Disclaimers: Please see Chapters 1 and 2 for all disclaimers

Thank you, thank you…

Evenstar Elanor… I was simply wandering down the path laid out by the Muses.

Wyall Jared… I just love my English/Irish dictionary. It is a shame it doesn't have a section on colorful curses.

Mercury Gray… We all need friends like Tonks.

Chapter 18: The Game's Afoot

The cell at Azkaban was small, cold, and dingy. The entrance was sealed with a heavy wooden door, far too thick to ever be kicked down, that was banded by strips of iron. Cut into the door was a small window barely large enough for someone to look out. It was laced by two layers of thin iron bars.

Alone in his cell with the malign presence of the Dementors slithering through the air, Severus found he had a new respect for Sirius Black. Black was in here for years, wrongly accused, thought Severus. How did he manage to stay sane? To not lose his mind?

He thought back to that morning. Umbridge had said he'd been accused of drawing people into the Death Eaters. He knew that was a false accusation. Yes, he'd been a member of the Death Eaters once. It had been a misguided decision. Feeling lost and out of place, the Death Eaters had appeared to be the surrogate family or friends he'd been looking for, but even among them he'd been out of place. And soon he found that while he agreed with some of their philosophies on the surface, there was a darker heart that drove them than he was willing to serve. That was when Dumbledore had helped him get out.

"But you're never truly free. Not while HE is still around," he muttered to himself. "Some mistakes stay with you forever."

Severus rubbed his arm where the Dark Mark would appear in Voldemort's presence. It had been tingling lately, but those episodes had come and gone for a year or so, and so far the Death Eaters had not managed to bring Voldemort back.

He paced back and forth in the cell, his eyes constantly roaming, searching for some small weakness. There weren't any. Azkaban was a fortress. Finally he stopped and rubbed his eyes. The bed against the far wall was little more than a metal frame with a lumpy mattress. There were two tattered blankets and a pillow. Severus walked over and sneered at the pillow; it looked dirty and he didn't like the idea of putting his head on that while he slept. But he was exhausted and he had to sleep. This was as good as it was going to get for now. Severus did his best to ignore the random screams that would filter through the air. As he lay on the bed, trying to get comfortable, he couldn't help but think of the soft down comforter from home… and how it felt to have Serena's head resting on his shoulder.

What are you doing, Serena? I'm sorry, so sorry this happened. I'd change my past if I could. He rubbed the wedding band, taking some comfort from the feel of the gold beneath his fingers. Change his past; how many times had Severus wished he could do that?

They're all talking about me. They all think I'm guilty; it won't even cross their minds that I might be innocent. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. Serena, what must you think? Inside his head, he answered his own question. She's going to think I've lied to her all along. All of the work, all of the trust. She'll never trust me again. She'll never love me again. She'll leave me and I'll die alone, unlamented… No, they'll cheer when I'm dead. Then Serena will be free… free to find someone else.

Unexpectedly, the thought of Oliver Wood jumped into his head. Oliver? Bloody Hell, he's just a boy… but he's not a student anymore. He followed Serena around like a love-sick puppy. Or the oldest Weasley boy; they knew each other in school… He sighed and felt the sting of tears at the corner of his eyes. He blinked rapidly driving them away. He twisted the ring again and it pinched his skin. The short, sharp pain shocked him out of his thoughts.

"Stop it," he whispered out loud. "Stop thinking like that. Serena loves me. She married ME. It's this vile place. Azkaban is doing this to me. I will not let it get the best of me. I'm not that weak."

He closed his eyes, finally letting sleep overtake him. Outside the door, a pair of hazel eyes peeked through the tiny window at him. The woman smiled as she watched Severus, and it was a calculating smile at best.

This could be an entertaining little game, thought Meredith Parsons just before she turned and walked away.

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