"Tonks please. I need to know why he was here." Amelia pleaded.
Her cousin shook her head. "I don't know Lea. He came and went." Tonks was silently hoping Amelia was too upset to read her mind, otherwise they would be screwed and she would be even more pissed.
Amelia held her face in her hands. She had this sickening feeling he was putting himself in danger for her. That conclusion becoming more concrete once she found out he was in the country. "if something happens to him because of me I swear..."
"Talk to me Lea. What's going on?" Tonks asked sincerely.
Amelia spent most of the day in the room she had previously occupied, filling Tonks in about her training and her time with Severus. She of course left out some details but Tonks got the point and was smart enough to draw her own conclusions.
"I just cant believe how stupid I am. I-"
Tonks rubbed her back as they sat on the edge of the old bed, thinking of what the right thing was to say. "You're not stupid Lea. Snape is a... complicated person. He must have had his reasons to leave."
Amelia said nothing as silent tears streamed down her face. She felt totally lost. Does she look for him? Does she stay here? Go back to America and say to hell with it all? No. She couldn't. For the first time in Amelias life she felt worthy of something. She felt she was where she was meant to be.
"Listen, it's only been two days. Maybe he needed to think on some things. You know how sensitive men are."
Amelia shook her head. She knew Tonks was lying to her. Her cousin knew what was going on as did the other order members but her mind was too loud to read anything. "I know you know why he was here." She said with her head bent. Not wanting to hear anymore excuses as to why he could have left. "He's either left because he doesn't want me or... he left to try and infiltrate the dark circle himself."
Amelia looked at Tonks with anguish in her eyes. Daring her to tell her she's wrong. Quickly Tonks looked away, telling Amelia all she needed to know.
"I don't need to read your m-mind to know I-im right." Amelia stammered as she began to weep. "P-please Tonks, they will k-kill him as soon as they see him."
Tonks wrapped her arms around Amelia as she began to sob uncontrollably.
Once Amelia had fallen asleep Tonks made her way downstairs, looking for Harry and Remus.
Harry found her first. "How is she?"
"She's a wreck." Tonks sighed, annoyed about this entire situation.
At the sound of his wife, Lupin entered the hallway with a sleeping Teddy in his arms. "What did she say?"
"Go get Hermione so that we are at least on the same page for once."
Fifteen minutes later the four Order members sat in the house library. The room sound proofed, the last thing they needed was someone listening in and making a bigger mess of the situation.
"She suspects... actually I think she knows why Snape was here. Amelia isn't stupid and she knows him better than he thinks." Tonks sighed as she flopped down on the couch next to Remus. She took Teddy and cuddled him close to her.
"Did you confirm anything?" Harry asked nervously.
"Of course not."
"I don't understand, why is it a problem if she knows?" Hermione asked again. None of this making sense to her.
No one could really answer that question truthfully. Severus' motivations were his own. The group sat in silence. The only person who was starting to truly understand why he didn't want Amelia involved was Tonks.
"Snape doesn't want her spying for us because he's protecting her... they have become close." Tonks words slowly sunk into the group. No one speaking. "And I think she loves him."
"She will try and stop him therefore putting herself at risk. If we confirmed her suspicions we could be putting her in great danger and possibly the rest of us. Severus said she wasn't ready. We don't know how strong her mind is and if anything slipped about Ginny..." Lupin stated.
"We won't confirm anything." Harry said as he walked back and forth in front of the fireplace.
"Why don't we send her back to America? She would be safer there."
Tonks shook her head. "She doesn't have anywhere to go other than Snapes place. I don't think she will want to go back there and I don't know if she will stay there."
Harry finally stopped pacing, taking a deep breath. He pushed his glasses up his nose and shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. She can stay here and we can keep an eye on her until we can find her somewhere else to go that will be safe. Right now, my focus is on my wife and our baby. Having another order member in the house isn't a bad thing anyway."
That's where everything sat. Two months later and still no sign from Severus. Amelia felt like a zombie. Walking around the house doing mindless tasks. Sitting with Ginny and making sure she was comfortable, helping Molly cook meals, watch Teddy, sleep.
Mostly though, she spent her time in the library. Mindlessly flipping through books while thinking about Severus. Hoping he was safe.
Still no one was telling her anything. She knew what he was doing but no one would talk about it. If she tried to leave the house they would stop her as they did Ginny. She felt like a hostage.
Trying to find Severus would be a really stupid thing to do. With no information or the backing of any Order members she would be lost.
It felt like everyone carried on except for her. Amelia was stuck in the middle of everyone elses life, no longer attached to her own. Nothing more than an awkward piece of furniture in thier home.
There was however a few times that she was visited by Severus crow. She practically broke down in tears the first time she saw him outside her bedroom window. Her elation was soon gone when she realized he carried no letters. She would always write the same letter and give it to the crow. " Where are you?" They would read. The animal would then fly back with the letter, his master nowhere to be found. The crow was just a silent reminder of what she had, however brief and soon began to despise seeing the black bird. Its like he was taunting her, making sure she wouldnt forget, torturing her with his presence.
Severus was growing tired of disguising himself as Dolohov and sitting in on incredibly dull Death Eater meetings. Most ending in fighting and a few less followers. 'Keep killing one another, less work for me' He thought as another battle broke out.
Thankfully, none of these followers had any real power and they were exactly as the name says. Followers. Posing as Dolohov gave him the most amount of authority in the group, easily keeping them at bay as well as off any real tracks of any of The Order members. They posed hardly any threat by themselves but together they were unpredictable and that made them dangerous.
The tricky part was getting people alone long enough for Severus to attack without anyone seeing him. He was picking them off one by one, starting with the lower ranking followers.
One day however Macnair started rambling on about how he was getting tired of "waiting around". He wanted to see some "real action" and start making thier presence known in the worst possible way. Some of the other Death Eaters began to agree while others said they weren't ready and weren't strong enough. A fight soon broke out. Severus sat and watched as they attacked one another.
Late that night Severus paid Macnair a visit. He didn't wake up the next morning. "it had to be done" Severus told himself. He couldnt have anyone challenge his authority, it was the only way he could keep the followers from going going insane.
Severus wasn't a monster and it took him almost 20 years to realize that. Killing them brought him no joy but he would continue to take them out one by one until he was the only one left and Amelia was safe.
So there Severus sat, in a large room filled with hateful blood purists. Some so inbred he was surprised they could function, hailing from family lines that were so obsessed with blood purity they started fucking their own cousins.
"Where's Amycus?" A follower shouted down the table before the meeting started.
Truth be told Severus didn't know. He never saw Alecto without her beloved brother. Rookwood had disappeared two weeks ago, now Amycus was missing. 'God's willing'
"He's coming back from a flight I believe, won't be long." She responded.
'I knew it was too good to be true.'
Voldemorts followers were lost without thier beloved Snake Face ordering them around. Severus believed most of them wouldn't even be here if they didn't have to go into hiding due to the role they had played in the war. They fell into it, being hateful enough to pick the losing side. Now they find themselves at these meetings. Convincing themselves they have done semblance of control of thier lives because of them. They are wrong as these gatherings are fruitless and go nowhere. Thanks be to Severus of course.
Most smelled as if they hadn't showered in days, their robes ravaged and soiled. The outcome of being in constant hiding from both the Ministry and The Order no doubt. The room was practically unbearable to sit in.
Severus sat silent as they waited.
Suddenly his eyes caught something black swoop into the room. It was a crow. His crow. His eyes narrowed as it descended towards the ground swooping towards the table and transforming into the formerly absent follower.
The color drained from Severus' face as Amycus clapped him on the back and took his spot next to him. Severus not making eye contact with the treacherous animagus schooled his features and controlled his breathing.
All he could think was he knows where Amelia is. He knows where The Order is located and he knows Severus Snape loves her.
"Found Snapes bitch." He said gruffly as he made eyes at his sister. "She's whining away 'bout him. 'aven't been able to track that slimy bastard down yet." Amycus looked at who he thought was Dolohov, scowling. "Should 'ave let me take care of 'em when I 'ad the chance eh?"
Severus felt nauseous, his palms started to sweat as his blood ran cold.
"Amycus you wouldn't have been able to take down Snape and his whore alone." Alecto said jealousy.
Amycus leaned in across the table. "I would 'ave. I had 'em in the perfect spot. When Snape was lickin on that girl I could 'ave disarmed em both." Amycus smiled crookedly at the other followers and stood. "TIED THE WRETCHED TRAITOR UP 'N FUCKED HIS BITCH WHILE HE WATCHED!" The rest of the followers began hooting and shouting at Amycus. "THEN I WOULD HAVE GUTTED 'ER RIGH' IN FRONT OF HIM!" The followers became louder as Amycus sat back down, quite proud of his display.
His attention turned towards Severus "But you wanted me to wait for you and now we're 'ere, Snape on the run again."
Bile rose in his throat, the thought of this vile man degrading Amelia made him want to throw up and to know he was so close to doing so.
Severus stood, thinking of a way out of the meeting. "Right Amycus. Should have taken them when you could." He clapped the back of Amycus' back hard, causing him to lurch forward. Severus then grabbed onto his shoulder and squeezed. It looked like a friendly gesture but Severus' grip tightened almost until Amycus made a face. Severus dropped his hand immediately. Not wanting to lose control and slaughter him right then and there. His cover would surely be blown then. "Not feeling well mate. Long night at the pub. I can trust you to carry on with the meeting."
Severus knew the only way to leave without suspicion was to cater to Amycus Carrows ever wounded ego.
" 'corse Dolohov" His twisted smile bringing his yellowed crooked teeth into full view.
Severus nodded and left. Once outside of the Nags Head, he practically sprinted down a dark alley and apparated outside of Grimmauld Place.