"Listen to me closely, Angelina. I have to go now. While I'm gone, I need you to clean up and get dressed. Dress modestly, in dark clothes. Leave your hair down. He might have me come back and get you. We need to be prepared just in case he does. He will interro… ask you questions. Just keep your answers simple. Do not assume anything. Remember, you are sympathetic to his cause. Do not make eye contact when answering questions. And most importantly, I need you to keep your mind blank of any thoughts while speaking with him." Severus's voice was clipped, short, and cold. Angelina forced herself to accept everything that he asked of her without question, except she could not help but confirm her fear with his last bequest.
"Keep my mind blank? How? Why? Severus… can he read minds?" Her voice did a poor job of concealing her fright.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." Watching the flash of panic that crossed her face Severus knelt down and stared at her straight in the eyes. Now was the time to give her the confidence that he knew she did not feel. She had to succeed. Both of their lives depended on it.
"Angelina Grace Johnson. Look at me." His voice was firm. Her beautiful brown eyes locked on his.
"I know that this is sudden, terrifying, impossible. I know. But you can do this. We can do this together. When you are in front of him think of a black stone wall. Do not think of Dumbledore or Hogwarts or me. Think of a black wall. Answer simply. No emotion. I know you can do this. You are strong. I love you." A whisper of a kiss on her slightly open lips and then he swept out of the room without looking back. Forcing herself to not think of the three very important words that he just uttered to her, she spurred herself into motion. It was time to get presentable to meet the Dark Lord.
Severus found it difficult to clear his mind as he swept down the long walk toward Malfoy Manor. Had it been foolish of him to tell her of his love right after he told her how pertinent it was for her to lack emotion? Probably. But then again, it was definitely not something that he had planned on telling her. It had slipped out. He had meant to reference his love of her strength to further assure her of her capabilities. I love you. Oh, he meant it of course. Before he had met Angelina he had never even thought himself capable of such an emotion. Now he felt it in full force, every second of every day. He loved her so much that it ached. Shaking his head angrily he effectively wiped himself of these thoughts. He reprimanded himself. Love was not to be thought about now. Survival was.
"Good evening, my Lord. I apologize for my tardiness, Dumbledore is difficult to elude at times." By referencing Dumbledore, Severus knew that he would avoid the Dark Lord's anger. The Dark Lord knew how important it was for Snape to keep Dumbledore unsuspecting. The Dark Lord nodded curtly and motioned for Severus to fall into step behind him. They began a slow pace out of the Great Room.
"I understand, Severus. It is quite important to keep Dumbledore ignorant, after all. I assume you know why you were summoned?" The cold voice questioned lightly.
"I apprehended Bellatrix and Greyback in the forest last night." Severus kept his answer simple.
"Yes. I am quite disappointed in Bella for going against my wishes and choosing to go into the forest without my knowledge or command. Sometimes I feel as though her bloodlust is a liability. I have punished her accordingly." The words flowed smoothly; there was no trace of anger at Bellatrix or remorse at her punishment in his voice. Severus made no response.
"In my… discussion with her before her punishment, however, she told me of the girl that she found in the forest and her subsequent encounter with you." They were now entering the grounds. Walking amongst the pale white peacocks, they moved toward the back lawns. Severus could see the Malfoy's miniature Quidditch pitch looming in the shadows.
"She told me of the claim of loyalty that you made on her behalf and also her suspicions of your deception. Who is the girl, Severus? Why did you claim her for one of us? And if she really does have intention to join us, why have you not brought her to me?" There. All of the questions were out. Severus had predicted them. The lies slipped off of his tongue perfectly. Severus was very good at lying.
"The girl that I found Bellatrix torturing in the forest is Angelina Johnson. I believe you are familiar with that name, Lord. I claimed her loyal because she is. Her family is an old pureblood family that originated in Africa. The only reason I had not brought her to you yet is because she is Dumbledore's new infirmary nurse and still is under his acute surveillance. We had been in communication about her potential alliance with you; our plans had just not come to fruition yet. I have questioned her intensely to determine her motives and I assure you, she is quite sympathetic to the plight you are so nobly seeking to solve." The Dark Lord took his explanation without comment. They had now made it onto the Quidditch pitch and were headed toward a dark bundle that lay just under the centre ring on the home side of the field. As they moved closer, Severus realized that it was Bellatrix. She was shaking slightly and her face was turned down into the wet grass.
"Bella, look at me." The Dark Lord commanded firmly. Severus inwardly recoiled as Bellatrix turned her face up toward the Dark Lord. She was bleeding profusely out of every orifice. Her mouth, nose, and ears all streamed blood. Her eyes were crying red tears and the sweat that beaded on her forehead was red. Severus watched with disgust as she attempted to wipe it away only to have it be replaced with brighter, fresh blood.
"M'Lord. Please. Let me go back to the house." Her words were muted with the blood that poured out her mouth. The Dark Lord merely looked down at her with curiosity.
"No, no. Stay out here and bleed some more." Bellatrix snarled in anger but quickly turned her face back to the grass to disguise it. The Dark Lord beckoned for Severus to follow him as they turned back up toward the house.
"Tomorrow night, bring Angelina Johnson to the Meeting. We will judge her worthiness there."
While Severus should have been relieved that the Dark Lord had not demanded her immediate presence, he was not. Facing the Dark Lord was difficult enough, but having to face him and a room full of bloodthirsty Death eaters seemed insurmountable.
Angelina stared at her reflection as she unsteadily moved a brush through her wet hair. Stop shaking. You have to be strong Angelina. She reprimanded herself harshly, she would not let Severus down. She would not endanger their lives. She would play her part well. So concentrated she was in her thoughts that she missed the sound of her door creaking open and then shut again. Suddenly sensing a presence behind her she gripped her wand and whirled around to curse her attacker who promptly deflected it.
"Yikes, next time I'll know to knock, miss!" She stood facing Albus Dumbledore who smiled at her serenely and took a seat at the foot of her bed.
"I'm sorry… Headmaster. I had no idea… no offense, but why didn't you knock?" Angelina replaced her wand on her dresser and turned in her seat to face the Headmaster.
"Because I didn't want to alert Severus if he happened to be in here. I chanced a quick peek and found that he wasn't and decided to just come in. So, in hindsight, you were quite justified in attempting to hex me." Angelina's cheeks burned as she realized that the Headmaster was aware of her liaison with her colleague.
"Severus…wouldn't be in here. I don't know what…" Angelina stumbled ungracefully around her lie. Dumbledore cut across her crisply, though not unkindly.
"Angelina, there is no need to lie to me. I have been aware for a while now. Which is why I am quite upset with Severus. I never thought he would do this to you." Confusion crossed her face, what was the Headmaster accusing Severus of?
"Headmaster, what are you talking about? Severus hasn't done anything to me. There are circumstances that we will have to face but…Well I expect you know all about that." Angelina didn't bother to underestimate Dumbledore's knowledge of the situation. Dumbledore twirled the end of his beard thoughtfully and commented quietly.
"I do know a certain amount. If you'll forgive me, I know perhaps a bit more about the situation than you do. Angelina, you do know you have a choice." He stated the last bit without the inflection that affords a question.
"Yes, I know that. I've already made my decision, however. I must stay with Severus. We will figure it out. There will be some way. I'll just go to a gathering every so often, do menial tasks within their ranks, I dunno. Severus and I will figure it out." Angelina said with a dismissive tone. She shouldn't have to be dealing with this right now, she reasoned. The Dark Lord might summon her at any moment; she needed to be focusing on that.
"Angelina, dear. It's much more complicated and dangerous than you can imagine. I urge you to please maybe reconsider. You are young. You have your entire life." While a moment ago, Dumbledore's tone had been light, it was now a bit tense. His bright blue eyes pierced her own and dark thoughts began to run through her head. She could evade this. She could continue to live her safe life here at Hogwarts. After all, term was to start in a couple of weeks and wasn't this the job she had always wanted? She could lose herself in her duties, she could be safe. As for Severus, well. He had chosen to live the life of a spy, right? It was his choice to mingle with darkness. Not hers.
Suddenly disgusted with herself, Angelina felt an almost overwhelming nausea. How could she even consider leaving Severus to deal with this mess by himself? Who knows what the Dark Lord would do to him when he inevitably discovered the lie. The lie that he had been forced to tell to save her life. The palms of her hands burned as she twisted them in her lap. She answered Dumbledore through clenched teeth, slightly angry at the thoughts his prompting had produced.
"Albus. I have made my decision. I will not leave Severus Snape." She spoke with such finality that Dumbledore knew at once that any further pleas would fall on deaf ears. His anger at Severus rose hot within him. Severus had to live the life that he led because of his decision to follow the darkness in his younger years. Angelina had made no such choice. Her only mistake was to fall in love with such a man. Dumbledore recalled the warning he had imparted to him, months ago.
"Just remember your position right now. And how careful you always must be. But God, she is beautiful."
Severus should have kept her ignorant at all costs! Now she was walking into a situation that would eventually destroy her.
"Angelina! You don't have to come, not tonight." Severus swept into the room only to stop dead in his tracks at the odd sight that met his eyes. Dumbledore was seated at the foot of Angelina's bed while she sat at her vanity facing him, her hands unsettled in her lap. He could not help but notice how gorgeous she looked. She was wearing a modest black dress with a tiny bit of dark lipstick on. Her now-dry hair hung perfectly and grazed her jawline. Her somewhat hurried explanation brought him back to reality.
"Oh! Uhm, the Headmaster was just saying good-night!" Oh, how well he knew this woman. Her voice was higher pitched than usual and Snape instantly knew that he had caught them in the middle of their conversation, not the end. And that Angelina was sending Dumbledore a message. Their conversation was through.
"Well I hope you have a nice evening. I'll see you both at breakfast." Unceremoniously, Dumbledore rose from her bed and made to exit the room. As they passed each other in the doorway, Severus could feel the hard, accusatory look that Dumbledore laid upon him. Then he was gone.