Chapter 52
Severus stood in the Hospital Wing, pulling his sleeve back down, covering the Dark Mark. The black was fading after suddenly flaring back to life a matter of hours ago, and would Fudge believe it? The Ministry? Of course not, too blinded by fear of what the Dark Lord's return actually meant. Better to bury their heads in the sand. 'He' could not return. Fortunately Dumbledore knew better. As did he.
Dumbledore closed the door to the Hospital Wing, glancing around those remaining around Harry Potter's bed.
"And now, it is time for two of our number to recognise each other for what they are. Sirius... if you could resume your usual form" Dumbledore asked. The shaggy black dog glanced up before turning into Sirius Black. Fucking Black. Traitorous bastard, what on earth was he doing here? Severus could barely suppress his fury at the sight of him, the one who betrayed Lily.
"Sirius Black!" Molly Weasley screamed.
"Mum, shut up! It's ok" the Weasley boy told her.
"Him!" Severus snarled furiously. He'd never hated anyone more. "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation, as are you, Severus. I trust you both" Dumbledore told him. How? "It is time for you to lay aside your old differences, and trust each other" Like that was going to happen. Black was looking back at him with as much loathing as he felt himself.
"I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who knew the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us" Dumbledore told them impatiently.
Severus stepped forwards, maintaining his glare - as did Black, and reached out his hand. The two shook hands extremely quickly, letting go as soon as they were able. There was obviously more to the situation than Dumbledore had told him, unless he was going to maintain that Pettigrew had been the secret keeper and still alive and running around somewhere.
"That will do to be going on with" Dumbledore said as he stepped between himself and Black. "Now, I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd" - the Order, Severus added mentally. "Lie low at Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there"
"But -" Potter protested.
"You'll see me very soon, Harry. I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?" Black explained to the boy.
"Yeah. Yeah... of course I do" Potter reluctantly agreed. Severus watched as Black transformed back into the black dog, ran to the door, and was gone without a backward glance.
"Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready... if you are prepared..." Dumbledore said quietly.
"I am" he replied. As ready as he was ever going to be, though he couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Then, good luck" Dumbledore told him. Severus tried to ignore the look of apprehension on the Headmaster's face. Dumbledore was worried for him. Worried he wouldn't be accepted back into the Dark Lord's ranks. That thirteen years of training would come to nothing and he would be murdered on the spot for abandoning his fellow Death Eater's. Abandoning the Dark Lord. Everything hinged on convincing the Dark Lord of his undying loyalty. Severus swept from the Hospital Wing, as silent as a shadow, to return to the Dark Lord's side.
The dream faded, the glimpse of memory ending, swirling and merging into another before he could wake up.
Severus sat down in the dusty armchair, opposite Narcissa and Bellatrix. Bellatrix maintaining her mistrustful glare at him. Thoroughly amusing it was, but also annoying.
"So, what can I do for you?" Severus finally asked the sisters.
"We... are alone, aren't we?" Narcissa asked quietly.
"Yes, of course. Well, Wormtail's here, but we're not counting vermin, are we?" he asked with a smirk. Severus aimed his wand at a wall of books, with a bang, a hidden door flew open to reveal a narrow staircase. Wormtail stood, frozen to the spot in his fear. Good, let him cower, worthless scum. Severus would make sure the little rat paid.
"As you have clearly realised, Wormtail, we have guests" Severus stated in almost bored drawl. Wormtail shuffled cautiously down the last couple of steps, moving anxiously into the room as he stroked his hideous silver hand.
"Narcissa! Bellatrix! How charming -" he simpered pathetically.
"Wormtail will get us drinks, if you'd like them. And then he will return to his bedroom" Severus told them.
"I am not your servant!" Wormtail squeaked, carefully avoiding Severus' eyes.
"Really? I was under the impression that the Dark Lord placed you here to assist me" Severus drawled, challenging the disgusting wretch.
"To assist, yes - but not to make you drinks and - and clean your house!" he protested. Not that he was doing much in the way of cleaning, the house was just as neglected as it had always been.
"I had no idea, Wormtail, that you were craving more dangerous assignments" he said silkily - like the worm wanted danger, fucking coward "This can easily be arranged. I shall speak to the Dark Lord -"
"I can speak to him myself if I want to!" he interrupted.
"Of course you can" Severus sneered, "But in the meantime, bring us drinks. Some of the elf-made wine will do"
Wormtail hesitated before scurrying out of another hidden door. Oh, he might not be able to kill the pathetic rat of a man in his sleep, but he could certainly keep him scurrying about, in fear of what Severus might do to him. Or what Severus might tell the Dark Lord if he didn't obey his every command. Wormtail would pay for his betrayal soon enough, one way or another. And Severus hoped with every fibre of his being, that he'd be the one to make him suffer for what he did to Lily.
...
Severus lay in his bed, wide awake now. And furious after those snippets of memories. He wished he was with Lily, but they couldn't stay together every night, much as they wanted to. He didn't know what time it was, the sky was getting light, but that didn't really mean too much in the summer. Severus grabbed for the mirror, maybe he'd see if Lily was awake yet.
"Lily?" he whispered into the mirror. He waited as the seconds stretched on.
"Sev?" he heard her say, her face coming into view just as he was about to give up. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I had another one come through" he said quietly.
"Oh?" she said as she rubbed her eyes, "Do you want me to come over?"
"Can you?" he asked.
"I'll be there in ten minutes, is that ok?"
"That's fine, thanks Lily" he whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. Lily nodded as her face disappeared from the mirror. Severus placed his back down on the small bedside table, throwing the covers off himself. First thing to do, contact Lupin. He had to make sure they kept Pettigrew completely in the dark.
Severus sat at the desk, reaching for a piece of parchment to compose his letter.
'Lupin,
Do not tell Pettigrew 'anything'. And I mean, 'anything'.
S.S.'
He hoped that would be enough to convince him to keep Pettigrew out of it. He suspected it would be, given that Lupin had approached him on the train home to let him know they thought he was acting suspicious. Meeting with Regulus Black. A Death Eater wannabe. Or a Death Eater already. He didn't know which it was. But what about Pettigrew? Was he already a Death Eater? Aspiring to be one? Frightened and passing along information? Spying to buy his own safety?
Severus opened Apollo's cage, attaching the note carefully to his leg before sending him off out the window to find Remus Lupin. Never in a million years did he think he'd actually be writing to Lupin. Things were definitely getting stranger and stranger.
Severus glanced at the clock for the first time then, 6.20am, no wonder Lily had still been asleep. Sighing, he made his way down the stairs, not wishing to wake his mother, he didn't think she would appreciate that very much. Lily would be here soon though, she would help him sort out his thoughts, she always did.
Severus got things ready, making them both tea while he waited, knowing Lily would need something to help wake her up. A soft knock at the door a moment later alerted him to her arrival, and he quickly opened the door to let her in. She greeted him with a soft kiss and a smile, before she took a seat at the table. Severus handed her a cup of tea before taking his own seat, casting a Muffliato before speaking, just in case his mother woke and overheard their conversation.
"Sorry I woke you, I had no idea what time it was" he told her quietly.
"That's ok, I don't mind" she answered, sipping her tea. "So, what did you see?" she asked. Severus sighed.
"A couple of bits. First off, Black really is on our side" he told her.
"Sirius Black?" she frowned.
"Yes. I know we'd kind of figured that out, but yes, confirmation that he really is on the same side we are" he told her. Slowly, she nodded.
"What else did you see?" she asked quietly.
"Pettigrew. We definitely can't trust him" he said, "I saw him as a Death Eater"
"What? Really? He seems so... so... well, not like a Death Eater" she told him.
"Looks can be deceiving" he told her. Everyone thought he was a Death Eater. Or was going to become one. Though, given that he did become one in another lifetime, that was neither here nor there.
"Do you think he's already gone to their side?" she asked.
"I don't know. But Lupin said he'd been acting suspicious. I don't know whether he's actively trying to become a Death Eater, or has become one, or just gathering information. He cannot be trusted at all" he said seriously. Lily nodded.
"So what do we do?" she asked.
"I've sent a note to Lupin, reminding him not to tell Pettigrew anything" Lily nodded, "Lupin is aware of the Tarot reading and has already filled in Potter and Black, and Potter and Black are aware a Prophecy has been made and that we're wanted because we heard it" he huffed, frowning. If the three Marauders decided to share their collective knowledge with the fourth, that would lead to a whole load of trouble if he carried that information off to Avery and Wilkes, or Regulus Black. Or even You-Know-Who himself. Lily sighed then.
"Let's hope they don't tell him then" she said. Severus nodded.
"And next week, we'll be back at Hogwarts. Things are going to be more difficult then. We'll be seeing people from 'the other side' every day" he said. That was a concern, not that anyone would be trying to get information from himself and Lily - none of them would be using Legilimency to pry it directly from their minds. But they may just go straight for attacks. Pranks. Anything to put them in the Hospital Wing. Himself and Lily were going to have to be on their guard all the time. At least he knew there were people they could trust. People he could trust to help keep Lily safe, even if he didn't personally like them. Her safety was more important than that.
"Has your mother decided what she's going to do? When we go back?" Lily asked. Severus sighed.
"I think she's leaning towards going into hiding, staying with a family with members belonging to the Order" he told her. He hoped she would. It wouldn't be long before the Death Eater's tracked her down, especially after Malfoy had confronted him last week in Diagon Alley.
"That's good then" Lily said.
"I think Dumbledore managed to talk her into it. Convinced her that we, and her, would be safer that way" he said. And it was true. She would be safer if they couldn't find her, attempting to get information she didn't have. And he wouldn't be worrying for her safety. "What about your parents?" he asked.
"Nothing's been mentioned about hiding my parents. I guess because I haven't been directly targeted yet" she said. Severus nodded, frowning again, he didn't like that particular word. Yet.
"Maybe we could talk to Dumbledore when we get back" he suggested. They couldn't rule out the Evans becoming targets. Muggles were despised by Death Eater's. Having a witch for a daughter placed them at higher risk than other Muggles. Lily having heard the Prophecy placed them at even higher risk still. They may need to be hidden at some point as the War and the danger escalated.
"Good morning, you two" his mother's voice suddenly joined. Severus subtly removed his privacy spell.
"Good morning, mother"
"Good morning, Mrs Snape"
"You're here early today, is everything all right?" his mother asked Lily.
"Yes, everything's fine, Mrs Snape" she smiled. "Just been having trouble sleeping, worrying about going back to school" she explained.
"I see. And the privacy spell?" she asked, turning her attention to Severus.
"We didn't want to wake you" he said calmly. Slowly, she nodded, hopefully accepting the excuse. Well, it wasn't entirely a lie.
"I should get back home, my parents don't know I've gone, I don't want to worry them" she told them.
"I'll be over in a bit, Lily" he told her. Lily nodded and smiled.
"Good bye, Mrs Snape"
"Good bye, Lily" his mother replied.
"See you later, Sev" Lily told him. Severus nodded as she left the table, quickly heading out the house to make her way home.
"I'm going to take a quick shower, then. Before I go to Lily's" he told his mother as he stood from the table. His mother nodded, saying nothing as she watched him leave the room, no doubt wondering when he'd snuck Lily into the house. He sighed as he trudged up the stairs to the bathroom, wondering when the next round of questions, or next lecture was going to come.
...
"Are you sure you want to do this, Lily?" Severus asked as he sat next to her on the sofa.
"Yes, I'm sure" she told him, "I keep telling you I'm sure" she added impatiently. Severus sighed.
"It might not be particularly pleasant" he told her.
"I know, but it's necessary" she told him. Which it was. She needed to know how to protect her mind, her memories, at least a bit. She knew far too much. If she became a target for Malfoy, well, it wouldn't be at all good. "I'd rather have you poking around in my head than Dumbledore" she added.
"What are you talking about, Lily?" her mother asked, not choosing the best moment to join their conversation.
"Just an activity the Headmaster suggest we try" Lily told her.
"Poking around in your head?" she asked dubiously.
"It's not like that exactly, Mrs Evans" Severus told her. "It's a technique, like meditation, it can help protect your mind, creating a shield to prevent others from accessing your memories" he explained.
"There are wizards that can read minds?" her mother asked.
"Sort of. Well, not mind reading as such. Accessing memories" he continued.
"Sounds like mind reading if you ask me" her mother said. Lily smiled, she had to agree, it did sound like mind reading to her too. "Is it dangerous?" her mother asked him.
"Um, well, it depends on who's doing it" he said. "I'm not going to hurt her if I try and gain access to her memories, but someone on the other side might be more aggressive in how they go about it" he said. Her mother looked thoughtful.
"And you're going to teach her how to keep someone out?"
"I'm going to try to. I've not had any experience in trying to get into someone's mind, only on keeping someone out. That's what I've been learning with the Headmaster"
"Because of the War?"
"Exactly. The Headmaster thinks Lily should begin learning, because she's close to me" he explained.
"And you're ok with this, Lily?" her mother asked.
"I am" Lily nodded. "I know you're worried, and this sounds crazy, but the War is going on and I need to know how to protect myself any way I can" she told her.
"Well, just be careful, both of you" she told them. She and Severus both nodded. They would be careful, she trusted him completely. "Well, I'm just nipping to the shops, I won't be too long" she added, before heading off out of the house, leaving them alone in the living room.
"So, what do we need to do?" she asked him, turning to face him.
"Take out your wand" he instructed. Lily obeyed quickly, picking up her wand, holding it carefully in her hand as she saw him do the same. Severus moved to the opposite end of the sofa, turning to sit cross legged, Lily copied his actions. Severus took a deep breath before he continued. "The aim is to clear your mind, of emotions. Emotions make it easier to get in" he explained. Lily nodded, frowning slightly as she thought about what he said.
"But I'm an emotional person" she said, worried that that would make it impossible for her to do.
"You can learn. Meditation is an adequate description for preparing yourself. Keeping calm is essential. If you panic, or get angry, or stressed, it will make it harder to keep focused" he told her. "You can do it, Lily. You don't necessarily need your wand to keep someone out. But it can be useful, if you had your wand in hand when approached by someone like Malfoy, you can use any means to keep them out" he told her. Lily nodded slowly. She could do this. Couldn't she? Only one way to find out.
"Ok. I'm ready" she told him, meeting his eyes. Severus nodded, raising his wand.
"Legilimens" he whispered. Lily took a deep breath as she felt a peculiar sensation as Severus brushed her thoughts. Gently. So gently. Images moved past as she tried to figure out how to push him out... her mother asking about Severus... her mother asking about the War... about Hogwarts... the Slytherins being expelled.
Severus withdrew from her mind. Lily sighed heavily.
"I don't think I did very well" she said.
"It was the first time, Lily" he said gently. She nodded reluctantly, taking a deep breath.
"Again?" he asked. She nodded. "Legilimens" he whispered, she could feel him in her mind again. Images of Petunia this time...boasting about Vernon... Lily calling him a fat walrus... Petunia calling Severus disgusting names. Lily pushed him out, breathing heavily as she broke eye contact.
"Better" he said. Lily rubbed her forehead, feeling annoyed. "I know what she says about me, Lily" he said quietly.
"I'm sorry" she whispered.
"You don't need to be sorry" he said softly. Perhaps not, but she was still sorry. "And you can do this" he told her, smiling. She nodded, lifting her eyes to his again. She could do this. "Legilimens" he muttered again, no warning this time as he slipped into her mind. Lily panicked slightly, knowing she needed to keep him out, the Prophecy flicked to the forefront of her mind... The One with the power to vanquish... She pushed him back out again. He was smiling again.
"You can do this" he told her again, looking pleased, "Just need to keep calm, in control"
"And don't panic" she agreed, smiling.
"I think you should practice with Dumbledore when we get back to school" he suggested. She nodded, though really didn't want to have Dumbledore try and get in her head.
"Do I have to?" she asked.
"Well, this is my first time using Legilimency, Dumbledore is obviously much more skilled. If you can keep him out, you can keep pretty much anyone out" he told her.
"So, this is good practice for you too, then?" she asked. It would be a handy skill for him to have. The Occlumency had certainly been an excellent skill to have, though not for the reason he'd begun studying it - he'd originally started it to try and stop the memories reaching him in his dreams. Things had certainly changed over the last year - the memories had become an essential weapon in the quest to defeat Voldemort, and the Occlumency was essential to stop Voldemort finding out.
"I guess so" he agreed.
"One last time?" she asked. He nodded, lifting his wand again.
"Legilimens" again, she felt him touching her mind, strange, but not altogether unpleasant... he was holding her hand... stroking her hair... leaning in to kiss her. She should push him out, now that she'd figured out how. But... he was kissing her. She pushed him out, she had to keep in control. Lily looked at him, biting her lip.
"Sorry" she whispered, blushing and trying not to smile.
"No you're not" he laughed.
"I am a bit" she grinned. She wasn't, not really.
"You had enough practice for today?" he asked.
"Mmm" she mumbled as she moved closer to him. Severus placed his wand down beside him, reaching to slip his hand into her hair, drawing her into his kiss. "Mmm. How did you know?" she asked as he pulled back.
"I've just been in your mind, remember?" he teased.
"Oh yeah" she grinned. "Sorry about that" she said as she leaned into him again, resting her hands on his shoulders.
"Really?" he asked with amusement.
"No" she answered, leaning in to kiss him again, wrapping her arms around him tightly, her wand cast aside alongside his. He didn't object in the slightest, his hand roaming over her back and in her hair.
It had been nice viewing memories of their kisses in her mind, but it was much nicer creating new memories.
Recognisable parts from The Goblet of Fire - The Parting of Ways, And The Half Blood Prince - Spinner's End
