UNLEASH | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 6)

[ 25 ]

"Going somewhere?"

Aine turned to the toneless voice behind her back, it was Snape. There he stood, deep dark eyes boring into her soul as he tried to look into her mind as usual, trying to see if he could read her. However, it would always end up in vain as Aine was just as skilled as he was in Occlumency. Unless she wanted him to know, the walls around her thoughts would lower to show him. Otherwise, he could dream on.

She grinned lightly and nodded, "Yes. I need to look into some things," she said. 

A couple of days ago, the Deatheaters had their monthly discussion about what their current stance was and if there were any updates about the situation they were all in. Not much has changed since the previous meeting. The members of the Order of the Phoenix remain well hidden, difficult to snuff out like Harry Potter and his band of friends. All lurking in the shadows and out of sight.

There wasn't much information she could gather about the two people she was desperate to find out more from looking into the Deatheaters who worked in the Ministry as well. Both Yaxley and Pius knew little to nothing about the two Hales when she looked into their minds and neither did she come across knowledge of them in the other moles too. 

Even when she spent a week scouting out the workers from the Ministry in hopes she could hear a little something about the Hales. News about their existence, let alone movements were hard to come by. That was when Aine decided to take matters into her own hands and visit the Ministry of Magic herself, to look for the records of Raulus and Lilith.

However, there was one problem.

It was trying to infiltrate a place full of people who both knew who she was— Spies from the Order who still had their positions and spies who worked for Voldemort that she didn't know about. Aine wasn't exactly a wanted fugitive yet but she knew that her name was spread around quite recently. Rumours of her being the daughter of the Dark Lord had been circulating amongst witches and wizards. She even found herself to be the talk of the topic when she went to Knockturn Alley the other day along with several posters of her face back when she had raven hair. 

Even so, waiting for Pius and Yaxley to bring her news and knowledge of the Hales was taking too long and Aine refused to waste any more time. Thus, she decided to sneak into the Ministry head-on with a fake identity she had crafted.

"You've been busy," Snape commented. He wasn't around in the Malfoy Manor very much lately due to his affairs of getting things at Hogwarts straight before the new year starts but that didn't mean he was exactly oblivious about her actions. He might not have spoken much to the Estoileons or Draco but he could tell that they had an agenda that only the three knew.

Aine took a step towards him, her hands shoved into the pockets of her formal coat. "As have you," she replied with a small cryptic smile. Although they hadn't been interacting as frequently as before, she perceived that there was much on his plate too. Especially with how often he was seen with the other Deatheaters like the Carrow siblings. "It's going to be your first day back to Hogwarts as Headmaster. How does that feel? Excited? Nervous?"

"A hassle, if I were to be completely frank," Snape responded dully with an eye roll and a peal of laughter burst out of Aine's lips.

"How funny, I always thought you wanted that role," she stated in amusement. "Oh, wait. Wasn't it the Defense Against the Dark Arts job you desired? If you're Headmaster now, who's going to take that post?"

"There is no such position left anymore," he discloses. Snape's frown only lowered gravely as he furrowed at the changes that were going to be made. "It will be changed to a Dark Arts subject and Amycus will be teaching it when the year starts."