"What the hell are you doing here?" Sirius spat out his mouthful of tea.

"I've come visiting."

"What?"

"I've come visiting."

"Um, but Kara?" Remus asked, "Where's you luggage?"

I pulled the miniscule trunk out of my pocket and returned it to normal size, and then plonked the cat basket on top of it.

A thought seemed to also strike Remus at that moment, "Hang on, aren't you meant to be in school?"

"Um, maybe."

"Kara…" there was a warning tone in his voice.

"I've been suspended."

"WHAT!"

"Joke. I received this letter," I handed him the letter, which he read, Sirius peering over his shoulder. When they had finished reading it, I continued, "And this was the safest place I could think of. So I had to come here. Is that ok?"

They looked worried. "Of course it is!" exclaimed Sirius. "The more the merrier!"

"Thanks," I grinned.

"Are you sure you've done the right thing?" Remus still looked worried.

"Its' fine, Remus. She'll be fine here. And she isn't missing anything. Well, other than school. Its not like she has exams or anything."

"Actually, I do."

"Well, its not like she has important exams or anything."

I smiled, and eventually Remus' face cleared, and he too was smiling.

Sirius beamed at me again, and I was slightly scared by him. "We'll have a feast to welcome our new guest!" he decided.

"Um, Sirius, you can't cook." Remus reminded him, patting him on the shoulder.

"But you can."

Remus grimaced, and walked over to the larder, and peered into it. "We have, one tomato, one potato, two eggs, half a loaf of bread," he picked it up, "Make that half a loaf of stale bread, and something," he sniffed at a small clay pot, "that should have been chucked out ages ago."

"No food?" Sirius squeaked.

"No food." Remus' face was grim, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You two…" I gasped in between laughing, "Are soooo stupid. You are just like an old married couple."

"Us?" Sirius asked.

"Never," Remus also said.

"SEE WHAT I MEAN?" I collapsed onto my trunk in laughter, at the same time knocking over the basket, and freeing the cats. Fluff ball then went and attacked Remus, whilst Euridice jumped up onto the kitchen table, and curled up into a ball. I was still laughing.

Remus struggled along, with Persephone clinging to his leg, explaining that he was going to go to the local muggle shops, and buy some food. When he reached the hall, I heard him yell at the cat, as he pulled her off his leg, and attached her to the banisters, and then leave the house.

"So," Sirius began, "How's it all been going?"

"Um, ok, I think."

"Not having any problems?"

I felt very uncomfortable, "Urh, no."

"How do you think he found out?"

I knew that question would be coming. And I had ideas of how he had found out, none of which I was about to mention. "I don't know."

I was glad when he left it at that.

I lay in the bath, soaking in the warm water, and letting the soot wash from my skin. I let myself lie down in the hot water, the bath being long enough for me to do so. I closed my eyes, my head almost submerged in water, and my long hair floating out behind me. I was relaxed, and deep in thought, about why I was where I was. And how he had found out.

And then I felt some long, thin, powerful fingers grab me around the neck, and drag me deeper into the tug. I tried to scream. I tried to really hard. And I heard a voice, a cruel and harsh, rasping voice, "So, I have found you, at last."

My thought blurred, and I could only think one thing. I had locked the bathroom door. There was no way out, and I was dragged further, and deeper into the bath, and to what I thought was my death.

When I could breath again, and the hands no longer surrounded my neck, my first action was to gently massage it back to life, yet as I started to do this, I noticed my nakedness, and then the fact that I was surrounded by hooded and masked witches and wizards. I screamed once more, and then I heard another voice, that was thick in it evilness.

"It's no use screaming. They can't hear you. No one will help you any more. You're all alone. You were born alone, you were left alone, and now you will die alone."

I could tell it was a women's voice. And then she moved, and her hand was revealed from amongst the long robes, holding a wand. I tried to speak out, but this time, no sound would come. I stood there, rooted to the spot, waiting for her to cast her spell, "CRUC…"

"Expelliarmus!" someone shouted from behind me, and the women's hood was thrown back, by the force of the spell, as where the hoods of those around her, revealing everyone's faces. Her wand went flying from her hand, and she swept into a low bow.

"Apologies, my lord."

There was a hissing noise, and she backed away, and faded into the small crowd. I was terrified, and by this point starting to shake also, as I covered my naked body with my arms.

"Turn around," the same harsh voice that I had first heard ordered.

I did so, slowly at first, as if being revolved automatically, and not by my own will. I kept my head bent, looking at my feet, which were standing in thick mud.

"Look up."

I looked up, slowly. I felt as if my whole being were to explode with fear. Seeing that face, I wished for death, for there, standing before me, was the very man I was hiding from. Lord Voldemort.

"Do you know why you're here, girl?"

I tried to shake my head, and did so with much difficulty.

"You are here, to die. You are here to die, because you're brother is not. You will die, and then he will wish to avenge you. You are simply a pawn in this bloody battle."

His words angered me, and I felt my old temper surfacing, and so I stood tall, and looked him in the eye, "You dare to speak of my brother as such?" in turned around, to face all the unhooded death eaters surrounding me. "All of you, you dare to criticize my brother? And then, on top of that, you criticize me? You insult me. You take me, and unarmed, vulnerable girl, with the aim of killing me? Where is the fairness in tha" I stopped, stunned. For as I had spiralled on the spot, I had seen three faces which I recognised.

Shinzaburo.

Art.

Seiji.

Seeing Seiji, the words failed me, as did my heart. I stood, looking at him. I wished to disappear, for the burden in my heart was too great, and I stood staring at him, ready to accept my fate.

"Are you ready to die now, girl?" Voldemort spoke.

"Yes," I spoke with no resistance now, for the flame that had brunt in me was gone. I looked deep into Seiji's eyes, and he looked back at me. I heard footsteps coming towards me, and then the presence of his head, very close to mine.

"You look at the very person who betrayed you," he hissed.

Tears fell down my face, and as Voldemort stepped away again, my eyes filled with tears. The waiting death eaters all seemed to be filled with anticipation, except Seiji.

"Any last words?" asked the woman from before.

I began to shake my head, and then looked at Seiji once more, the tears falling from the grey depths of my eyes. "Why?" I whispered, so that only he could hear me. "Why did you do it?"

From behind me, I heard Voldemort start to speak, and ignored him.

"Help me," I continued to whisper, and plead. "Please, help me…"

He looked as if his heart was about to break.

And then Voldemort began to call out the killing curse.

I heard myself scream, over his voice, "Seiji, help me…"

And then I fell to the ground, in a faint.

I opened my eyes, and found myself in the bath once more, and although the water was still warm, I was shaking violently. I heard shouting from outside.

"KARA? ARE YOU OK?"

"Kara, are you in there?"

"Open the damn door!"

"KARA!"

I got out of the bath, quickly, but maybe to quickly, and pulled a towel around me, before hurrying to open the door. I did not look in the mirror, or anything, but quickly unlocked the door, and opened it, falling into Remus' arms, as tears once again fell down my face.

An hour later, I was sitting by the fire in the kitchen, wrapped in several blankets, and holding a mug of sweet tea in one hand, with my other hand around my neck. There were bruises all around my neck, each one clearly defined, so you could see the long fingers. When I had seen these, I knew it hadn't been a dream.

Remus and Sirius were sitting in the corner, whispering amongst themselves. "I'm worried, is it safe here for her now?" Remus asked.

"Of course it is, she'll be fine. We just need to keep an eye on her."

"Or two."

"Yeah, ok, or two."

"I'm still worried, though. She hasn't spoken yet, has she?"

"I know, but it's the shock, it wasn't that long ago."

I turned to look at them both, my eyes filled with tears, implying that I could hear every word they were saying. They both looked at me sheepishly, "Sorry."

The truth was, I couldn't bear to speak, because all I could think about was how he could've done it. Seiji. He had told me he loved me, and then he had stood there, ready to watch me killed.

My heart was endlessly asking the question, that I couldn't answer.

Why?