Here ya go…
Aileen woke to the sound of whispering around her. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked into the darkness of the room. Beside her, the bed was empty, Snape nowhere to be found. At once she felt the coldness of his departure from her side, the fear of why he wasn't there. She remained still, listening to the whispering. It appeared to be only one person speaking, and the voice was familiar.
Her head rose from the pillow, looking around the room. She noticed him instantly. He was standing with his back turned to her, his head bowed low. What little light shown in the room, bounced off of his frame. Aileen slowly got out of bed, walking towards him. Something was wrong. She could see his body stiff and rigid.
Coming around to stand in front of him, she noticed his eyes slammed shut, his lips moving erratically. The words he whispered were inaudible, and no matter how hard she tried to understand them, it was of no use. In his hand, he held his wand, which scared her more. She reached out to him, but suddenly, his hand shot up, signaling for her to stop. She stumbled to a stop, her eyes growing wide. Snape was aware of her presence, though with his eyes close and so deep in what he was doing, she could not imagine how that was so. His hand remained out before him, and Aileen remained frozen to the spot, watching him.
Aileen didn't know why she did it, but a feeling came over her to take a step back from Snape. What happened next made her thankful for doing just that, for Snape's eyes flew open and the hand holding the wand rose swiftly into the air. She gasped as he began turning the wand in a circle above his head. His eyes were glassy, unseeing, but the words that fell from his mouth were audible this time.
"Expecto Patronum."
Suddenly, a brilliant, white light shot from his wand. Aileen, her eyes still wide, watched as the white light took the form of a doe, prancing above their heads. It was so beautiful. She laughed as the white doe pranced around her several times, her head swiveling around to keep it in her sight. Aileen reached out her hand, wondering if she could touch it like a real doe, but it was at that moment it picked up speed, flying out of the room.
Aileen ran to the door, wanting nothing more than to follow the Patronus. Snape was there in an instant, stopping her from opening the door. She looked at him, seeing the fear in his eyes.
"You would be stopped before you could follow it, Aileen. The Death Eaters patrol the halls."
"But the Patronus, they will see it!" Aileen said in horror.
"I am sure they will, but I had no other choice. It is said that Death Eaters cannot produce a Patronus, so they will never think it mine, although I am sure they will come to me with the information tomorrow. They will think it was one of the teachers, maybe even one of the students, but I will make sure none are punished."
He slowly let go of Aileen, walking towards the bed. He sat down, looking more exhausted by the minute. He climbed into the bed, laying his head down on the pillow with an audible sigh. Aileen walked towards the bed, climbing in beside him. At once, his arms snaked around her, pulling her into him.
"Why did you do it?" Aileen asked.
Seconds passed before Snape answered, and Aileen thought he had fallen asleep, that was until his arms tightened around her.
"For Harry," Snape whispered. "I hid something in the forest where they are located now. When he finds it, Aileen, the end will begin. As soon as he finds the Sword of Gryffindor, uses it to destroy the Horcruxes, the final battle will begin."
Aileen buried her face in his chest, hearing his heart pounding in her ears. She slammed her eyes shut against the feeling of the hot tears that threatened to escape. This was it. They were almost there. Everything she held dear, everyone she loved would be in danger. It was inconceivable to think of who wouldn't make it.
"Is there no other way to end my father than what Dumbledore has set out for Harry to do?" Aileen asked gently.
Snape sighed deeply, sitting up on one of his elbows. He leaned over Aileen, looking down on her. She could just barely make out his black orbs, but the emotions in them were plain to see. He was scared, as scared as she felt. Seeing that look in his eyes caused Aileen's heart to break, knowing that soon, they would have to be separated. He would have to go back to her father, and she would have to stay with the others.
"I cannot be separated from you," she whispered, tears building in her eyes.
His hand came up, running softly down the side of her face. The fear erupted in to love, into warmth.
"You will never be separated from me, Aileen. I will always be here," he said, laying his hand over her heart.
"Tell me it will be okay! Tell me that we will survive what is to come. Severus, if you tell me this I will believe it!" Aileen cried.
His face crumbled somewhat, his eyes growing small under his pain. Aileen knew before he even spoke that he could no more promise her this than he could tell her how it would end.
"I wish I could," he whispered.
Instead of promising her something that he had no control over, he gave her something else. He gave her himself completely that night. As the hours passed, they spent it making love. Each touch was as if it were the last. Each kiss was as if none would be had again. Each word was as if they would never speak to one another again. The tears were present, the laughter too.
"Promise me," Snape panted over Aileen. "Promise me no matter what that you will remain with the Order."
He grabbed her, sitting her up in his lap without breaking their body's connection. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him further into her. "Promise me!" he breathed.
"I promise," she whispered.
It was odd walking through the halls of Hogwarts the next day. Aileen held her books closely to her chest, her eyes darting around at the Death Eaters watching the students as they walked to their classrooms. When Aileen's body was finally healed, although the scars remained, Snape had no choice but to send her back to her classes. If it was known that Snape had been holding a student in his chambers, it would have raised questions, questions he had no desire to answer.
The students walked past the Death Eaters, their heads bowed low, their faces obscured. She could feel their fear as palpable as the hatred dripping from the Death Eaters. This was not a school anymore but a concentration camp. It made Aileen feel furious, so much so that she almost lost control of her temper. Instead, she heard Snape's voice in her head, seething at her to keep walking. He seethed at her to keep her head down, to remember how important she was to him. She wasn't sure if it was just a voice from her subconscious, or if it really was actually Snape speaking into her mind.
Up ahead of the crowd of students, she saw McGonagall standing outside her Transfiguration class. Her eyes moved over the sea of students, concern and sadness in her eyes. Aileen could only imagine how helpless the woman felt, knowing there was nothing she could do to protect them. It went against everything the woman was. Aileen moved through the group around her, trying to get to the woman. The path opened up for her, and she made a bee-line over to McGonagall. The woman looked over at her as she got close, her eyes lighting up.
"Aileen," she said low.
Aileen made it to McGonagall, hugging the woman. They both knew how dangerous this was, Aileen getting out of place, but she could not help herself. Even as the Snape in her head screamed at her to keep walking, she remained in the woman's embrace.
"I was scared after Pius took you. I thought-"
Her emotions overtook her, and she could not finish the sentence. Aileen patted her back gently, shushing her cries.
"I'm fine, Professor. It was scary for a while, but I'm fine now, back to new!" Aileen whispered.
"What happened?" McGonagall asked her, releasing her to look in her face.
"Never mind that now. Where is the Order?" Aileen asked angrily.
Both women looked around, seeing if they were being watched. The Death Eaters had not yet spotted them in the mass of students. McGonagall leaned in to Aileen, making sure no one passing by heard what she said.
"They are close by, Aileen. They are waiting on the right time to strike, to bring Snape and his regime down. It has to be timed just right, for fear of hurting a student, but do not fret, they are close!"
"And Harry?" Aileen asked.
McGonagall's face fell, her head beginning to shake. "No one has heard from them in a month or two."
Aileen closed her eyes, though she did not feel the pain that McGonagall did. She knew Harry, Ron and Hermione were safe. Snape had sent his Patronus to guide Harry, which meant they were safe and still looking for the Horcruxes.
"Hey, you there!" said a booming voice on the other side of the hallway.
Both Aileen and McGonagall jumped at his scream, turning to see a big man pushing the students out of his way and heading towards them.
"Go, go!" McGonagall whispered desperately.
At once, Aileen walked swiftly away from the woman. She looked back over her shoulder at the man, seeing him stop instantly once Aileen began walking. His hard, angry eyes stared into her. Aileen wasted no time in staring at him any longer. She went straight for the dungeons, straight for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Amycus Carrow walked into the room, straight to the front. Aileen lowered herself in her chair, realizing she was looking at her new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She felt the bile rise in her stomach immediately. She looked to her right to see Neville staring at the Death Eater. The look of fury was in his eyes, his face twisted in a sneer. Aileen was shocked. No longer was he the scared little kid that feared people such as Snape. No longer did he shake with fear but with raw anger.
Aileen looked at the seat behind him where Luna should have been sitting, but the chair was completely empty. Her eyes scrunched up in confusion, for she knew the girl was at the school. Aileen had arrived on the Hogwarts Express with her, but she was nowhere in the room.
The class was horrible. Amycus took pleasure in scaring the students, took pleasure in using the Cruciatus Curse on a student when they got the answer to his question wrong. The entire class was filled with the screams of the students, the tears from others. By the time it was over, Aileen was shaking from head to toe. Luckily, she had been spared from the Curse's effect, for he never used it on her. It was as if she was invisible to him. Neville, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Amycus made sure to remind him over and over that his parents had suffered from the Cruciatus Curse. He made sure to get right in the boy's face, his saliva dripping from his mouth as he screamed in Neville's face. The boy gave him exactly what he wanted. He gave him a reason to use the Curse on him as Neville jumped from his seat to attack. Seconds later, Neville was rolling around on the floor in excruciating pain.
Aileen had screamed for Amycus to leave him alone. The other students had dropped to the floor, hiding beneath their desks. The Cruciatus Curse ended, and Amycus turned his back on Neville. He ordered everyone to leave, to go to their next class. Aileen moved swiftly over to Neville, helping him to feet. They both walked from the room without looking back.
Neville hung to Aileen, his body weak from the pain. They were headed to Transfiguration where they could breathe easier. There, they would be with McGonagall. She would allow the students a brief moment from the fear around them.
"Neville, where is Luna?" Aileen whispered. They were almost to the classroom.
"Gone…taken," he wheezed between the pain.
"Taken where, Neville?" Aileen asked horrified.
Neville shook his head. His face had turned a pale white, his eyes swimming with tears of pain, anger and fury. "No one knows," he whispered.
For one hour, the students in Transfiguration enjoyed a moment of reprieve. McGonagall did not teach them, but walked around the room touching each students shoulder, squeezing lightly. She bypassed the few Slytherin who watched her with a smirk. Aileen feared for McGonagall safety, for she knew the students would report that she had not taught them anything, but made sure every student was okay. Again, there were noticeable chairs empty. Again, Aileen was reminded of the ones who weren't here anymore.
Fall turned into winter. Christmas time came, and none of the students were allowed to go home. Only those few Slytherin, who were the pets of the Death Eaters, got to visit their families. Everyone else was forced to watch the holiday come and go. Aileen never received her Christmas present from the Weasley's that she got every year. It made her realize just how much she loved getting those sweaters and treats, how much she missed how it easy it used to be. The past years were filled with pain, but it was nothing like now. It seemed almost like a different life. She spent Christmas Eve laying in her bed in the Slytherin Quarters. Snape had felt it would be safer if she mingled back into the student body. Aileen did as he asked, but it made it to where they spent no time together.
Aileen lay in bed, staring at the Mistletoe that she received from Sirius' will. It was the only reminder she had of him, the only thing she wanted to take from Harry. She missed him more than words could ever express. Bringing the Mistletoe to her lips, she kissed it lightly, the tears running down the sides of her eyes.
"Merry Christmas Sirius," she whispered into the darkness.
Winter turned into spring. Aileen was walking towards the Slytherin common room when someone came up behind her, grabbing her roughly by the arm. She went to scream out, but a hand came over her mouth. In her terrified mind, she instantly thought of the call device Snape had given her, but then it dawned on her that she had destroyed it when he had killed Dumbledore. It was the first time she had thought of the small device since the night it was gone from her forever.
She was pulled into a darkened room, the same one she was pulled into by Quarrell her first year at Hogwarts. Even with everything happening around her, she found it so ironic. She was shoved forcefully into the wall, her breath being knocked from her at once. The scars on her back shot pain throughout her body causing her to hiss. A hand shot through the darkness, grabbing her neck and squeezing. Aileen fought against the pressure on her neck, trying to pry the hand from around her. Someone was standing close to her, and she felt him lean forward, their lips to her ears.
"I always had a thing for you, Aileen. I never acted on it, whether by force or by choice from you, because of Draco. Seeing as he's with the Dark Lord now, I feel it's time to get what I want."
Aileen froze at the sound of the voice, knowing it so well. It was Crabbe. If he was here, that meant that Goyle was close by. She was trapped and at their mercy. Aileen had no way of knowing if Snape was close by or called to her father's side. As soon as she felt his hand trying to unbutton her pants, she began to fight again. His hold tightened on her neck, trying to make her calm, but she refused to allow him to touch her, to defile her. With one swift move of her knee, she had Crabbe on the floor, withering in pain. A gulp of air was forced through her body, causing her eyes to grow wide in the effort. Aileen wasted no time in jumping over Crabbe's body to get out.
As she had already guessed, Goyle stood outside the room keeping a lookout. She had no choice but to shoot out of the room in front of him. Aileen would run, run to her feet could run no more to get to Snape. Whether he was here or not, she would seek shelter in his chambers. Without another moment's hesitation, she dashed for the hallway. Goyle screamed at her to stop, but she did no such thing. Behind her, she heard Crabbe enter the hallway, his strength already coming back to him.
The door to the dungeons came into view, and she sprinted as fast as she could towards it. Aileen never had a chance. Something black flew out before her, and she ran headlong into it. She was roughly thrown back, landing on the ground with a smack. Aileen groaned, reaching for her swimming head. Above her, the large Death Eater that ended her and McGonagall's conversation her first day back, was standing above her. A smile was growing on his face, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Aileen was grabbed by both arms, being dragged from behind. She could not see where they were going, but the moment they entered the new room, she knew exactly where they were. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling, she only saw the blackness of the clouds, the anger of the lightning. Aileen had found herself in the Great Hall.
She was picked up and thrown, none too gently, onto the staff table. Crabbe stood on the side of her, watching her with anger in his eyes. Before she could think, his hand raised and came across her face hard. Her head jerked to the side almost causing whiplash. He climbed onto the table, pushing her legs apart and crawling on top of her. Both arms were held above her head by Goyle and the large Death Eater. Aileen struggled against them, but it was no use. They were stronger than she. Her head flew to the side, gazing upon the podium with the owl, Dumbledore's podium. The thought of him sent her into sobs, knowing that he would have never allowed this in his school. He would have never allowed his school to turn to what it was now. As she felt Crabbe trying to undo her pants again, the sound of ghostly laughter echoed around her. Everyone looked around to see Nearly Headless Nick floating in, his laughter reaching up in volume. The moment the ghost looked upon the scene, his laughter died away.
"Scram!" Crabbe growled.
"No!" Aileen whispered.
Nearly Headless Nick wasted no time in flying from the room, leaving Aileen to be raped by Crabbe. She began to struggle, knowing she could only rely on herself to get out of this. She tried everything, kicking, screaming, pulling her arms from the other's grasps, but absolutely nothing worked. Crabbe grabbed her waist, pulling her bottom from the table to pull her pants down. She screamed at him to let her go, screamed for anyone that would hear her. The three men just laughed at her, forcing her to stop fighting against them.
"ENOUGH!" screamed a voice at the door to the Great Hall.
Everyone turned abruptly, Aileen crying out in relief. Snape strode into the room, his eyes blazing with anger. He began to run, and before anyone could think, Snape had a hold of Crabbe, throwing him from the table. Instantly, Goyle and the large Death Eater released Aileen' arms, stepping back. Snape did not pay anyone any attention, except for Crabbe. He hurried towards the boy, grabbing him roughly and pulling him to his feet. Snape's wand was pointed in the boy's face, Snape only inches from him.
"You dare to touch what is mine?" Snape whispered dangerously.
Crabbe's eyes were wide in fear, his body shaking. Aileen watched the crotch of his pants become dark and wet. She could not help to feel pleasure form his humiliation. While all eyes were on Snape and Crabbe, she slowly climbed from the table, zipping her pants back up and wiping the tears from her face. She walked away from the reaches of Goyle and the large Death Eater, walking closer to Snape.
"I-I d-didn't"
"Did not know?" Snape hissed, interrupting.
With one quick move, Crabbe was lying on the floor on his stomach, his arm twisted behind his back by Snape. Snape's knee was sitting in the middle of Crabbe's back, his screams echoing all over the Great Hall. Aileen had never seen Snape so angry, so ruthless.
"Now you do! She is mine, given to me by the Dark Lord himself. I would hate to tell him you defiled something that he gave me! I do not think he would take the news very lightly, do you?" Snape seethed.
"I-I'm s-sorry! I didn't k-know!" Crabbe cried in pain.
"If you lay a hand on her again, I will kill you myself," Snape whispered.
Aileen watched him let Crabbe go. She watched Crabbe roll away from Snape, stumbling to his feet and running towards the Great Hall door. Behind him, Goyle ran to catch up with his friend, both looking fearful. Snape turned to the large Death Eater who remained still, his eyes staring at Snape. He looked somewhat confused but remained quiet.
"Let it be known that if anyone touches this girl, they will answer to me," Snape seethed to the man.
Without waiting for a response, Snape walked to Aileen and grabbed her roughly by the arm. She allowed herself to look scared for the large Death Eater to see. She made it look as though she did not want to go to him, anything for the man not to be suspicious of what happened. Aileen knew Snape had saved her at great risk to himself, but she could not help but be completely grateful. He led her out into the hallway, passed the other Death Eaters who just stared at them. Down into the dungeons, they turned towards his chambers, where once the door was closed, Snape grabbed her at once, wrapping his arms around, asking over and over if she was okay.
"I'm fine," she whispered.
Snape did not let her go until both of them were calmed. He searched her face, making absolutely sure that she was okay. Aileen forced a smile to her face, forced her shaking to relax. Snape was here now, she was safe.
"Severus, what if the Death Eaters report to him what you did? What if they realize what you're doing?" Aileen asked a while later.
Snape was pacing around his room, his face drawn up in concern. She watched the lines visible on his forehead.
"It does not matter at this point. Soon, things will begin to change around here," he said.
"What do you mean?" Aileen asked in confusion.
Snape stopped pacing, looking slowly towards her. He walked over to stand before where she was sitting on the bed. His hands came towards her, lying gently on her shoulders.
"I have been with your father, Aileen. He is beside himself with joy, for he has found something he so long wanted to have control of. With the object, he thinks he is invincible against Harry," Snape stated.
"What is it?" Aileen asked in a small voice.
"It is known as the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence."
Aileen gasped, her eyes going wide at what Snape was telling her. If her father had the most powerful wand in the world, how was Harry to stop him? She looked into Snape's eyes, surprised to see no fear present. His face was calm, as if he had just told her today's weather report. He knew something, something that would devastate her father's plans.
"What are you not telling me?" Aileen asked.
He looked away at her question. Snape turned his back on her, walking away. Aileen got to her feet immediately, hurrying around to stop him, to make him face her. She grabbed the front of his robes, stopping his movements at once. Snape would not look at her, looking everywhere but her eyes.
"What are you not telling me!" she said more forcefully.
Finally, his eyes looked into hers. His hands came up, grabbing her face gently and touching his lips to hers. As soon as she kissed him back, he snaked his arms around her, bringing her to him tightly. All thoughts and questions were forgotten as he kissed her so passionately.
"What I have not told you, what I should have said every moment, is that I love you, Aileen. I love you with all that I am, and everything that I wish I could be for you. There is no amount of time that would be long enough to show you just how much I love you," he whispered against her lips.
She stared into his black orbs, seeing and feeling his words were true. There was no question of his devotion and love for her, no question that he held her above any other. It made everything she had gone through, all the heartbreak and loss, worth it in that moment in his arms. The darkness was rising around them, but as long as she could hang on to Snape's love, she could get through anything.
"I love you too, Severus! No matter what happens, no matter how much time goes by, I will always love you," she whispered.
He wrapped her in his arms, both of them breathing deeply. "The Order is coming, Aileen. They will infiltrate the school in a matter of months. When that happens, I will have no choice but to flee, but I will not stop them from getting in. I want them to have control of the school, to protect everyone here…including you. I just want you to remember that you will be always on my mind, even though we will be separated! I…will…find…you…again!" he whispered desperately.
Overcome with what Snape was telling her, Aileen could do nothing but hold him tighter, closing her eyes against the knowledge that, soon, he would be gone.
Spring turned to summer. The last few weeks of Aileen's seventh year was coming to a close. There was no excitement, no joy for the seventh-years. No matter if they were to graduate in the next few weeks, none of them felt like celebrating. There was even word going around that they wouldn't get to graduate, that the Ministry wouldn't allow it. No one cared anymore.
The depression felt around the school seemed to grow more palpable once word spread that the Gryffindor students had disappeared. It was told that they fled the Death Eaters' vengeance, fearing that one of them would be killed soon. Aileen had wasted no time in going to Snape. She had found a quick moment where no one would see her sneaking off to the Headmaster's office. He was sitting behind the desk, his hand quickly writing over his parchment. He looked up at her, his face shown in surprise.
"Where are they? What happened to them?" Aileen asked desperately.
It took a few minutes for Snape to understand what she was referring to, but then his eyes lit up in understanding. He stood from the desk at once, walking towards her. Aileen reached out to him as soon as he was in reach of her, pulling herself into his arms as her fears grew. She thought of Neville, Ginny and Luna, who had all of a sudden shown back up at school, telling everyone how Harry, Ron and Hermione had saved her.
"They are safe, Aileen," Snape said softly.
"How do you know?" she shrieked, feeling as if she had lost more friends.
Snape grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her away from him so as to look her in her eyes when he spoke.
"I know, because I was the one who told them where to hide. I let it slip, in front of Seamus Finnigan, that the Room of Requirements would be an excellent place to hide. The boy did exactly what I wanted him to do in telling the others. They departed for the room at midnight, the exact time I set up a meeting with the Death Eaters to get them out of the halls. They are safe Aileen, safe from the ones wishing to do them harm."
Aileen felt her fears melt at once. She should have known Snape would help the students. Over the past few months, the Death Eaters had taken a great liking in torturing the students of Gryffindor. It was not uncommon to hear screams coming from the Gryffindor common room, or throughout the halls of the school. Snape had no choice but to allow it to happen, only stepping in when one of the student's lives were in jeopardy, which happened very regularly. It seemed when the Death Eater used hexes and curses on the students, they would go into a sort of frenzy, forgetting themselves and what they were doing and only wanting to spill the blood of their victim. Snape was always right there to bring order back into his regime, always there to save the students.
"They are okay," Aileen whispered more to herself than Snape.
"Some more than others, yes. There are students from Hufflepuff and Raven claw that chose to accompany the Gryffindor students. Most of the students remain out in the open though," Snape added.
After several more minutes in Snape's arms, he reluctantly sent Aileen on her way, giving her a written excuse in case she was stopped by the Death Eaters patrolling the halls. Sure enough, she was stopped by three of them. They read her excuse from Snape, looking somewhat angry that they could not discipline her, but they allowed her to pass anyway. Aileen did not take a breath until she was safely in her bed.
That night, she found herself soaring in the air like she had done the night Cedric Diggory had been murdered by her father. She soared high into the beauty of the sun, until finally her feet were set firmly on the ground. Aileen knew at once that her father had nothing to do with this, for she felt peace instead of fear. She was aware that it was dream, but it felt completely real, down to the soft grass underneath her bare feet.
She slowly turned in place, noticing that she was outside. Everything was bathed in light, shining so brightly it almost caused her to have to shield her eyes. There was a large tree to her left, growing high into the heavens above. Aileen reached her hand out, feeling the rough bark underneath her palm, feeling the realness of the tree. The wind blew around her, causing her long, curly hair to blow about her face. The wind smelled of sweet honeysuckle, of roses and lilies. In front of her was a large lake. The sun's rays shown down upon it, making it look as if it was made from millions of tiny diamonds. Aileen knew this place, knew it well but from where, she could not think. The answer was right on her tongue, but it was far past her reach. She realized it did not matter much, for the feelings surrounding this place was nothing short of love.
"Hello, Aileen."
Aileen gasped at the sound of the voice behind her, turning on her heels. The person standing before her caused Aileen to cry out in shock. From the top of his grey hair, down his long beard, to the soles of his bare feet, Dumbledore stood in radiant light. His face, looking free of death, was smiling gently at her. Without a word, she ran to the man, falling in his waiting arms and sobbing. He held her, patting her head gently, as if she were a small child. Aileen clung to his white robes, fearing he would disappear the minute she let go. She did not care if it was a dream or not, not as long as Dumbledore was here with her. As he held her, she was reminded of how much she had missed him, how much they all had missed him.
He waited patiently for her to regain control of her emotions, and as soon as she was able, she let him go, looking up sheepishly at him. Dumbledore only smiled his wide smile, the twinkle evident in his eyes.
"Take a walk with me?" asked Dumbledore.
Aileen nodded her head, and they began to walk around the brightly lit grounds. No words were spoken for a few moments, both caught up in the beauty of the place where they found themselves. Dumbledore led them into the forest surrounding the large lake. Aileen began to remember bits and pieces about their surroundings. She had been here before, many times. It was not until the stopped before a large pit that Aileen cried out in fear and pain.
She stopped suddenly, looking wide-eyed at the hole in the earth. Below them, the bodies of the snakes laid, undisturbed. Her eyes went to Dumbledore, fearing she would see loathing and anger in his eyes, but all that remained in his blue eyes was understanding and love. She did not know why they were here. She did not understand why this place.
"I-is this a-a d-dream?" she stammered.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. His shoulders gently shrugged, his smile never falling. "It does not matter what this is, Aileen, only what is said."
Her eyes went back to the pit, to the bodies of the snakes. She remembered the moment she had learned of who she was. She remembered the shock of the snakes' words, the shock of the truth that Voldemort and Bellatrix were her parents. Even now, in the dream, the same angered tears became evident in her eyes.
"We do not have much control over who gives us life, do we not, Aileen?" Dumbledore asked softly.
She looked from the pit to Dumbledore, the tears now running down her cheeks. She shook her head no. The words would not come out. His hand slowly reached out for Aileen to take. She looked down at it, reaching immediately for his hand. His skin was warm, alive, and she questioned again if it was a dream or really happening.
"We do not have control of who gives us life, but we do have control of what we do with that life," Dumbledore whispered.
She watched his free hand come out, hovering over the bodies of the snakes. One by one, the snakes began to move, as if alive. The breath was all but knocked out of her when they all began to slither out of the pit. They were very much alive. Each one, as they turned to slither away from Dumbledore and Aileen, turned and bowed their heads in their direction, as if in thanks. Dumbledore bowed to them as well, his smile never falling. Aileen stood there watching, her mouth wide open in shock. When the last of the dead snakes came back to life and, after bowing, slithered away, Dumbledore's hand came back to his side. He turned to walk away, but Aileen was frozen to the spot. She now looked upon an empty pit. There was no sign of what she had done, no sign of death. It was as if it never happened.
"Though you did what you thought was right to protect yourself, Aileen, those snakes did not deserve to lose their lives," Dumbledore stated.
His voice was not reproachful and harsh. He spoke to her with love. He did not make her feel guilty for what she had done years ago. He had righted what she had done.
"I would rather like us to finish our walk now that this job is done," Dumbledore said after a few moments.
Aileen made her turn from the empty pit towards Dumbledore. Together, they emerged from the darkness of the forest, walking back into the bright light of day. Aileen had realized that they were standing on the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The house stood in the distance, but it was as if it were behind a plate of glass. It made her waste no time in looking upon the large home. Her eyes moved to the sparkling lake instead.
"I never explained to you why I waited two years to send you an invitation to Hogwarts, did I, Aileen?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, sir," Aileen said low.
They had been walking a good ways around the lake, enjoying the feel of the wind in their faces, the smell of honeysuckle, roses and lilies assaulting their senses.
"I was afraid of you, Aileen," Dumbledore said sadly. She turned to him at once, her eyes looking stunned. He held his hand up for her to remain silent, and she did as he asked. "I was afraid of the person you would become. Would you be like your parents? Over the years, I had a chance to think about my fears, and I realized it was not so much that I was afraid of you, but I was afraid of my failure."
Dumbledore stopped, causing Aileen to still her movements immediately, searching his wise face. He was looking out over the sparkling lake, his eyes looking distant.
"I was afraid of failing again. You see, Aileen, I was not able to save your father, Merlin knows that I tried. He was a lost cause way before I met him as a young boy, but I did not realize that at the time. I often find myself wondering what would have happened if I would have found him as a baby. I rather like to think that the outcome of what has happened would have been much different."
Aileen closed her eyes, feeling the same way Dumbledore did. What would the world have become if Voldemort had turned out good instead of evil? All the people who had died at his hand would be alive and well. Sirius would be alive and well. The thought was more than Aileen could ever hope for.
"Nothing would have changed, sir. My father would have still been as evil as he is now! He would have been horrible!" Aileen spat in anger.
"Do you really think so, Aileen?" Dumbledore asked lightly.
He turned to look at her, his eyes gleaming as if he knew something she did not. Above them, a group of birds flew, their calls reaching Dumbledore and Aileen's ears but neither looked up to their flying bodies.
"I do not know," Aileen whispered.
"It helps to see the good in every situation, Aileen. Someone as evil and horrible as Tom and Bellatrix were able to give this world a light in the form of you. They made this world a better place, having given life to you. That is what balances their evilness in this world."
"I do not think they care about me one way or another, sir," Aileen breathed.
"Do you really think so, Aileen?" Dumbledore asked again.
She stared at him, feeling anger rise within her. "Yeah, I think that, Professor! They tortured me, their own daughter, giving me scars for the rest of my life. That light you speak of, they would blow it out the moment they had the chance," she seethed.
"But did they not have the chance, Aileen? Were you not in their clutches? Was it not so simple for them to destroy you completely?" Dumbledore asked, turning fully to her.
"Believe me, they tried," she whispered. "If it weren't for Harry getting close to the Horcruxes, my father would have ended my life, no questions asked.
"But what of the hours before that? Though they did torture you, they had the chance to end your life then, but they did not!" Dumbledore pointed out.
Aileen thought about this. She thought about how easily they could have killed her in the time they took to torture her. She could finally see Dumbledore's point, but it did not help her to understand where he was going with this. So, she asked.
"What are you trying to tell me?"
His smile grew, as if he were happy she had finally caught up to his thinking, though she was more confused than ever. Still, she reminded herself that it was just a dream. She was expected to be confused in dreams, right?
"Your parents made a mistake, one that they could not even fathom. They do not understand the loose ends they did not tie up, the roads they have left for you to travel."
"I don't understand!" Aileen cried. "What you are saying makes no sense, Professor!"
Dumbledore did not become angry, did not lose his patience. He took a step towards Aileen, laying his hand upon her shoulder. She noticed that his hand was no longer black but looking as healthy as her own.
"They showed you mercy, never mind the reason why. The point is, they could have taken your life, could have murdered their own flesh and blood, but they did not. Instead, they gave you a chance to forgive them," his voice spoke low.
"Forgive them!" Aileen spat. "You expect me to forgive them? Them that have murdered people I love! Them that will continue to murder the ones I love, until someone ends them! How could you expect me to forgive them?" Aileen screamed.
"You have the same choice as those snakes back in the pit. Those snakes had the chance to attack you, to kill the one that murdered them, but they did not. They turned and bowed towards you, not me, and went about their way. They made a choice to forgive your transgressions, to forgive all that you did to them when they could have just as easily ended your life."
Aileen scoffed at the man, her anger continuing to rise.
"That is different! They are just snakes!"
"Yes, they are, but they still could have just as easily killed you. You would like another example? You easily forgave Severus for killing me. You looked passed what he had done, and allowed your love for him to outshine your hatred," Dumbledore said softly.
"Again, that is different. He did not kill you out of hatred. He killed you on your orders! There is a difference between what he did and what my father does! You cannot-"
"I do not see a difference at all," Dumbledore interrupted. "Even knowing the reason why Severus killed me, you still had to make a conscious decision to forgive him. Though he was not in the wrong, and he did exactly as I asked of him, you still could have hated him for it. You still could have held it against him, shattering the love between the two of you, but instead, you chose forgiveness whether you knew it or not."
Aileen had nothing to say in retort. She knew, deep in her heart, that what Dumbledore was saying was right. She had had to forgive Snape even knowing what he did was acting on Dumbledore's orders. It still did not take away from the fact that he had killed the man. She had had to make a decision, and she had chosen to forgive him.
"What are you trying to tell me, sir?" Aileen whispered.
Dumbledore turned back to the sparkling lake, looking thoughtful again. As the minutes passed, she did not think he would answer her. She assumed she would wake up without the knowledge of what he was trying to tell her. Only more questions would remain.
"People have always thought the measure of a person was many things. Love, strength, selflessness, but in my opinion the measure of a person has and will always be forgiveness. Without it, how many of us would know of love? Without it, how many of us would truly know the happiness it brings? I dare say without forgiveness, there would be nothing to live for."
"Are you asking me to forgive my father and mother? Are you asking me to forgive them for all that they've done, for all they will do?" Aileen asked, a tear spilling from her eyes.
Dumbledore looked back at her, a look of love in his eyes. His smile faltered for a moment, causing his face to look at her in pity.
"Forgiveness is the road that leads to love, Aileen. I am only trying to show you the road, but it will be your decision to take that road. I cannot do it for you. I can only show you that the chance for you to forgive is still there. Your parents left you alive. Therefore, they left that small chance of forgiveness alive for you to reach out and take it. Whether you will or not, only you can decide."
"How does it end, Professor? How is this going to end between Voldemort and Harry?" Aileen asked. She had no idea why she asked it, other than she felt he knew what was to happen. She felt Dumbledore, at least the one in her dreams, had seen how it would all play out. The look on his face told her she was right. She reached for him, grabbing a hold the sleeve of his robe. "How does it end?" she begged.
"I cannot tell you such things, Aileen. Only time knows how this will end, and only in time will you know how this ends." He looked back at the sparkling lake, his smile plastered to his face again. "I would rather enjoy a swim right now. The lake looks so peaceful, does it not?"
"No, professor, you must tell me what to do! Tell me how I can stop my father!" Aileen yelled.
"Yes, a swim would be very nice right about now," Dumbledore said, ignoring her yells.
Before Aileen could stop him, the sleeve of his robe was jerked from her hold, and she watched him walking towards the lake. She went after him to stop him, but an invisible force knocked her back. She could not reach him. His bare feet touched the water, and Aileen heard him sigh. She beat on the invisible barrier, trying to break free, but it would not budge.
"PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR, PLEASE!" Aileen screamed.
Dumbledore halted as the water splashed at his waist. His smile was as bright as the sun, the twinkle in his eyes rivaling the twinkle from the lake.
"Harry must be the one to kill Voldemort, but there is something you need to know," he said, though his mouth never moved. She heard his voice in her head.
"WHAT?" she screamed. "WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP HIM?"
"There is nothing you can do to stop what is to come, Aileen, for you are not ready, not yet anyway. The moment that you are ready, it will be known to you. The moment you are ready, the opportunity will present itself to you. What you must do for the time being is to stay alive, no matter what! It is imperative that you stay alive! I cannot stress the importance of it!" said his voice in her head.
"Why?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"Because, Aileen, Harry Potter was never chosen by anything but your father to be his equal. Harry was chosen by your father to be the one to challenge him. What your father never imagined is that it is not Harry who he must fear, for Harry does not have the power that you have, the power that lies solely in your hands. Harry…is not the Chosen One. The Chosen One is you."
She watched, more confused as ever, as Dumbledore went further into the lake. The water now splashed up to his chest. Soon, he would disappear from her sights forever.
"WAIT! PLEASE, WAIT! I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND, PROFESSOR. HOW CAN I STOP HIM? IF IT IS NOT I WHO HAS TO KILL HIM, WHAT CAN I DO?" Aileen screamed louder than before.
As Dumbledore's head sank underneath the water, his voice traveled to her one last time. "You will know when you are ready, Aileen. You will know when you are ready."
Aileen's eyes flew open. She sat up at once, her breath coming out in pants. Her wide-eyes searched her surroundings, seeing the Slytherin girl's dorm room greeting her. The brightly lit Malfoy Mansion was gone, the lake with it. It felt so real, everything she had just experienced. Aileen's feet came to rest on the floor, as she leaned her elbows on her knees. Her hands went straight to her face, rubbing the perspiration from her forehead. Everything that had just happened flew through her mind. Every word Dumbledore had spoken to her played again in her mind, but she was still confused. She had no idea what he was saying, the hidden messages deep in his words. All she knew was that there was something she was supposed to do, something that would lead her to the answers.
Beside her, something fell to the floor, clanking loudly. It echoed all around her in the room. She looked down, her face looking puzzled. She reached over, turning on her bedside lamp and saw what had caused the sound. Her eyes went wide as she looked down on the brass key Dumbledore had left her in his will. With everything that had happened in the months after she had received the key, she had completely forgotten about it. Now, it sat at her feet, the light from the lamp streaming over it, illuminating its color. Aileen realized this key was the answer to her questions. This key would lead her to where she needed to be, to do what she needed to do. She reached down, grabbing the key in her hands and hurrying to change clothes.
Once dressed, she ran from the room. She ran down the stairs and out the door. It was early in the morning, and everyone was still asleep in their beds. She did not give a thought to the Death Eaters possibly roaming the halls. Her only thought was to get to the Headmaster's office and try to find what this key went to. It was the only thing that mattered to her.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone come up behind her. She did not realize someone was there, until they grabbed her, throwing their hands over her mouth at once. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled. Aileen was pulled down the hall, until she was standing before a wall. Behind her, she heard someone whisper, and suddenly, a door appeared at the wall.
Aileen was forced through the door, and her eyes went wide when she noticed the people sitting around in sleeping bags. It was the students of Gryffindor. They all scrambled to their feet when they heard someone approaching. Their eyes stared at Aileen when she came into view, and at that moment, the person behind her let her go. She turned to strike the person for scaring her and dragging her away from her mission, but her body went rigid. The hand that was raised fell immediately to her side as a large smile grew on her face.
"Harry!" she yelled, as she threw her arms around his neck in a hug.
Oh yeah people! We are getting closer to the final battle! Anybody have a clue as to what Dumbledore was talking about? Would love to hear your theories. What's going to happen? Will it all play out like it does in the books? Will it be different? What about Snape? Will we lose our beloved Potions Master again? Guess there is only one way to find out! Stay tuned and keep reading!