of your son: he's not shirking his duty, he seems excited about the opportunity to be tested, thrilled with the prospect."

Narcissa began to cry intensely, holding Cassiopeia tightly as the girl made comforting circles on her back. Snape smiled.

"Before I answer you... oh yes, I will answer, Bellatrix! And you can repeat my words to others who whisper behind my back and tell the Dark Lord false stories of my betrayal! But before I answer, allow me to ask a question. Do you really believe that the Dark Lord hasn't asked me each one of these questions already? And do you really believe that if I hadn't answered them satisfactorily, I would be here talking to you?"

The woman hesitated. "I know he believes in you, but..."

"Do you think he's mistaken? Or that I've somehow blinded him? That I deceived the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard in the world, the most talented Legilimens the world has ever seen?" Bellatrix didn't answer, but for the first time, she seemed a bit disconcerted. Snape didn't press further. He picked up his drink again, took a sip, and continued.

"You ask where I was when the Dark Lord fell. I was where he ordered me to stay, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because he wanted me to spy on Albus Dumbledore. You see, I suppose it was on the Dark Lord's orders that I assumed that position, wasn't it?"

Bellatrix gave a barely perceptible nod and opened her mouth to speak, but Snape beat her to it.

"You ask why I didn't try to find him when he disappeared. For the same reason as Avery, Yaxley, the Carrows, Greyback, Gaunt, Lucius..." he gestured to Narcissa with a short nod of his head.

Snape, however, got up and went to the small window. He peered out at the deserted street through the curtains and closed them with a tug. Then he turned around, looking at Narcissa seriously. "By chance, I know the plan," he said in a low voice. "I am one of the few to whom the Dark Lord has revealed it. But if I were not privy to the secret, Narcissa, you would have committed a great betrayal."

"I thought you should know!" exclaimed Narcissa, breathing a little easier. "He trusts you so much, Severus..." She sighed.

"You know the plan?" Bellatrix marveled, her momentary look of pleasure replaced by pure indignation. "You know?"

"Certainly," Snape affirmed. "But what help do you need, Narcissa? If you're imagining that I can persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, I'm afraid there's no hope."

"Severus," she whispered, tears streaming down her pale face. "My son... my only son..."

"He is pleased enough with Ms. Gaunt's accomplishment not to punish your son and you in the process. But precisely because of that, he believes that both of you would be perfect additions to his ranks," sighed Snape.

"If Draco succeeds," Snape replied, still not looking at Narcissa, "he will be more honored than anyone else."

"But he won't succeed," Narcissa sobbed. "How could he when the Dark Lord...?"

Bellatrix let out an exclamation, and Narcissa seemed to lose her nerve.

"The Dark Lord cannot be persuaded, and I am not foolish enough to try," Snape said emotionlessly. "I cannot pretend that he is not displeased with Lucius. Your husband was in control of the operation. He allowed himself to be captured along with the others and, on top of that, failed to retrieve the prophecy. Everything was saved by sheer luck, with Gaunt being friendly to Potter. Certainly, the Dark Lord is irritated, Narcissa, very irritated indeed."

"You should be proud, Cissy! If I had children, I would give them to serve the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix shouted.

Narcissa cried compulsively, grabbing her own hair. Cassiopeia held her wrists to stop her.

"Narcissa... No," Cassi said gently.

"I think his intention is to send me to try afterward. But he has decided that Draco should try first. You see, in the unlikely event that Draco does well, I will be able to stay at Hogwarts for some time longer, playing my profitable role as a spy," Snape spoke gently, shocked by his friend's loss of composure.

"In other words, it doesn't matter to him if Draco dies!" she cried in fury. "My only son... my only son..." she lamented, clutching Cassiopeia tightly for comfort.

Snape poured more wine and pushed the glass into her hand.

"Narcissa, enough. Drink this. And listen to me for a moment."

She calmed down a bit, spilling wine on her clothes, took a sip, trembling.

It physically hurt to see her so devastated.

"Perhaps it might be possible... to help Draco," Snape commented.

She straightened up, her face as white as a sheet of paper, her eyes wide.

"Severus... oh, Severus... would you help him? Would you protect him, make sure he suffers no harm?" she pleaded. "Could you look after Cassiopeia too, keep her out of trouble?!"

"I can try," Snape replied. "But Gaunt... that's impossible," he taunted. "The girl has a temper..." He looked at Bellatrix, mocking. "Black," he concluded, clicking his tongue.

Cassiopeia almost stood up to protest in a long, furious monologue, but then realized that it would only confirm his point.

"If you're there to protect him... Severus, do you swear?" Narcissa asked, tears in her eyes.

"Swear to it," Bellatrix grinned maliciously.

"Make the Unbreakable Vow."

"The Unbreakable Vow?" Snape's face became impassive, impenetrable.

But Bellatrix let out a victorious laugh. "You heard it, Narcissa? Ah, he'll try, for sure... the usual empty words from someone who's trying to save their own skin... ah, and by the Dark Lord's command, of course!"

Snape didn't look at Bellatrix. His black eyes were fixed on Narcissa's tear-filled, greyish-brown eyes, almost blue, as she was squeezing Cassiopeia's hand tight.

"Certainly, Narcissa, I will take the Unbreakable Vow," he whispered softly. "Perhaps your sister will act as our Bonder."

Bellatrix's jaw dropped. Cassiopeia stood up to allow Narcissa to stand. She had trembling legs as she raised her arm to Snape, holding him tightly.

"You'll need your wand, Bellatrix," Snape said coldly.

The witch, still stunned, drew her wand.

"And you'll have to get a bit closer," Cassiopeia teased, and Bellatrix looked in her direction, surprised. It was the first time in weeks that she addressed her directly.

Bellatrix approached the two and placed the tip of her wand on their joined hands.

Narcissa spoke: "Will you, Severus, watch over my son Draco when he's trying to accomplish the Dark Lord's task?"

"I will."

A thin tongue of living flame shot from the wand and wound itself around their hands like a burning wire.

"And will you do everything in your power to protect him from evil?"

"I will."

A second tongue of flame shot from the wand and intertwined with the first, forming a thin, glowing chain.

"And if necessary... if it seems Draco will fail," whispered Narcissa, "will you carry out the task the Dark Lord assigned to Draco?"

There was a moment of silence. With the wand above their joined hands, Bellatrix and Cassiopeia watched with wide eyes.

"I will," Snape vowed.

Bellatrix's astonished face turned red, reflecting the blaze of the third tongue of flame that shot from the wand, wound around the others, and closed around their hands, thick like a rope, like a serpent of fire.

"Wow," Cassiopeia breathed heavily.

"Well... Was that all?" Snape asked, and Narcissa hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered softly before stepping back and holding Cassiopeia's hand.

(...)

As they were leaving, Cassi separated from the two.

"Well, I have an appointment," she said softly, turning around. But Bellatrix grabbed her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going, little witch?" she asked irritably.

"Are you deaf or do you have a short memory?" Cassiopeia exclaimed, ignoring the electricity in her wrist.

Bellatrix turned red with anger. "You should teach your pet some manners, Cissy," she mocked, scowling. Cassiopeia pointed her wand in her face.

"Call me a pet again and watch me put a hole in your face!" she growled irritably. But Bellatrix just laughed and bit her lip.

It was the longest conversation they had had in weeks.

"I'd love to see you try," she taunted, tilting her head quickly and giving the girl a peck on the lips, which she pulled away from suddenly, stunned, while Bellatrix laughed.

Narcissa seemed fed up with the argument.

"That's enough, Bellatrix!" she coldly snapped.
"I'm going with you," she simply said, turning to Cassiopeia, who stood with her mouth open like a fish out of water.

"What?" she asked confused, still bewildered by Bellatrix's brief touch on her lips.

"I'm going with you, love," she reaffirmed patiently, wrapping her arms around Cassiopeia's waist and giving her a brief kiss on the lips.

"You can't be serious!" Bellatrix snarled. "That blood traitor-"

"Don't you dare talk about her like that," Cassi snarled back. "Don't disrespect her!"

"She disrespected our family when she married that filthy Mudblood!" Bellatrix shouted, and Narcissa growled at her to shut up.

"If you don't want to come... then don't!" she snapped, pulling Cassiopeia with her.

"No, Cissy!" Bellatrix snarled after them.

"Wait! Ugh, I hate you both," she petulantly complained as she followed them.