Chapter Two

Meetings and Confrontations

Echo Black had spent one half of her life trying to hide her identity from other people and the other half trying to convince those who knew who she was that she was not her father. These two things alone drained her energy whenever she was in public and she knew that school would be a lot worse.

She knew that, despite everything, she was a Black and she had been raised by Death Eaters. Of course, Severus had tried to hide his past from her, but he had not succeeded. She had found out and had tried not to be surprised, but she was.

She had avoided him for days, locking herself in obscure, unused rooms inside Hogwarts until the deputy headmistress had found her. Minerva McGonagall had been like a grandmother to her throughout her life. She had always been there for Echo when she needed to be away from family and away from Severus. Echo had found it much easier to talk to the older woman than Andromeda or Nymphadora.

That relationship had helped her a lot. She had gotten though the truth about Severus with guidance from the older woman.

And now that she was about to start school, Echo was certain that her relationships with many of the professors would be nearly nonexistent. She told herself that she didn't mind. She would have new friends, but that didn't stop the stab of pain she felt when she thought about it. She had grown under their tutelage.

Now it was all about to change and Echo realized just how much as she and Draco walked into Madame Malkins.

"Hogwarts, dears?"

"Yes," Echo answered.

"Very well," the clerk said. "Come this way." She motioned for both of the children to follow her. Echo was led to another part of the store, opposite of Draco. There she found the very familiar face of one Pansy Parkinson.

"Hello, Pansy," she said standing on the stool as she began to be fitted.

"Allo, Echo. Good summer?"

"Not really," Echo answered.

"Oh yeah, you've been at Malfoy Manor all summer, haven't you?"

"Yes, and it is rather tedious at times."

Pansy laughed. "I'm sure."

Echo smiled. She had almost always been able to get along with Pansy. Although they did not share the same political views (though Pansy believed they did) they were always able to talk about other things.

"A galleon she's a Mudblood?" Pansy asked, looking across the store to the girl who had just walked in.

Echo smiled. "A galleon."

"Oh, hello," the girl said.

"Morning," Pansy said, her voice tinged with irritation. Echo recognized it and decided to make this inquisition quick and relatively harmless.

"Hello, and who are you?"

"I'm Viv Bane."

"Oh," Echo said. "Related to Conor Bane?"

"My dad."

"Ha," Echo said. "Pansy?" Pansy leapt off the stool muttering as she fished a galleon out of her pocket and put in in Echo's hand.

"See you at school, Black."

"Later, Parkinson." Echo tried not to laugh as Pansy gave her a half-hearted reply.

"Who was that?" Viv asked, getting onto the stool that Pansy had vacated.

"A friend," Echo answered. She did not want to be seen talking to this girl. The Purebloods would never let her live it down. The Banes were a Pureblood family, but they were also blood traitors, ranking down even below the Weasleys, but they had money. They were one of the richest families not connected to the Slytherin house.

And Echo envied this girl. She doubted that Viv had to deal with people who expected her to act like a Death Eater in training. She doubted that she had to deal with upholding a family name tarnished with the lives and deaths of Voldemort supporters and other dark wizards and witches.

"So who're you?" Viv asked.

Echo looked at her. She wondered if this girl would react the way that most people acted when they heard her name. "Echo Black."

"Oh." The girl made no other reply and Echo smirked.

"You're all done, dear," the clerk told Echo. Echo nodded and stepped off the stool with, as Narcissa would call it, all the grace of a Black. She gave Viv a charming but cold smile and walked over to where Draco was waiting.

"Ever so slow, aren't you?" he asked.

She ignored the comment. "I was talking to Pansy when Conor Bane's daughter showed up."

"Really?" he asked with interest.

"Yes. It was quite interesting."

"She didn't say a word after you said your name," Draco noted.

Echo laughed. "Correct."

"I think I left my book back there," he said, looking though his pockets. He pulled out his money bag.

"I'll get it," she offered and walked towards the fitting area to retrieve the book that Draco had bought earlier that day. It was Dark Arts, or at least as dark as one could expect from a store in Diagon Alley. Anything else would have to be bought around the corner.

"Hello."

Echo whirled around to face the boy who had spoken. Messy black hair and a pair of green eyes behind glasses greeted her.

"Hi," Echo replied. He was standing there on the stool and the person fitting him wasn't around. She located Draco's book and picked it up. "I'm Echo Black."

"Harry Potter."

Any reply Echo might have made died in her throat. Severus had been right. He was starting school this year. Quickly, however, she regained her composure. She was a Black after all.

"How very interesting," she answered. "See you at school." As soon as she was out of his line of sight, she took a deep shuddering breath. That was her cousin, the cousin she had never been allowed to meet.

And he didn't even know who she was. She didn't know if that was supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing, but she suspected the former. If he found out what her father had done, if he discovered that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potter family, Echo knew that he would hate her. That bothered her. Even though she did not know Harry, she wanted to know him, to talk to him, and to be friends, but she doubted that would happen.

"Gods above and below, help me in this. Let Harry see past my name and reputation and see me as I am, not who I pretend to be."

The youngest Weasley boys were unusually subdued when the family arrived at the Burrow. One would have thought that they were up to something. In reality, however, all three were in deep contemplation. George hadn't said anything to his twin since they had left Diagon Alley. He didn't approve of Fred actually being friends with a girl who was no doubt going to be a Slytherin.

"Why are you so quiet?" Little Ginny asked George when he sat down in the Weasley living room.

"Go away, Gin," George said. "Just go away."

Fred watched his brother with regret, but he knew that he wouldn't give up his friendship with Echo Black for anything, not even his brother. He had seen Echo during her worst times; when she fought with her godfather, when she fought with one of her cousins, whenever another custody battle began. He loved her like he loved Ginny, like a little sister.

Of course, it also helped that she had been raised in the school and knew everything about it. She even had friendships with most of the ghosts. With a little tutelage she could very well be his successor in pranking.

That wasn't Fred's main concern, though. He knew that she would need a lot of support once school started. He knew that most of her immediate family had been in Gryffindor but, since they were all dead, she had been raised by Slytherins. Where would she end up? She would have support from her cousin in Slytherin and she would have his support in Gryffindor. Snape would support her in whichever house she was put in, but Fred knew that wouldn't be enough. Echo was sensitive and a lot of people would begin to compare her to her father, the murderer.

Would she be able to handle it? It would be worse in Gryffindor. Most of the Slytherins would accept her because of her father.

Fred sighed and decided to leave the problem alone until she was actually sorted. He couldn't do anything about it now unless…

He walked into the kitchen where his mother was starting to cook dinner. "Mum, do you mind if a friend came over for the rest of summer?"

"Who, Fred?"

"Echo Black."

Echo had been outwardly calm the entire way back to Malfoy Mansion. Draco hadn't asked any questions, but Lilith had been giving her strange looks. Echo pitied her. Lilith didn't have a chance for reprieve from her family. She had to live that life of bigotry and lies and hatred.

Oh, how those three things could change a person and their perception of the world.

When they arrived at the manor, Echo was surprised to see Severus there waiting for them.

"Severus," Lucius said in a polite, but demanding tone.

"Lucius, Narcissa," Severus replied. "I've come to get Echo."

"Why?" Echo asked, fake disappointment hiding her inward cheering.

"Droma wants to spend some time with you before school begins," the Potions Master said. Echo recognized the tone he used. He was up to something.

"Severus, can we talk, alone?" Lucius asked, motioning to the stairs that led to his secret study.

"Of course, Lucius," Severus answered. He looked at Echo and gave her a barely perceptible nod before he disappeared up the stairs behind Lucius.

"Well, come on," Draco said.

"Where?"

"Well, we got all this stuff now…"

"Lunch first," Narcissa said. "And if Echo will be going to my sister's, she'll have to pack her things, won't she?"

"Yes, I suppose," Draco said.

"Come one, you three. Dobby, get us something for lunch."

To say that Severus had been surprised when he got a firecall from Molly Weasley would have been an understatement. But she had called and on behalf of Fred who wished Echo to spend the rest of summer at the Burrow. Severus had agreed, secretly happy to have an excuse to get Echo away from Malfoy influence before school started.

He had Apparated to Malfoy Mansion immediately after arranging for Andromeda to tell Narcissa that Echo was staying with them for the summer. Droma too, had been extremely happy to hear that Echo was going to stay with the Weasleys. Severus knew that Lucius and Narcissa would be enraged and that was why he was not surprised when Lucius asked him to the study.

It wasn't the first time that the elder Slytherin had tried to use his influence as the Dark Lord's right hand to gain advantage over the other Death Eaters and even though Severus was no longer a part of their path, a fact that was not known outside the former Order of the Phoenix, those loyal to Voldemort still believed him to be. And he had to play the part in case Voldemort returned one day and he had to return to the life of a double agent. He wondered about that. Would Echo play a part in the war? If so, what? She was Leah Potter-Black's daughter, son of Voldemort's supposed right hand, cousin to the famous Harry Potter…where would she be when Voldemort returned? Severus wasn't a religious person, but he prayed every day that Echo would not turn out like her family before her, that she would be like her mother, the loving, kind, unselfish woman that Leah Potter had been once upon a time.

"Severus," Lucius began, shocking the Potions Master out of his thoughts. "What ever possessed you to allow Andromeda and her Mudblood husband to help raise Echo?"

Severus shrugged gracefully. "Droma was close to both of Echo's parents. It has been my belief that if anyone could provide Echo with an uncolored history of her family, Droma would be that person."

"We all knew Black and Potter, didn't we? Some better than most, isn't that correct."

"'Tis better not to make assumptions Lucius. After all, a Malfoy couldn't possibly be wrong."

Lucius glared at Severus for a moment before laughing. "True, my dear Severus, too true. But really, don't you agree that Droma poisoning Echo's mind with Mudblood thoughts and ideas?"

"I believe that Droma's influence and relationship with Echo is not your concern. If I believe that Droma is harming Echo's mind, then, and only then, will I seek your aid. Otherwise, this conversation is over. Good day, Lucius."

Severus turned and left the study.

A/N: Here's an extra special long chapter for you (2100 words). I think it's the longest I've written in a while, so enjoy.

SA