Chapter 37 - Danger Revealed
Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy. Before you ask, no, I don't enjoy punishing Severus. I think he is a lovely character, and I can't believe that the fluff I had planned originally would be true to the character as JKR portrays him, so I had to adjust my story to take into account his "weaknesses". I can't wait to see what she has planned for him in the rest of the books, but from what I have read, it isn't going to portray him as a total victim. I guess I just hope she doesn't kill him off.
ajowahn - thanks for coming in out of the cold. Welcome to my small world!
Have fun, enjoy this, and please, as always, review if you feel so compelled.
Just a quick warning - there is five more chapters of this to go, so we are nearly there.. I think I have said that before, haven't I?
**********
Snape and Hagrid trudged through the forest for what seemed like an eternity, yet they found no sign of Jane. Snape's body was beginning to protest at the exertion after his recent stay in the Hospital wing, and it was demoralising him. He was beginning to loose hope. Hagrid though, forever the optimist, pushed on.
There was movement ahead of them and both men were instantly alert - they were barely safer than the child, this deep in the forest. "Hello, Gentlemen, what brings you so deep into the forest?"
Snape looked hopefully at the Centaur. "Firenze, please tell me Jane is with you."
"Have you been careless Professor Snape and lost your young charge?" The deep voiced Centaur rumbled.
"I am afraid we had an argument earlier," Snape answered tersely.
"Well, that would explain it." The Centaur said cryptically.
"Explain what?"
"That would explain why I saw the young lady in question with Lucius Malfoy."
"Gods!" What colour there was drained from Snape's face. "Where?" He asked, urgently. If Lucius had her there wasn't a lot of time to affect a rescue before it was too late and he would loose her forever. He knew exactly how the Muggle child would be treated by Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and just the thought of the things they would do, things far worse than those she had already experienced during her terrible childhood, made his stomach turn.
"Moving deep into the heart of the forest."
"Thank you Firenze."
"Good luck finding her. I must say Lucius was looking particularly pleased with himself."
Snape nodded. Yes, he would be. He was going to deliver Jane to Voldemort, or at least that was his intention. Snape wouldn't allow him to, not while there was life in him.
**********
Jane followed Lucius for what seemed like hours. Like Severus, he said little. "I'm getting tired, how much further?"
"Not too far." He answered. He wanted to move as far as possible into the forest; its energy would hide his apparition signature from any pursuers. He decided to chat with the girl, to allay her fears. "What did you think of Hogwarts?"
"It was great mostly. Some of the people were a bit weird, but generally everyone was ok."
Lucius nodded. He had to agree. Some of the people didn't belong, particularly the Mudbloods and Muggle Lovers. They wouldn't last long once the Dark Lord was in control. Nor would this girl. Eager to keep Jane talking, Lucius made his first mistake, not that he realised it at the time. Not thinking, he moved in front of the girl as they passed along a narrower part of the path they were following. "My son is a student there. He told me you had met. His name is Draco."
Jane froze at the mention of the blond haired boy who had caused such trouble. What had Severus said about him? Or was it Harry? Someone had said that Draco would end up a Death Eater, just like his father. Jane suddenly realised the danger and backed away, quietly, as Lucius continued to walk on, unaware of her retreat. His second mistake, and the more costly one, was not noticing Jane's reversal.
When Jane didn't speak, Lucius turned and found that it was because she was no longer behind him. Listening, he could hear her running in the opposite direction. He followed. She wouldn't escape that easily.
**********
Jane ran. She ran for her life. She may have been scared of being punished by Severus, but she was even more frightened of what the Death Eaters would do to her if they got the chance. This new turn of events had changed her attitude somewhat. She wanted to die, not be tortured or used against Severus. She could just imagine the types of pain they would inflict on her; after all, she had seen what they had done to one of their own kind.
She considered using the locket around her neck; it would get her out of this predicament but into another. Although this was exactly the reason she was given it in the first place, she decided it wouldn't be worth the risk. No, she would just run. At least her feet didn't hurt anymore. She decided that she much preferred her independence to relying on the unpredictable charity of another. She would never make that mistake again.
Stopping when she decided she must have escaped him, Jane listened carefully for the sounds of pursuit. She couldn't hear any other movement, only the rushing of the blood in her ears, and the sound of air heaving into and out of her chest after her exertion. She relaxed a little - it seemed as though he had given up. Jane found a small space between a rock and a tree, with bushes between. Crouching into the space, she decided she would stay put.
**********
Snape and Hagrid moved further into the forest. Snape no longer believed he had a chance of finding the girl. He had lost her and he was angry with himself for his stupid mistake. Keeping up with the half-giant was also proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated, with his body still recovering from its recent trauma.
"Hagrid, have you considered that we aren't all half-giants?"
"What tha' mean Professor Snape?"
"Slow down damn it." He snapped.
"Oh, sorry." The giant looked crestfallen, slowed, then stopped to look at his companion concerned, knowing from Dumbledore how badly injured he had been. He knew the surly Potions Master wouldn't take kindly to pity, so he tried for sarcasm instead, thinking the dark haired wizard would be comfortable with that, considering it was the Potions Master's preferred approach to most communication. "Eh, ya' should 'ave brought a broom if ya' couldn't keep up."
Snape was about to comment when Fang barked once. "Eh, what's tha' boy?" He watched as the dog loped into the bushes to the left of the path.
"Probably some bloody rabbit."
"I don' think so. Fang's a good dog he is. He knows wha' we're searching for." The giant followed his hound, leaving the Potions Master to follow at his own pace.
**********
It had been a stroke of genius, on Lucius' part, to charm those shoes to show the girl's location if she decided to run. It worked. After his initial surprise at her sudden departure - he wondered just what that son of his had done to put the fear of the Gods into the girl, knowing that it must have been much more than just trying a little hex on her - Lucius calmed himself and decided that he most effective form of pursuit would be a calm and quiet one. It would, with luck, lull the girl into a sense of security and allow him to creep up on her and grab here when she wasn't expecting it.
They would apparate as soon as he got his hands on her again. He no longer cared if his signature could be traced. Anonymity was far less important than delivering the Muggle to his Master. It wouldn't be long before the wizarding world knew of his escape from Azkaban anyway - it was only ever going to be a matter of time, and it would be better to be discovered after leaving, than to arrive at the Dark Lord's side without his prize. He smiled to himself; he was a very clever wizard. Modesty had never been one of Lucius' strong points.
**********
Jane heard sounds of movement to her right. She stiffened. As the sounds approached, heart racing, she couldn't decide if she should stay, partially concealed in the hollow, as she was, or whether she should run again. She felt as if her whole life had been spent trying to decide between fight and flight. Magic had changed nothing. It seemed that magical people were just as violent as non-magical ones. It disappointed, but didn't surprise her.
The sounds of movement stopped and she held her breath, waiting. She heard voices. It was Severus and Hagrid. All of her running and she still hadn't managed to get away from him. She wanted to go home - her home, not his. She wished she had never met him. She wished she had just let him die, well, maybe not, but she wished she hadn't come to rely on his munificence.
They started to move again, the sounds drawing closer. He would be so angry with her just like her father had been; especially now she had run away. Being caught was not a plan she wished to entertain. She was disgusted when she realised she couldn't even fight to protect herself; she had left her knife back at Hogwarts. She kicked herself for that piece of stupidity - it was the only thing she had owned, the only protection she had, and she had left it behind.
Jane picked up a piece of wood from the ground. It would have to do. She could hit them with it, or stab them if necessary. It wasn't sharp, but it would hurt if she used it appropriately, and she wasn't planning on messing around.
She could almost see the two men through the darkness under the thick forest canopy. They were still moving towards her. Realising she wasn't safe staying where she was, Jane was about to move when a hand gripped her shoulder firmly. She gasped, startled.
"Got you!" Lucius hissed, keeping his voice low, not wishing for an altercation with Snape and Hagrid if it could be avoided.
"No you haven't." Jane stabbed at the hand on her shoulder with the wood, eliciting a gasp of pain from the blond haired man as he released her.
"You little bitch." He swore, incensed. Furious, he reached down again and grabbed the girl by the hair, dragging her to her feet.
Jane yelped.
Malfoy was about to apparate away with her when a smooth voice stopped him. "Let her go Malfoy." Snape commanded coolly, wand already pointing at Malfoy's chest. "Now!"
Jane looked at Snape - his eyes were blazing. If she had thought he was angry before, that was nothing compared to the anger she saw now. She tried to run, but Malfoy still held her fast. She was trapped between the devil she knew and the devil she didn't know. Either way, she knew she was about to die, and she didn't care. It would be a welcome release from her horrible life.
Holding the girl, Lucius was unable to reach his wand, and he was helpless against the angry Potions Master. Even though he doubted Snape would hurt him, he wasn't willing to take the risk. He contemplated releasing the girl so he could pull his wand from his robes, but he didn't get the chance.
"Libero Custodia!" Petrified, Jane watched as yellow light exploded from Snape's wand, striking Lucius. Jane was released from his grip, but was too frightened to move. Either way she was in trouble, so she stayed fixed to the spot.
Malfoy reached for his wand and pointed it at Snape's chest. "Adavra -." He began. Without waring, a large black dog leapt out of the bushes and grabbed his arm in its jaws, causing his wand to fall to the ground. The dog stopped and glanced briefly at Snape before it disappeared again into the darkness of the forest.
Snape seemed slightly shaken by the appearance of the animal, but regained his wits more quickly than Malfoy. He pointed his wand at the man's chest. "This isn't a duel Lucius, nor is it a game. Don't doubt my ability or desire to kill you. Go back to your Master, but leave the girl."
Malfoy looked at Snape, his cold blue eyes icy with contempt. As much as he hated to admit it, the Potions Master had the upper hand at this point, and he decided that discretion would be the better part of valour. He could always come back for the girl. She was clearly not happy with Snape so he would have the opportunity again. He nodded his agreement. "You will pay for your betrayal Snape, you will pay with your life. Accio Wand."
Jane watched as Malfoy's wand flew into his hand and he disappeared. Now she just had to escape from Severus again.
Unseen in the dark canopy above the group's head, the Raven laughed to himself. The traitor had bested Lucius and that would annoy him no end, but loosing the child would anger Voldemort more. Glad he wasn't the blonde wizard, the Raven flew off into the night.
Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy. Before you ask, no, I don't enjoy punishing Severus. I think he is a lovely character, and I can't believe that the fluff I had planned originally would be true to the character as JKR portrays him, so I had to adjust my story to take into account his "weaknesses". I can't wait to see what she has planned for him in the rest of the books, but from what I have read, it isn't going to portray him as a total victim. I guess I just hope she doesn't kill him off.
ajowahn - thanks for coming in out of the cold. Welcome to my small world!
Have fun, enjoy this, and please, as always, review if you feel so compelled.
Just a quick warning - there is five more chapters of this to go, so we are nearly there.. I think I have said that before, haven't I?
**********
Snape and Hagrid trudged through the forest for what seemed like an eternity, yet they found no sign of Jane. Snape's body was beginning to protest at the exertion after his recent stay in the Hospital wing, and it was demoralising him. He was beginning to loose hope. Hagrid though, forever the optimist, pushed on.
There was movement ahead of them and both men were instantly alert - they were barely safer than the child, this deep in the forest. "Hello, Gentlemen, what brings you so deep into the forest?"
Snape looked hopefully at the Centaur. "Firenze, please tell me Jane is with you."
"Have you been careless Professor Snape and lost your young charge?" The deep voiced Centaur rumbled.
"I am afraid we had an argument earlier," Snape answered tersely.
"Well, that would explain it." The Centaur said cryptically.
"Explain what?"
"That would explain why I saw the young lady in question with Lucius Malfoy."
"Gods!" What colour there was drained from Snape's face. "Where?" He asked, urgently. If Lucius had her there wasn't a lot of time to affect a rescue before it was too late and he would loose her forever. He knew exactly how the Muggle child would be treated by Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and just the thought of the things they would do, things far worse than those she had already experienced during her terrible childhood, made his stomach turn.
"Moving deep into the heart of the forest."
"Thank you Firenze."
"Good luck finding her. I must say Lucius was looking particularly pleased with himself."
Snape nodded. Yes, he would be. He was going to deliver Jane to Voldemort, or at least that was his intention. Snape wouldn't allow him to, not while there was life in him.
**********
Jane followed Lucius for what seemed like hours. Like Severus, he said little. "I'm getting tired, how much further?"
"Not too far." He answered. He wanted to move as far as possible into the forest; its energy would hide his apparition signature from any pursuers. He decided to chat with the girl, to allay her fears. "What did you think of Hogwarts?"
"It was great mostly. Some of the people were a bit weird, but generally everyone was ok."
Lucius nodded. He had to agree. Some of the people didn't belong, particularly the Mudbloods and Muggle Lovers. They wouldn't last long once the Dark Lord was in control. Nor would this girl. Eager to keep Jane talking, Lucius made his first mistake, not that he realised it at the time. Not thinking, he moved in front of the girl as they passed along a narrower part of the path they were following. "My son is a student there. He told me you had met. His name is Draco."
Jane froze at the mention of the blond haired boy who had caused such trouble. What had Severus said about him? Or was it Harry? Someone had said that Draco would end up a Death Eater, just like his father. Jane suddenly realised the danger and backed away, quietly, as Lucius continued to walk on, unaware of her retreat. His second mistake, and the more costly one, was not noticing Jane's reversal.
When Jane didn't speak, Lucius turned and found that it was because she was no longer behind him. Listening, he could hear her running in the opposite direction. He followed. She wouldn't escape that easily.
**********
Jane ran. She ran for her life. She may have been scared of being punished by Severus, but she was even more frightened of what the Death Eaters would do to her if they got the chance. This new turn of events had changed her attitude somewhat. She wanted to die, not be tortured or used against Severus. She could just imagine the types of pain they would inflict on her; after all, she had seen what they had done to one of their own kind.
She considered using the locket around her neck; it would get her out of this predicament but into another. Although this was exactly the reason she was given it in the first place, she decided it wouldn't be worth the risk. No, she would just run. At least her feet didn't hurt anymore. She decided that she much preferred her independence to relying on the unpredictable charity of another. She would never make that mistake again.
Stopping when she decided she must have escaped him, Jane listened carefully for the sounds of pursuit. She couldn't hear any other movement, only the rushing of the blood in her ears, and the sound of air heaving into and out of her chest after her exertion. She relaxed a little - it seemed as though he had given up. Jane found a small space between a rock and a tree, with bushes between. Crouching into the space, she decided she would stay put.
**********
Snape and Hagrid moved further into the forest. Snape no longer believed he had a chance of finding the girl. He had lost her and he was angry with himself for his stupid mistake. Keeping up with the half-giant was also proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated, with his body still recovering from its recent trauma.
"Hagrid, have you considered that we aren't all half-giants?"
"What tha' mean Professor Snape?"
"Slow down damn it." He snapped.
"Oh, sorry." The giant looked crestfallen, slowed, then stopped to look at his companion concerned, knowing from Dumbledore how badly injured he had been. He knew the surly Potions Master wouldn't take kindly to pity, so he tried for sarcasm instead, thinking the dark haired wizard would be comfortable with that, considering it was the Potions Master's preferred approach to most communication. "Eh, ya' should 'ave brought a broom if ya' couldn't keep up."
Snape was about to comment when Fang barked once. "Eh, what's tha' boy?" He watched as the dog loped into the bushes to the left of the path.
"Probably some bloody rabbit."
"I don' think so. Fang's a good dog he is. He knows wha' we're searching for." The giant followed his hound, leaving the Potions Master to follow at his own pace.
**********
It had been a stroke of genius, on Lucius' part, to charm those shoes to show the girl's location if she decided to run. It worked. After his initial surprise at her sudden departure - he wondered just what that son of his had done to put the fear of the Gods into the girl, knowing that it must have been much more than just trying a little hex on her - Lucius calmed himself and decided that he most effective form of pursuit would be a calm and quiet one. It would, with luck, lull the girl into a sense of security and allow him to creep up on her and grab here when she wasn't expecting it.
They would apparate as soon as he got his hands on her again. He no longer cared if his signature could be traced. Anonymity was far less important than delivering the Muggle to his Master. It wouldn't be long before the wizarding world knew of his escape from Azkaban anyway - it was only ever going to be a matter of time, and it would be better to be discovered after leaving, than to arrive at the Dark Lord's side without his prize. He smiled to himself; he was a very clever wizard. Modesty had never been one of Lucius' strong points.
**********
Jane heard sounds of movement to her right. She stiffened. As the sounds approached, heart racing, she couldn't decide if she should stay, partially concealed in the hollow, as she was, or whether she should run again. She felt as if her whole life had been spent trying to decide between fight and flight. Magic had changed nothing. It seemed that magical people were just as violent as non-magical ones. It disappointed, but didn't surprise her.
The sounds of movement stopped and she held her breath, waiting. She heard voices. It was Severus and Hagrid. All of her running and she still hadn't managed to get away from him. She wanted to go home - her home, not his. She wished she had never met him. She wished she had just let him die, well, maybe not, but she wished she hadn't come to rely on his munificence.
They started to move again, the sounds drawing closer. He would be so angry with her just like her father had been; especially now she had run away. Being caught was not a plan she wished to entertain. She was disgusted when she realised she couldn't even fight to protect herself; she had left her knife back at Hogwarts. She kicked herself for that piece of stupidity - it was the only thing she had owned, the only protection she had, and she had left it behind.
Jane picked up a piece of wood from the ground. It would have to do. She could hit them with it, or stab them if necessary. It wasn't sharp, but it would hurt if she used it appropriately, and she wasn't planning on messing around.
She could almost see the two men through the darkness under the thick forest canopy. They were still moving towards her. Realising she wasn't safe staying where she was, Jane was about to move when a hand gripped her shoulder firmly. She gasped, startled.
"Got you!" Lucius hissed, keeping his voice low, not wishing for an altercation with Snape and Hagrid if it could be avoided.
"No you haven't." Jane stabbed at the hand on her shoulder with the wood, eliciting a gasp of pain from the blond haired man as he released her.
"You little bitch." He swore, incensed. Furious, he reached down again and grabbed the girl by the hair, dragging her to her feet.
Jane yelped.
Malfoy was about to apparate away with her when a smooth voice stopped him. "Let her go Malfoy." Snape commanded coolly, wand already pointing at Malfoy's chest. "Now!"
Jane looked at Snape - his eyes were blazing. If she had thought he was angry before, that was nothing compared to the anger she saw now. She tried to run, but Malfoy still held her fast. She was trapped between the devil she knew and the devil she didn't know. Either way, she knew she was about to die, and she didn't care. It would be a welcome release from her horrible life.
Holding the girl, Lucius was unable to reach his wand, and he was helpless against the angry Potions Master. Even though he doubted Snape would hurt him, he wasn't willing to take the risk. He contemplated releasing the girl so he could pull his wand from his robes, but he didn't get the chance.
"Libero Custodia!" Petrified, Jane watched as yellow light exploded from Snape's wand, striking Lucius. Jane was released from his grip, but was too frightened to move. Either way she was in trouble, so she stayed fixed to the spot.
Malfoy reached for his wand and pointed it at Snape's chest. "Adavra -." He began. Without waring, a large black dog leapt out of the bushes and grabbed his arm in its jaws, causing his wand to fall to the ground. The dog stopped and glanced briefly at Snape before it disappeared again into the darkness of the forest.
Snape seemed slightly shaken by the appearance of the animal, but regained his wits more quickly than Malfoy. He pointed his wand at the man's chest. "This isn't a duel Lucius, nor is it a game. Don't doubt my ability or desire to kill you. Go back to your Master, but leave the girl."
Malfoy looked at Snape, his cold blue eyes icy with contempt. As much as he hated to admit it, the Potions Master had the upper hand at this point, and he decided that discretion would be the better part of valour. He could always come back for the girl. She was clearly not happy with Snape so he would have the opportunity again. He nodded his agreement. "You will pay for your betrayal Snape, you will pay with your life. Accio Wand."
Jane watched as Malfoy's wand flew into his hand and he disappeared. Now she just had to escape from Severus again.
Unseen in the dark canopy above the group's head, the Raven laughed to himself. The traitor had bested Lucius and that would annoy him no end, but loosing the child would anger Voldemort more. Glad he wasn't the blonde wizard, the Raven flew off into the night.