All disclaimers are in place. Refer to the Prologue section for details.
PART FOURTEEN: DECEPTION"But only to prevent them from discovering that you're a spy. I won't get involved in any of your dirty work," Halo warned him.
"I don't expect you to."
"What do you expect, then?"
Snape looked at her, considering. Several seconds passed before he formulated a reply. "I expect only the most brilliant of acting skills that you can offer."
She raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"
"There's more to acting than you can possibly imagine."
She folded her arms across her chest, leaning back in her chair. The Pepper-Up potion had not worked more than a few wonders for her state of wakefulness, nor had it done much for her tired appearance. "Enlighten me," she challenged him.
Snape came around his desk and pulled up a chair to sit before her. His robes spilled to the floor around him. Folding his hands with index fingers steepled, he began.
"In short, you must be able to make Lucius Malfoy, among others, believe that you are truly a Death Eater's daughter, trained to believe the same things about Mudbloods that they do. And if they hear you refer to the non-magic populace as Muggle-born…"
"I get the idea," she interrupted.
"I'm relieved that you understand the frailty of the situation, but may I be permitted to continue uninterrupted?"
Halo held up her hands. "By all means."
"Now, this is how the evening should play out: We will arrive by carriage at the Malfoy's estate. When we are greeted at the door, it is imperative that you do not act in hostility to anyone who touches you. I understand your feelings on the matter, and it was unfortunate that I felt the need to prevent you from seeking physical attention when you were young. My reasons at that time are irrelevant to this situation, so I ask that you do not press the issue until a later time. You may find that some of the people you will meet on Friday may be tempted to escort you downstairs… you must not let this happen. I may need to speak with Malfoy alone, at which point I will assign an appropriate escort to you."
Halo opened her mouth to speak, but it turned into a gargantuan yawn.
Snape sighed. "We will discuss this further tomorrow. You need to rest." he rose from his chair and hauled her to her feet. He was silent as he escorted her back to her room, pausing briefly to give her shoulder a squeeze before leaving her to sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday came and went as quickly as the House Elves who made the beds. Halo looked more and more tired after each session; remnants of her exhaustion were still evident on Friday morning when she reported to Snape's private chamber.
"You don't look well," he observed when she walked in, buttoning his white linen shirt after an early morning shower.
It occurred to Halo that she'd never seen him without a shirt on; this was the closest she'd been to walking in on him with some part of his body unusually exposed. The fleeting thought passed when he retrieved a dark chocolate satin gown from among the sea of black clothing in his armoire.
"This is what you'll be wearing to the gathering."
She looked upon the garment with a contorted expression of horror. She vaguely recalled being forced to wear a dress on her first day of primary school… and the disastrous consequences of that event. Shuddering, she kicked herself back into the present. "I'm not wearing that," she declared.
Snape shot her The Look. "Yes you are."
Halo opened her mouth to protest further (she was doing that a lot), but decided to close her eyes and count to ten instead. In the end, she decided it wasn't worth the energy of arguing, not if she was expected to stay awake tonight. "Fine," was all she said.
Snape looked somewhat shocked, but brushed it off. He made tea and launched into another lecture about what she could expect at the impending 'party,' and even had her act situations out with him. It was lunchtime before he finally relented to send her to her room with her gown, a bottle of 4-hour dreamless sleep potion and instructions to be ready to leave at six o'clock that evening, explaining that he'd send a House Elf to assist her when she woke up. With a look of deep gratitude and a hint of understanding, he sent her on her way.
The dreamless sleep was just that, and it lasted until exactly four o'clock. Halo took her time in the shower, repeating to herself that everything would turn out all right, that no one would be hurt and she'd be safe and warm in her bed before the next morning. She only hoped it was true.
The House Elf showed up just as she was assembling herself into her gown, which to her surprise didn't look that bad at all. It was moderately form-fitting, with long sleeves and a flowing skirt that fell smoothly to the floor like a drooping daisy. She sent the House Elf away, explaining that she was thirteen years old and could dress herself, thank you very much.
Luna had shoved her way into the room through the window and shook a flurry of snow onto the bed where she landed. "Luna! You're making a mess!" She muttered indignantly to the owl. Luna shivered slightly from the cold, dropping a roll of parchment onto the bed.
Halo sighed. "I'm sorry, girl. I'm sure you had to brave the weather to deliver this, She lifted the chilled bird and set her on her perch by the fireplace, tossing a few owl treats into a dish. She really is a beautiful animal, Halo thought as she stood back for a long moment, watching her familiar dry herself. She'd never taken the time to really look at the bird before. Unlike the average flat-faced ball of feathers, the Sentinel owl looked slightly more like a hawk than an owl, with a sharp, curving beak and a lean, defined appearance. A little like a Phoenix, even. Sharp, silver eyes and cerulean feathers tipped with white gave the owl a regal appearance.
~~~FLASHBACK~~~
Snape looked down at four-year-old Halo with an appraising eye. She was busy shredding shrivelfigs over a pint-sized cauldron, a task she was quite familiar with as she'd been brewing for almost a year now. He was aware that she knew he was there, but did not disturb her until she'd put the cutting instrument down and rose to wash her hands. The silvery owl perched on his arm remained silent.
He prepared himself for the imminent discussion of her future. With Dumbledore's help he had found a suitable home for her, far away from him. He knew it was the best thing for her, and for him as well. He hated himself for being her father.
Halo returned to the table and looked up at him for approval. "Is that a hawk, Father?" she asked, indicating to the bird.
"No, Halo. She's your new owl." With that, the bird swooped down to the table before Halo, tucked its wings and stared up at her new owner determinedly.
"That… thing is an owl?"
The bird chittered disapprovingly.
"Be mindful what you say, she is quite temperamental. Most Sentinels are."
"A Sentinel?"
"A protector owl, cross-bred Gyrfalcon, Snowy owl and Phoenix. Her sole purpose in life is to value your safety above all else. You must treat her with she respect she deserves."
Halo considered the little bird. "She's awfully small," she judged.
"She's still young. She'll grow as you do." he crossed his arms over the front of his robes. "You must greet her with a chosen name for her to understand that she's yours."
Halo continued to consider the hybrid creature for several minutes before speaking again. "Hello, Luna," she greeted the bird, extending her arm.
The bird looked at her cautiously.
"I'm sorry for calling you a thing."
The owl clucked her beak forgivingly and leapt with the grace of a cat onto the girl's arm. A wave of color washed over the bird from the tip of her beak to her long tail feathers, a stunning flash of several shades of blue scattered with silver points. It was quite a sight.
"Thank you, Father."
"You're welcome, now we need to talk."
~~~END FLASHBACK~~~
The nearly-grown Sentinel was truly an image of nobility, Halo observed, pulling herself into the present once again. Not an owl for the weak-minded, and definitely not one to companion someone of lesser status. Halo's lack of knowledge then had been replaced with the awareness that Sentinels were quite rare, and therefore equal in cost. Over the years she'd sometimes forgotten how valuable the bird was, much more as a companion than a possession.
The image reminded her that her familiar would expire when she did. It was a comforting feeling in the way that she would not have to face life after death alone, but it saddened her that the world would be devoid of this beautiful creature, all because she had life-bonded with it the moment it landed on her arm nine years ago.
Halo crossed the room again and stroked Luna's satiny feathers. Luna responded, lovingly rubbing her closed beak against Halo's hand, as if to say, "You remember we're a team now, do you?"
Halo afforded herself a smile as she went back to her task of preparing to face the Malfoys. It was nearly six o'clock when she wrapped the matching dress cloak around her shoulders, donned her gloves and exited her bedroom.
Snape was at the bottom of the steps leading up to the entrance hall when she rounded the corner. His face transiently betrayed his emotions, those of recognition and awe.
He had donned his best winter robes, those of rich, midnight blue velvet. He'd even had the sense to even the ends of his hair and comb it neatly, Halo noticed as she approached him.
She mistook his semi-gaping stare for disapproval. "I don't look that bad, do I?" she began smoothing the folds of her dress when Snape took one of her gloved hands and brought it to his lips.
"If what I'm about to say ever reaches the student population, my career will be over." He took a deep breath. "I've never seen you look more beautiful."
All right, where's my Father and what have you done with him? "Thank you," she said warily.
"I know that look, and no, I haven't been possessed, I assure you." He looked her up and down. "Something is missing, however."
"What did I forget?"
Snape reached into a deep pocket and retrieved a small, white satin bag. The content revealed itself in the form of a platinum cord necklace. Dangling from the center was a single, unique snowflake studded with petite diamonds. It was exquisite, contrasting the warm tone of her gown beautifully.
"This is for all the things I haven't done for you in the past. I still find it amazing that you would do this for me," he explained as he fastened the necklace underneath her carefully plaited hair. When he was finished he turned to face her again.
"Is there anything you're not clear on, anything you wish to ask before we depart?" he searched her face for apprehension.
"I don't think so. You've been quite thorough."
Snape nodded. "Here."
"What's this?" she took a black handkerchief he was holding out for her.
"It's laced with Pepper-Up. All you have to do is inhale."
She nodded. "Thank you."
He brought the hood of her cloak to rest over her hair, held out his arm, she cautiously took it and allowed him to lead her up the stairs.
"Good luck, you two," a voice sounded from behind them.
They turned to the source of the voice and saw the Headmaster looking upon them approvingly, flanked by a worried Professor McGonagall.
Snape nodded to the old man, glanced toward his colleague and steered Halo out the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was dark and snowing lightly by the time they reached Malfoy Manor. Snape took her hand and helped her out of the carriage. He prayed she wouldn't stumble over her dress, but knew better than to voice this concern. The girl had much more important things to worry about.
A terrified-looking House Elf greeted them at the door and took their coats while another escorted them to the doorway of an indoor courtyard. It cleared its throat and announced their arrival.
"Conte Severus Snape and his daughter, Contessa Halo."
As they stepped into the room, the objects of several scrutinizing glances, Snape felt Halo squeeze his arm firmly. He knew he'd have some explaining to do later about their introduction.
"Ah, Severus, you've arrived!" Lucius Malfoy swept toward them with his severe-looking wife. "You remember Narcissa."
"A pleasure, Madam." Snape's voice could not have been more detached as he bowed slightly in much-practiced respect.
The woman inclined her head slightly in greeting and excused herself. Lucius had his wife well-trained, she stayed out of his business for fear of him.
"And this must be Halo," Lucius' voice lowered to that of a man who had just found a wealth of Galleons: easily spendable.
Halo offered her hand to the loathsome, silver-haired man. "A pleasure to finally meet you, sir." The words were well rehearsed and snuck by easily.
"Likewise, my dear," Lucius purred as he took her hand and placed a kiss on it. "As I was telling your father just recently, we have great plans for you."
Halo nodded in acceptance, skillfully hiding her fear.
Lucius waved to his right, and Draco strolled over. "I'm sure my son will be more than happy to entertain the young lady while we catch up on some long-neglected business." he told Snape. "Come, my friend. There is much to discuss."
Snape met Halo's eye with a mutual glance of support before following Lucius up a sweeping staircase and out of sight.
"So, Contessa, you're not going to tell me why you're here, are you?" Draco sneered.
"I am here at the request of your father, not by my own choice," Halo equaled his glare, and then surpassed it.
"They've got plans for you, you know."
"So I've been told."
"Any idea what they might be?"
"Oh, I have many ideas."
Draco leaned in closer to her. "I'm going to dispense with the typical remark and get straight to the point. In a moment, I'm going to offer you my arm. I want you to refrain from making a scene, I'm only going to take you to an adjacent room so we can talk."
Halo sized him up. From the training she'd been receiving since their last encounter, she had no doubt she could shatter the blond boy's entire skeleton in one blast. She nodded at his proposal.
As promised, he offered his arm, and when she took it he steered her through the crowd and into an empty antechamber. He closed the door behind him and turned to her.
"This is my father's study. No one will be able to hear us in here."
"And why is this discussion warranted, Draco? I don't even like you."
"You don't have to like me, but I do ask that you listen. There's much we need to discuss." He indicated for her to take a seat, and he sat opposite her. "Before I start… I just wanted to tell you that I think you look beautiful tonight."
Halo looked upon him as though he were a bug, one that needed to be squashed quickly. "Do you have any control over how creepy you can get?"
Draco gave her an unwavering grin. "Unfortunately, no."
He was almost handsome when he didn't force himself to look so superior and menacing, Halo noticed. She forced herself to stay alert. There was no way she would allow herself to relax in the younger Malfoy's presence.
"So did you bring me here just to tell me that, or was there something else?" she pointed out when he hadn't yet wiped that silly grin off his sharp face.
Draco shook himself out of his momentary fixation and resumed a serious expression. "So you're Snape's daughter… how on Earth did that happen?"
"I assume you know the basics of human reproduction?"
"You know what I meant."
"Did I?"
"He was never married, my father told me that much."
"Then your father was uninformed. As was everyone else." Halo armed herself with pre-arranged cover story, complete with verification as public wizarding records had been altered to reflect the information she and her father had formulated.
"So he was married? To who?"
"Contessa Peri Mandelor." Halo offered with a self-satisfied smile.
Draco turned white when it hit him: there was actually another student whose mother had held higher station than both his parents combined. It took a moment for him to recover.
"Oh I'm sorry, you weren't expecting that, were you?" Halo feigned surprise.
Draco had to admit, the girl had a reputation for cunning. It was well earned. He felt safe revealing his motive.
"I am going to tell you something, and I need you to at least consider that what I'm about to tell you is the truth, and you can verify it later." He blew out a breath. "I know what my father's plans are for you… he has this notion that the Dark Lord will be returning this year, and he wants us to take the Mark together when he returns.
Halo raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "That's all?"
"I'm not finished."
Halo shot up from her chair. "Well I am."
"Halo, this is important!" He moved to cut her off at the door.
"I strongly suggest you move, Draco."
The boy gulped, but did not move. "Not until you hear what I have to say."
He did not appear at all intimidating, malicious or condescending at that moment, but just plain determined. It might be worth hearing after all, she thought after a moment. She folded her arms. "Continue."
He stood fast in front of the door. "I don't want to take the Mark. Ever. I don't know whether or not you do, but I want control over my life. I've already spoken to Dumbledore, and told him everything, short of anything that will get my father a prison sentence. He promised to protect me. I implore you to do the same."
Halo was so shocked, she could have blown her cover and not cared in the slightest. It took a long, searching stare into Draco's icy blue eyes before she found her voice.
"When did this happen?"
"Shortly after I ran into you in London, actually… by the way, I've been meaning to ask you about that."
Whoa. Draco's going to go against his father, one of the most influential and feared wizards in Britain? What alternate universe have I stepped into? Halo thought.
"I want to know how I ended up on the ground," he continued, "because I know you didn't push me, even though you probably should have, I was being an arse…" he rambled, "… but in any case, did you feel anything? Were you pushed too?"
"Uh… yes, I was," she dissembled. "I think someone was wearing an invisibility cloak or something."
Draco nodded. "I figured that was it." His face returned to its original concern. "I know we've had our differences in the past. But this is important. All our fathers want is to control us, and then turn us over to Voldemort, if he ever comes back. Do you understand?"
"Oh, I understand all right. You want me to believe you so I'll end up making an arse of myself and put my father in danger. Stop me if I misread any of this rubbish."
By the Gods, she was beautiful when she was figuring things out, Draco thought. Too bad she misunderstood my aims completely. "No, no those aren't my intentions at all!" He started to get upset. "Damn it, I shouldn't have told you anything. Now you're going to go straight up to my father and tell him that I'm turning my back on the family…" he flopped down in his previous seat looking definitely miserable. He was shaking. "Go on and tell him, I know you want to… he'll kill me when he finds out… he'll kill me… at least it'll be better than following him…"
"Draco, how am I to believe you're telling me the truth?" Halo offered.
"Maybe the fact that I've never been this upset in front of anyone in my life!" he belted out. It was true, he was an awful sight. His nose was running, his cheeks were flushed and he looked like he was afraid that she'd kill him herself.
Oh Gods, why didn't I keep my mouth shut? I was so sure she'd at least give me a chance to explain… Oh Gods… I'm going to die… she's going to tell…I may have to kill her…
The conflict in Draco's eyes betrayed him. "Come with me… downstairs, please…"
"Oh no you don't, I know what goes on down there."
Damn it!
"And don't you think for a second that I believe you, not until I confirm this with Dumbledore."
Wait… she's going to confirm it? "You're not going to tell your father… are you?"
"Of course not! You think I want to get us in trouble?"
He believed her.
"So you'll consider it?"
"I didn't say that."
"But you'll at least think about it…"
"If you really have gone to the Headmaster with this, then it might be worth considering. I'm not sure I want my life controlled for me either, but becoming a Death Eater has some very powerful advantages. I want to do what will best fit my future."
"And you won't tell anyone?"
"If there's anything I am good at, it's keeping a secret."
"Aside from being good at scaring the Hell out of the entire student population?" Draco was regaining some composure, he'd begun to wipe his nose on his sleeve.
Halo afforded a rare, knowing half-smile in response. "You'll have to keep up your act at school, otherwise people will start to wonder what you're up to."
"I do know how to act, thank you very much."
"Good. As do I."
Draco wondered what she meant by that.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"So how are the Dementors faring?"
"Quite well, actually. They took it upon themselves to interrupt a Quidditch match to satisfy their need for human interaction." Snape put much emphasis on the last two words.
"My son told me as much." Malfoy paused. "I suppose you're wondering how I found out about her."
"That, among other things."
Lucius Malfoy smiled darkly. "There was a note left on Draco's trunk one morning, with specific information about our Lord's return, and also about a certain young lady who had rather interesting parentage, and some illness that would overcome her this summer. I figured you wouldn't tell me on your own, seeing as you felt it necessary to protect the girl. But we need her. Surely you can understand that."
Snape inclined his head and poured himself another drink. He never drank. But then, he never had to discuss the sensitive topic of his daughter with a man who knew nothing of sensitivity, and whom he most despised. And now there was another element… an unknown spy at Hogwarts. Snape had only one theory: Sirius Black.
"So who was she?" casual conversation nudged upon dark gossip. Lucius Malfoy was good at gossip. He knew everything that went on under the noses of the oblivious, and it itched at him that he hadn't known that his dark colleague was hiding something right under his turned-up nose.
"Who was who?" Snape arched an eyebrow.
"The bloody tramp you screwed to produce that charming future Death Eater who I assume is presently flirting with my son."
"Peri Mandelor." Snape thanked the Gods that Dumbledore had filled him in on the lost information, making it possible to twist it as much as he needed to make the cover story plausible.
"What?"
"Halo was left along with a note at the gates when she was only a few days old. A blood test proved she was mine," he lied. He was usually good at lying, as good as Malfoy was at gossiping.
"I seem to remember we had a follower named Mandelor some fifteen years ago… as I recall, he didn't get on too well with his comrades and ran off." Malfoy appeared to be straining to surface long forgotten information. "Ah yes! I remember now, You weren't there when we found him, were you? No you weren't… you were off convincing that old fool Dumbledore to trust you. We all took turns… there must have been ten of us… the idiot was so terrified he wet himself before we'd even lifted a wand to him. It was one of the less memorable events, but drawn out longer than most. It took him forever to die." The greater of the two evils in the room was positively giddy recollecting the details of his victim's death.
"That was Peri's brother, Linnaeus. I allowed Halo to retain the name for her protection."
"Excellent. It will be much more difficult for Dumbledore's esteemed colleagues to link her to you once she accepts her duties with us, don't you agree?"
"Halo won't have anything to do with our plans… yet," Snape interrupted. "Not until after she finished school. She'd just as soon be confronted by the Headmaster and tell him everything." He hoped this would be enough to convince the silver-haired man sharing the silent, warded upstairs chamber with him.
It wasn't.
The elder Malfoy's voice was velvety and condescending. "You really expect me to believe that, don't you? Severus, you're losing your touch." He walked the study, the wheels in his brain almost visibly turning. "No, I don't believe she'll tell anyone, least of all that senile old coot who runs that school. She would certainly have informed him of your true allegiance." He stepped around Severus to the window and looked below to his guests in the courtyard. "As I understand it, she'll only be useful until the summer. Plenty of time to get valuable information through her from Dumbledore… in fact, I don't believe the old fool knows that she is yours, does he?"
"No. And I don't want this getting back to him, or she'll be useless to our side. I suggest that you… encourage your son to keep this little piece of information to himself." Snape's tone was mildly threatening.
"Already done."
"And he'll be keeping his hands to himself as well."
"Now Severus, you know as well as I do that my son is just that, a boy who has desires… and he'll require only the best."
"He won't be getting it from my daughter."
"Perhaps… not yet."