Disclaimer: Not mine.


The Unwanted

Chapter Four


12 Years Later


Severus Snape walked briskly through the streets of Hogsmeade. Summer break had begun two days previously and he was anxiously looking forward to his summer at Spinner's End, away from his dungeon prison. All he had to do was complete the potions that Poppy, Hogwarts' Medi-Witch had requested, and then he was free to leave, free from his warden, free from the oath that held him there for a few short months.

He picked up the ingredients he needed, and decided to stop in at The Three Broomsticks for a quick lunch. He had missed the midday meal at the school and did not care to eat alone in the dungeons. Stepping into the dark establishment, he stopped for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust. Thinking that the dungeons offered more charm than the place he was in, he made his way over to a small table at the back. Once he was seated, he ordered lunch, leaning back impatiently to wait.

"Well, well, Severus." Albus all but glowed as he walked to his table. "Never thought to run into you today,"

"Headmaster, I know I will be sorry for asking, but what can I do for you today?" Severus questioned knowing that if the Headmaster had hunted him down it would not be good.

"Now, now my boy…," he began.

"My boy? This one had better be good. Whenever you call me that it is followed by a rather infringing request."

"I would never dream of infringing on your upcoming holiday. You are entitled to your time." Albus smiled benignly.

"Oh wait," Severus groaned. "Here it comes, I feel it. Isn't it enough I give you my life?"

"I just wanted to mention, that if you happen to have some free time this summer, out there in the Muggle world of Spinner's End, you may have time for a little research?"

"The Muggle world of Spinner's End? I take it you want something no one else is willing to get?" Severus questioned with one eyebrow rising.

Using wandless magic Albus cast a silencing spell around the table. Looking around the Three Broomsticks and seeing only customers he knew were loyal to the Order, or that he could trust, he turned to Severus.

"We have reason to believe that something of Tom's has been hidden in a Muggle cathedral, or graveyard. However, we do believe it to be in a cathedral. The only clue that we have is that it is a Christian like tomb, that there is a large carving over it, and that the carving is in the appearance of a Snake. Since you have lived as a Muggle, I thought you could help." Albus explained.

"A Snake, on a Christian tomb?" Severus repeated thinking that Albus had gone mad. "Perhaps you misunderstood. I can see a painting, or some other design, depicting the serpent they give some credit to in their early writings, but a statue of a snake?"

"A charmed carving Severus, it would not appear as a snake to a Muggle, nor would its true form show in a muggle photograph. I know it is highly unlikely that you will find what we are looking for, all I ask is that you try. I have others in the search a well, however with your background in their world I hoped you would agree to help as well"

"What does this statue appear to Muggles as?"

"Why, an angel of course," Albus sighed, waving off Severus' protest. "It seems a prophecy has been given concerning a winged angel and Tom's re-emergence. I do not give much credence to the prophecy. However this one seems to have come from a trustworthy source."

"A prophecy," Severus sneered. "Do tell. What was the whole prophecy?"

"He who will not be named, but called anew, will rise under the winged one that guards the tomb being the serpent of death."

"From that you get a white marble angel in a Christian Cathedral, of course Albus, and I would not guess there would be many of those around. Just a few thousand to examine in my free time. I assume this is the romantic Angel? White flowing robes, wings and a halo?"

"Why of course Severus. Why would a Muggle picture an old man in dusty robes just because that is what their text describes?" He chuckled. "They prefer to rewrite their text books to see what they want."

"May the Saints of Muggles save me," Severus muttered. "How you came up with this idea, from that half baked prophecy is beyond me, but then again I do not have your inane hope that all things are as simple as they seem."

Later in his chambers, he was packing a few belongings that he thought he may need over the summer. If he forgot something, he could floo back for it without anyone knowing. He kept a couple of extra robes at Spinner's End, and his old muggle clothing as well.

He grabbed a book, Symbols Through the Ages, thinking it may come in handy for the search, a couple of potion books he had put off reading and a couple of books by muggle authors he thought looked interesting. With a glance around, he moved to the fireplace, and took a handful of floo powder. Stepping into the fireplace, he threw it down and called out Spinner's End.

He emerged in his old home, located in a run down area not quite muggle, not quite wizard. It was the type of area that no one really paid much attention to or cared what the neighbours did. The wizard houses may not have had electricity, but half the muggles did without as well. It was a bill to pay, and one of the first to let go when times got rough. At Spinner's End, times were always rough, always dark, and always dangerous. It was a place wizards could, and did hide, and a place not frequented by pure-bloods.

Severus spent the first days cleaning, stocking the cupboards, tending the small garden outside his back door, and checking, resetting, and testing his wards. No one else was able to floo in, and the strong anti-apparition wards insured no one could merely pop in. He did not want Death Eaters dropping by for a friendly chat by the fireside, nor did he want to waste his firewhiskey on them.

Sighing he knew he needed to spend a few hours on Albus' foolish task. He needed to bring something to the Order meeting in three days time, even if it was news that he hadn't found anything, as it surely would be.

The only old Cathedrals he was familiar with were Winchester, Canterbury, and Westminster as it was these three his mother had dragged him to in an effort to teach him more history than she knew. Since he was by large unfamiliar with the religious sites of Muggle England, he decided he might as well start with these three, make a report and be done with the search.

He apparated to a small covered parking lot next to a hotel. Looking around, he quickly started across the grounds to the main entrance of Winchester Cathedral. Rolling his eyes at the number of tourists in blue jeans and white trainers, he walked through the vast building peering into dark corners and looking for anything resembling a Snake or a Muggle statue that could be obscuring one.

The reconstruction on the flooded lower levels was still ongoing, and made his inspection of them impossible. However, he did not think he would find a fine sculptured statue hidden underground and standing in stagnant water. He picked up a small booklet on the history of Winchester in case he needed to look for clues in the dates of construction, or the status of the underground repairs, and headed back to the hotel's second floor restaurant for lunch.

After eating, he headed back to Spinner's End, reading for a while before fixing a simple dinner and climbing into bed hoping for a dreamless sleep. Too soon morning came with overcast skies that threatened rain, destroying his plans of finishing his work in the back yard.

Wonderful, he thought bleakly, nice way to start a holiday. He made the decision that he may as well spend another day on research for Albus. He set off for Canterbury since he could not enjoy the out of doors, nor plant the seeds that he had brought from Hogwarts, wanting to start his own ingredients garden.

Arriving behind the temporary public loos in a crack of thunder, he cursed himself for not placing a silencing spell before he realized that the thunder was in fact coming from overhead. As he hurried to the winding pavement that would take him to the main entrance, he pulled his jacket closed and bent his head to the wind, hoping to make it to the doors before the storm broke overhead. Looking up at the Cathedral, he did not notice the woman that stepped onto the pavement ahead of him, moving slowly, until he knocked into her and sent her sprawling to the ground. He muttered apologies as he attempted to help her up, just as the rain started.

"I did not realize anyone could move so slowly in an impending downpour," he snarled and reached down for her elbow. Seeing a moment too late that the small woman was reaching for a cane like walking aide, he rolled his eyes as he tried to remove his foot from his mouth.

"Do excuse my behavior, I am not in the habit of knocking invalids over, nor am I in the habit of making light of their disabilities." He knew the moment the words were out of his mouth that two feet could indeed fit. Hell, he knew it before the words were out, he just could not stop them.

Helping her to stand he bent down to retrieve her three-pronged walking stick. Handing it to her, he looked at her face for the first time.

She was shorter than he, most witches were, however she stood straight under his glare. Dark Auburn hair cut short, chin length, slightly shorter at the back allowing the sides to sweep forward to frame a face consisting of cold green eyes, a small upturned nose, and lips that he kept looking at. Colour came to his cheeks as he glanced around, thinking of what he should do.

He was in the pouring rain, standing with a young Muggle woman, her knees and hands scraped, her clothing soaked, and her belongings scattered. It was his fault. He could not use his magic to dry her, and he had already called her a cripple. Things were going fine so far.

"Sir," she pulled her arms from his. "I will thank you kindly to retrieve my belongings from the ground and unhand me," she scowled not meeting his eyes.

He could feel her anger and fear roll off her in waves, and he immediately let her go. As he bent to retrieve the items still scattered on the ground, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She slid her arm into a circular attachment at the top of the odd-looking cane, grasped the handle, and sighed in relief as her weight transferred from her right leg to her arm. Rotating her neck, she seemed to relax finding no more than the usual amount of discomfort.

"You were injured," Severus said.

"What do you think?" she snapped.

"I did not mean your leg woman, I was speaking of your knees, your hands, and from the way you are moving no doubt your neck or back," he hissed at her.

"Why are you talking to me like this? You pushed me down. If I am that much of an inconvenience just keep on walking. I can take care of myself, always have, always will," she spoke with clenched teeth, staring at his chest.

Severus ran his long figures through his lank hair, and sighed. "I am not a very kind person, as you no doubt have noticed. I have little experience in this sort of thing and have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I do know that I will not leave you like this. So just close your mouth and allow me to assist you back to you pre-fall condition," he said as controlled as he could.

Looking down at her torn stockings, and bleeding knees he asked, "Do you live close by? I could send you home in a taxi?"

"No, I came in on the train. I am only here for couple of hours," she murmured, glancing around. "Perhaps you could find me a pub. I could use their facilities to wash up and rid myself of these ripped stockings. As for the wet clothes … well, it is raining. I would have been wet regardless."

"Allow me." He nodded his agreement to the plan, and took her left elbow gently.

"I need directions to a pub, not your help and I do not need help walking. I can do that quite well on my own." She lifted her chin stubbornly pulling her arm roughly from his.

"Yes, I am sure you can, however, I am not used to walking next to a wi… woman without holding her arm. It is only proper. I am sorry to offend you such. However," he again grabbed her elbow, "you will allow me this courtesy." He gritted his teeth waiting for her refusal.

When none came, he turned in the direction of the street, his eyes searching for some sort of eatery that would do. Across the street and about three doors up, he saw what he was looking for, all thought of white marble angels gone from his mind as he took her wet books from her, grabbed her arm roughly and walked toward the pub.

Albus would pay for his he thought. Yes, Albus would pay.


A/N: Okay, so here are the first four chapters of the story. If you read the original posting, or are new to this story, I would appreciate your feed back... thanks.