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Chapter Six:

There were few things on earth more pleasurable or more fulfilling after a long, grueling day then walking down Hecate's marble halls at midnight and carrying a bowl of pilfered ice cream. The feel of the cold marble underfoot, sometimes muted barely by socks was only accented and enhanced by the slick that caused Severus to slid like a child when going too fast on it. The bowl in his hands was cold and water condensed on its sides, making outlines of his fingers.  He smiled to himself like a child who had successfully gotten away with some caper. He pushed open the door to the office he shared with Hawke and the others, and moved in quietly to his seat, now stocked and prepared to catch up on the reports.

He had barely opened the first one when the door opened, and in crept Diego Solis. The reporter didn't notice Severus at first, making his way purposefully and swiftly to Becka's cluttered desk, mumbling to himself in Spanish. He was complaining about the darkness and his fear of Hecate at night Snape discerned, thanks to his old mentor, Vargas.

Snape couldn't resist. Rising up and leaning against his desk, he whispered. "Boo!"

Diego jumped and spun about in fright, bursting into laughter when he saw Snape. His whole body shook with mirth. Snape liked Diego, the way he wore his emotions on his sleeve and the soft, unsure smiles that seemed to constantly grace his small face. He liked the way Diego leaned forward when Snape strained to hear him, and how his accent brought back memories of his mother. His voice was low, and correcting- not meant to chide but merely instruct. He acted like Snape was some wayward child instead of a feared Death Eater.

"Don't do that to me, Sevisto." Diego rebuked when he caught his breath and his face had finished turning purple. "You know I have enough boogiemen in my life as it is."

"I know." Snape agreed; he had sat on his desk to talk with Diego while he ate his ice cream. The backlog of work lay forgotten. "After all, you're married to one."

"That's not fair." Diego defended, although he was smiling. "Becker isn't that bad. She's just…"

"Heartless? Cruel? Harsh?"

"Disillusioned. She really is a wonderful person."

"How can you believe that?" Snape leaned forward, trying to unite Diego and Becka into something he could understand. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you marry her?"

"I was saving her life." Diego laughed bitterly, as if the memory both amused and haunted him. "You know the first time we met, she saved mine. Death Eaters had me cornered and she just appeared, like some sort of guardian angel. Found out later who she was, Dumbledore's Companion."

            "Girlfriend?"

            "Kaga." Diego saw his look. "Yeah, I know. Usually they're off limits to civilians but I was married at the same time so it was a mutual forbidden love affair."

            "I know the feeling."

            "Danielle, my wife." He continued. "She was that kind of woman who set my clothes out for me the day before, had my daily roster set out by breakfast on the table by every morning. 'A place for everything and everything in its place' was her motto. Had our son dressed and fed every morning at seven sharp so I could take him to school too. Delano was just like his mama…"

            "What happened?"

            "I fell in love with Becka. She was strong, passionate and adventurous too. She wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before. I fell head over heels for that incredible drive she seemed to ooze out. I got a divorce from Danny, got my son and moved into a private apartment. Becka wasn't interest at all, mind you, but that didn't matter. Just her coming over and hanging out was heaven for me. After the Dark Times, we dated off and on, but I knew she didn't want me. I heard rumors that she had lost her true love in the war. Maybe she did too. I know after the war, she changed…became more distant, heartless, cruel. It's like she lost something that I couldn't find for her. I could only…" He was speaking as if what Becka was now was something brought upon her, a disease or an evil spell she wasn't responsible for. "We're still newly weds you know. I married her two years ago. Thought I could change her, I guess. Guess I was wrong."

            "You could always leave her, you know. Start anew." Snape said softly.

"I couldn't. I'm only thing keeping her alive."

Snape had been watching the happiness that shone in Diego's eyes when he spoke of Danielle and watched as that turned sad and melancholy with what followed. Diego had been guilty of loving someone unworthy of love but that was all. Snape could not identify with it but was touched by it. He felt the empathy that one human being felt for another and wanted to comfort Diego. He moved to sit besides Diego on Becka's desk, tapping him playfully on the shoulder with his. He smiled at him knowingly.

"Love sucks, don't it?"

Diego burst into laughter again and nodded. "Yeah…But God help me, I love her."

"That must be nice." Snape said softly. He sighed and looked out the window, putting his arm around Diego as he did. He might not have known someone worth Diego's devotion, but he knew something of fighting-and dying- to keep a love one. As he thought this, his mind and heart found Jacqueline's memory. A soft, bittersweet smile took his lips.

When this was all over, he was going to find Jackie and steal her away to some forgotten island. He was going to find her and be happy.

He deserved that, after all.

"He's gone mad!" Lucius said, tearing off his mask and throwing it into fireplace. The fire burst and sputtered around the ivory mask before the fire threw it out again. The Charms that were meant to protect the wearer would protect the mask now, despite anything and now that served only to haunt Lucius of the unwavering bond that connected him to this world of darkness. "He'd kill us all!"

Narcissa stumbled over herself running down to the stairs. She clutched at her thin, silken robe, trying desperately to cover herself up before going to her husband's side. She fell to his side as he sunk into a chair. "What's wrong, Lucy? What are you talking about?"

Lucius' head was bowed, and his hands were rubbing across the length of his pant, clawing desperately for some balance to cling to. His mind was swimming with disorder and pain. "He'll destroy us."

"Who?"

"Voldemort! Mordred! They're joining forces with the Werewolves."

"I thought you said Ezra and Isaiah weren't up to it."

"They weren't but Mordred's been after them for weeks. He's convinced Ezra that the Death Eaters strong enough to fight off Hecate while Voldemort attacks Hecate. He's talking an open war!"

"Lucius, calm down…" Narcissa said, gripping her husband's arm.

"How can I calm down when the world has gone mad?" He asked.

Before him the Elysian Fields, the legendary home of the Malfoy family, leered silently over him, around him, through him. The mantle in the den was dark ebony, carved with large, looming snakes that twisted and entwined with each other, l crawling up the wall, enshrining a large portrait of his father. The senior Malfoy stared down at his youngest son with silent, accusing eyes that caused Lucius to writhe under the gaze.

Lucius knew, painfully and acutely, of the weight of that gaze. He had wrestled under it for years now until his hair had turned white, and nightmares took corporeal form. Even the weight of Narcissa's hand on his arm seemed unbearable but he clung onto it for life. It was all he had on earth, all that he had fought so desperately to keep. Turning his head, he met her eyes. Eyes that were simple and frightened and looking to him for direction like they always had, even when she was his brother's wife, Narcissa had sworn her heart to his care. A crusade that he had fought religiously for; Narcissa and their son, Draco was all he had left. He would not lose them. He could not lose them.

Like he had lost his brothers.

His head was ringing with fights and betrayals years old, that seemed to echo in the Fields by ghosts who still lingered, just beyond to shade- screaming at the top of their lungs to anyone who dared listen.

"If you leave now, Gideon, you aren't coming home! I will not have a traitor to their blood in my house!"

"This is my house too but I wouldn't ruin my pants kneeling to a man like Riddle! A half-blood, no less!"
            "He is the only safety he have!"

"I will not hide behind him!"

"And to spite him, you would turn your back on us? On your family, Gideon!"

"I am doing this for my family! As Silas and Lucius' brother, and as your son…"

"You are not my son!"

That was the last time he had seen Gideon, when the boy, barely seventeen, barely out of Hogwarts had stood at the front door of the only home he had known and stared into the eyes of his brothers for a goodbye. Lucius remembered wanting to run to Gideon, to take him into his arms one last time but feeling Silas' arms on his shoulders, he hadn't.

He had done nothing to stop Gideon that night. He half wondered if he had, would things have changed at all? Would Gideon's presence beside Silas and him made things better or worst?

Would Silas still be dead today?

"My lord…you've been betrayed. By my brother Silas."

            "You're lying."

"My Prince, why would I speak against my brother?"

"To get his wife perhaps?"

"It's true, I betray my brother by coming to you in hopes of saving Narcissa's life…he's mad, my Prince. He's going to kill Melanie, and try to kill you…and I know he'll fail. I just want Narcissa to be all right. Do what you will to my brother, and nephew…but leave her."

It was true. Lucius had killed his own brother for his wife. He had turned Silas over to the Dark Prince in hopes that saving Narcissa would make every guilt from that moment go away, but it never did. In fact, it had made it worst. Now, because of that sin, everything he had gained from it- the Elysian Fields, his son, his wife…all of it would one day be taken from him. That's the way of the world.

Everything had a price, every crime a cost.

And one day, maybe today, he'd pay it.

He turned finally letting his eyes linger on Narcissa's. He took her hands into his, and kissed her gently. She curled into his embrace willingly.

"The world has gone mad, Cissa." He whispered, sounding tired, very tired.

"We'll get by, Lucy." She soothed. "As long as we have each other…as long as we love each other."

Jacqueline dropped the glass she was holding as she swept around to look at the adjacent darkened room from where she swore she heard a noise. Her hands fell behind her, to grip the kitchen counter as she craned her neck forward, fearful to enter the room. For a long time the only sound she made were the short, uneven breaths she took as she strained to see. Nothing happened in the room, not so much as a window's curtain flutter or a stray cat's uneasy meow. Finally, after a long moment, the once feared Death Eater relaxed and laughed a little to rebuild her strength.

She squatted on the ground and began to pick up the shards of glass with trembling, bony hands that fidgeted endlessly. She laughed in disgust. Once feared and revered, she had been Jack the Ripper. The first Death Eater to fight and win against Aurors. The first Death Eater to gain notoriety in the newspaper. The original boogieman. Now, look at her. She was a trembling old Frenchwoman, locked away in her villa, waiting death.

As they did so often nowadays, her thoughts traveled to Severus. She thought him, also hiding and trembling but doing it with that style and grace that had made him exceptional in all things. She smiled briefly, tilting her head so slightly and catching, just for a moment, the scent of him on the air.

She sat up, resting her hands on her knees trying to find that scent again. She leaned her head all the way back, closed her eyes and inhaled…

It was then she felt the cold blade of a knife against her throat. She exhaled, and opened her eyes to look upon her murderer.

"So," She whispered. "Mordred has sent you…"

"Yes, milady."

 "If you don't mind, I want to clean up this mess first."

He removed the knife, and stepped back. She thanked him and continued to pick up the broken glass, throwing them into the trashcan. "I know you probably won't answer, but why are you doing this?"

"Have you ever lost your heart for someone?"

Again, Jackie smelled Snape's cologne. She smiled. "Yes, I think I have."

"That's why."

"Most people damn themselves for power, or greed…" She said, standing and walking to him. "You and Severus are the only ones I know willing to lose your soul for love." She turned so her back was facing him, and lolled her head back again. She pulled her hair back, over one shoulder and waited. "I hope it's worth it."

"So do I."

"Make sure it's a clean cut." She said, "I don't want to make another mess."