Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the original characters and the plot.
A/N: this is only my second fic. Help me out here and leave a review.
Tainted Blood
Chapter 1: Snape's Task
A man nervously paced the hallway leading to a large, ornate mahogany door, his black robes whispering over the worn rug in folds of faded black fabric. His nerves were strung tight so that he momentarily forgot the walking habits he had made for himself years ago and fell back into the twitching, spider-like walk he had sported in his youth. He took little notice of the way it caused his long, greasy, black hair to twitch and jump around his pale face that featured a long, crooked nose. This man concerned himself only with what was waiting for him beyond the large door.
Finally, the door creaked open to reveal another, taller man also in black robes. "Severus, He will see you now." Severus Snape stopped his nervous pacing immediately and swept past the man without acknowledging him. The man standing in the open doorway followed Snape through and into the cavernous room beyond.
"You may leave, Avery." Said a high, cold voice from the other end of the room. Obediently, the man named Avery bowed out through the doorway and closed it behind him, leaving Snape to proceed alone. Snape swept up the centre of the room, immediately re-adopting his more impressive and less spider-like walk. The Dark Lord sat in a worn, but still throne-like chair at the opposite end of the room with Lucius Malfoy cowering before him. Snape could feel the penetrating red eyes of his Lord watching him. He did not return the gaze, but sank respectfully to his knees before the Dark Lord.
"What news have you gathered?" The voice of the Dark Lord was high and cold.
"She is alive, My Lord." Said Snape, his eyes still fixed on the patch of worn carpet in front of him.
"I shall send Bella along with you to collect her, Severus. It would seem Lucius' failures grow in number every day, and now I find that he has succeeded in lying to his Lord. Therefore he is not worthy of a task as important as this. I would only send my most loyal Death Eaters on a mission such as this." He hissed venomously.
"I am always your most loyal and dedicated servant, Lord." Lucius said. "I- I would give my life for you..." Snape glanced sideways at the wreck of a man to his left. He had been broken out of Azkaban the previous day, only to find that his spot as the Dark Lord's right hand man had been taken by Snape. His failure at the Ministry and loss of one of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes had lost him his place as the Dark Lord's right hand man. The Dark Lord does not tolerate failure and betrayal. This newly uncovered lie will be the end of Lucius Malfoy.
"Severus, you may go. You will collect her tomorrow."
Snape bowed and left the room quickly as the Dark Lord pulled out his wand and aimed it at Lucius. Snape could hear his screams as the door swung shut behind him.
Footsteps pounded in the distance behind her, prompting her to sprint faster. She reached the forest behind the manor; it would be easier to lose her pursuers in there. She didn't slow her pace as she wove through the thick growth of trees, weeds and brambles that tore at her robes and scratched viciously at her face. The small bag of her most precious belongings was shaking and bouncing violently in her hand. The footsteps grew fainter and fainter as she wove through the countless trees; her small, fourteen year old body working to her advantage in slipping through the gaps between trees and bushes.
All sounds of her pursuers faded, but she didn't dare slow down. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she couldn't rest until she found a safe place to hide a long way from home.
A young girl was jerked out of her dream by the loud buzzing of her alarm clock. She groggily turned over to look at the time. She dragged herself out of her bed thinking that, while it was appealing, pressing the snooze button for the third time that morning would not be a good idea.
She rolled out of bed and hurriedly got dressed for work. She skipped breakfast and hurried out of her apartment, down the dim hallway beyond, past the broken elevators and down the stairs. She was nearly out the door…
"You're a month late on your rent, Alice." The landlord had stepped out in front of her, blocking the door. His small beady eyes bore into Alice's greedily.
"I found a new job last week. I'll have the money this evening, Will."
"If you don't, you can pick up your things from the curb." Will said venomously and took a step toward her, baring his tobacco-stained teeth.
"I've told you I will. Now if you don't mind, I have to get to work." She hissed in response. Will moved aside in exaggerated, mock courtesy to let Alice pass. She strode past him and out the door.
The blazing sun beat down on the back of Harry Potter's exposed neck as he pulled weeds in the front garden of his aunt and uncle's house. It's the last day, he reminded himself. Tomorrow he would turn seventeen and finally leave the dreadful guardianship of his aunt and uncle, both of whom were putting him to work constantly to keep him busy so he wouldn't "cause trouble". Once the last weed had been pulled out, Harry stood up slowly, stretching his sore knees. He trudged into the house with every intention of taking a long, cool shower. He was stopped, however, by his uncle.
"When do you leave?" Vernon asked bluntly.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Good. I want you out of this house before I wake up in the morning and I never want to see or hear of you or any of those… freaks… you hang around with ever again. Whatever trouble you get yourself into, don't you dare bring it back to this house. Understood?" He said warningly.
"Fine." Harry said coldly. He wove around the large figure of his uncle and up the stairs to the bathroom. After a refreshing shower and a meager lunch (provided by aunt Petunia), Harry returned to his room to pack more of his belongings.
Alice exited the bank that evening with the money from her paycheck carefully tucked deep into her back pocket. She checked her watch. 5:00. There was enough time for a lesson. She walked to the end of the nearest deserted alleyway and hid behind a dumpster where passing muggles would not see her disapparate.
Alice appeared before the door to an extremely old, broken down building near the end of Knockturn Alley.