Jailbird
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 (uploaded 11/5/03)
Narcissa interrupted, "Come, come everybody. The house elves tell me dinner is ready." Draco had changed into fresh robes and had returned to his normal pale complexion. He had a sullen look about him. Snape and Lestrange followed their host to the dining room and took their seats.
As they started with soup, Snape cleared his throat, "Narcissa, have you heard from Vanessa lately?" Draco didn't move his head, which was over his bowl, but shot a look of loathing toward his potions professor.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "No, Severus, not since Draco ran away from their house. Not to worry, I soon got an owl from Mrs. Crabbe, letting me know that Draco had turned up."
Draco looked up and saw Snape's I-told-you-so look. Draco pouted, "Well why didn't you send my sweets there? My eagle owl always knows where to find me, or have you forgotten?"
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," Draco's mum mocked, "I've been so busy trying to get your father his freedom. I'll have to beat one of the elves for neglecting you."
Draco stood up from the table, "Is that right?! Since when did you care what he's been up to? You've always told me I COME FIRST!"
"DRACO!" Snape iced his tone, "You may be excused from dinner."
"Thank you, Godfather." Draco gulped down the rest of his soup and threw his napkin down on the table before he storming back to his room.
"Well," Bellatrix snorted, "wasn't that a dramatic exit?"
"So, Narcissa, what have you been doing for Lucius? Who have you been talking to on his behalf?" Snape spoke into his soup bowl.
"Yes, dear sister, I came down to find Severus in Lucius's study. He was curious to find it open in his absence." Bellatrix glared at Narcissa.
Narcissa returned an icy stare, "I must have left it open, then. I opened the room to put Lucius's legal papers on his desk."
The rest of the evening meal and conversation transpired uneventfully. They withdrew to the living room, where he was uncomfortably sandwiched between the two women on a small couch. It seemed hot in the room. When he loosened the top clasp of his robes, Bellatrix offered the bachelor a strong drink. He accepted it graciously and found he, indeed, relaxed a bit more.
Snape didn't remember the rest of the evening after that. He woke up in a dark room, lying on a bed. He was warm and perspiring, breathing heavily and bucking while someone rode him like a bronco. Except for his own heavy breathing and the moans above him, the only other sounds he heard were giggles from the person laying next to him. His body had betrayed him. As pleasurable as the release was, it made him angry to think he had been used. The person who had been straddling him laid on his chest and fell asleep. He was still inside her as he, too, as he drifted back to sleep.
He woke up again to nature's call. It was still dark. As he eased himself out of bed, the other person stirred under the covers. He tripped over his boxers on the floor next to the bed and found his clothes hanging in the bathroom, wand in the pocket where he left it. Not wanting a confrontation in the morning, especially with Draco, he picked up his boots and finished dressing in the hallway. He quietly let himself out and took the carriage back to Hogwarts.
He woke up late the next morning to an owl nipping at his ear. When he finally acknowledge the owl, it stuck its leg out to have the small roll of parchment removed. Scenarios flashed through his mind. Short bits of the previous night, who had he woken up with? They both smelled of the same perfume. He sniffed himself, his hair. It still smelled of Narcissa's perfume.or was it Bella's. The owl rested on his shoulder awaiting an answer when he sat up in bed. Looking down at himself, he only had boxers on. When was the last time he was too tired to put on a night shirt?
He got up and walked over to his desk and scribbled an answer on the back of the parchment. He had dreaded opening it, thinking it was from one of the ladies of Malfoy Mansion. To his relief, it was Headmaster Dumbledore inviting him to lunch in Hogsmead that afternoon. After sending the owl on his way, he stretched away his sleepiness and headed for the bathroom. Lunch was only a couple hours away and he did not want to smell of perfume.
~ ~ ~
Snape checked behind him, as was his habit, before he entered the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmead. Dumbledore spotted him first and waved him over to the table in the corner. He was greeted with twinkling blue eyes, "Severus, so glad you could make it."
"Thank you, Headmaster."
"Please, Severus, how many times to I have to tell you to call me Albus. Besides, school is not in session and there is not a student within at least 20 miles."
Snape took a seat across from the white-haired wizard and absentmindedly picked up a menu. Dumbledore mused, "Severus, why do you bother? I don't actually believe you are going to order anything other than your usual."
The wizard in black robes narrowed his eyes. He had half a mind to order something out of the ordinary, just to spite the senior wizard. When the waitress came over and asked for their orders, Snape's upper lip twitched, "The usual." Dumbledore placed his order as he chuckled.
Dumbledore then laced his long fingers and placed it on the table in front of him, looking directly at his friend. "So, Severus, what have you been up to this summer? You haven't requested a meeting lately, I wonder if there's been any activity."
Snape sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. "No, sir, nothing to report. I visited Lucius Malfoy at Azkaban. Although I thought his initial behavior unusual, it could be explained by the effect the dementors may be having on him. He did manage to recover himself by the end of our meeting."
"I see."
"At his request, I checked in on Draco. I didn't find anything too out of the ordinary, considering the circumstances, except for Draco's behavior. Then again his father hasn't been around to straighten him out. Lucius has requested I be his male role model until he returns."
"Absolutely nothing?"
Snape leaned into the table on his elbows. "Well, there is one thing. I found Lucius's study unlocked. Normally, Lucius is the only one who can open that door. Narcissa, Draco's mother, admitted to opening it on Lucius's behalf." Snape shook his head, "Nothing is too unusual, but there are so many little things, little details. It makes me uncomfortable. I hope it's nothing, but it makes me suspicious."
Dumbledore nodded, "Is it possible that someone is not who they appear to be?"
"I thought about that, sir. My first suspicion would be Lucius in Azkaban. But Narcissa's behavior seemed usual for the most part. I really don't think Lucius knows her well enough to act so much like his own wife. She has been visiting him once a week to update him on his legal case. Polyjuice Potion has to be retaken every hour, so I've ruled out that possibility. I was with Lucius over an hour."
"A switching charm, perhaps."
"Yes, but a visitor is not allowed his wand there. I couldn't possibly check for that charm."
"No need, Severus. Ahh, here we are." The waitress put the food on the table and refreshed their drinks.
When the waitress left, Dumbledore said, "Perhaps you should prepare an antidote to cancel the effects of Polyjuice Potion. Or prepare a test potion to determine someone is disguised by means of that or any other potion. I'll ask Mad-Eye or Kingsley if they have alternate ways of discovering a disguise like that."
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 (uploaded 11/5/03)
Narcissa interrupted, "Come, come everybody. The house elves tell me dinner is ready." Draco had changed into fresh robes and had returned to his normal pale complexion. He had a sullen look about him. Snape and Lestrange followed their host to the dining room and took their seats.
As they started with soup, Snape cleared his throat, "Narcissa, have you heard from Vanessa lately?" Draco didn't move his head, which was over his bowl, but shot a look of loathing toward his potions professor.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "No, Severus, not since Draco ran away from their house. Not to worry, I soon got an owl from Mrs. Crabbe, letting me know that Draco had turned up."
Draco looked up and saw Snape's I-told-you-so look. Draco pouted, "Well why didn't you send my sweets there? My eagle owl always knows where to find me, or have you forgotten?"
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," Draco's mum mocked, "I've been so busy trying to get your father his freedom. I'll have to beat one of the elves for neglecting you."
Draco stood up from the table, "Is that right?! Since when did you care what he's been up to? You've always told me I COME FIRST!"
"DRACO!" Snape iced his tone, "You may be excused from dinner."
"Thank you, Godfather." Draco gulped down the rest of his soup and threw his napkin down on the table before he storming back to his room.
"Well," Bellatrix snorted, "wasn't that a dramatic exit?"
"So, Narcissa, what have you been doing for Lucius? Who have you been talking to on his behalf?" Snape spoke into his soup bowl.
"Yes, dear sister, I came down to find Severus in Lucius's study. He was curious to find it open in his absence." Bellatrix glared at Narcissa.
Narcissa returned an icy stare, "I must have left it open, then. I opened the room to put Lucius's legal papers on his desk."
The rest of the evening meal and conversation transpired uneventfully. They withdrew to the living room, where he was uncomfortably sandwiched between the two women on a small couch. It seemed hot in the room. When he loosened the top clasp of his robes, Bellatrix offered the bachelor a strong drink. He accepted it graciously and found he, indeed, relaxed a bit more.
Snape didn't remember the rest of the evening after that. He woke up in a dark room, lying on a bed. He was warm and perspiring, breathing heavily and bucking while someone rode him like a bronco. Except for his own heavy breathing and the moans above him, the only other sounds he heard were giggles from the person laying next to him. His body had betrayed him. As pleasurable as the release was, it made him angry to think he had been used. The person who had been straddling him laid on his chest and fell asleep. He was still inside her as he, too, as he drifted back to sleep.
He woke up again to nature's call. It was still dark. As he eased himself out of bed, the other person stirred under the covers. He tripped over his boxers on the floor next to the bed and found his clothes hanging in the bathroom, wand in the pocket where he left it. Not wanting a confrontation in the morning, especially with Draco, he picked up his boots and finished dressing in the hallway. He quietly let himself out and took the carriage back to Hogwarts.
He woke up late the next morning to an owl nipping at his ear. When he finally acknowledge the owl, it stuck its leg out to have the small roll of parchment removed. Scenarios flashed through his mind. Short bits of the previous night, who had he woken up with? They both smelled of the same perfume. He sniffed himself, his hair. It still smelled of Narcissa's perfume.or was it Bella's. The owl rested on his shoulder awaiting an answer when he sat up in bed. Looking down at himself, he only had boxers on. When was the last time he was too tired to put on a night shirt?
He got up and walked over to his desk and scribbled an answer on the back of the parchment. He had dreaded opening it, thinking it was from one of the ladies of Malfoy Mansion. To his relief, it was Headmaster Dumbledore inviting him to lunch in Hogsmead that afternoon. After sending the owl on his way, he stretched away his sleepiness and headed for the bathroom. Lunch was only a couple hours away and he did not want to smell of perfume.
~ ~ ~
Snape checked behind him, as was his habit, before he entered the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmead. Dumbledore spotted him first and waved him over to the table in the corner. He was greeted with twinkling blue eyes, "Severus, so glad you could make it."
"Thank you, Headmaster."
"Please, Severus, how many times to I have to tell you to call me Albus. Besides, school is not in session and there is not a student within at least 20 miles."
Snape took a seat across from the white-haired wizard and absentmindedly picked up a menu. Dumbledore mused, "Severus, why do you bother? I don't actually believe you are going to order anything other than your usual."
The wizard in black robes narrowed his eyes. He had half a mind to order something out of the ordinary, just to spite the senior wizard. When the waitress came over and asked for their orders, Snape's upper lip twitched, "The usual." Dumbledore placed his order as he chuckled.
Dumbledore then laced his long fingers and placed it on the table in front of him, looking directly at his friend. "So, Severus, what have you been up to this summer? You haven't requested a meeting lately, I wonder if there's been any activity."
Snape sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. "No, sir, nothing to report. I visited Lucius Malfoy at Azkaban. Although I thought his initial behavior unusual, it could be explained by the effect the dementors may be having on him. He did manage to recover himself by the end of our meeting."
"I see."
"At his request, I checked in on Draco. I didn't find anything too out of the ordinary, considering the circumstances, except for Draco's behavior. Then again his father hasn't been around to straighten him out. Lucius has requested I be his male role model until he returns."
"Absolutely nothing?"
Snape leaned into the table on his elbows. "Well, there is one thing. I found Lucius's study unlocked. Normally, Lucius is the only one who can open that door. Narcissa, Draco's mother, admitted to opening it on Lucius's behalf." Snape shook his head, "Nothing is too unusual, but there are so many little things, little details. It makes me uncomfortable. I hope it's nothing, but it makes me suspicious."
Dumbledore nodded, "Is it possible that someone is not who they appear to be?"
"I thought about that, sir. My first suspicion would be Lucius in Azkaban. But Narcissa's behavior seemed usual for the most part. I really don't think Lucius knows her well enough to act so much like his own wife. She has been visiting him once a week to update him on his legal case. Polyjuice Potion has to be retaken every hour, so I've ruled out that possibility. I was with Lucius over an hour."
"A switching charm, perhaps."
"Yes, but a visitor is not allowed his wand there. I couldn't possibly check for that charm."
"No need, Severus. Ahh, here we are." The waitress put the food on the table and refreshed their drinks.
When the waitress left, Dumbledore said, "Perhaps you should prepare an antidote to cancel the effects of Polyjuice Potion. Or prepare a test potion to determine someone is disguised by means of that or any other potion. I'll ask Mad-Eye or Kingsley if they have alternate ways of discovering a disguise like that."