Title:Lady of the Night

Author Name: Saerry Snape

Rating: PG-13, may be R in later chapters

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Inspired by Lady Erised's wonderful Snapefics (specifically The Prince Returns, When the Past Comes Back, and Betrayal), Constantine1453's Harry Potter and the Trials and of His Life, and my Snapefic Nothing But the Rain. The Dark Prince officially belongs to Lady Erised; I use him with her permission. Lady of the Night is the sequel to my fic The Dark Prince.

Summary: Sixteen years after Hermione Granger gave birth to a dark-haired, green-eyed little girl, the past has returned to haunt the victims of a time in September of 2002. The year is 2019 and The Dark Prince has been released…

Looking in your eyes

Seeing all I need

Everything you are

Is everything to me

And these are the moments

I know Heaven must exist

And these are the moments

I know all I need is this

Edwin McCain – These Are the Moments

Chapter 17

…heaven must exist…

"Wolf! Woooooolf!"

"Shut up," mumbled Helena, rolling over onto her side away from the shrieking voice. She reached up to punch her pillow and it grumbled at her.

Waitaminute, she thought. My pillow's not furry…

Opening her eyes, Helena pushed herself up on one elbow and prodded the furry object with one finger. The gray wolf lifted its head and turned so it was glaring at her with one sleepy yellow eye.

"Oh," said Helena. "Hi, Ev."

The wolf growled softly and flopped onto its back, wagging its furry tail. Helena laughed and reached out to scratch the silky fur on its belly.

"You lazy bugger."

The wolf lolled its tongue out, laughing in the manner that all canines laugh. Helena just shook her head and tickled the spot just behind its foreleg, where she knew that he was ticklish. The wolf yelped and jerked over onto its side, playfully nipping at her fingers.

"Get away from it, stupid!"

Helena and the wolf looked up in surprise and saw that half of Gryffindor was staring at them.

"Uh, hi," she said ever-so-eloquently.

The wolf snorted and she shot a glare at it out of the corner of her eye.

"Shut up."

"Stop talking to it, Granger, and get away from it!" snapped her year mate Derrick Lancaster as he leaned over the balcony of the boy's stair.

"Its not going to hurt me, you idiot," growled Helena. She reached out and scratched the wolf's ears as gasps went up from the gathered masses. "See?"

"Just get it out of here!" squealed a second year girl with a mass of blonde curls.

Helena rolled her eyes and slowly got to her feet, drawing her comforter about her like a cloak as she picked up Hekate in one hand. She looked down at the wolf and said, "C'mon, boy. We know where we're not wanted."

The wolf gave a soft 'woof' of affirmation and followed her sedately as she strode from the Gryffindor common room.

Once outside, Evan became himself against and shivered, rubbing his hands against his arms.

"Damn, its cold!"

Helena waved a piece of her comforter at him and he took it gratefully, sidling up next to her underneath it. She wrapped an arm about his waist as he pulled the warm blanket tightly about his shoulders.

"Now what?" he asked as they slowly walked barefoot down the corridor.

"We could sneak down to my rooms in Uncle Sev's quarters."

"Are they warm?"

"Toasty."

"Lead on, Macduff."

Helena tried not to giggle and failed. When Evan gave her an odd look, she grinned at him and said, "It's 'Lay on, Macduff.' "

"Oops."

I want to run

I want to hide

I want to tear down the walls

That hold me inside

I want to reach out

And touch the flame

Where the streets have no name

U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name

Chapter 18

…touch the flame…

Down in the dungeons, Helena was curled up against Evan's side in her bed. One hand was burrowed into the folds of his shirt while the other was curled underneath her neck.

Two hours earlier she had slept peacefully with Evan's arms about her.

But now…

Now that peace was shattered.

She found herself in that land of fire and ash once more.

Only her and one other.

Her father.

"Daughter," he purred, opening his arms to her. "Come. There's nothing for you there."

"No," whispered Helena, using all her will to keep herself from stepping forward into his embrace. "I have everything here."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"You don't have me," said Harry matter-of-factly.

Helena glared at him and spat, "I haven't had you for years, Father."

"But I'm here now."

"And still as evil as ever. I'll pass."

Harry's features hardened and he growled, "I'm afraid I can't allow that, little one." He strode forward and grabbed her arms, his grip bruising. "You are coming with me whether you like it or not."

"No!" shouted Helena, even as she felt her body lean in towards his. "I won't!"

"But you will," purred her father as he wrapped her in a hug.

Helena screamed as tendrils of Darkness slipped into her mind and released something that she had never known lay within her.

Her own Darkness.

In the waking world, Helena moaned and tossed, her fist gripping Evan's shirt tightly. He awoke slowly as she writhed against him, the dull impact of her knees against his thigh bruising.

"Hel?" he inquired softly, shaking her. "Hel?"

Helena moaned against then her entire body seemed to freeze up, going completely rigid. Evan stared in shock and started to go get her godfather but she then relaxed, sagging against him. He pulled her up so her back was against his chest, his arms about her waist.

"Hel?" he whispered into her ear, his chin nestled in the crook of her shoulder.

He was thrown against the headboard a moment later, a pair of slim hands about his throat. Looking up, he saw a pair of scarlet eyes glaring murder at him.

"H-Hel?" he choked, staring, unable to move.

Helena smirked evilly and purred, "Why, yes. Don't look so confused, poor boy. Did you really think your dear sweet Helena was all goodness? Oh, no, no, no."

"Who are you?" gasped Evan. "You aren't Hel…"

"Oh but I am," purred the scarlet-eyed Helena. "I'm her other half. The Dark half. And I'd sooo relish in killing your right now. It'd be such fun to listen to her cry over your broken body!"

"But," she continued, "alas, I cannot. I suppose killing you shall have to wait for later. So sad…"

The hands briefly tightened on Evan's throat, cutting off his breath for a few moments, and then the pressure was gone. Evan opened eyes he hadn't know he had closed and cursed when he saw Helena gone.

Leaping from the bed, he shifted into his wolf form and raced out of the Potion Master's quarters. He found Helena's scent and followed it out onto the grounds.

"Bye, dear boy!" cried Helena joyfully from across the grounds. She waved at him then stepped through the wards, striding over to where a familiar looking man with wild dark hair and emerald eyes stood waiting.

No! shouted Evan mentally, his heart pounding against his ribs. Hel! No, please, dear Merlin, don't…

Helena smirked at him, scarlet eyes gleaming, before she turned and hugged the man.

Harry laughed and waved at the wolf before he Apparated himself and his daughter away.

Nooooooooooooooo! Shouted Evan mentally as he threw back his gray head and howled in misery.

Author's Note

Fifty points and a Chocolate Frog to anyone who caught the reference to Neil Gaiman's book Neverwhere… Speaking of Neverwhere, if you haven't read it, you must! Great book. Neil Gaiman is awesome. I also suggest his Sandman comics. Everyone know all my references to Morpheus in a lot of my stories? Happened after I read the Sandman. Bloody addicting series, it is.

And no, Helena and Evan didn't do anything. There were just sleeping in the same bed. Sorry any Hel/Ev fans…