Disclaimer: Not mine.

Gale sat across the desk from Snape, staring blankly at him. The Carrows stood on either side of him, trying to look menacing and failing. McGonagall stood to the side, angry. "What is this all about, Snape?"

"Patience Minerva. I've only a few questions for the girl." He leaned forward. Gale continued to stare at him. "Perhaps you can tell me, Miss Dumbledore. Where has Potter gone?"

She didn't speak, but instead brushed the white hair over her shoulder.

Snape put his hands under his chin. "I heard that you weren't speaking. Childish. So I'll ask you again: Where has Potter gone?"

Gale still just stared, looking bored. Snape frowned and, if possible, leaned even further towards her, staring back. After a moment, visible beads of sweat appeared on his upper lip. Gale smirked. Having fun? She thought.

Practically growling, Sirius stood from the desk, moving around so that he stood directly in front of her. He grabbed her face in his arms, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

"Snape!" McGonagall said, stepping forward.

"Silence, Minerva," Snape said, visibly straining. Finally, he let go, leaning back against the desk, breathing hard. "I see. I did not know that your . . . home studies included Occulmency."

Shows how smart you are, Gale thought.

Snape, however, did not look perturbed and that worried her. He smirked now, grinned actually, evilly. "That is alright. You have this one small victory but it won't last long, I promise you that. There are ways of getting you to cooperate."

He nodded to Amycus who gulped before moving into the room off of Dumbledore's study. Gale still looked up at Snape, who was watching her now, waiting. After a moment Amycus entered, standing again off to the side.

"Hello, Gale."

Gale bristled. It was if someone had dripped cold water down her spine. Goosebumps rose on her arms and her pulse inevitably sped up. The fear must have been obvious in her eyes because Snape's smile widened.

She slowly looked over her shoulder.

Jasper Ark stood there, just as menacing as he always had been. Blond hair hung lanky into his blue eyes. He looked painfully thin but Gale knew that didn't mean anything. He was thin before too, when she had been trapped with him.

Darkness.

Pain.

Suffocating, blinding darkness.

No air.

She had to get out of here.

She had to get out of here.

SHE HAD TO GET OUT OF HERE!!

Gale hopped from her seat, running to McGonagall, pressing her face into her shoulder. The woman wrapped her arms around the girl in rare display of comfort, her eyes wide. "Severus. How – how could you?"

"Oh," Jasper said. "And here I was thinking that she would be happy to see me."

He must have been walking towards them because Gale felt McGonagall backing up. "Do not come any closer."

"I'll do what I please. She's really alone now, no relatives left to speak of. I am, after all, her godfather." She felt her hair lift. His fingers passed along her cheek as smoothed her hair back behind her ear. She could feel his breath on her face, knowing that he was right there. "Miss me?"

Gale slung her arm around, catching his cheek with her hand . . . and then she ran, peeling from the office as fast as she could. Behind her, she heard Jasper laughing. Her fear was his pleasure and she couldn't do anything about it.

Draco

When I heard Jasper Ark was here, I knew I needed to find Gale. I passed by Longbottom, Weasley, and Lovegood, who were looking for her too, I was sure, though for other reasons. They didn't know about Ark like I did.

It was on the second floor that I found her. She was curled up in a ball between two suits of armor, shivering. I probably would have never have found her if it weren't for the bright white of her hair.

"Gale." I kneeled down in front of her. "Gale, please."

I don't know whether or not she sensed that I was about to touch her or what, but she looked up suddenly, scooting closer into the wall. She glared at me, reaching out and pushing me backwards, away from her.

"You've gotten violent, I see."

She froze. Almost literally, her body seized up. Jasper approached us, kneeling down next to me. He reached out, taking a lock of her hair in his hand. "Why did you run away, Gale? Why run away from me? You know how upset I get when you don't listen."

I grabbed Gale's arm and yanked her to her feet, away from Ark. "Leave her alone," I said, pushing Gale behind me. Surprisingly, she clung to the back of my robes.

Ark laughed, getting to his feet. He walked towards us and I scooted back, keeping my arms out to block Gale from him. He grinned at me. "Come now, Draco. I have been put in charge of keeping an eye on Miss Gale, making sure she doesn't become too – rebellious in the name of Dumbledore. And trust me, I plan on keeping a very good eye on her."

It was the way he said it that made me cringe. Behind me, Gale's grip on my robes tightened. I glared at me. "Your services are no longer needed, Ark. She'll be under my watch from now on."

"She won't either." I looked over my shoulder to see Weasley, flanked my Longbottom and Lovegood. Weasley came up and grabbed Gale, pulling her away from me and, thankfully, away from Ark, who was still grinning that creepy lazy grin.

"Just stay away from her, Malfoy," Weasley said. Longbottom gripped Gale's hand as they walked away, but she kept glancing over her shoulder, back at me and Ark.

"Until later Gale," Ark said, twiddling his fingers at her.

She blanched and took the lead of her friends, rushing them out of the corridor.

Ark chuckled. "They can't protect her forever. . . . And neither can you," he said, sending me a pointed glare.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his robes, he left, whistling. I watched him go, angry. I'd keep him away from him. I swear it.

A/N: So what do you think so far. Already, the second chapter and we're getting into the nitty gritty. She you next time.