[A/N: I am TRYING to write quickly, but you'll just have to hold on. Unfortunately (for anyone who actually wants to read this), my world does not revolve around a unwavering dedication to fanfiction, homework comes first. Thankyou to Malting for her beta work on this story.]
I made a move to close the window, the rain was coming in, and while I was used to rain it would ruin the carpet. I stopped. Something outside caught my eye. A small shadow flickered across the yard and came slowly to the front door. I moved quickly to open it. "My Lord," I muttered into the darkness of my shadow. A tall thin man walked swiftly in, completely dry, despite the heavy rain.
"Ah, my son Pyralis, it is good to see you home again," I smiled a little and closed the door behind him. He walked into the room on our left, a small study littered with parchment and books. "I trust your time away has been of use?" Voldemort questioned. "The time away has been of great assistance to my studies, I have learned many things," I replied, looking into his haunting red eyes.
As I sat there, my thoughts drifted, the memories of my time abroad mingled with the mental processes of answering his questions. "I have decided on a use for your talents among us. You shall join Severus in his," the Lord is stopped for a moment, unsure of the word to best describe exactly what Severus did "you will join him." My memories suddenly jolted back, to a time when I was Harry.
"Potter," seethed Snape "It's Potter's fault, he was behind it." As my mind returned to the present Voldemort could see something was wrong. "Of course," continued Voldemort, "Your past will not be revealed, you will be introduced as Lord Pyralis, student of Lord Voldemort." My muscles relaxed. There was to be no reason for Snape to know me as Harry.
Three days later I stood before Severus. His first impressions were clearly different to mine. He extended an empty wand hand as a sign of greeting. He trusted me. I did not trust him. He was friends with Dumbledore and although I did not know why, my instincts told me not to trust him still. I did the same as him. Both our expressions were hidden by the hoods of our long black robes. "So, Pyralis, I believe you have been told what our tasks entail." I nodded silently, his voice was soft like I had never heard it before, he probably thought I was a Slytherin, one of his own.
He showed me a map and we began discussing where the weaknesses in the Ministry were. "Everywhere there is a Witch or Wizard of lower power, you will find a weakness." I stated simply. His was impressed by my knowledge of reasoning. Together we deciphered the most likely part to have lax security.
I wondered over the next few days about Severus. He confused me. Of all people he was the one I expected to be most loyal to my Lord. Yet something told me that he was on the other side. I knew that Voldemort didn't want to hear a foolish hunch, without facts. Almost ironic that the only records of the Death Eater trials had been in a building which we had burnt only recently.
I decided to leave my thoughts until later, but that night I could not escape them. Thankfully I was alone, my father had left. Lighting a lamp with a wave of my hand, I sat down to try and understand everything.
Severus was a very logical person. Potions, like the Muggle science was largely free from the unexplained. Potions, being Severus' forte should have influenced him towards logic, rather than the flimsy predictions of Seers. Logic didn't leave room for superstition. The words of my Lord from my first year at Hogwarts floated into my head. "There is no good and evil, only power and those to weak to seek it", he had said. I had refused to believe it then, but I knew they were only too true.
The only reasoning I found for Severus' strange choice was that he, for some strange reason believed that Dumbledore was strong and was going to win the war. Despite all the rumors against it, Voldemort was in no way afraid of Albus, he was merely aware that attacking Hogwarts was unwise because of the large number of protection wards.
My thoughts were broken by a loud crack, louder than any thunder. I reached immediately for my wand, ready to curse anything that came near me. There was only silence. Then I heard the crackling of flames. I rushed to the window, opened it and fled.
From outside I could see the leaping flames. They were green. I knew from the colour and the speed at which they were spreading they were magic, and there was no way I could stop them now. I moved quickly to get out of the smoke to somewhere I could think clearly. Having no other option, I Disapparated in the middle of the field, just as the sun was rising, slightly obscured by the smoke.
I Apparated behind a large oak tree. I was in the grounds of the Malfoy manor. It was now owned by my old archenemy, Draco Malfoy after his father was destroyed by an Auror in France. His mother, our mother was still over there. I walked confidently up the lawn. I smiled inwardly to myself. I was going to see my half-brother, and he had no idea who I was.
I knocked on the gigantic front door. I could hear the echo resounding through the hall. A small house elf opened the door a crack. He stuttered a greeting. From somewhere came Draco's voice "Who is it?" he asked. I pushed the back, knocking the pitiful elf of its feet. "Draco!" I called into the hall and heard my voice bouncing of the stone walls.
I heard two chairs scraping across a marble floor. Out of a door to my left came Severus and Draco. "Ah!," Exclaimed Severus "Pyralis, would you be here with a message from out Lord?" I looked coldly from one to the other. "No," I said softly, "I thought you might like to be informed that it appears the war has indeed begun, I have yet to inform Lord Voldemort, although I suspect he already knows."
Severus' face remained calm, but Draco's (and I found it hard believing this was possible) lost a large amount of colour. I smiled darkly, my face shadowed. "Well," began Draco. We all stayed still, each waiting for the other to make the next move. Finally I decided to break the silence. "The place where I was lodged was magically incinerated, doubtless similar things have occurred elsewhere." I stated simply.
Draco, the perfect image of the loyal Death Eater, invited me to stay in his manor. I took up the offer. It appeared Severus was staying there too, as he joined us both for breakfast. As we ate, Severus kept glancing at me when he thought I wasn't looking. (Oooh… slash…)