Disclaimer: I own nothing familiar from the HP Universe. All that is familiar comes from the brilliant mind of JK Rowling. Certain facts such as dates used are taken from the timelines found on the HPLexicon.

Chapter Two

Artemisia closed the room to her door and leaned heavily against it. She straightened in surprise when she saw Teddy sitting at her desk, turning an envelope this way and that as if trying to discern what it contained. "Teddy, you should be getting ready for dinner. We're having guests." She tried to keep her voice calm without the worry that had started filling her.

He dropped the letter and looked his sister over as if looking for some sort of injury. Her heart twisted at the look. It was wrong that he expected the worst to happen. "Are you okay, Missy?"

"I'm fine." She lied, giving him a convincing smile.

"Who's coming for dinner?"

"The Flints." She answered, pulling a dress robe from her wardrobe. "Go get ready. You know how Father is about us being on time."

Okay, Missy." Teddy stopped halfway to the door then doubled back to press a quick kiss on his sister's cheek. Without another word, he left her standing in surprised. Tears pooled in her eyes. Why is it that she seemed to have no choice in her life?

She entered the drawing room to find her family and the Flints already waiting. Her father smiled at her and Artemisia had to wonder what had brought such a change to the man she had feared all of her life.

"There she is. Artemisia, come and sit next to Marcus." She smiled at Mrs. Flint and her two daughters, Leila and Kara. She perched herself on the edge of the settee that Marcus was occupying, being careful to keep as much between her and him as possible.

"The two of you make such a lovely couple." Mrs. Fllint trilled. Everyone nodded or made various comments of assent, expect for Artemisia and Marcus. She frowned and he let out a laugh. It surprised her into turning towards him with a questioning look. Her eyes studied him before she turned back to the conversation that quickly started.

Marcus leaned towards the blonde and his voice rumbled into her ear. "Don't look so happy about it." Artemisia found herself holding back a laugh as her lips tilted in amusement. She would never have thought that Marcus had a sense of humour.

After a predictably boring dinner, everyone went in their own direction. Teddy went to his room, while Artemisia was forced to go with Mrs. Flint and the girls and play hostess. Fortunately, Marcus went to the study with the fathers. This almost made up for her having to listent to the Flint females. After listening to Mrs. Flint and Leila as they made a few final decisions for Leila's wedding that summer, Artemisia excused herself and made her way to her favourite part of the house, the library.

She looked over the selection of volumes, trying to decide which one to take. Her eyes fell upon a bronze coloured volume and without reading the title, she knew it was for her. Artemisia reached up on tiptoe and her fingers barely brushed the spine of it. She mumbled a complaint and tried again edging closer to the shelves. Just as she was about to give up, she felt someone come up behind her. A masculine hand reached out over her head and grasped the book easily.

"Do you really want this one, Artemisia?"

She recognised Marcus's voice with a touch of vexation. "Yes, I do." She returned though clinched teeth. She didn't like him hinging in on her solitude like this.

He moved the book so it was a tiny bit off the shelf. "Let's see you reach for it." He quipped. Artemisia bit back a comment and reached once more for the book. If she balanced on her toes, she could just about….

She barely kept from screaming as his hands wrapped around her waist and she was lifted off her feet. She grabbed the book off the shelf and wait to be set on the ground. Surprise filled her as he pulled her into him and slide her body down his. Her green eyes widened in surprise when he pushed a certain part of his anatomy against her. It was impossible for her not to know his intentions.

Artemisia struggled out of his grip and glared at him. "How dare you?" Her eyes sparkled with anger."

"Aren't you something, innocent one?" He smiled at her.

"Leave me alone, Marcus." She snapped as she eyed him warily. What did he think he was doing?

"You're lovely when you're angry." He moved closer to her, backing Artemisia into the bookshelves. "You've shown more spirit tonight than in all the years I've known you." He said as he moved closer with every word until only millimetres separated them. "I don't know what's changed in you, but I like it." His lips crushed down on hers. She waited until he tried to slip his tongue into her mouth and bit down hard. Marcus pulled back from her, letting out a few words that weren't meant for polite company. Artemisia took his preoccupation as an opportunity to run out of the library and up to the relative safety of her room. She was alone for a long period of time and then just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the door opened.

Her father stood in her doorway. His face was red with rage. "You stupid girl." He shouted as he advanced into the room. "What have you done?"

"Nothing." She shook her head as she stood up and unconsciously began to back away from him.

"What did you do?" His wand was pointed at her and she found herself staring at it as if she had never seen one before, unable to move anymore. She shook her head again as she found the ability to back away from him. "Answer me." Her head snapped back as he backhanded her. She stared at him, in neither surprise nor shock. It wasn't the first time that he had hit her for doing something he disapproved of. She could taste the coppery taste of blood from where her teeth had grounded into the side of her cheek, but she refused to show any reaction. She knew that this would get her into trouble, but for once she would not fall to his feet in submission. His eyes narrowed as he searched her for any sign of weakness. He raised his wand and Artemisia suddenly knew a fear far more powerful than any she had felt before. With You-Know-Who returning from the dead, there was nothing that her father feared but him. A deranged smile lighted his face. "Crucio!"

Pain, more intense than any that she had ever experienced, filled Artemisia's body. Unlike any other pain, there was no source that it was emanated from. It was from deep inside her and permeated everywhere. In the back of her mind, she heard an unearthly sound and didn't realise that it was coming from her own mouth. The pain was so terrible that she prayed for him to get it over with and simply kill her.

Then just as suddenly as the pain began, it stopped. Her eyes opened and she looked up at her father from where she was sprawled on the floor at his feet. "Just remember that, young lady, the next time you think to do anything that will upset me." He stepped away from her. "In two weeks, you will turn seventeen. That evening, you will join the Dark Lord in support of the Cause. Do you understand me?"

Artemisia knew that she had no choice in this. "Yes, Father." She stayed on the floor, not daring to move. Her mind was not as at ease as her body would appear. It was working furiously to come up with a plan of any sort to keep you from joining You-Know-Who. She couldn't join him. Killing innocent people was never right in any way. The door to her room creaked open once more. She shrank down on the wall she had propped herself against.

"Missy?" Teddy's voice came from the door."

Artemisia pulled herself up gingerly. When it seemed like there was no traces of the curse, she straightened and hurried across the room. She pulled Teddy into her arms as she had done so many times in the past. If she was to stand up for her right to make her own choices she might have to leave him but she felt that he must know that she loved him and if he ever needed her she would move mountains to been there for him. Teddy didn't pull away from her as most fourteen-year-old boys would or any Slytherin for that matter. Instead he hugged his sister tight as if to make sure she was okay.

"What did he do to you?" He asked, when she finally let go of him.

"He used an Unforgivable on me." She had learned not to shield Teddy from her father's cruelty.

"Missy," He shook his head at her. "He can't have used an Unforgivable on you. Those are illegal."

"Teddy! That doesn't matter to him anymore. Everything, they said in school is true. All of it." She grabbed his arms and gave him a shake. "Now, you promise me that if he ever tries to get you to join You-Know-Who, you will come to me."

"Come to you?" Teddy looked at her in surprise. Where are you going? Don't tell me you're going to marry Marcus after all. Missy, he will treat you even worst than Father does."

"Just promise me, damnit." After extracting his promise, Artemisia sat at her desk. Her mind raced through plans. Each one was quickly deemed unsuitable for a way out of her father's clutches.

Artemisia had only disregarded her father's wishes once. That had been in her second year at Hogwarts. She lied and told him that she was going to stay at Hogwarts for winter break. Instead, she took the train as usual, only to go home with one of her roommates, her best friend. Her best friend was a very big secret to keep from her father. He would not approve of the friendship. Laelia Dearborn is the worst thing in her father's eyes, a muggle-born. Artemisia's mind drifted to the holiday she had spent at the Dearborn home. It was, without a doubt, the best one she could remember having since the death of her mother. Laelia's parents had not only welcomed her, they had treated her as one of their family.

Laelia had three siblings. Seth was older than them by a year. Tanner was three years younger. It was Sami that was her favourite. Sami had been only one when Artemisia had visited the family. Mr. and Mrs. Dearborn had given her an open invitation to visit them again. Of course, she had never took up their offer. It was impossible with Teddy in school with her.

As if brought by her thoughts, Laelia's owl landed on the desk before her. She stared at it for a moment as a thought formed in her head. It would only be for a little while and no one other than those in their house paid enough attention to know the true extent of their friendship. She had only two weeks to figure out how to do it. Just two weeks, to escape from this fate. Artemisia smiled mockingly at the thought. Fate could only do so much. It was free will that she would have to rely on.

She read the note from Laelia. The girl had never been much of a writer. It was a normal letter expressing the Dearborn family's greetings. She looked at her door for a moment before pulling out a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink.

Laelia,

Would your parents mind if I was to visit you in two weeks? I can't write much. Please hurry with your response.

Arty

Artemisia smiled at the nickname that she had received just that year during Herbology class. Since there wasn't as many students in the NEWT level course compared to the standard onces, the classes were small and mixed. It was the first class she had ever had with Gryffindors. Laelia and her had the luck or misfortune of working at the same station as the Weasley twins.

"Now what is your name?" Fred Weasley grinned at the blonde before him. He and George had just finished bombarding Laelia with questions.

"Artemisia Nott." She answered with a haughtiness that would have done a Slytherin proud. It wasn't that she disliked them it was just that she knew how her father would overreact.

"Artemisia is a rather unusual name." George made a face as he announced this.

She flushed slightly. She had never really cared for it herself, but it was the only thing that anyone had ever called her, with the exception of Missy from her mother and brother. "I was named for Artemisia Lufkin, the first witch to become Minister of Magic." Artemisia's mother had been one for feminine empowerment in the wizarding world. She had felt that there was a glass ceiling for witches everywhere.

"I think we'll call her Arty." George announced. Suddenly she felt like a pet of some sort. The idea amused her and she found herself chuckling. The twins turned their attention back to her in surprise.

"You make me sound like I'm some stray animal you've decided to sneak into the house while your mum wasn't looking." Her comment was met with laughter. She felt a little surprised by her actions. She didn't regularly joke around with people.

Artemisia had ended up working with the twins a number of times throughout the year. She was always torn between what would happen if her father found out, but like her friendship with Laelia, he didn't know or choose to ignore it.

She sealed the letter and sent it on its way. Her mind finally cleared and she was able to start making real plans. Her mother's sentiments on the inequities that witches faced are for the first time in Artemisia's life the most wonderful things in the world.

Her mother had been born Sabrina Wyndham. She was from a powerful magical family. With her views on witches' rights, she had managed to keep her own money when she entered into marriage with Edward Nott. Though her family wasn't rich in the standards that Artemisia had been raised with, her mother had left her a small inheritance. If she were correct in the amount, it would be enough for her to find somewhere to live and pay for her last year at Hogwarts. The only thing was that she couldn't touch a knut of it until her birthday.

Two weeks stood before her. The choices that faced her, terrified Artemisia even more than the idea of facing her father's wand again. She laid down on her bed and fell into an uneasy sleep.

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