Fourth Year, Part Three
"I am interested," Snape said, "In how you became a part of our Lord's service."
"Didn't he tell you?" She asked, pulling her attention away from the strange jars on the shelves.
She'd never been in Snape's office before. She imagined it would seem different in the daytime, when there would be sounds filtering in from the rest of the castle. As it was, she'd almost been caught by Filch when she'd been sneaking down there.
They had to keep their meetings secret. After Barty, she couldn't imagine anyone being relaxed if they found out that she was getting more private lessons. Not to mention that they'd all want to know what Snape was teaching her.
"I was told to ask you."
Ginny barely had to think about it before answering. The Dark Lord had told her to work with Snape, and she would obey.
"I had the Diary," she said, "The one he enchanted with a memory of him. I got to know him, and he taught me the truth."
"The truth about what?"
"Everything," she replied with a little laugh. "Muggles and Mudbloods and Blood-traitors. How Dumbledore and people like him are going to destroy everything we have."
"I was under the impression that the diary would have killed you," Snape said, "to give the memory within life."
"It was meant to," She snarled, "But Potter ruined everything. Tom-He would have had actual life, he'd have been able to bring the Dark Lord back so much earlier, everything would have been so much better! I wouldn't have had to-It would all have been so much better! But Potter ruined it, he killed Tom, he stopped it from happening! Arrogant, self-centred, fame-hungry bastard, he ruined everything!"
"That's very...loyal of you," Snape said after a moment, "Very dedicated. Even many Marked Death Eaters would not be willing to sacrifice themselves for our Lord. And, I must say, a more astute estimation of Potter than I have heard before."
"Barty told me about them," she said, "All of them, just trying to use him to get their own power. But he's-he's everything."
"Very true. It is rather impressive how you have managed to keep your loyalty hidden, all this time."
"It's been hard, sometimes." She admitted, "With my family, and friends. But I think I've mostly managed. Barty found out, but it was for the best. He took me to meet him, and he started teaching me."
Snape nodded his head, a smile looking odd on his face.
It was strange how different he seemed out of the usual situation where she met him. Unlike in class or in the hallways, the last few minutes with him had seemed almost comfortable.
Even when she'd known that they were on the same side, she'd never imagined that she'd feel able to talk to him and feel natural.
"Tell me," he asked, "What did you do after the diary was destroyed? I find it difficult to picture you simply ignoring the possibility of finding him again."
"I didn't. I started reading up on spells that I could use to help him. Things that I could use to fight. I started practising them, and I got the Mudblood to help me."
"Creevey?"
"Yeah. And I found a way to sneak into the Restricted Section. So I started reading up on theory and spells that I could do, practising them in empty classrooms and that type of thing."
"Teaching yourself the Dark Arts?" Snape asked sharply, "That is absurdly dangerous."
"I know. But I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I learned some basic healing spells first-"
"None of which are any use against dark magic."
"I know. But I had to do something."
"Did you use any of these spells on Creevey then?"
"No. Couldn't really do any of them properly until last year. And I only tested stuff on Creevey a few months ago. Back then, I was just using him for someone to duel against, someone to practise fighting with."
"Tell me about last year. How Crouch discovered you, what happened with Terrence."
She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she didn't have to revisit it.
"Higgs found me in the Restricted Section. I was dumb, snuck in during the day. He was gonna turn me in."
"So you killed him. That was a foolish manoeuvre. You had Dumbledore and the rest of the staff on high alert."
"He didn't give me a choice!" She hissed, her hands suddenly shaking, "He made me-I had to-"
"Surely you could have convinced him not to turn you in?"
A cackle tore its way out of her, her hands seeming to act on their own accord and slamming down onto his desk.
"I tried," she babbled, "I did everything he wanted. Whenever he wanted, I had to go to his secret room and be his-his little whore! And I-I didn't have a choice, he was gonna turn me in, they would have all known that I wanted to help To-The Dark Lord, they'd have known! I had to do what he wanted, and it just got worse and worse and I fucking killed him!"
She had stood up at some point and was leaning over his desk, her breath coming in ragged gasps. He looked completely unfazed.
"I killed him," she giggled, "and it was incredible!"
"I'm sorry," Snape said quietly.
"He pissed himself when I made him put his head in the noose," she said, "He got to be the one afraid, then."
"I'm sorry you went through that."
She shrugged, dropping back into her chair.
"It was the Parerum, correct? You tested it on people's pets first?"
"Yeah. On Mrs Norris, Crookshanks, a few owls and rats."
"And Longbottom's toad?"
"No. Trevor was for something else. To see if I could pull off that strangulation curse, Praefoco."
"And did you?"
She shrugged again.
"Killed the toad alright. I still don't know how well it would work on a person."
"And then Crouch discovered you?"
"Yeah. He took me to see the Dark Lord. And he helped cover up that it was me, with Higgs."
"And then he began to train you. What did he teach you?"
"Mostly Occlumency," she said with a grin. "But lots of theory of other stuff. He taught me the Unforgivables, and we'd started on Conjuration. He had me learn about Memory Charms and Disillusionments and that type of thing. And he was going to start with Apparition."
"Your Occlumency is certainly serviceable. You were successful at casting the Unforgivables?"
"On spiders. Conjuring stuff is still totally beyond me, and I can't do Disillusionments properly. Memory Charms-"
"Yes," Snape interrupted. "Tell me about Memory Charms. What did you do to Creevey?"
"I've been reading about them for ages," she said, "everything I could find. I needed to practice on someone, otherwise, I'd never know if I could do them. So I convinced him to come with me, told him I wanted his help to test out a spell. I did the Memory Charm, and it seemed to work, but I hadn't thought of the fake memory I wanted to give him. So I had to do it again. And then I figured, since I knew that it worked, I might as well try something else before wiping him again and sending him back."
"What did you do?"
She paused for a second, eyeing him. He looked indifferent and uncaring, but there had definitely been a hint of worry in his voice.
"The Terror Curse," she said with a shrug. "Facerus Timor. It worked. And when I did the Memory Charm again, it worked too."
Snape sighed, shaking his head.
"It did not work," he said, "not entirely. It was probably only a minor error you made, but you repeated the charm three times. It damaged him, and I will have to spend valuable time fixing up your mistake."
"He's just a Mudblood."
Snape gave her the type of glare usually reserved for Colin, one which said, in no uncertain terms, that she was duller than the Potions' ingredients in their jars on the wall.
"He is a student here. Any erratic behaviour will be noticed. And it will be examined. You will not repeat such stupidity again."
"I won't."
"I will believe you capable of acting intelligently when you demonstrate it yourself. The Dark Lord desires you capable of Apparition, and he wants you able to survive a fight. These will be our two main objectives."
"How will we do the Apparition? It doesn't work in the castle, right?"
"Correct. It is not unheard of for Professors to visit Hogsmeade. You will accompany me, under a Disillusionment Charm."
"Ok."
"We will be meeting twice a week, minimum. I will assign you homework, and I expect it to be done with a greater level of efficiency than you have shown in Potions. I will be reporting your progress, or lack thereof, to the Dark Lord. Do not disappoint him."
"I won't. I won't, I promise."
He sneered at her, his usual expression far more familiar than the almost gentle way he'd acted throughout most of this meeting.
"That remains to be seen. I will inform you when next we shall meet. Goodnight."
With a muttered goodnight, she left the office.
When Albus removed his head from the Pensieve, he was wearing his weathered old man face again. The wrinkle lines across his cheeks were clearer than ever before.
Albus had wanted to view Snape's memories of his meeting with her before hearing Snape's thoughts, the better to form his own, unbiased opinion.
From the tears lurking in his eyes, it appeared that Albus could see exactly where she stood.
"She truly is more dedicated to him than any other," Severus said, "with the possible exception of Bellatrix."
"Unfortunately, so it appears. I believe the persona you have adopted with her to be fitting. She will trust you, if she does not already."
"I know," he hissed. "She will take my guidance as further proof that she should retain her loyalty to the Dark Lord. Every time I meet with her, it will lower the possibility of her ever coming back."
"If you do not meet with her," Albus said, "She will remain on Voldemort's side, and we will have lost our only spy. You have no choice, Severus."
"And what happens when she uses the training I give her to kill? Will my value as a spy wash the blood from my hands?"
"She is perfectly capable of killing and torturing without your teaching," Albus said with a frown, "Valuable though I'm sure your lessons will be. Severus, we have discussed this. It is eminently possible that you will have to give Voldemort correct information, information that will lead to casualties. Is this any worse?"
"She is here, at Hogwarts. Surrounded by children who do not know of her danger or madness. She is at Hogwarts, where the boy who you said must be protected at all costs dwells."
"Harry is safe, Severus."
"Do not-"
"As of this morning," Albus interrupted, "two house-elves are watching Miss Weasley at all times. If she even appears to pose a threat to any student, one of them will alert you or me. Another elf is watching Harry at all times, with instructions to Apparate him away if anyone tries to attack. The ghosts and portraits are paying attention to Harry as well, and when he goes to Hogsmeade, there will be members of the Order tailing him."
"The girl-"
"When you know more about this plan to kidnap Harry," Albus continued, blatantly ignoring him, "Harry will be told the truth. Harry will be safe, Severus. And if all goes well, we will be able to use the failed kidnapping attempt as a way to capture Miss Weasley. You may very possibly be able to remain a spy, all while Voldemort loses a valuable asset. Find out more, Severus. Find out more, and continue to play your role."
"Severus reports that you appear to be placing much effort into his training sessions. Perhaps my trust was not misplaced in you."
She smiled widely, her heart feeling like it would burst with pride.
She'd only met with Snape four times over the past two weeks, but those four times had been fantastic. She hadn't accomplished much in their two trips to Hogsmeade, still not having managed to even come close to Apparating, but the other two sessions had been incredible. Snape hadn't been spending quite as much time duelling with her as Barty had, but it was enough.
"Thank you, my lord," she wrote.
"I have been informed that you are still incapable of Apparition. You must remedy this."
She put her quill to the parchment and was about to begin writing a reply assuring him that she would, when another message appeared.
"Next term, you will bring Potter to me. I will be sending you a Portkey, but nevertheless, you must be capable of Apparition before then."
"I will, my lord. I promise, I will-"
"I want you to seduce Potter. Next term, you will take him to Hogsmeade with you, and from there you will bring him to me. He is staying with your family over the holidays, is he not?"
"He is," she wrote, "I could bring him from my home, and-"
"No. There are things that must happen before Potter can be taken. But you will use your time with him well. Do whatever it takes to ensure that he trusts and wants you."
"I will."
"Serve me well," The Dark Lord replied, "And I will gladly mark you as one of my favoured."
She sat perched on the armchair in Grimmauld Place, staring at the wall with her confused and exhausted thoughts circling her mind aimlessly.
Fred and George both looked to be asleep, propped up in uncomfortable positions though they were. She couldn't tell if Ron was awake or asleep, but she thought that he was awake. Harry and Sirius were both awake.
She knew that she should go and talk to Harry, knew that she should try and use the sympathy he was certainly feeling for her to pull him closer.
She knew that she would punish herself for her weakness later, but right then, she just couldn't bear to do it.
When McGonagall had first woken her up, her immediate, panicked assumption had been that she'd somehow been found out.
It was only a minute or two later, when she'd followed her Head of House to the Common Room and found the twins waiting with equally perplexed and frightened expressions that it had been explained.
Their father had been doing something for the Order, and he'd been badly injured in doing so.
From their mother's note, it sounded like he was more than just badly injured.
It sounded, in fact, like he was hovering on death's door.
A sob wrenched through her, only her practice managing to keep it from being voiced.
It was a possibility she'd known about for a long time, a possibility she'd done her best to ignore.
Her family had sided with Dumbledore and were fighting against the Dark Lord, and that meant that chances were good they'd be hurt or killed.
'He's just a Blood-traitor. They all are. It's disgusting that you even still care for them.'
She shook her head, trying to dislodge that thought as the tears overflowed.
They were Blood-traitors, she knew. Abominable Blood-traitors who betrayed their entire world for Muggles and Mudbloods.
But that still didn't entirely take away from the fact that he was her father. He was her father, worthless, muggle-obsessed fool that he was, and she couldn't stop herself from crying for him.
'Weak. You've known this would come for a long time. Tom told you that your family was the enemy, and you were so scared of that fact that you threw away the Diary. Barty told you that you had to choose, and you still haven't. Weak. You think you can really help him if you cry over a Blood-traitor?"
'I have chosen,' she told herself. 'I have!'
'Then why are you sad? You've known this would come, how can you still be sad for someone like him? You should be happy!'
'I can't just control how I feel like that!'
'Then what's the point of learning Occlumency been?'
She shivered, shaking her head and breathing deeply, emptying her mind and heart.
Blissful calm settled over her, the absence of feeling as pleasurable to her as anything she'd ever experienced.
'I'm not sad,' she told herself sternly, 'I'm not. He's just a stupid Blood-traitor, and it's his own fault for getting in the Dark Lord's way. I'm not sad!'
"My lord," she wrote, "Potter has told me that he saw through the eyes of your snake. He has definitely come to trust me, after I comforted him from his fears. He has admitted that he has been having dreams, dreams that he believes are flashes of your thoughts and emotions."
Almost immediately, the Dark Lord replied.
"It is certainly something that I will explore once you have brought him to me. What else has he said?'
'He is extremely frustrated, my lord. He is angry at Dumbledore for not speaking with him and explaining what is going on. He is also very much unhappy with Hogwarts at the moment. He said that if not for his Defence club, he would think seriously about not returning.'
'You have not proven capable of Apparition yet, have you?'
'I haven't. But I've been reading the stuff Snape gave me, and I think-'
'You will learn to do so soon. Severus informs me that there will be a Hogsmeade weekend on Valentine's Day. You will bring Potter to me then.'
'I will do my best.'
'No. You will do better. Until such time as you are capable of it, your meetings with Severus will comprise of nothing but Apparition practice. And you will be meeting with him at least thrice weekly, if not more. I will not wait for Potter a day longer than necessary. If you wish me to be proud of you, then you will give me a reason to do so.'
'I will. I will.'
'Tell me," the Dark Lord wrote, "How do you feel about your father's injury? I desire an honest answer."
She hesitated, staring at his question for a long moment, confused emotions twisting her mind.
"I wish that he hadn't had to be injured, my lord," she finally wrote, heart thudding in her chest. "But it was his own fault. He chose the wrong side."
"Yes. He did. One day, he and the rest of your family will kneel at my feet and beg to be allowed to live and serve. If you have proven your worth by then, perhaps I will even give my assent. Would you like that?"
"I think I would, my lord."
"Then do my bidding."
"So they say you're getting better?"
Her father nodded, making a face as he sipped at the gurdyroot juice Luna and her equally odd father had brought.
It was the first time that she was alone with her father since the incident. She'd avoided it until now, scared that he'd somehow be able to see something in her eyes.
It hadn't been too hard to avoid, really. What with the enormous crowd that formed whenever the family visited, it would almost have harder to actually be alone with him.
It was almost three weeks since he'd been attacked, and the holidays were nearly over. It sounded like he wouldn't be in the hospital for much longer, and frankly, she couldn't avoid spending time with him, especially not since Luna had said that she and her father wanted to visit.
She just hoped that her use of Occlumency and the knife had been enough to keep her looking no different than what he expected to see from his little girl.
"It was very nice of Luna and Xenophilius to come, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. Um, I don't think that drink really has healing powers. Luna and her father seem to believe a lot of...strange things."
"Oh, I know," he said, taking another sip. "Old Xeno was always quite eccentric, though it did get much worse after Pandora died. Sometimes, the death of a loved one can really unhinge people."
She nodded, her eyes swimming with tears.
He smiled sadly, reaching out and taking her hand.
"I'm not going to die. But You Know Who, he'd have killed me without a second thought. I won't say it's good that I got hurt, but it is good that you can see the reality. He would have killed me and it wouldn't have changed anything for him. He tried to kill me, using his snake as easily as he would a spell. He tried to kill me, and I would have died if Harry hadn't had that dream."
"I know." She said thickly.
"Now you do. You Know Who and his followers don't care who they kill, dear. It's a hard thing for people like us to understand, but it's true. They just don't care."
'They do, they only kill people who're fighting them or-or Muggles, but it's always for a reason! It's your fault you got in his way!'
"I can't promise you that nobody's going to get hurt," he continued, "But if we all stay together, we'll get through this as a family."
'We won't, not if you stay on the wrong side! You're all going to die, and it's all your fault!'
"So, they've decided that I'm going to be getting these extra lessons from Snape. In this thing called Occlumency."
She paused for a second before straightening up, throwing an errant sock into her trunk.
"Yeah? What is that?"
He shrugged, his leg swinging back and forth, thumping as it hit the underside of the desk.
Ron and Hermione were both downstairs, helping her mother with all the last minute preparations that precipitated the return to Hogwarts.
"He said it's the way of defending your mind against external penetrations, or something like that. Because of this whole connection with Voldemort thing."
She flinched at the name, her Transfiguration textbook slipping from her grip and thumping to the floor.
"At least they're taking it seriously," she offered.
"Yeah. But extra lessons with Snape!"
"Maybe he won't be as bad outside of the classroom?"
"I doubt that," he said with a snort. "He really, really hates me."
'I'm not surprised at all.'
"Apparently, he hated my father too. Extra lessons with Snape and no Quidditch. This term is going to be a nightmare."
She turned around slowly, steeling herself.
She walked toward him, glancing at the door for a moment to ensure it was still closed before returning her gaze to his eyes, watching as they widened and his pupils expanded.
"You'll still have the DA," she said softly. "And you'll still have Ron and Hermione."
She was so close to him now that she could feel his breath as he exhaled. His eyes were glued to hers.
Swallowing down her disgust, she moved forward, pressing her lips to his.
It wasn't so bad, as kisses went. He moved awkwardly, his nose pressing up against her, and he seemed unsure of what to do with his tongue, but it wasn't so bad.
If it had been anyone other than him, she might even have enjoyed it.
When she could stand it no longer, she pulled away, still keeping her face close to his.
"And you'll still have me. Maybe it'll be more like a dream than a nightmare."
She stared at the newspaper, forcing a horrified and frightened expression onto her face.
The faces of the Azkaban escapees stared out at her from the front page, scowling and grinning from their mugshots.
'This is what he was waiting for,' she realized. 'It was this, he wanted them to escape before I can take him Potter.'
Entranced, she couldn't drag her attention away from the paper.
One of the pictures, in particular, captivated her, a photograph of a dark-haired, heavily-lidded lady, her features lit up with a fanatic glow. She was gazing imperiously at the photographer as if the camera was recording her crowning moment.
It was Bellatrix Lestrange.
Ginny had heard much about Bellatrix from Barty, how she was one of the most loyal Death Eaters, how she was absurdly talented and incredibly dedicated. She'd taken Barty under her wing when he first joined the Death Eaters and had trained him to be the incredible wizard he became.
Barty had even complimented Ginny with her once, saying that she reminded him of his old mentor.
She'd heard a lot about Bellatrix from Barty, tales of fights and spells she'd used, how she had captured and killed the enemy, how the Dark Lord had trusted her more than other Death Eater.
Barty had told her a lot about Bellatrix, but he'd never told her that the woman was beautiful.
It was an entirely different type of beauty to what Ginny saw in Luna, but it was very much there. Something in Bellatrix's eyes just captured Ginny, kept her staring at the photo while muttering filled the Great Hall around her.
'She tortured Neville's parents into insanity.'
Shivering, she put the paper down, feeling very cold.
She snuck into the Common Room as quietly as possible, treading as softly as she could.
She'd waited until nearly one in the morning before putting a gown on over her pyjamas and heading down the stairs.
Over the past two weeks of term, she had met with Snape seven times. As the Dark Lord had ordered, they'd done nothing but practice Apparition, sneaking out to Hogsmeade in the dead of night under Disillusionment Charms.
She hadn't managed it yet but was sure that it wouldn't take much longer. She had definitely felt something the last few times that she tried, it just hadn't been more than a small itch in her whole body.
Even though the only thing that they were working on was Apparition, she had begged Snape to at least tell her some spells that she could practice in her spare time, without having to leave the castle.
After getting the Dark Lord's approval, he'd agreed.
She glanced down at the piece of paper again, checking the incantation and instructions.
"Sectumsempra," it said, "No specific wand movement necessary."
As she entered the Common Room, her breath caught in her throat. One of the armchairs was occupied.
She moved in silently, sidling along until she could see who it was.
When she did, she sighed, her plans for the night falling apart in her mind.
Harry was slouching in the armchair facing the fireplace, staring with a moody expression at the dying embers.
"More of the dreams?" She asked, stepping into his field of vision.
His reaction was enough to make up for her not being able to sneak out.
He shot bolt upright, a panicked expression flickering across his face as he raised his wand and almost fell out of the armchair.
When he saw it was her, he lowered his wand, settling back into his chair.
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Just can't sleep. Thought I'd have a change of scenery."
She walked over to the armchair, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as she reached him and briskly sat on his lap, leaning her back against his chest.
"Still the same one?"
"Yeah," he said. "The corridor with the glittering lights. I don't even know what it means, but it's always there. He's thinking about it, all the time."
"How's the Occlumency been going?"
Harry sighed, shaking his head briskly.
"It's terrible. I haven't managed it at all. Snape still gets to see my memories every time he tries, and afterwards, I'm always left feeling more...I don't know, more open, I guess. The scar hurts more, and I feel his emotions more then."
She shifted her weight, nearly vomiting when she felt his cock rubbing up against her thigh.
'The Dark Lord said to do whatever you need to make him trust you. It can't be worse than Higgs was.'
"That does sound horrific," she said softly, turning her head to face him. "But I'm sure it'll get better. You just need time and practice."
"I hope so, but-"
She shut him up with a kiss, pressing her body against his and pulling his head toward her.
She could feel him growing hard against her leg as he ran his hand through her hair, pulling her tightly to him.
She closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that it was Luna she was kissing.
It didn't work, but it was enough to keep her from screaming.
"Trust me," she said, pulling away from him and settling back down with her head on his shoulder. "It'll get better. You'll see."
He didn't answer, instead just pulling her tightly to him.
She was just about to get up and return to bed when he finally spoke.
"Ginny, are we a couple?"
'Whatever it takes.'
"I think it's pretty obvious that we are," she said, giving him a flirtatious grin.
"So why are you so set on keeping it hidden?"
'Because Luna would realize something's up. Because if it's public then I'll have to spend even more time with you than I already do.'
"I told you," she said. "You know what Ron's like. He'll make a whole scene. It's just better to keep it a secret, for now."
He still looked a bit unhappy with it all. Groaning internally, she leaned forward again, letting her fingers trail along his crotch as she kissed him.
"How about this," she suggested when they separated. "Next Hogsmeade weekend, we'll go together. We can tell Ron and Hermione then. That way he won't be able to make a scene."
"Deal."
Slowly, her breath returned to normal, the panting gasps giving way to more usual inhales and exhales.
Beside her, Luna rolled over onto her back, beads of sweat glistening in the hollow of her neck.
Ginny watched as Luna's breasts rose and fell, her eyes slowly trailing down to the indentation between her girlfriend's legs.
She could still see the moisture drying on Luna's lips, the folds still quivering with the last tremors of the pleasure that had torn through her.
It was definitely better like this, with both of them actually naked.
It had even been good enough to make it worth going into Higgs' hideout again.
She'd faltered for a few seconds at the entrance, when she'd arrived with Luna in tow.
But with Luna by her side, she'd been able to make herself go inside.
It was different from how it had been when Higgs was alive. The House-elves had obviously been in to clean, as all the empty booze bottles and cigarette butts had been removed.
Having Luna with her had definitely made it far easier to actually enter.
She wondered how easy it would be when she finally brought Harry there.
She moved closer to Luna, clearing her mind and banishing the thoughts of Harry as she gently kissed Luna's cheek.
"That was amazing."
Luna just grunted non-committedly.
"Luna? What's wrong?"
Her puzzlement turned to black fear when she moved closer and noticed the tears swimming in Luna's brilliant eyes.
"Luna? What's wrong? Did it hurt, did-"
"It was wonderful," Luna said thickly. "It's not that. It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," she said, sitting up and looking down with concern. "Tell me. Maybe I can help."
Luna sat up, her lower lip trembling and her throat working.
"There's something that you're not telling me."
"Luna-"
"Don't," she cried, her voice shrill. "I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. You're different! There's something happening with you, and you pretend that there isn't, and I'm almost too frightened to ask!"
"What are you afraid of?" She asked gently.
Luna drew a deep, shuddering breath before speaking.
"Professor Flitwick asked me some questions at the end of last year," Luna said, "about you. He-I realized why he was asking. They were worried that with Crouch impersonating Moody and giving you those extra lessons, maybe he'd been trying to-to-to make you evil or something."
Flabbergasted, Ginny just shook her head, coherent thought vanishing in a cloud of panic.
"I thought that it was ridiculous. But there is something different about you. I can-I can see it in your eyes. There's something you're not telling me, and it frightens me!"
'Obliviate her.'
'I can't, I can't! The Dark Lord said that I mustn't, Snape said I mustn't! I can't!'
'If you don't-'
'There's only another few weeks until Valentine's! Only a few more weeks of pretending! I can keep it up! I can!'
"Luna, I-"
Luna reached out, tenderly placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Just promise me," she said, her voice full of a quiet strength that Ginny had never heard from her before. "That you're not hurting anyone. Promise me that I'm wrong. Please."
"I promise. I promise, Luna,"
'Just another few weeks, that's all. Just another few weeks.'
She kept her eyes focused on the hill a few hundred meters down the road, her brow furrowed in concentration so intense that beads of sweat began to form.
Gritting her teeth, she moved, spinning on the spot and forcing herself to Apparate.
For the first time, it worked.
She heard the tell-tale cracking sound as a tight tube squeezed around her, compressing her to nothing.
Almost the very instant it had started, it was over, with her completing her spin on the top of the hill.
A wild, triumphant laugh tore its way through her, her hands rising into the air without her even thinking about it.
'I did it! I can do it, I can do it!'
A moment later, she heard another loud crack as Snape appeared.
"I did it! I managed!"
"Well done," Snape said. "Now, let us see that you can repeat it."
"My lord," she wrote, her triumph still setting her blood aflame. "I managed to Apparate. And I repeated it at least five times."
"Good," Came the Dark Lord's reply. "Well done. And now, we can truly plan. The next time you meet with Severus, he will bring you to me, to ensure that you recognize where you will be travelling to. We will speak further then."
"She is capable of Apparition," Severus said, "And the Dark Lord has decided on his plan."
"Do tell," Albus said, tapping a silver instrument that looked like a pair of tongs.
The tongs began to open and close, rings of colour expanding down their handles.
"I will take her to him on our next meeting so that if she needs to Apparate she will be able to travel there. She will be given a Portkey there. She will take Potter to Hogsmeade on the fourteenth, and she will take him from there to him."
"Valentine's Day," Albus said, shaking his head sadly. "Sometimes, I wonder about Voldemort's sense of irony."
"Albus, what-"
"I had an extremely interesting conversation with Arthur last night," Albus interrupted. "He and Molly are very concerned about Ginny. Enough that they have asked me to have her watched. As such, all of the Heads of House have now been asked to keep an eye on her. After the kidnapping attempt fails, you will find out that, at Arthur's request, I engaged Alastor to watch her while she is in Hogsmeade."
"The Dark Lord may...suspect that I am not being entirely honest."
"Then it is a good thing you are the best living Occlumens I know. You will inform him tonight that you and the other Heads have been asked to watch her."
"I will have to tell the girl as well."
"Yes. Try to make sure that it doesn't cause her to do anything surprising."
Severus nodded curtly.
"Does Voldemort hope to have her return to Hogwarts with her role in Harry's disappearance unknown?"
"I think he ideally would like it. But he is aware that suspicion will fall on her immediately. It depends on his whims at the time."
"Indeed. Now, the best situation would be if we can capture Miss Weasley. I do believe there still is a possibility of saving her, albeit a low chance. Nevertheless, our priority is Harry's protection. The Portkey must be disabled and Harry must be told before the trip to Hogsmeade."
"I wish you luck with that," Severus said. "Potter is as thick-headed as ever, unwilling to put the slightest effort into protecting his mind. He will probably assume that you are lying to him, trying to pull him away from his little girlfriend."
"I know," Albus said, "And that is why you will be using the Pensieve when you tell him."
"When I- Albus, I can't be the one to tell him. I can't."
"And neither can I. I saw Voldemort's presence in his mind, after the attack on Arthur. If I am the one to tell him, there is a far higher chance of Voldemort seeing then if it is you."
"He could still be watching if it is me."
"I know," Albus said gravely. "But Harry cannot be allowed to be taken. Even if it means that you will not be a suitable spy any longer."
"Is there nobody else? McGonagall-"
"Is not aware of Miss Weasley's loyalties, and will not be until everyone is. Severus, it is best if it is you. You will be able to tell if Voldemort is present in Harry's mind, and you will be able to show him your memories of our conversations and of yours with Miss Weasley."
"Had you told me when I was seventeen," Severus said as he rose, "that joining the Death Eaters would lead to me having a heart to heart conversation with James Potter's spawn to try and save his life, I…"
"What would you have done differently?"
Severus smiled, feeling the mass of self-loathing pressing against his forcibly maintained calm.
"Well, I would have killed myself there and then, I suppose."
She rubbed her arm with a scowl, pained tears drying on her cheeks.
Snape had healed the break, but it still hurt.
More than the physical pain, her uselessness bit at her.
After she'd proven that she could Apparate every time that she tried, Snape had started duelling with her again.
She appeared no closer to beating him than she had been before they switched to nothing but Apparition.
"There are signs of some improvement," he said, "but not enough. Focus on speeding up your movements and being less predictable. I will see you back here tomorrow night for our trip to the Dark Lord."
She hesitated as she stood, remaining just in front of him.
"Have the other Heads said anything?"
Sighing, Snape turned back to face her.
"No, although Flitwick was thinking about questioning the Lovegood girl again."
Her eyes closed of their own accord, deep regret filling her.
She'd been trying, as much as possible, to not think about what the revelation of her being a Death Eater would do to Luna.
All too easily could she imagine Luna sobbing in anguish as guilt wracked her.
'Just another week and a half. Not much longer, just another week and a half. That's all.'
"Luna suspects that something's up," Ginny said, opening her eyes. "But she doesn't know."
"Your relationship with her-"
"We're just friends," Ginny quickly said.
A sneer crossed Snape's face, there and gone in a flash.
"Ensure that she does not discover anything more than she already knows. Having to remove her memories would be a most tiresome chore."
The wind whipped at her robes, twisting them around and flipping her hair into her face.
"Pay close attention to where we are going."
She nodded to Snape, anticipation flipping her belly around again.
For the first time, she'd get to see him after his resurrection.
Harry had described his appearance, but she still couldn't stop thinking that she'd see something of Tom in his features.
"Are you going to take hold, or am I waiting for nothing?"
"Sorry," she muttered, reaching out and gripping his arm tightly.
"Pay attention."
With no more warning, Snape spun on his feet, pulling her after him through the bizarre sensation of Apparition.
They arrived almost the instant they had left, with Ginny stumbling and Snape standing resolutely still.
"Familiarise yourself with your surroundings."
She glanced around quickly, taking it in.
They were standing not far from the edge of a steep cliff in what looked to be the middle of nowhere. The salty tang and sound of waves heralded the nearby presence of the ocean, but looking around, Ginny could see nothing but a large house just in front of a small copse of birch trees.
"Where are we?"
"The Orkney Islands. Specifically, Mainland."
He glanced at her and sighed.
"An archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland."
"And that's our headquarters?" She asked, pointing towards the house.
"You could call it that. Come."
She followed him, the wet grass rubbing against her robes as they made their way to the house.
When they were about a hundred meters away Snape suddenly stopped walking, his hand shooting out and grabbing her shoulder.
"Wha-"
"You do not want to walk into the barrier," he said, letting go of her shoulder and pulling down his left sleeve. "Not without one of these."
He raised his arm, the tattoo glinting in the moonlight, and thrust it forward.
The air before her shimmered for a moment before returning to normal as a sense of heaviness that she hadn't even noticed vanished.
"What would happen if I had just kept walking?" She asked, following Snape again.
"You would have been held in place while everyone there was warned of your presence," he said, turning a dangerous smile on her. "And it would have been excruciatingly painful."
When they reached the front door, Snape tapped it with his wand before raising his arm and saying, in a clear, strident voice: "Severus Snape, accompanying Ginevra Weasley."
The door shuddered for a minute before smoothly opening, and with Snape just in front of her, Ginny entered.
The place was almost as large as the Great Hall, far bigger than it looked from the outside. An enormous crystal chandelier hung above a spiralling staircase, casting light on the emerald walls.
Beside the staircase was a large statue, one whose face she recognized from the Chamber of Secrets.
Before she had a chance to do more than gape, a patch of wall to her right slid silently open, revealing a large carpeted sitting room.
She did not need Snape's urging to move forward. She walked with her eyes glued to the figure on the throne-like chair, barely noticing the woman moving to the side of it.
He did look how Harry had described him; the skin on his face tight around his skull with his blood-red eyes boring into her very soul.
But Harry hadn't described the feeling of him, how he radiated power and might, how she felt more whole in his presence than she did even when she was with Luna.
She fell to her knees before his throne, trembling taking her as her heart sped up.
"My lord," she breathed, her words coming out in a heady rush.
The Dark Lord chuckled, waving a hand at her and beckoning her to rise.
"I am pleased with your progress," he said. "It appears that Barty did not exaggerate your abilities."
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Bellatrix," he hissed, "the Portkey."
Bellatrix stepped forward, pulling Ginny's attention.
Azkaban had not been kind to her. Streaks of white lined her hair and deep hollows lay in her cheeks.
Still, a rough beauty shone from her as she stepped forward, clutching a small piece of quartz with blazing eyes.
"Bellatrix, Ginny," The Dark Lord said lazily. "I am certain you two will get along very well."
Smiling brightly, Bellatrix handed Ginny the stone, her fingers lingering on Ginny's for an instant.
"It will be activated only when you say: "I have Potter". Ensure that you have a tight grip on him."
"I will."
"And afterwards," he said, "you will be free. No more need to hide who you are, no more need to suffer the babbling of Muggle lovers. No more need to pretend. You will be free to show them all you are, free to revenge yourself on those who never truly cared for you."
"I can't wait," she whispered, "my lord. Thank you."
The Dark Lord's wand twitched, a piece of paper appearing and floating over to Snape.
"I require an Aging Potion, Severus," he said, "With these alterations. It would not be fitting for our newest recruit to be bound by the Trace."
"Of course, my lord," Snape said.
"You will make a fine addition to our fellowship," The Dark Lord said, favouring her with a smile that set her heart aflutter.
Luna reached over and plucked a blade of grass from Ginny's hair, pulling it down to tickle her under the chin with it.
"Maybe we could meet in Hogsmeade?"
Ginny shook her head, forcing the smile to stay on her face.
"Sorry," she said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to go. I've got too much homework to do. Unless I somehow manage to get two weeks of homework done in the next two days."
"That's a shame," Luna said, now chewing on the blade of grass. "I thought maybe we could get a butterbeer together. It wouldn't look like we're anything more than just friends."
"I think it'll have to be next time," she said regretfully, giving Luna a quick peck on the lips. "I'm sorry, Luna. I love you."
Blushing, Luna put her arm around Ginny's neck and pulled her close enough for their noses to touch.
"I love you too."
"You are certain," Albus said, gesturing at the small stone on his desk, "that this is what was given to her?"
"No," Severus said, "he must have given her another Portkey made from a piece of quartz. Yes, Albus. That is it."
Albus nodded, carefully handing the Portkey back to the house-elf beside his desk.
"Thank you, Toobey. If you would please return this, that will be all for now."
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore, sir." The elf squeaked, taking the stone and vanishing with a crack.
"Moody knows the entire situation?"
"Of course. As does Kingsley. And Aberforth will be watching from his pub. All that remains is for you to tell Harry."
"If either of them acts too soon," he warned, "it will be clear that they had prior knowledge."
"That will only be a problem if she escapes. Certainly, they will do everything in their power to make it seem like luck, but I will not risk Harry being captured."
"They need to stop her before she clears the Anti-Apparition barriers," Severus warned as he stood, "otherwise, Portkey or not, she will take him."
"I am aware, Severus. I am aware. Good luck with Harry."
Grabbing the Pensieve, Severus muttered: "I would almost rather the Dark Lord discovered everything."
She pulled her hand out of Harry's pants, and maintaining eye contact, licked his spunk off of her fingers.
"Wow," he whispered, eyes wide and glassy in the gloom.
They were in an empty classroom on the third floor, one whose chalkboard looked like it hadn't been used in years.
It had been difficult enough going to Higgs' hideaway with Luna, but the thought of taking Harry there was simply unbearable.
"Maybe tomorrow," she said, making her voice as husky as she could. "Before we meet Ron and Hermione, you could take me to that cave where you said Sirius hid last year. I'm sure it'll be better if we don't need to worry about people walking in…"
"Yeah," he said. "Wow, Ginny, that was incredible."
She smirked at him, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
"I'm sure you've got pretty nimble fingers yourself," she said, "being a Seeker and all. Maybe tomorrow you can show me."
His eyes widened even more at that, his reddening cheeks seeming to glow.
"Uh, Ron's not coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow," he suddenly blurted out. "Angelina's got them training all day."
"Not much point, really," she said, "Dean's no replacement for you."
He glanced at his watch and yelped, jumping to his feet and hastily adjusting his underwear.
"Snape," he said, by way of explanation, "I've got Occlumency in five minutes."
He touched his lips to her cheek before running out, waving at her.
"Good luck!" She called.
'You'll need it. Tomorrow, you'll have the Dark Lord using Legilimency on you.'
Severus sighed, waiting for the boy to finish viewing his memories.
He had decided not to join Potter in the Pensieve, pleasant as seeing the horrified realization dawn upon him may have been.
Instead, he waited, watching as Potter's body shook with his head still within the rune-encrusted stone bowl.
This was going to be terrible, he knew. Potter would be furious and hurt, and he would have to comfort the brat.
It was at times like this that he really wished he were still a Death Eater in truth.
The Pensieve stopped swirling, a final image of Dumbledore appearing as the memories Severus had put in there ran their course.
He took a deep breath as Potter pulled his head from the Pensieve.
The boy's face was twisted in pained fury, his nostrils flaring and tears overflowing in his eyes.
A twinge of pity overshadowed the usual rage at seeing her eyes in Potter's face.
"Potter," he said, as gently as he could manage. "The girl-"
"That's not true," Potter interrupted, shaking a pale face, "that's not true!"
"Your parents would still have been alive," he snarled, "If they'd have been more sparing with their trust!"
"Ginny is not-not-not that! It's not true!"
He swallowed down his rising frustration, forcing his mind to stay empty and cool.
"I assure you, it is. The girl is-"
"Stop it! Why would you lie about this? What's wrong with you?"
The anger tried to take over him, Potter's face changing into that of his disgusting father.
"Listen to me," he said, somehow managing to keep the venom out of his voice. "You saw the memories-"
"You faked them! You're-you-stop it!"
Potter spun on his heels almost as if he were trying to Apparate and ran for the door, his hand outstretched before he even reached it.
His frustration beginning to bubble up, Severus cast a Locking Charm on it, pausing for a moment before adding a Charm that a simple Alohamora would not unlock.
Potter stood there for nearly a minute, his shoulders shaking as he tugged on the firmly locked door.
"You arrogant, hard-headed idiot!" He hissed, losing control for a moment, "Dumbledore and I have been trying to save your worthless life, but you have to know better, don't you?"
His hands clenched into tight fists, the boy turned back to Severus.
"Let me out. Let me out, let me-"
You need to hear this," Severus said, only the tears running down the boy's cheeks keeping him from screaming or insulting him again. "Because if you don't-"
"SHUT UP!" Potter suddenly roared, "LIAR!"
The brat's hand shot toward his pocket, but Severus had been expecting something like that for a while.
The Disarmer hit Potter cleanly in the chest, his wand flying to Severus' outstretched hand before it had even been drawn.
"I am trying to save your miserable life," he hissed, "Listen to me!"
"You're lying, you must be-it can't be true, it-"
"Think carefully before you call me a liar," Severus replied, "I promise you, I-"
"Liar," Potter said weakly, his face contorting like an animal's as the tears came more furiously. "You-you hate me, this is-this is Voldemort's plan, you're-you-"
"If I was truly carrying out the Dark Lord's plans, I would have used any of my dozens of opportunities to kidnap you and take you to him, where your fondest wish would be for a swift painless death. And I promise you, that would be a wish that you would never receive."
"It's not true-"
"Can you truly tell me that there has been nothing suspicious about her dealings with you? Has she not asked you to keep the details of your relationship secret? Even to someone as pea-brained as yourself, that must have seemed odd."
"She-"
Potter cut himself off, shaking his head wildly.
"It can't be true. It just-not Ginny. She's-she's a Weasley! She's Ron's sister!"
"The diary she received before her first year," he said quietly, fury at Lucius interrupting his anger at Potter for a moment, "had been enchanted to cause her to become obsessed with it. Obsessed with him. It made her feel...like she needed him. Like everything he was saying was true and right."
"But I destroyed it, it-"
"He had been possessing her," Severus interrupted. "The damage possession does can sometimes be permanent. And the Dark Lord was always known to be a cunning manipulator. He had almost a year to mould her to his wishes, all while his enchantments twisted her mind and those who could have helped her did nothing."
He watched carefully as Potter lowered his head for a few minutes, making snivelling noises and rubbing at his face.
"You cannot allow her to know that you know the truth," he said once the boy raised his head again, "But you must be on your guard."
Potter barked out a laugh, Lily's eyes red-rimmed and hollow in their sockets.
His heart gave a pang at the sight.
"So I just-pretend like everything's normal? That's all?"
"You have to. Because if she realizes that something is wrong, I have no idea what she will do."
Slowly, the boy nodded, an errant tear escaping down his cheek.
"During the daytime, there is no Apparition within the main areas of Hogsmeade. But once you get past the Hog's Head, Apparition is possible. She knows this. You cannot allow her to take you past there."
"Even-even with Moody and King-'
"It is safest to pretend like something has gone wrong and they are not there. That way, if something does go wrong, you will still be safe."
The boy nodded again, solemn determination colouring his features.
"You-Dumbledore, if I get the Occlumency working properly, he'll actually speak to me?"
"Yes."
"I-I still-it's just hard to believe- I just-"
He shook his head again, staring down at the floor for a second before lifting it.
"Can I-can I go now?"
Handing the boy his wand back, Severus nodded and waved his own wand at the door.
"You can tell nobody about this, you know that."
"I know."
"Well then. Good luck."
'And I sincerely hope,' Severus thought, 'that you do not need to rely on luck.'