Chapter Three
Severus swept his eyes over the basement, the stockpile of rare and dangerous potion ingredients, the scorch mark on the left wall, and the unicorn blood stain on the floor. Had it been just a month ago that he'd entered this room thinking it would be the key to his new life? He had to admit that in the face of leaving it all behind forever, he rather wished he'd spent longer focused on selfish brewing.
"Severus?" Draco called down the stairs. Severus quickly picked up the bag he'd stocked with necessary medical supplies and strode up the stairs. He stopped short at the sight of his godson extending his arm, a golden owl cage hanging from his hand.
"What's this?" Severus asked with distaste. He had never liked owls and James Potter training his to dive at Severus's eyes had changed that dislike into straight up hate.
"I expect letters," Draco said, oddly brave under his godfather's withering sneer.
"I suppose," Severus said with forced calm, "sending postcards would do much for my story of taking an extended vacation." He shrunk the cage, ignoring the shrill protesting hoot of the now tiny owl, and secured it in his bag.
"Got everything, then?" Draco asked.
"I have medical supplies, clothing, money, and a shrunken owl. I may have overpacked." Draco rolled his eyes and opened the door for his godfather. The two stepped out into the overcast day. Draco shivered and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm a bit jealous," Draco said with a wary glance at the sky.
"You'll be at school with all your friends, there is nothing to be jealous of."
"All my friends? You mean the Slytherins that hate me for being a traitor and everyone else that hates me for being a Death Eater?"
"Remember they are all just children. And that in a few more months you will be able to be much more selective about the company you keep."
"Not terribly comforting," Draco muttered. Without another word, he stepped over and grasped Severus's forearm. Severus obliged, spinning on the spot and only catching the very beginning of the loud crack that signaled Disapparition.
The first thing Severus noticed about their destination: near silence. No giggling kids running down a stone corridor, no hexes being yelled, no suspicious bangs. It lasted for roughly three minutes – the time it took the pair to walk across the neatly manicured lawn of the cottage and open the front door. Inside, Potter sat on an armchair with his head in his hands while Lupin and Black screamed unintelligibly at each other. Draco sent a nervous look at Potter and drew the now normal-sized owl to his chest just as the creature let out a terrifying shriek. Instantly, Lupin and Black fell silent and turned to look at the newcomers.
"Ah," Lupin said, face drawn tightly, "there's my cue to leave." Lupin had always treated Severus with courteous professionalism and the barely concealed dislike now on his face was disconcerting.
"Is there a problem?" Severus asked. Lupin wordlessly brushed past him and out the door. Black turned and disappeared down the hallway.
"Well," Harry said and cleared his throat. His voice was several notches too high and upon closer inspection he was clearly blushing. "I made brunch."
"I'm going to set up my things," Severus said, "but you two…enjoy yourselves." Now Draco and Potter had blushes to match. He eased the owl cage out of Draco's grasp and walked down the hall. The floors were carpeted in a mundane beige, the walls an equally uninteresting and faded yellow. Of the three doors, one was shut and the other lead to a small colorless bathroom. The third door lead to a reasonably sized furnished bedroom. Severus busied himself with cleaning charms and unpacking his things. The owl stayed in his cage for all of fifteen minutes before he began to trill non-stop. Severus opened his window and watched the black screech owl fly out over the nearby sea, wondering idly if it would come back.
Severus stopped at the bathroom on his way out to the living room and studied his reflection in the mirror. It was a general rule of his to not keep mirrors around. Every time he caught a glance of his own reflection it felt like he'd received a hex to the stomach. He never liked what he saw scowling back at him: his crooked beak of a nose, his squinty beady dark eyes, his sallow skin, and his perpetually oily hair. All the things he'd been teased for displayed right there and it was easy, painfully so, to see why he had been targeted. Who could be friends with someone they could barely look at?
Severus turned and went into the living room. He found Potter, Black, and Draco stretched out across the furniture, a half empty Firewhiskey bottle balanced dangerously close to the edge of the coffee table.
"It's not even noon," Severus said. Potter laughed.
"It's a farewell party," Draco said. He sat, Severus noted, with his leg pressed firmly against Potter's. Potter downed the rest of his glass and put his arm around Draco's shoulder.
"Farewell? We could be home within the week, you know."
"Yes, well," Draco said, "just in case." The previously cheerful atmosphere tensed just a bit. Severus snorted.
"I sincerely hope you aren't expecting Peter Pettigrew to kill me. If a snake couldn't take me down, a rat certainly won't." Draco looked slightly mollified and Black, surprisingly, grinned.
"To taking down a rat," he toasted, picked up the Firewhiskey bottle, and guzzled from it.
"So where exactly does Pettigrew's aunt live?" Severus asked. Black rubbed his temples and squinted. Severus had to admit that for all he was trying to move past childhood rivalries there was a part of him that enjoyed seeing Black suffering with a headache. He assuaged his guilt by reminding himself that Black knew he was perfectly capable of brewing a quick hangover cure but the other man was simply being stubborn and refusing to ask.
"The stucco house on the corner." Black jerked his head east and immediately winced.
"And she knows you only as her beloved nephew's friend, not her beloved nephew's murderer?"
"As far as I know," Black said.
"Well, that's a comforting display of confidence," Severus said.
"Confidence? What do you need confidence for, to go interview an elderly Muggle?"
"It could be a trap," Severus said.
"It could be you're overly paranoid," Sirius said.
"It could be you're grievously lax."
"It's my freedom on the line here," Black said. Severus realized that, somehow, they were both standing and facing each other, shoulders tensed. "If you don't want to be here, go back to Spinner's End and I'll handle it myself." Severus had to bite back a retort about it being Black's turn to finally do something. He took several deep breaths and forced himself to sit back down.
"Fair point," Severus said. "So I am going to go knock on his aunt's door, introduce myself as an old friend trying to find him, and name drop you as necessary."
"Yes," Black said. "It's not great but she's the only person I know Pettigrew stayed in contact with after he faked his death."
"Why would he risk that?" Severus asked.
"She was always very generous with money and sweets, I guess." Black shrugged. "You have the cloak, just in case?" Severus pushed his hand into his pocket and felt the soft folds of Potter's invisibility cloak. After literal decades of trying to understand how Potter had executed his plans so perfectly, he held the answer in his hands. More surprisingly, he was using it to help Black. Sixteen-year-old Severus Snape would never have predicted this moment happening. Sixteen-year-old Snape was an idiot anyway.
"Yes," Severus said and stood. "With any luck, I will be back shortly." Black nodded and sank into the overstuffed lavender armchair, his fingers once again massaging his temples. Severus double-checked that his wand was in his possession and went outside. A brown stucco two-story house sat down a few blocks of gleaming white sidewalk. He passed by a Muggle woman in jeans walking her dog and he felt suddenly nervous that he'd overdressed in his slacks and collared button-up. He had done quite a lot of infiltration in his days as a Death Eater but almost none of that had involved dressing as a Muggle. He had egged them into laughing at his flapping robes just to make killing them all the more satisfying…but that was long ago, back when he was idiot Severus. Dangerous, cruel, greedy, and violent but above all an idiot.
Severus rapped on the door and smoothed a hand over his shirt. As soon as the door opened, he quickly scanned the woman and what he could see of her house. She was heavily overweight and wore a light cotton sundress with sandals two sizes too small. Her walls were slate gray, her floors hardwood, and when he finished his quick glance of her house he met her eyes and smiled as smoothly as possible.
"Mrs. Adamson?" he asked with an understated smile.
"Yes, and you are?" She smiled back but was clearly guarded – she leaned against the door to effectively inch it shut.
"Severus Snape," he said, "I went to school with your nephew, Peter."
"Oh!" Her eyes widened and she straightened up away from the door. "You went to Hogwarts Prep, then?"
"Yes ma'am," he said and she laughed.
"Oh no, you won't get away with that! I'm not a ma'am quite yet." She glanced over her shoulder and then stepped back to open the door. "I'm guessing you'd like to come in. Leave your shoes at the door please." Severus slipped out of his shoes and followed her into the sitting room in his socked feet. As much as he'd doubted himself, he felt at ease. This was no different than what he'd done for fifteen years only with much lower stakes.
They chatted a bit about the school, what he'd been doing since graduation, and how he liked his work as a zookeeper. (Severus had guessed, based on her artwork and the food bowl in the kitchen, that she liked animals.) Then she bustled off the kitchen and came back with a tray of tea and finger sandwiches.
"Delicious," he said after eating one. "Thank you."
"No problem, none at all," she said. "So, I do admit to being curious what brought you here."
"I've been trying to get in touch with Peter," Severus said. He dropped a sugar cube into his tea and, after a gesture of permission, poured milk into hers. "I assume he told you about our friends James and Lily Potter." Instantly, her pleasant expression pinched and she patted her chest.
"Ah, yes," she said. "Terrible business, the poor dears. And their son Harry, yes?"
"Yes," Severus said. "Well, I'm moving and I've been cleaning house. I discovered in my old belongings an unopened envelope from the Potters, addressed to Peter. I'm not sure how it ended up in my possession but I am doing my best to give it back."
"Oh, how thoughtful! Well, leave it here and I'll make sure Peter gets it the next time he visits. He called me just yesterday and said he'd be dropping by this week."
"Why don't you ring me when he shows up and I can come surprise him? I'm sure he would love a visit from an old friend." Her smile faded once more only this time instead of sadness she displayed frustration.
"No, no," she said. "The boy won't let me have any visitors when he's around. One time I had friends over for bridge club and he sent them home. Not sure how he did it, mind. Gertrude is normally very stubborn about her bridge playing…" Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she let her words trail off. Abruptly she was no longer a doting host and instead focused, probing. Severus cursed himself. He'd underestimated the situation and played right into her hands. "You went to school with Peter?"
"Yes," Severus said and sank back into the couch, steeling himself for a bothersome afternoon of interrogation.
"Well?" Sirius asked the moment Severus stepped into the house.
"She was a nosy old hag that's been Obliviated at least four too many times," Severus said, "but she served her purpose. Pettigrew will be visiting her sometime this week and I have placed detection and anti-Apparition wards around her home. As soon as he enters we will know and be able to take him down." Severus crossed to the window of the living room and peered out. A trio of young children played with a hose in a front yard. "There is another matter. I am not sure of the relevance – I can't think of why–"
"What, Snape? Did something happen?"
"Pettigrew's aunt blocked my attempts at legilimency." Black was silent and, clearly, stunned. "There is of course the possibility of her being under control of an Imperius or bewitched in another way. And if that's the case, well…"
"We lost our only lead. Fuck!" Black jumped to his feet and began to pace, kneading his forehead with his knuckles. "What's to say she's not contacting Peter right now?"
"I did not detect any magical items or residue in her home. Her fireplace is not connected to the floo network and she has no pets. If she has an owl that is simply elsewhere, we will be alerted when it returns and my spellwork will prevent it from leaving."
"Yet you're still bothered." Severus reflexively scowled at Black.
"Am I?"
"Yes, and I am too." There was a long silence. Severus crossed into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. The beige of the carpet was starting to depress him but only half as much as the fact that Black had just calmly expressed his feelings. This was wholly uncharted territory. "So what now?"
"We wait," Severus said with a second glance at the window. "Indoors, so as to not risk being spotted by Pettigrew's aunt." Black grunted and flung himself down in front of the television. Severus had never watched TV before and stood a moment to watch as Black picked up the remote and pressed a red circular button. Muggles sprung to life in full-color, moving as easily as any wizard inside a picture. He shook himself and retreated to his bedroom. He'd brought a select few books, chosen for their tediousness and thickness. He had expected a lot of painfully boring time waiting. Frankly, an hour into the first musty tome, he did not understand how Black had spent the past the past six years in various stages of killing time. For the first time, he felt a surge of guilt over the many times he'd goaded Black about staying home. Severus quickly shook his head, brushed away his emotions, and buried himself back into his book.
He woke in the morning slumped over his book, a thin line of drool sticking his cheek to the pages. His back protested as he straightened and rubbed the wet away. He allowed himself a few seconds of sleepy disorientation and then moved swiftly to the living. His spells had not yet been disturbed but still he peered out the window at the house of Pettigrew's aunt. Her car sat untouched in the driveway, her curtains partially open. As he watched, she shuffled back and forth across the window, first with a pot of tea and then with a cat.
Severus started at the creak of a door and listened to Black's plodding steps. "Anything?" Severus turned to answer. His lip curled when he saw Black's current state but he held the snide remark back. Still, he did not appreciate the other man coming out in just his underwear.
"Not now," he said and let the curtains fall from his hand. He hesitated and then said, "I'm making tea. Would you like some?"
"No," Black said immediately and turned back to his room. The door shut with an unnecessarily loud bang.
Severus made the tea and drank two cups while sitting on the couch and focusing on his wards for any disturbance, however minor. At one point Adamson herself disturbed the ward but a quick locating spell showed she merely drove to the store. She returned with a paper bag of groceries.
Two days later, Severus began to deeply regret his agreement to do this. He should have told them to include him when they had more ideas. Wasting away in a drab living room was not how he'd expected this to go. On the third day, he woke with a start. His magic thrummed through him, the tell-tale sign of a disturbed ward. As he leapt out of bed, he became aware of the alarm he had set ringing shrilly. He and Black leapt into the hallway at the same time, in similar states of sloppy dress.
They reached the window together and looked out just in time to see Pettigrew disappear into his aunt's house. So, it was happening now, then.
"That rat," Black growled and wrenched the door open.
"Black, no." Severus grabbed his arm to hold him back. ""He set up his own wards over mine. If we burst in there, he'll be gone."
"So he knows someone set up magic on the house?" Black asked, then paused and shook his head. "No, he was never good with detection."
"Right, which works in our favor now. I will take down his wards in just a few moments. Go hide yourself as the dog and get his scent, just in case he tries to run." Normally Black would have bristled at being given directions and Severus appreciated just how serious the situation had to be for him to simply nod, transform, and slink away in the shadows between the cottages.
Severus pulled out his wand and began the incantation to remove Pettigrew's wards without detection. As he worked, he became aware of how fast his heart thumped in his chest. He forced himself to slow down and calm himself. He always got overexcited when it came time to action after long periods of rest.
A droplet of sweat rolled down his cheek as he swung his wand and wiped away the last of Pettigrew's wards, leaving only his own Anti-Apparation ones intact. He checked that he had the proper healing and offensive potions on his belt and slipped out of the house into the sunshine with his wand out. As he approached the house, Black in his dog form padded up beside him and seamlessly morphed back.
"Are you ready, Black?" Severus asked and received a tight nod in affirmation. He had gone even paler than normal, his eyes wild, and sweat shone on his forehead. Severus kept his observations to himself and motioned Black over to the rear entrance. With a quiet Alohomora they entered the house.
Pettigrew's voice drifted from the living room. Severus had to concentrate to make out a few of the words and gathered Pettigrew was regaling his aunt with fabricated tales of his popularity and success. Severus, despite himself, felt a pang of poisonous hate toward the man. He had contributed to so much suffering by always putting himself first and now, after the war, he still got what he wanted. He had never sacrificed, never protected, never acted selflessly and yet-
Black jerked his head at the living room with a questioning, yet still murderous, look. Severus tapped his wand onto Black's forearm and black words spawned on it. "You get Pettigrew. I'll knock out the aunt." Black nodded, wiped his arm clean, and they entered the living room shoulder to shoulder.
Severus had faced down countless opponents over the years. For all the importance that had been placed on this task, it was over in a second, even before Pettigrew had fully formed a look of surprise. Severus had to admit he was impressed with Black's restraint as the man fell to the ground stiff under Locomotor Mortis rather than glassy eyed from Avada Kedavra. The aunt had long since fallen asleep under Severus's sleeping spell. He quickly placed a false memory of Pettigrew bidding her a permanent farewell and then turned to find Black checking Pettigrew's magically-conjured restraints. The rage had melted from his face and was replaced with an eerie calm.
"Black?" Severus asked. "How are we going to proceed?"
"Take him to the Ministry," Black said, eyes fixed on the traitor's prone form. "I'll return home and await whatever's going to happen." His eyes stayed on Pettigrew as he said, "Severus, I am putting all my trust in you. If you are really turning over a new leaf, don't let him escape." He paused and looked up. Severus felt an odd jolt in his stomach as Black looked into his eyes. He had never seen such an unguarded, unhostile look from the other man in all the decades they had known each other. "Please."
"I won't," he said and the sneering confidence slipped in out of habit. "Now go see your godson." With a flick of his wand, he dismantled his wards. Black nodded and at once they Disapparated to their respective destinations.