It had been nearly two weeks since she had sent her reply to Bellatrix. Athena figured that she had escaped the wrath of her much hated relative. But doubt clouded her every thought. As she studied, as she ate, even as she bathed, one thought kept invading her pleasant thoughts. "She sounded desperate in her letter. Why would she among anybody give up so easily?"
In the silence that the two weeks had provided, she kept pushing that thought further and further away. She was one week till the deadline of her being initiated into the Death Eaters, a ritual that in her mind she had escaped. The day was a mild one, so instead of sitting inside, eating lunch and studying. She instead went outside to the ruins above Hagrid's hut. She sat down and lit a cigarette; a sudden twig snap caused her to rise suddenly. She turned to look at her intruder, she saw nothing.
She was in the middle of taking a drag from her much needed cigarette, when a sudden pain erupted from her temples. She quickly stomped out her freshly lit and nearly full cigarette. She ran to the hospital ward. "Madam Pomfrey…!" She screamed nearly out of breath, before passing out.
Athena awoke in her father's study. She looked around the familiar room and realized that she was on the floor. A female voice cackled. "Will you tell her that she's to join us, or suffer more torture? Either way works for me personally."
"I'd rather die than to allow my only daughter to be further corrupted by your evil!" A male voice sounded confidently.
"Oh, you will die father, if that is truly your wish. But first you'll order our sister to join us. Tell her or feel more of our wrath!" The male voice that she recognized as Rodolphus said. "Rabastan do something useful and take over, my wand arm tires of this."
"Fine, as you wish Roddy…" He said almost reluctant. "CRUCIO!!!!" As Rupert passed out from the pain, Athena sat up screaming.
"Easy there, Miss LeStrange."
"What happened?"
"You passed out and began screaming. If I were to guess, I'd say that you were suffering from the Cruciatus curse."
"How is that possible? Nobody was near me, never mind. I feel fine, please may I go now? I have a mountain of work."
"Not without the expressed permission from your house master. You've been through quite an ordeal, and unless he tells me that you have to be let out. You must stay here!"
"Send for Professor Snape then! I have to get back to my work." Thirty minutes passed before the doors of the ward slammed open. In that time Athena finally decided to let Snape know her worries and fears. She decided that this wasn't a secret she needed to keep. All throughout her schooling the professors told her that if she needed help all she had to do was ask. She was thinking about how best to phrase her problems when the doors finally slammed, indicated Snape's arrival. "Severus, please, she's been through a lot."
"Madam, do not tell me how to handle my students!"
"She is my patient, and will be treated with the utmost care!" The voices drew closer and Athena arranged herself in a way that indicated vulnerability. She looked up and her head of house descended on her like the giant bat he resembled to some.
"Miss LeStrange, I was told you were ill and needed to see me. I was in the middle of grading papers; I really hope this is important."
"Sir, it is." She looked to medi-witch. "May we have some privacy please?"
"Of course you may my dear." She looked to Snape. "If she falls ill again, you'll be blamed Severus!"
"Duly noted… Now please…"
"Fine…"
Severus Snape sat down in the chair next to Athena's bed. "Now I know you like I knew your brothers. You wouldn't have called me unless the situation was dire. Now speak."
"Sir, Bellatrix LeStrange has sent me a letter…"
"This I know, now what don't I know?"
"I was up at the ruins above Hagrid's hut when I fell into a painful trance. In this trance I was my father. He was being tortured by Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bellatrix. My entire life father has told me that I had a gift, that I can see what others cannot. I'm concerned that my father is in a lot of danger, or maybe he's already dead."
"You didn't refuse did you?"
"Of course I did, I'm not a Death Eater! I don't need or want to go!"
"Miss LeStrange, you imbecile! That was a very reckless move on your part. You are fit enough to leave. So Go…"
"But sir…!"
"I said leave! I have much to do."