Sirius waited until the owl was out of sight before heading back to the room he'd left his cousin and Severus in. He did his best not to go down the too well traveled corridors; after all he had hexed a very influential wizard. It was really going to be a harsh punishment when he was discovered afterwards. When he made it and walked in though he just saw Persephone alone obviously deep in thought. He walked over, tweaking her nose playfully. "Hey…where'd he disappear off to? I would've stayed if I had known you'd be alone.."

"No it's fine..I um..managed to write a letter for Bella. I wanted you to be the first to read it. I was going to mention Severus but um..I don't want to say anything but that I'm done with them. With the idea of..who they want me to be." She held out the parchment and he sat next to her opening it and reading it carefully. He imagined himself as his older cousin, and had to laugh as he finished it, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"That's going to utterly piss her off…my only regret is that I won't be able to see her face as she reads it.." He stared at her smile and tweaked her nose again. "This is going to make everything so much better for you Sef, it really will. That git won't ever touch you again, and you can come stay with me after school ends.."

"Alright." Persephone nodded to him, imagining a life where she wouldn't go home to her family's house. Where she could do as she wanted without making sure it was alright with her sisters or parents. Sirius, Andromeda, and now Severus. They were all the family she would need. She took back the letter, tucking it into her pocket. "Let's go to the Owlery and send it.."

They wandered there, going the secret ways that he knew to avoid most people. She heard her name on several people's mouths but he kept them moving so she heard nothing but bits and pieces. When they finally arrived she felt the weight of the letter fully. She watched patiently as her cousin spoke to his owl, almost amused as he carried the owl over on his arm.

"Here, I never thought I'd get to owl anything to Bella again but stinkpellets and things like that." He seemed delighted and she wished she could keep that feeling of assurance and confidence. She smoothed her hair back with her fingers reaching into her pocket to take it out. She sealed it with a tap of her wand, and tied it gently to the owl's leg. She watched as it rose higher, until it was gone from her sight out a window.

"She'll probably have it by lunch." He mused aloud, putting an arm around her shoulders. He saw the expression on her face and clutched her to him. "Come on where'd that smile go huh? You're going to be fine. I promise you will."

"You should go to class..you'll get in awful trouble." She murmured trying to even her breath. It all felt almost too much but she didn't want to faint like a child. He patted her head and gave a shrug.

"Oh, too late for that. I'll be surprised if I'm not expelled for that little stunt…"

"SIRIUS!"

"I won't be. Don't worry about me, my main concern is you. You look utterly startled. You did a good thing..it's going to be hard for a bit but you did the hardest part. You've told Bella she can go kiss a troll for all you care. That no matter what Mum or she say, you're going to make yourself happy. That's what you did." He nodded his head once he was done talking leading her back out of the owlery. She felt relieved again by his words, but the idea of her letter wandering out to her sister almost made her sick. They stopped back in a corridor not far from the classroom, where she sat down smoothing her hands against the floor thinking.

"Sirus..I should go change. Change clothes. I can't..wear the clothes Cissy picked for me.." She considered aloud getting back to her feet. "I feel..weird in them and it makes me feel sick just thinking about the fact I'm wearing them."

"I'll take you…it'd rather not leave you alone. Besides, I've always wanted a peek 'round the Slytherin common room." So she led him, and as she peeked in to be sure no one else was there he walked in curiously gawking. "Hmm, shall I hex a few things?" He said aloud though her opinion mattered little as he picked up various books and parchments thinking of his most dastardly spells for them. She couldn't help but smile at her cousin's antics as she went up to the girl's dorms.

She pulled on some black jeans and a t-shirt with a muggle band that Sirius had given her for Christmas. She pulled a fresh set of robes atop that, staring at her reflection. She smiled a little, combing her fingers through her hair. The girl in the mirror was not going to be Mrs. Malfoy. She would be Mrs. Persephone Snape. Mrs. Snape. Mrs. Severus Snape. She would live happily ever after. She heard the sound of the stairs growing smooth as if a boy were trying to get up, but Sirius had managed to get up, holding onto the doorway. "You have those trick stairs too I see.."

"Boys in Slytherin are just as devious.." She told him, taking her brush to fix her hair. He watched her and took the brush attempting to do it for her. Instead of being helpful he pulled too hard, but she froze and watched him. "Sirius.."

"What is it?"

"Since..um..this..is really going to happen. I wanted to make sure that you would do something for me."

"Sephone, I've stunned Lucius Malfoy, broken into the Slytherin house, agreed to be nice to Severus Snape, how many favours are you going to ask of me huh?" His grin told her to keep talking though so she did, playing with the ring on her middle finger thoughtfully.

"Well um…would you give me away? Since Dad..won't naturally. I thought you were the closest relative who'd do it..I don't even think Regulus'd.."

"As if I'd let Regulus do that! Of course I'll give you away." He stopped brushing though and rested his head on her shoulder. "But listen Sef, you could just marry my mate Remus. I mean you don't have to marry Snape."

"I love Severus. He's everything to me. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him..and I'll be utterly happy. I'll play with Andromeda's daughter every day, and you can teach me all of the muggle things you are fond of. Take me to a..what'd you call it?"

"A muggle concert?"

"Exactly! And I'll do everything I couldn't before. It'll be perfect.." She took the brush and replaced it, looking down at the stairs patiently. "You go first, we can both slide down if you'd like."

"See Sephone? Isn't it fun being more like me and less like Bella's little house elf?"

She stared at him a while and nodded easily. "Yes. It is."

Persephone took everything from the girl's dorms. Her trunk, her clothes, even the bedding on her bed. She packed everything and moved them to she and Severus's classroom. With a few spells she found in her transfiguration and charms textbooks she made the door appear to be gone unless either she or Severus came and unsealed it. Severus helped her after classes, and they sat there together. She'd hung up her wedding dress from the ceiling and stared at it, her head on his chest. He had asked her to try it on but she only laughed and refused.

"I want to wear that dress…on the day I become the happiest wife on the earth." She teased. He just smiled holding her tightly to him.

"I'm proud of you. For sending that letter…I am so tired of pretending in front of everyone." Severus murmured to her as he kissed her head. "I think you should wear the wedding dress everyday...I could wear some dress robes. We'd make quite a pair going to the N.E.W.T.S….."

"I would if I weren't worried about messing it up. Oh Severus..no more pretend. No lies. No sneaking around. No..silly pureblood nonsense. I won't live for them one day more. I feel so happy Severus. I really am." She looked up at him, smoothing his hair back with her fingers. "Are you happy? With this with..me?"

Severus couldn't help but smile. In almost all of his years at Hogwarts, he could never smile for any person besides Lily Evans. Now, here he was staring at Persephone and all he wanted to do was smile. To make her smile. She had given everything up, her family. Everything she'd known for him. That was what this all meant, he'd given himself to Voldemort's order to make a life for the two of them. She'd given up her family. They'd sacrificed themselves, everything for each other. He once again considered the mark on his arm. Her remarks were painful though, no more lies. No, was it a lie if he hadn't mentioned it? Realizing he'd been silent a long while he spoke again. "I couldn't be happier with anyone but you Sef. I love you Persephone and I..I have to tell you something."

"Yes, what is it?" She murmured her eyes staring into his. She had a smile as if she had just woken from a dream. That was that easy. He would snap that happy expression, and with one harsh word break their moment. He imagined how furious she'd be. No, it could wait a while longer. The day of her victory was not the day to announce his sacrifice. Besides that, it had earned him nothing yet. A little approval for one or two raids on muggle houses, little things that they could do after sneaking to Hogsmeade. Nothing to assure his position of power. To assure he would have something for her. His sacrifice hadn't been fully made yet.

He gave a nod and came up with a quick excuse. "I've been looking for a flat for us. I mean, I want to wait until I've got something sorted out. So you could stay with Sirius or your sister until then. Just..I've been looking."

"Of course..I can't wait. I can really see it sometimes. I dream about it too…spending the rest of my life with you."

"It won't be a dream for long…" He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He felt her shake and glanced down to see her crying. He turned her so he could hold her and she shook her head wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry Severus its just…right then..my heart pounded so hard.." She wiped her eyes smiling at him. He couldn't help but chuckle, holding her face in his hands.

"That's how I feel every time I see you."

"Oh good..then it's not just me.." She smiled as he wiped away the last few tears on her face.

The next morning, Sirius and Persephone were called to Professor Slughorn's office since Professor McGonagall had gone because of a death in her family. They sat quietly waiting for him, his office was almost too silent. Sirius glanced at his cousin, who seemed rather relaxed in the troublesome situation. Her hands were resting on her lap and she was humming something under her breath. He reached over to tap her shoulder but she turned startling him.

"You think he's just going to want an explanation? I can't see that you could get in too much trouble…I could claim to have stunned him myself if you'd like. I don't have as much of a record as you do."

"Persephone you don't have any sort of 'record'."

"Exactly. I mean, it'd be too domestic a situation to get me in trouble anyway. So shall I?"

"I'll take blame…I'm rather proud I hexed him. It'd take all my fun if you took claim on that. Besides, you couldn't even name what sort of spell it was."

"Probably not. Alright…"

Professor Slughorn wandered in before she could think of something else to say. He sat at his desk and looked at the two clicking his tongue at them. "Miss Black, I don't believe I've ever had to have you in here. It's a shame."

"I'm sorry sir. I don't see that it was so important that we should be punished, frankly it is really a struggle between myself and my family. I'm of age though and so.."

"Mr. Malfoy claims that while talking to you, Mr. Black came and hexed him. Then when he was discovered by Madame Pompfrey you two were long gone. Where exactly did you go?" His attention seemed to fall completely on Persephone leaving Sirius to watch more and more annoyed by the lack of discipline he'd thought would have been thrown immediately.

"Outside, to the quidditch pitch. Sir please, Sirius had nothing to do with this..it was me. Rejecting Lucius. If someone must be punished because he was hexed then it should clearly be me and not.."

"MISS PERSEPHONE! Please control yourself." Slughorn's voice was rarely ever raised so she sat in silence her hands still in her lap clutching themselves as she hung her head. This only pissed Sirius off more and he stood up.

"WELL? ARE WE TO BE PUNISHED THEN? I DID IT. EXPELL ME, SCOLD ME, GIVE ME 100 BLOODY DETENTIONS! JUST LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS." Sirius was standing up, his hands on the professor's desk. Professor Slughorn stared at Sirius, then back to Persephone, then finally on Sirius again. He seemed unsure where to begin, what to say.

"You'll get your detentions when Professor McGonagall returns tomorrow afternoon. I'm only here to make sure that you know that you will indeed be punished. Nothing near as harsh as expulsion, but something to remind you of the seriousness of this. If Mr. Malfoy hadn't said to keep it quiet he could have easily had the ministry brought in for your wreckless attempt to assault him. You are free to go until tomorrow, but Miss Black must remain here. Her sister wishes to speak to her and I've promised to keep her under my watch until then."

Persephone watched her cousin push in his chair. He was annoyed, pissed off at the idea of having to leave her for Bella or Cissy. Whichever was there to make their threats. He wanted to stay and protect her, but from Slughorn's expression it'd be better for all if he left. So he did. Not before saying a silent prayer to whoever was listening that she could be alright.

Narcissa was a wrecklessly proud woman. Unlike Bellatrix though, her whole life was not devoted to this new pureblood mania, though her husband was in fact a death eater. Her life was devoted the child that now resided in her curving stomach. Simply the idea of the child she would raise made her give a little smile. Something of her own, something Bella could not claim. It was something her sister could not get before her. It wasn't simply a child; it was a victory her elder sister had not won. She'd found herself a pureblood husband, one who was not a blood traitor. She'd taken her own search for 'a proper wizarding husband' and in fact fell in love with him without an arranged marriage like Bellatrix. For that she thought herself superior to her sisters. She'd done her job as a daughter, and made herself happy.

But when her mother appeared at the door distressed with a letter that Bella had gotten she volunteered to go and talk to the youngest sister. Bellatrix would only make things worse and most likely push Persephone away more. No, it had to clearly be Narcissa. It fell upon her to guide their silly sister home. How the young girl had found the ability to throw herself from the family was what bothered her most. She'd pondered Sirius, but he'd have long done this before. Then it came to her and she grew even more annoyed than before. Andromeda's influences no doubt. Her long blonde hair was tied up as she walked down the familiar way to the Potion master's office. She passed Sirius, but did not glance at him. She'd already put the image of her cousin from her mind, and if she had she'd have seen herself get flipped off.

As she walked in Professor Slughorn made his usual kind remarks and she simply nodded until he left. Then her focus fell on the young woman sitting and staring at her hands. Narcissa sat down in the professor's chair, and leaned back smoothing her hands over her own stomach. "Seffy. What have you done?"

She waited for an answer, maybe a soft mumble. She didn't expect Persephone to sit up and stare at her so boldly. She tried not to show a sign of surprise, just stared back with a little shrug. The brown eyed girl began to talk calmly. "I'm..I'm not marrying Lucius Malfoy. I refuse to even consider it. You won't talk me into apologizing, or anything like that. I just..won't marry him."

Narcissa stood up and walked over to sit beside her sister instead of across from her. She tried to be patient, imagining what Bellatrix wouldn't do. Reaching over she held her hands smiling at her. She sighed and nodded her head. "Yes, that's what Mother told me you wrote to Bellatrix. But I know exactly what this is about…and if that was your concern you could have just told me. I'm sorry I've neglected involving myself in your life this year.."

"Cissy, why do you think I rejected him?" Persephone glanced at her an eyebrow raised. She took her hands back slowly, as if considering what the older girl was doing.

"Obviously because you don't want to marry someone I refused to myself. Take my hand-me-downs right? If you've another pureblood in mind you should have just told us silly. Mother can be reasonable if she thinks you've found yourself someone. Seffy, if you want me to influence her for another more appropriate man then I will do what I can. Your happiness means the world to me little sister." Her words were sugar coated, soothing.

Persephone stared at her older sister hesitating each word that emitted from her mouth. "I'm in love with someone but he isn't a pureblood. Cissy you love your husband, and I like to think you'd approve because you love him that you'd want me to be in love too.."

"I married a pureblood. Bellatrix did. Doing otherwise leaves you thrown away like Andromeda. Shamed, marked as one unworthy of being a Black daughter. Now put this silly boy from your mind. If you have any sense you'll nod your little head at me and agree to marry Lucius. We'll say your just nervous..find yourself unworthy of his greatness or some rubbish excuse like that."

Persephone did not fold at her sister's act though. She stared at her sister, and shook her head. "I can't..I won't just listen to what you and everyone else thinks is best for me. I want to do things that please me. That I want for myself."

Narcissa stood straight up, putting her hands on her sides instead of her stomach. The patience she'd hoped would win her over was gone and the Black anger flew through her veins. "What has happened to you? A few weeks with Sirius and you think you're a new person? Wrong. What if you go off with this boy and he ends up lying to you? You'll be ruined, or worse. You'll have some unpure children and where will your precious Sirius and Andromeda be huh? Because we'll leave you helpless if you turn your back to us."

"He would never lie to me! I love Severus and he wouldn't lie to me or leave me! How dare you even say that? You go back to our parents and tell them that I'm done with this. With all of you!" Persephone stood and walked out. Narcissa had to sit a moment, putting a hand on her cheek.

"Oh little Sephone…I suppose I'll have to enlist help elsewhere.." She stood up walking out to find assistance for her little problem.

"I can't find Severus anywhere." Persephone no longer sat with the Slytherin table. The people there would not support her, much less allow her to sit near them. She was painfully pushed out from their world. At dinner she sat with Sirius and his friends, allowing her hair falling into her face. She played with her food, disappointed at the disappearance of her fiancé'. She wanted to share with him her victory over Narcissa, and he was gone.

"He'll show up eventually. Isn't my pride in you enough?"

"It is Siri but…its just not like him to run off like this."

"I'm sure he's fine. Look I took all the trouble of convincing the house elves to make you that cupcake, and you're not even eating it!"

"I'm not hungry. I think I'll go back to the empty classroom to see if he's in there. I mean NEWTS start tomorrow. I want to see him before we have to do all of that."

"Oh bloody hell way to remind me. James we'll have to start cramming tonight. I'd hoped to set up a few pranks before then but.." Sirius turned towards his friend and they began talking seriously of plans to let off a few little 'harmless' pranks.

Persephone didn't pay attention. She put her bag over her shoulder and dashed towards the classroom. She couldn't wait to be done with Hogwarts, with the classes and her new found enemies in her own house. Most of the Slytherin girls refused to even look at her when the rumors of her rejection of 'gasp' Lucius Malfoy reached their ears. No, she was no longer one of them. She was an outsider who no one knew what to do with. The corridors seemed empty and all she could think of was worries of where Severus could be. The next turn she made she heard voices. Creeping forward, she tried to listen. She stopped when she heard Regulus and Severus both talking. She didn't pass the corner though, curious to hear what was going on.

"Look I told you. Persephone can't know about this."

"Why not? She'll understand I mean she was practically raised.."

"Shh. Look, we're late for dinner. I told you tomorrow night we'll all go out to Hogsmeade afterwords. I'll tell her eventually but now is not the time."

"Alright mate, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good luck with N.E.W.T's!" She listened until one set of footsteps walking away filled her ears. Then she heard Severus sigh, and she peered around to look at him. What on earth was he on about? What couldn't she know? She waited until she heard him go as well, and she slumped down on the floor.

"There's my little bride." She froze as she glanced up at Lucius. His left eyebrow was missing, but overall he looked utterly the same. She stared up at him as he walked closer, his eyes staring into her own making her shiver.

"I'm not yours..not your bride. I'm not your's. I've made my intentions clear."

"Fine then. I have something to talk to you about..could you give me ten minutes. Ten minutes of your time…and if you haven't changed your mind then so be it. I'll find myself another wife." He reached out to offer her his hand.

"Sirius has taught me the hex he used on you. If you look at me strangely I'll do far harsher a job than he did." She murmured letting him help her up.

A/N--Oh my, people sneaking about huh. I thought since I was all in depth with Bellatrix I wanted to make Narcissa a more..deep person. In the fact I redid her ways.

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Debjunk: I'm rather proud of Sirius too...I would want him to be my brother.. :P