Disclaimer: The setting of this story, and most of the characters are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling, I lay no claim to them. However the characters of Malana Avonell and Schön are of my own creation and to these two, I do claim rights.
----------------------
Snape stepped out of the hie'yel event and into a room he didn't recognize. Still slightly disorientated from the transfer he looked around at the faces of his fellow Death Eaters. Voldemort moved among them, sweeping his way to stand before him.
"Well done, Snape" the Dark Lord hissed mockingly, "I had begun to think you might have a change in loyalties."
"I have done as I was asked to, my Lord," he replied trying to keep his voice calm and even.
"Goyle!" Voldemort snapped, and Goyle senior, even bigger and more bullish than his son, stepped forward and relived Snape of his burden. "Take her upstairs and prepare her."
Snape watched as she was taken from the room.
"I suppose you are wondering what I plan?" the Dark Lord continued smoothly.
"My Load's wishes are my own," Snape replied obediently, with a slight bow.
"From what Malfoy has told me, I doubt that very much," Voldemort, hissed contemptuously.
Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the crowed to stand next to the Potions Master, giving him a sadistic smile. Suddenly Snape's hands were seized and forced painfully behind him. Someone uttered a spell and his hands were bound tightly.
"Master," Peter Pettigrew had entered the room, "your seer says you must not wait too long."
"Thank you Wormtail," Voldemort said, then turning back to Snape he added sharply, "Bring him!"
Snape was pushed roughly forward. As he was pushed and shoved out of the room, he realized where he was; they were in the Malfoy Manor House. He cut his eyes to Lucius who smiled cordially back at him. No one said a word as the Dark Lord lead the procession of Death Eaters up the main staircase and down a hall to a closed door.
Voldemort stopped and turned back to his minions.
"Bring him forward," he demanded and Snape was dragged to the front of the others.
"I am about to conceive a son, Snape," he said coldly, "and you are going to have the privilege of witnessing my triumph over this woman. She wouldn't give the secret of immortality, so I'm about to take it from her in the form of a son. A son whose body I intend to poses, a body that will be immortal."
Snape struggled to free himself, but the robes binding him only became tighter.
"No, Master there must be . . ." he protested, a sick feeling rising in the pit of his stomach.
"SILENCE!" the Dark Lord roared, pointing his wand at Snape's chest, "Curcio!"
Searing pain wracked Snape's body, making him drop to his knees, but it only lasted a few seconds.
"Forgive me, Master," Snape panted.
"Bring him," Voldemort snarled as he pushed open the door.
Snape was drug into a large bedroom. There, bound spread eagle to the bed was Professor Avonell. Still in the deep haze of the Kurr she turned her head towards the sounds, a terrified and dazed expression on her face. Snape was forced back to his knees a few feet from the bed.
Voldemort waved his wand and Snape watched in horror as Avonell's clothes melted away.
"No, Master, you don't understand," Snape pleaded, struggling to break the grip that held him, "she not immortal!"
"Sedate him!" the Dark Lord bellowed.
"You must do it now," warned a grizzled old woman Snape had never seen before.
"No," groaned Avonell weakly, "please no."
Snape tried to turn his head away from the scene before him, but it was forced back brutally.
Avonell screamed in terror as the Dark Lord loomed over her. Snape felt a pinprick behind his ear, followed by the heat of the Kurr as it spread throughout his body, blackness encroaching around the edges of his mind. Mercifully he lost conciseness as Avonell's screams of terror and pain dissolved into pitiful wails of anguish.
***
Schön bounded into the Great Hall just as Ron, Harry and Hermione were starting on dessert.
"Oh, hello Schön," Harry said as the cat jumped into his lap, "where's Professor Avonell?"
"Yeoooooow" the cat cried, jumping down and running a short distance, before returning and repeating the maneuver.
"I think he wants us to follow him," Hermione said excitedly, getting to her feet.
Harry and Ron did like wise, Ron grabbing several éclairs before starting after his friends.
Schön lead the trio back to Avonell's office, the door automatically opening at the cat's approach. As Harry entered the office, another stabbing pain shot through his scar.
"What is it?" asked Ron, seeing his friend put his hand to his head.
"My scar," Harry gasped, "it's really bad this time."
Schön was howling and trying to jump up onto the back bookcase. Harry stumbled to the shelves and tipped the book, making the section slide aside.
"How did you know about that?" Hermione scolded.
Harry busted into the darkened room beyond, the fire springing to life as he entered, his friends following behind timidly.
"I've been in here before," Harry said in a matter-of-fact tone.
He turned toward the mirror and as he expected, the golden chain hung from it.
"She gone," he sighed.
"Gone, gone where?" Ron asked breathlessly.
"How do you know?" Hermione added.
Harry walked slowly to the mirror and pointed to the chain. "She used the mirror," he told them.
"Mirror, what are you talking about?" Ron blurted out.
"It's some kind of a portal," Harry continued, "I've seen the Professor come out of it, she said she had just come from St. Mungo's." He put out his hand and touched the very solid surface of the mirror.
"Do you know how it works?" Hermione asked.
Harry shook his head. "Something has happened, I'm not leaving until she comes back."
***
"You fools!" Voldemort ranted, "I wanted him awake!"
Snape became aware of his surroundings again; through the haze of the drug he could feel himself being lifted roughly back to his knees. As he opened his eyes, the twisted face of the Dark Lord loomed over him.
Voldemort grabbed a handful of his hair and wrenched his head back to face him. "I have another task for you," he hissed.
"What – what is it, Master," Snape gasped, trying to focus.
"It is done, My Lord," the old woman said in the background, "she carries your child."
Snape grounded miserably, and Voldemort wrenched his head back further.
"You are going to take her back to Hogwarts," he continued in a threatening tone, "and you are going to insure that this pregnancy goes full term. Or you will both suffer a long and horrible death," he released Snape who slumped back to the floor, his hand now unbound.
"Leave them," Voldemort ordered, "he'll need to sleep it off."
The others slowly left the room, leaving Snape where he laid. Slowly he raised himself up and looked around. A mirror, similar to the one in Avonell's room, but slightly different in design stood silently in a corner where none had been before, obviously it had been brought up from the parlor.
Avonell lay on the bed, now wrapped in a thick blanket. Snape got unsteadily to his feet and staggered to the bed, collapsing onto its edge.
"What have I done?" he sobbed, "what have I allowed to happen to you?" he looked down into her face. In the soft glow of candlelight, he could see her face and neck were bused. "Dear Merlin, what have I done?"
Lowering himself to the bed, he wept.
***
Snape awoke some hours latter to the sound of muffled voices outside the room.
"Let them be," a woman's voice cried, "They'll leave as soon as they are able."
"I want to make sure she's still alive," a man's voice answered angrily.
Snape fumbled to his feet, he had recognized the voices, Lucius and Narsica Malfoy. Shaking off the last of the Kurr, he hurriedly punched the sequence of symbols, which would take them back to Hogwarts.
"Get out of my way!" Malfoy demanded.
Snape took up Avonell's lifeless body in his arms.
"Why?" his wife retorted hotly, "so you can have your way the that whore as well?"
Snape heard the sound of someone being struck, as he ducked his head and stepped into the Hie'yel event.
***
"You must leave," Izzy, begged wringing her hands, "Harry Potter and his friends must not be here."
"I'm not leaving," Harry answered sharply.
"Come on Harry," Ron whined, "we've been here all night."
"Izzy's right," Hermione agreed, "we really should leave."
"I'm not . . ." his words died in his throat as a hum filled the room.
Harry scrambled to his feet, Ron and Hermione backing away as the surface of the mirror rippled and shimmered.
They watched as Professor Snape stepped out of the mirror, carrying Avonell's limp body, still wrapped in a heavy woolen blanket. Izzy and Hermione both screamed.
Harry, Ron and Hermione expected Snape to explode in anger at them, but instead he addressed them calmly but firmly.
"Wesley, get Madam Pomfrey," he ordered, "Potter go to Dumbledore tell him to come now. Granger, Izzy I'll need your help," he looked at the boys still standing dumbstruck. "Go, now!"
Ron and Harry bolted from the room.
Snape carried Avonell to the bed and gently laid her upon it.
"Professor, what happened?" Hermione gasped in spite of herself.
"I've failed her, Miss Granger," Snape said heavily as he walked to the wardrobe and remove a nightdress, "put this on her," he said thrusting it into Hermione's hands, and with that he left the room.
Several minutes latter, Hermione entered the office, to find Snape leaning against the mantel of the fireplace he head bowed, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Um, Professor," she started slowly, "we've finished."
"How badly is she hurt?" he asked in a dismal voice.
"I don't know, I'm not a doctor," she answered.
"I know that girl!" he snapped turning to face her, "but you are nearly a woman. How badly is she hurt?"
She stood there, her mouth open.
"Granger," he growled.
"I think . . ." she stammered, "There's something you should see – on her arm."
Snape's face went pale and he rushed past her, Hermione having to jump out of his way to keep from being run over. She followed him back into the bedchamber, and approached the end of the bed, where the house elf stood wringing her hands again.
Snape reached out and took hold of Avonell's left wrist turning her arm over to reveal the Dark Mark on the inside of her forearm, a skull with a serpent for a tongue.
"You bastard," Snape breathed, gently replaceing her arm across her midriff, he then straightening back up and throwing his had back he bellowed, "you filthy bastard!"
"Severus, such language!" it was McGonagall, she had just entered the room, closely followed by the others.
Madam Pomfrey push past the others, "what is going on here?" she demanded.
Snape moved to the chair and sank down, elbows on his knees, his face in his hands.
"I failed her," he croaked desolately.
"You three," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron and Hermione, "go back to your dormitories."
"But . . ." all three said at once.
"Don't argue," he told them sternly.
They turned and left, realizing they would loose any argument they might try.
Only once the trio was gone and the bookcase once again closed did Dumbledore turn to Madam Pomfrey.
"Poppy?" he said gently.
Pomfrey straightened up from her examination of Avonell, looking quite pale and distressed.
"She in a sort of coma," she answered slowly, "You better have a look at this Albus," she lifted Avonell's arm to reveal the now fading Dark Mark.
"Severus, please explain," Dumbledore said calmly, turning to the Potions Master.
"I was ordered to take her before Voldemort," he said flatly, sitting up and pushing his hair out of his face.
"And she went willingly?"
"She went knowingly."
"Then she didn't take the mark of her own accord?"
Snape shook his head, "she had been drugged."
"This kurr?"
"Yes."
"And you?"
"Also drugged."
"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey said in alarm, interrupting the questioning, "she's . . . she's been . . . been . . ."
"Raped," Snape uttered the single word as if it had been a death sentence.
***
Not until they had reached the main hallway, did anyone say anything.
"Just what the bloody hell happened?" Ron asked coming to a halt. Harry and Hermione turned to face him.
They exchanged confused looks as Hermione slumped back against the wall and buried her face in her hands.
"Hermione, what's wrong," Harry asked concerned by his friend's reaction.
"Snape had Izzy and I get her into a night gown," she started hesitantly, "oh Harry, she'd been beaten, and there was a Dark Mark on her arm," she slid down the wall to sit on the floor.
Harry sat down next to her, Ron on her other side as she began to cry.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked in shock, "Avonell would never take the Dark Mark!"
"What are you holding back?" asked Harry in a choked whisper.
"I think . . . I don't know for sure, but I think she had been raped," she wept.
"Snape!" Harry began hotly.
Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No," she said urgently, "not from his reaction," she blinked back the tears.
Harry looked back at her.
"He nearly exploded when he saw the mark," she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
"We heard," Ron breathed starring at nothing.
"I . . . I think he may be," she paused afraid to go on.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry pushed gently.
"I think Snape is in love with her," she blurted out.
"What?" Ron gasped turning to face she and Harry, "why do you say that?"
A new wave of tears wracked Hermione.
"I saw him kiss her yesterday, before the Halloween feast," she moaned, "If I hadn't hidden from them, I might have been able to keep this from happening."
Harry put his arm around her shoulders, "you don't know that for sure," he said soothingly, "you can't blame yourself."
Ron leaned closer and whispered, "I think he spending too much time with Professor Avonell. He's starting to sound like her."
Hermione chuckled sadly; leave it to Ron to try to be funny in the face of tragedy.
"It's nearly time for breakfast," Ron added, getting to his feet. Harry followed and the two boys help Hermione up.
"Leave it to you to think about food," she sighed.
"After breakfast," Harry added thoughtfully, "we could all use some sleep."
Together they trudged off to the Great Hall, in silence.
At the head of the marble stairs leading to the front Hall, Harry stopped abruptly, Ron nearly running into him.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"You guys go on, I'll catch you up in little bit," answered Harry distractedly. "I just remembered something I need to do."
Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks.
"We can come with you," Hermione said whipping the last of her teas from her face.
"No," Harry replied trying to keep his voice calm and natural, "I need to do this for myself."
Ron took Hermione by the arm, "maybe he just needs to be alone. Come on I'm hungry."
Harry watched as his friends started down the stairs and after they had entered through the doors of the Great Hall, did Harry turn on his heel and bolt back down the corridor.
***
Professor Snape buried his face in his hands again as what had just been said sunk in for the others. After several seconds of utter silence, Dumbledore turned back to the medi-witch.
"Poppy is she pregnant?" He asked quietly.
"Yes, I believe she is," she answered grimly, turning back to her unconscious patient.
McGonagall sank onto the edged of the bed, looking very green.
"Minerva, are you all right?" Dumbledore asked putting a hand on the Transfiguration teacher's shoulder.
"Sybil may have foreseen this," she whispered, looking up at the Headmaster.
Avonell twitched violently, her mouth forming a word, but making no sound.
"She coming around," Pomfrey told them urgently.
Snape shot up from the chair as a terrified shriek filled the room.
Avonell thrashed wildly as if fighting for her life, striking Madam Pomfrey making her stagger backwards. Snape steadied the Healer then dropped to sit on the edge of the bed beside Avonell.
"NO!" Avonell shrieked again striking out at him. "NOOOO!"
Snape seized her wrists trying to control her, to keep her from hitting him again.
"Malana," called Snape, but it made no difference, she continued to fight him.
"Make him stop," Avonell wailed pitifully, "Severus, make him stop!" she screamed squeezing her eyes shut, tears streaming out from under her tightly closed eyelids. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, no long thrashing wildly, but now fighting to break Snap's hold on her. "OH GOD, MAKE HIM STOP!"
The others moved toward them. In the commotion, none of them heard the bookcase slide open again.
"Stay away!" bellowed Snape struggling for some modicum of control over Avonell's frantic attempts to break free. "Malana, you're safe now," he yelled back at her over her screams. "You're back at Hogwarts."
"SEVERUS, HELP ME!" she pleaded desperately.
"I'm here Malana, you're safe," he roared at her.
Her eyes flew open, she froze in mid scream and for a moment their eyes met.
"You're safe now," whispered Snape.
Slowly she closed her eyes and let herself relax. Snape released her wrists as she began to weep hysterically, collapsing against his shoulder. He closed his arms around her, holding her tightly, whispering to her, rocking her gently, and burying his face in her hair to hide his own tears.
***
Harry had been met with a scene he hadn't expected when the bookcase slid open. Snape was sitting on the bed struggling with a screaming Avonell, the others standing by helplessly. She had cried out for Snape to help her, yet she was trying to fight him off. Confused he stepped into the room.
He watched as she froze then collapsed into Snape and he had embraced her. Suddenly, Dumbledore turned towards him.
"Harry," he started, but Harry was seized with an impulse that overwhelmed him.
Pushing past Dumbledore Harry ran to stand behind Avonell. He looked down at her, at Snape who held her, as a lover would embrace his beloved, heard him whispering to her, "You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you. I won't let them hurt you ever again." Her sobs where beginning to subside.
"Harry, come away from there," Dumbledore said calmly starting to move forwarded again.
Snape looked up at Harry, his tear stained face half hidden by Avonell's hair.
Without warning, Harry dropped onto the bed, leaning the side of his face against the back of Avonell's neck and putting his arms around her and Snape in an awkward three way hug.
For an instant everything stopped, suspended in time. But only for an instant, the next, Avonell had wrenched herself out of the embrace, screaming again.
"GET OUT!" she shouted scrambling backwards way for them, as if she thought they might try to kill her.
McGonagall moved to the edge of the bed to stop Avonell from falling off. Harry jumping back to his feet, his eyes wide, his mouth open in a silent scream of his own.
Avonell, half turned into McGonagall, like a frightened child, driving the heals of her hands into her temples.
"GET OUT!" she railed, "Get out of my mind!"
A streak of gray leapt onto the bed and launched itself at Harry, landing squarely in the center of his chest with enough force to knock the boy to the floor. Harry tore Schön off him and tossed the cat aside.
Scrambling back to his feet, Harry bolted out of Snape's reach, as the older Wizard made a grab at him.
Harry rounded the foot of the bed, fists clinched, his body rigid with anger.
"You never told me!" he shouted, "You never told me!" He advanced on Dumbledore.
"Harry," Dumbledore started again, but Harry tore past him and out of the room.
With sudden realization of what must have just happened, Professor Snape jumped to his feet and followed after the youth.
Harry raced through the outer office tearing open the door to the classroom, and disappearing towards the front. Snape followed, stopping at the back of the darkened room. Harry sank down at a desk in the front row, crying.
"What did you see?" Snape asked firmly trying to keep any tone of anger out of his voice, as he started slowly up between the rows of desks. "What did you take from her?"
"All of it," croaked the boy before putting his head down on the desk.
"How much did you see?" Snape continued drawing closer to Harry.
Harry sprang to his feet turning rage filled eyes on the Potions Master.
"You've done that before," he shouted, "you've comforted her like that before, when . . . when . . ."
"When?" Snape stopped several feet from Harry, his dark eyes meeting Harry's brilliant green ones.
"After she had that fight with her son – MY FATHER!" Harry's face was contorted with rage, tears still coursing down his face. "She's my grandmother!" he continued shouting. "You loved her!"
"I still do," Snape replied softly.
"Then how . . ." his voice dropped to just above a whisper, "how could you let Voldemort do that to her? How could you let him hurt her like that?"
Snape looked crestfallen, the boy had been right, he had taken all of it. Harry turned and sank back into the seat.
"Why wasn't I told she was my grandmother," he sobbed, "wasn't I told I still had family?"
"Someday," Snape said, his voice heavy with regret, "you'll under stand. Someday it will all make sense, I promise you." Slowly he drew his wand out and pointed it at Harry's back, "Obliviate." He whispered.
Harry's body went limp.
"Thank you Severus," Dumbledore's voice sounded from behind him. Slowly Snape lowered his arm.
"It should never have been kept from him," Snape informed the older Wizard as he turned to face him.
Dumbledore shook his head, "this is the kindest way, Severus."
"I'm not convinced of that," Snape muttered putting away his wand.
"Where you in rapport with her?" Dumbledore asked gently.
"No!" Snape snapped at the accusation.
"Then he must have done it himself," Dumbledore sighed heavily.
"He is her grandchild," Snape replied glancing back at Harry.
"Poppy's give Malana something to calm her down. She's asleep now," continued the Headmaster calmly, "Perhaps you should do the same. You've been through great deal."
Snape gave his a slight sneer.
"Minerva is going to stay with her, for now. I'll take care of Harry," Dumbledore said looking back at Snape sternly, "Go and get some rest."
Snape left without another word, and headed back to his own office.
He dropped warily into one of the winged chairs by the fire and stared unseeingly into the flames, lost in thought.
"Surely you don't begrudge our Master his revenge?" came a silken voice from the shadows.
Snape jumped to his feet, his hand closing around his wand.
"Now, now Severus, I'm not your enemy," the voice continued as Lucius Malfoy stepped into the pool of light.
"Why are you here, Lucius?" growled Snape menacingly.
"I came to see my son," the other Wizard replied casually.
Snape narrowed his eyes, "that's not why you're here."
Malfoy shrugged, "It's as good a reason as any," he said dryly. "Surly you are not lamenting over the demise of that wench, are you?"
"Get out," Snape uttered in a low and very dangerous tone.
"What do you want with the likes of her?" Malfoy continued to taunt, "she's damaged goods now."
"Get out," Snape sneered at him as be began to advance on him, "Get out of my sight!"
Malfoy only smiled, "you know I'm stronger and faster then you are, Severus."
"Sis'sharr!" Snape drawled venomously, "Naah morr faajqui taahgruw-nu!"
Malfoy's pale face went even whiter.
"You're a disciple?" breathed Lucius in horror.
"I was, once," answered Snape, his wand now pointing at his fellow Death Eater's heart, "a long time ago."
Malfoy regained his composure. "You always were drawn to power, Severus, lacking any of your own," he said looking down his nose at the other man.
"GET OUT!"
Malfoy gave him a cold smirk and calmly left.
