Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ms. Rowling's wonderful creations. Nor do I own any of the various songs that may be presented throughout the length of this fanfiction. The various songs will be named at the end of the fic, as well as in the chapter within which they lie.

Just because I'm bored and not likely to get another chapter of this out for a while, I'll throw out the first chapter to give you all some small idea of the plot.

Yours,

Allison

Chapter One

It had been a whole year since Hermione Granger had died. There had been no word. Six months after her death, a new face had appeared in the world of evil. It was random at first...a muggle's death here and there. It wasn't until muggleborns started dying left and right that Lucius was ordered to contact this new evil. He was informed immediately that 'La Dama de la Muerte,' as she was known in Spain, would be pleased indeed to meet with his Master.

Which was why Voldemort's innermost circle of Death Eaters was gathered here at this desolate place, watching the time nervously as their Lord sat like a king on the litter that he'd forced Pettigrew to levitate all of the way down from the mansion. At nine on the dot, a crouching figure in dark purple robes appeared among their midst, followed by two others in deep emerald robes. The figure in purple straightened, pushing the hood of its cloak back to reveal a thin, nicely tanned face, slender and haughty. She looked to be a natural redhead, her hair long and elegant in its rich auburn hues. The rich purple of her cloak accented her tan and her hair nicely, making her seem somehow...other. The two figures in red robes hesitated, obviously waiting for some kind of command. The haughty arrogance of her expression never wavered as she made a single motion with a perfectly tanned, slender hand.

The hood of the figure on Voldemort's right went first, to reveal an exotic asian queen with glittering jade eyes that promised violence. She was significantly shorter than the beauty who obviously commanded them, but no less deadly looking. The last woman was very obviously African. Her skin was a black so pure that it glinted almost purple, her hair just as dark and in hundreds of tiny braids, pulled back into an exotic style. Her glittering black eyes, too, promised violence and death in such a scale that several Death Eaters, including Severus, took a step back in alarm.

"Which one of you is La Dama de la Muerte?" Voldemort asked. Lucius bit his lip. It was painfully obvious who the Spaniards called the Lady of Death. The dagger-driven blue-eyed gaze of the blonde turned to Voldemort and she seemed to size him up for a long moment.

"Lord Voldemort, I presume." She said, and Lucius bit down even harder to keep himself from moving to her and bowing to the command in her voice. That a mere chit of a girl could command that much sheer power was almost unthinkable to him, making her seem even more otherworldly. "You're smaller than I expected."

The audacity of her comment seemed to catch the Dark Lord off guard for a long moment, and he seemed to study her, sizing her up. After a long moment, he smiled. "Welcome, Madame. It is a true...pleasure...to meet you. And these lovely ladies...?"

"My companions, Xue and Asabi." The women behind her shifted, though they never moved other than that.

"And you? We can hardly go about calling you La Dama de la Muerte all of the time." Voldemort all but purred. Lucius fought back the urge to sneer.

"I am Kira Bronwen." She said, her dark eyes holding Voldemort's snake-like ones steadily. After a long moment, he bowed formally at the waist and she returned the favor.

"Kira. I would request that you join me...us..." A pale, sickly slender hand motioned to the men standing around in the circle within which the three women stood. "...in our quest to purge our world of mudbloods."

Lucius sensed the women behind Kira shifting, but the beauty herself seemed made of marble. "To serve you?"

"To be my equal, My Lady." Voldemort said, softly. Lucius hesitated. Surely the vixen standing before them wasn't that stupid...

"We shall see, Lord Voldemort." Kira's voice was calm and even. Lucius felt the rush of heat run through him at her nonchalant voice. She hadn't been fooled! "These things, after all, take time to negociate."

"Of course, of course..." Voldemort said. "Are you in England for long?"

"Unfortunately no." Kira said, "I have not found a place to stay as of yet...as my reputation tends to precede me, I think you can understand that I did not wish to stay at a public Inn or Bed and Breakfast."

"Nonsense, My Lady! You are always free to stay with me. Or, if it suits you better, with one of my Death Eaters." Lucius watched with a strangely bated breath as the slender witch surveyed Voldemort critically for several moments before nodding sharply.

"If I may speak, My Lord?" Lucius heard Severus' silky drawl from the spot directly to Voldemort's left. He himself was on Voldemort's direct right.

"Of course, Severus." Voldemort hissed.

"I would be more than pleased to allow Lady Bronwen to room at my manor." Severus began, to be cut off quickly by Lucius.

"Nonsense, Severus! Your home is no place for a woman!" He said, surprising even himself with his outburst.

"You have a better idea, Lucius?" Voldemort purred. Lucius swallowed hard. Here was hoping...

"The Malfoy Manor is much better...equipped...to entertain guests of this calibur, My Lord." Lucius said, softly. "That is all that I was implying."

During this exchange, Severus Snape- safely hidden behind his mask- noted that Kira Bronwen seemed to shift at the sound of his and Lucius' names. It was the first time she'd moved- other than to speak- since she'd arrived, and he noted it with no shortage of suspicion. Her expression, however, never changed...making him doubly suspicious, of course. When he tried to dive into her mind, however, her eyes narrowed sharply and she turned that imperious, icey, blue-eyed stare to him. Voldemort had been about to speak to Lucius when he noticed the slow turning of the woman's head.

Severus brought both hands to his throat before he could stop himself, trying desperately to find a breath through the inky blackness that was all he'd found within the mind of the witch. He dropped to his knees before he could stop himself, and he heard, distantly, the chanting of a soft, feminine voice. When the darkness began to clear, he could see a dispassionate pair of blue eyes above him. His mask had been removed and he was able to breathe freely at last. As the witch stepped away from him, leaving him to recover his breath- and his strength- he heard Voldemort's voice in the background.

"I've heard of the Legilimar spell...but I have never yet met anyone strong enough to pull it off without detection." Severus was shocked, to say the least, that he'd never even heard of the spell, let alone been given the chance to attempt it.

"I studied in a little-known academy in Spain where I studied the spell." He heard the icey, smoothe voice state matter-of-factly. "The Legilimar spell fascinated me. To know that, no matter what, your mind is safe from Legilimens. To know the moment that someone was trying to intrude in your thoughts...and that they would die unless you chose to forgive them? It appealed to me."

"You are sure you will be quite comfortable with Lucius?" Severus struggled into a sitting position, staring as the Dark Lord Voldemort, ruthless murderer of hundreds, fretted over whether or not this young witch- who was less than half his age- would be comfortable.

"Do not worry, My Lord." Kira said, her voice level. "I am sure we will be fine." Severus watched as the woman turned to Lucius. "Won't we, Lucius?"

"Of course, My Lady." Lucius bowed formally and smiled cordially at her. Severus glared silently at the powerful witch who had nearly killed him without even lifting her wand. She looked at him, and he felt like flinching back in fear...which made him begin to hate her.

"I apologize, Mr. Snape." She said, calmly. "However, as you can plainly see, attempting to dive into my thoughts is not a good idea."

"Nevermind that." Voldemort hissed, taking her arm and leading her to the apparition point...her silent, stone-carven companions close behind. Kira thanked him and turned to gaze up at Lucius.

"I will have to apparate with the three of you. Just concentrate on following me." He stated. Kira nodded sharply as he placed his hand in hers. A thrill went through the both of them, leaving Lucius fairly breathless and Kira to look at him in a silent, appraising way as Xue and Asabi rested their hands on his shoulders. Voldemort noticed the tiny thrill of magic pass between the two of them as well, and he studied the young woman before him...wishing desperately that he would be able to get into her mind before the Legilimar spell struck him deaf dumb and blind until she released him from its deadly effects. He would enjoy knowing exactly what was going through her mind.

"Right, then..." Lucius cleared his throat. "Let us be off. Simply concentrate on following me, and you'll apparate safely." He said, concentrating. After a moment, the four of them apparated and were gone.

Severus moved to Voldemort wearily. "Are you quite certain we should trust her, My Lord?"

"I'm quite certain, Severus, that we should not trust her." Voldemort replied, staring pensievely at the spot where one of his most faithful servants had disappeared. "We cannot see into her mind thanks to the protection of the Legilimar, and she gives nothing away with her expression or movements. We shall keep an eye on her, but she will be a valuable ally against Potter." Voldemort all but spat the word. Harry Potter had been nothing but a thorn in his side since the death of Hermione Granger. It was like the young man had finally decided that the war had gone far enough, and he was going to stop it. Voldemort had almost found it amusing at first. Of course, it had been six months since he'd found anything particularly amusing...which was why he'd sought out La Dama de la Muerte. Well...that and the fact that he didn't want to share the title of Dark Lord. If he had to share the post with anyone...why not make it a Queen?

Severus looked at his lord for a long moment. "My Lord...?"

Voldemort pulled himself out of his reverie. "That will be all, Severus. Continue developing that potion, I expect a full report by the next meeting." With that, he disapparated. Severus stared at the spot where Voldemort had disappeared for a long moment before sighing and disapparating.

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Kira moved about the suite of rooms that Lucius had led Xue, Asabi, and herself to, checking for any attempts at spying. She even went so far as to cast a highly specialized spell to point out any devices or spells that would enable Lucius to spy. She then pulled a knut out of her robes and tapped it with her wand, muttering a time later that night. Dinner was to be served at Seven, so she gave herself three hours to get back to her room, setting the meeting at ten.

Asabi sighed softly and curled against the soft pillows of Kira's giant bed. Xue stood silent and unmoving in a corner. Kira sighed and cleaned herself up. After Xue and Asabi finished washing up, they took off their cloaks and shifted the highly specialized robes that they wore underneath before nodding to Kira, who slipped her cloak off and set it aside, adjusting her own robes. The robes were a perfect match for the cloaks, and the three women made sure they were tidied up before turning as the young Draco Malfoy opened the door and stared.

Draco had never seen a witch as absolutely stunning as Kira Bronwen. His father had warned him of La Dama de la Muerte's appeal, but he hadn't fully believed it until he opened the door of the guest suite and saw the dispassionate blue eyes already directed towards him, power radiating from her in a flurry as she glanced towards the clock that his father had placed beside the bed. With a sharp nod, she glanced to Xue and Asabi, who fell in line behind her as she walked easily behind Draco...who was increasingly more self conscious with each movement that she made at his back. He was relieved when they stepped into the dining room, where his father was already waiting, standing at the head of the table.

"Lady Bronwen..." Lucius said cordially as he held out a chair for Kira. With a discreet glance at Asabi and Xue, Kira gave a tight, controlled smile before sinking gracefully into the seat. The younger Malfoy held out chairs for first Asabi and then Xue before he, himself, sat on his father's left and directly across from Kira.

"Lord Malfoy. We thank you for your hospitality." Kira said, calmly. "I would also like to apologize for any inconvenience that this has caused you."

"Nonsense. You have done nothing inconvenient." Lucius all but purred. Xue and Asabi glanced at each other before turning to the food that the House Elves set out, letting their mistress set her trap. It had to be set well, they knew...so that when the noose closed, there was no going back.

Kira and Lucius spent the entirity of the dinner hour flirting in a stiff, formal way that made Draco want to puke. He supposed, however, that his father deserved some happiness. Narcissa Malfoy had been a royal whorish bitch, but she had given his father some warped, twisted sense of purpose. Really, other than that, Hermione Granger had done his father and himself both a great service.

Not that he would admit it, of course.

"Lady Bronwen." Lucius all but purred as they stood. The three ladies were almost to the door, but they turned back to look at him. "Would you do me the honor of joining me in the den for a bit of an after-dinner drink?"

Something swam beneath the empty depths of those dispassionate blue eyes, but it was gone before Draco could recognize it. "I beg your pardon, Lord Malfoy, but my ladies and I are very tired. It has been an exeedingly long trip, and I'm afraid that I must beg your leave to retire on this night. Perhaps tomorrow?" It held just the right ammount of remorse...just the right tint of hope.

"Of course, My Lady..." Lucius moved to her, raising one slender, elegant hand to her cheek in a gesture that was too familiar to be entirely formal. "It is I who should be apologizing, my dear." He murmured, Storm-cloud gray eyes meeting Sunny-day blue eyes. "It was inconsiderate of me not to remember that you have been travelling often, of late, and would, of course, be tired." Draco shifted uncomfortably, and Kira's companions averted their gazes. Such a scene would have been much better behind bedroom walls.

Lucius was uncertain as to why, exactly, he was being so delicate with her...so flirtatious. She attracted him, certainly...it would be impossible for those attracted by power- as Lucius was- not to be attracted by this young beauty. She was powerful, she was gorgeous, she was evil...she was, in short, everything that Lucius Malfoy wanted in a woman. It was like a magnet drew his gaze from her eyes to her lips and he heard her breath speed up as if she knew where his intense gaze had focused. Slowly, he leaned in until his lips pressed delicately against hers.

His taste was intoxicating. Strawberry Wine. His smell...the stetson cologne that she had smelled on her first love...a fling many, many years before when she'd visited the United States. His lips were soft...not at all cold and hard like she'd expected them...and when he pulled back, his stormy eyes glittered with a light that- had she not known better- she would have assumed was lightning striking within the depths of his eyes. For her own part, she kept her eyes dispassionate, as she knew from bitter experience that she wasn't much good at dictating which particular emotion they contained. It was far easier to keep them dispassionate and detatched.

"Good night, My Lord." She murmured vaguely, drawing back from his touch. He seemed in a daze as he watched her, and she forced her thoughts to the present, spinning and striding from the room, robes billowing about her, with all of the fury of an approaching storm.

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Harry jumped as he felt his pocket burn. Reaching inside, he grasped a coin and drew it out, opening his fist to see the knut there that McGonagall had given him over a year before. Frowning, he looked at the serial number before sighing and looking up to meet Ron's eyes. They had been having dinner at the Burrow...their first peaceful dinner since Hermione's death. Now, finally, they had a reason to dare to hope.

At ten exactly, Harry and Ron hurried into Ron's old bedroom to activate their Witch's glasses. A familiar face appeared...perfectly tanned, hair framing her face. The only difference were her eyes...they were detached and dispassionate, much unlike they'd been during the trio's years at Hogwarts. "Minerva." Her voice was the same, too...if a bit colder.

"Hello Hermione, my dear." They could hear the Headmistress' voice and glance at their Witch's Glasses once more as another picture came into view. The glass seemed to separate in half diagonally, leaving Hermione on one half and Minerva McGonagall's face on the other. "How have you been?"

Hermione's lips twitched at the question. "As well as can be expected, Minerva. But I haven't much time and this isn't a pleasure meeting." She turned her eyes to Harry and Ron for the first time. "Hello, boys." That was it...nothing more. Turning back to Minerva, she continued speaking. "I told you that I would contact you once my cover was secure. I apologize for taking so long, but I could not risk anything until I was sure that the suspicion for my 'death' wouldn't fall to me."

"Where have you been!" Harry demanded. Her eyes shot to his.

"You do not want to know." Something in her eyes made Harry wish he'd never asked. Something cold gathered in the pit of his stomach and he flinched visibly.

Hermione turned back to Minerva, who was speaking. "I'm sorry that you've had to do this, my dear. I wish we could have chosen someone else..."

"Nonsense, Minerva." The young witch's voice went hard. "Now we've already been through this and it's too late for regrets, do you hear me?" She paused, suddenly, and looked away from the glass. "What is it?" Her voice was suddenly colder than frozen nitrogen and twice as deadly. Someone seemed to speak from behind her, and when she answered, it was in a curse. "Blast it all! If it's not the father, it's the son...tell him I'll be there in a minute."

"Hermione?" Minerva asked.

"I'm sorry, Minerva, but I've just arrived back in England and it seems that my presence is required by my host. I will be in touch." And then she was gone.

"Blimey!" Ron whispered. Harry silently agreed as he looked to Minerva.

"Headmistress...what do you wish us to do?" He asked. She was beginning to show her age, bless her.

"We don't have a choice, Harry." She admitted. "We'll have to trust that not only is that actually Hermione, but that she's still got enough good left in her heart to do her duty properly."

Harry was silent for a long time before he spoke. "I have a feeling that we might need a backup plan, Professor."