Chapter III-

Artificial, Automatic

The following night passed slowly. I lied on the couch, saying nothing other than when asked, and mainly keeping to myself. Greyback and Scabior left often, sometimes together or other times apart, and the two other Snatchers tried to bug me into talking to them. I thought both of them were annoying and rather demanding, but I didn't say so. Fighting with people had gotten me nowhere I wanted to go.

Instead, I racked through the memories in my head, reduced by boredom to do so.

A young woman, youthful and smiling, pushing a small redhaired girl on a swing-

Mom. I missed her, missed her a lot. The last time I saw her was when she let me go on the train to Hogwarts, when I was eleven. She'd been frail, weak with leukemia- I got an owl from my father, who I hadn't seen since I was 3, that she hadn't lived past the next week.

Laughing, children swirling around on the playground like angry bees, giggling and chasing and screaming. It hurt my ears.

The loveliness of adolescence. Oh, sigh.

Wandering down an alleyway, clutching the books required for sixth year and feeling uneasy going down Knockturn Alley. I'd seen more than my share of shady characters around there, and-

"Hello, my pretty."

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wouldn't remember that, not now. Not what I'd sworn to shun for the rest of my existence.

"Going somewhere, beautiful?"

No. I was done with that. I wouldn't stand to think of it anymore.

"Come here, pretty, let me take that load off your shoulders." Teeth as white as the clouds I could no longer see, the man approached me. I backed up several paces, tripping over my own feet and then breaking into a run.

Nothing beyond that. I wouldn't relive the horror, the- the pain of it.

But I wasn't fast enough for the man. He caught me by the hair, jerking my head back, and I screamed, "Help!" Still nothing. No one would hear me now.

"Delightful." the man breathed into my ear, sour like blood and copper. I struggled in his iron grip. Someone would hear my screams, come and help me. Blaise or an Auror or something-

I cringed then, recalling the sharp pain just below my ear and the violent stabbing pain all over me, the shrill screams that were obviously mine. The shock, the horror, as no one came to look for me.

Sauntering down the snowy streets, the fire in my throat impossibly intense. I'd never experienced this level of pain before, but I had adjusted to it. I could hear everything- snoring, deep breathing, the sound of blood pumping through veins. The low hum of voices, two drunk bums singing terribly off-key. I'd find them, do Hogsmeade a favor.

And I did find them, snapped their necks with more than enough ease. It was so easy to just let go.

I rolled onto my side, sighing at what I knew would come next.

"Hello, girly."

I looked up at the man. He had a slightly repelling odor to him, though that was probably just me. It was too faint for a human to notice.

"You a student?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm graduating in two weeks."

"A student, then. Listen, girly-"

"I got a name, dude. Akaisha Rookwood."

He grinned then, showing yellowing teeth. "Rookwood. I know a Rookwood. Augustus."

I was surprised at that. "Yeah, he's my stepbrother."

"Ah. So you're related to a Death Eater?"

"Uh, yeah."

"May I ask why you snapped these poor men's necks?"

"Because I'm thirsty. I'm a vampire."

"I suspected that. Well, Akaisha, The Dark Lord's looking for people like you."

"Is that supposed to be an invitation to get a skull burned on my arm?"

He laughed. "You could put it that way. My name's Greyback."

+...+

"Akaisha Rookwood, vampire, stepbrother of the Death Eater Augustus Rookwood. Pureblood." Voldemort looked at me, crimson eyes and face paler than even mine. I nodded, feeling uneasy, and then cringed as there was a burning sensation on my arm. "Welcome to Voldemort's army."

I scowled at this. I hadn't exactly wanted to be part of any 'army', but, with what I was, what choice did I have?

"I know nothing, nothing!"

I glared down at the man. "You know something!"

"I swear to God, woman, I don't know where he is!"

"Liar! Crucio!"

The man's screams filled my ears like music, and it filled me with a sort of vindictive satisfaction.

"Please! I don't know anything!"

"You're lying, filthy little cockroach! You know where he is!" My voice had gone shrill with fury. Never, ever had I been so infuriated in my life.

"Please, Rookwood, I swear to you I know nothing of him!" my uncle looked at me, pleading, begging silently.

"Liar. He told you where he was going to go."

"If you want your father, go find him yourself!"

"You're going to tell me what you know first! Crucio!"

My father's only brother shrieked and writhed beneath me.

"Where did he go? Answer me!"

"I don't know! Please!"

"Crucio!"

I was nearly insane with rage. I'd never tortured anyone in my life, but damn, it felt good.

"I don't know!"

I was disgusted, and I was disappointed. Guess nothing was going to come out of this after all. I directed my wand at the man again.

"Avada Kedavra."

I sighed, leaning back to stare at the ceiling again. I certainly didn't regret torturing or killing the man- he knew where my father was, and yet he wouldn't tell me. I'd always been disgusted with my family- the only one I'd ever remotely cared about was my mother, and I'd lost her. I still wondered where my father was, though I wasn't quite as determined to find him as I had been father was disgusted with me, and I him.

I didn't care about that. I was a Death Eater now. I didn't need to.

a/n:

So, not a very intricate backstory like I intended. thanks again to MarkStrongFan, you rock Dobby's socks. :D

Review, fave, blah blah blah. I'm sorry it's kind of boring. this next chapter will be a bit more action-y, i promise :)