You know, I decided that Snape really isn't dead! I mean come on, he's a Potion's Master for crying out loud and he's going to die at the hands of a snake? Seriously? You don't think he had some anti-venom potion on hand the whole time around Voldemort? Again, he's a POTIONS MASTER! HAHA, sorry, just trying to find ways to make myself believe that Snape was only sleeping and not really dead! Anyyyyyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy….
Aileen sat, looking out at the lake before her. Today it did not sparkle like normal, for the sky was an ominous grey. The sun hid behind the clouds, not looking as if it would make an appearance on this day. She lay with her back against the large Oak Tree, enjoying the feel of the breeze upon her face. Most of the summer had been spent out by the lake. Draco would accompany her as much as he could, but this summer it seemed as if he were spending more and more time with Lucius. For the past few weeks, she had only seen him a few times here and there, usually around supper time.
The fact that they had not been spending much time together, made it so that Draco couldn't ask her about what had happened to her the last night of the Triwizard Tournament. Aileen felt guilt that she was glad of that, because she didn't know what she would have told him. She hated keeping secrets from him, but Dumbledore had made her swear that the truth stay hidden, at least for a little while longer. Though she had come close to telling her closest friend, Aileen had kept mum about everything.
She had been very lonely, spending most of her time by herself, but it had given her time to reflect on everything that had happened the past year. Voldemort, her father was back. He had overtaken her, almost destroying her completely, but Snape had been there to save her…again. At the thought of Snape Aileen felt both sadness and joy. She had turned seventeen two weeks earlier, and she couldn't help but wonder if that would make a difference to Snape. Would he see her as the wizarding world saw her, of age? Or, would he still see her as a child?
"Aileen, dear, come inside, please!"
Aileen opened her eyes, turning towards the mansion. Narcissa stood at the door, waving her inside. With a deep sigh, Aileen rose to her feet and walked towards the woman. She was smiling gently at Aileen, stepping aside to let the girl through. She followed Narcissa to the sitting room, where hot tea and cookies were waiting.
"Have a seat dear, there is something I want to discuss with you," Narcissa said.
Aileen sat, her eyes looking warily at the woman. For the first time, she noticed an envelope in her hand. Her mind began asking question after question before Narcissa could speak. As much as she wanted to voice her questions, Aileen remained quiet, waiting on the explanation. She watched Narcissa, noticing how the woman looked tired and worried. Her eyes looked as though they hadn't shut in days. She was looking past Aileen out the window, her mind a million miles from the sitting room.
"Is everything alright?" Aileen asked softly.
Narcissa came back to herself, the smile on her face not reaching her eyes. "Yes, yes fine," she said a little too rushed. "I received a letter today, from Professor Severus Snape." At the mention of that name, Aileen's heart skipped a beat. Snape, write a letter to Narcissa? "What did it say," Aileen said as nonchalantly as possible.
"It seems as though you have been chosen for a summer internship with him at Hogwarts," she said with a chuckle. "I did not even realize they did internships. Shows how much has changed in the past years."
Aileen kept her face as still as possible, not giving away any of the confusion she felt. There was no internship at Hogwarts. She wondered what exactly Snape was up to. "It is your choice of course, but I'm sure Draco will miss you terribly if you choose to go," Narcissa said gently.
"I'm not so sure about that. He hasn't been here very much since we returned."
"Yes, well, Lucius is keeping him so busy," Narcissa said, her voice barely rising above a whisper.
It was then that Aileen saw the look back on her face, the far off look. To her, Narcissa looked like a woman with too much on her mind. "Again, it is up to you," she said, her mind still millions of miles away.
"I want to go," Aileen said without question.
Whatever was going on, it must have been important enough for Dumbledore and Snape to arrange it so that she come back to the school. Again, the questions swirled in her mind. Had her father attacked someone close to her? Had he gotten to Harry? The thoughts put fear into her heart.
"Very well," Narcissa said, her eyes still looking out the window.
Aileen's heart went out to the woman, feeling that there was an invisible weight on the woman's shoulders. She stood, without another word, and went to pack her things.
Later that night, Aileen's dreams began to take on a dark feeling. She stood beside her father willingly. Before them, a mass of people cried and begged for their lives. Aileen looked on, contempt and loathing in her eyes at their weakness. He turned towards her, his red eyes glowing with excitement. As gently as he could, he reached for her hand, raising it before him. She looked upon him, adoration and worship flowing from her to him. She felt she would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked.
Suddenly, there was a presence behind her and Aileen turned. A woman stood before her, her face masked with a black veil. Streaming behind her back was the same curly, black hair that Aileen saw every day in the mirror. The woman's blackened-silk, covered hand reached out to Aileen, and she took it willingly. The woman's shrill laughter caused the crowd to cry out harder for their lives. Aileen closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of fear. Voldemort laid his hand on her shoulder, turning her half way to him. The black veiled woman squeezed her hand, and it was then Aileen realized there was a wand in her hand. Looking down, she brought the wand to her face and smiled, power surging in her hand.
"Kill them, kill them all," Voldemort said softly.
Aileen began to laugh, the sound rivaling that of the woman beside her. All three of them turned to the crowd on their knees. Everyone that Aileen knew was present, including Snape. But even his cries for her to stop could not change her mind. He begged her, pleaded with her. His hands were stretched out towards her, his fearful eyes searching her face for any signs of the girl he loved. Aileen could only smile at his weakness, knowing the girl he was searching for no longer existed. Aileen, Voldemort and the veiled woman raised their wands towards the crowd, and together they screamed, their voices silencing the screams and cries forever.
"Aveda Kedavra!"
Aileen came awake with a start, sitting straight up in bed, her wide-eyes flying around the room. It took a moment for her to realize she was at the Malfoy Mansion. Taking a deep breath to calm her beating heart, Aileen felt a presence in the room. For a moment, she thought it was an aftereffect of her dream, but the more time that passed, the more she knew that there was someone in the room with her.
As slowly as she could, Aileen reached beneath her pillow, grabbing the call device. She would not hesitate to call Snape if she needed. As the seconds rolled by, Aileen cleared her mind and listened to the silence around her. She could hear someone breathing, someone by the door. When her eyes turned in that direction, she noticed the dark outline of someone standing their watching her. The light from the moon did not help to illuminate the person's face, and for one fearful moment Aileen was reminded of the veiled woman in her dream.
"Bad dreams?" the voice said softly.
Aileen let out a ragged breath at the sound of Lucius speaking. It wasn't the woman in the black veil to Aileen's relief. She looked deep into the darkness, trying to get her eyes to adjust to see him, for he showed no signs of movement.
"L-Lucius?" she asked cautiously.
It was then that he approached her bed slowly. He was carrying something in his hand, and Aileen realized, as he stood right before her, that it was a glass. The contents inside swirled with his movements, threatening to tip over. She slowly looked up at his face, seeing his drunken smirk. She only had seconds to scoot over before he sat down on the end of her bed. He watched her, his eyes hooded in alcohol. It was not the first time she felt unnerved by the man, but it was the first time she felt as if she was in grave danger.
"We all have our nightmares do we not?" he asked gently. His smirk never fell from his face, his eyes never looking away from hers. "I often dream of a graveyard. Do you not find that bizarre, Aileen?" he said, his voice dropping in volume.
Aileen felt a violent wave of fear overtake her. It was as if he…knew. Helplessly, she watched him sit the glass on the bedside table, his eyes never leaving her face. The smirk was ever present in the darkness of her room. For one split second, Aileen thought of screaming. She thought of waking Narcissa and Draco with her scream, but then she remembered Draco wasn't here. He had stayed at Crabbe's house, the reasons unknown. The only person who could possibly help Aileen if something happened was Narcissa, but would the woman rise against her husband? Aileen could not say one way or the other.
"Do you dream of graveyards, Aileen? Could you possibly tell me why my dreams are filled with the same place night after night?"
Aileen shook her head swiftly, wishing the man away from her room. All she received for her wishing was Lucius scooting closer to her. Aileen tried to move to the other side of the bed, to get away from the man. He reached out, ceasing her by the waist, pushing her back towards him. She ran hard-long into his chest, feeling his drunken breath on her neck.
"Do-you-dream-of-him, Aileen?" he whispered in her ear.
His arm tightened around her waist in a painful squeeze. She cried out, cried for Narcissa. His free hand came down hard on her mouth, causing her to bite her tongue. Under his hand, she cried out in pain. There was shuffling of feet out in the hallway, and Aileen felt a jolt of hope that help had arrived.
The hallway light turned on, bathing the darkened room with light. Narcissa ran towards the door, coming to a halt at what she saw. Lucius sat on Aileen's bed, the girl held tightly to him. Aileen could hear the man's breathing picking up, as if he had run a long ways. She was overcome by the smell of alcohol, making her want to gag. His long, blond hair tickled her face.
"Go to bed, dear," he growled.
Aileen began trying to shake her head no, but Lucius put an end to any movement she could produce. Her eyes looked out at the woman, begging her to help. Narcissa looked from her husband to Aileen, a look of helplessness on her face.
"Lucius, what are you doing?" Narcissa said stunned.
He began to laugh in Aileen's ear. It sounded as maddening as his actions. He had her hands pinned underneath his arms, the call device laying inches away from her outstretched fingers. She moved her eyes away from Narcissa to the call device, feeling it was her chance to grab it while Lucius was distracted. Right as her fingers skimmed over the top, Lucius pulled her away, strengthening his hold. Aileen cried out in frustration and fear.
"You want to know what I'm doing?" he said darkly to his wife. "You will not believe the information that I now know to be true, love! You will not ever believe it!" he said with a laugh.
"Lucius, let her go," Narcissa said, taking a step into the room. Her hands were out before her, as if the gesture would calm her husband down.
Narcissa came to a stop, her eyes looking at Lucius in confusion. Again, Aileen felt his hold slack just enough for her to reach out. She was but a fraction of an inch away from the call device, her voice screaming Snape's name over and over.
"Have you ever wondered, love, why you feel so connected to Aileen? Has it ever crossed your lovely mind that there might be a reason to feel the connection? Why our son is so protective over the girl?" Lucius asked low.
Narcissa looked back towards Aileen, her eyes growing slowly wide. She studied the girl's scared face.
"That's right, love! You feel the truth do you not?" Lucius whispered.
"Let me go!" Aileen's muffled voice said, wiggling her fingers closer to the call device.
"No, no, I am not going to hurt you, Aileen. No, I am not going to lay a hand on your head," Lucius whispered in her ear.
In his drunken state, he leaned them forward as laughter overtook him. It was enough for her hand to grab the call device and bear down with all the force she could muster. She did not let up, but kept pushing down as hard as she could.
"The child lives, my love! The child lost all those years ago lives! Your niece lives!" Lucius said, his voice almost sounding reverent.
Narcissa's eyes went as wide as they possibly could go as they turned towards Aileen. Her head began to shake, as if she could not believe what Lucius had just told her. Her hands came to her mouth, silencing the sob that came out. Aileen felt as though the roof had caved in, even as his words sunk in and made no sense. He had called her Narcissa's niece.
"What?" Narcissa finally cried.
With all the force Aileen could find, she pushed against Lucius, causing them both to tumble from the bed. She heard a hard smack as his head hit the end of the bedside table. For a moment, she laid on the floor, the breath all but knocked from her with the fall. She had landed on her back with force. It only lasted a second as she scrambled to her feet. Behind her, Lucius was moaning and trying to get to his feet. On top of the hard lick he had taken, the liquor made the task more difficult.
Aileen was to her feet, tripping over the cover on the floor. She caught herself on the bed, feeling hands grab her arms. She began to fight, realizing that Narcissa had a hold of her. "Let me go!" she screamed in the woman's face.
"Aileen, please do not fight!" Narcissa screamed back.
Even knowing the woman was holding her against her will, the next moment caused Aileen such guilt.
"Stupefy!" Aileen shouted, feeling the power surge from her towards an unsuspecting Narcissa.
"Narcissa!" Lucius screamed behind her.
The woman dropped to the floor, unmoving. The way out had been cleared and Aileen did not hesitate. She ran from the room, hearing Lucius trying to get to his feet. The tears blinded her way, but she knew her steps well enough. She grabbed the banister, taking two steps at time to get to the first floor. The whole time, her fingers pushed the call device, her mind reeling as to why Snape had not arrived.
"Get back here!" Lucius screamed from the top floor. His angered voice swirled around Aileen as she jumped the last two steps, running head long into the door and falling to the ground. With a strangled sob of fear, she jumped back to her feet, jerking the door open. She looked behind her as she stood, seeing Lucius' long, blond hair coming into view. Not paying attention to where she was going, Aileen collided with something hard and firm. Suddenly, she felt hands around her and the world going dark.
She felt the sensations immediately. The world she knew disappeared around her, throwing her into a tailspin of black and mist. She felt as though her head was caving in, as though her eyes were going to burst from their sockets. She tried to scream, but no breath could be found in her body as her lungs were being pressed together. She grabbed a handful of fabric, pulling hard and fast to signal she could take no more.
Aileen felt herself coming back to earth, felt gravity expand to where she could breath. As soon as she was aware of her feet on the ground, she turned so abruptly, the person holding her had no choice but to let go. Falling to the ground, she opened her mouth to allow the contents of her stomach loose. It had been worse than the time before, if only because she had not been ready for it. In between the violent attack on her body, Aileen cried out in sobs.
Soon, the vomiting subsided, and Aileen felt someone kneeling beside her, rubbing her back softly. Through her fearfulness, she thought it to still be Lucius. With a loud cry, Aileen scooted away from the person, her wide-eyes searching his face. Through her jumbled mind, it took several seconds to recognize the long, greasy-black hair and pale skin. It was the black orbs that finally registered in her mind.
"P-P-Professor Snape!" Aileen cried, diving towards him.
He caught her, holding her tightly to him. "I've got you, Aileen, you are safe now," he whispered.
Slowly, Snape got to his feet, bringing Aileen up into his arms. She had no clue where they were, nor did she care as long as he was here. As long as they were far away from Malfoy Manor, Aileen did not care. Snape walked hurriedly with Aileen clinging to his neck.
They were inside now, but Aileen kept her eyes hidden, not wanting to look up at her surroundings. She heard voices ahead of her, but they were jumbled, as if behind a door.
"Severus, it's about time you…" someone spoke, but stopped immediately. "What on earth!"
Before Aileen realized it, the voices behind the door were now talking loudly in the hall, shooting their questions at Snape.
"Let me get her to a room for crying out loud!" Snape yelled.
The talking ceased immediately and silence filled the hallway. Aileen tightened her hold on Snape, not wanting to let him go for a second. "Now!" he yelled again.
"This way, Severus," a voice called out.
Aileen recognized the voice immediately. "Sirius?" she said, finally raising her head to look.
Sirius stopped his movements, his back turned to Aileen. He turned so suddenly, Aileen's head began to spin. His eyes went wide, his mouth coming open and close in shock. Aileen felt Snape's hold on her tighten, as if he felt Sirius was a danger.
"The room, please!" Snape seethed.
Sirius looked from Aileen to Snape, his eyes hardening towards the man. "This way," he said low and dangerous.
Snape followed him down the long hallway, until they reached the last room on the right. Sirius opened it, turning the light on and immediately walking towards the bed. There were boxes stacked up, and he pushed them away, all of them falling to the floor in a loud crash. Snape walked towards the bed, lying Aileen down gently and taking a seat at her side. His hands gently caressed her face, pushing her curly, black hair out of her eyes. She felt Sirius take a seat on the other side of the bed.
"There is no need for you to stay. I can handle the girl," Severus said angrily.
"I'm sure that you could, but it does not mean that I will allow it!" Sirius shot back.
Snape's black orbs looked murderous, and Aileen feared he would jump over her to get to Sirius. She could feel the air around them turning cold with rage as both men stared at one another, daring the other to move just an inch.
"E-enough!" she whispered. Turning to Sirius, she spoke, "I-I need some water. Will you please get me some?" she asked softly.
His angered face looked away from Snape down to Aileen, softening immediately. "Sure. I will be right back," he said, looking back up at Snape, giving him a warning with his eyes.
As soon as the door closed, Aileen crumbled. "He knows, oh God, Severus, Lucius knows!" she cried.
Snape wiped Aileen's tears, holding her face gently in his hand. "Tell me everything, Aileen. What happened?" he asked.
Aileen began telling him how she had had the nightmare, coming awake to find Lucius in her bedroom. She told him of how he had grabbed her, asking her about the graveyard and Narcissa coming in.
"He called me her niece, why would he call me that? What does that mean?" Aileen asked.
"Aileen…" Snape began, but the door opened. Sirius walked in, the glass of water in his hands. "The meeting is about to begin, Severus," Sirius said, fighting the urge to sneer.
Snape did not move from Aileen's side, his eyes boring in to hers, as if he was thinking about something. To her horror, Aileen realized what Snape was thinking. She began shaking her head furiously, her eyes begging him not to do what he was thinking. His hand came back up, gently taking her face and stopping her movements.
"Aileen, I have no other choice. It is becoming so that my protection is not good enough. Not even Dumbledore alone can protect you as much as the Order can. It is the only way," he said gently.
"They will not protect me! They will throw me out of this place in disgust!" Aileen hissed.
Sirius took a step towards them, his face showing confusion at their conversation. Aileen looked at him, fearing what he would do when he found out she was Voldemort's daughter. The friendship that had been built between them would crumble like a sand castle caught in a wave.
"Severus, what's going on?" Sirius asked.
Snape stood, bringing Aileen to her feet with him. She began to tremble at his side. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her tightly to him, feeling her fear rise. "If you have ever trusted me, Aileen, I ask that you trust me now," he said.
Aileen trusted him, more than he would ever know. Looking up at his face, she nodded her head, giving him her permission to proceed. She felt Snape take a deep sigh, as if relieved.
"Sirius, the Order has some very important news to discuss," Snape said.
He looked between Aileen and Snape, the confusion still evident. "Something tells me I'm not going to like this," he mumbled.
The trio entered the spacious kitchen, and Aileen came to an abrupt halt at the amount of people present. Some faces she recognized, others she did not. The moment her eyes fell upon Moody, Aileen could not help the small yelp of fear. She knew what had happened last year and how Barty Crouch Jr. had impersonated the man, keeping him locked in a chest, but it still did not stop the surprise at seeing him before her, nor did it stop the reminder of the imposter Moody dragging her from the stadium. To his credit, Moody did not act angry or put out by her reaction. When she got herself together, Snape ushered her to a chair.
"Hello, dear, lovely to see you again," Molly Weasley whispered.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Aileen whispered back, her heart sinking in the knowledge that the kind woman was going to hate her soon.
"The floor is all yours, Severus," Sirius said, motioning for him to begin.
He stood behind Aileen's chair. She turned to him, her eyes pleading with him not to speak. "Please!" she begged in a whisper.
He reached down, ever so softly, and gently touched her cheek with his knuckles. "Trust me," he whispered back. Every person at the table's eyes went wide at the hard, stern man's soft gesture. They looked to one another, their mouths almost hanging open. Sirius stared at Snape, as if he didn't recognize him, and at the same time, as if he wanted to rip him to pieces.
"There is something that each of you need to know. It is something that Dumbledore and I have known for quite some time, but until the moment was called for others to know, we kept it quiet," There was a murmur throughout the table, but Snape continued on, as if he did not hear it. "Seventeen years ago, everyone at this table knows where I was. Each of you knows that I was a Death Eater, sworn to follow the Dark Lord." Heavy silence fell throughout the kitchen. "I witnessed something all those years ago that I have kept secret, even from the person sitting in front of me."
Aileen gasped, her eyes boring in to Snape's. "What?" she whispered.
Snape went on, as if he had not heard her, but she could see his stern face fall a bit. "A child was born, in the ashes of darkness, and I took it upon myself, and with Dumbledore's help, to rescue the child from that darkness."
Aileen slowly closed her eyes, not believing what she was hearing. What on earth was he saying? Had he known all this time?
"Days after the Dark Lord was defeated, days after the child's mother was sent to Azkaban, I took the child in the middle of the night and delivered her to an orphanage. She sits before you, finally hearing the truth as well."
All eyes were on Aileen, but she was staring straight at Snape, tears in her eyes. "You knew? This whole time you knew?" she whispered.
He finally looked down at her, his face void of emotion, but his eyes spoke of his sadness. "Yes," he said softly. "It was my job to wrap the three year old in my black cloak, taking her away from the Dark Lord, her father, and taking her to a place that was safe."
"Your black cloak?" Aileen gasped.
"Wait, wait, wait, I'm sorry, Severus, but are you saying that Aileen, here, is You-Know-Who's daughter?" Sirius asked.
Snape turned his eyes towards the man. "That is exactly what I am saying, Sirius. She is the Dark Lord's daughter."
Aileen's eyes slowly slid shut. The truth was finally spoken aloud, and her fear kept her from turning to the others at the table. A lonely tear slid from her eyelids, down her cheeks.
"You cannot be serious!" Lupin said with a humorless laugh. "Why would we not have known?"
"Albus kept it secret for Aileen's safety. But there is more."
Aileen's eyes shot open, her anger rising. "More?" she hissed.
"The woman who gave birth to Aileen is still alive. After the Dark Lord was destroyed, she was found and sentence to life in Azkaban, but she still lives," Snape said in a low voice. "With the rise of the Dark Lord, it will only be a matter of time before she escapes."
"A-Azkaban? Are you sure, Severus?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I am certain, Molly. Dumbledore has been keeping tabs on the woman ever since Aileen was taken. Our fears are now just starting to come to the surface," Snape replied.
"Who is she?" Moody's rough voice spoke.
As Snape was about to answer, Sirius pushed himself away from the table, his face paling to stark white. His elbows lay on his knees, his shaking hand coming up to rub his pale face. Aileen took a chance, looking over at the man and what she saw scared her more than she already was. He looked as though he had been told the worse news possible. His eyes were as wide as saucers, his body shaking slightly.
"It cannot be," he whispered more to himself than the others. "When they brought her in, s-she was screaming of a child, but…" he whispered, stopping in his shock. "She screamed of a child," he said again.
"Say it, Sirius, for it is the truth," Snape said low.
Sirius jerked his head towards Snape, his eyes blazing. The two men stared at one another as they had done in the bedroom earlier.
"Bellatrix," Sirius said. There was an audible gasp throughout the long table. Sirius never took his eyes away from Snape, as Snape never looked away from Sirius. "Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Narcissa's sister," Aileen whispered.
"My cousin," Sirius said.
"Seventeen years ago, Bellatrix Lestrange gave birth to a baby girl named Aileen. Aileen Marvolo Riddle. In the middle of the night, while no one could see me, I stole the girl away and delivered her to an orphanage. Tonight, she sits among you and tonight, she is in desperate need of everyone's protection. Albus and I have done all that we can do, but I stand before each of you, asking, begging you to stand with us and protect, not on Harry, but Aileen as well."
Finally, Aileen forced herself to turn to the others at the table. Panic gripped her heart, wanting nothing but to run from the room, run from the hate she knew was going to be present in the eyes of the Order of the Phoenix. To her right, she saw Sirius stand to his feet. Aileen knew this would happen. She knew the man was going to leave because of the truth. She began to make plans on where to go next, after he kicked her out of his home, but she came up blank. Maybe it was possible to go to Hogwarts as she had done last year. Sirius surprised her, however, as he walked towards her, kneeling before her chair.
"I give my protection willingly!" Sirius said, reaching out and taking Aileen's hand. Her face stared in shock. Through the evident pain, he was smiling at her, tears forming in his eyes. "After all, Aileen and I promised to start a new tradition in the Black family," he whispered.
Aileen began to smile at the man. It would not be until later that the full weight of the truth would hit her. Only later would she really understand that, in fact, she and Sirius were blood relatives. They had made a pact, only thinking she was adopted by the Malfoys, but in truth, she had always been his family. Her rattled mind was too overloaded to understand the truth in that moment. She only felt relief that he did not hate her.
One by one, the Order reached over to Aileen, their hands lying on top of hers. Each one gave their word that she had their protection. Snape was the last to lay his hand down, his eyes pleading with her without speaking. "You have my life if it calls for it," he said softly.
The meeting had ended, and Aileen sat on the end of the bed, the black cloak draped around her shoulders. Snape had admitted to knowing the truth all this time, to knowing exactly who she was. A part of her was more furious than words could describe, but the other part only saw the sacrifice he faced to save her. It did not go unnoticed by her the danger of what he had put himself through to get her out of harm's way, and the years that came afterwards. He was the one constant in her life that had been there when she needed someone the most. She pulled the black cloak tighter, aware that it belonged to the man that saved her, and it belonged to the man that had lied to her.
There was a soft knock on the door, and her head slowly rose to see who it was. Softly, she called them in and felt a pang of sadness as Snape came through the door. She suspected he would come to talk with her, but she had yet to figure out what she was going to say. He walked in, not looking at her. She watched him quietly walk towards the lone chair in the room and sit down heavily. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days.
"Now you know the whole truth, Aileen. I do not blame you if you hate me but understand this, everything I have done over the years was to protect you," he said quietly.
She wanted to scream and shout at him in anger, wanted to run and fall into his arms and tell him it was okay. Her heart and mind was waging war within her, and she could not open her mouth to even utter a word. She chose to let the silence speak for her, just a few more minutes.
"Did-did they l-love me at all?" she finally said, her voice filled with raw emotion.
Snape slowly stood from his chair, walking towards Aileen and sat on the bed with her. She was surprised that her mind quieted instantly and her heart won the war. He slowly raised his arm, bringing it around her shoulder. She did not hesitate to fall into his embrace, having missed his touch all summer.
"I do not know," Snape whispered.
"It doesn't matter now, if they did or didn't," Aileen said sadly. In her heart, she felt differently; felt it mattered a whole lot.
"I hope that one day you are able to forgive me, Aileen. I hope one day you are able to understand that I was not trying to keep the truth from you, only trying to protect you from the truth." Snape said.
"I know what you were trying to do, but I had a right to know," Aileen said firmly.
She felt Snape's hold tighten. He took a long, deep sigh, his heart rate running fast in her ears. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly tired as she listened to the sound. "You had every right to know," he whispered.
He stayed by her side for a while longer, talking through everything that had happened, from the moment he rescued her and beyond. It was so much to accept in the short period of time. Again, she was reminded that throughout all the changes in her life, Snape had been the one constant thing.
"Thank you for the black cloak. It's kind of grown on me if you haven't noticed," she said with a chuckle.
"You have always had a piece of me," he whispered.
Aileen raised her head slowly, finding herself within inches of Snape's face. He was looking down at her, his black orbs hooded. Not giving herself time to think, she reached up and lightly touched his lips with hers. The touch was as soft as a whisper, but it exploded feelings inside of her so strong. All thoughts of the past, of her parents, of anything melted in the touch of his lips. She felt his hand gently reach up and take her face. Snape deepened the kiss, his lips crushing hers. She welcomed the feeling, wrapping her arms around him. He turned towards her, bringing her closer to him. There was desperation in the kiss, a feeling of letting go of everything. She poured her heart out to him, giving him everything she possibly could in that one kiss. In that one silent moment, in the House of Black, Aileen knew she could not live without Severus Snape.
Deep into the night, Aileen felt Snape move from her side. They had been lying on the bed, his arms around her, sheltering her to him. It was in that position she had fallen asleep, until he suddenly moved away, causing coldness to creep in.
"Where are you going?" she said sleepily.
Snape walked around the bed, bending in front of her, kissing her closed eyelids softly. "I must be going. You are safe here with the Order. I-I have business to attend to. Besides, Sirius is about to walk a hole in the rug outside your room, though I have to say causing him discomfort does my mind good," he said quietly.
"I don't want you to go," she whispered.
"I will return soon."
With that, he gave her one last kiss and walked to the door. Aileen was asleep before the door closed softly behind him, feeling at peace for the first time in years.
There was a loud bang outside her door, and Aileen sat up suddenly. She looked around, startled, until the recent events played in her mind. Behind the door, Aileen heard Mrs. Weasley's booming voice.
"We will have none of that in this house! I have warned you several times, Fred and George!"
There was a soft knock on the door as Aileen rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Mrs. Weasley poked her head through, her face smiling brightly. Aileen smiled back, feeling that her smile was contagious. She walked into the room, coming to sit beside Aileen.
"It is mid-afternoon. You must be hungry, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.
In truth, Aileen was nowhere near being hungry. Everything that had happened last night was making her feel uneasy, and she did not have the stomach to eat right now. She shook her head no, her face turning slightly green.
"Aileen, you have to eat. I imagine you can't even remember the last time you had a meal, can you?"
"No," Aileen said quietly. "But, I don't think I can handle food at the moment."
It wasn't just last night that had her stomach turning, but the knowledge that Harry was bound to be here. It only made sense that he would be under the protective roof of the Order, and if that wasn't enough to prove to her he was here, the fact that the Weasley's were present was what sealed the deal.
"H-Harry is here, isn't he?" Aileen asked.
Mrs. Weasley looked at Aileen knowingly, her face growing soft in understanding. "Aileen, he will not blame you," the woman said softly.
Aileen laughed, but the laugh held no humor. "He has every right to blame me. I was born from what murdered his family," Aileen whispered.
"And I suppose you assumed the Order would blame you, hate you even? Aileen, everyone present last night has suffered at the hands of You-Know-Who, yet never would we blame you. You are as innocent in this whole thing as Harry.
"I have to talk to him," Aileen said miserably.
"He is in the study with Sirius," Mrs. Weasley answered, patting her knee gently as she stood.
Aileen watched the woman walking out, mulling her words over in her head. It was true, the Order had every reason to hate and kick Aileen out, but they rallied around her, giving her their word of protection. Could it be possible, that Harry could react the same way as the others? There was only one way to find out, and Aileen forced herself to stand from the bed.
She could hear their voices coming from the room to her left. Aileen took a deep breath, forcing her feet to walk into the room. She noticed Sirius and Harry looking at a family tree on the wall, her family tree. It wasn't until she came to her mother's name that she gasped, causing the two men to turn towards her. With Harry almost all but forgotten, Aileen walked towards the wall, her eyes staring at her mother's face. The black-veiled woman from her dreams was finally revealed.
Aileen reached her hand up, slowly skimming over the woman's beautiful face, tears welling up in her eyes. She was shocked at how much she looked like her. She felt a hand come to rest gently on her shoulder, and it was enough to allow the tears to fall.
"I should have known. The resemblance is uncanny," Sirius whispered.
"Except for my eyes, those are his," Aileen said.
Sirius turned Aileen around slowly, his eyes held such warmth and caring. His hand came to rest over her heart as he spoke, "But this, this is just Aileen's. It is not your father's, nor is your mother's."
Aileen closed her eyes, getting a hold of her emotions. Harry stood, watching the two, his face showing that he didn't understand what was happening. It was enough to remind her why she came here to begin with, to seek him out.
"I need to speak with Harry," Aileen said.
"Of course," Sirius said, turning to walk out of the room, leaving Harry and Aileen standing in silence under the Black's Family Tree.
"Aileen?" Harry said, urging her to speak after several moments.
She had no idea how to start the conversation. She wondered if just spitting it out would work, or would she have to work her way up to telling him? Whatever she said, Aileen was aware that it was going to change everything between them. She just hoped their friendship had grown strong enough to survive the truth.
"H-Harry," she began, her hand fumbling with the other. "There's something I must tell you."
Harry took a step towards her, nodding his head for her to continue. "I'm listening," he said softly.
"I-I," she whispered, her voice losing strength. "I'm-"
"What is it, Aileen? You can tell me, just say it," Harry said, stepping closer to her.
"I've just recently learned who my parents are, Harry," Aileen said sadly. "In the realization of where I came from, I also learned that my father is the reason your parents are dead."
Harry took a step back, as if he had been pushed. His stunned face stared at Aileen, his eyes begging for an explanation.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," Aileen whispered miserably.
"V-Voldemort?" Harry whispered. "Voldemort's your father?"
Aileen nodded her head, her emotions not making it possible to speak. The look on Harry's face was like daggers being driven into her chest.
"Your mother?" Harry croaked.
Aileen turned, pointing to the picture of Bellatrix. "She's there," Aileen said hushed.
Harry looked to where Aileen was pointing, his head shaking in disbelief. "Bellatrix Lestrange? Sirius's cousin?"
"Yes."
Harry stumbled to a chair, sitting down heavily. "That explains why you were always there when I was in danger. He was trying to get to you too," Harry said.
"Please, Harry, please don't blame me for what he's done! I cannot imagine the pain you have felt all these years because of him, but, Harry, I am not my father!" Aileen cried, desperate for the boy not to hate her.
He finally looked up at her, tears brimming in his eyes. "I know, Aileen, I know. I don't blame you-I don't know what to feel" he said softly. "But, your eyes, I see him in your eyes now."
"I'm so sorry!" Aileen breathed softly. "If I could take what he did away, if I could take away the hurt and pain he caused you, I would do it without thought, I swear!"
"You can't, though, can you?" Harry spat, the first signs of anger rising in his face. "You can't!" he screamed, jumping up from his chair.
With that, Harry turned abruptly and walked from the room, leaving Aileen to crumble at his back.
That danged Harry! Is he really mad at her, or is he just upset at Voldemort and the death of his parents? What about Draco? How is he going to react when he first sees Aileen? Will he know the truth, or has his parents lied to him? And what about the Malfoys? What are they going to do to get Aileen back in their clutches? Oh yeah, Bellatrix returns from Azkaban! Stay tuned people; we got some great stuff coming up and some heartbreaking stuff as well!