Fiddler on the Green
Severus and Fiddler visited their children at the NICU eight times a day so Fiddler could feed them, until she was discharged, and then they had to wait two long weeks until the twins were allowed to go home.
Molly was waiting for them when they finally arrived, with the house beautifully decorated and a substantial meal for the undernourished parents. The females automatically fluttered around the babies, and even Harry and Ron seemed oddly moved by their presence. Of course, the prophecy could have been the cause of that, Severus mused.
Or not.
Fred and George issued their approval once they stated neither Douglas nor Rubria had Severus' nose and he heard either of them say:
"Who would have thought the Greasy Git could father such gorgeous children?"
But surprisingly, the implied insult did not annoy Severus.
Triskelion had adopted Douglas and Rubria as his own puppies and he threatened to rip the head off anyone who dared to get near them without his approval, barking madly to alert Fiddler in the process; Briallan, on the other hand, had been nowhere to bee seen since Fiddler had returned from the hospital, and she couldn't help to feel viciously proud for it, until Moody told them she had returned to Voldemort's side as a spy for the Order, alleging she had been magically controlled by the treacherous Banshee and lured out of her Master's protective wings.
"She does have a sense of the dramatic", Fiddler said, and she couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "But, if she's useful… It's all for the better".
Dumbledore and McGonagall surprised them by dropping by, and Minerva's eyes filled with tears when she looked at Rubria and realised she was Wallace's face, hair and eyes. Both elder wizards performed the children's Blessing and then they turned their attention to more pressing issues concerning Voldemort and the Prophecy.
"Well, we have the Bloodred waters", Fiddler said, whilst feeding Rubria without a trace of embarrassment.
Hermione was holding a very giggly Douglas; previous permission from his imposing father obtained, much to Fred and George's relief, as they'd nearly died on the spot when they took in the sight of Severus Snape actually rocking the child in his arms. Fiddler was leading her husband by the hand through the process of child upbringing, and by all means he was taking advantage of it with all the cunning of his Slytherin mind.
"I think Douglas and Rubria have fulfilled their part on the Prophecy", Dumbledore agreed.
"So now we have to work out the rest", Arthur said.
"Well, the dark mane and the birth bond… Harry and I are linked by birth, is it, Albus? Right, so the mane… Would mean the recently handcrafted wands, wouldn't it?" Fiddler said much to everyone else's astonishment, as if no one else had thought about it. "Yes, think of it, my hair is in those wands, so Harry wouldn't use Voldemort's wand's brother to fight him…"
"It could be that, of course", Hermione said, and she blushed, apparently still embarrassed at the fact that she'd made the prophecy.
"And how do bloodred waters shield Harry?" Molly asked.
There was nothing but silence for a while. Fiddler made a gesture as if she'd had an idea, but she didn't say a word. She changed Rubria from one breast to the other under the baby comforter, and shot a quick vigilant glance at Douglas, still giggling happily on Hermione's lap.
"He's OK, don't worry", she said.
Fiddler smiled at her and then Severus observed.
"You were going to say something, álainn".
She still found it back-tingling, but ever since the twins had been born Severus seem to find easier to use endearments and actually display some of his deeply hidden affection in public.
"I— It was just a thought that came to mind, but I don't think—"
"Go on".
"Well… Ever read The Iliad?" she watched Severus and Dumbledore nod. But they were the only ones. "Achilles was the son of Thetis and Peleus, and the bravest hero in the Trojan war, according to Greek mythology", Fiddler explained then. "When Achilles was born, his mother, Thetis, tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx. As she immersed him, she held him by one heel and forgot to dip him a second time so the heel she held could get wet too. Therefore, the place where she held him remained untouched by the magic water of the Styx and that part stayed mortal or vulnerable. "Eventually, it became his death as in Trojan War, Paris discharged at him a poisoned arrow, which, guided by Apollo, fatally wounded him in the heel, his only vulnerable spot."
"If you're suggesting I should bathe in amniotic fluid", Harry said with a rather nauseated look in his face, "and I am praying that you aren't, I beg you to make sure you won't leave dry spots".
They laughed nervously and Dumbledore added:
"Well, that is certainly a thought, Fiddler…"
"I would have thought it would be more like adding it to the potion we brewed…" Ginny said.
"I won't DRINK that!"
"Always the stubborn, are you not, Potter?" Severus said, with no real viciousness in his voice.
"But that's exactly what we'll do", Dumbledore said, merrily. "After all, we can't ignore the Prophecy, now, can't we?"
McGonagall sighed.
"But—But—" Harry blurted out, still nauseated at the very thought. "I thought the potion was ready to be used, you said it yourself, sir, it—"
"That was before the Prophecy, Harry", said Hermione, blushing.
"Oh, remind me to thank you later", he growled, moodily.
They broke in nervous laughter and Fiddler added, evenly:
"Be sensible, Harry… I don't think it'll taste any worst than it already does… And like I said before, we can't have you facing Voldemort plugged to a dialysis machine!"
Ron snorted with laughter.
"That would be a good joke… It might give Voldemort a stroke and do him in for us!"
"I wouldn't rely on that, Weasley", said Snape repressively. Douglas cried out as if supporting his father's words.
"Oh, fine, I'll drink it", Harry gave in. "The big question now is… When will I drink it?"
It turned out that Harry didn't have to wait that long to know the answer.
Word had reached Dumbledore of an organized Death Eater attack to the students-free Hogwarts, in hopes of breaking in to get hold of the famous weapon that was currently, to put it in Lord Voldemort's words, under Dumbledore's crooked nose. A course of action was taken immediately and the full Order of the Phoenix was hurriedly gathered in Elvenpath so Moody could start his really harsh training sessions.
"The bloke's gonna kill us", Ron complained one time, after spending the last half hour suffering the after effects of a Bat-Bogey Hex he'd failed to block.
But no one really listened to him because, for once, they fully agreed with Moody and his Constant Vigilance Motto.
Severus had long since given up convincing Fiddler to stay safely behind and, as Molly had kindly offered to take care of Rubria and Douglas, Severus had then devoted his energies to teach her how to Apparate and how to cast – and deflect – most curses using her wand, which she wasn't too familiar with just yet. He had also taken her to Gringotts to update his last Will and Testament, after holding back the subject for almost a week, fearing it will upset her; after all, one didn't just approach his wife of four months who had recently become a mother to tell her he needed to get things settled in case he died. But sometimes it was easy to forget she was a half-breed and a banshee indeed; she had nodded, saying it was the most sensible thing to do, and that she might as well do her own will; she'd wondered if there would be a problem since she wasn't properly registered as a Witch, and she suggested they'd take the twins along so people at the Ministry could take notice of their existence.
"You'll give them quite a shake, love", she finished. "They haven't seen you in a year and all of the sudden you'll turn up married and with two children".
She laughed at the very image and then turned to shove a pacifier into Rubria's mouth, to stop her from tearing the walls down with her Banshee-ish wails.
So they had gone. And it was then, and only then when Fiddler found out the full extent and actual amount of her husband's wealth, and it amused her to no end.
"Well, now I am a fortune hunter as well!" she exclaimed when they left Gringotts, after signing their wills together. Severus had scowled at her words, as if he wasn't pleased, so she retreated. "Seriously, why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought it unimportant".
She quieted for a bit and then said:
"You're right. It is."
Severus smiled, inwardly relieved, and listened to her add:
"But… It makes me wonder why on Earth do you teach at Hogwarts!"
"I was undercover, álainn. Besides, it wasn't always like that… The name of Snape still carries respect among Purebloods but we weren't wealthy. We were an old family in fading decadence…"
"And then Malfoy adopted you".
Severus turned swiftly towards her.
"How— How—?" he spluttered.
"Well, it's only obvious, love", Fiddler said swiftly. "You were some sort of poor cousin to him, as I understand all pureblood families are interrelated. So Malfoy took you under his wing, protected you and maybe even took it to himself to rescue a pureblood family from social oblivion. After all, he's always making donations to various causes, and there's no way in hell you'll convince me he does it out of the goodness of his heart. He does it because he wants something in return… And in your case, it was your potion skills and freedom, wasn't it? So that's why you'd always favor Draco and refused to hear a single word against him or his father… Harry told me your reaction when he named Lucius as one of the Death Eaters that gathered when Voldemort returned."
"You're dangerous, sometimes".
"Oh, that has nothing to do with me being a Banshee, love… It's simply putting two and two together", she said with a bright smile.
Severus shivered all the same. It was unnerving, no matter what she said. Or maybe he was just not used to have someone think that much about him.
Finally, one night, a tawny owl soared through a window into Elvenpath's sitting room, and delivered a parchment containing only two words:
It's time.
Everyone displayed then an overwhelming amount of activity, following a carefully rehearsed plan. Fiddler, proving she was a brilliant student, was one of the first ones Apparating outside Hogwarts grounds, dressed in black from head to toe, wearing heavy Doc Marten boots, with her wand at the ready and a fiery look in her eyes. She was soon followed by Harry, Remus, Tonks and Severus himself; Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George caught up with them soon enough, whilst Arthur and Moody were the last ones, the old Auror carrying the potion in his hip flask.
"Drink it now, laddie", he advised Harry. "I don't reckon you'll have time later on".
Harry did as told and they all moved tightly packed and with their wands pointing forward towards Hogwarts' front gate. When they reached the pebbled road, Moody put a Silencing charm to his wooden leg so it wouldn't clunk.
They never knew where did the jet of light come from, but quite suddenly the darkened night was lit with spells going back and forth, and the battle began before they'd even set foot inside Hogwarts. It came a time when Severus didn't know what he was doing anymore; he kept cursing, Stunning and Shielding himself, but he did not know whether he was hitting friend of foe as there were too many of them shooting at each other. Dimly, he heard Moody shrieking "We've been ambushed, we've been ambushed!" and Tonks' strangled "Shut up, Mad-Eye!" before a Stunning charm hit her, tumbling her to the ground.
Severus' eyes searched frantically around for Fiddler, and he found her soon enough, brandishing her wand in a pose oddly reminiscent of a fencing champion, and he saw something else, something Fiddler didn't.
"FIDDLER!" he roared, but it was too late, the red flash of light had already hit her on her left side and she fell to the grass with a pained exclamation. Severus tried to run to her, but he was hit himself on the back by a Stunning charm, and to top it all, silvery ropes appeared out of thin air, binding him by ankles and wrists and making him fall forward, hitting his overlarge nose on the grass, no trace of dignity left.
"Don't move, you despicable traitor", he heard Malfoy's drawling voice behind him.
Severus couldn't, not with the charm and the ropes anyway, but nothing prevented his eyes from bulge wildly as he took in the sight of Fiddler lying unconscious (he hoped), on the green grass.
"Fiddler…", he hissed even though his body didn't respond to his brain, ordering it to move. "Fiddler…"
And, out of the blue, the sound of guitars filled the air and a deep, hoarse male voice began to sing.
Sad voices, they're calling,
Our precious girl, she can't be gone.
How bitter this morning, when Daddy's darling
Went out and started her day.
Severus looked around madly, and he noticed he was not the only one searching for the source of that voice. Disconnected thoughts flashed in his mind, her remembered Dumbledore telling him his Banshee wife would find an equilibrium between both her Dark and White nature… He saw them all brewing the potion meant to shield Harry, he recalled Hermione making the Prophecy, he saw the words written in a creamy parchment "it's time", and he remembered the previous night, lying in their bed with Fiddler in his arms, wondering, as he'd done for over a month, if that would be the last night they'd be together…
Wasn't there a dream, last night?
Like a spring never ending,
Still the water runs clear through my mind,
On the field I can see a fiddler;
The Fiddler on the Green,
And a sad boy…
'I took him too early,
Would you mind if I take you?'
And he knew that voice was addressing to him.
The Fiddler on the Green…
And the taken Sad Boy.
Lucas.
And would he mind if the fiddler took his wife?
The sun seemed bright,
The air was clear.
A trick of light turned red into green,
She saw the light;
Her face was pale,
Her body smashed,
Her beauty's gone…
"NOOOO!" he roared.
'Isn't that a shame?' the Reaper said,
'He is quite alone here, and still waiting for you'.
'Oh, I really did fail for the first time?' spoke the Fiddler,
Poor old Fiddler…
The Fiddler on the Green…
It would be nice…
Take my hand…
Just hold my hand, I'll take you there,
Your pain will go away…
The voice was wailing now in a very Banshee-ish way, and Severus, out of the corner of his eye, saw Malfoy approaching his fallen wife.
It happened in the blink of an eye; Fiddler lacked the physical strength, but she had the anatomical knowledge; she placed the heel of her Doc Marten boot to an Unforgivable place and Malfoy fell to his knees helplessly, bent over himself. Fiddler kicked him again in the base of his skull and the Death Eater tumbled to the ground.
"You owed me, Malfoy", she hissed, struggling to stand up, but she only managed to sit up.
"Filthy… Half-Breed…"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Severus looked at her, transfixed. With no mercy, Fiddler had just annihilated his last living pureblood cousin…
Not that he really cared.
The mayhem would have probably carried on forever, but eventually, Voldemort made his dramatic appearance, escorted by the Lestranges, Dolohov and a girl who looked suspiciously like Briallan, all of them with their wands in the air casting a golden magical dome to protect their master.
The battle seemed to stop for a while, all eyes fixed on Voldemort and his escort. Severus wondered where the hell was Potter… And now that he thought of it, Dumbledore.
"Kill her", hissed Lord Voldemort, pointing at Fiddler.
"Yes, My Lord", it was Briallan who answered his command, walking towards Fiddler and holding out her wand.
"I won't kill you", Fiddler heard Briallan's voice in her head. "But I'll have to hurt you or my cover will be blown…"
"Diffindo!" Briallan shrieked for all to hear, and Fiddler's hand went to clutch her left side, which was bleeding profusely. She fell to the grass again, but her pride told her she was not going to lay on her front side and tried to get up.
Oh, the blasted bitch, she thought bitterly, as she kneeled laboriously on the grass. Diffindo, what's wrong with her, oh, GOD IT HURTS, I am bleeding like a pig here, I—
"That's right", hissed Voldemort, noticing Fiddler on her knees next to Malfoy's dead body. "Kneel before Lord Voldemort, Banshee".
The Death Eaters snickered; apparently oblivious to the fact that said Banshee had just killed one of their members.
"Now that you have prostrated yourself before me", continued the Dark Lord, "I shall take what I need from you… finish her off her, Briallan, and retrieve her blood".
"Yes, My Lord", Briallan said, but she seemed nonplussed.
Severus raised his head and his gaze met Fiddler's for a moment, in understanding. They both knew Briallan was expected to say the curse out loud.
What do I do? Briallan's eyes seemed to ask.
Tease him, Fiddler formed the answer in her mind, and sent it to Briallan, hoping she'd understand. Briallan's eyes widened.
But that would mean torture!
Fiddler shrugged.
So be it.
Briallan smiled slowly and turned to face Voldemort.
"My Lord", she said. "I was wondering… If I could ask it of you…. Would you allow me to play with my pray?"
Lord Voldemort actually chuckled.
"My dear, cruel Briallan Ludlow… So very worthy of the name you carry… So be it".
Yeah, yeah, take the credit, bitch, Fiddler thought, unable to help it. It was my idea!
Sorry!
Damn, she heard me…
Severus was listening as well, and he couldn't help to be amused, despite the circumstances; but all glee flew from his soul as he watched Briallan turning back to Fiddler, still on her knees on the damp grass.
I am sorry.
"Crucio!"
Fiddler fell forward, twitching in agony, and Severus cringed. She had writhed like that once before… in his arms…
When the Evil within her had held hard…
Briallan only lifted the curse when she made sure Fiddler was unconscious, and she got close to her to collect some of the blood still pouring from her side in a small crystal flask. She took her pulse, and, as she felt her quick, erratic beats, she said:
"She's dead, My Lord. She couldn't even stand a little torture…"
And not even the contemptuous laughter of the Dark Lord and his minions could mask Severus' desperate roar.
"You have betrayed me, Severus", said Voldemort then, turning to him, white faced, red eyed, mindless to his pain… or perhaps rejoicing in it… "You have turned your back to your Blood, to your Master…"
But Severus wasn't listening. The sense of dejà vu that hit him was so powerful that he nearly blacked out as well.
Now he'd understood the dream.
A wolf howled from afar and Severus heard a voice inside his head.
"The Banshee has chosen one of us to become her heiress… The other one shall perish, for her blood will bring life to the new Banshee…"
The wolf howled again, closer this time.
Nyx? Severus thought incoherently.
Not Nyx, my boy, answered Dumbledore's voice. Wulfric, the Wolf.
Of course.
Severus raised his head and saw the wolf running and jolting around the hills and valleys, approaching threateningly with someone on its back. He sensed someone (probably Macnair, but he couldn't be sure), following the direction of his gaze, so he quickly directed it at the Death Eaters, who had finally come out from their reverie and were closing around what it seemed like Hermione, Ginny and Tonks, who were having a rough time holding them back. Moody had been deprived of his wooden leg and was being carried out of danger by very disheveled-looking Weasley twins, and Remus' apparently broken leg was being patched up by Arthur. Finally, Severus fixed his eyes on Fiddler, sprawled on the green grass, the pool of blood coming from her side steadily increasing…
And then Wulfric and Harry appeared out of nowhere, murder shining in both pairs of eyes, Harry's wand aiming resolutely at Voldemort.
"Avada Kedavra!", he yelled, but the magical dome Voldemort was in deflected the curse. "Reducto! Diffindo!" Harry was bawling. "Oh, come on!"
Fiddler stirred then, and to Severus' amazement, she began to crawl her way towards Voldemort, who had his back turned to her and took no notice.
Nor did, apparently, his minions.
She moved agonizingly slowly, but finally she was but inches away from the hem of his robes, and it was then when Severus realized she had got past the dome. And then he heard her voice in his head: Make a diversion. Leave the rest to us.
So he did.
He put up a frantic struggle to rid himself of the magical ropes, and five or six Death Eaters ran towards him to Stun him again. Voldemort laughed.
"Surrender, old servant, you cannot vanquish me! Is this what you bring before me? A beast and a boy? Look, at my so-called downfall, not being able to pass my protection! Where's your crooked-nosed crackpot? That fool old Muggle-lover? Will he save the day now? Where's your mighty Half-Breed now, if not lying on the ground before me, life trickling away from her in an endless stream?"
Boy, he loves listening to himself, this one!
Severus heard Fiddler's comment in his head and laughed helplessly. Voldemort quieted abruptly and looked down at Severus. He looked quite affronted.
"CRUCIO!" the Dark Lord yelled, and it was at that precise moment when Fiddler got to her feet and yanked Voldemort's wand from his hand. Severus stopped twitching in pain in time to hear a deathly, high-pitched voice, nothing like Fiddler's usual tone.
"Just so you know, Banshees do not kneel before wizards", she said, as she pointed at Voldemort with his wand. Even from where he was, Severus could make out the yellow gleam of her pupils. "We wail them Death".
Fiddler's hair flew wildly in the wind as she let out a bloodcurdling wail; her hand shot forward, grabbing Harry by the wrist, making him fell over from the wolf's back, and dragging him carelessly into the dome.
"NOW, HARRY!" she yelled.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Three jets of green light erupted from three different wands pointing straight to the Dark Lord; Dumbledore was standing where the wolf had been just moments ago, and he had joined his cry to Harry's and Fiddler's, looking every bit as fierce as them. His curse and Fiddler's hit Voldemort in the chest, whilst Harry's got him in the head. It rebounded and hit Harry back, but he wasn't harmed.
The potion had worked.
Voldemort fell to his knees before them, and he dissolved in a swirl of green and red, a surprised expression frozen forever in his crimson eyes.
"NOOOOOOO!" yelled Bellatrix Lestrange, charging forward. "MASTER!"
She lifted her wand and aimed at Fiddler.
"Avada Kedavra, bitch!"
Severus struggled to get to his feet despite the ropes, as he watched the green jet of light flying to hit his wife.
"Fiddler, GET DOWN!"
It was Briallan, who bolted forward, shielding Fiddler, pushing her back to the ground, and getting the full impact of the curse.
"LIVE!" she screeched before she hit the grass.
At that minute, Ministry Wizards Apparated all over the place, and they took care of the remaining Death Eaters, all of them ostensibly too stunned to put up a struggle.
Some mediwizards turned up as well, and they displayed an overwhelming fuss over the injured members of the Order of the Phoenix, but paid no attention whatsoever to Severus, still bound and Stunned in the spot. Of course, they also didn't dare to get close to the remains of the magical dome, where Dumbledore, Harry, Briallan and Fiddler still were.
Severus beheld Fiddler, looking at the fallen figure beside her, too shocked to utter a word. He took on Briallan's long, dark-tinted hair, covering her face and upper body, and the black robes that she wore; he then looked back at Fiddler, blood still dripping from the wound on her side, hair disheveled and damp, yellow eyes shining in the dark...
And he nodded silently.
Oidhche and Báistighe…
You have spilled my sister's blood.
Not Fiddler, but himself… Twenty years ago.
Poetic justice at its utmost…
Live.
My blood shall give you life.
Severus felt himself drift off, and he barely registered Fiddler approaching to finally release him, he almost didn't feel the soothing warmth of her body supporting him upright.
"The Moon has spoken", he said in a hoarse whisper. "The wolf has howled. Hail to the new Banshee".
And he fainted.