Chapter 10

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Severus Snape stood in the doorway, his hair pulled back into a ponytail. Heavy scarring marred the side of his neck, and he raised an eyebrow at the Doctor and Rose. His voice was a gravelly rasp when he spoke. "Mr. Mott. Why does this not surprise me?"

The Doctor grinned. "Because you saw what happened to Lord Septimus' portrait my third year?"

Snape snorted. "That wasn't something to brag about, boy."

"Of course not, sir." There was a lingering grin in the Doctor's voice, and Snape seemed to hear it. He scowled at them as Rose stepped next to the Doctor, watching their old professor curiously.

"You do realize I'll have to do some heavy memory modification, thanks to your little spell." He glanced around the room, taking in the silvery chalk around the doors and windows and the heavy scent of incense in the air. "What did you use, anyway?"

"Specto preteritus, sir."

His eyebrows winged upwards. "I don't believe I've heard of it."

The Doctor rocked forward, his hands going into his pockets. He was practically beaming. "That's because I created it, sir."

Snape frowned. "You're telling me you decided to test an unknown spell in an area with this much built-up magical residue?"

"Ah." The Doctor paused, tugging on his earlobe. "Yes?"

"An' he did a bang-up job, too." Rose raised her chin, her eyes still on Snape. "It worked perfectly."

Snape's jaw tightened. "It may have, but it was still an asinine thing to do."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Mott?"

"What are the Death Eaters doing around Hogwarts?"

Snape snorted. "Why ask me? Potter couldn't have blown my cover more effectively if he'd tried, the little cretin."

Rose frowned. "Well, he did think you were dead. We all did."

"You were meant to." There was a groan from the corner, and they turned to the Death Eater.

Snape flicked his wand at her and long ropes leapt into existence, binding themselves around her wrists and ankles. He strode over and picked up her wand, tucking it in his pocket. She opened her eyes, and he raised an eyebrow. "Drusilla Marbury. I can't say this is a pleasure."

She spat at him, but he shifted out of the way before it could hit. She growled, "I could say the same of you, blood traitor."

He simply raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Her mouth curled back in a feral snarl. "There is nothing you could do that would make me tell you, you son of a Muggle-loving whore."

Snape's jaw tightened. "That was unwise, madam, as well as untrue." A small, frosty smile tilted his mouth as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a gleaming crystal vial. Drusilla clenched her jaw and he flicked his wand, rasping out, "Accio antidote." There was an odd noise somewhere between a squelch and a crunch, and blood flecked her lips as her tooth flew out of her mouth and into his palm. He raised an eyebrow as she howled in pain. "You forget that I was once a Death Eater." He dropped her tooth and stomped on it, leaving a mess of blood and a steaming, thick green potion on the floor as it shattered.

Rose shuddered and turned into the Doctor's shoulder as Snape forced the Veritaserum down Drusilla's throat. He crossed his arms, letting his wand tap his shoulder as a constant reminder. "Now. What are the Death Eaters doing at Hogwarts?" She bit her tongue, and he flicked his wand again. "Oh, no you don't."

Her mouth opened, blood dripping from her lips. Her eyes were narrowed in fury. "We search for the heir. Our Lord's line must continue."

Snape frowned. "The heir? What are you talking about?"

She laughed suddenly, harshly. "You never knew. Oh, Our Lord was clever. He didn't trust you, but we, we He honored. We hold the birthright for His future."

Snape's black eyes narrowed. "Who is we?"

"We loyal few, waiting in the dark. You were never one of us. No, you kept your job, your life. You gave Him nothing, but we gave it all."

He stood and paced for a minute, his hands clenched together behind his back. When he turned to her again, his jaw tightening. "What heir?"

Drusilla's mouth opened again, but the only noise that came out was a strangled gasp. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against the wall, blood dribbling out of her mouth in a slow, steady trickle. He checked her pulse and straightened, his hands clenching compulsively. "Her mind was entrapped. I should've known."

The Doctor shifted, and a loud creak brought Snape's attention back to them. He sighed and lifted his wand. "And yet more loose ends." The Doctor had wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulders, and he tightened his grip as Snape turned to face them again. A flash of emotion flickered over his pale face, something that almost looked like regret. "For the record, Mr. Mott, Miss Tyler, I am impressed. Only spells of the highest level would have caused my wards to alert me."

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as Snape gestured with his wand, sketching an odd, circular symbol on her palm as the older wizard snapped out, "Obliviate." She could feel the spell wending its way through her mind, but an odd golden glow shielded her memories from its reach. In the shack, she heard him speak once more—"Dormiens"—before everything faded to black.

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Rose woke slowly, shivering in the cool air. There was a groan to her right and she looked over to see the Doctor pushing himself up off the gritty floor. He offered her a hand and she pulled herself up, her teeth chattering. He wrapped her in his arms, his cloudy breath winding around her.

She cleared her throat, leaning into his chest. "So Snape's alive, and the Death Eater's gone."

He tightened his arms around her, a smug smile in his voice. "It would seem so."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you're going to be like that—you were right. Happy now?"

"Yes, very much."

After a moment, she spoke again. "Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"What was that symbol you traced on my palm? Why can I remember what happened?"

He shrugged, his arms shifting around her. "It's an old spell Wilf taught me. He said the Aurors used to use it to protect themselves against mind magic." He snickered. "You might say it's handy to know."

She groaned. "That was terrible."

He glanced at his watch over her shoulder and blanched at the time. "Oh, Merlin. We'll have to run to get back before they leave."

She pulled back and tightened her scarf around her throat, grinning at him. "Well, a bit of running never hurt anyone."

They barely got back to Hogsmeade in time, arriving panting and laughing at the meet-up point. Professor Sprout clucked disapprovingly at them, but her eyes were smiling. Martha's, on the other hand, were icy. Donna sighed and shook her head. "So where were you two all day?"

"We were in Hogsmeade, weren't we, Rose?" The Doctor elbowed her lightly, and she swatted his arm.

"We were just explorin', like I told you."

Donna raised an eyebrow. "And where were you doing this exploring?"

Rose glanced at the chaperones herding them together, and lowered her voice. "Later, yeah? I can't really talk about it now."

The Doctor glanced down at her, frowning, and she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, not that."

Martha pursed her lips. "Oh, look, there's Nidia. I'll just go catch up. Later, Donna." She hurried off and Donna elbowed the Doctor in the side, considerably harder than he'd elbowed Rose.

His breath puffed out of him in an odd grunt, and he frowned at her. "What was that for?"

"Look, I know you don't like Martha like that, but maybe try bein' a bit nicer about it, yeah?"

He blinked, his brown eyes wide and guileless. "What do you mean?"

She snorted. "Oh, don't play that with me, space boy. I've known you since you were three months old, an' there's no way I'll actually buy that innocent act."

He scowled and tucked his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders. "Is it my fault she can't take a hint?"

"No, but it is your fault if you don't treat her like the friend she is." The Doctor ducked his head and Rose cleared her throat awkwardly, playing with the end of her scarf. Donna sighed. "So, what were you two doing all afternoon, anyway?"

He brightened. "You know that spell I've been working on?"

"Which one?"

"The memory one." He grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Rose and I tried it out, and it worked."

She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Rose helped you? I thought you weren't going to work with other people anymore after that time you turned Leo into a newt."

The Doctor flushed. "He got better!"

Rose grinned. "Wait, what happened?"

Donna opened her mouth, and the Doctor interrupted. "Nothing. Not a thing happened, it was completely lacking in things."

She rolled her eyes. "So, later, then?"

Donna smirked. "Sounds good to me."

The Doctor scowled. "Donna!"

"What? If you're going to be an arse, I get to laugh about it afterward. It's quite simple, really."

"Always a good plan." Rose frowned. The light male voice was unfamiliar, but both the Doctor and Donna had stiffened. She turned and found herself looking at the trim brunette Slytherin she'd noticed the night of the Welcoming Feast. He smiled at her, something hard and calculating in his eyes. "I don't believe you've introduced me to your latest friend, Doctor. Not that I can blame you, really—you do seem to go through them awfully fast. It must get tiring after a while." He held out a hand to Rose, and she took it nervously. "Koschei Rosier."

"Rose Tyler." She took her hand back quickly, tucking her hands deep into her pockets.

The Doctor stepped closer to Rose, glaring at the other boy. "What do you want, Koschei?"

"Want? Who says I want anything?" He rested a hand on his chest theatrically. "Honestly, Doctor, your lack of trust hurts."

His jaw tightened. "Don't call me that."

"What? 'Doctor'?" Koschei shook his head, tutting. "But all your little groupies get to call you that."

Rose raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling merrily. "So you consider yourself his groupie, do you?"

Donna sorted before bursting into laughter, and even the Doctor grinned. Koschei, on the other hand, looked furious. His eyes narrowed dangerously before he calmed himself, a mask of smooth courtesy slipping back into place. He smiled ingratiatingly at her and Rose pulled her shoulders together, feeling the sudden need for a shower. A corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk, and he gave her a slight bow. "Well. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Rose."

"It's Miss Tyler, and I can't say the same for you." She looked up at the Doctor, giving him a tongue-touched grin. "Race you to the castle?"

His answering smile was wide, but his eyes were still dark with worry. "You're on." They tore off together, shooting past the other students. Koschei raised an eyebrow as he looked at Donna and she snorted.

"Don't look at me. I'm not runnin' off." She straightened her bag on her shoulder, and he scowled as he dropped back to join his fellow Slytherins.

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Specto preteritus: roughly, to look at the past.