AN: Here we are, Chapter Three. :) Hope you all enjoy. Oh and usual Disclaimer about not owning anything but the plot applies.

-PF

Chapter Three: They Meet

It had been two months since Severus had fixed Rose up. Two months since he'd essentially killed the young woman who had been Hermione Granger. He stared at her replacement now trying desperately to see any trace of the other girl that may have slipped past his spells. But Rose Riddle was exactly as Voldemort had wanted her to be. She was ruthless, emotionless, and at her father's beck and call. She'd created a name for herself not only among the Death Eaters, who had begun to fear her wrath as much as her Father's, but also among the Magical Community. It had become Bellatrix's job to keep an eye on her when she was out. To make sure no one recognized any trace of the girl Rose used to be. To make sure Rose never remembered even a glimpse of her past life. And to make sure no one asked too many questions about where Voldemort's daughter had come from.

She was an enigma to those outside Voldmort's immediate circle and because of it, people feared her even more. Wherever she appeared she dealt death like it was a hobby, finding new disturbing ways to torture people. Severus was concerned about the effects her ruthlessness would have on her past self if her memories ever returned but at this point, he doubted they ever would.

And the change in Voldmort was completely surprising. He doted on her. Voldemort found reasons just to give her gifts from, he felt like it to she'd surprised him in her ruthlessness and it pleased him. They had had an argument when people had first begun whispering her name in the streets where Voldemort demanded she remain in the shadows and she had, essentially, told him to shove off. Voldemort had laughed and given her a group of Death Eaters to be at her beck and call. That's when Severus first noticed the fear in Bellatrix's eyes. When everyone realized that Voldemort would let Rose do whatever she wanted. Whether it was slaughter a town of muggles, or torture Death Eaters who had displeased her. No one, not even Bella, was above Rose in Voldemort's eyes. Severus wondered what the Dark Lord would have been like if Rose had truly been raised among them. And worse, he wondered how Rose would have been.

She stood now, gazing out the window at the grounds of Malfoy Manor, twirling a lock of straight black hair around her black nail. She sighed and said, "I'm bored." Several Death Eaters shuddered despite themselves as she turned to regard those in the room. "Draco" she called and the boy appeared moments later.

"Rose," he said nodding to her. She smiled at him as she sauntered over, her boots clanking on the marble floor.

"Let's got to Diagon Alley," she proposed, "Have some fun with the locals." Draco offered her his arm and his most charming smile and Snape rolled his eyes. His godson was trying his best to win favor with the Dark Lord through his daughter and so far, it seemed to be working. At least he was having better success at it than Bellatrix was.

"As my Queen wishes," Draco answered and she threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh Draco," she giggled, "I do love it when you give me a title." She turned to Severus. "Coming?"

"I think not, Rose." He answered with a bow of his head. "I have errands for your father." She looked cross for a moment then shrugged.

"Far be it for me to pull you away from Daddy's work." The two headed for the fireplace, arm in arm, with her Death Eaters following behind when Severus called out.

"Shouldn't you wait for Bellatrix?"

Rose shuddered and turned to raise an eyebrow at Snape. "You can tell the babysitter, and you may call her that, that Draco and I are off having some fun and she's not to wait up." Draco laughed along with her and together they stepped into the flames of the floo.

Severus couldn't help but feel horrible for the unsuspecting people of Diagon Alley. They hadn't a clue what was coming for them.

RMR

The moment Rose and Draco stepped foot into Diagon Alley, the street emptied. People screamed as they hurried into stores and doors slammed shut and locked all around them. As if that would keep them out if they wanted in. Rose sighed as she and Draco walked arm in arm down the long road, glancing in windows as they passed.

"It's so hard to shop when people are terrified of you," she complained only half-heartedly to Draco. He laughed.

"Pick a shop, my dear. Whatever you want is yours," and he lifted her hand to his lips. She smiled as they stopped in front of a dress shop and she turned to the door, unlocking it with her wand. The owner of the shop stepped forward as Rose and Draco stepped in and she motioned for her Death Eaters to amuse themselves outside.

"May….may I help you?" The shop owner, a bald little man, stuttered at them.

"I'd like a dress," she said simply. "And don't fret. Draco intends to pay for it. I have no problem helping along the establishments of pure blood families."

The old man mumbled thanks and rushed around the store to show off his finest dresses as the people who had been shopping cowered in a corner. She contemplated them for a moment, watching their lips whisper silent prays as they clutched their wands.

"Draco," she called as he eyed a long green dress with a plunging neckline.

"Hmm?" he asked without looking away.

"Are any of them mudbloods?" She watched as the group shifted together and wondered if they were protecting someone. Draco finally looked away from the dress and glanced at the group.

"No." He answered and turned to pay for the dress he had obviously decided she should wear.

"Blood traitors?" she asked and he glanced at the group again.

"No." She smiled at them then and gestured to the store.

"My father and I are friends to pure bloods," she said pleasantly, "I promise not a hair on your head will be harmed. Please, continue shopping."

Slowly, a few of the older, braver, wizards moved back into the store and, after a moment, the others joined them. She laughed as she turned back to regard the dress the owner was putting into a bag for them. "It's almost back to normal," she told Draco who raised an eyebrow at her but nodded along. She liked Draco, she decided. Liked that he didn't cower before her, and didn't immediately agree to anything she suggested in fear of her. Course, it could be an act. He could be terrified inside just like the other Death Eaters. But she liked that he didn't let it show, at least.

Draco took her dress, and flung the bag over his shoulder as she took his arm and they left the shop. He handed it off to the first Death Eater they passed who grumbled but took it anyway. After a few more hours, and a few more shops, people began wondering around again. Glancing at the couple more often than not, and giving them and the Death Eaters that followed, a wide berth. But Rose was pleased that she could, just for a moment, shop as if she were everyone else. And secretly, she liked the fact that in an instant, she could have them all back cowering in their shops.

She was forcefully evicted from her thoughts when they rounded the corner and her eyes lay on the brightest shop she'd ever seen. She froze, glaring at the shop that just exuded happiness. Bright colors, laughing clowns, bubbles. The shop stuck out like a soar thumb from the dark grays and browns of the other shops and immediately Rose felt a strong dislike for it.

Draco had tensed beside her and she glanced at him questioningly as he looked down at her with concern. "All right?" he asked hesitantly and she relaxed. He was concerned about her.

"Who owns that establishment?" she asked. Draco took too long answering and she withdrew her arm to put it on her hip. "Well?"

"Blood Traitors." He answered carefully. "No one to concern yourself with."

She raised an eyebrow at that. No one indeed. "Blood traitors," she replied and straightened her shoulders. "They have been allowed to stay too long I think." She turned to the Death Eaters behind her but Draco caught her arm.

"Rose. We were having a nice outing." Her gaze traveled down to his hand on her arm and he immediately removed it. Yes, she liked linking arms with Draco and occasionally she allowed him to kiss her hand or cheek. But he was a pet. Nothing more. And no one touched her without her permission. She gave him a cold hard look, his single warning, and then turned completely to her Death Eaters.

"I want the people in that building out here on their knees, wandless, within ten minutes." They moved without pause and she crossed her arms over her chest as she waited.

"Rose, are you sure you're father…"

"Are you questioning me?" she hissed. Draco shook his head and took a step back. "Father is off chasing a legend and until his return I am in charge. Understood?"

"Yes, my Queen."

She turned her attention back to the store as the first of the group came out, struggling. For a moment, she pondered why Draco was so bothered by her punishing the Blood Traitors. But she let it go as the shoppers were led out. The majority of them were children, crying and grasping their parents as they were forced onto their knees before Draco and Rose. She saw a trio of Red-heads leave last, all with their faces down and for a moment, she thought she knew them. Once all of them were on their knees before her, their wands in the hands of the Death Eaters around them, Rose smiled. She glanced behind her to see that all the people who had been pretending to shop were now huddled in doorways watching with fear in their eyes.

"Draco," she called and he stepped closer to her.

"My Queen?" she noticed a few shocked heads look up at her before looking back down at the ground at the title but she ignored them.

"Make sure none of our audience intervenes." Draco nodded and gestured to two of the Death Eaters who moved to stand between Rose and the ones watching from the rest of the alley. "Good." She turned her attention to the group on their knees and clapped, causing a few of them to jump.

"No need to bow your heads," she laughed, "I'm not my father, after all." Slowly, one by one, people began raising their heads to look at her. She saw the recognition flit across most of their faces as the parents held their terrified children a little tighter. As if she'd hurt the children. She huffed.

"Who here is the owner of this establishment?"

No one moved. Figures. She sighed and stepped to the Death Eater who had collected the wands and held her hand out. He gave her one without question and she snapped it, watching to see who flinched at the loss of their wand. She was impressed. No one twitched.

"Well, we'll continue snapping wands until someone speaks up," she informed them and reached for another, snapping it. Then another. Then, as her hand landed on the next one, one of the red-heads leapt to his feet.

"I am!" he cried, his eyes on the wand. "I own this shop."

"Me too!" Cried what appeared to be his twin as he leapt to his feet. "We own it together." There was a moment where they argued with each other but eventually settled to watch her. Well, the second watched her, the first hadn't looked away from the wand. She glanced down at it now and frowned. Ten and three quarters…Vine.

"A very feminine wand for a man," she laughed at him and saw the first twin wince. "What are your names?"

She motioned to the Death Eater closest to them who shoved them forward, through the crowd until they were kneeling before Rose, glaring up at her. They looked familiar. Draco stepped up beside her and she saw the twins recognize who he was. Maybe from school then? She didn't remember them but that was hardly new. She barely remembered any of her classmates.

"Weasley," Draco answered for them.

"Ah, the brothers of the one who follows Potter. What a treat, indeed." The boys glared at her and she smiled back until the first twin, the one who had responded to the wand, suddenly looked thunderstruck. He leapt to his feet so fast she took a step back, surprised.

"Mione?" he whispered, moving to touch her face. Draco was faster. He snatched the man's wrist and shoved him away from her, moving to stand between the two.

"Do not ever touch the Queen," he snarled. And the man stumbled back from him with confusion in his eyes.

Rose cocked her head at the exchange. "Mione?" she asked, completely perplexed. "Who the hell is Mione?"

Draco turned to her so fast his coat snapped and took her hand in his. "Rose, darling he's a pure blood traitor and an idiot. Just ignore him."

She yanked her hand from Draco's and moved around him, still holding the wand, to regard the man. "You never said their first names." She informed Draco.

"Fred and George," he indicated to the two of them and Rose noticed George was missing an ear.

"Have a run in with my boys, have you?" she asked but he refused to even look at her. The other twin, on the other hand, was openly staring.

"Who is it you think I am?" she asked after a moment, considering him. When he didn't answer she snatched another wand up and snapped it.

"Someone I lost," he answered, tearing his eyes away from her and staring at the ground. "I was mistaken."

"Clearly." She laughed. She looked at the wand he had responded to one more time and snapped it in half, tossing the pieces at his feet.

"Bring them," she instructed her guard, turning and taking Draco's arm. "We're going to have them in the Dungeon for a bit. See if we can get information about their brother out of them."

"No!" a woman at the back of the crowd, the third redhead, cried, and she too jumped to her feet. A Death Eater snatched her immediately and Rose rolled her eyes.

"Bring the old goat too. The more the merrier." She turned but Draco didn't move. "What?" she snapped and he nodded to the others still kneeling on the ground. "Oh." She sighed. "Release them. And give them back their wands. Well, the ones that weren't snapped." There was a gasp of shock from the crowd but she didn't care.

"Draco," she said as they began walking and she heard her Death Eater's attaching chains to her prisoners. "I think I rather enjoyed this shopping trip." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek but she ignored him, turning on the spot and dragging him with her back to his home.

AN: Review!

- PF