New year's eve

"I've spent days clearing out that bloody vault and I've found nothing remotely cursed or curse breaking. It's a joke," Arun complained to her sister, who was using the portrait as a window. Next to her Severus was picking at the dirt under his nail with the corner of some post that had arrived for him a few hours ago. They sat on her desk in her study, facing the painting of Arun's sister, which hung above a roaring fire.

"I thought the Headmaster was giving me a clue, but it seems he just wants me to know that there's nothing down there. I even snooped into the other vaults and nope," she threw her hands up in frustration. "Nothing."

"You think he's hiding it elsewhere?"

"Yes. I do think that. I also think it's still on the school grounds somewhere. The whole buildings haunted though."

"Somewhere away from students then?"

"I just want to know what Dumbledore's doing, I want to know if he's trying to help me, and if he is, why he won't just come out and say it!"

"He doesn't trust you sis. Why should he?"

Next to her, Snape opened the post, bored with a conversation he'd had time and time again.

"Any updates on destroying them?"

"Actually yes. I saw a reference to the Oren Spike. It's a cursed object in its own right, wielding it apparently takes some sort of toll, but the spike is said to be known as the curse breaker."

"How old are we talking?"

"Mayan."

"Where is it now?"

"Apparently in the department of mysteries in the Ministry of Magic."

"Any chance you can get it out on loan for study?" Arun laughed but her sister shook her head.

"You're the vault cracker kid."Amber paused and looked over her shoulder then came closer to the picture. "There's been rumours. Werewolves are going to England. Some of them are- known- child eaters."

Severus looked up and studied Amber, but he didn't say anything. Arundel felt him tense up next to her.

Arun shrugged, "You think they are working with the Americans?" she asked, hoping that her own nervousness wasn't showing. Fenrir's business was his own and she'd already tipped off the Centaurs so she didn't feel she had to do anything else. Those Centaurs would have spoken to Dumbledore maybe he moved the Artefact after but she had no proof that it was so and to be quite honest, she didn't intend to get in Fenrir's way if he did come to Hogwarts.

"Maybe, or maybe they're just pissed off that the Dark Lord didn't give them what they were promised," Amber pulled the corner of her mouth down and shrugged up her shoulders.

"Do you have any idea why they are coming to England?" Severus asked. "I assume you have notified the Ministry?"

"I have notified them," Amber told him, her voice was not so kind when she was addressing him. "And what is it that the werewolves always want? New recruits. So I expect they will be making their way to the school," She ran her lips through her teeth and looked away from them for a moment. "I have to go, I'm halfway through a research paper and Dad's coming to see me later."

"Let us know if you find anything else," Arun told her.

"Shall do. Happy New Year. Good to see you again Sniv," Amber grinned at Severus through the painting and then she was gone.

"Sorry," Arun ran a hand across his arm and down to the letter. Snape watched her movement saying nothing as she snatched the letter from him and jumped off the table and opened it. The letter was from Avery, she recognised his scrawling handwriting.

Sev, Hope this finds you well. Having a gathering on new years eve, it'll be a fun one, getting those of us left together with special guests (of course). Would be really good to see you, especially now Mul is in Azkaban. Feeling a bit isolated at home, only the Carrows for company and they are as dim as a broken lightbulb. Bring Arun if she's game but she won't be able to get in without the Dark Mark or touching somebody who has it.

"Oh, that's nice," Arun handed the letter back without smiling. "Does he think he'll be forgiven by my uncle by inviting me?"

"No, I think he's just being polite," Severus told her with his eyebrows raised. "He happens to think the Dark Lord is dead."

"You going to go?"

Snape shrugged, "I don't think much of the Carrows, I might go just to save Ave from them."

"How does he know we're back together anyway?"

Severus shrugged, "I may have mentioned it, we talk frequently but I haven't seen him since last year." He took her hands and drew her in to him, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, since they had fallen out he'd made it up to her in a thousand ways, most of them between the sheets, and although it was still hard to let herself feel any kind of pleasure she was enjoying herself. He started to kiss her, working his way up her neck until their lips met. "Have you been to his party's before?" he asked between kisses.

"I've heard about them," she broke away from Sev, but didn't let go of his hands. "I know he's a sadist. When you were at school I knew him better than I knew you. He used to watch me like he wanted to eat me, like a wolf watching sheep, but if I spoke to him he would go red and stutter."

Severus sniffed a laugh, "He used to like you."

"His parents and my mother were friends, I knew him before Hogwarts, along with the Crabb family and the Goyls, the Malfoys and the Blacks."

"He used to let me practice hexes on him," Severus told her. "I put him in the hospital wing more times than I can count. He was the first person I tortured."

Arun raised an eyebrow and kissed Severus again, "Oh hun, so romantic," she teased.

"Mulciber used to Imperio him. We'd make him do all kinds of things. Once we made him set Peter Pettigrew's cloke on fire." Snape's grin was wicked. "He enjoyed being used like that. But he did frighten me sometimes too, he had a cruel sense of humour and he took a lot of pleasure from watching other people in pain."

"I found him by the Great Lake once, he'd stolen two Owls and tied string to their feet and he was using a stinging hex on them to make them try and fly away. Every time the rope yanked them back to the ground he howled with laughter." Arun hated that memory, she couldn't abide people being cruel to animals. "I walked up to him and asked him why he was doing it, and he backed away from me. He couldn't look at me. I asked him again and he said, 'They are beautiful when they are in pain. Look how alive they are' I knew then that he was a good recruit, I wrote to the Death Eaters about him the next day. I don't think I spoke to him again until I'd left school."

Severus squeezed her hands. "You were involved then?" he asked. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are his family."

"Distant distant family. We're about as related as you are to the school Librarian."

"That mattered to the Dark Lord, and the Librarian is my mother's great grandmothers sons son's daughter."

"I don't think it did matter to him," Arun shrugged. "He had an acquired family, they were a mix of people who wanted power, glory and notoriety, the chance to be accepted, or the chance to be cruel and open about it. Which one do you think Avery was?"

"Which one were you?"

"Power." Arundel didn't even think about it, she didn't have to. Obtaining and using magic to its fullest extent was still a motivating factor. Severus seemed a little shocked at how easily she had answered.

"Says the girl who got kicked out of Hogwarts without any qualifications."

"Remember that, do you?"

"I remember watching you and wondering why you were suddenly so bad at everything, I remember being in the first year and watching you work with magic like you had been doing it for decades and then almost overnight you couldn't even levitate a feather."

"I'd made the switch from a wand to trying to use my own body. I basically started again, and remember, Sev, I started learning at a young age in countries where the laws were very different and for much of my younger years my tutor was my very distantly related Uncle Tom."

"Who cares nothing for the small amount of remaining family he has left."

"Exactly, now, what am I going to wear?"

Snape ran his hands up under her hair and pulled it over her shoulders, then he pulled her head down to his, "Nothing?" he muttered.

"Avery would like that."

"Fuck him."

"I'd rather fuck you."

"What about the dress you wore at Christmas?"

"It smells of food, it's not been washed."

"You have that dark green one with the silver decorations."

Arun nodded, "I suppose we need to leave soon?"

Snape pulled her back into him, "We don't need to leave yet," he said.

Just after nine pm Arun and Sev apperated to Ireland, to Blackhound Manor, the family home of the Averys. The long-distance apparitions were never comfortable, and the change in weather was always more challenging than expected. It was warmer in Ireland, but the rain came pouring from the sky like a sheet. Sev and Arun pulled up the hoods on their cloaks as they ran down a narrow country lane and stopped next to a set of very old weathered gates. "Here we are."

"Ave's let this place go to the dogs, it wasn't like this when I was a child." Arun was shocked, she remembered the gates to be freshly painted, the vines to be tamed and the driveway up to the house to be a manicured grove of trees, not this thicket of tall grass and brambles. In response, Severus took her hand, when their skin touched the ruin's illusion lifted, and once again she could see the Blackhound Manor she remembered from her childhood. "That's a pretty bit of magic," she muttered as Severus put his hand on the gate and in response they opened. Beyond, a thestral drawn carriage waited. Snape opened the door for her, and once she had climbed in he got in next to her and settled into the seat opposite.

"Has he been raided?"

"The ministry don't know he's here, they think his house is a wreck."

"Do you know who else will come?"

"Pretty much everybody who has the Dark Mark who avoided death or prison."

"Don't you think that's a security risk?"

"We're not plotting world domination, we're having a drink."

Arun realised she sounded nervous, she sat back and looked out of the window as the coach was pulled through the trees and tried to remember the last time she was around this many Death Eaters without the protection of the Dark Lord. She hadn't bothered to guard her thoughts and Snape was snooping.

"Why do you think they hate you?"

"I'm not a Death Eater Sev. I was very clear I didn't want to be."

Snape poked her with his foot, "They fear you."

"Why?"

Severus tilted his head back as he thought about what he wanted to say, "Lucius recounted a story to me once," Sev told her. "I was away, I think I must have already started teaching at Hogwarts, and we weren't together any longer. He told me how you had walked into a meeting of the Dark Lord and his inner circle and chucked a bag at the Dark Lord's feet. You were angry, you shouted at him, you told him that if he wanted to make you look like you were picking a side again you would join the auras and hang the lot of us. Lucius told me how the Dark Lord initially ignored you, and he reached into the sack and looked at whatever was in there. Then he stood up and embraced you. What was said after was in Parseltongue, but you turned and walked out, and it was the only time anybody has spoken to Him like that."

"So what?"

"So this is the Dark Lord. A man who once tortured Matilda Crabbe for sneezing. They are terrified of you because they don't understand you. Even Bellatrix was polite to you."

"Then they are all fools. I don't believe you Sev, they treat me with contempt."

"That you are coming tonight will mean a lot to them. They think you know where He is."

"He's gone. I'm not sure I want to go to this party if that's what I'm going to have to field all night."

"What a shame we are here already, do try and be polite, these are my friends," Sev smiled at her and opened the door to the carriage.

As Arun stepped down she was transported to her childhood. She remembered coming here when she was young, sometimes for Christmas and sometimes just for weekends. She remembered Avery's parents having heated, wine-fueled, debates with her own. She remembered playing poker with her sister in their green room. Avery snr died about two years ago, his wife had shacked up with a nobody groundsman pretty soon after and they had moved to 'somewhere warm' in India and started a bed and breakfast.

Tonight the house looked good, the lights were all on like somebody had lit up a Christmas tree with soft orange candles. The huge double doors were open and music and golden evanescence spilt out from inside. Two butlers stood by the entrance dressed in full ornamental robes with their faces masked. Snape and Arun linked arms and took the stairs up to the doors two at a time, the butlers nodded to them as they went past, clearly, they were recognised. She could hear piano music, the sound of a violin and some kind of squeezebox. In the windows she could see a number of people, some were dancing, most were just chatting. It looked like a lot of people. In the entrance hall, somebody took their cloaks and they were shown through into the grand hall where most of the entertainment was. Arundel looked around for people she knew and spied Narcissa by the fire talking to Crabbs wife. Like she had a sixth sense, Narcissa looked up, her rouge lips broke into a wide smile and her white hair was styled up and looked incredible. Arun thought she was one of the most attractive people she had ever met as she looked at her across the room and her pride for her friend was immense. Narcissa broke away from Crabb's wife Matilda and came across to her, she latched on to Arun and dragged her away from Severus. "You've had her for long enough Severus Snape, she's mine now, go and play."

Severus flicked her a smile. "Where are they?"

"Down in the cellar I expect," Narcissa wrinkled up her nose as she gave him a very naughty smile. Arun caught her eye and saw a glimpse of two imperio'd muggles naked wrestling before Narcissa blocked her. "Stop it Arun, you'll get to go down later if you're lucky."

"Well, have fun Sev," she turned, lips pursed and locked eyes with Severus. In response, he spun on his heal and strode away with his head held high. Arun and Narcissa both watched him go and then fell about giggling.

For the next two hours, Arun drank and hobnobbed with the Death Eaters, did her fair share of fielding the ass-sniffers and ended up in the pool house chatting to the heavily sculpted Halasandra Crabbe as she floated around drinking champagne from the bottle with a straw.

"I'm telling you, he's a zodiac baby, a true Torus. Full of bullish anger just like his daddy."

"Won't he be he be in the same year as Draco?" Narcissa asked.

"Maybe," Halasandra sipped and sighed, her long brown hair trailing through the water and her dark mark just another tattoo in a sleeve trailing up her arm. "We should make them friends Cissy. We should make them play."

"Baby Draco would like that."

Arun couldn't join in with a conversation like this. She was torn between joining Sandra in the pool or continuing to dangle her feet in the water. From a lounging chair, a scantily clad, very tanned, lump of a woman snorted. "Goyle Jr will be in their year too."

"Will he Gretta?" Narcissa's smile was still polite, but not so open as before.

Mrs Gretta Goyle was from Germany but she had none of the classic striking proud features. Arun thought she looked like a toad.

"You will include my baby amongst Draco's friends Narcissa?"

Arun stood up, "I'm going to find the toilet," she told the women, but she took her drink and her shoes with her and had no intention of coming back. Babies made her feel sick and parents that only spoke about their children made her want to start hexing people. She went to get another drink, picturing how funny it would be to obliterate the mothers to forget their children. She did go to find the toilet and watched from the stairs as two Death Eaters tried to get into the cellar but were turned away by bouncers. She didn't recognise the two wizards who were standing either side of the cellar door, they looked too young to be part of the old crowd, but they were old enough to have left Hogwarts.

Upstairs a child was laughing, and when she looked up she saw one of the first years, she was up like she had been stung, and across to the bouncers in a few light steps. "Move it," she told them when they barred her way.

"Only approved guests," one of them told her. "Sorry."

"I'm Arundel Granville,"

The guards looked at her and then at each other, "You're not- we don't have your name."

Arun scratched at her hair, she could feel the frustration showing in the tightness of her face. "You can move, or I can make you."

"You can try, there's two of us, we know how to duel. Do you really want to make a mess of your host's party?"

Arun chuckled, "I'm not going to fight you, I'm simply going to walk past."

They drew their wands. She spread her hands as if to say 'I am unarmed' but the bouncers dropped their guard, backed against the wall and stood blank, looking away from her as if they had never seen her before. Snape's friends might enjoy using the Imperius curse but Arun was a master of it.

She walked past them and descended into the cellar, unaware of Narcissa who had witnessed everything and was currently rushing to catch up with her.

but as she navigated the vaulted ceilings she realised an altogether different party was going on down here.

For one it was quiet.

Quiet except for the cries of pain from the muggle on the floor, who was slowly ripping herself apart.

A small number of people sat in a circle around her, and a thin but muscled blond man sat forward with his wand out, forcing her to attack herself. His eyes were fixed on her, he bit his bottom lip as he watched with the hunger of a cat playing with its food. Next to him Severus lounged, speaking in low tones to Lucius Malfoy, she recognised the others who sat watching to be the Dark Lord's closest followers, there were a number of empty seats in honour of those who were in Azkaban. All of them looked around at her as she approached, all apart from Avery, who was engrossed.

Severus got up and came over to her, he took her hand, "What's up?"

Arun looked past him to the muggle, she couldn't have been much older than eighteen and she was clawing at herself like she was covered in ants. Snape moved to block her view.

"They were talking about babies, I didn't like it. Keeping the tradition alive I see."

In response, Snape's mouth grew into a thin line and he turned and went back to his seat. Arun followed and stood with her arm resting against the backboard as she watched the muggle.

To her left, Lucius leaned over to her and smiled, "I've got a good one to go next," he said. Arun raised an eyebrow. "It'll be fun." He raised his hand, Avery stopped, he looked a little annoyed that his fun was being ruined but he took away the curse and the girl stopped what she was doing and looked down at herself with mute horror.

"Why?" she asked Avery, "I've never done anything to you, I don't understand."

Lucius sat up in his chair and hissed, "brakendio septumstumpa." there was the sound of bones cracking and the girl screamed as one by one her fingers snapped back on themselves.

"Oh, that's a good one!" Avery cried. "That's a good one."

Arun kept her mind blank, she'd never been one for torture as a sport but stopping them would be to damage herself and she was here now. Here and with a group of Death Eaters who had been told by the Americans that she wanted to stop their plot to bring the Dark Lord back. If she didn't prove herself to be one of them they would turn on her in a heartbeat. She ignored the girls pleas for help and smiled at Lucius, "Did you make that one up?"

The Carrows were roaring with laughter, "Do the toenail hex, Snape!" they implored, and Severus provided, with a crooked smile he forced the girls toenails to grow. She screamed as they shot out, coiled round and round and completely immobilized her.

"Ok, ok!" Goyle was crying with laughter, "let me at her." Arun watched as Goyle used the cruciatus curse on the muggle until she wet herself. The others in the room watched like sharks around a fresh kill. Arun turned to Avery and caught his sunken blue eye. His thin lips cracked into a hungry smile.

"Give Arundel a go Goyle," Avery shouted, rising up from his seat when Goyle didn't immediately stop. "I said give her a go!" and he waved his wand at Goyle and sent a knockback jinx at his arm. Arun watched everybody turn to look at her. The Carrow woman, Alecto, protested, "She's not got the stomach for this Avery, I 'spect there's a reason our Lord didn't gift her a mark. She's not powerful like us."

"Shut up Alecto," Lucius sneered. "You have no idea."

"Oh yeah, stick up for your friend Malfoy. She's good at getting men to do that for her. You and our Lord and Snape now too. And she's a fucking muggle sympathiser, I've said it before and I'll say it again."

Lucius drew his wand, Arun put her hand out to stop him. "You could say it again, but it'd be the last thing you ever say."

"Oh careful, you don't want to cross me, Granville."

"Or you'll what?" Arun picked under her nail, leaning into Snape's chair. Despite herself, she was enjoying this altercation. She'd wanted to have a go at Alecto for years.

"Crucio!"

The curse shot across the room, but Arun had been practising and she diverted the blast into the muggle. Alecto screamed, the Muggle screamed, and everybody else looked like they had been slapped. That curse was supposed to be unblockable, everybody knew it.

"I said give her a go," Avery broke the tension.

This time nobody complained, Arun stood up and clicked her neck, raised both hands at the same time and started to mutter. She felt the candles gutter. The death eaters craned forward to watch. There was a sound of paper ripping, like peeling a banana she tore the skin off the muggle girl.

"Oh, Shit!" Avery called as the muggles skin flew across the room and landed at his feet. He grabbed it up, "Oh, yes!"

The muggle was still alive, which was not what Arun had wanted, and now she was in a foul mood. Foul because she had come down here in the first place. Foul because she'd been called out by Alecto Carrow. Foul because she had been forced to show just how powerful she had become, and Foul because in keeping the delicate balance she had worked so hard to achieve she would now kill a defenceless, pathetic muggle. She raised her hand again, snarled and as she clenched her fist she hissed 'Advada Kadava.'

Lucius rose from his seat to see what she had done. Avery started to laugh and he stood up, still holding the mass of skin like a trophy. He walked across the room to her and drew her into a tight hug. He smelled of cigarettes and aftershave. "Welcome back," he muttered, "I've missed you Arun!" his smell made her feel sick, at least, she thought it was his smell. The muggle wasn't the first person she had killed and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She felt like she had detached part of her emotional capacity and shoved it into a vault. Avery broke away from her, "We all need a drink," he told the group, "We've been neglecting the guests too long."

From the shadows, Narcissa came forward and crossed to her husband and Severus took Arun's hand and lead her upstairs. "Do you want to go?" he asked.

"I want to get drunk," she told him.