Chapter 26

Sira sat on the sofa in Cal's living room with Scabior, his arm wrapped around her waist. He brushed her hair away from her face as she giggled lightly. She was so glad that she was feeling normal, actually happy again. It felt like it had been ages since she had a day that she didn't have to think about her past. Also, she was glad that Scabior and Cal had put aside their differences to allow her to heal. She was grateful for their friendships. "What are you thinkin' 'bout, lovely?" Scabior breathed into her ear. Her blue eyes looked at him, gleaming with her joy, as she gave him a little smile.

"Just how lucky I am to have someone like you to love," she stated kindly, "and how glad I am that you helped me." He flashed her a smile.

"You're so sweet, beautiful," he whispered as his lips brushed again her neck. She felt her cheeks redden with her wanting.

"And you're so caring, Scabior," she said passionately. "I can't believe that you care for me like you do." He pulled away from her a bit and gave her a puzzled look.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, hiding that hint of concern in his voice.

"No, no, Scabior," she said quickly. "I'm trying to say that you love me so much that you would do anything for me to be happy, for me to be okay. I've only met one other man that loved me like that." She gave him a hopeful look as he seemed to relax a bit.

"I'd do anything for you," he said in a low, longing voice. "I need you, I need your touch, and I need your smile. You don't know 'ow happy you make me, beautiful." His blue-grey eyes sparkled with his words. "I've never been this happy in my entire life." She gave him a look as a question formed in her eyes.

"Scabior, I've always wanted to ask you but I never have," she breathed as her question glittered in her eyes. "What of your past?" He looked away from her as if uncomfortable about the topic. "I don't mean to force you to tell me if you don't want to talk to me about it, it's just that I've always wondered," she said quickly as if to cover up a mistake.

"No, Sira," he said softly as his gazed returned to her, "I should've told you a long time ago. You need to know and it's my fault that you don't."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she stated as she shook her head slightly. She was angry with herself for even bringing up the point.

"I want to, beautiful," he stressed as he gazed into her eyes. "I need to." She nodded her head slowly. "When I was a boy, I'd always 'ang around with the wrong people, by my parent's standards. They saw my friends as 'criminals' and 'delinquencies'' and sometimes forbid me to be with them. My parents thought that I should act the way they acted as rich purebloods. I didn't like the idea of acting 'proper' all the time so I went against my parents' will. That started well before I went to 'ogwarts." He paused, taking a deep breath, and then continued on. "I was a Slytherin, of course, but my parents continued their attempts to control me.

"But I fought them until one day, they disowned me," he stated flatly. "They kicked me out and forced me to live on my own, never to return again. Did I care? I 'ad just gotten what I'd wanted for years. So I went to my friends and started to commit small crimes with them, nothin' big, just theft and the like. It was a way to keep me alive on the streets and, let me tell you, it was 'arder that you think." He shook his head.

"Soon, my friends and I started to steal bigger and more expensive things and, one day, I was caught and taken to Azkaban for a few months. As you know, I met you there and I waited for the day I would be released. That day came and I returned to stealing until I 'eard that you 'ad escaped. I was driven to find you, I needed to find you and, luckily, I did."

"So is that why you don't have a last name?" Sira asked sweetly.

"Yeah," he breathed with relief, "and, now that I think about it, my past is nothing compared to yours."

"It's not a competition," she said with a rambunctious smile, "but we both had difficult pasts." He looked at her as his longing flared in his eyes. There was so much that they both wanted to forget so they ran from it but, at least, they could run together. She touched his face lightly with her fingertips as he seemed to relax. He leaned in close, his lips brushing against hers. A burning sensation shot through her left arm, causing her to pull away with a little hiss.

"What's wrong, lovely?" Scabior asked sounding a little disappointed and concerned as she pulled her left sleeve quickly. Her Mark was black and moving, sending shots of pain up her arm. It hadn't done this in what seemed like ages. Scabior looked at her Mark with fascination and horror. "You 'ave to go, don't you?"

"Yeah," she exhaled as she nodded her head a little. He pushed a strand of her hair out of her face as her blue eyes glittered as she gazed at him. "Please come with me."

"I will, love," he breathed as the pain continued in her arm and he leaned in close again.

"Sira," Cal's voice said quickly as she entered the room, causing both her and Scabior to look at her, "we need to go." Sira took Scabior's hand in hers and stood.

"I know, Cal," Sira stated softly as Cal gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you doing?" she asked with uncertainty as Scabior and Sira walked over to her. "You know that he can't come, he's not a-."

"Cal," Sira snapped. "I know he isn't but he is coming with us." Cal didn't say anything to this, there was no arguing with it. They stepped out of the house quickly and vanished from the spot.

They all arrived on the doorstep of the Malfoy Manor. Sira's heart was racing and her palms were a little sweaty as she held Scabior's hand a little tighter. The air didn't seem to feel right; it held a sense of urgency. Her nerves flared in her chest. Cal knocked on the door and it opened instantly for them to see Narcissa, looking worse and more troubled than the last time. She looked as if she was close to tears. "Come in," she exhaled as they stepped into the house. She led them into the dining room, which was filled with people. How many more Death Eaters are there? Sira asked herself as she looked around the room. There was Bellatrix, the Dark Lord and Fenrir Greyback, who was glaring at her with hunger in his eyes, not longing, actually hunger, and many more that she didn't know. Cal, Scabior, and she were just about to sit when the Dark Lord's eyes fixed on her.

"Scabior," he hissed cruelly, "you are not a Death Eater so please leave, this is Death Eater only." Anger bloomed in her chest, causing her to stiffen in her seat. Scabior gave her a quick look and stood. He was just about to leave the room when Sira stood, glaring angrily at the Dark Lord. A snarl broke from her chest.

"I'm sorry, Master," she barked viciously as her eyes filled with her fury, "but if he leaves, I'm going with him. I don't care if I'm punished for leaving this meeting either because Scabior is as much of a Death Eater as I am. He deserves to receive the Mark and he deserves to be in this meeting." She felt everyone's attention fall upon her for no one in their right mind would dark speak to the Dark Lord in that fashion. She continued to glare at him though her eyes were burning with fury.

"Sira," someone breathed their voice full of relief. She searched for the source of the voice and found it. Scabior was looking at her with a mischievous smile on his face and he came to her, his eyes gleaming with his desire, as his mouth met hers in a wild, desperate kiss. She let out a gasp for his breath was hot in her mouth as her hands weaved themselves into his tangled hair. His kiss held his longing and his wanting as he pulled her closer to him. She could feel the gazes of everyone on her but she didn't care at all.

Cal started to blush as she looked away for she was embarrassed about what her friend and her ex-boyfriend were doing. It was like they were trying to eat off each other's faces. Narcissa and a few others looked horrified that someone would even do that in front of other people. Bellatrix looked longingly at the Dark Lord, desire burning in her eyes, but he didn't notice.

Scabior ran his hand down her side, causing her to gasp again as she forced her mouth harder onto his. It felt so good and so anger-filled. His touch held his hunger, he wanted more and so did she. Someone coughed, signaling them to stop, but they didn't. Actually, it made their kiss more vicious and passionate.

"Down, Volkov," the Dark Lord hissed, sensing that it was time to stop them. Sira pulled away from Scabior reluctantly, never wanting to stop. She sank back down in her chair and wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand. Cal gave her a look that said 'I can't believe you just did that' as Scabior put his hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, beautiful," he whispered into her ear as his other hand moved her hair away from her neck.

"Scabior," the Dark Lord snarled, causing Scabior's attention to shift to him, "you are free to stay if you want." Everyone looked at the Dark Lord as if he was crazy but he didn't change his decision. Scabior sat down in the chair beside her, brimming with the victory. Sira flashed him a little smile as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you, my Lord," he said with gratitude in his voice and the Dark Lord gave him a small nod.

"Now, one of our own has told us that tonight is going to be the night that a secret plan is going to be completed," he hissed, "and he has asked for us to provide enough of a distraction for him to complete the mission easily." Everyone exchanged questioning looks but Sira knew what he was talking about and so did Narcissa and Bellatrix. "The person I am talking about is Draco Malfoy, the place is Hogwarts castle, and the mission is to assassinate Albus Dumbledore. Without him there as head master, I can move one of our own up to replace him and I will have control of the school.

"So," he jeered, "Draco is asking me to send some of the Death Eaters to go and start a fight to give him an opportunity to murder Dumbledore quickly. You will have to act fast, my friends, during the battle for we don't need any more Death Eaters locked up in Azkaban or killed. He is also asking that you get to Hogwarts by using a Vanishing Cabinet located in Borgin and Burkes. Are we clear?" Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"Now, those that are going," the Dark Lord snarled darkly. "Fenrir, you are and so are Amycus, Yaxley, and Alecto." He moved to two people that Sira didn't know. "Also, Calypso, Scabior, and Sira, you are going. It shouldn't take long." Her eyes widened, she would have to go and fight. She knew some of the guards around Hogwarts; they used to be her family. How could she fight them? She didn't know but she had to do it, even if she killed them. She didn't know it now but it would be the hardest thing she would ever do.