Chapter Nine: Deceptions

"That bastard lied to me, Sanguini!"

The vampire sat with his legs crossed at the small kitchen table in the middle of the dimly lit room. It was seven o'clock at night and he had just awoken to Vivian's fierce mutterings of betrayal.

"I began to trust him, too! Stupid, stupid!"

She paced the length of the kitchen and glared at the vampire. Her arms were crossed and her hair was starting to get out of her ponytail. Sanguini tried not to smirk at her disheveled appearance.

"Aren't you going to say something? Mock me on how I opened myself up to him?"

The vampire raised one black eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. He stretched his arms over his head.

"I don't have anything to add to your diatribe. You seem to have figured out all your flaws yourself."

Vivian growled at him.

"You're not supposed to be calm like this! You were supposed to be telling me what a fool I am for meeting with this disgusting half-blood!"

Sanguini sighed and folded his arms across his chest. His black eyes stared directly into Vivian's.

"You need to calm down. You're being irrational. Its not the first time an intelligent person was tricked by one of the Dark Lord's deatheaters."

Vivian felt as if she were going to explode. Anger coursed through her veins. She believed that that deatheater had been on her side, had seen what the war was doing to the Wizarding World. She believed he was a misunderstood individual whom the Order had abandoned prematurely. She now knew the reason her aunt refused to speak his name. He killed Albus Dumbledore… Those words repeated through her head. Albus Dumbledore had been like a grandfather to her. He was a grandfather to every person who had entered Hogwarts. He believed in love, happiness, and life. How can a person extinguish the flame of one so important? Vivian's hands shook as she pulled on the black cloak.

"Where are you going?" said Sanguini sternly.

"Out!" she barked at him.

"You can't go out like that! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I won't be the one killed tonight! If I find or run into him…"

"Do you even know this man's name?"

Vivian's hand stilled on the doorknob. The cool metal sent a jolt through her fingers. She didn't know the name. She didn't even bother to find out. She turned back to Sanguini.

"No. I don't know the name. I'm sure you are going to enlighten me."

"Of course. Look at this Daily Prophet."

Sanguini picked a newspaper off the floor and spread it wide on the table. A picture of the late Headmaster was on the front page. The headline read, "Beloved Headmaster Gone! What next for Hogwarts?" Sanguini pointed to the last paragraph.

"There's the name of your deatheater right there. That's the only information those idiot journalists provided in that one paragraph."

Vivian bent over the paper. Her eyes picked up several words quickly: spy, turncoat, Potions Master for 15 years, new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And then she saw the name.

Severus Snape.

"Snape killed him? I remember Regulus mentioning to me about a skinny greasy guy who use to fight with his brother. I wonder whether he's the one the mutt was talking about."

"Who's the mutt?" asked Sanguini.

"Oh, Regulus's brother, Sirius Black. His animagus was a dog."

"I get it now."

Vivian scanned the rest of the article. Her blood which had been ready to over boil was now at a simmer. She still needed answers. She headed back towards the door.

"You're still going out tonight?"

"Yes. I need to do something."

Sanguini nodded and watched her go. His eyes watched as her hair blew out behind her and the cloak whipped around her body. She apparated once out of his wards.


Vivian appeared by Godric's Hollow. She walked up to the house where the Trio were staying and checked up on them. Harry had threatened to hex her when he saw her for stunning him. She shrugged her shoulders and asked about the horcrux.

"I can't seem to open it. There is a piece of his soul inside but I can't think of a spell to get rid of it."

Hermione and Ron had joined them in the foyer of the house. Vivian had her hood up incase an unwelcomed guest viewed her.

"I can't help you right now, Potter, but make sure you find something soon. I should be back in a couple days."

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione.

"I can't tell you guys that."

Vivian departed from the house again without a backward glance. Instead of apparating in the cemetery, she walked along the main road toward the village. She didn't know why she wanted to come this way. Something urged her on.


He didn't know what had urged him to check up on the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-The-Bane-Of-His-Existence. He could see the house from where he stood hidden in the forest. He wore his deatheater's garbs incase someone happened by him. He was glad he did. Snape saw Vivian walk into the dirt road from the other side of the forest. He recognized her because she had his cloak on still. Strands of her hair barely left the cloak. From where he stood, he could hear her speak about something—someone—bothering her.

"When I find him…"

Hmm…I wonder who would be fool enough to get on that witch's bad side… Slowly he followed her, keeping himself hidden in the brush.

"That bastard will wish he was never born!" she said aloud.

The cold air felt good to her lungs. It made her face flushed and her eyes water slightly but she paid no attention to it. She only thought of cold obsidian eyes smirking at her. She could hear the rasp of his voice jeer at her in her ear. Why did I even listen to a man in a mask? The coward probably wonders the same thing… The road in front of her was clear. Moonlight coming from a waning moon illuminated the dirt and trees. She sighed audibly. A crunching sound to her left alerted her that she was not alone. Her left hand whipped out her wand in an instant.

"Show your self," she demanded calmly.

Her eyes watched for any movement. She couldn't suppress the icy chill that ran down her spine. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched when she saw the white mask appear from out of the trees followed by the black mass of robes. She felt all muscles tense and her posture become more rigid. The deatheater seemed to notice and stopped when he reached the lining of the trees.

"Congratulations on getting Potter away from the fight. I've wished to stun the brat into silence. I admire your quick solution," he said in a low silky voice.

He stood with his arms crossed around his chest. The robes billowed slightly in the breeze. His eyes glittered.

Vivian still stood rigid, listening to every mocking word. She was going to kill him if it was the last thing she did. She vowed to enjoy it.

Snape began to feel wary of this situation. Here was a seriously angered witch in front of him instead of the cool woman who met him in Dove Town.

"How dare you, you lying traitorous bastard."

Now he was confused. Was she angry with him for leading the attack the day before? He had given her time to escape and diverted his "fellows" away from them. The Dark Lord had been furious with him.

"If you're talking about yesterday—."

"Stupefy!"

He blocked the hex with a flick of his wrist. He had barely enough time to get out his wand. Now this was serious. Now he had Potter to worry about. Hopefully the brats hadn't seen the light.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed at her.

Snape kept his wand at the ready. The witch in front of him also kept her protective stance. Her eyes flared like fire. Her hood fell back, the moonlight making her hair the color of blood.

"You lied to me. How could you?"

"Damn it, witch! I do not—."

"You killed Albus Dumbledore!"

So this masquerade is over. His eyes widened involuntarily. His chest tightened painfully at the sound of that name. He lowered his wand and hid it back in his cloak. He then lowered his hood and took off his mask.

Vivian set eyes on Severus Snape for the first time in her life. Her wand had lowered slightly as she studied him. His skin was extremely pale. Long black hair was tied back with a black ribbon. His hawk-like nose was the most prominent feature on his face. He left his arms at his sides. Snape sighed.

"I did kill him. I don't deny it."

"Why though! He was the best of wizards!"

"What is between Albus and myself."

"Is that all you are going to say?"

"I could say you know nothing of the situation."

"Oh, quit the bullshit," she growled at him.

"If you are going to kill me, do it or be quiet," he snarled back.

Vivian raised her wand again. I am going to kill him and then string his body up in front of the Ministry of Magic… He stood there not trying to defend himself. Something was not right about this. Against her better judgment and with her mind whispering to her that she was stupid, she pocketed her wand. Snape nodded to her.

"Albus Dumbledore trusted you. He is not a man of bad judgment. You show or express yourself in anyway to make me regret my decision, I will kill you."

"Agreed."

Both stood in the middle of the road. The moon was falling and the trees grew more ominous with the darkness.

"Do you mind if we go somewhere not as near to Potter as here?" he asked quietly.

"No, I don't mind. Do you know how to apparate to Leeds in Yorkshire?"

"Yes."

"Meet me by the Golden Cross cemetery just north of the parish church."

An owl roosting on a nearby branch hooted softly when it heard two muffled cracks.


Author's note: So sorry for the extreme wait. It was beyond my control. The semester is winding down so hopefully I can avert my full attention to this story again. Thank you all again for reading.