Never Say I Love You

P/N: Thank you for the reviews, says eastwoodgirl… Still me, still typing. Just typing. Just thought you ought to know –Darwin.

DISCLAIMER: The author dose not claim to own the characters used in this story. They are just here on borrowed time.

Chapter 25: Not What You Expected

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(Severus' POV)

"I have to tell you something,"

Two pairs of eyes, one emerald, and ne sapphire turned to me instantly. I felt beads of sweat from along my jaw line.

"Master Severus, are you sick?" Alana must've noticed my discomfort. She stood up from her seat and made a move towards me. But before I could wave her off, a deep, searing pain traveled through my left arm. I clutched it and in my peripheral vision, saw Regulus do the same.

The Dark Lord was calling.

I accio-ed my mask as Regulus produced his from his pocket. I saw him give Alana a small nod before heading out. I followed suit.

The Dark Lord surely had an impeccable timing.

As we reached the end of my wards, Regulus and I both touched our marks to bring us where our Master was.

Seconds later, we landed in a familiar clearing in the Forest of Dean. NO words were exchanged between Regulus and I as we approached the gathering. We took our places in the circle with considerable silence.

"Greetings, my loyal servants." The Dark Lord hissed. "As you can see, a number of you are not present… and it will be that way… permanently."

Behind our masks, Regulus and I shared a fleeting glance. The Dark Lord has started purging the disloyal from among our ranks. I shudder to think how he did it, but one thing was certain, it had not been pleasant. I tuned my attention back towards the evil lord.

"Those of you who remain in my service are my most trusted junior Death Eaters. The Dark Lord always rewards loyalty above all."

He then motioned for us to draw nearer.

"I will entrust to you my most valuable heirlooms –to you who no one would suspect. For if I entrust it to my senior followers, they would most likely be pursued and persecuted. I cannot let these all into the wrong hands."

He then proceeded to open an ornate-looking box made of teak. It had a silver lock made of two intertwined snakes which moved when the Dark Lord hissed. The top flipped open and he reached inside, first unearthing a gold cup with a black badger engraved on one side. A few gasps could be heard among the congregation. The Dark Lord smirked.

"Yes, Helga Hufflepuff's… such a beauty, isn't it?" He then turned to the Death Eater to his immediate right. "Bella, be a dear and keep it safe." The hooded female figure, whom I now know as Bellatrix Black –Lestrange cackled madly before prostrating herself before the Dark Lord and kissing the hem of his robes. The parade of items entrusted to junior Death Eaters went in the same manner: Barty Crouch Jr. got the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw; Lucius Malfoy got, to his embarrassment, a muggle diary (although, of course, he could not voice out his displeasure at this) and Regulus got the locket of Salazar Slytherin (which Malfoy eyed greedily). I noticed the peculiar expression on Regulus' face. The Dark Lord then turned to me.

"And to you, dear Severus…" he began. I bowed.

"Anything you bestow upon me, I will guard with my life, my Lord." The Dark Lord smiled and reached into the box, pulling out a bejeweled ring. The ring was gold with a very large ruby sitting right in the middle. And ornate 'G' was etched carefully on the stone itself. It was-

"Godric Gryffindor's" The evil madman said simply. He held out the ring to me, I was about to reach for it when he pulled it back with a macabre smile.

"This is a special artifact, Severus. Many believed it to have been lost… but here it is, in its glory… and I shall entrust it to you…"

I bowed reverently.

"I thank you, my Lord –"

"…After we have killed the Potters."

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(Alana's POV)

I held my breath as Master Severus and Regulus stormed out of the kitchen and out of the house. That evil madman has called them yet again.

Sometimes, I don't understand why someone would allow themselves to be forced to serve a megalomaniac; but then again, when it came to the Wizarding World, there were still many things that up to now, I did not understand. There were actions, and then, there were reasons –if those made any sense, I guess it did not matter every time.

I let out a deep sigh as I heard the front door shut close. I turned my attention to the three half-full plates on the table and started to clean them up. I used my wand to levitate the plates into the sink. I was about to spell warm, soapy water onto them, when a wave of nausea overtook me. I felt the contents of my stomach trying to force its way out once more. Clutching my revolting midsection, I searched for a vial of the remedy my master had given me earlier in the cabinet above the sink, but there was none. There wasn't any in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom as well. My head was spinning in circles as I tried to even my breathing. There was one place left I haven't checked.

Disregarding his adamant orders not to enter, I pushed the heavy mahogany door to Master Severus' private lab. This did qualify s an emergency, I thought to myself as I surveyed the clean and surprisingly well-lit space. A glass cabinet on the far side of the room held a number of small, multicolored vials –his potions store. I immediately located the one I needed and gulped it down without much further ado. The effects were almost instantaneous. Almost. On my way out, in my rush, I knocked over a desk that was situated in the middle of the room; parchments and quills scattered. I sighed as I reached for my wand to attempt to clean up the mess –And I just had to forget my wand in the kitchen. I bent low to pick up the objects that were scattered across the tiled floor, and as I did, I chanced upon stepping on a rolled up parchment. I pulled it from under my shoe and was just about to ignore it when something caught my eye.

Right on top of the half- unfurled page were three words:

PROGENY: ALANA BLUERIDGE

My heart raced. I knew I shouldn't. I knew I didn't want to, but…

An unseen force made me pick it up and read.

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(Severus' POV)

After that very confusing meeting with the Dark Lord, Regulus and I parted ways. I could tell that he was much puzzled as I was regarding the artifacts bestowed (or in my case, promised) to us by our evil master. Knowing the younger Black brother though, I know he would rest at nothing to find out the mystery behind the items.

I went home on my own –thereby went my chance to unload the pressing secret I had.

Or so, I thought.

I entered my front door and was immediately accosted by a resounding slap on my face.

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(Alana's POV)

(Earlier that afternoon)

With all the trouble of locating the potion remedy, I threw up anyway.

I ran all the way to the bathroom, clutching not my stomach, but my chest.

I trusted him… he knew… for how long?

Once I have regurgitated the last morsel of my lunch, I felt hot tears spring from my eyes. I grabbed the edge of the porcelain sink t brace myself, but I slid down the floor anyway.

The cold tiled floor was like ice against my bare legs.

I trusted him. How many more times would he betray my trust?

I noticed that I was still holding onto the parchment in my hand. My eyes went towards one mane:

Regulus Arcturus Black.

How many wizards would carry such a name other than my… brother?

My brother… he was… did he know as well?

My head kept spinning wildly. I honestly did not know what to think anymore. In a span of a few minutes, I lost all that I held on to.

My anonymity.

My identity.

My safe haven.

Hurtful tears quickly turned into angry tears. All I asked for in return was for that one tiny part of me that made me happy.

I was Alana Blueridge, daughter of Edmund and Eloise Blueridge, loving parents who accepted me and took me in –wholeheartedly. Whoever I was before them, whoever shagged to produce me –only to leave me alone to fend for myself –did not mater. I did not need to remember or know them.

I did not need my past.

I did not want my past

Especially not now.

I crumpled the parchment in my hand until it was no more than a small ball of rubbish. No piece of paper can make up for all those years I've suffered the taunting, the pain, the feeling of being incomplete.

I heard the front door open-I did not know how I went from the cold, tiled bathroom floor to the hardwood of the sitting room; the last thing I remembered was seeing master Severus' face. And before I knew it, my hand connected with his left cheek with a loud slap.

The look on his face turned from confusion to surprise.

"Alana," he growled, half- asking, half-commanding, "What is the meaning of this?"

I wanted to tell him… God, how I wanted to tell him how much he has hurt me –but I could not get my lips to form the right words. I stood there in front of him, the man I had learned to love and trust above all, and let out an anguished wail. I felt my knees giving way, and seconds later, I felt my body collapse –not on the hardwood floor, but in the sturdy arms of one Severus Snape. I felt his grip on me as he called my name once more –this time though, with a gentler tone.

"Alana," his lips moved right by my ear. I fought hard to release myself from his embrace, but everything just felt too heavy at that moment.

"What happened?" I heard him say. I wanted to tell him, to scream, to yell at him… but the only words that came out of my lips were:

"I trusted you, why?"

The last thing I felt was Master Severus stiffening at my half-whispered words, before the pain and the anguish to over, and I knew no more.

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P/N: Just in from Eastwoodgirl: This story will contain a total of 29 chapters. Yep guys and gals, this story will be finished after four more updates! Isn't that exciting? I, for one, can't wait to see what happens… that and the rumors of a sequel. *Squeal!*

So, let us know what you think of this chapter in the mean time –Until the next update –Darwin.