I knew Malfoy by sight; we had probably never exchanged even a word when we had still been at school, so now I felt quite awkward, especially since it had just become quite obvious I had been eavesdropping on the two men. Well, I had not intended that at the beginning, but when I had heard their voices, I had found it hard to resist... and now, I had to face the consequences.

"I only..." I began, but Severus seemed not to see anything strange in me standing behind the door. More than that, as though he had not expected not to see me there.

"You should've known how they work, Draco," he spoke, looking not at me, but at the young man nearby. "They won't get you, but those who are close to you. They will be gloating over your suffering. If this is what you want... go right ahead."

The blond flinched in a way that made him amazingly similar to his father. I did not quite understand what he was doing there, but apparently he had come at Snape's request. It seemed to be quite strange to me, especially after what Lucius had said about his son's attitude towards getting involving in such cases.

"I don't quite understand why you need my help, Snape," replied Draco. "If you already have my father's help..."

"It's not enough," Snape interrupted him.

Hesitantly, I walked into the office and quietly closed the door; I had got a feeling that it was not the kind of conversation that should be heard by the whole castle, and their voices echoed across the corridor.

"Then summon Potter," growled Malfoy. "I'm not a hero. A couple of years ago my family was in danger. I'm not going to put my loved ones in danger just so you have some fun!"

Snape's face turned pale; he looked like Malfoy had just slapped him. And yet, when he opened his mouth and spoke, his voice sounded calm.

"That's exactly why I need you, Draco," he answered. "Potter's involvement in all this will be very suspicious. Besides, I just don't like that boy. If you can deal with it... your family will be secure. You are not supposed to play hero and save the world. You are supposed to save what you consider precious."

Severus's eyes turned to me, and I felt myself flushing. Immediately, I looked down, knowing that Draco, too, had noticed that. I had no idea how much he knew about me, but I felt quite awkward, listening to Snape calling me precious in his presence. After all, the young Malfoy was a stranger to me.

Finally, I heard a quiet sigh, and tentatively looked up. I noticed the blond roll his eyes dramatically.

"What are you expecting of me?" he asked after a while.

"We need to know how many of them there are. It shouldn't be troublesome to you, since they are your friends," said Snape grimly. "I don't want you to dissuade them from doing what they are, because they'll understand that you're not with them."

"D'you reckon that they are so stupid that they actually suspect me to be with them?" snapped Malfoy, and for a moment I thought that it was all lost.

"This is exactly why it is you I need, not Potter," answered Severus, frowning. "Potter... may be... noble and heroic... but at the same time, he's dumb. I need someone who's capable of thinking by himself."

The look Malfoy cast at Snape was far from friendly; it was cold and suspicious.

"You won't pull the wool over my eyes like that, Snape," muttered Draco. "I don't expect compliment. I know, though, that if anything goes wrong, my family will die. I don't intend to risk once again."

"Do understand that if you don't do that at all, you will all die!" snarled Snape. "In their eyes, you are nothing but a filthy traitor. Do you think they'll go easy on you? Ask Shirley what it's like when they are torturing you just because you are in any way connected to the traitor! Do you want to know what awaits your family?"

Only at that moment did Malfoy turn in my direction, as though until now he had not noticed my presence. I bit my lips, not quite sure what to say... or if I should say anything at all.

"All right! Fine! I understood!" replied Draco at last, clearly annoyed. He sighed, then hid his face in hands.

Snape looked at me, but I was not able to figure out what he wanted to tell me... it was an enquiring, inscrutable look which I particularly disliked, because it made me feel as though I was in danger. And now, when the danger was something greater than just losing House Points, I really wished he would not have looked at me like that.

"I should be heading back," said Draco after a moment. "Astoria's awaiting me. I hope she'll understand the situation..."

He left without saying goodbye. Snape watched him leave, then sighed and walked over to the desk. He seemed to have forgotten about my presence, so I decided it would be better for me to leave.

"Where are you going, Shirley?" he asked, though, as soon as my hand touched the knob. Immediately, I moved away from the door, as though it had burnt me. However, I did not look in his direction, being almost certain that he was not looking at me, either. "I thought you came here for some particular reason. Not to mention, you're not supposed to hang around on your own."

I closed my eyes. For a moment, I had thought that he had forgotten about that agreement, but apparently he was still afraid that someone was going to attack me in the corridor.

"Do you really think that someone would attack me in the castle?" I asked, finally deciding to turn to him. "After Neville did it? They'd have to be a fool to try this trick once again."

"Don't expect only the intelligent ones among the Death Eaters. Frankly speaking, majority of them are idiots," answered Snape, looking up from his papers. "Besides... the most important thing is to achieve a goal. Now, I have an impression, they are not trying to cover their tracks anymore. They've become strong enough not to care about it."

Once again, I sighed and walked over to Severus's desk. He stood up and approached me, putting his hands on my shoulders; his eyes found mine. When he stared at me like that, I wanted to look away, but for some reason, I could not.

"I came here only to check on you, if everything's all right," I answered, and it surprised even me how cold my voice had sounded. Apparently Snape was shocked, too, because he did move back a little, but did not take his hands off my shoulders. One of his brows twitched insignificatly, but he was still peering at me carefully.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked sourly.

I frowned, hearing the tone of his voice. This time, I had no problems with looking away from him.

"It doesn't matter. I should get back to my office and finish the exams," I replied finally.

"You are not going anywhere, Shirley," said Snape emphatically, pushing me towards a chair, on which he forced me to sit. I cast a sharp glance at him, but he seemed not to notice that. "You haven't yet mastered lying well enough to deceive me. You've already finished your job, so now, you'll stay here."

I wanted to get up, but Severus was ready for that, because he once again pushed me onto the chair, frowning.

"I do appreciate that you care about me," I said firmly, glaring at him, "but it is way too much."

"Don't make me explain this once again. I've got enough of convincing the young Malfoy," answered Snape, finally moving away from me. This time, though, I did not try to stand up. Once again, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I could not fight with him now. There were so few of us, so few people who were aware of the danger... we needed to cooperate, no matter how difficult it would seem.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled after a while. "I... all of this simply begins to tire me. I'd like to do something the way I want."

Severus did not answer. He stared at a roll of parchment on which he was writing down examination tasks, but I could notice that his eyes did not move. I wondered if he was thinking about something, or maybe he just wanted to avoid looking at me.

"You have to be careful now, Shirley. More than ever. We can't do anything right now... all we can is wait for the results of both Malfoys' actions. At the same time, McGonagall is trying to clarify some matters with the Minister. We have to pretend that nothing's going on, so we don't create panic among the students. The exams must be carried out normally, only after the end of the school year we will be able to do our business," he explained after a moment of silence.

I nodded. The fact that we needed to wait so long filled me with worry that something might go wrong. I did not like the awareness that our lives now depended on how the things would go, while we could not even lift a finger.

To my surprise, Snape stood up, walked over to me and leant in a bit to gently kiss the top of my head. It was a gesture that did not look like him, but I had a feeling that he was, too, engulfed by fear. For some reason, it comforted me.

"Stand it just for a bit longer..."

By the beginning of June, it had got almost unbearably hot. Just like in winter hardly anyone left the castle because of the cold, now everyone kept running back to the cool of the school walls to hide away from the searing heat. Hogwarts had never seemed to be this crowded, even though nothing had changed inside.

Classes were still held like they had before; just like what Severus had told me, I did my best to act as though nothing was happening. However, I found myself checking if anyone was following me more often.

"Professor," spoke Stillwater one day. I looked up from behind the desk; the students were supposed to read a text from their books, but that boy as always had decided not to follow my instructions. I began to seriously wonder if there was any way to tame him.

"Yes, Mister Stillwater?" I asked quite irritably. "Is there any problem in the text you should be reading right now?"

The smile that appeared on his face was neither apologetic, nor even genuine. Actually, it looked as though he was trying to offend me even that way.

"I was only wondering," he said in his usual, cheeky tone, "if it's true that the Mud – I mean... that the people from non-wizarding families... tend to fall into paranoia more often than the pure-blood wizards."

I raised my brows a little. I did not like that question at all. It sounded as though he was trying to provoke me, so I knew I should keep my nerve in check. I took a deep breath to calm down, then shook my head.

"I don't know anything about it," I said only. "However, I don't think that it could have anything to do with the article I have asked you to read."

There was buzzing in the classroom. Hardly anyone was looking at the pages of the textbook now; the eyes of the students were fixed either on me, or on Stillwater. I did not want a regretable situation to occur, but I was well aware that the young Slytherin would do anything so that I would remember his presence in this school for the rest of my life.

"I, unfortunately, do see a certain connection."

He was going way too far, and I was certain that he was, too, aware of that. However, the way looked at me showed that he did not really care about following the school rules. I wondered, though, what was his point in all this.

"You see... for a long time I have wondered if it is good for the students to be taught by people who are... not pure-blood wizards at this school," he explained in a strangely calm tone. "Recently, I have also noticed that not only do you bring danger to this school... but also you behave in a very odd manner, therefore I see no reason to follow your instructions anymore."

From the back of the class came giggling, but the rest of the group was completely silent. I had to bite my tongue not to answer that he had actually never followed my instructions. I did not want to add fuel to that fire.

"Do sit down, Mister Stillwater," I said, maybe a bit too harshly. I had not even noticed when I had got up.

"I am not the only one who thinks that, Professor." Even that title sounded like an invective when he said it. Of course, he did not come back to his seat; soon, he stood maybe a foot away from me and looked me right in the eye. "There are more people like me... but some seem to think that you are so mentally unstable that you could attack them."

Blood roared in my ears and it was even harder for me to control myself. That boy was always getting on my nerves, but recently, he had got even more arrogant than he had ever been. Talking to Snape about him also had been futile.

"Once again, I'm asking you to sit down, Stillwater," I said in a slightly raised voice. "If you don't follow my instruction this time, I will ask you to talk not to me, but to your Head of House."

Honestly, at that moment I wished I could send him to McGonagall, but I was not sure if the Headmistress was currently in the castle. Besides, I needed to follow certain steps, so that Stillwater would not use my mistakes against me.

"Then, let's go," said the boy, quite amused.

I glanced at the students gathered in the classroom; no-one was reading, all of them were staring at us with clear tension. The lesson was supposed to end in less than a quarter, so I decided not to prolong it.

"Please, disperse, lesson over," I said, then asked Stillwater to come to the dungeons along with me.

This time, the boy did not object, which surprised me, but at the same time, I could not help being alarmed. I had an inkling that he was trying to hide something, but I had no idea what indeed he was trying to do. That was why I decided to follow him, so I would not have him behind my back.

"You are really getting paranoic," he said in a slightly bored tone, when we entered the dungeons. The temperature there was slightly lower, but it did not make me feel any better. I still needed to be careful about what I was doing and saying. "Or maybe it's not the problem of the Mudbloods... but you?"

"Watch your language, Stillwater," I growled, curling my hands into fists.

I was glad to see Snape leaving the classroom and heading towards his office. He could not fail to notice us, so he came to a halt and frowned.

"Shirley, Stillwater!" he thundered.

"Professor," said the Slytherin, trying to play innocent, when we found ourselves rather close to Severus. "Professor Shirley's threatening me."

"Threatening?" Snape's tone changed; it sounded as though the man was trying to hide his amusement, but at the same time, he let the corner of his mouth twitch. One of his brows went up. "And how's that?"

"She's being aggressive towards me," he explained. "I knew that it would be safer to talk in your presence, Professor."

It was such an overt lie that I was convinced that Snape must have noticed that; on the other hand, his love for the Slytherins had not changed at all since I had been a student. He was still biased.

Severus gestured us inside the office. I did not know why, but I shivered, as though it was me standing in front of the professor after I had done something wrong.

"Professor," I said as soon as Snape had closed the door behind us. "I have already talked to you about Mister Stillwater's egregious behaviour. Today, in front of the entire group, he has refused to follow my command."

For a long while, Severus remained silent. Slowly, he walked up to the desk, then sat down and set his eyes on the young Slytherin, putting his fingertips together.

"Is it true, Mister Stillwater?" he asked calmly.

"It is," admitted the Slytherin, "but I've done that only because I have been afraid that continuing to follow Professor Shirley's commands would put us... me and the entire school... in danger."

Snape smiled in a very weird way. Slowly, I began to worry that his indulgence with Stillwater's behaviour would be my doom.

"Understandable, Stillwater," said Severus, and the boy began to get up to leave. However, that was when Snape did something I had not expected. "Not so fast," he added, grabbing his arm not to let him go.

The boy howled in pain and jerked his arm free. I blinked in astonishment – and Snape, too, seemed to be quite unhinged. It was obvious that although he had put a strong grip on the other's arm, he could not have hurt the student.

"Roll the sleeve of your robes up, Stillwater," ordered Snape in a frighteningly cold tone. At first, I did not know what he might have meant, but soon, the pieces came together. "Roll it up, boy."

Whether he wanted it or not, the Slytherin took the edge of his sleeve and raised it slightly.

"More, Stillwater." Snape grimaced.

"My parents will know about it," hissed the Slytherin, not doing what Severus had told him. Snape was clearly tired of the conversation, so he grabbed the boy by his hand and jerked the sleeve up himself.

"I think they should," I whispered, stiffening with terror.

On Stillwater's pale arm appeared the Dark Mark, now as black as coal.