Disclaimer:I don't own anything, it's all JKR's except a select few characters.

A/N: Hey guys, I know I need to update my SPN fics WAY more than I need to start a Potter fic but one of my besties has been staying with me the last month and we're both major Potter fans. So we've been discussing old fanfics, characters, and any other random snippet of Harry Potter that happens to cross our minds. While discussing Severus Snape, whom she is in love with, I happened to remember that I'd started this fic and never finished it. I started this LATE 2006. Anything that we learned in the final book was NOT known to me for the first 6 chapters. I will try to tie it in and stay as close to the actual story line as possible but the fact of the matter is I have this in my head one way and the truth will have to bend to fit my lies. I'm sorry. I will also be adding in some character deaths before its over too so don't get too attached to anyone that wasn't alive during the actual books.

There is a take on the Filch family in this fic that I've not seen before. I like the mystery around Filch. There isn't a lot known about the man and I think he has reasons to be the way he is. Most people do anyway. Snape is also shown differently than we saw him before the seventh book. Please keep in mind I have Snape girls for friends. I was forced to see that there is good in him when everyone else was screaming that he was a vampire out to kill Harry.

Summary: Esther Filch has lived her life in the shadows of a war. She's played her cards right and lived to see Voldomort's fall but she doesn't believe any of it. Without any reason she's fighting to find answers to her questions and the truth about what happened to the Potters and between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew in that alleyway. But all things have a price and this time it just might be a life.

Spies' Eyes

Chapter 1

I chewed on the tip of my quill. If Cassidy thought this was important enough to interrupt my night with my family, it was way too important for me not to be unnerved. Nevertheless, lately I was unnerved a lot. Both sides of this war were getting too close for comfort. People like me were starting to get caught with our pants down, if you know what I mean. Last week, a young man I'd known since I stepped on the Hogwarts express for the first time, was killed. Not only had I known him since I was a little kid, but I had served with him. We were spies, buried too deep in both sides to be trusted with sensitive information. We were outcasts. He was found out.
Cassidy was late. I knew she would be. Whenever she had something to tell me, she was late. I couldn't blame her for this. She was a klutzy thing. I am sure she was close by, apologizing to someone. Why I did all my work for Them through her was beyond me. But she was a sweet little thing and it was usually worth the extra ten minutes of waiting. The bartender eyed me. He was good looking, I suppose. It had been ages since I'd been out on a date. In fact, I'd last made eyes at a man I was trying to liquor up to get information out of. My love life was dead so I decided to give this man half a shot. I mean, what the heck? Right? If nothing else, I might get a free drink out of the mess. I smiled sweetly at him and then forced a blush, a technique I'd learned from the great Lily Potter, and hid behind a curtain of my own hair. I sat trying to look cute for the longest time when a waitress came over and sat a butter beer down in front of me.
"It's from Lou." she said nodding to the bartender. I didn't much care for the name Lou (it's what I'd been raised to call my cousin, Lucius Malfoy). "He also says to give ya this." She sat a tablet of paper down in front of me.
"Get out of here sweetheart. I don't want a pretty thing like you caught up in what's about to happen." I read his scribbles. My heart caught. Did he know? Where was Cassidy? Was everything all right? My mind went straight from a calm stream of thoughts to a roaring river beating against the flood dams keeping me from showing physical signs of my stress. I pulled the pre-inked quill from between my teeth spitting out down feathers as I did so.
"Why? What's going on?" I wrote and sent it with the waitress. I sipped at my new drink and locked my eyes on the bartender. He read my words and looked up at me. Our eyes met and a cold chill ran down my spine. I knew those steel gray eyes. My breath caught for a moment. He looked away and started writing.
"Don't get caught. Your parents will kill me. I want you out of here now. No questions. Just go. Don't look like you're in a rush either." I read his scribbles. His real script was easy to recognize. It was on so many documents that even most common folk knew it. I had once loved my cousin immensely. I would have done anything he asked. However, after I saw him relay orders to Bellatrix to torture, kill the Longbottoms and bring their boy back last week, I'd lost all respect. I loved the man and he had defied everything I believed.
One hand slid under the table and found my wand in my pocket. The soft pine that seemed to glow slightly in the dark met my fingertips. I had known it was meant for me the moment I saw it. You cannot deny what I'd felt toward the wand. I sometimes wondered if King Arthur felt the same when he first saw Excalibur. If my cousin had a battle planned, I was going to take as many down with me as I could. At least I would stay and protect the innocent bystanders. But as I sat waiting for anything to happen that would be significant, I started to notice I knew many of the people here. They were from both sides. But more than half were from my family's side. They weren't supposed to be here. This was a set up.
The door to the small pub burst open. Three dozen men and I jumped to our feet, wands drawn. Flashes of light were sent towards the single person who had come through. Some one yelled "stop" and everyone came to a tense pause. I knew the man that was standing there. We weren't chummy, but we had been once. I knew in an outright duel I'd lose. I showed mercy, this man didn't. He had cold black eyes that seemed to peer into your mind, a hooked nose that reminded me, painfully, of my grandfather's. Everything about this man was black. Darkness and cold hatred seem to swell around him creating a haze. I couldn't count the number of times I had been swept into hiding behind his cloak or the number of times I had stood defiant in front of him.
"The Potters are dead." He didn't scream it. He just said it. I just barely caught his words but the mixed reaction made it clear I hadn't missed his words. Inside was a burning rage I couldn't control. Outside I didn't dare show any emotion until I had a positive read from the crowded pub. A booth of women not far from me burst into tears. A red headed man and his wife tried to silence their sons but failed and the oldest that was maybe four or five escaped and ran up to the messenger and kicked him in the shin.
"LIAR!" the boy screamed. "The Potters can't die! We need them!" tears were streaming from the boy's eyes. I felt the same way. The boy's mother came to him and knelt before him.
"Come on Billy, we'll sort this out in just a minute." she tried to coax, running her fingers through the boy's shaggy red locks. He collapsed into sobs, his face lost in her chest.
We all watched. Somehow, I knew this image would stay in my mind forever: the mother comforting her son. Then the other boys came over and wrapped their arms around their brother and together the five little boys cried. Their fear, angry, sadness, and rage were evident, out there for the world to see. I couldn't do that. I shot 'Lou' a look, asking to know what was going on. He just shrugged. My cousin had stolen someone's identity tonight for some reason, but this wasn't it. I was again thrown back into my river of questions.
"Snape, I think you need to tell us all what happened. Lou, get the boy a drink!" an older man called as he strode over to Severus Snape. He took Severus by the arm and dragged him to the center of the room while my cousin played his part.
"I don't know." More than anything he could have said, this scared me the most. "The Potters' house is gone, and Aurors are there now. They say everyone is dead. I…" he paused his mouth moving like a fish out of water. I couldn't stop the single tear that rolled down my cheek.
"What about the boy?" 'Lou' asked. Maybe concern was in his voice, but I doubted it. But my cousin did have a little baby at home right now. Just over a year old, the little tyke must be sleeping at this hour.
"Everyone's dead." Severus repeated. "That's what Cassidy Pennington said just before." He stopped and took the frothy mug from 'Lou'. He sipped at it not wanting to continue, but I rushed at him. Cassidy was a friend if nothing else.
"What happened to Cassie?" I demanded. Severus put his glass down on the nearest table and took my shoulders. He looked deep into my blue-green eyes and shook his head.
"I'm sorry Essie, I tried." I didn't want to believe what he was trying to say.
"Where is she?"
"She was there; she got in the way I guess. She was pretty badly injured when I found her. Essie, she's gone." I hit him - just kept beating his chest. I would not believe I had lost them all tonight. Severus wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. He would never really hurt me without good grounds for it. To my knowledge, I was the only person he'd ever claimed to love. I knew I was the only girl to ever have dated him. I cried. Uncaring about the rest of the pub, I cried. No one could ever ease the pain in my heart.
"I knew we should have been there tonight!" a man was yelling in the back corner when I finally got under control.
"Sirius, hush! You'll cause a scene." The man's friend stood up. I peeled myself out of Severus' comforting arms and looked toward the men. Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were all gathered around a table in the back left corner hidden in the shadows until now, when we all looked towards them. Sirius had jumped up and his stool lie on the ground. Peter was hiding his face in his arms, but that wasn't very unusual for the dumpling man-boy. Remus sat his hands folded calmly on the table watching his friend with a look of deep concentration and caring. Of all of James Potter's friends, Remus was the one I liked most. He was always so controlled.
"Make a scene! MAKE A SCENE!" Sirius roared. "I'm not supposed to make a scene when my FAMILY is DEAD?!?" His fists were bawled up and his dark eyes were running down his cheeks. His normally handsome face was bright red. He made me think of a small child the way he stood there. Remus gently stepped down off his stool and went to his friend.
"They were my family too." he said inching closer. Sirius shook.
"They were more mine. You have parents that love you! Mine…. Remus I can't lose them!"
"I didn't do anything." Peter said looking up. He started rocking back and forth. Sirius looked over at him and even so far away, I could see something click in his eyes.
"What did you do!? You stupid little rat, I'll kill you!" Sirius dove across the table at his friend. Peter just managed to scurry out of the way. Peter was chased out of the pub by both his friends; Remus calling for them to calm down and Sirius screaming threats.
The pub fell silent. We were all listening to the fight outside. After ten minutes or so, an engine was revved and I knew Sirius had left. The sound was followed by a single pop. One of the others had appearated. I turned back to Severus. I didn't have to ask him if I could stay the night or say how badly I needed just a little comfort at least until mornings light. He just nodded. He told me to go stand by the door and he'd pay our bills and we'd go 'home'. I tried to stay calm. Tried to keep all the fear and panic out of my eyes, but knew I was failing.
"Come on, Essie." He took my hand, something he hadn't done since we were dating. I reminded myself that it wasn't really the lifetime ago it felt like, but only a few years. As we stepped out into the chilly, late October air, I saw Peter Pettigrew talking to a dark shadow in a nearby alley.