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Obliviate	By : SinisterSpiders Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Ginny Views: 3586 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I make no money for writing this story.

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Obliviate

By, Sinister Spiders

PART ONE

The sky was filled with countless glittering stars, their beauty mocking the horrible scene that they lit up. A circle of hooded and masked figures were gathered in a tight circle around a young woman bound to a large wooden stake. Her vibrant red hair only a few shades lighter than the crimson blood that spilled from her numerous wounds. The circle of people around her stood quietly, echoing their masters silence, waiting for someone to arrive.

The smell of her own burnt flesh roused Ginny from unconsciousness. The moment she was drawn out of the blessed darkness every nerve in her body flared again with the memory of the pain inflicted on her. Her entire body was bound upright, the magical ropes that held her to the wooden stake were burning the skin that they were cutting into. Despite the fear coursing through her veins and making her heart race, the quiet sounds of cicadas trilling in the night and the wind rushing through the trees made her eyes flutter open. She lifted her head, slowly and painfully, until her hair fell from her face and she was staring into the glowing red eyes of Lord Voldemort.

"Ah Ginevra." Voldemort hissed, his deadly voice curling around her mind like a snake waiting to strangle its victim. "So pleased you could join us." The Death Eaters in the circle gave an appreciative chuckle and Ginny bit her lip to stop herself from swearing and cursing at them.

"I wish to thank you, Ginevra, for being so patient with us while we waited for your lover to arrive. As I am sure you are aware- he is a very busy man. I also feel obliged to tell you that you held up extremely well against our- let's say- hospitality. Far better than we dared to imagine. I am sure your dearest love will be relieved that he will be able to see you alive and mostly well." The crowd around her laughed again and she struggled against her bonds, only to have them spit and sizzle as they burnt further into her body. She threw her head back and cried out in pain, making the Death Eaters around her laugh even harder. Ginny forced herself to stop moving and snapped her mouth shut- she would not give them the satisfaction.

There was a loud pop in the middle of the clearing and Ginny's heart flooded with relief and anxiety all at once. He had come for her! Ginny knew how much danger he had placed himself in by responding to the Dark Lord's summons, but couldn't help but feel glad that he had risked it- he was going to help her escape. She just knew it.

"My Lord," Severus Snape said with a deep bow to Voldemort. The sound of his voice was music to Ginny's ears and gave her something to focus on other than the pain. Voldemort motioned lazily with one hand for Severus to stand and then pointed at Ginny. Severus turned to face her and their eyes locked, black meeting brown, she nodded at him in acknowledgement and he turned to face his master again. That brief look was enough to draw Ginny's attention a well-loved memory.

Ginny vividly remembered the day that she was dragged into Severus' office for trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. He had sent Luna and Neville to the dungeons to pay for their transgressions at the hands of the Carrows, but he had insisted that she stay with him. It was the twelfth time that year that Ginny had been hauled into the Headmaster's office- but it was the first time that the portrait of Albus Dumbledore had spoken to her...

Ginny stared at the portrait of Albus Dumledore in bewilderment. He had spoken to her! Her eyes flicked nervously between Albus and Severus and she held her breath, unsure of what to think.

"Don't be alarmed, Ginny" Came her deceased headmaster's kind voice "I assure you that it is me speaking, and not some spell or enchantment. You see, all that has happened has been planned. Severus here did me a big favour by taking my life that night in the Astronomy Tower..." Dumbledore continued on with his story, telling her of a curse he had gotten from a magical object, he told her of his deal with Severus to save Draco's soul, he told her that Severus was, in fact, working for good. Severus' place as Voldemort's right hand man was a carefully orchestrated plan to ensure that he was able to help Harry should the need arise.

In the fifteen minutes it took Dumbledore to explain everything to Ginny, she spared the occasional glance towards Severus, noticing that his features were strained as the old man in the portrait spoke, barely suppressed anger smouldering in the depths of his obsidian eyes. When Dumbledore had finished his tale he excused himself, claiming that he had a game of chess to play with a man in a portrait on the third floor, before exiting his frame and leaving Ginny and Severus alone.

"This whole time..." Ginny spoke, her voice uncertain "You were working for our side?" Severus gave a curt nod in response. "But..." She stammered "You killed him! You killed Dumbledore!"

With a loud sigh Severus Snape sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I assure you, Miss Weasley, that killing Albus Dumbledore is something I did quite against my will- bound by promises of the past and needs of the future." His cold voice was filled with such bone-chilling regret that Ginny reached out feebly for the chair beside her before she pulled it behind her and flopped down in it.

In that moment everything she knew about Severus Snape changed.

"Severus, have you no better greeting for the object of your desire?" Voldemort hissed.

"My Lord?" Severus drawled, the question in his tone clear for all those around to hear.

"Surely a kiss, or a smile at the very least would be appropriate?" Voldemort asked, his red eyes looking from Severus to Ginny.

"I am sorry, my Lord, but I do not know what you are talking about." Severus said with a respectful inclination of his head. Ginny's heart stopped beating for a moment before she cursed herself for being so faithless. Severus would not deny her. He loved her. He was a double agent and he knew better than to rush into dangerous admissions under pressure. He would work this out. He would get them out of this.

"Forgive me Severus!" Voldemort said with fake grandiose and a gratuitous wave of his wand hand, a trail of red mist following the tip of his bone-like wand. "But I had heard a rumour... A rumour about you, and young Ginevra here." Voldemort's eyes focused on Severus and Ginny didn't need to see Severus' face to know that Voldemort was looking through his eyes and deep into his soul. "You see- I have been led to believe that you and the young Weasley had forged somewhat of a romantic relationship." The snake-like being cocked his head to one side, daring the dark-haired man before him to deny it.

"Meaning no disrespect, my Lord, but you have been misled." Severus whispered, voice low and harsh.

"Oi!" Came a shout from Ginny's left. She looked over as a stout hooded figure jumped from his place and into the circle. "Youse a bloody liar, you is!" Ginny would know that voice anywhere. Her teeth clenched automatically and she could just imagine the lopsided leer on the face of Amycus Carrow beneath the mask.

"Pray tell, Amycus, what it is that I am supposed to be lying about?" Severus said slowly as he turned to face the other man. Amycus took another step towards Severus in what was meant to be an intimidating manner, but Severus didn't even seem to notice.

"You an' her!" He said, his hand whipping out to point in Ginny's direction. She glared at him, an increased loathing for the man flared through her and she glared him. Severus said that he had wiped Amycus' memory- but somehow, he must have remembered what he had seen.

"Please, go on..." Severus drawled and Ginny shot him a pleading look. Surely he didn't want what Amycus knew to be spoken in front of Voldemort. As it was Ginny was at a complete loss as to how the man knew anything at all- Severus had told her that he had wiped Amycus's memory.

"I saw ya's, I did!" Amycus said proudly "Lord Voldemort's number one man an the little bitch who belongs to them blood-traitor Weasleys!" Amycus looked to Voldemort. "Is like I told you me Lord. I saw em,hugging." He spat the word with such distaste that it made Ginny hold her breath, "an kissing, and then Sev'rus said ta her that he loved her!" Amycus stomped his foot angrily and pointed his wand at Snape, breathing heavily.

Ginny was amazed that Severus showed no emotion what so ever, even with the wand of an angry and sadistic man pointed at him, he stood tall with an impassive expression on his face.

"And you is seen in me memories, me Lord! You seen what I is seen!" Amycus finished, and Ginny could see his beady eyes alight with pleasure through the sockets of his skull mask. The circle fell into a tense silence Voldemort motioned for Amycus to take a step back before he himself stepped forward.

"Severus," Voldemort's snake-like hiss was low and dangers "What have you to say about these... allegations?" Severus bowed to his master, nose a mere hairsbreadth from the ground, before rising slowly.

"I have had suspicions, Lord Voldemort, that Amycus and Alecto Carrow had been reporting false information to you for some time about my performance at Hogwarts. This is proof of that." Severus said coolly and she could see Amycus' body tense out of the corner of her eyes. "I am afraid that, when it comes to the Carrows, they have no allegiance to you that does not involve their self-betterment."

"You lying-" The voice of Alecto Carrow came as she launched herself towards Severus. Before she could finish what she was saying Voldemort' whipped his wand towards her and had her paralysed in a full body bind curse.

"Please Alecto- control yourself. Severus was not finished speaking." Voldemort tutted at the woman before returning his attention to Severus. "Please Severus, continue."

"You see my Lord," Severus said with a grateful nod "I became aware of the Carrow's treachery soon after we enacted the syllabus that incorporated the use of the Unforgivables on students in detention. For some reason," Severus spared a look for the twins "you got the impression that I tried to prevent this..."

"What in the name of Merlin is this shit?" Ginny yelled, slamming the parchment in her hand onto Severus's desk. Severus looked up from the book he was reading with a single eyebrow raised.

"If I were in a better mood your language and tone would have lost Gryffindor fifty points." Severus drawled, slowly slotting the sheet that Ginny had put on his desk into his book to mark his page before closing the cloth-bound tome.

"In a better mood?" Ginny spat incredulously.

"Yes. As it so happens I am just as concerned about this development as you are. My main concern now, which is taking up all of my energy, is how to prevent the damage this will undoubtedly cause. It is for this reason that your insolent manner will escape punishment." Severus explained slowly. Ginny's mouth gaped open in indignation.

"Well Severus-" Ginny begun slamming her palms on his desk, making the ink in his inkwell splash onto a nearby pile of parchment, she leant over and inched her face closer to his "while you sit here and have a pretty little think about a rule that you approved, I will have to go downstairs and quell the fears of the resistant student body, while knowing full well there is not a damned thing we can do to protect ourselves."

Severus Snape sat back in his chair in an irritatingly calm manner, making Ginny's blood boil. He had promised that he would protect her classmates. He had told her that they would be partners, working to ensure the safety of all of the students. But now that he had approved this new practice there was nothing they would be able to do to protect the students. All of the time they had spent over the past months finding ways for students to escape, or at least numb, the punishments the Carrows had inflicted on them would now be useless- there was nothing that could be done to reduce the effects of the Cruciatus.

"Do not- for a minute- assume that I enjoy this any more than you do." Severus said icily, his voice chilling Ginny's anger slightly. "I tried, many times, to avoid this course of action. Unfortunately, it reached the point where maintaining resistance would mean losing my post as Headmaster."

"Oh dear!' Ginny said standing up and putting a hand on her heart melodramatically. "You poor love... Imagine that- Severus Snape losing his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts over a petty squabble about rules!"

Ginny watched as Severus rose from his seat and walked around his desk to stand behind her. He was so close that the hairs on the back of her neck rose, his hot breath caressing her ear.

"Yes...Imagine that Ginevra." He hissed. His proximity causing Ginny's heart to race in anticipation. Had she taken it too far this time? "Severus Snape loses his prestigious position as the headmaster... and then who do you propose will take his place?" Severus's hands came up to rest on her shoulders

"Would it be the ferocious werewolf Fenrir Greyback who becomes leader of the school? Free to sate his hunger for young female blood using the student body?" Ginny yelped as Severus leant forward and bit her neck, teeth sinking into her soft flesh. The pain thrusting her imagination into overdrive, as an image of Fenrir Greyback throwing her onto the ground and savagely attacking her, flashed through her mind. The idea flooded her with an insurmountable amount of dread setting her body on edge, her flight reflexes ready to activate at a moment's notice.

"Or shall we assume it would be the completely deranged Bellatrix Lestrange? Ready to enforce her sadistic torture as punishment for even the smallest of infractions?" His cold hands clamped around Ginny's throat tightly, cutting off her supply of oxygen. Ginny's eyes widened in horror and she tried to ply his hands from around her throat.

As abruptly as he grabbed her, he released her and she gasped for air. He grabbed her by the waist and turned her roughly so that her face was less than an inch from his.

"So tell me Ginevra- what would you have done in my position?"Icy fingers caressed her cheek softly, almost apologetically, as his piercing gaze shattered her anger. Ginny closed the gap between them and slammed her lips against his.

After a short moment she pulled away from him and stared into his fathomless eyes. Of course he was right. The Unforgivables would have been used against the students with, or without, his permission. He had picked his battle, and had decided that he would retreat and survive to fight another day. With him as headmaster, the students of Hogwarts still stood a chance. With him as her partner, she would be able to find a way to protect her classmates.

"Very well Severus..." Ginny whispered as she slowly pulled her lips away from his "What are we going to do about it?"

"After the Unforgivables were employed and students started going missing, you called upon me and asked if I was aiding their escape," Severus said bobbing his head respectfully towards the serpentine man before him. "this, My Lord, could not be further from the truth. I spent many hours casting protective spells and patrolling the corridors of Hogwarts, enlisting various portraits to aid in my task of retaining wayward students." Voldemort raised a single finger to silence Severus and the man complied immediately.

"How then, Severus, did so many students evade your skilled and watchful gaze?" Voldemort hissed, to Ginny's right Amycus bobbed up and down like a child in a candy store, excited by the prospect that Severus would not have an answer for this.

Ginny took a deep breath as she wondered how Severus would explain this...

"Severus, we need to get some of the students out of here. The half-blood students are being tortured every other day. The pure-bloods are under constant scrutiny, if they even so much as breathe at the wrong time the Carrows cruciate them!" Ginny said desperately as she and Severus huddled together in the boat house. The wind outside was cold, blowing the chilly air off the lake into the lofty room.

"And the blood traitors?" Severus asked her, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek. She turned away from him and bit her lip. She had made every effort not to reveal to him what happened in her detentions, not wanting any pity from him. Her goal was to protect the other students. She was determined not to let their growing fondness for each other afford her any special treatment.

"The only thing that is saving me at the moment is my blood status Severus- you know that." Ginny whispered.

"The Dark Lord was quiet clear that no full-blood was to be irreparably damaged." Severus said, watching Ginny's expression carefully.

"We're getting off the topic." Ginny said, not willing to go into detail about the horrors that she had suffered through "We need to get the others out."

"Will you go with them?" Severus asked.

"You know very well that my place is here." Ginny whispered and Severus leant forward to kiss her.

"Lioness, you need to start thinking about your own safety." Severus purred, Ginny pushed him away.

"Severus, stop. We have talked about this before. I am not going and that is final."

"Very well..." Severus sighed. "Where are the students hiding when not in classes?" Severus asked. Ginny stepped back from her, her lips tightly sealed. "Ginevra- this is ridiculous. You have trusted me with everything so far... why not this?"

Ginny looked into Severus's black eyes and her eyebrows furrowed in thought. She had, indeed, trusted him with everything else... Her affection included. But to tell him where the students were hiding would be forfeiting the only place her classmates had to escape from the new Hogwarts regime.

"It is too risky..." Ginny replied, earning her an angry look from Severus "What if Voldermort read your mind? What if the Carrows slipped you some veritaserum?"

"Legillimancy? Veritaserum? Ginevra- have you so little faith in my abilities?" Severus hissed vehemently, making Ginny shiver. "I have worked as a double agent for years Ginny... I would not be alive to talk to you today if I could not protect my thoughts."

Ginny, Neville and Luna had spent over a month trying to figure out an escape route but all of the secret passages had been closed, and even if they could get around the protective spells around the school's perimeter there would have to deal with the dementors...

"I can't tell you." Ginny said finally, her eyes falling to the ground, a tear escaping her tightly shut eyes. She sensed, rather than heard, Severus turn and swiftly leave the boat house. She would not, and could not, divulge the location of their safe haven- even if it meant having a way to escape. She could not take the risk. Her heart ached at the loss of Severus' presence but she knew she had made the right decision.

Three days later, much to Ginny's relief, Severus had requested to meet with her again in the boat shed. As soon as she walked into the room, he pulled a large portrait of a young, blonde girl out of the pocket of his robe, and handed it to her.

"This," Severus said "Is your escape route. Place it on any wall in the castle and those who wish to leave need only ask and Arianna will deliver them to safety..." He turned on his heel and Ginny reached out, her hand grasping his shoulder.

"I am so sorry, Severus." She whispered, voice cracking with emotion. She knew that telling him the location of the student's sanctuary implied she didn't trust him. And no relationship could exist when there was no trust.

"So am I, Ginevra." He said before leaving the way he came. His cloak billowing behind him.

Severus Snape cast his gaze aside, refusing to meet his master's eyes.

"In this, my Lord, I have failed you." Severus admitted "I have no idea how the students have escaped. There are plenty of powerful Wizards on the Restistance's side, and they must have outsmarted us."

There was a flash of bright white light and Severus was on his knees, his head thrown back in pain as ghostly flames erupted around his body. Ginny cried out in horror as she watched the look of agony on Severus face, making the Death Eater's in the circle laugh maliciously.

"OUTSMARTED US?" Voldemort yelled, red eyes glowing almost brighter than the magical flames torturing her lover's body. With a flick of his wand the Dark Lord ended the spell. "Would you care to tell us, Severus, how you allowed this to happen?"

With great difficulty Severus rose to his feet. Straightening his back, his head bowed respectively. It took a few moments for him to regain his breath, but Ginny had no doubt that he had gone through this many times before.

"I didn't know my Lord," Severus said in a voice that made Ginny doubt whether the torture she had just witnessed was a figment of her imagination. "But, I knew someone who would." Severus turned his head and his eyes met Ginny's. Her hands clenched reflexively and her heart sped up. She had to stop her mind from thinking terrible thoughts about Severus. He would never betray her like that.

Ginny watched in horror as Voldemort pointed his wand at her. She closed her eyes and took what might be her last breath. In a second Ginny felt the magical bonds holding her to the stake disappear and she crumpled to the ground. Her limbs were cramped and burning from the many hours she had been stuck in the same position. The rope-burns on her skin started bleeding again and she struggled to raise her head off the ground.

"You see," Severus said, taking a step towards Ginny. "This young witch was perfect in two ways." He closed the distance between them and crouched down before her, taking her chin in his hands and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I knew that, with enough persuasion, she would tell me how the students were escaping. And-" Severus shot the Carrow twins a disparaging look "she would expose the Carrow's treachery once and for all."

The tense silence in the circle was broken when the Carrow twins started yelling obscenities and calling Severus names. Voldemort did nothing to stop the noise, instead looking between the Carrows, Severus, and Ginny carefully. An amused smirk cracked on his porcelain face.

"I am intrigued, Severus, please- continue." Voldemort motioned for Severus to keep talking.

"Our biggest problem was that we were losing students. They would disappear as soon as the day was over, not returning to their common rooms, nowhere to be found. The ones that disappeared were always the ones who gave us the most trouble. Members of the nostalgically named 'Dumbledore's Army'." There Death Eaters in the circle laughed "So it stood to reason that the members of that ridiculous organisation would know where their peers were hiding. And the leader of this group? I rightfully guessed that it would be the Weasley girl..."

The faces of the entire congregation turned to face Ginny and Severus took a few steps to his left, turning so that he could see Voldemort on his left and Ginny on his right, leaving Ginny in Voldemort's direct line of sight. Without Severus as a barrier between her and Voldemort Ginny felt extremely exposed. Her breath caught in her throat and the eyes of the Death Eaters pierced into her soul. Voldemort crossed the circle in four fluid strides and crouched down to Ginny's level.

"Dumbledore's Army?" Voldemort hissed, condescension filling every syllable. "Have you not heard, Ginevra, that your hero was nothing but a murderous, power-hungry, hypocritical narcissist?"

Ginny raised her head and met the eyes of Voldemort - possibly the darkest wizard of all time. Ginny had read the book that Rita Skeeter had published about Dumbledore's life. She knew of all of the allegations surrounding his childhood. She also knew that Rita Skeeter was an exaggerating bitch and that, in the last years of his life, Dumbledore worked tirelessly to eradicate Voldemort and his influence from the wizarding world.

"Why on earth would anyone want to name anything after that senile old fool?" Voldemort got to his feet and turned to face his followers who nodded and muttered in agreement.

"Because-" Ginny begun, throat hoarse, Voldemort whipped around so he was facing her again and she pushed herself from her stomach to her knees. She, slowly, got from her knees to her feet to find that she was only a few inches shorter than the Dark Lord. "Because..." She continued, her open wounds throbbing painfully "you're afraid of him."

The only warning Ginny had was the ball of red light plummeting towards her before the world exploded around her and her entire body was filled with an excruciating sense of pain. It as if a million hot knives were being thrust in and out of every inch of her skin. She screamed and screamed but had no idea if she was making any sound. She clawed at her own skin in a futile attempt to make the pain stop.

Suddenly, the pain subsided and Ginny fell to the floor once more, every part of her body still felt as if it were on fire. It took all of her effort to lift her head from the dirt. She looked up and saw Voldemort, still only a foot away from her, his wand still pointed at her. She could sense the anger and hatred rolling off him in near-tangible waves. Ginny looked past the vile creature before her and her eyes fell to Severus' face. Stood in exactly the same position he was in before the cruciatus hit her, his eyes still unreadable. Ginny wondered how it felt for him to see her tortured so.

"Continue Severus." Voldemort yelled before gliding back to his original place in the circle.

"At first I tried the usual methods." Severus said with a careless gesture in her direction. "Cruciatus, imperio, veritaserum, other methods of torture... Nothing worked. She was too stubborn, too much of aGryffindor to betray her little friends. It was then that I realised that another- softer, as you will- method might appeal to this girl."

Ginny bit her lip knowing the lie in Severus' words. He had never, once, raised his wand to her in violence. She only hoped that Voldemort would trust Severus enough not to invade his memories, otherwise this new ploy of his would be unveiled.

"It was then, My Lord, that I remembered her involvement with the Chamber of Secrets incident a few years back... Her complete willingness to trust your younger self." Severus smirked as he looked back at Ginny. "Poor, pitiful, young thing is willing to trust anyone who pretends to care." He spat and Ginny's heart cracked. He is just lying to save us, Ginny thought, but the inherent truth behind his word and his vehement tone was eating away at her darkest fears.

"So- you decided to get her to trust you, instead?" Voldemort hissed, a gleeful smile on his twisted lips.

"Yes, my Lord." Severus replied. "I erased all of her memories of the torture I inflicted on her. Replacing them instead with secret meetings between the two of us where she was led to believe that I was killing Dumbledore out of mercy, rather than for your cause. After that I would teach her a how to make a potion, or cast a small charm, that she could teach to the students to lessen the suffering the Carrows inflicted on them."

"You helped them?" Voldemort asked, voice soft as a whispering wind. Despite the softness of his voice there was no doubt that his temper was flared, malevolence radiating from every fibre of his being.

"Yes." Severus said shortly, causing the Carrow twins to cry out in triumph "But only with small ineffectualspells. And only a few. You see, it was necessary to gain her trust."

"Then, why don't you know where the missing students are?" Voldemort hissed.

"What I was doing wasn't enough, I am afraid." Severus admitted, respectfully averting his eyes from his Master "It was then that I decided I had to work harder. If friendship wasn't enough to gain her confidence, then love would be my next attack..."

Ginny's arms ached and shackles bit into her wrist painfully as her weight was supported by the chains attached to the wall behind her. Amycus and Alecto Carrow paced to and fro in front of her, occasionally sparing her a scathing glance. For the past hour they had been taking it in turns to curse her, as punishment for refusing to cast the Imperius curse on another student, and she was in absolute agony.

"FLAGRATE!" Amycus yelled, thrusting his wand in her direction and Ginny cried out as magical fire burnt long straight stripes down her back. Amycus opened his mouth to cast another spell when there was a knock at the door. Alecto turned on her heel and waddled over two see who dared to interrupt them.

"WHAT?" She yelled, ripping the door open. A few feet away Peeves hovered with a steaming hot pumpkin pie in his grasp. Before Alecto could defend herself, Peeves lobbed the pie at her, hitting her square in the face.

"Hehe!" Giggled Peeves gleefully "Nasty Alecto- covered in pastry dough!"

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT YA BLOODY BASTARD!" Alecto yelled as Peeves turned and flew down the corridor. She fled the room with her wand at the ready.

As soon as his sister left the room a strange look passed over Amycus' face and he took a step towards her.

"Well," he hissed, his stinking breath hot in her face "that bloody runt does 'ave some uses, eh?" He placed the tip of his wand under her chin and raised her head so their eyes would meet. "Ye see," he said "me sister dun like some of the things I wanted ta do ta yeh this evenin'. But now she is gone..."

Ginny gasped as Amycus thrust his hand under her robes and clutched her most intimate parts. He leant forward so that his lips touched her ears.

"Yeh won't believe the things I can do with me wand!" He hissed pulling his hand away from her and pointing his wand at her groin, in an instant Ginny's knickers were vanished and she struggled against the chains, making the sadistic man laugh. "Keep going Lovie," he said "I love it when they struggle, I does!" He made to touch her again but froze momentarily. With an angry howl he pulled his hand away from her and shoved up his sleeve. He glared at the Dark Mark emblazoned on his forearm. He turned and made for the door in a hurry.

"I'm coming back for you, me pretty! Promise!" He called over his shoulder before following the path his sister took only moments earlier.

With a sigh of relief Ginny let her chin rest on her chest, wanting to enjoy the short reprieve. There was a shuffle of movement in front of her and Ginny looked up to see Severus standing in the doorway.

"Severus!" She cried. He rushed forward, taking out his wand and cast a spell to release her from her bonds. As soon as her wrists were free her body lurched forward, but Severus reached her in time to catch her in his strong arms. "What are you doing here?" Ginny whispered. "You know it is too risky to interrupt them."

"There are certain things that need to be interrupted Ginevra." Severus replied coolly. He scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the room. Ginny closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, her own rapid heartbeat slowing down to match the pace of his calmer one. The last time she was alone with him was when he gave her the portrait of Arianna Dumbledore. That was also when she thought his concern for her would end. She knew that her lack of trust would most likely be a deal breaker between them. With a small sigh and a slight smile she was relieved to know that he hadn't taken her secrecy to heart.

Drawn back to the present, Ginny watched as Severus continued his story. With every word he spoke the small seed of doubt about their relationship inside her grew bigger and stronger. That night after her torture at the hands of the Carrows Severus had healed her. When he had finished he had pulled her close to him, hugging her tightly against his chest, before kissing her hair and wishing her a good, dreamless sleep. The next night, Ginny told Severus that the portrait had been placed and that they were planning to let one student escape the following evening.

"Slowly but surely she started opening up." Severus explained to the gathered Death Eaters as though he was explaining how to brew veritaserum to a N.E.W.T.s potions class. "First, she told me the names of the students who were in the Army, next she told me that the missing students did not leave the school- rather that they were residing in it... hidden." Severus paused for a moment to let this fact sink in and Ginny wanted to yell at him and tell him to keep quiet. He couldn't reveal her secrets!

"They are still in the school?" Voldemort asked. "Where?" Severus shrugged.

"She wouldn't tell me. So instead, I offered her a way to get the students out of the castle. A way that I could track- I put a tracing charm on an old portrait of young girl I found in one of Filch's confiscated item storerooms and gave it to her, telling her that placing it on a wall would create secret passage that led from the school to a place of safety. I knew then that she would place it on a wall nearby their hideout- and we would be able to catch the students."

The crowd of Death Eaters were silent in anticipation of what Severus story might hold. Even Voldemort looked as though he was enjoying Severus's portrayal of events.

"But," Severus said with an angry glance in Ginny's direction "my spell didn't work. It seems as though Ginevra found somewhere in Hogwarts that is resistant to tracing and plotting spells."

"So..." A female voice came from Ginny's left, Ginny turned to face the woman and could see some locks of long black hair tucked behind a pale white ear. Even though she couldn't see much of her, that hair and voice was enough for her to know this was Bellatrix Lestrange speaking. "While you played your little love game, students were escaping?" This comment earned a hum of agreement from the circle.

"By my reckoning we yet to permanently lose a single student, Bellatrix. Even if one did try to escape using the portrait they would find themselves back where they started anyway." Severus said dismissively. "And," Severus said turning back to his Master "If it weren't for the interference of Amycus Carrow last week, I would have had answers for you, My Lord. Ginevra was just about to divulge the whereabouts of the portrait, and the students, when Amycus interrupted us."

"The only divulgin' goin on in that room was you divulgin' yer tongue in 'er mouth!" Amycus yelled angrily.

"Langlock!" Voldemort hissed, pointing his wand at Amycus. The man's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and anger flared in his eyes. He gestured angrily at Severus and Ginny could only begin to imagine what he would be saying if he hadn't been silenced.

Ginny's mind raced as she recalled everything she knew about what she had done with the portrait of Arianna Dumbledore. Ginny had placed the portrait on the wall of the Room of Requirement without telling Neville and Luna about it. Immediately after she asked for permission to enter the secret passage and Arianna gladly acquiesced- Ginny, much to her surprise, ended up at the Hogshead pub. It was convenient enough for her as the room changed so often that neither she, nor Neville or Luna could keep track of all of the minor differences. She reasoned that if she did tell them about it immediately that they would then want to know how she got it- so she didn't want to even suggest that it was her doing. Instead, when the three of them were in the room one night, after spending the entire day hiding from the Carrows, Neville had been complaining about being hungry and she sent a silent spell towards the portrait to alert Arianna to her need- knowing that it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce the new secret passage way. But now she had to wonder- if a portrait like that existed then why hadn't the secret passage it held been closed when all the others in the school had? Assuming that Severus was telling the truth to Voldemort, then it would have been a small matter to read her mind before they found someone to act as secret keeper and discover that the portrait existed. An icy shiver shook her body and she felt a creeping doubt growing inside of her.

"Your story seems believable to me Severus." Voldemort said, walking closer to his favourite disciple. Despite the doubt and anger at Severus' tale gnawing at her heart, Ginny relaxed slightly at this news. Unfortunately, Voldemort continued talking "Except for one thing..."

"Yes, my Lord?" Severus asked, the Death Eaters surrounding them waited with bated breath.

"If all of Ginevra's memories were false, implanted by you, why did Amycus walk in to find you in each other's embrace? If it was all in her false memories then you had no need to touch her." Voldemort walked past Severus and stood in front of Ginny. "Tell me Severus, is it because you actually care for her? You have always had a weak spot for the red-heads." With a casual flip of Voldemort's wand Ginny was hoisted into the air, hanging upside down by her ankles. Her t-shirt slid down to reveal her stomach and her bra and she tried to bring her arms up to cover herself but they felt too heavy, still cramped and painful from her time being bound to the stake. The Death Eaters laughed and her face when a bright shade of crimson to match the fresh wounds on her torso.

Slowly, Severus walked towards her, every eye in the clearing now watching him for his next move. He stood next to her and brought his hand up to trace along the edges of her wounds, inducing a piercing pain that made her eyes water.

"As I am sure you are aware," Severus said, looking his master in the eye "All memories, however false, must start from a kernel of truth." Severus' hand moved further down and caressed the skin of Ginny breast that was peaking out of the cup of her bra.

"Severus!" Ginny cried, struggling to get away from his touch. Why was he doing this to her? Surely if he wanted to make up a story all he needed to do was talk, this degradation was too much, too excessive.

"And what is this kernel of truth?" Voldemort asked making Severus sneer.

"While Ginevra believes that she willingly gave herself to me, the truth is that it was – let's say- slightly less than consensual... "

Ginny burst through the door of Snape's office, her chest heaving, cheeks flushed with the exertion of running all the way there from the Gryffindor Common Room. Severus got to his feet quickly, clearly shocked by her sudden arrival.

"You're back!" She said, placing one hand on her chest and the other on the door frame as she struggled to catch her breath. "When did you get back?" She demanded. She saw a small tug at the corner of the man's lips.

"Half an hour ago." He replied coolly. "I must say, Ginevra, I did not expect to see you so soon. .." He looked at her questioningly and she nodded mutely. Their last encounter was somewhat less than encouraging. After giving her the portrait of Arianna Dumbledore the only communication she had from him was a rushed note telling her that he had to go away for a while.

"I heard from Nearly-Headless Nick that you were back… I ran all the way here." She explained, still breathless from her run.

"Yes. I can see." He drawled, his eyes raking over her body. Ginny took a deep breath to steady herself so that his careful gaze would not make her swoon. He walked out from behind his desk and she watched as he made his way closer to her. "Now that you have seen that I am back, alive and well, you can be on your way." He said dismissively and fixing her with a harsh stare- daring her to argue. "Mind that you don't run into the Carrows on the way." He said.

"Excuse me?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Well, from all reports the school was unusually quiet in my absence, so that means that now you know that I am, in fact, here- you can go about your business." Severus said, his dark eyes meeting hers.

"Severus!" Ginny cried, outraged at his dismissal "Don't be like that!'

"Like what?" Severus asked her, a single black eyebrow raised. "I was under the impression, Ginevra, that what there was between us had reached its limit. While I appreciate your charming concern for my safety, I do have a lot of business to attend to… So you are more than welcome to take your leave now." Severus said, Ginny's heart dropped down to her the pit of her stomach and a flush of anger rose in its place. She took a step closer to the pallid man before her.

"Not once did I say I wanted it to be over." She hissed, her instant relief at seeing him safe and well again inflamed the guilt of her unwillingness to trust him.

"No, but you didn't need to- if you can't trust me with basic information, how am I to believe that you truly feel anything for me?" He asked, the hard expression behind his eyes softened slightly and Ginny shook her head angrily.

"But you still gave me the portrait- I thought that meant that things would mend." Ginny told him, clenching her fists at her side. She had hoped that the portrait was a step in the right direction, but Severus' coldness towards her indicated to the contrary.

"I still wish to help you, and the other students, Ginevra. Nothing will change that. The only thing that has changed is that I no longer believe that you were as invested in this relationship as I originally thought." His eyes bored into hers and she closed the distance between them before gripping his shoulders roughly.

"Do you have any idea what it was like when you were not here?" She breathed, her face mere inches from his.

"Humour me." He drawled, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Every day… Every damn minute of every damn hour… I was thinking about you." Ginny whispered, searching his eyes for any flicker of affection, any indication that their relationship was salvageable. "I didn't know where you were. I didn't know how long you would be gone for. I had no idea if you would even be coming back. Severus- you have to know that I want this. I want you. I am sorry that-"

Ginny's confession was cut off abruptly as Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed his body against hers, swallowing her words in a passionate kiss. The feeling of his hot lips on hers dissolved her anger and she leant against him, relieved to feel the heat of his body so close to her own once again.

Ginny let out a soft sigh as Severus pulled his lips away from hers and brought a hand up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She snaked her arms around his shoulders intending to pull him closer to her for another kiss, but stopped when he let out a loud hiss.

"Severus?" Ginny asked, immediately taking her hands off his neck.

"It's nothing." He said too quickly. She wiggled out of his grasp and stepped around him. Barely visible between his hair and the neckline of his robes was a thick, angry red gash as wide as two of her fingers. Carefully, she collected his hair in her grasp and moved it out of the way to get a better look.

"What happened?" She whispered, shocked at the angry, puckered, red skin that had only just begun to heal. He shook his head stubbornly.

"Nothing that matters, Ginevra, I am back now." Severus said and Ginny clucked her tongue impatiently, not in the mood for games.

"How far does it go down?" She asked, her eyes following the red trail below the neckline of his robes.

"It's healing. It's fine." He protested as he turned to face her, but Ginny was not satisfied. She rolled her eyes and pushed him back against his desk.

"Yes, well, I am sure you did a wonderful job of fixing it- but if it goes much further down I doubt you would be able to reach it to apply any dittany." She told him matter-of-factly.

"Ginny it's fine-" His exasperated reply was suddenly cut off as she reached out and popped the first button out of his high-collared black shirt from its hole. His eyes flew up and she caught his glance, as she undid the next button the air between them became charged and almost crackled with the intensity of their eye contact. With shallow breath and flushed cheeks Ginny slowly continued undoing his shirt until the last button was free. She slipped both hands under the thick black fabric and placed her palms against his chest, his skin red hot against hers. She could feel his heart racing against her right palm and gave him a small smile.

Ginny inched her hands up towards his shoulders before pushing his shirt off. It fell on to the desk behind him and she bit her lip. She leaned forward slowly, cautiously, as though scared that he were a small animal that she would frighten by moving too suddenly.

"I want you." She breathed no louder than the whispering of a hot summer breeze. He let out a groan and closed the final distance between them, claiming her lips as his own for the second time that night. As his tongue entered her mouth she collected his hair in her hands and pulled it away from his neck. She pulled her lips away from his reluctantly and moved slightly to the side.

"I need to see." She told him plainly, quickly changing the mood between them. She could see a glint of anger in his eyes at her quick change of direction, knowing that he had been tricked into letting her get her way.

Ginny sat on the desk next to him and could not hold back a small cry of shock as she saw that the gash on his neck ran down the length of his back and ended at the waist band of his pants. Her eyes tingled and she felt tears of anger and shock forming in them.

"Oh Severus." She said softly. Quicker than a snitch he got to his feet and stood in front of her, now it was her turn to be pinned against the table.

"I am fine." He repeated, but this time she noticed that his voiced lacked its normal level of utter conviction.

"No it's not- you could have died!" She cried, refusing to accept his platitude, her concern turning once again into anger. Into rage against their poor parting, anger that the world was filled with such hate, but most of all she resented that he had put himself in such danger and that she could have lost him. "The whole time you were gone Severus! The whole time I was so worried that something would happen to you and I would never see you again. Something like this!" She waved her hand carelessly in his direction and he caught it in his own, his fingers crushing hers in their vice like grip.

"You think I enjoyed it?" He growled, his ambivalent features contorted in anger. "Do you believe for one second that it was a walk in the park? It is bad enough that I have to be constantly on guard about my true allegiance but do you have any idea how hard it was to keep you from my mind?" He continued making Ginny gasp in surprise. "When he tortured me it was your image that kept me sane Ginevra. It was you!" He stopped suddenly and Ginny knew instantly that he hadn't meant to tell her that. He had never explicitly stated that he desired her, he hadn't needed to, but hearing it in his rich baritone voice sent a powerful thrill of desire coursing through her.

Ginny stood up brought her hand up to his cheek, fingertips tracing his jaw line, the friction of his five o'clock shadow rough against her skin.

"I love you." She told him decisively. A small part of her cried out in horror as she admitted it. That she was the first one between them to admit vulnerability. She was shocked to see a storm of emotion raging between his normally neutral black eyes. In an instant the storm settled and she only had a split second to see the desire that consumed him before his lips were against hers. The intensity of their kiss made her heart race and she felt arousal swirling in the pit of her stomach.

As they kissed, Ginny slipped her hands between them to undo his belt, and then his fly. Severus's trousers fell to the floor softly. Severus pulled away from her kiss and got on his knees before her. He ran both hands up her legs, slowing to a torturous pace when he reached her knees. His hands travelled the last three inches of the inside of her thighs with agonizing deliberation before he hooked his fingers around her cotton knickers and tugged them down. He got to his feet and scooped her up into his arms.

Severus stepped out of his trousers and carried Ginny over to an alcove in his office, setting her down carefully on a plush chaise surrounded by bookshelves on three sides. He laid on top of her and slipped his knees between hers, working her legs apart and settling his throbbing erection against her. He could feel the searing wetness of her against his skin and he moaned as he grinded against her. Ginny's breath caught in her throat at the raw intimacy of it. She wanted him. Now. In her passion she was urgent; she didn't want foreplay, she didn't want his gentle caresses or whispered words. She wanted him; untamed and without the airs and graces of a normal encounter.

Ginny leant forward and captured his lips again, her entire body alight with desire. She was still a virgin, having never felt ready to give herself to anyone before. But this was different. Severus was a man who gave himself entirely to others. He worked tirelessly and thanklessly against Voldemort and his followers, all from the dangerous position as an insider. And- most importantly- he loved her. He hadn't said it, he hadn't needed to, but she knew it was true, every fiber of her being could feel it with complete and utter certainty. He had proven it to her many times, giving in to her difficult requests for aid, coming to her rescue when she was at the hands of Amycus Carrow, and now with his admission that it was she who kept him sane.

Severus moved his hips and the tip of his erection brushed up against her entrance. Ginny gasped and her back arched, her whole body screaming for him.

"Please," She begged looking into his eyes "Please."

Severus positioned himself at her entrance and waited for a moment, giving her a chance to change her mind before he entered her in one hard thrust. He paused inside her and looked at her again. Ginny smiled at him, she had expected it to hurt, but much to her relief there was only a slight discomfort as he entered her which subsided almost immediately. She nodded mutely for him to continue and was swept away by the sensations as he moved inside her. His rock hard member reaching places that she never knew existed.

The world disappeared around them as Severus made love to her. With every thrust Ginny clung to him tighter, her nails digging in to his bare skin. She bit down on his shoulder and it was all the encouragement Severus needed to increase his pace. His thrusts went from hard to bone-jarring as he slammed into her, and just when it was becoming too much to bear, his pounding slightly too hard for Ginny to handle- he threw his head back and let out a roar as his white hot seed spilled inside her.

Severus slowly pulled his satisfied member out of her and collapsed against her, their bodies pressed together intimately, he rested his forehead against hers and placed a tender kiss against her lips.

"I love you too." He whispered, the words tore from his lips reluctantly and settled between them, thick and potent.

"What in the name o' Merlin?" Came a familiar third voice. Ginny gasped and looked towards the door to see Amycus Carrow watching them with a malevolent glint in his eyes...

Half an hour Ginny hugged Severus in relief as he told her that he had cleared Amycus memory of the event and that their secret would be safe. He detached himself from her and took a step back, he pointed his wand at her and she suddenly felt very dizzy, her head felt fuzzy and light and she had to reach out to him for support.

"What did you do?" She asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Just a contraceptive charm, Ginevra." He responded softly.

"I followed Amycs from the room. Originally, I intended to wipe his memory- I was so close to discovering the location of the Army's hideout that I didn't want him to ruin it. But then... I thought better of it. Instead when I caught up to him I told him of my plan, but he didn't believe me. When I returned to the girl I cast a memory charm on her to alter her memory, telling her it was a contraceptive charm." Severus turned to stare at Amycus and then back at his Master before continuing his explanation. "I did stress to him that it was important to give me a bit more time to work on the witch, I told him how important the plan was to finding the location of the hideout but- like I guessed- he couldn't keep his mouth shut."

As Ginny hung from the air by her ankle she stared at the man before her as though he was a stranger. He had told her that he had wiped Amycus' mind. That he would not remember what he saw in the office. He had lied. Severus had lied to her only half an hour after she had given him her virginity.

Ginny's entire body felt empty- every part of her was hollowed out, replaced by a distinct sense of loneliness and betrayal. The words he had spoken over the last hour whirled through her head and refused to settle down. His story stirred a deep sense of unrest within her. Every one of her memories of their encounters reared against her consciousness rebelliously after being tested. Were they real? She had thought so, but now she was seriously considering the fact that she had been used.

Despite the feeling of betrayal working its way into her system she still wanted to reach out for Severus. Call out his name. She wanted him to take her in his strong arms and tell her everything was ok. That he loved her. That this was all just a lie to save their lives.

"So." Voldemort said looking between Severus and Amycus. "You told Amycus to give you more time because you were close to finding out the secrets of the students, but instead, he came here and told me only part of the story." Voldemort turned to Amycus and slowly made his way over to him, hovering in an ethereal manner with his black robes floating behind him. Amycus shivered visibly.

"I swear 'e was lyin' me Lord! I swears it! Look into his mind! Look into 'ers!" Voldemort stopped in his tracks and spun around, his eyes meeting with Ginny's for a mere second before he pointed his wand at her.

Ginny screamed as he brutally forced his way into her mind, terrified of what he would find in her memories.

Ginny, Neville and Luna stood in the dusty basement of the Hog's Head pub and watched as Aberforth Dumbledore frantically wrote three identical lines on one piece of parchment. The trio had spent the past four hours with him in the as he cast the Fidelius charm. They decided that they needed a secret-keeper who was not associated with the school. A secret-keeper who would be the last person any of the Death Eaters would go to if they were looking for the portrait.

With a loud sigh Aberforth put the quill down on the table and took his wand, tracing intricate patterns over the parchment in front of him. When he was finished he carefully tore the parchment into three equal slips.

"Right." Aberforth said taking turns to look at them. "Now that I am the Secret Keeper I am the only one who can speak of the location of the secret passage. On these slips I have written the location of the portrait. If you need another student to know the location you just need to show them what I have written. Just in case these papers are taken by someone who ought not know the location I have charmed them to erupt into flames if anyone with malicious intent attempts to read them." The three students nodded. Ginny slipped the notes into the pockets of her robes carefully and a deep sense of responsibility filled her, she must now select who to give this information to. It was her decision who would be able to flee the school and who would not.

"But what if the Carrows capture us and find out that you are the secret keeper?" Luna asked looking at her stack of parchment carefully. Aberforth nodded grimly.

"I have already considered this," he said with a grimace "and decided that it would be best to wipe your memories of this encounter."

One hour later Ginny, Luna and Neville stood in the room of requirement in front of the portrait of Arianna Dumbledore. Ginny looked at the slip of parchment in her hand, she had no recollection of how it had come into her possession, but she knew exactly what it was for.

The sounds and colours of the world crashed upon Ginny as Voldemort withdrew from her mind. With an angry yell he dismissed the charm that was holding Ginny in the air and she crumpled to the ground head first. He turned to Severus, anger blazing in his red eyes.

"They have a Secret Keeper!" Voldemort hissed, gliding towards the dark-haired man "Was this all part of your brilliant plan, Severus?"

Ginny watched as Severus hung his head, not daring to meet the eyes of the evil man before him. Ginny spent all of her energy trying to withhold the smile that threatened to cover her face, which was very difficult with every last inch of her body aching.

"I will find the Secret Keeper." Severus said.

"Yes, Severus- you will." The power in those words was worse than any threat Voldemort could issue. Ginny could not help but shiver in horror. "I want you to know, Severus, that the only thing that is keeping you alive at this moment is your past of unwavering loyalty and the authenticity of your story. Your work with the child's memory is truly flawless, had I been another, less powerful wizard, I would not be able to tell the truth from the lies." Voldemort spared a glance for Ginny "I can see the subtle shifts between reality and her altered perceptions. But I warn you- if you ever so much as even think to orchestrate a plan such as this without my permission you will not live long enough to regret your decision." Severus bowed respectfully and stepped back into his place in the circle.

"And you two-" Voldemort turned to face the Carrows. "If either of you dare come to me with half truths or blatant lies again..." The Carrows fell to their knees and bowed so low that their faces were on the floor. Voldemort's face contorted into a look of utter disgust at the Carrow's groveling and he turned his attention to Ginny. He raised his hand and pointed his wand at her.

"AVADA KED-" Voldemort begun.

"My Lord!" Severus' voice broke Voldemort's concentration and Ginny's breath caught in her throat, her heart racing so fast that she could no longer feel the individual beats. "She was Potter's girlfriend! She is the only daughter of the Weasley's! If she dies, the resistance will come at you with everything they have the moment that they discover that she is missing. Are you ready for them?"

"Then what do you suggest Severus?" Voldemort yelled, outraged at the interruption and the inherent truth of his words.

"Wipe her memories, my Lord, return her to Hogwarts and I can keep an eye on her." Voldemort dropped his wand hand and turned to Severus.

"I want nothing more to do with this farce." Voldemort said acidly "Severus, you will clean up your own mess. I expect to know the name of the Secret Keeper in exactly three weeks hence." With that final comment Voldemort disappeared in a show of dark smoke and slowly all of the Death Eaters followed suit.

It was only when she was alone with Severus in the clearing that Ginny took another breath. Oxygen flooded her deprived and hyperstimulated system making her dizzy even though she was lying on the ground. Severus walked over to her and scooped her into his arms. The feeling of being held tight against his chest brought back a string of memories and Ginny's stomach heaved violently as she dry retched, the horror of the events of that night sinking in to her system.

The next moment Ginny and Severus appeared before the gates of Hogwarts, the dawn sun beginning to peer over the tops of the surrounding trees, filling the world around with a dim but eager yellow light. Severus set her down on her feet she looked up into his eyes- their black depths as cold and unreadable as they had ever been. The cold indifference in her eyes caused her body to convulse, wracked with sobs.

"Tell me the truth." She demanded through her tears. Even though she knew he would wipe her memories after he told her she had to know. "Do you truly love me or is everything a lie?"

"There is no such thing as the one, absolute, truth Ginevra." Severus told her matter-of-factly, his voice cold and mechanical as if discussing the weather or potions. "Truth is a fluid concept- it morphs and changes depending on who constructs it. You may believe what your memories tell you, because for you they are true. But now Lord Voldemort believes a different truth- that your memories are fabricated. This is the one and only thing that has kept you and I breathing." Severus took a step back from her and pointed his wand at her temple. Ginny closed her eyes as memories of her encounters with Severus reeled through her mind.

"I love you." She whispered, despite the voice inside her head that told her everything she knew was a lie.

"Obliviate!" Severus hissed.

Had Ginny been watching him she would have seen the momentary flash of regret behind his eyes as he cast that spell.

THE END
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Obliviate