disclaimer: All belongs to JKR

Author's note: This chapter isn't quite finished, but I'll be sure to do so in the coming day. I was so proud that I'd updated this one that I couldn't wait to put it up :)

"You WHAT?"

She stared at him, eyes wide, not necessarily with disbelief, but etched with disappointment and worry.

"But….but after all we've seen, all we know, you can't! You simply CAN'T!"

She grabbed at the front of his robes.

"Please don't. Please don't do this…there are other ways!"

He waited for her to loosen her grip and took her white hands in his, replying softly "I have to… there are no other options." He paused as her gaze slipped and tears welled up in her desperate eyes. "Sar, look at me, just do me a favor and play along, ok? You don't have to go this far…just play along. I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe."

She shook her head "Not for me, don't do this for me, please no." And she fell into his embrace until a thought came to her causing a sudden, fleeting hope. "Tell them! Tell him! Tell him you're a halfblood! He might turn you away, and we can just avoid all of this!"

"Sar, he knows already, and he doesn't care. It's just….not to be brought up. All that matters is that one of us goes. He wants our family's loyalty; I'm enough to prove that."

She shook her head slowly and whispered through her tears to her brother. "Alana's applying to the Ministry. She's going to be an auror; you'll be fighting your own blood, Severus, please...I don't know how to bridge that! And if either of you end up…"

She couldn't finish, but he didn't expect her to. All he could do was hold her and reassure her that everything would work out. His sister was strong; she'd be alright through the coming years. Though she was married, Severus wasn't worried about her having anyone to protect her, he'd see to that himself. If anyone was going to survive this war, it would be Sardelle. He made this promise to her silently before heading out that night escorted by Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus Lestrange.

Lofty white clouds rolled slowly across the Scottish estate as Sardelle peered out from between huge blue velvet draperies. Early wrinkles graced her brow from many years of hard work and worry. Just as Severus had promised, she had been able to successfully keep herself and her children from the war – mostly thanks to his own work within the Dark Lord's ranks. The cost had been her husband, back near the end of the first war, but although his death had grieved her, there had never been any love between the two. Her children were safe, and that was what had mattered.

In fact, they were all still alive at this point, so late in the game. Herself, her son, her daughter, brother and cousin. So many other families had been reduced to shreds. Why had they been spared? Luck, cunning, benevolence on the part of the Dark Lord…a combination of the three.

Of course, Sardelle had not stayed the weak, sobbing young woman that she had been when her brother told her that he was to join the Death Eaters. The young halfblood had promised herself to play her part – she'd "play along" just as well as he could. Within no time, she found herself going to functions at the Malfoy and Lestrange manors on the arm of her brother, and quickly became "friends" with the rest of the women…Well, except Bellatrix, but then, she was viewed much more as one of the men then on of the "wives." Narcissa, especially, decided to befriend the new Snape, and thus, Sardelle became "established" within the ring of followers.

"Escaped?...I knew something big was planned, but now? I didn't know he was ready…"

"It's mayhem," stated the nearly frantic head in the fireplace. "The guards: all dead. We've already lost a few good aurors, the rest of us are tracing them, but its damn near impossible. Sar – do you know ANYTHING that could help?"

Sardelle glanced over her shoulder, her body well positioned so as to hide her cousin in the fire, as a house elf flew into the room and stopped at the door bent over double and panting.

"Excuse Yinny, Mistress, but Mistress Malfoy is here, and is needing you right away" it gasped.

"I'm coming" she said, and the house elf left to relay her message. Sardelle turned back towards her cousin. "Portkeys." She whispered. "Escapees couldn't possibly have the strength to apparate. If you trace apparitions then you'll get nowhere."

"Will do, thanks!"

"Take care, Alana." And as the head disappeared, Sardelle ran at full speed toward the entrance hall when Narcissa stood supporting a large black mass.

"The Dark Lord said that only one person should be housed per household, and Lucius already volunteered to take Rastaban in. She needs somewhere," panted Narcissa, nodding to what Sardelle recognized as the other Black sister.

"Of course…here" and Sardelle slid under Bellatrix's other arm to help drag the sister into one of the guest bedrooms.

That was the start of the second war. So much had happened to put her in the position that she was. Those critical of her would say that she was "playing on both sides," like her brother. This wasn't true – she was surviving. And quite frankly, she'd done a damn good job of it. That month caring for Bellatrix had been probably one of the more intricate balancing acts she'd ever accomplished as Narcissa spent most of the time at the manor and Severus came back and forth more than he probably ever had.

It was in that time that her daughter, under the guiding had of her brother, discovered a real love of potionry. Sardelle watched as Eileen brewed and fed all different kinds of liquids to Bellatrix while Alexander, her older son, looked on barely able to hide his disapproval. She knew that when he went off to town, he was relaying everything to his aunt. She only hoped that, in turn, Alana had the sense to tell him to remain the host and not seem to defect.

Even more than that, she hoped that Eileen wasn't taking too much to the Black sisters.

But time passed, Bellatrix got back onto her feet and went off again to live with her own family. Sardelle cringed inwardly when the Dark Lord praised her daughter, comparing her healing skill to those of her uncle Severus. Outwardly, she was grateful.