(Oops, I lied, here's another chapter quite quickly. 8 ) I love study hall....so here we go....please R/R/E)
Severus looked across his desk at the mirror image of his baby sister. He spread out the newspaper in front of her, centering the picture of Sirius Black carefully.
"Ananda, I need to tell you something. Years ago, when you were a baby there was a man, well more of a monster looking back now. He killed hundereds of people, maybe thousands, those who opposed him and his own followers."
"You mean You-Know-Who, don't you?"
"Yes, how did you...who told you about him?"
"D-Draco told me, Uncle Severus. Is there something wrong?"
Severus' eyes narrowed to his customary glare, she was spending far too much time with Lucius' boy, far too much time.
"I just thought you should know...since....since...Sirius Black is one of his most powerful and loyal followers and is seeking one of your classmates."
"I thought...the article only said he killed a couple of muggles...is that the truth?"
"Well, yes he did kill a dozen or so muggles but he also killed three people who believed him to be their friend."
"That's horrible!"
"Yes...I know...It's getting late, you should go to your dormitory now, Ananada."
"Yes, Uncle Severus."
Severus watched her leave and folded up the newspaper carefully, as the face of Sirius Black stared up at him. Once Ananda was out of sight down the corridor, Severus sat again at his desk with a cup of tea, just as he had years ago, when his sister had come to him begging him to take his neice. In his mind, her blue eyes still stared at him, piercing the inner depths of his soul. As he stared into the tea trying not to remember the pain, his true worst memory rose up.
"Why, Severus, Why?"
Severus stared at his feet, there was no way he could look Alaina in the face and tell her that her hero, her big brother was the bad guy now, one of the death eaters she fear day in and day out would come and snuff out her life and Derek's without so much as a feeling of remorse. She grabbed his left arm and he tried to fight back, to pull it away but as he fought he suddenly found himself looking her straight in the eyes, that look of hurt, anger and betrayal he had so long strived to never see in her eyes was there, and it was his fault. Silently, he rolled up his sleeve and showed her the mark on his forearm.
"I'm sorry, Alaina. I thought He had the right of it, I thought that...I thought that purebloods were superior. I believed all the lies He told. And worst of all, I was even willing to betray those I care about most. Please, Alaina, I don't want to follow Him anymore."
He didn't look at her the entire time he spoke, not until she replied did he even so much as glance in her direction.
"Severus, I'll do what I can...I think...I think you can help us but we have to see Professor Dumbledore about it."
"I'll do anything, Alaina, anything."
Alaina smiled and flung her arms around her big brother. As Severus came out of the epitome of the worst day ever, he recalled the words she said that turned it into one of the best days.
"Severus, I thought...that you ought to...uh....know that Derek...that Derek and I are going to have a baby, I'm pregnant, Severus!"
She had looked so happy and had had so many plans, things to do, places to go, only to never even see her baby girl begin to talk, to read, to ride her first broomstick. Only to have her life ended at the hands of someone who had once called her friend, someone who still called Severus friend. He wouldn't get the chance to finish the job he started that day, there was no way Severus would let that scum near Ananda. He slammed his fist on the desk, neither he nor his son would ever hurt Ananda.