Blaise Zabini awoke with a start. She glanced around the dark room, not quite sure if she'd heard right—there it was again! She flinched when she heard the scream, a second time. Then all was silent. Weird, she thought. She closed her black eyes and prepared to go back to sleep.

"No, Father, don't, please...No! I won't! You can't!" At this, Blaise sat up straight in bed. It sounded like the Mud-blood was having a nightmare. Blaise was not a charitable person, but she was a prefect, and if her sleep depended upon waking that child from her reason to scream, then she'd do it. She crept out of her door and had her hand on the Mud- blood's doorknob, when every hair on her body stood up straight. For the second time in her life, Blaise was frightened. She started to back away when she heard a male voice coming from the room.

"It's time, darling," the voice snarled. Blaise pressed her ear to the door...there was something familiar about that voice.

"No, it's not. You know that you can't do it without me, and I'm not on your side!"

"Oh, but you are, child. Potter has no idea of who you are, and you must do away with him...it's in your blood..." the voice tried a different approach. "Don't you want to know your father, sweetheart? The one man who validates you as a person? Don't you want to know me as a whole individual, one who doesn't look like something out of a Muggle horror movie?" The mocking, sneering voice sent shivers down Blaise's spine.

"No," was the quiet reply. "NO!" the Mud-blood screamed in terror. "Get away! No! Don't," she started to cry. "No, not now-sob-I can't-no, no, no," She kept repeating the word no, each time growing in volume.

"Soon it will be time to show your loyalty to the world, and it'll be more visible than a mark on your back! All you have to do is cooperate, child! Or face the consequences!" "No!" The sound of a desk being overturned. Blaise looked around and noticed Millicent and Pansy emerging from their rooms, eyes open wide. "Get away!"

"You cannot run, child! Come to me in one week, prepared for submission..." his voice lowered. "You don't want me to come to you!"

"I won't. I can't! Just leave me alone!" She screamed hoarsely.

"Does Lucius need to pay you another visit?"

"No, please- no! Never, never again! I swear to Merlin," Her voice rose in desperation, "that if you send that prat, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL HIM!" She sobbed. "You know I could!" Next to Blaise, Pansy began to whimper. Blaise had trouble controlling herself.

"Oh?" the man's voice was eerily calm. "Well, I may just have to remind you of your station, and your position, as my daughter!"

"Fine, do what you will, but it won't change my mind!" She argued.

"Daughter, you leave me no choice," She screamed as he shouted, "Crucio!"

At this, Blaise decided enough was enough. Mud-blood or no, she couldn't just stand by. Millicent and Pansy's screams matched the Mud- blood's and Blaise slammed the door open, wand out, ready to utter an unforgivable, but she stopped short. She looked around the darkened room and was confused...until she saw the crumpled body face-down on the floor. "Lumos," she uttered, and the room was filled with light. "Oh, Merlin!" she exclaimed when she saw the blood pouring from Lorelai's nose, and the scratches that covered every inch of her that was visible! Pansy and Millicent had wandered in, and at the sight of Lorelai's body, they both started to whimper. "She's not dead," said Blaise, matter-of-factly. "But I will need some help. Pansy, Millicent, go and get Snape. And be careful that no one hears you!"

"Shouldn't one of us go get Madam Pomfrey?" Millicent asked.

Blaise sent her a melting look. "Which one of us is the prefect, and which one is the daft idiot?" She answered. Millicent scowled, and taking Pansy's arm, took off toward Snape's private quarters.

"Muggle, are you out or what?" She asked, rolling Lorelai onto her back, then lifted her head back to stop the bleeding. Lorelai didn't respond. Blaise heard a noise at the door, and turned to see Draco in his robe.

"Blaise are you ok?" he asked, and then looked at the resting form in Blaise's arms. "What the hell?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard a scream a few minutes ago, then I heard what sounded like elephants run by my door, and someone was crying like a whining cat. Stop stalling. What happened?" "Draco, just go back to bed!" Blaise trembled, thinking about the threat that Lorelai had made to Lucius. He just shook his head defiantly.

"Nuh-uh." It was a simple noise, but effective nonetheless.

Blaise glared as he walked toward she and Lorelai, and gave him the abridged version of what she had heard outside Lorelai's door, leaving out the part about Potter and Draco's father. When she finished, Draco was sitting on his haunches, staring at what looked to be claw marks on Lorelai's exposed neck. Blaise shifted uncomfortably under Lorelai's weight, and Draco, understanding this, moved his butt to the ground and held out his arms.

"I'll take her. Go back to bed, she'll be ok," He tried to convince her. Then Pansy appeared. Draco groaned at the sight of her, and muttered, "Not now, Pansy,"Her eyes filled with tears, and she angrily turned to Blaise. "He's on his way, he had to stop and get Dumbledore." She started to cry again. Blaise turned to Draco.

"You have everything under control?" Draco nodded. She led Millicent and Pansy out the door, and closed it.

It had been three weeks since they had last spoke. Draco looked down at Lorelai. The bleeding from her nose had stopped, but her pajamas were in shambles. For the first time since he could remember, Draco Malfoy had absolutely no idea on what to do! He stared at the body in his arms, and felt a rush of adrenaline, like when he felt like Blaise or his mother was in danger. He awkwardly stroked her hair, remembering his mother doing that for him once, only once after his very first beating, and the small comfort it brought. Suddenly, Lorelai moved, causing Draco to flinch. All at once, the door slammed open for the second time that night, and Lorelai woke.

Severus Snape stood in the doorframe, along with Dumbledore, and looked down at Draco holding Lorelai. Snape inwardly flinched at the state he saw her in.

"Uh, Professor," Draco started. But it was unnecessary. Snape leaned down and gingerly picked up Lorelai, who screamed in pain. Then she began to cry. Snape moved to her bed, and softly asked, "Stomach or back?" "Back," she chose. He laid her on her back, and Dumbledore began muttering rubbish to himself.

"Lorelai, can you talk to me?" Dumbledore asked. "Child-" She flinched at this gentle word, "Did your father attack you?" A nod. "How did he get in here?"

"Mind-port," she mumbled, and then sniffed. She gingerly sat up, and groaned when she saw the scratches that covered her body. Looking at Snape, who was examining her arms, she struggled for control, and almost pleaded, "Severus?" as if she could not believe that he was there.

"Lor," he started with her familiar nickname. "What did he do this time?" She squeezed her eyes shut and painfully told him.

"Cruciatus." Snape and Dumbledore immediately lowered their heads, and came back to attention when they heard Draco clear his throat.

"Ahem. Uh, would someone explain what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, Draco..." Snape muttered. Before anyone knew what was happening, Lorelai dumbly felt for her wand under her pillow, and aimed it at Draco.

"Confundus!" She ordered, and Draco looked around, confused, while Snape and Dumbledore looked impressed. Snape turned his attention back to Lorelai.

"Draco, everything is under control, but thank you for your concern. Go to bed!" Dumbledore ordered.

"Wh-what happened? Is she ok?" he asked, due to the memory charm.

"Just go!"

And Draco turned around and left, pausing to close the door. He did so in a hurry, but he wasn't too quick to miss the caress that his Potions teacher bestowed on the Mud-blood's face, or the fact that Dumbledore looked truly troubled.. Turning back around, face furrowed, he heard a voice in the dark hallway.

"It's easy to see why the Gryffindors call you Ferret when you look like that!" He instantly recognized the voice in the hall, and he relaxed.

"Blaise! Why didn't you come and get me? I'm a prefect too, you know!"

"Yes, you are, but you are also a male."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You can't be trusted."

"This from the girl who begged her father for the Dark Mark when she was twelve." He stated wryly.

"Yeah, well," she started.

"So, are you going to explain what happened?" He asked. She looked confused.

"I already did..." Suddenly understanding crossed her face. "They must have used a memory charm. Draco, here's the lowdown." She explained the situation once more.

"So...you think that her father is a wizard," he stated.

"Unless there were three people in the room! There was a man who she called father, and he's the one who gave her the cruciatus!" She was beginning to be exasperated.

"So she's been lying. She's not a Mud-blood." Draco said angrily, flatly.

"No, she's not. But Draco, whoever her father is...he mentioned sending yours to torture her..." To Blaise's surprise, Draco laughed.

"That's ridiculous!" Blaise narrowed her eyes, and said, "No, it's not. Whoever she is, Draco, it seems her home life mirrors yours, or maybe even makes yours look like a picnic. Merlin, if you could have just heard her screams!" She shuddered, then yawned. She took her wand and found the time. "Well, it looks like I won't be sleeping tonight. It's a quarter 'til six. If you'll excuse me, prefect, I'm going to go make Pansy and Millicent think that they've been sleeping all night."

He nodded. "The fewer people who know about this, the better." He agreed, and started down the hall to his own bedroom. What is going on with that girl? And how is my father involved? He tried to convince himself that it didn't matter, but it did; he saw the scratches, saw how Snape had tried to comfort her. Why couldn't they have let me help? he thought. Because you have a reputation of not being one to help, came the answer. "Yeah, well, blame me for evil genes, why don't you," he said out loud as he reached his bedroom. He took out his wand and performed a small refreshing spell on himself, then sat down to read a little bit before breakfast.

Lorelai, though in pain, couldn't help herself from watching Draco walk out of the room. He is incomparably attractive, she thought. She sighed, forgetting that Severus was there, and he turned to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. She blushed furiously, wondering what she would have done, had he read her mind and seen that she had been secretly admiring Draco. "I'm feeling a lot stronger, if that's what you mean!" Dumbledore smiled.

"Lorelai, could you be a dear and tell us what happened? In detail?" She lowered her head and spilled out every detail, including the bit about Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore's eyebrows raised at this.

"Lorelai, what do you mean about Lucius? How has he been involved?" She closed her eyes, as if in great pain, and whispered, "I-um, I don't think that I need to talk about that right now. You know that he's a Death Eater. You know what he's capable of!" Snape nodded, and noticed with satisfaction that her scratches were disappearing quite nicely.

"Lorelai, you do know that we do not suspect that you are going to harm Harry Potter in any way, don't you?" She nodded. "I do think that it would be a good idea, however, if you informed us of any...abnormalities you may notice with time. Changes in your attitude, etc.," his meaning clearly spoke through.

"Headmaster, if you are suggesting that I watch for the Imperious Spell, then know that I have been taught to defeat it. You and Professor Snape know that I would die rather than join my father...I will protect Harry. You have my word." she finished quietly.

"Headmaster, I believe she'll be alright for the night, and it's Saturday now; she'll have plenty of time to rest." The Headmaster nodded, and bent down to Lorelai's ear.

"Be careful with dragons," he began, "they've been known to mercilessly burn." With that, and a swift "Come, Severus," they left Lorelai to her sleep.

It was a long time, however, before sleep claimed her. Lorelai thought about Dumbledore's last words to her and fell asleep meditating on the possible metaphors.

Dumbledore and Snape retreated into the Headmaster's office, though neither felt like sitting. He stood rigidly, though his insides were squirming. He watched the old wizard stroke his beard and waited for what would follow. Finally, Dumbledore spoke.

"Severus, you used her first name. In front of a student. You understand that this is unacceptable."

"Yes, Headmaster, I am aware."

"And I understand that this is a dangerous situation. I am compassionate, sir, that due to her state, you discarded your professionalism."

"Yes, sir." Silence. "Headmaster," Severus spoke in a tone that he hadn't used since his own school days at Hogwarts. Dumbledore patiently waited for him to finish. And for the first time in Severus Snape's life, he found himself uttering three words that he never had, aloud.

"It isn't fair." The two stood in that room, and for all of the bright colors, neither could appreciate the mood of the office, enclosed in the darkness of the burden that one girl unfairly held.

"It's going to end badly, isn't it?" Snape asked.

"I'm not certain, dear Severus, but the motions have begun."