BTW, found an awesome web page that reveal all the glorious buttons used in Alan Rickman's costumes. HOT!
As ever, standard disclaimers apply.
Number twelve Grimmauld Place was noisy with the bustle of Weasleys and Harry getting ready for work (in Mr Weasley's case) or the outing to Diagon Ally for school supplies.
As everyone was finally gathering at the table for breakfast, Mundungus Fletcher made an impromptu appearance, letting himself in with a friendly yell downstairs to announce himself. With his pipe tucked safely away, he invited himself to breakfast. "My own cooking is never this good." He explained as he joined them in piling a plate with the many victuals being offered. "I remembered that you folks were going to Diagon Ally today for supplies and I thought you might want to do a bit of shopping yourself Molly. I can keep watch here while you are out enjoying yourself for a change." He grinned. "Plenty of food here to keep me happy."
"Oh if you're sure..." She started feeling a bit guilty because she really was not very fond of the man. Maybe she was too harsh. But no. He was a thief and he did smoke that horrible pipe. But... He wasn't exactly evil incarnate. He was just a human being who made choices she found distasteful. "That is very nice of you, Mundungus..."
He laughed at her reticence. "I promise not to smoke my pipe in the kitchen."
She blushed harder. Even more so because the children laughed at his comment and her reaction.
"Molly, Love, you have been cooped up in here. It's past time you got out," Arthur encouraged. He felt guilty himself for having not given her the attention he knew she needed and deserved.
The witch finally acquiesced with a smile. "Oh very well. Just let me get changed."
"Hurry mum, remember we are meeting Hermoine at the Leaky Cauldron." Ron prodded unnecessarily, and not noticing the significant look of amused understanding that passed between Harry and Ginny.
Only fifteen short minutes later Mundungus Fletcher found himself in a surprisingly gloomy cocoon of silence. He'd promised to take up some tea and toast to Snape as he managed to shoo Molly out without giving any clue to his rising apprehension. He leaned on the shut door and glanced at the empty place where a portrait was missing. "Thank the gods," he mumbled. "Nice folk, but hard on the nerves." He straightened up. "Well, Snape, time to leave."
He went upstairs making no effort to be quiet and burst into the room without even a knock. Snape was asleep, body twisted, arms and legs flung outward beneath tangled covers. Bad dreams. Well, he deserved them. Fletcher reached down to shake the man but pulled back without touching him. Oh no. That was inviting trouble. A man who slept like this was bound to attack whoever woke him up. "Snape!" he practically yelled. "Get up!"
He was rewarded by the look of sheer terror on Snape's face as his eyes shot open and he gasped sharply. A moment later confusion and then calm followed as the awakening man took in and recognized his surroundings.
"Up man. I haven't all day." Mundungus snapped. He was satisfyingly rewarded when the dark eyes shifted to him revealing no small amount of confusion and fear. Now, that felt fine, indeed. The once sarcastic, sneering, tower of forbidding doom was reduced to a pathetic spectre afraid of anything loud or sharp or new. "Get up, get dressed." He yanked open the wardrobe and pulled out the only two pieces of clothing in it, a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, both linen and both of a style not much seen since, he wasn't sure when, but it was clearly a time when buttons were all the rage. He threw them to the man now sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hurry up." He stormed out of the room not waiting to see that his orders were obeyed. It would have ruined the effect.
The thief slammed the door shut behind himself and then broke into a grin. That felt good! "Hurry up!" He yelled through the closed door again. Moments later, the door opened and a barefoot, untidily clothed wizard shuffled out. Apparently Snape couldn't manage all those ridiculous buttons and had simply given up. "Good enough, I should think." Mundungus grumbled. He certainly wasn't going to fuss over the man. "Follow," he ordered tersely and turned to head downstairs.
"No." Flat, emotionless, a simple assertion.
Fletcher turned back. What he saw stopped him from yelling. He didn't see a resistance that anger would manipulate. "Why not?"
"Tea."
That was all right, then. "I thought we'd have tea out. Different surroundings."
"Yes."
Fletcher all but collapsed with relief. Minor problem subverted, before it could become a major obstacle. "Well, then come along." He was acutely aware of the other wizard following him until he'd opened the door and stepped out. Then Snape balked again. "What is it now?"
"Hurts." He was squinting.
"It will stop soon." This was worse than herding kneazles! But he could be a patient man. He supposed the Auror could be as well. They surely had to spend a great deal of their time waiting. He watched Snape become accustomed to the brightness of unfiltered daylight. He watched the squint relax and the tension in the other man dissipate. "Well? Better, just as I said."
"Yes. Tea?"
"Right. Come on, then." He made sure the door was warded before they continued on. Their way was slow. Snape had to stop and stare at every little brightly colored weed or insect. He occasionally blurted out a word, probably some arcane potions ingredient. Mundungus had never been much good at potions or herbology. His wit had always been better used for tactic and strategy, he liked to think. Finally they came to the lot and Mundungus grumbled. "Hang on. I've a stone in my shoe and you look a bit done in." In fact the Potions Master looked all but dead on his feet. "There's a nice shady tree, let's have a sit down for a bit, all right?"
Snape's eyes found an interesting clump of weeds and he agreed with a simple nod, not hesitating to change his destination.
--
Mad-Eye Moody was no fool. He'd been suspicious since... Well, since the day he'd been born, he liked to say. Nonetheless, he'd been thinking about things of late and he was pretty certain something was up. He had spent the last few days keeping watch on Order Headquarters. It kind of surprised him when Dung had come early for breakfast this morning. But when the Weasley family had all departed leaving no one but the thief himself all his warning signals were dancing like demons in sunlight. It absolutely did surprise him (for about 3 seconds) when Dung emerged followed by a disturbingly docile Severus Snape. Moody grinned mirthlessly to himself. Now it begins, he thought.
Dung was not always as careful as he should be, but even so, Alastor reckoned the fellow would not have noticed he was being shadowed anyway. Alastor was alive because he was good. (Not to mention careful.) He trailed the pair all the way to where they moved off the sidewalk and into an overgrown lot. Snape trudged determinedly toward a clump of tall weeds where he dropped weakly to the ground, his interest solely on the stand of plant life. Mundungus, however, simply wandered to some stone debris and sat down. His eyes flitted from place to place. Looking for someone. Moody stayed where he was.
The reward came quickly in the form of three wizards and a witch, all dressed in unremarkable grey robes. Aurors. He recognized each one of them. Almost as one they raised their wands. One pointed toward a completely unaware Snape, the others toward a now horrified Mundungus Fletcher. Moody pulled out his own wand but still did not reveal himself.
"Stupefy!" Two voices rang out. There were no answering cries. Both spells hit their targets. It was very neat. Except for two youthful Muggles riding past on two wheeled contrivances who probably hadn't noticed a thing.
The four split up now. Two of the wizards to lift Snape by his arms and drag him off toward a copse of wizened trees, while their comrades closed in on the thief, wands still out. Now Moody stepped forward and revealed himself. "Leave him." He barked, surprising them all. The two encumbered with an unconscious Snape could only turn their heads. But the others raised their wands to meet his. "Don't. go ahead and take Snape. But leave Dung."
"He'll talk."
"Snape deserves whatever you have in mind for him. But Dung does not. I know you Merritt. You're not above using Unforgivables. I don't abide by it myself, but I know you're allowed. I'm just not going to let you use them on someone who doesn't deserve them. Dung is loyal. Take Snape and get out of here."
Merritt and his associate, Nyssa, shared a quick glance. They nodded in acquiescence and immediately disapparated. Moody watched the others use a portkey, still with Snape slung between them. Then he knelt down beside the not so petty thief and growled out, "Idiot," at the unconscious man before mumbling the counter-curse.