XVII: The Greater Good

Chapter XVII: The Greater Good

'Brrr, on a cold day like this, Dumbledore should let us Apparate to Hogsmeade.'

Charis laughed. 'Oh, come on, Jack. It's not that cold. And I'll buy you a cup of hot chocolate at Madam Puddifoot's later.'

'You better buy me a tub full so I can soak in it and defrost.'

Charis smiled as she watched her House mate pull his cloak tighter around himself. Jack was such a sweetheart: he was kind, smart, a great study partner and always had time for a chat. And most of all, he had never made a pass on her. He was just a really good friend. And that was what Charis needed right now: a boy who wanted nothing more than to be friends with her. If it wasn't for him, Charis probably would have avoided male company altogether, so fragile was she after the incidents with Snape and Zabini. But Jack showed Charis that not all boys were out for whatever they could get from girls, and for that she was incredibly grateful.

'Seriously, this must be the coldest day of the year,' Jack continued complaining, shivering theatrically. 'No wonder Morgana said she wasn't coming.'

'I think that's just an excuse,' Charis said. 'Fact is that she hates animals.'

Jack rolled his eyes. 'So Slytherin of her.'

Charis knelt and pretended tying her shoelaces. She didn't feel like talking about Morgana at the moment. To be honest, she had not even asked her best friend to come along to Hogsmeade. Simply because she had known instinctively that Morgana would turn her down.

Morgana had changed. Ever since that night Lucius Malfoy had invaded her mind, she had become quieter every day, secretive even. Sure, she still made her ironic comments and grinned when her victim squirmed in embarrassment, but Charis had noticed the change. The mischievous glint in Morgana's eyes had gone, and she seemed cold and unapproachable. And no matter how many times Charis had warned her about Malfoy, Morgana seemed to brush her off with annoyance. It was almost as if she enjoyed the attention she was receiving from the Dark wizard.

Charis had tried to find out exactly what was going on in her friend's head, and up until the New Year's party, Morgana had actually let her come close. But since January first, when Morgana had revealed that she had slept with Malfoy, she had been turning the cold shoulder to her best friend. During Potions lessons, she had even teamed up with another Slytherin. Could it be that Morgana had finally caved from the pressure from the rest of her House? Had they threatened her, maybe? This wouldn't surprise Charis. After all, she had now first-hand experience of Slytherin cruelty. And as much as she missed her best friend, she did not dare approach her out of fear that she might to get her into trouble.

'I bet Slytherins only use cats as snake food,' Jack pointed out, and Charis laughed with him, glad to have something other than Morgana to think about.

'I had no idea that there was an animal rescue centre in Hogsmeade,' Jack continued with chattering teeth as they finally arrived at Madam Meow's. 'And I really hope they have the heating on in there!'

Charis' heart literally started to ache as she saw all the abandoned cats that were sitting in their cages, all longing for a nice home and someone who loved them.

'You can't adopt them all, you know,' Jack said, correctly interpreting the look in Charis' eyes. 'You can only have one.'

Charis sighed. 'I know, Jack. It's just so sad. Look at them. They are all so adorable. Why would nobody want them?'

They stepped into one of the big cages where about fifteen cats were living. Jack busied himself by coaxing as many cats as he could to him to pet. Charis meanwhile sat down on the floor, right in the middle of the room, and waited for one of the cats to approach her. She did not just want to pick one that looked cute. She wanted the cat to choose her.

The first to approach her was a snowy white kitten with big green eyes. It looked timid, scared even, and craned its neck to sniff Charis' robes. And Charis didn't move a muscle but just let the kitten sniff and waited for it to come closer.

When the kitten started playing with her shoelaces, Charis giggled. And when it started rubbing its tiny head against her leg, she was lost. Gingerly, she extended her hand and lifted the kitten into her lap.

'I think it likes you,' Jack pointed out from behind her.

Charis sniffed. 'It's so cute it makes my eyes well up. I think I'll call it Lily.'

'Lily?' Jack frowned as he knelt down beside Charis to pet the little kitten. 'That's a strange name for a cat.'

'Why?' Charis asked. 'Lilies are white, so is the kitten. I think it fits perfectly.'

'I wasn't criticising you,' Jack apologised. 'And it's not me who needs to like the name, but the kitten.'

'Well, do you like your new name then, kitten?' Charis asked, but received no response. The little fur ball was fast asleep in her lap.

Carefully, Charis picked up her new pet and placed it in a basket close to the door. 'I'll come and pick you up soon,' she whispered before planting a tiny kiss on its tiny white head.

'You can take her as soon as we've received the confirmation from Dumbledore and your character reference,' Madam Meow explained. 'Shouldn't take more than a day or two, love. For now, it is twenty Galleons. And that includes all her jabs, collar and flea medicine. We'll owl you as soon as we've heard from the Headmaster.'

Once more, Charis popped her head into the cage on her way to the front door, but Lily was still fast asleep, purring. And with a happy smile on her face, Charis left the rescue centre, Jack by her side.

'How about that hot chocolate now?' Jack asked once they were outside. 'If I don't get something warm inside my system soon, my nuts will freeze, and you can use them as conkers.'

'Come on then.' Charis laughed. 'Let's take a shortcut down Spattergroit Alley, shall we? We'll be at Madam Puddifoot's in no time.'

But they never arrived at the tea shop. Suddenly, they heard two pops and found their way obstructed by two hooded, masked figures. Charis' heart started racing. Surely, she must be dreaming. There couldn't be Death Eaters in Hogsmeade, not in broad daylight! Two more pops made her and Jack twirl around. They were trapped.

'Now look what we've got here,' one of the figures said in a low, menacing voice. 'Two Hogwarts students. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. And Ravenclaws, too. Don't you know that it is dangerous to be wandering around in dark alleys?'

One of the Death Eaters shouted, 'Incarcerous,' and out of thin air, thick ropes appeared and wrapped themselves around Jack, who lost his balance and fell to the ground. Charis suppressed a shriek.

'What did you do that for?' one of the others barked.

'What?' replied the one who had cast the spell. 'I prefer playing with girls.'

As he moved towards her, Charis reacted instinctively and drew her wand.

'Stupefy!'

To her surprise, the Death Eater went down like a wet sack.

The two Death Eaters behind her chuckled, but the one in front of her came closer, wand pointed directly at Charis' chest. 'Aren't we brave, little Ravenclaw?' he drawled. 'But do you really think you can take on all of us?'

With a flick of his wand, he disarmed Charis, and the girl stood there, helpless, her mind racing. She could try and run. But even if she did get past that huge Death Eater in front of her, the other two would certainly shoot a Stunner at her. And her wand lay on the ground three metres away from her. Sure, she could perform basic wandless magic, like Summoning her glasses from her bedside, but what good was that now? What was she to do? And most of all, what did the Death Eaters want from her in the first place?

She started backing away from the man in front of her when a loud 'Confringo!' and the words 'Run, Charis!' made her spin around. The Death Eater was blasted off his feet, and Charis ran as fast as she could towards Morgana, who was standing at the end of the alley, her wand raised and the star at her neck glowing crimson.

But she never reached her friend. Halfway down the alley, Charis felt a sharp pain in her back and fell flat onto her face, losing her glasses. One of the Death Eaters had hit her with a hex, and another one zoomed over her head, missing Morgana by mere inches.

'Careful,' a female voice shouted. 'Don't harm Malfoy's little princess!' But the other Death Eaters didn't seem to be listening. Instinctively, Charis protected her head with her arms as hexes continued being thrown across the alley, desperately hoping that Morgana had taken cover.

There were two more pops, and two men appeared. Charis couldn't make out more than their contours, but they were both tall, one dressed in purple robes, the other in black ones.

The first thing Dumbledore did was cast a protective spell around Charis, and Snape sent a Stunner towards the two Death Eaters who were still standing. Unfortunately, he missed, and the two Disapparated, leaving their two knocked-out companions behind.

Dumbledore handed Charis her glasses and helped her get up while Snape bundled up the two Death Eaters like Christmas presents and then freed Jack from his bonds. The boy looked shaken, but he was alright.

'What in Merlin's name happened here, Miss Byrne?' the Headmaster asked, brushing dirt off Charis' robes.

'I ... I have no idea, sir,' she stammered. 'Jack and I were taking a shortcut to Madam Puddifoot's when they suddenly Apparated, saying something about us being at the wrong place at the wrong time.'

She saw Dumbledore cast a knowing look into Snape's direction, but neither of the men said anything more.

'Did you single-handedly knock out two of them, Miss Byrne?' Dumbledore inquired instead.

'No, I just got one before they disarmed me,' Charis explained. 'Morgana cast Confringo at the other one.'

'Morgana?' Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up, and they all turned to the place where Morgana had been standing only a few moments earlier. But she was not there anymore.

Charis felt panic rise in her chest once more. 'She was standing right there,' she exclaimed. 'She cast a spell; she came to help me when the necklace ... Oh, God, they must have taken her.' Her eyes welled up with tears, and she fell into Jack's open arms, sobbing.

She never saw Dumbledore look at Snape, who nodded silently.

* * *

'Let go of me!' Morgana demanded, her voice almost cracking as she struggled against her captor.

But Lucius held her firmly against his chest. 'Struggling makes it harder for both of us, darling.'

'I am not your darling!' she hissed.

'You were a couple of nights ago.'

Lucius' voice was tender, but Morgana did not want to listen. 'A couple of nights ago, you were not wearing Death Eater robes!'

'It is natural that this should shock you, love.'

Shock her? No, shock was not what was Morgana was feeling. She felt disappointed, betrayed and incredibly stupid! Everyone had been warning her about Lucius. Everyone! And she had not listened. And even worse, she had ignored the signs she had had right in front of her nose. She should have realised that Lucius was hiding the Dark Mark when he never took off his shirt, or when he even got up in the middle of the night to put a robe on. How bloody dense could one get?

'Don't. Call. Me. Love!' she spat.

Lucius let go of her and took a step backwards, looking like a lost puppy. 'Morgana, please,' he begged. 'Let me explain.'

Morgana stared at him. She knew that she should take her chance and make an escape. Every cell in her brain told her to run. But her heart – against any common sense – told her to stay and listen. And when she didn't move at once, Lucius knew that she would stay.

'Morgana,' he started, his voice filled with regret. 'As the heir of one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain, the Dark Lord approached me many years ago to help him run his little campaign. A campaign that went on to become the reign of terror in which hundreds of people, including the Potters, died. And when the Dark Lord was vanquished, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could live my life again, see my son grow up. No one had any idea that he would return.' He sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. 'Morgana, one does not simply turn away from the Dark Lord. It is impossible. My allegiance does not lie with him, never has, and yet I am forced act, to pretend that it does. And if I do not play my part, I and my family will be killed. I am nothing but a pawn, Morgana. A powerless pawn. And this is why you find me in Death Eater robes.'

He noticed that the girl's expression had softened somewhat, but her jaw was still clenched. And he decided appeal to her vanity once more.

'I had to get you out of there, my love,' he continued. 'They may have taken you to the Dark Lord himself had you continued fighting.'

'Me?' Morgana snorted. 'What interest would they have in me?'

'Do not underestimate these people, Morgana. They are savage and cruel, with no sophistication. If one of them knew who you were, the last of the Belakanes, they would have taken you, dragged you to the Dark Lord and offered you to him as a present, hoping they would be richly rewarded.'

He brought his hand to his face once more and feigned wiping off his tears. 'I had to protect you, Morgana. The thought that you could have been harmed in any way ...' He inhaled and looked at the girl, his silvery-grey eyes glittering. 'It was too much, Morgana. I could not stand by and let it happen. I am yours, darling. And I cannot lose you. Not now.'

He held out his hand towards the girl, and as she took it, he triumphed. She had bought every single word he had said. He had won. She was his! His alone!

He pulled her gently towards his chest and gingerly wrapped his arms around her, waiting for her to relax. 'Oh, love,' he whispered. 'I would have never forgiven myself if you had been injured.'

'You scared me, Lucius.' His hand felt warm in hers, and the pain in his eyes looked genuine. And Morgana wanted to believe him. She needed him to be telling the truth.

'I am sorry, darling,' he whispered and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. 'I am very, very sorry.'

He held her close for some minutes, let his fingers run through her hair and nuzzled into her neck. And he felt her relax in his arms, found her turning her head to give him access to her neck.

'They will come looking for me,' Morgana whispered after a while. She had seen Dumbledore and Snape Apparate to the alley mere seconds before Lucius had snatched her, saved her. They would certainly wonder where she was. Certainly, Snape would put two and two together and figure out that Lucius had been the one who had taken her and not just any Death Eater.

'Let them, love.'

'I don't want to be found.' Not by Snape, anyway. Snape had pushed her away once too often. But Lucius had opened his arms and embraced her.

Lucius smiled before he cupped Morgana's chin to place a slow, gentle kiss on her lips. Oh, yes, he had convinced her. She believed him, and nothing would ever make her turn from him.

'Have I told you how beautiful you are, Morgana?' he murmured, dragging his fingertips down her neck and to her cleavage. 'Exceptionally beautiful.'

He heard her gasp as he gently caressed her breast and felt the nipple harden through the fabric of her robes. And he also felt himself get aroused. But he could not take her today. He would have to wait until the next new moon, until the night when the girl was at her most fertile, the night when she would conceive his child.

'I should not be here, Lucius,' Morgana breathed, knowing perfectly well that her statement was true. But the tremor in her voice betrayed her true feelings. There wasn't a place in the world where she would rather be.

'Then you should go, my love,' Lucius whispered before once more tasting her sweet lips. 'But I will miss you.'

'I will miss you, too, Lucius,' Morgana replied before claiming his lips for a kiss goodbye. And she closed her eyes, desperately trying to ignore the little voice in her head that told her that believing Lucius Malfoy was a terrible mistake.

* * *

Dumbledore was pacing his study, every now and then casting a glance out of the window from which he could oversee the grounds. He was confident that Snape was right. Surely, no Death Eater would dare lay hands on the girl. Surely, Lucius had taken her to his Manor. Surely, he would not harm her nor touch her before the next new moon. But still, Dumbledore did not like the thought of Morgana being at Malfoy Manor where Lucius could fill her mind with false promises and lies. She was just a girl, after all, young and naive and – despite her Slytherin attitude – only too easily wooed by sweet words and promises of love.

When he saw Morgana run towards the castle, Dumbledore sighed in relief and returned to his desk. He had instructed the elves to intercept the girl on her way to the dungeons and bring her to his office. He expected her in less than five minutes. And indeed she arrived shortly afterwards with her hair slightly ruffled but otherwise unharmed.

Dumbledore thanked the elf and bade the girl sit down. 'Sherbet lemon?'

'You did not ask me to come here to eat sweets, did you, Headmaster?' What could Dumbledore want, she wondered. How much did he know?

'No, indeed, I did not,' Dumbledore replied, slightly startled by the girl's cold tone. She looked shaken, but her voice didn't give anything away. Those Slytherins, he thought. Always so scared of showing their emotions.

'I am pleased to be able to inform you that Miss Byrne and Mr Morrissey have returned to the castle undamaged, Miss Belakane,' he went on. 'The two Death Eaters that were knocked out are on their way back to Azkaban.'

Morgana's eyes widened. Charis! How could she have forgotten about her best friend? Yes, she had seen Dumbledore and Snape Apparate, but she had not known if they had managed to defeat the remaining Death Eaters. How could she have forgotten? How self-absorbed could one get?

'You will no doubt be relieved to hear that extra wards have been placed around Hogwarts since the attack,' Dumbledore went on. 'I believe that those Death Eaters showed up at Hogsmeade to gloat about the mass breakout from Azkaban. It was a clear sign to let us know that they are not in hiding anymore. I fear that they will try to access Hogwarts before too long.'

Morgana fixed Dumbledore with a cool, calculating gaze. 'And why, Headmaster, would you tell me this?'

Good, Dumbledore thought. He had her attention now.

'Miss Belakane ... Morgana,' he started. 'What happened at Malfoy Manor today? What did Lucius tell you?'

Morgana swallowed. She did not even question how Dumbledore knew that she had been at the Manor. Dumbledore always seemed to know everything. 'Lucius ... he told me that he was there to protect me,' she mumbled.

'And do you know why he wanted to protect you?'

Because he loves me! The thought came immediately to Morgana's mind, but she could not make herself say it out loud. Back at the Manor, she had believed every word that had come from Lucius' lips. But now, back at Hogwarts, away from his silvery-grey eyes, everything felt wrong. So terribly wrong. And still, Morgana wished for nothing more than that Lucius had been honest and true.

'Morgana,' Dumbledore continued, his blue eyes locked onto the girl's. He had decided to use a direct approach. Sugar-coating things would only be a waste of time. 'Lucius is trying to protect you from damage because he wants you to carry his heir.'

'He what?' Morgana stared at the old man in front of her in utter disbelief. Surely, she must have misheard!

'I wish there was a better way to tell you this, Morgana,' Dumbledore went on. 'In fact, I wish I did not have to tell you this at all. But you must know.'

He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Morgana, still looking into her eyes. 'The Belakanes and the Malfoys are two of the oldest Wizarding families in the country. And whatever he has told you, Lucius Malfoy has always been a true follower of Voldemort. And now, as Voldemort is on the rise again, Lucius wants to ensure his place in the sun. He wants to present Voldemort with a child that can grow up to be the Heir of Darkness, a child that has sprung from two ancient pureblood lines. His child. And yours.'

Morgana paled. This couldn't be. Lucius would never ... He had spoken of love. He would never use her like that! Or would he?

'How do you know this, Headmaster?' she asked, her voice trembling. Surely, the old man must hold a grudge against Lucius after having been suspended a couple of years ago. He must be lying.

'It is sufficient for you to know that my source is of the most reliable kind,' Dumbledore assured her. 'Voldemort and his followers are growing impatient. The attack in Hogsmeade proved this today.'

Morgana shook her head. Lucius had had nothing to do with those Death Eaters who had attacked Charis and Jack. He had come to protect her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore taking her hands into his.

'Morgana, I am very much aware that you are confused now. I know that Lucius Malfoy – as your patron – has always been kind to you. I know that you are always welcome at the Manor. I know that Lucius has been showering you with gifts lately. And I assume that you feel flattered, overwhelmed. And it would not surprise me if you were developing certain feelings for Lucius. But you must not forget what you know about the man. Your parents ...'

Morgana flinched. How did Dumbledore know? How did Dumbledore know about Lucius' involvement in her parents' disappearance? And how could she have forgotten?!

'Do not blame yourself, child,' Dumbledore went on as if he had been reading her mind. 'Older and smarter witches than you have been charmed by the likes of Lucius Malfoy. And he has certainly done everything in his powers to enchant you.'

The stress Dumbledore put on the word enchant sent a shiver down Morgana's spine. Lucius had drugged her, possessed her mind. How could he have made her forget? How had he managed to make her believe in his words?

'Headmaster,' she whispered, her throat tight with fear, 'today ... Lucius told me that he was not a true follower of Voldemort, that he never has been. Did he lie to me?'

Dumbledore nodded gravely. He knew that the girl was struggling to understand, and he prayed that she would succeed.

'I believed him.'

The girl sounded terrified and confused. And Dumbledore tightened his grip around her hands. 'This is understandable, Morgana.'

'You said he wants to have a baby with me. A baby he wants to present to the Dark Lord.'

Again, Dumbledore nodded, relieved that the girl had been listening, relieved that she started doubting. He could feel her hands staring to get clammy.

'Lucius always gets what he wants,' she whispered.

'I fear that you are right, my child,' Dumbledore started. 'Lucius has so far chosen the easiest way, the path of least resistance: the way of seduction. But if you do not fall pregnant soon, they might make you. They might abduct you, incarcerate you, even ...'

He broke off, but he did not need say any more. He saw the fear in the girl's eyes. And he knew that she was starting to believe him.

'Morgana,' he went on, still holding on to her hands and looking deep into her eyes. 'How would you feel if you were to carry that child?'

'WHAT?!' Morgana stared at Dumbledore in shock. 'Headmaster, if that is your idea of a joke ...'

'I am afraid that I am quite serious, Morgana.'

'Headmaster, you just said that Lucius intends this child to be a gift for Voldemort. How can you ask me if I want to be the mother of that child?'

'Morgana, I said carry that child, not give birth to it.'

There wasn't a trace of the familiar friendly twinkle left in the Headmaster's eyes. They were almost cold now, and Morgana tried to free her hands from his. But Dumbledore held on to her, trying to give her strength.

'My child, if you had the chance to spare many by sacrificing one, what would you do?'

He did not want this. He found it hard enough to raise Harry like a pig for slaughter, and now he had to endanger yet another of his students to ensure the safety of the others, for the greater good.

'As I have told you, Morgana, it is only a matter of time until the Death Eaters march towards Hogwarts. If you carry the heir ... They will not attack the castle and risk the baby.'

Now Morgana did withdraw her hands. In fact, she got up from her chair so fast that it fell to the floor. How could he ask this of her? He was a powerful wizard. There must be other ways to protect the castle!

'I know that I am asking much of you, Morgana,' Dumbledore went on, a pained expression on his face. 'Do not think that I haven't examined this from every angle. I feel disgusted with myself for having to ask this of you. But not only will it protect Hogwarts, but it will also protect you.'

'Me?'

'Yes, dear child. Voldemort will want that heir. And as you have pointed out yourself, Lucius will stop at nothing to reach his goal. He will find a way to make you carry this child. He will use force if he has to.'

How he hated himself for lying to the girl. He knew that Lucius would never hurt her. For his plan to work, Lucius needed Morgana to come to him willingly. But if he – Dumbledore – wanted his plan to work, then he needed the girl just as much as Malfoy did. And he needed her to be aware of what she was doing, yet do it anyway. But Morgana was no Gryffindor who would bravely and willingly sacrifice herself to protect others. She was Slytherin, and Slytherins had always been known for their strong sense of self-preservation. She would not do this unless she feared for her own welfare or knew the danger was so great that there was no way out but to follow his plan.

Fear had indeed taken its cold grasp around Morgana, and in her mind she saw Lucius towering over her, taking her with raw force, slamming into her just as he had done on the first night of January. Only that time, she had allowed him to dominate her. The next time, he might be the one to decide.

But he said he loved me.

Nothing made sense anymore.

'You said that I would not have to give birth ...' she finally murmured, looking at Dumbledore who once again nodded.

'How will that work?' Morgana asked. 'Surely, Voldemort and Lucius will want to see results.'

'We will administer a potion after your first trimester,' Dumbledore explained. 'This will induce an abortion. But it will look like nature's doing. Many women miscarry their first baby.'

He hated himself for suggesting this. How could he ask this of a seventeen-year-old girl? She was still a child herself.

'By that time, the resistance will be in a position to halt Voldemort,' he continued. 'Those three months are all we need.'

Morgana chewed her lip. She could not believe that she had even considered agreeing to this.

'Who would know?' she asked quietly.

'Myself and Professor Snape,' Dumbledore explained. 'He will be the one to administer the potion at the correct time, and he will look after your welfare. Poppy, naturally, will know, too.'

Snape. Morgana felt her shoulders slump. She could just imagine Snape sneering at her, telling her that he had warned her about Lucius and that he had been right all along.

'Professor Snape will also administer a potion to ensure you will conceive,' Dumbledore carried on.

'And when, Headmaster, is all this supposed to be happening?' Morgana enquired, trying to ignore the nagging suspicion that the plan was already under way.

'The potion will be ready by the next full moon. It will then take another two weeks to reach its full potency. And I believe Lucius will want to invite you for dinner on Valentine's Day.'

'Valentine's? Now isn't that just charming!' Morgana's voice was dripping with irony, and Dumbledore smiled sadly at her.

'You are a brave young woman, Morgana,' he said. 'The outcome of this war might rely on the time you are buying us.'

Whenever had she agreed to do this, Morgana wondered. And had she ever had a choice? Had Dumbledore expected her to say yes? But how could she say no? If her life was at risk, surely it was better to have Dumbledore's protection and go along with the plan than to struggle against Lucius and the Death Eaters?

'It pains me deeply to ask this of you, Morgana,' Dumbledore repeated. 'But I know that you are a capable, talented, brave young witch. I do have faith in you.'

'Brave?' Morgana asked with a bitter tone. 'If you required bravery, you should have asked a Gryffindor to carry out this task, Headmaster.'

'Trust me, Morgana,' Dumbledore replied. 'I know that bravery does indeed lie in the heart of Slytherin House.'

But he knew that it was not bravery the girl needed the most. To get through this whole ordeal unharmed, with her soul undamaged, the things she needed the most were Slytherin ruthlessness and self-preservation.

* * *

Snape sealed the phial and sneered. 'The deed is done, my Lord.'

Whom he was talking to, he did not really know. But wasn't it ironic that both his masters, the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, had asked him to do the same thing?

The Dark Lord, as usual, was fascinated by the idea of ancient magic helping him achieve his goal. Blood, the new moon and the Power of Three. It all fitted perfectly, and the Dark Lord was very keen that his heir, the heir to two ancient bloodlines, the child that he hoped would expand his glory, was conceived during the night of the next new moon, the night when the girl gave herself to Lucius for the third time, willingly. The girl must fall pregnant that night. Such was the Dark Lord's wish. And Snape had promised him that the potion would be ready in time.

Dumbledore had asked for the same potion, but for – what seemed – more noble reasons. He knew that neither Lucius nor the Dark Lord would rest before the heir was conceived, and he wanted to make it easy on the girl. 'She must fall pregnant on Valentine's,' he had said. 'I cannot bear sending her to Lucius more than that one time.'

Oh, the noble heart of Gryffindor, Snape thought bitterly, looking at the light from the torches reflecting through the pale green liquid of the potion.

The girl would come soon. He had let her know that he expected her in his study at eight o'clock sharp. He was not looking forward to their meeting.

Ever since the day Dumbledore had informed Morgana about the plan, she had seemed cold, distant. She worked well in Potions, as usual, just as she did in her other subjects. Not even Umbridge had found anything to criticise. But outside the classroom, Morgana didn't behave as usual. No smiles, not even sneers, no snide remarks during the weekly Slytherin House meeting. She seemed withdrawn, deeply absorbed in her own thoughts.

But what bothered Snape the most was the fact that she and her Ravenclaw friend could rarely be seen together nowadays. They had even split up in Potions, and that annoyed Snape immensely. For strictly professional reasons, of course. Those two girls were the best Potions team he had had in years. But the fact that they kept away from each other even outside his classroom was disturbing. Morgana shouldn't be alone right now, and surely she needed her best friend more than ever?

Quite what had caused this sudden fracture, Snape had no idea. Dumbledore had of course told Morgana that she was not supposed to tell her friend about the plan, but that did not explain why Morgana seemed to have distanced herself from her friend. Because that was the one thing Snape was certain of: it was Morgana who was keeping away from her friend. Not the other way around.

Typical Slytherin behaviour, Snape thought with a sneer. Too proud to ask for help, too scared to let anyone lend a hand.

He knew this behaviour all too well himself. Many years ago, when he had commenced his own descent into the Darkness, he had had a friend who could have held him back and saved him. But instead of letting her, he had pushed her away. And he had stumbled, fallen, and then the world around him had turned black. And he desperately hoped that Morgana would reach out for her friend in time.

She knocked at his door exactly as the clock struck eight.

'You are late, Miss Belakane,' he greeted her with a snarl, trying to provoke a reaction. But he received nothing.

So he swept around his desk and held out the phial. 'You will need to drink the whole contents of this phial before midnight tonight,' he instructed. 'The effect will be immediate, but the best result will be achieved in two weeks. Remember that you will fall pregnant the next time you have full intercourse and any seed enters your womb.' He paused and sneered. 'I hope you can manage to keep your knickers on until Lucius asks you to visit him in two weeks' time.'

He saw a flash of anger in her blue eyes, but if he had expected an outburst or the phial being thrown at him, Snape was disappointed.

'The whole thing?' Morgana asked instead, and he nodded curtly.

She broke the seal and emptied the phial right there in front of him before handing it back to him.

'Happy?' she asked, and once more, Snape nodded, although happy was the very last word he would use to describe how he was feeling.

Do not hate me for having to do this, he thought as he watched Morgana walk through the door.

Maybe he should call her back and talk to her? But what would he say? That he knew that she was doing this for the greater good, to help the Light defeat the Dark? Surely, Dumbledore had already drawn that line for her. What else was there to say? And somehow, Snape doubted that the girl would want to listen to him anyway.

* * *

Morgana just managed to leave the Potions master's study before the tears started running down her face. 'I hope you can manage to keep your knickers on.' Did he have to be that cruel? Yes, she had made a mistake at New Year's. Yes, she had gone to Lucius and let him fuck her. But that did not mean that she was a slut. She had gone to Lucius because Snape had pushed her away. And in her anger, she had messed up everything. And now Snape – the one whose affection she had been trying to gain and for whom she was still longing at night – was angry with her for having acted stupidly. And once she was pregnant with Lucius' baby, Snape would certainly not even want to look at her anymore. He wouldn't want to anyway. He had chosen Charis. And Morgana felt disappointed, ashamed and hurt.

She sighed. She knew that she should not think it, but she was hoping that Lucius had sent her an owl. She needed some comfort now, some affection.

Lucius had been charming over the last couple of weeks. He had sent her gifts again, small notes, roses. At first, she had thrown all of it right into the bin. The mere thought of accepting anything from that man had made her skin crawl. But he had been persistent, and after a couple of days, she had opened his letter, read his sweet words and remembered his tender caresses. And her heart had melted. Surely, not even Lucius Malfoy could lie like that. He must care for her. A little, at least.

And then he had invited her to dinner on Valentine's Day, just as Dumbledore had said that he would. He wanted her to come to him on Valentine's, on the night of the new moon, and he wanted her to leave the Mansion the next day, carrying his heir.

Was it true then? Was Lucius only being kind to her because he wanted to present her child to the Dark Lord? Had he really lied to her?

Was anyone telling the truth?

And did it matter now? She had drunk the potion, she had accepted Lucius' invitation and in two weeks' time, she would be carrying the heir of the Dark Lord, the child that would keep Hogwarts safe, the child that would never be born. No one had told her what would happen once the baby was gone, and Morgana didn't dare ask.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes quickly on her sleeve. There was no point in feeling sorry for herself. She had agreed to the plan, and she would carry it out. And whatever would happen in three months' time did not matter at the moment. Nothing mattered.

And with her head bowed, she made her way back down the stone staircase that led to the Slytherin common room, the sharp tang of Snape's potion still hanging on her lips.