Secrets to be Told

Chapter One

     The rain streaked down the windows of Hogwarts on September First, 1996. A short, plump redhead girl stood in the open doorway to the ancient wizarding school, waiting to see the smoke from the Hogwarts Express come from Hogsmeade. She sighed, adjusting her thick-rimmed black cat-eye glasses, and then moving her hand to the necklace she always wore.
     Sapphire should've been thrilled, all her friends coming back to school after the long summer holiday. Finally being back in the open, inviting Hogwarts Castle, able to roam it's land and feel the grass, unlike the cramped and dark Spinner's End she'd spent the summer in. She had arrived back at the castle nearly a week prior- when her father, Severus Snape, returned to finally take the position of Defense Against the Arts professor.
     She fiddled with the deep blue sapphire on her necklace as she stared into the distance. She felt distinctly uneasy about the forthcoming school year, and though her psychic feelings were enough to convince her to be worried, she had other evidence too.

-

     Spinner's End, about a month and a half earlier

     Sapphire was sitting high up in the biggest tree that was in the park nearest to her and her father's summer residence, a book cracked open on her lap, though her blue eyes were clouded over in thought, staring at the pages blankly. Her finger traced the sapphire on her necklace absentmindedly, the magic allowing her to feel and see the past, present, and future. The past, of course, was not her priority; instead she had shifted her mind's eye to the present.
     For the most part, she tried to use her gift to make sure her friends were safe. Before she found the necklace, even, she could feel when they were in extreme danger. She shifted her focus to the future, and it felt the same as it had since the Dark Lord returned: bleak, and scary, and sad. She removed her hand from the jewel and sighed, reminding herself of what Dumbledore told her during every lesson to explore her unique powers: "The future is never set in stone."
     She closed the book, which she had grabbed off one of the many shelves of their home with no real interest of it. In fact, she had grabbed the first one she could reach so she could leave. She checked the time on the watch she wore around her wrist, that her friend, Harry Potter, had given her.
     Even if summer break had barely begun, she felt isolated from her friends. Last year, she had stayed in Grimmauld Place with the Weasley's, Hermione Granger, and towards the end, Harry Potter. This year, staying with her father again, Dumbledore had thought it best if she didn't try to contact any of her friends, or have any of them contact her.
     She understood, despite how lonely she felt. Her father was a spy for Dumbledore, and was rather close to the Dark Lord. Then, when the Dark Lord sent Peter Pettigrew to stay with and assist her father, her summer had somehow gotten even worse. Pettigrew was one of the biggest reasons she flew out every morning, just before dawn, to spend most of her day in trees.
     Her stomach growled; she had forgotten to pack a snack for today. She swung one of her legs over the branch, and put her book into a pouch on her side, getting ready to take off, when she saw two people in cloaks making their way through the mostly abandoned and falling apart neighborhood. Even if they hadn't just turned up Spinner's End, Sapphire would've known they were there to visit her dad.
     She stayed frozen to the branch, holding her breath, as if they would notice her even though she was not only a good deal away from them, but also concealed by the vibrant green summer leaves. They knocked on the door to her house, and one of them turned around to look behind them. Sapphire's insides burst into flames of anger as she recognized Bellatrix Lestrange. She saw Pettigrew answer the door and let them in, and Sapphire let out her breath.
     Her father always told her if he was expecting the company of Death Eaters so that she could steer clear of the house and not overhear anything that would get her killed. Today, however, she knew that Bellatrix and her friend were unexpected. Her instinct was to fly back home and listen to what they wanted, but a voice in her head that rather reminded her of her father's told her to stay out of trouble.
     She stayed on the branch for a few minutes, debating in her head whether or not to see what they were up to- when her stomach growled again. Certainly, her body wanted her to go home, and if she happened to hear a snippet of conversation...
     Making up her mind, she pushed off the branch and transformed into an owl, flying over the rooftops and landing on her windowsill. She hopped onto her bed, and transformed back into a human, trying to stay as quiet as possible. You could easily tell she was not here very often, as the only furniture was her bed and nightstand. She slipped quietly off the bed onto the floor, crawling over to the vent and placing her ear beside it. She thought of Fred and George's extendable ears longingly, before someone spoke.
     "...had I not been in on the secret, Narcissa, you would have been guilty of great treachery to the Dark Lord," her father said. Sapphire's eyes widened. The person with Bellatrix had been Draco's mother.
     In her surprise, she had missed exactly what was said in the next few sentences, and picked up again as Narcissa, who sounded as if she was crying, said, "Severus... my son... my only son...."
     Bellatrix began to scold her sister for not being absolutely honored that the Dark Lord had given Draco some sort of task. When Narcissa spoke next, she sounded nearly hysterical. Sapphire was trying to listen but her chest was tight with worry.
     "...You have always been, Draco's favorite teacher... he has spoken to me many of times of your daughter," Narcissa continued, and Sapphire's heart leapt despite herself. Draco had talked to his mother about her?
     Bellatrix let out a laugh. "That stupid little animagus girl that was at the ministry with Harry Potter and friends? I'm surprised the Dark Lord has let you keep her, Severus."
     "The Dark Lord understands that she is an integral part of my disguise," Severus Snape hissed. "I regret that she has become so close with Potter and his gang..."
     "Is she not suspicious, living with you here? With Wormtail around?" Bellatrix asked, her voice venomous.
     "She, like Dumbledore, believes I'm on their side, spying for them. Certainly if I can fool one of the greatest wizards of all time, I can fool a sixteen year old girl?"
     Narcissa continued to beg Snape for his help. Sapphire stayed very quiet, listening intently at the vent. As she grew even more hysterical, he finally agreed to try and help Draco, to which Narcissa replied, "Will you swear it? Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?"
     Sapphire pressed her hand hard over her mouth. Her father, make the Unbreakable Vow to help Draco with his dangerous assignment? Bellatrix made a few comments, and after a few moments of silence, her father said, "Certainly, Narcissa, I shall make the Unbreakable Vow."
     Sapphire slid away from the vent. She didn't want to hear anymore. The Unbreakable Vow....         Sapphire tried hard to wrap her head around it. It certainly made it seem as though, when he said he was fooling Dumbledore, that he was telling the truth. But of course he needed to sound absolutely convincing to Bellatrix and Narcissa. What on earth could the Dark Lord have assigned to Draco? That wasn't important- at least, not nearly as important as her father making the Unbreakable Vow. Maybe he had devised a way to trick the two of them into thinking he had made it, when really, he hadn't? Doubtful, but Sapphire was convinced her father was a good man. A true member of the Order, loyal to Dumbledore, and opposed to the Dark Lord's reign of evil.