Of Blood and Serpents.
Part One.
Prologue:
The Night the Boy Lived.
It was a cold night when five three figures appeared silently and as if through thin air. The small crowded group at once became a triangle as they moved lithely over the muddied ground that lay beside a polluted river bank. As the figures ascended the bank they fell into a line, a black faded railing separating the dirty river from the beginnings of a narrowed cobble walk way which turned into the road of tightly huddled industrialized brick buildings.
The night was dead quiet, the festivities of the night having long been silent and though the sky was filled with rolling clouds which could be at any moment ready to burst they remained oddly silent as if holding their breath for the hooded figures.
The one leading was as indescribable as the others, but there was a certain gait to his walk; An aura of power and arrogance. The man beneath, although his expression was completely shrouded in darkness, was as it usually was: cruel and empty. With malice shining in the depths of his black eyes and his lips curled as if mockingly ready to sneer.
A small shape was almost invisible beside him in the darkness, the homes around them so devoid of light that she was nearly invisible, her form cloaked in black as the others were. The small hooded shape was a child though it was difficult to discern it from the man until the child fell back, unable to keep up with the leaders sharp stride. Whenever its paced lagged there would be a small jerk as the man pulled the child back into order beside him.
Had the hood of the child's been pulled down one might have been able to see two black braids of hair, and a small round cheeks of a girl that could be no more than six. They came to a stop at the last home on the edge of Spinner's end, the master stepping to the door to knock once soundly and was already reaching for his wand as he was not a particularly patient man when it came to simple politeness. There was no need though for the door swung open revealing a pale young man with greasy parted hair and steady black beetle eyes. He bowed his head formally as he stepped back, permitting the entrance of the figures to his home.
Severus straightened but as his eyes were downcast he noticed the small child being pulled beside the dark lord as he passed, and the white hands linking them together as they walked. As the leader of the entourage entered the small book lined sitting room he swept off his hood exposing the queer face of the man beneath. While he was most certainly a man, his skin was waxen and blanched, the eyes that peered out from his sockets were black, and perhaps if his pupils were visible would have been slits, the accumulation of these traits making him look somewhat inhuman altogether. His mouth twitched slightly in small distaste to the room but the made no motion to comment as the two entered standing to his side, their faces which were now tilted and bathed in dim candle light where actually masked. Severus entered last and stood quite silent awaiting his master to speak.
"I'm sure Severus you are curious as to why I asked you to leave your post this all hallows eve?" His voice was harsh, his eyes nearly unblinking as he spoke to his servant who lowered his head, his hair limply swaying with a short nod. Severus had become well aware that the Dark Lord was a master of the obscure branch of Legilimens and while he had confidence his Occulmency was strong he was not impenetrable as Dumbledore himself demonstrated for him. But he could not risk making the Dark Lord wary for averting his eyes long and raised them again.
"Leave us." He ordered curtly to the two death eaters that had followed him, never taking his eyes from the man before him as the two left silently. "Are you enjoying your current post Severus?" His tone was inquiring, but as there always was, a hint of danger lurking beneath. With the Dark Lord nothing was ever certain, or what it seemed to be.
"Yes my lord." He answered coolly. Truth be told Severus had met his 'Dark Lord' on only one other occasion, that which he became a Death Eater, but truly he was Malfoy's underling and the Dark Lords presence truly unnerved Dumbledore's agent.
"And Dumbledore suspects nothing of your absence tonight?" He pressed, his voice tapering to a hiss.
"Dumbledore seems... wary perhaps but, he believes I am a reformed man.." It was the truth, or something akin to it, Dumbledore was well aware of him leaving the feast, for he had alerted him the moment he had been called and told of the little 'meeting' which would be held in his home by Malfoy.
Had Dumbledore not have had rummaged through Severus's to 'test' his skill Occulmency and gathered the sincerity of his intentions in the various imaged that were leaked through Severus's defences he may not have been so trusting. His lord sneered bemused by Severus words.
"Dumbledore always was a fool, but even fools have their uses." His eyes glittered red in the rooms hazy glow, but he was satisfied by his answer and continued.
"but, for tonight Severus, I have another task for you." He drawled eyes flicking down to the quiet, seemingly forgotten child beside him. He shrugged his hand from her grasp, his own white slender fingers glowing in the candlelight as he brought it down on the child's head sliding the hood which had obscured her face back.
"I trust your position at Hogwarts has made you apt in dealing with children?" he sneered, though it was not truly a question as Severus beady black eyes glittered upon the child who tilted her head up fractionally her eyes glittering in the light.
"My lord?"
"You are to keep her until I return." he ordered snidely. "Now leave us." He snipped, his voice dangerously impatient. His back was already turned as his lord swept down onto one knee before the child and Severus did not look behind him as he slipped into his narrow darkened hall.
There was something of a hiss from the sitting room, low and of which could easily be mistaken as a rustling. An instant later the dark lord appeared, his face once again obscured by the drawn hood of his cloak, but his eyes glittered from within.
"Satisfy her needs until I return."
Severus closed the door behind his master straightening as if he'd been relieved of some sort of pressure on his back. Returning to his cramped living room he saw that the child sat upon the couch her eyes black and nearly vacant as Severus approached.
"Do you have a name child?" Her black eyes blinked up at him solemnly and he thought perhaps she may not have understood him at first. Then slowly her large eyes blinked and she gave a small shake of her head, the eyes that seemed vacant before suddenly looking sharper and observant as she stared as Severus before her.
"Who are you?" she asked her high child's voice was unnaturally cold and was misplaced coming from her baby cheeks.
"I am Severus." He answered expressionlessly observing the unusual child before him.
"Does it mean anything?" Yes, Severus was nearly certain now that the tone the child used did not seem to belong to her, but instead a cold woman instead. Though Severus could sense not dark magic his mind couldn't help but wander to the imperious curse, but then what purpose was there in cursing a mere child? Was this some sort of warning from the Dark Lord? Had he become aware of Severus's becoming Dumbledore's spy?
"I'm unsure." He replied eventually, forcing his mind calm and away from such thoughts. If the Dark Lord believed his loyalty questionable he would certainly be dead by now and not be caring for a questionable child.
"Severus, I would like supper."
.
.
Babysitting duty. Severus had clenched his teeth as he made his way into the kitchen of his childhood home. It was not long ago that his father had finally passed and thus he had inherited the house in Spinner's end. He did not quite enjoy living in the home that was so teeming with unpleasant memories, but as quaint as it was, gave him a space to think and walls to isolate himself behind.
Manoeuvring around the small kitchen Severus removed a pot which hung from the ceiling and tapped his wand against the stove to alight the burner. Spaghetti was a simple dish in which he had the ingredients for. It was no Hogwarts meal but considering Severus had not been within the home of spinners end since he began working as a double agent at Hogwarts they were most likely the only unspoiled rations left in his home.
A shrill terrifying scream suddenly ripped from behind him. His heart jammed into his spine as he whipped around running to the room that the child was in. She was on the floor, curled into a tiny black ball, her tiny heart drumming so hard in her chest where a great pain it seemed had stabbed through her. Severus bent over her instantly, touching her back, eyes darting around the room for something she could have possibly harmed herself on.
The child jerked up wards haphazardly, eyes wide, and no longer black but a deep green that sent a jolt into Severus. Her eyes seemed wide and terrified, and suddenly much more childlike, blood, trickled down from her nose to her trembling lips.
"Gone.." She wailed staring at him, hands balled into her hair, Severus held her swaying form by her elbow, crouched down beside her trying to make out the words she was whispering in a thick child's voice. "Gone.. he's all gone... disappeared..." She wailed as suddenly black figures burst into the room, a woman screeching.
"THE DARK LORD HAS VANISHED!" Bellatrix screamed agonizingly shrill, not to Severus but to all the dark figures who were suddenly in the room.
"What has happened?" Severus jumped up in alarm gripping the child's hand in his. Lucius removed his mask and hood with a flash of his wand.
"Severus! The dark lord.. The child!" He seemed suddenly too overwhelmed to speak.
"Someone EXPLAIN THEMSELVES!" Severus blared shutting up the blaring Bellatrix and the urgent fearful murmurer around him, Severus's own heart was beating painfully fast in his chest. The child.. Lucius said the child.. did he mean lily's child? Had the dark lord found them? Lucius who always seemed pale now looked positively ill..
"The dark lord found the child," He explained hurriedly. . "Attempted to kill him.. but simply disappeared."
"Attempted?" Severus snapped, heart thudding. Was Lily still alive?
"He used the killing curse.. but the child..." He seemed to be holding a breath of disbelief. "The boy lived."