Chapter 2

While Marie attempted to sleep in her unfamiliar surroundings, Voldemort was already planning his next move. He called to him only a few of his most trusted followers. The moon was full and shone brightly overhead, revealing to the Death Eaters Voldemort's enraged expression - something they feared no matter how tough they claimed to be. He was pacing back and forth, the tiny slits he had for nostrils flaring.

"Just how hard is it for you imbeciles to capture two unskilled brats?!" he roared, close to hexing them all. "One of them shouldn't even be able to defend herself whatsoever!"

Lucius Malfoy was the most frustrated Death Eater there. He had failed to bring back his own prize. "I'm sorry, my Lord…" he began.

"Don't even speak to me!" he spat back. "You should be groveling at my feet still for the opportunity I'm allowing you to take hold of!" Lucius lowered his head in shame. Voldemort struck Lucius across the face; the blonde man fell to the ground without a sound. He wouldn't dare fight back against his Master. The others took a step back, not wanting the same done to them.

He turned to address the rest of his minions. "Malfoy does not even deserve this gift. I would impregnate that Half Blood wench myself if it weren't for this cursed body! I should be the one honoring Salazar!" Lucius brought himself back to his feet, holding his bleeding cheek.

"My Lord… I will not fail you. We will find her, and Slytherin's memory will live on. You will have the Potter boy and her bloodline. I promise you this." He lightened his tone, not wanting to upset Voldemort any further.

"No one rests until she is in our custody, same for the boy. Now GO!" he commanded. As they scrambled to do as they were told, Voldemort clutched onto Lucius's arm. "If you fail me again," he snarled, "I will pass this onto your son, and I. Will. Disown. You." Lucius almost broke down on the spot. He would be the laughing stock of the whole community and his own family would be in danger.

"My Lord, even if it takes the both of us, we will get this done…" with that Voldemort released him and disappeared into the night.

Severus had given up on sleeping. He glanced at the grandfather clock in his study. Hell… two o'clock already? He had felt his Dark Mark pulsing while he was in bed, knowing full well he should have gone. Being a double spy took an extreme toll on the man, physically and emotionally. How was he supposed to keep Marie safe and turn her in at the same time? There was no time to initiate a proper plan, and he hoped that Dumbledore had something up his sleeve. Handing her over to someone like Lucius shook his core. He knew of the man's reputation once he got a hold of a woman.

He grew weary of pacing, for he had been doing so for a good half hour. Severus decided to pay a visit to his work room downstairs. I may as well refill my stores now that I'll be home for good. He slipped his boots back on and headed on his way. When he reached the back room, however, he saw lights coming from inside. Don't tell me it's started already… He drew his wand for good measure.

Peeking inside he found that Marie had beat him to his own task. She was busy making what smelled and looked like a sleeping aid. Not too weak, but not as strong as the Draught of the Living Dead. That would be suicide, and he hoped those scares were over. Although perturbed that she was nosy and gutsy enough to wander around his home, and then take his supplies, he took pride in knowing he taught so well.

"Ahem."

Marie nearly fell off of her stool. Heart racing, she clutched her chest. "Professor… I'm sorry but I need this. I'm extremely anxious and paranoid…" she explained, waving her arms as she spoke. Marie had to have been the most animated speaker he had ever met. Severus drew closer and peered inside the bubbling cauldron.

"You've made enough for months." Again he wished she didn't use his supplies.

"Well, I thought I would be here for a while so I planned ahead." she stirred the contents slowly. "If you're up too then maybe you need some as well." She noted.

Severus folded his arms and leaned against the table. "That may be so, but you should have asked first." Don't get mad. Remember what Dumbledore said.

"Sorry…" Marie gave half a smile reached for some vials she already laid out on the table. She began to spoon equal amounts into the glasses. When she finished, she handed one to him, and took one for herself. "Cheers." Severus watched her drink it first, then decided not to take any. He needed to be alert and morning was coming soon.

"No… maybe tomorrow." He set it back down. As soon as Marie finished hers he noticed the effects taking hold rather quickly. Too quickly. She made it too strong. Most likely on purpose.

Marie dropped the vial on the table and her head fell. He could hear her breathing softly, indicating she had finally fallen asleep. I don't blame her. I would be a mess as well. He watched her for a bit longer to make sure this was the only side effect. It seemed peace had reached her at last.

Dammit. How do I get her back upstairs? There's no way I can wake her now under that potion. Grudgingly Severus found a way to pick her up and he began to carry her. And to think it's only the first night. Maybe I could slip this to her more often. Sleeping may be the best thing for her. No… she doesn't need to become addicted to it either. He argued with himself as he reached the top of the staircase and pushed open her bedroom door. With wandless magic he pulled back the blankets and removed her shoes. Laying her down he made sure to cover her tightly in the emerald fabric. The room felt cold, even to his liking. Marie instinctively curled up and rolled onto her side, her back to Severus.

For some reason he did not leave immediately; something about her kept him watching. Maybe it was the shock of having a piece of history now living in his home. He admitted he was a skeptic when Dumbledore first told him the news. Severus had held Slytherin in high regard, although he did not agree with the man on everything. Salazar was always described as being a despiser of anyone that was not of pure blood. The fact that he took a Muggle, laid down with her, and produced a son was incredible. I wonder if he actually loved her more than his own wife?

He had taken a rest in a chair by the dresser, lost in his pondering over Slytherin's life. His concentration was broken when Marie began to talk in her sleep. "No… don't come closer. Not like this… please…" she tossed and turned violently.

A nightmare? I still can't wake her. I have nothing to counteract the potion.

Marie continued to repeat the same fear-filled phrases, with Severus not being able to help. He felt a little worthless, even if it was just a bad dream. Inching the chair closer to the bedside, he slowly reached out to touch her hand. I guess it's the least I can do. Lightly placing his hand over hers, Marie seemed to settle down and return to a normal state. His eyes growing heavy, Severus fought off the oncoming urge to sleep. Her grip tightened on his hand and he found himself stuck. Bollocks. Soon he too fell asleep.

It was nearly noon before Marie came out of her drugged sleep. Slowly her eyes opened and she saw her hand still wrapped around Severus's. She almost screamed. He was still asleep, his head nuzzled against her leg which was covered in the many layers of blankets. Severus was cold to the touch and she felt guilty that he went through the night with no heat. How did this happen? I only remember… the sleeping potion! I knew I messed it up. But why is he here?

Being too afraid to wake him herself, she closed her eyes and pinched his wrist, but left her hand where it was. Severus lifted his head and looked around in a daze, his black hair a mess. He too noticed the positioning of their hands and he pulled away quickly as if she were diseased. Marie opened her eyes just enough to see a fuzzy image of him. Her heart was in her throat. Well whatever happened, obviously he cares. Maybe he's not an asshole like everyone says.

Severus stood and smoothed the wrinkles from his clothing and placed the chair back in its original place. He crept out of the room as to not to wake her. Once the coast was clear, Marie jumped out of bed and to the bathroom to shower and change. She was so overwhelmed from last night's happenings that she never removed her dirty school uniform. I don't think I should say anything. He probably doesn't remember anyway.

I shouldn't have fallen asleep there. If she would have seen me, I wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea. I'm not like them. He could have kicked himself while he made coffee in the kitchen downstairs. Soon he heard footsteps which ended in the doorway. Marie had thrown on some jeans and an oversized long sleeved shirt. "Good morning… or afternoon I suppose." She greeted him. Severus glanced at her but said nothing. He continued to poor his coffee and down it.

"Do you drink this yet?" he asked. She shook her head. "Good, don't ever do it. It's terrible for you." Marie smirked.

"Professor I have to ask," she began. Oh Merlin, did she see? "What happened after I took the potion? Did I make an error in it?"

Severus faced her and took another sip. "I believe when I startled you, it caused you to add a bit too much Wolfbane. You passed out immediately on the work table. I brought you back upstairs and then you started to have nightmares."

"Did I say anything?" she asked curiously.

He nodded. "Don't worry about it though; it was probably just a side effect of the potion. There was nothing I could do so I went to bed myself." Severus then poured a third cup and began to exit the kitchen. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of. If you're hungry, just help yourself." He motioned towards the refrigerator and pantry, trying to leave.

"Well, if you haven't eaten, maybe I could make something for us? It's the least I could do." Marie offered, wringing her hands nervously. "I promise what I make is edible." She joked.

Severus wasn't sure what to say. If he declined, he looked like an ass. If he accepted, he wasn't sure he was comfortable with a student being his personal chef either. "Just this once." He noticed her face light up some.

"It's really not a bother. I miss being able to cook." Well if she has my approval in her Potions work, maybe the quality of her cooking is high too. Severus showed her where everything was and left again while she got to work. He wasn't one for small talk and didn't feel like being in her way either.

While Marie did her thing in the kitchen, Severus went to his bedroom to contact Dumbledore by fire again. Maybe there's been an update; the Mark didn't burn just because it felt like burning. Locking the door behind him, he kneeled in front of the fireplace and summoned the Headmaster.

"Good afternoon Severus!" Dumbledore beamed. He would never understand how the Headmaster remained so calm all the time. Or cheery. It was disgusting sometimes.

"Headmaster, I'm going to cut to the chase so excuse me if I seem short. The Mark was burning furiously last night, but as you know the girl prevents me from leaving as much as I need to. Have you heard anything?" he questioned.

For a moment Dumbledore was silent, and it seemed someone else had caught his attention. "Hold on Severus. I think something is coming through now." The fireplace became empty but he could make out the voices of other Order members. Dumbledore returned with a grim expression. "This is not good. Voldemort is very angry, almost to the point of finding her himself."

"Well we already know he is physically incapable of performing what he wishes." Severus shuddered at that image.

"That may be so, but I'm sure he has ordered Lucius to work double-time. According to Harry's visions, he has even roped Draco into this." The old man shook his head sadly. "He's innocent too… the way he has been manipulated throughout the years… it's morbid."

Severus was just as upset. He knew how tightly knit Marie and Draco once were. He also knew that Draco would use that to his advantage. Severus did not trust Draco to do the right thing because he knew that the threats Draco would receive from the Dark Lord were enough to shake his weakened morals. "Should I warn her of this? They used to be close friends." Dumbledore allowed it.

"Professor!" Marie called from downstairs. "Um, lunch is ready!"

Dumbledore almost laughed. "She's cooking for you Severus?" If he didn't have any dignity he would have blushed.

"It was her idea. She keeps saying she owes me." He mumbled. "And you told me not to be rude, remember?" he retorted.

"Fair enough. I'll keep you updated if anything else happens. Stay safe." And he was gone once again. Severus made his way back downstairs, thinking of how to tell Marie about Draco. When he ended their friendship, Severus could see all over her face just how much it hurt. He even suspected her of having a love interest in him as well. For weeks she wasn't the same in class, and her homework assignments were that of an idiot first year. At least to Severus's standards…

Reaching the dining room, Severus saw the impressive spread laid out before him. So she wasn't just bragging. He took his seat and noticed Marie smiling. "What are you so happy about? Weren't you crying just last night?"

"I can't help it. What potions do for you, cooking does for me. It's just relaxing." She explained, taking her own seat close, but not too close to him. "Just enjoy it, please?"

About halfway into the meal, Severus decided to inform her of Dumbledore's report. "Marie, while you were cooking I spoke to Dumbledore." He clutched the handle of his coffee mug.

She could tell something was wrong. She set down her utensils and took a sip of water to brace herself for more bad news.

"This may be hard for you to stomach, but Voldemort has told Lucius to bring Draco into this as well," Marie closed her eyes. Of course he would… "I know how close you both were, and I don't want you falling for anything if he shows up." He watched her process this, the same pain displayed on her face from months ago.

"I… I won't. We were best friends but… when he found out about me, he completely changed. Now look at us… I'm the one with better blood than he." She scoffed and picked at her plate, but was no longer hungry. "Thank you for telling me."

"It's my job." Severus said simply. "But I have to ask, what made you two so close in the first place? I have only seen him take a liking to people he can control, like dim-witted Crabbe and Goyle. So how did you wind up with him?"

Marie shrugged. "I really can't answer that. Ever since the boat ride to the castle from the Hogwarts Express in our first year, we've just been around each other. We shared an odd sense of humor. We liked the same subjects. Maybe I was just a challenge to him, to see if he could control me in the end." This was still a touchy topic for her to discuss; it only made her sad. Severus accepted this answer and moved on. "Your cooking is great." He tried to change the topic.