Remember Me: A Story Of Redemption

by Ghostwriter71

Things were going well for Daphne. She had just started dating. Her little sister was adapting well to school life. She had a small but close circle of friends. But then, just before the summer holidays, one of her friends announced to the world that Voldermort had returned. And her father's nightmares began again...

11. Chapter 11: Severus Snape Makes A Housec

SEVERUS SNAPE MAKES A HOUSECALL

"Oh, oh, oh, well we're pouring gasoline,
So dance around the fire that we once believed in;
Oh, oh, oh, it'll never be the same now,
The takers and the liars that we all believed in.
Well we're going down in flames,
So dance around the fire, we dance around the fire,
So come around and have another round on me…"

Severus Snape was pacing in his quarters at Hogwarts. It was Saturday afternoon, and he'd just left another meeting with Dumbledore where he had found out about the death of the Lestrange brothers. Snape was no fool, so it was quite easy for him to connect the dots: Bellatrix had disappeared from Azkaban months before, and now the Lestranges had been murdered. There was only one person who could be behind Bella's seemingly impossible escape from Azkaban and the assassination of the Lestranges, only one person who would care about either, outside of the Dark Lord himself. If Bellatrix was with him, she'd be out cursing and killing right and left in his service. And he surely wouldn't have killed the Lestranges, two of his most loyal and fanatical followers. No, there was only one person that came to Snapes' mind: William Greengrass. It had to be.

He'd said as much to the headmaster, only to have the old fool shrug his shoulders. "I am certain that William Greengrass can take care of himself. He is quite a powerful wizard, after all."

Snape ground his teeth. "Albus, I connected the dots to him about all this. Rather easily, I might add. Once the Dark Lord finds out, he'll turn his attention to the Greengrasses. William might be safe on his own lands, but what of his daughters? They're here, not there!"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world, Severus!" He laughed.

Severus shot a glare at the old man. "Oh yes, so very safe, headmaster." Snape's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "what with trolls getting in, three-headed dogs in the corridors, basilisks creeping through the walls, polyjuice disguised Death Eaters roaming the hallways, not to mention a house full of the children of Death Eaters. And their own house at that!"

Dumbledore put his best grandfatherly face on, and grasped Snape's shoulder. "Well, as you are head of that house, I have every confidence you'll look after them and keep them safe, Severus." He turned and walked behind his desk. Sitting down, he picked up a piece of parchment and glanced at Severus. "Was there anything else, my boy?"

Snape was fuming. "No, headmaster," he growled through clenched teeth. "Good day." He turned and stormed from the office, his robes swirling around him. As he stalked back to the dungeons, livid, he ground his teeth. The old fool was always so willing to play fast and loose with other people's lives. And all in the name of the "greater good". But these were children they were talking about! Children! How could the headmaster be so cavalier when the lives of children were at stake? Surely he knew that if the Dark Lord put a target on William Greengrass, his daughters would be in danger as well? Even here at Hogwarts they'd be in danger, especially from some of their darker housemates. Snape's scowl deepened. Yes, he would indeed take extra care to watch out for Daphne and Astoria. And yet he couldn't be everywhere at once.

Returning to his office, Snape dropped into his chair and took a swig of firewhiskey, vaguely wondering if he had been drinking too much recently. William Greengrass. The man was one of the very few who had ever treated Snape as a person, an equal, instead of someone to be used, a pawn to move around a chessboard. He'd never looked down on Snape for being a half-blood. They'd never been close—Severus wasn't close to anyone…hadn't been since he'd destroyed the only friendship he'd ever had, when he pushed Lilly away from him. His own lust for respect had pushed away the only person who'd ever had respect for him. Oh, the irony.

He took another swig of his drink as his mind wandered back to a particular incident involving the so-called Marauders. Severus had hated James Potter from the moment they met during their first year at Hogwarts. And he still hated him now, after the man had been dead for nearly fifteen years. Potter was arrogant and smug, and had a penchant for being a haughty prat. And yet, he usually got away with his bullying. Being a Gryffindor from a wealthy pureblood family, the teachers at Hogwarts tended to look the other way when he strutted about bullying others. But, not everyone looked the other way, and there were several wealthy pureblood families at Hogwarts…

(Flashback)

The incident that wandered to Snape's mind involved one of the several times that James Potter had picked a fight with Snape, who would try to defend himself, only to wind up suspended upside down several feet in the air because Potter's friends—Sirius Black (another one that Snape hated with every fiber of his being) and Remus Lupin—were always with him. While the Marauders tormented him, a group of other students (mostly Gryffindors, of course) laughed at the spectacle. He remembered the smug look on Potter's face, the taunting he threw at Snape who vainly tried to break free of Potter's hex. Snape remembered the humiliation he felt as tears had come into his eyes. He reckoned this would be another time he was just dumped on the ground, hurt and embarrassed while the other students continued laughing and pointing at him.

But then a voice said, "All fight, Potter, you've had your fun. Now put him down."

Everyone—Snape and Potter included—turned to see who had spoken. Snape was gratified to notice that the Smug look dropped from Potter's face. It was replaced by a look of uncertainty, and perhaps a touch of fear. Approaching them was a group of Slytherins led by William Greengrass. Next to him, holding his hand, was his girlfriend Bellatrix Black. On his other side was Elizabeth Nott, followed by her brother. Immediately behind them were the other two Black sisters, Andromeda and Narcissa, as well as Lucius Malfoy.

Many in the other houses—specifically within Gryffindor—had taken to calling this group of friends the "Slytherin Seven" because the seven of them hung around together so much. They became something of a Slytherin counter to the Marauders of Gryffindor, though the parallel wasn't exact. The Slytherin Seven more so looked out for other Slytherins to keep them from being bullied by Gryffindors rather than pulling pranks on the rest of the houses.

The Greengrass family, being one of the three oldest magical families in Britain (the other two being the Averys and the Abbots), was held in high esteem by many. William Greengrass was a natural leader and a powerful wizard, even at a young age. And women were attracted to power. Not just in a romantic sense, but in a protective sense as well…Severus knew the younger Black sisters weren't romantically interested in William, since Narcissa had a gigantic crush on Lucius, and Andromeda kept quiet about her romantic life, despite the attempts of many young pureblood men who were vying for her attention. Yet they could frequently be found in the company of William and their older sister.

Lucius hung out with William because he wanted to keep close to the Black sisters, as his father desired to maintain his hopes of gaining influence and prestige within magical society. Abraxas Malfoy was a man ever obsessed with power and influence. William and Lucius were never close, but since both of them were pureblood Slytherins they got along well enough…and again, Abraxas told Lucius to spend time with William in hopes of getting the Greengrasses to drop their neutrality and join the Dark Lord.

As for the Nott idiot, he too hung around William in hopes of achieving more influence and power, whilst also keeping an eye on his sister. And it kept him in close proximity to the Black sisters as well. Nott thought all three of the girls were very pretty. Snape sneered to himself and shook his head. As if Nott had stood a chance of getting with any of them. Nott had always been an idiot. He was the Slytherin version of Pettigrew, the sniveling hanger-on to the stronger, more popular members of the group.

William and his friends stopped about ten feet from Potter and his friends. William looked bored. Bellatrix was smirking at Potter, while Elizabeth had her eyes narrowed. The laughter of the other students who had been watching Potter bully Snape suddenly grew silent.

James, momentarily taken aback by the abrupt turn of events, regained most of his smug composure when he felt Sirius and Remus move in close to him on either side. "Well, what if I don't, Greengrass? What are you going to do about it?"

William's right eyebrow rose a little, whilst the left corner of his lip twitched upwards. "Would you like to see what I'll do about it, Potter?" An icy edge crept into William's voice. Bellatrix gave a soft cackle, her grin turning almost feral. Liz's eyes narrowed further, and she lowered her head slightly. The group of students held their collective breath as they watched the Gryffindor versus Slytherin standoff.

Sirius noted the looks on the faces of the Slytherins and decided enough was enough. As strong a wizard as James was, Sirius knew that the wizard and two witches now facing them were some of the strongest at the school. One on one, James might have been able to hold his own with Greengrass. But adding Bellatrix and the Nott girl into the mix would make the situation unwinnable, even with Sirius and Remus backing him up.

Much to Snape's displeasure, who had hoped Potter was about to be served a large helping of humiliation, Sirius moved to diffuse the situation, knowing how quickly it could get out of hand if his Slytherin cousins decided to be particularly nasty with their spells. He patted James on the shoulder. "Come on, mate; it's not worth it. Let's go."

For once, reason seemed to win out. Even James had the sense to know he and his friends were no match for the Slytherins now facing them. Yet as he and his associates walked away, he still couldn't resist trying to have the last word. "We'll see you later, Snivelus, when your friends aren't around to save your worthless arse."

Bellatrix flicked her wand at the retreating figures, sending a particularly painful stinging hex at James' backside. He yelled in pain and spun around, wand up. Bellatrix snickered, grinning and not even bothering to raise her wand. James glared at her and was about to say something—perhaps sending a spell of his own at Bellatrix, when his eyes flitted to William's face. William was staring at him impassively, but James detected an icy flicker deep in the blue eyes now staring him down, as if daring James to attack Bellatrix, who cackled louder. James also noted the wand now visible in William's hand.

Sirius noticed this too, and once more put his hand on James shoulder. Muttering something and shaking his head, he turned James back around and the Marauders continued towards the school.

William sighed and shook his head as well. Turning back to Severus, he saw that Liz had lowered him to the ground. "You okay, Snape?"

Severus nodded but didn't say anything, as he too watched the Marauders walk away.

"For Merlin's sake, Snape," Liz said. "Learn how to defend yourself against those idiots! Don't let them keep picking on you! You make the entire House look bad!"

"Don't you think I've tried, Nott?" Severus hissed, turning a glare on Liz. "But they never go anywhere alone, and I can't beat all four of them by myself!"

"Those disgusting blood traitors will pay for their antics some day," Lucius murmured.

"Yes, our idiot of a cousin should be much more selective about who he keeps company with," Bellatrix said. She leaned into William and looped her arm through his, kissing him on the cheek. "Isn't that right, dearest?"

William snorted. "I do think he needs to have his head examined, hanging around with the likes of James Potter." He said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. He glanced at Severus. "Liz is right, Snape. You should try and learn a few other spells. We can't always be around to help you."

Snape wanted to sneer, but he knew he owed William and Bella for chasing the Marauders away. So he just nodded. "I will. I'll create some spells to use against them if I have to!"

Bellatrix grinned at him, and Lucius said, "Excellent," in his oh-so-smooth voice. William smiled and said, "See you later, Snape." The group turned and headed back to the school themselves, leaving a grateful and somewhat envious Severus Snape staring after them. "Someday, I'll be as powerful as they are," he vowed to himself as he watched the group of Slytherins walk back to the castle before gathering his things and following his housemates. "I'll make the Dark Lord proud to have me on his side, even if I am just a half-blood,"

(End Flashback)

Snape took another swig of firewhiskey and shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present. As he'd told the headmaster, Snape had connected the dots back to William. And if he could, it wouldn't be long before Lucius did as well. Lucius might be a power-mad boot licker, but he wasn't stupid. He would figure it out and tell the Dark Lord, if he hadn't already done so.

Snape sighed and stood up. He knew he owed William Greengrass a lot for helping him out in school, and decided it was time to pay him a visit. If anyone questioned him about the visit, he would say it had to do with the Greengrass girls, and it wouldn't even be a lie. Because they, too, would be in danger if the Dark Lord discovered William Greengrass was working against him. Besides, Snape was genuinely curious to see if Bellatrix was indeed hiding out at Greengrass Manor.

And then another thought struck him: if Greengrass was indeed powerful enough to break Bellatrix out of Azkaban (and kill three Dementors in the process!), perhaps—just perhaps—he could help Snape break free of both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. He tossed some powder into the flames and said, "William Greengrass".

(XXX)

William and Bellatrix were sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room, enjoying the quiet of the house and each other's presence. William had his arm around her shoulders, and Bellatrix sighed in contentment, snuggling deeper into Will's side, her eyes drifting shut. "We need to tell your daughters about us, Will," she murmured. "About our engagement. I don't want them to hate me anymore than they already do."

"They don't hate you, Bella," William sighed. "Astoria is accepting of you, and Daphne is slowly coming around as well. She even said to greet you in her last letter. That's a vast improvement over how she was at Christmas."

"Yes, but…I don't want them to think I'm trying to replace their mother." She half opened her eyes and looked at the ring adorning the fourth finger of her left hand. The beautiful moonstone sparkled back at her. She felt the warmth radiating from it, and the gentle tingling it cast onto her finger. She smiled, remembering when he'd given it to her...

(Mini flashback)

After his impromptu proposal a couple weeks prior, Will had gone to Gringots the following morning to retrieve his grandmother's engagement ring from his vault. It was a beautiful ring: a large moonstone rested in the middle of a think band. The band itself was black Onyx, and inscribed with protection runes all along its surface. He hoped Bella would like it.

Returning to the house, he asked Lizzy and her fellow house elves to prepare a meal of Bella's favorite foods. They set up a little table in the sitting room, between the windows and the fireplace. Bella and Will enjoyed their dinner, and when the desert was brought out (lemon meringue pie, Bella's favorite), Will looked Bellatrix in the eye, smiled, and said, "I'm going to do this the right way." Slipping out of his chair, he went down on one knee next to Bella's. "Bellatrix Druella Black, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Even though he'd already asked her to marry him, and she'd said yes, Bella's eyes filled with tears at the romantic gesture. Will opened the small box he was holding to reveal the ring, and Bellatrix gasped at its beauty.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, of course I will, you silly man!" Slipping out of her chair, she knelt in front of him, and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Breaking the hug after a few moments, Will took her left hand in his, and gently slid the ring onto her finger. It was slightly larger in width than Bella's finger was—evidently his grandmother had larger fingers than Bellatrix. Perhaps Bella's fingers had shrunk during her imprisonment. But being filled with magic the ring automatically shrank to fit Bella's own finger. She immediately felt a warmth surge out from the ring, onto her finger and then rapidly throughout her entire body. She let out a slight gasp once again, and looked into Will's eyes. He was smiling at her.

"It's Moonstone," he murmured. "I enhanced it with some extra protection spells—it can even be used as an emergency port key if needed. I also put a couple of love spells into it." His hands found their way to Bella's cheeks. "This way, you'll always have a bit of me with you," his voice was low as he gazed into her eyes. "And I'll know that you're safer."

"I love you so much, Will," Bella whispered. A tear escaped her eye and made its way down her cheek as she leaned in to capture Will's lips with her own.

(End mini flashback)

As Bellatrix continued gazing at her ring, she murmured, "I can't believe that we're finally together again, Will. I never believed it could happen…never would have hoped it could. But now, here we are." She shifted in his arms so she could look up at him, her hand sliding to his cheek. "Sometimes, since I've been here, the thought has crossed my mind about what would have happened if you hadn't rescued me from Azkaban, and I had been broken out with the others by…by him. How things might have been so very different if that had happened." Her eyes filled again. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, Will. But I'll spend the rest of my life trying."

Will pulled her tightly against his chest, his hand caressing her hair as she snuggled herself to him once more. "Having you in my arms is all I need, my love. All I need."

The fireplace chose that moment to hiss and blaze up, and a voice called, "Greengrass, it's Snape. May I come through?"

Fear surged through William at the sound of his daughters' head of house. "What is it, Severus? Did something happen to the girls?"

There was a slight pause before Snape said, "No, nothing's happened to your children. Not yet, anyway. May I come through and discuss it with you?"

Will glanced at Bellatrix. She sighed and nodded. She placed another kiss on his lips before sliding from his arms and exiting the room.

William stood and called, "Come on through, Sverus."

Moments later Snape stepped out of the fireplace, brushing ash from his robes. William extended his hand and Severus reluctantly shook it, giving one firm shake before releasing it…Snape had an aversion to physical contact.

William gestured Snape towards a chair, and sat down on the couch across from him. "So if my daughters are fine, what brings their head of house to my house?"

Snape leaned forward. "Look, Greengrass…William. We were never close at Hogwarts, but you did stand up for me on several occasions. Hardly anyone else ever did that for me, so…I feel that I owe you." Snape's mouth twisted a bit at his words. He hated owing anyone anything. He lowered his voice as he continued. "There are several people who believe that it was you who broke Bellatrix out of Azkaban, and some who think it was you behind the deaths of those idiot Lestrange brothers. I myself happen to be one of those people. So far, it's only been those on the so-called 'Light side' who've wondered this. But it won't be long before the Dark Lord connects the dots as well. And when that happens, he will send his Death Eaters after you; either to get you to join his cause, or, barring that, to kill you."

William's lips twitched up into a smirk. "Thank you for warning me, Severus, but I'm not worried. My lands are perhaps the most strongly protected in all of Britain, so I say let him try."

"Yes, perhaps here you are safe. But your daughters are not here; and as safe as Hogwarts may be, it's not nearly safe enough."

William leaned back against the couch and frowned. Snape was right: if they were outside of the wards on the Greengrass lands, the girls were at risk. It's not that William hadn't realized it before, but Snape's warning had dragged it back to the front of his mind. Along with Bellatrix, his daughter's meant more to him than anything else in the world. There must be a way to ensure their safety while they were away from home. Perhaps he could speak with the Lady about it?

Snape watched William closely as Will processed his thoughts. As the minutes dragged on, Snape's impatience grew. He wanted to know if Bellatrix was really at the Greengrass estate. So he interrupted William's thoughts.

"Greengrass, I have to know—is Bella here, or not?"

Will's gaze shifted to Severus, and he blinked, staring at Snape for several moments without answering. Then, ignoring Snape's question, he finally asked, "Would you care for anything to drink, Severus? Tea? Firewhiskey?"

Snape glowered at him. "Tea, if you please."

Will called for Lizzy, who appeared a moment later. "Master calls Lizzy?"

"Yes, would you please make us some tea, Lizzy?" The elf bobbed her head and popped out, reappearing moments later with the tea. She asked how Snape took his, and after preparing it gave Will his as well. He took a sip and smiled at her. "Perfect as always, Lizzy."

"Lizzy is happy Master likes his tea. Lizzy is going back to the kitchen now." She popped out again, and the two men spent a couple minutes in silence sipping their tea and staring at one another. Severus, as much as he wanted to know about Bellatrix and the Lestragne brothers, didn't mention it again. As if he'd come to a decision, Will abruptly set his tea down and said, "I'll return in just a moment, Severus." And with that he left the room.

Snape continued sipping his tea. Soon, the door opened again. Will entered, followed by none other than Bellatrix, who was grasping his hand. Snape noted their entwined fingers before gazing at Bellatrix's face. She looked better than she had the last time he'd seen her in person: her face was calm, almost serene, while the manic look was absent from her eyes. And she looked much better than she had in the pictures they'd posted of her since the Azkaban breakout. She had filled back out some, and her hair looked clean and healthy, much like it had when they'd all been in school together.

She and Will sat down across from him, William placing his arm across her shoulders and Bellatrix leaning into his side. Snape couldn't recall Bella ever looking this peaceful since they'd been in school before seventh year. And perhaps not even then. He caught sight of the ring adorning her left ring finger and quirked an eyebrow.

Well, he thought. It seems Greengrass has asked her to marry him, and apparently she said yes. He wouldn't have done that unless Lestrange was dead…the magic wouldn't have let it happen if the marriage bond between Bellatrix and Rodolphus was still intact. A smug satisfaction spread through him as he realized he'd been right on both counts.

"Hello, Severus," Bellatrix said, her voice soft. A touch of the Black arrogance still lingered in it, but not to the extent it once had.

"Bella. You're looking well."

She inclined her head. "Thank you."

"This should answer your first question, Severus," Will said. "As to the other, yes…yes, I did kill them."

Severus noticed Bellatrix give a slight flinch when William said that. But it didn't seem to be out of regret over the death of her husband. No, it seemed as if she felt responsible for William having the blood of her husband and brother-in-law on his hands.

Severus snorted. "Good riddance, I say. The Lestranges were two of the most vile individuals I've ever had the misfortune of knowing. Not to mention the fact that they were a couple of blithering idiots. Their fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord was their undoing." Then he turned serious again. "But this will put you in the Dark Lord's line of wrath, William. As I said, my main concern is for your daughters. But even you and Bella could be in danger, as well as any of your friends and associates the Dark Lord can find."

Severus heard Bella release a soft gasp, casting a worried glance at William, who tightened his arm around her while he favored Severus with a grim smile. "If he does, then the Greengrass family will join the fight against him, and the combined magical power of the Neutral families will fall on him as well."

Snape shook his head. "But even with your side joining the fight it might not be enough. The ranks of his Death Eaters are swelling by the day, with young witches and wizards eager to join his cause. And it's not just humans…he is drawing many dark creatures to his side as well—the Dementors, giants, werewolves, perhaps even vampires."

William's smile grew, his lips rolling back from his teeth, making him look feral. "Oh, I've a few dark creatures on my side as well, Severus. Creatures strong enough to kill Dementors. Also, there are more of us neutrals than most people think. And unlike the goody—goody 'Light' side families, we are not afraid to do what must be done in order to win a war."

Severus leaned back, looking from William to Bellatrix and back again. Bella looked a little nervous, but William appeared confident. The two were looking at each other the way only those who are truly in love can, lost in their own world for a moment. Bella's face softened, and she smiled, the worry leaving her face. Will reached out and cupped her cheek.

Snape looked away, out the window, sipping his tea. His outward appearance displaying his usual calm, while inside his mind was racing as he processed William's words. William had trusted Snape by revealing that Bellatrix was indeed there, that he had indeed killed the Lestranges, and that he had asked Bella to marry him (the latter not being spoken, but revealed by virtue of the ring on Bella's finger). His hope grew the more he thought, and his mind whispered, do it…ask him. He helped you before, all those years ago. Just ask him!

Snape set his cup down on the table beside his chair, and leaned forward. "William, there is something I must ask of you."

Something in Snape's tone of voice caused both Will and Bella to turn towards him. Snape took a deep breath. "What I am going to tell you I ask you to tell no one." Snape paused again, and took another deep breath. "As you both know, I joined the Dark Lord's side before we all left school, as did several of others of our house." He glanced at Bellatrix and her face flushed with embarrassment. "However, before the first war ended, certain…circumstances caused me to switch sides, and become a spy for Dumbledore." He wasn't ready to tell anyone of his love for Lilly Evans Potter. That was something only Albus knew, and Snape wasn't sure he'd ever tell anyone else besides the headmaster.

"To be frank, Albus isn't very different from the Dark Lord…he has fanatical followers who hang on his every word and follow it like the law, never questioning him. He manipulates, blackmails, bribes, threatens. But because of who he is, and his position within the magical community, he gets away with it, for the 'greater good' and all that." Snape couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

He stood and began pacing as he continued. "I'm sick of being his lackey. He still has me spying on the Dark Lord for him. No one in the Order likes me much. A few tolerate me because Dumbledore says they should, but they all just look at me as a Death Eater turned traitor, which makes me doubly untrustworthy in their minds. After nearly two decades doing this, I want out. I want to be free of both the headmaster and the Dark Lord." He stopped pacing and spun to face Will and Bella. Bella was looking at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. Will was frowning and looking at the floor.

"If I guarantee the safety of Daphne and Astoria, will you help me break free? I know I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and this is simply the result of those mistakes. But I am so tired of being everyone's pawn, of having no freedom to live the life I want to live. I've done terrible things in service to both men." He glanced at Bellatrix, who glanced away with a look of shame and regret on her face. Snape walked to the window and looked out. "But I have to believe that redemption is possible for me, too…even if perhaps I don't deserve it."

Snape turned to face William again, trying to read the emotions that were moving across it. Bellatrix was watching William too. The room fell silent, and stayed silent for several moments, the only sound coming from the clock on the mantle as it ticked the seconds away. Finally William sighed. Standing, he walked to Severus.

"My daughters mean more to me than anything or anyone else on earth." He glanced at Bellatrix while a soft smile appeared on his face. "Well, anyone else except for Bella."

Her lips twitched up in a shy smile, and she looked down.

Will regarded Severus again. "So if you can promise me that my daughters will be safe at Hogwarts, then I promise to do everything for you that I can to help you be free."

Raising his chin a little, Severus held out his hand.

Will looked down at it, then back to Snape's face. He knew what Snape had in mind. But it required a witness, and there was no one else except Bellatrix. And she had no wand. "Lizzy!"He called, the elf appearing almost instantly.

"Lizzy is hear, master."

"Would you please bring…mistress Mary's wand to me?" Will's voice was thick with emotion.

With a nod, Lizzy disappeared, retuning seconds later with the wand. She handed it to Will, a look of sadness in her large, round eyes, then popped out of the room.

"Bella, would you please come here?" Will asked, as he stared at the wand he was holding with a look of reverence and regret. Bellatrix rose rather reluctantly from the couch and joined the two men in the middle of the room. Will looked at her and held the wand out. Bellatrix looked at it, then looked back at William, her eyes asking if he was sure.

He smiled and gave her a slight nod. Taking a deep breath, Bella reached out and picked up the wand. Nothing happened for a second or two. Then Bellatrix gasped as a wave of magic surged out of the wand and encompassed her entire body in a warm glow that disappeared after a moment. William and Bella exchanged a look, each one reaching out to touch the other's cheek again, and Snape noted they both had tears in their eyes. The significance of the moment was not lost on Snape: This was the wand of William's deceased wife Mary, and it had just accepted Bellatrix as its new wielder.

Their hands lowered, and Will turned to look at Snape again. Reaching out, he clasped Snape's wrist who returned the gesture. Bellatrix put the tip of her wand on their joined hands. Looking at Snape she asked, "Do you, Severus Snape, vow to protect the lives of Daphne and Astoria Greengrass with everything in your power?"

"I will," Snape answered. A stringy, orange flame emanated from the wand, wrapping itself around Will and Severus' hands before disappearing.

Looking at William, she asked, "Do you, William Greengrass, vow to do everything in your power to help Severus Snape break free of those controlling him, so he can live his life as he so chooses?"

"I will," came the reply, and another string of orange fire issued from the wand, once again enveloping their hands in a soft glow and disappeared. The men released one another's wrists and shook hands. Severus felt as though some immense, unseen weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew he wasn't free yet, but also knew it was only a matter of time now. William had done the impossible more than once, by rescuing Bellatrix from Azkaban, killing three Dementors, and restoring her to sanity. If he could do all that, Snape knew William could save him from the clutches of Albus and Voldermort.

Uncharacteristically, he spent close to another hour at the Greengrass house before returning to Hogwarts, reminiscing with William and Bellatrix about their school years. Snape hadn't reminisced with anyone in…well, ever. He didn't have anyone in his life that he would call friends, but something inside him felt as if he now had friends in the two people sitting across from him. And he found it was a nice feeling, having friends. He hoped that one this miserable business was over, he could have an actual, normal life, something he'd dreamed of since first arriving at Hogwarts all those years ago. And at last, he had hope that there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.

But for now, he still had a job to do. After finishing his second cup of tea, he took leave of Will and Bella, promising to keep them informed of anything from both the headmaster and Voldermort that pertained to them, before returning to Hogwarts. He sighed as he began his preparations for next week's lessons, and also mulled over his plans for keeping the Greengrass girls safe. He sighed. He wasn't overly fond of children to begin with, and now he was responsible for the safety of three.

Then he chuckled to himself as another thought struck him. "I've just become a triple agent." Smiling, he shook his head.

(XXX)

After Severus left, William and Bellatrix spent a little time discussing the events of the afternoon. Will, however, seemed a bit distracted. Bellatrix was worried that it had something to do with the fact the his wife's wand had bonded with her, but didn't say anything about it, choosing to let him bring it up if he wanted to.

Just before supper time, Will stood. "There's something I need to go see to, love. And I need to go alone."

Bellatrix shot to her feet. "Is it dangerous?" Her voice held a note of fear.

Will took her in his arms and embraced her. "No, my love, not for me. It has to do with Greengrass family secrets. I promise when the time comes, you will know everything. When we're married, you'll be a Greengrass, and there will be no more secrets between us. I promise." He kissed her forehead and let her go. "I'll be back by supper, love."

When Will left, Bella walked to the window and watched as Will headed towards the woods. A soft, spring breeze was rustling the branches of the trees outside, and sending sweet aromas of blossoming flowers into the room.

She wondered what Will was doing, but rested in his promise that someday he would tell her everything. The day they became one. Oh, the two of them were definitely already one in soul…had been since they were children, in fact, though neither had known it at the time. But soon they would be one completely, in every way. At least, she hoped it would be soon. This war couldn't end soon enough for her.

Bellatrix gazed at the wand in her hands. She hadn't held a wand in over a decade, not since that fateful day with the Longbottoms. Now she had one again, the wand belonging to the dead wife of the man that she loved with all her heart. Bellatrix clutched the wand to her chest, her eyes looking up towards the sky.

"Thank you, Mary Abbot," she whispered. "Thank you. I promise that I will take care of them for you…Will, Daphne, and Astoria. Your daughters have grown into beautiful, intelligent young women. I'll protect all three of them with my life. I swear it!"

As she turned from the window, Bella could swear she heard the distinct sound of a woman signing carried on the wind. Looking out, Will had disappeared, and there was no one else in sight. Shrugging, she headed up to her room. She was almost back to normal physically after her ordeal in Azkaban, but she felt tired after the emotions of the day, and seeing Severus again. A nap would do her good. And when she woke, Will would be back

(XXX)

When Will reached the edge of the forest, and was out of sight of the house, he spoke the ancient words. Moments later, three dark and cloaked figures stood before him. "What does the Keeper of the Words require of us?" The cold voice of the middle being intoned.

"War is coming," Will replied. "Some may try getting onto our lands to attack us. You are to kill anyone who enters the lands of the Greengrass family, unless they are authorized to be here by me. Also, I need some of you to go to the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts and make certain my daughters are safe. They are the heiresses of the Greengrass family, and our line must continue. Do what you must to ensure their safety, but do not kill any innocents."

The middle being inclined its head. "It shall be done as you ask, Keeper of the Words." The three turned and silently disappeared into the forest once more. Moments later, there was a flapping sound, and several dark figures rose from the forest and passed by over head, moving swiftly and silently away to the north.

Will watched them disappear into the distance. Let Voldermort or his followers try something now. Smirking, he wondered what Dumbledore would think knowing that Dark Dwellers would now be dwelling in the forest adjacent to Hogwarts. He shook his head. The old man would probably lose it, having powerful dark creatures so close to the school.

As Will headed back to the house, he heard singing once more coming from the direction of the big pond. The melody washed over him as the ancient words reached into his heart and stirred some primal feeling, planting peace deep within his soul.

"Thank you, Lady," Will murmured, as he turned back to the house of his ancestors, where the woman who held his heart was waiting for him.

A/N: There you have it. Not nearly where I had intended to stop when I began writing this chapter, but as usual, my brain kept adding things as I typed, so I had to cut if off sooner than I'd originally planned. :/ Hopefully, the next chapter will be posted in a couple of days. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Questions, comments, whatever, send a PM Or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, leave a review.