My head was pounding as I opened my eyes, the memories slowly but surely coming center stage to what had happened. I remembered finding Sirius in the cave—Dad, I was quick to remind myself—and running through the semi-darkness back to the castle. I remembered the Dark Mark in the sky, glowing green, and how Dad and I had agreed that we needed to get back to the castle, lest the third task go awry. My suspicions that whoever was impersonating Moody was really a Death Eater was not lost upon my father, and we knew entirely well that Voldemort would likely make a play for bloodshed.

I didn't dare move as I heard footsteps around me, squeezing my eyes closed as I remembered the battle upon the Hogwarts grounds. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall had been the one to take initiative, and send the younger years home. The sixth-years who were of age and the seventh-years, meanwhile, could not be contained, and so they stood on the front lines, prepared to fight. I remembered seeing the masks of the Death Eaters and practically feeling my hackles rising as they lifted their wands, permeating the Dark Mark in the sky. The Aurors had been called, that much I knew, due to seeing several familiar faces within the crowd as I leapt repeatedly, knocking down Death Eaters and incapacitating them just enough for Portkeys to be administered and arrests to be made.

The next thing that came to mind during the battle was the eerie voice of Voldemort, who seemed to scream inhumanly as I caught sight of his snake. Tearing after it, with only the light of the Dark Mark and my night vision to aid me, I clawed at the snake, stunning it, before I leaned down and bit off its head, the dying venom making my tongue itch. The next thing was the positively worst thing that an Animagus could hear, and these words were spoken by Voldemort himself. "Bestia ad Humanum!" he raged, a bright blue light filling the air and enveloping me almost immediately.

I'd fallen to the ground, hard, wincing at the sudden impact, my left arm crunching beneath it the moment I'd fallen. I let out a pain-filled gasp, attempting to force myself upwards, but felt a rough hand tugging upon me, yanking me backwards by my hair. I flailed slightly then, peering over my shoulder to see Voldemort glaring down at me, enraged, as he held me as far away from him as possible.

My mind flashed back to where I was, the stone floor permeating my body with cold, and my arm trussed up in a filthy-looking sling; bound, but not mended. Gritting my teeth at the notion that Apparition within the Hogwarts grounds was a lie, I couldn't help but think of each thing that Albus Dumbledore had lied to the Wizarding World about. I heard another serious of footsteps then as I somehow managed to push myself into a somewhat comfortable sitting position, and leaned up against the back wall of what proved to be my cell. As I considered who my jailer possibly was, I noticed a glint of something beneath my bandaged arm and, pulling back the material, noticed that it was a band of platinum upon the third finger of my left hand, and that it had a sizable, oval-shaped diamond in its center.

The door before me rattled, and I straightened up as best I could as it swung open, an unfamiliar tall, statuesque blonde woman standing there. The woman in question could easily be described as beautiful in some circles, although she appeared to be quite reminiscent as someone who had been carved from marble. She stared down at me, her expensively-cut, green velvet robes trimmed with black lace, and her blonde hair not an inch out of place as she snapped her perfectly-manicured fingers.

"Up," she ordered, as if I was truly beneath her, and not just physically. "His Lordship wants you dressed and ready. If you hurry, we'll have time to mend that arm of yours."

I blinked, surprised, but nevertheless got shakily to my feet, finding that, other than stiffness from apparent disuse, my legs weren't harmed. I stumbled slightly, noticing for the first time that the prison floor was uneven, and wrapped my uninjured arm around myself, gritting my teeth against the onslaught of pain stemming from the other arm. I walked slowly past the woman, my eyes lowered, and was surprised when she didn't hit at me as I passed. I stood just outside the door, waiting for her to direct me or show me herself which direction we were going, before she walked past me, and towards an ancient-looking staircase behind a door with iron bars which I hadn't seen before.

The woman had a clear air of superiority about her as she led me up the staircase, and onto the main floor of what appeared to be a country estate. She said nothing as she walked down one corridor and up another, before we went up a tidy-looking staircase that clearly saw quite a bit of use, however, was in pristine condition. The wood used upon the bannisters and stairs was that of polished ebony, and there was a dark green velvet carpet nailed to the center of it, embroidered with silver snakes, in the highest quality of silk. The landing was impeccable as well, with an ebony end table beside the large window, which featured a black onyx vase with fresh black dahlias within it. Outside the window featured the expansive grounds, where white peacocks frolicked amidst the gardens.

I hurried up the second staircase as best I could, not wanting to question the woman, although I could tell by the way she walked that she lived there and was, very likely, the owner or the wife of the owner of the manor. Finally, after three sets of stairs, I was brought to a bedroom with an ebony four-poster, green velvet duvet and cream-colored sheets, as well as all varieties of furniture, also in ebony. There was an en suite attached to the room, with a soaking tub, separate shower, two-person vanity with a large mirror, and a massive window located just behind the bathtub. I stood upon the threshold, my battle clothes still smoldering as I watched her draw out her dark wand and flick it at the bath taps, directly causing a stream of warm water to fill the palatial tub.

The woman added various herbs to the bath, one of which I recognized as lavender, and quickly admonished myself for not paying as much attention in Herbology as I could have. Perhaps why you didn't take a NEWT in that course, I thought to myself. Finally, the woman turned to me as the bath continued filling up, and motioned me forward. "His Lordship realized your Blood Status too late, and is most apologetic for harming you."

I swallowed. "Oh..." I said, my voice hoarse from misuse.

The woman gave me a small smile. "Don't worry," she said, and snapped her fingers again, and a house-elf appeared.

"Mistress Narcissa has called for Mimsy?" the little elf asked.

"I did, yes," Narcissa responded. "Please bring up a tea tray, Mimsy."

Mimsy bowed to her mistress. "Mimsy will do this, Mistress Narcissa!" the house-elf declared, and popped away.

"You're French, then?" Narcissa queried.

I gave a shallow nod, my arms still wrapped around myself. "Yes, ma'am..."

Narcissa looked around before she whispered, "I know you're Sirius's daughter. I'm Narcissa Malfoy; I was born a Black. I'm doing all I can to get you out of here, truly..."

I cocked my head to one side; I knew who she was now, the wife of Lucius and the son of Draco, a boy in Harry's year who was a complete twit. "Why would you help me? We're on opposite sides of this..."

"No, we're not," Narcissa answered firmly, turning off the water and stepping towards me. She waved her wand, healing my broken arm, which directly caused my bandage to come off. "I assure you, I didn't want that monster to come back, Cressida, really I didn't..." Her eyes caught sight of the ring on my finger. "Oh, that is lovely. I didn't know you were married."

I shook my head at her. "I'm not," I said quickly, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Engaged, then?" she guessed.

Again, I shook my head. "No. I... I was seeing someone, but I caught him with another witch, so I broke things off. I haven't been with anyone since I was with him..."

Narcissa appeared perplexed, but nevertheless motioned me forward, even turning around when I stripped off to get into the bathtub. "Is the temperature all right?" she asked, peeking over her shoulder as she heard me wince.

"Yes, it's fine," I assured her. "May I wash my hair?"

"Please do," Narcissa responded.

I dunked my head under the water, getting anything out of my hair that may have used it as its current lodging, and pulled my head out. I raised my eyebrows at the expensive-looking shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that Narcissa placed upon the rim of the bathtub, and said quietly, "Thanks."

Narcissa nodded. "You're welcome."

I uncorked the shampoo, poured a generous dollop into my palm, and proceeded to rub it into my hair, which felt like heaven. "Is he going to kill me?"

Narcissa didn't ask me who I meant. "No. At least, not yet," she amended. "He will likely find a use for you."

"Yeah, like what?" I asked.

Narcissa smiled slightly at my flippant answer. "Well, he'll likely discover how competent a witch you are and, to ensure your loyalty, bond you to a Death Eater."

I grimaced at that; the very thought of being forced to marry someone— "Yeah, that's not going to happen," I told her flatly.

Narcissa moved to say something, but she was distracted by something else. "Oh. You really are your father's daughter."

I blinked, hesitating in my shampoo progress to look over my shoulder at her. "What are you talking about?"

"The wings on your back, not to mention the rune your collarbone," she explained.

I blinked, amazed that the other Concealment Charms had held up; raising my hand, I cancelled the other ones, revealing the runes going up and down my arms, as well as the iris behind my left ear and the rose behind my right. "I really don't know much about Sirius," I said quietly. "We'd only just realized he was my father, and then we ran back to the castle for the battle..."

Narcissa looked intrigued by that fact. "The battle didn't happen until nearly a week after the third task was due to happen," she said softly, and I turned to stare at her, startled. "Albus cancelled the rest of the tournament, with the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students returning to their respective schools. He and Minerva were considering sending the underage students home in preparation for the battle itself."

I leaned back against the back of the bathtub, suddenly dumbstruck. "That means I'm missing a weeks'-worth of memories," I whispered, peering over my shoulder. "Does he specialize in Memory Charms, or is this some kind of sick joke?"

Narcissa looked awestruck at my words. "That would be Dolohov," she responded, her dark gaze appearing sickened. "Other than the torturing of Muggleborns, his preferred method of punishment is erasing what he deems to be valued memories from prisoners' psyches." She stiffened then as a piece of parchment appeared on the vanity. "Best rinse your hair out now and condition it," she advised, turning towards the parchment, which was wrapped with a green silk ribbon.

I did as I was told, finding it surprisingly easy to communicate with Narcissa; I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, vaguely aware of her reading the note, growing paler and paler by the minute as I added the conditioner. "What is it?" I asked her softly.

Narcissa looked up at me, startled, almost as if she'd forgotten I was there. "The Dark Lord has decided that he will arrive here in time for supper," she whispered.

I nodded. "So, where is he, then?" I asked.

"At Riddle House, located above a village called Little Hangleton," she whispered. "He had to substitute the boys' blood for that of another enemy but, in a way, many are his enemies, so he was still able to rise again."

I felt my stomach churning at the news. "Dear Peronne, that's awful," I whispered, drawing my knees upwards and into my chest.

"Lucius is watching over him; the note is from him," Narcissa informed me quickly, coming to kneel beside the bath. She took charge of my hair, her sure fingers feeling wonderful on my scalp, despite the circumstances. "Once we've got you clean and dressed, we're going to make it look like you overpowered me, and then you're going to escape through the Floo."

I stared at Narcissa, my eyes close to bulging out of their sockets. "What in Peronne's name are you thinking, Narcissa?" I cried out. "I don't even have a wand..."

"You'll have to make do with mine, I'm afraid, for the time being... I'm afraid the Dark Lord had yours snapped," she whispered, looking very guilty.

I let out a pained gasp. "Dear Peronne, no..."

"Many wixen arrived at Hogwarts seeking sanctuary over the past week, and Garrick Ollivander was one of them," she assured me in a consoling manner. "I'm positive that he took most of his inventory, and that he would be more than happy to give you a wand, Cressida."

I swallowed, the notion that I would never see my pear wand again striking a cord within me; however, it was not the first thing I had lost, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "I do hope you're right," I whispered. "But how in Peronne's name will we assure him that you let me get away unwillingly? I don't want anything to happen to you, now that I'm assured you're on our side, especially due to all your help..."

"You will overpower me, disarm me, and then escape through the Floo," Narcissa answered me in a patient manner. "I will, of course, use Occlumency and plant false memories within my mind to assure the Dark Lord that it was all an accident."

I peered over my shoulder at her. "Why were you so cold to me when you released me from your dungeons?" I asked her quietly.

"Lucius and I were only able to ward one room against permanent observation by the Dark Lord or any of the Death Eaters," she explained patiently. "I had to be cold so it would appear as if I wasn't giving you any special treatment."

I nodded, waiting for her word to dunk my hair back into the water, and did so upon her orders. I was appreciative when she offered me a razor, and I did my best to do my underarms and my legs quickly, before I put on the body wash. I took careful note that she seemed to be aware of my sensitive skin, and I turned around, peeking at her. "How did you know about my skin?" I found myself asking. "Does Siri... Does my father have it?"

Narcissa giggled at that. "Oh, Merlin, no," she replied, going over to an airing cupboard and retrieving a towel for me. "Severus told us."

I blinked, perplexed. "How did Severus know?"

"Severus is a spy for the Order of the Phoenix," Narcissa explained, "the organization that is the anti-Death Eaters."

I cocked my head to one side, rising up and out of the bath as she held the towel in front of me, amazed that she knew about it, and why she was telling me. "Are you a spy, too?"

She nodded. "Yes," she responded, wrapping me up in the towel, "Lucius and I are both spies, and we've indoctrinated Draco into the spying game as much as we can."

"Why are you telling me about the Order of the Phoenix?" I asked, thinking that, perhaps, it was something that had been erased in my mind.

"Your tattoo on your lower hip," Narcissa informed me.

I blinked, tearing the towel back to have a look, and spotted the new tattoo for the first time. It was a depiction of Sirin, a symbol of heavenly happiness and eternal joy; she had a beautiful head of a woman with the body of a bird, her wings golden, and fluttering slightly. I gaped; it was clearly a magical tattoo, that much I could deduce from it, and, yet again, knew it was a part of my missing memories. "Peronne..." I whispered.

"All members of the Order of the Phoenix have them," Narcissa informed me, and, without hesitation, lifted her dress in a display of loyalty, showcasing her own avian creature—a dove, which fluttered about.

I rewrapped the towel around me as Narcissa dropped her dress, and hastily dried myself off. I followed her into the bedroom, where a tea service had been laid out, and I forced myself to drink a cup and eat a sandwich. Feeling no ill effects, I felt relieved as Narcissa held out my previous outfit. They were my clothes, granted, but not my Auror uniform, which I had been wearing on the final day I remembered. These were the clothes I'd presumably worn in the battle, as well as in the dungeons downstairs; they consisted of a T-shirt, pants, a leather jacket, socks, and trainers. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had been expertly mended and cleaned, likely by the house-elves employed by the Malfoy family. I did find myself having a faint memory of Sirius presenting me with the jacket, and vowing to take me for a ride on his motorcycle. I dressed hurriedly, waiting for the next phase of the plan that Narcissa had proposed.

"Are you ready, then?" Narcissa asked.

I nodded at her. "Yes."

Narcissa gave me a small smile. "See you on the other side, then," she said, and turned to leave the bedroom.

I darted forward, my steps quick and silent, and grabbed Narcissa from behind without taking the opportunity to think twice. I was pleased that she gave it as good as she got, but I was younger, and an Auror, so I managed to overpower her quite quickly. I Silenced her, as well as bound her, before I tossed her wand dramatically across the room. I could feel the wards breaking around the property as I hurried towards the fireplace in the bedroom, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and yelled, "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

I threw myself into the fireplace and tossed in the power, the green flames propelling me out of Malfoy Manor and through the various tunnels of the Floo Network. I was, ultimately, spat out in the same corridor at Hogwarts I'd arrived in when Kingsley, Tonks, and I had arrived, likely a week previously, and wondered how much had changed. Pushing myself upwards, I dusted myself off as best I could without a wand and ran down the corridor, the voices in the Great Hall becoming more and more prevalent as I drew nearer, until, finally, I arrived in the doorway and pushed them all the way open.

There was a deafening silence as I stepped inside, taking in the lay of the land; for one thing, I didn't see Albus Dumbledore anywhere, and it was instead Professor McGonagall who seemed to be running things. The house tables had been pushed up against the walls, as they'd been during the champions' selection so many months ago, and a large table stood center stage, maps and other bits of parchment, self-inking quills, and extra blotters laid upon its surface. Standing around Professor McGonagall were Professors Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick, as well as my father, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Tonks, who stood rather closely to a man who appeared around the same age as my father. Also present were Arthur and Molly Weasley, Bill and my sister, Fleur, Fred and George, Kingsley, and who I hoped was the real Moody.

I was not prepared for several people coming at me in all directions, the notion that Professor Snape had gotten there first, or the fact that he yanked me into his arms and kissed me for the entire order to see. I struggled in his arms and pushed him away, likely staring at him in a way one would stare at something, or someone, with two heads as Molly and Arthur led Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George out of the Great Hall. "Why in Peronne's name would you do that?!" I demanded of him.

"Why would I kiss my wife, who I thought was dead for the past week?" he demanded.

I scoffed. "Wait a moment, please... Wife?" I cried out.

"I'm still not thrilled about it either," my father said, managing to squeeze his way in and putting an arm around me, "but it was the only way to diffuse the power of the Dark Mark. Plus, your dear cousin, Tonks, is clearly smitten with Remus, while your sister is interested in Bill Weasley, so you were the only appropriate person to bond with Severus, love."

I blinked. "Remus?" I asked.

The gentleman with a careworn face who was standing by Tonks smiled, coming closer. "It's wonderful to meet you, Cressida," he said warmly, kissing me on the cheek. "Sirius has been going on about you for the past week. Thank Merlin you're all right."

I turned to Tonks. "He seems lovely," I told her, and let out a gasp as she gently tugged her collar away from her neck. "Morgana!"

My familiar let out a squeak and promptly threw herself at me, nuzzling my face repeatedly with her nose, as if she needed to assure herself that I was real. Turning, she squeaked at Tonks again, who chuckled, before waving her wand, and disposing of the soot upon me. It was only then that Morgana took her place around my neck again.

"Why didn't you do that yourself?" Tonks asked.

"Dolohov snapped my wand, apparently," I replied, wrapping my arms around myself amid the shouts of dismay around me.

"How did you get out of there without a wand?" Professor McGonagall asked, stepping forward, her expression one of concern.

"Minnie, come now," Dad scolded her gently. "I told you that Cissa was on our side. Did she get you out of there, pet?" he asked me.

I nodded, reaching upwards and tickling Morgana underneath her chin. "She did, yes. I disarmed her when the opportunity came, like we planned, and got out of there as quickly as I could. She told me to bathe and mended my clothes under the pretense of me being introduced to him at dinner, but she helped me escape, thank Peronne." I slowly turned and looked up at the potions master, who continued staring at me. "I suppose this is from you, then?" I asked, lifting my hand to showcase the ring.

"It was a beautiful ceremony," Tonks put in.

Severus turned and gave Tonks an annoyed expression before turning back to me. "You don't remember anything?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not about that, no," I admitted.

"What is the last thing you do remember?" Dad asked instead.

"I remember running to the castle with you in our Animagus forms," I said softly. "Then we went into battle—"

Tonks shook her head. "No. That didn't happen until a week after you and my dear cousin came back here together. The head... Well, the former headmaster called off the final task of the tournament, due to the Portkey you discovered, and then I left with the Aurors to take the criminal in question into the Ministry of Magic."

"Who was it, then?" I asked.

"It was Barty Crouch, Jr.," Kingsley put in, stepping forward, his husband in tow. "Cressida, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Alastor."

I nodded at him. "How do you do, Mr. Moody?" I asked him.

"Faring much better, now that you did the decent thing and rescued me," he growled, although there was no heat to his words. "Glad to be back by my husband's side where I belong. Bit put out that I missed your initial training, but Kings and Tonks tell me you're brilliant. Good to know you're back with us. Oh, and call me Alastor."

I gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Alastor," I replied.

"After we brought Crouch Jr. to the ministry," Tonks continued, "he was taken to Azkaban and given the Dementor's Kiss for all that he'd done."

I nodded. "I can see why," I answered softly.

"I took over for Alastor's classes, as I'd taught the subject the previous year," Remus put in, and Tonks stared lovingly at him, directly causing him to flush. "However, things were only normal for a total of three days before the Death Eaters made their play for his return."

I swallowed. "Narcissa said that blood from another enemy was taken," I whispered. "Whose blood did they take, then?"

"Dumbledore's," Severus said quietly. "He lured him to Little Hangleton, took his blood, and then Pettigrew killed him."

I gaped at my husband's words, although I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that he was my husband, or that we'd seemingly lived together for a few days. "And... Well," I said, looking down at my ring. "When did we...?"

"The same night that Dumbledore was taken," Dad responded this time. "Snape was being summoned to the Death Eater meetings, and Minnie decided that we couldn't lose anyone else, given what had happened with Dumbledore. Lots of us had to re-secure the wards of the castle, which fall whenever a headmaster or headmistress is murdered. You agreed when it was mentioned that a bond stronger that evil servitude, meaning marriage, would trump the hold that he had upon Severus."

I swallowed. "I agreed to marry you?" I whispered, looking up at Severus.

Severus nodded. "You did, yes. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen. We were bound within the hour, and your belongings from Tonks' flat were immediately taken and put into my chambers in the dungeons."

I felt myself trembling slightly then. "Did... Did we...?"

Dad glared at Severus. "Dear Merlin, Snape, tell me you didn't..."

"I am not about to discuss my wedding night with you, Black," Severus growled at my father, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Dear Peronne, I think I've missed something," I mused, and, from behind me, a series of quick footsteps caught my attention, and Madam Pomfrey hurried into the Great Hall.

"Really," the matron said, shaking her head at the crowd gathered around me. "She should have been brought straight to me! Merlin knows what she was put through," she said, putting an arm around my shoulders. "Come along, dear. You need to be seen to."

I nodded, although wariness enveloped me as I left the Great Hall, vaguely aware of Severus, Dad, and Fleur following me. I was led directly towards the hospital wing, however, just as we were about to step inside, the matron held up her hand.

"Only the husband," she said, and waved both Dad and Fleur away, much to their chagrin.

I suddenly shook my head. "Wait," I said softly, stopping her. "I don't... I don't remember the ceremony, Poppy," I said at last, "and I only just discovered Sirius is my father. I would feel most comfortable with just Fleur there, please."

Madam Pomfrey looked surprised, but her expression immediately softened. "Of course, dear. I can't believe I didn't consider that one of those animals would have wiped your memories." She turned and regarded Fleur. "Do join us, Miss Delacour. Severus, Sirius, you will remain out here until or unless my patient grants your admittance," she informed them stoutly.

I reached out, taking Fleur by the hand as she pulled me into the infirmary, as Madam Pomfrey fended off both my husband and my father.

Fleur took me towards a door off the main ward with a small smile. "I've been helping Madam Pomfrey for the past several days," she explained, opening the door and shutting it. "No one who doesn't have authorization from the healer, the assistant, or the patient can get back here..."

Immediately, I threw myself into Fleur's arms, never wanting to let her go. "Fleur, tell me, and please be honest..."

Fleur nodded. "Of course, Cressida."

I pulled back ever so slightly, so that I could see Fleur's eyes. "Did... Did Severus and I have sex?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Fleur gave me a reassuring smile. "You can to me the night after, to tell me about how he took your virginity," she answered consolingly. "You assured me that he was so gentle, so kind, and so patient with you. You said it was the happiest night of your life, Cressida."

I felt my psyche threatening to undo me. "Did I?" I whispered.

Fleur nodded. "Yes. You also gave me leave to perform Graviditas Revelio, and it was truly the most beautiful experience when we discovered that you..."

I felt my knees buckling then, knocking my head into the brass bed frame, which left Fleur shouting for Madam Pomfrey as my entire world went black.