The sound of multiple voices echoed in my ears. I could hear them. They were nearby, but I couldn't open my eyes. Try as hard as I could, they didn't open. I focused on my other senses. I know my hands were tied behind the back of the chair. My legs were free. My mouth was muffled and I felt a cloth-like sheet around my eyes. So, I figured I was blindfolded as well. Focusing my hearing, I listened in on the voices.

'Did you have to hit her?' I didn't recognize the man's voice.

'She was getting away.' That was the same voice from earlier. The one at Hogwarts. 'Who knew the brat was able to change into a wolf.'

I don't remember much. One moment I was running away from Snape, the next I was hit over the head and blacked out. What the hell did they hit me with?

'Why are you two still here?' That was Snape! 'You should be with our lord.'

'Lord?' It clicked on that moment. 'Sirius! Harry!' I tried shifting again, but it was no use. I felt as if a net had been wrapped around me, preventing me from turning. 'What the hell?!'

"If you are trying to shift, it won't be of any use." Snape gripped the blindfold, ripping it off. Followed by the gag. "How are you feeling?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?!" I yelled, blinking at the sudden light hitting my eyes. "What the hell did you do?"

"This wasn't my doing." Snape grabbed an ice pack he had, placing it on the side of my head. "This wasn't how things were supposed to go."

I jerked my head away, growling lowly. "Keep your hands off me!"

"Just trying to help you, Athena. That's a nasty bruise." Snape sighed.

"Help? Help!" I growled. "You want to help? Then let me go! My family is in danger!"

"Those people are not your family!" Snape yelled back. "I am your father! Everything I have done is for your own good. Even if it doesn't seem so."

"Then let me go!" I plead. "If you truly only want what is best for me, then let me go to my friends. They need me."

"Your friends will be fine." Snape grumbled. "They don't need you."

"You don't know that!" I snapped.

Snape suddenly slammed his hands on the armrest of the chair. His face inches from mine. "As of this moment, you will take your place in our lord's army. You will follow his every command. Do as he te-"

I cut him off by headbutting him. "I am no one's lackey! If you want to be this asshole's minion, I don't give two shits! But don't think for a second I will."

"Athena!" Snape snarled. "Just tru-"

"I need to find Sirius. I need to know he is alright." I whispered. I fought to hold back my tears. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing just how much he affected me. "I just ne-"

Suddenly a white fog smashed through the window, slamming into Snape. I was at a complete loss. The fog swarmed around me, stopping anyone from getting close to me. Tonks appeared beside me, the smoke/fog casting off her like a waterfall.

She rushed over to me, quickly working on my binds. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, how did you find me?"

"S-"

"Get away from her." We had failed to notice Snape getting up and grabbing his wand. "I don't wish to harm you, but I will not hesitate."

"You can try and stop up Severus, but it will be no use. The others know where I am." Tonks snapped. "I should have known you were still with them."

"Just shows to demonstrate how ridiculous this little club of yours is. Nothing, but pathetic w-" Snape yelped as a red flash hit his side, sending him tumbling.

"Athena!" Tonks gasped/laughed.

"The only pathetic one I see is you!" I yelled.

Snape jumped to his feet, aiming his wand at me. "Put the wand down Athena."

"Like hell, I will!" I threw another spell. "I take every good thing I have ever said to you!" And another. "Every love and grateful thing!"

"Don't force me to harm you!" Snape had blocked all my attacks but had yet to retaliate.

"All the love I had for you is gone! Dead!" I waved my wand, hard to see over the tears wanting to fall. "You are dead to me Severus Snape!"

Snape lowered his wand for a moment. "Athena."

I stopped my advancement on him. The emotions I heard as he spoke my name, had me confused. It was almost as if he cared. Narrowing my eyes at him, I shook that thought away. He cared for nothing, but what was convenient for him. Nothing else. "Got to hell!" Without thinking, I waved my wand releasing a lightning-like stream towards him. Snape wasn't able to block or dodge this one, getting knocked off his feet. Before I could whip up another, he suddenly became a fog just like Tonks only he was pitch black. "This isn't over!"

"What the hell was that?" Tonks had never seen a spell with that effect. "What did you use?"

Come to think about it, I didn't say anything. I wasn't thinking it either. My emotions were hay-wired at the moment, I simply acted them out. "I don't know."

"Well, we can figure that out later." Tonks grabbed onto my arm, pulling me with her. "We have to hurry and help the others."

"Wait, Harry was at school!" The worry of the others came rushing back. "I have to get to Harry!"

"Harry is not at Hogwarts." Tonks stated. "But we need to leave, they will need all the help they can get."

"What am I supposed to do?" I had no way of going with her. It would probably take me hours to get where they were. Not to mention I didn't see a single Floo network in the room. "I can't fly like you and I don't have my broom."

"You really think we didn't think about that?" Tonks chuckled. She pulled her wand out, grabbing my wrist and pulling my arm out. "Athena Gaunt Black, do you accept to become a part of the order?"

I'm sorry what?! Did she hit her head earlier? Or was the fog still affecting her? Just as I was about to burst out laughing, I caught her eyes. There wasn't a single hint of amusement or lie. She was legitimately asking me if I wanted to join. Did I? What the hell was I even asking?!

"Yes."

"Very well, we will do the official ceremony later." She aimed her wand at my arm, gentle twirling it around. "This won't hurt I promise."

Like Snape had done once, Tonks began to chant. Her wand creating an image on my arm. But unlike the mark I have on my other arm, this one caused me no pain. On the contrary, it gave me a sense of power and happiness. I felt something swell up inside me, like a boost of power. Looking down at my arm, I grinned at the image of a Phoenix with flames roaring behind it.

"Welcome to the order."

"What now?" I couldn't look away, running my thumb over it, my eyes widen as the Phoenix speeded his wings in a roaring motion.

Tonks grabbed my arm, leading me towards the window. "We fly the hell out of here and go help the others. Remus and the rest should be getting there."

"Tonks, I don't know how?" I stepped back, suddenly getting dizzy by the height.

Tonks seemed confused at first. "It's not hard. Close your eyes and feel for it. It's there. It's already become something natural for your mind and body."

Doing as she said, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. There in the back of my mind, I was found with...fog? It was swirling around in circles, looking for a way out. Reaching out for it, I was suddenly sucked into it. Before I knew it, I was flying across the sky. Looking down at my body I nearly yelled. From my shoulders down was all smoke. Yet when I moved my hand in front, it reappeared. I have to admit this was something insane.

"They are located in the Department of Mysteries." Tonks appeared beside me. "Be ready for anything. We don't know what we are stepping into, just that death eaters will be there."

"Understood." That's when I remembered. "What about Sirius?!"

"What about him?"

"Harry has a vision. Voldemort was torturing him. That's the whole reason we were going there."

Tonks shook her head. "It was a trap. Sirius was the one that called us. He said Harry and the rest of you were in danger." She reached out for my hand, gesturing to the ring. "I was able to find you thanks to this. Sirius was the one that sent me here."

Before we knew it we had arrived. We didn't stop. As we flew past the fallen prophecies, I nearly faulted at seeing my friends. Everyone with the exception of Harry was being held by a death eater. Harry stood in the middle with Lucius. The moment Harry handed him the prophecy; a white light appeared behind the bastard. Seeing Sirius appear pushed all doubts and worries out. He was fine.

It all happened so fast. The second Sirius threw the first punch all hell broke loose. My first priority was to free my friends. Flying towards the man holding Hermione, I slammed into him, sending him towards the wall. Moving onto the others, I managed to get my friends released. Remus and the others of the order began to appear. Mad-eye and Tonks worked on gathering the others, keeping them out of harm's way. Too worried for them, I didn't see the death eater coming towards me until the last possible moment. He grabbed ahold of my shoulders, doing everything in his ability to knock me out of the air. Not being able to grab my wand, I needed to rely on my strength. Grabbing a handful of his hair, I used his distraction to knee him in the groin. Followed by a punch and elbow to the face. Letting go of him, he fell to the bottom.

Sighting Harry and Sirius taking cover behind the pillars from three death eaters, I drifted down. Grabbing my wand out, I blew away the one close to striking Harry.

"They are like cockroaches!" I snarled. "Just keep coming back."

"Athena." Harry uttered.

Just as he was about to run towards me, a spell blew the wall above his head. "Harry!" Counterattacking the idiot who dared attack, I gave Sirius the chance to pull him away from the next attack. "Sirius get them out here!" I blasted another one going after the group, delivering him into the wall. "You are not touching them!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry and Sirius dueling Lucius and another Man. It didn't take Harry long to dispatch the other dude. Sirius on the other hand played with Lucius for a bit, disarming him before finally sending him flying. A laugh playing in his lips.

"Chil-"

You ever hear someone say 'everything slowed down around me.' How time seems to slow everything down. Almost to the point of being able to see the movement of the wind in front of you. Sounds slowing down into an almost haunting noise. It looked like a stripe of images flashing before my eyes. I saw Bella appear within a black fog, slowly aiming her wand towards Sirius. Later I would be told I had screamed his name, causing everyone to halt all movement. I leaped into the air, flying towards Sirius. The instant I slammed into him; we were both sent tumbling to the floor. Biting back the cry of pain, I looked up, searching for Sirius. I grimaced at catching a glimpse of Sirius laying on the ground not moving. Pushing myself off the ground, I staggered towards him. Tumbling to his side, I clutched his hand in mine. It was cold, getting colder by the second.

"Sirius?" I clenched his shirt, jerking him slightly. "Sirius?" I shook him harder. "Hey, wake up!" Placing my ear against his chest, my heart began to pound against my chest. No heartbeat. Sirius's heart wasn't beating. "Sirius you have to wake up. Please."

"Athena?" Remus ran up to us, the unspoken question heavy in that one word.

I couldn't respond. I had to wake him up. "K-keep Harry away."

"Sirius?!" Harry was blocked by Remus, holding him in a bear hug. "Sirius? Sirius!" The agony heard in Harry's scream was something I will never forget. Pure raw pain.

"You can't do this to me, Sirius!" I bellowed, holding onto his jacket. "You cannot leave me like this you selfish bastard! You are not allowed to dye on me! For fuck sakes Sirius you are going to be a father!" I fell onto his chest, my hands grabbing onto him for dear life. Hoping, praying he would feel just how much I needed him. I wanted to scream, hit, blow something up. Anything to release this hopelessness I felt at the moment. "You promised me we would always be together." I moved my hand to his jaw, caressing his cheek. "You said nothing would ever separate us. You broke that promise. You fail-" I clenched my fist, closing my eyes. "No, I failed. If I had just been a second faster. If I had not stopped and watched you, I would have been able to save you. Forgive me." Laying beside him, I breathed in his scent one last time.

All the emotions had come crashing down on me. Forcing my overtired body to shut down.

I woke with a start, gasping for air. Getting ahold of myself, I glanced at the room I was in. It was Sirius and I's ro-Sirius! Jumping off the bed, I ran out of the room. Screaming his name throughout the house. "Sirius?" I looked into his study first, followed by buck-Beak's room. "Sirius?" I know. You don't have to tell, I already knew. But there is always hope. Hope it had been a dream. You'll see. He will be in the kitchen with his coffee and paper. Rounding the corner, I pulled on the biggest grin and busted through the door. "Sirius!' Of course, I knew.

Molly stared at me with her wide eyes, filling with tears. "Oh, darling."

I knew.

"W-where is he mum?" I muttered. "Is he out with Remus again?"

"Athena..."

"Where?"

There is always hope.

"Sweetheart, you know." Molly replied. Her tone was soft, barely hearable.

But I heard it.

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, fighting the urge to cry again. "But he's coming back?" Seeing her shake her head, a few tears slipped out. "This is all a dream. When I wake up, Sirius will be beside me. His arms holding me. This is just a dream."

Just a little hope.

"Athena, let's get you back to bed." Molly attempted to coax me back up the stairs.

Instead, I shrugged her off, making a run for the door. I needed to find him. I needed to make sure he was safe. Pulling the door open, I stumbled back from the man standing at my door. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Athena..." Snape stared at me with a look of pure brokenness.

"Leave!" I didn't want to see him, hear him, and I sure as hell didn't want him near me. "Out!"

"I just wanted to see how you are doing." Snape whispered.

For some reason that was my breaking point. I lunged at him, hitting anything and anywhere I could land a punch. "How I am doing?! The man I love is dead! You helped kill him! You have no right being here! Leave!"

"Please, let me hold you." Snape had his arms around me tightly. His chin resting on my head, while his hand petted my hair. "I am sorry."

I shoved him off, provoking him to fall on his ass. "You don't get to be sorry." Snatching Molly's already out wand, I aimed it at him. "If I ever see you again, I will kill you. I will make sure you suffer every second of it. Now get the hell out!"

"Athe-"

"It's best you leave for now Severus." Remus stepped into the room, Tonks behind him.

Snape's gaze darted from Remus to me, sighing in defeat. "I will come back another day."

"Don't bother!" I cried out. "You come back and I will end you!"

Remus swooped forward, taking me in his arms just before I could touch Snape. "Hey, hey that enough. Calm down." He wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms down. "Calm down. Snape leave." Snape thought of holding his ground, but seeing his daughter break down in that moment was too much. Without a second glance back, he surrendered.

"He can't be gone, Remus." I sobbed. "He can't!"

Remus released me, twirling me around, and tugging me into a hug. "I'm sorry."

I yelled, trying to shove him off. "Stop saying you are sorry and just tell me he is not gone!"

"I can't." He whispered, holding onto me tighter. "I wish I could, but you know I can't."

Yeah, I knew.

P.S: Don't hate me.