A/N: Thanks for the two reviews!! I promise more to come! As for those who
are reading but not reviewing, come on!! It's not hard!!
Remember tonight.. for it is the beginning of always. __ Source Unknown
Chapter 4: Beginning of Always
Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair as Drucilla recounted everything to him. She looked frightened and flushed and nervous beyond words. She kept pacing his chambers till she made him dizzy and he couldn't follow her with his eyes anymore.
"....and he wants Alchemy out of Voldemort's grasps. But the Coven could never been reached by Aurors or anyone else for that matter. Its too protected by the Coven and Severus."
"He couldn't show us a way in and out?"
She shook her head. "He showed me how to get pass the charms and Apparate in the Forest but there are tools he doesn't even know about."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "So only that child can be saved...Very well. Both Severus and the girl will be smuggled out tonight. He won't be safe with his new found conscience. There isn't any other choice." His blue eyes were searching. "But we'll need help." He went to his desk and wrote a quick note.
Drucilla leaned over and read it quickly. "Who is Vladimir Fenrir? And Gideon Mallory?"
"A friend of mine and an Auror, one of the best?"
She stared at him. "An Auror? You're going to turn Snape in?"
Dumbledore looked up. "What I'll do is for the best, trust me."
"I do. But will he?"
Drucilla entered into the Coven House and smiled at Severus reassuringly. She admired how quickly he was able to recover and put a facade. He was a great actor.. He had already donned his black robes for the ceremony and had released his black hair over his face. He sat with Garridan discussing potions, back to his sneering, cynical self. He was holding his secretive composure.
"How do you dilute the dragon's blood without losing potency?"
Snape spoke behind his hand in his silky voice. "You have to bring it to a light boil." He slid out of his chair. "Excuse me."
He pulled her into a corner room. He took her into his arms and kissed her. She melted into his arms before pulling away.
"What about Melanie?" She asked.
His expression was confused and distressed. "I'll always love her...but I owe you everything."
"Is that why you kissed me?" Drucilla let her arms fall.
"Does it matter?"
"I want you to know, I'm not doing this to get something in return." She said. "I am doing this because you deserve a chance and so does she."
He looked confused but grateful. He leaned down and touched her cheek. "If Melanie hadn't..."
"I know." She trailed off. "We would have been great together." She paused then continued. "But it does not do to dwell on dreams... Now, listen because I need your help."
Snape listened as she mapped out her grandiose plan to him. A simple plan really. The kind that was so rudimentary, he doubted it would work at all. Drucilla would take Alchemy after the ceremony while she was recovering and take her to a safe house. Snape would be sent out to search for her. He would return claiming to have killed her and the child was already dead. Drucilla would come for him later when everything was sorted out.
He shook his head, he wanted to tell Drucilla something but Ian entered.
Ian grinned, "I hate to stop what you were doing, but the Ceremony is beginning."
The children were standing in front of their Keepers as they formed a circle. Alchemy stood in the middle of the circle looking confused but excited. Alistair and Snape stood before her. Garridan and Liam stood on either side of her. Drucilla stood just outside the circle, as a witness.
"Child, Master Snape and I are going to ask you a few questions, answer them truthfully." Alistair said in a serious voice. "Do you understand?"
She had practiced for the ceremony all her short life. "I am ready, Coven Sire."
A five year old, Drucilla thought bitterly, she is barely old enough to talk and here she is signing her life over because she was trained too. Drucilla glanced at the children of the Coven. They were all serious faced and still, unlike children. They were all intelligent beyond words but they had been engineered for this. They were the perfect weapon in the making. She only hoped that it could be reversed.
"Who are you?"
Alchemy bit her lip. "I am the Coven."
"What are you?"
"A Prue blood."
"What are Muggles?"
She made a disgusted face. "Rats!!!"
"And Mud bloods?"
"Rats too!!"
"What do we do to Rats?"
"We kill them."
Drucilla watched Severus close his eyes, struggling. Hold on, she whispered, just wait.
Snape stepped forward and looked down at Alchemy with cold, unyielding. He took his robe and pushed them behind him. "I am Master Snape, servant of Lord Voldemort. I am willing to die for my Master- are you?"
Alchemy offered her wrists to him. "I am."
"Then let it be." Snape ordered.
Garridan and Liam took Alchemy's arms and held her tight. Alistair walked forward and instructed Snape to take her head. Severus kneeled and put his hands on Alchemy's face.
This wasn't part of what Alchemy practiced and she began to frail but their grips were too tight on her. She instead looked into Severus' eyes pleadingly.
"Sevie?" She muttered. "What is going to happened?" She was trusting him to save her from trouble. It tore Snape apart inside but he kept his composure just barely.
Snape let her go and took her hands. "Whatever happens...just don't let go of my hand."
She nodded.
Alistair had walked behind her. He slipped Alchemy's robe off her left shoulder blade. Slowly, he placed his hand over the bone. "Morsmorde!"
Alchemy screamed as the Dark Mark was burned into her frail skin. She gripped Snape's hand but never let go. Drucilla had to turn away. The children were watching with a sense of awe and pride. Another of their number had joined their Master.
Alchemy had stopped screaming and was exhausted. When Garridan and Liam finally released her, she collapsed into Snape's arms. He hugged her firmly, unable or unwilling to let her go. He carried her to a dark room to recover. He stayed with her till everyone else had gone to sleep. Then he stepped out of the room and went for a walk.
He stepped out into the cool night. He looked up and sighed heavily. "Its begins."
Remember tonight.. for it is the beginning of always. __ Source Unknown
Chapter 4: Beginning of Always
Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair as Drucilla recounted everything to him. She looked frightened and flushed and nervous beyond words. She kept pacing his chambers till she made him dizzy and he couldn't follow her with his eyes anymore.
"....and he wants Alchemy out of Voldemort's grasps. But the Coven could never been reached by Aurors or anyone else for that matter. Its too protected by the Coven and Severus."
"He couldn't show us a way in and out?"
She shook her head. "He showed me how to get pass the charms and Apparate in the Forest but there are tools he doesn't even know about."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "So only that child can be saved...Very well. Both Severus and the girl will be smuggled out tonight. He won't be safe with his new found conscience. There isn't any other choice." His blue eyes were searching. "But we'll need help." He went to his desk and wrote a quick note.
Drucilla leaned over and read it quickly. "Who is Vladimir Fenrir? And Gideon Mallory?"
"A friend of mine and an Auror, one of the best?"
She stared at him. "An Auror? You're going to turn Snape in?"
Dumbledore looked up. "What I'll do is for the best, trust me."
"I do. But will he?"
Drucilla entered into the Coven House and smiled at Severus reassuringly. She admired how quickly he was able to recover and put a facade. He was a great actor.. He had already donned his black robes for the ceremony and had released his black hair over his face. He sat with Garridan discussing potions, back to his sneering, cynical self. He was holding his secretive composure.
"How do you dilute the dragon's blood without losing potency?"
Snape spoke behind his hand in his silky voice. "You have to bring it to a light boil." He slid out of his chair. "Excuse me."
He pulled her into a corner room. He took her into his arms and kissed her. She melted into his arms before pulling away.
"What about Melanie?" She asked.
His expression was confused and distressed. "I'll always love her...but I owe you everything."
"Is that why you kissed me?" Drucilla let her arms fall.
"Does it matter?"
"I want you to know, I'm not doing this to get something in return." She said. "I am doing this because you deserve a chance and so does she."
He looked confused but grateful. He leaned down and touched her cheek. "If Melanie hadn't..."
"I know." She trailed off. "We would have been great together." She paused then continued. "But it does not do to dwell on dreams... Now, listen because I need your help."
Snape listened as she mapped out her grandiose plan to him. A simple plan really. The kind that was so rudimentary, he doubted it would work at all. Drucilla would take Alchemy after the ceremony while she was recovering and take her to a safe house. Snape would be sent out to search for her. He would return claiming to have killed her and the child was already dead. Drucilla would come for him later when everything was sorted out.
He shook his head, he wanted to tell Drucilla something but Ian entered.
Ian grinned, "I hate to stop what you were doing, but the Ceremony is beginning."
The children were standing in front of their Keepers as they formed a circle. Alchemy stood in the middle of the circle looking confused but excited. Alistair and Snape stood before her. Garridan and Liam stood on either side of her. Drucilla stood just outside the circle, as a witness.
"Child, Master Snape and I are going to ask you a few questions, answer them truthfully." Alistair said in a serious voice. "Do you understand?"
She had practiced for the ceremony all her short life. "I am ready, Coven Sire."
A five year old, Drucilla thought bitterly, she is barely old enough to talk and here she is signing her life over because she was trained too. Drucilla glanced at the children of the Coven. They were all serious faced and still, unlike children. They were all intelligent beyond words but they had been engineered for this. They were the perfect weapon in the making. She only hoped that it could be reversed.
"Who are you?"
Alchemy bit her lip. "I am the Coven."
"What are you?"
"A Prue blood."
"What are Muggles?"
She made a disgusted face. "Rats!!!"
"And Mud bloods?"
"Rats too!!"
"What do we do to Rats?"
"We kill them."
Drucilla watched Severus close his eyes, struggling. Hold on, she whispered, just wait.
Snape stepped forward and looked down at Alchemy with cold, unyielding. He took his robe and pushed them behind him. "I am Master Snape, servant of Lord Voldemort. I am willing to die for my Master- are you?"
Alchemy offered her wrists to him. "I am."
"Then let it be." Snape ordered.
Garridan and Liam took Alchemy's arms and held her tight. Alistair walked forward and instructed Snape to take her head. Severus kneeled and put his hands on Alchemy's face.
This wasn't part of what Alchemy practiced and she began to frail but their grips were too tight on her. She instead looked into Severus' eyes pleadingly.
"Sevie?" She muttered. "What is going to happened?" She was trusting him to save her from trouble. It tore Snape apart inside but he kept his composure just barely.
Snape let her go and took her hands. "Whatever happens...just don't let go of my hand."
She nodded.
Alistair had walked behind her. He slipped Alchemy's robe off her left shoulder blade. Slowly, he placed his hand over the bone. "Morsmorde!"
Alchemy screamed as the Dark Mark was burned into her frail skin. She gripped Snape's hand but never let go. Drucilla had to turn away. The children were watching with a sense of awe and pride. Another of their number had joined their Master.
Alchemy had stopped screaming and was exhausted. When Garridan and Liam finally released her, she collapsed into Snape's arms. He hugged her firmly, unable or unwilling to let her go. He carried her to a dark room to recover. He stayed with her till everyone else had gone to sleep. Then he stepped out of the room and went for a walk.
He stepped out into the cool night. He looked up and sighed heavily. "Its begins."