She shrugged. "I don't know. Just seems like Marcella has always been alone and I've never really had anyone I could count on aside from my father so, I suppose I just never thought there would be anyone else, besides maybe Dumbledore, who even had an interest in what happens to us"

"I'll admit," he said, walking with her out of the shadow of the forest. "Your instability is insufferable. But, it is not entirely your fault. And, though it drives me mad, I would not be as attracted to you, were you the picture of stability."

"Dumbledore's interest only goes as far as saving the world. The fool doesn't care about people on a personal level." He huffed out his chest and thrust his shoulders back, proudly, "I, however, prefer to look after the people. They are, after all, what makes us a nation." In hysterics, he collapsed onto the stairs below and rolled all the way down until he hit the grass, murmuring a pathetic "ouch!" as he rolled up onto his elbows for support.

"You know, you go on about being attracted and everything but the way you act about it sometimes, it makes me feel as if I'm some sort of magnet. Not a person." She shook her head shortly and walked on, clasping eyes on the person she'd liked to have seen the least. McGonagall and Dumbledore were sat down by the lake, both with extrememly stern expressions on their faces.

Kristi burst out laughing, despite herself, at Nick. It sounded almost as if he were running for Minister of Magic. She gasped and ran down the stairs after he rolled down them. She crouched beside him, placing a hand on his back. "Are you alright?" she asked, worried.

He opened his mouth to respond but, was saved the trouble as he followed Marcella's gaze toward the lake. Minerva and Albus did not look too pleased. Perhaps he and Marcella could just walk on past without... But, no, they were going to intercept them. "Headmaster, Minerva," Snape greeted them as they walked into their path.

"Severus, do you think it wise to be wandering off into the forest with my god-daughter?" Dumbledore asked.

Out of the corner of his eye he spied Marcella and Snape exitting the forest and then being apprehended by Dumbledore and McGonagall. Keen that she didn't see what was going on, he grabbed her and flung her on the floor, tickling her under the arms and across the stomach. "I'm fine, but you don't seem to be." he chuckled, as he watched her giggle and squirm.

Without prior thought or any clue of what she was about to say, she stepped forward, blocking Snape from Dumbledore's view. "I'd rather be my real father's daughter than yours. Would you kindly stop trying to deny me a life. You're a thorn in my side, Albus."

Her words wounded him deeply and he looked down at her with sollow-filled eyes. "I am not trying to prevent you from having a life. I can see that you are not happy in each other's company. I merely want what is best for you Marcella. I doubt your real father could say the same.

Snape placed a hand on Marcella's shoulder but, remained silent. She was being rather harsh but, he felt she had a valid point and Albus needed to hear her out.

Caught completely by surprise, she wasn't prepared when Nick suddenly grabbed her and flung her down. She writhed and threw her hands about, trying uselessly to fend off the attack. Kristi was laughing so hard that her stomach was begining to ache. "What... are... you... doing?" she asked in between fits of giggles and large gasping breaths.

"I was happy but I'm not now and it's all your fault! If you had done a better job of protecting me, rather than trying to destroy my life, then maybe none of this would be happening. Fact is I'm miserable because you let a student into the school who was being posessed by Lord Voldemort. And when Archie tried to reveal him for what he really was, you refused to believe him. You're just a sad old fool!" Distraught, she flung her hand from Snape's hold and ran toward the castle, almost tripping down the dungeons steps and locked herself in her bedroom.

"Making you laugh, what does it look like?" he asked, tickling her further, pulling her hair free from its tie.

Tears were streaming into her ears she was laughing so hard. She wasn't sure she'd ever laughed this much in her life... ever. It was a good feeling, though her sides were really begining to ache now. Kristi had eased the flailing of her arms, as it hadn't done a bit of good and grabbed hold of the front of Nick's robes, trying to push him away from her. Unfortunately, gravity was against her, she was unable to push his weight away, and succumbed to his tickling torture.

Snape watched as Marcella stormed off. He glared at Dumbledore and made to follow after her.

reaching out a hand to her, he spun her around so that they faced the castle just after Marcella had run in. Ushering to her, he took her directly back into the hall.

He saw the man was about to go and, as if to grab him, he held out a hand and stammered, "See what you've done? The influence you've had on her? I had her brought up so she would not turn out like this, this little arrogant, ignorant brat that she's become. Severus, why couldn't you just leave well enough alone. She's no more than a child for Merlin's sake.." He saw Minerva beside him, ever silent, but knew she felt much the same way as he did.

Angered, frustrated, she flew through the coridoors and threw herself onto her bed, desparately clinging to the sheets in a mess of tears. He was being taken away and her god-father saw her as no more than a sugar coated hussy. Kristi didn't deserve to have her as a would-be mother and Nick didn't deserve to be disgraced by her.

He could hear her crying. He rubbed his palms together and, without knocking, he pushed open the door with one light finger, the rush of the power flowing through him once more.

You owe me one more thing before I let you die. You can only rest when I have her.

Arms folded, he leant against the door, looking down at her pathetic form.

"You're right, they are much better off without you. And it is that fool Dumbledore's fault. Now that see what a mess the 'good' side has made of your life, why don't you come with me and see what kind of environment your real father can give you. Anything has got to be better than this." he told her, in a would-be sympathetic voice.


If she hadn't heard the thoughts go through her mind, she would not have believed them. Was Darrin back from the dead, again. And, what he was saying, did it actually make sense? It scared her to think that now, being as desparate as she was, she started to consider whether life might have been better with her real father. Maybe Darrin had been right all along...

"You did more than you should have! You overstepped the line Severus and you know it. I warned you, I told you to cease this silly little affair but you couldn't. I feel sure that if you were not about to go to Azkaban, I would not be able to have you teach here a second longer."

"I am right." he told her, bending down next to her crumpled form, lending a hand for her to lean upon in order to straighten herself. "Life would not have been this way had you obeyed your real father. He's waiting for you Marcella, he wants to forgive you, he wants you with him."

Almost as if she were in a trance, she felt herself take his hand, his words seemed to be taking over her mind, convincing her that he were right.

Then, as if by thunder by lightening, she heard a door slam and she became awoken from her thoughts.

He couldn't be right. He, her father, had tried to kill her, kill her, his own flesh. There was no way he could love her. There was no way life with him could be better than this.

She tore her hand from his grasp, withdrew her wand and snarled, "Stay away from me!"

"I don't deny that I do Severus. I am responsible for letting you get your hands on her in the way you did. And I shall never forgive myself for that. But you should have known better. All these years you've been professional, without need for feelings such as those and quite frankly I cannot see what changed."

He shook his head, laughing sickly, tapping his wand against his hand. "I should've known you wouldn't be so agreeable for long. Look, you're coming whether you like or not so pullyourself up, sort yourself out and get a move on."

"I'm not one of his mionions; I don't take orders." she told him, defiantely. "You can do so all you like Darrin. You can come back to haunt me as many times as you want but I will never bend to your filthy ways!"

"If you can't see what has changed, Severus, then I am afraid that even if you were staying, there would have been no hope for your....relationship. She loves you and however much that is regrettable, is is true. And, standing out here, arguing with me isn't going to achieve anything. Look at yourself. You're a mess."

"Fine. Be that way. I'll just take you by force." Raising his wand, he bound her hands behind her back, took hold of them and shoved her out of the door.

"You know, you could be a little more polite. You haven't even explained what your great plan is this time 'round. Why does he even want to bother with me anymore?"

He wasn't about to admit it to her, but her calm state, her almost willingness to co-operate, scared him. Last time she flailed like a mand woman but this time she seemed resigned to her fate.

Pushing her harder, he ducked under the shadows of the trees, that lead down to the Hogsmeade village. Sniggering, seeing that the two Professor were still arguing, he muffled her voice and shoved a hand over her lips before carting her down by Hogsmeade Station only then to apparate and disappear, with her in tow.

"I can't keep covering your tracks for you. You grew up a long time ago Severus. I cant keep telling you falsities. And I cannot have you put up against my god-daughter. When it comes down to it, she is more important to me, to everyone, than you are. Your part in this is over Severus. Now, if you'll kindly return to the castle, I'd rather not have any more harsh words with you in such a public area."

He tugged and tugged at her arm as they approached what looked to be a near ruined building. Scaffolding hung off the edge of planks of wood, precariously. Finally deciding to no more take any of her resistance, he increased the pressure on her wrist and scowled at her. "I really don't get you. You're not willing to come, yet you don't really struggle against me. You just refuse to move."

"I just don't see why I should make it easy for you." In a casual voice, she added, "Besides why should I be worried. You've failed all the other times and, soon enough Dumbledore and Snape will see I'm gone and will send out hundreds of aurors to find me."

"They're too busy arguing between themselves to be bothered with you. Don't make yourself out to be so special, Miss Riddle." he scoffed, pulling her harder, his nails digging themselves into her veins.

"You're just bitter. Shut that foul trap of yours. They'd never forget me. Sure, they have their differences, but they love me!" Angered, fierce tears making their way down her face, she muttered, "You just cant hack the fact that you're a mess. You've let a man take over you and your life and in the mean time you've lost all love and respect for yourself and from others!"

She watched him, unnerved that he appeared to have nothing more to stay to her on the matter. Tightening her robe around herself, she followed him as he walked faster and shook her head in exasperation, "You're just a sad act. A sad lonely person with no purpose in life so instead you decide to try and wreck mine. When, all the while, Voldemort's just using you. He won't reward you, you'll just be discarded when he's done with you. He doesn't care about you the way we all used to, before you changed. Can't you see that being this way, it's just not going to do anything for you?"

"Don't you think I know that?" he said, as he turned and glared at her. "I know he's just using me and I know I mean nothing to nobody but what other choice do I have? I have no choice, but you refuse to see that, you refuse to believe that possibly I don't actually want to be doing this."

"It's probably down to both us. I don't see it as anything to worry about. She's done disappearing acts before to clear her head. She'll come back." he told him, assuredly.

"Then why are you doing this?" she begged, tugging on Darrin, pulling him in the opposite direction, feeling that if she pulled him enough he might agree to going her way.

"Because I have nothing left. I lost all my friends in the Durmstrang massacre and I lost you ages ago to that stupid excuse for a man. Now try and give me a reason to fight him."

"I cant trust your opinion, Severus. You're strongly biased. I can't go sending out hordes of aurors only to find her wandering around the forbidden forest in a sulk. It's a waste of people's time and their resources. Now, please, would you calm yourself and start to think rationally for a change."

"Oh, I don't know!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Because there's always hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though you think you've lost everything, it doesn't mean you should give up fighting. Because what you've got ormore likely what you had is still there, you're just so blinded by your own opinion that you cant see through that. Stop giving up on something that isn't yet lost and start fighting for it Darrin or else I swear you will lose your life and everything important to you, in vain."

She panted and caught her breath, slamming a palm acorss her mouth as she finished shouting. She just realised that as true as those words seemed for Darrin, they rang true in her life too.