.
Chapter 49: Caution and Courage
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the story which directly takes ideas from JK Rowling. This story is not being used for commercial purposes; it is simply for pleasure and fun.
Author's Note: -Jeanne I know the scene you and others object to but I promise it will make sense once we get to book two, or at least part two of this story! You have to remember that things aren't always what they seem and most of the scenes are based on Snape's POV and memory; we perceive things as he does and he is not infallible, he's 17.
iiiiiiiiiii
When Severus woke up it was to an empty bed, well empty besides himself. He momentarily panicked and frantically looked around for Lily but spotted a note on his night table.
Morning Sev! I got an idea and just had to start working on it! See you at lunch! 3 -Lily
Severus read it over a few times until his groggy mind really understood what it said. He grinned at the little heart she drew at the end. Severus was a bit concerned that Lily was already displaying the obsessive behaviour he just warned her about last night but, the heart made him too happy to really worry. As long as she showed up to lunch it was fine.
Severus got up, washed and headed down for breakfast. He barely sat down when he saw Dumbledore standing next to him.
"Good morning Mr. Snape."
"Professor Dumbledore, good morning."
The headmaster sat down without waiting for an invitation but then didn't say anything. Severus awkwardly reached for some scrambled eggs and hotcakes while Dumbledore sipped on some orange juice. He was halfway through his food when the professor finally spoke to him.
"I was hoping you would have brought the letters we spoke of with you."
"To breakfast?"
"Yes, well perhaps I am a bit eager to get going while I have the time."
"I'll go get them right after I finish."
"Good, I guess you'll get going then and come right to my office?"
Severus looked down at his obviously half full plate then back at the headmaster.
"Right, as soon as I've eaten."
Professor Dumbledore seemed to purse his lips but didn't say anything and then got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Severus was very unnerved by the encounter. It seemed obvious Professor Dumbledore wanted those letters and wanted them before he had time to sort them into the letters containing the information he already had and the ones Eloise had kept private. Severus had an uneasy feeling and quickly finished eating and went up to the 7th floor via a few secret corridors and short cuts. He wasn't going to put it past Dumbledore to follow him and if he found the room, he was sure to know a way in, and then he'd have all their information. Maybe he should start carrying everything around in a bag like Lily. She had the right idea after all.
When Severus got to the room he grabbed the letters and started sorting them out into ones he felt were absolutely safe. He was about to run out to get to the headmaster's office but then he had an idea. He made up a bunch of fake letters, addressed them to George Lattimer and Lily and signed them from Eloise. Then he hid them and the real letters around the room. That way if Dumbledore did get in, he wouldn't know which were real and which were fake. His writing wasn't a perfect copy of Eloise's but it would be enough to fool an accio spell.
He knew he had already taken too long so he rushed down to the office then tried to catch his breath so it wouldn't seem like he had been running. He asked to gargoyle to let him in and it stepped aside immediately.
When he knocked he heard Dumbledore's voice asking him to come in so he quickly opened the door and sat down in a chair in front of the desk. The headmaster was sitting, his hands in his lap, looking perfectly at ease but expectant. When he didn't offer a greeting Severus put the letters on the desk and said,
"Here you go professor. These aren't all of them but the rest seem to be missing."
"Missing?"
Answered the professor as he picked up the letters and began looking through them.
"Yes, they aren't where I had been keeping them."
"And where had you been keeping them?"
"Hidden in a room in the dungeons."
"Ah. Not a very good spot Mr. Snape. Anyone could have gotten to them."
"I protected the room with charms and kept the letters in a hidden box that was also charmed. It is possible that someone stumbled upon both of them and broke the charm but it is unlikely."
"What sort of charm did you use?"
"Lily took care of the charm work, it's sort of her specialty."
"So Miss Evans knew where the letters were and how to access them?"
"Yes of course."
"Have you considered that she might have taken them?"
Severus pretended to look pensive and conflicted then answered,
"Yes, I suppose but if she did it was for a good reason. Maybe she wanted to look them over or make copies before giving them to you."
"Even when I specifically said I would be taking over the investigation. Also, if that is so then why did she not take all of them?"
"Maybe she already had copies of these ones?"
Severus said said with a hopeful edge to his voice.
"I see. Well I suppose I will have to ask Miss Evans for them."
"If she was the one who, in fact, took them."
"Ah, yes. Of course. Thank you Mr. Snape that will be all."
"I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."
"About this issue?"
"No, about Professor Slughorn."
"Oh?"
"Yes, he's been acting strange and, well, he's been asking me some strange questions."
"About what?"
"About my roommates and other Slytherin students. I first I just assumed he was asking because he is the head of our house but he seems to be more interested in what we and they do outside of school."
"What sorts of things exactly is he asking you?"
"Well I don't remember the exact wording but just where we go, what we do, how often we meet, what we are planning this summer, if we are taking weekend or break trips anywhere. It wouldn't be so odd if he usually asked these sorts of things but he hasn't."
"Well he often keeps tabs on students, especially ones he sees as particularly talented."
"You mean the Slug Club? Maybe, but that's not what I heard."
"From whom?"
Severus tried to look embarrassed and hesitated so Dumbledore asked,
"Miss Evans?"
"Well yes."
Severus answered sheepishly but in his mind he was smiling wickedly. He had planted the seeds and he knew Dumbledore couldn't ask Slughorn about it because after last night, Slughorn would avoid him like the plague. Severus vaguely wondered if he hadn't just taken off. That would be bad for Lily's plans. Dumbledore pulled Severus out of his thoughts.
"Very well Mr. Snape; do you have anything else to ask me?"
"Uh no Professor I guess not, not now anyways."
"Very well, have a good day and do ask Miss Evans about the other letters."
"Will do professor."
Severus said as he got up and left. He realized he'd have to fill Lily in for this to work; Dumbledore was sure to question her. Severus began looking for her; in the library, the Great Hall, Slughorn's office, the potions classroom but no luck. There was still a great deal of time left until lunch so Severus decided to go to the small room where he set up his potions to check on them, maybe brew something new.
He walked into the room and closed the door. As soon as he did he felt a familiar feeling making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He stood, frozen in front of the door by the cold chill in the room. It was that feeling that someone or something was standing right behind you, just far enough that you couldn't feel it's breathe tickle your neck.
Severus closed his eyes and spun around quickly, opening his eyes as he did. There was nothing there. He reached out and felt around in case they, or it, was illusioned or otherwise concealed. He felt around the whole room but his hands met only thin air.
Severus took several breathes and calmed himself down. Whatever he felt, he had felt it before he discovered the door to Lattimer's secret chamber, where he kept Helga Hufflepuff's cup. A secret door here he hadn't noticed was unlikely so why was he feeling this again? What was it really?
He shook the thoughts out of his mind and tried to focus on why he had come down here in the first place. He checked on the potions, the Felix Felicis had turned a deeper shade of gold as it was supposed to but still needed a month or so to finish. The rest were ready to bottle so Severus spent the better of an hour doing so; a task made more difficult by his shaking hands.
Severus was debating whether he had time to start a forgetfulness potion or if it would overbrew while he was eating lunch when his open book fell off the table with a loud thud. Rather than scooping it up Severus starred at it as though it would bite him. He had barely moved and not touched the table so why did it fall? Severus looked around again and thrust his arms and legs in all directions, trying to catch whoever was in the room. It couldn't be a coincidence, the feeling and now the book randomly falling.
A wild, weird dance and several revealing charms later, Severus still didn't find anything. Frustrated and on edge, he went over to the book and picked it up, turning it over. It had fallen open on the page containing the recipe for the Grande Girding Potion. Severus threw the book against the wall. Someone was mocking him. He could only think of one person, considering Potter and Black weren't in the castle.
Leaving his book, Severus stormed out of the room and towards the Slytherin dormitory which wasn't too far down a couple of halls.
He strutted through the empty common room and up to his dormitory. He had popped in every now and then to grab things but it had been a while since he'd last sat on his own bed. Strangely he missed it. Snape took a look around at the room. It was all tidy, probably by house elves the previous night because he knew that not once had his roommates left for a holiday with the room in order. Not even at the end of the year, they'd always leave the odd sock or chocolate wrappers all over the place.
He felt sick to his stomach. His roommates weren't ready for what was happening, they were just kids. Even Rosier had no idea what he was in for but Severus had a difficult time feeling any sympathy for him. If he apparated in here right now with a gash like Avery's, he wouldn't help. Or would he? Severus shook thoughts away again; he couldn't afford it right now he had to be focused.
Severus grabbed a few books from home that contained some charms he felt he might need if he was being followed or watched and some clothes and left his room. He was halfway across the common room when something moved in the corner of his eye.
"Alright Severus?"
"Black."
He answered as he turned and looked at Regulus.
"How did things go with Dumbledore?"
"Fine. How did things go for you?"
"Not great but well, it worked; just like you said."
"Good."
Severus said as he turned to leave but Regulus' voice stopped him mid step.
"Is she worth it?"
Without turning around Severus answered,
"Absolutely."
and walked out, a lot more dizzy and unsure about a million things than he'd sounded.
iiiiiiiiiii
He'd been back in the room only five minutes when Lily bounced in, seemingly pleased with herself.
"And just where have you been since the crack of dawn?"
Lily smiled at him and said,
"Working. I think I found the perfect way to get information out of Slughorn."
"Really? How?"
"A gift."
Severus frowned.
"Lily, I think if the information could be bought out Dumbledore would have done it."
Lily wagged her finger at Severus and tisked.
"It isn't about price my naive friend. It's about the type of gift."
Severus narrowed his eyes.
"Friend am I? Is that all?"
This stopped Lily who walked over and plopped herself down onto Severus' lap.
"Well, what would you like to be? I mean, I can hardly call you my lover yet now can I?"
Lily pressed herself suggestively onto Severus' chest who looked up at Lily's expectant face and said,
"Hmm. I guess you're right."
and stood up so suddenly Lily nearly fell over, catching herself at the last second and murmuring,
"Tease."
at Severus menacingly.
Severus laughed loudly and brightly which erased Lily's dark expression immediately. She shuffled over and hugged Severus but he pushed her away slightly.
"Hang on. I forgot to tell you something."
"Can it wait?"
"Probably not. I went to see Dumbledore this morning; he kind of ambushed me during breakfast about the letters so I quickly came up here and sorted them out into ones I was pretty sure he had."
"Okay and?"
"Well I told him that the rest of the letter were missing, that we'd hidden them in a potions room in the dungeons and that you set up the protection charms around it. He might ask you about it, thought we should have our stories straight. You made copies right?"
"Yeah a long time ago. So where are the letters now, actually?"
"I hid some around here along with some fake letters I made up to fool any accio spells. Where do you have the copies?"
Lily patted the small satchel around her waist.
"What if Dumbledore asks to look inside?"
"He can't even if he wants to. Only I can pull anything out."
Severus looked at the bag, impressed.
"Can you make me one?"
"I can get you 80% of the way there but the personalization spells have to be made by the individual witch or wizard. No getting around that."
"Figures, that's the part I'd need help with."
"Yeah, magic sucks sometimes. So where were we?"
Lily wrapped her arms around Severus' neck and batted her eyelashes in a display of artificial innocence.
"I believe we were heading out for lunch."
Lily pouted and retorted with,
"But there's still twenty minutes until they start serving lunch."
"And what can we do in twenty minutes?"
Lily smiled and put her lips next to Severus' left ear.
"Plenty."
iiiiiiiiiii
Half an hour later Severus and Lily were walking down to the Great Hall, taking a long and complicated detour. Partially this was to avoid being followed but also because due to a severely reduced student population and the dark abandoned nature of the detours, Severus felt comfortable holding Lily's hand as they walked. When they were in more open stretches it was torture every time her hand would accidentally bump into his. A few times his hand actually twitched to grab hers as another student turned the corner and came into view. It all resulted in Severus arriving at the one dining table with his heart hammering in his chest. Severus vaguely wondered if there was any danger to having your heart beat this quickly for this long; he felt like he was running a marathon.
Was Lily feeling the same way? He saw her take several deep breathes and decided she must. She glanced up and saw Severus looking at her, making her blush and bite her lip. She winced. She must have bitten a particularly sore spot. Severus' lips were sore too. He smiled.
Severus looked around the room but didn't see Professor Dumbledore anywhere. There were a few students but mostly it was empty, not a teacher yet in sight.
"Where do you think he is?"
Asked Lily, mirroring his thoughts.
"Maybe he's actually going over the letters. How much do you think he suspects?"
Lily shrugged.
"That's your responsibility to figure out. Speak of the devil..."
Dumbledore walked in just then and headed straight for the pair. He sat down and began loading a mishmash of items onto his plate.
"Miss Evans."
"Yes Professor Dumbledore?"
"I was speaking to Mr. Snape earlier this morning about the letters you were to deliver to me and he informed me that a few were missing."
Lily swallowed her food and said with convincing calm.
"Oh yes, we were talking about that. I do have a few and the birthday card she sent to me. I have the notes as well, I've been keeping them on me with my school work. I'll get them all for you right after lunch, Severus and I are planning on getting some more studying in anyways."
"I see. Why did you have some of the letters with you?"
Lily looked down and managed to blush, or maybe the blush was still there from before.
"Oh well, they were sort of sentimental and the birthday card I kept with all my others."
"Even when you didn't know what it said?"
"Well yes, I mean it is the thought that counts. It was a nice gesture."
"Yes, of course it is. Some more studying you say? I was under the impression Mr. Snape and yourself did not spend the morning together."
"Well we don't have all of the same subjects so we spent the morning working on those and probably the afternoon and evenings we'll work on common subjects, unless you're not done yet Sev."
"What? Oh, yeah almost just a few things to finish up."
"Cool. Then I'll grab the notes and letters while you finish up then we can meet in the library or something after ok?"
"Uh yeah sure."
Severus said. He wanted to look up at Dumbledore's expression to see if he was buying it, but he was too afraid his expression or eyes might give something away. Dumbledore had to be at least a decent legilimens.
"Wonderful, I look forward to it. Oh Miss Evans, your lip is bleeding."
Severus looked over at Lily and indeed, a drop of blood was on the verge of falling away from her bottom lip. She picked up a napkin and pressed it against her mouth. It came away red.
"Perhaps you should ask Madam Pomfrey for some Pepany Balm, when I was at school many of the more popular girls found it useful."
Lily looked mortified and Dumbledore very pleased with himself as he continued to eat, apparently oblivious to the sudden indigestion griping two of his students.
iiiiiiiiiii
Unable to finish their food and wanting to escape, Lily and Severus were the first to rise from the table. When they were safely out into the corridor off the Entrance Hall Lily mumbled that she would meet him in the library an hour before dinner, still holding a napkin to her lip, and ran out of sight. Severus shook his head and decided if he was going to get more information out of Dumbledore, it would have to be after he'd read the other letters. Severus hated feeling like Dumbledore was two steps ahead of them; they had to start thinking like him. Well no, Severus had to start thinking like him, Lily had to think like Slughorn and thus far she seemed to be doing a better job.
Severus sighed and made his way back down to the dungeons. He'd have time now to brew that Forgetfulness Potion; who knows it might come in handy if he said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
As he approached the room he started walking more slowly, becoming acutely aware of his surroundings. He jumped at every noise and turned towards every shadow the flickering torches cast on the stone walls. When he got to the room he felt around on the wall across from the door, tapping the stones, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Conceding defeat, he walked into the room and grabbed his cauldron but once again froze in place.
This time it was no sense of foreboding or cold, it was a sight that stopped him in his tracks. To his right, large drops of gold were leaping like fish from one of the school cauldrons. Hesitantly Severus approached the cauldron and breathed in sharply as he starred down at the pool of roiling molten gold.
