Author's Note: This story begins during the Second year at Hogwarts, during the Chamber of Secrets and will continue as time goes on. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic and along with my friend, ElfFlame, we are writing a series of four stories, which begins with ElfFlame's story- True Revenge. All four of these stories are interrelated and for the best understanding of the characters as we see them, they should be read in conjunction to each other. As always, I own none of this wonderful world that JK Rowling has created.
Author's Note: At this point in time I would just like to say that in telling events of this story from Lucius Malfoy's point of view, I am merely showing his frame of mind. I do not in any way condone or promote the things he does.
Spoiler Warning: This story contains spoilers, both minor and major from all five Harry Potter books.
Wicked Lee: I feel sorry for everybody too at this point in the story, and unfortunately it isn't going to get any better for quite a while. But I promise it will end on a positive note.
TavingtonRose: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!
Arsinoe3: Lucius isn't getting much out of his alliance with Voldemort, unfortunately, he's in way too deep to get out now. As it is now, I think death is his only option for getting out, but stay tuned to see what happens, it won't be pretty, but it will resolve a lot. That sounds cryptic, I know, but I can't say anything more, sorry!
Sanctuary
Chapter Note: For those of you who are squeamish around snakes, be warned, there is a snake in this chapter.
Voldemort tried to find the best way to bring Adriana to his side. As soon as he found her, he knew there should have been no problem in drawing her in. Voldemort had a strong feeling that Lucius made Adriana out to be much more than she really was. Was this girl really worth his efforts to find her? Probably not, but he did like the idea of torturing Lucius in the process.
Voldemort wondered who'd be best suited for bringing Adriana to him. Bella was powerful, but a loose cannon, and might not be the best one to go to her. Pettigrew wasn't very strong, and Voldemort thought that even if Adriana wasn't as strong as she was made out to be, she might be able to hurt him. Crouch, perhaps? But he'd changed since he'd returned to his master's side. Before, Crouch had relished the torture aspect of the Death Eaters, but now the years away from his master had weakened him somewhat.
Voldemort knew he'd think of the right person for the job in time.
Adriana walked around her property one afternoon, holding Renata in her arms. It was late March, and some of the flowers were starting to bloom. Renata enjoyed looking at all the things on the farm. Adriana picked a blue flower and held it up for the baby to look at. Renata held one small hand out to grab the flower while she chewed contentedly on the other one.
Adriana was enjoying motherhood more than she remembered the first time around. Renata gave her a whole new way of looking at the world. She felt as though she was seeing it all for the first time again. Adriana didn't care if she was being biased, Renata was the sweetest, smartest, most precious baby in the whole world. Every time Renata looked up at her with those clear gray eyes, she melted. The first three months of her life had been nothing but pure joy. Adriana looked forward every night to waking up to another day with her daughter, which tended to begin only a few hours later. Renata woke regularly every few hours for feedings, she was a very demanding girl when it came to eating. Luckily Adriana was able to sleep in every morning, so she didn't mind.
Renata loved looking at her toys sent to her by her "uncles". Her room had soon grown full of books, clothes, and toys given to her. The first gift Severus had given her was a can of green paint, so that Adriana could redecorate her bedroom more appropriately, or so the note attached to it had said. Renata's favourite toy was Sly the Rinbear, and she couldn't fall asleep at night without it by her side.
Adriana remembered the first time Severus had visited the baby, Renata had slept for almost the entire time, but he enjoyed holding her in his arms. Adriana let him feed her a bottle, which Severus said he could do forever. She watched as he put Renata on his shoulder and gently patted her back. When she spat up all over his shirt, Severus had claimed that he didn't mind.
Severus had told her he was studying child development in order to be a better godfather to Renata. According to This Witch's Guide To Healthy Babies, by Amelia Rourke, Renata was right on schedule for her growth. Now that she was three months old, Renata was capable of doing so much more than even just a month before. Severus showed Adriana what he meant as he set Renata on her stomach one day and was delighted to see Renata lift her head up to look at him as he sat on the floor next to her. And also just like Rourke said, Adriana could see how Renata now smiled at Severus when he came to see her. She remembered the first time Renata had smiled at him. He'd picked her up while she was sleeping, and after a short time, she'd woken up, saw Severus, smiled and cooed at him happily. Severus smiled back, and nuzzled Renata on the nose, cooing back at her.
Renata was on friendly terms with all her "uncles", for Albus and Alastor visited as often as possible too. There were some weeks when all three men were scarce, due to their Order business. Adriana was always worried about Severus and his role in the Order, for while she didn't know what he did, she'd heard it was very dangerous, and very important. She hoped it wasn't something as dangerous and foolish as sneaking in to Death Eater meetings. That thought made her cringe every time it surfaced.
All of this was the last thing on Adriana's mind as she traipsed through the woods on the outskirts of the property. As she stepped towards a tree to show Renata the bark, she heard a snapping noise as she set her foot down. Lifting up her foot revealed shards of glass. "What was that?" She asked herself, carefully avoiding the glass while walking to another tree. As Adriana and Renata went back to the house, she saw Severus waiting for them, and the trio spent a wonderful afternoon together.
Since Adriana wasn't a part of the Floo Network, Voldemort couldn't send somebody directly into her home, which would have been ideal. As it was, he would have to send somebody to her property, and transport her back to him. The few people he'd sent over to her house had all met with Order opposition and came back unsuccessful. Somehow the Order had set up some sort of detection system around her property. He'd sent people to try to get in from every direction, but nothing worked. Then, one day, Voldemort sent a most trusted servant to try one last time, and was delighted at his servant's success. Finally, he'd been able to get through to Adriana.
Adriana stood under an apple tree in her yard. It was still too early for the leaves or fruit to be appearing on the tree, so she munched happily on an apple that she'd purchased from a store, taking in all the sights of the farm. She was momentarily startled when a snake slithered down the tree, next to her. "Well now, that's not something that happens every day," She said aloud to herself, looking from the snake to the apple she was holding. "What are the odds of that?" The snake looked at her before continuing down the tree. Adriana wasn't afraid of snakes, she was used to them on her property, although this one was significantly larger than she was used to seeing. "Well, off you go, about your business. And don't you eat any of my chickens, or I'll wring your neck!" She called out to the snake as it left her sight.
A half an hour later, Adriana went inside to check on the baby, who should still have been taking her nap. Walking into Renata's room and over to the crib, she gazed lovingly at her precious daughter. She had Sly the Rinbear at her side, she could never sleep without it. On Renata's other side was a snake, curled up next to her, sleeping. At first Adriana thought it was Renata's stuffed snake from Severus, but soon came to see it was the same one she'd seen earlier. Alarmed, Adriana tried to remain calm as she floated the snake up away from Renata, who continued to sleep peacefully. From where she stood, she opened the window and threw the snake outside, where it hit the ground with a loud thud. Adriana heard the snake hiss angrily as she walked towards the window. As she glared at it, the snake slithered back to the window and stood up on it's tail, at her eye level. It's eyes flashed red, and as it opened its mouth to hiss again, she heard a quiet laugh coming from deep within the snake's belly. This was no ordinary snake, Adriana thought. "Tell Riddle if he wants to talk to me, he should walk his arse over here himself!" She shouted at the snake before slamming the window shut.
Adriana was shaking by the time she reached Renata's crib. Looking her daughter over carefully, she saw that the snake hadn't done anything to her, but that didn't stop Adriana from picking Renata up and holding her close to her. "Oh my darling, I was so scared!" She said hoarsely, trying to fight back tears. Adriana spent a sleepless night in Renata's room, looking out the window.
The next day, Adriana's life changed forever. As she opened the back door to go milk the cow, she found a letter on the first step. After bending down to pick it up, Adriana carefully opened it, breaking the green skull and snake wax stamp that held it shut, and was horrified at what she read:
Miss Orendes,
I want to tell you how very much I've been looking forward to finally meeting you. Lucius has told me so much about you, and it has intrigued me. I think you would be a most wonderful addition to my family. Your power, if harnessed correctly, could lead to greatness, and I would be honoured to be the one to help you. With you on my side, together, you and I could rule the world.
On another note, I must tell you, you have a beautiful daughter. It is girls like her that make me wish I had a daughter of my own. She'll be a very popular girl when she's older. You'll need to make sure she associates with the right people. My family can help you with that.
I'll be contacting you again soon, so you and your daughter can come and see me. I cannot wait for you to comply, for it would be a shame for such an opportunity as this to pass either of us up.
Don't worry about sending an answer to me. The look on your face right now is answer enough. Oh, and one last thing: I don't really go by that name anymore. Lord Voldemort, or My Lord should suffice. I'll be seeing you and your lovely daughter, very soon.
-Lord Voldemort
Adriana dropped the letter out of her hands as though it had bitten her. As it fluttered to the ground, it burst into vibrant green flames and burned away before it hit the porch. Riddle knew where she was. He'd be coming for her, and when she didn't go with him, he'd go after Renata.
Adriana's heart pounded. Renata wasn't safe here. Adriana could take care of herself against Riddle, but she couldn't take care of them both. In a blind panic, Adriana ran into the baby's room and started throwing all of Renata's things into bags, packing her daughter's life into whatever she could carry.
Where could she take Renata? Where could she go where Riddle would never find her? Her first thought was to take her to a church. If only she hadn't been excommunicated. Renata needed sanctuary and Adriana knew that there were kind sisters out there who would care for her if Adriana was able to take her to them. But then she was struck with the sudden fear of leaving Renata to people like that, after what had happened to Eleanor, she didn't want that to happen again. She had no family in the Muggle world for Renata to stay with. The closest to a family she had were Albus and Severus. Maybe she could stay at Hogwarts with them. There were many charms set up to keep the school safe. That might be just the place for her. After making up her mind to take Renata there, the horrible thought of leaving her daughter hit her. How could she leave her baby? She couldn't stay at Hogwarts with Renata, Riddle wouldn't stop until he'd found her, she couldn't bring that danger to the school, no matter how well protected it was.
As Adriana ran to the writing desk in the living room to send a post to Severus, she stopped as she realized that sending an owl was no longer safe. It could be intercepted by Riddle or one of his cronies. How could she get in contact with Sev? She couldn't just show up at the school, she'd heard enough about that Umbridge woman over there; Adriana couldn't be sure she would arrive at the school and not run into her. Besides, there was always the possibility of another encounter with Draco, which she didn't want. If she went to Hogsmeade, it should hopefully be close enough for her to call out to Severus. Then he could meet her there and take Renata back to the school.
Adriana slowly returned to the baby's room and continued to pack. She put Sly the Rinbear, all of Renata's clothes, and the crystal containing Draco's hair into a bag and zipped it shut. When she came to the adorable blue tam Madam Kapelo had made, Adriana folded it up and put it in her jeans pocket. It was something she wanted to keep with her to always remind her of Renata. After a couple of hours, everything Renata had was packed away into bags. There were far too many for Adriana to carry, so she found an old trunk that she'd used for her own Hogwarts days, and put everything into that.
It was midday when Adriana was ready to leave for Hogsmeade, yet she couldn't find the strength to go. She sat on the couch with Renata in her arms, rocking her back and forth. Renata looked into her eyes and smiled while Adriana fed her one final time. She wrapped her tiny fingers tightly around Adriana's finger. They sat that way for a long time, locked in one another's gaze, holding on to one another. Adriana wondered if she should try to explain why she had to send Renata away, she was too young to understand, and Adriana wasn't sure she was ready to say the words out loud yet.
After several more hours of putting off the inevitable, Adriana apparated to Hogsmeade with Renata in her arms, along with the trunk of Renata's belongings. They went to the Three Broomsticks, a friendly pub, found a booth, and sat down. The look on Adriana's face must have been enough to ward off any interruptions, for she was mercifully left alone by the other patrons and servers.
Opening her mind, Adriana called out to Severus, telling him where she was and imploring him to come as soon as possible. She hoped he'd heard. About a half and hour later, Severus walked into the pub, a look of extreme concern upon his face. Adriana bade him to sit down, took a deep breath, opened her mouth to speak, but found herself beginning to cry instead. Closing her mouth and trying to regain her composure, Adriana spoke into Severus' mind. Besides, it was dangerous to speak of such things aloud in public. "Riddle knows where I live. He's coming after me, and if I don't do what he wants, he'll take Renata."
Severus looked incredulously at Adriana, "What are you talking about?" He asked quietly.
Adriana told him of the snake in Renata's crib, the letter and its contents, and how it had burned up when she'd finished reading it. "Normally I wouldn't care about something like that, I mean, I can fight him off, but I can't ensure that Renata won't be unharmed in all of it. It isn't safe for us to be together. I'd rather Riddle find me by myself so I can deal with him. You must take her, Severus. You can hide her at the school, keep her safe," Adriana said, rather quickly.
Severus looked dumbfounded with all this new information. How had Nagini gotten past their perimeter? Now that the Dark Lord had his eyes set on Adriana, there wasn't much Severus could do to prevent him from finding her, though that wouldn't stop him from trying. "Of course she can stay with me, but you can too. Why not come with us?"
"He's not going to stop till he finds me. I can't bring that danger to the school. I have to be alone, so nobody else gets hurt." When Adriana saw the concerned look on his face, she added, "It's going to be all right, Severus. I'm not afraid of him, he can't do anything to me."
Severus knew it was no use arguing with her once she'd made up her mind, especially since she was right. Wherever she was, there would be danger from the Dark Lord. The further away she was from the school, the Order, and her daughter, the better. Severus looked at Renata as she slept in her mother's arms. Could he protect her from such an evil as the Dark Lord? He knew he'd fight to the death to keep Renata safe, but hoped it would never come to that. Silently, he held his arms out to accept Renata.
Adriana stood up, slowly walked over to Severus, and put Renata in his outstretched arms. Standing before them, she spoke quietly, "I never really understood what the parents during the War felt like, watching their children ride off on trains to the country for their safety. Hoping they'd stay safe from the bombings. Not knowing if they'd ever see them again or not. I never thought I'd have to do the same thing, but hopefully it won't be for long. This war won't be as long, it can't be, I won't let it," Adriana said, putting on a false bravado that she hoped would last until she finally left. Leaning down, Adriana hugged and kissed both of them, and quickly turned away to hide her tears.
As Adriana walked away from Renata, she heard the baby begin to cry in Severus' arms. It tore her apart to keep walking, but it was for the best, to keep her child safe. As the tears flowed down her face, Adriana sent her daughter a lullaby, the last one she'd sing to Renata for a very long time:
You didn't ask me to be born, you,
Why should you learn of war or pain.
To make sure you're not hurt again,
I swear I'd give my life for you.
I've tasted love beyond all fear,
And you should know it's love that brought you here,
And in one perfect night,
When the stars burned like new,
I knew what I must do.
I'll give you a million things I'll never own.
I'll give you a world to conquer when you're grown.
You will be who you want to be, you,
Can choose whatever heaven grants.
As long as you can have your chance,
I swear I'll give my life for you...
Severus watched Adriana leave, while rocking the baby to calm her down. He was amazed at how quickly Renata fell asleep in his arms. Enchanting the trunk to float behind him, Severus walked with the baby back to Hogwarts.
References: Song is "I'd Give My Life For You", from Miss Saigon.
Author's Note: At this point in time I would just like to say that in telling events of this story from Lucius Malfoy's point of view, I am merely showing his frame of mind. I do not in any way condone or promote the things he does.
Spoiler Warning: This story contains spoilers, both minor and major from all five Harry Potter books.
Wicked Lee: I feel sorry for everybody too at this point in the story, and unfortunately it isn't going to get any better for quite a while. But I promise it will end on a positive note.
TavingtonRose: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!
Arsinoe3: Lucius isn't getting much out of his alliance with Voldemort, unfortunately, he's in way too deep to get out now. As it is now, I think death is his only option for getting out, but stay tuned to see what happens, it won't be pretty, but it will resolve a lot. That sounds cryptic, I know, but I can't say anything more, sorry!
Sanctuary
Chapter Note: For those of you who are squeamish around snakes, be warned, there is a snake in this chapter.
Voldemort tried to find the best way to bring Adriana to his side. As soon as he found her, he knew there should have been no problem in drawing her in. Voldemort had a strong feeling that Lucius made Adriana out to be much more than she really was. Was this girl really worth his efforts to find her? Probably not, but he did like the idea of torturing Lucius in the process.
Voldemort wondered who'd be best suited for bringing Adriana to him. Bella was powerful, but a loose cannon, and might not be the best one to go to her. Pettigrew wasn't very strong, and Voldemort thought that even if Adriana wasn't as strong as she was made out to be, she might be able to hurt him. Crouch, perhaps? But he'd changed since he'd returned to his master's side. Before, Crouch had relished the torture aspect of the Death Eaters, but now the years away from his master had weakened him somewhat.
Voldemort knew he'd think of the right person for the job in time.
Adriana walked around her property one afternoon, holding Renata in her arms. It was late March, and some of the flowers were starting to bloom. Renata enjoyed looking at all the things on the farm. Adriana picked a blue flower and held it up for the baby to look at. Renata held one small hand out to grab the flower while she chewed contentedly on the other one.
Adriana was enjoying motherhood more than she remembered the first time around. Renata gave her a whole new way of looking at the world. She felt as though she was seeing it all for the first time again. Adriana didn't care if she was being biased, Renata was the sweetest, smartest, most precious baby in the whole world. Every time Renata looked up at her with those clear gray eyes, she melted. The first three months of her life had been nothing but pure joy. Adriana looked forward every night to waking up to another day with her daughter, which tended to begin only a few hours later. Renata woke regularly every few hours for feedings, she was a very demanding girl when it came to eating. Luckily Adriana was able to sleep in every morning, so she didn't mind.
Renata loved looking at her toys sent to her by her "uncles". Her room had soon grown full of books, clothes, and toys given to her. The first gift Severus had given her was a can of green paint, so that Adriana could redecorate her bedroom more appropriately, or so the note attached to it had said. Renata's favourite toy was Sly the Rinbear, and she couldn't fall asleep at night without it by her side.
Adriana remembered the first time Severus had visited the baby, Renata had slept for almost the entire time, but he enjoyed holding her in his arms. Adriana let him feed her a bottle, which Severus said he could do forever. She watched as he put Renata on his shoulder and gently patted her back. When she spat up all over his shirt, Severus had claimed that he didn't mind.
Severus had told her he was studying child development in order to be a better godfather to Renata. According to This Witch's Guide To Healthy Babies, by Amelia Rourke, Renata was right on schedule for her growth. Now that she was three months old, Renata was capable of doing so much more than even just a month before. Severus showed Adriana what he meant as he set Renata on her stomach one day and was delighted to see Renata lift her head up to look at him as he sat on the floor next to her. And also just like Rourke said, Adriana could see how Renata now smiled at Severus when he came to see her. She remembered the first time Renata had smiled at him. He'd picked her up while she was sleeping, and after a short time, she'd woken up, saw Severus, smiled and cooed at him happily. Severus smiled back, and nuzzled Renata on the nose, cooing back at her.
Renata was on friendly terms with all her "uncles", for Albus and Alastor visited as often as possible too. There were some weeks when all three men were scarce, due to their Order business. Adriana was always worried about Severus and his role in the Order, for while she didn't know what he did, she'd heard it was very dangerous, and very important. She hoped it wasn't something as dangerous and foolish as sneaking in to Death Eater meetings. That thought made her cringe every time it surfaced.
All of this was the last thing on Adriana's mind as she traipsed through the woods on the outskirts of the property. As she stepped towards a tree to show Renata the bark, she heard a snapping noise as she set her foot down. Lifting up her foot revealed shards of glass. "What was that?" She asked herself, carefully avoiding the glass while walking to another tree. As Adriana and Renata went back to the house, she saw Severus waiting for them, and the trio spent a wonderful afternoon together.
Since Adriana wasn't a part of the Floo Network, Voldemort couldn't send somebody directly into her home, which would have been ideal. As it was, he would have to send somebody to her property, and transport her back to him. The few people he'd sent over to her house had all met with Order opposition and came back unsuccessful. Somehow the Order had set up some sort of detection system around her property. He'd sent people to try to get in from every direction, but nothing worked. Then, one day, Voldemort sent a most trusted servant to try one last time, and was delighted at his servant's success. Finally, he'd been able to get through to Adriana.
Adriana stood under an apple tree in her yard. It was still too early for the leaves or fruit to be appearing on the tree, so she munched happily on an apple that she'd purchased from a store, taking in all the sights of the farm. She was momentarily startled when a snake slithered down the tree, next to her. "Well now, that's not something that happens every day," She said aloud to herself, looking from the snake to the apple she was holding. "What are the odds of that?" The snake looked at her before continuing down the tree. Adriana wasn't afraid of snakes, she was used to them on her property, although this one was significantly larger than she was used to seeing. "Well, off you go, about your business. And don't you eat any of my chickens, or I'll wring your neck!" She called out to the snake as it left her sight.
A half an hour later, Adriana went inside to check on the baby, who should still have been taking her nap. Walking into Renata's room and over to the crib, she gazed lovingly at her precious daughter. She had Sly the Rinbear at her side, she could never sleep without it. On Renata's other side was a snake, curled up next to her, sleeping. At first Adriana thought it was Renata's stuffed snake from Severus, but soon came to see it was the same one she'd seen earlier. Alarmed, Adriana tried to remain calm as she floated the snake up away from Renata, who continued to sleep peacefully. From where she stood, she opened the window and threw the snake outside, where it hit the ground with a loud thud. Adriana heard the snake hiss angrily as she walked towards the window. As she glared at it, the snake slithered back to the window and stood up on it's tail, at her eye level. It's eyes flashed red, and as it opened its mouth to hiss again, she heard a quiet laugh coming from deep within the snake's belly. This was no ordinary snake, Adriana thought. "Tell Riddle if he wants to talk to me, he should walk his arse over here himself!" She shouted at the snake before slamming the window shut.
Adriana was shaking by the time she reached Renata's crib. Looking her daughter over carefully, she saw that the snake hadn't done anything to her, but that didn't stop Adriana from picking Renata up and holding her close to her. "Oh my darling, I was so scared!" She said hoarsely, trying to fight back tears. Adriana spent a sleepless night in Renata's room, looking out the window.
The next day, Adriana's life changed forever. As she opened the back door to go milk the cow, she found a letter on the first step. After bending down to pick it up, Adriana carefully opened it, breaking the green skull and snake wax stamp that held it shut, and was horrified at what she read:
Miss Orendes,
I want to tell you how very much I've been looking forward to finally meeting you. Lucius has told me so much about you, and it has intrigued me. I think you would be a most wonderful addition to my family. Your power, if harnessed correctly, could lead to greatness, and I would be honoured to be the one to help you. With you on my side, together, you and I could rule the world.
On another note, I must tell you, you have a beautiful daughter. It is girls like her that make me wish I had a daughter of my own. She'll be a very popular girl when she's older. You'll need to make sure she associates with the right people. My family can help you with that.
I'll be contacting you again soon, so you and your daughter can come and see me. I cannot wait for you to comply, for it would be a shame for such an opportunity as this to pass either of us up.
Don't worry about sending an answer to me. The look on your face right now is answer enough. Oh, and one last thing: I don't really go by that name anymore. Lord Voldemort, or My Lord should suffice. I'll be seeing you and your lovely daughter, very soon.
-Lord Voldemort
Adriana dropped the letter out of her hands as though it had bitten her. As it fluttered to the ground, it burst into vibrant green flames and burned away before it hit the porch. Riddle knew where she was. He'd be coming for her, and when she didn't go with him, he'd go after Renata.
Adriana's heart pounded. Renata wasn't safe here. Adriana could take care of herself against Riddle, but she couldn't take care of them both. In a blind panic, Adriana ran into the baby's room and started throwing all of Renata's things into bags, packing her daughter's life into whatever she could carry.
Where could she take Renata? Where could she go where Riddle would never find her? Her first thought was to take her to a church. If only she hadn't been excommunicated. Renata needed sanctuary and Adriana knew that there were kind sisters out there who would care for her if Adriana was able to take her to them. But then she was struck with the sudden fear of leaving Renata to people like that, after what had happened to Eleanor, she didn't want that to happen again. She had no family in the Muggle world for Renata to stay with. The closest to a family she had were Albus and Severus. Maybe she could stay at Hogwarts with them. There were many charms set up to keep the school safe. That might be just the place for her. After making up her mind to take Renata there, the horrible thought of leaving her daughter hit her. How could she leave her baby? She couldn't stay at Hogwarts with Renata, Riddle wouldn't stop until he'd found her, she couldn't bring that danger to the school, no matter how well protected it was.
As Adriana ran to the writing desk in the living room to send a post to Severus, she stopped as she realized that sending an owl was no longer safe. It could be intercepted by Riddle or one of his cronies. How could she get in contact with Sev? She couldn't just show up at the school, she'd heard enough about that Umbridge woman over there; Adriana couldn't be sure she would arrive at the school and not run into her. Besides, there was always the possibility of another encounter with Draco, which she didn't want. If she went to Hogsmeade, it should hopefully be close enough for her to call out to Severus. Then he could meet her there and take Renata back to the school.
Adriana slowly returned to the baby's room and continued to pack. She put Sly the Rinbear, all of Renata's clothes, and the crystal containing Draco's hair into a bag and zipped it shut. When she came to the adorable blue tam Madam Kapelo had made, Adriana folded it up and put it in her jeans pocket. It was something she wanted to keep with her to always remind her of Renata. After a couple of hours, everything Renata had was packed away into bags. There were far too many for Adriana to carry, so she found an old trunk that she'd used for her own Hogwarts days, and put everything into that.
It was midday when Adriana was ready to leave for Hogsmeade, yet she couldn't find the strength to go. She sat on the couch with Renata in her arms, rocking her back and forth. Renata looked into her eyes and smiled while Adriana fed her one final time. She wrapped her tiny fingers tightly around Adriana's finger. They sat that way for a long time, locked in one another's gaze, holding on to one another. Adriana wondered if she should try to explain why she had to send Renata away, she was too young to understand, and Adriana wasn't sure she was ready to say the words out loud yet.
After several more hours of putting off the inevitable, Adriana apparated to Hogsmeade with Renata in her arms, along with the trunk of Renata's belongings. They went to the Three Broomsticks, a friendly pub, found a booth, and sat down. The look on Adriana's face must have been enough to ward off any interruptions, for she was mercifully left alone by the other patrons and servers.
Opening her mind, Adriana called out to Severus, telling him where she was and imploring him to come as soon as possible. She hoped he'd heard. About a half and hour later, Severus walked into the pub, a look of extreme concern upon his face. Adriana bade him to sit down, took a deep breath, opened her mouth to speak, but found herself beginning to cry instead. Closing her mouth and trying to regain her composure, Adriana spoke into Severus' mind. Besides, it was dangerous to speak of such things aloud in public. "Riddle knows where I live. He's coming after me, and if I don't do what he wants, he'll take Renata."
Severus looked incredulously at Adriana, "What are you talking about?" He asked quietly.
Adriana told him of the snake in Renata's crib, the letter and its contents, and how it had burned up when she'd finished reading it. "Normally I wouldn't care about something like that, I mean, I can fight him off, but I can't ensure that Renata won't be unharmed in all of it. It isn't safe for us to be together. I'd rather Riddle find me by myself so I can deal with him. You must take her, Severus. You can hide her at the school, keep her safe," Adriana said, rather quickly.
Severus looked dumbfounded with all this new information. How had Nagini gotten past their perimeter? Now that the Dark Lord had his eyes set on Adriana, there wasn't much Severus could do to prevent him from finding her, though that wouldn't stop him from trying. "Of course she can stay with me, but you can too. Why not come with us?"
"He's not going to stop till he finds me. I can't bring that danger to the school. I have to be alone, so nobody else gets hurt." When Adriana saw the concerned look on his face, she added, "It's going to be all right, Severus. I'm not afraid of him, he can't do anything to me."
Severus knew it was no use arguing with her once she'd made up her mind, especially since she was right. Wherever she was, there would be danger from the Dark Lord. The further away she was from the school, the Order, and her daughter, the better. Severus looked at Renata as she slept in her mother's arms. Could he protect her from such an evil as the Dark Lord? He knew he'd fight to the death to keep Renata safe, but hoped it would never come to that. Silently, he held his arms out to accept Renata.
Adriana stood up, slowly walked over to Severus, and put Renata in his outstretched arms. Standing before them, she spoke quietly, "I never really understood what the parents during the War felt like, watching their children ride off on trains to the country for their safety. Hoping they'd stay safe from the bombings. Not knowing if they'd ever see them again or not. I never thought I'd have to do the same thing, but hopefully it won't be for long. This war won't be as long, it can't be, I won't let it," Adriana said, putting on a false bravado that she hoped would last until she finally left. Leaning down, Adriana hugged and kissed both of them, and quickly turned away to hide her tears.
As Adriana walked away from Renata, she heard the baby begin to cry in Severus' arms. It tore her apart to keep walking, but it was for the best, to keep her child safe. As the tears flowed down her face, Adriana sent her daughter a lullaby, the last one she'd sing to Renata for a very long time:
You didn't ask me to be born, you,
Why should you learn of war or pain.
To make sure you're not hurt again,
I swear I'd give my life for you.
I've tasted love beyond all fear,
And you should know it's love that brought you here,
And in one perfect night,
When the stars burned like new,
I knew what I must do.
I'll give you a million things I'll never own.
I'll give you a world to conquer when you're grown.
You will be who you want to be, you,
Can choose whatever heaven grants.
As long as you can have your chance,
I swear I'll give my life for you...
Severus watched Adriana leave, while rocking the baby to calm her down. He was amazed at how quickly Renata fell asleep in his arms. Enchanting the trunk to float behind him, Severus walked with the baby back to Hogwarts.
References: Song is "I'd Give My Life For You", from Miss Saigon.