Black Night Part Eight Rated R Narcissa/Lucius, Bellatrix/Severus

But before long Sirius' happy mood dissipated, and when Lily and James and Peter left, Sirius was left anxious once again. Andry was out there, somewhere, and wherever she was she was in danger. She could be hurt, lying on some cold dungeon floor and bleeding slowly, she could be being tortured, or -

His thoughts were cut short when Snape stood abruptly. He strode over to where Sirius sat. "Don't do anything stupid like trying to go out on your own, Black," he hissed. "I've had an idea, and I'm going to find something out about this. I'll be back in a few hours."

On a hunch, Sirius pretended to look curious. "Where are you going to be looking? Mightn't it be quicker with two people?" he asked innocently.

Snape just shot him a withering look and strode out. Sirius felt a growl rising in him, low in his throat. An idea. Had a sudden summons, more like. And Bella wasn't going - this only proved that James was wrong. In his fierce triumph and relief that he had been right, he failed to notice that his cousin was wincing and holding one hand to her arm.

After a moment, Bella spoke. "You wouldn't do something like that, would you?"

"Like what?" Sirius said, knowing.

"Going off to find Andry on your own."

There was a silence. "I was going to," Sirius said frankly. "She's out there and she needs help. Death won't wait until morning."

She winced, and looked as if she wanted to harshly tell him that Andry was not dead would never be dead couldn't be dead I won't let her be dead please please please let her be all right. . . "We'll know soon. I've got a hunch. Severus' source ought to be reliable, anyway."

There was a long silence. "He's a Death Eater, isn't he?" Sirius asked, trying to force all emotion but bland interest from his voice. All he succeeded in doing was making himself sound ridiculously uncaring.

"He doesn't exactly confide in me," Bella said, and Sirius looked at her. Her eyes said she was telling the truth. "And frankly, " she added, "I'm not sure if I'd care if he was or not." Also true, Sirius saw, and was disappointed in her.

He looked down at Remus. Indeed, time seemed to have been the key. He looked very much better than he had before, almost his normal color. The bandages were still painful to look at, too.

As if obediently fulfilling his hopes, Remus stirred slightly, gave a soft moan - which, Sirius supposed, had to be better than being unable to make any sound at all - and his eyes opened.

He started, and his eyes focused on Sirius. "How long have I been out?" he asked. "How long since I talked to you?"

"Maybe three or four hours," Sirius said quietly. "How do you feel? Are you all right?"

"My neck aches like hell," Remus replied with a snort. "Why do hospitals always use too many pillows?" Lifting his head slightly, and, Sirius noted, being very careful of his bandages, Remus reached back and took three of the four pillows out from under his head. He sank back into the last with a sigh. "Much better."

"You missed the Marauder meeting."

"Not quite, actually," Remus said, smiling. "I was half-awake for a bit, I heard James moaning to Peter that you and I both looked 'like fucking hell, except paler and more unconcious'. Then I heard Lily telling him off for swearing in a public place. That can't have been too long before you woke up, because I sort of hung between sleep and no sleep for a while. Then I heard you wake up, but I must have fallen asleep again, because I don't really remember much after you reassured James that you were fine."

"They said you're going to be able to be out by tomorrow afternoon. You know, you can go relax at home or whatever."

"The hell with that!" Remus said vehemently. He lowered his voice. "I'm not staying at home while you go gallavanting about with a couple of - I mean, with a Death Eater and Bella, who is not, from what I see and hear, in wonderful condition."

Sirius had gone silent and his face was dark. "What were you going to say?" he asked softly.

"Hm?"

"A couple of. What were you going to say?"

Remus was silent a moment. Then - "I was going to talk about this later, Sirius, but I guess my mouth's been a bit to slow for that. All right. Sit down. I need to talk quietly."

Sirius did, still tensed and dark-faced.

"When Bellatrix and I got to Snape's," Remus said softly, "Bellatrix told Snape she wasn't there 'on business'. She also mentioned the Lestranges when Snape didn't want to have anything to do with me, said if he preferred she could go and get Rodolphus. There was a lot of strange stuff going on. And also - I mean, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, they're two of the people most involved in the Dark Arts, most likely to be Death Eaters, and your cousins are dating them. Both of them apparently met those two at the same time, both started dating them around the same time. . .I just think it's something you ought to think about, Sirius. I think you ought to confront her about it."

"First James and now you," Sirius muttered, feeling angry but even more unnerved - Remus and James together had logic that was almost solid enough to make him believe it, and either of them alone had arguments that made him at least consider it. "He thinks the same thing. I promised I'd ask Bella after this is over, all right?"

"Sirius, if Andry's been taken by the Death Eater's there's a good bet that one of them might know what's happened to her."

Anger sparked in Sirius' heart. Bella and Narcissa could not know, they couldn't. Andry was their IsisterI. Surely, even if they were. . .Death Eaters. . .surely they didn't know.

But Sirius was afraid, and he was anything but certain.

***

Severus Snape was not in a good mood.

He strode up to the circle late, only to find that everyone there was waiting. For him. Surprised, he knelt before the Dark Lord, kissed the hem of his robes, and stood at his place in the circle.

"I wonder where the missing member of our circle could be," the Dark Lord said quietly. His eyes were on Severus, who knelt again. Bowing his head, he said quietly, "My Lord, I regret to bring you the news that Bellatrix cannot be present. She was injured in the attack -"

"Attack, Severus?" the soft voice said, and there was actually an emotion in it - surprise, perhaps? Confusion? "Whatever do you mean?"

Suddenly, Snape felt a cold stab of fear in his heart. "My Lord, I was at Tonks' Tenement when several figures attacked there. They appeared to be Death Eaters, and from what I hear your Mark was slashed into the furniture. Bellatrix was with me and she was injured in the attack, she is recovering at St. Mungo's."

The Dark Lord was silent, and Snape knew he was displeased and perhaps unnerved. "I ordered no attack, Severus," he said finally, quietly. "Can you think of a reason why I would want the family?"

"My Lord, Andromeda Tonks went missing recently. I suspected other sources until during this attack. The child Nymphadora Tonks is a Metamorphmagus, Master, and since you have been drawing those with the powers of disguise and illusion to you I considered the possibility that you wished to take the child until her powers developed so that you could bend her to your will. The child's father, Ted Tonks, is a Muggle-born as well, so I also thought you might consider him good sport."

There was another silence around the circle. Snape took the opportunity to look around, and saw something that surprised him. Both Lucius and Narcissa were absent - and the Dark Lord had not commented on IthatI. Something was going on here that he did not like.

"Thank you for the information on the Tonks family, Severus, it may come into my plans later. I am also curious to discover why your attackers are making their movements appear to be my doing. However, there is a question I have for you, Severus, concerning your story. What were you doing at the house of a Muggle-born, and if you suspected the figures to be my people why did you not join them?"

"My Lord, I was at the Tonks residence because of Andromeda Tonks' absence."

"Please explain this. I do not think your connection is clear."

"Bellatrix Black and I are. . .close, My Lord. Andromeda Tonks is her sister and I wished to help her. We were planning on speaking to the Mudblood Ted Tonks."

"Very well. And as for the second part of my inquiry?"

"There were several other people there, My Lord, and I do not believe that I could have defeated them all. The attackers were clumsy but the other people there already did not trust me and one of them was escaping before I was even relatively sure that it could be the Death Eaters. If he had seen me attacking the others, my cover would have been blown, and the others who fought there were strong. They very well might have been able to overpower me."

The Dark Lord's eyes frightened him, and Severus stood very still. At last, his master nodded, and turned to the Fold in general, starting to speak of the upcoming strike, leaving Severus lost in his own mind, confused over the mystery at hand. This would take some thinking.