"I can't believe that we found her!"

Lily had finally found her way down to the dinning hall, but she'd stopped short just outside the doorway when she heard voices from within. Severus was not alone.

"Are we really sure that it's her?" This, like the first voice, was not Severus. Both voices were male, but this second voice was far more skeptical than the first. "The prophecy is very vague, as most of them are."

Prophecy? That was real too? She needed to stop being surprised by the existence of more magic. Perhaps she should just assume that all magic was real until someone told her it wasn't. Afterall, werewolves, mermaids and prophecy might be a lot to take in, but she'd learned about all of them in the last two days. Why should she be surprised anyway? When she was eleven she had learned that an entirely different and magical world existed just across the forest behind her house. She really shouldn't be shocked by any new forms of magic or creature that she might learn about now.

Hold on, did he say there was a prophecy relating to her in the fairy world? She didn't remember them using her name, but who else could they be talking about? To her knowledge, they hadn't kidnapped anyone else recently and tried to trick them into staying in this well maintained, but creepy manor. The house really looked nothing like she'd expected it to while she'd been up in her room trying to come up with ways to escape. Everything was too clean and well lit. No one was hiding here, and that meant that the men who had taken her were not worried about being caught.

Lily clenched the sides of her skirt and stepped closer to the doorway so she could hear better.

"It's her." Severus stated, his being the only voice that Lily could pick out. "And the mad witch said that whichever prince married her would rule with immeasurable power and strength."

"The mad witch," The second voice grumbled. "She is a very reliable source." This was clearly sarcasm. Maybe prophecy wasn't as cut and dry as she'd first assumed. Maybe not everyone believed in it.

The first voice ignored the comment and pressed on, "Yes, but you're not the only prince of the Court of Death. What makes you think that you're worthy to rule with all that extra power?"

"Well," Severus snarled. "Because I got her here, and I glamoured her and she has agreed to stay here with me."

"She already agreed?"

"It is not hard to get a glamoured mortal to do or say anything you want them to." This was the grumbly second voice again. Lily wanted to peek around the corner and see if she could recognize either of the voices, but she didn't want to chance getting caught eavesdropping. Glamoured mortals probably didn't do that.

"So, it is a done deal." Severus clapped his hands together. "We will hold the ceremony soon, and privately, but I want a big reveal to let everyone know. I want Potter to know."

"Yes, of course. We will start arranging everything." The first voice again. There was scrapping of chairs and then she heard their footsteps leaving the room.

She decided that now was a good time to enter the room. "Good evening, Severus!"

"Lily," He stood from the table and smiled at her, glancing in the direction his guests had just left and then back at her. He looked her up and down, and Lily had to fight the urge to cross her arms over her chest and fold in on herself. He was looking because he thought she was going to bring him power and strength. "How beautiful you look!" And he thought she would look good next to him.

"Thank you, you chose the gown for me." She swished the skirts and continued toward table, planning to sit at the opposite end from Severus.

"Is it not to your liking?"

"It's very fine," Lily shook her head and took a seat, pulling out her own chair before anyone could come forward and do it for her. "Though, yellow is my favorite color."

"I can imagine that yellow would look divine on you."

Lily nodded. "It also makes me smile."

"And a lovely smile you have too."

She felt like she was little Red Riding Hood. She smiled at him anyway.

The food was brought out rather quickly and much too much of it for only two people. Lily didn't comment on that though, she only filled her plate with food that she thought looked safe and then smelled everything before she took a bite.

"It is all safe for you to eat." Severus promised. "Fairy food will not hurt you."

"That's not true," Lily shook her head. "I woke up with a very bad headache after I drank that tea this morning."

"Oh," He had his brow narrowed. "I did not know that it could cause headaches in mortals." He waved his hand at a servant near the door. Another glassy eyes mortal. "Bring Lily a tonic for her headache."

"Oh, no, it doesn't hurt anymore," Lily said, "I'm quite alright now."

"Good," He looked over the food on the table. "Steer clear of the pudding and the muffins." Lily tilted her head, confused. Perhaps this man really did not fancy himself the villain. He was, as he had kidnapped her and held her against her will, but he was taking care to keep her comfortable and happy. A glamour induced happy, but still, he must have felt that he was doing the right thing, the good thing.

Lily hated him a little more for it.

"Thank you." This was said through clenched teeth and a false smile. "Is it possible that I'm allergic to the fruit?"

"It is possibly," He shrugged. She hated carrying on a conversation with him as though he was not a completely horrible and dreadful man.

"You said that we needed to talk during dinner?"

"Yes," He nodded and stood up, starting down the table toward her. Lily tensed. "Yes, we do need to talk."

"About what?"

"Well, if you are going to stay here, then we need to make things official and proper. Do you not agree?"

"That seems like it would be the next logical step," Lily said carefully, not wanting to accidentally agree to anything definitely.

"Right," He nodded. "Tomorrow seems like it would be the perfect day to get married."

Lily kept breathing. She knew that this was coming. She knew that he was going to bring up marriage. And he thought that she was glamoured, so why wouldn't he bring it up so nonchalantly?

"Tomorrow?" She repeated.

"Yes, tomorrow." He reached out, slowly, and touched the tips of his fingers against her cheek. "You are very excited, are you not?" She blinked at him, fighting with herself to keep from pulling away from him. She felt her skin tingle again, uncomfortably, like she was wearing a coat of bees. "Since you love me, you are very excited to get married."

"And you're alright with doing things this way?" Lily asked quietly. He was going to back her into a corner, get her to agree, and then whether she was glamoured or not, she would be magically bound to comply.

"Doing things what way?" He asked, his head tilting slightly and his fingertips still on her cheek. Her skill felt like it was burning under his touch.

She smiled up at him and stood up from the table, relieved when his hand fell from her face. "You're alright with taking away my will, tricking me into thinking that I'm in love with you and forcing me to marry you? That's all okay with you?" Her temper was bubbling just under the surface and he could see it now. He knew she wasn't glamoured, but she no longer cared.

Severus blinked at her.

Lily just stood there and stared at him. "You don't feel at all slimy and gross about what you're trying to do here?" She asked, just as calmly and quietly as before.

"You're not glamoured."

"No." She shook her head.

"How-"

"I don't know." She took a step back, putting the chair between him and herself. "But you can't keep me here with your tricks-"

"You have already agreed to stay!" His voice got louder.

"I did not," Lily shook her head. "I was very careful about what I said to you, and I did not agree to stay. And I will not stay." She threw her hands in the air, "They're going to know that it was you that took me! Remus is going to know, and he's going to come here with James, and they'll find me."

The room seemed to get darker as he stepped around the chair. Lily wanted to stand her ground, but she knew it would stupid to pretend as though she was capable of holding her own against him. His glamour wasn't working on her, but she knew that he had other magic that would work just fine.

"How?" He asked, taking another step and she caved, taking a step back. "How are you not glamoured?"

"I don't know, but that really throws a wrench in your plans, doesn't it?"

"No mortal is immune."

"Maybe it's part of the prophecy I heard you talking about earlier." Lily shrugged, looking around the room for an exit she could reach before he caught her.

He seemed distracted by her suggestion, so she turned on her heel and bolted toward the door. She hadn't put on the heels that he'd sent up for her to change into, and her bare feet slapped against the flagstone floor. She was almost at the door when his hand closed around her arm and he yanked her backward, throwing her to the floor.

She tumbled, tripping over her skirts and she tried and failed to find her footing. Her wrist bent awkwardly and she cried out as she fell.

"You can't keep me here!"

"I think you will find, that I can."

oOo

He tossed her back into the room and slammed the door as he left.

She was pretty sure that her wrist was broken, and she scooted back until she was leaning against the bed and then pulled her up sleeve and looked it over. But then she got lightheaded and had to look away from the discoloration and extremely swollen flesh.

"Lily?"

She looked up and saw Charity peeking over the edge of the bed at her. "Charity? Are you alright? I'm sorry I hit you in the head, but I thought it might help."

"Are you alright?" She slid over the side of the bed and knelt next to her, pulling her wrist onto her lap. "What did he do to you?"

"Did it work?" Lily asked quietly, noticing the lack of excitement in Charity's voice, the fear that wasn't there before. Something about her looked duller too, even though she was refusing to look Lily in the eye.

"Did what work?"

"Are you still glamoured?"

Charity bit her lower lip and her chin started to quiver.

"Oh, Charity," Lily threw her good arm around Charity's shoulders. "My friend is going to come here, we won't be stuck here much longer."

"I've been here for years, Lily." She said quietly. "What does my family think? I drugged you!" She stood up and looked around the room. Lily stayed back and allowed the woman her space, fully aware that if Severus had successfully glamoured her, she would have been stuck here for years just like Charity.

"You didn't do it. They forced you to." Lily said quietly. Charity turned around and looked Lily over, her eyes honing in on Lily's mangled wrist.

"I'll go and get something for your wrist."

"No," She shook her head and took a step toward Charity, fear slamming into her chest. "What if he finds you and glamours you again? You should stay here."

Charity was nearly persuaded but then shook her head. "No, he'll have no reason to think that I'm not glamoured. I'll be quick." And then she was on the other side of the door. Lily stood up and touched the door, just to check again, but it remained solid for her.

It didn't take Charity long to come back, but it was enough time for Lily to decide that she wasn't going to wait for Remus or his friends to come and rescue her. Who knew how long that would take or what Snape would make her or Charity do in that time. Who knew if they would even be able to get to her. Severus might have her well-hidden enough that they could have their noses pressed against the door and they wouldn't know she was there.

She tied her bed sheets together, albeit not well since it hurt her wrist to pull them tight. But that is how she spent her time while Charity was fetching supplies.

That wasn't the only problem though. She only had two sheets to tie together, and that didn't really do much to lessen the drop from her window. It would still be a thirty foot drop, and that was if she managed to tie the sheets to the window somehow, though there was nothing to tie it on.

"I don't think that's going to work," Charity said, setting down the supplies on the table and motioning Lily over to the empty chair.

"I know!" Lily shook her head and sat down. "Why won't the door let me out?"

Charity shrugged. "I'm not sure how magic works. And I've never been able to ask." She reached out and took Lily's arm, looking over the injury.

Lily bit the tip of her tongue. "What does it feel like? Being glamoured?"

Charity was quiet as she started binding up Lily's wrist with cloth. She let out a deep sigh, "You know when you're dreaming, and you know what's happening, but you're not able to do anything about it? You just get to watch the dream you react to everything, even if it's really terrible? It's like that, only you don't wake up."

Lily suppressed a shudder, trying not to think about how awful that would have been, had Snape been able to successfully glamour her. Who knows what he would have made her do, and to who? He'd made Charity aid his kidnapping of Lily, and drug her so that she'd be more pliable.

"We have to get out of here." Lily said under her breath.

"I know." Charity tied the cloth and Lily pulled her hand away to inspect the brace.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She tapped her fingers against the table. "I wish I knew how the door worked."

"There's got to be another way. Secret passages maybe? This is an old building." And then Lily was on her feet and she was pressing her hand against the walls as she moved around the room, feeling for hollow spots or abnormalities.

Charity helped by checking the floor for any loose boards, she did find one, and under it they found a key, but that was more interesting than helpful as the key didn't fit into the door.

Soon it was dark.

"I'm going to have to go soon," Charity said. "If I don't do my chores, then someone will report me to Snape and he'll know something's up."

Lily didn't want her to go, she didn't want to be alone here, but she understood that it was necessary, so she nodded.

"Come back when you can."

"I will." Charity promised. "These men- males, they were hoping to use you. If they can't, I don't know what their new plan will be." Lily clenched her jaw. "I'm not going to leave you alone in this, Lily. I'm going to help you."

AN: Don't forget to leave a review!