Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K Rowling and Bloomsbury. I only own the plot and the original characters.

PG-13

I Will Prevail

Chapter Two

Sincerity pulled her arms close to her sides as she shot through the fireplace, looking around every now and then to check she hadn't passed her exit. Ahead she spotted the fireplace she required and pushed herself out once she reached it. Landing hard on her hands she brushed them off and two feet faced her. Colour drained from her face and she went cold. Looking up, she knew exactly whom she was going to face.
"Master… I," Sincerity stuttered slightly.
Lucius Malfoy glared at her, "You're late," he stated bluntly.
"Yes sir, I'm very sorry sir… I had several…"
"No excuses! You will be sorry my dear, go to your room and change, we have guests in a few moments."
Sincerity let her head drop and she walked slowly away from him, Draco Malfoy smirked at her as she walked up the stairs and out of the their sight.

She stared out of her window as she changed into what Lucius Malfoy chose to call her "work" robes. This made her laugh slightly; they were far from work robes. They were a musty black colour and looked very tattered and used. Her best ones yes, but only because she wasn't aloud new clothes and was forced to have either hand-me-downs or Draco's old ones. She stared out of the window one last time and then turned to her shopping. Pulling her wand from its box she tucked it safe inside her robe and threw the box away. If the Malfoy's found out she had a wand, it would be taken from her and a beating would be given instead. She cried at the thought of what was awaiting her later that day.

She heard the door knock down stairs, quickly wiping her eyes she rushed out of her room and downstairs.
"Hurry up!" snapped Lucius Malfoy pointing to the unanswered door.
She pulled at the door and it swung open with its usual creak. A tall thin man faced her; he had greasy, shoulder length black hair, brown eyes and sallow skin. He peered down at her and then looked behind her at Lucius who was waiting for him.
Sincerity stepped aside for him to enter.
"…Thank you," he said, unsure if that was the correct thing to say.
Sincerity looked up at him and then quickly looked back down as Lucius spoke.
"Do not speak to her Severus… she is nothing more than a house-elf."
Sincerity looked up at the tall man again with only her eyes, he stared at her for a moment before walking past her and over to Lucius.
Sincerity sat on her bed and listened through the floorboards to the conversation going on downstairs. It was getting intense, several times she'd heard 'you know who' mentioned. The voices seemed to drain out so Sincerity got on the floor and pressed her ear to the boards.

"Severus you know as well as I that Harry Potter is no threat to us, he's nothing more than a child, he knows minimal magic and Draco knows more than he does. However… We've been ordered to kill him, so that's what we must do and as for Black… I think we can get him here with no problem."

Severus raised one eyebrow, "you mean by holding Harry here and luring him that way?"

"No… I have something he might like. The child."

"The young girl?"

"Yes. DRACO…"

Draco popped his head around the doorframe within seconds and spoke. "Yes father?"

"Go and get Sincerity, bring her to me."

Draco nodded and then disappeared back around the doorframe.

Sincerity leaped off the floor and sat back down on her bed, she waited calmly for Draco to arrive and a few moments later he did. He didn't even knock, but just opened the door and walked in.

"Father wants to see you Sin." He said looking her up and down.

"Why?" Sincerity replied pulling her robes tightly around her.

"I'm not allowed to tell you…" he narrowed his eyes, "You'd best not keep them waiting! Father doesn't like to be kept waiting, but I'm sure you knew that."

Sincerity slid off the bed and walked past Draco slowly, she eyed him closely and thought for a moment. Despite his personality Draco Malfoy had looks, his blonde hair swept back perfectly and his grey eyes gave you the impression he was looking straight into your soul. She reached her door; turn on her heels and left her room.

Sincerity knocked on the door to the room her master was in. "Come!" came the sharp reply. She opened the door cautiously and entered.

"You asked to see me?"

"Ah yes… Sin. Come here!" he demanded.

She felt like telling him to shove it but walked towards him anyway. "Have I done something wrong?" she asked nervously.

"No… not yet. I simply want to introduce you to someone…" he gestured to the tall man. "This is Severus Snape… he's a friend of mine."

"Hello Sir…" she said unsure if that's what Lucius wanted her to do.

"Hello Sincerity," he looked into her eyes again and spoke to Lucius. "She looks familiar."

"She would do Severus… this is Blacks Daughter!"

Severus, who was halfway through a sip of tea spat the whole lot back out into his cup and coughed. "I beg your pardon?"

"This is Sirius Black's daughter, Sincerity Black."

Sincerity pulled herself away from Lucius and spoke more courageously than she felt. "My name is Sincerity Matchitehew… I don't and will never take my 'fathers' name."

"SIN!"

She jumped at Lucius's voice, she'd over stepped the mark again today and answering back was the worst thing she could have done.

Severus held his hand up and spoke. "You are sure she's Blacks daughter?"

"Yes, positive and just look at her Severus. She's just like him."

"I see… he's never mentioned her."

"I know, but it's not a problem, we'll sort Black out and take Potter along with him."

Severus smiled a thin-lipped smile and turned to study Sincerity again, "This could be interesting to say the least. Why is it you need me?"

"You Severus. Why you are our key player in this. You can get word to Dumbledore, you can inform Potter should Dumbledore fail us and you can catch Black. I think after what he did, you deserve that!"

"Thank you and I will inform Dumbledore, I'll arrange for Mr Potter to over hear or one of his little friends who can be trusted to inform him."

"Excellent, lets hope this time we succeed, we can't have another failure Severus. He would not accept it again."

"You think I don't know that? I have an Idea though… what if I take Miss Black to Dumbledore now? She could enrol at Hogwarts."

Lucius looked dubious and shook his head, "what could it accomplish?"

"If I say to Dumbledore, did you know Black has a daughter he's going to want to know where I heard that information and if I have her with me… well… I can work something out."

"You do have a point, I can also have Draco keep an eyes on her."

"Yes, as can I when term starts."

"Alright." Lucius turned to Sincerity who had been listening to their plan and taking it all in. "Sin, go and pack now."

She nodded to him and then to Severus. She turned and left the room, walking up the steps two at a time but not really looking where she was going. Hogwarts… Hogwarts… was all that was going through her mind; she was going to go to school and to Hogwarts at that! She packed her things quickly and then rushed down the stairs back to Lucius.

He grabbed her arm and puller her to one side. "If you breathe a word of our plan to anyone, and I mean anyone I will personally see it that you suffer a most painful and most horrible death… Do you understand me Sin?"

Sincerity nodded, "I won't… I promise."

"Good girl… stick to that and you will be on my good side. I might even see to it that you get to meet…" he leaned closer to her ear before finishing his sentence. "…You know who. He's very interested in you… did you know that?"

Sincerity flinched and looked into Lucius's evil glare before shaking her head. He then pushed her towards Severus.

Severus stared at her and then up to Lucius. They walked into the lounge and Sincerity followed.

"We'll travel by Floo Powder, as you have your things," said Severus pulling a pouch out of his pocket.

Sincerity nodded.

"Just stay close," Severus took her trunk, threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace and jumped into it. "Snape Manor," he stated clearly.

Sincerity followed moments later, repeating his words.

Finally she was getting out of that house, away from Draco, away from the beatings and away from her master. She was no longer a house elf, but a free person and a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was her dream, even if it meant she was involved in the plans of 'You Know Who', at least she would be fine and that was all she needed to worry about.

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