Lying on her back was most comfortable. Everything ached; everything stung and hurt and pained her in ways she couldn't even describe – not even to herself. After all there was no one else to listen now. Sirius was gone. He'd gone and although she was glad, although she was happy that he was safe and alive, a part of her remembered that last look, the detached, separate look he'd given her, and shuddered. It was like he didn't even know her…which he didn't.

Pretending the person you care about more than anyone else feels the same is all well and good; until the truth rears its ugly head. And the truth always comes out in the end. How many times had her father told her that?

The door at the top of the stairs opened slowly and Ana could tell from the footsteps that it was Draco. His tentative walk was his signature. Since Sirius had left; hours ago now, she'd been hurt and hurt again. They'd beaten her bloody; with magic and without, and then left her lying there. She'd done it all for the boy currently approaching…and still she couldn't be sure that her sacrifice would help him. Nothing was sure.

"I was wondering when you were going to come…" she breathed, loudly enough so he could hear her but not so that she hurt herself further. Breathing was difficult; she had a feeling she'd gotten a cracked rib or four.

"I don't get it," was the quiet response, "You got the wand. You could have gone. Did Black…?"

She smiled wryly to herself, not moving from her prostrate position.

"He didn't take it and leave me. I asked him to go on ahead. I have something I need to hang around a little while longer for."

"What?" Draco asked.

"You." she answered.

She heard a clatter as whatever he was holding fell to the floor. A moment later footsteps, no longer tentative but dashing away from her, sounded on the stairs. The door shut. There was silence.

She could wait.

"WHERE. IS. POTTER?"

Ana said nothing, the weight of Bellatrix bearing down on her as the mad witch pressed her wand tip deep into her victim's throat. Ana could feel blood beginning to pool in the hollow between the two halves of her collar bone.

"Tell me where itty bitty Potty is and then you won't have to suffer…" Bellatrix wheedled, her voice suddenly childlike, "He's only a brat...just one brat."

Ana kept up her silence. Since Sirius had left the only person she had spoken to was Draco.

"TELL ME!" the mad witch suddenly shrieked, her wand tip digging in further and burning as furious sparks emitted from it.

Ana did the only thing she could. She laughed; uproarious, maddened laughter which only served to make Bellatrix frown and the Malfoy's look angered.

"Please do share your amusement…" Lucius Malfoy intoned. He sounded furious; which meant there was pressure on him from somewhere high up to get her to talk…and the thought only amused her further.

"Go on; say it!" Bellatrix urged, a maddened snarl gracing her face.

Ana tempered her laughter long enough to choke out; going from hilarity to seriousness in the blink of an eye,

"I'm going to see you all dead…you know that? I'm going to kill all of you."

Bellatrix didn't agree and, if the pain was anything to go by, her displeasure was immense.

She wondered whether the Dark Lord knew she was there. Ana Harte meant nothing to the Death Eaters – nothing to this version of Voldemort. Lantana Snape meant nothing either; not in this time. Her theory was that the Malfoy's were keeping her imprisonment secret in order to only tell Voldemort about her once she broke - only once she had given them information which they could trade for favour.

So they would be waiting a long time.

Days had passed since she had last seen Sirius. Days of trying to catch Draco when he brought food or water, of trying to talk to him, make him see…and perhaps, she thought, he was beginning to see. When his father made him watch as she was tortured she saw it then; the doubt in his family which crept into his eyes. The beginnings of sympathy with her – the beginnings of something she could use to help him.

"You know that I would protect you?" she murmured one day; one of the better days, she had to admit, when the pain was no so bad and the torture not so long. Bellatrix being absent had helped with that. Lucius Malfoy had little patience with the unknown witch at his feet.

"How?" he sneered in his usual manner; hiding from facts behind his Malfoy pride.

"I would put your life before mine; if you came with me; if you left this behind you."

"They are my blood…" he began.

"Blood isn't always the strongest bond." was her quick reply.

"Those are the words of a mudblood…" he grunted.

"Half blood," she corrected, "Or…pure blood. Depends on how you define these things I suppose."

He frowned and passed her a small chunk of bread; unknowingly tearing it up for her so that her hands; ragged from gripping at unyielding stone whilst in the throes of agony, did not suffer.

"Where I come from," she continued, "You take your father's blood status."

"So if your mother was a pureblood and your father half…?" Draco began; mystified,

"Half blood – which is what I am; not that it matters."

"If it doesn't matter then why're you here?" he asked smugly.

"Because I chose to be." she replied. "Given the choice between right and easy I chose here."

"Because of me…" he answered disdainfully.

"Because I believe in you, yes. I believe you can be a better man. A good man."

"I'm already doing what's right…" he began.

"What your father does is not what's right Draco. I was at the Astronomy Tower. I saw you there; and that was a man I can see doing great things. The moment you hesitated, just for a second, was the moment I knew you were more than your father will ever be."

His silence told her everything she needed to know. Her mind was as strong as ever but her body couldn't take much more of the joys of Malfoy Manor. She needed to go home; and now was the best time to try. Draco wouldn't soften any further; not surrounded by his parents and aunt every moment of every day. She needed to get him away. She needed to get herself away. If she didn't then Ana knew, in her heart, that she wouldn't – couldn't – live out the week.

"She's strong," was the blithe comment the Snatcher made.

Ana had dragged herself to the top of the stone steps and was listening at the thick wooden door. After hours of straining her ears, attempting to hear any voices that managed to reach her, she had finally honed in on a conversation. It was close by; perhaps even on the other side of the door, and she recognised the first Snatcher's voice as Scabior – the one who had handled her from the beginning. The one she'd stolen a wand from and endured hours of taunts from. He hadn't touched her since the wand – he had smacked her stupid straight after the fact and then never touched her since. Perhaps he was afraid of what she would do whilst he was otherwise occupied…

"They all break in the end." answered a rough voice she didn't recognise.

"Three days since Black upped and left. She's lasted this long…my thinking is she'll be dead before she talks. The ways Lestrange…"

"Lestrange is a crazy bitch. The girl's lucky she'll be gone until tomorrow…or unlucky – better if she died now really. Life is life though - one thing to thank the Dark Lord for at least before she kicks it." broke in the other Snatcher conversationally.

"Right enough," agreed Scabior, "Still…shame this girl isn't on our side. Reckon she'd go down fighting if she were."

"As it is she'll die a rat in a hole." the other Snatcher commented without pity.

Scabior didn't respond.

She had found her opportunity…now all she needed to do was find the strength to exploit it.

Her legs were crossed; a feat in itself as the bruises made it difficult to do anything involving…well, anything. Her back was painfully straight, her head level and her eyes closed. She was breathing deeply; in through the nose, out through the mouth, in through the nose…

That was how he found her.

She had noted the hesitance, slight but still present, when he came for her and she wasn't slumped in a crumpled pile where she had been left or propped up against a wall from where Draco had grudgingly helped her during his brief (especially brief when Bellatrix was present in the Manor) visits. It was all going according to plan.

He soon overcame his uncharacteristic shyness and hauled her up, half dragging and half carrying her body as she allowed him to bear her weight. No fighting or struggling, no resistance. When he dumped her on the floor she glanced into his eyes, just a glance, and caught the confusion there. She usually cussed and called him names; it was almost a routine between them now. She'd noted after he long spells of captivity that captor and captive always, almost always, eventually created a bond. Whether it was one of mutual loathing or one of mutual anger was unclear. Hers and Scabior's was almost one of mutual understanding. He knew what she was; a fighter, and she knew what he was; a coward.

Draco was there; as well as Malfoy and Scabior. That meant that there were three people to overcome in order to get a wand and escape; usually child's play…though in her current state nearly impossible.

"We are here; again." drawled the voice of Lucius Malfoy. "And I shall ask you yet again, girl. Where is Potter hiding? Where is the Order of the Phoenix hiding? Where is Sirius Black? Answer any, or all, of these questions and save yourself…considerable pain."

For a moment she did nothing. Lying on her side on the ground at his feet, propped up by one arm, she allowed the silence in the room to fill her up. Then, slowly, she raised her head, looking up into those cold blue eyes. Ana saw them widen slightly as the contact was made – saw the recognition there…and then she pounced.

Barrelling her body towards him so quickly her vision darkened at the edges Ana swept out a leg and caught him in the calves, sending the spell he had cast swerving inches to her right and missing her entirely. He toppled, losing his grip on his wand as he fell, and she grabbed it up; Stunning him as she swept in a circle and stood with only the slightest wobble to face Scabior. His wand was out but still at his side; he hadn't been given the time to raise it. Halfway to doing so he was frozen; his eyes glued to the wand she had just stolen; fear there so latent it practically sat in the air around her. It had all been done in a matter of seconds; and all without a peep of unnecessary noise.

"Move and I kill you." she breathed at the Snatcher.

The pain was there; fighting to take the forefront of her brain, but she suppressed it. With a brief flick of her wand Scabior was disarmed and standing before her; fully expecting to die.

"This is your chance, Draco," she murmured, not looking to the boy who she knew stood close to her left; his wand out and arm uncertain as he pointed it at her, "I'm offering you help. I'm offering you life. Now is your last chance to take it."

A pause, long and empty, filled the room.

"Come with me and let me give you the life you deserve," she tried again, "Let me help you become the man you were always supposed to be…you don't have to hurt or kill anyone – you don't have to be that person, Draco."

She could hear his breaths, ragged and unsure, and waited. She couldn't hold on much longer, her legs were shaking perilously and it would only take someone to enter the room they were in; a Snatcher or Malfoy or Bellatrix herself, and everything would be undone. She was…

"Help me…"

The boy's voice was broken, shaking. It was assent enough…which left her with the problem of Scabior. He had tortured her, beaten and cursed her halfway to death, shown her no mercy…but a niggling thought would not remain suppressed itched within her mind. In this life she killed; in her previous life she had killed. Perhaps, in order to be the person that Sirius needed, she had to change that – perhaps it was time to give mercy a chance.

"I just gave you your life." she said stonily to the Snatcher, Stunning him, turning and throwing herself at Draco before the words had finished leaving her mouth. She focused as hard as she could on the safest place she could Apparate to. All that came to mind were fields of golden green and Sirius' warm hands against her skin.

Which was why, after the pressure of Apparition lifted, she and Draco tumbled into thick grass.

Her head collided with the ground as Draco was propelled a few feet away from her. She lay there a moment, fighting to remain conscious as days of physical destruction at the hands of the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor rose up and fought to claim her. After a moment her head cleared, thought the pain remained, and she slowly and stiffly dragged herself into a sitting position.

"We did it…" she whispered when she saw Draco similarly sitting staring at her.

"What have I done?" he asked in return; looking more like a lost little boy than ever.

"Earned your freedom," she replied, "Earned the right to choose."

She picked up the wand lying next to her on the ground; Lucius Malfoy's discarded weapon, and slowly pointed it into the air; murmuring to herself,

"I told you I would follow."

The message combined with the wand movement sent a beam of silver light dancing off into the sky. She only hoped her missive would be received and answered.

"What was that?" Draco asked hurriedly; concern in his voice.

"A Patronus," she murmured, "To the Order."

"To Black you mean." he answered coldly.

"Yes," she replied evenly, "To Black."

"He will want to kill me…" Draco began.

"Draco – listen to me." she could sense the tiredness in her own voice now; all she wanted was to see Sirius and sleep. However the boy before her was fragile, still unsure if his choice had been the right one. She owed it to him to give him the reassurance he craved. "You have given up the life you know. In return I will give up my life for yours; should the need arise. You are family now, Draco Malfoy – your choice has made you family. No more doubts. You've chosen your side."

She didn't look up to see his expression. It was too difficult. Yet she could feel from his silence that he accepted at least a little of what she had said. It wasn't much; but it was a beginning. The rest – the trust – would come in time.

A cracking sound; cutting sharply through the cold air, caused her head to fly up; the jerking motion causing her dizziness to return. She breathed deep for a moment before murmuring to Draco, keeping her gaze ahead,

"Stay down – don't make yourself known unless I say you can."

She rose slowly; her muscles and bones and very blood screaming out that enough was enough; that she was finished. But she stood anyway; and was rewarded with the sight of Sirius, along with Bill Weasley, standing right there before her. His wand was raised, as was Bill's, pointed directly at her, but he was there and alive and looked almost entirely unscathed…

Her own appearance, she knew, was different. Her dress was torn so much it barely held any resemblance to clothing, her face and flesh and body all bore marks of pain and suffering. She was broken and the widening of both men's eyes as they took her in told her so.

"You got the boy?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence, his voice business like.

"I did." she responded. Sirius nodded slowly before murmuring something to Bill.

"Bill will take him back – to a safe place." Sirius finished once his conference was done.

Ana hesitated before nodding and gesturing back for Draco to stand. He did so slowly, though she couldn't see it she knew that was the case, and felt his presence at her side as she kept her eyes on Sirius'. He seemed so detached…

"Go with Bill. He'll look after you. I'll follow."

He paused, as though unsure, before finally, reluctantly, heading over to cross the space to where Bill was standing. Ana waited until Draco was at Bill's side before she informed those assembled calmly,

"If any harm comes to the boy I'll hold you responsible."

Bill merely nodded and the Disapparated; a worried looking Draco in tow.

It left the two of them; her and Sirius, together and yet not together. Perhaps they never would be again. Because now he knew her name, her identity; now he was going to judge her on blood. The one thing she had fought against all her life was going to be her undoing. He was about a foot away from her; he'd come nearer whilst Draco had gone to Bill, and she wanted nothing more than to go to him. But there needed to be words first; explanations she had no energy for.

"What now?" she asked; half focused on the shaking of her legs – a sign that her slight weight would soon become too much to carry.

"What do you want me to say?" was his response; measured and even; grey eyes blank.

She hesitated; what did she want from him?

"I don't know…"

It was the only honest answer.

"You're a Snape…" he said after a long, heavy moment.

"I am…and I'm not ashamed of it. I will not be ashamed of my blood. Sirius…"

"He killed Dumbledore…!" Sirius counteracted furiously.

"In this time – yes! I know it's impossible to comprehend but my father is not this man. My father is dead. Who I am is my actions, Sirius, who I am is the things you have seen me do…" she let out a desperate sigh as she shook her head in a sort of partial hysteria, "Who I am is you. You've been my life for fourteen years…"

"No…" he interrupted slowly, "I haven't."

And then she understood, at least in part, what it came down to. A small section of his heart still believed she was interested in the other version of him – the version which would now never exist.

"I thought we'd been through this…he was my friend. Sirius Black was my friend throughout my entire childhood. But I didn't think anything more than friendship of him until the moment I set eyes on you. It's you, Sirius…it's always been you and I just ask that you try to see me the way I see you; as you are. Nothing more or less. Just…you."

"Ana…" he sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair, wand at his side and half forgotten, real emotion entering his voice now, "I trust you – and I want to believe you, but…you've saved my life so many times and I thought we were getting to a point…and then you tell me this massive thing you've been keeping secret. How am I supposed to react?"

She stared at him across the space between them; trying to find the words and failing. Words were never really her forte; she was more an action girl. So she decided to just follow through with the pattern she had followed all her life; tell the truth. Choking back tears that she would give anything to avoid shedding her explanation came out brokenly.

"I don't know…all I know is that I want to be with you. I love you. I love you, Sirius and I never loved anyone the way I've loved you – and that might sound stupid but I do. I can't change it. I can't lie about it. It's always been you for me; only ever you."

She saw him visibly fold; the tension in his shoulders falling away as he moved towards her. The relief that he seemed to have, at least in part, forgiven her deception, took the rest of her adrenaline fuelled strength. She staggered slightly; only for him to reach her and wrap his arms around her; supporting her weight against his body. Her arms went around him; clutching as he held her bone crushingly close.

"I thought I might never see you again." he confessed quietly into the open air, "I thought…as soon as I bloody Disapparated I wished I hadn't; wished I'd waited for you. The same moment – and look at you. Merlin Ana look at what they did…"

"I don't care – I can heal." she breathed; her voice thick with emotion at the scent of him, the feel of his warm body against hers and his voice in her ear. A part of her was frightened it was all a dream and yet it wasn't…it was real. Just as she'd come back to him he'd found his way back to her. It gave her a hope she hadn't felt for a year and a half – since losing her home.

He was quiet for a moment, holding her tightly to him, before leaning back a little, brushing a strand of matted hair from her face and saying,

"The night of Bill and Fleur's wedding; just before the Patronus…I was going to tell you something."

She waited, her breath held almost unconsciously.

"I was going to tell you that I'd die for you too. You remember; when Moony was ill and you said you would for me. Well I wanted to tell you that you're my family now, Ana. You as well as Harry and Moony and the Order…I wanted you to know that because I don't think I ever said it."

She smiled slightly, tiredly, and asked with tilted head,

"What does that mean?"

He gave her a crooked half smile; eyes alight just as she knew her own here, in response and answered,

"It means, and I can't believe I'm saying this… it means I'm in love with the daughter of Severus Snape."

Her lips pressed to his; her body shaking with the effort of reaching up and yet her heart singing out as he returned her kiss; sweet and warm and perfect. The kind of kiss people truly in love gave one another – a real kiss full of promise and promises of things to come. When he finally pulled his mouth away from hers it was only to rest their foreheads together; breath mingling as they regained it. She had never felt to perfectly complete; despite the pain and the heartache she finally felt like she'd found the light switch to a room she'd never seen before; the one in her heart which she just knew had been waiting for him. All this time; years of fighting and laughing and crying, it had all just been time dwindling away in order to find her Sirius. Her home. Finally, in a deep rumbling voice which pooled around her like a cocoon, he murmured as though reading her mind,

"Let's go home."

A/N: Is it just me or has it suddenly got awfully fluffy in here? Thought you guys deserved it. Happy fangirling!