Chapter Three: Into the Snake's Nest

Alena tried not to think of all the horrible things that could befall her and Zephyr. The driver looked liked he had escaped from a psych ward himself and was hoping that Zephyr might be able to get them out this situation. But all the black haired girl was doing was staring straight ahead, her knuckles white from gripping the seat.

"You got a wand, sweetie?"

Zephyr's jaw tensed. "No."

There came that wheezy giggle again. "Guess I'll just have to frisk ya when we get there. You too, spiky."

Alena watched as bustling London passed before her eyes and soon dark rolling hills replaced the brightly lit streets. She had to think of an escape plan. As soon as the man stopped the cab, he would have to unlock the doors. They could make a break for it then. They outnumbered him two to one. She tried to get Zephyr's eye to communicate her intent to fight but the other girl kept her eyes forward and unblinking.

"Almost there, sweets."

Zephyr moved slightly on the vinyl. "He's not going to be there."

"Who?" the driver and Alena asked in unison. But Zephyr remained silent. It wasn't long before the car rolled to a stop in front of a large gate. Alena had her hand her on the door handle but as soon as the door unlocked, it swung open and she was face to face with a dark haired, heavily lidded eyed woman. A cruel smile tugged at the woman's thin lips.

"What do we have here?" she asked in a hard voice. Before she could do anything in defense, the cruel looking woman grabbed her arm in a vice like grip and yanked Alena from the car. She tried to break the woman's grip but failed miserably. The woman laughed. "Look at this, Amycus! You got one with some fire! Perhaps the Dark Lord himself would like a go at this one."

"Naw Bella," the driver, Amycus, said, keeping a strong grip on a very complacent looking Zephyr. "She's a muggle. He wouldn't lay a wand on her."

"Pity. Well, perhaps Snape. He's been locked up in that school with that muggle-lover Dumbledore for the last thirteen years. He'll probably like a little," she raked her eyes over Alena, "outlet for his frustrations."

"Severus Tobias Snape."

Everyone gathered at the massive black gates turned to look at Zephyr. She had said the name so quietly but with such confidence she had effectively quieted the entire group. The woman, Bella, drug Alena over to where Zephyr and Amycus were standing.

"Do you know Severus Snape?"

Zephyr looked directly into Bella's face, her black eyes glinting in the dim light. "Not as well as you do. Bellatrix Druella Black Lestrange."

Alena wasn't sure why, but what Zephyr said had all of them spell bound. Bellatrix pointed a thin stick in Zephyr's direction. "Now, the Dark Lord will be interested in that one."

"Would you get rid of this unsightly contraption!"

Alena whipped her head around to see a tall figure with long, gleaming hair stalking out from the gate. He had spoken in refined tones, even though they were short and clipped.

"Lucius," Bella laughed. "Amycus found our entertainment for the night. Don't be so harsh on him."

The man looked over Zephyr briefly before turning cold grey eyes to Alena. She watched as they widened in surprise. "Don't you know who that is?" He drew a similar stick to what Bella was holding from a black cloak and Alena felt ropes wrap themselves around her torso. The force of it knocked her to the ground. This really was getting stranger by the minute. The man looked astonished as he faced the other two. "This is Alena Swanson."

"How do you know me?" The words came out of her mouth before she even had a chance to stop them. She figured she wouldn't get all the answers she wanted but at least she could get some.

"Oh, I don't know you personally," he said, roughly hauling her to her feet. "But I have heard of your exploits in the States."

"Exploits?" Alena repeated. "I assure you I have had no exploits. Well, there was that one year in college but everyone goes through that, right?" Nervousness had gotten control of her tongue and quickly shut her mouth before anything else stupid issued forth. The man regarded her very seriously.

"You really don't know who you are?" he asked at length. "Head Auror of the American Witches and Wizards Association. You killed two of our circles and imprisoned ten more in Azkaban."

Alena figured she had absolutely nothing else to lose, so she laughed. This had to be a joke. They were on the British form of Candid Camera, that had to be it. Anytime now, everyone was going to start laughing and the camera men were going to be coming out of the bushes. "Witches and Wizards? I suppose next you're going to tell me those funny little sticks are your wands."

"What are you playing at?" he asked her quite seriously.

Alena's laughter died instantly. This wasn't a game. There were no cameras. Magic could definitely explain quite of bit of what she had seen so far that day. She hung her head in tired defeat. Hopefully being killed by magic would hurt less than being killed by other means.

Severus Snape never thought he would be called back to this duty. True, it had always remained in the back of his mind that there was a possibility of the Dark Lord returning but he had always held out hope that the threat really had passed. Alas, that was not the case. So here he sat in one of the many drawing rooms in the sprawling Malfoy Manor, trying to either come up with a viable excuse to not take part in the celebratory festivities that were going on below him or else steel himself for participating. After fourteen years of becoming comfortable with the idea of being harsh in words only, he wasn't sure he could raise a wand to inflict damage on an innocent.

"Severus!"

He cringed as Bellatrix's shrill voice carried up the stairs. It meant he would have to take part. Death Eaters across the globe were in the throws of joy at the return of their master. The best way that they dealt with this type of victory was to gather a group of unsuspecting muggles, squibs or muggleborns and torture them until dawn…or until they died, which ever came first. He hadn't realized there were so many way to torture a person before they went mad or died by their own sheer will of stopping their heart. The door to the room swung open and Bellatrix sauntered in without invitation.

"Severus, we have two very special guests with us tonight. I thought perhaps you would like first dibs."

"How uncharacteristically kind of you."

She smiled a double edged grin. "I thought since you were in imprisoned in much worse conditions that Azkaban, you deserved a little reward. Being locked up with Dumbledore and all his acceptance rubbish…I think I would have preferred the Dementors to that stupid old man."

Severus pushed all thoughts to the back of his mind and allowed no emotion to play across his face. He didn't trust Bellatrix as far as he could throw her, with or without his wand. Everything she had said or done to him had been a test of his loyalties. She was most unhappy with his lack of punishment after his tardy arrival to the Dark Lord's rebirth. He preferred her sharp accusations than her sly seduction of his graces. He remained unmoving, still seated in the chair and she took the opportunity to drape herself across the arm of the chair.

"Would you like me to bring them up here for you? Or would you prefer to do this downstairs so we all can see? It's been so long since I've seen you torture something." she whispered in his ear. He never felt more repulsed in his life, both with his past actions and with her delight in other's pain. But she posed an interesting proposition. If he was allowed to see them in private, he could easily give them escape and claim that he killed them himself and disposed of the bodies. They would only go out for more victims but at least two would keep their lives.

He turned his head slightly, bringing himself in closer proximity that he cared to be with this woman. "Bring them in here."

She slid off the chair with a grin but her eyes were hard. "Very well." He watched her slink from the room and fought the feeling of wanting to take a shower. It wasn't long before two women were thrown unceremoniously onto the expensive oriental rug. Bellatrix, Amycus, Lucius and others gathered behind them peered anxiously.

"Bellatrix."

"Yes?" She licked her lips with anticipation.

"Get out. And take everyone else with you."

Her hollow face fell and she threw him a half sneer but she did exactly what he wanted her to do. With a lazy wave of his wand the door slammed shut and bolted. Both women remained prone on the floor, one didn't much of a choice since she was bound with ropes. The other, looked like she was asleep. He got out of the chair and went over to the unbound one.

She was dressed jeans, a t-shirt and a hooded sweatshirt from the looks of it. Her long black hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. He slid the toe of his boot underneath her shoulder and pushed her over onto her back. Her eyes were wide opened and she was very much awake. She gave him a wide smile. "Severus Tobias Snape."

"How do you know me?"

"My strongest branch."

"What?"

"I think," the other woman said, "she thinks you might be related to her."

Severus, still puzzled at the strange girl on the floor, pulled a knife from his boot and knelt down next to the still bound woman. Apparently she saw the glint of the knife and screamed. He thought about stopping her but figured all the Death Eaters were listening outside the door. The more screaming, the better at this point. Struggling against her thrashing about, he finally was able to cut all the ropes loose without harming her at all. The screaming quieted immediately once she realized she was free.

"Keep your voices down," he warned them quietly. "They'll think I just tortured you into unconsciousness."

"Where are we?" the freed woman asked.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "In a lot of trouble." How could he get them to safety? The one was obviously not there completely and the other had no idea of magic. He looked over at her and realized with a jolt perhaps it wouldn't be all that hard. He had Alena Swanson sitting in front of him, the most well known American Auror there was though the look on her face didn't match the spunk he had heard about in the past. Gently, he probed her mind and found blocks in place around the better part of her memories.

"All gone."

Severus looked over at the other girl. There was something very strange about her, minus the obvious. Her facial structure was strangely…familiar but he couldn't quite place it. "What do you mean 'all gone?'"

Her fine features seemed to constrict and she closed her eyes. He could feel her concentrating, drawing in the shards of her thoughts in an effort to form a clear and concise thought. "Her memories. They're not gone but…not there." She looked up at him in hope that he understood what she was trying to say.

"My what?" Alena was saying. "My memories are gone? What memories?"

"I have to get you both out of here," he stated simply.

"No!" the girl launched herself at him and grabbed a fistful of his robes. "You need to help me. You can help! Put everything back and put it back right!"

Severus disentangled himself from her grip and held her at arms length. "I don't know you. You have me mistaken for someone else."

She shook her head wildly, tears starting to form in her dark eyes. "No, you have to know me. Zephyr Eileen Fawkes."

Fawkes? He had known a Fawkes before but that had been so very long ago. He had known a Fiona Fawkes, very well in fact but that was twenty years ago. His eyes flicked back over her face. She looked about twenty and his stomach rolled. The tears were still standing in her black eyes. Black eyes. Her facial structure, thank God, was inherited from her mother. Which only meant her eyes, hair and skin color had come from…

"You're," Alena whispered in awe, "you're her father?"

The girl shook off his hold and threw herself at him again, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes, yes. You made me, you can fix me. The strongest branch in the family tree."

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