The pain dully throbbed in her forearm and Haiden crumpled down to the floor. Snape
was on his knees in a few moments roughly dragging her face up to meet his.
His eyes were dark now, dangerous and sparkling, reflecting the flames from the fireplace.
He tore open her sleeve and saw the mark. The same glowing mark that was on his arm, throbbing as well.
"What? How?" he hissed.
Her head lolled to the side. It didn't make sense. Haiden couldn't have been more than 19. How could she have been a death eater? At 5 years old? It glowed feircly in his eyes. The mark that had cursed his life. Haiden's eye lids fluttered. "No....no....Severus? Help me?"
The peircing in his arm grew stronger and he grit his teeth.
"We have to go! He's calling. Make it stop...make it stop." She shot up in his arms her eyes wide.
He shook his head. "What's going on? Who are you?"
Tears now spilling down her cheeks she clutched at his shoulders. "Please...please. Don't let him take me back." she pleaded.
Snape's voice snapped. "Why do you have the dark mark?"
She closed her eyes.
"Answer me!"
She sobbed and shook her head.
"We would have known." he muttered. "We would have known if there was someone so young with the mark."
"Not if I was kept in secret."
His head spun with unanswered questions. He hadn't noticed that he mark no longer hurt.
"I don't remember much. I remember...awful, awful feelings. I was kept alone and in hiding
until I was five years old."
Snape stroked her cheek finally releasing his tight grip on her arms.
"Everything you must've gone through..." he trailed off. "How was it I never saw you? Heard of you? You know who I was. I was part of the inner circle."
She smiled slightly. "I said I was kept in secret...from everyone. After it was all over Dumbledore saved me. He made sure no one ever found out. Can you imagine what people would do if they knew?" she sighed. "Now you know. What are you going to do?"
Snape ran his hand over his face. Haiden now slumped against his chest he turned his eyes to the fire to gaze into the flames.
"Haiden, I-I would never tell anyone anything. I have a few secrets of my own that would be dangerous if disclosed."
Suddenly she pulled his face to hers and kissed him. His immediate shock was replaced with a warmth that spread through him from her soft lips. She then pulled away slowly. "Severus, I don't want to be alone anymore."
He stood up and held out his hand. "I can't let you." He pulled her up. "You won't ever be alone. Until I get this entirely figured out you won't ever be alone again."
He wrapped his arms around her waist. She reached up tenderly and brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"He's back." It was a simple fact on that he'd been anxious to utter. She noddded solemnly.
"I'm safe at Hogwarts. Dumbledore is sure no one knows I'm here. But...I know someone knows. He's going to come for me."
"Why Haiden? Why you? What made you so important to him?"
was on his knees in a few moments roughly dragging her face up to meet his.
His eyes were dark now, dangerous and sparkling, reflecting the flames from the fireplace.
He tore open her sleeve and saw the mark. The same glowing mark that was on his arm, throbbing as well.
"What? How?" he hissed.
Her head lolled to the side. It didn't make sense. Haiden couldn't have been more than 19. How could she have been a death eater? At 5 years old? It glowed feircly in his eyes. The mark that had cursed his life. Haiden's eye lids fluttered. "No....no....Severus? Help me?"
The peircing in his arm grew stronger and he grit his teeth.
"We have to go! He's calling. Make it stop...make it stop." She shot up in his arms her eyes wide.
He shook his head. "What's going on? Who are you?"
Tears now spilling down her cheeks she clutched at his shoulders. "Please...please. Don't let him take me back." she pleaded.
Snape's voice snapped. "Why do you have the dark mark?"
She closed her eyes.
"Answer me!"
She sobbed and shook her head.
"We would have known." he muttered. "We would have known if there was someone so young with the mark."
"Not if I was kept in secret."
His head spun with unanswered questions. He hadn't noticed that he mark no longer hurt.
"I don't remember much. I remember...awful, awful feelings. I was kept alone and in hiding
until I was five years old."
Snape stroked her cheek finally releasing his tight grip on her arms.
"Everything you must've gone through..." he trailed off. "How was it I never saw you? Heard of you? You know who I was. I was part of the inner circle."
She smiled slightly. "I said I was kept in secret...from everyone. After it was all over Dumbledore saved me. He made sure no one ever found out. Can you imagine what people would do if they knew?" she sighed. "Now you know. What are you going to do?"
Snape ran his hand over his face. Haiden now slumped against his chest he turned his eyes to the fire to gaze into the flames.
"Haiden, I-I would never tell anyone anything. I have a few secrets of my own that would be dangerous if disclosed."
Suddenly she pulled his face to hers and kissed him. His immediate shock was replaced with a warmth that spread through him from her soft lips. She then pulled away slowly. "Severus, I don't want to be alone anymore."
He stood up and held out his hand. "I can't let you." He pulled her up. "You won't ever be alone. Until I get this entirely figured out you won't ever be alone again."
He wrapped his arms around her waist. She reached up tenderly and brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"He's back." It was a simple fact on that he'd been anxious to utter. She noddded solemnly.
"I'm safe at Hogwarts. Dumbledore is sure no one knows I'm here. But...I know someone knows. He's going to come for me."
"Why Haiden? Why you? What made you so important to him?"