DENY AND DECEIVE

"Hello, Father."

"Hello, Vexus."

She had an inward urge to laugh hysterically as the sheer lunacy of the whole situation. Instead she spoke "I have the information you've requested." She handed a roll of parchment to Voldemort and he tossed it into the fire. Vexus raised an eyebrow.

"I am sure that everything in that was from Snape." Voldemort smiled his twisted smile at her.

"The majority of it, yes. I can guess why you wanted to see me alone."

"You are much smarter than some of my servants have given you credit for." he snapped.

She shot right back "Most of them are barley smarter than what I had for breakfast."  This time Voldemort laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind. I called you here because I have some, reservations about Severus." he was still standing by the fire and she got the image a picture she had seen once in a Bible somewhere.

"I understand, how may I serve you?" she was going to play it to the hilt.

"Before we discuss that we have something else to do."

'I am not going to panic, I am not going to panic.' she thought frantically. "What do we have to do?"

Voldemort smiled at her again; Vexus felt her blood run cold. He approached her, grabbed her arm and pushed up the sleeves. "I think that Severus is going soft. All my servants receive the Mark. But he doesn't want you to have it. Why?"

She did not jerk her arm back; she stood still and answered, "I too think that he has gone soft. He won't touch me; the pain of the Mark is too much for him to bear. Perhaps that's why."

'Not a complete lie' she rationalized in her thoughts. Voldemort considered it for a moment. Then before she could think he touched her skin.

The pain shot through every single nerve in her body and it seemed like she had her arm in a fire. Somehow she managed to remain standing. Once he took his hand away she looked at her arm. There just below her elbow was the Mark, it was still black. Shakily she pulled her sleeve back down and looked up at Voldemort. His red eyes looked back, scrutinizing every move.

"That's done," she managed to croak "What now?"

Voldemort too out his wand, pointed it at her and said one word; "Crucio!"

After an hour she couldn't remember if she had screamed the first time. She was sure she screamed the second time, after that her memory was fuzzy. No one had disturbed them and Voldemort seemed to be intent on making the pain last as long as possible. He would stop it just before she lost consciousness. At the moment Vexus was curled up in a ball on the ground and he seemed to have reached the end of what ever he was trying to accomplish. She could feel his eyes on her, waiting for her to make a move. 

"I think that will do, I'm not trying to kill you after all. Get up," he snarled at her. "You look pathetic. We have another task to attend to."

Vexus stood up and steadied herself against the wall, before she could stop herself she snarled right back "Will it be as much fun as this was?" She saw the look of surprise and then the smile. He laughed at her and seemed pleased.

"We are going to go amuse ourselves." He swept out of the room and she followed him as quickly as she could. 'Just hold on, this will be over soon.' the thought ran through her mind like a mantra. 'Just hold on. You took it, it can't get worse. Just hold on.'

He approached a group of the hooded Death Eaters and spoke to one of them that Vexus didn't know "You come with us." Vexus saw something silver around the neck of the Death Eater glint in the light and she saw a hand quickly push whatever it was under the robes.

They gave her instructions of where they were going and disapparated. She followed them. They were outside of a house in a small clearing. She could see what looked like a barn and fields behind the house. There were no lights on inside.

Silently they approached the house "Alohamora" and they slipped inside. There was no sign of anything living in the front rooms. They made their way back to the bedroom. Vexus could hear snoring. 'ohgodohgodohgodohgod,pleasenopleaseno.' Her brain felt like someone had slammed it up against a wall.

The door was opened and the couple in the bed stirred. She saw the man reach over turn on the light and gape at the three of them.

Then it started.

Vexus just stayed up against the door and watched. Then Voldemort turned to her. Vexus had been very careful to laugh when he had laughed and to not let her horror and revulsion show on her face. Now with his attention on her it took all she had to keep from shaking. He sneered at her "Imperio. Try it out, it's your turn."

She pulled out her wand and pointed at the man first. As she spoke the curse, she felt a twinge of, something deep inside. It was pleasure. She tried to push it down, but it was there. She made the man run himself into the wall repeatedly until he had broken his nose. Then she made the woman flop about like a fish gaping for air.

Voldemort saw the smile that pulled up one corner of her mouth.

The unnamed Death Eater then took over and Vexus went back to being a spectator. She couldn't get rid of the pleasure she had felt as she put her wand away. It went on a little while longer and soon Voldemort was looking at her again.

"What should I do with them?"  Vexus asked. The man and woman were only a step away from death.

Voldemort was still watching her closely "You should finish them."

She saw her hand take out her wand and point it at the man first. His eyes were glazed over but he realized what was about to happen. Vexus expected him to beg or plead instead he nodded slightly. She spoke "Avada Kedavra!" a flash and he was gone.

The wife was not aware of anything anymore so there was no look of understanding from her simply the curse and the sound of her body slumping over onto the floor. Vexus turned to Voldemort "Do you want me to send up the Mark?"  Voldemort nodded and motioned for the other member of their party to follow him out. Vexus still didn't know who was under the hood.

She came out of the house a minute after them and the last thing she did before she Disapparated was send up the Mark.

"Morsmordre!" and then there were no sounds left in the clearing.

They had returned to Voldemort's lair and she waited for him to address her. Her mind reeled. 'Don't think about it, just shut it out.' she wanted to be sick.

"You may leave, you'll know when I need to see you again," he said this then walked away. Vexus reflexively felt her arm, where the Mark still burned.

She apparated a good way from the school, she wanted to walk for a little while. She saw the man and woman before her again and heard her voice speak the curse. Hot tears ran down her face and she stopped walking. She wanted to dig a hole and curl up and die. She had used one of the Unforgivable Curses.

'Not for the first time' an unwanted voice in her head reminded her of the Muggle she had used to gain Voldemort's trust in the first place. What made it worse was the fact that she had enjoyed it. 'Oh you weren't reveling in it, but you know you liked the power, didn't you.'

"Shut up" she whispered. Her mind reeled from the whole experience. She laughed suddenly and said out loud "I must be going insane!"

'No, you're not insane. You made that man do those things. You smiled.'

She started shaking "SHUT UP."

'Admit it. You can't deny it.'

"SHUT UP!"

'You can't deceive yourself.'

She was crying now and the tears blurred her vision. "I've got to get back to the school. To Severus."

'Fine. Try and keep it from him.'

The scene in the Muggle house played in her mind again and she thought of Voldemort. When He had given her the Mark his hand was so cold on her arm and she felt his too long nails digging into her skin. The thought of the Cruciatus curse brought a wave of pain that made her sick.

'I deserve this, I deserve this' she thought as she spent the next few moments on her hands and knees retching.

Snape had been watching for her from the castle entrance. He knew she wouldn't want him waiting outside. At was now just after 3 a.m. and there was no sign of Vexus. He hadn't told Dumbledore. 'I am sure he knows though' thought Snape 'He knows more than he reveals.'

He was distracted by his thoughts and jumped when the castle door swung open. Vexus stood there looking at him, right up until she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Why didn't someone tell me?"

"She didn't tell me until just before she had to leave."

There were two voices. She felt like she as dreaming. She was lying down and felt the warmth of a fire. The voices kept going.

"You think it was the Cruciatus curse?"

"More than that I think. I have felt that curse but she looks like that wasn't all that happened"

"How long before that takes effect?"

"This potion works a little slower, but I thought it best."

Vexus wanted to go back to her dream. But she was being pulled up out of it she coughed and stirred. When she opened her eyes she confirmed the identity y of the voices. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape stood at the end of the bed (bed? oh yes, I'm laying down.) looking at her. She wanted to speak but her mind wouldn't get a grip on the words she wanted. Her throat hurt from being sick.  Dumbledore brought a cup of water and helped her get it down.

He sat down and looked at her over his glasses. "Can you tell us what happened?"

It all came back at her. First the Mark then the pain, then the deaths and finally the Mark in the air over a small house. She said the only things her brain could get to her mouth "Crucio. Avada Kedavra. Morsmordre."

Dumbledore shook his head. Snape just gaped at her. Vexus closed her eyes again and let her head roll back on the pillow. The faces of the man and woman floated before her again. Dumbledore was speaking to Snape. "You stay here and I'll see Minerva about her classes for tomorrow. She's not going to be able to handle them."

Vexus felt his weight leave the side of the bed and then the sound of a door opening and closing. She felt someone sit down where Albus had been. She opened her eyes again. Severus wasn't looking at her and she watched him. His face was drawn and she could see his jaw muscles contract. She was feeling better now that whatever it was they had given her was coursing through her veins. She coughed again and he looked at her. 

"More water?"

'His voice is like silk' she thought, as she shook her head no. He hesitated, like he wanted to say something, and then resumed staring at the walls. Vexus realized that they were in her chambers. 'He probably wonders what happened to the curtains and stuff' she was becoming more clearheaded.

"Severus," she croaked the first thing that she could get out "he suspects you."

Snape was still studying the walls "I had a feeling. We had hoped that you helping it might make him trust me more. Now I wonder if you should've gone to him at all"

He looked at her as he continued, "I know that there are already some new Death Eaters, and I think that I am not so much a part of the inner circle as I once was. Did he do anything unusual?"

She pushed herself up in the bed, she felt like she had been beaten but at least she was more coherent. "I am unsure of your definition of 'unusual' since it seems like everything that has been happening in unusual. But he did throw the message in the fire. He asked if it was from you afterwards and when I told him it was he seemed pleased."

Vexus watched Snape narrow his eyes and she saw the jaw muscles contracting again.

"Then he touched me," she didn't want to tell him this but it was important, "He gave me the Mark." She held out her arm to Snape. Slowly he pushed up the sleeve and ran his finger over the Mark.

He asked, "Why do you think he did this?" He wasn't looking at her face and was still lightly rubbing his fingers up and down her forearm.

Vexus watched him before she spoke "Voldemort said something about all of his servants receiving the Mark and then something about you having gone soft. I think that part of the reason he suspects you, is because you didn't want me marked. It doesn't matter now does it?"

The door opened and Dumbledore entered followed by Professor McGonagall. Snape dropped her arm, stood up and left the room with Dumbledore in tow. 

Minerva looked at Vexus and smiled. "Don't worry my dear, just tell me what your plans are for them and I'll take care that they get the homework."

Vexus was feeling better now and told McGonagall that they were going to start with a review of the Unforgivable Curses, which suddenly seemed rather Ironic. After she had finished outlining her lesson for the day Professor McGonagall left the room.

Vexus sat there alone for a moment until Snape came back in with a goblet.

"What's that?" she eyed it warily.

"Just a simple sleeping aid. You'll need to drink it now."

She obediently drained the cup and lay back down. She could already feel herself getting sleepy. Snape was still standing there watching her. She reached over and touched his hand. She didn't notice him pull it back. The potion was fast and she was drowsy.

"Severus, will you stay with me?" She could feel her eyelids getting heavier "Will you lay down here and stay?"

He looked at her and shook his head "No," he whispered but she was already asleep.

Snape walked to the chair at sat facing her. He didn't sleep, but just sat watching her until it was time for him to descend to the dungeons again.

Vexus slept the entire following day, Occasionally one of the other teachers would check up on her, she was sound asleep and by all accounts hadn't even moved. In the staff room Professor McGonagall laughed at Professor Dumbledore's confession that he had checked to make sure she was breathing. It wasn't really that funny though.

Once she woke up she could still feel the effects of the curse and Madam Pomfrey checked her and assured her that there were no hidden hexes of charms.

Mercifully this term had started on a Wednesday and since she had slept all day Thursday, Vexus only had to teach Friday's classes then she could sleep away the whole weekend.

Snape avoided her. There was something about her that made him uneasy. She looked different. He had looked in her eyes and there was a new coldness there that he recognized. 'If he put her under the curse he surely made her do things as well.' He sat in his class glaring at a roomful of Ravenclaws. He had heard that the Mark was found over a house where two muggles were killed on the night she had been gone.

"Smithers! What are you doing?" he shouted at a sandy-haired boy on the third row.

"N-n-n-nothing, Professor!" he boy was frozen and all the color had drained from his face.

"Good, I suggest that if you do not want that to explode," Snape said smoothly "you should not add that hair until AFTER the brew thickens."

The boy looked at his cauldron and back up at the Potions Master, "Thank you Professor."

Snape glared at him before he spoke "Ten points from Ravenclaw. You're welcome."

Vexus noticed that her classes must've taken her little speech seriously and (nearly) all of them had they homework assignments completed. She had the fifth years again on Friday and noticed Potter watching her closely. 'I need to talk to Albus about him' she thought as she began her review.

"Albus may I have a word with you?"

Vexus had caught him in the hallway and wanted to speak to him about Harry Potter.

"Certainly, let's go to my office." He always smiled so sweetly at her. Once they reached his office she sat down and waited for him to take his seat.

"Professor, I am concerned about Potter. I think he knows there's something up."

Dumbledore considered this for a moment, "I agree but I don't think that this is the time to tell him. Let us get a better fix on what's going on. If he asks you anything directly just come here and we'll explain it all. Is that all right with you?" he peered over his glasses.

"Fine with me." She sat there, she wanted to tell him what had really happened the night she was gone. She wanted to hear him tell her there was nothing to worry about.

"Is there anything else, Vexus?" Dumbledore asked as he picked up his quill and started to make notes on a large piece of parchment.

Vexus rose "No that's all. Thank you, Good day Professor." they smiled at each other then she left the office.

The classes were over for the day so Vexus decided to go have a chat with one of the few friends she had. She made her way up into one of the west towers, to the classroom of one Peregrine Wulf.

Professor Wulf's class was Wizard Arts in the Fine Arts. Somebody had to make those paintings move, after all. Vexus had taken the course in her sixth year and did horribly. She was not very artistic, but Professor Wulf insisted that Vexus was still very creative and the two become good friends. Peregrine was sometimes difficult to be around as she was rather straightforward. Once she had pointed out to Professor Sprout that there was a hole in the back of her robes, which was nice except she pointed it out rather loudly in front of a hall way full of students. Because of that and a couple of other little incidents Professor Wulf was not a very popular staff member. Vexus knew that Peregrine's gruff exterior hid a very sensitive soul. It was evident in many of her paintings that hung in the castle.

Peregrine was good friends with Hagrid as she shared his love of dragons. She wore an amulet that was in the shape of a Hungarian Horntail. It was rumored to contain dragon blood and scales. Vexus asked about it once and Peregrine said that it was from a dragon she had once, named Cullain. Professor Wulf's office was filled with dragon stuff; She even had a dragon claw as a paperweight. Peregrine was taller than Vexus and had weird eyes Vexus had always thought; they were kind of a bright viridian green.

Vexus knocked on the door "Peregrine, you in there?"

"Yeah, c'mon in." was the shouted reply. Vexus entered the room to the sight of Professor Wulf on a ladder trying to put the finishing touches on a rather large painting. It looked like one of the castle portraits had needed a touch-up. Vexus walked over to the canvas and inspected it closely. It was on of the ones from the hospital wing and it looked like the patient had gotten himself dirtied up somehow.  Vexus stepped back and leaned on one of the desks.

"How's it going, Vexus?" asked Peregrine from the ladder. She was trying to reach a stubborn spot.

"It's going. That's about all."

Vexus hadn't told Peregrine about Voldemort or any of the things that had been going on. And it was nice to talk to someone without all that darkness hanging over their heads. Peregrine did know about Vexus' relationship with Snape. She didn't know about some of the details, of course. She knew however that Vexus was torn between the way she felt and the memory of her husband, (who had died in an accident at the shipyards as far as Peregrine knew.)

"Any luck with Snape at dinner?" Peregrine smirked from her perch.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Vexus said slyly "but if I did I'd say no."

Peregrine laughed and descended, she spoke as she put up her brushes, "I think it's sad. Both of you being so lonely. I think it's a waste. Better watch out, somebody will get snatch him up under your nose"

"Well then it'll be my loss." Eager to change the subject Vexus asked "How was your summer, I haven't talked with you since the term started. Did you go to Romania?"

Peregrine had finished putting everything away and leaned up against a desk across from Vexus "Yeah, I worked with Charlie Weasly, it was an experience. Hagrid would've liked it." 

"Well I was wondering about you, I'm always worried that you're going to get yourself eaten or something."

Peregrine laughed, "I am smarter than that. C'mon I'm starved, let's get something to eat!" They left the classroom and headed for the kitchen.

Vexus felt better after her talk with Peregrine and had excused herself to go get a book or two from the school library, Vexus had been thinking about Snape. And was absently having an inner argument.

'You haven't tried yet.'

'I'm not going to'

'Why not you're both Marked now, maybe it'll make the difference'

'I don't know if that's what I really want.'

'Are you going to even try to find out?'

Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly when she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned to see Hermione Granger standing there hold in a roll of parchment.

"Professor I finished our homework and was wondering if you would look over it with me."

Vexus smiled and motioned for her to sit down. 'I like this one' she thought.

"Now Miss Granger, what is your question?"

Two hours later she had finally sent Hermione to bed and promised that she would speak with her again tomorrow afternoon. Vexus had decided that she was going to go to see Snape. She had to know if her having the Mark would make any difference. She made her way to the dungeons. She knew to always check the classroom and his office, as he was probably not sleeping. However he wasn't in either place. 'I hope I haven't completely messed this up. I've been horrible to him.' She thought to herself.

Vexus started towards his chambers. As she approached she heard voices in the hallway. She stopped and listened.

"Please Severus, let me stay." It was a woman's voice, but she couldn't tell whom in the echoing corridor. Then she heard him speak "No I said I wasn't going to do this here. It's not appropriate."

Vexus leaned up against the wall in shock. She was coming down here in a last ditch effort to save whatever relationship there was between her and Snape and here he was with someone else. Vexus felt her eyes burn and pushed herself away from the cold stone as the voices continued.

"Severus, no one will know." the woman said

Vexus heard footsteps, like someone pacing. Then Snape spoke again "I don't see why you want to force this."

The other voice responded with a sultry "Because you want it."

Vexus didn't hear the reply, she quickly headed up the corridor not caring how much noise she made.

When she got back to her chambers she sat down in the chair and stared at the wall. It was several hours before she moved. When she did, it was to pull on her heavy robes and head out of the castle. There was one thing she knew for certain. Out of all the things that had happened, there was one constant: Voldemort. He had always been the same towards her. If anything there was a bit of a thrill, having to prove herself to him.

'I didn't want to teach that stupid class. It was thrust upon me, I didn't earn that.' She fumed 'And Severus, he can't decide which way is up.' She felt the sting of tears again as the thought of Snape. She left the school grounds and walked as fast as she could to a place where she could disapparate.

'I don't need him; I don't need any of this. I'm going to go find what I need. And if' she stopped then continued 'Father can help me, I'll help him.' She thought of the things she had done, and the pleasure at the power she had held. 'That's one thing I know was real.'

Vexus was so upset that she didn't notice form of a wizard darker than herself following a little ways behind or the large black wolf following them both.