Chapter 11

"What are you doing in here?" She repeated, looking a strange mix of angry and grief stricken.

"I just… I was… the door was open a crack…"

"And I suppose the sheet fell as well. Harry I asked you to do one thing! I said not to go into closed rooms. And I know you don't hold much stock by the rules but I had hoped you would have listened to one at least. I've been kind haven't I? Under the circumstances I've been more then understanding… just go to you room please." She finally decided, her eyes falling upon the tainted wall.

"I'm sorry…"

"Please, just go to your room." She said, in a calm voice that scared him more then her yelling did. Harry did as he was told, returned to his room and shut the door behind him. He really hadn't intended to upset his aunt as much as he did.

Severus realized that it had been sometime since Alex went upstairs to check on the boy… on Harry. He excused himself to his mother then made his way up the three flights of stairs.

When he reached the third floor landing he noticed the opened door to the nursery. With in the room sat Alex, moving gently in the dusty rocking chair, starring blankly at the wall.

"Alex?" Severus asked, receiving no response. "Alexandria?" He said, with a bit more force in his voice.

"I found Harry up here." She replied slowly. "I yelled at him. Then as I looked at him I began to realize… Marcus would be that age if he were… if he…" She began to sob.

"I know." Severus said with a soft tone that was reserved for her alone. "Every year of school… when his class started I always thought our son would be in this class and then I'd be reminded of you… Well you can guess why I've been such a bastard all these years."

"Don't say that about yourself Sev. You've had every right to be a bastard." Alex said with a small smile. "And besides, you're my bastard."

"Always good to know." He said pulling her out of the chair and into his embrace.

"I love you Severus."

"I love you too Alexandria." They exchanged a quick kiss then made their way back down stairs.

"You go ahead, I'll be along in a moment." Alex said, stopping at Harry's closed door. Snape grudgingly left her and continued down the hall to their room.

"Harry? May I come in?" She asked, knocking on the door.

"Come in." He called back to her. She opened the door to find Harry sitting at his desk writing.

"Working on your summer homework already?" She asked softly, sitting down on the foot of his bed.

"Trying to." He said lightly. After a moment he spoke again. "I'm really sorry Aunt Alex. If you want me to go back with the Dursleys I will."

"I don't want you to leave Harry. That isn't really necessary. I just want you to listen to me when I say that something is off limits."

"I will, I promise I won't open closed doors again."

"How will you ever get any where?" She joked.

"Well… you know what I meant."

"Yes. Harry you know I'm only particular about that room because it represents so many bad memories."

"Right. I am truly sorry." Harry said sincerely.

"I know you are. Don't be up too late, alright?"

"Alright."

"Goodnight then Harry." Alex said, standing up and walking towards the door. Her mind had wrapped around one of those bad memories; her thought was already so deep in that she didn't hear Harry say good night.

Years ago, after she had joined the Death Eaters there was a party in the manor for all the Death Eaters… including… Lucius Malfoy.

FLASH to the BACK!

"I don't know why we agreed to this." Severus sighed, taking a seat in the empty sitting room.

"Yeah, I was hoping that switching sides would mean not having to socialize with those bastards anymore." Alex said handing him a glass of wine and sitting down next to him on the sofa.

"Well we have to keep up appearances, love." He muttered, before taking a long drink from the full glass.

They had been forced to hosting the next Death Eaters get together. Both knew that this meant drunken people they once considered friends traipsing around the house drinking and assaulting whatever women were brought for entertainment.

Severus and Alex finished their wine and were just getting up when people began to appear via floo powder. Among them were Wormtail, LeStrange, and Lucius Malfoy. More Death Eaters and many unwilling women soon followed them.

It wasn't too long before some of the men found company and escorted them upstairs, if they wanted to or not. Occasionally there was a shrill scream that echoed down to the party. It was usually responded to with cheering or applause.

"Why do you never disable the women so they can't struggle?" Alex asked. She and Snape were standing next to the drink trolly with Malfoy and another Death Eater.

"Because the struggle is half the fun." Lucius smiled menacingly. Alex felt sick to her stomach. "Severus I don't suppose you'd ever loan Alexandria…"

"No." Snape replied shortly, not even wanting the thought to enter his mind.

"I figured." Malfoy sneered, however his eyes glimmered as he watched Alex sip her drink. That's right, he thought, enjoy your drink.