyes had gone from large and glassy to red and misty. She glared dangerously at Wormtail before raising her wand and pointing it at him.
"No, Larisa." Bellatrix murmured, and Larisa lowered her wand. "Wormtail, get lost. You don't need to hear what we're here for."
"Why are you here, though?" Wormtail asked, keeping his eyes on Larisa's wand.
"That is none of your business. Now, go away, or I will be forced to hex you." Larisa snarled. "I know some good ones...One that makes your eyes fall out." Wormtail turned and quickly hurried up the stairs. Snape flicked his wand, and again, the bookshelf slid back into place. He then turned to Larisa.
"Do you know of such a hex?" Snape asked with interest.
"No." Larisa murmured before covering her face again. Tears had started to form in her eyes again.
"Well then...Again, why are you three here?" Snape asked, and Narcissa returned to glaring at a spot on the floor as if she was expecting it to catch fire at any second. Larisa feared that if she opened her mouth she'd start crying again, so she kept quiet. Snape looked up to Bellatrix hopefully, noticing that she wasn't trying to avoid talking.
"Well, all four of us are Occlumens, so it's safe to talk about the mi-mission." Bellatrix mumbled. Larisa made an odd noise and started to shake uncontrollably, and Narcissa stiffened. "You do know of it?"
"Yes." Snape said, and Larisa shook even harder.
"Why, though?" Narcissa asked, finally looking up from the floorboard she had been glaring at. "Why did the Dark Lord...?"
"Why? Why?" Larisa asked, stopping her crying and uncovering her face. Her eyes were red, and her voice was shaking. "I'll tell you why...Voldemort is an evil psychopath. That's why."
"We all know that, Larisa." Bellatrix said softly. "We believe that this is punishment for Lucius's mistake..." At this, Narcissa made an odd noise and covered her face. "Oh, God, you two are just...Oh, never mind. What we need though, is help. It is impossible for the task to be carried out without help." Larisa covered her face and started to shake again.
"Ah, yes." Snape said. "Are you planning to assist Draco in the task?" This question was addressed to Larisa, who uncovered her face. She was slightly cross-eyed, and a look of horror flitted across her face.
"If I need to...My skills could help mend the Vanishing Cabinet...B-but, I d-don't want Dumbledore to die. The world would fall apart." She stuttered.
"Larisa, I'm sorry to inform you of this, but Dumbledore is...dying. He was cursed very badly, and he only has a year to live." Snape said carefully. Larisa looked as though something very heavy had just been dropped on her head, and her eyes crossed again.
"Dying?" She croaked.
"Yes. Dying." Snape said firmly. Larisa covered her face again, slumping in her seat. "Now then, there is a way I could help Draco."
"How?" Narcissa asked, uncovering her face. Larisa did the same, her eyes wide and glassy again.
"The Unbreakable Vow." Snape said calmly, and Larisa gave a small gasp. Narcissa's eyes went wide, and Bellatrix get a tight grip on Larisa again. Slowly, Narcissa nodded and stood up. "Perhaps Larisa would like to be the Bonder?"
"I...I...Sure..." Larisa stuttered, pushing Bellatrix's hand off of her shoulder. Slowly, she pulled her wand out of her pocket, and she walked over to Snape and Narcissa, who had grasped hands.
"Will you watch over my son as he attempts to fulfill the task the Dark Lord has set?" Narcissa asked. Larisa pointed her wand at their wrists, waiting for Snape's answer.
"I will." He said, and Larisa gave her wand a tiny jerk. A blue flame shot out of her wand and wound around Narcissa and Snape's hands.
"Will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from any harm?"
"I will." Again, Larisa jerked her wand, and another flame shot out.
"And, should it prove necessary, if Draco should fail, will you carry out the task?"
"I will." Larisa jerked her wand for the third and final time, and a third flame shot out, entwining itself around Snape and Narcissa's wrists. It glowed for a minute, then died out. Snape and Narcissa released each other's hands, and Larisa pocketed her wand. She felt slightly relieved, yet she still felt a little hysterical.
"Come on, Larisa." Bellatrix said, tugging on her arm. "It's well past your bedtime."
"I'm sixteen."
"And you still need your sleep. Now." Bellatrix said severely.
"Fine."
Ok, I'm SO sorry for not updating sooner!
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