Chapter 7:
'So it is true, you are back' Severus Snape drawled in a bored tone, only his eyes hinting at surprise.
Alina let out an animalistic growl and struggled against Remus' hold, desperate to get to the man before her.
Despite the clear signs of age that lined his skin, he had changed very little since the last time Alina had seen him.
In that room, her first prison, suffering his endless, excruciating torture...
'Remus. Let. Go. Of. Me' she choked out, ceasing her struggle against him yet remaining tense.
Whilst a large part of her emotions were directed entirely towards the monster that had entered the room, a small fraction of the anger was for herself.
For the fear that slithered its fingers through her veins, trailing over her heart and down her spine. For the way her mind immediately pushed it's shields up in preparation for another bout of torture and mostly for the way her knees trembled beneath her as she looked into his jet black eyes.
A loud smash caused everyone to jump in alarm, but Alina remained perfectly still as a lamp exploded on the wall behind her.
She was angry that after all these years, her fractured soul still recognised what he had done to her, and what he had caused.
'How ironic' for a second Snape looked nervous, before smirking 'for Lupin to be holding back someone behaving like a monster...'
Dully her mind recognised the sounds of scraping chairs as people jumped to their feet in outrage, but Alina's immediate realisation was that Remus had dropped his hold on her, and she took the opportunity to quickly lessen the distance between herself and Snape.
Of course, she was met by his wand being pointed directly at her face. And despite the familiar sensation of her heart thumping in her chest, she kept her expression stoic and stood tall before him.
'Doesn't feel normal until you're pointing a wand at me is that it Snivillus?' she hissed out, speaking quickly in the heat of the moment.
'Stop this now! This is ridiculous-'Molly cried, but Alina ignored her, smiling tauntingly at Snape.
'We both know that I don't need a wand to beat you so you may as well put it away' she told him quietly, each word oozing with venom.
'Severus, put your wand down! And Alina do take a seat, this is not appropriate in front of the children!'
Molly's voice had taken a far more severe tone, and it proved commanding enough for Snape to lower his wand and Alina begrudgingly take a few steps away from him.
'Phew, the air is much cleaner over here!' she sighed loudly 'the stench of grease isn't as strong'
A low chuckle from Sirius and what sounded like the twins followed this remark, and Alina glanced over to see Ron and Harry biting their lips.
'Clearly you are as socially inappropriate now as you were at Hogwarts' Snape replied scathingly, making to leave the room.
'Was there any particular point in you being here? Or was it so you can go back and tell Voldemort that I'm here?' Alina called after him, before he could leave.
'Alina, Severus places himself at great personal risk to spy for the Order and it is only fair that you accept him –'Arthur began, but Alina silenced him with a look of disgust.
'Only fair? Only fair?' she spat 'After fourteen years of...after being...he hasn't done anything to deserve trust –'Alina stuttered in disbelief.
How could they be so completely idiotic? How could a man who had harmed so many, who had killed so many, be so readily accepted into such an elite organisation?
'Dumbledore accepts that I am working for the Order, it is no concern of mine whether anybody accepts me' Snape stated coolly, staring coldly at Alina before turning on his heel and sweeping from the room.
'Well' Alina broke the silence 'if you're letting Death Eater's in the Order, this organisation has seriously gone downhill.'
After a tense hour of attempted explanations being given to Alina, she had eventually retired to the living room with Sirius, Remus and Harry and his friends.
The burning wrath she had experienced had sizzled into irritation and frustration.
Idiots she thought scathingly.
'Checkmate!' Ron's victorious voice broke her from her thoughts and she couldn't fight the grin at the sight of Sirius' shocked expression.
'H-How? B-But –'
'Clearly you've lost your touch over the years Sirius' she smirked, flipping her legs so that they were hanging over the arm of the armchair.
'I have not lost my touch!' Sirius replied looking affronted 'he just got lucky!'
'Lucky!' Ron laughed 'As if!'
'I'll give you a game Ron' Remus smiled, moving to sit opposite the boy.
'Ah, now Remus will be a better opponent for you Ron!' Alina told him, ignoring the look of disbelief that Sirius was shooting at her.
'What do you mean Remus is a better opponent!' Sirius scoffed 'I used to always win at school!'
'Yeah coz you played against Pete-'Alina began to respond, grinning, before she realised who she was referring too and her smile immediately dropped into a scowl.
'So...erm...you were my mum's friend?' Harry broke the silence that had ensued, and Alina turned to face him, smiling as she realised he had obviously been waiting all night to speak to her about it.
'Yep, she was just like a sister to me' she smiled 'there were four of us, me, your mum, Polly and Alice' her smile dropped at the mention of Alice and she bit her lip.
'I'm the only one left now' she added quietly.
Harry gazed at her with Lily's eyes, sympathy radiating from them and she found herself smiling warmly back at him.
'You really do look just like your mother'
'My mum?' Harry frowned 'Everyone thinks I look like my dad'
'Oh you do! You look so much like your father its strange' she replied 'but your eyes...and your expressions – there!' she pointed at his face grinning 'now that is your mother!'
'What was she like?' he asked and Alina sighed sadly.
'I wish you didn't have to ask me that, Harry' her heart sunk to her stomach as she gazed at her Godson 'It's cruel that you never knew her...she was such an amazing person.' She smiled.
'She was clever – a bit of a know-it-all at times if you ask me' she laughed softly 'but she was fun, and lively and –' she broke off as a cloud of emotion came over her.
'She was one of those people who just lit up the room' she stated plainly 'she was kind, and beautiful inside and out. Your dad was mad about her'
'Mad?' Sirius interrupted 'understatement of the century, I think obsessed is a more fitting description' he shook his head.
Alina laughed 'Do you remember when he was yelling at the Quidditch team –'
'- and thought there were first years giggling in the stands?' Sirius questioned, a broad grin lighting up his face.
'-So he turned around to yell at them!' she laughed harder.
'-I remember that!' Remus sounded from across the room 'and it was all you girls?'
'-James' face when he realised he'd just shouted at Evans – priceless!' Sirius wiped his eyes, chuckling.
Alina exchanged a brief glance with Sirius and her heart gave a flip. For it told her that he also remembered what happened after that; they had nearly kissed for the first time.
Hermione was sat in the corner of the room, and had put her book down for a moment to watch the scene unfold before her, she smiled as she watched the three adults conversing animatedly, but as her eyes fell on Harry a warmth filled her heart and her eyes became moist.
She dabbed gently at the corner of her eyes and her smile widened as she watched how his face lit up, drinking in the words of those around him as they spoke of his parents. His eyes shining with happiness at being surrounded by people who knew and loved his parents and in turn loved him too.
She was watching Harry with his family.
'Neville!' Alina suddenly burst out, causing the others to stare at her strangely.
'Sorry?' Harry asked bemused.
'Neville! Alice's boy!' she clarified, turning to Sirius and Remus 'please tell me Neville's –'
'Neville is fine' Remus told her quickly, seeing the panic in her expression 'he lives with his Gran and goes to Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione'
'Thank goodness' Alina sighed, feeling relief wash over her.
'Neville Longbottom?' Hermione asked from her corner and blushed as everyone turned to her.
'Yes' Alina replied kindly 'his mum...she was one of my best friends – I didn't realise she...' her voice trailed off and she stared into space for a moment.
'Anyway, I was just wondering how Neville was' she suddenly concluded.
'Now, Sirius tells me that you play Quidditch?' she turned back to Harry grinning broadly.
That night, Sirius led Alina up to the room she had stayed in the night before, and due to the inscription on the doorway she realised it had been his own.
'There's a spare nightdress of Hermione's on the bed' he told her quietly as he led her into the room and as he spoke he turned to look at her appraisingly.
'We really are going to have to fatten you up' he stated plainly, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
She hadn't given much consideration to her appearance, not with so much else going on around her, but now, standing before Sirius alone she realised how awful she must look.
'Yeah, well, they weren't too generous with the food portions, those Death Eater's' she joked, but Sirius caught the bitter edge to her tone.
He turned away as she got changed, and then went to sit beside her on the bed.
'I know the feeling, the food was hardly gourmet in Azkaban, and Dementors are a nightmare for ruining your appetite.'
'Yeah, I was gunna say you looked a bit weedy' she smirked, causing him to chuckle softly.
'It's good to have you back Alina' he spoke so quietly she barely heard him, but nevertheless she felt her heartbeat quicken.
She felt him shift beside her, and she looked up in alarm as he stood up and made his way towards the door.
'If you need anything, I'll just be staying in the room next door –'
She started to panic as he said his goodnight. He was going to leave her; alone. The thought of being left to her own company once more sent waves of terror through her body and she felt her breathing quicken as the nerves bombarded her.
'Don't go!' she managed to choke out, staring up at him, her eyes slightly wild with desperation.
'Alli?' he questioned softly.
'Not alone...don't leave me on my own' she pleaded, hating with every syllable how desperate she sounded.
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes reflecting a whirlwind of emotions, before replying.
'Okay' he said simply, and crossed the room to climb into bed beside her.
They lay in silence for a while, staring up at the ceiling with their shoulders just about touching.
'I never thought I'd see you again' Sirius suddenly spoke, his voice gruff 'and then you just appeared...where – where were you?' he spoke the last three words as a whisper, as if sharing a secret with her.
Alina closed her eyes; she had known the questions would come.
'I was at the De'Valle's place at first...but then they moved me to the Malfoy Manor –'
'The Malfoy Manor!' Sirius exclaimed in outrage 'we've had that place searched over and over!'
'Clearly not in the right places' Alina mumbled.
'What...what did they do to you?' Sirius asked through clenched teeth as if he didn't truly want to know the answer.
'What do you think they did to me Sirius?' Alina asked, turning her body so that she was facing him.
Gently, Sirius reached out his hand and stroked her face, gazing deeply into her eyes.
'Don't do that with me Alli...that's not an answer to my question'
Alina gulped, and looked down to escape the intensity of his gaze. It was true, she was avoiding telling him what happened, because saying the words allowed, watching his reaction, and it would mean reliving the whole thing in her mind.
'I'm not-'she began, but Sirius quickly interrupted her.
'I knew everything about you once' he reminded her 'everything. And it helped you'
'What do you want me to say Sirius?' she snapped 'do you want to hear how they tortured me? How they used the Cruciatus on me over, and over, and over again? That they weren't above using muggle torture? How they cut me with knives and broke my bones and made me beg them for mercy?'
Sirius' face had instantly paled, and his jaw locked tensely as if he were clenching his teeth tightly.
He looked horrified.
'I just want to hear the truth Alli' he finally whispered.
Alina sighed, and leant her face into his touch.
'It wasn't nice, Sirius' she told him quietly 'it really wasn't nice'
He shifted slightly, and moved his arm so it was embracing her as he stroked her hair softly.
'Alli' he began after a while, his tone cautious but his eyes pleading.
'Yes?' she replied hesitantly. It was strange, how she knew what he was going to ask before he uttered the words, how her body filled with dread and her forehead broke out with beads of sweat.
'Alli...what happened to the baby?' his words were thick with emotion and he closed his eyes tightly as if trying to blind himself from his feelings.
She paused before replying.
'How did you find out about the baby?' she asked, her mouth suddenly bone dry.
'Lily' he replied testily, opening his eyes to show the desperation 'so there was a baby?'
'There was'
Her response was so quiet that he barely heard her words, but the sadness, the utter brokenness in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
He saw her eyes cloud over, as she let herself grow numb to the memories that were clearly trying to plague her mind.
Biting his lip so tightly he was positive that he had drawn blood, fighting with the urge to sob hysterically, her pulled her close to him and cradled her in his arms.
His Alina.
That night she dreamed.
She dreamed of blinding whiteness, with the spine-chilling crimson of blood.
So much blood...
Too much blood.
The cacophony of screaming consumed the room, echoing from corner to corner until she felt as if the sound was locked in her mind, trying to escape the confines of her brain.
The sounds of bodies thumping against the wall, the crack of their skulls connecting with the concrete and their cries of pain and fear.
She could hear her voice attempting to form words through her screaming, the sound so broken, so distraught that it seemed incomprehensive that she could be making it; that any human could form such a noise.
'GIVE- HER – BACK – TO – ME!'
She could barely breathe as her chest was crushed under the pressure of magical bindings and chains as they attempted to confine her to the floor, to prevent her from moving; from fighting.
The rage consumed her; it reared its head within her and spread its claws through every atom in her body.
She embraced it, with such burning ferocity; with such open passion that she could barely comprehend what it commanded her to do.
She was the Rage.
She lashed out, the spite and frenzied fury exuding from her mind; the strength, the power of her attacks certain to seriously harm and even kill anyone who crossed their paths.
The beautiful, terrified cries of her baby ringing through her ears amongst it all.
Calling out for her.
Begging for her to save her...
'Alina!' Sirius shouting her name 'Alina?'
A heartbreaking flash of green light.
No. No. No.
Silence.
A flash of green light and silence.
No more crying.
'ALINA!'
A stranger's face.
A familiar stranger's face.
A face her heart recognised; her soul knew.
That blonde hair and those grey eyes.
'ALLI!'
She jerked awake, her eyes opening to see his concerned grey ones.
Grey eyes that she had only just that second seen...
'I'm so sorry' she sobbed 'I'm so, so, sorry'
As Sirius cradled her broken form in his arms, terror clenched his heart.
What had happened to her?
What was it that she didn't want to tell him?
And why was she sorry?
None of that mattered for that moment, all that mattered was that she was in his arms; that she was alive.
As he wiped her sweaty hair out of her face he firmly pressed his lips to her head.
As long as they were together, he knew that they would be okay.
A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! I've been attempting to try and make my update day on a Saturday, but because of how much your response has excited me I keep failing to do that and updating earlier! So here it is, two days too early haha!
I hope you enjoy this Chapter, and unsurprisingly all of you guessed who it was! There will be more Snape action in time though!
There will also be a lot more Eve/Draco coming too, I haven't forgotten about her!
Please keep reviewing, they really do motivate me!
Thank you xxxx