Voices drifted up through the floorboards, waking Selene in the middle of the afternoon.

Stretching in the bed, she frowned slightly, wondering just who in the hell would be downstairs, chatting. Unless Severus was talking to himself, and somehow he seemed far too sane to do that.

Her curiosity got the best of her.

Sliding out of the bed, Selene opened the closet door, staring at a few of her dresses and robes. The idea now that her clothing would be in his home made sense to her, no longer shocking or confusing. Just as he'd laid out her toiletries and hairbrush and perfume, it made sense he would make sure to have her clothing there for her.

It gave her a sense of normalcy, in a situation that was anything but normal.

As she brushed her hair, clipping it back with the dragonfly clip Julius gave her years before, the voices diminished, and she shrugged, assuming she may have dreamt or imagined them. Hell, for all she knew, it could have just been the wind whistling through the creaky walls. Rationalizing the situation, Selene reached for deep blue robes and pulled them on over her dress, tightening the belt two notches more than usual.

Bloody hell, I lost weight…

Galileo purred on the bed behind her, watching every step she took. "Don't give me that look. I haven't felt this close to normal in days. I'm not getting dolled up for him – it's for me. So, you can take that all-knowing look out of your eyes and go hunt a mouse or something truly beneath you."

The grey cat leapt from the bed and shot for the staircase.

Selene followed her pet. Reaching the end of the staircase, she stopped, frozen, at the two voices just beyond the closed door.

She recognized them both.

"Well, Severus, aren't we being coy and secretive today?"

Severus rolled his eyes at his old friend, watching him stretch out on his couch, his hair pulled back in a severe fashion. "I merely said I didn't have time for a prolonged discussion, Lucius. Half an hour ago, if I recall correctly."

"I do admit, I was surprised to find you at home and not at your precious school."

"Then why stop by?"

"Because." That was Lucius' answer for almost everything. "I thought I'd take a chance. So, why are you home?"

"No reason of interest, I assure you, Lucius. I merely wanted away from the castle and those annoying children for a few blissful weeks."

Lucius chuckled. "Damn. And here I was, hoping for a much juicier reason than that."

"My condolences for your prurience."

Selene sagged against the side of the staircase. Hellfire and damnation, what's that man doing here? Silently groaning, she turned to make her way back up the staircase, not wanting to deal with Lucius Malfoy, this evening or any other.

She didn't make it to the next step. The turn made her head spin, her vision blurred, and she lost her balance, stepping on Galileo's tail, causing the cat to cry out, shoving the door open as she barreled her way through it. Scowling at her own complete lack of poise, she tried to regain her dignity, stepping out into the living room with a cloak of nonchalance wrapped around her. With a graceful smile, she turned to face the two men, one staring at her with clear concern, the other with shock.

"What in the name of Avalon is she doing here!"

"Interesting question. I was about to ask the same of you."

Severus' eyes flashed between the pair of them. "She is my guest, and how do you know who she is?"

Lucius' jaw fell open. "You didn't just ask me that, Severus. Seriously. You did not just ask me how I know who Selene Sinistra is. Did you? Because if you did…"

"You're acting as if I should know what the hell you're going on about, Lucius."

Selene's eyes narrowed, and her back found an iron will it hadn't had moments before. "Lucius, drop it."

The blonde man rose from his lounging to stare at her, crossing half the distance between them. "Like hell I will. Do you have any idea how many owls Claudius has flying around England, how many people looking for you? How utterly livid he is that he has no idea where you are? Hell's bells, Selene, he's searching all of Britain for you, and you're here? In Snape's house!"

"I have absolutely no idea how many owls, Lucius." Her voice was ice, her jaw set. "And I don't see why he's trying to track me down. Last I checked, I didn't need his permission to leave school grounds."

"Well, from what he said over dinner last night, he sent you a letter a week ago, saying he would be in Hogsmeade for dinner with you that night, and that you didn't show."

"I never got a letter."

This time, it was Severus' turn to speak. "Yes, you did."

Selene turned, with agonizing slowness, to stare. "How do you know?"

"I was there when the owl arrived. When you were…" He stopped, eyes flashing quickly between her and Lucius, his mind spinning quickly, trying to weave his way out of this predicament. "When you were ill. That morning, an owl arrived with a letter. The seal had your family's winery seal on it. A bunch of grapes under a half-moon."

Selene's jaw dropped. Then out poured a rapid-fire litany of Italian, some of which he grasped the general meaning of, most of which sounded completely anatomically impossible or would, at the least, violate social norms on an international level.

Both men cowered.

Selene finally calmed down, slightly, although her nails dug into her palms. Taking in a deep breath, she turned to Lucius. "Are you planning to see Claudius again soon? You could take him a letter from me. That way he can stop fretting. Bloody hell, I'm a grown woman, not an infant who escaped the nanny!"

Lucius shook his head. "Do you have any idea the threats he has hanging over our heads, Selene? No. If any of us know anything about his baby sister, we're under pain of torment to let him know immediately. It took a lot of convincing for him not to put us all under a binding."

Severus felt his knees start to give out. Pieces of their conversation were falling into place. Explanations for silence, for half-answered questions, for avoiding topics, finally began to make sense.

"Your eldest brother is Claudius Sinistra."

Selene heard the whispered accusation and slowly turned, nodding once, biting her lip. "Yes. He is."

"And you didn't think you should tell me?"

Selene stared at him. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I assumed you'd put the two together before now. How many Sinistras can possibly be in our world?"

Severus' temper snapped. "How in the hell was I supposed to connect you to a man at least fifteen years your senior who looks nothing like you? Bloody hell, Selene, I'm intelligent but I'm not clairvoyant!" His eyes reflected angry black fire. "Don't you think this is one of those little stories about yourself I should have heard before now?"

If there had been anything within arm's reach, Selene likely would have thrown it at him. "Of course, Severus. That would have been brilliant. 'Oh, before I commit career suicide and sleep with you, you should know that my eldest brother's a Death Eater, just like you, and that he's jealously protective of me, so it would probably be a good idea if we didn't tell him about this.' When the HELL was I supposed to deliver a line like that?"

Lucius' silver eyes grew wide. "Oh bloody Merlin and Morgan. You didn't. Severus, tell me you didn't."

Selene whipped around to face him, wishing for her wand. "He did. And I did too, you chauvinistic rodent. And if you breathe a word of this to Claudius…"

Lucius held his hands up, backing away slowly from the woman and her bitter wrath. "Trust me, I won't say a word. I prefer my comfortable existence, thank you."

Severus just stared at her, her face almost flushed from her anger and her spitting rage.

The color made her look more alive than he was used to seeing her the last few days. Well, except when…

Could you possibly get your mind out of your bedroom and back into rational thought?

"You knew." The accusation was past his lips before he realized he'd even thought the words. "You knew I was a…"

Selene's hands went to her hips. "Of course I knew! Circe's song, Severus! My eldest brother's been a Death Eater since the very first Morsmordre was shot into the air! He's been supportive of Voldemort since I was in school. I had Death Eaters walking in and out of my home since I was in Durmstrang. Bloody hell, I'm half-surprised I never met you before I came to teach. I saw Lucius often enough as it was."

"And you didn't think to TELL ME?"

"I didn't think you would be so completely thick that you wouldn't have figured it out by now!"

Lucius started laughing, at first softly chuckling, but building to uncontrollable hysterics.

Two pairs of dark eyes narrowed and glared at him.

"What's so amusing, you repugnant sybarite?"

Lucius just stared at the pair of them. "You didn't know she was the little sister to the man our Lord relied upon to gather the vampiric legions to his side of the war. And she didn't tell you she knew you were one of us. And you SLEPT with her! And now, I have to go tell him I know where his sister is, and when he gets here he's liable to crucio you where you stand. Oh my gods, this is a bad Greek comedy."

Selene's voice grew cold. "Excuse me." With a nod to Severus, she crossed the rest of the distance between herself and Malfoy…

…and slapped him. Hard.

"Shut up, Lucius, and listen to me well. Whatever you think my brother could possibly do to Severus, imagine me returning to you tenfold. If you so much as hint at anything that would unduly anger him, I swear on my mother's own lost soul I'll make sure Narcissa's a widow faster than you'd be able to tie your cravat. I don't care. You know well enough by now that just because I don't follow in Claudius' footsteps doesn't mean I'm not capable of it."

Severus did a double take at her words.

Does she mean…did she just…what the hell is going on?

Lucius's eyes narrowed just a bit, staring down at the younger woman, having to remind himself that any retaliation on his part would result in his death. Of course, whether it was her brother or her lover committing the murder remained to be seen, as Severus shot him a glare that Lucius rarely saw come over his former protégé's face. Ice coated the black depths, and a cold, raging fury crept over his harsh features. Swallowing hard, he bowed his head slightly. "Regardless of your wishes, Signorina Sinistra," he replied mockingly, "your brother has ordered me to let him know if I learned anything about your whereabouts. I promise, though, I won't breathe a word of your…escapades…to him. Contrary to popular belief, I actually do care about my wife, and would like to live a while longer."

"Fine. Whatever." Turning abruptly, Selene marched to the hidden door, wrenching it open and storming up the stairs.

Lucius just stared at Severus. "Merlin's ghost, if you were that hard up, why didn't you just go out on one of my accounts?"

Snape resisted the urge to punch his friend. "One of these days, I'm going to pay a visit to the Manor and let Narcissa know just how many brothels her husband patronizes."

"She already knows."

"Does she know half of them are Muggle-operated?"

Lucius' expression grew a twinge less arrogant. Galileo took that opportunity to express what she thought of the visitor. She leapt onto the back of the couch, claws extended, and hissed angrily at Malfoy, fur bristling. "When did you get a pet, Severus?"

Snape smirked. "I didn't. It's Selene's."

"Hideous thing, isn't it?"

"It's part-kneazle."

Galileo growled in warning, her body poised to jump at him.

"Bollocks."

"Get the hell out of my house, Lucius."

Without another word, Lucius Malfoy disapparated from the spot.

Galileo immediately calmed down, her fur smoothing, her claws retracting. With a happy chirp of a meow, she walked the back of the couch and reached her head towards Severus' hand, demanding he pet her then and there. Absently, he gave in, his fingers smoothing over the fur and small head, a deep purring coming from her small body.

"What the hell do I do now, Galileo?"

The kneazle looked up at him before hopping off the couch, strolling to the hidden door, pawing at the seam between it and the wall.

"How'd I know you were going to tell me to go talk to her?"

Galileo gave the closest feline approximation to a human shrug physically possible, then sauntered to the kitchen, towards the bowls of scraps and milk left out for her.

The second he reached the hallway, she slammed the door in his face.

Typical. See, this is why I keep my liaisons rather uncomplicated.

Oh, stop your whinging on and go talk to her.

And say what, exactly? Hell, I don't know what I'm doing here.

Well, telling her you're not mad at her for neglecting to mention one of the highest ranking members of your 'youthful indiscretion' calls her his baby sister would be a good start?

Since when am I not mad at her for that!

Since you decided you didn't really want to see her walk up those stairs.

Gods, I just want a sign I'm not losing my sanity.

Be careful what you wish for…

One of these days, he needed to find a psychologist and ask if these conversations with his conscience were normal. He doubted it immensely.

Throwing open his bedroom door melodramatically, he stopped his fuming at the sight before him. Selene sat, perched on the windowsill, the curtains blocking the setting sun from her, peeking out through the edging, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"Anyone else on the planet would have understood the unspoken cues that a slammed door manages to convey."

He winced at the edge of pain on her words.

"First of all, lest I remind you, this is my bedroom. And secondly, I thought we should talk."

Selene's head turned to him, eyes furious, burning passionately. "Talk? About what? About how I could keep such a retched secret from you? How I should have told you before seducing you and having my way? How I should have pushed you away and said 'this isn't a good idea – my brother happens to outrank you in that little group you pretend to no longer associate with'? Tell me, Severus, how in the hell was I supposed to tell you something that you should have figured out ages ago? Especially something I'm not overly proud of to begin with?"

He stared at her, anger flaring, his temper beginning to get away from him. "The last time I ever laid eyes on Claudius Sinistra, I was nineteen, and he was one of over fifty men around me, all in cloaks and masks at the time. All I remember is that he was probably around thirty then, was much taller and broader than you are, and had light brown hair and hazel eyes. Trust me, I wasn't close enough to him to know he had three brothers and a baby sister that was hidden away in Bulgaria. Unless someone told me, besides the last name, how in Olympus was I supposed to make the connection, Selene? Please tell me, because I'd love to know how this is completely my fault!"

She roared back at him. "I've hidden everything about myself since I was twenty-one, Severus! I haven't trusted anyone with any secrets about myself since I came to Hogwarts. Why in hell would I share them with someone my brother is convinced is a traitor to his beliefs?"

"Because I slept with you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I never learned that social rule that dictated that sex came with a full disclosure agreement."

"Damn it, Selene, that's not my point! I would have assumed you'd trust me by now." His eyes reflected the implied insult her words had conveyed. "Clearly, I need to assume less where you're concerned."

Once again, girl, you're pushing him away. Thought you'd come to a decision about that…

Selene leaned back against the window, the coldness seeping into her, chilling her fury as her conscience has its way. "Trust isn't exactly my forte."

His hand instinctively rubbed his left forearm. "Nor mine."

"I didn't tell you because I thought that either you already knew, in which case I thought I'd let you bring it up, or that you didn't know, and if you found out, you would change your viewpoint of me." Shrugging, she stared at the floor. "I rather liked being appreciated for my academics and not my lineage. To know you befriended me out of genuine opinion and not anything from my past."

"I never even guessed. You're nothing like I would have expected a Death Eater sibling to be." Relaxing his posture slightly, he asked the question on his mind since her outburst downstairs. "You don't sound as if you approve of your brother's choice."

Groaning with exhaustion, Selene rubbed her face, trying to massage away the ache in her temples. "Claudius was one of the original Death Eaters. I was in Durmstrang when he made the decision. There was… well, an incident. And when Claudius found out, he went a little mad. Storming around about how he needed to ensure Mama and I were kept safer. One of his friends had a friend who knew of a wizard who wanted to make changes in our world, and one day, when I was home for Christmas, a man in heavy robes came looking for my brother." Her eyes looked up, meeting his. "By that evening, my brother wore that bloody mark on his arm."

"Incident?"

Selene's lips twisted in an odd smile-grimace. "An old friend of yours named Karkaroff decided to swap labels on a bottle to test a theory he had about my exemption from Herbology classes. I managed to taste test a laughter draught that had hellebore in it."

Severus' eyes widened. "Hellebore causes a vampire to…"

She nodded. "I know. Increases our sensitivity to light. Trust me – I learned that one."

Severus sat on the bed, fatigued from the unexpected visit and the current discussion. "Karkaroff poisoned you and your brother went and sided with you-know-who?"

Selene shrugged. "Not quite like that. But yes. Basically. Mama was furious. She didn't talk to Claudius for weeks. I remember Julius spent a lot of time trying to calm them both down. Turns out, in the end, that Voldemort only wanted Claudius because he would be able to persuade the different factions of the vampiri to join his side. Because of Mama, we knew some, one in particular who was well-connected, and Claudius exploited that to his advantage. I remember I had sons of Death Eaters who attended Durmstrang playing bodyguard for me, on Claudius' command. When I left for university, he actually tried to send a pair with me." Her eyes reflected a calm passion. "I loathed him for it. For the choice. Everything I ever saw about that damn mark and everything that came with it repulsed me."

Severus visibly winced. "So… you knew about me?"

The worry, the warped confusion in his eyes calmed Selene's temper. A bit. Nodding, she unfolded herself from the wide windowsill and walked over to him, reaching for his left hand. "I did. When I first accepted the post, Claudius came to Hogsmeade and met me for dinner. Went on and on about how he detested the idea of my teaching with you, how he swore you were most likely a traitor but no one could prove it, how you had some people convinced you were a true Death Eater, but not everyone, and it would be safer for me to stay away from you. I told him to never again tell me how to live my life. That I would make my own mind up, regardless of his threats or arguments. And I reminded him I was highly unlikely to socialize with anyone anyway."

His voice was low. "And you didn't."

Her deep brown eyes met his black. "Not for a long time. Not until I knew for sure."

Bewilderment twisted his features. "Knew what?"

Her fingers deftly pushed up his robe sleeve, her fingers tracing the mark she knew so well, ignoring his jump from the soft contact. "That you were much more than just this mark."

If you were looking for a sign, you stubborn idiot, she just handed it to you…

Severus' hand shook beside hers, feeling her fingertips still trace the snake that had been burned into his flesh years ago, on a dark night when he made a choice that he regretted to this minute. That thing on his arm was why he rarely entertained female company at all these days. It usually became too much of a complication to hide the Dark Mark. He'd hidden it from her for the last few days for no reason.

She'd known. She'd known he bore that sign and she'd known everything that came with it.

And she'd slept with him anyway.

The realization was mind-blowing.

He had to shake his head to clear his thoughts, searching for clarity. "You should owl your brothers. Let them know you're alive and in one piece, since Lucius made it clear they're concerned. Or go to them. You haven't had a dizzy spell in almost two days. You could probably apparate easily enough without causing a relapse."

The concern in his voice made her smile. "Claudius needs to learn he's not my keeper. Another few hours of not knowing where I am should teach him. Besides, I doubt lovely Lucius is going to keep him in the dark for long. Trust me – he'll be on your doorstep within hours."

Her fingers still idly outlined his mark.

"Well then, shouldn't you go to him, to prevent him from killing me for harboring his sister without his knowledge?"

Selene shook her head, her other hand reaching up, sliding against his cheek, her body stepping closer to him. "I can handle Claudius. The question is, can you sit back and let me, without being my knight in shining armor?"

His right hand settled on her hip, feeling the slide of her robes underneath his calloused fingertips. "I prefer not to interfere in other families' politics. Always seems the safest course of action."

Her lips ghosted against his own, turned upward into a wicked smile. "Good."