AN: This is a co-authored fic between Myself and Moonchild1212, and was formerly posted under the name "The Charm of Making" It is not copied we originally chose to post on both accounts. It has been almost a year since the passing of Moonchild1212 (though to her friends she was known as Katie) This story is based (in part) on an RP site that we once ran (though it is no longer operating) We portray only Severus and Arianna our lovely OC as well as a few others that may be dropped in from time to time.
Disclaimer: We Own nothing. Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and our Queen JK Rowling. We make no money from this nor do we intend to.
Chapter 2:
Severus Snape had been nothing if not meticulous and judicious in his decisions. He waited impatiently, reflecting on the events that had brought him to this point - useless and ignorant.
Severus had told Dumbledore that it was unwise to have him at the Order meetings. Even with the Oaths they had all sworn, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't be caught and subsequently tortured. If the Dark Lord got his fingers on the wrong person all was lost.
And, just as he had predicted, it had happened.
Kingsley had caught the little bastard, Mundungus, rooting around Grimmauld place with a bag full of valuables and an illegal portkey. The stately, bald man had used his sleek Lynx patronus to call them all to an emergency meeting and just in time.
He had administered the Veritaserum, and they had questioned him. He had been apprehended by crooked Ministry code enforcers trying to sell stolen goods. Instead of taking him to Aurors to be questioned, they took him to fellow Death Eaters. He ended up at the Lestrange Estate where Voldemort just happened to be in residence. One look into the fool's eyes, and the maniac ripped knowledge of the Order, Dumbledore's Plotting, and Severus' position as spy. With the information he revealed, about the spy, there was no going back. Voldemort had seen his account at every Order meeting at which Dung had been present and relieved moment after moment in which he had thwarted the Dark Lord's plans. In a word . . . he was fucked.
He had felt the first call as his arm throbbed, and he had tried to ignore it passively. Soon, the pain had become unbearable, and the other Order members had watched him writhe on the library floor, gripping his arm and biting his lip until he bled. Someone had mercifully transported him to an empty room and given him a massive dose of pain reliever, which had knocked him out. He woke up free of pain and set out to create a potion that would block the call. With the help of Hagrid, he was able to obtain Acromantula venom, which proved to be the key. Now, he kept several vials of the sacred nectar in his pocket . . . just incase.
Currently, he was pacing across the Astronomy Tower balcony awaiting blasted Dumbledore. The fool was off looking for Horcruxes with Potter while he sat here worthless and clueless. Along with his special brew, he had an array of sedatives, pain potions, coagulants, blood replenishers, and stasis inducing potions that might help save the old bastard, should he have done something unthinkably stupid, which wasn't out of the question.
Just three weeks ago he had diverted what could have been a catastrophic event. The old idiot had found a Horcrux in the rubble of the moldering Gaunt shack. He had accompanied him and pulled up the floorboards, allowing Albus to remove a strange golden box. They had taken the box back to Hogwarts and inspected it. After determining that it held the resurrection stone, he watched as the old fool almost slipped it on his finger! He had slapped it out of his hand forcefully, and Dumbledore had pulled back like a chastened child.
"Fool of a man! What are you doing, trying to kill us all?" He had yelled.
The venerable wizard had seemed confused, his eyes unfocused and his brow puckered. "I'm . . I"m sorry my boy. I don't know what came over me."
Severus had calmed his heaving chest and sat with his head in his hands. "What on earth would become of us… of me ...if you were to die?" He felt it keenly, what this man had come to mean to him. A selfish part of him worried about his own worthless hide should his mentor die, but a larger part of him grieved at what he would lose if Dumbledore were to die. He was the only true father he had ever known, and as imperfect and self-serving as he was, he loved him with what was left of his crooked soul.
The wind whipped his hair and furled his black cloak as he turned to gaze into the cloud covered moon. Then, with a pop, Dumbledore and Boy Wonder had arrived.
"It's about time. What on earth happened?" Severus gritted his teeth in frustration.
Dumbledore sighed wearily, "Not here, Severus. Let's go to my office."
Severus glared at Potter as they fell in line and followed the older wizard to his warm, fire lit down a lemon drop Severus paced, almost violently as Harry began to tell the tale all the while Albus sat in his tall wingback chair sipping his tea in an almost ostentatious fashion. He took a biscuit and offered the plate to them, "Biscuit?"
Both boy and man met the Headmaster's tired, twinkling eyes and sighed and the old man munched happily on his biscuit, sprinkling crumbs through his silver beard.
Harry mused his already untidy hair and began tiredly, "We went to the cave where Professor Dumbledore had intelligence that a Horcrux was being kept. It was just off the Celtic Sea where Riddle had traveled with the orphanage, he was fond of the place as a boy. The memory that the Headmaster showed me at the beginning of the year, when Riddle was young, proved that it was with him when he was at the Orphanage."
Severus looked up to the old man who simply nodded and motioned for Harry to continue, sighing in indignation he did so. "Inside the cave there were traps, of course. The Headmaster had to open the cave using a bit of blood magic. A boat floated in the cave, but it could only be called by magic. Dumbledore was able to call it. It took us to a small island in the middle of the lake that seemed to be the entire expanse of the cave, there was a small pedestal in which the locket lay. Only problem was, someone had already taken it, the real horcrux was gone."
Reaching into his pocket the avidly annoying, dark haired boy went down to the few steps to where Severus was standing and held out the locket. Taking it quick in hand Severus opened it and unfolded the paper. With a groan he moved and placed the items on Dumbledore's desk. Of course a Black would be involved.
"So we are at square one where the locket is concerned?" Severus asked.
Dumbledore gazed at him over his ornately,floral teacup and smiled vaguely. Setting the dainty cup down he tilted his head forward to look at the irate wizard over the rims of his half moon glasses. "Well, perhaps we are not wandering so aimlessly in the dark." He rejoined vaguely.
Potter sighed again and yawned sleepily.
"Well . . . that's just fucking perfect." the dark wizard groused, "Nothing from the Savior of our world and vague promises from our fearless leader." He strode across the office narrowly missing a fragile vase. His inky robes whirled about him, "While you two sit here and stroke each other's ego's, I've got things to do. Namely," he yanked the buttons on his sleeve open, "figure out how to get this damn thing off my arm." Turning swiftly, he muttered harshly as he left the room.
Harry turned to Dumbledore with sleepy eyes, "Well, that went well I'd say." He smirked, "at least he didn't break anything."
Dumbledore chuckled, "Ha ha, quite true! Now, Harry, run along and I will see you in the morning." He patted the boy softly on the shoulder and with a nod he went to out the door to make his way to his common room. Albus watched the boy go, and sipped at his now cold tea sitting it down with a sigh of resignation, this was not how he thought things would go, this was not something that should have happened, it was however something he could work with.
Opening the draw he pulled out a tatty, worn book and flipped through it, a twitch at the corner of his mouth resembled a smirk before he rose and called for his familiar to come with him. He pulled several other volumes from a nearby shelf, and, in a gesture familiar to both him and the bird they started to apparate, it seemed it had some work to do. What was that saying he loved so much? Ah, yes. Just like honesty needs a little plus, sometimes fate needs a little push.
The old wizard landed with a flash and Fawkes trilled happily. "Now," he mused, "where to put you."
He had landed in Grimmauld Place in the Black Library. The room was dusty, and dark. All of Molly Weasley's work was being undone. They would have to coax her back here to reclaim what the beasties were fouling up. He pulled back cobwebs from the mantel looking for just the right spot.
"Hmmm," he scratched his chin. "Well, when at a loss, try waving your wand." He chuckled. He turned to face the room quickly, his periwinkle colored robes unfurled and the silver stars on them twinkled merrily in the darkness. Wordlessly, he lit a fire in the room and flicked his wand, attempting to locate a hidden niche of some sort. Looking down, he noticed that cobwebs had become entangled in his beard.
"What a dreadful mess," he said with a moue of distaste and vanished the offending strands.
His wand whirled in the flickering firelight and small sparks snaked out into the room in search of something hidden . . . tucked away. A small glow lit the corner of a bookshelf and he exclaimed with childlike joy.
"Well! Here we are then." He pulled a few mouldering volumes from the shelf and opened the hidden cranny and took several books from his robes and placed them in the hiding place. Using a subtle, yet obvious for those looking, charm, he hid the books to be found by . . . just the right wizard at just the right time. This would need arranging.
"Now," he chuckled, "to introduce the catalyst!" He vanished the fire and looked into the darkness hoping to see some spark of the future. When nothing came, he called, "Fawkes!" and they vanished into the night, leaving the room to await the light and laughter that was soon to fill it.
Not two days later, the old wizard sat at his desk musing. Recent intelligence had arrived, and it was time to act. He called an order meeting for the evening, hoping to garner input on the situation that had developed. It got him thinking about the very night that the catalyst, the young woman, had been taken into the care of the Order had come to meet them all. It had been an interesting meeting, as they always seemed to be, but it put into motion a set of events that had been set about over thirty years prior.
***Two years prior**
Grimmauld Place was bustling with activity. Molly, per usual, was busy in the warm, inviting kitchen. She had made a hearty meal after cleaning the dusty room, and everyone was just filing out as she was cleaning up the dishes. She had sent Nymphadora to the Library with Remus to work on making the room uninhabitable. It really took no time at all for the place to begin to deteriorate further.
Soon they were all settled in the Library when Moody clunked in. His leg hung awkwardly at his side, his rough cane was clutched in his hand and his roving eye scoured every corner of the room.
He chuckled nastily, "Well, I see our great spy is still here. I don't know why you keep that useless bit of flesh around Dumbledore." He hobbled into the room revealing a cloaked figure at the door. Pale slender hands rose out of the voluminous gray robes to pull the hood back from her face. Every eye in the room was focused on her ravaged face. It was clear that she had been tortured and abused for quite some time. She bore scars on every visible part of her body .Her eyes were sunken and had dark circles surrounding them, skin almost unnaturally pale, and an arm was wrapped around her side as she held herself almost as if she was in pain. Her wrists were discolored from old bruises, but not a soul in the room missed the fire in her eyes. She was a fighter, and that was clear.
Molly Weasley rose and bustled over to the young woman, "Hello, my dear. Can I get you something to eat? Tea perhaps?"
"No, thank you." the woman replied.
"Please, come, have a seat," Molly gestured to a seat on the Sofa next to Severus. She felt terrible for placing the young woman by the taciturn Wizard, but it really was the only seat, besides hers, that was available.
Severus never flinched as the young woman sat beside him. He was very curious to hear how she had become a ward of the Order, and he was even more curious to see how things would play out. Surely, Dumbledore had brought her here to coerce her into joining their cause. He shifted uncomfortably, for as she had been seated beside him, every eye in the room was now fixed in their direction.
He bridled defensively. How dare they treat her like some object of curiosity, "When you've all quite finished," he looked around the room at chagrined faces.
Albus cleared his throat and began, "As you can all obviously see, we have a guest with us this evening, Miss Arianna James. Remus and Alistaire found her in the dells just west of Edinburgh, some two miles from the estate of a woman who was known as Katarzyna Krupin."
Remus took the time to stand and along with Moody they explained the situation to the best of their knowledge. "From what we understand, Miss Krupin kidnapped Miss James when she was just a few days old, killed her parents and brought her to Scotland where she raised her." Remus looked over to the woman in grey and when she made no move to stop him, only fiddled with the folds of her robes he continued.
"With the help of Madam Pomfrey," Remus continued, " many of her more serious wounds have been healed, but it is imperative that we keep Miss James under our guardianship. She is still in grave danger, and Madam Pomfrey will need to work with her in order to complete a more intensive healing process." The tall, rangy man shifted from foot to foot nervously.
"West of Edinburgh?" Severus asked. "That wouldn't be near Gifford would it?" His voice was tense with strain and his arms were wrapped tightly across his chest. His head was tilted forward so that the inky strands of his hair hid his gaunt, pale face.
"Yes, in Gifford." Arianna replied numbly.
"There is only one large Estate that I have heard of in Gifford, and it is home to a din of snakes. Though I have never been there, I have been invited on many occasions. The Dark Lord was housed there briefly; they are loyal to his cause. Also, it is a known Death Eater haven. The fact that she kept you there and kept you alive for so long suggests that you were being kept for a purpose." Severus ended speculatively; the wheels in his mind whirled and clinked furiously. He did not recall hearing of any plots out of Gifford or any captives, but there was a great deal about which he was kept in the dark. Everyone had their machinations, what was one more plot by one more devout servant?
Dumbledore chose that moment to interrupt. Severus suspected that it was intentional, as usual. There was something that he did not want them knowing.
***** Present Day *****
Dumbledore arrived at Grimmauld Place early to find Molly Weasley busy in the kitchen. It smelled quite heavenly, and he sat himself down to enjoy a tidy little feast until he was ready to call the meeting to order.
When they had all eaten and settled themselves once again in the Library, the door was thrust open and Severus arrived and sat himself in his usual place. Dumbledore mused, term had yet to begin, and Severus had been cooped up yet another summer in Grimmauld Place. He spent his time back and forth between the old Black house and Hogwarts. He was like a caged animal, and Dumbledore knew that he would be goading others into arguments just to stir up excitement. He sighed wearily. It was time. He would plant the seed tonight and set things in motion.
It wasn't long before the door opened again slowly admitting Arianna, who joined him on the sete once again. They were both greatly changed. Though Severus was rather high strung, he had gained a bit of weight. He was still tall and rangy, but he had a heft to him that made him look even more opposing. His face was fuller and his skin glowed with good health. The lack of constant torture had increased his appetite, and the ability to sleep peacefully had given him more vigor. Still taciturn, he had changed drastically. His students no longer dreaded entering his classroom for fear that he would be biased and unfair, and his fellow teachers found pleasure in his dry wit and sarcasm. He would never be the life of the party, but he was building relationships.
The changes in Arianna, by comparison, were astounding. Her skin, though marked with the fine lines and scars that years of torture had caused, was luminous. Now that her state was not so dire, one could look upon her and see the beauty of the woman that had once been hidden behind the pain. She was striking, statuesque and poised. Her long chestnut hair hung in lovely curls over her shoulders and down her back. Gone was the old gray cloak, and instead she wore a lovely, long summer dress that clung to her beautiful figure. Dumbledore chuckled to himself as he spied the men in the room sit a little straighter as she walked in, all, that is, save for Severus who seemed to hunch forward and allow his hair to float like ravens wings and cover his face.
Dumbledore watched carefully; this was a gesture he was quite familiar with. He remembered pretty little Lilly Evans from Severus' school days. He had noticed such little ticks from Severus over the years. The boy was clearly intrigued. His dark eyes cut sharply and peeked surreptitiously at the buxom brunette. Each time she drew her hair over her ear or shifted her lovely thighs, the dark wizard tracked her every move with those burning eyes of his.
The old wizard smiled to himself. There would need to be little cajoling in that direction. He would allow it to play out on its own. The room grew quiet, and the elderly wizard rose, "It is good to see you all here safe and in good health," he nodded.
Severus snorted and uncrossed his legs and shifted uncomfortably.
The old wizard's robes glittered and flashed in the firelight as he made his way to the front of the room to address the group. The room quieted, and everyone looked at the old wizard expectantly.
"You are all aware of the hunt that has been underway for Tom Riddle's Horcruxes. A recent and rather troubling discovery was made. The Horcrux we sought in the Crystal Cave had already been removed and replaced with a fake." He stroked his woolly beard thoughtfully. "I am tasking all of you to keep your eyes open. Be on the look out for it, and if you should happen to come across it or mention of it in your research, do not try to apprehend it yourself."
"Please come to me, and we will discuss the best way to capture and dispose of it. This is the facsimile." He said as he drew the fake necklace. "Please look closely at it." He handed the innocuous item to Kingsley, who passed it along to Remus. One by one the Witches and Wizards studied the item. They had begun to talk among themselves when Arthur Weasley stood, upsetting his chair. The auburn headed man was flushed and gripped his knitted hat in his hand. Severus mused that Molly had better wrest it from him before he tore it to shreds with his worrying.
"A-Albus," Arthur stuttered uncomfortably. "I recognize this," he looked to the older Wizard who looked over the rim of his glasses at the trembling wizard.
"Yes, Arthur?" he prompted
"I've seen it . . . round the neck of Dolores Umbridge." Hat in one hand and necklace whirling from the shaking fingers of his other, outstretched hand, Arthur continued, "She wears it everyday. I don't know how ," he gulped audibly, "how we are going to wrest it from her. She is never without it. More importantly. She spends her days in a courtroom on level ten surrounded by Dementors. It's going to be near impossible . . ."
Dumbledore waved at the frazzled man in a calming gesture while his wife stood and patted him on the shoulder and helped him sit down.
Severus snorted derisively, "Where would poor Arthur be without Molly to cluck over him like a mother hen." He whispered to himself.
Arianna giggled quietly; She hadn't chosen to sit elsewhere during Order meetings because Severus' commentary always proved to be most entertaining. "Poor Arthur would be alone with his tattered nerves, and some other fellow would be harried and harassed to death." She rejoindered, pulling what almost resembled a smirk from the dark man.
Dumbledore glanced over at Harry and nodded subtly. The young man stood along with Hermione and Ron.
"Headmaster," the young man began nervously and ran his hands through his already mussed hair. "I want to volunteer for this mission."
"So do we," Hermione looked pointedly at Harry and then at Dumbledore while Ron mutely nodded with his hands in his pocket.
Kingsley stood and bowed his head subtly. He was joined by Bill and Remus, who were eager to help. Tonks stood up by Remus, "You're not going without me!" She grinned cheekily at him, and he shyly took her hand, though they hid their entwined digits behind them.
Moody looked at the lot of them and frowned. "Well, I'm not likely to let you lot go by yerselves. You'd be in Azkaban before you made it past the first checkpoint. I don't suppose the slimy snake is going to join us?" He glared at Severus. "No, I didn't think you'd put your worthless hide on the line, Snape"
Dumbledore bristled, "Moody," he spoke chiddingly. The grizzled man nodded mutely and sneered at Severus, "Apologies."
"Arsehole." Arianna muttered. Severus snorted, and Albus called the meeting .
Severus sat pensively staring into the fire with his arms folded as the room cleared. He watched as the lovely woman beside him stood and hesitated. She fidgeted with her fingers for a moment indecisively before leaving quietly. His eyes followed her form as she swayed across the room and turned to glance at him as she opened the door. Their eyes met, and she smiled softly and nodded to him before slipping out of the room quietly, shutting the door to the room behind her. Sitting back Severus let out a breath he had not realized he was holding, unknowing that just on the other side of the door, the brunette woman did the same thing, rubbing her arms gently to rid herself of the gooseflesh that covered her scarred flesh.
