Updated Tuesday 28th June 2005

Disclaimer: Still not mine… still borrowing shamelessly from GOF.

Warning: Implications of violence later in chapter.

Chapter Ninety Four: Unexpected News

Remus stretched wearily, the ache of the last moon cycle exacerbated by the disguise he was inclined to assume. Knowing the danger that irregular owl traffic posed to his cover, Dumbledore had arranged for his Wolfsbane to be shipped to him by Muggle post, the magical potion disguised as a obscure natural health extract. Given the unappealing texture and pungent aroma of the potion, there was little risk of any curious Muggle student or postal worker sneaking a sample – though even if they did, it would do little more than heighten the drinker's mind, and make then temporarily impervious to pain.

Knowing then, that his Wolfsbane was brewed exclusively by Hogwarts' Potion Master, it boggled Remus as to why other select correspondence to and from the school could not be maintained this same way. Though he knew that everything came down to security – specifically that a innocuous bottle of liquid was easier to conceal than a explicit letter - it frustrated him to no ends that he was unable to communicate with his Goddaughter. He remembered only too well how distressing it had been for her to not only return from the past but leave her support network behind when she left for the new term at Hogwarts. That Sirius was now hiding in the outskirts of Hogsmeade gave him some measure of relief, but if his recent conversations with the preoccupied Animagus were anything to go by, his worries were warranted.

That Sirius hadn't given Estella the mirror was something Remus found difficult to come to terms with. Though he could appreciate the former Azkaban detainee's desire to keep in touch with the outside world, he would have thought that a man would choose to keep in contact with his daughter, over all else. He could only suppose that Sirius figured that his proximity to Hogwarts and the freedom to send his daughter letters was enough. On some level, Remus could even appreciate that Sirius had given him the mirror because both men needed a confidant to give each other perspective, but as the weeks wore on, Remus came to realise that, more than anything, Sirius merely craved the adult company. During the lonely nights in his caretaker's quarters, Remus couldn't deny that he had appreciated the like-minded banter with his old school friend, but if seeing the reflection of his best friend's face did anything, it reminded him just how much he missed his Goddaughter.

Flashback

"So how's Estella?" Remus asked Sirius, and not for the first time that night. Sirius had been full of light when he had instigated that evening's conversation through the mirrors, and as Sirius was quick to confirm, it was because of Estella and Harry.

"Yeah, yeah, she's good, Moony." Sirius brushed him off distractedly, eager to get back to his recount. "But you'll never believe…"

"Sirius, will you listen to yourself?" Remus urged his friend back to lucidity.

"…mermaids, Moony! In front of the whole school!" Sirius continued, an awed look on his face. "Can you imagine what Prongs would say?"

Remus took a deep breath. James. It always came back to James. When it came to friendship, Remus knew he always came second to James, and it was moments like this that he appreciated just why he could never come close. That Sirius had been denied a proper grieving process during the time he spent in Azkaban became more apparent whenever the emotionally scarred man had most recently been in the company of his Godson; and while Remus was able to appreciate his friend's pain, his main concern was with what this preoccupation had on Estella. Unlike himself, she was too young to be expected to gauge her father's moods and anticipate his motives. She deserved undivided attention from her last surviving parent, yet whether Sirius realised it or not, the mere memory of James caused him to lose all objectivity whenever he was in the younger Potter's presence.

"I imagine James would slap you upside the head for depriving a Godfather of information about that adorable daughter of yours." Remus said with as much levity he could muster. He knew he needed to have a serious conversation with Sirius about things, but if he knew Sirius' emotional vulnerability as well as he thought, it was something he had to do face to face.

"Ah, Moony, Moony, Moony, Moony." The visage of Sirius' head shook slightly in the frame. "And to think before she was born I drove people nuts talking about my plans for her."

"I can only imagine." Remus said lightly, though his words held a double meaning in that he had been absent the formative months of Selina's pregnancy.

"Oh." A sobered Sirius regarded him closely, before lapsing into silence.

"I didn't mean it like that, Padfoot." Remus flashed him a small smile of reassurance. He had, after all, been referring to Sirius' most recent habit of never shutting up about Harry and the spoils of the blasted tournament. "But if you don't give me an Estella fix, I can't be held accountable for my actions!"

"Merlin, Moony, just who is the proud papa, here?" Sirius smirked, a teasing look in his eyes.

Great, now he was deliberately going to hold out.

"She's fine, truly." Sirius relented, sensing the threat inherent in Remus' growl. "Merlin you look scary in that get up, Moony."

"Oh and you're looking just charming yourself." Remus snorted. "Honestly I'm surprised Estella didn't run a mile at the sight of you!"

"Well actually she ran straight to Buckbeak." Sirius pouted. "Then she told me how bad I smelt."

"That sounds about right. Doesn't mince her words, does she?" Remus chuckled heartedly. Trust Estella to keep her father grounded. "What's that you used to say? You know a girl loves you when they are honest with you?"

"Yeah and didn't that come back to bite me in the butt." Sirius grumbled, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth.

"So… how is she?" Remus prompted his friend for details.

"She's fine, I told you." Sirius shrugged. "Bright as a button in all her classes, just like her mother. Scored herself her own Potions tutor…"

"Wait, Severus threw her out of his class?" Remus interrupted.

"Yeah, something like that." Sirius shrugged, clearly not concerned with the separation between niece and Uncle. "He didn't want to keep up appearances in class. Worried it might damage her academic development or something."

"I'm sure there's more to it than that." Remus said. "I don't think you would particularly enjoy pretending to hate your child in public."

Remus could only take Sirius' silence as agreement.

"Her grades in Transfiguration are improving." Sirius said proudly, in a obvious attempt to change the subject. "…and you should see it when she and Harry are together! It's like they are two siblings who grew up together… just how it would have been…"

"Sirius…" Remus sighed, inwardly cursing the physical isolation his friend was enduring at such a moment.

"I'm worried about her, Moony." Sirius sighed finally. "Someone came after her during the task…"

End Flashback

Remus shook himself back to the present. It wasn't that Sirius was overlooking his daughter, than he was overlooking the fact that Remus was dependent on him for information. Of course Sirius still worried about his daughter's safety. He would be completely deranged not to worry after what had happened during the second task.

But what continued to disturb Remus was Sirius' habitual ability to turn a blind eye to Estella's emotional turmoil. It was as almost as though unless he was immediately confronted with his child's pain, he preferred to believe it didn't exist.

Flashback

"Sirius, you saw how she was when she left for school…" Remus argued with his friend. "I can't communicate with her directly, Severus is keeping his distance to ensure her safety, and there's only so much you can do from Hogsmeade…"

"She has her friends with her, Moony." Sirius shrugged. "And she is throwing herself into helping Harry with preparing for the next task."

"Driving her to distraction is not going to stop…" Remus said.

"Well she hasn't said anything to me." Sirius assured his friend. "In fact, she hardly ever writes at all anymore." He mock-cried. "Face it Moony, she's outgrown us. She's growing up."

End Flashback

Maybe Sirius was right. Maybe Estella was growing up, and becoming less and less reliant on them. Perhaps her time in the past had given her a measure of independence which now saw her confiding in her friends, instead of them. Maybe she had managed to adapt to the situation at hand in ways that he himself had not. From what Sirius had told him… repeatedly… Estella and Harry had grown close. Perhaps they were there for each other in an unprecedented way.

The foreboding feeling of redundancy made Remus sick to the stomach. He always knew that the time would come when Estella would grow up and rebuke the parental influences in her life, but he was so sure he wouldn't have to confront that for a few years yet. He was even more sure that, if anything, her time in the past would set things back, rather than accelerate the process. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time he had underestimated the child's resilience. All he had to do was think back to how quickly she had overlooked what the wolf had nearly done to her that night in embracing him again so soon afterwards to be reminded of her tenacity.

"What am I going to do with you?" Remus mused to himself as he played a solitary game of chess against himself, his eyes having drifted to a photo of the girl in question. Never before had he ever doubted his relationship with his Goddaughter like this, and he could only reassure himself that it was because of their forced separation that he allowed his mind to run away with him so. Sirius, after all, was in a much better position to observe the child, and perhaps he was selling the Animagus short to assume that he would be too preoccupied with helping Harry through the task to truly pay his own daughter mind. Perhaps Sirius didn't fill his ears with indulgent tales of Estella's progress because there simply wasn't anything to tell. Loathe as he was to admit it, Estella wasn't the centre of the universe.

It was the constant yo-yoing of perspectives that was driving him insane. He no longer knew what to think, and the fact he felt increasingly unable to trust his own instincts, unnerved him.

"I've got to get out of this place." He scowled at his chess board, a frustrated hand movement sending the pieces flying.

Leaving the confining walls of his pokey quarters in favour of prowling the gaudy halls of Smeltings, Remus understood only too well that his Lycanthropy limited his prospects. That he owed his education to the accommodating understanding of Albus Dumbledore, indebted him to accept this position. But as he watched over the grotesque form of Harry's Muggle cousin, any misconception that the nephew of his old school friend would be worth the separation from his Goddaughter was quickly thrown out the window. Remus didn't know what he had been expecting, but the arrogant gait of Dudley Dursley was about as far removed as anything he had ever associated with Evans blood.

Lily had, of course, regaled him with tales of her wicked sister Petunia and her vile brother-in-law to be. Though he'd never thought of Lily to be one to exaggerate, he didn't think a sister could truly be all that bad. If Petunia's son was anything to go by, however, it seems Lily's descriptions of her sister were fuelled by more than one-eyed sibling rivalry. How Harry had then emerged from such an environment remarkably unpretentious and affable, amazed Remus… though he had a creeping feeling that the practiced ease by which Dudley targeted the smaller, defenceless students had something to do with it.

But could two parents be so oblivious to the delinquent behaviour of their child to overlook the mistreatment of their own nephew? Then again, thinking of how Lily told him Petunia treated her, Remus shuddered to think of what example the elder Dursleys set for their obtuse son.

The only satisfaction Remus got in the situation he was in, was in witnessing the prevailing role reversal that was rocking through the Smeltings upper years. While Dudley still terrorised the smaller students, several students who had transferred to the school to do the Muggle equivalent of their NEWTs were older and surlier than the pompous Dursley kingpin, and they were making it their mission to take the reigning school bully down a peg or two. It was shaping up to be a turf war worthy of Slytherin house, and while Remus was quick to save some lowly first year from Dudley's meaty fists, he couldn't help but let the older boys get a few swings in before he ever came to the podgy Muggle's rescue.

His job, after all, was to observe the school and ensure the boy's safety from magical attack. He knew first hand from his rough and tumbles with his Animagus friends in the forbidden forest that a little shiner never hurt anyone, except maybe one's pride. It was while in this state of mind that Remus' late night prowling of the school's unremarkable grounds led him to the scene of the object of his ire being under attack from his foes. After indulging the older boys their fun for a few moments, Remus intervened only when they had drawn blood.

"Jud you waid undil my fadder hears of dis!" The pig-faced blonde boy snarled at him nasally, his head held high as his clumsy fingers struggled to stem the blood flowing from his nose.

"Why, you're welcome, Dursley." Remus drawled sarcastically, reminded, all too ironically, of a oversized Draco Malfoy.

"You dood by and watdhed dem! I daw you!" Dudley glared at him defiantly.

"So what if I did?" Remus snarled back, thoroughly enjoying his role as the snarky caretaker, and getting a whole new appreciation for the smug satisfaction that Severus must get from his own role. Perhaps it wasn't fair to redirect his own anxieties and frustrations about not being able to see his Goddaughter on the unsuspecting students, but they weren't exactly endearing. A small part of him was even unafraid to admit that he hadn't had so much fun in years.

"I dew it!" Dudley protested, stamping his stubby little foot.

"Don't talk, Dursley, you're making a mockery of yourself." Remus' lips twitched as he took in the dishevelled state of the repulsive boy before him. What Harry would do to see this.

"Well? Are you gonna fed the nurd or am I gonna bleed do death?" Dudley scowled impatiently.

"Why would I wake up the nurse from her well earned rest? You shouldn't have been out of bed." Remus shrugged nonchalantly as he began to walk away. "Goodnight Mr Dursley."

"No! Waid!" Dudley stumbled after him. "I can'd go do bed like dis! I won'd be able do breed"

"Your parents haven't given you the talk yet?" Remus leered at him teasingly, one eyebrow raised.

"Whad?" Dudley looked at him, clueless.

"If you require assistance, Dursley, I am afraid you are going to have to ask for it." Remus smiled smugly. "I am caretaker of the school property. I have already exceeded my obligation by saving you from further injury. Now if you will excuse me…"

"If you don't help me, my fadder will have your job!" Dudley growled angrily, his beady little eyes glinting.

"Oh really?" Remus chuckled. "I didn't think a man like 'your father' would want my job."

"Shuddup." Dudley fumed.

"Now, now, Dursley, that's no way to get that nose fixed." Remus wagged his finger tauntingly. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

"Leab my mudder out of dis!" Dudley rounded on him defensively, the demanding boy fast running out of options – clearly he was used to getting what he wanted by use of threats and intimidation. Seeing that Remus was unaffected and walking away again, he relented. "Plead?" He said quietly, as though his bloody nose was not the only thing giving him difficulty in saying the word.

"Follow me, Dursley." Remus said without turning around, save revealing the satisfied smirk on his face.

And so that was how Dudley Dursley ended up in the quarters of one Remus Lupin.

"Who's dat?" Dudley stabbed an overfed finger in the direction of a photo. It was a candid moment between Godfather and Goddaughter, and, as one of Remus' favourites, was one of the few he had transformed into a Muggle print, stilling the image and transforming his depicted self to resemble his disguised form.

Remus looked up from his Muggle first aid kit, struggling to conceal his confusion about what was what. Just because he had integrated himself into Muggle society, there were still certain eccentricities he found foreign.

"None of your business, Dursley." Remus growled protectively.

"Why? She cannot be yours." Dudley sniggered, though it came out more like a gurgle in his present state. "She's far bedder looking than you."

"And far better than you, period." Remus curled his lip in a sneer. "Though if you insist on knowing, she is my Goddaughter."

"Who wood made you a Godfadder?" Dudley sneered back at him obstinately, and Remus took the opportunity to be none too gentle with his ministrations. "Ow, dat hurd!"

"Good." Remus said lowly, in a tone that even a stranger would know not to mess with. "I don't tolerate people undermining my friends. I suggest you quit while you still have a nose."

"Oday, oday!" Dudley relented, visibly starting at the dangerous look in the mysterious caretaker's eyes.

They were interrupted from further discussion, however, by an old man's voice emanating from a piece of reflective glass.

It was a lot of information for the two Gryffindors to take in all at once.

"So, she was like, in the past?" Ron's eyes were wide as saucers. "Wicked!"

"I didn't realise a time turner could initiate travel over such long periods." Hermione frowned.

"And say what, she did what with those brooms?" Ron's mind drifted to the highlight of the conversation. "A Firebolt? Really? D'you think maybe Malfoy only wanted her to charm his broom… ow! Hermione!"

"Children, children, please." Albus rose from his seat wearily and steadied his hands at the children before him. "I am sure Estella or myself will only be too happy to answer your questions upon her return, but as I am sure you will agree we have far more pressing matters to attend to at present time."

"Of course, Headmaster." Hermione chastised herself lightly. "If there's anything we can do…"

"Yes, anything." Ron nodded eagerly in agreement, rubbing his side distractedly from where Hermione had poked him with her wand.

"I was hoping you would ask that." Albus smiled slightly, though for once, the smile did not reach his eyes. "You will be doing the school a great service if you would take Harry and help him prepare for the next task. The timing of this situation is unfortunate, but it will not pay for our young friend here to be unduly distracted."

"Headmaster…" Harry spoke up. "If we had a time turner…"

"Yes, Albus, a time turner!" Sirius jumped up and clapped his hands together as though everything had been solved.

"I am afraid it is not that easy." Albus frowned. "I do not have a time turner on hand, and the Ministry will not relinquish one without due cause. The application process alone takes…"

"Surely there's a way!" Sirius protested.

"I'm afraid not, dear boy." Albus shook his head sadly. "Even if we did have one, who would use it? All in this room were present with Estella in the Great Hall – you would be seen in two places at once! If not by the whole school, by Estella herself."

"I wasn't there." Sirius said resolutely.

"You cannot be seen at all, Sirius. There are eyes at Hogwarts that even I cannot account for." Albus said gravely. "Besides we just do not have a time turner."

"What can we do, then?" Sirius kicked the leg of the coffee table in front of him in frustration and tore at his hair.

"Well right now I advise that the children try and go about the rest of their morning." Albus looked at the children pointedly, raising a hand at them in warning as they moved to voice their protest. "While you and I contrive a way to break the news to Severus. I've sent word for him to meet me here momentarily."

"Professor Snape is coming here?" Ron squeaked, jumping in his seat. "Per…per…perhaps we should go."

The two other Gryffindors paled and nodded in agreement before exchanging their commiserations with Sirius and making their leave. As he watched the students leave, Sirius found that he couldn't blame them for not wanting to be present when the foreboding head of Slytherin was told the news.

"Oh my God!" Dudley squeaked, sounding altogether so much like a pig that had it been under any other circumstances, Remus would have laughed. "You! You're one of dem! You're like my freak coudin!"

Distracted, Remus pulled his wand from his sleeve and, without even tearing his eyes away from the aged visage of the Hogwarts Headmaster, threw a body-binding spell at the wide-eyed Muggle. That it was Albus Dumbledore's reflection in the mirror and not Sirius' had him immediately on alert. Dropping the bloody gauze he had been holding in his other hand, he reached for the mirror to respond.

"Wait a moment, Albus, I have a student present." Remus explained hurriedly, before putting the mirror back down and returning his attention to Dudley, who, through the body-bind, was visibly shaken.

A hastily cast healing spell and selective memory charm later, and Dudley was sent on his mindless way in record time. Remus hardly had the time to admire his own crafty handiwork, however, since nothing he did to get rid of the nuisance boy was fast enough to quell his palpitating heart.

"Albus? What's happened?" He gripped the mirror breathlessly, almost too afraid to hear the old man's answer.

'Estella or Sirius. Estella or Sirius.' His stomach churned as his mind spun at the possibilities of why it was Dumbledore communicating with him through the mirror.

"Remus, my dear boy, there's no easy way to tell you this…" Albus sighed wearily.

"Oh for goodness sake, old man, get to it!" Remus snapped impatiently. He was hardly the best company immediately after a full moon at the best of times, but this situation would have taxed him regardless of the lunar cycle.

"It's Estella…"

Remus' world spun into a spiral of chaos, the mirror dropping from his unresponsive hand and landing on the rug with a soft thud.

Estella.

Without even hearing what else the messenger had to say, Remus was gripped with a physical terror. His chest constricted painfully, and his breathing grew into erratic gasps as he began to hyperventilate. Most alarmingly, the normally observant werewolf became all but oblivious to his surroundings. Nothing but the old man's bad news repeating itself over and over in his head made its way past his ears as the world around him faded to black and he crumpled to the floor in a unconscious heap.

"Moony! Moony!" Sirius grabbed the mirror from the tired looking wizard and shouted into the frame. "Albus, what happened?"

"I believe Mr Lupin passed out in shock." Albus informed him. "Do not worry about your friend, Sirius, I have anticipated this and sent your cousin, Nymphadora, to be with him."

"He's not coming here?" Sirius asked, his mouth increasingly dry.

"Now more than ever I am afraid he is required where he is." Albus said gravely. "I have taken means to ensure that he is kept well abreast of the situation."

"Oh." Sirius said quietly, not willing to admit that inwardly his stomach was churning at the thought of going through the next hours alone.

"I know what you are going through, Sirius, and please know that I am here if you need anything." Albus said gently. "And with Severus here, you will not go through this alone."

Sirius growled. He couldn't help but get the feeling that Remus' post at the Muggle School was merely an excuse for the old man to try and push the estranged brothers-in-law closer together.

"Albus, now is not the time to meddle with family politics!" He snapped warningly.

"On the contrary, dear boy, if not now, then when?" Albus said knowingly. "You must unite if you ever hope to achieve the same ends."

Any response Sirius could have come up with was cut off by the timely arrival of his wife's brother.

"What?" Severus' hawk-like eyes centred immediately on Sirius, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end when the calculating Slytherin deducted what their combined presence in the Headmaster's company could mean. "Albus?"

"I think you should sit down… Severus." Sirius said shakily before falling back into a seat himself. "I think I should sit down."

Severus was immediately on edge. His begrudged brother-in-law did not address him so lightly. Something was amiss.

"Albus, this better not be one of your meddlesome attempts to reconcile our two families!" he looked at the older wizard carefully.

"You two truly are more alike than either of you will ever care to admit." Albus mused quietly to no one in particular. "I only wish things were so simple, dear boy. Please, do, sit down."

Falling heavily alongside his brother-in-law on the lounge, Severus glared at the Headmaster expectedly.

"What is it Albus, I do not have all day."

"Yes, yes, quite right, dear boy. I assure you I am not trying to drag this out for suspense." Albus looked at Sirius sadly before locking eyes with his most misunderstood staff member. "I am afraid I have some news that I know you are not going to like… and I find myself in the awkward position of not quite knowing just how to tell you."

Severus exchanged a look with Sirius before regarding the headmaster with a brow raised in both surprise, and curiosity. The Headmaster was known for beating around the bush, yes… but having difficulty in imparting news?

"Oh for God's sake, old man!" Sirius shook his head in contempt at the fumbling old Wizard before steeling himself and regarding the dark eyes of his foe – so like his wife's – with his own grey pools.

"She's gone, Sev. Malfoy got her."

There was a stunned silence as the content of Sirius' comment registered on Severus' features.

"What?" Severus spluttered, leaping from his seat and looking to the Headmaster for answers. "How could this happen?"
"Well, if you would mind taking your seat, Severus, I shall endeavour to explain…" Albus gestured slowly to the chair, careful not to make any sudden movements that may set off the volatile man.

"What? No, spare me your excuses, Albus! This should not have occurred! You promised me, Albus!" Severus was aghast. "I shouldn't have listened to you! I shouldn't have let her out of my sight!"

At that, Severus did indeed take back his seat, if only to rest his elbows on his knees and cradle his head in a vain effort to keep himself together. Slowly, he lifted his head.

"I trusted you." He said lowly, a sense of finality in his voice that indicated that it would be a long time before the principled Slytherin would trust again. Then, without another word, he rose to his feet and made for the door.

"Severus? Where are you going?" Albus called after him, rising to his own feet from where he had been seated behind his desk.

"Where do you think, Albus?" Severus looked down his nose at him as though he were addressing the likes of Neville Longbottom. "I am going to get my niece back."

"I am afraid I cannot permit you to do that, Severus." Albus said quietly, unbidden power in his voice as he waved his hand subtly, sealing the exits of the room.

"Damn you, Albus!" Severus hissed and cursed at the door that would not yield. Turning back to face the powerful wizard keeping him captive, he fumed, emanating a power all of his own. "He…" he said, stabbing a jerky finger in Sirius' direction. "…may be blessed with the ignorance of not knowing what Malfoy is capable of; but I will not stand by and subject the child to his hospitality any longer than is necessary."

"Too right!" Sirius, in a rare display of actually agreeing with his childhood foe, took his place at the fired-up Slytherin's side.

"Gentlemen please…" Albus pleaded with them. "I understand where you are coming from, Severus, truly I do, but I must ask you to consider the integrity of your position."

"To hell with my position, Albus." Severus shook his head at the man. "My niece's safety has always come first, you know that!"

"And what of the safety of the Wizarding world?" Albus asked. "You hold a position of great responsibility, Severus, you must not run blindly into…"

"Do you have any idea what that man is capable of?" Severus asked the Headmaster levelly. "Because only then will you come close to knowing what you are asking me to do! I will not stand by when there is something I can do!"

"Damn straight!" Sirius nodded assertively, a determined look on his face. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm with you, Snape."

"Oh, how comforting." Severus drawled sarcastically before turning his ire back towards the Headmaster. "Give me one good reason, Albus. One good reason why I don't just go and get her back…"

"We must think long term. He won't kill her." Albus said knowingly. "She is too valuable to him alive."

"What do you mean?" Sirius narrowed his eyes at the old man.

"Severus, you said yourself that Lucius had designs on joining the two bloodlines." Albus looked at Severus.

"Albus, I do not believe that is sufficient." Severus said, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "There are plenty of contenders who would only be too happy to align themselves with the Malfoy line."

"Yes, but none quite so coveted as what young Estella could offer." Albus said quietly. "With the heritage of her bloodlines and the bounty of her dowry, I am confident that Lucius Malfoy will overlook certain indiscretions…"

"I'm sorry, Albus, but since when can you profess to be an expert on Malfoy politics?" Sirius said. "You've given no weight to..."

"Never underestimate the power of blood, gentleman." Albus cut in. "I personally assure you both that everything is being done to recover Estella safely and without compromise."

"With all due respect, Albus, your word has little meaning." Severus said simply, the implications of his words cutting through to the old man like a knife. Seeing the effect it had on the mentor of the light, he relented. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Continue with your duties, Severus. If we are to maintain an element of surprise, it remains imperative to keep up certain appearances." Albus said.

"And what of Estella in the meantime?" Sirius interjected testily as he crumpled on the lounge, struggling to keep a hold of his emotions as his voice began to crack. "What about my baby?"

Estella ached all over. Lucius' torture of her was methodical and cruel. She felt as though whole days had past since she had last had a meal or lain in a bed, free from pain, but as Lucius had taken great care in informing her; she'd barely been gone a day. What's more, he'd tell her mockingly, Hogwarts was so preoccupied with the Triwizard Tournament, she hadn't been reported missing… and of course he would know. He was a all-important school governor.

The battered girl wretched heavily, but nothing came out… the breakfast she'd barely touched long since expelled from her system in a earlier fit of nausea. Through the pain, she could not even remember what Pumpkin Juice tasted like… only that it tasted nothing like the inefficiently brewed replenishing potions Lucius forced down her throat so that she would remain conscious and alive enough to endure more of his torture.

Part of her knew that she wasn't helping herself. The potions gave her enough strength to back talk, and it was such defiance that only intensified the strength of Lucius' attacks. On the other hand, Estella reasoned, the longer she could keep the seriously twisted man interested and entertained, the longer he would keep feeding her the potions – bringing her back from oblivion – and the longer her rescuers would have to find her.

Alive.

"Don't you fall asleep now, Estella." Lucius said, feigning concern. "Don't you know it's rude to doze during a party?"

"Some party." Estella croaked, closing her eyes wearily, not wanting to subject her eyes to his leering face.

"Drink up." Lucius said cheeringly, his hands forcibly opening her mouth and pouring a lumpy, stale potion down her throat. Estella coughed and spluttered, trying to catch her breath.

"You know, Lucy, those potions are useless." She drawled, wincing as the burning hot liquid churned in her empty stomach. "Did Draco make them?"

Evidently touching a nerve, Lucius slapped her across the face; an insignia ring on his finger drawing blood. "Do not speak of my son." He hissed. "Not when he is too struck by you to do my bidding."

Estella couldn't help herself, she looked surprised. Had Draco defied his father for her sake? Was there hope for him? She could think no more, however, when her body was wracked with another bout of Cruciatus.

Recovering slightly, Estella spat out the bile that was in her mouth, making sure it landed full well on the materialistic Slytherin's precious boots. "The Dark Lord must have been so proud." She hissed. "To have such loyal followers with such limited knowledge of magic."

Lucius kicked his boot in her side, wiping his boot clean of spilt potions on her robes. "Shall I try something a little different then?" He whispered menacingly, leaning down over her before firing of a series of dark hexes in rapid succession.

Through her screams, Estella found that she would rather have stuck to the Cruciatus Curse.

"Had enough?" Lucius asked smugly, looming over Estella who was struggling to catch her breath as it came in dry, ragged sobs – the tears in her eyes already spent. She fell onto the ground heavily and willed sleep to claim her. "More potions then?" He smirked, before sweeping away momentarily.

Several vials of potions that Estella could not identify except to say not one of them had a pain-relieving agent; Estella sighed tiredly at her captor.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with." She said, tired of the vicious cycle. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to beg; but she didn't want to go through another round of that.

"Why? When we're having so much fun?" Lucius smiled. "I think I may keep you forever. Draco could do with testing his spell work on a living subject. Will serve well to toughen him up, don't you think?" He glared down at her levelly, wiping a closely tailored sleeve over his brow. "Besides, if the third task does not go as planned, you will be an integral part of tonight's festivities." He smiled benignly at her look of alarm and poked at an open wound on her arm with his wand. "Or rather, your blood will."

Estella shivered, wincing in pain as the badly healed wound was re-opened. All over, her body was wracked with injuries… the potions barely enough to stop her from losing consciousness. She didn't know if it was because the potions were so poorly administered, or because of the sheer number of curses she had been under; but the potions were little help.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Lucius smiled grotesquely as he pulled up the sleeve to reveal the blaring tattoo of the Dark mark… it was darker and much more pronounced than she had ever seen it. Before she could get a grasp on what he was doing, he had grabbed her hand and sandwiched it between his mark and his right hand. A whole new pain coursed through her as her pure hand fought the touch of evil and her pendant glowed white-hot, and she passed out.

End Chapter: Unexpected News