Chapter Eleven

The desire to knock the wand from Dumbledore's hand was not extremely strong, but it was closer to the forefront of Severus' thoughts than he ever would have admitted as the Headmaster prepared to obliterate the potion scroll behind Alex's hearth. He considered attempting to reason with the older wizard again, but knew that nothing he could say would result in a change of heart. It would only invite another lecture.

Alex was perched on the edge of the sofa, watching Dumbledore with great interest. It had taken quite some time to convince her to give up the scroll, but after much negotiation, she had traded it for unbreakable wards on the shop (which had taken over an hour to place), a part-time tutor and correspondence courses in higher magic.

"You're such a bright girl, Alexandria," the Headmaster said with warmth. "Why did you not finish school?"

"I was expelled in my fifth year," she answered matter-of-factly.

"May I ask why?"

"Yes. You may." With a tiny, quick smile she made it clear that she wasn't planning to elaborate. Dumbledore, with his usual grace, did not press the issue.

At the moment of the scroll's destruction, Severus was forced to look away, not only from the blinding flash of light, but from the willful annihilation of knowledge, as well. It positively sickened him. He had so wanted that scroll! His averted gaze brought his eyes to rest on Alex who was watching Dumbledore with a curiously sweet smile. It was the same look that she had worn after she walked away from the note on the bench and when she acknowledged that she knew he had been her shadow. He had begun to realize that that smirk meant she was up to something. Curious.

While Severus was still observing Alex, Dumbledore spoke. "Well, that's done, then."

He turned to Alex with a fatherly smile. "You've made the right choice, Alexandria."

"Please don't call me that."

"I'm sorry, Alex." The elderly wizard sat down on the chair beside her. "I'm not your enemy, you know. I'm aware that you wanted to keep this item, but I hope you understand the necessity of it's destruction."

"You made a fair trade for it. It was yours to do with as you please." Dumbledore eyed her over the top of his spectacles and she felt the need to explain. "I don't agree with you. I think that the wanton destruction of knowledge is perverse, but the main reason I wanted to keep it was because of Lucius Malfoy. If your wards are as indestructible as you claim, and I believe they are, and if you intend to continue my education so that I can better defend myself if the need arises, then there's no reason for me to hold on to the thing."

The headmaster considered this a moment before he spoke again. "I'll be much more comfortable when Severus has cleared this matter up with Lucius, and you are no longer a target of his. Do you have an owl?"

"No. I've never needed one."

"This may be a very good reason to invest in one. I would like for you to notify me or Severus if you have any more difficulties with Lucius. Agreed?"

"Maybe."

"I beg your pardon?" the older wizard responded gently.

Alex looked immediately remorseful. "I'm sorry. That was rude. I'm afraid that all of this insanity has finally caught up with me." She gave a great sigh and rested her head in her hands. "I'm exhausted."

"Of course you are, Alex. How inconsiderate of me." He rose to his feet. "My potions master tells me that the poison has completely left your body, but the strain you've been through has been arduous, I'm certain. You may rest without fear, now. The wards I've placed on this building are infallible. No one can harm you while you are on these premises. I'll leave you to your rest." He turned to Severus. "Shall we?"

"I'll be along in a moment, Headmaster. There's a small matter that I must address before I go."

"Don't keep her, Severus."

"I assure you that I will be brief."

Severus stood as if frozen, staring at Alex with a calculating glare until the door was heard below. The sound seemed to release him from his reverie and he immediately folded his hands within his robes, and narrowed those glittering black eyes.

"What are you up to, Alex?"

"Come again?" She was reclined against the arm of the sofa, now, smiling innocently up at him.

"Don't play games with me, Miss Borgin."

"Severus, I can't believe that you don't trust your own lover."

He crossed the distance between them in an instant with a look of such hostility that she felt compelled to place her hand on her wand. He slid neatly down beside her and roughly took her chin in his hand, forcing her eyes to meet his. "One lustful tryst hardly makes us lovers and, no, I don't trust you. You are conspiring to some untoward end. I can see it in your eyes."

Alex removed his hand from her face and entwined his fingers with her own, still wearing that insufferable grin. "I think you're confused. That's my 'I've been thoroughly screwed and I need to sleep' look."

"It's as if everything is a game to you. Do you not understand how serious this is?"

"Severus, relax. There's no scroll anymore. Everything's fine, now."

"No, everything is not fine! Only an idiot would think that way, and you are most certainly not an idiot."

"Thank you."

The potions master pulled his hand from hers, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in agitation. "It's obvious that you will not be persuaded to tell me the truth. Therefore, I see no reason to remain here. I must see to informing Lucius of the scroll's destruction. Hopefully, the knowledge will draw his wrath away from you." He stood abruptly. "You do not know him as I do, Alex. Whatever you're planning, if it involves him, would be aided by my considerable understanding of his nature. I trust that you will inform me if you choose to be truthful, before it is too late."

He took only two steps before he found her blocking his path, her expression one of uncharacteristic seriousness. Merlin, she was quick! "Severus, please don't leave like this. I swear to you I'm not planning anything. I wish that I did have a plan. But, for once, I'm at a loss." His eyes narrowed in distrust. "Honestly, Severus. I didn't mean to make you angry. I'm naturally flippant, and the more nervous I am, the more sarcastic I become. My father used to say that it was my strongest defense," she added with a wistful smile.

He was immediately intrigued. "Were you close to your father?"

"Yes." Her eyes misted just slightly. "We were really good friends."

"I assume he has passed on?"

For a moment, her face softened, but she stiffened abruptly and clenched her jaw in anger. "Yes. He's dead, and so is the bastard that killed him," she answered harshly. "It's not something I care to discuss."

As interested as he was in her past, he didn't feel that it would be wise to push the issue. She had revealed a piece of the puzzle, he was certain that she would reveal more in time. Resisting the temptation to use his considerable occlumency skills, he merely nodded his acceptance. "I understand. I really must be going. Lucius will be polishing his wand."

With nothing more said and not a backward glance spared, he swept down the stairs and out of the room. For a few moments, she stood still in the silence, then softly she began to cry. Not even bothering to walk to a chair, she crossed her legs beneath her, folded her body on top of them, buried her hands in her hair and sobbed.

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Lucius,

I deeply regret to inform you that our mission has failed. Upon arriving at Nina's with grievous injuries, Miss Borgin was immediately escorted to Madam Pomphrey's infirmary where I was brought in to cure her of the poison you so skillfully administered. As Albus is well-aware that most of the poisons in your possession are of my own design, I had no choice but to succeed.

Upon returning her to her home this morning, Dumbledore successfully located our scroll. It is with great remorse that I admit I was unable to talk her out of trading the scroll to him. His offer was such that I could not match it, and even if I had, the old fool would have seen the instructions destroyed against my will before he allowed me to brew the potion.

Respectfully,

Severus Snape

Snape,

I expect you at the manor immediately upon receiving this letter.

Malfoy

Well, that was disturbing. Severus adjusted his robes and took several deep breaths. There was no time to inform Albus. When Malfoy said 'immediately,' he meant it. He would no doubt know exactly how long it took his eagle owl to reach Hogwarts and was more than likely already pacing his sitting room.

"It's about time," was the warm greeting he received when he stepped out of the fireplace at the Malfoy estate. Upon opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of that wicked black wand pointed his way yet again. 'Not Again,' he thought.

Thankfully, Malfoy only muttered a cleaning spell which removed the soot from his robes. Ah, yes, Merlin forbid anything less than pristine touch his furniture. Lucius himself was looking perfect, with no indication that he had had anything but a perfectly restful evening. "Thank you, Lucius." He forced himself to look the man directly in the eyes. It would not do to give any indication that he held their last meeting against him.

"Sit down, Severus," he ordered in his coldest voice.

"As you wish."

There was no proffered wine this time as the fair-haired wizard took a seat opposite his subordinate. "I needn't tell you how disgusted I am that our potion is lost to us."

Severus lowered his eyes briefly.

"Would you like to hazard a guess as to what happened immediately after Miss Borgin slipped out of my grasp last night?"

Severus' bewildered look was answer enough.

"I was summoned." A feeling of dread began to build in the potion master's stomach.

"I was forced to crawl to my wand, apparate on - my - knees, with a broken nose, a scalded face, and the knowledge that I had been outmaneuvered by an unarmed slip of a witch."

Severus forced his face to remain impassive, knowing that the quiet fury with which these words were spoken did not bode well for Alex's future. "What happened?"

"He questioned me, of course. And when I had told him everything, he disciplined me--for hours." Lucius ran a hand through his hair, an unusual gesture, one that Severus had not seen since they were at Hogwarts together. It made him look like a teenager again. But, it was a fully grown wizard who uttered the next words. "I want nothing more than to see that girl's mangled body rotting in my dungeon." It was a nasty reminder of who that young man had become under the Dark Lord's influence.

Severus' mind was already working out a plan to get out of here, get word to Alex, and move her out of the country within the hour. His furious thoughts were interrupted by Lucius.

"Unfortunately, our master has other plans for Miss Borgin." Severus' racing thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Thankfully, his stunned silence was taken for attentiveness and Lucius continued. "It is his opinion that she may prove to be of use. He feels she showed great resourcefulness in escaping one of his highest-ranking Death Eaters. And, admittedly, she did seem more cooperative than her uncle. If she reestablishes contact with his suppliers, she could acquire other items that would prove of use to our cause."

Severus kept his voice level when he answered. "The Dark Lord is wise."

"Of course," said Lucius, a bit too softly. "If she could be persuaded to assist us, she would prove to be a valuable asset. If she did not impress, well, accidents happen," he purred with a charming smile.

"She's not the type to need much persuasion, just a good reason."

"And may I ask what good reason she had for not going to the ministry? I assume that was your doing."

"It was my intention to dissuade her when the subject was brought up, but that proved to be unnecessary. She had her own reasons for not wanting to go."

"Such as?"

"Such as a healthy respect for your power. She was well-aware that you could easily come out of a ministry inquiry looking even better than you do already. Yet, forcing you to go to such trouble would only invite your retribution. She's no fool. She has no desire to be on the wrong side of your wand again."

Lucius raised his brows. He was impressed against his will. "That was a very smart decision. She's quite correct, of course. I had every intention of retaliating, if only to prove who was the stronger, but had she gone to the ministry, she would have regretted it for many excruciating years. I'm not certain that I would ever have granted her the peace of death."

Severus shivered. He knew of one former ministry official who had been in the Malfoy dungeon for over a decade. He was listed as 'missing, presumed dead' in the Ministry files. Unfortunately, he was still very much alive.

"We have been given other orders, however," Lucius rose from his chair and began pacing the room. "I shall leave it to you to gather as much information as possible from Miss Borgin, since you seem to be so fond of her," he added this last bit with a sneer.

Severus ignored the bait. "And you?"

"There are other sources of information that I can tap. I will seek her out in time, when I am not feeling so uncharitable. I have no doubt the method of persuasion that will work best with her. But, it would not do to have her naked and helpless beneath me just yet, as the temptation to break her neck would be greater than I could presently resist."

Lucius poured a single glass from his bottle of wine. "Now, get out."

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Siverfey: I'll clear up the wand matter, I promise. Please keep reading. Your reviews are like a warm blanket.

Arwen78: Thanks so much for the review, and thanks for the review of chapter 3. That was quite informative as I wasn't sure whether I was being too subtle.

Slate One: That's one heck of a review! I really appreciate it. Let me assure you, hopefully without giving away any of the plot, that Alex is as self-serving, conniving, and dastardly as they come. What she lacks in magical ability, she makes up in the willingness to whatever it takes to survive. She's not about to start wearing red and gold, if you know what I mean. Don't worry. I won't turn her into a good guy.

"Alex probably does not realize what she is dealing with, and that she has bitten off more than she can chew. Lucius is a pitiless murderer, a ruthless and vicious enforcer of the Death Eaters, the man takes pride in his work." I can tell that you love the man as much as I do. Cheers!

Rycca: (From your chapter 9 review) I completely agree with your assessment of Dumbledore. His nobility is questionable at best. And, yes. I make it point to expose that in my writing. Thank you for your review.