AN: Em... not much to say is there? Sorry? I'm so very sorry. I've had writers block and, honestly? I've been cheating. Yes, I'm sorry, I'm seeing another story... I never thought it would happen but... and that's not the worst of it... It's not even a Harry Potter story. I'M SORRY. Please forgive me...

(If you like Lord of the Rings then check out my new story Lómëlen)

I had to make this chapter really short, and I think I'll be returning in the future to these last few chapters, I'm not very happy with them. Sorry if it's been confusing.

There should be... four chapters, after this one.

To Plan

Cynthia

I felt the poison burn in my chest, it was slow – deliberately so, and I knew its movement, progression through my body, like the map had been carved into the front of my brain. I'd had it with me all this time - it was the first thing I had asked of Cyndi when I realised she was under my power. I don't even know why… perhaps I had unconsciously foreseen this.

This, this waiting, wasting away, waiting and draining…

I was already dead.

Madness: A voice whimpered - Madness is the fickle lover who tempts you as the Veela's call…

Madness, I had long accepted I was heading there. I was just mad, but with what? Grief, hate, loneliness, hopelessness, guilt, boredom or maybe love? I didn't know, most likely it was all of the above. I was very little now, and the masks of another lifetime held cage to my past, my everything and nothing. What had it been? This life… that life…?

"But it is over now," I cooed, "is it not, love?"

But the dead do not speak, nor will the grey eyes open.

The idiot boy, Darien, the self centred youth, the ignorant child - well, he was different now, if for the better I don't know - anyway, he would see it done. He would see it done…

The burn flared and I could not help a gasp as the heat whispered in my lungs. Soon, so very soon.

Yes, soon Darien would send the Dark Lord and I would tell him. Tell him exactly what happened and he could choke on the truth in my words. He would hate and use all he dark magic he possessed to make me scream but what he did not understand was that I was already dead.

And Snape would go to my son; he would tell my son where my daughter was. And Irvine would go to Lara. And the youngest Black would be ready to nudge the final pieces…

Darien

A plan. My plan, Cynthia's plan, Alexander's plan, Regulus' plan, Severus' plan and now Lara's. I could only wait to see if any of them would meet up correctly.

I did not look at the Death Eater who stood guard outside her cell. I kept the words, the looks, inside me as I strode out of the cellars. I kept the image of her strung up and filthy... off my face. Eyes, eyes I had grown with and loved: eyes that were filled with desperation, pain and honest point blank fear.

I cannot remember leaving the manor, nor dissaperating, I just remember landing in a forest and staring into another pair of eyes. We had chosen this place, we had decided and he was waiting for me to speak... to tell him.

"Cynthia died, just at the right moment. She didn't give you or Severus away, just as she planned," he said, walking forwards, "The Dark Lord knows nothing and the deadline is the same. It worked..."

"Yes." I replied, trying to hold up the facade.

Regulus Black stared at me, dark eyes seeming to push past my masks.

"You saw her." It was not a question.

"Yes," I looked away, feeling the guilt burning into my heart, feeling the endless drop approaching.

I felt, more than saw, him move towards me again.

"Tell me."

I opened my mouth but my lips trembled, I licked them and shut them again.

"Darien, tell me," he whispered and I shut my eyes.

"She's fine..." Liar, "alive and sane if not very comfortable... she has a plan."

"A plan?" He asked excited, "but wait? She trusted you?"

I nodded and explained about the joint dreams the twins sometimes had and what they must have seen. His eyes were wide and disbelieving but he just shook his head in shock.

"This is great, that means Alex will trust Snape!" He said instead, "What was her plan?"

"She wouldn't tell me, she knows how to get out and she knows when to. Let's just hope it works..." I felt hopelessness and guilt descend again.

"It will." He said with conviction, "We're going to get her out."

Severus

"Do you ever wonder why Lara approached you?" he asked and I looked up at the question in shock.

I had heard that before.

"Do you ever wonder why I approached you...? I would have saved you Severus... I would save you, if I believed you wished to be saved..."

He eyes sharpened and he smiled and I knew that he had heard my thoughts, my thoughts of his sister. It was extraordinary seeing how similar he was to his sister, I could hardly believe two people could be so similar but… different, it was... uncanny.

"Yes... she always wanted to save you," he said knowingly, "She heard Lily's stories, Lily's thoughts – we heard. She felt something in your thoughts, like regret or hesitation. There was something not quite there, something that should have been there if you were a Death Eater. She saw how the Marauders acted towards you; saw the wall that had been created between this side and that. She knew something you did not and in you she saw our old friend and his decisions..."

"Irvine," I said, staring at him intently as an emotion flickered over his eyes.

"Yes," he said, "what was between us put aside, the three of us were closest friends most of our life. One of the few tense subjects between us was Black and White magic, both of us having been brought up by dark families. But Lara and I are Grey's, we are not as pure as Gryffindors expect us to be but you know this already, don't you? We are not afraid to dabble but we always lean towards light. Darien leant towards dark. Because we all had a bit of both, we were both shades of Grey; we could pretend not to know the other's allegiance. We never tried to debate it, tried to discuss it or persuade, and it grew as a fracture between us that grew and grew until Darien could not ignore it."

He seemed to pause and I glanced over to the two other boys behind him. They were listening intently but their eyes were set and accepting, to my surprise. It shocked me that they seemed not to care that he had just admitted to being interested in the dark arts, they would hate even the merest mention if I were to admit that.

"Magic is a strange thing," he said musingly and he had that glint in his eyes that was alike to his sister, alike to when Lara believed and argued and spoke, "You can never truly be completely Black, nor White. That is what gives us the name Grey, it has long been disputed in our family that the best way is to know that you lie in the middle. What is the strangest thing is that a person may stick completely to dark magic yet still be Grey. It only takes a thought, a desire or preference, to push you out of the pure Black. Choice is a magic in itself, as our aunt says."

He had not removed his eyes from mine the whole time but it seemed to me that they had suddenly focused on me more that before.

"We forgot this with Darien. We saw only the dark magic, the choices he thought he had to make. He was suited to the 'Dark side' because he is a Slytherin through and through – cunning, motivated and selfish. It seemed to all of us that he had little choice, something we ignored till the end. And you, you Severus, reminded us of that, and I think Lara wanted to prove that it didn't matter how dark the Grey is, there is always White there, especially in the choices. She wanted to save you, show you that choice is the important thing. Save you from believing you only have one choice. She wanted to save you from what Darien thought."

"Black, White and Grey: it all comes down to choice and you can never be just one – not inside. So tell me, Severus Snape, why are you here?"

Lara

I watched Irvine leave and, though I knew that I hated him to my very core, I also knew he was doing something right for once.

Et sic patet...

I had not told the double-crosser this part of my plan, why would I? It was nothing more than my dream and hope that convinced me to trust him even a little.

I had a plan. I had something to focus on and I had five days to complete the process.

Et sic patet...

A wandless, nonverbal spell. It took hours of thinking; it had to be done right... the last step... it was so simple. It was a wonder I had not thought of it sooner...

Nonetheless, I knew of it now. The depression, black vision, hopelessness was gone now, determination taking place instead.

But...

I was so exhausted.

Drained.

I still felt the tingle of past pain. The burn. The memories and chill...

I was...

But I had to get out.

For Remus. Alex.

Lily... James... Sirius...

I had to get out.

I shut my eyes to the cold and blocked my mind of the pain. I forgot it all and let myself fall.

Falling...

I was falling through myself and I felt the wide web of my mind surround me. Magic here was beautiful and strong. I felt in pulse in my veins and dreams.

Et sic patet...

Twenty-two points.

...I would get out.