Chapter 8

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Thanks go to Soul Bound for beta reading.

"Lucius, the least you could do is to answer the letters she gives me to deliver to you. She's uncertain what her future might be with you, and you could put her at ease. Lately..." Her voice trailed away, as she didn't want to say too much. Deciding on the right words, she said, "This horrid pregnancy has been trying for her. She's had it rough from the beginning, what with all that sickness and now these hormonal depressions."

Lucius curled his lip in disgust. "While I appreciate your concern for your dear sister's welfare, need I remind you that she bedded another man and is now carrying that same man's child...a man whom I've always considered as a friend?"

Bellatrix snorted. "And had you not let yourself be overpowered by children and sent to Azkaban, would you have interceded when our Master gave her this mandate? This was not her choice!"

"I wonder."

"Believe me, she abhorred his touch." Changing tactics, she added, "You'd better let her know that you will welcome her back into your life and bed, Lucius, else she might want to accept some of Snape's advances."

"Advances? Meaning that he's been after more? He's told me that there's nothing else."

Bellatrix shrugged. "At least he seems concerned with her welfare. Perhaps he is starting to fancy her. I expect he need only to plead his cause to our Master, and he'd be granted favors. Poor Narcissa, my dear sister." She clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Wormtail says that she didn't seem to mind..."

"You dare listen to that rat! You know of his lies and sly ways. He's not told you that I found out that he'd been molesting Draco, has he?"

"What?"

She smirked and placed a hand over her lips, pretending to have let that slip. "Whoops. It appears I've said too much."

Lucius' pale face whitened even more. "Is this the reason that Draco fled, do you think?"

"I'd say so," she said in a bored tone. "The boy, though, was quite weak in all things. It's a wonder he's survived as long as he has, really. I wouldn't doubt he allowed the molestation in order to get on Wormtail's good side so that he could flee our Master."

"Don't speak of my son that way!" Lucius said indignantly, though he grimaced.

"Write to her. She's been in a terrible state for a while now, and since Snape approached me before Christmas last month to see to her, she's only worsened." Her eyes narrowed. "You know she's been wanting another child and how easily she gets attached to things. It's killing her to know that she might not be able to raise it."

"Raise Snape's child!" he thundered. "That in itself is a betrayal. He has no right mixing with Black blood and polluting their lines! That's likely the reason she's had such a hard time of it!" He threw his tumbler across the room in his rage. "His mother was nothing more than a blood traitor! A whore to a bloody Muggle!"

"Ah, yes, something we finally agree on," she said snidely. "However, you should reassure her that she needn't stay attached to the little thing, as she will have a peaceful home to return to." Bellatrix flicked her wand lazily to fix the shattered glass he'd thrown. "Snape's spawn will be nothing but a solider and will likely die for the cause one day."

Lucius nodded grimly. "Perhaps someone should see to it." He gave her a meaningful glance. "It would right things and be quite a cold dish of revenge for afters."

"Indeed," she agreed, thrusting a quill and parchment at him. "Get busy so that I might send this to her." She looked over to the cabinet in the far corner of the room. "In fact, I've an idea. Let me get that potions book."

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"So did he look well?" Narcissa asked as she took the letter from her sister's hands. "Did he ask of me? Have news of Draco?"

Bellatrix lied smoothly, saying, "He's worried about Draco and hopes you'll be feeling better soon." She smiled. "You'll be back home before you know it...only a couple of months left now."

"Did you ask him if he'll speak to the Dark Lord about allowing me to keep this child?" She quickly looked towards the doorway and lowered her voice, "Severus is adamant that we follow the Dark Lord's rules, but I am telling you that I can't leave this child. What with Draco gone, it's all I have." She opened the letter and swiftly read its contents.

"There, there," Bella said. "You'll be all right. It's not as if Snape's going to lock the little child away from you."

"He says nothing of the baby! Or Draco," Narcissa said, tossing the letter aside and rubbing her large stomach with both hands. "Mummy won't leave you, little one."

"Oh, come now. It can't hear you."

Snapping her head up and narrowing her eyes, Narcissa asked, "Do you not speak to your child? Dream of her?"

Bellatrix shrugged and slipped one hand into her pocket and pulled out a phial of potion. "Severus says you should have some of this. It will ease your discomfort."

"No."

"Cissy, I won't leave until you take this." She flashed her kindest smile in hopes of swaying her sister. "For me, so I don't worry about you so."

"Oh, all right," Narcissa replied with a soft sigh. "He's always so adamant about me taking any potions because of the baby. I suppose he's tired of my whinging then."

"I expect so." Bella squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "All will be well sooner than you think." She watched smugly as her trusting sister's eyes drifted closed. "Sooner than you think indeed."

She took the phial and placed it back into her pocket and quickly left, telling Snape that her sister had gone to sleep, exhausted, when she made her way out to Disapparate. He nodded without looking up from his book, and when she reappeared in Lucius' rooms to tell him how easily things had gone, a terrible, blinding pain filled her body, forcing her to double over.

"What drama is this now?" Lucius asked, annoyed at the woman's theatrics.

"Get Rodolphus," she said between deep gasps. To her horror, she felt warm liquid gliding down her thighs and noticed a growing, bloody stain on her smoke-colored robes. "It's... wrong. Ah, good God!"

"You idiot! Did you handle the potion's ingredients with your bare hands?"

She nodded, unable to speak through the horrible feeling of her womb trying to push through her center at once.

"Have you not heard of gloves? You can't even handle them, else it will cause your body to abort as well! Fuck!"

"Rodo... Need Ro..."

"And let slip what we've done? I think not," he said adamantly. "We need to think this story through. It will be too much of a coincidence if both pregnancies terminate!"

Her world was dizzy, things were blurry, and she could barely feel the pain any longer. It was as though her body was numbing, yet someone was screaming. Who? If she didn't know better, she'd think it was her... It is me, she thought in shock while she continued screaming. She'd handled all of the ingredients while making the potion, not even thinking of gloves, as she was so intent on getting it right and adding a draught that would put her sister to sleep. Sometime later, her husband's face hovered over her, worry etching his brow. Then everything faded; everything except a part of her mind that seemed to be taunting her with the numerous times Narcissa had cautioned her to take better care of herself...no liquor, no overly rough sex, no lifting, no running.

No murdering your sister's child...one who's loss would kill her. As the guilty thought vanished, so did her consciousness.

Much later, when she was able to open her eyes, she could make out the figure of a person looming over her. Her throat was very dry, and she tried to form enough words to find out who was with her. From the long, blond locks, she was fairly certain it was Narcissa. She could only hope that she'd be able to forgive her one day. Interestingly enough, she felt the pang of the loss of the life that had been growing inside of her. She thought she would finally be able to honor the Dark Lord by giving him loyal followers, her children, and it was all ruined by her stupidity.

"Cissy...?" she managed.

"Delivered a small, but thriving daughter two days ago," came the soft voice. "Of course she's beside herself at your part in things and having to return to my rooms with me, sans brat."

It was Lucius, not her sister. So, her sister's child lived. What of hers? She feared she knew the answer to that already. There had been so much blood, so much pain. What would the Dark Lord do to her for her failure? For her part in trying to harm Snape's heir?

"I'll bide my time, of course, and stick to our original plan," Lucius said, fumbling with her pillows. "It's a pity you'll not be around to see that fulfilled. I'm certain you'd like to, but there's no way I can risk your meager Occlumency skills and inability to lie while taking Veritaserum, allowing you to give away my part in things."

"Wha... what?"

Before she knew what was happening, he'd shoved her pillow over her face and was pressing down tightly, cutting off her oxygen. She hadn't the energy to fight him off, and when she did try to force her hands to move, she realized that her body was already bound to the bed. He'd been intent on doing this even before she'd awakened. Many different scenes flashed before her eyes.

Her proud father as he gave her to Rodolphus in marriage.

Narcissa's smile as she showed her family the engagement ring Lucius had given her.

Andromeda's tearful face when Bellatrix told her to never speak to her again.

Lucius' body undulating over hers as he rutted between her thighs after one too many glasses of port many years back.

Rodolphus... Her rounding stomach... The remembrance of a small kick from within and the feel of her stomach shifting as if a wave had passed beneath its flesh's surface...

A blinding white light...

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Hermione and Draco sat in the library at Grimmauld Place going over a map of Godric's Hollow that they'd dug up, trying to determine the best possible place for entry.

"Hermione?"

"Huh? What is it?" she said distractedly. She really wanted to get on with this because she felt time was running out.

"Do you really think we can trust your informant? I mean, at any time we could be walking into some sort of trap."

Hermione studied Draco intently while chewing her bottom lip. She'd been wanting to talk about what she'd discovered about their informant for awhile now, but there was no one she felt she could talk to about it.

If you so much as mentioned Snape's name in front of Harry, he went off on a tangent. She certainly couldn't confide in Ron, they weren't even speaking at the moment. As she watched Draco, she came to a decision. "Well, I am pretty sure we can trust him. I mean, I all but figured out who he is."

"You did? Well, why didn't you say anything, Hermione? Do we know anything about him?"

"Yes, we know quite a bit actually. Draco... if I tell you this, you have to give me your word you won't say anything to anyone. I want to trust you with this, but I have to know you won't betray my confidence."

"Okay, you have my word." When she kept staring, he said, "What do you want? A Wizard's Oath?"

"No, we don't have to resort to such extreme measures. I don't think." Pausing a few moments more, she seemed to have come to a decision. "Draco, I think our informant is Professor Snape."

He immediately stiffened in his chair and sat up straighter. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, from his speech and mannerisms for one thing. He even called me a know-it-all. And when I confronted him about it, he all but admitted it."

"Oh, I really wish I would have been with you! You are not to meet him alone again! Do you hear me?"

Taken aback by the fierce look in his eyes, Hermione asked, "Why? I thought you were rather fond of Professor Snape."

"Perhaps at one time I was, but that was before I saw him for the bastard that he is. I don't trust him, Hermione, at all. Now I'm leery of even using this information."

"Well, everything he's given us so far has been valid, so I don't really see why this wouldn't be. Tell me, Draco, what's happened? I know it has to be something recent."

"I don't want to talk about it. But suffice it to say, if I see him, I won't be held responsible for what I may do to him."

Starting to worry now, she asked, "Can't you trust me? I trusted you." Seeing the unsure look on his face, she persuaded, "Draco, I won't tell Harry or Ron if that's what worries you. Perhaps I should offer to take an oath now?"

He smiled slightly and took a deep breath. He hated saying anything that would put his family in any kind of bad light. He decided to go with his instincts and trust Hermione. "I am sure you remember that fateful night that Snape murdered Dumbledore." She nodded, not wanting to interrupt. "Well, what you don't know, and what I've only recently found out myself, is that my mother had Snape take an Unbreakable Vow to help me in any way he could should I fail. Not much faith in her son, eh?"

Placing her hand on top of his, she said, "Draco, I'm sure that's not what prompted her to do that. You were only sixteen! No match for Professor Dumbledore. I'd say she's not a fool."

"Well, at any rate, when I started to fumble...Hermione, I would never have done it; you know that...Snape had no choice, you see. Because of that Vow, he had to do it or die. I have wondered many times since then if he hadn't discussed things with that old man beforehand, planning it all out with him."

Hermione suddenly remembered the conversation that Hagrid had overheard. It was all starting to make sense...

"When we returned to the Dark Lord, he was very upset needless to say. I honestly thought he was going to kill me for failing. Oh, but his punishment of my family wasn't complete. Sometimes I think death may have been the better choice."

"Don't say that!" Hermione hissed. "Don't even think it!"

Draco shrugged and continued, wanting to finish. "My mother's punishment for interfering in the Dark Lord's plans is to have a baby by someone other than my father and to give the baby up to its father, someone who would know how to raise a child the way a true Death Eater should be raised. I wasn't up to par in that area, you see."

Hermione snorted. "Well, that's the best thing you've said yet."

"My father's punishment," he continued, ignoring her statement, "for being thwarted by a group of kids and being sent to Azkaban, is to know that my mother actually had a child with another man...a more worthy follower.

"My punishment is to see my mother used like that, to bear my father's anger, and to see another child rise up and take his or her place in the circle in the way that I should have done. Now, three guesses as to who the 'more worthy' follower is."

"Snape," Hermione whispered. Then their earlier conversation came back to her. There is something else that I request that you do for me... Upon my demise, you will receive instructions... It's of utmost importance... Dear Lord, could this have something to do with that baby? Hermione decided that she would keep that part of the conversation to herself for now. She needed to think on it some more.

"Right in one. And now that he's actually gotten my mother pregnant with his spawn, he should leave her alone, but he won't. He just keeps at her I'd bet. When my father returns..." Draco shook his head. "Just promise me you won't meet with him, okay, Hermione?"

Hermione wasn't so sure things were as cut and dried as Draco seemed to think. There was more going on here; she was sure of it. Patting his hand, which was still under hers, she said, "We won't speak of it anymore just now. It upsets you...understandably."

"How are you doing?" he asked, changing the subject. Draco had his own plans for Snape, and he was determined to see them though. Just as soon as his father was out of Azkaban. "You've not said too much about the Weasel since Christmas, and that was a month ago!"

She shrugged. "Fine."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no? Of course I am."

"Hermione, there is just no way you could be fine after that fiasco during the holidays. I'm not sure I'm fine!" Draco shuddered. "Ron was a real prat to you, you know. Snogging and all in front of you. And I know you heard them that last night before she left. Besides, Lavender all but admitted to you that they'd been shagging, bragging that way during breakfast. Lord, it would serve the bugger right if he impregnated her, I say."

Hermione lifted her sad eyes to Draco's. "It hurts; I'll admit that. Even knowing that he was only doing it to hurt me, he actually did it." She folded her arms on the table and laid her chin on top of them. "After that, my thoughts that Ron and I aren't a compatible couple were only confirmed. I would never deliberately hurt someone that I supposedly loved that way. You know?"

Draco laid a hand on her shoulder. "Buck up. Trust me when I say he isn't good enough for you."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she sat up and laid a hand over her heart. In an exaggerated voice, she said, "What? A pureblood not good enough for a Mudblood? Do my ears deceive me? Did Draco Malfoy actually admit that?"

"Oh, stuff it, you! You know he's not your equal, Hermione. You two are just on different levels."

"Well, I know we're not suited as a couple, but I do love Ron. I really don't want to lose his friendship."

"He'll come around. Say, speaking of coming around, what's the deal with Potter and Weasley's sister?"

Hermione raised both eyebrows. "You mean you care?"

"Not especially. I just noticed the tension, that's all. She seems to really love him, and he seems to feel something for her. So, what's the deal?"

"She does love him. I'm not sure if Harry even knows if he loves Ginny or not, but he does care about her. I think if he's not careful, he may lose her. I haven't decided if I think that would be a good thing or a bad thing."

"I see. I think it would be a good thing. Potter is a taker when it comes to her. She has given and waited, and he takes that for granted. He needs someone that wouldn't take his bullshite. She deserves better, too...like you."

"Better? You perhaps?"

"Just better. That's all. He doesn't love her, or he wouldn't treat her that way. So, he needs to find someone that he does love, and let her go."

Suddenly, they heard a voice from the doorway. "Well, well. Isn't this cozy?"

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Ron had been listening in at the door with a pair of Extendible Ears and couldn't help coming in and showing himself to them, wanting a word with Hermione. He'd seen them through a crack in the doorway, but he couldn't make out what they were saying and figured they were planning some tryst or talking badly about him, so he'd quickly gone to get his Ears to listen in. He was sort of right. The first thing he'd heard was Draco calling him "the Weasel" and commenting on Christmas.

While he hated Draco and all the interfering he was doing in their lives, he couldn't help but to be thankful for what the boy had told Hermione. It was true. She did deserve better. Just hearing the catch in her voice and practically feeling the pain in her words made him feel like shit. She really didn't deserve that. It was apparent they were very friendly, yes, but he'd been a fool to not see it for what it was. Hermione...his Hermione...was only trying to help Malfoy. It was the same thing she'd do for any poor sod who needed help. Just look what she'd done for the house-elves...tried to do anyway.

And if he admitted his true feelings, he'd been a git about it all, even feeling a bit smug about having Lavender and showing Hermione what she was missing out on. By the time they'd left the Burrow and Lavender behind them, he'd been relieved to be rid of her and her pestering. The girl sure liked making Hermione jealous, and at the time, he'd been all for it. Now, he felt like an arsehole.

"Piss off, Weasley," Draco said angrily.

"What did you hear?" Hermione asked, looking nervous.

He shrugged. "Enough to know that he's been thinking about my sister...bet Harry won't like that one bit." Chuckling, he added, "Or was it Harry he was thinking about?"

Malfoy was out his chair in a flash. "Don't you dare spread your filthy lies, Weasley! I never said that!"

"Ron, just go," Hermione said, not facing him, shoulders slumped.

He frowned. I'm bloody doing it again. Why do I have to do this? Deciding to buck up and do right by her, he said, "Fair enough. I just want a word, Hermione." He looked at the furious blond git and added, "Alone."

"No way. Didn't you hear anything else? She's better off without your head games, and another thing..."

"I'll be all right, Draco," Hermione said, interrupting him politely. "Just give us a moment."

Without a word, he left and shouldered past Ron roughly. Head down, Ron closed the door and moved towards her, stopping when her white trainers came into view. "I don't know where to start."

"Just say what it is you have to say."

He looked up then, noting her voice had taken on a bitter tone. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he blurted. "I don't know what's going on with me. I've been..."

"An arsehole?" she supplied.

Nodding, he said, "Yes. I don't love Lavender. I do care about her, but you're the one that I'd want my life with. I'll tell her. I'll wait for you until you're ready. Be nicer to Draco. Anything..." His voice trailed off as he saw her tears and the shaking of her head. He moved closer and pulled her up into his arms, holding her tightly against him and feeling her body shaking as she gave in to her tears. "What can I do? What can I say?"

"I don't know," she said softly, miserably. "It's been so hard." Her voice cracked, and she sobbed silently while he held her.

"Please... stop crying. I didn't want this." It was a lie. It had been exactly what he'd wanted, and he sure felt like an arse now that he'd got it.

She pulled away, sniffing. "I need to think. There's just so much that's happened." Trying to smile bravely, she added, "It was never that I didn't love you." Her smile faltered. "H-how could you do this to me, R-Ronald? You meant for me to hear you shag her! After we'd..."

With that she quickly fled the room and ran outside, managing to avoid him, Draco, and Harry on her way out. Even as she heard them all calling her name, she Disapparated with a loud pop and promptly reappeared in the very park she'd met the informer in. Blindly moving towards the bench they'd shared, she plopped down and put her head in her hands.

Many minutes passed, and she heard footsteps nearing her, but she assumed it was Harry or Draco, as they'd recently practiced tracing Apparitions. The blood chilled in her veins as she heard the soft, silky baritone of Professor Snape.

"Tears never change anything and only make you appear weak to your adversary."

Snapping her head up in fear and scrambling for her wand, she was quickly subdued with a softly spoken spell, her hands and feet suddenly going rigid. "Stop... please," she managed, eyes widening as he stepped closer.

"Dear girl," he said in a mocking tone, "you didn't seem this frightened last time."

"Knowing it's you and s-seeing you are two different things." She quickly added, "Sir," to try to stay on his good side...if he had one...until she could think of a way out of her current situation.

"We had an agreement, did we not?"

She nodded minutely and opened her mouth to speak.

"Silence. You will listen to what I have to say." He looked around suddenly, as if sensing someone was nearby, moved closer, and then pulled her up by the arm, taking the wand from her immobilized hand. "It's not safe to talk here, but I will quickly let you know that it's time for you to meet your part of our bargain."

"The end is near then?" she asked, unable to help herself, visions of Harry facing Voldemort flitting through her mind.

"Not that one. Not yet, but the part of our bargain where you promised to do something for me. I need you to fulfill that now, and you will indeed agree if you want your precious Potter to continue getting help." He smirked. "I've been watching Grimmauld Place for two hours now. Lucky I saw you leave and tracked you here. Curious, though, isn't it? That this is where you came."

Panicking, she said the first words that came to mind. "But you're not dead."

"Not yet," he told her before he sneered hatefully, tightened his grip on her, and Side-Along Apparated her away without anyone noticing they'd even been there.

Christy's Notes: It's too bad it took something drastic for Bella to see the truth. What's Lucius planning now? Ron finally realized the error of his ways, but too late it seems. Now, where is Snape taking Hermione? I hope you liked the chapter--the heat is on!

Southern's Notes: And is it obvious what he wants of her now? We have some good stuff planned and will be updating at least weekly. Hope to hear from you, as it seems nobody's reviewing anymore!