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Narcissa gave a little scream of despair and clutched at her long blonde hair. Snape stooped, seized her by the arms, lifted her up, and steered her back onto the sofa. He then poured her more wine and forced the glass into her hand.
"Narcissa, that's enough. Drink this. Listen to me." She quieted a little; slopping wine down herself, she took a shaky sip.
"It might be possible ... for me to help Draco." She sat up, her face paper-white, her eyes huge.
"Severus — oh, Severus — you would help him. Would you look after him, see he comes to no harm." "I can try." She flung away her glass; it skidded across the table as she slid off the sofa into a kneeling position at Snape's feet, seized his hand in both of hers, and pressed her lips to it.
"If you are there to protect him . . . Severus, will you swear it. Will you make the Unbreakable Vow." "The Unbreakable Vow." Snape's expression was blank, unreadable. Bellatrix, however, let out a cackle of triumphant laughter.
"Aren't you listening, Narcissa. Oh, he'll try, I'm sure. . . . The usual empty words, the usual slithering out of action . . . oh, on the Dark Lord's orders, of course!" Snape did not look at Bellatrix. His black eyes were fixed upon Narcissa's tear-filled blue ones as she continued to clutch his hand.
"Certainly, Narcissa, I shall make the Unbreakable Vow," he said quietly. "Perhaps your sister will consent to be our Bonder." Bellatrix's mouth fell open. Snape lowered himself so that he was kneeling opposite Narcissa. Beneath Bellatrix's astonished gaze, they grasped right hands.
"You will need your wand, Bellatrix," said Snape coldly.
She drew it, still looking astonished.
"And you will need to move a little closer," he said.
She stepped forward so that she stood over them, and placed the tip of her wand on their linked hands.
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