A/N: So...sorry this took me so long. I was sans-wifi for about four days. Heh.... :D Anyway, enjoy!

Yea, yea Bronnie. Excuses excuses. It took weeks of me bugging you to even get you writing! And then Alison had to threaten to shank/strangle you to get you to send it to me. Goshies what to do with you?

I hope you guys like this chapter! I has Bronnie's signature angst/Cygnus loving. I'll get started on my chapter right away!

Disclaimer: JKR owns it all.

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Chapter 11

Cygnus sipped at a beer in the Hog's Head. The day had turned bone-cracking cold, and he admitted to himself that an icy beer had not been the smartest decision. Perhaps some hot, hard cider was more in order...

Rhea swept in, making Cygnus jump. She had noticed a slow change in him. His hair was graying prematurely, and it never seemed that he slept, nor did he ever sleep with her. His face had become drawn, and he lost a good deal of weight. Rhea worried, but didn't say anything. She knew if she did, he'd rage at her, throw a bottle in her direction, and storm out.

"Cygnus?" she asked brightly. He looked up at her with eyes so huge and hollow and dead that she almost sobbed with grief.

"Sit down." he said quietly. She sat, called the bar tender over, and asked for a pair of hot ciders.

"The Auror's Office has completely dropped Harry Potter's murder. We're virtually home free-"

"Rhea," Cygnus said. She looked up, doe-eyed. "Rhea, this isn't enough. Harry Potter's death isn't enough. I need more." The emptiness in his eyes changed to a kind of hunger, witch frightened Rhea immensely.

"Like...what?" she asked. He took another sip of beer.

"I want the Ministry. I want it all." he growled. Rhea's eyes grew to the size of saucepans, and her mouth flapped a bit.

"But Cygnus, that's-"

"I don't want to hear it Rhea. You made a pact with me, and I'm going to make sure that you stick to it. I've invited Zabini and Parkinson here as well. We're all going to take the oath again." he said. She gulped, and nodded.

"Alright." this was not alright at all, and for the first time since she had seen Harry Potter drop dead, she felt a shiver of true fear run up her spine. She could've thrown up in that moment, but decided to hold it back to save herself a bit of face.

There was a moment where the two s tared at each other, one not understanding the other in the way that they used to. He could read the fear in her eyes, but shifted his gaze to the other pair that had come into the bar. He flagged them over, abandoning his beer at last, and standing.

"Hey Cyg," Zabini said laughingly. "We got you something. A little item of memorabilia from your days in Hogwarts." a bundle of Ravenclaw robes thudded onto the table. He eyed them carefully as Zabini's blunt fingers yanked the Ravenclaw tie out, dangling it for all to see.

"Didn't figure you for a smart-ass Cyggie-boy." Zabini said teasingly. Cygnus glared.

"Being a Ravenclaw is nothing to be ashamed of, Zabini." he said.

"Oh yeah. That's why you're turning red. Right." Zabini replied. Cy gnus ground his teeth, and tried not to think about all of the horrible things that he could do to the stocky boy in front of him. He had to remind himself that he was better, smarter, that when the world was his, Zabini would be the first to be dead...

"And you told us that you were something special. No one who was worth anything ever came out of any house but Slyther-"

Zabini suddenly found the back of his head connecting with the opposite wall. He made a loud ugh kind of sound, and crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"You know John, there was always something I didn't like about you." Cygnus said quietly.

"Crucio." Zabini screamed.

"You simply don't know when to leave well enough alone. Crucio." Zabini writhed on the floor, and tried to make himself as small as possible.

"C-C'mon Cyg, I was only f-foolin'. Cut us a break, y-yeah?" his voice was pleading. For a moment, they exchanged looks. Finally, Cygnus spoke with a drawling, shrugging tone that was absolutely infuriating.

"Alright. Since you begged..." his words sliced Zabini's heart.

"I suppose I will let any large, stupid animal have their freedom if they beg for it." Zabini ground his teeth, and found that, try as he might, he could not suppress the answer that came from his mouth.

"You're out of your fucking mind, man. I don't want anything to do with this." he cried. Rhea could not help but allow a tear to slip from her eye. She had disliked Zabini, but she didn't wish death on any man. And he would most certainly be dead soon.

"You swore!" Cygnus thundered. Danielle took a half-step toward the fighting boys, but Rhea yanked her back.

"If you value your life, don't go any closer." she said. Danielle made a tiny whining sound, but stepped away.

"You can bloody count me out of your plans this time mate. I don't need to do this shit anymore. I'm bloody done." Rhea could see Cygnus' mouth contorting into the killing curse before he'd even done anything. Any second now, she thought. Any second-

"AVADA KEDAVRA!!"he screamed, and fired hexes to and fro while Danielle shrieked. Rhea picked Danielle up and crashed out of the Hogshead. The two could still hear Cygnus screeching, even at the edge of Hogsmede.

"YOU SWORE! YOU SWORE!!"

...

"Professor?" Madam Pomfrey crept into Professor Snape's office. The potion's master was bent over an enormous pile of papers, grading them with an odd smirk on his face.

Oh God, she thought. A batch of first-years no doubt. He looked up in surprise.

"Madam Pomfrey...? What on earth are you doing in here?" she sighed, trying to look composed.

"Professor, I've come to talk to you about your daughter." she said. Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"You do love her, yes?" Madam Pomfrey asked tentatively. This time, both eyebrows shot to his scalp.

"Madam Pomfrey, I'm not sure how-"

"If you would just answer me Professor." she said shortly.

"Very well. Yes, I love her. Why?" she took a deep breath. How could one tell the king of snarls, and sardonic sarcasm that his child was pregnant? She could not meet his eyes.

"Well Professor, there's no easy way to put this, so I shall just say it bluntly. Rosalind is...well...Rosalind is going to have a child." there was a pause when a pin's drop would've resonated.

"What?" he said, after a long moment.

"...she's pregnant, Severus." Madam Pomfrey's voice came out in a squeak.

"Yes, my hearing is fine. What the hell do you mean?" he shouted. Madam Pomfrey nearly flew up onto the table in fright.

"Well...I can only assume you understand how a woman becomes pregnant-"

"YES, I UNDERSTAND HOW A WOMAN BECOMES PREGNANT!" he shouted, jumping from his seat. Madam Pomfrey could not suppress a shriek.

"Professor, please do not get so upset! I will allow you to speak to the girl, but not if you persist in being so angry." she said, sounding more brave than she felt.

"Excuse me? You'll ALLOW me to see my daughter?" he cried, slamming his fist onto the table.

"I am going to find that goddam girl and beat some sense into her-"

"Stop!" Madam Pomfrey shouted.

Snape stopped, and stared at her for a moment. "Severus, you must speak to your daughter. But under no circumstance are you to beat anything into her. Sense or otherwise." Snape stared at her for a long moment, and finally turned away.

"Bring her here."

"But I-"

"Bring her here."

...

"Well mother? I'm here again." Cygnus said, rocking on his heels. He was standing in front of a large marble tomb. In the tomb was buried his mother, along with about ninety percent of the Black family. "Everything in my way is gone now. Rhea will help me. I won't fail you again."

The waif like form of Bellatrix Lestrange rose from the marble, and grinned at him.

"Good boy." she said. She tried to pat his shoulder, but could not (being a ghost). He shuddered, and shrugged her ghost-hand away. She gr imaced momentarily, but then replaced it with a grin as fast as she could.

"And are you sure Rhea will help you? Did you solidify her vow?" she asked shrilly. Cygnus squirmed, and did not meet her eyes.

"There's a small problem." he said. Her face fell into the mask of rage that she wore so often when she was alive.

"What?" she asked.

"Zabini. He was unfilial. I need someone to replace him. Do know of anyone?" he asked. She put her ghost-face very near that of her son's.

"What the hell happened to him?" she asked.

"I killed him." Cygnus replied in a very, very small voice.

"You WHAT?!" she screamed.

"It needed to be done!" he said. "Please mother...find me someone else...please. I'll be better next time mother. Please help me." Bellatrix's eyes narrowed.

"This once boy. This once. Then I can't help you; you're on your own." she hissed. He smiled widely at her, but before he could offer his thanks, she had disappeared. After a minute of contemplation, Cygnus walked slowly from the grave, wind rustling his brown curls. He felt sick.

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~Joanna and Bronnie