1 Chapter 1

They had advanced beyond the large iron gates. Breathing heavily from the escape, the man seized the boy's arm, and with a loud cracking noise, disappeared from the spot where they had been standing.

It was so dark that they could barely see around them. The night was soundless and heavy. Severus Snape looked about uneasily as he knocked his fist insistently on the large wooden door of the mansion that now stood before them.

"I told you that I didn't want to come back here," the boy hissed at him.

"Quiet!" Snape snarled back.

The door opened upon a tall, thin woman with long white-blonde hair, whose face was harsh and cold. Another blonde head stood behind her, but this girl was much younger, much smaller, and her features were not at all severe.

"Draco!" exclaimed Narcissa Malfoy, welcoming the boy and his companion into the house. It smelled of incense and antiques, a place bursting with proud ancestry.

"Is anyone else here?" Snape asked as they entered, his voice almost inaudible.

The woman shook her blonde head in response as she put her hands on her son's shoulders and began to examine him. His pale face was flushed, his equally pale hair windblown, his breathing heavy and inconsistent.

"How are you?" she asked him.

"Fine," the boy replied with a petulant look. "Don't nettle, Mother."

She frowned disapprovingly at her son, but she turned to the man who stood on her left and breathed gratefully, "Thank you, Severus."

Snape nodded curtly to her, the greasy black curtains of hair falling into his face.

"So it's done?" asked Narcissa, taking the boy's chin and turning his head from side to side, inspecting. He swatted in irritation at her hand.

"Albus Dumbledore is dead," Snape confirmed, regarding the pair of them with distaste.

Narcissa released the boy and smiled wickedly. "I am very proud of you, Draco."

Her son shamefully averted his gaze, smoothing his robes distractedly.

"Severus?" Narcissa asked, turning to the man, uncertainty clouding her eyes.

"I was forced to do it myself," said Snape dryly.

"But…" Narcissa began, "but the Dark Lord will not accept this!"

"No, I suspect that he won't," Snape agreed.

Terror spread over Narcissa's pointed face.

"But he'll kill us both!" she squealed. "What are we to do, Severus?"

Snape turned his eyes to the small girl who had been watching silently. She had a hand to her stomach, as if something wasn't sitting well with her.

"I assume, by now, that the Secret Keeper has revealed to you the location of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix?" Snape asked her.

The girl met his gaze and simply nodded in response.

"Narcissa, you are to take Draco to the headquarters. The Dark Lord will not find you there," Snape said to the mother who was still neurotically studying her son. The stately boy continued to appear annoyed by her attention.

Narcissa halted and stared disbelievingly at Snape. "There must be some mistake! They would never allow us in!"

Snape's upper lip curled into a knowing grimace. "Arrangements have been made. They are expecting you."

"I will not congregate with blood traitors who work against the Dark Lord!" she cried, clearly distressed.

"Very well. But he will soon find you and I do not expect he'll be very forgiving."

Narcissa looked frightened at this thought. She glanced questioningly at the young girl.

"I can only protect him to a certain extent if we stay here," the girl confirmed.

"Protect who? Me?" Draco interjected at this point. "Mother, who is she, anyway?"

Snape answered him instead. "She is here to see that you survive."

Draco looked at the girl suspiciously, and then said, "No one can protect me now." His face remained stoic, but his voice was layered with trepidation.

She confidently returned his stare, replying, "I can. And the Order can."

The boy looked doubtful and seemed as if he wanted to argue, but he said nothing more, merely narrowing his eyes at her.

"I must go," Snape declared abruptly. "The Dark Lord will be expecting me."

He turned again to the young girl. "I can only presume that I will be wanted for murder. Therefore, contacting me may prove difficult at first. I will contact you. See to it that I can reach you by Floo."

She bobbed her blonde head in accord.

"Severus," Narcissa pleaded, "you will defend Draco to the Dark Lord? You will tell him that all of the Malfoys are loyal to him?"

"Yes, but I don't know what good it will do," answered Snape, moving languidly towards the door.

Narcissa let out a muffled whimper.

"You will be safe with the Order," Snape said serenely. "Go there immediately."

The tall woman nodded.

Snape turned back unexpectedly and spoke quickly, firmly, "And you must make your repentance obvious to them and conduct yourselves as though you are no longer serving the Dark Lord. You will not spy on them, cause any trouble, or draw any unneeded attention to yourselves. Is this understood?"

Narcissa exchanged a disobedient glance with her son.

The thin man looked at them coldly. "You will do these things, or they will be rid of you, and you will be easy prey. It is your choice."

He addressed the small blonde girl once more. "You will see to it that they remain… inconspicuous?"

"I will do my best," she replied, but she sounded as though she knew that it would not be easy.

"What about my father?" Draco asked hastily, his tone still fearful.

Narcissa nodded to convey that she, too, wanted the answer to this question.

Snape looked carefully at the pair of them. "He is safe in Azkaban… for now."

Then, speaking to Narcissa, he continued, "And see to it that you sever all contact with Bellatrix. She is devoted to the Dark Lord and will betray you."

"She's my sister!" argued Narcissa in outrage.

"She is first, and foremost, a Death Eater," Snape countered calmly.

"We are all Death Eaters!" retorted Narcissa.

"Yes," agreed Snape, "but the Dark Lord is not so displeased with others of us."

A wounded expression came over Narcissa's face.

"We will regain his favor, Mother," Draco comforted her.

"Yes," she muttered absently.

"In time," said Snape. "For now, you will take shelter with the Order."

Then Severus Snape saw himself out, into the warm summer night, leaving the other three to travel to a place where they were very unwelcome indeed.