Switzerland
A/N: An old idea I had that I've finally found time to write down... Updates may be sporadic, but rest assured they'll come as long as I have devoted readers! Now R&R!
Twenty-year-old Severus Snape strode down the streets of wizarding Switzerland, intent on finishing his shopping quickly. His piercing gaze darted around, on the lookout for suspicious-looking people. Since he'd left school three years earlier, the war in Europe had swelled to epic proportions and any dissenting Slytherin had to flee the country to protect themselves from unwanted recruitment into the rogue band called the Death Eaters, or die for "treason against House principles."
He'd come to Switzerland the year before, only giving his Fidelius-protected address to Lily Potter in a letter begging, once again, for her forgiveness. The sixth-year incident had truly broken their friendship, though Severus had realized Lily was right about Mulciber and the other Death Eaters in Slytherin and quickly and decisively broke from the group, even though it meant having to be on guard in his own House.
He strode into a small apothecary to pick up an order, practically shoving the Galleons into the shopkeeper's hands, and hurried out again. As he began the short walk home, Severus stopped to look over his shoulder every few minutes and restraining himself from running whenever a shadow took him by surprise. He finally made it home, locking and barring the door before reactivating the Anti-Intruder wards he'd added as a precaution, though it was hardly needed.
Mentally berating himself, Severus sank into a comfy armchair by the fire with a Potions journal. It was becoming increasingly hard to sell his work, even under false names,since the Carrows and a few other Death Eaters were apparently given the task of finding the young Potions Master and forcing him to brew for the Dark side. Two years earlier he had had to abandon his flat in London and a few of his possessions when they'd found him and nearly killed him for refusing to give them his services. Severus fingered the ragged scar Bellatrix Lestrange had given him on his left forearm just before he had managed to Summon his most important things and Disapparate, ending up in Spain with an eyebrow missing.
It's what you get for trying to Apparate out of the country without a clear destination, Severus scolded himself as he ran a finger over the still-sparse eyebrow. Once he'd Obliviated two Muggle tourists inside the chapel he appeared in, Severus had written to Gringotts to withdraw his meager assets and moved to Switzerland, which was famous for its neutrality in Muggle and Wizarding matters. Luckily, he found an English-speaking wizarding community and moved there; he protected his flat with the Fidelius charm he'd once researched at Hogwarts for Charms homework. He broke all ties with England save for Lily, whom he still tentatively regarded as a friend though she'd never explicitly forgiven him.
An odd pecking noise at the window startled him out of his reverie. Realizing it was an owl, Severus opened the window and took the letter from it, feeding it an old bit of toast before closing the window and ensuring the Communication charm stayed intact instead of merging with the Fidelius and other wards, rendering it useless.
Severus-
It really is stupid to hold on to such a petty grudge for so long. I forgive you. I do hope you forgive me, as well, since I really shouldn't have let this go on for so long.
It seems that You-Know-Who has decided to target us along with the Longbottoms, because of some prophecy stating that one of us is raising a child who could defeat him. This is how we found out we have a traitor in the group— barely three weeks after Dumbledore told us all that, James and Frank Longbottom were both targeted in an attack that thankfully failed.
Could you key a Portkey into your wards? I want to make an emergency Portkey should the Death Eaters find us, so that I can get my family someplace safe. My son Harry is just a year old, and you know Apparition isn't a good idea so young.
Thanks,
Lily
Severus read and reread the letter, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Oh, how he'd missed her letters, with the extravagant signature and tiny drawing of a flower at the end! He traced the elegant loop of the y before drawing his wand and keying in a Portkey. Tapping the parchment twice, Severus was able to see a small amount of soft amber colored residue from her magic, and added it to the wards so that only a Portkey activated by Lily would be allowed passage.
Severus couldn't help but scoff at Voldemort's idiocy. He claimed so much power, and he was afraid of a child? With so much power, Severus figured the man should know that prophesies were not destinies. Shrugging, he turned away from the wardstone in a shadowy corner of the flat and sat back down, picking up the journal he'd dropped.
Perhaps he'd make more Veritaserum to sell under a pseudonym. Severus sighed. All this hiding was no good for his pocketbook.
&&&
It was December 16th, four months after he keyed Lily into the wards, when all hell broke loose.
Severus had gone out shopping again, this time with various concealment charms on distinguishing features and Polyjuicing a Muggle to boot.
He had an old, sturdy basket full of glass vials filled with what looked like water. Eyes darting to dark corners, Severus strode toward the apothecary to sell his stock and buy supplies.
"Hello Mr. Withers, what d'you need today?" The British shopkeeper's teenage daughter walked to the counter, wiping her hands on a dirtied rag. Severus started slightly seeing a large man facing a wall stocked with basic Potions ingredients, and then put the basket carefully on the counter.
"I want to sell my potions, and pick up the ingredients I ordered from your father," Severus said, his voice thicker than usual with an Altering charm. The girl nodded and peeked inside the basket.
"Ah, Veritaserum! The English ministry's buying all our stock, they are, what with that dreadful war going on. Ah well, we profit in small ways, yes?" The girl prattled on about the wide variety of potions currently in demand while she carted off the basket to the back. She returned, the basket now laden with a paper-wrapped package. "It's quite fresh—the paper's keeping the basket from getting wet or dirtied," she answered to Severus' quizzical look. The man poring over the belladonna grunted, making Severus' shoulders tense in response.
Suddenly panicked, Severus muttered his thanks and placed payment on the counter, striding out of the apothecary before the girl could call him back for his change.
The girl merely shrugged and pocketed the seven Knuts.
"He always that flighty?" the man asked, his gaze lingering at the doorway. The girl nodded.
"Poor Mr. Withers—he says his wife and kid were killed by the Dark Side, y'see, so he's awful nervous when he does his shopping," she explained. "He didn't even get to see them; the Ministry told him the scene was too awful to let him in." The man grunted and flipped a Sickle onto the counter, striding out of the shop. Again, she shrugged and pocketed the Sickle, shaking off the funny feeling the second man had given her.
Outside, Severus broke into a run, clutching the basket and parcel to his chest. The man looked like Bulstrode…
The sound of following footsteps jarred Severus to the core, and he glanced back as he rounded a corner. His stomach dropped.
The man closing in on him definitely was Bulstrode, and he was onto Severus.
All he could do was run, and hope to make it inside the flat in time.