Harry Potter 1. A New Life

A/N: Sorry about all the confusion, guys, but I think that I have it all sorted now! Many thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you can all adjust to the new way of looking at this. Please forgive me the odd mistake, I keep wanting to write in the first person, but it just wouldn't have sounded right.  
  
Thanks to the few of you who have read some of the original pieces I have put up, your feedback is appreciated. If anyone else would like to read them, click on my name at the top of the page.  
  
Disclaimer: JK Rowling has dibbs on pretty much everything. I'm sure she won't mind me borrowing her characters for a while, though!!!  
  
  
  
A New Life  
  
  
  
Early that morning, Rene awoke with her stomach tied in vicious knots. She had graciously been given 3 days by Fudge, which allowed her to adjust her sleeping pattern from its nocturnal routine, but he had also given her 3 days to worry, to panic and to wallow in self-questioning. She knew that she was only taking this job on temporarily, but she was taking it none the less. She rose, wincing in the sunlight that bounced off the icy frost that coated that lands that ran on forever outside her steepled window. The shadowy grandfather clock in the corner chimed, telling her it was eight am. She had five hours left before they came.  
  
Them. The escorts. She had not the faintest idea of who, or what to expect. At first she had though Ministry Wizards, but as the hours and days wore on, she realised it far more likely that Dementors would be sent for her. The knots in her stomach twisted yet again. Though she had been reassured by her father many times (after she had managed to convince him that she was doing the right thing) that no creature was a match for her mother's daughter, she was till very apprehensive. She had never come across Dementors before, and she didn't know if she would be affected. It was possible that her reactions would be no different to a mortal's, though that was highly unlikely. The other options were that she would be affected much greater by them, or not at all.  
  
Snapping out of her nervous daze, she realised that she had to pack and get ready. Come what may, today she was leaving for Azkaban, whether common sense told her to or not. She slowly rose from her bed, shielding her royal- blue eyes from the sun. She walked into the adjoining bathroom, which was furnished almost entirely in silver and marble, and started a bath running. She removed her pyjamas and put on a white towelling robe while she waited for the water to run. She sat on the edge of the bath, absent-mindedly musing over the things that had happened since she had left Hogwarts while she stroked the water with her fingertips.  
  
How everyone had changed! Lily and James were engaged, but for all she really cared they could have split up. Wounds still hurt. Severus and Ed were very much enjoying their jobs, and both had matured very much. They were both quite tall, Severus remaining pale and mysterious, Ed getting a quiet admirable tan to match his dusky brown hair. They were living in a flat somewhere in north London, Severus living the life of a young, free bachelor, and Ed writing to and dreaming of her. She was doing pretty much the same. Rene herself had blossomed into a rather beautiful young individual, being a typical hourglass figure, her mid-length chocolate brown hair complimenting her blue eyes. Her father had plenty reason to be proud of her.  
  
She smiled to herself quietly, thinking of the many letters she received from her old friends. Severus was adamant he would make it out to Romania at some point, though so far the only times she had seen him were on her visits to the United Kingdom, and even then the time they spent together seemed unbearably short. He had developed a certain distance with many other people, but with her and Ed he remained the best of friends.  
  
Ed however, had swallowed his misgivings and managed to make it out to Romania on four occasions, and of course, she saw him too whenever she made it out to the UK. She chuckled inwardly at how they had managed to prove some many people wrong by remaining together over such a long time and distance as she lowered herself into the warm, fragrant water. He wrote at least twice a week, and she the same, and they became living proof that absence makes the heart grow fonder. She would look forward to any time she was going to see him for weeks before, and then mourn the fact that he had come and gone for weeks after his visit. She just felt...different when he was with her, and it drove her to the brink of insanity when he wasn't.  
  
Perhaps now, as Azkaban was closer, and he and Severus worked for the ministry, she'd get more opportunity to see them. She hadn't thought about that before...perhaps this was going to be a lot better than she had anticipated.  
  
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When dressed, packed, fed and watered, Rene took her things down to the hall of the hilltop Mansion that dominated the skyline of Maramures, and walked into the study, to spend a few minutes with her mother. She leant on the desk, looking up at the beautiful portrait, and smiled. No matter what, her mother would watch over her.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a carriage pull up at the gates at the bottom of the hill. Glancing out of the window, she saw that it was in fact a British Ministry car. She ran upstairs and left an affectionate note for her father who was still operating on a nocturnal routine. She had said her goodbyes the previous evening, so he wouldn't mind.  
  
Now, on to Azkaban! 


	2. Escorts To Azkaban

A/N: Sorry it's taken me a few days to update, I have so much homework it's untrue! I should be able to get another chapter up after this, because I have the computer to myself tonight! Yay!  
  
Many thanks to a pal of mine from the Slytherin Common Room, Reenie O'Dwyer. Reenie, trust me, you will love this chapter! (Oh, and how's the shrine coming along?!?)  
  
A.M.R.D. is an acronym for Accidental Magic Reversal Department. It appears in Book 3, to go and sort out Aunt Marge. For all the Americans reading this, I think you would call the Boot of the car the Trunk of the car. It's the bit at the back where you can store stuff, anyway. Apologies if I ever use slang that anyone doesn't understand, just let me know and I will try and explain!  
  
Thanks for sticking with me.  
  
  
  
Escorts to Azkaban  
  
  
  
Rene glanced again out of the window, and saw two figures get out of the car. They weren't Dementors, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief. The one got out and opened the boot of the car, and began looking for something, while the other...rushed, almost at a jog to the castle. Glancing at her watch, they were not late, but he seemed in an awful rush to get there. She came away from the window, and went to open the big solid oak door. The door was being frantically knocked before she got there, and pausing again to wonder at the reason for the rush she unlocked it. What she saw gave her the biggest shock of her life.  
  
"Ed?"  
  
"Suprise!" He smirked, and kissed her as if they had not seen each other in years. "Did you miss me?" He asked playfully, not letting her go.  
  
"Of course, but...what the hell are you doing here?" She said, taking a step back. Happiness and confusion don't go well, and it was nie-on giving her a headache.  
  
"It's our job to fill you in on Azkaban on the way!" He stroked her face gently, like he always did. "I missed you so much, you know that?"  
  
"Me too." She held his gaze for a moment. His eyes were warm and inviting, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to stay there, but it was a long trip. He stepped inside, and picked up her bags, despite her protests, and started out the door.  
  
"Rene! Wait!" A familiar voice called down the stairs. Her father, dressed in his usual tailored white shirt and black cloak with red lining, appeared at the top of the stairs. He rushed down and over to her, with the deepest scowl on his face.  
  
"Goodbye, Dad." She smiled, the corners of his mouth twitched upwards, but only slightly.  
  
"I want to know when you get there. And anything that you don't like. I'll talk to that idiot Fudge..."  
  
"Dad, I'll be fine, and if there is anything wrong, *I'll* talk to Fudge! I'll let you know when I get there, I promise."  
  
He sighed, and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Goodbye. And you," He turned with a sharpness that alarmed Ed, glaring right at him. "You look after her. Understood?"  
  
"Yessir. Don't worry, I will sir." He flashed back, his eyes wide in what could only be described as fear.  
  
With a final wave, they walked out of the door. Ed carried the two large cases, and Rene, her small overnight bag. It was pleasant being out in the snow, and it crunched cheerfully underfoot. All of a sudden, her heart was lifted again, happy at how nice it was to see one of her best friends again.  
  
"How's Severus? Still single?"  
  
"He's great, and no. Not single."  
  
She arched a suspicious eyebrow.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I think her name is Reen, not sure what it's short for...yes, Reen O'Dwyer. She works at the Ministry too, in the A.M.R.D." They began to get nearer the car, where the second figure was still pottering about in the boot of the car.  
  
"Well, what's she like, this Reen? What does he think?"  
  
Ed smirked playfully again.  
  
"Why don't you ask him yourself? Oi! Sev!"  
  
And the figure stood up. Rene would have noticed if she had seen just how black and billowing the figure's robes were. Glaring plainly and with more cold than the snow around them at Ed, Severus then turned to Rene. He smiled warmly, and held out his arms.  
  
"Sev!" She yelped, and gave him a huge hug. "I missed you!"  
  
"And I missed you. How are you?" He let go of her and began to help Ed get the cases into the back of the car.  
  
"All the better for seeing you. Why didn't you tell me that it was you coming?"  
  
"Well, we couldn't!" Ed chuckled as he handed the second case to Severus. "It would have meant 'letting an outsider get hold of information about the work of the unspeakable magicians.' We had to learn all the rules off by heart, parrot fashion." He muttered, as an afterthought.  
  
"Plus the fact that it was *far* more amusing to let it be a suprise to you." Severus continued, walking round to the side of the car, while Ed shut the boot tight and got in the opposite side. "Ladies first!" He smiled, opening the door for her. "However, the moment you step into the car, you are officially an employee of the British Ministry of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, branch Azkaban. We can tell you everything, so long as you swear you don't tell anyone."  
  
"Would I ever do such a thing, Severus?" She replied, feigning an insulted manner. She stepped elegantly into the car, which was, in typical ministry fashion, furnished with every luxury. She was sat in the middle of the two of them, on a large black sofa, with a coffee table in front of it. There were various collections of Ministry hand books and manuals on a bookshelf opposite them, and next to that a small but impressive fireplace.  
  
"You like it, princess?" Ed smiled, seeing her scanning the place.  
  
"It'll have to do, I suppose." She sighed, grinning back. They began to move, and Ed busied himself with sorting out some hot chocolate, and she turned to Severus.  
  
"So," She mused "Tell me all about this Reen..." 


	3. The Journey-Part 1

There's a flashback in this, guys, you'll know it when you see it. Hope its not too disturbing. I did feel that the story should be changed to R however.  
  
  
  
The Journey-Part 1  
  
  
  
They journey, which would have taken ten long hours, seemed to take only two. There was much catching up to be done, and done it was. Severus and Ed were eager to know how Rene was coping with running Romania, to which her answer was that if it was a better option to go to Azkaban then how did they think it was going. She asked Severus all about Reen, and managed to worm out of him that she was quite petite, blonde, had bright eyes, was a little ditzy at times but very bright and all in all, bloody perfect. She found once she had got him to tell her anything, it was very hard to shut him up.  
  
"So," She began, after giving them every possible detail about her own life "What *is* the life of an Unspeakable like? Can you tell me now?"  
  
They glanced nervously at one another, and seemed to be having their own little conversation with just their eyes and expressions. After about 30 seconds of this unbroken glare, they appeared to have reached a conclusion.  
  
"Uh, princess, this may be a teeny bit of a shock..." Ed began. Alarm bells started ringing violently in her head.  
  
"Uh oh!" She said, only half joking. "What have you done?"  
  
"Show her, then." Ed said to Severus.  
  
"No, you! I'm not doing it. It'll be better coming from you!"  
  
"As I believe I have said before, she was the cat's mother! I am still here, you know! Is there any way you can tell or show me at the same time?" She asked in desperation, on the edge of her seat with fear.  
  
"All right. We can do that." Severus muttered. "On three?" Ed nodded. "One, two, Three!"  
  
They both shot their sleeves up their left arms to reveal the Dark Mark. Rene instinctively pushed herself right back into the chair, staring in more than mid disbelief at them.  
  
"Jesus Christ! What the hell's going on? I thought you worked for the Ministry, not the dark side!"  
  
"Shh, Its Ok! Really, Its ok!" Ed soothed, stroking her arm. "Really, I swear. That's why no one can know what we do unless it's essential!"  
  
"Please, Rene, you have to trust us on this one. We are the first two spies the Ministry has managed to get into the Death Eaters successfully, and if we are found out then..." His voice trailed off, and yet again, he looked at Ed. "Anyway, we have to fill you in because its likely you're going to be seeing a lot of us. We're the ones who shop the Death Eaters who are planning murders or torture of innocents, and its we that will be delivering them to you. No one can know, though. Not about us, not about our D. M.'s...Dark Marks," He added, seeing her mildly confused look "Nothing. No one can know anything."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry, it was just a...a bit of a shock. Can I see it again?" She tentatively asked Ed. It wasn't often Rene was seen tentative. He held his arm out without a word, and she looked carefully at it. It was only the faintest red, but it was definitely there. She ran her finger over it slowly, thinking how ugly it was. "Have you felt it burn yet?"  
  
"Yes, twice." Ed answered, wincing at even saying it.  
  
"What happens?"  
  
"Well," Severus began "It starts with barely noticeable pins and needles, and we needn't answer that. Its only if it burns we have to go. It burns black, very black, and it becomes raised. Its putrid, an awful thing."  
  
"Does it hurt you?"  
  
"Every time. It hurts beyond anything I've ever felt before."  
  
A long, long silence followed. Rene was still a little in shock about the mark, and was still trying to come to terms with the fact that her two best friends were Death eaters. Ed and Severus had reminded themselves that they may well die doing this job, and they wouldn't die quickly if they did. They had seen Voldemort "dispose" of one unfaithful servant already, and it had not been pleasant viewing.  
  
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He had first whispered "Crucio" in sharp, angry bursts, leaving the traitor in question writhing in agony, the pain worsening each time. He had then had him tied to a stone table, which the Death Eaters had all gathered around. No magic was involved after the point where he was magically bound to the stone slab. He had merely taken a rather blunt dagger, and hacked the poor wretch's lower left arm off, leaving blood spurting out in an endless fountain.  
  
"Let that be a lesson to you all." He had rasped, turning from the stone slab. "If you betray me, you are not worthy of bearing such a glory as the Dark mark, and I will have to remove it, as I have just removed this traitor's." He held up the morbid hand, itself dripping blood. "You are all dismissed." with that, he dissapparated, leaving the bloody hand to fall grossly to the floor, and the traitor to die slowly, and in agony. They had both wished with all their might that they could save the poor man, or at least put him out of his misery, but it would have meant giving themselves away to such torture.  
  
They had walked to a nearby clearing to dissapparate, a little further from the table.  
  
"Poor Bastard." Severus muttered. "What was his name?"  
  
"Ragazzo Mantavani. He was an Italian, been passing information to us." Ed replied, in the same downcast tone.  
  
"The Diego Informant that Fudge mentioned?"  
  
"That's the one. I always thought Diego referred to Spaniards myself."  
  
"Well, no one knew what nationality he was, did they? That was how he got the name, how he sounded. Either way, it's a foul term. If there are two terms in this world I can't stand, they're Diego and Nigger. Both of which are frequently used by Lucius, I notice."  
  
"Well, there's nothing we can do about him. We have to let the things he does slide...for now. We'll get him, Sev, don't worry. Just not yet. We'd blow it all."  
  
"And suffer like Ragazzo for it, too. Come on, I need to get away from this."  
  
"Me too. Filthy business."  
  
And with that, they left, leaving behind distant screams and laughter.  
  
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	4. The Journey-Part 2

A/N: There's possibly going to be one more part to the journey after this, guys, but it is more likely to be the arrival at Azkaban. I'm sorry its long, but these things have to be said and this is where they fit. I have changed the rating of the story, because of the flashback in the last chapter, and the fact that there may be more like that to come.  
  
  
  
The Journey- Part 2  
  
  
  
There had been a long silence, and Rene had guessed it was best to leave them to their thoughts. They had both looked out of the tinted windows of the car, and not looked back for some time. This gave her time to think; to let her mind wander. It wandered further back than it had that morning, to their time at Hogwarts, and how things had changed so wildly. Never, not in her wildest dreams or nightmares would she have seen their world the way it was now. Just but 6 years ago, they had been happy, and had not a care in the world. But it was a different happiness, now. One that was there because they had survived so much together, and that they wouldn't have gotten out of the depression, anger and pain that was their penultimate year. She thought of Lily, and when she had first told her about her pregnancy, about how she herself had begged Lily to tell someone, and how it had all ended in tears.  
  
With a heavy sigh, she dragged herself back to the real world. She looked across at Ed, and he had fallen asleep.  
  
"He didn't sleep at all last night." Severus whispered, "He was too damn excited. You know, he really does love you."  
  
"I know," She spoke softly, stroking Ed's hair "Tell him the same, will you? It's more believable coming from someone else, sometimes... Severus, can I ask you something?"  
  
He arched his eyebrow suspiciously, not knowing what was coming. Everything about Reen, about his job and anything else he could imagine had been drummed out of him already, and he didn't like the tone she was speaking in. It was a cautious tone, a tentative tone, which told him he was not going to like at all what she wanted to say. Every bone in his body told him not to let her ask, not to let her speak further...  
  
"Of course. What?"  
  
"Do you ever think about her anymore?"  
  
"Who? Reen?" He asked confused. Rene glared at him with all the menace she could muster amidst her sadness.  
  
"No. You know who I mean."  
  
And then it hit him. A short sharp smack brought her flying to his mind. The despicable wretch, the beautiful swan, the lying slut, the loyal friend. Memories drowned him for a moment, more powerfully than ever before. His thoughts of Lily were frequent, but never as confusing as these. Something about Rene mentioning it brought it all back, every last moment. He was usually able to dismiss thoughts with the blink of an eye, but these would not fade.  
  
"You do, don't you?" Rene ventured, seeing his eyes glaze and his mind retract into itself. "Severus, forgive me, but I had to ask. I had to know I was not the only one who still thought of her...Have you spoken to her since?"  
  
"No, on both counts. I do not think of her, and I have not spoken to her. Why would I do either?"  
  
"Considering you are a Slytherin, you cannot lie well, Severus. Or perhaps it is my also being a Slytherin that tells me you are telling me but a half- truth. Please, admit it?" She lay a gentle hand on his arm, trying to coax the answer out of him, though she did not need it to know she was right.  
  
"Yes..." he muttered, though it was some minutes before he did so, and more before he spoke again. "I am happy, I have what seems a perfect life, but it all gets thrown off so easily by her, that lying little wretch...Whenever I see Reen, I think only of how perfect she is, and inevitably, how she is everything Lily was not, and what a blessing that is. But my mind has never been one to let things go, and I wonder, is that true? Do I want someone who is everything she was not?" He sighed, and lifted his gaze from his own lap to the windows of the car. "You must think me mad."  
  
"No. I would think you mad if you had no care for her."  
  
He turned sharply to face her, his face suddenly angered.  
  
"I said I think of her, but I assure you I do not care one tiny bit for her and that Potter. Especially not him. How could I, after what she did to me, to us, to you?"  
  
"She did much, Severus, I know. To me and to you above all, and what she did cut deep, but the fact that you care she did that means you care. I have had far too much time to dwell on the past, and I know that it hurts more now I have thought about it than it ever did before, but it is the only way to relieve myself of it. If questions lie hidden at the back of one's mind, they leave no room for true happiness. Life is short, Severus, and I think it is far too short to let something such as this ruin it for us."  
  
Again, he snapped. Their both being of titled blood mean as they went on, their tones became more formal. It is a sure sign that things have come to fever pitch when two old friends talk as two strangers.  
  
"Rene, you talk nonsense. What she did was unforgivable, and if you are even *thinking* of a reconciliation, then you have not the sense you are credited with."  
  
"Severus, *nothing* in this world is unforgivable. Not deeds, not words, not even curses. Such things have no place. I am not suggesting anything stupid, though that is what it may seem. I merely think that we should not leave things as they are. Lay down the swords, if you will. I do not propose we try and return to the way things were, for that can never be, but just say something to her, just to let her know no grudge is born anymore...Don't you think it is time?"  
  
He looked at her with sullen eyes. misplaced in an angry face. In his mind he knew she was right, and in his heart he thought she stopped too soon, not suggesting enough, but his pride over-ruled.  
  
"No. You may do so, but I will not. Make sure you let her know how much she is loathed when you make amends, don't you? I think she would like to hear that her feelings are reciprocated." he snapped, with biting sarcasm. It riled him to see himself going so against what he wished to do, but he just could not find it in him to forgive her, nor even to speak civilly of her. He did not know why, for he wanted nothing more than to be able to, but old wounds die hard, just as habits.  
  
Much of the rest of the journey was spent in pregnant silence, each of them threatening to break it at any moment. Rene cursed herself for bringing it up, but also Severus for being so damn narrow minded. Severus cursed himself for being so narrow minded, but Rene for bringing the damn thing up. they had played many a game of chess in all their time, but never had such a ruthless stalemate been reached before. Eventually, Rene fell asleep on Ed's shoulder, and Severus' mind drifted too far for him to be rendered conscious. He thought of nothing, and was as aware of his surroundings as he would have been if both blind and deaf. 


	5. Arrival

A/N: Everything is JK Rowling's, except Torbeyorne Cove, which I made up. Miss Rowling, as I have said before, I am forever indebted to you for giving me such wonderful characters to play puppeteer with, and you may have Torbeyorne Cove if you want it, along with everything else! (It is pronounced Toar- (as in Boar) Bee- Yorn)  
  
Don't forget to review, I am having difficulties with this, and feedback is more appreciated now than ever!!! I am sorry it has taken so long to get this damn chapter up, but it was a combined lack of inspiration and time that stopped me. If anyone out there can tell me how to make my writing italic, I would be REALLY grateful!  
  
  
  
Arrival  
  
  
  
They reached their destination, or at least as far as they were going to get in a car of any sort, and thus the silence was broken. Ed, who had woken with the ceasing of motion, gently woke Rene. It was early evening, and dusk had settled upon the god-forsaken Torbeyorne Cove, the departure point for Azkaban. They got out of the car, and after fetching Rene's luggage from the boot, Severus sent red sparks into the air with his wand, movement was just visible in the distance. Slowly, a ghostly, unmanned boat drifted over towards them, scattering mist as it went.  
  
"Well, I guess this is it, then." Ed muttered, putting a protective arm around Rene.  
  
"I thought you said you'd been o Azkaban before?" She enquired, looking at him with the suspicion that befits a bitter schoolteacher.  
  
"I have." Severus corrected her. "Ed's not been able to get there until now without causing suspicion, so I've done it. He'll be here in the future, mind." And with that, he shot a poignant glance in Ed's direction, and climbed into the boat. Ed passed him the cases, and then jumped in himself, holding out a hand to Rene as she stepped in with all the elegance of a queen. The boat seemed to know when they were ready, and again began its crawling journey to the island. The mist didn't part for them as they went, meaning all they could see of one another was a vague shadow. One of the shadows put his arm around Rene, but she couldn't see whether or not it was Ed or Severus. The other didn't notice, so it quite easily could have been either.  
  
They finally reached the island, though it was not a pleasant place from the very beginning. They hopped out of the boat, and onto the grey-brown earth, which bore no grass or flower, and a Hooded figure began to approach them from the gates of what appeared to be one of the most formidable fortresses ever built. Severus and Ed both noticeably tensed up at the sight of this creature, and Rene assumed it was a Dementor. She took a deep breath in and held it, while she waited to see what her reaction was going to be. It drew closer and closer, looming over them in its gothic cloak dragging behind it. Nothing. It appeared to stop when it saw Rene, and pointed a grey, leather-like finger towards her. Nothing.  
  
"No, she's not a prisoner." Severus swallowed, though a faint quiver was present in his sharpened tones "You would be wise to show respect to her. She is to take charge of this place."  
  
It stopped in its tracks, and it's head turned to face her. The void that was its overly large hood gaped at her like a black hole, and then took a few steps towards her. Nothing. Surely, now she would have felt something if it was going to effect her...still nothing.  
  
"Well? Are you alright?" Ed asked, but never taking his nervous eyes away from the Dementor.  
  
"I'm fine, I feel no different. Nothing changed...I'm not cold or anything, just...just normal."  
  
"Well thank Merlin for that." Severus muttered "Come on, Fudge said he'd be waiting for us on our arrival. That'll take your cases to your quarters." He motioned to the Dementor. 


	6. The Azkaban Labyrinth

A/N: Yada, yada, yada, nothing is mine, etc, etc. Many Thanks to Jo Rowling. Also, many thanks to Thomas Harris, the writer of the exquisitely written Hannibal books, for giving me something to base Azkaban on in the Hospital at Baltimore. Can't say much for the film, mind, but the books are well worth the read.  
  
Many apologies again for the time this has taken me, but I have the most phenomenal writer's block with this story! I do not know how long it will take me to get the next chapter up, but if it isn't by Thursday then it won't be until at least the 22^nd, because I'm off to Italy for a week. With a bit of luck I'll come back with some inspiration!  
  
This Chapter is dedicated to Professor Spike of Slytherin house. ; o)  
  
The Azkaban Labyrinth  
  
They walked up to the Gate, which was followed a few feet along by a large black Portcullis, which clanked and slammed whenever it was moved. The Dementors let them in as soon as they saw them, because they knew who Severus was. The Dementors made a move to grab Rene by the arms as if she were a prisoner, but Severus and Ed were either side of her blocking their path before they had taken more than one step.  
  
"She's not a prisoner, she's one of us. I advise you treat her with respect." Severus snarled at them, to the extent that it was hard to see who was the more dangerous. Ed looped his arm through hers, and walked on, at a considerably faster pace than before. Rene felt a little bit put-down by the implication that she needed to be protected, and it showed. Ed read her mind.  
  
"I'm not protecting you; you could handle them better than me any day; but no one would ever march in here with a Prisoner like this. They're usually tied and dragged in, but if they see you like this they know you're different."  
  
"I thought Dementors were blind..." She questioned  
  
"Blind, but not half as stupid as they look. They can tell when a prisoner is being brought in and when a civilian is."  
  
The further they walked, the more Azkaban myths were confirmed. There were corridors that wound on for what seemed like miles, each criss-crossing one another at regular intervals. The cells were tiny, with the bare essentials for life in them: A sink, a toilet, a bed and, oddly enough, Bibles. Why was a question Rene could find no answer to. Bible or not, this place was not a place for hope to be nurtured. She saw few prisoners, as most of them resigned themselves to the shadows of their confinement, but a few were in plain sight. All were devilishly thin, and shared the gaunt look that was as good as the Azkaban logo. Some were crying, some were shaking, some were asleep, and some were doing all three. In a place that is itself a nightmare, peaceful slumber is seldom found. After she had seen the fifth, she looked no longer at them; they did not deserve the pity she could not quell.  
  
Instead, she turned her attention again to the cells themselves. On closer inspection of the dank, light-starved walls, they all bore the names of the occupants of the nearest cell, their age, their sentence and some other notes.  
  
Marianne Goldhag, 31, 15 years, use of unforgivable curse, 1 daughter (Meredith) visits on 24^th March. No other visitors permitted.  
  
Mostyn Merlindo, 27, 5 years, attempted robbery of Gringott's and use of adverse charm on magical creatures. No visitors permitted.  
  
Octavion Juliusson, 45, Life, Murder and Rape, former Death Eater, will not repent. No visitors permitted. To be interrogated on the Dark arts, specifically charms.  
  
The time seemed to fly when she read these, and then looked on at the sorry excuses for people that cowered in the corners of their cells. They came to the end of the labyrinthine maze, and walked through a large wooden door, into a wide, open office where Cornelius Fudge was waiting. He looked rather nervous, and was holding his hat at his waist in both hands, twisting it over uncomfortably.  
  
"Ah! You're here at last!" He jumped up and walked over to them, nodding politely at the two men. "Severus, Edward." He offered Rene a shaky hand. "Lady Bolovnik! It is a pleasure to meet you at last. Did you have a safe journey?"  
  
"Yes, thank you Mr Fudge. Please, call me Rene." And they sat down around a roaring fire. They made small talk for some time, and Fudge talked her through some rather insignificant details of the place, while Severus and Ed just sat there and looked uneasy, eyeing the door with suspicion. Finally, the clock above the fireplace chimed 6 o'clock, and they both rose to leave.  
  
"Sir, we must leave now. There is an expected meeting in 2 hours... we cannot risk being late." Severus muttered, visibly paling at the last five words.  
  
"Yes, yes of course." Fudge answered, rising to bid them farewell. "Best of British, boys. You're in for great rewards for this!"  
  
"We'll see you soon, Rene. Look after yourself, and let us know if there are any problems." Severus smiled weakly, his mind evidently still with his earlier words. Ed shot him a look that Rene didn't see, and he understood at once. "Uh...Mr Fudge, would you mind walking with us to the boat? There are some... things I have t discuss with you."  
  
"Certainly!" he said, relieved, as if glad to be out of the gloomy place, even if not much and for little time. He stopped and turned at the door. "Edward, are you coming?"  
  
"I'll be out in a moment, Sir. I just want to check some things over."  
  
"Very good. Don't be long now, you-know-who is not a man of patience."  
  
They left, with Severus jabbering on about some inconsequential ministry business, and their voices gradually became muffled beyond the point of comprehension. Ed turned to Rene and walked over to her.  
  
"Are you going to be alright here?" He asked, in a voice that was close to a whisper, slipping her pianist-perfect hands into his own.  
  
"I'll be fine, I promise. You know I will." She said, looking away at the floor, her pale cheeks gaining the faintest rose. He freed his right hand and gently tilted her head back up to his level, so her eyes could not escape his.  
  
"I know, I just can't believe it until I hear it from you. Look after yourself, and I'll see you soon, alright?"  
  
"Alright. You too."  
  
He leant down and kissed her lovingly, and then left without another word. She thanked heaven for small mercies, and pondered what was to come next, when Fudge returned. She had many, many questions to ask, and expected he had many things to tell her. 


	7. The Wrong Foot

A/N: I am so sorry to all of you that have supported me with this for so long; I've not updated in weeks, and its appalling. I just have TREMENDOUS writer's block with this, and I have been trying to vent the crappy writing trapped inside me out in school, specifically in long and boring essays about "To Kill a Mockingbird". Great book, crappy English lessons. I think it's nearly all gone, so I am going to continue on with this now. Once again, I'm really sorry, the lack of updating has been well out of order. If I can possibly help it then it won't happen again.  
  
  
  
The Wrong Foot  
  
  
  
Rene took her seat in one of the old mahogany chairs, and gazed around the room. It was not unlike the dungeons of Hogwarts; the walls were cold, damp, dark stone, and the furniture was the type of antique that would never make a room feel comfortable or like home. It was almost as cold and detached as the rest of the confine, though she hoped she would have better living quarters than the criminals beyond the door of what she assumed was her office.  
  
She heard footsteps slowly approaching. Fudge stepped quickly through the door and slammed it shut, appearing a little nervous. He took a handkerchief out of his blazer pocket and dabbed his forehead, before sitting opposite her, though not behind the desk.  
  
"Nasty things." He muttered, looking straight into the fire.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Nasty things, the dementors. Not trustworthy, never will be. I've never been fond of allying our ministry to non-humans..." He realised his mistake, and shot a half glance at Rene, who let it slide with a vague gesture of her hand. "If we didn't need them, I would get rid of them in the blink of an eye, but it's convenient for both parties."  
  
"They get fed and our prisoners get punished, yes?"  
  
"Yes. Sometimes I think that for some of these people it's too much of a punishment, it's a god-awful place. But still, what we have to remember is that these people are dangers to society, and must be reprimanded. Which reminds me. The prisoner's files are all in those cabinets; I had them brought over from the ministry this morning. One or two may have been left behind at the ministry, but if they have been we'll find them soon enough. You won't actually need the files that much, unless, of course, there are any problems with a particular prisoner, when everything we possibly could find out about them is in those files."  
  
"What sort of things might go wrong with the prisoners?" Rene asked, trying to fight Fudge's gaze away from the fire to her.  
  
"Well, as goes without saying, this place is not a nice one, and sometimes...well, some of us are made of stronger stuff than others. No one finds it a pleasant experience, but some people just cannot stomach Azkaban, usually the ones who have committed the most severe crimes. The more gruesome and atrocious the crime, the more gruesome and atrocious the memories. They snap." He punctuated with a click of his fingers, looking like he was himself about to be sick.  
  
"So, in that case, go to their files, and try to determine from profiles and the details of their past lives and crimes what's wrong, yes?" Rene ventured, suddenly eager to get rid of Fudge. They may have been sat in front of a blazing fire, but she was feeling distinctly cold with him there. She sensed that he did not trust her completely either, and was going to need some convincing that she was at all up to the job.  
  
"Yes, that's right. I must say, not a lot else needs doing, just the day to day running of the establishment...food, supplies and all that. I understand you've had some experience of that, yes?" Fudge questioned, meeting her gaze and holding it more than a moment for the first time.  
  
"I have been running 4 of my father's estates for the past two years, all bigger than Azkaban, so I expect I'll have no problems at all, Mr Fudge." Rene said, in a matter-of-fact tone. She couldn't fathom whether it was the fact she was a woman or an immortal that bothered him, or both, but whatever it was, she was becoming more and more convinced he didn't think her up to the job. She also had a strong feeling that Dumbledore had played a part in the decision to offer it to her.  
  
"Well then, that's really about all there is." he said, standing to leave. "Best of British to you."  
  
"Excuse me Mr Fudge, but what about the Dementors?" Rene asked, also standing up. "Surely I am not to ignore them completely?"  
  
"Well, are you at all affected by them?" He asked, somewhat impatiently  
  
"No, I'm not, but that..."  
  
"Then I see no good reason why you shouldn't just ignore them. I really do not understand why you are bothered, Miss Bolovnik. I do not know how things are done in Romania, but I can assure you that in Britain we get on with a job without making a fuss and asking too many questions! Now, if you'll excuse me..."  
  
Fudge as good as hammered the nails into his own coffin. Rene was fed up to the teeth of his general rudeness, and was not prepared to stand for it.  
  
"MR FUDGE! If you had let me finish what I was saying, you would know that I wasn't making a fuss, I was asking a perfectly valid question. What I was going to say about the Dementors is that they do not affect me at all, however, I may affect them. They have been running this place since it was established yes? Well, I cannot really see them taking kindly to suddenly having their supremacy in Azkaban snatched away by the Ministry of Magic! I want to know that this has been thought of and dealt with, and that I will not be handling a rebellion! The way things are done in Romania may not be the same way things are done in Britain, *sir*, but I think that if all employees of your Ministry are expected to be nothing but puppets who sit and do their paperwork and never ask questions, then I am very glad I am Romanian. And it's *Lady*, not Miss."  
  
Her face was white with anger, and she was using all the self-control she could muster not to go into a full-blown rage. She stared hard at him, willing him to make one more comment like he just had. He looked shocked, and it was plainly obvious he had been caught off his guard. It took him a minute to recover his composure.  
  
"Very Well, *lady* Bolovnik, but pulling rank on me will not do you much good. I assure you the Dementors will give you no trouble, and if there is ever anything you can't handle, then just send an owl to the Ministry. I have more important things to do."  
  
And with that, he stormed out. Rene collapsed into the chair behind the desk, exasperated. If that wasn't starting off on the wrong foot, what was? 


	8. Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

A/N: Writes block- suffocating me! Help! God Damn it, I have no idea where to go, so apologies for this chapter, as it is more thank likely going to be a big pile of fresh, steaming doggy dodo! Please, if anyone out there has anything that might help me, let me know.  
  
Bran Castle is supposedly the Castle that belonged to Count Dracula. Ties with the family Dracul may be revealed later on through Rene and Pyeitek, though nothing is definite yet.  
  
To all those who know anything about it, I have officially given up my search for Spike. I got tired of waiting, I guess. I haven't seen him in over two months, so I take it he is not coming back. Spike, if you are reading this, e-mail me, or Rene will just have to move on. :-(  
  
  
  
Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall  
  
  
  
Rene decided, after quite unmistakably getting off on the wrong foot with Fudge, to take a look around to clear her mind. She doubted very much that the Dementors had even been told of her arrival, let alone talked into just being accepting of it all. She wasn't really sure how to take them. No one had really told her anything about them, and how she was meant to communicate with them, she did not know. Could they talk? Would they talk, even if they could?  
  
She decided to leave all that to the philosophers for a while, and made her way through a door at the back of her office, though she had no idea of where it may lead. As she pushed the heavy bar down and the oak opened outwards, she saw a spiral staircase leading up a tower, which bore more than a passing resemblance to one of the derelict towers at Bran Castle, the home of a family friend. She cautiously edged up the stairs, her eyes darting around in a torrent of suspicion. This place was not nice, and she did not feel at ease or safe. The stairs seemed to go on forever, and she began to wonder why on earth she was bothering, when she finally came to a landing.  
  
It was huge, considering the tower of Azkaban that she had seen was not even a quarter of this width. Still, magic maketh miracles she pondered, and stepped up onto the ornate Oriental rug that covered the centre of the stone floor. There was an old mirror dead ahead, which disconcerted her even further. To be reminded that she was not all human was not what she felt like being reminded of, so she quickly turned to the three doors that led off on the three walls.  
  
Behind the first door, she found what she assumed was her room. It was huge, with a large four poster bed next to the window, and numerous pieces of mahogany furniture lined the walls. A large dining table was in the middle of the room, with four chairs around it.  
  
"Will I not be eating alone then?" She murmured out loud, as she stepped further in and ran her fingers lightly over the desk. Also in the room appeared to be an en-suite bathroom, not unlike the one she had at home in Maramures. She knelt down and started a few of the taps running slowly; a bath after such a long, exhausting day was just what she needed. As it ran, she stepped back out into the hall, but not before drawing the bed away from the window. Sunlight is not a vampire's best friend.  
  
She stepped into the second door, which seemed to be a second bedroom. There was one double bed and two singles, and another en-suite. It was quite a bit smaller than her room, and contained only 2 wardrobes and a bedside table for each bed, unlike the multitude of furniture that was arranged in her room. Was she to be expecting guests? She could already see a letter going to the Ministry as soon as this trial month was up, telling them the job was not for her. What kind of visitors stayed at Azkaban?  
  
In the third room seemed to be everything that wasn't in the others. there was a small study area with about four tall bookshelves and a bureau, a kitchen area to the far side of the room, a miniature potion lab for some unexplainable reason and a small sitting area by a large open fire, with two imposing armchairs at angles facing the fire. Between them was a chessboard, all set with glass and steel pieces. This struck Rene as odd, the place being so damn old fashioned like everywhere else in the wizard world, but with this ultra-modern chess set placed in front of a roaring open plan fire. Then again, nothing really seemed to belong inside the dreary walls of Azkaban except the dementors and the mould that served to wall-paper the convict's cell walls, so perhaps it was just her being silly.  
  
She walked out again, and went past the dominant feature of the room, the mirror. She glared at it, hating it with all her heart. It seemed to be sneering at her, making fun of her, and just glaring back with the reflection of a ghost. For some reason, looking into her own transparent eyes made her feel cold and bitter. Why had she been born with this curse? Who decided that she was never to be human, and always to be feared by people who didn't know her? What sort of power dictated that she would live for hundreds of years, when the twenty odd she had already lived had been one long test? Hundreds of years of pain was what she had been given, and she would suffer the fact she would never have children, suffer the fact that she would never be trusted, suffer the fact that people saw her as a freak for each and every one. Her eyes grew white, and her teeth grew long, as tortured tears fell down her face.  
  
Suddenly, she let out a scream that a Banshee would have been proud of, and sent her fist hurtling towards the mirror. It smashed into thousands of tiny pieces, and scattered all over the floor. Rene didn't care. She just slumped down against the wall, and held her head in her arms. She went to bed that night with a vague sense of sympathy for some of the prisoners in the fortress below her; perhaps what the mirror had done to her was what a dementor could do to them. 


	9. Sunburn

A/N:  
  
This chapter is dedicated to two comedians of our time, who shaped the future of Comedy. To Spike Milligan, who died last month, and to Dudley Moore, who died this week. As someone who was brought up along with poems like "The Ning Nang Nong" and whose first ever video was "Santa Clause; The Movie", I cannot tell you how sad I am that two of my childhood heroes should die so closely, and in the case of Dudley Moore, so young by today's standards. We will miss you both, guys, you won't be forgotten.  
  
The picture I mention (The Lonely Vampire) is a painting I have done as GCSE coursework for art, though I do not yet have the facilities to scan it. When I do, I will post it up on the net as soon as I can.  
  
  
  
Sunburn  
  
  
  
Rene was woken rudely by the glare of harsh sunlight, which she noticed had already burnt her left arm that had been exposed. She got out of bed in a flash, concealing her eyes with her healthy arm, and yanked the heavy drapes shut. As she walked into the bathroom, she absent-mindedly stroked her arm, which tingled and stung all at once. It also smoked slightly, making her wonder how long it had been exposed to the light, but she knew that it wouldn't matter in a day. Her face felt stiff and dry, and she could feel clearly the tracks of her tears. Once she remembered why she had been so distraught last night, she immediately pushed it to the back of her head.  
  
It reminded her of a portrait she had once seen, called "Lonely Vampire". He was looking into a mirror that was shattered, though the glass remained inside the frame. Nothing could be seen in the mirror, except his medallion, which gave his rank in society, hung on a scarlet ribbon, and a single tear of blood, falling from where his eye would have been, but in the mirror it looked like it was suspended in mid-air. The tear and Medallion were all you could see, because the medallion was the only item of clothing that did not touch his skin, and the tear was obviously not his own blood. His hand had been touching the mirror, as if to try and find his reflection, but he never could.  
  
She decided that she was doomed to fail at this job if she didn't get on with it, so she quickly jumped into the bath, which had been left from the night before. It was freezing cold, but she quite liked it like that of a morning. Her arm felt like it had suffered an onslaught of knives as soon as it hit the water, and she winced, but it soon went numb. She held it up out of the water, and saw that it was not as badly burnt as it had looked, but would still need bandaging. She hoisted herself out of the sunken bath, and put on her dressing gown, which had been put in a strategic place, as had all her other luggage. She could think of no one who could have or would have done her such a favour, with Fudge and the Dementors seeming not to be the house-proud types. But she kept forgetting the magical powers that were so often absent in Romania were more than evident here. She discovered a small medicine cabinet, which had some rough bandages inside it along with some other basic remedies. She bound her ailing arm, and then went to get changed.  
  
As she put on some Forrest-green robes for the day, she began to wonder if robes were practical. But then again, what did they have to be practical for? Meeting people? Paperwork? Running around the Fortress? Interrogation? All Four?  
  
  
  
Absent-mindedly, she began the long walk down the winding spiral stair case. No one had actually given her any clue as to what she was meant to be doing her. There was no clue as to what waited for her behind the stiff old Oak door at the foot of the stairs. She would just have to wait and see...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
For Dudley and Spike.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Probably not a lot going to get posted over the weekend, guys, but next week and the week after, I hope I'll be able to get as much as a couple of chapters up every evening. God, I love school holidays!  
  
Also, for all of you who spend time in the HP Slytherin Boards, I think I told you I have given up my search for Spike, but don't forget to check out my other story, "Celestial Powers". It is a story all about characters from the boards, although only three have been introduced so far. Any members of Miss Celeste's "group" should let me know if they wish to be included at some point. Thanks all. 


End file.

Harry Potter, Romance, Suspense