Snape appeared outside the back of Malfoy's mansion. All was quiet. There were lights from the family's part of the house, but the small back door to which he must go, was unlighted and apparently unguarded.
The nervous wizard took a deep breath and steeled himself for a horrific ordeal. It would take all of his self control not to break Malfoy in two, the moment he saw him. It was always a bit difficult not to wipe the arrogant smirk off Malfoy's face. This time it would be almost impossible, but he mustn't fail or Evangeline would pay the price.
So without further delay, he went to the door, took out his wand, and silently traced a series of magic sigils on the panel. It opened without a sound, and Snape moved inside feeling like lunch for a hungry snake.
Malfoy met him in the corridor with Crabbe and Goyle, the elders, at his elbows. "Well, you took your time getting here, Severus," he snarled.
"I was at dinner when I received your message. It took some time to disengage myself. I didn't want to raise suspicions, after all. Things are tense enough at Hogwarts with the disappearance of the girl," replied Snape.
Malfoy laughed unpleasantly. "Yes, I imagine the old fool and his toadies are all up in arms over that. You really are slipping, not spotting her right there at Hogwarts. However did you miss her, Severus?"
Snape shrugged. "She's been working with Filch since last summer. I never took much notice of her. It never occurred to me that she could be the valuable tool that Lord Voldemort has been on about."
Malfoy clapped Snape on the back and led him down the corridor. "Well, we all make mistakes, huh? Your loss is my gain, and now I'll let you in for a little of the glory. She's proved to be most uncooperative, I'm afraid. Although we all have enjoyed trying to persuade her, haven't we men?" He smiled suggestively at Crabbe and Goyle, who chuckled suggestively back. Snape went pale and clenched his hands fiercely under his cloak.
Keeping his voice steady, he inquired, "If I may ask, what've you been trying to persuade her to do? Lord Voldemort hasn't enlightened me as to her abilities."
Malfoy paused and chuckled unpleasantly. "Yes. I forget that you don't have the favor you once possessed with Lord Voldemort. Perhaps this will help elevate you once again to your former standing." Malfoy hesitated, as if this unpleasant idea hadn't occurred to him before. Ultimately, however, he shrugged. He needed Snape's help; there was nothing else he could do.
"This Winthrop woman can apparently walk through paintings like they're doors. With her guidance, we could use paintings to send agents anywhere. We could send an army straight into Hogwarts and kill Dumbledore in his bed. He'd never know what hit him."
Snape raised an eyebrow and commented dryly, "I see. Have you seen proof of this marvelous talent, Lucius?"
"Not yet! That's what I'm counting on you for, Severus!" Once more he clapped an arm around Snape's shoulders and led him further down the hall to a locked door. Two muscular thugs stood in front of it.
Malfoy nodded and gestured carelessly. "She's in there, go work your magic."
Snape hesitated. "May I have some privacy, Lucius? I've noticed her attractive qualities as well. It seems a shame for you to have all the fun." He smirked at Malfoy, who laughed.
"Certainly, Severus! I'm always glad to share my leavings with you, but don't take too long. I'm getting impatient. I'd like to make her a Christmas present for Lord Voldemort. I think he'd appreciate the sentiment."
With a mocking laugh, Malfoy and his shadows retreated up the corridor. Snape grasped his bag tighter and turned to the door in front of him. One of the guards unlocked it, let him in, and shut and locked the door firmly behind him.
Snape found himself in a fairly large stone room with no windows. Light was provided by rather grotesque candelabras in the corners. A wooden table stood in the center of the room. It had manacles attached to it at the head and foot and was liberally sprinkled with bloodstains. One wall contained two large paintings, both landscapes of rather bleak places, and on the opposite wall was Evangeline.
She was suspended by her wrists from manacles attached to the wall. Her toes almost, but not quite, touched the floor. What few clothes she wore hung in tatters on her body. Her head was sunken on her chest. There were bloody gashes on her arms and torso, and more blood dripped down her legs. She hung limply and unmoving.
Snape ran across the room hoping that he hadn't come too late. When he stood in front of her, he dropped his bag and took her head gently in his hands. Her face was as bruised as the rest of her. Her eyes were closed, and even unconscious, she looked to be in pain.
"Evangeline?" he pleaded gently. "Evangeline, can you hear me? Evangeline, please wake up."
The injured woman stirred slightly and opened her eyes then blinked with difficulty to bring them into focus. "Severus?" she whispered faintly.
"Yes, It's me. I'm going to get you out of here."
Her lips curved upward slightly. "Happy Christmas, Severus," she murmured in an ethereal voice.
Snape stared at her appalled. "Only if I can get you safely back to Hogwarts." He bent down and rummaged in his bag. Coming up with a bottle, he uncorked it, and held it to her lips. "Drink this, it'll help you regain your strength."
She meekly did as she was told. The cell seemed to snap into sharper focus for her. Unfortunately, this made her more aware of her pain, as well.
"Do you have any painkillers in that bag, Severus?" she moaned. He immediately held another vial to her lips. When the pain receded some she nodded. "Better."
The worried wizard took out his wand and performed some basic diagnostic spells to assess her injuries. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be irreparably damaged. I guess Malfoy will live a little longer, thought Snape. The idea did not please him.
He laid a comforting hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. "We have to get you out of here now."
"How?" she questioned hopelessly.
"You must tell them what they want to know, Evangeline."
"No! Never! Kill me, Severus! Don't you have any slow acting poison in that bag? You could give it to me and walk out of here. By the time they realized what had happened, you'd be beyond their reach. You could be free…no more spying. You could be happy."
Aghast at her answer, he put his cheek gently to hers and whispered forcefully, "Do you really think I could kill you, and then live happily ever after? No, if I give you poison, we take it together." Softly he kissed her bruised lips. "There's another way. Just listen to me. These men don't know what it's like inside a painting. They know nothing of the nebulous netherworld. Believe me, to a normal human, that's a terrifying place. I'll give you some potions that Malfoy will believe are for mind control. They'll actually be healing potions, but he won't realize this, because you'll make him believe that you're cooperating. Tell him that you must hold onto your passenger to get him inside the painting, but that once inside, he can move around freely. If they test this part, they'll find it to be true. Don't tell them about the netherworld or its dangers. When you take your passenger in there to go to the next painting, leave him there, and go back to Hogwarts. He'll be trapped, and you'll be free."
She shook her head. "But, Severus…I can't just abandon someone inside a painting. They'll die in there. They couldn't possibly escape on their own."
"You can't worry about that, Evangeline. These people are ruthless! They have no mercy…no concern for others. They'll kill you if you don't give them what they want. I can't allow that!"
"But, Severus…"
Hoping to cut the argument short, he held her face in his hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "No, Evangeline. The only other alternative would be for me to attack Malfoy and the others when they return. I don't believe I could successfully kill or disable all of them, but I'm willing to try if you wish. I confess, the idea of Malfoy's lifeless body sprawled at my feet is very appealing to me at the moment."
Her eyes filled with tears. "No! You can't take that chance. They'd kill you! I can't let anything happen to you because of me."
He sighed. "We're running out of options, Evangeline. I suppose we could simply escape through the painting together."
"Then they'd know you're a traitor."
Snape nodded soberly. "Yes. My way is the only way that would prevent that fact from coming out."
She nodded sadly. "All right, but if I take someone into the painting and don't return…what will happen to you?"
"This could be a problem if we were defying Lord Voldemort, but Malfoy doesn't have the power or ability to kill or even hurt me for making a "mistake", and misjudging the level of control I had over you. I'll be fine."
"Not if you're the one who's ordered to go with me into the painting! Either I'd have to abandon you, or you'd be exposed as a spy when you escaped with me."
Conceding her point, he nodded. "This is a slight risk, but I can handle Malfoy. I won't be the guinea pig. Don't worry. This will work. Are you willing?"
She looked deeply into his eyes. "Of course, Severus. I trust you completely, remember. I love you."
He kissed her again. "I love you, too."
Turning to his bag once more, he pulled out the healing potions she needed and gently held them one by one to her mouth, after she drank them, he took out his wand and opened her manacles. When she collapsed, he caught her, and sat on the floor cradling her in his arms until she became stronger and more responsive.
"Do you feel strong enough to try this now?" he asked softly after a few minutes.
Evangeline gave him a hug. "Yes, I think so. How would the mind control potions affect me? How should I act?"
"You'd act normally, with perhaps a bit of detachment. No strong emotional outbursts. You'd follow my orders without question."
She looked up at him. "Would I follow anyone else's orders?"
"You'd look to me first." He stared at her seriously. "Do you feel able to stand now?"
She nodded. "I think so."
"Good." He kissed her gently once more, then he helped her to her feet.