The Meaning of Trust
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
~*~
It was dark, darker than normal for midnight. Or at least that was how it seemed to Serverus. It was cold as well. He shivered and hugged his robes closer. Why had he come here? Her letter had been urgent, but the days of working together were over. She, as far as he knew, had not yet renounced Voldemort as her master. He had left that life far behind. He worked for Dumbledore now. Currently Dumbledore had put him under cover once more as a Death Eater, but that did not leave him feeling comfortable with the night. The marking on his arm seemed to burn him, no matter how he tried to ignore it.
There was a crackling sound from the bush behind him. He stared up at his surroundings, pretending to be unaware of the noise. Four Privet Drive. Why had she chosen this place? One of the most watched places in all of England, the house where the Boy Who Lived resided was hardly the place for a Death Eater to meet up with an old friend... unless... The thought had never occurred to him. What if she wanted to attack Potter? How would he manage to get out of that? As soon as she got here he would simply insist they leave.
"Well, well," chuckled a cold female voice behind him. "If it isn't Serverus Snape, you old slimeball. Pretending you didn't hear me! As if you could miss it. I am not so naive as to think I could sneak up on one of the Dark Lord's best Death Eaters. He is waiting for you."
Snape turned around to face the female. She was of average height and build, clothed in black so as to hide any facial features. "Hello Miranda," he greeted. "Its good to see you again as well."
"What no insult?" inquired Miranda, casting back her hood. Her red hair was still as untamed as ever and her grey eyes as cold. "Years with Dumbledore have made you soft."
"It was not a bad life," Snape said defensively before he could stop himself. Miranda looked at him searchingly, then shrugged.
"No, I suppose not," she said lazily. "After all, once you could convince him of your loyalties, he would never even think you would betray him. Yet here you are. What are you waiting for, you big lug? Will old lovers not even exchange a greeting kiss?" She moved forward, eyes eager.
Snape backed up. "No," he said firmly. "Not any longer. Let's just get this over with. It is risky for both of us to be here! Why would you chose this as the meeting spot? Potter's house is not a place where you- we Death Eaters should dare to tread."
"And why not?" snapped Miranda, angry at him for casting her aside. "Are you afraid that old Dumbledore can stand up to the greatness that is Lord Voldemort? You have been away too long! Next you'll be defending bloody mudbloods." She smiled wolfishly at Harry's house. "Voldemort has plans for him, let me tell you. And you will be part of them, I assure you. We will both be great."
Snape glanced into the bushes. Silently a large black dog and a man in old robes stepped out. Miranda, in the midst of planning a brilliant and powerful future together, did not even notice them. "Voldemort's punishments are harsh, true, but his rewards are even greater. You and I could-"
"No Miranda," he suddenly interrupted as the large black dog became a man. "It was never you and I. Did you never see it? It was always you and the Dark, the Light and I."
"What?" frowned Miranda, obviously confused. Suddenly her arms snapped to her side and her legs sprang together as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin performed the full Body Bind on her.
"I am truly sorry," Snape said sadly. "I've tried to tell you all these years. But, no matter what you tried to say of your love for me, your real loyalties lay with Voldemort. I'm sorry I had to use this against you."
Sirius pointed his wand. "Leviosa!" he whispered. Miranda floated a few feet in the air. "Ready to go?" he inquired. "We don't have much time."
"Coming," nodded Remus.
"I'll be along in a minute," promised Snape. Remus halted just before he disappeared into the bush.
"I- I know this must be hard for you Snape," he said, haltingly. "I mean, at one time these people were your friends and you had tight relationships with them. But, try to understand, it has to be done."
"Don't try to understand me Lupin," Snape snarled, not in the mood for pity. "You have no idea what its like. Miranda and I were to be married, did you know that? Oh, don't look so shocked. Death Eater or no, she still has a heart. But then, I realized what was wrong and why I was never happy. I went to Dumbledore and switched alliances. It was the hardest choice I've ever made, but at least I can say I made the right one. That fact doesn't make instances like these, any easier." He sighed and fell silent.
"I am sorry," Remus said slowly. "You know Snape, I think I might have been wrong about you. I thought you were heartless and cruel, but now that I look closely, maybe you're just trying to keep your sanity."
Snape smiled drily. "Maybe I am Lupin, maybe I am," he said wryly. Lupin clapped him on the shoulder.
"Are you two coming?" hollered Sirius from the bushes. "Believe it or not, these curses don't work forever!"
"Who'd believe it?" Lupin smiled lightly, more amused at his friend's impatience than annoyed. "Come along Snape. You're going to have a real life now, one with friends and family... and perhaps even lovers."
"I had a real life," Snape insisted. "Just not the right life."
Remus nodded and then walked into the bushes after Sirius. Snape took one look back at Potter's house and then followed.
~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
~*~
It was dark, darker than normal for midnight. Or at least that was how it seemed to Serverus. It was cold as well. He shivered and hugged his robes closer. Why had he come here? Her letter had been urgent, but the days of working together were over. She, as far as he knew, had not yet renounced Voldemort as her master. He had left that life far behind. He worked for Dumbledore now. Currently Dumbledore had put him under cover once more as a Death Eater, but that did not leave him feeling comfortable with the night. The marking on his arm seemed to burn him, no matter how he tried to ignore it.
There was a crackling sound from the bush behind him. He stared up at his surroundings, pretending to be unaware of the noise. Four Privet Drive. Why had she chosen this place? One of the most watched places in all of England, the house where the Boy Who Lived resided was hardly the place for a Death Eater to meet up with an old friend... unless... The thought had never occurred to him. What if she wanted to attack Potter? How would he manage to get out of that? As soon as she got here he would simply insist they leave.
"Well, well," chuckled a cold female voice behind him. "If it isn't Serverus Snape, you old slimeball. Pretending you didn't hear me! As if you could miss it. I am not so naive as to think I could sneak up on one of the Dark Lord's best Death Eaters. He is waiting for you."
Snape turned around to face the female. She was of average height and build, clothed in black so as to hide any facial features. "Hello Miranda," he greeted. "Its good to see you again as well."
"What no insult?" inquired Miranda, casting back her hood. Her red hair was still as untamed as ever and her grey eyes as cold. "Years with Dumbledore have made you soft."
"It was not a bad life," Snape said defensively before he could stop himself. Miranda looked at him searchingly, then shrugged.
"No, I suppose not," she said lazily. "After all, once you could convince him of your loyalties, he would never even think you would betray him. Yet here you are. What are you waiting for, you big lug? Will old lovers not even exchange a greeting kiss?" She moved forward, eyes eager.
Snape backed up. "No," he said firmly. "Not any longer. Let's just get this over with. It is risky for both of us to be here! Why would you chose this as the meeting spot? Potter's house is not a place where you- we Death Eaters should dare to tread."
"And why not?" snapped Miranda, angry at him for casting her aside. "Are you afraid that old Dumbledore can stand up to the greatness that is Lord Voldemort? You have been away too long! Next you'll be defending bloody mudbloods." She smiled wolfishly at Harry's house. "Voldemort has plans for him, let me tell you. And you will be part of them, I assure you. We will both be great."
Snape glanced into the bushes. Silently a large black dog and a man in old robes stepped out. Miranda, in the midst of planning a brilliant and powerful future together, did not even notice them. "Voldemort's punishments are harsh, true, but his rewards are even greater. You and I could-"
"No Miranda," he suddenly interrupted as the large black dog became a man. "It was never you and I. Did you never see it? It was always you and the Dark, the Light and I."
"What?" frowned Miranda, obviously confused. Suddenly her arms snapped to her side and her legs sprang together as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin performed the full Body Bind on her.
"I am truly sorry," Snape said sadly. "I've tried to tell you all these years. But, no matter what you tried to say of your love for me, your real loyalties lay with Voldemort. I'm sorry I had to use this against you."
Sirius pointed his wand. "Leviosa!" he whispered. Miranda floated a few feet in the air. "Ready to go?" he inquired. "We don't have much time."
"Coming," nodded Remus.
"I'll be along in a minute," promised Snape. Remus halted just before he disappeared into the bush.
"I- I know this must be hard for you Snape," he said, haltingly. "I mean, at one time these people were your friends and you had tight relationships with them. But, try to understand, it has to be done."
"Don't try to understand me Lupin," Snape snarled, not in the mood for pity. "You have no idea what its like. Miranda and I were to be married, did you know that? Oh, don't look so shocked. Death Eater or no, she still has a heart. But then, I realized what was wrong and why I was never happy. I went to Dumbledore and switched alliances. It was the hardest choice I've ever made, but at least I can say I made the right one. That fact doesn't make instances like these, any easier." He sighed and fell silent.
"I am sorry," Remus said slowly. "You know Snape, I think I might have been wrong about you. I thought you were heartless and cruel, but now that I look closely, maybe you're just trying to keep your sanity."
Snape smiled drily. "Maybe I am Lupin, maybe I am," he said wryly. Lupin clapped him on the shoulder.
"Are you two coming?" hollered Sirius from the bushes. "Believe it or not, these curses don't work forever!"
"Who'd believe it?" Lupin smiled lightly, more amused at his friend's impatience than annoyed. "Come along Snape. You're going to have a real life now, one with friends and family... and perhaps even lovers."
"I had a real life," Snape insisted. "Just not the right life."
Remus nodded and then walked into the bushes after Sirius. Snape took one look back at Potter's house and then followed.
~*~*~*~