Audrey managed to pull herself off of the carpet despite the burning pain in her shoulder.

During the course of her Occlumency lessons, she had managed to bruise both legs, sprain her left ankle and break her right pinky finger. The mental pain wasn't really bothering her anymore, but while the spell was surging through her she seemed to lose all control of her body and would always find herself gazing up at the ceiling a few minutes later, some random part of her aching.

"You know, if I wasn't dead already, I'd say you were trying to kill me."

She glanced over at the dark mass to her right, giving it a sheepish grin despite the fact that at the moment she wouldn't have minded beating it to a pulp.

"Well, Miss Belmont, you are certainly doing better than the mess I saw last night. You managed to stop me eventually, although you nearly knocked yourself unconscious in the process."

"It's my style, Severus. Surely you would have noticed that by now."

She shuffled over to the small couch pressed up against the wall and plopped down lazily.

"Besides, I only fell over because I tripped on all the piles of books you've got laying about the place."

Severus let out a soft grumble and sat himself in his armchair, pushing several editions of the Daily Prophet off before doing so.

"Did you see everything? Like last time?" she whispered, running her hands through her hair which was damp with sweat.

When he didn't answer, she looked over to see him absorbed in the most recent print of the newspaper.

On the front page, she could make out a rather squat, toad-like woman dressed from head to toe in a rather obnoxious shade of pink and sporting an angelic smile as camera bulbs flashed around her.

Above the picture, the headline read:

Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge to teach at Hogwarts

Audrey stared at the page in disbelief. Could this possibly be a joke? A Ministry official at Hogwarts? Soon enough, the entire school would be turned upside down. The Ministry can barely take care of their own affairs and now they want to dictate over the schools.

Before she could read any more, Severus had folded the paper and placed it on his lap.

"Yes."

Audrey looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"I saw them, although they were a bit foggy," he sat staring at his fingers as if he were almost embarrassed to admit the fact that he had seen everything that had whizzed through her mind only a few minutes ago. "Why had you been admitted to St. Mungo's?"

He looked up into her eyes, not with sympathy or worry, but perhaps just general curiosity.

The images came flooding back into her head again. She could see herself lying on the the forest floor, looking up to the moon through glazed eyes. She dug her long nails deep into the damp earth, thin roots tangling around her fingers. She breathed in the cool air, although it felt as if her chest was on fire.

She breathed just to smell the forest around her, the crisp pine dancing slowly above, the dew soaking the grass under her head. She could feel a warmth radiating from her stomach and at the same time, an excruciating pain. The blood had already soaked through her thin dress and was beginning to pool around her body. The cut was deep and extended from her left hip all the way up to her right breast. Without a wand, it would be impossible for her to signal for any help. She would just have to lay there and bleed.

Soon, she could hear hurried footsteps and muffled shouts echo throughout the woods. Several dim lights had appeared and seemed to be bobbing towards her but still she didn't stir.

"Audrey!" She felt herself being scooped up, rough hands gripping her awkwardly, attempting to pull her off of the ground without worsening her injury. "I found her! Hurry!"

She looked up into Sirius' tear filled eyes and smiled. Then everything went black.

"It was Remus," she mumbled, biting her bottom lip. "It wasn't his fault though. It was just after Lily and James died, he was in alot of pain and had forgotten to take his Wolfsbane Potion..."

She looked up to Severus and his dark eyes were still fixed upon her.

"That's when he thought we should separate," she let out a short sniff. "He said he would kill himself if he were to put me through that much pain again. He was convinced that he was no good for me. Then it ended."

"How long had it been before you saw him again?"

"After Sirius went to prison? Fourteen years."

Audrey searched his face for any sign of understanding. She wished she could glance into his own memories, to see if he had ever loved as she had, to see if he had ever felt happiness. But the cold stare he had fixed on her suggested no such thing.

Severus dug into the inside pocket of his robes and pulled out a small silver pocket watch. He eyed it for a few seconds before tucking it away again. "It's time for us to go." he mumbled, pushing himself off of the chair. He crossed the room and stopped in front of a rather small stone fireplace, his robes bellowing behind him. She took a deep breath and walked over to meet him, trying not to give in to the sudden nauseous feeling that was bubbling in her stomach.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Audrey questioned.

"Hold out your hand." he said, scooping up a handful of glittering powder out of a small dish sitting on the mantle. He dumped it into her palm before taking a pinch for himself.

"I assume you've traveled by Floo powder before?" he uttered, that sarcastic tone ringing in his voice once again.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have."

"Good." he said, tossing his handful of powder into the fireplace. "That's one less thing I have to teach you." With a sudden roar, an intense wall of emerald green flames flashed on the hearth.

Nonchalantly, Severus slid past the grate and into the fire, shouting in a clear, sharp voice, "Malfoy Manor!", and vanished.

For a few moments, Audrey remained where she was, tiny particles of Floo powder sifting through her fingers and onto the carpeted floor. There was no turning back after this. No place to run if she were to fail . She had seen the type of damage a Death Eater could do, and here she was marching right into their own territory.

She thought of Remus, and what he would say if he were to see her right now.

Closing her eyes, she tossed the powder into the fireplace and stepped inside. The smell of hot ash burned into her nostrils. "Malfoy Manor!"

Even though her eyes remained closed, she could still see the whirl of green flames circling around her face. Although trapped between walls of fire, the air around her was icy and crisp.

She fell forward, out of the fireplace, her face landing on a cold stone floor.

"Ow." Twisting her head around, she noticed that once again Severus was staring down at her.

"If there were an award for stumbling, Miss Belmont, I'm positive you would win the cup."

She flashed him a sarcastic smile before pushing herself up onto her feet.

Looking around, she found herself in the middle of an enormous and ornately decorated hall.

Everything seemed to be painted in gold and glimmered in the soft, flickering light of the fireplace.

Rich tapestries covered the thick stone walls while luscious fur rugs had settled underneath ornate divans and chairs. It was beautiful, and certainly didn't seem like a meeting place for the Death Eaters.

"Where are we again?" she breathed, her eyes still taking in her surroundings. "Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes," Severus replied, gently taking her by the elbow and leading her slowly through the hall.

"This residence belongs to a Mister Lucius Malfoy. Pureblood, impossibly well off and one of the most egotistical men I have ever had the displeasure to know."

Audrey couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Well, he sounds like my kind of guy."

Suddenly, Severus spun her around until she was face to face with him. He clutched onto her shoulders firmly, his brows furrowed. "Audrey..."

Her eyes widened in surprise, this was the first time since their meeting that he had actually called her by her first name.

"I cannot stress any more the severity of what you are about to put yourself through," he pulled her in a bit closer, his voice barely a whisper, "These people, they will not hesitate to kill you should you in any way make them think you are not worthy of their company." He glanced over to a darkened hallway, making sure they weren't being watched and then looked back to her. "You must remember to show no signs of weakness, no vulnerability. You are brought here under my recommendation so any form of disloyalty puts the both of us in danger."

Staring straight into his onyx eyes, she nodded her head in understanding and they continued on through the hall. The further they advanced, the darker it seemed to get, until eventually they were shrouded in darkness.

Audrey felt a tightening on her elbow and realized that Severus was still holding on to it.

They turned a corner, proceeding through the pitch-black, until eventually Audrey could make out a soft beam of light shooting out from underneath a door in front of them.

Neither of them moved for a few moments, but continued to stare blankly at the door.

'Snape couldn't possibly be afraid, could he?' Audrey thought to herself. It was an impossible thought. His face and manner gave nothing away, he was as cold and unmoving as stone.

After a few more seconds, Severus silently cleared his throat and moved forward, still grasping onto Audrey's arm.

"Remember what I told you." he whispered. She searched up to see his face, but the darkness of the corridor shrouded everything in front of her. She turned back and kept her eyes focused on the slit of light shining at the base of the door.

Once they reached the end of the hall, Severus released her arm and tapped sharply on the heavy oak door. It was an odd knock, rhythmic, like some sort of secret code.

After a few moments, various shuffling and murmurs could be heard on the other side of the door.

The door clicked open slowly and a weedy-looking face popped its way out of the small crack.

"Ah, Snape." he wheezed, opening the door to allow him to enter.

"Nott."

"And who is this you've brought along?" said Nott. "The Dark Lord doesn't allow outsiders to enter a Death Eater meeting, Snape."

Severus kept his eyes lowered, his face never changing emotion. "This is the young vampire that the Dark Lord intends to recruit for the war, if you must pry, Nott." He hissed the last few words, making both Nott and Audrey uneasy. She didn't let it show, however, but kept a look of disgust plastered on her face.

Nott glanced momentarily at Audrey and then moved aside to allow them into the room.

Severus brushed past, his cloak nearly whipping Nott in the face as he passed. Audrey followed closely behind, clasping her hands behind her back to keep them from shaking.

The room was as grand as the hall outside. Candles illuminated priceless oil paintings, ornately carved woodwork and an enormous marble fireplace, also crackling with light.

In front of the fireplace was a long, bare table peppered here and there with white, ghostly faces staring back at them. No, at her. They were ALL staring at her.

"Severus, there." Audrey adjusted her eyes to see who had spoken. A man seated at the end of the table raised himself and pointed to a chair near to where Severus was standing.

A sharp, pointed face poked its way out of a mane of long, platinum blonde hair. His silver eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the dim light, but they sparkled with a sort of vicious luster, a cruel glimmer.

Severus, without a word moved to his allotted spot and sat down, leaving Audrey standing alone.

"And you must be the new vampire." the man cooed, moving towards her slowly.

There was no doubt to Audrey that this was Lucius Malfoy, Severus' descriptions had detailed him perfectly. From the silk bow tied in his hair, to the jewel encrusted cane he was now sporting, this was a man used to luxury and getting exactly what he wanted.

He stopped right in front of Audrey and examined her, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were studying an animal. She didn't move, but kept her head held up high and her eyes piercing his own.

"What is your name?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.

"Audrey Belmont." she snapped back, parting her lips slightly to give him a glimpse of her fangs.

"English?" he asked.

"French." His eyes widened in mock curiosity. "Ah, le pays de lâches."

"Not me, sir." she spat back, fists tightening behind her.

"Well, I shouldn't think so. The Dark Lord would not waste his time with you should you be unworthy of his company."

"And am I?" she asked.

After a few seconds of silence, Lucius spun on his heel and pointed across the table to a small, blond figure near where he had been seated.

"This is Narcissa, my wife." As he introduced her, she gave a small nod of the head.

She was the exact female equivalent of her husband. Her blue eyes accented a razor-sharp face, with a look as if she had been smelling something particularly disgusting.

Lucius continued down the table. "Yaxley, Avery, Crabbe, Gibbon..."

With each name, a silent head bowed in acknowledgement, which Audrey quickly returned.

"...Macnair, Nott and Greyback."

At this last name, Audrey's heart jumped in her throat. She looked over at the man Lucius had pointed to.

To call him a man would be a lie. He was a monster. Thick gray hair matted itself over his head and thick black whiskers jutted out from his cheeks. Yellow eyes glared back at her below bushy eyebrows and a wolfish grin was plastered on his lips, bearing his sharpened teeth.

'So this is the man,' she thought, her skin boiling, 'this is the man who destroyed Remus. The...the monster that tore him apart. Tore him apart body and soul.'

"Now that that is done," Lucius guided her firmly to a seat next to Severus, "you sit here."

Without taking her eyes off of Greyback, she took a seat. Lucius returned to his spot at the end of the table and began to speak.

"Now as you may have heard," he began, brushing a strand of hair from his face, "The Minister's undersecretary has taken a post at Hogwarts this year, teaching the students Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Audrey felt Severus shift slightly in his seat, but kept his eyes firmly set on Lucius.

"This does not place any further pressure on the Dark Lord or his plans, as the Ministry is still oblivious to our existence."

Lucius walked over to the fireplace and looked deeply into the fireplace, as if expecting something to appear. "As for Potter, there are no further explanations as to his so-called dementor attack, but we do know that Dumbledore has taken him to an undisclosed location until school resumes tomorrow."

A small chill ran through Audrey. She had only seen Harry yesterday and these beasts were tracking him like a parcel. Her eyes wandered over to Severus. She needed some reassurance, she needed to know that she wasn't alone. His eyes met hers only for a brief second, but for that second, they seemed softer, almost pleading her to stay strong. And then he shot back to Lucius, as if it had never happened.

"...And where are you currently residing, Belmont?"

Audrey snapped out of her daydreaming and searched, wide-eyed across the table to the stern eyes of Lucius. He had been talking the entire time she was thinking to herself, and she had missed every word.

"Uh..."

"Miss Belmont is currently residing with me, Malfoy, and will remain in my home during my time at Hogwarts this year."

There was a soft snicker around the table as everyone, including Audrey stared at Snape with astonished eyes.

"Is that so?" Lucius muttered, looking curious.

Audrey, despite wanting to pummel Snape at the moment, kept her calm and nodded back to Lucius.

"Well," he continued after a pause, "I believe that is all we needed to discuss for tonight. The Dark Lord has assured me he will be present at our next meeting. We will discuss our plans and prepare to put them into action."

Soon, everyone had risen from the table and began shuffling their way out of the door and back outside into the main hall. Severus had also risen but Audrey had the feeling her legs might give out should she try and attempt the same.

Nevertheless, Severus clutched her by the shoulder and pulled her out of her seat. He kept his hand digging into her shoulder bone and guided her out the door, brushing past Greyback as they went.

Audrey met the werewolf's eyes one last time before being pulled around the corner.

Their black inkiness made her blood boil, her fighting instincts, for the first time in years, ready to come out and mutilate him.

Severus continued on, almost pulling Audrey backwards as he made his way back to the fireplace which they had made their arrival in. Most of the members of the meeting had already gone, so they were left to themselves once again.

"Calm down!" Audrey whispered roughly, ripping herself from Severus' grasp.

His lip seemed to curl around his teeth as he pointed quickly to the empty fireplace, indicating her to get in.

She let out a sigh and climbed in, taking a palmful of powder before she went in.

One last glance at Severus' angry black eyes, and she knew she was in some sort of trouble.

'Well, don't you worry, Mr. Snape, we'll have plenty to talk about when we get home.'

She barked out her destination, and quick as a flash, had disappeared.