I thought about turning around I really did. Either that or sliding the letter under the door, but I knew deep down that, that wouldn't work. So, I found myself staring at a door, which I found myself doing a lot lately. The hall was quite save for the quite snores of the old man in the portrait as he dozed away. He was funny looking with a bald head and a salt and pepper beard.

"All I am doing is knocking on a door, handing over a letter, and leaving," I said to myself. Yhea, easy peasy. Not. But, I found my hand reaching out to knock anyway but, alas, the door opened with a squeak. Stumbling with a few steps back, I would have easily fallen on my ass to the floor had not a thin, pale hand caught my wrist. I was pulled forward, rocking on my toes, and landed against a warm chest. Spices and herbs. Severus. I allowed myself to soak in the few moments of warmth before I pulled back. I looked up to meet his black eyes but found his attention not on me but on my forearm, on my mark.

"You say that it's not real, that you are not one of them, but you let it be shown for all to see, like a prize or beauty mark. Foolish girl."

The first real thing that has had any emotion in it he has said and it feel like a slap to the face. It held that same tone and feeling it did that night. Only this time I wasn't begging or crying for him to listen, to understand that I couldn't tell him, that I thought he of all people would understand. I only merely shrugged and looked at him evenly.

"It's the reason that it's not real that I may show it. Why be ashamed if it's just a simple mark that means nothing to me, nothing more than glamour. No different than you."

Taking a step forward, his black cloak loamed around him like a demon from hell, and he raised a hand; I thought he was going to strike me. I inwardly flinched, but all he did was bite out, " You know nothing. You are but a foolish, insulate girl who fooled us all into thinking something that was not true."

"Do you really believe it?" I' asked him. But before he could say anything another figure stood in the door way. Remus Lupin, looking very much worse for wear since it was the full moon cycle, gave a slight cordial nod to me and to the other man asked, "Is everything ok?"

Standing tall, Severus replied, "Nothing to concern yourself with."

"Are you sure-"

Heavy footsteps came into hearing as eight heads came into view behind the werewolf. Great, I thought as I looked at sixteen pairs of eyes. Sirius pushed pasted Draco, his face looking nothing but loathing. He came at me making me back up into the wall.

It was funny. Before all this took place Sirius and I were very close. He was, in a way, like an older brother or uncle I never had. He cared for me in those few months I had lived with him before going with Severus to his manor. Sirius was always light hearted and though he got into trouble despite being an adult, he was always kind. But now, he hated me I think the most out of all them.

"what the bloody hell are you doing here?" he barked much like the dog he was.

Remus put a hand on the man's shoulders but it was in vain as it was shrugged off. "Sirius, stop being so childish!"

"Stuff it moony, this death eater shouldn't even be allowed to be out. She betrayed us all, she served him! Has us all fooled, she did." He growled, but released me. I thought I could hear hurt under the harsh words.

I moved to the side then out of reach and looked at them all. Part of me wanted to tell them to all go to hell, but I didn't. See this; this here was all my doing so I couldn't complain. I should just come clean, tell the god awful truth and put a stop to it all. But I couldn't, I wouldn't. I'd rather them treat me like this, let them believe what they will, go through all this, then let them know what I have been hiding. I was sparing them from the truth. Sparing myself to for if they really knew this then would be all for real and would really start to hurt. Not….that it didn't hurt some already. I think what hurt the most was there quick accusation and not their belief in me.

I thrusted out my hand and gave Severus the letter. "Dumbledore asked me to give this to you," I explained before I turned around and walked away. I let my voice be the only thing they heard as I began to softly sing, "I was blown away, would could I say, it seem to all make sense. You've taken everything away and I can't deal with that…"

Little did anyone know, the picture in dumbldore's office shifted by the wind blowing in through the open window in the east tower. It wobbled before crashing to the floor with a bang and crash. The frame broke into a million little pieces, the picture ripping into shreds. The girls with arms around her was separated from all the rest.

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