"Lexi!" Draco screamed as Narcissa froze her with a full body bind. "That BIT-"

"I agree with you completely, Draco, but KEEP WALKING," said Lucius in all sincerity, prodding him along. "She IS in charge of your little wife..."

"Wife?"

"What did you think all of this meant? Did you think Voldemort was doing it for shits and giggles?"

"I wouldn't put it past any of you," Draco growled. "Someone's really got to monitor your dosages more closely."

Lucius ushered Draco into a room and slammed the door, locking it. "Get dressed. And don't forget the Amulet."

"What if I just throw it out the window?"

"It will come back to you. Always... at least, until it's around Alexia's neck."

Then there was silence. Shrugging (what reason did he have to trust his father?) he casually tossed the Amulet through the bars and turned away... only to be slammed in the head with it as it sailed back in.

"I hate you," he muttered at the Amulet as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Told you so," gloated Lucius... before Draco found himself in green, silver trimmed robes.

"What the..."

"Slytherin's robes..." He got no farther before Draco cried out.

"Oh, WONDERFUL. I knew I recognized them. That psycho..."

Suddenly Lucius appeared on the bed in the room, scaring Draco half to death, although he didn't twitch a centimeter.

"Those robes KNOW it's your wedding day."

"Oh, like I PLANNED this?"

"No, but Voldemort did. Oh, come now, Draco. Look on the bright side. You're marrying your love."

"But... you didn't..."

"Did you ever see the Amulet on your mother?" Lucius asked rhetorically.

Draco refused to meet his father's eyes. How might his life have been different.. how might his FATHER have been different if he married his love?

~Draco?~

~Lex? You ok?!~

~Well, I'm frozen to a chair, in a TIGHT, low cut green dress, and your MOTHER is doing my HAIR!~

~Are you done yet?~

~Yup. How about you?~

~I'm in these green robes that appartently belonged to Slytherin himself. My father is staring at me. I just found out he NEVER loved my mother. Things are just peachy.~

~Peachy? Right. So it's peachy that my hair could get stuck in a CEILING FAN?!!~

Draco stiffled a snicker at the mental image that produced.

~Malfoy, STOP SNICKERING!~ she screamed.

~Oww! Here we go again with the Malfoy thing, huh? You're going to be a Malfoy too soon, hun.~

~Peachy? HUN? Just how many of my Muggle movies have you WATCHED?~
~Enough.~

~I KNEW you were taking them! Whoa... ok, center of gravity is different... oh, my God.~

~What?~

~I NEVER thought I'd say this, but...~

~You like what she did to your hair.~

~How'd you know?~

~I'm in your mind. Duh.~

~Oh, right... wait, are you moving?~

~Yes.~


Suddenly they were in the same room. Draco gaped at Lexi for a moment, still holding the Amulet, which was glowing almost frantically now. She looked beautiful. Lexi, too, was gaping. Draco looked handsome in the robes he complained about so much. Just as they were about to move, the frezzing bonds of the Imperious Curse gripped them.

"Insurance," cackled Narcissa, waving her wand and making them move together. She freed only Draco's hands for the time being, and they moved into a hall full of Death Eaters. Voldemort raised his arms, and they all followed in a uniform rustling of robes. Lexi surpressed a mental shudder.

~It's ok, Lex,~ soothed Draco as their unwilling feet carried them up the raised dais. The Death Eaters all kneeled as Voldemort motioned to Draco. "Place the Amulet around her neck, Draco," he hissed in Parseltongue.

~I'm sorry, Lexi,~ he thought helplessly as he placed the Amulet around her neck, hearing the sizzle as the clasp fused.

"They are bonded," said Voldemort, and suddenly the two were standing in another room.

~Not much for ceremony, are they?~ commented Lexi dryly.



**********************Meanwhile************************

Sirius snuck cautiously into the hall, keeping to the shadows that would hide him from the eyes of those who would see him suffer in Azkaban for the crimes he didn't commit; He was on his way to Dumbledore's office. He had received the owl only two hours ago and the message held within was enough to send him racing almost haphazardly through the old halls to get there as soon as possible.

At the same time in Hogsmeade, seated at the bar of the Three Broomsticks, Jessica Black had just received an owl that would change her life. It took her a moment to process what she was reading, and at first her eyes didn't want to believe it. Instincts took over as the shock began to fade; she got up from her stool, threw a few Sickles on the counter to cover her bill, and raced out of the tavern heading towards Hogwarts. One thought raced through her head over and over, ~ My baby. My Baby. ~


As Sirius reached the door to Dumbledore's office he heard footsteps pounding steadily down the hall behind him. He drew back hastily into the shadows and was about to transform into Padfoot when a familiar voice hissed, "Don't, Si…" The panting, out of breath voice was none other than his wife, who drew back into the shadows as well to embrace him.

"Sirius… what the hell…"

"I don't know, Jess." His own voice sounded choked with emotion. He took a deep breath and continued, "Did you get an owl?"

"Here."

She handed him the letter, which was almost identical to his own.

Jessi-

Come to my office as soon as possible. Your daughter is gone, and in grave danger.

-Albus

He looked up, a sudden thought hitting them both simultaneously.

"Sirius… if Albus is involved…"

"He knew." Sirius ground his teeth and hissed. "He KNEW."

"Come on."

They made their way up the stairs, and Jessi listened cautiously at the door. There were voices inside; one recognizable as Harry; one equally recognizable as Severus Snape. Jessi turned to Sirius, but Padfoot was already scratching at the door with his paw.

"Come in, Jessi; Sirius."

Jessi pushed the door open. Harry, Ron, Hermie, Sephie, and George were sitting there silently. Hermione and Persephone had obviously been crying. Remus and Ally were sitting there as well, guilty looks leaping onto their faces as soon as they saw Jessi. Severus Snape was in a corner chair, head in his hands: a perfect picture of anguish.

"What the HELL is going on… and what is HE doing here?" demanded Jessi hotly, shoving the door closed so that Sirius could transform. George knew Lexi's lineage already, and did not show a flicker of recognition.

Dumbledore rose slowly. Snape, however, raised a distraught face and hissed, "This involves me as much you, Black."

"Severus." Dumbledore's tone was soothing. "We need to explain ourselves… and the situation… before you can expect them to understand."

"Fine. You explain it. Right now I'm too pissed off to do anything."

The students raised eyebrows at this, but said nothing.

"Jessi, Sirius, please sit down."

" What do you know about our daughter?"

Those present exchanged guilty looks, and Jessi jumped on it. "WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

Snape rose and started pacing. "I am best to tell this. I was there for most of it. And you know for damn sure you won't get any sympathy, which would muddle the story."

Sirius surprised them all by saying, "Go ahead, Severus," while putting an arm around his wife protectively.

"Jessi, do you remember being abducted?"

"Yes… just… a flock of Death Eaters… I was coming out of the… the doctor's office! Yes, I had just found out about being pregnant! They… they jumped me."

"Yes, we did."

Sirius let out a growl, but Snape ignored it. "You see…" He told the story simply, without reserves.

Jessi stared at Snape in horror. "You."

"I was ordered to wipe your memory completely. But no matter how much I hated you, I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I merely put a block on your memories of that time, so that, in due time, you would remember. Your daughter was chosen as Voldemort's heir… and once he was gone, the others had no idea what to do with her. You didn't remember giving birth, and Sirius was… indisposed. So I took her to my sister Janelle."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes. She runs a house for wizard children, usually orphans, in New York. She took the girl in, and she stayed there until she received the letter for Salem. She had already met Sephie, there… and I came to see her when I could. Technically, Janelle and I were her guardians.

Then she started dating a boy last year… one who is a prominent Death Eater. He tried to get her over to their side, but, of course, she told him to go to hell. They dueled in the middle of Salem's Main Audience Hall, and the rest of the school was frozen, watching. She held up well, but the Cruatious Curse got through. She resisted bravely, and he left. Lodell, the Headmistress of Salem, brought her here to keep her safe."

"Whoa. Time out. She came here."

"Um-Hmm."

Sirius turned to look at Godson and friends, who looked decidedly ashamed. "You knew her."

Hermione was the one who spoke up. "Sirius, we didn't know Lexi was…"

Jessi made a soft sound.

"Yes, that's her name, Alexia. We didn't know she was your daughter until a few hours ago, and by then she and Draco were already gone…"

"What does Malfoy have to do with anything?"

"They're dating, actually." Snape smiled sardonically. "Nagini's prediction was well stated. As much as I hate to admit it, they love each other."

"They're 15! What do they know about love?"

"Please," Snape snorted. "Lexi is twice as headstrong as the two of you combined, and Draco has gone to hell and back to resist the Dark Lord and his father. The boy has been put under the Cruatious Curse more than I have. Instruments dating back to Salazar Slytherin himself have been used to torture him. He's been tested by double strength VeratisSerum. The two of them are, actually, perfect for each other. Now, if only they weren't so stupid…"

"Where are they?" asked Sirius.

"They?" questioned Dumbledore, obviously restraining a smile.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If Draco 'loves' Lexi as much as you say he does, then wherever she is… so is he. Where are they?"

"When Nagini bit them, a variation of the Dark Mark was placed on them: Only visible when Called, and twice as painful as the Dark Mark itself. They came to me for help, and I gave them a potion of my own design… made to lessen the pain of being Called. Voldemort has been talking to them through mind connection, and apparently they took Draco, knowing Lexi would follow. Now, we have no idea where the are or what's happening."

"Except for the fact that they aren't near," interjected Harry firmly.

When they all looked at him, he pointed to his scar and said simply, "No pain."

"Well, now what?" asked Jessi.

"There is nothing to do but wait."