The Inferi moved way faster than they first appeared to. As Tara was dodging their kicks and punches, she had to admit that there wouldn't be much opportunity to actually destroy the creatures. She kicked two of them away from her so that she could focus on the third, she dodged its punch or two and collecting her remaining strength, she punched the Inferius so hard that she swatted it on the stone wall. It wasn't a pleasant thing to look at. Glimpsing Narcissa Malfoy's expression by a corner of her eye, Tara was pleased to note her face was recoiled in disgust. Well, that's what you get for lending your house as the Death Eater headquarters...

Panting heavily, Tara turned to face the two reanimated corpses which were blindly stumbling her way.

Just these two, and it'll be over. Just these two, and everything shall be restored.

Gathering the last tidbits of will that remained, she sprang towards them, ready to take them down with a single blow. But then, she stumbled and fell to the ground at the Inferi's feet. The two creatures welcomed her fall with several kicks and punches.

"What a mischievous creature you are, Bella." Said Voldemort with a sneer. "You've just made it even more interesting for me to watch… A tripping hex, eh?" Bella giggled and Severus clenched his hand into an angry fist.

It's alright, Tara, Severus thought with a bitter feeling on his tongue, it's alright. You've done enough. Let's get over with it.

"Pity, Severus. I cannot see any value in what you've tried to show me, and that means I shall treat you as a–"

"Not… yet." A barely audible whisper came from the ornate carpet. "I'm not done… yet." Slowly, very slowly, the woman was getting on her feet. It was obvious that her exhausted body was fighting every move. She even swayed slightly in her attempt to stand upright. There was a bloody wound on one of her brows and a trickle of blood coming from a corner of her mouth, which she wiped away with the top of her hand. The muscles on her arm were spasming painfully.

"You can barely move anymore." Sneered Voldemort.

"There's a… threshold of pain… for my muscles… which I intend to cross tonight." She said weakly. "I've gotten very close to it on several occasions… and now… I'll finally find out… what happens… if I go beyond the point of repair…"

"As you can see, my Lord, I have full control over her," said Severus, and with every next word, he felt more and more disgusted with himself, "would Dumbledore's niece go so far for me, a Death Eater, her uncle's murderer and a self-imposed Headmaster willingly? I don't think so." He felt sick with himself, but his face gave nothing out.

"D-Dumbledore's niece?" Gasped Bella, the Dark Lord looked surprised as well.

"My apologies, my Lord, Scrimgeour knew, I was under the impression he blabbed it when you were torturing him for information. Please, forgive me for my lack of judgement." He bowed.

"Never mind, Severus," said Voldemort softly and his eyes gleamed. "Dumbledore's niece, you say? And you have had her at your mercy all this time? Well, Severus, I must say you've surpassed yourself." Said Voldemort and clapped his follower's shoulder in silent recognition. "I bet the old codger didn't give his little niece's safety a single thought before he kicked the bucket, did he?" Bellatrix broke into a fit of laughter and even other Death Eaters chuckled derisively. "He left you a nice present, didn't he?" Now few more people were laughing.

"Take your playdoll, Severus, I'm dismissing you." Voldemort waved his hand impatiently.

"So, my Lord, if I may," Severus bowed and looked at his master anxiously, "I hope your faith in me hasn't wavered?"

"No, not at all, Severus, my dear friend." Said Voldemort, and this was the clearance Severus needed to take Tara away as quick as possible. He walked swiftly to her, grasped her shoulders firmly and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

As soon as their feet touched the grass in Hogsmeade, Tara's eyes closed and her knees gave way.

-oOo-

"Poppy quick!" Was all the Hospital matron heard from the Headmaster while he woke her up in the middle of the night.

"What happened?" She asked, confused, however, the Headmaster was already out of the door. So she put on her dressing gown and followed him to the main room in the Hospital wing where there were a few beds already occupied.

"Headmaster Snape–"

But he stopped abruptly at one of the bed. A beam of moonlight illuminated a female body lying still on the bed. She was pale, ghastly pale, and her entire body was trembling, spasming, shaking as if she had a seizure.

"What happened?" Poppy breathed out. "This looks like a–"

"Result of severe torture, yes." Said Snape tersely and turned away to face the tiny window. "Tell me there's something you can do."

"Of course," Poppy bristled, "but – what's this?! The muscles in her right arm are partially torn, almost all of them!"

"What – torn?!" He snapped and wheeled around.

"I've told the previous Headmaster there's a point beyond which Miss Henley cannot physically go if she doesn't wish to permanently damage her body!" Yelled Poppy and pierced Severus with her dark blue eyes.

"Yes, he told me– But the circumstances–"

"Do you wish to tell me that you witnessed all the– all this?!" Cried Poppy and by a gesture of her hand, she indicated the shaking secretary on the bed. "Master Snape, if Professor Dumbledore had known–"

"What?!" He growled furiously, advancing at the matron with a killing glance. "He wouldn't have left her here at my mercy? It's too late for ifs and buts, don't you think? Be glad I've called you to her at all, I could've left her die here, for all I care." He spat angrily.

"I can't believe it…" Whispered Poppy, closing the curtains around the bed and examining the young woman in privacy. "You used to be such good friends." The healer said, barely audibly.

After some time, when she was finished, she looked up at Snape. Her look was different, there was something dark in her eyes, dark and painful, something he couldn't quite comprehend.

"She needs a lot of rest." Poppy said curtly. "Her muscles need to regenerate. She shouldn't move for a week or so at all, and she certainly shouldn't do anything physically demanding for at least two months. There's a chance of high fevers later in the night, this frequently happens to those exposed to the Cruciatus for a long period of time. Just call for an elf, and let it sit here with her." The matron got to her feet and went to see her other patients.

With a hastily cast Muffliato and a heavy sigh, Severus sat on a chair beside Tara's bed and rubbed at his temples.

"Tonight was awful." He said to everyone and to no one. He looked at the woman. She was still pale, but the trembling had stopped. "Thank Goodness." He said softly and took one of her hands into his own. The hand felt soft and warm.

"I don't know why I even allowed you to go there tonight." He said softly. "I should have known it was dangerous. What was I thinking?! I didn't even stand up for you when he was torturing you. Fuck! I'm such a… jerk, really. All this time I thought I could protect you, I thought I could do something if he tried to harm you, but when it came to it, I couldn't do anything. I'm pathetic. I should just– I should just send you somewhere really far from here, somewhere safe, because I don't know…" He rubbed her hand gently. "I don't know if I could endure the pain of losing you."

He looked at her pale face. At her beautiful white face.

Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered.

"Se-Severus?" She whispered, barely audibly.

"Hush, don't talk." He bent close to her, still holding on to her hand. "You need to rest."

"Will you stay with me?" She whispered and looked at him with her big, brown eyes.

"Always." He assured her. She soon fell asleep. He sat there, still holding her hand, and watched her sleep, a soft smile on his lips.

-oOo-

Tara opened her eyes. The room was full of light so blinding that she felt disoriented at first.

"Where am I?" She asked weakly. Then she felt something was preventing her left hand from moving. When she moved her head to take a better look, she gritted her teeth because of the pain she felt. However, she did catch a glimpse of someone else's hand holding hers.

"Papa?" She whispered, and as painful as it was for her to do so, she turned her head slightly. There he was, Severus Snape was fast asleep, leaning on the top of her bed and holding her hand. She gave a soft smile. He stayed.

She remembered well what happened last night. She remembered the pain, and the suffering, and the torture. But she didn't blame him. There was not much he could have done differently.

"Master ordered Dobby to bring breakfast at ten, sir?" Squealed a creature which appeared at the foot of the bed, carrying a huge tray loaded with food. Severus jumped up, being violently woken up by Dobby's shrill voice.

"You insolent little bastard!" He cursed, putting his wand back to his pocket.

"Dobby is sorry, Master Snape!" Squealed Dobby and put the tray on the table quickly, eager to disappear as fast as possible. Then he vanished.

"Dobby!" Severus called after him. The elf appoeared again, his large ears straightening in anticipation of a command.

"Master Snape, sir?"

"Under no circumstances," Snape growled and got up from his chair threateningly, "are you to tell Aberforth Dumbledore what you saw here, understand? Under no circumstances," Snape's growl was even more vicious than before and the elf covered slightly, "are you to tell him that you've seen Miss Secretary here, seriously ill, laying in bed. Do you understand?!"

The elf's mouth curled inwards, and it seemed he was battling a huge fight with his own conscience. Finally, he nodded vigorously.

"Very well." Snape said softly. "You may go."

"Well done." Said Tara weakly a gave him a soft smile. "My papa would be capable of razing this castle to the ground if he ever knew–"

"I know." Said Severus, and his chest tightened when he imagined the figure of furious Aberforth Dumbledore killing his way up the castle.

"Now eat." He ordered her and the tray floated towards her. "You need a to get stronger."

"I can't move. Every move feels awful."

"I know." He said, his voice sounding more affectionate than ever before. He waved his wand, and she was lifted off her bed and seated against the many cushions that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes shut.

"So much– So much pain!" She whimpered.

Severus looked disconcerted. Reaching into his inner pocket, he handed her a small vial.

"Drink this. As much as I'd hate to drug you into feeling nothing, it seems it's the only way for you to find your present situation bearable."

"It's hard for me to move my left arm – not speaking of the right one, which I can't feel at all." Tara complained.

"Oh, about that – Poppy says you shouldn't move it at all. Your muscles have been torn."

"Oh, so that's how it feels like… Interesting." Tara mused and looked at her right arm with interest.

"There's certainly nothing 'interesting' about it." Severus snapped, however, he forced himself to calm down quickly. She needed to rest. After all, it was his fault she was in such a state… She slowly reached for the bottle and drank it.

"Better?"

"Yeah." She gave a soft smile. "However, I'm quite clumsy with my left hand. You'll have to feed me."

"There's no way I'm feeding you. Go ahead and starve." He folded his arms on his chest.

"You must be joking" Tara smirked. "Feed me. It's your fault I'm here. Tell that to your bloody conscience made of stone."

Fuming, he sat down on the bed and began loading scrambled eggs on the spoon.

"Hold your horses, I can't possibly fit this into my mouth!"

"We shall see about that!" Smirked Snape and stuffed the eggs into her face.

"You're a jerk!" Tara spluttered.

"And you're spitting eggs all over me. What are you, five?"

-oOo-

A fortnight later, everything returned to normal. Tara had to catch up with her agenda, which had been dangerously piling up on her work desk, helping Severus fulfil an administrative task or two, but still ending up doing the rest herself. The tall Potions Master always excused himself from their office, saying he needed to continue brewing an important potion, and then he disappeared in his lab. Tara didn't mind, really, she was used to do all the agenda anyway since Dumbledore always disappeared to do his own research as well. Gosh, she thought, turning over the page of their expenses she was reviewing, they could actually appoint a Headmaster who knows how to run the school, would make my life so much easier...

She was disturbed from her reveries by a sharp knock on the door. A quick diagnostic spell told her there was someone bearing the Dark Mark at the door. Her blood froze in her veins. The Death Eaters present were strictly forbidden to access the office when Snape wasn't there... That left only the ones stationed in the village, but what would these want to do with the Headmaster?

The visitor knocked again.

-oOo-

Alastair Vance was not a man who could be surprised easily. Therefore, when the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, who also happened to be his good friend, wasn't answering the door, he thought nothing of it. However, when there was a small window opened on the actual wooden door, and a pair of sharp brown eyes scrutinised him, he immediately got suspicious.

"What do you want?" A tense voice asked him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Alastair bowed slightly. There was a woman answering the door – a young and beautiful woman, from what he could discern just by looking at the fraction of her face visible.

Where the heck did the ol' bat get such a chick?

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but the Headmaster is out of the office at the moment. I can fetch him for you, if you want me to, but I'm forbidden to let anyone in when Headmaster's not here." Her voice sounded way less harsh, and more apologetic.

"I'd be most grateful if you took the trouble to bring him."

The bits of her cheeks that he could see blushed: "Oh, it's no trouble at all. Who shall I announce?"

"Alastair Vance, Severus' old friend."

"An old friend, you say?" The woman looked pensive. "Perhaps there wouldn't be any harm letting you in. Hang on." Tara closed the shuffle and opened the door in its entirety.

She let the mysterious stranger walk in. He was tall, perhaps taller than Severus, he had also shoulder-length hair, but his were wavy, and chocolate brown, and he also kept a beard with a moustache, both immaculately trimmed. He was very slender, was dressed in a black coat, very similar to Severus', and he had a cloak draped around his shoulders, held by an ornate silver clasp. He had high leather boots. Pity he doesn't have a sword behind his belt, Tara thought. He looks like King Arthur from one of those cheesy Muggle novellas.

"Thank you, my dear." Alastair said with a soft smile. "I knew just by looking at your eyes you were pretty, but about the extent of your beauty I hadn't the slightest idea." Stepping into the office, he conjured a beautiful bouquet of red roses and handed them to the astonished woman. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. You're the infamous secretary, I presume?"

Tara accepted the flowers tentatively, her big brown eyes large like saucers, her cheeks on fire.

"What the hell is going on here?!" There was a dangerous, low growl from the secret passageway leading to the dungeons. Miss Secretary jumped up two feet and squealed while Alastair but turned to look at his friend.

"How nice to see you, Severus." The man said, and picked up the flowers Miss Henley dropped.

Severus Snape was standing at the door. And by the look of things, he wasn't happy. He wasn't happy at all.

"S-Severus, I–"

"You let him in, didn't you? Even after I explicitly told you not to?!"

"I know, I-I'm sorry–" Tears welled up in her eyes. With four swift steps, Severus crossed the length of his office and grabbed Tara roughly by her wrists.

"You're going to pay for this later, do you understand?!" He hissed and shook her.

"Y-Yes, I–"

"Dismissed."

"Come on, Severus." Alastair said with a sleek smile, having seated himself comfortably in the Headmaster's plush chair by the fireplace. "Don't be so rough on her. Especially when the women who'd be willing to associate with you can be counted with the fingers of one hand."

"Don't get into this. She's my subordinate, she has to do what she's told."

"So she's not your girlfriend then?" Tara's cheeks got purple. "Anyway, what isn't might soon come to pass, and we don't want to put her off you just yet, do we?" Alastair patted Severus' forearm. "Although if you're certain you're not interested, maybe the lady could be persuaded to reconsider…" He winked at her.

"Stop making eyes on her! She's under the Imperius, Merlin's beard!"

"So I've been told in the village." Alastair shrugged his shoulders. "What of it?"

"It's not as if she'd have any say in the matter – neither with me nor you." Severus snapped.

"Then lift it off." Alastair said, still not greatly disturbed. "I didn't know you were against using women who are under the Imperius Curse, Severus. You certainly didn't use to be when you and I hanged around..."

"What's the point of your visit, I haven't got all day." Severus spat and his eyes were flashing dangerously.

"I came to warn you, Severus." Alastair's eyes stopped twinkling and the man sat up, finally talking business. "There are... rumours. Evil tongues say you are a spy, put up here by Dumbledore, not by the Dark Lord. Some followers say it's the old man you obey, not our master, and that you are purposefully not hard enough on the students because Dumbledore told you to."

Severus stiffened. Briskly, he said: "That's a lie, Alastair, you know it is."

"How do you know I know it's a lie?"

"Because if you didn't, you wouldn't be sitting here in this chair, telling me all this."

"You've always been so dismissive, Severus. So quick to disregard things you think you don't need to pay attention to. I tell you, be careful. Don't disregard this information now, it could prove... fatal."

"Does anyone intend to kill me, Alastair?" Severus asked matter-of-factly.

"Not to my knowledge." Alastair shook his head. "But after all... I've never been as close to our master as you have. Bathroom?"

"Up the stairs, on the left." Said Tara softly, watching the whole exchange with her eyes popped out.

"What was this about?!" Severus hissed angrily when his friend was out of earshot. "He gave you flowers?!"

"It's hardly my fault he gave me flowers!" Tara hissed back.

"Were you flirting with him?!"

"NO!"

"But he was flirting with you."

"Well, I was there. I saw that, Severus. Who's he anyway? You never told me you had another friend besides me."

"Alastair is my friend on... the other side." He mumbled.

"Is he aware of your loyalties?" She whispered anxiously.

"I hope not."

"Do you think he has other intentions? He didn't come here just to warn you, I doubt that." She mused.

"You're right. I'm thinking he came here to spy on me. To test me. To see how I will react to his news."

"But you said he was your friend?"

"He's not someone I'd trust with my life." Severus said, his eyes flicked towards the spiral staircase leading up the tower. "Don't flirt with him!"

"I'm not!"

"Well," Alastair was slowly descending the stairs, adjusting the clasp on his cloak. "It was great to see you Severus. We should go for a pint sometimes."

"Of course." Severus said, his eyes dark.

"Mademoiselle," Alastair bowed, and as Tara shook his hand, he brought her hand to his lips. "It was a real pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you soon."

"Y-Yes." Tara's cheeks were flushed. "Thank you."

As he let go of her hand, she registered a small ball of crumpled parchment in her palm. She clasped her hands together, and watched the man leave the Headmaster's office, not letting it known there was something amiss. With a slightly murderous look on his face, Severus excused himself promptly and watching him descend through the secret passage into his dungeon lab, she smoothed out the crumpled message:

I know you're not under the Imperius. You have a choice. The Astronomy Tower, next Monday, midnight. I am your friend.