"Accio Addison!" Lucius Malfoy called.

Addison felt herself being forced through space by her archenemy, as she was hurtled behind him. She couldn't so much see Malfoy, as sense him; although she could hear him chuckling, well pleased with himself.

She landed with a thud. Addison stood up as quickly as she could, given that her lower half felt as if it had been constricted into one big, ungangly muscle. She held her wand in front of her with both hands, deeply committed to casting any curse she felt was necessary.

Addison shifted her weight from leg to leg as they slowly regained their strength, all the while keeping up her guard up against any possible enemy, especially Malfoy. How she hated him! She swore she would do it. She would turn on him and . . . but no, she couldn't. No matter how much he deserved to die an unheralded death, sent to the Netherworld in a blazing flash of green, she could never disrespect the basic tenets she believed in. She heard the soft chuckle of that hated voice behind her.

"You merely have to ask Addison, and I deliver," he whispered, his breath hot against her ear.

Addison turned to face him, backing up a bit to distance herself, but still pointing her wand directly at him. She wanted to curse him, but instead, stood glaring at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. It was true, of course. She had asked, pleaded actually, for him to lead her to the only person who could help her with her potion.

She looked around and saw him, sitting alone by a small fire. He looked so small, with his back hunched up, his arms encircling his legs as he just stared at the fire, not moving and barely breathing.

"Severus!" she cried, walking as fast as she could to the figure, which did not acknowledge the sound of his name. "Snape."

She said his last name softly and knelt down beside him, as he barely tilted his head, seeming to notice her, but not moving from his crouch. She needed his help, but was afraid to ask him. It was then she noticed the others, and the fact that they all wore the same robes. It dawned on her that they had all Apparated quickly, too quickly to think about the clothing that marked them for what they were. Outlaws, and more than likely killers, surrounded her, but none of them paid her any attention.

A fortnight ago, they would have fought for the right to despoil a filthy blood traitor like herself, but now, they just stood, milling around and not talking.

"Where are we Lucius?" Addison asked as she slowly stood up and walked back to where he stood, a little away from the fire.

"Well," he said sarcastically, "that question is so very you, isn't it, Addison? That's either a very brilliant thing to ask or very foolish. I can never decide which one you are."

"You shouldn't have brought her here, Malfoy," Severus said coldly through clenched
teeth. "We have enough trouble without her."

Lucius ignored him and led Addison to the edge of what appeared to be a cliff. He
dramatically swept his arm and her eyes followed his outstretched arm, which pointed to many small fires.

"We're on the edge of the world, Addison, far away from the wizards that hunt us."

Addison walked slowly away from Malfoy and back to speak to Snape. She wasn't sure what to say to him, how she could make him understand why he had to help her. He was the only person who could, and that simple fact emboldened her. Why should he? she thought bitterly as she sunk down to squat beside him. He moved ever so slightly away from her, as if being this close to her was physically painful to him.

"Severus," she began quietly, after a few silent, excruciating moments. "Severus, please?"

He raised his hand slowly to silence her. Addison gulped, quieting the doubts rising within her. His pain mirrored her own. Looking at him only made the last few days of misery cut through her more intensely, but she truly didn't care anymore. This was her last chance.

"Addison, this is stupid," Snape said so quickly that the words melted into one.

"No, Severus," Addison slowly said in return. "You are my only hope."

She gulped again and looked at him, her eyes pleading. He stared at her for a moment, with eyes that, as far as he was concerned, were better off no longer seeing, but for some reason he took pity on her.

"Come," he said finally, roughly taking her arm and leading her away from the others.

He led her to a small hill and let go of her arm. He closed his eyes, and it was obvious to Addison that he had silently said an incantation, and then they were both transported into a cave. He then turned and silently impelled the stone, which had allowed them entry to bar the way of the others.

"This is as much safety as I can offer you, Addison," he said softly, as he removed a few sticks from his sleeve and remade the same, small fire he had been sitting in front of when she had first appeared, sullenly sinking back again.

"Severus," Addison said fiercely, grabbing the hem of his robe. "I need you to help me. Please, Severus. I know I have no right to ask you for this favor, but no one else can help me except you."

Snape's first inclination was to push her away from him. He wanted to sit and allow the pain to engulf him, in the hope that it would finally consume him entirely. Unfortunately, there was still a small shred of humanity that remained, and Addison was able to engage it. He looked at her sideways, carefully removing her hold on his robe with shaking fingers, but not removing his gaze from hers.

"No one can help you, Addison," he said in a voice so low that she could barely hear him. "Least of all me."

She knew he was wrong. She knew he held the key, but remained quiet, for now, and silently sat beside him, biding her time. She had begged Isla to help her, but she refused, saying she couldn't even if she wanted to. That sort of magic was ‘beyond even her amazing wealth of knowledge, and not in your best interest, either,’ she had scolded. But, Addison persisted, knowing it was possible, it had to be possible.

"Severus would know. But, Addison the way Sirius has treated him. It would be cruel, perhaps suicidal, for you to ask him. Provided you could even find him . . ." Isla's voice trailed off, her eyes growing more fearful as she watched the wheels of Addison's mind twirling.

Severus would know. Of course he would! After the fall of the Dark Lord the Death Eaters had dispersed, of course. But Addison did know how to find Lucius. Lucius would know where Snape was hidden and would help her. He had no choice. He was busily claiming incapability to his crimes and Addison could prove he was lying. She knew he was in his right mind when he tried to kill her and Sirius, and it would take little more than a whisper into the right ear to send him to Azkaban forever.

That was when Addison quickly gathered the materials to make the Polyjuice Potion. She had the necessary ingredients on hand, of course, and Isla had grudgingly given her the lacewing flies, which she had stewed for the requisite 21 days. Addison had kept enough hair, which she had grabbed from the generic Death Eater that had attacked them to become him, and had easily gained access to Malfoy Mansion.

"Severus . . ." Addison said softly, the pain in her voice echoing his own, which was beating in his chest where his heart had so recently been. The blood which had been pumping through his veins until just a scant few days ago had been replaced by scorching feelings of loss and regret so strong, engulfing every fiber of his being and thought in his mind that he could do nothing but sit and stare into the fire. He turned to look at Addison, whose dark, swollen eyes met his own in quiet understanding. He shut his eyes, feeling a stray tear fall slowly down his cheek, but he didn't care if she saw it.

"Yes," he said, as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'll help you."

Snape set to work. This was very dark and powerful magic that went against every tenet of nature and should be impossible, but he knew it probably wasn't. As he quietly chanted the ancient words, a strange thing happened. He could feel himself being transformed into the most odious person on earth. He could feel himself becoming Sirius Black, actually understanding him and the reasons for his actions.

Snape looked at Addison and was amazed at how familiar the feelings which flooded through him were. He suddenly felt the same, raw need for her that he had felt for Lily. There was a necessity to being near her. Her voice, her eyes, the way she understood him, even at a level that James never could . . .

James, the named evoked such a primal feeling for revenge that Snape could almost feel a bond to Black, knowing the same feelings welled within himself when he had heard the Potters were dead.

Snape fell to his knees, trying to steady himself with his forearms. He violently shook his head back and forth, as if he was trying desperately to release himself from the grips of a demon possessing him. Finally, he fell to the floor, breathless.

"Severus?" Addison asked, as she moved over and crouched over him.

She leaned closer, her face within an inch of his. She felt herself shed a tear, but didn't notice as it trickled down her face and landed on his. As the tear neared his mouth, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Addison?" his voice was soft and comforting. "I love you, Addison."

As suddenly as the voice had risen from him, he sank back down on the floor.

"Sirius," Addison said, almost laughing.

Snape finally opened his eyes. He looked at Addison straddled over him, her nose almost touching his. Gently, he grasped her arms, sat up at, and placed her beside him before the fire. He sat staring at the fire, before addressing her.

"I believe you have gotten what you came for," he said solemnly.

Addison stood up and smiled at Snape. She could tell that her mission had been accomplished. Snape quietly stood up, extinguished the fire, and silently grasped Addison's hand. Pop and the pair Disapparated back to meet their fates.