Title: Good-bye Hellmouth, pt 12
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Faith spent then next few days, showing the younger Death eaters about torture – as it was Voldemort's order – using Wormtail as an example. His screams filled the lower halls, until he'd pass out from the pain and they'd leave him alone for a few hours.
Faith entered the cell, alone, to see Wormtail wasting away from all the torture and from lack of food as he hung by his arms against the stonewall. "Why?" She asked. "They're your friends."
Wormtail looked up at her soft voice, his blurry eyes locking with unreadable brown. "They were better than me at everything." He complained. "I wanted to prove that I was better than them at something."
"And look where it got you." Faith remarked. "On Voldemort's death row."
"What about you?" He sneered. "You're betraying them as much as I."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." She grinned. "I have no real friends, except of those who are here, so I haven't betrayed anyone."
"But Summers and you are friends."
"Summers and I are sister slayers." She corrected. "There's always going to be dom and sub when it comes to us. Not my thing."
"Are you going to kill me?"
Faith shrugged. "Eventually."
Peter glared at her attitude towards his final days. "Why are you here?"
"To bore you with the sound of my voice." She retorted dryly. "You're friends are going to find out sooner or later, I mean you showed your true colors to Summers, I'm surprised they're not here helping me kill you for you deceit."
"They wouldn't."
"Wouldn't they?"
Peter began to get nervous. "No." He stuttered.
"You've seen what they do to Slytherins." Faith commented. "You laughed, joked and had fun at other's expense but now you're right there in hell with the rest of us."
"No."
"Oh, yes."
"But – but –"
"But what, Peter?" She inquired, enjoying a difference in the torture today. She tired of the painful methods, wanting to put the rat to ease by killing him and knowing she couldn't unless he gave the secret away. "You saw what Black did to me, imagine what he'd do to you if he ever found out."
Peter remained silent for several long moments causing Faith to smirk, knowing she was right, and with that last thought in his mind she exited the cell. Before the door closed, the chains were removed, and food appeared on the floor in front of where he landed. Everyone knew that no one could apparate out of the cells, or even from the lower levels, there being one location to apparate from and to in the whole manor.
She was up on the main floor when Voldemort appeared in the hallway. "Child." He greeted, seeing her bow lowly before resuming her normal height. "Come with me." He gestured into his room.
Faith followed the man taking a seat when directed to and waited for the inevitable.
"Has he spoken anything?"
"No, my lord." She answered. "He's been rather silent. Quiet the surprise."
"I'm wondering if I should make a personal visit to Wormtail." Voldemort remarked. "I'll give him three days to talk before I go down."
"Of course, my lord." She nodded. "Perhaps, I might make a suggestion."
"Go on."
"Perhaps we should leave him alone for a while." She began. "Make him think we've forgotten him all the while planting more thoughts along the lines of what I had been telling him before visiting him together."
Voldemort thought of the suggestion for several long moments before smirking evilly. "I adore that mind of yours." He commented. "Now what thoughts should I begin to plant in his mind?"
"I had merely planted the thought about his friend's response to his being a traitor to their cause." Faith answered. "His three best friends would surly harm him for betraying them and holding their secret as leverage over keeping his life."
"Excellent." Voldemort hissed gleefully. "Come, we will retire for the evening." He directed.
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The next morning, Faith exited Riddle Manor and headed straight to Dumbledore. She knew the Peter would crack soon, especially with the mind thoughts that Voldemort was going to start, and didn't want Lily to be harmed. If the rat really was their secret keeper, she wanted Albus to know about the apparent switch and she needed his help in saving the Potter family.
When she got to his entrance she noted that her password wasn't working. That could mean one of two things, one Albus was busy or two he'd changed passwords without notifying her. She tried several other passwords, until finally the gargoyle moved aside.
She took the stairs up to his office, knocking once she got to the door and opening it when she heard someone call out from inside. "Severus?" She queried upon seeing her friend and death eater.
"Faith?" He echoed. "What brings you here?"
"I needed to speak with the Headmaster." Faith answered. "And you?"
"Severus is the newest member of the staff." Albus supplied.
"Congratulations." Faith grinned at her friend. "You must be replacing Professor Ratcliff." She guessed. "She's been wanting to leave for years."
"You would be correct, Ms. McRae." Albus commented smiling kindly. "Severus, I'm sure you would like to get to your rooms, Ms. McRae if you'll excuse us for a moment."
"Sure."
Once outside Albus and Severus resumed their conversation. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Severus muttered quietly.
"It's an excellent plan, Severus." Albus assured the younger wizard.
"But Faith will surely tell."
Albus stopped at Severus' door just above the dungeons. "If you believe that, Severus, you don't know Ms. McRae as well as I thought you did." And with those words, Albus left Severus thinking. Moments later he entered his office to see Faith pacing the room. "Ms. McRae."
"Albus, we've got a problem." Faith said halting her moment to stare at the older wizard. She opened her mouth to tell him everything, it was then that she realized that she couldn't say anything. "I can't tell you everything." She gasped shocked.
Albus stepped closer to her. "Will you allow me to read into your thoughts?"
Faith thought about before opening her mind and nodding. She showed him everything. The full meeting where she'd tortured Peter (the first time) the conversation with Voldemort – where he named her his heir – to the things she'd been telling and doing to Peter when he reveled that he knew where the Potters were. Finally she showed him the final conversation she'd had with Voldemort.
Albus sat down heavily once he'd exited her mind. His own thoughts were jumbled with the new information she'd just given him along with the information Severus had moments before. He noticed that Faith seemed relieved to have shared her thoughts with him, showing that she was a troubled as the rest of the light side.
"Thank you for sharing this with me." Albus began. "I don't know where to begin."
"We have to save the Potter's." Faith insisted. "I warned Lily against choosing Peter as their secret keeper. I told her not to let Sirius or James change her mind." She informed him. "I cannot let James' and Sirius' stupidity kill Lily, Harry and the soon to be godchild of mine."
"Is this a selfish cry for help?"
"How can you ask that?" Faith asked incredulously. "If it were selfishness I would kill Peter to keep their secret safe, but I'm trying to do the right thing by coming to you."
Albus nodded trying to pacify the slayer.
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"Child."
Faith turned to see Voldemort exiting the doors of his manor, coming out onto the patio. She knelt when he got closer to her. "My lord." She greeted.
"You left rather unexpectedly this morning." He mused, leaving her on her knees. "May I inquire as to what you were doing?"
"I was asked to see Dumbledore about mine and Summers' problem." She answered.
"What problem would this be?" He inquired his voice unreadable.
"Summers and I aren't from this time, my Lord." She answered carefully. "Dumbledore has been trying to make arrangements for us to go home."
"You have wishes to go home?"
Faith couldn't tell if that was sadness in his voice or disappointed anger. "At the beginning, my Lord."
"And now?"
There was definite curiosity in his voice. "Now I find I have something to do."
"Rise." He granted accepting her answer, pleased as she rose with grace and ease, her eyes meeting his when so many others averted their gaze. "No one leaves the service of Lord Voldemort."
"Wouldn't dream of it, my Lord." She assured him.
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Buffy and Faith were patrolling and talking, as they'd become used to in this time. They're laughter paused a moment when they came upon a group of vampires.
A large group.
A small army.
"You know if there's one thing I miss from the hellmouth it's the constant flow of demons." Buffy commented.
"Know what you mean, Buff." Faith agreed. Just then a vampire within the group pushed forward and immediately knelt before the brunette slayer.
"My Lady." He croaked.
Faith and Buffy exchanged a glance. "Who is you leader?" She inquired, gesturing for Buffy to remain quiet.
"The great wizard Voldemort." The vamp answered, his gaze focused on the ground.
"And those behind you?"
The vamp turned to see that none of the seventy-five vampires were kneeling. The vampire's gaze returned to Faith's boots as he answered, "They need convincing, my Lady." There was a brief pause. "I was told you'd come this way."
"Get up." Faith ordered, unused to people – let alone vampires – kneeling for her. "Name."
"Kent." He answered.
"You're relatively young, aren't you Kent?" Faith asked.
"Yes, my Lady." He nodded. "Barely seventy-five."
"How did you hear of my Lord?"
"Everyone has heard of the dark Lord, my Lady." He answered. "Can I eat her, my Lady?" He asked gesturing towards the blond.
"Not if you wish to end your unlife sooner than expected." Buffy answered taking a step towards the vampire only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to Faith, the owner of the hand.
"Go." Faith said simply.
"But Faith –" Buffy protested pulling out her stake looking ready for a fight. "Okay, don't die."
"Got it." Faith smirked, watching the blond apparate away before turning back to Kent. "Now give me one good reason not to dust you for nearly spoiling my lord's plans?" She growled.
Kent stumbled backwards at the power emitting from the dark slayer. "My Lady." He pleaded. "I did not know." He stuttered.
"You were told to assemble your vampires at the graveyard at one in the morning." She reiterated before casting a time spell. "As you can see it eleven-thirty." She punctuated her statement by staking him. "Anyone else willing to test my Lord's power?" She asked the vamp army.
One by one the vampires knelt down on their knees in front of the slayer. "My Lady." Sounded within the group.
She felt him come to stand next to her, so she knelt at his side. She felt his hand on her head allowing her to stand, his hand brushing through her hair before drifting down her arm finally grasping her hand.
"Do I have your loyalty?" Voldemort's voice inquired to the bowing mass of the undead.
End pt 12
Author's Note: Aren't I a stinker?