George waited till well after midnight to slip out of the room that Dumbledore had offered the visiting Weasleys. Fleetingly, he wished he had asked Harry if he could borrow the Marauder's Map, but decided that it was worth the risk to be able to sit for a bit with Bailey. He made his way through the familiar halls and gently pushed open the door to the infirmary. He glanced about and was glad to find that only one candle glowed among the double row of freshly made sick beds. He waited to make sure that Madame Pomfrey was not scuttling about before he crept up to the bed. As he lighted on the edge of the bed and looked down, he was surprised to find Bailey looking back up.

"Hey," he whispered. "How are ya feelin?"

"Hey yourself," she responded, a smile creasing her lips. "I've got a raging headache, but other than that I'm okay. Is everyone else okay?"

"Everyone is fine. They're all worried about you though. They wouldn't let us come to visit; said you needed to rest. What happened to you out there?"

Bailey shuddered at the memory. "I'm not sure, but it was as if someone had a hold of me. It was a very cold, icy grip and they were pulling me toward them." Her pale blue eyes became liquid as she tried to explain. "I fought against the hold on me, but whoever it was, they were strong."

George felt a little awkward as he wrapped his arms about her shoulders and lifter her up so he could hold her close. He rocked her gently as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. She wrapped her arms around his ribcage and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. A slight sensation passed through his body as she pressed ever closer, seeking comfort in his embrace. Under normal circumstances he would have called it a 'thrill' but the term suddenly seemed vulgar.

After a few minutes, Bailey's shaking ceased and her body relaxed against George's. She turned her head so that she could look at him while she still rested it on his shoulder. "I didn't thank you for being there today, did I?"

George grabbed several tissues from off the nightstand and dabbed at the streaks the tears had made on her sculpted cheeks. "For what," he prodded gently.

"For being my anchor. If you hadn't held my hand and given me something to keep me here, I'd have lost. The person would have taken me away."

"Been meaning to ask you 'bout that. Where did you get such a grip?" He smiled broadly as he shook out the hand she had held onto so tightly.

Bailey blushed and tried to hide her face in the folds of his shirt. She realized that he was trying to lighten the mood and was smiling when he tipped her chin up so that she met his eyes.

"There, that's better," he commented as he smiled back. He found himself getting lost in her soft gaze and they both jumped at the sound of footsteps moving quickly down the hall outside.

"You better hide," whispered Bailey as she untangled her arms and gave George's chest a gentle shove. As she settled back under the covers, she heard George scurry into a dark corner near the doors. She pretended to be asleep as she heard someone open the hall door. Sleepily she looked up to see who was entering and hid her smile with a yawn as she saw George slip through the door before it closed. She feigned surprise as she focused on the newcomer. "Uncle Severus, what are you doing here so late?"

"I… well…" Severus found that his usual level headedness had suddenly left him and his knack for words was gone. He wasn't even sure what had driven him out of bed at this late hour and steered him down the hall to the infirmary. "I was having trouble sleeping and thought I would come and see how you were doing. Feeling any better?"

Bailey pushed herself up to a sitting position and pulled her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms about them, hugging them close as she rested her chin on top. "A bit better, I've got a headache though."

"That's to be expected after an attack like that. Well, if you're okay, I'll be on my way." He started to turn away, but something in her expression held him where he stood.

"Attack?" Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at her uncle.

Severus immediately regretted using the term as he sank onto the bed next to Bailey's. "Attack was too strong a term. Encounter would have been a better choice."

"Do they know exactly what happened out there?"

Severus shook his head. "From what Charlie and Bill could tell, it looked like a child's prank. We'll find the culprit and they will be punished."

"Don't you think it was a little too coincidental that that mark, the resulting confusion and my 'encounter' all occurred at once?"

Severus tried to look surprised at her question. "I would think that you would realize that coincidences happen quite often in the wizarding world. So much so, that we often find them more commonplace and think it odd when they don't occur."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Well, call me a skeptic but I find it hard to just write it off. Dad always said that things happen for a reason."

Severus snorted. "Yeah, Derrick always did see the glass as half full."

Bailey shifted her head so that her cheek rested against her knees. "Tell me something about dad."

"Like what?" Severus looked at his niece and silently marveled at how much she and her sister looked like their mother.

"Something about him from his school days," she answered. "Tell me something about mom too. They never talked about their school years. In fact, they rarely talked about their past at all. The only thing they told us about in any detail was the night they met."

Snape's frown deepened and he rapped his fingers nervously against his thigh. He had never fully forgiven Derrick for showing up at that dance, looking so dashing in his dress robes and sweeping Severus's date off her feet.

"Uncle Severus?" Bailey prodded him gently. "I'm sorry, that wasn't nice of me."

Severus glanced up in surprise. "So, you've inherited your father's occlumen skills." Not caring that he was changing the subject, he suddenly became extremely interested in his charges. "What else can you do? What else did your parents teach you?"

Bailey shrugged her shoulders. "They claimed that they taught us everything they knew. Dad said that being able to read others thoughts was a handy tool, especially when you are dueling. Mom was working with us on animangi. Lake is much better at that than I am, but I'm better with occlumency."

"Dueling, yeah Derrick would know a lot about dueling. He was captain of Slytherins' Dueling Club team for two years. He was on the Quidditch team too. Your mom was a bit of a book worm. She spent a lot of time in the library, studying and reading. She was…" Severus stopped as a sudden burning sensation gripped his left arm.

Bailey looked up at her uncle and noticed that he suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Uncle Severus, are you okay?"

Severus tried to mask the look of agony that had crossed his face. As casually as he could, he gripped his left forearm to try to ease the searing pain as he rose from the bed. He answered through gritted teeth. "Yes, I'm fine, just an old injury acting up. Go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

------

Vandella Bullstrode stood quietly in the shadows of the mansion's large dining room. She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She twirled a lock of her hair in the fingers of one hand while she chewed at the fingernails of the other. She had blown her first assignment and she knew it. It had all seemed so simple when her master had explained it to her. All she had to do was send the mark into the air then grab the girl that her master would lead to her and bring her back to their headquarters.

The clatter of a fork on fine china made her flinch and told her that her master had finished his meal. The light scrape of a chair on wood then gentle footsteps in a long stride told her that she would soon face her master and his rage. The click of a handle being turned and the creek of a door startled her as a dim light brightened a hole in the wall across from where she stood.

"Vandella," a raspy voice called, "please join me in my study." A figure in black robes detached itself from the shadows and moved nonchalantly into the room.

Gulping hard and fighting the urge to run, Vandella made her way toward the open door of her master's study. As she entered, she wrung her hands together in an attempt to still her trembling. Never raising her eyes, she shuffled across the floor and dropped to her knees at her master's feet as he sat in the large lounge chair. She waited for his words of disapproval and the punishment that was sure to follow.

Her master reached out a boney, ghostly white hand and cupped the young woman's chin, lifting her head. Though his touch was cold, it was gentle which confused Vandella. She tried to avert her eyes for she was not worthy of looking upon her master, but his will was strong. Slowly her eyes shifted until they met his large, dark orbs. As he spoke, his words were soft and his voice would have almost sounded kind, had it not been so raspy. "Do not fear me child. You did well today."

"But… I… I failed, my master," stammered Vandella as she still struggled to avert her eyes. "I failed to capture the girl as you wished."

Her master clucked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively after releasing her chin. "That had nothing to do with you my loyal little one. You performed your task admirably and with such bravery. It was I who failed to deliver her to you."

Her master suddenly pushed up from his chair and Vandella scurried out of his way, just avoiding being kicked as he began to pace the floor. "No, I can not fault you at all. The girl is strong, which only confirms that she is who I suspected her to be."

"My sister said…"

Her master whirled and glared at her with eyes that glowed red with anger. "Just because I said you did well does not give you permission to speak. You've told me before what your sister said. That is why I chose you for this task. You may go. I'm done with you, for now. But remember," and he walked over and jerked the slender girl up by her left arm. He pushed her sleeve down to her elbow as he touched the black tattoo on her forearm with his wand. It started to glow red hot and Vandella bit back a cry of pain. "Remember that you are a Death Eater and at my beck and call."

"Yes, my Lord," she said bowing her head. "I am your humble servant and will do your bidding unto the end."

Her master's mouth creased into what could only be construed as a smile. He removed his wand from her mark and gently lowered her arm to her side. His voice returned to its former softer yet raspy tone. "Good! Now, go get something to eat, get cleaned up and rest. I will come to you soon."

"Yes, my Lord and thank you for your kindness," she said as she dipped into a low bow. Rising, she slowly backed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

--------

Severus cursed under his breath as he hurried from the infirmary. He had hoped to have more time with his nieces before the Dark Lord discovered they were here. He needed a story and fast or the whole of the Death Eater Army would be swarming the gates of Hogwarts by dawn. He needed to talk to someone and fast; someone he could trust.

Dumbledore!

He dashed headlong toward the headmaster's chambers. He was surprised when the griffon was already moved and the winding staircase stood open and inviting. Not worrying about the how's and why's, Severus continued his haphazard dash toward the room at the top of the stairs. Reaching the top, he found the door open and was not overly surprised to see the aging wizard, dressed in a bright blue sleeping gown, pouring tea into two cups.

"Dumbledore, Sir, we… I… there's a problem," heaved Snape between breaths. He flopped into the seat that the headmaster indicated as he accepted a cup from him.

"What kind of problem would send you running through the halls of our school at such an ungodly hour, Severus?" Dumbledore settled in a seat beside the professor and regarded him over the wire rim of his glasses.

"THIS!" and Severus held up his left arm, letting the sleeve of his robe flop down around his elbow. The dark mark, branded into his arm so many years ago, still glowed bright red. "He knows they are here."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "Of course he knows they are here. I'm sure that dozens of our students have reported the arrival of the Americans to parents and friends back home. Even Ron and Hermione have written home about them. The only good thing is, only a few people know who they truly are and they mostly reside within the Order. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort became curious and tried to contact them."

Dumbledore's words didn't help to quell the fear growing in Severus's stomach. It wasn't the tottering old headmaster who would have to face the powerful Dark Lord and explain why he was harboring, hiding even, Derrick and Sina Snape's twins.

Dumbledore's voice broke into Severus' thoughts. "You should use the vow that you made to Derrick and Sina. It's your best course. Even Voldemort can't question the power of a Blood Vow, it's the very strongest in the wizarding world. I'm sure you'll think of something to go along with it." Without another word, Dumbledore rose from his seat and made his way to the steps that led up to his private chambers.

Snape took several deep breaths to calm himself then gathered his thoughts. When he was ready, he pushed up from the chair and made his way out of the school and down through the gates. Resigning himself to what had to be done, he disapparated.

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