To Jupiter's horror, the Obscurus charm vanished, and she and Harry were lying, perfectly visible, on the floor.

"And Miss Vrij," Lucius said, "What a surprise." The man stood up, Harry firmly grasped in one thin hand. Harry was struggling as best he could to get away. Lucius drew his wand from his pocket (Voldemort had repaired it for him) and pointed it at Jupiter. "I'm afraid, though, that I no longer need you."

"Oh, but you do," Jupiter hastened to correct, smiling silkily. Her heart was racing, but she oozed up to Lucius as calmly as if he'd just invited her to dinner. She ran a finger down the inside of his arm. "I really think," She undid the top button of his robes with a twitch of her fingers. "That you do."

Lucius knew she was merely trying to save her skin, but he also knew that he could kill her later, if he wanted. "Fine," he said, matter-of-factly, "Stupefy!"

Jupiter fell down, unconscious. He slid his arm underneath her, and managed to heave her up onto his shoulder without letting go of Harry, who looked disgusted. Lucius then let go of Harry, and pointed his wand at him. "You, however, will die if you do not obey me. Master did not say I had to return you alive. Now walk."

Lucius and Harry went back the way they had come.

***

"That stupid girl!" cried Snape, trying to find a way back. "Good gods, I'll never forgive her if she gets herself killed." He paused for a moment, and thought. "Or shagged."

***

Harry was incredibly annoyed. He knew that Jupiter was just trying to stay alive, but by god, she was annoying! "Oh I'm so sexy, pay attention to me! Don't hurt me and I'll sleep with you! Blah blah blah blah blah. She and Snape deserve each other," Harry thought to himself silently. He felt Lucius's wand poke into his back.

"Faster, boy. Master does not want to be kept waiting."

Harry was going to say something rude when Wormtail rushed into the corridor. His eyes lit up.

"Lucius! You found him!"

"I did, Wormtail. Now get out of the way."

But the rat-faced, balding man gave an evil smile. "No."

"Wormtail, you disgusting piece of rotting flesh, move or you shall be punished!"

Wormtail drew his wand with lightning speed and shouted "Flipendo!" before Lucius could react. The blonde man went flying, and Harry turned and ran. Wormtail seemed to have expected this. "Casseo!" A large net with white glowing binds fell upon Harry's head. His legs got tangled and he fell. When he landed, he hit his head on the stone. He passed out.

***

Jupiter awoke to find herself locked in another cell, with Lucius Malfoy sitting just outside. This cell had the familiar light grey stone walls, and a floor made of disgustingly damp earth. And pebbled, Jupiter noticed, as she pulled one out of her thigh.

"Well, I must say, this is awfully familiar."

Lucius turned his blond head to face her. He looked tired and he had a large bruise on his forehead. "Oh, are you awake?"

"I assume so. Say, feel like loaning me some robes? Only it's a bit chilly down here on the floor, in just this sheet, you know?"

Lucius looked at her. Considering her position, she seemed awfully leisurely. "You didn't seem too keen on putting more clothes on earlier."

"You didn't seem too keen on keeping me alive. Coincidentally, how's Pandora? Lock her up, too?"

"Pandora is at school," Lucius said shortly.

"School, ah, how I miss it. So why do I get the dungeon treatment?"

Lucius sighed. "If you must know, you're my bait."

Jupiter snickered. "This brings a whole new meaning to 'jail bait'."

"You're exceedingly annoying, you know that?"

Jupiter nodded. "So are you."

***

Severus was more lost now than he was earlier, since he now had a destination. "Jupiter? Jupiter are you there?" he called into his wrist and heard a tinny reply.

"Where are we, Lucius?"

"Why do you care? You're going to remain here until Severus comes to get you."

"How the hell will he know how to find me if he doesn't know where I am?"

"What does that have to do with your knowing where we are?"

"Dunno. I can't think of an answer to that."

"I didn't think you could."

Severus sighed. "I'm coming for you, Jupiter. Don't you worry."

"I know," thought Jupiter to herself, "That's what's troubling me."

***

Voldemort peered into his scrying glass. Lucius had Jupiter, Wormtail had Potter. Well done, Wormtail. But Lucius was going about his idea all wrong. Sitting in front of the cell, hah!

"I think it's time for a change in tactic," he said, slowly, "I shall have to pay Lucius a visit."

***

Wormtail was walking along one of the now-familiar mineral-stained hallways, his sandals making a chuff-chuff noise on the stones. It had been so long since he was Voldemort's favorite. He had been Voldemort's only for a time, but had been disgusted with his Master's half-human form. He had been rewarded, of course (he flexed his silvery-transparent hand fondly), but it hadn't brought him to the status he craved. But surely, if he brought Harry Potter--

"Master will be so pleased to see you," Wormtail said to Harry's unconscious form, bobbing in the air in front of him as he walked, "Master will reward me most handsomely."

"Your 'Master' will not get the chance to see him," came a menacing voice from the end of the hallway. Before Wormtail had the time to whirl around, the voice had shouted again. "Stupefy!"

Wormtail fell over with the force of the curse, and his head hit the floor first, with a sickening crack. Draco stepped out of the shadows.

"Fucker," he said, "I hope he's dead. Ennervate!" he said quietly, pointing his wand at Harry's chest. The black-haired boy slowly came to.

"Draco?" he asked, blinking.

"Yeah, it's me." he said. "Come on, get up."

Harry did, with help from Draco. He rubbed the welt on the back of his head gingerly. "What happened to you, Draco?"

"It's a long story," Draco sighed, "Right now, it's vitally important that you come with me. We have to find Snape, or we're all in big trouble."

"Any chance of you explaining this to me?"

"Not yet. Come on, don't dawdle."

The two boys ran off in search of Snape.

***

"So how's your wife?"

"Narcissa is well."

"She mind you cheating on her?"

Lucius glared at Jupiter. "Are you always this snotty?"

Jupiter nodded. "Pretty much. Well, more so when I've been naked and half starved for god knows how long, feels like a week, and kept in a dingy ugly old cell paraded by Death Eaters."

Lucius didn't seem to hear most of that. "Did you see your father, by the way?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

"Sickly-looking, wasn't he? Poor man."

Jupiter said nothing.

"He never spoke of you to me. I wouldn't have known he was your father."

"Why are you suddenly interested in my father?"

Lucius gave a tiny gesture that might have been a shrug. "Did you ever wonder if he and Severus knew one another?"

Jupiter's eyebrows raised. She hadn't considered that. Perhaps they'd been old friends. Jupiter suddenly got a mental image of a young Severus and Hayredin laughing and leaning on one another, both wearing army garb. Unlikely. Besides, Severus most definitely wouldn't be interested in an old friend's daughter. They probably hadn't known one another at all. But then--

Jupiter's train of thought was derailed when Lucius shot upright and contrived to look fully awake. "Master-" he began.

"Where is the Potter boy, Lucius?" He gave Jupiter a quick glance, as if she were a table decoration, and then looked back at Malfoy.

"Master, I can explain. Wormtail-"

"I am sick of your excuses, Lucius. I told you, that if you did not have the Potter boy-"

"Master, please, I-" The man didn't look half as composed as he formerly did. His face looked translucent, the bags under his eyes pronounced, and his voice was desperate.

"Lucius, you have served your purpose well. However, like all instruments, you have gotten worn out. And like all worn down instruments, you must be discarded."

"Master!"

***

Severus knew they had to be somewhere. He knew Lucius was waiting for him, of course. He knew it was a trap. But trap or no, he couldn't just let Jupiter alone with him. They had to leave, and he couldn't bloody well leave Jupiter down here.

He turned down another dank corridor.

***

"I'm telling you, after this, I will never lay foot in another dungeon," said Draco, "They'll have to send my Potions work up to the common room, because-"

"Shh!" cried Harry, "Someone's coming!"

Draco started, and then quickly wrapped his cloak around Harry and pulled up the hood. Around the corner came a gangly man in the familiar black robes. He gave Draco a little wave. "'Lo, Crabbe."

Draco gave a token wave back, but the man didn't see. Within moments, the man was gone. Draco released Harry, who stepped backwards as quietly as he could.

"You know," he whispered to Draco, "For you Slytherins being so smart, you sure are a lot of chowderheads."

Draco scowled. "Not all of Voldemort's cronies are that dumb, Harry, don't be fooled. Those ones just do the menial work. Now come on," Draco glanced around the corridor, "Snape has to be around here somewhere."

"No he hasn't," said Harry, "He could be bloody anywhere! This castle is huge!"

Draco didn't reply, but resumed walking.

***

It had all ended rather soon. Lucius had been protesting, then came a flash of green light and a loud noise. When the blinding light in Jupiter's eyes had faded, Lucius Malfoy was left lying, mouth and unfocused eyes open in shock, on the stone floor.

It was just a still life, before her. Lucius, on the floor. Voldemort, standing above menacingly. The stone walls the same colour as Lucius's face, to Jupiter's temporarily light-warped eyesight.

Jupiter was staring at Voldemort blankly, unseeing as he pointed the offending wand at himself and muttered something. He turned away as the room again filled with a sick light. Jupiter could see Voldemort shrinking down from his previous seven-foot height. The greenish skin on his bald head cracked and split, and black tendrils crept out from between the cracks, as the skin turned to ash and fell away.

When the skin had stopped falling away, Voldemort turned to Jupiter. Her mouth dropped open at his new form. He spoke "You will come with me."

Jupiter opened her mouth to make a cutting remark, but found that her repertoire of snottiness seemed to have leaked dry. Instead, she stood, and, when Voldemort had opened the door to her cell, stepped forward, as if in a trance, and took the Dark Lord's arm.

***

Snape was near to screaming. He couldn't find anything that looked familiar. Or rather, he couldn't find anything that was out of the ordinary that he remembered. All the hallways looked alike!

But wait, there, wasn't that the statue of the Holy Mother he'd run into? He rushed up to it, his robes flowing behind him. He nearly cried out with joy when he touched it, that was it! He'd never been happier to see a religious artifact in his life.

"Severus-" It was short, pleading, full of emotion, and definitely feminine.

Snape turned around anxiously. "Jupiter?"

***

"Have a seat," said the Dark Lord. Jupiter sat. She hadn't been through this part of the castle, obviously. It was plush and lined with blood red carpets. The furniture was charcoal black, and the windows were hidden behind the crimson coloured velvet drapes.

But she didn't notice it as much as she might have. Coursing through her veins was a feeling she hadn't felt since her childhood. Jupiter imagined that, to a normal person, it would be comparable to meeting Jesus. Her heart beat hard in her ears and her breath came quickly. Her stomach was full of butterflies and her head was full of thoughts of him.

He turned around and looked at her. Before her was not the scaly-green skin and the burning red eyes of Voldemort, but the vibrant blue eyes and black hair of Tom Riddle, aged nineteen. His thin lips were drawn into an amused smile, and his eyes sparked and twinkled with intelligence.

"Jupiter, let me see your wrist," said the man, and Jupiter obediently held out both arms, wrists up. Tom took her right wrist in his hands, and Jupiter thrilled to feel his fingers against her skin. He fondled the place where the skin was smooth and scarred, as if from a burn. Jupiter stayed completely still as Tom lifted the wrist to his lips and kissed it. Jupiter reeled, and as such, failed to feel the warmth of the Enaudius charm fade into nothingness.

"You look exhausted."

"I am," said Jupiter vaguely, "I haven't slept much. Except for when I pass out from the lack of food."

"Lack of food?" asked Tom, and his black eyebrows shot up.

"Yes, lack of food," Jupiter said, slightly annoyed, "You haven't been sending me any."

The attractive boy looked offended. "I'm hurt that you'd accuse me of that."

"What do you mean?" asked Jupiter, befuddled.

"I had full meals sent to you twice a day!" Tom said, "It must have been my lackeys. Not one of them can be trusted. They shall all be harshly punished for this!"

Jupiter saw, through sleep-ridden eyes, the boy smile at her. She heard, through vague ears, him tell her to sleep. And she felt, with amazing clarity, the touch of his hand on her arm as he led her to bed and tucked her in.

Effortlessly, she slept.

***

Tom laughed, as he entered the other room. Alpha Zabini was sitting in a chair, staring at a map on the wall. He turned, and saw Tom.

"What the hell are you doing here? Who are you?"

"Shut up, Zabini," the boy snapped, "I am your Master."

Zabini's jaw dropped. "Master?"

"Yes. I decided it might be better for everyone if we got to the root of the problem. This seemed the best way."

"What is the root of the problem?" Zabini asked.

"Well, in order to get Potter, we need Snape. In order to get Snape, we need Jupiter. In order to get Jupiter, you have to persuade her. She's an odd girl, you know. I would have thought she'd be faithful to me if I asked her. But she's grown attachments to other things, like Snape. And the Malfoy boy. Stronger than her attachment to the Dark Side."

"If I may ask, Master, why did you not choose her at the beginning?"

Tom sighed. "I sometimes wonder that myself. You see, she has a deep love for me in her heart. An infatuation. She thinks I'm some prince in shining armour, who would one day come and take care of her. I could see it, in her eyes. But I had no need for a girl in love with me. I wanted a girl afraid of me."

"But Master, if she loves you, she would be ever more your servant!" Zabini protested.

"Yes, Zabini, but love makes one foolish. You try to protect the ones you love, even in every day life. If someone had said, 'I hate Voldemort,' she, at her young age, would have spoken out in my defence, instead of keeping her mouth shut like a sensible girl would. Touching, yes, but stupid."

"But she does not fear you now, does she? Why not just overcome her with a show of power?"

"Excellent question," Tom gave a small grin, "She could never be a Death Eater, Zabini, but she can be of use to me. If I can use her love of me to manipulate her, I can get her to do anything for me. And at this age, she has the sense to keep quiet about her loyalties."

"But doesn't this mean you will have to love her back?"

"There is no rule saying that love must be a two way street. But yes, I will have to pretend. I am prepared to do so."

"But...Master? Why the new...look?"

"You are full of questions, Zabini."

Zabini's mouth snapped shut at the threatening tone in Tom's voice. He'd begun to forget that though Voldemort looked like his former self, beneath the visual, he was still a Dark Lord.

"I will tell you, Zabini. By stealing Lucius's life, I was able to use it as a youthfulness potion, and restore myself to this age. It is helpful because, no one recognizes Tom Riddle. I am very old, Zabini, much older than any of you. That is why no one will know me.

"It also helps with Jupiter. I daresay she wouldn't fancy having a half-human lover."

Zabini, smartly, kept his mouth shut.

"Leave me, Zabini. Watch the girl, tell me when she wakes," said Tom, sitting at a desk.

"Yes, Master."

"Oh, and Zabini?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Obliviate!"

***

"No," said the voice again, "It's Narcissa, actually."

Snape couldn't help but look surprised. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Yes," said Narcissa, "I know." Her hood was down, and her hair curled around her thin face in tiny blonde tendrils. "I came here about my son and my husband. Mostly my son."

"What about him?" I his rush to find Jupiter, Severus had forgotten that Draco and Harry had come with him. He scolded himself for even thinking to bring them along. He must have been panicked, because he would never endanger anyone's life like that needlessly. Not even Potter's.

"It doesn't matter," said Narcissa, dismissively, "It's been taken care of. But we needed to find you."

"Why me?" asked Snape.

"Severus," she said, fiddling with her cloak hood, "The-

"Hold on," said Severus abruptly, "Shhhh." He began listening harder to the sounds in his head.

***

Severus knew something was wrong. First, it had been Voldemort. He'd been there, with Jupiter. That'd been worrying enough. But then, without reason, he was gone. Instead, there was another voice, a man's voice. Severus didn't recognize this voice at all, didn't know what had happened to Jupiter. He'd heard him take her somewhere, but where?

Then he'd felt Jupiter's emotions in the back of his mind. Or, he wished it had been his mind. Instead, it tickled at the back of his libido rather pervasively. That had made him uncomfortable. But more than that, it made him angry. It was one thing for a man to steal Jupiter away from the Dark Lord, but by gods, he wasn't going to steal her from Severus himself!

But the really worrying bit was the fact that the spell seemed to have stopped working. Snape could still feel Jupiter in his mind - she was asleep - but he couldn't hear her anymore. There'd been the sound of something brushing against her wrist, and then it had gone.

He looked at Narcissa with worry and anger in his face. "I can't hear her anymore."

Narcissa looked confused. "What?"

Severus shook his head. "Nevermind. What do you need me for?"

"Severus, my husband intends to Mark Draco tonight, and we were wondering if-"

"Don't worry about it," said Snape, dully, "Lucius is dead."

It was Narcissa's turn to look shocked. "H-how do you know?"

Severus explained to her about the Enaudius charm, and how he'd heard Lucius's death.

Narcissa's pretty pale face formed into a frown, it was obvious she was endeavoring not to cry. She turned her face away and said. "Find Draco, tell him to get out. I have to find Lucius. I have to see for myself."

Snape was a little taken aback, but nodded. He continued down the corridor, and Narcissa Disapparated. Then, Snape smacked himself on the head. Here, he'd been running around the corridors like a maniac, when he could have just Apparated.

Snape Apparated to the spot he'd left Jupiter and Harry.

***

"I don't know why you're so bent out of shape about it."

"You hit me in the head!"

"You were asking for it!"

"I was not!"

"You were, too," said Draco, haughtily, "You spoiled my punch line."

"Oh no," said Harry sardonically, "Not a famous Malfoy joke!"

"Hey, nothing wrong with that!"

"There's a famous Malfoy everything!"

Draco grinned evilly at Harry, who rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I don't believe you."

***

Jupiter awoke slowly. She wondered where on earth she was. Then she remembered Tom. She smiled, and looked around her. He wasn't anywhere to be seen, but a man was. He was gangly and odd-looking.

"Who are you?" Jupiter asked.

"You're awake!" he said, intelligently, "I must go tell Master."

And with that, he was gone.

"Good service," Jupiter mumbled.

She took some time to admire her surroundings. The room was black and red in colour, with heavy drapes and velvet and leather furniture. The bed she lay on was a king-sized canopy bed with black gauze hangings and black satin sheets.

"How romantically gothic," she said, and stood slowly. She was wearing, oddly enough, a black cotton nightdress, instead of the sheet she'd been wearing for so long. She was grateful for whoever had changed her.

She pulled open the drapes, and found that, instead of a window, it was a doorway, leading to a balcony. She stepped out onto it and was awed by what she next saw. Below her were hundreds of twisting staircases, and bookshelves the height of redwoods. Hundreds of feet below her, there must have been a floor, but the lighting was so dim it was hard to tell.

"Wow."

"Yes, impressive, isn't it?" came a voice behind her. She didn't have to turn around, she knew it was Tom. "I would very much like to say I had it built for you, but I'm afraid I just happened upon this castle in my travels," he said. He put a hand on the side of Jupiter's waist, and her stomach did a flip. "Are you hungry?"

Jupiter nodded. "I'm famished."

***

Snape paced around the corridor for the tenth time. Jupiter still wasn't there, nor were Harry and Draco. He didn't know where to look, he didn't know what to do.

"Now I don't even know what I'm looking for," Snape said, crossly.

"Us! You're looking for us! And we found you!" echoed Draco's voice down the hallway. The two adolescent boys trotted up to Snape happily. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

Harry spoke quickly, "Draco's in trouble, Snape, and we need you to-"

"Draco's not in trouble," said Snape gloomily.

"Yes he is, his-"

"Yeah, I am! Father wants to have me Marked! I don't-"

"Draco, you are not in trouble," Snape said dully.

"How do you know? I am in trouble and-"

"Maybe you don't think being Marked is so bad, but Draco does!"

"Yeah, I don't want to be a stupid old Death Eater!"

"And I don't want him to be, and neither should you!"

"Yeah! I think-"

"DRACO!" cried Snape angrily, "You are NOT in TROUBLE! Your father is dead, and therefore cannot Mark you!" Draco and Harry stopped silent. Snape sighed. "I didn't want you to hear it from me. I was hoping your mother would tell you."

Harry turned to his friend, concern on his face. "I'm so sorry, Draco, I-"

"S'not your fault. And don't apologize. He wasn't all that good of a father anyway," Draco looked shell shocked. He may have wished all sort of bad things on his father, but didn't somehow expect him to be gone. It wasn't a sad feeling, just...different.

Severus turned and looked down the hallway. "I guess we'd better find Jupiter."

"Yeah," said Draco, "Before the Dark Lord kills her, too."

***

Narcissa found her husband with a quick Locating charm, and Apparated to him.

His body was lying where Voldemort and Jupiter had left it, silver eyes still staring at the ceiling, mouth still open in surprise. Narcissa saw him and gave a little sob. She lifted Lucius's torso and held him in her arms, crying against his neck. She had loved him, though few could believe it. She had always been a good wife to him, had always been loyal, though she knew he was not.

She'd been distressed when he'd said he would Mark Draco, she'd been torn. Her loyalties to her son were equal to those to her husband. She was forced to decide between the two, and she'd chosen Draco.

"Lucius," she said softly into the man's tear-stained neck, "What shall I do now?"

***

Jupiter stepped into her room. She was wearing a two towels, one for her long hair, and one for her body. She shut the door behind her and dropped them. It was so nice to be clean again, she thought, as she shook her hair out and applied some detangling and drying charms on it. It fell in long waves down her back, and she opened the wardrobe.

She looked through them. She wanted to look her best for Tom, she hated the thought that he'd seen her before, dirty and bloody and half-naked. How she must have smelled! No, this time, she'd find something perfect. Pink dress, green dress, red dress, violet - aha! She pulled out a black one and inspected it. It would work.

She put it on with little difficulty and surveyed herself in the mirror. It was black and corseted, and the skirt was long and flowing. The sleeves were long as well, with slits cut in them. It was very pretty and form-fitting. Jupiter's breasts had dramatically shrank, as had her stomach, during her period of starvation. However, this wasn't so bad. Her breasts weren't small, after all, and-

"Miss Jupiter, are you ready?" A man had stuck his head in the door.

"Nearly, tell Tom I'll be right out. I'm inspecting my breasts."

Zabini turned red and shut the door behind him.

Jupiter laughed and picked up her wand, which had been set next to her bed. She applied a quick makeup charm for her eyeliner, and then braided her hair quickly, tying it off with a green bow.

She spun around once in front of the full length mirror, and it whistled at her. She smiled, curtseyed and then stepped out of the room.

***

Draco and Snape were peering into Voldemort's scrying mirror. They'd come to his chamber to see if he was holding Jupiter there, but found them deserted. Harry had stood out front to guard. Snape and Draco had found the mirror on a desk. Snape had tuned the mirror (not an easy task, getting them to pick up on only one thing was hell) to Jupiter, and they'd been watching.

Well, Draco had been. Snape had the decency not to watch Jupiter bathing. But when she'd gotten dressed, Draco told him to turn back around.

Draco marveled. It was so easy for him to forget how pretty Jupiter was. She was too often funny or cold or putting on some sort of air to allow one to really look at her, and that probably caused most boys not to notice her so much. Not that she minded. As a matter of fact, she seemed downright grateful for the lack of male attention. But not now.

They watched her step out and take the hand of, who was that?

"Who the hell is that and what the hell does he think he's doing?" Severus growled, and Draco looked at him. It had never occurred to him that Snape might be protective of Jupiter. "And what the hell does she think she's doing?"

Draco heard the words that Snape cut off in this throat, "Has she forgotten about me?"

"Let's go," said Draco, and Snape hurried out of the room before him.

***

"You look wonderful, Jupiter," said Tom, and meant it. He might not have had much human left in him, but he was able to tell a beautiful woman when he saw one. He reached out his hand, and Jupiter took it, smiling at him sweetly.

Tom led her to an archway Jupiter hadn't previously noticed, and the double doors swung open before them, revealing a high-ceilinged room, with all manner of paintings on the walls. Most of them were of humanoid magical creatures. Fae, mermaids, centaurs, and harpies were only a few of the ones Jupiter recognized.

Tom guided the awestruck Jupiter to a seat at the table and sat her in it. He then sat himself at the opposite end. Jupiter had half expected them to be sitting at exact opposite ends of a hugely long table. Luckily, this was not the case. While they were seated on opposite sides of the table, they were both at the same end of it.

Hovering a few feet above their heads were two cellos, made of pigment and light, and playing in harmony with each other, as irridescent colours shimmered across their surfaces. Jupiter couldn't put her finger on the tune, but it was somehow familiar, and made her think of springtime. She smiled, and looked back at Tom.

***

"Where are we going?" Harry asked Draco, "Why's Snape so upset?"

"We're going to find Jupiter. Jupiter, who, may I remind you, doesn't seem to keen on leaving where she is at the moment!" Draco said loudly, but Snape ignored him. "My gods, he must be upset. I'd have slapped me for that comment."

"What? Why?" asked Harry.

"Jupiter's left Snape for a younger man," Draco said simply.

Harry was very surprised. That didn't seem like Jupiter. Granted, he didn't know her that well, but what of all she'd said to him when they were under the Obscurus charm? About wanting to get married to and even - ugh - have kids with Snape? She'd been awfully sincere then, she wouldn't just change her mind, would she?

The three hurried on.

***

It had been one of the best meals Jupiter'd had in a long time, partly because it was very much needed. But mostly because Tom had been there. They'd eaten, and then talked for hours over drinks. It must have been near midnight when there was finally a pause in the conversation.

Jupiter laughed, out of nowhere. "You know, Tom, I don't know what I'd do without you..."

Tom looked mildly curious. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, for the past few months, I've been just miserable. It was bad enough that I'd been lonely for months at school, what with Severus being gone all the time, and then I'd had work to do, and a lunatic to avoid...Then, without warning, I'm kidnapped, raped, tortured, and then kept naked in a cell and starved as well. Then I get rescued, but it's botched, and end up in a cell again. Then you come along, sweep me off my feet, and here I am, clean, well-fed, and with the best company I could ask for."

"You flatter me, Jupiter."

"I'm telling the truth."

Tom smiled. "Do you think it's time we retired?"

Jupiter looked down at her hands. Her fingers were awfully blurry, though whether that was fatigue or the wine she didn't know. She looked up at Tom and nodded. He stood, and went around to her side of the table, and helped her gently up.

They left the room, and Jupiter was sad to be away from the music. Tom led her into her room, and changed her into her nightgown with a quick switching spell. She lay down on the bed, and felt Tom's lips touch her forehead.

"Tom?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Jupiter?"

"Will you stay with me?"

There was a silence, and Tom stroked her hair. "Not tonight, Jupiter."

"Please?"

"Not tonight."

Tom turned out the lights quietly, and left.

***