Gavin met the Shifter's cold green eyes unflinchingly. Ferrous had taught him long ago to never show fear in front of a predator, not if he could help it. He felt his old defiance stir in him, as always happened when he was confronted by someone who reminded him of the orphanage manager. Scared as he'd always been of Ferrous, there had always been a stubborn spark of defiance within him that the sadistic man had never quite managed to beat out of him. It was that spark that had enabled the child to endure punishments that would have broken a lesser spirit.

Gavin called that spark forth now and gave the Shifter a cool glance.

So you're old Snape's son. You don't look like much.

"You don't either," he answered, his tone just shy of mockery. "From all the descriptions of you, I'd have thought you'd have cloven hooves and horns and bat wings. But you're just a man."

The casual contempt in the boy's voice made the Shifter stiffen. He'd been counting on his reputation to terrify his newest captive into sniveling obedience. Instead he found the child had the gall to sneer at him! How dare the brat? "Oh, I'm much more than that, boy," the Shifter said, his voice low and sweet, belying the evil in his heart. "You'll learn that quick enough, I assure you." He turned to Ginny, who was on her feet, standing protectively in front the boy. Stupid woman, thinking her pitiful presence was enough to deter him from his purpose. "Am I not right, dear Mrs. Potter?"

"Why don't you leave him alone and go back to playing with your idiot friends?" she demanded, her blue eyes flashing.

The Shifter smiled, and it was a pretty smile, despite the arctic coldness of his eyes. It had made many women look twice at him. Except this one. "Oh, I will, dearest Ginny, but not just yet. Introductions first."

"We already know who you are, buster," Gavin drawled. "Or do you have a different name each time you change your hair?"

"Perhaps. But the only name you need to be concerned with, little boy, is that of Master. That is how I prefer to be addressed by my . . .guests. So get used to it."

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever call you Master!" Gavin spat. "I'm nobody's slave."

The Shifter's grin grew wider. "Oh, but you will, little boy. When I'm done with you, you'll call me Master and mean it. You'll kneel to me and serve me, just like a proper apprentice."

"I'm no apprentice of yours! Severus is my teacher, not you, you slimy cousin of a salamander's ass."

The Shifter's eyes narrowed. "Such disobedience and disrespect." He shook a finger at Gavin. "Snape must be growing soft in his old age, it's plain he hasn't taught you any manners. I suppose now I'll have to." The smirk grew and suddenly Gavin was afraid. The Shifter drew a slender wand from his robes, which were a deep crimson with a black border. He pointed the wand at the defiant boy and snapped, "On your knees. Now!"

Gavin gasped, for a great weight was pushing on him, forcing him down on the floor. He fought desperately against it, but it was useless. First one knee, then the other, touched the cold concrete floor. His eyes blazed defiance, until the Shifter snapped, "Eyes on the ground in the presence of your master, boy!" And Gavin was unable to lift his head up, instead kneeling with his head bowed and eyes cast down.

"Quit it, you sadistic bastard!" Ginny snarled. "If you want to pick on someone, pick on me."

"How very noble of you, my dear. Offering your throat to the wolf instead. What a typical Griffyndor you are."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "How do you know I was in Gryffindor?"

"Common knowledge, since you graduated Hogwarts and Potter would have never married anyone save a precious Gryffindor lioness. Such courage! Too bad it's wasted on a lout like your husband."

"Shut your face! Harry's ten times the man you'll ever be."

The Shifter sneered. "Oh, do tell. Saint Potter, the savior of the wizarding world. The Slayer of Voldemort, all hail his name! The Golden Boy of Hogwarts! But the papers don't know the real Potter, now do they, Ginevra? They don't know how he let his friends accompany him on his so called quest to destroy the Horcruxes, including the dying Headmaster Dumbledore. No, they don't mention that he dragged a dying old man all across the country, forcing him to spend his last days hunting magical objects instead of resting quietly in his bed. How perfectly heroic!"

"You're twisting things. That wasn't how it was. Dumbledore wanted to help, he chose to go, Harry never had anything to say about it."

The Shifter snorted. "I rather doubt that. He was probably jumping up and down to have one of the world's most powerful wizards at his beck and call."

"Like you, you mean?" Gavin broke in, unable to keep still any longer. "Bet you were drooling all over when Voldemort asked you to serve him, huh? Just like a good little lapdog."

The Shifter glared at the boy. "Shut up! You will speak only when spoken to. A Snape should be seen and not heard, for once."

Ginny waved frantically at Gavin to be quiet, but the boy couldn't see her since the spell had his eyes pinned to the floor. Besides, the Shifter's words grated on him, and despite the fear that curled in his gut, he was determined not to give in to the man quickly. He was going to be even more annoying that his wont.

"Shut up!" he mimicked the other's precise accent. "Why should I? It's a free country, says so in the Bill of Rights. First Amendment, freedom of speech. So I'm free to tell you to go to hell. Say hello to Lucifer when you get there, I'm sure he's got a spot all picked out for you, right in the middle of the fire. You and all your family."

"I'll see you there first, brat!"

"Nuh-uh. ‘Cause my dad's gonna send you there right after he knocks this place down around your ears, scumsucker!"

The Shifter snarled wordlessly, then reached down and grabbed Gavin by the hair, yanking his head up painfully. The boy winced and blinked back tears, but otherwise made no sound. "Shut your mouth, little Snivellus! Your father's nothing but a miserable traitor and a coward whose only claim to fame is as a spy and a murderer!"

"That's a lie!" Gavin gasped, wishing he could get free of the other's awful grip. It felt as if his hair was being pulled out by the roots by a dozen metal combs. "My dad's no murderer! The only person he ever killed was in a fair fight, and he was a dark wizard who nearly killed my big sister! Lucius Malfoy, that's who it was, and he was just as bad as Voldemort!"

"What are you saying? That m-Lucius deserved to die?" the Shifter demanded, and there was a crazy gleam in the other's eyes that scared Gavin to pieces.

But he swallowed back the fear and forced himself to look the wizard in the eye. Face what you fear and it loses its power over you, son. Severus had told him that long ago, after one of his awful nightmares. Gavin glared into his tormentor's face and had the satisfaction of seeing the cruel eyes widen in surprise. Then the boy said, "Yeah, Lucius did deserve to die. He killed innocent children and other people who never did anything to him. He was evil and I hope he's roasting in hell. Maybe when you die, you can go keep him company."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

The Shifter drew back his hand and slapped the child across the face. Once, twice, snapping Gavin's head back with the force of the blows. Tears gathered in the boy's eyes, but he blinked them away. No way on earth would he ever cry in front of his enemy, no matter how much his face hurt.

Ginny was on her feet, grabbing the Shifter by the shoulder and yelling, "Don't touch him, you nasty brute! Is that all you know how to do, beat up helpless little children? Bloody sodding git!"

"Temper, Ginevra," the Shifter scolded, shaking his finger at her reprovingly. "I was just teaching the kid a lesson in manners." He released Gavin's hair and Gavin dropped his head down to stare at the floor once more, tears of relief filling his eyes. "Something I'd have thought his father would've beat into him a long time ago. But I guess Snivellus's son is above such things as manners, huh, boy?"

He nudged Gavin with the toe of his black shoe.

Gavin didn't look up, he was trying frantically to blink away the tears.

"I asked you a question, Snivelly. Answer me, damn it!"

"I have manners," Gavin replied shortly. "But I won't waste my breath on you."

"You don't think I'm worthy of respect?"

"No."

"Shall I teach you differently, brat?" the Shifter growled, lifting his hand again.

"No! Leave him alone!" Ginny cried, grabbing his hand.

"Go ahead. Do it," Gavin spat, suddenly furious that he was once again at the mercy of another man like Ferrous. I wish . . .I wish Severus was here. I wish I had my own magic, so I could give the scumbag what for . . .Sev, where are you? I need you! You promised you'd always come for me . . .I need you NOW!

As if in answer to Gavin's heartfelt plea, the cup on the table flew through the air and bounced against the Shifter's head.

"Ow! What the bloody hell?" He yanked his arm free from Ginny's grasp. "Did you do that? You don't have a wand."

"So what?" Ginny said, trying to keep his anger focused on her. "I can do some wandless magic. Why, can't you? Such a powerful wizard and you can't do a bit of wandless magic?" she taunted, smiling at him aggravatingly.

"I can do more wandless magic than you've ever dreamed, slut. Keep your hands off of me, unless you want to get even more up close and personal, got me?" A lascivious smile spread over his handsome features. "On second thought . . .maybe I should see just what Potter found so fascinating about you, Mistress Weasel?" He grabbed her hand before she could pull away and kissed the back of it teasingly.

"Ugh! Get away from me, you filthy beast!"

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your new master, Ginny darling?" His eyes raked her scornfully. "You're not much to look at, but maybe you have hidden talents, hmmm? Shall I try and discover what they are? Potter must have had some reason for marrying you. Too bad he's not here to see me take what's his. Quit looking at me like that. You might even enjoy it."

Ginny spat at him. "You're a sick twisted bugger! I'm pregnant."

"Who cares? There are ways . . ."

"Get your slimy hands off her, Shifter!" Gavin howled. Then he did the only thing he could think of. He sank his teeth into the Shifter's calf, which was right in front of his nose.

The Shifter screeched, sounding like a cat who'd gotten his tail stepped on.

"Owww! You rotten little bugger!" Then he slammed his fist alongside of Gavin's head.

Gavin would have been knocked sprawling, but the spell that held him immobile was still in effect. His head was aching awfully and he tasted blood in his mouth from a split lip.

The Shifter was holding his calf and swearing a blue streak.

"I'll teach you to bite me!" He drew his wand and hissed, "Crucio!"

Gavin felt his entire body erupt into a white hot ball of pain.

The last thing he heard was Ginny, yelling, "Stop it, Draco! He's just a kid! Please!"

Don't Ginny. Don't beg, that's what he wants, Gavin thought sadly.

Then he passed out.

* * * * * *

His head was lying on something soft. A hand was stroking his hair. He opened his eyes cautiously, expecting to see Severus. But instead his puzzled gaze met Ginny's blue eyes. His mouth tried to form words, but all he could manage was a pained moan.

"Lie still, Gavin. I'm so glad you're awake. Can you talk at all?"

He licked his lips. "Water," he croaked out.

She held a cup to his lips. Water trickled down his sore throat in a soothing stream. "Small sips. There. Better?"

He nodded. "More, please."

She gave him another few swallows. "How's that?"

He coughed, wincing when it made him ache all over. Then he tried to sit up, and instantly regretted it. His whole body hurt like hell, worse than one of Ferrous's beatings. His eyes misted with tears, but he blinked them away stubbornly. He'd be damned if he'd cry in front of a girl, even if she was old enough to be his sister.

"Oh, Gavin. Stay still, I know it hurts like ruddy hell." Her hand continued stroking his hair, which was the only part of him that didn't hurt. "I'm sorry, I should've stopped him sooner."

"He hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"Honest?" Gavin demanded, sensing she was hiding something. "I know he wanted to make out with you."

"Don't worry about me, Gavin. I'm fine. What he wanted and what he got are two different things." Ginny said and managed a small smile.

"What'd you do to him?"

"Told him I'd kiss him to get him to stop hurting you. The stupid sod believed me. So when he grabbed me to kiss me, I kicked him right in the family jewels. He won't be looking at a girl anytime soon."

Gavin felt his mouth curving up into a grin. "Way to go, Ginny! That's telling him where to get off, the arrogant motha." He turned his head slightly, discovering that his head was pillowed in Ginny's lap and she was sitting on the floor holding him. Normally being in such a position would have embarrassed him past bearing, but after everything he'd endured that day, it felt good to have someone holding him.

"I wish I had a potion to give you for the pain," she lamented.

"S'all right," he said, trying to be brave, like a Snape should. "Better me than you."

"Gavin, no! Don't ever say that."

"Why? It's true. If he'd done that to you, you could've lost the babies or something."

She opened her mouth to protest, then slowly closed it. "You're right. But I'm still sorry. No child should ever have to go through that."

"It's not all that bad. No worse than Ferrous."

For some reason that made her start crying. Huge tears fell on his face, but before he could lift a hand to wipe them away, she blotted them with the end of her sleeve. "Merlin help me, but what kind of life did you have before Severus took you in?"

"Hell on earth," Gavin replied simply. "But since then, I've been living in paradise." Then his face fell. "Until I was stupid and ruined it all. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden. I listened to the serpent and look where it got me."

"That wasn't your fault," Ginny objected hotly. "You couldn't know that your, uh, friend would betray you."

"I should've listened to Scout and took him with me. Then he could've bitten Slick to pieces. But I was stupid and now I'm paying for it. And once Sev finds out I broke my promise to him . . . he'll tell me to hit the road for good. He won't forgive me this time." He turned his head away so she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"You're wrong, Gavin."

"No, I'm not. I'm a no account good for nothing brat. Not worthy to be his son."

"Untrue, Gavin Snape. You are more than worthy to be Severus's son. And he'll forgive you, he always forgives honest mistakes. I know that better than anyone."

"Like you ever did anything half as bad."

"Oh, but I did. When I was a little older than you are now, I became a servant to dark magic, and it nearly killed me and destroyed Hogwarts."

"You? You gotta be kidding!"

She shook her head sadly. "Not a chance. I found a diary belonging to Tom Riddle, he who was later called Voldemort, and through it he possessed me . . ." she told Gavin the story of how she had been made to open the Chamber of Secrets deep beneath Hogwarts, releasing the basilisk on the castle and its inhabitants. She told of how the basilisk had petrified over eight students and nearly killed Harry before it was slain. And all because of her curiosity and foolish pride. "I should've shown the diary to a professor or one of my brothers when I realized it was magic, but I didn't. I didn't want to share the first real magical object I'd ever found, that was just mine and nobody else's. Even when I started to suspect that voice in the back of my head whispering instructions to me was up to no good, I couldn't bring myself to tell anybody. I didn't want to lose the diary, didn't want to stop feeling important and powerful. So I kept my mouth shut and fell deeper under the spell of the diary, until it nearly consumed me. Only when Harry destroyed the diary was I released."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, no one ever really talked to me about what happened. Not to my face anyhow. But I could hear the whispers and rumors when I went by. I was a dupe, stupid enough to listen to Voldemort. I knew they were right, my fellow students, to hate me. Even some of the professors looked at me funny after that, like I might be dangerous, or wasn't to be trusted. All except the Headmaster and Professor Snape. One day he caught some of the older third years teasing me, calling me You-Know-Who's Pawn and other things, and I was just standing there crying, because I thought they were right. But he was furious. Gave them all a week's worth of detention. Then he took me back to his office and at first I thought he was going to yell at me for being a crybaby, but all he did was give me a handkerchief and a bit of tea with a Calming Draft in it. I was so surprised I actually asked him why he didn't hate me."

"What did he say?"

"He said, "Why would I hate you, Miss Weasley?" Because I was stupid, I betrayed everyone and became a pawn to You-Know-Who, I cried. And then he said, you shouldn't blame yourself for falling under his spell, Miss Weasley. Grown men and women have done so and they were far wiser and stronger in magic than you, child. Hate what he made you do, but don't hate yourself. Then he'll have a real victory. You made a terrible mistake, true, but not one that's unforgivable. Then I said, do you forgive me, sir? And he nodded and said I should learn to forgive myself and not let what ignorant rude brats think bother me. Then he sent me back to my dormitory and for the first time in weeks I felt good about myself." She smiled reminiscently. "Funny, I haven't thought about that incident in years. It was the first time any of my teachers had ever gone out of their way to stick up for me, and I'll never forget it. Now if he could forgive me that, he can surely forgive you, Gavin. After all, you're his son and he loves you."

"Would you forgive your kid if he ever did something like that?"

"Absolutely. That's what parents do. At least the good ones do. And from what you told me, Severus seems like a good one."

"He is," Gavin said softly. "The best I could ever ask for. I wish we could get out of here."

"I know. But the door's spell-locked." Ginny sighed. "Draco's not as stupid as he seems either."

"Draco? Do you know who is then?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes. Before, I wasn't sure, but after what he said to you and did . . .I'm almost positive the Shifter is my former classmate, Draco Malfoy."

"The one who was expelled for betraying Hogwarts, right?" Gavin clarified. "Harry and Severus were talking about him yesterday."

"The same. They broke his wand when they expelled him, but I guess he's gotten a new one since then. And along with that a new grudge against Harry and your father."

"Why? What did they do to him?"

"Harry he's always hated. For being famous, for being better at casting spells, for standing up to pureblooded bigots like him, for reasons that only he knows. Severus he hates because Snape killed his father and Trish killed his mother that day, during the war with Voldemort. He thinks Severus betrayed everything he stood for by being Dumbledore's spy, he wanted Snape to teach him dark magic, only Severus wouldn't because he was never a dark wizard. To Draco, that makes your dad a traitor and that's why he kidnapped you as well as me. For revenge."

Gavin shivered. Now at last he understood why Draco had been able to cast the Cruciatus Curse on him. He knew the more he hurt Gavin, the more it would hurt his dad once he found out. This was Draco's way of making Severus pay for killing Lucius. It made sense, in a sick twisted sort of way. "We gotta get out of here, Ginny. Otherwise he might do something worse to us."

"I know. But we have to wait. You're in no shape to stand up right now and I can't open the door without my wand."

"You sure he puts the charm on the door all the time?"

"Yes. At least he always has since I've been here," Ginny answered, then darted a quick look at the red door. She squinted sharply. Something wasn't quite right. Then it hit her. The doorknob wasn't glowing to her magical senses, the way it normally was. Which could mean only one thing.

Draco had been in such distress that he'd forgotten to reset the spell.

Ginny felt her heart skip a beat.

"Somebody up there really likes us," she murmured to the boy.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Draco forgot to reset the ward on the door. Now it's only locked by ordinary means."

Gavin whistled. "What luck! Too bad I don't have lockpicks. Then maybe I could spring us." Then he swore angrily.

"Gavin Snape! You watch your mouth, young man!" Ginny scolded. "If you weren't in such bad shape, I'd wash out your mouth with soap."

Gavin blushed. "So would Sev," he admitted. "Sorry. But we're so close!" He lay back with a sigh of frustration.

Ginny patted his shoulder. "Try and get some rest. I'll figure something out. Hopefully before somebody notices the ward's off."

Gavin closed his eyes, he was too sore to stay awake and soon drifted into slumber.

The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake and a familiar voice was saying, "Yo, Wolf! Are you gonna wake up and get your skinny butt outta this prison cell or d'you want a personal invitation, bro?"

"Huh?" he blinked stupidly, staring right into Moneky's mischievous eyes.

"I'm dreaming," he murmured. "I must be dreaming."

He rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, Monkey was still there, grinning her familiar devilish grin.