Author's Note: I apologize for the long time in updating this. I should have updated sooner, but I was too focused on my other fics and had to work out how I wanted this fic to turn out.
Talking with Maria and Tobias the next day didn't help matters. They informed me that the only couples in the Order that were expecting at all were Lily and James Potter and Frank and Alice Longbottom and both women were due to give birth in late July or early August. Also, both couples had defied the Dark Lord three times already, one of them refusing his offer to join him and the other two times in battle. Hearing Lily's name upset me the most, since that meant she would be even more of a target. It took some time before Maria and Tobias calmed me down and then they suggested that I pass along the information about the impending births, since the Dark Lord would find out eventually and it would raise my standing among the other Death Eaters if I was the one to bring the news to him first.
After finishing my shift, I Apparated to the Dark Lord's side. "My Lord," I said, after I had been admitted to his presence, "I have news for you, which relates to the prophecy that I told you about yesterday."
He looked down at me. "You may rise and tell me your news, Severus."
"While working today, I overheard a conversation between my employer and her older daughter. It seems that two women in the Order of the Phoenix are pregnant, and are due to give birth at the end of July or the beginning of August. Their names are Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom."
"Hmm," said the Dark Lord thoughtfully. "It seems that one, or both of them, will have sons that could have the power to defeat me. I will have to see when their children will be born, and whether or not they will be male, and then target the appropriate one to keep him from ever growing up to confront me. You have done well to pass on this piece of news to me, Severus. If you discover anything further, report it to me as soon as possible."
Time passed. I brewed various potions for the Dark Lord whenever I wasn't working at the apothecary, and passed on some pieces of information that Maria and Tobias judged were harmless enough but would strengthen my position as a Death Eater. Ana had a vision of having a boy and a girl to raise, which she interpreted as that she was going to have twins, and went on maternity leave at the end of June. Maria announced at the same time that she had discovered that she was pregnant for a second time and was due in February of next year. After that, I asked the Romanov-Petrov family to not tell me any more of their family news, since I didn't want to risk endangering them.
By the time August arrived, I heard the news that Frank and Alice Longbottom had a son on July 30th, named Neville, and that Lily had given birth the following day on the 31st, named Harry. I immediately reported this to the Dark Lord, using the same story that I had overheard Maria and Mrs. Petrov discussing it. He praised me for giving him this information and then dismissed me so that he could ponder over the matter.
Three days later, when I entered the brewing room for my shift, Mrs. Petrov said, "I know you don't want to know about family details, but I thought you might want to know that Ana gave birth yesterday, as I foresaw, and she is doing well. I won't say anything more, but you should at least know that much."
"Thank you, Mrs. Petrov," I replied. I stamped down any curiosity I had, silently telling myself firmly that it was enough to know that Ana had given birth without any problems. I recalled that she had said she was likely to have twins, however, and hoped that she and Stephan would be up to the challenge of raising them.
In mid-October, the Dark Lord had reached the conclusion that Lily's son was the one to target. He didn't explain his reasoning, but I had a suspicion that it had to do with the fact that the boy was a halfblood, whereas the Longbottom boy was a pureblood. Of course, to be on the safe side, the Dark Lord did intend to kill both boys, but for now, his main focus was on getting rid of Harry Potter.
When I heard this at the meeting the Dark Lord had convened to tell us Death Eaters this, I inwardly panicked. It took all my Occlumency training to hide this, and after the meeting, I approached the Dark Lord. I really didn't want either the Potter or Longbottom families to die, but I couldn't exactly say so without compromising my position. Besides, while I didn't wish death on James Potter, if he did die, it wouldn't really bother me, after all that he put me through while we were at Hogwarts and then winning over Lily. As for the Longbottoms, I didn't know Frank and Alice all that well, so their deaths wouldn't upset me the way it would if one of the Petrovs or Romanovs died. However, there was one thing I could do, that wouldn't reveal myself as being a spy, and perhaps save the life of the one person I truly loved in a romantic way.
"My lord, I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it, Severus?"
"Could you perhaps spare the life of the Potter woman?" I asked. "All you need to kill is the Potter brat, and I certainly have no objections to her husband's death, since he tormented me back in school. However, the Potter woman is quite pretty, and she was not unkind to me, despite my being in Slytherin. I know she is a Mudblood-" (here I suppressed my revulsion at having to use such a term) "but I would like to possess her and see what it is about her that made her so desirable to a pureblood, even one that is a blood traitor."
The Dark Lord considered the request. "You have shown yourself to be a faithful and valued follower, Severus, so I suppose a reward is in order. I agree that the Potter woman can be seen as desirable, and she is a quite skilled witch, otherwise I would not have tried to recruit her despite her parentage. And it would be amusing to see her broken due to the deaths of her husband and son and having to be in your service, the one that reported the prophecy to me which brought about all this."
"Thank you, my lord," I said, bowing again and kissing the hem of his robes. He dismissed me and I immediately Apparated back to Petrov's Potions.
Mrs. Petrov took one look at me and knew that something was wrong. "What is it, Severus?" she demanded.
I dropped the mask of gratefulness I had shown to the Dark Lord and it took all of my will to keep from breaking down while I explained about how the Potters were now the main target and that I had only been able to ask for Lily's life to be spared, under the excuse that I found her pretty and desirable and wanted to possess her.
Mrs. Petrov sighed. "I understand, but it seems that you are more concerned about Lily Potter than you are about her husband and son. Then again, James Potter did bully you in school and won the heart of the girl that you loved. I'm not going to tell you to get over Lily or forgive James, but you should try to be less bitter."
"Fine, I'll try," I answered, knowing that she had a point. "But something has to be done! I definitely don't want Lily to die, and while I hate Potter and am indifferent to his son, I don't wish death upon them!"
She thought things over for a minute, then said, "I suggest you go see Albus Dumbledore. The Potters and Longbottoms have already gone into hiding, but I'm sure talking to the leader of the Order will assure you that he is going to see that the best protections possible will be put on them, especially the Potters."
This was true, so I set about arranging a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, with a little help from Tobias. When Dumbledore appeared at the arranged meeting place on a hilltop, I told him about how the Dark Lord had chosen to target the Potters, meaning that Lily was in danger.
"The prophecy did not refer to a woman," said Dumbledore. "It spoke of a boy born at the end of July-"
"You know what I mean! He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down - kill them all -"
"If she means so much to you, surely Lord Voldemort will spare her?" Dumbledore asked. "Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?"
"I have - I have asked him-"
"You disgust me," said Dumbledore, with so much contempt in his voice that it made me shrink a little. I felt as horrible as I had when Mrs. Petrov had pointed out that I was more concerned over Lily than her husband and son. "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"
"That's not true!" I snapped. "Asking for Lily to spared was the only thing I could do without getting me found out as not being a loyal Death Eater and killed! Asking for Lily's son to be spared, when he's prophesied as causing the Dark Lord's downfall, would mark me as wanting the Dark Lord dead. And after what Potter did to me back in school, the Dark Lord would never believe that I wouldn't want to see him dead. The only way I could ever get away with asking for Potter's life to be spared is to request that I be the one to kill him instead as revenge, and that's not going to happen!"
Dumbledore looked taken aback by my outburst. "You're not a loyal Death Eater, Severus?"
"Who do you think is the one that's passing on information to Maria and Tobias Romanov? Immediately after I took the Dark Mark, I realized what a huge mistake I made. Fortunately for me, the Petrov and Romanov families did not blame me for actions, understood my regret, and followed through with their offer of giving me aid if I ever needed it. Nothing I can do can ever repay them for what they've done, but becoming a spy and reporting what I can on the Dark Lord and Death Eater activities is at least some repayment."
"I am sorry for not realizing this, Severus," said Dumbledore, now sounding sorrowful and regretful. He stared at me intently for a minute, then continued, "Thank you for your work as a spy. As for the Potters, they will be protected. They are already in hiding, but I shall see to it that they have the best magical protections available."
I thanked Dumbledore, who then told me that Professor Slughorn was retiring and asked if I would take over as Potions master for Hogwarts. Dumbledore pointed out that it would further my persona as a spy, which was true, as the Dark Lord had said before that my working at Hogwarts would put me in a position to spy on Dumbledore. I accepted the offer and arrangements were made for when I would take up the post and so that I could give my notice to Mrs. Petrov.
