The Era of Aria Snape

111

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

ARIA GROANED, STRUGGLING to breathe as she lay on her back, sucking air in and then breathing it out as Narcissa had instructed. Pain was normal she had said, at seven months it's more than normal, and if you aren't struggling to breathe there's a problem.

Aria had not liked her declaration that pain was normal, but she supposed that it did help to know that not she nor her unborn baby were dying.

"Narcissa—" Aria had been about to snap at her, something that had been a constant occurrence what with the nonstop pain and her inability to sleep a full night, but was interrupted as Lucius stepped in.

"There are visitors." He spoke to Narcissa. "Believed to be Harry Potter and his friends, Bella wants you to have a look."

Aria gulped, staying still as Narcissa sent her a weary look. "You stay here love, it's nothing that you need to be concerned about." A small smile danced across her face before she left the room, followed by Lucius.

Aria didn't know if it could be true, why would they be stupid enough to get caught? It wasn't Harry or, as Aria assumed, Ron or Hermione. Although she wouldn't have minded if it was that muggle, a lesson in respect to her superiors wouldn't hurt.

Aria sat up, standing on wobbly feet as she took to the stairs. She only wanted to see what the commotion was about then she would go and try to have a nap.

"Look closely son," Aria heard Lucius whisper as she stood in the hallway, hidden behind the door. "If we are the ones to hand Potter over to the Dark Lord everything would be forgiven. All would be as it was, you understand?"

Aria tried to recognize what poor soul Bellatrix held in her arms, but it sure wasn't Harry. No, this fellow was nothing like her half-brother.

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy." One of the snatchers said and Aria felt herself grow angry at the blatant disrespect. She wanted to hex him, but negative emotions were bad for the baby. Instead, she stepped into the room and strode over to Narcissa's side, the lady sent her a disapproving side glance.

"I told you to stay in the room." She whispered.

"I don't take orders," Aria replied, regretting her tone. "Besides, if this involves Harry, I'd love to have a look myself."

She marched to Draco's side as Bellatrix ushered him in, closer to her victim. "Now, if this isn't who we think it is and we call him, he'll kill us all." Bella's eyes shot between Aria and her fiancé rapidly. "We need to be absolutely sure."

"What's wrong with his face?"

"Yes, what is wrong with his face?"

Aria wondered if it really was him, crouching in Bellatrix's hold before her eyes, like some common muggle.

His eyes, however, said differently. Aria at once knew it was him, she didn't understand how she could have been so blind. One glance behind her and she saw both Ronald Weasley and Hermione. Of course, her little brother never dared to go anywhere without his friends.

Ron's eyes met hers, he looked more disgusted than scared as he took in her swollen belly, his eyes narrowing. Aria merely looked away, she didn't appreciate the look, but was it worth his life?

Aria glanced at Draco beside her, he knew it too.

Aria wondered if handing Potter over would give her and Draco the freedom to leave. Would it make things better? Would her baby be able to be born in a place where Death Eaters weren't prowling around every corner? Was it worth it to turn in the only sibling she ever had?

Draco's grey eyes remained cold, betraying no emotion as he stared at her, silently waiting for her decision. Aria merely shook her head. No, her freedom was not worth Harry's life.

Bella hissed in the background, throwing some sort of tantrum, half killing one of the snatchers, but it was nothing that Aria hadn't become used to. Bella grabbed Ron and Harry by their collars and threw them to Narcissa, demanding she put them in the cellar. "I want to have a little conversation with this one," she looked to Hermione. "Girl-to-girl."

"Go, Aria," Draco mumbled, knowing that she wanted to see Harry. She nodded and slipped out of the room, glancing at Hermione and not feeling an inch of sorrow.

"Move, Wormtail." Aria snapped as the metal-handed fool ambled past her. She stormed down the stairs and found Harry and Ron behind a gate, locked in a cell.

"How is it that you are too stupid to stay away?" Aria snapped through the gate at her half-brother.

"And how is it that you're knocked up, living the sweet life while we were thrown into this cell?" Ronald snapped back. "Really, Snape, I knew you were bad news, but a skank, honestly—"

Aria's high-pitched laugh interrupted him, she only stopped when Hermione's screams sounded throughout the cellar, Ron's face paling. "Careful, Weasley, you're in my house now. I would watch your tone if I were you, wouldn't want to end up like your muggle friend."

"You let her go!"

She grinned, running a hand over her stomach soothingly. "No can do, you see, when Bella wants something she gets it. It is not up to me what happens to that girl, you're only lucky I didn't turn you two in. Draco, too. You should be thanking us instead of glaring at me like that." She turned to Harry. "And what did happen to your face? All that nasty made its way to the surface?" She snorted. She remembered some of the last words he had said to her, about not even considering Aria to be his sister. He was probably regretting those right about now.

"You're vile, Aria. You and your new family."

"You see," she hummed, "They treat me like a person, not like a second-rate waste of oxygen, criminal like you did. I would have done anything for you, Harry, anything. But you hated me." She looked at the ginger. "The same goes for you and your family; I went into that Chamber for Ginny, I did everything in my power to make George happy, I even had to deal with your nonsense whenever I went to the burrow, and in return, you cast me out. You all treated me like a Death Eater, funny how now that I am one, you're shocked. I came down to let you know that I hope you rot in here and if they don't kill you or hand you over to the Dark Lord, I'll make sure to tell your family, Ronald, that you've run away and let them die. Always the disappointment."

He tried to strike her through the gate, but she stepped back, grinning.

"Manners will serve you well down here. As for you, Harry, maybe if you'd been nicer to me we wouldn't be in this situation." She shrugged. "Have fun." With a grin, she turned back and marched up the stairs, Lucius waiting for her by the door.

"Is it him?"

"No, not from what I saw." She said. "Perhaps it is better to not call the Dark Lord." She walked past him, heading back to her room.

She had lied to Lucius, for as much as she loathed Harry, she didn't want him dead. She had said what she needed to say to both the boys and now perhaps knowing that her brother had nothing but hatred for her, she would be able to deal with his inevitable death. She could only hope, anyway.