A/N: I'm not very convinced about this chapter... maybe a flashback would have been better but since I am telling the story focused on Severus I didn't want to change that... The next update will take longer because I don't have enough material/ideas for an entire chapter... I'm sorry.

Enjoy!

** I apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling mistakes you will surely find...

Double life - 4

Severus was standing in front of Minerva's chambers hoping she had gone there after rushing out Dumbledore's office. He knew he could just forget what he'd seen and continue with his peaceful new life but a voice inside of him, maybe what was left of his conscience, was telling him he couldn't let it go, that he had to do something to prevent Minerva of getting harm.
"Severus," she said after opening the door, her expression showing that he was the last person she expected to find at the other side, "did I do that to you?" her tone changed completely, she took her hand to his scratched bleeding cheek and opened her eyes wildly. Grabbing him from his wrist she pulled him inside and made him sit down on the armchair near the fire.
Severus didn't dare to say a word and watched how the witch searched for something in a cabinet. She came back with gauzes and some ointment and began to clean the superficial wounds she had caused on Severus face without asking.
"Minerva, you don't need to do this..." Severus muttered, confused because he thought she would be upset with him, "I came to apologize for talking to you like that..."
"It's ok. I understand you were surprised to see me with Rabastan... I shouldn't have lost my temper like that either..." she explained, calmly and with that solemnity that characterized her as she applied the cold ointment on his cheek, "this will make the scratches heal up faster."
"Thanks," Severus said, surprised of her kindness.
"Don't thank me, I just don't want your face announcing my bad temper around the school..." she teased and then sat down on the other armchair.
"Trust me, your bad temper is already known around the school..." he replied and Minerva grinned at him.
"We already apologized to each other, Severus... it's not like I am asking you to leave but... is there anything else I can help you with?"
"I just don't understand..." he said.
"What?" she asked.
"Why you're doing this... I mean... you're risking too much and giving too much only to help the Order catch a couple more Death Eaters..."
"I'm not doing this for the Order, Severus..." she confessed.
"What do you mean?" now he was confused.
"Some weeks after You-Know-Who disappeared and the war finished the Lestranges attacked the son of a very good friend of mine and his wife. They used the cruciatus curse on them trying to find out the whereabouts of their Lord... Frank and Alice won't ever be the same again, they don't even recognize their own baby..." she explained with a broken voice, "Augusta, my friend, is desperate... she's lost her son and now she'll have to take care of this little baby while the Lestranges are walking freely down the streets of London able to harm anyone they want again..."
"If you know it was them why don't you just report them to the Aurors Department..." Severus said.
"Because there are no proofs. When I went to visit them in the hospital Augusta came to me and asked me to find out who the responsibles of the attack had been. Frank and Alice were part of the Order so everybody helped at the beginning... We heard rumors about the Lestranges boasting about attacking a couple aurors but we needed to investigate further..."
"So you decided to become Rabastan's lover?" after his words came out of his mouth he realized how bad they sounded, but Minerva didn't seem to care.
"He is one year younger than me, we knew each other from Hogwarts and I knew he had a crush on me then so... it was perfect," she explained, "I began to frequent Knockturn Alley, hoping to run into him and one day I did... He recognized me immediately." she stopped a moment and then continued, "Having him trust me was easier than I thought... I told him I had fought in the Dark side during the war and that I was working for Dumbledore trying to learn where the Dark Lord was hidden... This was three months ago and I am this close to gather enough information to send him, his brother and his wife to Azkaban for the rest of their lives."
"Then why don't you stop now? If they find out you're a traitor they'll..."
"I know the risks of what I'm doing, Severus... but I held Frank Longbottom on my arms when he was born and I won't stop before I can prove it was them the ones who attacked him and Alice... I promised it to Augusta and I'll do it..."
"The only thing you'll do is getting yourself killed, Minerva... You don't know them as I do... they have fun with the suffering of others... They'll torture you to death... Please, promise me you'll stop this double life you're living before it's too late." he said and Minerva let go a laugh.
"I've done things I'll never forget to be where I am, Severus... you know better than anyone else, you gave me the potion to miscarry his baby, Rabastan Lestrange baby... I am not ready to give up yet..."
"What else do you need?"
"Are you offering me your help, Severus?" she asked.
"If I can help you to end this crazy mission sooner, yes..."
Minerva sighed and looked at him, he was serious and he wondered why he wanted to help.
"I'm trying to prove they were there when the attacked occurred... I have a recording spell in my wand every time I meet with him but I haven't been lucky..."
"Ok... I'll do my own investigation... I'll bring you the information you need but you must promise me you won't go with him again..."
"I can't... Rabastan will be waiting for me next Friday night like every week to spent the weekend together, and if I don't appear he'll get suspicious and come to the school..."
"Alright, try to have fun then, because it'll be his last weekend of freedom."

TO BE CONTINUED...