'Oh what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practise to deceive.'

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

'From the spirit runs poison, and the wheel of

Fortune is ever still,

Sweeter than the light, the darkness of your soul,

Immaculate, deception.

Something has touched, the spirit inside,

Once there was love now there's a void.

Nights of deception, ghosts in my mind,

Am I bewitched, slave to desire.'

'Immaculate Deception' - Black Sabbath

Thursday 31st August 2000, 4am

'Let me clear one thing up; It was not me who prevented Rose being apparated from Riddle's headquarters.'

Sirius barked out a harsh laugh of disbelief at the woman's words. 'You expect me to believe that?'

Morgan's expression remained unchanged at his response, and she merely continued to appraise him. After some moments, he took his crumpled shirt from the back of the chair and began to pull it on. The heat flooded his cheeks, and he felt surprisingly coy as he became aware of Morgan's perusal of his body. A small smile played upon her lips and her pupils began to dilate; the colour of her irises intensifying. She let out a laugh at him as he buttoned up his shirt.

'I did not think you the shy type, Sirius Black!' She moved slowly and sensually towards him, and his heartbeat intensified. Ancient spirit or not, Morgan's presence intoxicated the senses. 'Surely you would not hold it against me for my admiration of your body? It is most pleasing to my eye.' Her voice was warm and inviting, and he could feel his senses reacting to her closeness.

The sound of a door being closed down the corridor brought him from out of the enveloping web that Morgan had begun to spin around him.

'Enough!' He barked, removing himself from her space, and going over to the window. 'You cannot blame a woman for trying, surely?' Morgan smiled innocently, but her green eyes showed her intentions. Sirius sat on the windowsill, arms folded defensively.

'I'm not playing your games, so I suggest you start talking, Morgan!' She moved her transparent body towards the edge of the bed.

'Your loyalty to Rose is touching,' Morgan replied. 'But as to whether she is deserving of it...well...' she allowed her words to trail off, and despite his suspicions that she was trying to mess with his head, Sirius could not help but feel his body's response to her insinuations.

'Let me give you with the truth now...' Sirius snorted derisively, and Morgan stopped speaking. 'The truth, from you?'

Morgan's eyes darkened and Sirius felt the change in the atmosphere. 'Do not insult me and imagine that I will let it pass. I may not be returned to full power yet, but I will be again soon, and when that time comes, it would be wise to be my ally and not my enemy.' Morgan spoke quietly and calmly, but Sirius could hear the steel in her voice. Blue and emerald eyes engaged in a standoff for the next few moments, before Sirius broke the intense eye contact.

'Fine, he said in a clipped tone. 'I shall start again then, shall I?' Morgan said, and Sirius gave her a curt nod.

'Whether you believe what I shall tell you or not is your choice, Sirius. But as I see it, you and the Order of the Phoenix have very few options now. Your efforts to take on Riddle have so far been hopeless. You are outnumbered and outmaneuvered, and I know that our goals are the same, so it would be of benefit to both of us to join forces and help one another.'

Sirius gave a conceding nod of the head, and sighed. 'I cannot deny what you say. Our recent efforts have cost too many lives...we do need some help.' He looked up at Morgan again, and a cynical smile appeared upon his face. 'But I imagine your help will come with conditions attached.' He stared at Morgan and studied her expression. 'Am I right?'

Her transparent features morphed into a knowing smile. 'Of course...I do not give my help without expecting something in return...but as the price for my help is only something which belongs to me, I do not think it an unreasonable demand...do you?'

Sirius shook his head and smiled darkly. 'The Dark Amber Stone...that is your price.'

Morgan moved closer to him again. 'Yes, I am its creator, it is mine.'

Sirius, becoming aware of her encroaching closeness, tried to increase the space between them again. He did not trust her, and much to his surprise, he did not trust himself to resist her.

'I actually thought that it belonged to Rose now. She inherited it on her coming of age, and you died centuries ago.' Morgan's wicked smile at seeing Sirius' discomfort at her closing the distance between them disappeared.

'For someone who is dead, I am not doing too badly! And I will be human again very soon! But yes, as my descendent, Rose is now technically the owner of the stone...but I need it.' Morgan's words intrigued him.

'But to use it requires you being mortal again, doesn't it?' Morgan grimaced. 'Unfortunately, yes. I also need help to become mortal again. Rose could have helped me with that, but the foolish girl chose not to.'

Morgan began to move around the room, her eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius could feel the anger emanating from her. 'I thought she had sense...I was helping her, teaching her new and powerful magic, assisting to protect her mind from Riddle. But what does the girl do? She protects the life of one of Riddle's followers and prevents me from becoming human again!'

Morgan aimed a curse at the bottle of Fire Whiskey and it shattered into pieces, shards of glass flying everywhere and the liquid dripping down the dresser and soaking the carpet. Sirius saw the slight dimming of her form; the magic she was performing was draining her energy.

'What do you mean? Who did Rose protect?'

Sirius could not believe that Rose would protect any of Voldemort's followers. Morgan let out a harsh laugh. 'Only someone who you would have no hesitation in seeing dead...your cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange!'

Sirius let out a gasp of shock, and shook his head in disbelief. 'She protected Bella?' He raised his hands to his forehead rubbing them through his hair. 'No, she wouldn't...she hates Bella...she knows how dangerous she is and how many lives she has taken...'

Sirius' voice trailed off, and he walked over to the bed, sitting down. He couldn't believe that of her. Rose would not pass up the chance to rid the world of Bella, surely? Morgan's sudden presence next to him roused him from his state of shock. She rested her form on the bed next to him, the static feel of her hand on his shoulder.

'I am sorry to tell you this, but she did. Rose was doing wonderfully well. She rescued your elf, Kreacher from Bella's Cruciatus curse. She had Bella at her mercy, but chose to duel with her.'

Sirius looked up at Morgan, his heart in his throat. 'She did?'

Morgan nodded. 'Bella had done nothing but insult Rose from the moment she was captured, and Rose being the feisty person she is, wanted to prove her worth. I had taught her wandless magic and she was determined to show Bella she was not be messed with. Riddle had not told any of his followers that Rose was my ancestor; they all thought her a mudblood, and their marriage had caused dissention among his ranks, especially with Bella. Rose was marvellous to witness and II was so proud of her skill and natural talent. Bella could not match Rose, despite her skill and her experience. She underestimated her, until she discovered that she was my ancestor.

But it was too late by then; Rose had Bella at her mercy and could have finished her. I had taught her the spell that would take Bella's life force from her and transfer it to me. I could have been human again, challenged Voldemort and destroyed his last horcrux!' Sirius shook his head. 'Why did she protect Bella? I don't understand it. 'Morgan's face contorted into a frustrated grimace.

'Some misguided moral belief in the sanctity of life...that she would only take life in the defence of her own or another's! I tried to reason with her, but she is stubborn... there was nothing more I could do.' Sirius stared at Morgan, trying to read her. Her expression seemed sincere, but still he was wary of her. 'I think even Bella was shocked. The woman she hates and feels pathological jealousy for is saving her life!'

Sirius shuddered and wanted to leave this room, but he needed this question answered.

'Why is Bella so jealous of Rose?' He forced the words out, and Morgan looked away, as if choosing her words, before she spoke again.

'Bella, deluded as she is, hoped that Riddle would make her his wife after her husband's death. It was something she always desired, such is her obsessive love for him. He might have taken her as a wife years ago, if he had wanted one and she had not already been married to Lestrange. But now your cousin is twisted and aged by life, her obsession with Riddle, and Azkaban. Riddle would not consider her now for a wife, even with her pureblood status and without Rose's presence in his life. He is callous, fickle and shallow. Despite his grotesque appearance, he appreciates physical beauty when it comes to women.'

Sirius swallowed. Rose was beautiful, inside and out. Not that Voldemort would care about the inside. Sirius always remembered the first time he met her and the immediate impact she had upon him. But still he felt his question had not been answered, and he did know not if he wanted it to be...he suspected it would confirm his suspicions,

'What has this to do with Rose? he said, his voice low. 'I am coming to that,' Morgan answered.

'Bella could not believe that Riddle married Rose. She had thought that he would merely impregnate her, keep her imprisoned until she gave birth and then get rid of her. She has had to watch from the sidelines for the past three months and witness the interactions between Rose and her master...and it has not been pleasant viewing for her. I am horrified and shocked by Rose's behaviour.'

Sirius felt his stomach begin to churn even more at Morgan's words. He did not know if he wanted to hear anymore.

'Tell me...' he whispered hoarsely.

'Are you sure?' Morgan said gently.

Her hand began to slowly move from his shoulder, and down his arm. She shuddered inwardly with desire for this man. He was handsome and his body was pleasingly firm and toned. If only she were human once more, she would have had him beneath her by now and be taking her fill of him. Rose was a lucky woman to have bedded him. But she was going to have him for herself, she had decided that now. Patience and time was required. She needed to break the bond and the trust between Sirius and Rose, then she was certain she could take him. That would punish the stupid girl for disobeying her. She would make sure Rose discovered what she had done. She would sully her precious memories of Sirius Black…

'Tell me!' Sirius said again, more loudly this time. 'Forgive me,' Morgan said, her tone still warm and gentle. She was certain he was believing her. His suspicions and jealous nature had tortured him with dark thoughts of the relationship between Rose and Riddle. She could tap into these, and play on them to get him to follow her plans and dance to her tune.

'I advised Rose on how to best to deal with the situation she was in, to try to make it easier for her to bear. I sensed how terrified she was on her wedding night...' Sirius wrenched himself from the bed at those words and stalked back over to the window. His hands rested against the frames and he stared outwards, trying to take control of himself. After some moments, he felt Morgan's presence behind him. 'Are you sure you want to hear this Sirius?' He felt her touch upon his back, and shivered at the sensation it created within him.

He moved around to face her and slumped down on the window ledge. 'Carry on,' he replied tonelessly. Morgan gave him a sympathetic look. 'I felt that Rose's suffering would be less if she was...compliant with Riddle's...attentions, and did not fight him. She reluctantly agreed with me, despite her apprehension.' Morgan studied the distraught expression on Sirius' face, but she continued anyway; she was going to plant the seeds of destruction in his head.

'It may sound voyeuristic, but I observed them together and she handled the situation remarkably well. But after a few weeks she was handling it too well, and I became uncomfortable by what I was witnessing. I could see that Rose was encouraging Riddle's attentions, and even enjoying them...'

Sirius move from the window and began pacing the room in distress. 'No!' He yelled. 'She would never do that! You're lying! She hates him!' He growled and then fired a hex in Morgan's direction, but it dissipated when it came into contact with her shield. Morgan looked at him, her expression inscrutable. 'Believe me, don't believe me...the choice is yours. The fact is that there is an attraction between Rose and Riddle...I have seen it. He is beginning to have an affect upon her. And now, the bonds between them will grow tighter...she is pregnant with his child.'

Sirius' stomach, which had become gradually unsettled during the conversation, began to contract. He bent over as he felt the bile force its way up and he coughed and retched the contents on the carpet. He knew that this day may come, but nothing could prepare him for hearing the news. Voldemort's seed was inside the woman that he loved; germinating and growing, forever binding her to him. Now Morgan was telling him that Rose was willingly letting him touch her...that she welcomed and enjoyed it!.

He had kept himself sane by imagining her fighting and resisting him every time he touched her, that she was detesting every minute he was near her. He had naïvely hoped that Voldemort would treat making Rose pregnant as a clinical encounter and only interact with her as necessary. Those imaginings had made it easier to bear. He drew in ragged breaths, trying to take back control of his body. His heart felt as if it was splintering and a jealous rage was growing inside of him. Part of him could not believe it of her, but some other part believed it was the truth. She was willingly allowing the evil bastard who'd killed Harry to touch her...she was enjoying it...how could she?

He moved to the sink and turned on the tap. He splashed the cold water against his skin, trying to cool down the anger that was threatening to spill out. He felt dangerous and out of control. He wanted to destroy someone or something, for he felt that something precious to him was being destroyed yet again. His hands gripped the sides of the sink as he inhaled more breaths to try to control the rage that was threatening to spill out,

The static feel from Morgan's hand moved its way up his back once more, but his anger was now blocking the effect of her touch, He roughly grabbed at the towel and wrenched himself away from the sink. Morgan stepped back as he moved away and dried his face roughly before he flung the towel to the floor with force. He kicked at the door savagely with his boot and rammed his fist against it several times, letting out a howl of rage. The silencing spell on the room prevented the rest of the house from hearing this. Morgan remained quiet; she knew that she needed to wait for him to speak first.

The look in his eyes was frightening; the blue orbs burning with an icy fury that threatened to break out at any time. 'I accept your conditions and your help.' He spat out. 'What do you need me to do?' Morgan wanted to dance in joy at his words, but she kept her voice and her countenance sympathetic. 'Thank you, Sirius' she said in a gentle tone. 'I know that I have brought you unhappy news and you have no reason to trust me. But our goal is the same...to destroy Riddle, and to save Rose from him...and herself. She is under his spell, but she will be herself once again when he is dead.' She towards him, taking his damaged hand that he held limply at his side. She raised it up, holding between her own hands.

Sirius felt the healing warmth transfer from Morgan to his hand. He saw again that her form flickered as she healed him. 'Thank you.' He said, reluctantly. Morgan dipped her head in acknowledgement at his words of gratitude. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, and sensed the seeds of doubt germinating inside him already; the hard look on his face marring his handsome features. 'What do you need me to do? he said again. 'Firstly, I need you to find me a willing volunteer; someone compliant and willing to offer themselves up for our cause.' His eyes fixed upon her, regarding her with curiosity. 'What will you do with them?' Morgan smiled. 'I will need use of their body so I can possess and take control of it. If I am to take on Voldemort, then I need a human form, even if it is only loaned to me.'

Sirius looked thoughtful for a few moments, and then nodded curtly. 'I know someone who would be willing to offer themselves up for that purpose. If they are not, I'm certain I can persuade them.' Morgan smiled inwardly to herself. She had him on-side. His anger, jealousy and hurt were clouding his judgement, allowing his impulsive and reckless nature to take over. She hoped that he was under her control now. 'Will you be able to persuade the rest of the Order to follow you and take part? I know that Kingsley Shacklebolt is regarded as the head of your resistance and makes the final decisions. We both know that he will not agree to any of this.' Sirius' expression was defiant and determined. 'Oh, I'll persuade most of them to follow me. There are several Order members becoming frustrated by our failures and feeling disillusioned. If I tell them that we have you on our side, they will be more than willing to be involved.'

Morgan fought to keep the exultance from her voice. It would not do well to be triumphant right now. 'That is good. Sirius. We will need as many people as you can muster. Finally, of course, I will need the Dark Amber stone. Who is in possession of it now?' Sirius looked up. 'Kingsley has it, He has cast charms and spells upon it to protect it...his magic is strong and I don't know if I'll be able to break the charms. You can take it when I get you your body.' Morgan shook her head. 'It is not that simple, unfortunately. Something that I put into place when I created the stone prevents this. It worked to my advantage then, but now it works against me. Rose became its new owner on her 21st birthday. Whoever Rose entrusted the stone to now has control of it. I cannot take it from that person by force; they have to relinquish it to me voluntarily. Rose gave it to your elf Kreacher didn't she?'

Sirius nodded. 'And he is still bound to serve your house is he not?' Morgan asked. 'Yes,' Sirius replied. 'I have offered his freedom to him but he has declined it. He has served my family for many years and wishes to stay in my service.' Morgan nodded. 'Then Kreacher is its current keeper. You can ask him for it and he will be bound to hand it to you, as his master. We need that stone if we are to successfully infiltrate Voldemort's headquarters.' Sirius shook his head. 'But he won't be giving it to me freely if he is bound by his service to do so.' Morgan disagreed. 'As your servant, anything that Kreacher has belongs to you.'

Morgan and Sirius, busy discussing their plans, were unaware of the elf that had heard everything, and who silently apparated from the room.