A/N: I really hope you're enjoying it, please review so I know what you like and dislike. Only takes a moment! I feel bad for abandoning this story like I did, that's probably why I'm trying to finish it up.. I need some opinions though, who think Draco should remain a love interest or should it switch over to someone else. I'm beginning to think Draco has burned his bridges, I think that possible relationship is at the point of no return.

"You should have came to me as soon as it happened!"

My ears were still ringing from the scolding I had gotten a few days ago, it hadn't been my fault I hadn't found the time to go up and see Severus until Easter break, and it really wasn't my fault that he disappeared sometimes and couldn't be found anywhere. When you think about it he really shouldn't do that it just leaves the Carrow's open to be more sadistic then usual. My map helped, it helped quite a bit actually but there was one dot that was missing, Ginny's. I guess it didn't really come as much of a surprise to me a few days ago when I realized I hadn't seen my ginger haired friend since the students returned from their holiday. It still was a reminder though, that we weren't all safe.

"For a girl who was initially sorted into Gryffindor you sure do have Ravenclaw tendencies." Malfoy's voice taunts from across the table. He'd been sitting there for a good half hour watching as I completed my homework, quietly, until now obviously.

"Still chasing that dream Malfoy? I'll say it again my name is Victoria, not Elizabeth, not Lizzie, Victoria."

Working up his nerve Malfoy waves his wand probably putting up a Privacy Charm before returning his gaze to me, his eyes briefly go to my neckline where the necklace was carefully tucked away before returning to my face.
"We had some visitors over Easter, your brother and his friends," he whispers, something unnecessary since the charm probably was in place, "They escaped though, took Lovegood and Thomas with them. My aunt had a little fun with Granger but she should be fine." I blink but keep my face composed continuing to look him in the eye.

"I don't know any of those people Malfoy, that means nothing to me." I retort calmly, my heart was racing. They were okay, they had gotten away. Luna was safe, Dean? He must have meant Dean when he said Thomas. I would have to tell Seamus as soon as I could that Dean was okay. Hermione? His aunt had fun with her? What was that suppose to mean, surly he didn't mean torture did he? What was I thinking, of course he did.
Malfoy seems to ignore me leaning back in his chair, "Your brother swiped my wand, had to find my spare one so I could get back to school."

"For the last time-"
"You know what's funny," he interrupts, "Lizzie wasn't with him, no sign of her in fact. I wonder where she could be?"
"Malfoy this is-"
"I suggest you find a way to make Victoria Snape disappear Potter, it's only a matter of time before they piece the information together"

I slam my book down on the table, "This is getting pretty old Malfoy, I can assure you I'm not into role play, if you're trying to bait me for some sexual fantasy it isn't going to work. Furthermore, you cannot merely insist that I am someone in hopes that I really am, you are becoming increasingly annoying in your quest for the Potter chit."
"Well where is she then? Cause in the six years I knew her she didn't once stray for her brother and there wasn't a sign of her over Easter!"
"How should I know? You do re-call the fact I have known you since we were children, and I'm not someone who has suddenly appeared claiming to be Severus' daughter. And from what you've told me about her I gather you weren't all that close to begin with so how would you know how or where she spares her free time?"

Draco rolls his eyes waving his hand in the air dismissively,"Please," he scoffs, "she didn't grow up with her brother it doesn't take a genius to see that, she coddled him during first year, she had a much better grip on magic then he did, there is no way she grew up with Muggles!"

Sensing that we were approaching the point of no return I grab my homework and shove back from the table trying to throw him my meanest glare.
"I don't know what to tell you Malfoy, maybe she's dead. You've based your decision that I'm her on the fact we have similar taste in jewelry and her absence." I hover over the table for a moment before stalking towards the doors pausing briefly to throw one last remark over my shoulder, "You should remember Malfoy, she's just the sister of Potter, she doesn't have a need to be out in the thick of things when she could probably be hiding somewhere safe so she doesn't get captured or tortured."

With that I leave, my heart racing and my pulse seeming to vibrate my body. I'd have to be really careful now especially with him snooping around.

"Longbottom, Snape, front and center" I wince looking up from the text book Amycus Carrow made us read through his Dark Arts classes. This definitely couldn't be good.

Every week I had managed to keep under the radar, this was one of the only classes I had to share with majority of my former house, and it made me nervous to be around them. They had all known me for six years and as soon as the price on my head was raised in the Daily Prophet they had all seemed curious as to why, I had overheard many hushed discussions over the past few days on my possible whereabouts. Some did wonder if I was at Hogwarts, Lavender Brown insisted I was saying she swore she smelt me in the hallway one day. Needless to say I changed my bath soap that night and haven't used it since. I guess when you room with someone for six years you pick up on the fact they only used Brown Sugar Pumpkin soap in the shower.

Both of the Carrow's had been pretty good about not picking on me in class, probably on Severus' orders but I had a feeling that was going to change.

"I would like to see your progress, Snape, surly you have managed to produce a Cruciatus Curse by now."
I stare up at the man in front of me, feeling the warmth from Neville's close stance on my left. His hand briefly grazes mine and I tense automatically hoping that no one had seen that small touch.

He wanted me to check my progress, on Neville? That bitch of a sister must have told him how I had been unable to preform before Christmas. I had stopped going to Detentions at their request a long time ago, insisting that I had too much studying to do.

"It's not a matter of whether I can or not, sir. I simply do not want to. I do not like torturing my fellow student's it makes my life rather, difficult."
"I think it would be quite a useful learning experience." he assures me, with his wand pointed at Neville he barks his order, "Up here, Longbottom!"

I could feel the anger of the students behind me as Neville moves to stand up by Carrow, trying to catch my eye no doubt to assure me it was okay if I had to do it. I wouldn't do it, even if I could. I couldn't mean to use it on Neville, I couldn't mean to use it on anyone!
"I won't do it" I say defiantly crossing my arms over my chest hearing so whispers behind me, "If you force me to I will inform my father, I doubt he'd be happy to hear you forced his only daughter to use the Cruciatus on a fellow student purely for your own amusement."

Carrow glares down at me, his eyes filled with anger as he grips his wand tighter. "You have quite the mouth on you Miss. Snape, I'm sure your father wouldn't object to me teaching you some manners?"
I grit my teeth at this, clenching my jaw, "My manners are impeccable."

What happened next only took a second, "Imperio"
Gasping I turn back to see Carrow pointing his wand at Neville, the rest of the class seemed to be silent, waiting for something to happen. I cast a worried look around seeing Lavender holding Seamus down in his seat a look of pure fury across his face. "Fight it, Neville!" Seamus yells behind me, I could hear the screeching of desks as he tried to right the grasp his classmates had on him.

I could see sweat forming on Carrows' forehead as he struggled to gain control of Neville, the flashes in his eye color changing. Shouts erupt behind us and I hear the sound of the door banging shut, I silently hoped that someone had run to get McGonagall, anyone at this point.
"You don't have to do this, Longbottom" I say softly, wishing I could say his first name. That would be too intimate though, my refusing was one thing but I couldn't be too friendly now, that would be a whole different level of stupid on it's own.

I watch Neville's wand rise from his side, his arm shaking badly it looked like he was still fighting, the strain in his muscles obvious, he was trying to force he wand down but he just couldn't, Carrow had gotten in too far, too fast and now he couldn't push him out. His eyes flash back to the deep brown that was his and I send him a glance that I hoped conveyed that it was alright. I'd forgive him. I struggle to keep my face impassive as he looses control once more. Then the pain came.

Knives, it felt like a million white hot knifes cutting and stabbing into my skin. I didn't even feel myself fall onto the ground as I fell to the floor feeling the curse cut through my body. My arms, my legs, my chest even my head it felt like every inch of my body was being stabbed repeatedly, over and over. I tried, oh did I try to keep my mouth clamped shut but it didn't help when it ended I knew my throat was going to be raw from the screams I knew were ripping through my mouth. It was the most un-composed I had been in months and screaming did seem to help. It gave you something to focus on, something that you hoped would make it end.

"I-fucking-hate-you!" I manage to vocalize as I feel the spell re-cast. I could hear everything, my own screams the shouts of others and the muffled sobs from a few girls, probably Lisa I wasn't sure at this point. I feel one final white hot jab that felt like it had been aiming directly for my heart as the pain stops leaving me panting on the floor. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment only to open them and see I was in fact on the floor. It hadn't been a horrible dream it had in fact been real.

"Turpin, Boot come bring Miss. Snape back to her seat. Longbottom, go sit down." Carrows' voice booms through the now silent class. I could feel my breath rattling in my chest as Lisa and Terry Boot both rush over placing gentle hands under my back and arms first pushing me into a sitting position then carefully pulling me to my feet.
"You're alright Vic- It's over" Lisa mummers leading me back to the table I had previously been sitting at alone. I ignore the looks I was getting noticing a few of fear, surly if the Headmasters daughter wasn't safe then no one was. Terry and Lisa sit me down in the middle of the table each pulling a chair up on either side forming a barrier around me, their arms supporting my back as I sat, attempting to keep upright.

"Longbottom! I said sit down!" Carrow snaps from the front making me look up. Neville was still standing at the front a look of horror plastered across his features, his eyes looked watery as he stared directly at me pain etched across his face. I give him a weak smile trying to show him that I was okay before every so subtly nodding towards the other side of the room urging him to sit down.
"Detention! Before dinner, Longbottom!"

Neville blinks at this before stumbling to his seat in that moment I felt worse for him then myself.

"Neville?" I whisper loudly, sticking my head inside the door of the Room of Requirement. It resembled a large bedroom and as expected I saw him sitting on the bed with his back up against the wall.

I walk over patting on a soft bed until my hand came down on his thigh making him squeak.
"Sorry" I snicker, stashing my wand and map in my pocket and jumping up beside his now blushing face. He was quite adorable at times I must admit and now without having to worry about our chat being interrupted he seemed more relax then usual.

"So," I start feeling more awkward then anything, "did you have something to tell me or were you just trying to get me alone for a sno-"
"I'm staying here" he interrupts my teasing making me freeze, staying? He couldn't just stay in here! Turning fully towards me I look up into his eyes for the first time, gasping when noticing one was completely swollen shut, blood dripping from his brow, already taking a a blue tinge.

"What have they done to you?" I question softly slowly raising my hand to touch his cheek. I could see now how bad it was, even the top of his cheek was swollen, it looked like someone had kicked him directly in the eye socket. From the top of his cheek to past his eyebrow the skin was swollen four times what it should have been, angry red marks marring the surface like veins, dark blue spotting where bruising was starting to for and purple where blood vessels had burst.

"Now that Ginny's gone they know everything that goes on is because of me, I've spent the last few days avoiding their beatings and then finally they cornered me..." he sighs, "I managed to get enough of a head start and got into here before they could find me. When I don't come to breakfast tomorrow they'll know I'm gone. After what happened in class today, I can't do that again, Lizzie. They're getting too brave, who's to say they won't do that again?" he yells slamming his head back into the wall, I could feel my hand shaking as I placed it on his shoulder, leaning my own head against the hand I had rested there. I knew it had been bad for him, and soon the Carrow's would give up dealing with him and take it too far. The tremors and after effects of the curses he had to endure before dinner still present as I feel his body shake under me.

I had half expected Severus to kill Carrow during dinner, or both of them but yet he was not at dinner and I had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't at school either, hence the male Carrow's bravery today.
"I'm sorry Lizzie, I tried to fight him," he says glumly. "I just couldn't fight him in the end though, I was about a second from tossing my wand away when he got- oh Merlin you were screaming, Lizzie I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I sooth removing my head from his shoulder just for a moment to free my hand, reaching down I take his fist-ed hand in mine hoping to calm him. "I'm okay, I don't hold it against you I know you did it against your will Neville, I would never be mad at you for that."

"You should be," he mutters before asking. "Will you be okay out there, by yourself I mean?"
"Of course," I lie giving his hand a small squeeze, "I can take care of myself, I'll come down when it's safe and give you updates."

"Promise?"
"I promise" I smile into his shoulder feeling him relax some. I could promise to do that, sure I would more or less be alone up there now, I had none of my old friends out there who knew who I was. Malfoy was an exception and a problem I would somehow have to take care of, or ignore, I was favoring the ignore option. There was only a week left in April and I had the impression things were going to get bad fast.

"Lizzie?"
"Yeah, Nev?" I question removing my gaze from the red and gold tapestry that was hanging from the ceiling.
"I'm glad you were here this year, I know you probably would have rather have been with Harry and the others but... I liked knowing you were here, it gave me hope."

"Hope?"
"Well, yeah. Knowing you were here supporting us, you could have easily left but you didn't." he says quietly, I let his words sink in for a few minutes before I break the silence once more.
"Do you think this will be all over soon?"
"Yeah, soon. You just wait, Harry will come any day now. We're going to all end this, then you can go back to being the inappropriate, sarcastic girl you once were." he jokes, I snort letting out a short laugh and give his fist another squeeze feeling it finally relax as he turns his palm over grasping my hand in his.

"Promise?" I ask.
Neville gives small laugh before I feel him nod, "I promise"