The Greater Good

The Greater Good

By Matthew W. Quinn

Author's Note: I recall something similar to the "fiancé" exchange in Sindie's story "The Moment It Began."

January 25th, 1979

8 PM

"I wonder," Severus Snape said as he and Lily Evans stood outside the door of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. "How we will break the news of our engagement to the other members of the Order?"

Particularly Potter, he thought. The Gryffindor boy seemed happy with Mary Macdonald and his apology for his years of Snape-abuse had caught him off-guard, but he wasn't going to trust the other boy. He dated several girls sixth year in an attempt to make Lily jealous. What if Mary Macdonald is another such project?

"Oh, don't worry," Lily said. "If you're concerned they're going to think me mad for being engaged to a Slytherin, don't be. You're a member in good standing of the Order."

She smiled. "I wonder how Mary and Marlene will react? They've got boyfriends, but I've got a fiancé."

She leaned up and kissed him as she said that. Snape allowed himself to smile.

"Say that again," he whispered.

"Fiancé," she said, leaning close.

"Again."

"Fiancé," she said, sliding her arms around him.

Snape allowed his smile to grow, until he saw Peter Pettigrew behind them, making gag-me gestures with his wand.

"Lily, watch out!" Snape shouted, hand leaping to his wand.

"What?" Lily asked, momentarily confused. When he eyes followed Snape's to Pettigrew, she soon had her wand pointing at the traitor as well.

Pettigrew stepped back, casting Shield charms. "Stop it!" he cried out. "I'm here on Dumbledore's authorization!"

"Why should we believe you?" Lily demanded. "You tried to have Sev killed!"

"He's telling you the truth," Albus Dumbledore said, emerging from the darkness behind Pettigrew. The traitor visibly relaxed.

"Mr. Pettigrew, go inside. Lily, Severus, I will explain."

Pettigrew quickly slipped inside.

"All right," Snape demanded. "What's going on?"

"You two, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, and I are the only ones who know that Mr. Pettigrew has turned traitor and as far as I know, this discovery is not known to the Death Eaters."

Ah, Snape thought, making the connection. We've turned him.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I would prefer to leave the task of giving Voldemort what appears to be valuable information while withholding the essentials to someone more trustworthy and deeper in Voldemort's confidences than Mr. Pettigrew, but things did not work out that way."

He'd have probably preferred Regulus.

"And in the meantime, we've got to pretend the rat is still our friend?" Snape asked, anger in his voice. He remembered how John had cried over Amanda's corpse and hadn't stopped for days.

"Sev," Lily said. "It's for the good of the war effort. You're a Slytherin, surely you remember the dictum about using any means to achieve your ends?"

Being lectured on Slytherin values by a Gryffindor? This isn't something that happens every day.

"He should still be punished," Snape grated.

"If his service to us has not outweighed his sins by the war's end, he will. Let me reassure you, his interrogation was not an easy one. They used two of the three Unforgivables, and nearly used the third when he turned into a rat in an attempt to escape." Dumbledore frowned for a moment. "An unregistered Animagus, right under our very nose," he mused.

Snape's gaze drifted over to Lily. The two locked eyes.

After a moment, they both nodded.

No need to expose Potter.

"Enough of this," Dumbledore said. "We have business to attend to."

The three of them entered the Order headquarters. Snape and Lily took their seats opposite James Potter, Mary Macdonald, and Peter Pettigrew. Snape noticed that when Pettigrew sat down next to Potter, Potter got up and sat on the other side of Mary, leaving an empty seat. Pettigrew looked downcast.

Serves him right.

Some feminine chatter erupted to his right and Snape's gaze drifted over.

It's Lily and Marlene McKinnon.

Lily was showing Marlene her ring.

Oh my. I was hoping she'd talk to Mary first.

Despite being Potter's girlfriend, Mary had never treated him disrespectfully, while Marlene had made unflattering comments his interest in the Dark Arts in general and the Flesh-Rotting Curse in particular.

"All right," Dumbledore began. "This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix has officially begun. Mr. Longbottom will update us on the current situation."

Frank Longbottom got up and stood next to Dumbledore.

"All right," the Auror said. "The good news is the gang of Death Eaters who were robbing banks in the North has been disposed of. Four dead and two in Azkaban, with only one casualty on our side."

That's good. They're less likely to disrupt Lily or me.

"We've also been interrogating captured Death Eaters for information about the...recent intelligence coup. We haven't found much so far, but we do have some clues."

The Horcruxes.

"However, not all news is good. The Death Eaters have launched offensives in Wales, the Southeast, and just south of the Humber. They killed eighteen wizards last week, along with twenty Muggles, and we have reason to believe twenty took the Mark as a result of the last terror campaign."

We've got to inflict a big defeat on them. Their victories mean more Death Eaters, which mean more victories.

Someone rapped on the door.

"Three guesses," John Anderson said.

Dumbledore gestured with his wand and the door swung open. Anderson sat next to Snape, while Lupin sat between Potter and Pettigrew.

Totally oblivious.

"I can't go into details right now, but we'll be launching a counteroffensive soon. Orders will go to every member via Patronuses from Doge and me…"

As Longbottom continued, Anderson leaned close.

"Severus," he whispered.

"Yes?"

Anderson pointed to Lily and Marlene, who was examining Lily's ring.

"You popped the question?"

Snape nodded.

"Good job."

Then Anderson's face fell. Snape swallowed.

Painful memories. What he meant to do, but didn't, and now can't.

"Okay. Before you all leave, I'd like to speak to individual members about the planned counteroffensive."

The meeting began breaking up.

Snape saw Pettigrew try to slink out of the meeting, only to be collared by Dumbledore and taken aside.

Probably telling him what he wants him to relay to the Dark Lord.

Meanwhile, Lily went straight for Mary and the two women started chattering. As soon as Mary spotted Lily's ring, the squealing began.

Oh no. Just what I was afraid of.

He loved Lily of course, and Mary was nice, but the girly-screaming fests tended to get on his nerves.

Snape's eyes drifted over to Potter, who stood nearby.

I wonder how he's taking it?

Their eyes locked for a moment. Then Potter gestured with his head at the girls and rolled his eyes.

Wow. He's not being all envious and upset. I'm shocked.

"Hey tere, Snape!" a deep voice boomed behind him.

Snape spun, hand diving for his wand. When he saw who it was, he relaxed slightly.

Hagrid. Don't see him at the meetings very much, particularly during the school year.

"H…hallo there," Snape said, caught off-guard.

"Congratulations on bein' engaged," the half-giant declared, reaching out to shake Snape's hand. His much larger hand swallowed Snape's hand and wrist.

How does he know?

Lily and the half-giant were both Gryffindors, but news of her engagement had not had much time to circulate.

Perhaps he noticed Lily with the ring. Just because he seems ignorant and loud doesn't mean that he doesn't pay attention.

"I had my doubts about yeh, bein' Slytherin and all, but yeh seem like a good kid," Hagrid continued.

Snape allowed himself a small smile, but the half-giant continued.

"But I've got ter say this, just ter be safe. Don't yeh break her heart, Severus Snape, or yeh'll have me to deal with."

Snape nodded quickly.

You really don't want to piss Hagrid off.