"But Professor Dumbledore—" a new young Auror started to say.

"I'm aware of the orders," Kingsley replied quietly, "but the prisoner has vital information that the Headmaster needs. Information that Severus here can extract."

Severus frowned inwardly when he saw the young Auror's eyes narrow on him suspiciously. This was taking too long.

"All right," finally relented the new Auror, standing aside for them to pass. "You can go in. It's the last cell to the right."

"Thank you," Kingsley mumbled as they walked past.

Severus strode down the long corridor instantly towards the cell. Finally, he would get the answers he sought.

Another minute passed before he saw the balding man with red eyes who had haunted his dreams the past few months. Bars were between them, safety nets he supposed.

"If it isn't my protégé that betrayed me," purred the man with an amused grin on his face. "Tell me, Severus. How is our dear Aurora today?"

Not rising to the bait, Severus drew in a slow, steady breath.

"You have answers I seek," he declared evenly.

"I told you that there would be another, one who was worthier of you, didn't I?" Leonidas/Dark Lord continued, ignoring Severus's previous statement altogether. "I don't like to brag, but I was correct, wasn't I, my little traitor?"

"If you do not comply—"

"I admit, Severus, at first I didn't see why she appealed to you, she seemed all wrong for you, but I understand it now."

"I shall make you comply, and I assure you that I will enjoy every moment of it," Severus said coldly, doing his best to ignore the Dark Lord's words.

"There's a darkness in her. Darker than even me. And power, so much power. Have you seen it? I have, and it's beautiful."

Severus drew in another breath. It was unsettling to hear the Dark Lord speak so fondly of her. But he knew all it was were lies and misdirection.

"I can't take all the credit, of course," Leonidas/the Dark Lord chuckled. "Leonidas helped her along with a little prodding at first."

"Severus," Kingsley said under his breath warningly.

Frowning, he glanced back at the Auror and noticed how much the Dark Lord's words were affecting the other man. One failed date was all Kingsley had with Aurora, and look at him. Though, deep down, Severus wasn't doing much better if he were honest with himself.

"My only regret was that I didn't give her to you instead all those years back, my son. She'd have made a wonderful Death Eater and partner for you. A bit like Lucius and Narcissa, I believe."

"Only problem is Aurora would never join you," Kingsley growled, taking a step forward.

Severus watched Leonidas/the Dark Lord's smile deepen.

"She would if I had given her to Severus. A weakness on her part, but one I could overlook."

"You will answer me."

"The answer is yes," Leonidas/the Dark Lord simply replied.

"Yes?" Severus's eyes narrowed on him.

"It was quite a sight to see, my favorite. Her soaked in all that Muggle blood last year."

His stomach lurched.

"Once I realized you were her weakness, it was only too easy then," Leonidas/The Dark Lord explained proudly. "Show her images of you being attacked by them, convince her that it was happening, and she was oh so glad to kill the pathetic worms. Of course a few Cruciatus curses loosened her mind right up for me." He chuckled quietly. "She's a fighter; I'll give her that. She held out longer than even Bellatrix could in enduring the Cruciatus. Longer than you even, Severus."

A memory from last year flashed in his mind instantly. 'I'm broken now.' He inhaled slowly before he stepped towards the bars.

"I wonder if she's even there now, your sweet Aurora, or if all that remains is the darkness her mother injected into her. You learned of that, didn't you?" Leonidas/the Dark Lord smirked nastily. "The protections her mother placed on her have broken, Severus, giving way to the darkness to grow rapidly inside her. It won't be long now before it overtakes her completely."

"Unfortunately, my Lord, once again, you underestimate the power of love."

"Oh? Enlighten me."

Severus scoffed, shaking his head, though, and turned to walk away. He could see the confusion in Kingsley's face but ignored it. He had gotten his answer. Perhaps not clearly, but he had discovered a clue that he should have recognized all along. Syra clearly knew more than she had ever let on.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Kingsley grabbed his arm and asked, "What was that all about, Professor?"

Obviously, Kingsley hadn't been listening. "The darkness he referred to was the serum her mother injected into her while she was still in her mother's womb."

"I understood that part."

"Taking into account that she was still developing, the serum likely had altered her genetic makeup. Her mother must have placed certain protections on her as a result."

"Which broke when she saved Harry a few years back."

"And broke even more last year with Leonidas and the Dark Lord torturing her nonstop." He shook his head, recalling an old X-Men comic that he had once read.

"All right, but how does this help us?"

"We need to learn the ingredients of that serum. It's acting as if it's a poison in her system currently." It was the only thing that seemingly was making sense to him. "Find out the ingredients, and we should be able to develop an antidote."

"But—"

Not wasting any more time, Severus Disapparated from the secret location with a small pop. He needed to speak with Syra at once.

The moment he reappeared in front of Windsor, the salty air of the sea assaulted his lungs. As he strode down the pathway towards the front door, he heard the waves crash violently against the nearby cliffs. The wind blew around his face, whipping his hair against his cheeks like little switches.

Crack!

The terrible thunder rolled across the landscape soon after before the rain broke free and poured from the heavens onto him. He wasn't certain if it was he who had caused the storm, or if it had already been storming prior to his arrival.

As he continued, he felt his robes become heavier as the downpour became even stronger. He would look like a drowned rat when she opened the door. That much was certain. But he didn't care.

Raising his hand up to knock against the door, he paused when he heard the frightened animals behind him. He turned to glance at them, seeing the horses running for cover in the opposite direction.

"Eh, they'll be all right," a kind voice spoke suddenly.

Severus whirled back, just barely stopping himself from hexing the man who stood in front of him now in the now opened doorway.

"Can I help you, son?" the man asked politely.

"Orin," Severus said mostly to himself. He had never met Aurora's father before, only her mother. He couldn't describe it but he just knew this man was her father.

"That's right. And you are?"

"Severus," he answered. He saw the flicker of recognition in the other man's face at once.

"Aura?" the father breathed with terror clearly evident on his face.

"Alive, but I must speak with Syra at once." Orin's shoulders slackened instantly. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Come in." Orin stepped aside and nodded towards a house elf who had appeared.

A few seconds later, Syra appeared at the top of the landing. Her cold blue eyes fell on him instantly. "What has she done now?"

Severus opened his mouth to respond, but Orin beat him to it.

"What has she done?" Orin snarled back coldly. "What the hell have you done, Syra!"

Severus winced inwardly, half expecting to watch the parents to fight in front of him.

"You did this to our daughter. She would have—"

"Died if it hadn't been for me, thank you very much," Syra coldly replied, her eyes flashing. "Or did you want to bury another of our children, Orin?"

"Enough!" Severus cut in. They didn't have time for this. "What did you give her?" He ignored Syra's eye rolling.

"To what time are you referring to exactly?" she drawled, sounding rather bored with his query.

"The serum. What were the ingredients?"

"Excuse me?"

"Syra, I grow tired of having to repeat myself to idiots, so please do not be one. What were the ingredients?"

"Dragon's blood, Valerian root, elder berries, fermented spider eyes, a bit of willow, a drop of unicorn blood, and a dash of Moon dust. Hardly anything of note."

He thought for half a moment before he shook his head. "No. There was something else you added. That couldn't have been all there was. What else did you add?"

"Nothing! That's all there was."

A squeak, however, caused everyone's eyes to fall on the elderly house elf.

"Lola?" Orin said gently as if speaking to a small child.

"Yes, Master?" the small little house elf replied trembling.

"Do you have something to add?"

The elf's large pink tennis ball eyes glanced hesitantly towards Syra before she glanced down. "I . . . I can'ts say, Master."

"What do you mean, you can't say? Why not?"

"They's forbade me, Master," she said through sniffles.

"Who?"

"They's wanted to repay you, Master. You and the Missus's for being so kind to them. Offering them a place to stay and work . . . and food . . . They . . ."

Severus noticed Orin and Syra's eyes widened in horror.

"They's created Azrial," Lola the house elf continued with a trembling voice. "Missus was worried about the dragon blood, but she didn't know about the . . . the . . . they's blood."

"What is she talking about?" Severus asked puzzled. "Whose blood?"

"Our blood," spoke up another voice as someone emerged from the shadows.

Severus's eyes darted to the new person and found himself even more confused. Why hadn't he noticed someone there earlier?

"You didn't notice me, Wizard, because I didn't want you to notice me," the young man replied with a faint smile. His eyes then fell on Orin and Syra. "I apologize, my Lady and Lord." He inclined his head towards them. "Adolphus had left us instructions not to reveal it to you until it was time."

"You . . . you poisoned my daughter?" Orin accused with an outraged look.

"Poisoned is such a strong word. We enhanced her, my Lord. Gave her the strength she needed to survive once she was out of her mother's womb. Just as we did with Lady Syra when she fell ill."

Severus blinked and tried not to think too much on that particular revelation concerning his future mother-in-law. Though, that did explain the coldness, he supposed.

"So, she's becoming sicker because of the blood you gave her?"

"Sick?" The man frowned. "She's not becoming sick, Wizard. She's becoming better." He stared at Severus for half a moment before he shook his head. "Azrial, meaning 'Of two worlds."

"You had no right to add that to the serum," Syra suddenly cut in.

The man hung his head. "I apologize, my Lady. Adolphus had wanted to pay you and Lord Orin back for your family's kindness to us over the years. He had seen how badly you had wanted a child and believed this was the best way to repay you."

"This is the reason those people came after us a few hours after she was born, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"All these years I believed I had to train her to fight because of the serum, and it was because of you instead," Syra declared. "How am I to protect my child from your kind?"

"My Lady—"

"It was one thing when you gave me the choice to become like you in order to live. It is an entirely different thing to force that upon my daughter when she wasn't even born yet."

The man glanced towards Severus before he sighed. "Yes, My Lady."

"You've cursed her, practically damned her to a life of—"

"My Lady, I assure you, that all will be well. Your daughter is a strong woman. She fights to this day against it, as she has done all her life."

"And it's killing her as a result," Orin stated harshly.

"Witch or vampire, you cannot be both," Syra declared.

Unless one was half-vampire, Severus mused. He frowned when the man looked at him.

"Is there any way to undo it? Control those parts of her again and stop this before it's too late?"

Syra sighed, shaking her head. "Perhaps if she was younger then, yes, we could do that, Severus, but too many years have passed. I couldn't alter her DNA enough now, and my protections I placed on her wouldn't be strong enough unfortunately."

"Why do you believe it is yours to decide and not hers?" asked the man suddenly.

"You're saying she has a choice in this matter?" Severus questioned. That went against everything he knew about vampires, though.

"She does. That is the whole point of being Azrial. She can either embrace our gifts or remain with yours. There is always a choice, Wizard. I would have thought you'd have recognized that."

She had a choice.

He glanced towards his future in-laws and Disapparated away again. She had a choice . . .