A Sad Silence

***

Severus Apparated back to the castle without Alissa. He didn't know if she would come back or not. At least she has to come back when the Dark Lord comes for the Elder Wand! he thought smugly. Her comment about the 'looking-glass' bothered him. Didn't Albus say something about that as well? Oh, yes, it was when Alissa said I had to stay at Spinner's End with that blasted rat for the summer!

He thought about how Albus was so terribly amused at his squirming. He, the one to go and do for the Order, now had to sit and let others go. Yes, he had certainly experienced life 'through the looking-glass!' He just did not know what Alissa wanted from him! Did she want him to love her like her loved Lily? Impossible! There could be no one who would take her place. Never! Why did it matter? He loved Alissa. He knew he did. It was just different from his love for Lily. Could she understand?

***

He walked back from his meeting with the Dark Lord to the castle. He had not seen Alissa anywhere around the grounds, but he could feel her. He would see her soon. Soon.

It was as he said it would be. The Dark Lord was like a child with a shiny new penny. He was gleeful. It was disturbing. Whenever the Dark Lord was happy, that meant unhappiness for those around him. He saw Alissa's dark figure in the shadows of the room. She was silent and her mind was blank. As the Dark Lord prattled on and on, oblivious to the world except his joy at for his secret acquisition, Severus played the dutiful servant, but deep in his mind there was so much doubt. He wished he could explain to Alissa what he desperately wanted her to know: that he loved her and his love for her was unique. Not better or worse than what he felt for Lily because she wasn't Lily. She was Alissa, and he loved her just for being herself. But how could he tell her so she would understand? When would he get another chance to be alone with her? He glanced her way a couple times. She was unhappy. And there was nothing he could do about it.

***

For a fortnight, all was eerily quiet. The Dark Lord's new wand was now the topic of all conversation. He was ready to meet the whelp, Potter, and finish him off. Even his anger and rage towards the Malfoys, Bellatrix, and Greyback had receded. All was going according to plan. The strategy of the final battle was underway. Alissa was mercifully absent from these planning sessions, and she didn't want to know any more than she had to. There was still much to do. There were more Muggle-borns to watch out for and capture and more loyalists to Potter to hunt down and arrest. Alissa was actually happy to get some distance from Severus. She felt she might have pushed him too far. Lily was a tender subject, after all.

She was working on a new lead to finally discovering Hagrid's hide-out when word came to her that she and the Death Eaters with her were all needed back at the manor. The Dark Lord had news, and the messenger warned them that he was furious. When Alissa arrived, there was a great milling about the anti-chamber outside the Throne Room. The tension was thick and she looked to see if Severus was there. She finally saw his form. He was tense and pensive, so she did not approach him.

The door opened to the Throne Room and there stood a goblin. He was scared witless. Alissa hung back, not wanting to be too near the Dark Lord. He was in a right state. Even from the back of the room, Alissa could see the rage and ire etched on his hideous face.

He spoke. "I want you all to listen to what this goblin has to say," he spat angrily.

The goblin opened his mouth, but was so scared; the words couldn't form on his tongue.

"Spit it out!" the Dark Lord shrieked.

A number of witches and wizards alike jumped at the Dark Lord's outburst.

"The Lestrange vault was broken into," he said hurriedly.

The red eyes in the Dark Lord's face burned like a raging fire.

"IT CANNOT BE!" he screamed. The awesome fury was terrible to behold. "Say it again!" he murmured. "Say it again!"

"M-my Lord," stammered the goblin, "m-my Lord... we t-tried t-to st-stop them... Im-impostors, my Lord... broke – broke into the – into the Lestranges' v-vault..."

"Impostors? What impostors? Who were they?"

"It was... it was... t-the P-Potter b-boy and t-two accomplices..."

Alissa closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. There would be bloodshed this day!

"And they took?" he said. There was a tremor in his voice. It sounded like fear.

The goblin winced as he whispered, "A... a s-small golden c-cup, m-my Lord..."

A scream of horror tore from the Dark Lord as the information processed through his mind. He became increasingly enraged as if he could not believe the words he had heard. He turned on the goblin with the Elder Wand, slashing it through the air, and struck him down...dead. As his body fell onto the side and his face of death was shown to the assembly, cries of terror rang out. The Dark Lord's anger was far from extinguished. As he began striking down his Death Eaters, the living witches and wizards ran for their lives. Malfoy and Bellatrix pushed people behind them to get out faster. Alissa and Severus, who had wisely hung back, were the first to exit into the anti-chamber. The screams and the crashes of items struck down by the Dark Lord's wand echoed in their ears.

Finally, his wrath contained, he called out for Severus and Alissa to come back into the Throne Room. They made their way through the debris and dead bodies to kneel before him. For a long time, they knelt as he paced. Alone in his thoughts, he walked back and forth in front of them

This is it, Alissa thought. He's going to kill us now.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity before the Dark Lord inhaled a deep breath and sat on his Throne. He was furious, but contained.

"Severus, I need you to return to Hogwarts. Harry Potter will be coming. He will be coming and you must be ready for him. When he arrives, the final battle will begin and I shall finally destroy him." He face was twisted in rage and in strangely perverse joy.

"Alissa, I shall need your assistance in readying our army. We must gather all of our allies and make known the need to be prepared at a moment's call."

He was silent for a minute and then said softly, "Leave."

They walked out and they went to the Apparition point. Severus looked at her longingly.

"I have to get back to the castle," he whispered.

"I have to get back to my post," she replied.

The tension between them was thick. There was so much to say, but where to start? Alissa felt like a damn fool for pushing him into talking about Lily. Severus felt guilty for not just taking her into his arms and confessing all his thoughts to her. He didn't, however, know where to begin.

She finally turned, walked away, and Disapparated.

Severus felt he had completely lost his very last chance at happiness.

***

Alissa Apparated to Hogsmeade to tell the regiment of Death Eaters there be on the look-out for Harry Potter. She would be looking out as well, to make sure when he arrived, he would be able to make his escape. That is, if he chose to come through Hogsmeade at all!

When it began, it was simple enough. The area he Apparated into was only being patrolled by six Death Eaters. Alissa ran up the street when she heard the racket.

"We know you're there, Potter! There is no getting away! We'll find you!" said Pearson.

They started arguing amongst themselves about getting the Dementors to find him and give him the Kiss.

Alissa spoke up, "Look, you lot, the Dark Lord wants Potter dead by his own hand but only his!

Macnair spoke up, "But the Dementors won't kill him, just take his soul! The Dark Lord wants his life, not his soul!"

They began to call for Dementors.

Shit, shit, shit! Alissa thought. She could not argue with them without casting suspicion on herself. As the Dementors glided by, suddenly a Patronus jumped out of nowhere! A stag! Potter's Patronus!

FUCK! Alissa screamed in her head. The Death Eaters were on it like a threstral on raw meat. As the Dementors made their exit, the Death Eaters were yelling, calling, knowing Potter was there. Suddenly, a Caterwauling Charm rang out in the night at the Hog's Head. They ran to the front of the establishment, and Macnair began a heated argument with the proprietor, Aberforth Dumbledore.

"A stag! You idiot..."Expecto Patronum!" A goat erupted from the old man's wand and vanished out of sight.

"That's not what I saw!" yelled Macnair at him.

Back and forth they went and Alissa smiled underneath her mask. Aberforth was a damn good liar! She knew he had safely ensconced Potter and his friends within his tavern. If anyone in Hogsmeade would know how to get Potter safely into Hogwarts, it would be Aberforth. She could leave now, knowing the trio was in good hands.

A/N: Large portions of this chapter were taken directly from JKR's Deathly Hallows. Thanks to Ms. Rowling for her superb writing. Thanks to my beta, MadBrilliant, and to all who review!