"There will come a time you believe everything is finished.
That will be the beginning."
Chapter 8: It is finished
Severus Snape awoke to the smell of bacon and the warmth of the sun on his face. He was amazed. He wonder briefly as the events of last night replayed in his mind if he was even alive or was this some memory. Muggles said your whole life flashes before your eyes when you die, that is what this must be. It was a memory. The smell of breakfast filled his nose. He smiled grimly. This was a memory from his childhood. The ladies he heard downstairs talking were Sabine, his mother and Sabine's sister Aunt Lorraine. The kids outside laughing were his cousins, the twins Loic and Tristan. His other cousin, Christian would be up any moment to wake him for the meal. He heard men talking too; those must be his father Kaiser and his uncle Pascal. But they were other voices too, ones he couldn't place. He wondered briefly if they were just other members of his father's work. They must be. Snape nodded. It all made perfect sense. He was dead and for some reason, he was back in France at
his Aunt's home. As a child, he spent holidays and later he stayed summers there when he was at Hogwarts. It was the one of the few times he was ever truly happy.
He stretched in the bed and immediately he was greeted with pain surging through his body. Grim realization struck him, the pain let him know he wasn't know he wasn't dead. Not yet, anyways. Gingerly, careful to mind his ribs, he stood and turned back to the window. It hadn't been a dream. It had all been real. He had betrayed his Master. He had risked life and limb for a child and a woman. And he had failed to save her life. He shut his eyes and shuttered.
"My god...what on earth did I do?" He asked himself. The answer came to him in the silence. You became a good guy. "Fine thing if it gets you killed." He stood and crossed the room to where a pile of his clothing had been laid out for him.
Severus entered the kitchen dressed in black and purple robes. He had showered and was recovering nicely. Gideon stood when he entered and the room tensed. Their eyes met and Gideon nodded, motioning to a seat besides him. The kitchen was cramped with people. McGonagall and Lily were busy making the meal and Gideon, Vladimir, and James were seated around the table enjoying coffee. The back door was opened and outside Dumbledore was playing with Alchemy and James. Severus watched them and smiled.
"She's leaving with me and Gideon." Vladimir said into the silence. "We're leaving after breakfast and Minerva has already arranged somewhere for you to hide for a while before we can find something permanent."
"I am not going anywhere." Snape said.
Vladimir looked concerned. "What?"
"I'm not to going to run and hide like some animal."
"There are places to hide."
Snape turned his head and stared at Vladimir. Fenrir began to shift uneasily under his gaze. "Lord Voldemort will search for me if I go. I won't risk the child's safety with something as trivial as my own."
"He will kill you if he finds out."
"Alistair's failure to save her from Drucilla is his own. Voldemort trusts me and has no reason to question it. I'm staying."
"And do what?"
It was Gideon asking the question but Snape wasn't sure if he was asking as an Auror or a friend. Snape looked down at the table and pulled a napkin towards him. He asked Lily for her quill and quietly began writing. Everyone watched with interest as he filled the napkin with his spidery script. When he was done, he slid it towards Gideon and leaned back to watch.
Gideon paled as he read it. "You have my address written here, and Mad-Eye's! You have information on countless Aurors here! This information is classified, how on earth did you get this?"
"He is an informant in the Ministry. Richard Wright. I suggest you expose him today because tonight he is to be part of a hit against the Auror Gabriel Baron and his family."
"How do you know that?"
"Because," Snape answered cooly. "I arranged it." He didn't wait to hear any more of Gideon's exclamations. He stood and went outside to see Alchemy.
She was levitating a feather above Harry's head without the aid of a wand. Dumbledore was watching with curiosity. Snape didn't need to explain her talent, somehow the Headmaster already knew.
"We placed a memory charm on her this morning." He said to Snape softly. "Its better that way." He paused. "She doesn't remember you."
Snape looked down at Alchemy but said nothing. She was completely ignoring him, like most kids would when playing with another child. She was giggling and bouncing up and down, enjoying the innocence of childhood. She glanced up at him, smiled politely before bounding off with Harry again. He watched her go with a million things racing through his mind.
She had met his gaze with recognizing her Severus. He never thought such a thing was possible. He had never been far from her. She could always expect that when she called for him, he would be there. Not remember him? The idea disturbed him slightly. Ever since she was born, he had been a part of her life. He had kept her safe for some mysterious reason he couldn't define even if he had wanted too.
A slow smile crossed his stoic features. Perhaps it was for the better that she was allowed to live a life without him. After all, she was the reason he had turned his back on everything he thought he believed it, he should allow her to do the same. Let her choose her own way. Let her find her own cannon and dogma without his sardonic opinions impeding her. He nodded. Yes, things were as they should be. But he still had a nagging concern he knew could be easily remedied.
"You're look after her won't you?" He asked Dumbledore.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Everyone involved had made a promise to protect her."
Snape nodded as a symbol of his fidelity towards the covenant. He believed she would be safe. Drucilla had died to ensure her safety and because of that Alchemy would be forever protected. It was old magic, older then even his ancient craft of potions. And seven people had sworn to be there if ever a time came that the old magic failed. It was finished. Nothing more could be done. Snape nodded again, a serenity coming over him that filled his soul with completion.
It was finally over.
That will be the beginning."
Chapter 8: It is finished
Severus Snape awoke to the smell of bacon and the warmth of the sun on his face. He was amazed. He wonder briefly as the events of last night replayed in his mind if he was even alive or was this some memory. Muggles said your whole life flashes before your eyes when you die, that is what this must be. It was a memory. The smell of breakfast filled his nose. He smiled grimly. This was a memory from his childhood. The ladies he heard downstairs talking were Sabine, his mother and Sabine's sister Aunt Lorraine. The kids outside laughing were his cousins, the twins Loic and Tristan. His other cousin, Christian would be up any moment to wake him for the meal. He heard men talking too; those must be his father Kaiser and his uncle Pascal. But they were other voices too, ones he couldn't place. He wondered briefly if they were just other members of his father's work. They must be. Snape nodded. It all made perfect sense. He was dead and for some reason, he was back in France at
his Aunt's home. As a child, he spent holidays and later he stayed summers there when he was at Hogwarts. It was the one of the few times he was ever truly happy.
He stretched in the bed and immediately he was greeted with pain surging through his body. Grim realization struck him, the pain let him know he wasn't know he wasn't dead. Not yet, anyways. Gingerly, careful to mind his ribs, he stood and turned back to the window. It hadn't been a dream. It had all been real. He had betrayed his Master. He had risked life and limb for a child and a woman. And he had failed to save her life. He shut his eyes and shuttered.
"My god...what on earth did I do?" He asked himself. The answer came to him in the silence. You became a good guy. "Fine thing if it gets you killed." He stood and crossed the room to where a pile of his clothing had been laid out for him.
Severus entered the kitchen dressed in black and purple robes. He had showered and was recovering nicely. Gideon stood when he entered and the room tensed. Their eyes met and Gideon nodded, motioning to a seat besides him. The kitchen was cramped with people. McGonagall and Lily were busy making the meal and Gideon, Vladimir, and James were seated around the table enjoying coffee. The back door was opened and outside Dumbledore was playing with Alchemy and James. Severus watched them and smiled.
"She's leaving with me and Gideon." Vladimir said into the silence. "We're leaving after breakfast and Minerva has already arranged somewhere for you to hide for a while before we can find something permanent."
"I am not going anywhere." Snape said.
Vladimir looked concerned. "What?"
"I'm not to going to run and hide like some animal."
"There are places to hide."
Snape turned his head and stared at Vladimir. Fenrir began to shift uneasily under his gaze. "Lord Voldemort will search for me if I go. I won't risk the child's safety with something as trivial as my own."
"He will kill you if he finds out."
"Alistair's failure to save her from Drucilla is his own. Voldemort trusts me and has no reason to question it. I'm staying."
"And do what?"
It was Gideon asking the question but Snape wasn't sure if he was asking as an Auror or a friend. Snape looked down at the table and pulled a napkin towards him. He asked Lily for her quill and quietly began writing. Everyone watched with interest as he filled the napkin with his spidery script. When he was done, he slid it towards Gideon and leaned back to watch.
Gideon paled as he read it. "You have my address written here, and Mad-Eye's! You have information on countless Aurors here! This information is classified, how on earth did you get this?"
"He is an informant in the Ministry. Richard Wright. I suggest you expose him today because tonight he is to be part of a hit against the Auror Gabriel Baron and his family."
"How do you know that?"
"Because," Snape answered cooly. "I arranged it." He didn't wait to hear any more of Gideon's exclamations. He stood and went outside to see Alchemy.
She was levitating a feather above Harry's head without the aid of a wand. Dumbledore was watching with curiosity. Snape didn't need to explain her talent, somehow the Headmaster already knew.
"We placed a memory charm on her this morning." He said to Snape softly. "Its better that way." He paused. "She doesn't remember you."
Snape looked down at Alchemy but said nothing. She was completely ignoring him, like most kids would when playing with another child. She was giggling and bouncing up and down, enjoying the innocence of childhood. She glanced up at him, smiled politely before bounding off with Harry again. He watched her go with a million things racing through his mind.
She had met his gaze with recognizing her Severus. He never thought such a thing was possible. He had never been far from her. She could always expect that when she called for him, he would be there. Not remember him? The idea disturbed him slightly. Ever since she was born, he had been a part of her life. He had kept her safe for some mysterious reason he couldn't define even if he had wanted too.
A slow smile crossed his stoic features. Perhaps it was for the better that she was allowed to live a life without him. After all, she was the reason he had turned his back on everything he thought he believed it, he should allow her to do the same. Let her choose her own way. Let her find her own cannon and dogma without his sardonic opinions impeding her. He nodded. Yes, things were as they should be. But he still had a nagging concern he knew could be easily remedied.
"You're look after her won't you?" He asked Dumbledore.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Everyone involved had made a promise to protect her."
Snape nodded as a symbol of his fidelity towards the covenant. He believed she would be safe. Drucilla had died to ensure her safety and because of that Alchemy would be forever protected. It was old magic, older then even his ancient craft of potions. And seven people had sworn to be there if ever a time came that the old magic failed. It was finished. Nothing more could be done. Snape nodded again, a serenity coming over him that filled his soul with completion.
It was finally over.