Outside, the weather was beginning to brighten and the sun shone through the large stain glass windows at the back of the library. Caoilfhionn flicked through a huge dusty old book to pass the time, glancing now and then at her watch impatiently. He was late.

Eventually the large oak door opened and Draco Malfoy sauntered in looking bored and composed. He ignored the girls' irritated sigh and sat down in front of her. Caoilfhionn didn't bother to ask where he'd been or why he was nearly half an hour late, instead she closed the book in front of her with such force, it blew a decades' worth of dust all over her companion. She bit her lip as Malfoy coughed and spluttered before muttering a cleaning spell reluctantly.

"Thought you were here to help me," he drawled. Caoilfhionn studied his face as he said it. He was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of needing help with anything but the fact that he had accepted her offer told her he was desperate and if he was desperate, he was in danger.

"Believe me, I need to help you," said Caoilfhionn, for both our sakes she thought. Draco looked puzzled but didn't ask what she meant.

"I can't explain it here, can you meet me later tonight?"

"Tonight?" Wondered Caoilfhionn. Had she sat here for what seemed like ages just to organise another meeting?

"Salazar Malfoy! Why couldn't you just say that before? I've been-"

"Please?" Said Draco, his expression was unfathomable. Caoilfhionn supposed he'd never used that word in his life and was now having trouble adjusting to it. She almost felt sorry for him.

"Where and when?" She sighed and took note of their arrangements. She slipped the piece of parchment inside her robe and watched him go.

Such a strange boy she thought. He had still looked pale and slightly ill, his task must be harder than she had initially assumed. However she'd already made up her mind about assisting him and not just for selfish reasons. She knew Draco was having a hard time recently. The Dark Lord and his followers were currently residing in his home and most likely abusing its' facilities. His father, like hers, was in jail and his time was taken up with his near impossible task which was designed to fail. Caoilfhionn hoped that by helping him, she would be able to ease some of his worries, she knew that she would have appreciated that kind of offer if she'd been in his situation. Easing out of her seat, she returned the old book to its' home on the shelf and picked up her bag to leave.

On her way out, she passed Malfoy's cronies occuping the stairs by the out of bounds girls' toilets. They looked suspiciously pleased with themselves and hurried away as soon as they noticed her. Caoilfhionn supposed she'd better check the toilets incase they'd locked someone in there as a cruel joke.

The smell inside was almost unbearable. The toilets had been left unused for a number of decades and grime and dirt had been left to fester and rot. To her left, a sticky blue substance was slowly dispersing down the nearest drain, beside it, a broken bottle and a used cauldron. Caoilfhionn guessed that the boys had thrown it in here and then left. The potion smelt awful, a mix of old trash and socks. She gagged as she turned to leave. However someone was blocking her exit - or at least trying to, but Caoilfhionn could have easily walked through Moaning Myrtle and left although she would have caused her a great deal of offence. Myrtle sighed loudly as she realised her newest visitor was not the boy she had been waiting for.

"You're not him," she stated as she floated upwards and circled the room. Caoilfhionn thought her ghostly figure resembled a plastic carrier bag caught in the wind as she flew. At last she settled on the edge of a sink and glared at Caoilfhionn reproachfully.

"Who?" Asked Caoilfhionn, intrigued. The ghost adopted a girlish smile.

"Him," she giggled, "the fair-haired one. He comes in here to talk to me sometimes. I think he's lonely."

"Oh," said Caoilfhionn, she backed towards the door planning her escape. She certainily didn't want to replace the boy. There was no way she wanted to sit with this whinning ghost and hear her life story. As she was reconsidering the word life, the ghost flew over and stopped inches away from her face.

"He's sensitive and sweet and not afraid to cry. You know, I just wish I could help him," sighed the girl. She sniffed loudly and flew into a cubicle.

"Right, well, um," began Caoilfhionn, "I don't know who this boy is but he'll probably show up any minute so I should just – I'd better -" She turned towards the door again and hastily made an exit before the ghostly girl could say anymore.

Out in the corridor, students were making their way to the dining hall and Caoilfhionn joined in with the throng, eager to blend in. She made no attempt to break from the group of students and followed the crowd through to the great hall where their nightly feast was waiting for them. The Slytherin table was as packed as always and she chose a seat opposite fellow sixth year Theodore Nott. Nott was a quiet boy, preferring to keep out of gangs like Malfoys' yet at the same time maintained a friendship with them. He nodded in acknowledgment as she sat down.

In front of her, Caoilfhionn's plate was piled high with sausages and mashed potatoes – her favourite. She tucked in and savoured the rich gravy with had collected in a puddle on the side of her plate. Around her table, moans of approval and satisfaction arose, a noise to make any house elf proud. As she was finishing off a second helping, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned to face one of the first years eyeing her cautiously.

"Professor Snape would like to see you after your meal," said the young girl nervously. She bounced off to find her friends, leaving Caoilfhionn alone and confused.

"Weird," said Nott from across the table, interrupting her thoughts.

"Probably something to do with that last essay," she said nonchalantly but her expression gave away her doubts. She finished her pumpkin juice hastily and hurried out of the hall to find him. She hadn't got long before she was due to meet Malfoy.

Caoilfhionn found Professor Snape in his office leafing through hoards of unmarked student essays. The sight confirmed her suspicions that his intentions were work related. He did not look up as she approach, instead indicating an empty stool in front of his desk. She sat down , folding her arms protectivley. It was a few moments before the teacher spoke.

"Have you had word from your father?" He asked. It was such a strange question that Caoilfhionn was momentairily taken aback.

"No," she managed. Snaped grunted gruffley and tided the papers away before looking up.

"I had expected as much," he said, "and how are you getting along with your... task?" His tone was soft and Caoilfhionn had to strain to hear the question in his voice. Why was he asking? Surely the Dark Lord had not confided in him.

"How do you -?" she began but Snape cut her off.

"I have gained the Dark Lod's trust and he tells me a great deal. I would like to know if you are at all worried?"

"No." Whispered Caoilfhionn. She was not sure if she trusted Snape enough to tell him her fears. Suddenly a pain gripped her skull like a very sore head ache. She touched her forehead and whistled through her teeth.

"I am not sure I believe you," murmered Snape. He was standing now, staring intently into her eyes. Caoilfhionn felt another sharp pain go through her mind and suddenly she was four years old and arguing with her father.

The scene was hazy and the edges of the room seemed to almost seep away into nothing but the image of her father in front of her was clear. He was shouting at her, something about lying. Her four year old self screamed back at him, stamping her tiny foot. Her little fists were curled into balls and her eyes were wet with tears. Around them objects began to fly and fall. Ornaments tumbled off their shelves and furniture swayed.

"Stop it Caoilfhionn!" her father yelled but she couldn't. The frustrated little girl had no control over the chaos around them. The scene changed as her father hit her around her face. She was now nearly seven years old and leaning over the crumpled body of her mother. Hot tears streamed down her face as she stroked her mothers' hair. Behind her, her father entered the room. He took one look at his injured wife at the foot of the stairs and hit his daughter.

"You did this! You killed her!" he cried, "You evil child! You're evil!" Caoilfhionn's younger self recieved the blows and made no attempt to defend herself. It was all her fault. She had got angry, objects had flow and one had caught her mother and knocked her down the stairs. The small girl tucked her self into a ball as she watched her father lean over her mother and cry into her broken neck.

Again the memory shifted and was more recent. Caoilfhionn remembered this night as the night she was given her instructions by the Dark Lord. The study was dark, lit only by a fire in the centre of the room. Several Death Eaters looked on as Lord Voldemort approached her and whispered in her ear.

At this point, Caoilfhionn began to start to defend herself against Snapes' intrusive legilimency. She sat up straighter in her chair and gritted her teeth but could not prevent Snape from seeing the following memory.

She was in the common room watching Malfoy. It was one of those rare occasions where he happened to be on his own. The scowl of his face obviously kept all potential conversations at bay. Caoilfhionn rose from her chair and went to sit beside him.

"Are you alright?" She had asked. Malfor noded but his face remained impassive. "It's okay not to be." Malfoy opened his mouth to reply but Snape never heard his voice. Caoilfhionn stood up with such a force that Snape was distracted enough to stop. Tears fell down Caoilfhionn's face as the grip on her mind was released. How dare he intrude on her memories and feelings like that! She would not allow her mind to be opened by someone so undeserving. She was thankful he had not been able to see that last memory. Snape gaining an insight into her feelings concerning the task was bad enough but he couldn't see Malfoys' – that was too dangerous.

Snape did not try to stop Caoilfhionn as she fled from his room. Let him report back to the Dark Lord, she thought, what would he tell him? She had killed her own mother and her father hated her? Everyone already knew that. It was common knowledge amoung that group that she was evil by nature, that was one of Lord Voldemorts' reasons for enrolling her. Caoilfhionn was not concentrating on a destination as she fled down the deserted corridor, she just wanted to be as far away from Snape as possible.