Week 3, day 2-
Tenten-
It wasn't hard to trail Uchiha. The name of Malfoy was renowned and their family's address simple to track down. Tenten obediently followed Gai-sensei, running as fast as they could for a day, covering as much ground as it would have taken wizards several days to cover.
Near the end of one day of traveling they arrived at Malfoy Manor where they waited in concealment until dark because of white-masked guards milling around the property. They watched silently even when the white-masked guards came to attention at the appearance of a skinny, brown-haired man.
Tenten pulled a thread of wire from one of her weapon pouches and, with the skill that she'd worked so hard to attain, three one end of the wire towards the people talking. Just as she knew it would, the wire embedded itself in the house.
"Well?" Gai-sensei whispered. "What do you hear?"
"Hush." Tenten held the wire carefully, almost gingerly. Subtle vibrations tickled her palms and, while it wasn't as clear as she might have wished for, Tenten was confident when she spoke, relaying what the vibrations were telling her.
"No! I won't wait for confirmation. More than a day has been wasted while you have all been hunting in the immediate area. Mister Sing has just told me where the boy is before he left. Prince will be coming with me." Tenten whispered the words as she felt the man's voice vibrate through the wire and watched his lips when he spoke. The wire was too far from the person who answered for Tenten to feel their voice. Even if it had been close enough, the voice would have been muffled through the mask they wore and she couldn't read their lips. " I don't need help for this. I'll find mister Snape and convince him of the wisdom of joining us." The skinny man smiled all around. "You've done excellent work tonight. We're gaining power. Shortly, we can move and bring power back to those who have the right to lead - the pureblood!"
A cheer went up amongst the people as the skinny man and his companion set off down the road in a horse-drawn carriage. The masked people watched until the carriage was out of sight, then began to disperse.
Tenten yanked on her wire and it flew easily back to her. "Sir?"
"Let's get a closer look."
By that time, darkness had set in so getting closer to the house wasn't hard. They slipped passed two guards before they found a place in the garden where a scuffle had taken place and a single pair of small boot prints.
"Haruno-san," Tenten judged, running her fingertips along the distinctive tread print. Konoha shinobi all wore the same uniform boot. While it wasn't impossible for a wizard or even a regular civilian to have the same tread on their shoes, it was highly unlikely that they would be in this place where Haruno-san and Uchiha had been. "They look too small to have been made by a boy." She looked up from the footprints at the road where the carriage had gone. "The foot prints are deeper than they should be. She's carrying extra weight."
Gai-sensei smiled. "She can't be moving too fast, then. She wouldn't have left Uchiha-kun. I expect we simply have to follow that carriage and we will find them both."
"Only if that mister Sing was correct."
Sakura-
As she had done hundreds of times since slipping away from Malfoy Manor, Sakura strained her senses trying to find any pursuers. She wasn't arrogant enough to think her modest skills had deceived any threat that could kidnap and put Sasuke into such a state.
Two days and a night and not a word from Kakashi-sensei or Naruto, Sakura bemoaned. No sign of any enemy following us. No trace of civilization except this road and the longer we stay on it, the sooner the enemy will catch up with us. They can't have given up. No one gives up that easily.
Sakura had left the road minutes after escaping with Sasuke. It was too open, too vulnerable to attack, for her to risk traveling on it. However, she did have to stay close to it for fear of getting herself and Sasuke further from people who could help.
As the sky turned from blue to purple and the moon crept out into the sky, Sakura watched her breath puff out of her mouth in great clouds. She couldn't stop shivering. Her teeth chattered together so badly that her jaws ached. Sakura shifted a little to heave Sasuke up into her tired arms more securely.
Iruka-sensei had told them, "Leave no trace of your presence. No footprint. No broken twig. No disturbed stone. Secrecy is life. No enemy can kill you if they can not find you."
Sakura looked over her shoulder. She'd left no footprints. Of course she hadn't. Walking on snow was a simple matter of control, but, as Iruka-sensei said, "better safe than dead."
The daylight faded and the long shadows of twilight stretched across the forest. The air grew colder, but the snow stopped falling.
Sakura looked up at the trees branches and deliberated, her brow creased. She looked back behind them.
"Who were you scared of, Sasuke? Who's behind us?"
Blank, black eyes stared up at Sakura.
If only he could speak to me! Sakura thought. If I knew who the enemy was, I'm sure it would be easier to defend us.
As it was, Sakura knew she had to prepare for the worst. She would have been happier in the trees, but with Sasuke debilitated and herself still having brief seizures of pain, she hadn't dared to take the chance of climbing.
"I haven't felt that pain all day, Sasuke." Sakura looked up, again. "What say we give it a try? Just to get off the ground - it's too open, here." Sakura shivered, despite the winter jacket she wore. "Can't get too far from the road, though. So long as I can see it, I know we have to find civilization in the end and then we can have someone direct us to Hogwarts." She went to a wide tree and leaned back to out one foot on it. "Don't worry. I won't drop you." She walked up the tree, balancing Sasuke as well as she could on her chest and stomach.
When she'd walked halfway up the tree a shot of pain, like electricity, shot through Sakura's body. Her knees shook and she felt her control slipping. Her feet slid down the tree trunk until she grit her teeth and focused though the pain. Her feet stuck again to the tree and she stayed like that until the pain ebbed and then faded entirely.
It wasn't so bad. Not nearly so terrible as the first attack had been. A moment or two and it began to fade, again. The duration of the pain lessened each time it struck, Sakura had noticed. In a few days, she doubted there would be any pain at all.
Panting for breath and light-headed, Sakura looked down at the ground below and sighed. "Sorry, Sasuke." She turned and started walking down. "This is going to take longer than I'd thought. If I drop you like you are, you could die."
The night set in with Sakura running as fast as she could through the forest, keeping parallel to the road. Sakura held Sasuke tightly against herself, worried about how blue his nose and fingers were turning as the air got colder and colder. She had taken off her jacket and draped it over his head and face to keep in at least a little warmth, but she didn't think it would be enough. He couldn't even shiver to keep warm. She wished she could make a fire for him, but that would draw even more attention than stopping to rest. As she ran, Sakura rearranged Snape-san's heavy clock around Sasuke, wrapping him tighter.
There was a heavy stomping and a soft scraping against snow.
Sakura stopped and cocked her head to the side, listening.
A slow, easy hoof beat of a horse and the voice of a man muttering.
Sakura set Sasuke down with a whispered promise to return and went to the roadside. She crouched down in some thick bushes and watched as a tired-looking nag plodded down the rode, going in the direction Sakura had come from, pulling a small wagon. There was a man walking next to the horse, pulling its reins gently to guide it. He was a small man with gray hair and a floppy hat.
Sakura bit her lip. There was a good chance he had nothing to do with their enemies. Sakura frowned, then stood and rushed to the road. "Help! Please, my friend needs help."
Startled, the man yanked on the reins of his horse and blinked at her. "What on earth are you doing out in this weather, young woman?" Without hesitation or any signs of suspicion, he went to Sakura and put his hands on her shoulders. "Look at you! No coat! You must be freezing. Here, come along and I'll get you somewhere warm. Did you get lost? Are you hungry? I have some biscuits somewhere... "
"Thank you, no. I'm not hungry." Her provisions had run out a day ago, but she'd been able to catch a few small animals to keep herself and Sasuke alive. Sasuke, because of his condition, had to make do with the only liquid protein Sasuke could find - blood. She'd killed squirrels and mice and collected as much of their blood as she could and let it run down his throat. It wasn't enough. She knew he had to have more or he would starve, frozen like a statue. "I need help. Is there a town or village around here?"
"A small town lays not an hour's ride from here." He pointed east, the opposite direction of Malfoy Manor. "My home is closer, though. About fifteen minutes away. What are you doing out here?"
"Getting lost. Please, is there anyway to help my friend? He can't move or speak." Even if he couldn't help, Sakura could surely find help in the town. An hour's ride on a wagon would only be a few minute's run for her, even carrying Sasuke. "He looks so cold."
The man was a thick, solid looking man with hair that was turning gray early and sturdy-looking clothes of gray and brown. He didn't wear a black cloak, but asked, "Is it a physical injury or magical?"
"Magical." Sakura rolled her shoulders to ease the mounting tension. He was a wizard. At least he should know something that would help Sasuke. "Please, sir, can you help me get my friend to Hogwarts? He has to return as quickly as possible." Sakura deliberately widened her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her.
"My boy goes there. About your age, too." The man smiled sweetly. "You don't have to worry about anything. It's no trouble at all and, yes, we can get a message to headmaster Dumbledore." He stopped and slapped himself on the forehead. "Fool that I am! Chatting when you're obviously freezing. Poor dear, your lips are blue. How long have you been out here?"
"Two days and a night," Sakura told him. "He hasn't moved in all this time. Can't you help him? He's that way." She pointed. She waited while the man tied his horse to a tree. He went first, without hesitation and Sakura, walking behind him, readied a shuriken for fear that he should turn hostile.
To Sakura's relief, the man was gentle with Sasuke. He knelt and peeled back Sasuke's eyelids, peering intently into his eyes, then examined his neck, arms, and spine. At last, he sat back on his heels and looked up at Sakura. "What was the spell?"
"Stupefy."
He frowned. "That's a simple enough spell. Why didn't you use ennervate? My boy learned that one last year. You are a student of Hogwarts, are you? My son's already learned that one and you can't be much younger than he is."
"I'm not a student of Hogwarts. Just my friend is. You said you can help him. Please, wake him up."
"Why don't you do it? Where's your wand?"
"Lost," she answered, promptly. The excuse had worked well enough for Sasuke.
"Ah." He pulled a wand from his sleeve. "You'll have to take better care of such important things. Just stand back a moment." He stepped back a pace and leveled his wand at Sasuke. "Ennervate!"
Sasuke slumped limply into the snow, then began trembling. It last only a moment before he went very still. He moaned and started to curl into a ball.
"Poor lad." The man went to Sasuke and touched his shoulders. "It's alright. Stuck like that... "
Sasuke lashed out with both fists and managed to catch the man in the stomach. "Don't touch me! Don't!"
The man grunted and fell backwards, but as he was still moving and breathing, Sakura knew Sasuke hadn't really tried to hurt the man.
Sasuke kept fighting even when the man fell away from him. He yelled out and kicked against nothing but the air.
"Stop!" Sakura shouted. "Stop! It's me!" She didn't try to touch him or even go closer. Instead, she took hold of the kind stranger and pulled him away from Sasuke. "Come on! You can hear me, can't you? Can't you?"
Sasuke started to settle at her voice. He looked at her briefly, then curled himself in a ball and wrapped his arms around his head. He let out a miserable whine.
The stranger, still sitting in the snow and staring at Sasuke, looked up at Sakura. "A stupefy shouldn't do this. What happened to the boy?"
"He's just not himself, now." Sakura inched towards Sasuke. "Hey. Hey? It's me. Wake up. Sorry I couldn't get help sooner. I'm really sorry. Look at me? Come on."
Slowly, Sasuke raised his face. Though his eyes were shining, his face was dry. His mouth set in a tight line. "He's here. We have to get back."
"He? He who?"
"My brother. He's back. Here." Sasuke's fingers dug into the snow. "We have to find Naru... "
"Don't worry," Sakura interrupted, quickly. "We'll get you back to Hogwarts, soon. This man... ah. Sorry. I didn't catch your name, sir."
"Larry."
"Larry. He's going to help us. He said he'll contact the headmaster." She touched Sasuke's face, lightly, and stretched out her talent. He needed food and rest, but was otherwise healthy. "How do you feel?"
Sasuke's eyes were tired and he rubbed at his face. "Fine. I'm fine."
"Well," Larry said, standing and dusting the seat of his trousers off. "Fine or not, you two had best come with me. It's no night to be wandering about out here, even if you are both able to walk." He motioned to his wagon. "Hop on. Your feet will thank you for a bit of rest, even if it is only a few minutes."
They climbed on together and Sakura sat with her back against the side of the wagon. "I'm going to sleep, Sasuke. Don't try to wake me up until I'm done."
He nodded his understanding. He coughed, unused to speaking for two days, then crawled over to Sakura. "We can't linger."
Sakura whispered back, "Can't go back with your face like that. How's your chakra?"
"Better. I hadn't realized how depleted I was until I was able to rest. Thank you."
Sakura drummed her fingers on her knee. "Then you'd better change back, soon. He said his son is a Hogwarts student."
"I know. I will." His voice dropped even lower until it was barely a sigh. "My brother was at Malfoy Manor. He will be trailing us."
"He's that dangerous? To Naruto?"
"To all of us." Sasuke's voice didn't shake. He didn't flinch. His hand, covering Sakura's around his waist, tightened. He looked at her over his shoulder when Larry began to guide the horse down the road. "He... he is heartless. Are you alright?"
"No." Sakura let out a breath and rested her cheek on Sasuke's shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke stopped moving.
"Pain. The spell caused nerve damage, I think. It comes and goes. Can't look after you properly until it's gone. I need to heal." Her words became softer and softer as she spoke. The world began to dim as Sakura turned her attention inwards. "Give me some time." Sakura supposed that she must look asleep as she focused entirely on herself and the inner workings of her body. She didn't know how long it would take to repair the damage done by the spell, but she trusted that Sasuke wouldn't let her get hurt while she slept.
Sasuke-
Sasuke sat as still as he could, his eyes fixed on Larry, as Sakura lay her head on his shoulder. Sasuke didn't understand healing arts. He really had no idea how they worked, but he had seen a healing trance once or twice. Sakura would be vulnerable and insensible until she'd finished healing whatever needed to be healed.
Larry shrugged off his coat and handed it to Sasuke. "No. Not on her. You put it on." He took a heavy blanket from the bed of the wagon and tossed it to Sasuke. "Wrap her in that. What happened to her? She was wide awake a minute ago."
"She's just tired." Sasuke wanted to take her and flee, run far from this wizard who was too powerful and had woken Sasuke's body from a paralysis he hadn't been able to shake off himself. "She was attacked, also, and hasn't had time to rest. Just let her sleep and she'll be fine."
The stranger pulled his woolen hat further over his ears and said something soothingly to his horse as he led it. "What spell hit her? She didn't say anything."
"If she didn't say anything, then it's nothing for you to worry about." Nerve damage, Sakura had said. It was alright. She knew what was wrong and was fixing it. There would be no more helplessly watching while she fell and bit back pain. With his arm still twisted awkwardly around Sakura, Sasuke turned and looked down the road. He looked up at the trees, then ahead.
"What are you looking for?"
"Nothing. How do I get to Hogwarts school from here?"
"Well," The man scratched at the back of his neck and pulled up the collar of his coat. "You don't worry too much on that. I'll get in contact with someone and tell them where you are. They'll send someone to fetch you." He cast Sasuke a look over his shoulder. "It's vacation time, though, isn't it? Don't you want to go home? Isn't your family worried?"
"No. I need to get to school. Could you tell me what direction it is from here? Or where here is, exactly. I don't even know where we are."
Blood.
He could smell it.
"You're a fair distance from Hogwarts, but not so far that you're out of the country. Close enough to London that my boy rides the Hogwart's Express to school. In fact, he's due home in an hour or so. Maybe he's a friend of yours. Remus Lupin?"
"I know him." Sasuke felt as if the weariness pushing down on him had suddenly doubled. So much for a break from using his chakra to generate a disguise jutsu. He'd been looking forward to a few more hours of rest before leaving for Hogwarts. Bad enough that Remus Lupin-san was suspicious, but if he saw Sasuke's real face, but kept smelling Snape-san, he was certain to make even more trouble.
Larry Lupin-san turned around to watch the road and when he did, Sasuke reactivated the jutsu to change himself back to Snape-san. It was only a few more days, he reflected as he ran a hand over his face.
The ride was quiet and uneventful. Larry Lupin-san asked few questions, most of which Sasuke was able to side-step. He did take the precaution of introducing himself as Severus Snape when asked his name.
"Snape?" Larry Lupin spun around on the wagon's bench and stared. "Are you... " He stared, then shook his head. "Forgive me. I thought... "
"Thought what?"
"I thought you looked different than a moment ago. My imagination... ah. So. You're Snape?"
Sasuke stared back at Larry Lupin-san, unsure how to answer.
Larry Lupin-san flushed and turned back around. "Didn't mean to embarrass you. Even out here we read the papers, though. Seen your name once or twice this year. I remember reading about that whole business two years ago. You're not what I expected from what my boy told me."
He took them to a small cabin with piles and piles of cut wood stacked neatly at the front. He laughed when he slid off the seat of the wagon. "I'm a woodcutter, if you can't tell. Your friend caught me when I was on my way to get some more wood. I might not have much to share, but my home is always warm. Here, let me take the girl." He held out his arms for Sakura, but Sasuke glared and pulled Sakura closer. The man's eyes widened and he lowered his arms. "No need to get defensive. I just wanted to help. You've had a rough time of it yourself."
"I can manage. She's not heavy." Sasuke picked her up and jumped out of the wagon.
"Right." Larry Lupin unhitched the horse from the wagon and led the horse into a small barn where he gave it feed and patted its neck, happily. When he left the barn, he opened the door of his home for Sasuke and let him in.
The house was warm, but mostly because the walls cut out the wind. There was no fire until Lupin-san cast a quick spell into the fireplace and it set several logs on fire at once. The house itself was cozy and Sasuke thought that Iruka-sensei would like it. There were braided rugs on the floor and quilts hanging on the walls. Two beds stood against one wall near the fireplace. In front of the fireplace was a square table with two chairs and a few cabinets. There were small windows on all four walls decorated with a simple red and white checkered curtains.
"Come in, then." Lupin-san pulled his hat off and hung it on a peg by the door. "Get the girl on one of the beds and we'll get something to keep her warm." He pulled two quilts from the walls and tucked one around Sakura. The other he handed to Sasuke and told him to lay on the second bed. "Can't imagine how you're still up and walking around. Out there without a decent coat on, no hat or mittens! Don't suppose you want to say how you two ended up out there?"
"No."
Lupin-san shook his head and went to a cupboard and took down a large pot and a wooden spoon to put on the stove. "Hope you don't mind stew. I've never been much of a cook. It's that and bread for dinner."
Earlier-
Remus-
The Monday after Hogsmead Weekend most all the students went home for the Christmas holiday. Remus spent the train ride with the usual sort of conversations and laughter with his three friends, but all the while his thoughts lingered on the past week and Snape. He had no doubt at all that the person who looked like Snape wasn't Snape - no matter what the Headmaster said.
"You have nothing to worry about, Remus," The Headmaster reassured him when Remus had gone to him just before leaving Hogwarts. He'd patted Remus' shoulder and smiled gently. "Everything seems perfectly normal. None of the professors have noticed any change in his behavior."
"Sir, please take this seriously. That isn't Snape! At the Shrieking Shack... "
"I have spoken with him, recently and I think you have nothing to worry about. There has been no trouble, no one hurt. There has been no spell of any kind placed on mister Snape. I'm sure it's your mind playing tricks on you."
"But... "
"You already told me about the smell that's been bothering you. Now you must get going or you'll miss the train."
Remus chewed nervously on his thumbnail and stared out the train window at the passing countryside. He's either not listening or he knows something I don't. He knows a lot I don't know, but why lie about Snape? If he knows that boy's an imposter, why let him keep on being Snape?
Sirius made a crude joke and Remus laughed with James and Peter without thinking.
They would say that even Dumbledore doesn't want Snape around and that he'd figured out a way to have him replaced by some kind of clone. They'd laugh. Remus kept chewing on his thumbnail until he tasted blood. There has to be a reason. But what? If this person isn't Snape, then where is he?
At King's Cross Station, Remus found out that his worry hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Are you alright?" James pulled his trunk off the luggage car and it landed on the ground with a thud. "You've been real quiet the whole train ride."
"I'm fine." Remus picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. There were people rushing to and fro and the terrible hissing of the train as it released steam. People rushed here and there, desperate to collect their families and leave. Remus wrinkled his nose at the scents all mixing together. It made him feel dizzy. "You know I don't get along with crowds. Too many things going on. The exams were a bit harder than I'd expected, too. I'm worried about transfigurations."
Sirius snorted. "You know you passed all the exams with flying colors. What's really wrong?"
"Nothing. Honestly." If there was one thing Remus had learned to do, it was lie. He could lie with a smile and without thinking. He didn't even feel badly about it, anymore. "I've got to go and your rides are here." Remus pointed to where the Potter and the Black families waited, eyeing each other distrustfully. "Better go before they start another war."
James and Sirius laughed. "Good," Sirius nudged James on the arm. "It's about time something shook up all these old families. Hey, there goes Petey. Wave by to the little guy. He'll be lost without us."
James laughed, but waved.
"You should be kinder," Remus told Sirius. "Peter admires both of you."
"Yeah." Sirius agreed once Peter had gone from view with his mother. "He's good for a laugh. Ah, mother looks like she's ready to start foaming at the mouth. I suppose I have to go, now. I'll see you both in a few days."
It wasn't long before Remus was left alone on the platform. For a moment, he forgot about Snape and the smell of ink. He felt very alone as he watched the students drift away with their family. In the end, he squared his shoulders and forced a smile onto his face. The trip to his home would be easier with a good attitude.
Outside of King's Cross Station, snow drifted lazily down from a steel gray sky. The biting wind made Remus start to shiver at once. He pulled his robes closer to his throat and ducked his head as he started to walk to the bus station.
Remus had never given much thought to Snape. There had never been any reason to and, if Remus thought about it, he was guilty of 'getting used to' seeing Snape as little more than a walking joke. He was a target to amuse James, Sirius, and Peter when they were bored. Me, too. I'm not blameless. I've laughed. Snape would yell and curse then slink away to wait for the next time that he would make the whole school laugh.
And now, he's all I've got on my mind. There was no way that Remus could say that sentence to any of his friends. They would take it entirely the wrong way. Oh, he was certain they'd understand his meaning, but he also knew they'd tease him until they were all at least thirty. But my nose doesn't lie. Everything else might be confused, but I'm certain of the scent. Ink, like Snape, but not him. At the Shrieking Shack it was still there, but more of a female scent. I'm sure I remember a girl. The change had come and Remus hadn't been aware of anything until he'd woken up on the banks of a river in the Forbidden Forest with more injuries he could shake a stick at and wet feet.
A hand touched Remus' shoulder, making him jump. His breath caught in his throat until he saw the man standing behind him. "Dad! Don't do that!"
"Sorry." He chuckled and patted Remus on the head. "I didn't want you to have to come all the way by yourself. You have your belongings? Good." He waved his wand at Remus' trunk and it shrunk to pocket-size. He picked it up and put it in his own pocket and draped an arm over Remus' shoulders. "Let's go, shall we? We have guests."
Apperating home took only a moment and then they stood before the cottage Remus and his dad had lived in for years. The small cottage was surrounded by old trees and moss on the ground. It was because Remus was a werewolf that they had to live there, so far from civilization.
He was justifiably shocked to find Snape in his home. He was even more surprised that Snape was sitting on the floor next to a very pretty girl who lay on Remus' bed.
Snape nodded at him. "Good evening."
"Good evening." Remus swallowed hard and turned to look at his dad. "These are our guests?"
"Yes. Mister Snape and his friend... ah. I forgot to ask her name."
Snape turned away.
"Well, whatever her name is, they were in the forest as I was returning from my day. Mister Snape, this is my son, Remus. I told you about him. You've probably met at school."
"Yes," Snape answered. "We've met in the halls once or twice."
Remus was shocked. Why Snape wasn't spitting venom about how the Marauders treated him at school, he had no idea. He would've thought it was the first time Snape would do when he found out whose home he was staying in.
"Good!" Remus' dad said, brightly. "It's always good to have friends around. How's the young lady?"
"Still tired. It was a very long trip." In a gesture that seemed alien to the Snape Remus had thought he'd known, Snape patted the girl's hair.
"Yes," Remus' dad said. "You never did tell me what happened. How did you end up out there?"
"Not on purpose. You said you would be able to return me to Hogwarts."
"And I will." Remus' dad shook snow off his coat and kicked off his boots before going further into the cottage. "Dinner first and then we'll wait until the young lady is feeling better."
Snape nodded, but looked at the window. He didn't release the girl's hand.
"Remus," his dad called. "Come help me finish dinner, won't you?"
Remus waited until he stood close to his dad before speaking, keeping his voice low enough that he hoped Snape wouldn't hear. "What are they doing all the way out here?"
"As I said, we met in the forest when I was going out for wood. It was just coincidence, but it was lucky that I'd happened by. Poor kids would have likely frozen to death if they'd stayed out another night. Be nice. They've had a rough few days. That girl fell asleep and hasn't woken up, so I was a bit worried about her. He said it was nothing to worry about, though. I told him I was coming to get you and that they should wait here. They're both very nice, don't look so worried." He handed Remus a loaf of bread and bowl of salad. "Get the table ready for our guests. "
Remus looked over at Snape and the girl. Snape holding the hand of a pretty girl. Remus put the food on the table, then went to stand by Snape. It felt reassuring to be looking down at him.
Snape met his eyes, silently.
Remus put a hand to his aching stomach. It would have been bad enough to have anyone from school see his home - his sanctuary - but that it had been a Slytherin was even worse. He didn't even want Sirius to see his home. That it was Snape made Remus want to beat his fists against the walls. But it wasn't Snape... wasn't even a real Slytherin, probably.
"Dinner's ready. Will you eat with us?"
Snape did, but his mind wasn't wholly on his food, which he ate with relish.
Remus frowned at his stew as he watched Snape from the corner of his eyes. He'd never watched Snape eat, but considering how skinny he was, it didn't seem as if Snape could continually eat so much and so quickly without gaining some weight.
All through dinner, though Snape sat with them at the table, his attention seemed to be everywhere else. He kept looking over his shoulder at the sleeping girl while he shoveled food into his mouth. Not a bite was wasted. If he spilled any crumbs, no matter how small, he would pick them up off the plate, his lap, or the floor - wherever they happened to land - and pop them into his mouth. It was as if he'd never eaten.
He stopped eating, abruptly, stood up and walked out of the house. The sounds of retching were clearly audible. He walked back in, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth and took the glass of water he'd been given. He gargled, swished the water around in his mouth, then went to the door and spit. Even with Remus and Remus' dad staring at him, Snape sat at the table and started to eat as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Fool." The pink haired girl snatched the spoon from Snape's hand and glared at him. "Don't you ever learn? You haven't eaten in two days, then gorge yourself? Of course it's going to upset your stomach. Slow down."
Snape gave a little smile at seeing her on her feet and nodded before he pushed the remaining stew in his bowl to her.
The girl pushed it right back. "You need it more than I do. You alright?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Fine. Just enough time."
Snape stood and jerked his head. He and the girl went together to the far corner of the house. In a gesture Remus thought too intimate for Snape to tolerate, Snape leaned close to her and whispered. Remus' sharp ears picked up their words. "My brother's here. I have to go back." Snape turned to glance at Remus' and Remus' dad before whispering, again, "Go back to Hogwarts. Kakashi-sensei will know what to do."
"But... " The girl didn't look happy and grabbed at his sleeve.
"No." He pulled away from her. "He'll follow us back if I don't go. He's here now. Somewhere."
The girl hesitated. "If your brother is a threat... "
"Just go. Trust me."
She didn't look at all happy, but nodded. "Go, then."
Snape turned towards the door, but before Remus or his dad could protest Snape leaving when it was as dark as midnight, there was a knock at the door.
Snape's hand hesitated over the doorknob. It was only a moment, but Remus saw something odd (Doubt? Fear?) flash across Snape's face. Snape tightened his mouth and opened the door.
The man on the front step wasn't one of the villagers. He was far too well-dressed. "Good evening." He tipped his hat towards Remus' dad. "Forgive me for interrupting so late in the day. I'd been told my nephew was here and I've come to retrieve him." He clapped a hand on Snape's shoulder. "You'll get yourself into real trouble one of these days, Severus. Come and take a walk with me."
Snape started walking without so much as a glance at the girl he'd come with.
Remus stared at the still open door. "Dad, the fire's getting low. I'm getting some wood."
Remus' dad nodded. "Go on, but give them some privacy. Dont' interfer with another family's matters."
Remus didn't have to go far to hear what was going on.
Snape's uncle, apparently, didn't believe in discretion. He hadn't bothered to go into the forest before laying into Snape. He loomed over Snape. "Don't you have even half a brain? What do you think you're doing?"
Snape muttered, "Leaving. I was bored."
"Bored? You were bored?! I put you right before the Dark Lord and you were bored? You stupid brat! I told you! I warned you! Just like your parents - your filthy parents! How did you get away from the estate?"
Snape said, "None of your business. "
"How dare you! All this time, I spared you and this is how you repay me? Make a mockery of me in front of the whole of the wizarding community! You humiliate me in front of the future ruler of the world! Slytherin scum!" He took a deep breath and when he spoke again sounded more in control. "If you won't make yourself useful, you're of no good to me. You can die like your paren... "
There was a flare of green light before Snape's uncle jerked and fell face first into the snow. He didn't get up.
Snape didn't so much as twitch and, instead, stared at a man emerging from the trees.
"You should go back inside." The girl suddenly stood next to Remus and stared grimly at the scene near the road. "Your father will be worried and come to investigate."
Remus turned to her, but whatever he'd been about to say was lost when he suddenly realized that he'd seen her before.
The boggart's hands were dripping with blood. Two figures appeared at its feet. There was a boy in orange and a pink haired girl laying lifelessly on the ground between the two Snape's. They'd been savagely killed. The girl's neck was bent at an unnatural angle.
Remus' mouth fell open. "Who are you?"
The girl shot him a glare then turned back to the road.
They'd brought this trouble to his home... to his dad. Remus felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. He looked over his shoulder to the warm light from the window of his home. He could see his dad moving around inside.
Unforgivables... he was smart enough to know what had made the green light that struck down Snape's uncle.
At the road, Snape watched the thin, small man. He was deep in the shadows, but his voice carried easily enough in the still night.
"Why did you run? Lucius told you how much I could do for you, didn't he? Perhaps you didn't believe me when I told you before, but I truly believe you can go far in life. And see," he gestured down to the dead man between them. "I have taken away one of your greatest obstacles. You never have to worry about him, again."
"Tell me," Snape said. "Why are you trying so hard to win me to your side? There has been a good deal of rumor about you flying around Hogwarts. I've listened to talk about how you will make the wizards strong again, but why does so much of your effort revolve around Hogwarts? Why not the government?"
"Who better to help shape the future than children who share my vision? Don't you want to be strong?"
Beside Remus, the girl stiffened.
"Strong enough to defend those you love. Strong enough to punish wrongdoers. This one," he gestured to Snape's dead uncle. "Will never trouble you again. You could have done it yourself with what I can teach you. I can teach you so much more than you can learn at that school. I can give you such power with just a mark. All the power within Hogwarts could be at your fingertips - all the knowledge contained in the library of everything from blessings to curses... "
Snape tensed visibly and his hand drifted towards his throat.
Remus didn't think he could move to save his life. The girl with pink hair. The smell of ink. The mark on the throat of Snape's boggart.
"Ah," The stranger let out a pleased sounding sigh. "That got your attention. I thought it might. Yes. You could learn every curse that has ever been. You could delve through the dusty corners of the Forbidden Section if you wished."
"How did you find me?"
"Mister Sing told me where you would be."
"Where is mister Sing?"
"He won't be joining us tonight. Said something about visiting people from his old home town."
Sasuke-
Sasuke was going to vomit, again. He knew he would.
Lupin-san's watching. The mission. Itachi saw Snape-san's uniform. He knows where I've been. He'll find Naruto.
Sasuke felt numb. "I'll ask you to excuse me, Lord Voldemort. There is something I must do."
"Don't just walk away," Voldemort crossed the road with just a few long paces and took hold of Sasuke's wrists. "Give me an answer. I am not the most patient of men. Tell me where you stand - with Hogwarts or myself?"
"I stand with myself."
Voldemort laughed, but didn't let go of Sasuke. "You're too valuable for me to lose. You have so much potential for power." He paused. "Look me in the eyes and tell me what you want most - I will deliver it to you. Just look at me and I will mark you as mine. When I have accomplished my goal, I will make you a king above all others. None of my other followers have your potential or your drive. Look at me and you will have what you want."
Itachi at my feet, begging forgiveness.
Orochimaru's head on a pike left for the ravens to pick at. Never hurt me, again.
Mother... father...
"Can you bring the dead to life?"
"Yes."
Sasuke put his hand to his throat. Orochimaru's curse mark. "Can you negate a curse?"
"Easily."
"Can you give me my brother back?"
Voldemort moved his hands from Sasuke's wrists to his shoulders, then patted his hair. "I can do all that and more for you. Look at my eyes."
Sasuke shuddered, but didn't move away.
It was tempting. Like the sweetest fruit set before a starving man, it was tempting enough to hurt. Sasuke swallowed hard. He didn't believe Voldemort had the power to kill Itachi or Orochimaru, but if it was possible... if there was any chance that Voldemort with his strange magic might be able to give him advantage, Sasuke wanted it.
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Orochimaru had made such promises, too.
Sakura... Naruto... Kakashi-sensei... Iruka-sensei... they needed him. They believed in him.
"No."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he stepped away from Sasuke. "A poor choice." He raised a hand, but no sooner had he raised it than his eyes closed and he, like Snape-san's uncle, slumped to the ground, four long senbon needles protruding from his neck.
"I would say it was a rather good choice, Uchiha-kun." Gai-san with his ever-present sparkling grin stood beside Tenten. She went to Voldemort and retrieved her needles. "Had you said 'yes', Tenten would have used her senbon on you."
Sasuke looked at Tenten and suddenly realized that Neji hadn't been his only threat on this mission.
"Sasuke?" Sakura had done something to Lupin-san. He lay on his back in the snow.
"Pressure point at the back of the neck," Sakura said. "He didn't see or hear anything important. The mission's secure." Her smile, when she looked at Sasuke, was bright. "I knew you wouldn't do it. Did you kill him, Tenten?"
"No." She carefully pulled the needles from the man's neck. "He'll wake up in ten minutes. He won't remember a thing."
Gai-san picked up the man and threw him over his shoulder. "We will take him a distance, first. His horse and carriage were left not far down the road. If he should wake angry and do something to the people of this house... that boy is a student of Hogwarts and his death or injury could be seen as partially our responsibilty if this man wakes angry."
"We have to be fast," Sasuke told Gai-san. "Itachi's here. He's after Naruto and Kyuubi."
To be continued...