Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury books, Scholastic books and Raincoast books and Warner Brothers Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: A big great thank you to my two reviewers animegirl-mika and Ice! I´m so glad you liked it and hereby promise to give my best. Ummm…by the way, Ice, I take this as a compliment since – as you probably know – I have written `Hogwarts under siege´.
A huge heart-felt thank you goes out to you two! : )
- a small cottage outside Hogsmeade, 7 years after the defeat of Lord Voldemort
Severus Snape, retired professor of `Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry ´ pinched his nose and took a sip of hot tea before returning his attention to the rolls of parchment in front of him. Of all the things he had expected from life being the respectable author of this generation´s most sought-after potions books and receiving fan-mail for the role that he had played in Voldemort´s downfall seven years ago had never crossed his mind. Severus shook his head in wonder and returned to his beloved potions while Sokrates, his tattered but highly cherished owl, flew down onto his shoulder and nibbled affectionately but persistently at his ear.
"Stop it, Sokrates." Severus murmured in his silky voice and opened an old cookie jar which was filled with black beetle eyes and handed some of them over to Sokrates who was hooting in approval. Quickly the brown owl picked them up, flew onto his perch and began munching them happily.
Hours passed and the comfortable study chamber was filled with nothing but the scratching sound of a quill running over parchment as well as every once in a while a contented "Hoo!" that escaped the satisfied bird.
Snape hadn´t moved from his chair all the time as he was absorbed in the world of logic, the enticing combination of chemical and magical reactions. Absentmindedly Severus noticed that the tips of his fingers had turned blue from the ink that he had used while he had written frantically.
`…stir the potion until it changes it colour to a dazzling orange, add some powdered fluxweed and head for the floor since this is the part where the potion tends to blow up in your face,´ he wrote.
Snape wiped away a few strands of his greasy hair and smiled to himself. Explosions always reminded him of Neville Longbottom, these days Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. Severus chuckled merrily as he recalled Neville´s stunned reaction after the Potions master had dedicated his first book to him.
"To Mr. Neville Longbottom – a constant challenge and inspiration for every Potions teacher"
Only few people, of course, had recognized his own twisted sense of humour in the dedication and Sokrates knew how to keep a secret.
Smile still fixed on his face Severus bent down over his parchments once more unwilling to let any more memories distract him. The book had to be finished in a week so that it could be used by the beginning of the new school term and Severus still had a lot of editing to do.
Suddenly a searing pain from the dark mark on his left arm violently interrupted his musings.
`It hasn´t hurt like that in years!´ Severus thought while he felt the hairs on the back of his neck go rigid and Sokrates nervous fluttering. Something was wrong. Deadly wrong.
~*~*~*~
Snape listened attentively but couldn´t make out a sound. It was more like a feeling that a storm was about to come. He gripped his wand lightly and with practised ease and slid out of his chair precious hours of work forgotten as the familiar rush of going into battle ran over him and adrenalin flooded through his veins.
All senses alert Severus reached for a red phial and dropped a little of its content on his fingers, then rubbed the sense-sharpening-potion onto his ears and around his eyes. A stinging sensation ensued and the world seemed to get into focus. He could clearly hear…nothing? That was odd. Those stupid birds in front of his house usually sang at full force but now it seemed as if the world had come to a stop. Even the wind had stopped howling. He decided to…
Severus saw a sudden movement to his right then he felt nothing but pain. The faded mark of the Death Eaters on his left arm was clear once again as he writhed on the floor in agony. Blurry figures invaded his line of sight and bent over him. Their black robes billowed around them and their faces were hidden behind chalk-white masks as they drew their wands and pointed them at Snape.
"Punishment for the traitor…the traitor must be punished…punished he will be, Master!" they murmured as they closed in on the helpless Potions Master whose eyes suddenly widened in recognition: the Death Eaters must have returned after all those years! Was Voldemort as well..?
White hot pain engulfed him mixed with the monotonous chants of "punishment…traitor…punishment…punishment!"
As Severus Snape lost the fight to remain conscious Sokrates sat on the tree right in front of the window and watched everything. He hooted sadly as the black men threw the slumped form of his human friend over their shoulders and retreated silently. Sokrates followed their movements from one room to the other careful not to be detected and frantically triing to memorize everything about them. He knew that a lonely owl wouldn´t stand a chance against them but he also knew someone who did. Someone who must be informed as soon as possible and who would free his friend. As soon as the Death-Eaters disapparated outside the house Sokrates gave a last determined "Hooo!" and departed northwards – to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
~*~*~*~
- a few days later in the heart of London
Rain was pouring down on him as he fumbled clumsily with the keys trying in vain to make his freezing fingers obey his commands as well as straining his eyes to make out the lock through the darkness of the night. Why did the street lamps always have to be broken?
Tentatively he moved his fingers over the lock like a blind man trying to feel the keyhole while he cursed under his breath.
Ah! There! A `click!´ reverberated through the night and his dark wet figure slipped into the house. Gripping his bags tightly he made his way up to his flat and promised himself once more that he would talk to the caretaker in the morning. The elevator had to be fixed! No more discussions!
Wearily he started climbing up the staircase careful not to bang his bags against the banister and listening to his own cracking joints.
`Put the discs away, prepare clothes for tomorrow, undress, bed, sleep.´ he silently chanted hoping to keep his eyes from dropping before he reached his flat. Just one more floor…
He didn´t bother to stifle a yawn as he unlocked the door (thankfully the lamps in the floor worked, although they tended to flicker) and opened it.
"Malfoy," came a soft voice from his favourite chair.
Draco´s eyes widened as long forgotten reflexes reawakened and adrenaline shot through his veins. Had he been found out? How could that be? He had been sure that none of the surviving Death Eaters would ever find him!
"Who are you and what are you doing in my flat?" Draco asked in a deceivingly calm voice.
"You know me."
And with that the figure stepped into the light and the former Slytherin´s breath caught in his throat.
"Potter?"
~*~*~*~
The intruder was indeed Harry Potter, the famous boy-who-lived and the man who had defeated Voldemort. For a moment Draco felt like a schoolboy again. He imagined the draughty corridors of Hogwarts and the endless war of harmless and not-so-harmless pranks that had raged between them. The complete and utter loathing that he had felt for Dumbledore´s favourite pupil.
"You have a nice flat." Potter smiled tentatively and Draco´s suspicions rose. His school-time-nemesis getting into all the trouble of finding him just to compliment him on his flat? Unlikely.
"What do you want, Potter." Draco sneered not even pretending to be sociable or polite.
Harry sighed. Dumbledore had warned him that this wouldn´t be easy but for some strange reason he had volunteered to bring Malfoy back. Maybe he felt that after all this time they could finally end their rivalry or maybe just because he was curious to find out what had happened to his former enemy. Looking up he met Draco´s stormy grey eyes and decided to keep to the truth.
"Dumbledore sent me. You need to come back."
For a moment Malfoy was speechless and had the situation not been so dire Harry would have laughed out loud at his puzzled expression. Then Draco´s eyes grew angrier and the man paled even more than Harry would have thought possible. His lips were pressed together to a thin line and a vein on his temple pounded ominously showing just how hard Malfoy tried to keep his composure.
"Get out." Draco hissed and grabbed Harry by the collar dragging him towards the door. "Get the hell out of my life!"
"Draco! Listen! I have to…"
"You have to GET OUT!"
Malfoy was rapidly loosing control and his barely suppressed rage quickly turned into completely-not-suppressed-rage as his voice grew louder with each word and his hands started trembling in anger. "LEAVE!"
By now the level of noise had obviously become too much for the neighbours and Mrs. Beans whose flat was just under Draco´s pounded furiously at the ceiling.
"Keep it down, young man!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Some people are trying to sleep!"
Momentarily both men were distracted in their argument and Harry had to smile to himself as he imagined Draco Malfoy, once the powerful heir to the Malfoy family fortune, having problems with his neighbours. The woman sounded worse than his own aunt Petunia and for a short moment he felt sorry for Draco.
"Which part of leave didn´t you understand, Potter?" Malfoy sneered and Harry felt the pang of regret for him vanish quickly.
"Why don´t you just stop being such a prat and listen to me for a moment!"
"Because nothing you can say is of any interest to me! I´m finished with you all, Potter! Why don´t you get this into that thick head of yours?"
Catching Harry a bit off guard as he wanted to reply Draco seized the opportunity and pushed the black-haired man further towards the door intent on throwing him out forcefully if there was the need to do so. "Now get…!"
"Snape has been kidnapped!"
Draco came to a sudden halt still gripping Harry´s collar with one hand and fighting off the slender wizard with the other. "What?" he croaked, his voice suddenly devoid of any anger as sorrow for the man that had been like a father to him engulfed Draco. "How?"
Harry used Malfoy´s perplexed state to pry his hands loose from his clothes and took a few steps away from him. "Do you still want me to leave?" he asked in a calm voice.
Draco opened and closed his mouth without making a sound then cleared his throat and tried again. "No, I…this can´t be…are you sure, Potter?"
Harry nodded solemnly and felt the compassion for his former enemy returning. Somehow he had never pictured Draco to be able to care about anybody else than himself but right now concern was clearly written all over Malfoy´s face making him forget all of his anger.
Draco was obviously struggling to regain some sort of composure as he absentmindedly fumbled with zipper of his jacket and wondered what mess his mentor had gotten himself into this time. Snape had always been the only one who had been completely honest with him. At least he had to find out what had happened to him. Draco owed him that much so he made a decision.
"Would…," Draco addressed Harry once more in a much calmer voice. "Would you like to have some tea, Potter?"
~*~*~*~
Ten minutes later Harry found himself in Draco´s favourite chair once again, in front of him a cup of steaming aromatic `Earl Grey´-tea and a couple of dry biscuits on Malfoy´s shaky living room-table.
"So you say that the dark mark was hanging over Severus´ house when you reached it?" Draco inquired looking intently at Harry.
"Yes," Potter nodded. "Sokrates - you know, Snape´s scrawny owl - arrived at Hogwarts about twelve o´clock just after lunch had started and went directly for Albus. They went to his office instantly and a few minutes later they sent for me."
Draco bit his lips and stared intently at Harry finding it somehow fitting that Potter worked at Hogwarts as a teacher now. "Go on." He urged him.
"Sokrates was very upset and Fawkes – do you remember Albus´ phoenix?"
"Yes, yes. What happened then?"
"Well, Fawkes seemed to be able to make sense of Sokrates´ wild hooting and don´t ask me how but somehow he told Albus who grew very worried himself. To make this short…"
Draco sighed ironically at that and Harry looked a little put off for a moment then caught himself.
"To make this short Sokrates said that Snape had been attacked by four men who were clad in black and wore white masks. They overpowered Prof. Snape and disapparated with him while muttering about a betrayal or something like that. Then Sokrates went to Hogwarts to get help. Does anything of this ring a bell?"
Draco stared darkly at his tea pot. "We both know what that sounds like." He drew in a shaky breath and shook his head wearily. "I can´t believe that the Death Eaters are back. I thought they were all in dead or in Azkaban."
"They are." Harry agreed. "I´ve contacted Ron and he has checked the information for me. None of them has escaped. Whoever these idiots are, they´re not the original Death Eaters."
Draco took another sip of his rapidly cooling tea. "Go on, Potter. What did you do after Sokrates had told you everything?"
"We - that means Albus, Sokrates and me - went to Hagrid´s and apparated to Snape´s house in Hogsmeade. When we got there the dark mark was hanging over it and I´m telling you – it was authentic! Albus recognized it as the original one and so did I. Anyway, we went inside save for Sokrates who was getting slightly hysterical and waited outside with Hagrid."
Harry sighed deeply as if fighting off an unpleasant memory then resumed his tale.
"Everything seemed to be untouched. I half expected Snape to appear and yell at us for disturbing him. Anyway, we searched everything for clues but couldn´t find anything save for…but it didn´t seem important at that time…"
"What is it Potter?"
"It was so calm. There was not a sound. You couldn´t even hear the leaves of the trees rustle…it was as if someone had placed a bubble over the house and put it into suspended animation."
The men shared a concerned look since neither of them had ever heard of such a thing but both felt uneasiness creep up their backs.
"And what will happen now?" Draco finally broke the silence.
Harry shrugged. "Ron and a few other Aurors are there and looking into this mystery. Right now they should be searching the house. We´ll meet at Dumbledore´s in the morning and I guess this is where you´ll find out more."
Malfoy raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Wait, wait, wait. Just what gives you the idea that I´d accompany you to Hogwarts?"
"You´ve heard what happened! I mean, he was your mentor, for Blimey´s sake! You owe it to him to help! Come back and work with the Aurors!"
Draco tensed at the word `Auror´ and for a short moment he was back in the middle of a muddy field watching Crabbe fall in a flash of green light. Blood and rain and mud and pain was all around him.
"No," he whispered.
"What do you mean `no´? You have to come!"
"No!" Draco felt his heart pound rapidly against his chest as the memories were threatening to overwhelm him and took a few deep calming breaths while Harry watched him with a puzzled expression.
"Why not?"
"I just…can´t."
Harry frowned in confusion and stared thoughtfully at his empty tea cup. Being the sensitive person that he was the young man realized that something was troubling Draco but that the Slytherin would not talk about it. Harry thoughts raced. Dumbledore had been adamant that Draco´s help was needed and quite frankly, Potter had expected Malfoy to be hostile and impolite but he had failed to imagine how anybody could decline such a direct call for help from Dumbledore. With a frustrated `Hmpf!´ Harry decided to try persuading him in another way while a sarcastic voice in his head noted `A Gryffindor trying to persuade a Slytherin into doing something he doesn´t want to! Good luck!´
Meanwhile Draco stared intently at his hands evading Harry´s gaze for the first time since they had met again. "It´s simply not possible, Potter. I´m sorry."
He sounded honest enough to Harry making him hope that perhaps Draco did want to come but something was holding him back. "Draco," he started testing the grounds anew. "No obligations will result from it, I swear. Just come and listen to what Albus has to say. There can be no harm in that, can it?"
Draco raised his suspicious glance and his inner fight was clearly visible in his troubled grey eyes. Something seemed to draw him back to Hogwarts but at the same time something just as powerful seemed to keep him away from it. Harry waited silently but the fight inside Draco continued.
After a while Malfoy finally sighed – half in relief, half in resignation – and nodded slowly. "I´m just going listening to Dumbledore, Potter. Nothing more, nothing less. And when he´s done I´m leaving again."
"No one will hold you back," Harry nodded. This was better than nothing.
Together they left the flat and made their way down to the sleeping street silently awaiting the Knight Bus.
~*~*~*~
Next chapter : Draco talks to Dumbledore, we find out what has become of Hermione and get some information about Snape´s new situation!
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