It's Doom Alone That Counts...

A/N: It is with a very heavy heart that I present this last chapter. There is an epilogue, so please remember this is not the end. Thanks to my betas, Augurey27 and ImOnMedication (who, by the way, told me she cried when she read the ending). Also, if you want to know what Mary Anders looks like to me, go to the first chapter and you'll see a picture. Thank you and please review!

***

After Severus had calmed down, he went to do his rounds about the castle. I took the time to dress in a clean, black dress and pinned my hair back. I didn't want any impediments. I got my traveling cloak ready and placed my wand inside. I looked into the mirror, studying my scars before buttoning the top buttons that would hide the scar on my neck.

I sat on the sofa, waiting for Severus to return. I decided to have a glass of firewhisky to calm my nerves. I was shaking with anticipation.

He blew in furious and raging. "Damn and blast! That woman is the most stupid, inept...." He stopped talking and glared at me.

What in the hell are you doing?" he yelled at me.

He finally saw I was drinking. "Nerves." I shrugged.

He took the glass from me and finished it in one gulp. "Have you nothing better to do to occupy your time?"

"Nope," I answered cheekily. I knew he hated cheek.

He glared at me. "I have things to do. I need you to stay in the bedroom until I call for you." He turned from me and began his task. He trusted me so implicitly, he never noticed I cast a Disillusionment Charm upon myself and stayed right in the room.

He knelt by the fireplace and muttered a spell I couldn't make out. I saw a head of a person I did not know come in through the flame.

"Shacklebolt, the bloody woman has Potter, Miss Granger, the two young Weasleys, Longbottom and Miss Lovegood holed up in her office. She tried to force me to give her more Veritaserum for questioning, but I was able to refuse her. But, we have a bigger problem. Potter warned me that the Dark Lord inside the Department of Mysteries is holding Black captive. You need to get the Order rounded up and see if it is true, or if it is all a ruse."

"Why would you think it would be a ruse...after what happened with Arthur? The boy has been right before," Shacklebolt replied.

"Merlin's Beard, man!" Serverus spat angrily. "I know the workings of Voldemort's mind better than any of you, and I tell you he is not above infiltrating a weak mind in order to produce a desired effect. Potter has proven himself inept at the discipline of Occulemency. Just get there before he goes off half-cocked and does something stupid!"

With that, Severus got up and readied himself to leave.

Still invisible, I grabbed my cloak and recast the spell. I kept my distance from him and followed him out. He was angrier than I had ever seen him. His calm demeanor made it scarier. I would rather he lost it and started hexing things, at least to release the tension. This was a Severus I was unfamiliar with...a determination seemed to drive him.

He went back to Umbridge's office and found her and Potter gone, as well as Hermione, Luna, Ron and Ginny. Draco and the Inquisitorial Squad were disheveled on the floor. Severus wrenched Draco from the floor. Dear God! He was a mess. Ginny Weasley with her Bat-Bogey Hex, no doubt!

"Finite Incantatem!" he snapped. The boy's face became normal again.

"Where is Potter?" he demanded.

"Took Granger and Umbridge out to find something." The boy was dazed.

Severus bolted from the room and went running through the corridors. He past Filch and grabbed him. "Have you seen Umbridge?" he demanded.

Filch tried to free himself from Severus' grasp. "Damn you man, answer me!" he threatened.

Filch pointed a yellow finger towards the outside. "She went towards the forest with Potter and Granger," he said in a fearful voice.

Severus released the man and ran out of the castle. I continued to stalk him, but maintained a considerable distance. Thank God he was so focused on his task. Otherwise, he might have been able to sense my presence.

He came to the forest, and I saw him speak with a group of centaurs. He was very careful to speak in cautious and respectful tones. I couldn't hear what they said, but it was a long exchange. After a while, he bolted back towards my direction.

Oh shite! I thought as I ran out of his direction. He was headed back to the castle. I ran with all the speed I could muster. I had to get back to the room before he did, otherwise there would be the devil to pay. I needn't have bothered. He went to the Headmaster's office to use the fireplace. I cautiously followed and heard behind the door his conversation with Dumbledore.

"Albus, the boy has gone off to the Department of Mysteries. He's falling for the trap we feared most, I'm positive! What do you want me to do?"

"You can do nothing, Severus. I need you to stay at Hogwarts. There is no one to protect the students if everything comes to the worst. Promise me, Severus, you will stay, no matter what. Let me and the Aurors handle this."

"Please, Albus," he begged. "For Lily."

"I'll protect him, Severus."

I drew my head back from the door. Lily? Who is that? I thought jealously. I heard his footsteps towards the door. I flew down the stairs and ran towards the castle doors. I found the first broom I could find and headed for the Ministry of Magic.

***

The atrium was echoing from far away noises of screaming and crashing. I cast off my Disillusionment Charm and readied my wand. I walked among the debris obviously caused by Potter's recent clash with the Death Eaters.

I cautiously remained in the shadows, waiting to see any sign of my prey. I stalked the rooms, getting closer to voices. I heard the high cackling of a woman and saw the long, blond hair of Lucius Malfoy. I hissed at the sight of him. He was trying to get Potter to give him something.

Then, they all broke apart; hexes were thrown in all directions. I heard, "Crabbe to go with Rabastan." There's one, I thought as I readied my wand. "MacNair go with Avery." There's two, I seethed. There was no sign of Goyle. Ah, well, three out of four won't be bad for a night's work! I determined.

I knew to keep my distance from the woman. She was Bellatrix Lestrange. She was a right crazy bitch, and I did not want to distract myself from my purpose by having to deal with her. I went for MacNair and Avery. As they stalked and battled against my friends, I, from the shadows, deflected hexes and tried to spare them from being injured too badly without drawing attention to myself. Finally, the two separated and I went for MacNair. All was quiet in the office where we stood. He slowly turned, and his eyes widened at being surprised by my sudden close proximity to his person.

"STUPEFY!" I roared.

He crashed into the desk behind him. At my left, the door burst open, and the body of Crabbe came rushing after me, but with the head of a baby. He obviously had met with some wretched fallout. I didn't even blink.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" I screamed.

He fell lifeless and silent to the floor. MacNair went to reach for his wand. I Summoned it to me.

"No, no," I laughed, shaking my head as I walked over to stand before him.

"W-who are you?" he whispered.

"Sectumsempra!" I hissed. Immediately, his neck was slashed open. He gurgled and tried to grasp for breath. I knelt down and straddled him, watching him bugged eyed and fearful. Finally, he gurgled, "Who... are... you?"

"Don't you remember?" I whispered. I then ripped open the top buttons from my bodice. His eyes grew dark in horror as the realization came over his face. He was frozen at the sight of the scar he had given me. I reared back and punched him in the face.

"OI! Wake up! I'm next!" I laughed madly. He choked in his death throes. I watched until he was still in death.

I left the room. Now, it was time to find Malfoy and perhaps capture another Death Eater and torture him into telling me where Goyle was.

There was no time. All hell had broken lose. The Aurors arrived, and the battle was in full play. I saw Lucius battle with Potter, and I frantically searched for Goyle. Then, I forgot in my frenzy to watch my back. I was whipped around and faced an unknown, masked Death Eater.

***

It was much later. I was chained to a wall. Beaten badly, I winced as I tasted the blood on my lip. My left eye burned badly, and I could barely see out of it.

All around me there was raging voices and screaming. I tried to focus and saw that Voldemort was performing the Cruciatus Curse on someone.

"She's awake, My Lord!" someone called out.

Voldemort snapped his head up and raced over to me, his eyes boring into mine.

"So, you are the whore that killed two of my Death Eaters."

I smiled. He was trying so hard to penetrate my mind, but I knew how to resist him.

He realized his efforts were not going to be fruitful. He backed away and came from another angle.

"You are somewhat of a paradox, my dear," he surmised. "A young Mudblood, thirsty for vengeance and adept at killing, but so very weak-looking and an accomplished Occlumens at that." He came close to my left side, his breath rank on my cheek. "I know of only one man able to train you so thoroughly."

He whipped around to my right side and whispered in my ear. "Tell me, how long have you been Snape's apprentice?"

I was silent. He tried again to peer into my mind. I gave him nothing.

"Very well. Wormtail!" he shrilled.

A scrawny, rotund, little man came to him and offered his arm where the Dark Mark was. Voldemort pressed into it with his wand. I saw my husband materialize before my eyes.

"Severus," Voldemort said, shaking his head. "You do disappoint me. What am I doing here having to busy my time with this whore when I have so much to do already?"

"My Lord," Severus spoke silkily, "this woman is a formidable warrior. True, she is a Mudblood, but I have fashioned her into a powerful fighting tool..."

Voldemort's eyes blazed red. "A formidable tool that slaughtered two of my Death Eaters...both Respectables!"

"My Lord," Severus pressed. "You cannot blame her for wanting her revenge. She only wanted to kill the men who raped her."

"Is that so?" Voldemort whispered. "Wormtail, bring out Goyle. Oh, yes, Severus, don't be shocked. Yaxley has filled me in on the events that transpired that evening. Now that MacNair and Crabbe are dead, all we have to do is give the cunt Goyle and Malfoy, and we'll all be even."

He rushed over to me and pushed his evil face close to mine. "Even-Steven. Isn't that what you Muggles call it?" He laughed as he released me from my chains. I walked to the center of the room as a stunned Goyle came in.

"Kill him!" Voldemort ordered as he handed me my wand.

"As you wish," I answered coolly. I pointed my wand at Goyle and screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He crashed lifeless to the floor. Immediately, my wand was whipped from my hand.

"Very impressive, my dear," he murmured with approval as he circled me. "Pity, though," he said sadly as he took a finger and traced the scar on my face. "Such a beautiful girl. Would you serve me if I were to give you Malfoy? Would you be mine? Do as I will?" he asked seductively in my ear.

My anger was rising. Malfoy! The mention of his name caused my emotions to spill over. I could sense Severus shifting. I pushed my anger down as quickly as I could, but I was not fast enough.

"Your anger betrays you," Voldemort whispered. "You worship a master, and it will never change. Unfortunately, since I doubt your master's loyalty at this point, I can't see how we can proceed further."

"Severus!" he yelled. "This is what we are going to do. You have much to make amends for. It's fortunate for you Lucius will be spending a significant time in Azkaban due to his incompetence. Otherwise, you would be facing my wrath in ways you could never imagine! So, it is simple. This incident does not leave this room. Wormtail, Yaxley...you will never repeat these events again. Severus, your punishment is to watch your whore be given to Yaxley as a reward. After all, he is the one who brought her to me. Then, when he's had his fill, you will kill her."

My eyes flickered at Severus and then towards Voldemort. It's going to happen again. This man Yaxley is going to rape me and then order my husband to kill me!" A flash made me jump. There was the bed...the horror of my nightmares. I saw Severus' hand twitch near his wand. I can't let him do it! His work isn't finished! I turned my eyes to Severus as Yaxley walked towards me. There was no emotion that betrayed his face, but I saw his hand reach for his wand ever so slowly. I whispered, "I love you." Then, I closed my eyes and swiftly brought my palm to face my chest.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"