"Ursa!" Hermione exclaims as Ursa steps out of the Burrow fireplace. "What are you doing here?"

     "Managed to sneak out." Ursa says. "Well managed to get into the sitting room without anyone noticing. Bellatrix hasn't been home for a while." Ursa explains what happened with the Imperius Curse.

     "Wow."

     "Hey Ursa!" Ron says as he comes down. "We can play Quidditch now!"

     They go outside and play Quidditch. When they finish. Ursa reaches up with her left arm to give Ron a high five, accidentally revealing part of her Mark. They high five and then Ron grabs her arm. "What's that?"

     "Nothing." Ursa says nervously as she rips her hand from Ron's grip. She runs back into the house.

     "What's wrong?" Harry asks.

     "Ursa has something on her left forearm." Ron says.

     "You don't think she..."

     "She wouldn't willingly."

     Ursa runs up to Mrs Weasley in the kitchen by the sink. "Ron saw it." Ursa whispers.

     "Saw what?" Mrs Weasley whispers back.

     "You know what." Ursa motions to her left forearm. Ron and Harry get Hermione and hide under the kitchen window.

     "You haven't told them?"

     "I can't figure out how. How am I supposed tell them something like this?"

     "Did Dumbledore say you could?"

     "Yes, but I don't know how. Harry's going to hate me, Hermione's going to hate me!"

     "The longer you keep this from them, the angrier they are going to be when they find out. Did... You-Know-Who say you could tell them?"

     "Yes, he wants me to be like Severus, with the Order knowing and thinking I'm on their side."

     "And you are really on our side."

     "Of course. I could never do that to my friends."

     "Then tell them that."

     "How am I going to explain what I've done?"

     "They don't need to know that. They know about Ted but, like Tonks, they think Bellatrix did it."

     "Ursa tortured Tonks's dad?" Ron whispers and Harry covers his mouth

     "What was that?" Ursa asks.

     "Probably the wind." Mrs Weasley says. "You should tell them now." Ursa grabs her wand and casts a nonverbal Human-Presence Charm that no one can feel.

     "Or it was three people eavesdropping!" Ursa says loudly. "Get in here!" Ursa snaps. The trio slink inside, guilty looks on their faces.

     "How'd you know?" Ron asks.

     "Powerful witch. Now sit." Ursa points at the table. "This is not how I wanted you three to find out." Ursa says with a sigh as they sit. "I want you to know that I did not make this decision lightly and that Dumbledore manipulated me into it." Ursa grabs her left sleeve and pulls it up. The Trio gasp as they see her Dark Mark. "I am a spy like Severus."

     "We figured you would get it eventually." Hermione says.

     "How did Dumbledore manipulate you into it?" Harry asks.

     "He promised it would delay the day I have to decide between you and my family. Which is true. I took it so Draco didn't have to. So how are you feeling?"

     "A little betrayed but I understand why you did it." Ron says. Harry gets up and goes upstairs.

     "Harry." Ursa says.

     "I can't believe you did this." Harry says as he walks upstairs.

***

     "My Lord." Ursa says.

     "Ah Ursa, how are you feeling?" Voldemort asks.

     "Better my Lord. I wanted to speak to you about Potter. He knows of my Mark and Ted now."

     "and how did he react?"

     "Not as bad as I thought he would. He feels betrayed but seems to be understanding."

     "He still believes you are on his side?"

     "Yes."

     "You need to find a way to regain his complete trust."

***

     "And where do you think you are going?" Narcissa asks as Ursa walks into the foyer and to the front door.

     "Severus needs me." Ursa replies.

     "And why should I believe that?" There is a knock on the door.

     "Because that is probably him." Narcissa walks over to the door and opens it.

     "Hello Severus. I want her back by dinner."

     "Alright." Snape says. "Are you ready?"

     "Yes." Ursa replies as she walks out. She closes the door behind her and they walk down the path. "What is going on that you couldn't say in a letter or over our connection? Why did you need to see me so urgently?"

     "Albus needs to see us."

     "Both of us? Why?"

     "Not entirely sure. He wanted me to come get you. Ready to disapparate?" Ursa sighs and nods. Snape takes her arm and disapparates to the Hogwarts gate. They go straight to Dumbledore's office. Snape hands Dumbledore a vial when he walks in. "Drink it, it will contain the curse to your hand. It will spread Albus."

     "How long?" Dumbledore asks.

     "Maybe a year."

     "Why am I here?" Ursa asks.

     "We all know that Lord Voldemort has ordered your brother to murder me and you to assist him." Dumbledore says. "But should he fail, I should presume the Dark Lord will turn to you Severus. You must be the one to kill me. It is the only way. Only then, will the Dark Lord trust you completely."

    "No." Ursa says. "If anyone should do it, it's me. He's my brother. It's my job to protect him."

     "As much as I approve of your loyalty to your family, your soul, like your brother's, has not been ripped apart by murdering.

     "I killed a man two weeks ago!"

     "But you did not use the Killing Curse. I will not be the cause of either of your souls being ripped apart."

     "I have used the Killing Curse before."

     "On small pests." Snape says. "Not a person. It is different."

     "But-"

     "Ursa" Ursa closes her mouth

     "There will come a time, when Harry Potter, must be told something." Dumbledore says. "But you must wait, until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable."

     "What?" Ursa asks.

     "On the night Lord Voldemort when to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry. Then, Lily Potter cast herself between them, the curse rebounded. When that happened, a part of Voldemort's soul latched itself onto the only living thing it could find, Harry himself. There is a reason Harry can speak with snakes. There is a reason he can look into Lord Voldemort's mind. A part of Voldemort lives inside him."

     "So when the time comes, the boy must die?" Snape asks.

     "Yes, he must die."

     "You've kept him alive, so he can die at the proper moment?" Ursa exclaims.

     "You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter." Snape exclaims.

     "Don't tell me now, that you've grown to care for the boy." Dumbledore says. Snape draws his wand.

     "Expecto Patronum." A doe patronus shoots from Snape's wand and gallops around the room.

     "Lily. After all this time?"

     "Always." Tears start to fall down Ursa's face.

     "So when the time comes, Harry must die?" Ursa asks.

     "Yes and Voldemort himself must do it." Dumbledore says. "That is essential. Neither of you can tell you until it is time."

     "You expect me to keep a secret like this from one of my best friends?"

     "Yes, because you know it must be done. Just like you taking the Dark Mark. You must promise me you will protect him and will not tell him until it is time Ursa. Nothing that we discussed today."

     "I promise."

     "Two years ago, you said you had a theory as to why the spell rebounded."

     "The Dark Lord had promised Severus he wouldn't kill Lily. Somehow the promise became magical. That promise and Lily's sacrifice combined caused it to rebound."

***

     Ursa walks down the hall when she hear Bellatrix speaking in a room. She stands against the wall next to the door and peeks around the corner. "I don't understand why you have not kicked her out!" Bellatrix says.

     "She is a Death Eater." Narcissa replies. "I can't anymore even if I wanted to."

     "You should want to! Why don't you?"

     "Bellatrix I just told you."

     "No there's something more."

     "Bellatrix..."

     "What would our parents think if they saw you let-"

     "Our parents are dead and I thank Merlin daily that they are! They would see a mother who fucked up and lost her daughter once and is doing everything possible not to lose her again!"

     "They would be furious if they were in your place."

      "If they were in my place then that would mean they had children because they wanted them! Our parents never loved us like I love my children. They had us out of duty! I had Ursa and Draco because I wanted them."

     "That can't be all."

     "Fine! Do you really want to know?! I missed nine years of her life because we were too scared of Abraxas to stand up to him!"

     "What?" Narcissa sighs.

     "When I discovered what Abraxas was doing to her, we were already on thin ice with him. I was worried he would force Lucius to leave me. We were scared he would do something worse to her if we confronted him and St Mungos told me if I brought her to them in bad shape again they would tell the Ministry that there was abuse going on in our home. They would have taken Draco and her from us. I had to do something. It was only supposed to be for a week at most but Beatrice tricked me into thinking Ursa was happy there and I could not take that from her. I only realized the truth when it was too late. I missed her childhood and I am not missing anything else, even if she is a blood-traitor."

     "You had been married for what, ten years at that point. Were you really that insecure in your relationship?"

     "You know what we were taught growing up! We were told to have children and take care of them. That we did not get to make any decisions. That we couldn't let it be known if we didn't like anything the men of the family did or thought. My marriage is the opposite of what we were taught so yes, I was insecure! Especially with Abraxas hovering and telling Lucius to leave me every time I did something he did not like. I still get insecure sometimes. When Ursa wanted to die, it took a lot for me to share that with Lucius because I still sometimes think it is my job alone to take care of the children. You would understand any of this since neither you or Rodolphus wanted children. I cannot do it Bellatrix!" Narcissa turns on Bellatrix, wand drawn. "And if you dare pull any shit like that again, getting rid of her, hurting her, killing her, what the Dark Lord did to you will be child's play compared to what I will do to you. Do you understand me?"

     "You wouldn't."

     "Do you really want to test that theory?" Narcissa asks as she starts moving towards Bellatrix. "Do you know what happens when someone messes with a bear cub? The mother fiercely protects her cub. Does whatever it takes to keep her cub safe." Bellatrix's back hits the wall and Narcissa pushes the tip of her wand into the side of Bellatrix's neck. "I will torture you within an inch of death, heal you, and start over until you are begging me to kill you. Will I kill you? No, I will give you to the Dark Lord and let him decide your fate or hand you over to the Ministry and let you go back to Azkaban forever. Never underestimate what a mother will do to protect her child. Anything you do to her, I will do the same thing to you, except doubled. Do we understand each other?" Bellatrix gulps.

     "Yes."

     "Good, now get out of my sight." Bellatrix scampers out of the room and Ursa hides. Ursa walks into the room once Bellatrix is gone.

     "Well that terrified me too." Ursa says and Narcissa turns around.

     "How much of that did you hear?" Narcissa asks.

     "All of it. I'm pretty sure you terrified Bellatrix."

     "Good." Narcissa walks over to Ursa and gently cups Ursa's cheeks. "You'll tell me if she does or tries anything right?"

     "Yes." Narcissa kisses Ursa's forehead and hugs her.

     "I am really sorry for sending you away. Abraxas did not know how powerful you were then. I was scared he would try to use you. I should have let your father tell him."