Chapter 9

The rest of Nexi's break was spent overseeing the purchases for her new home. She spent a great deal of time apparating between her childhood home and new cottage. She begged off when her mother offered to help again, telling her that she wanted to wait to show her the finished product. By the end of break the house was complete.

Her parents apparated at the appointed time, and she opened the front door to show them inside. Her mother made appreciative noises, while her father was clearly doing internal mathematics to decide the price of her purchases and Lucius'.

"This is very nice, for a cottage." Her mother allowed. Nexi tried to not roll her eyes. Nice 'subtle' dig, Mother, she thought.

"Do you have any idea of the expense you've taken to make this livable?" Her father offered. "And no house-elf? How do you expect to keep this cottage up?"

"I'll learn, Father." Nexi said, hoping they'd leave it at that, but then she noticed that her parents were looking at one another as though they had a secret.

"You don't have to, darling." Her mother said with a smirk. "We're giving you Nanny."

Nexi cringed, she didn't want to own anyone. Allowing Lucius to utilize his house-elf during their stay was one thing, but owning Nanny? Too much. "Oh, I couldn't…" she started, but her father held up a hand to stop her.

"You can and will. Nanny has been attending you since you were a baby. It makes sense for her to follow you here." His tone said he was through talking, and there would be no argument.

She sighed, deciding to speak with Nanny before bringing her to live with her. She should have a choice, Nexi decided. "Fine," she answered, trying to smile. "I'll collect Nanny before I go back to school. She can come here and keep the cottage until I come home after graduating."

Satisfied, her parents continued looking through the cottage. Her mother's eyes lit up when she found the master bedroom. Hell, Nexi thought, she looks more impressed than even I did the first time. Her father, not taking open notice of the room's import, was clearly still cataloguing. Soon it was time to go. Leaving together after locking up, they arrived back at her childhood home.

"Nanny!" Her mother called as soon as they arrived. Shoot, Nexi thought, not even a moment to prepare.

The tiny elf appeared in front of them and her parents wasted no time in telling her of her change in ownership. Nanny looked excited, and Nexi realized that because of her brainwashing from birth, she was excited. She smiled at her attendant and asked her to accompany her upstairs. When they were alone in her room, she asked Nanny to sit down.

"Nanny, I want you to know, if you EVER want your freedom," she stopped when she saw Nanny start to shake. "Nanny?"

"Missy doesn't want Nanny?" The elf's eyes were filled with tears. "Has Nanny done something bad?"

Nexi rushed to the little elf's side and cradled her in her arms. "No, Nanny, you haven't done anything wrong. I just want you to know that if YOU ever want freedom, all you have to do is ask. If you want to stay with me, you will, for as long as you want." Nanny calmed, smiling up at Nexi and nodding.

"That's what Nanny wants. Forever." She hugged Nexi and smiled. "When does Nanny go to your new house?"

They chatted about her leaving when Nexi returned to Hogwarts. Nanny lit up with happiness. They made plans for Nexi's things to be moved to the house and Nanny could set up one of the rooms for herself. Nanny was flush with joy. This would work out, hopefully.

Nexi returned to Hogwarts three days later. Severus saw that Nexi was even happier, it was terrifying. She confessed that she'd found her house, a cottage off the beaten track, and she spent the holiday furnishing it and moving in. He knew there was more to the story and decided that he'd have to snag one of the frequent letters she was receiving. He had to know, because she was staying strangely quiet.

The chance came a few days later. The owl had arrived as breakfast was ending and they were preparing to leave for their first class. Nexi had read it quickly, a smile spreading across her face, and then put the letter in her bag, but not too carefully. He could see it poking out and as they started walking, he 'borrowed' it. He was careful to wait to read it until he had a free period, and when he did it suddenly made perfect sense.

Onexia O'Dwyer was having an affair with Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy, if his other 'friends' were to believed, was in the Dark Lord's inner circle. Maybe this was it, his way in. He just had to find a way to broach it, without admitting he'd taken the letter. He would have to do it soon, because she'd figure out it was missing and he'd have to explain why he'd had to read it. Deciding on his course, he chose to tell her during break.

"Nexi?" Severus called, as she was walking down the hall. She looked up and saw a piece of parchment in his hand. Squinting, she stopped and waited for him to catch up.

"Severus, what do you have there?" She asked as he held it out to her. Taking it, her heart stuttered. Clearly it was a letter from Lucius, but how? She looked up at him, taking a deep swallow.

"Your letter, Nexi." He said, as they walked down the stairs toward the front door. "Let's take a walk, I don't think we should be overheard, do you?" They walked in silence to the lake. Sitting down beside it, beneath the tree that Sirius and James had once tortured him under. "Shall we discuss the letter, Nexi?"

She looked up at him and for the first time he saw her staggered by the fact that he knew something she didn't want him to. A brief flash of guilt passed through him, but he pushed past it. She had access that he wanted, and he didn't want to hurt her, but he needed her help.

"Sure, Severus, let's talk about why you have my private letter?" Nexi was trying to insert some sense of poise she didn't feel. Outrage, but then she wasn't sure why she'd be so mad at Severus. He was her friend, after all.

"You must have dropped it earlier in the Great Hall, because I found it on the ground before I left." The lie came easy. "I opened it to see who it could be for and saw your name, and the letter writer's."

"Ah," she said, waiting. Severus wanted something obviously. Otherwise he'd just have handed her the letter and be done with it.

"Lucius Malfoy, Nexi? Isn't he married? And to a Black no less." He tutted, and Nexi realized she didn't know this Severus. He was cruel, and obviously planning to blackmail her. She didn't need him to go further.

"What do you want, Severus?" She asked, suddenly weary. "Clearly you want something so you don't run off and let a little birdie tell Lucius' wife about us, so just ask and see if I can deliver."

Severus realized that she felt trapped, and instead of powerful he felt disgusted with himself, but he'd come this far. "I want to meet or talk to Malfoy. He's in the Dark Lord's inner circle, Nexi, and I want to find a pathway in."

Nexi reared back, away from him. No, not Severus. She knew he was attracted to people she didn't care for, people just like her parents, but she hoped it was a youthful distraction. She couldn't lose her best friend to "the cause". "You don't want that, Severus. You don't want to be a Deatheater." She started to explain, but he stopped her.

"You're being hypocritical aren't you?" He asked with a sneer. "You're sleeping with a Deatheater, after all."

She looked like he'd slapped her, and he supposed he had. "You don't know everything."

"Nor do I want to, I just want you to give me a way in, Nexi. I don't care about Malfoy and your indiscretions. I need this, Nexi." He was looking deep in her eyes and threw his hardest punch. "Or I will tell the Blacks, and you know how unstable that lot is."

"Fine." She said, standing up and glaring down at someone she once considered a friend. "I'll let Lucius know, but know this Severus, taking up with the 'Dark Lord'" she mocked his reverent tone, "will bring you far more pain than power. Mark my words." Nexi gave him one last look of scorn before walking away in a swish of robes.

Severus watched her walk away and thought it didn't matter what she said as long as she did as he asked. He'd be better once he was part of something he could believe in. In the Deatheater group he'd be accepted as he'd never been anywhere else, he just knew it.

Nexi was as good as her word. She sent Lucius a letter immediately after her chat with Severus. She told him that he'd make an excellent recruit, not mentioning his blackmail. Even if Severus had turned on her, she still didn't want him to suffer. She hadn't lied to him, though, joining this group would bring misery to him. Severus wanted to be powerful and fight against the abuse he and his mother suffered at the hands of his father, a Muggle. He wasn't this hateful. His best friend, before her, was a Muggleborn for Merlin's sake.

She still did as he asked, and walked away from the mess that one letter in the wrong hands had caused. She hadn't dropped the letter, he'd taken in. But again, why fight it? He still read it and knew of it. So she would give him this.

She noticed a few days later when a black parchment came on an unfamiliar owl to Severus. Nexi knew that Lucius had taken her at her word and this was the invitation that Severus wanted so badly. His hands shook as he opened it, but his friends nearby were in awe. He was just seventeen and he'd gotten the call. Shaking her head, she walked from the Great Hall and went to class. She washed her hands of the mess. If this is what he wanted, then fine. His choice.