Samaria Kirby is mine. All else is J.K. Rowlings.
Chapter 13
Samaria sat in the parlor of Malfoy Manor glaring at Bellatrix. She had come to visit Narcissa and found Bellatrix had had the same idea. It was all good at first, but Narcissa had to step out to tend to something and Bellatrix started in on Samaria.
"It must be nice not to have to do any real work for our cause," she had said. "To be a Death Eater merely because your husband is close to the Dark Lord.
Samaria sat, trying to hold her tongue. She knew the witch sitting across from her was on the Dark Lord's good side and wasn't sure if it was a good idea to respond to her bait and make her mad.
"But of course, just because said husband is close to the Dark Lord doesn't mean that he's the closest. He wasn't included our little group to get into the Ministry, was he?"
"For your information, Ms. Lestrange, the Dark Lord trusts my husband and I immensely. I was involved in the fist attempt to get inside the Ministry," she told her.
"Ah, yes. And that's all it was, an attempt. You never did actually get inside the Department of Mysteries, did you?" Bellatrix sneered at her.
Samaria didn't know what the woman's problem was. She'd been giving her an evil eye and snide remarks ever since they were introduced. This is really the first time, however, that they had been alone and she'd done it to this degree.
"At least I was there to attempt, not useless in some cell," she was growing tired of this witch.
"I was serving time in the name of the Dark Lord! Unlike your coward husband, hiding behind Dumbledore," she spat.
"Yes, completely useless to our lord's services, while the… coward you called him?… remained under the watch of his masters worse enemy gathers years of information for him when he returned. Who do you think the Dark Lord appreciates more?" Samaria smirked.
The other woman scoffed, "His master, you say. I'm not completely sure that he's even completely faithful to the Dark Lord."
"How dare you!" Samaria stood up. She had to think fast, when she had said that her heart had jumped into her throat. "My husband risks his life on a daily basis for our master. How dare you say he's not faithful!"
Bellatrix stood as well, drawing her wand. Samaria reached for hers just as Narcissa walked back in.
She between the two with shock on her face and said, "What are you…?"
"I must be going," Samaria interrupted and gave Narcissa a smile before going to the fireplace to go through the Floo Network. Sometimes she really despised the fact she couldn't Apparate onto Hogwarts grounds, and now was definitely one of those times. Floo seemed so undignified.
She came out of her own fireplace in Hogwarts and stormed over the couch and sat.
"What is it?" Severus asked, bouncing Elena to keep her quiet. She had begun teething and was very grouchy.
"Bellatrix," was all Samaria said, and Severus understood. He'd known Bellatrix from the time they were young and it wasn't any secret that she didn't like him.
"Ignore her," he said.
Samaria scoffed, but said nothing. Reaching over she took Elena from him and played with her. The baby's laughs soothed her anger and nerves.
She sighed, "Let's go visit Sirius."
Just one look told Severus what he thought of that. "You've been over there at least three times a week for the past month." He reached to get Elena again, "And you've been exposing my beautiful daughter to him."
She gave him a look, "Severus. Come on. You've got to associate with him a little. We're on the same side."
"I don't care. I see him enough at the Order's meetings."
"Severus, we haven't had one for a month and a half now. Come on, please."
Severus sighed, "Why do you want me to go?"
"Because, you two are the most important men in my life and I would like if you would at least try to get along. You can't try if your not around him," she folded her arms.
He stood and mumbled something that sounded like, "Exactly." He handed Elena to her and headed to the bedroom.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I would prefer not to go anywhere in robes with baby drool and milk all over it," with that he shut the door and Samaria smiled.
Samaria laughed. Sirius was so funny he killed her. He sat holding Elena making faces and voices causing her to laugh as well. The only one not enjoying himself was Severus. He sat beside Samaria, arms folded and face expressionless.
Elena began to try to mimic the sounds Sirius made. If he blew his lips, she would. If he babbled, she would.
He looked at the baby, "Ha, ha. Uncle Sirius has got you all wound up, huh?"
Elena laughed.
"Can you say, Uncle Sirius?" He asked that every time he saw her. Elena hadn't even said her first word yet, though he never gave up. "Uncle Sirius, say it. Come on."
She looked up at him, "Er-us."
Samaria stopped laughing, as did Sirius. They looked at each other and back at the baby.
"Sirius," he said again.
"Er-us," she said, and smiled.
Samaria looked at Severus and he had a stricken look on his face. Looking back at Sirius, she saw he wasn't gloating like she would have thought. He was just gazing at her daughter.
"Um, Sirius," Samaria said with another look at Severus. "We've gotta get going. I'll see you later."
He nodded and handed the little girl to her, still not saying anything. Severus quietly followed her out and they went home.
When they got home Severus mumbled something about having work to do and went for his office. Samaria couldn't follow because Elena was fussing again and she gave her a bottle to pacify her. After the baby finally went to sleep, she laid her down. Then she conjured up a small bird that was bewitched to come get her if the baby cried or needed her.
As she walked down the hall to Severus' office, Samaria thought about Sirius' reaction. He had looked almost sorry that Elena had said his name. He didn't gloat or torture Severus in his usual way. Maybe he knew how much that had hurt Severus.
When she came to his door, she hesitated. What would she say to him? His daughter's first word had been the name of a man he despised. Would he blame her for taking Elena over there so much?
Gathering her courage, she knocked. There was no answer, so she knocked again. Then a very irritated Severus said, "Come!"
Slowly she opened the door and stepped inside. "You okay?" she asked.
"Why wouldn't I be," he replied looking back down at his papers.
Samaria walked up to stand in front of his desk. "I know you're upset about Elena. Don't deny it."
"I didn't deny anything, yet."
She sighed, "I wish you'd talk to me."
Looking up from his papers, he said, "I don't have anything to say."
With a sound of frustration, she turned to walk out. As her hand reached for the door knob, he said, "Samaria."
She froze and listened.
"Samaria," he said again. "I don't know what to say."
She turned to look at him, "Are you mad?"
"Not mad, per say. Upset. Why did her first word have to be his name? It could have been anything. We've been trying to get her to say 'mama' or 'dada' forever. Why couldn't she say that?"
Walking back up to the desk, she said, "I don't know. I guess 'Sirius' was what she heard the moment she was ready and she said it."
He sighed and rubbed his hands on his face.
"You're tired," she told him. "You've been stressed out a lot lately. Going on so many raids and such, the emotional stress must be killing you."
"It doesn't bother me," he told her, but she knew it was a lie.
"Yeah, okay. But you still need to rest."
"I've got to finish these essays. I'll be in later," he told her and went back to grading.
Samaria nodded and left. She checked on Elena, got ride of the bird, and went to bed. The day had been too stressful for her taste.
Severus looked around his office a few hours later. He'd graded everything he could get his hands on to keep his mind busy. Now, with nothing left to grade, he had nothing else to do but go to bed.
With a sigh, he rose and went to his living quarters. After locking the door, he glanced over to where the crib lay. He could hear cooing coming from it. With a smile he walked over to it and looked it.
Elena lay on her back, cooing and giggling. Her hands and feet were waving in the air. Severus bent down and picked her up. She gave a little squeal of happiness. He walked over and sat on the couch, supporting her in to a sitting position on his knee.
"Dada," he said to her and she smiled. "Dada." He waited but she only giggled and babbled.
He sighed, "You just like torturing me, don't you."
She smiled, and he chuckled. "You're too cute for your own good." He started bouncing her on his knee. After a while, her head started bobbing as she struggled to stay awake. Severus gathered her into his arms and started to rock her. She still was babbling to herself, trying to stay awake.
"Dada," he said again. "Why can't you just say those two syllables? Dada?"
Elena looked up at him with droopy eyelids. "Dada," she said and snuggled into his chest and fell asleep.
~*SW*~
Samaria was woken from her sleep by two arms going around her waist. She felt Severus pull her close to him and kiss her on the neck.
That's a total change of attitude from before; she thought and wondered what put him in such a good mood. Usually, if he were in a foul mood, he'd turn over and avoid contact with her, even if his mood had nothing to do with her. She hadn't expected him to get over this Elena thing so soon.
She turned to face him and asked, "What's got you in such a good mood?"
"Nothing particular," he replied, and even though it was pitch dark she could hear a small smile in his voice.
"Noting particular, my wand. What happened," she pressed.
He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Elena said 'Dada'."
Samaria smiled and pulled back as if to look at him, even though there was not enough light to see him, "That's wonderful, Baby."
He pulled her back down close to him and said; "Now we have to watch what we say around her. It won't be long before she's repeating everything we say."
She thought about that for a second. If they continued to take Elena around Sirius, it wouldn't be long before she said something about him in front of the wrong person. Should she stop bringing her around him? That would kill Sirius. He loved Elena and he didn't get to see many people as it was, cooped up in that house. But if it were a matter of life and death…
"We'll decide what to do tomorrow," Severus said, as if he could read her thoughts. Which he probably could, since she wasn't blocking them at the moment. He was so skilled at Legilimens that she doubted the light to see her eyes really mattered.
"Okay," she replied and snuggled back up to him and fell asleep.
~*SW*~
The next day, after Samaria had returned from getting Elena, she went to talk to Dumbledore about her daughter.
"Professor, she's learning to talk and I'm afraid she might repeat the wrong thing in front of the wrong person soon," she told him after they exchanged pleasantries.
"I understand," he said, sitting behind his desk, studying her.
"So," she continued, "Should I keep her away from the Order members all together, or what?"
The old wizard seemed to ponder this a moment. "That would probably be the best plan. The Malfoy's would begin to wonder if you all of a sudden stopped bringing Elena over. Yes, I think that was be a wise decision."
Samaria nodded. She figured that was what would end up happening but she hoped Dumbledore could think of something else.
He studied her a moment before saying, "I know you and she are close to many of the members, but this could be yours and Severs' life hanging in balance. If something were to happen to you, I doubt whether Voldemort would hesitate to raise Elena himself, or close to it."
Samaria, despite her best efforts, flinched at the Dark Lord's name. Would she ever get to where she could say it like Dumbledore?
Samaria nodded again and thanked him, then left.
When she got back to her quarters, she found Severus playing with Elena. The child seemed to enjoy the extra attention she got when she said 'Dada', so she had been saying it all day.
"You spoke with Dumbledore?" he asked.
"Yes. We have to keep her away from the Order members."
He nodded, "I didn't see any other way." Samaria could tell he would lose no sleep over the decision. He couldn't stand the majority of them anyway.
"I think I'd better…" she stopped as she gasped in pain. Severus looked up alarmed, but soon realized the source of pain when he saw her holding her left arm.
"You'd better go," he said and she nodded.
Samaria was escorted into a different sitting room than the one the Dark Lord had usually used. Even though it wasn't his usual place, there he sat in the middle of the room in his throne like chair, as if he thought he owned the place… which he probably did.
"You called, my lord?" she spoke as she bowed before him.
"Yes," he replied looking down at her. "One moment, we're waiting for someone."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened behind Samaria. She didn't dare turn around to see who it was. One didn't turn their back on the Dark Lord.
The person walked up and bowed. She saw her in her peripheral vision and knew who it was before she spoke.
"You called, master?" Bellatrix purred.
"Yes. I wish you two to go on a mission for me. I need information from a certain wizard and you two will retrieve it for me."
Bellatrix paused for a moment before saying, albeit somewhat reluctantly, "Yes, my lord."
"Yes, my lord," Samaria repeated with equal reluctance.
Voldemort ignored their obvious dislike for going with one another. He had to know their feelings toward each other, but seemed to think it… Samaria didn't know what he thought. Just that he, more than likely, deliberately put them together because they hated each other. If for no other reason than his sick pleasure to see what would happen.
"What information do you require, my lord?" Samaria asked and Bellatrix shot her a look.
"Torture him and find out any information he has concerning the Hall of Prophecies," he told them.
Samaria saw Bellatrix's eyes widen, but said, "Yes, master. His name?"
"Milus Jackson, Department of Mysteries."
~*SW*~
Clad in Death Eater robes and masks, Samaria and Bellatrix Apparated half a mile away from Milus Jackson's house.
"Let me lead on this. Do as I tell you," Bellatrix grabbed Samaria's arm and made her face her.
"No way. You weren't appointed leader. We'll both do it together," she jerked her arm back.
Bellatrix snarled, "Don't think you're so high and mighty just because the Dark Lord fancies you. You're not the only one, you know."
"Let's just go."
"No, I'm doing this. If I need you, I'll call you," she persisted.
"Forget it," Samaria replied and started toward his house.
The two witches crept quietly into the yard. It looked like an ordinary Muggle home. Nothing about it said wizard, let alone a wizard that worked in the most secret department in the Ministry of Magic.
Sneaking around to the back door, Bellatrix used Alohomora to open it. She stepped in first, with Samaria directly behind her. All of a sudden Bellatrix jumped aside and before Samaria could react, she was thrown against the wall by a spell. Looking around with a dazed mind, she saw neither the attacker nor Bellatrix. Not waiting for her head to stop spinning, she dropped to the floor searching for her wand that she had dropped. Crawling under a table to avoid the oncoming spells, she pawed around in the dark. Finally her hand landed on it and she jerked it above the table in the direction the spells were coming from.
"Sectumsempra!" she shouted and heard a grunt. It must have got him a little, but not bad enough because the spells kept coming.
Standing up, having gained some ground, Samaria began to duel with him. Her eyes were finally accustomed to the darkness and she could see Bellatrix hiding to the side, watching with a smirk. She could see it in the crazy witch's eyes. She wanted Samaria to get killed in this duel.
The wizard, presumably Milus Jackson, seemed to either have forgotten about Bellatrix, not think she was much of a threat at the moment, or not known where she was because his full focus seemed to be on Samaria. Then again, he could just be very well trained.
Samaria dueled to the best of her capabilities, but she was getting hit with a passing spell every now and then. He was very good. After a few minutes, Samaria had no doubt in her mind that Bellatrix wanted her dead. The other witch had had plenty of opportunities to curse him while he was distracted but she just stood there watching with that evil smirk.
Samaria fought and was to the point where she would have used the Killing Curse if the Dark Lord hadn't had wanted information from him. If she killed Jackson before she got the information, Voldemort would probably kill her.
Shooting every curse she knew but that one at him, Samaria was running out of ideas. Her side hurt and she thought she might have broken a rib or something when she hit the wall. Growing wearier by the minute, she her mind worked thinking of a way to end this. Suddenly, she thought of something.
Samaria turned her head slightly in the direction of Bellatrix and called out desperately, "Come help me!"
Jackson turned his head slightly to see where the other witch was hiding. It was only a split second but Samaria was ready.
"Crucio!" she shouted.
He fell to the floor in a heap, convulsing. Though she was very tired, Samaria took her anger at Bellatrix and used it on the man. She tortured him, not even giving her conscience time to make her feel bad. Screaming questions at him, she did this until he didn't move anymore.
Samaria limped into the room where the Dark Lord sat, followed by a very irate Bellatrix. Bowing before him and flinching when she bent she said, "We got all the information we could, my lord."
"What is it?"
"He would only say that the person the prophecy was made about could retrieve it. He repeated that over and over for hours, until he died. I tried to avoid his death, but couldn't." Samaria looked down, flinching, waiting for the anger to come.
"Look at me, Samaria," he said.
She quickly blocked any thoughts she'd had during the duel that she wouldn't want him to see, but left what happened wide open.
He looked in her eyes a moment, and then looked to Bellatrix, who was looking down. Clearly, she hadn't planned on this.
The Dark Lord studied her a moment, then said, "Rise. Both of you," surprisingly, there wasn't any anger in his voice.
The two stood and he said, "Samaria, move."
She obeyed and stepped back. The Dark Lord stood and walked up to Bellatrix.
"You were going to let her die?"
"My lord, I…"
"Silence!" he said. "Crucio!"
Bellatrix on fell to the floor and flopped around in pain. He let it go on for a few minutes, then stopped. She didn't get up, just laid there panting.
"If you ever try something like that again, it'll be far worse. I can't having you kill off my loyal followers just because you don't care for them," he studied her for a moment.
"Crucio!" he said again.
The witch struggled in pain for a few moments longer, then the evil wizard stopped, "Get out of my sight."
She rose as quick as she could and left the room. Voldemort went back to his seat and motioned Samaria forward. Slowly, she stepped in front of him and started to bow. He reached out and caught her cheek to stop her. She wanted badly to jerk back from his touch, but remained still. He looked into her eyes a moment and, for the millionth time, Samaria was thankful she had mastered Occlumency.
"Would you like to stay the night here?" he asked and she could tell what he meant by the look in his eyes and he didn't mean stay in the guest room that was for sure.
"I have to get home to Elena," she said with a regretful look on her face, even though in fact she would have rather spent a night in a lion's den than with him.
He leaned back and she had to keep from sighing with relief when he let go of her face.
"Very well." He waved his hand in dismissal, though showed no anger at her decision.
Back at home; Severus fumed as she told him what happened.
"I'll kill her if she ever…"
"You won't have to," she interrupted. "I think the Dark Lord will do it himself. He wasn't happy."
He looked at her a moment, "I don't blame him. You are more beautiful than she."
Samaria rolled her eyes, "He doesn't want to lose good followers."
"Mmm-hmm," he replied.
Samaria folded her arms and glared at him, "Don't even bring it up. I really don't want to talk about that."
"I'm sure you don't," he said.
She just rolled her eyes, "I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."
Severus helped her up; the pain had set in even more since the rush had settled. Though nothing was broken, it still hurt. He led her to the bedroom, but as soon as her head hit the pillow her conscience decided to come back. As the memories of the night flowed, so did the tears and Severus held her until she cried herself to sleep.