**Maddie’s POV**
“Why?”
My voice is cold and empty. Snape half turns back towards me.
“Why what?” he sneers.
My wand is in my hand, burning to curse him.
“Why did you drag me into this?”
I’m shaking with anger that has been building up for about four weeks now. This has been my first chance to confront Snape alone and I’m taking it.
He gives a harsh laugh.
“I didn’t drag you into this,” he says, “I didn’t even suggest bringing you into this.”
“Well, you sure didn’t fight to keep me out of it,” I snarl. He turns back to face me, his eyes flashing dangerously. I feel a renewed surge of anger, followed by a tingling in my scalp that I know means my hair is turning red. I presume my eyes are going green. They tend to do that when I get as angry as I am now.
“I-” he stops, looking shocked.
“You what?” I hiss, raising my wand slowly. All the colour has faded from his face and I look over my shoulder, wondering if we’d been discovered. No one is there. When I turn back to Snape he is looking distinctly sick.
“I tried to convince them you would not be swayed,” he says through white lips, “Bellatrix being the charming creature she is, came up with the idea of threatening your family.”
I watch him carefully. He’s looking determinedly away from me. I frown, confused. Usually Snape is so confident and intimidating. Now he looks like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Well, how am I going to get out of this?” I ask.
“You won’t,” Snape tells his feet, “the Dark Lord has decided you are invaluable. The only way out is for you to die or to risk their safety.”
I run my fingers through my hair. A few loose strands come away in my fingers and float to the ground, the red standing out against the cold, grey stone.
“I will, however, tell the Order the situation to clear your name,” Snape says, observing the strands of hair.
“No,” I shake my head, “George would do something rash and stupid… At least for now, let them think I left.”
I have to try hard not to show how much I hate the idea of them thinking I’ve betrayed them. Snape looks up at me with a ghost in his eye.
“Tell me something,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper, “your mother… Was it… Was she…”
“Lily Potter,” I say casually. Snape’s face suddenly twists and contorts with pain. I frown at him and open my mouth to ask- And then it hits me.
“You were in love with her?” I gasp. Snape takes a deep breath and draws himself up to his full height.
“And that’s why you joined Dumbledore!” I exclaim, everything falling into place, “because Voldemort killed her.”
Snape doesn’t reply and I can see pain smouldering down in his eyes.
I can’t imagine the pain of knowing the love of your life slept with your worst enemy.
Wait, that’s a lie. I know exactly how that feels.
“I have to report back to the Order,” Snape says stiffly, “if you speak of this to anyone, I will ensure Greyback visits all the Weasleys.”
**George’s POV**
“George, let me take her,” Fred offers. I hand Alithea to him and sit down at the table. Most of the Order are already assembled. We’re just waiting for Snape and Mad-Eye.
“Hello, dear,” Mum says, sitting down near me. Sirius nods to me and sits down opposite. Mad-Eye comes limping in and throws his cloak over a chair.
“Snape not here yet?” he growls. We all shake our heads.
“I’m hoping he’ll have news of Maddison,” Remus says quietly. I feel my hands tighten on the arms of my chair. I hear the front door close and the sound of feet walking swiftly down the corridor and Snape sweeps into the room, his cloak billowing behind him. We all look up at him expectantly. He sits down beside Mad-Eye in silence.
“Well?” Remus says, breaking the long, tense silence. Snape looks over at him, a sneer curling his lip.
“Well what?”
“Maddison!” Sirius explodes, “what happened to my daughter?”
Snape looks at him calmly.
“She chose her side,” he replies coolly, “it’s in her blood after all.”
He looks pointedly at the Black family crest engraved on the goblet in front of him. Sirius swears loudly.
“But, Severus,” Mum says timidly, “she… She hasn’t really joined You-Know-Who, has she?”
“As I understand it,” Snape replies, “she is a key part in the Dark Lord’s plans. He appears to have found her extremely useful. She is one of his most trusted followers.”
“Has she been branded?” Fred asks blandly. Snape turns to face him.
“Not that I know of,” he smirks, “but I believe she will be. Soon.”
I clap my hand over my mouth. My head is spinning and I struggle not to vomit everywhere. I feel Fred’s hand on my back and Mum’s in my hand and take a few long, slow breaths.
“Shall we begin?” Snape asks, sounding bored.
“Why did she turn?” Tonks asks quietly, her voice trembling.
“I believe it was something to do with not wanting to be around her husband and daughter…”
I pull away from Mum and Fred and sprint from the room, my head spinning. I run up the stairs until I reach her old room. I fling myself on the bed and let myself cry. Within seconds the pillow is drenched.
“You’re the best friend ever.”
“George! I’m completely in love with him!”
“You’re weird.”
“I thought, since it’s your birthday we could…”
“And we’re going to start up a joke shop! And it’ll be the best in the world!”
“Have I told you that I love you?”
“I’m sorry…”
“George? I want to go home…”
“You’re very handsome.”
“Shampoo my hair, will you?”
“I love you.”
The words fly through my mind, each scenario perfect in its own way. I can picture her face perfectly when she smiles, when she cries, when she laughs, when she thinks…
“George?”
My eyes fly open. Maddie is leaning over me.
“George?”
“Maddie?” I ask, sitting up, “what’s going on?”
“George,” she reaches out and touches my face, “I’m so sorry.”
“Why did you leave?” I ask, grabbing her hand, “why?”
“Because I love you too much…”
“George?”
I sit up, looking around. Fred is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me carefully.
“You alright?” he asks. I nod, ruffling up my hair.
“Just had a bad dream,” I mutter.
“I know,” he comments, “I could hear you yelling out.”
“Do you think she’ll come back?”
There’s a long silence and I can’t bring myself to look at Fred. Finally he sighs.
“I don’t know… If you’d asked me if I thought she’d ever join Voldemort, I would have said no, but… Here we are.”
I lean back against the wall and close my eyes. Instantly, Maddie’s face is there, burned into my memory. I open my eyes again and exhale loudly.
“Where’s Alithea?” I ask, scrambling out of bed.
“Downstairs with Sirius,” Fred says, “look, George, Mum’s offered to take her if you-”
“I can take care of her,” I interrupt, “she’s my daughter.”
“Fair call,” Fred says lightly, “see you at work, yeah?”
I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. Sirius is feeding Alithea mashed banana.
“Morning,” he says quietly. I nod and sit down opposite him.
“Whatever her reasons, I don’t think it was because of you or Alithea,” Sirius says, feeding Alithea another mouthful.
“Hm.”
He looks up and locks eyes with me. I feel as if someone has kicked me in the stomach. His eyes are so like Maddie’s…
“I’m serious,” he says, “no pun intended. Whatever her reasons, it has nothing to do with you.”