"Jaken, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you, Medea." He crossed the room to where she stood and walked slowly around her, examining her from head to foot. "But then, I should know the answer to that. You came to find your Death Eater, your love. Frankly, I don't see what you ever saw in him."
"Jaken," Snape demanded, "release me!"
Jaken turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder at the Potions master pinned against the wall.
"I don't believe I invited you into this conversation, Sev." He flicked his wand, sending Snape crashing against the opposite wall. Snape cried out, then moaned as his chin fell to his chest.
"Tut tut, Medea. You came back here all by yourself. You couldn't even wait for me, but then, you never were one to do as you were told. Father and Mum never punished you enough as a child." He continued walking around her. She stood, unmoved, swiveling her neck to watch him as he moved.
"What is the meaning of this, Jaken? Release Severus, now!"
"Now, now, Sister. I hardly think you could take him if I released him. She couldn't before, could she Sev?" He glanced back over at Snape, who had raised his head, blinking to clear his vision.
"What are you talking about?" The words caught in Medea's throat, hardly making their way out.
Jaken reached under his jacket and removed dagger.
"Do you recognize this, Sev?" he asked, fingering the blade. "Probably not. I'm sure that night blends in with all your other murders. Just another evening of entertainment for you, I suppose?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Snape sneered. "I've never seen that weapon before in my life."
"A lie," Jaken returned calmly. "I'm sure it's only one of many you've told. How else could someone like you get a job in a school?" He stepped to the wall where Snape was being held captive. "Or perhaps you don't remember this one in particular."
Medea watched carefully as her brother stepped closer to Snape and held the blade in front of his face.
"Look carefully, Snape. This is why I'm here tonight. This is why Medea is here as well. Look at this blade. It holds your future, and I foresee a very short one for you." He flicked his wrist, cutting Snape's face along the cheekbone. Snape only flinched, but held in any pain he felt. He stared murderously at the man before him. "Sev, you look angry," Jaken said casually. "Do you wish to kill me too?"
"Leave him alone!" Medea ran forward and placed herself between the two men. She stared hard at her brother, then turned and gingerly reached to touch Snape's cheek. Before her fingers reached him, Jaken's hand gripped her wrist, spinning her away from him.
"No touching, Medea."
"Jaken!" Snape cried, struggling against his invisible bonds. "When I'm loose-"
"Quiet you!" he yelled, and whipped the blade again to Snape's face.
Medea cried out as a fresh line of blood began dripping down Snape's thin face.
"Why are you doing this? He's done nothing to you! Let him go!"
"You're wrong, Dear," Jaken answered stonily, his deadly stare trained on Snape's face. "He's done everything to me. He's taken everything from me, haven't you Sev? My parents. My sister."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Snape growled.
"Oh, I do. You remember, don't you?" He gripped Snape's left sleeve and pulled it roughly to his elbow, revealing his Dark Mark. "You may have forgotten you have this, but I haven't. This mark was left over my parent's home after they were murdered, wasn't it? You killed them. You and your kind."
"You're a fool if you believe that."
"And you killed my dear sister. I remember. You were there when I arrived. Did you think I didn't see you disapparate from her room?"
"Jaken? What are you talking about?" Medea stared up at her brother, tears brimming her eyes. "I'm right here. Nobody killed me."
The man stared sadly down at the young woman on the ground. He knelt beside her, gently petting her hair, as if attempting to comfort her.
"Hush sister. Shh, I know this is confusing for you. You have no memory of that night, do you? I'd almost forgotten," he said, looking down into her scared tear stained face. "But I do. You trust me, do you not? You've always trusted me, since we were children." He pulled a small bottle from his pocket. It seemed to be filled with silver whisps of smoke. "But don't worry. I have your memories right here."
Snape recognized the contents immediately. They were memories, reminiscent of those stored in a pensieve. He guessed it contained her memories of that night, her last night. Everything she saw. Everything she thought. Everything she felt.
"Don't do this to her!" he cried. "Do not put her through this!"
"I believe I told you to be quiet!" He threw the dagger hard at Snape. It embedded itself deep in his shoulder with a sickening thunk. He heard Medea cry out again, but it seemed distant. Snape was concentrating on ignoring the handle sticking out of him just to the left of his chin. He was breathing deep, steadying himself against the pain, willing it not to roll through like hot revulsion. He had to stay focused.
Jaken ripped the dagger unceremoniously from Snape's shoulder and returned to his sister. A gush of warm blood flowed from the wound, no longer hindered by the blade.
"You have to remember, Medea. You have to remember, so you can understand." He unstoppered the bottle and touched the tip of his wand to the top. The smoke seemed to cling to it like a long silver web as he moved it toward his sister and gently tapped her head. The web wound its way in through her eyes and ears. Her eyes widened as the new memories took hold.
"Tell me what you remember, Medea," he coaxed gently.
"I was in my flat. I had just come down from the roof. I was so sure you'd come back." She looked up at Snape. A new wave of tears fell from her eyes as she felt the loss again, so many years later, as if it had just taken place. "I was waiting for you to come back. There was a knock at the door. It was you. I- I thought it was you. I threw the door open. It was a man, cloaked so I could not see his face. He pushed me inside and shut the door behind him." She was shaking now, fear gripping her bones. Fear of what that man might want from her. "'Snape's whore.' That's what he called me. I tried to run. My wand. It was in my room. I had to get to my wand."
"Medea, who was it?" her brother hissed. "It was Severus under that cloak. Just tell me it was." He weighed the dagger in his hand, ready to sink it deep in Snape's chest at her word.
"Oh god, he's chasing me," she whimpered. "He's following me to my room. I can't move. I- I couldn't move! I was frozen. He came right up to me. His eyes, two black holes. His hot breath is on my neck, my face. He- he had a knife." She screamed, her body twisting from the memory of the knife sinking deep into her flesh. She cried out again and again, twisting, wrapping her arms around herself, protection from the memory.
"Medea," Snape whispered. Consciousness was wavering. His chest was sticky with his blood. He fought the urge to close his eyes, though they were getting heavier with each passing minute. He concentrated on Medea writhing on the floor.
"Tell me, Medea. Tell me it was him," Jaken spat.
Her eyes whipped open.
"No! No, it wasn't."
"You're mistaken. You have to be!"
"No," she repeated, straightening, but still clutching her chest as if she'd been stabbed. "He removed his hood and looked down at me. He was blonde. A thin face. It wasn't Severus. Jaken, it wasn't him!"
"It was," he said soberly. He stood. "He may not have stabbed you, but it was because of him. It all was. You were called his whore. If it weren't for him-"
Medea scrambled to her feet.
"Jaken, listen to me. It wasn't his fault. He tried to protect me. That's why he left."
"He left you to be murdered, Medea! He allowed it to happen!" He spun toward Snape, his face contorted in fury. "You did all of this! You got her killed!"
"No," Snape whispered, his head lolling to the side. "I came back- too late."
"Too late!" he cried, hurling himself at Snape.
Again, Medea threw herself between the two men to protect Snape, catching the blade in her chest with such force she was thrown back against Snape.
"Jaken?" she whimpered through trembling lips.
Her eyes widened as she stared up at her brother. His eyes widened at what he had done. He released the handle, sunk all the way to her chest, as if it had burned him. She slid to the floor.
"No. No! Medea!"
The door to the room exploded suddenly, sending splinters and chunks of wood flying against the walls. Before the smoke had cleared, a white flash of light hurled Jaken against the wall. Before he could scramble to his feet, Dumbledore stepped out from the cloud of dust, his face contorted in fury. His eyes were cold. Lupin stood behind him, his wand also drawn. Dumbledore flicked the tip of his wand toward Jaken, lifting him from the ground.
"Remus, go help Severus and Medea." His voice was calm, controlled, and utterly terrifying.
Lupin hurried over to them. He stooped over Medea and felt her neck for a pulse. Finding none, he reached up toward Snape's neck, his hands shaking now for fear of what he would find, or not find. Snape's eyes flickered at his touch. A low moan emanated from his throat.
"By Merlin, you're alive!"
"Medea," he stammered through the drunkenness of blood loss.
"Let's just worry about you, right now." Lupin ended the spell that held Snape against the wall and caught him as his limp body collapsed toward the floor. Supporting Snape's weight, Lupin lowered the professor so he was sitting on the ground against the wall, then glanced over at Dumbledore. He was binding Jaken Colberson with what appeared to be ropes that flowed from the tip of his wand.
Lupin opened Snape's shirt.
"You're in a bad way here, Severus," Lupin whispered as he examined the wound. "Come, come. Look at me. No closing your eyes. You must stay awake." Lupin caught his hanging head until Snape's dark eyes focused on him. The pained eyes made Lupin glad he had placed himself between him and Medea. His line of vision was blocked. He could not see her where he sat.
"Help Medea," he said, attempting to shove Lupin's hands away with his right arm. "He stabbed her. Help her."
"You'll bleed to death if you don't let me stop the bleeding."
"Help her!" He fought against Lupin's hands as they tried to slow the blood leaking from his wound. Lupin shoved Snape's right shoulder against the wall with his left hand and gripped his bleeding face with his right, steadying it so he was looking into his eyes.
"Severus, stop this. It is too late for Medea. She is already lost to us, but you are not. For once, let someone help you." Large tears had welled in Snape's eyes as Lupin spoke. "Please, let me help you," he continued. Snape tilted his head to see around the professor to see her legs and one bloody hand.
"Medea." He tried to crawl to her, but slid sideways on the wall. Lupin tried to steady him, but his hands were pushed away. Snape pulled himself toward her bloodied body until he was next to her. He touched her face, the blood from his own hands mingling with hers as he touched her wound.
"Oh god, Medea." His jaw was trembling. It was harder to steady himself, but he continued trying to rouse her. "Open your eyes, please. Don't leave me again. Please," he pleaded. His voice was a whisper. The room was spinning. His head was heavy. His ears ringing. Darkness fell on him as he collapsed over her body.