Ch.36

"…you're crying." Fenrir's voice was raspy and wet.

"Fenrir! What-you're…."

"It's funny, at one time I would have been-", he took a moment to swallow, "been pretty mad to die, but I can't help but-but feel horribly sad."

"Shut up! Don't say something like that."

"At least I got to see you one last time."

Sanya had heard enough, she placed both her hands over his wound and began working all of her magic into it.

"What're you-"

"I refuse to let you die!", she shouted, determination shining fiercely in her eyes.

At some point while she was healing him, he lost consciousness. The wound had started closing shut and she just barely managed to finish when her powers started flickering out again. When the wound was healed she looked and he wasn't breathing. When she began to panic his chest rose with a shallow breath.

She drew her hands away in time to look up and see the Slytherin four running over to her, ecstatic that she was alive. Suddenly they froze where they were running, and everything around Sanya stopped moving. For a split second there was a crushing silence and the eerie feeling of being absolutely alone before Sanya was blinded by a bright flash. Her eyes adjusted and she looked before her to see the overlords and the members of the high and low court of Valkyries before her.

The ethereal voice of the female overlord washed over her for the second time that day.

"Hello again, Sanya. We have had much to deliberate over. You have prevented the death of many mortals today."

Sanya held her breath, would it be too much to hope for?

"Congratulations dear, you are now free of your past crimes."

After Sanya had been put under Voldemorts control she had gone through a Valkyrie trial and been demoted to the lowest class that existed within Valkyrie order, which is why her wings were the strange black and white mix.

"But that isn't all.", she drew a long sword from her side and walked over to where Sanya sat, "By decree of the overlords and the council, Sanya Silvant Slytherin-Romaine, you are now promoted to the low court of Valkyrie."

Sanya stared, completely dazzled. The overlord smiled at her and they all left. Time started moving again-Stephanie reached her and threw her arms around her. The stress of everything finally caught up to Sanya and as she hugged her niece back she started to laugh and cry.

Sanya managed to get herself together and joined rest of the professors once more-after she squeezed the life out of her niece in another crippling hug again.

"The students will be sent home because, as it's quite obvious, Hogwarts is not fit to house anyone properly for the time being. Severus, I need you to brew up some potions to cure some of the students-Hagrid, make sure everyone makes it to the train.", he nodded to all of them and announced to the students that they would be going home a few weeks early this year, which wasn't a surprise to anyone.

Severus looked at the list of potions needed and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. As if on queue, Sanya peaked her head in through the door.

"Need any help?", she said with a small, warm smile on her face.

"It would be foolish of me to decline any, if you're offering."

"I'll be back then."

A few minutes later they were both working, side by side. One would finish with one ingredient and slide it over to the other on the table top-in perfect timing. When one batch was finished, they would call for one of the students that were lending a hand to bring it to the hospital wing.

"Careful Miss Granger.", Sanya told her as she passed her the holder with still hot vials in it.

"Is this all?"

"It should be for the time being."

"Okay, thank you professor."

Following Hermione's leave Sanya sighed.

"Holy newts, I feel practically dead on my feet!"

Severus gave her a dirty look.

"Eugh! I mean, wow I'm tired!", she coughed nervously, trying to cover her slip up.

Severus sat down in a chair and Sanya sat and scooted him over so that she could occupy half the chair.

"Excuse me! Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

"Could you be anymore uncouth?"

"Sorry, I'm a little too brain dead-er-drained to be polite at the moment.", she caught herself as she was leveled yet another glare from the potions master behind her.

Silence passed between the two of them as they both sat there exhausted.

"I have a question, although I fear I may be overstepping my boundaries."

"That's never stopped you before."

Sanya could practically feel his trademark scowl drilling into the back of her head.

"But please, continue."

"When you were surrounded before…who was that man that-"

"I'm assuming you're talking about the man in the memory that you took it upon yourself to pry into. He was my fiancée. I thought I was in love, but as you saw, I was a fool.", she fiddled with her nails for a while before continuing, "While my resolve was somewhat weakened Voldemort cast the imperious on me. I was too grief-stricken to resist. For a few years I stayed under his control, completely unaware of what was going on. When I came to, my sister and her husband lay dead before me and I could hear Stephanie, just a baby at the time, crying. I had killed her parents. So I did all that I could to make sure that she grew up as happy as possible, despite not knowing her mother and father." She told the whole story in a distant manner.

"I truly am quite sorry."

"Not your fault."

Sanya fingered the metal choker around her neck.

"So, Lily huh?

She heard Severus sigh heavily behind her.

"Yes."

Sanya had Stephanie go home with Blaise, after she made sure it was okay with his parents, so that she may stay behind and help rebuild the castle-by magical means.

Sanya yawned before flopping groggily, still fully garbed in Valkyrie gear, onto her plush mattress. No sooner had her face hit her pillow was she asleep, dead to the world.