Chapter Seventeen: An Old Acquaintance
Severus paced like a great, black cat, his long, smooth strides carrying him swiftly from one end of the room to the other. A furtive eye checked the clock on the wall. She'd been gone for four hours.
Four hours!
What was he doing to her?
Was she even still alive?
And if not, was he next?
If she didn't return within the hour, he would have no choice but to go to Dumbledore and admit his failure. That was not a meeting he looked forward to. How could he explain that he, a wizard known for his extreme caution, had simply allowed his prisoner free run of his home while he was too injured to exert any control over her?
The trust he'd fought so hard to never betray would be broken.
Emily, what have you done? If the Dark Lord doesn't kill you, I may.
He stopped pacing long enough to glance through the window for what seemed like the thousandth time. And suddenly she was there staring up at him, looking much like she had as a youth, vigorous and healthy, with a dazzling smile lighting her lovely face like the morning sun.
For a moment he doubted his eyes, thinking it to be no more than a vision of the past, dredged up by his subconscious and brought to life by extreme exhaustion. The young, beautiful, healthy creature on the lawn was not what he had carried in his arms out of the belly of Azkaban.
But, then she ran for the house. He heard the front door bang open and his name echo from the walls. A moment later, Emily burst into the room and fairly tackled him in her excitement. Severus shoved her away, instinctively drawing his wand as she stumbled back, and the smile melted from her features as she caught her balance with disturbing ease.
"Put that away, Severus," she said sternly. "We need to talk."
Snape, for a moment, was completely taken aback, so much so that he could only stare. The power was coming off of her in waves of energy so tangible that they pushed at him like a strong gust of wind. Her face was exactly what it would have been had she never seen the inside of a prison cell: fair-skinned and pink-cheeked with brilliant green eyes that seemed to stare right through him. It was Emily, but something else as well, something tainted with a well-concealed evil so strong he could almost smell it. It was a stench he knew all too well; he had choked on it more times than he cared to count.
It was Voldemort.
She was drenched in his power.
"Indeed we do," he answered quietly, ever-so-cautiously, nodding to the chairs beside the fire.
She glanced at them, then back at him. "I won't be bound, Sev," she stated firmly, "and I won't be given Veritaserum. Put your wand away," she repeated, more softly this time, "and I'll tell you everything that's happened."
The tale was a long time in telling, even without mentioning the meeting with Lucius, and Severus was quietly, subtly seething by the time Emily reached the end. She couldn't remain seated for long, often rising to pace the room as she talked, seemingly overwhelmed with a sudden, disturbing onslaught of restless energy. He feared he understood where it came from, and by the time she finished speaking, his theory was confirmed.
"Did you get this auror's name?" he asked quietly.
"Kingsley something or other," she answered in an offhand manner.
"Shacklebolt," Severus intoned quietly.
His head snapped up as she plopped back down in her chair opposite him. "Aren't you even going to thank me?" she asked flippantly.
"For what, precisely?"
"For saving your life," she answered incredulously.
"You seem well enough rewarded for your efforts this night."
Her eyes narrowed, and he could feel the anger rolling from her like a strong tide. This profusion of power wouldn't last long, but he would need to keep her controlled until it abated. She would still be dangerous after the excess faded, but only as much so as she had been before she was imprisoned. He hadn't been afraid of her then. He would be damned if he'd fear her now.
However, he thought, slipping a hand into his sleeve to grasp his wand, it is always wise to be on one's guard.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she bit out.
"Have you looked into a mirror recently? You are wholly restored, but the magic was fed with the blood of an innocent man."
"I wasn't given a choice, Severus," she fumed, up and pacing once more. "And, he was not exactly an innocent man," she reasoned angrily. "He was an auror, and this is a war. People are going to die."
Curiously, her voice seemed to falter with that last statement.
"Better them than you?" he questioned heavily, rising as well to interrupt her furious pacing by blocking her well-worn path.
She looked into his eyes unwaveringly. "Exactly."
He watched her carefully. It was unlikely that he could stun her. She was too high on power, too ready for him to attack.
"I should have left you in Azkaban," he said simply, his wand now openly displayed.
"Really?" she asked calmly, obviously unfazed by the implied threat. "Well, you may explain your change of heart to our master when he calls for you."
Black eyes flickered. "And, when will that be?"
"Soon. Tonight. Tomorrow before dawn, at the latest. I believe he wishes to reward you for reforming me." She gave him a nasty glare. "You're welcome."
He answered the sarcasm with a small sigh. "I do owe you thanks. You spun straw into gold tonight, and likely saved us both," he whispered, gently cradling her face. "I'm sorry that I doubted you, Emily. You are a wonder."
He smiled, then, a soft curving of his lips and stepped closer as he sheathed his wand, seeing for the first time since she'd returned, some semblance of softness in her gaze.
Carefully, keeping his eyes locked with hers until the last moment, he kissed her sweetly, and was rewarded with a deep, sighing moan. He would've chosen to let the kiss linger, deepening it slowly, but she returned the gesture greedily, still overwhelmed with the power flooding her, pulling him closer with an eager hand buried in his hair.
Breaking away with a gasp, he traced her throat with tiny bites, knowing instinctively what she wanted. "Oh, yes, Sev," she breathed into his hair. "Just like that. Hurt me, please."
"That, I fear, will be inevitable this first time," he answered gently, drinking in the eagerness in her eyes.
A moment later, she was in his arms as he carried her the short distance to her own bed, ushered her down, and covered her body with his, kissing her with desperate need.
Frantically, she tore at his clothes, pleading wordlessly as his tongue plundered her mouth.
He broke away again, searching her eyes eagerly, "Emily, my love," he whispered. She smiled her acquiescence, assuring him with her eyes that she wanted this as much as he.
He rose to his knees, then, reaching as if to remove his shirt, but quickly slipped his hand into his sleeve instead. Her smile faltered, and eyes flew wide when she realized his intention, but by the time she could react, his wand was at her head and a stunning spell on his lips.
Emily awoke to the sound of raised voices, fluttering her eyelids in the light of the gas lamps on the unfamiliar walls, and giving her temples a thorough rubbing to try and relieve the ache within her brain. The pain that lingered after a stunning spell of that intensity was absolutely awful, but the pain in her heart was a hundred times worse.
She stared up at the ceiling moodily, not believing what Severus had done to her. How could it be that, in the space of an hour, a man she loathed had befriended her and the man she loved had used that love to manipulate and betray her? What in Hades was happening to the world?
He could've stunned her within the first few seconds, during that first passionate kiss when she clung to him so desperately, wanting to be sure of him, needing to feel some affection that was not contrived. She had completely believed that he intended to make love to her, and he knew it. Knowing Severus Snape, he merely wanted to make a point that, of the two of them, she was the bigger fool. Of course, what truly stung was the knowledge that he was right.
Swiftly, she rose to her feet and shook the stiffness from her limbs, amazed when it fell away without a trace, leaving her feeling limber and strong. "Thank you, master," she whispered without thinking, positive that the life he had given to her (the life of a man who would have died anyway, she sternly reminded herself) was responsible for her rapid recovery.
The voices on the other side of the door belonged to two men, Severus and someone unidentified, someone very angry. They were getting louder now and more passionate, and she crept to the door to better hear the heated exchange.
After listening for a few seconds, she let out a short huff of a laugh.
She might have known.
"... should've stepped aside and let me handle this, you arrogant..."
"And, I'm certain that you would have been delighted to 'step aside' at the first hint of danger," Severus sneered, bringing a smile to Emily's lips.
"Are you insinuating that I'm a coward, Severus, because if you are..."
"Oh, no, Remus," Snape cut in silkily, "I'm not insinuating anything." He let the insult hang quivering in the air for just a moment before continuing. "And, I find it difficult to believe that you would not leap at the opportunity to allow an accident to occur; you, who once plotted with Black to have me killed - How did Potter always put it? - Ah yes, 'just for existing.'"
"Oh, get over it, Snape! I had nothing to do with that and you know it," the other man returned, obviously exasperated. "I'm not the snake you are."
"Oh, I would never honor you with that title," Seevrus agreed smoothly. "You have neither the cunning nor the subtlety to be a serpent."
"You mean the ability to lie to otherwise intelligent people and get away with it? I'll go without, thanks. And, you're not doing as well as you think, you know. You may be fooling Dumbledore, Snape, but no one else buys your reformed Death Eater routine. You're just waiting to see who comes out on top... And, in the meantime, you can take advantage of a tragedy to spend time on top of your prisoner."
"How dare you?" Severus exploded, his voice ringing through the halls and causing the door to bow a bit with the force of his anger. Emily took a prudent step back. "You know nothing of my allegiances, you self-righteous, sanctimonious..."
Emily decided that this would be a good time to give the boys something to do besides curse each other to death. It would also be a good time to give evidence in Snape's favor that, unfortunately for her, he was not shagging the prisoner. After trying the door handle on a very long shot, she began pounding the heavy, black wood with her fists.
"Hey! Keep it down out there!" she shouted, trying to sound as hardened as she was supposed to be. "My head is killing me!"
Silence answered, then a much more settled Severus spoke and, at his word, the door seemed to soften and stretch until it was as transparent as dirty window glass with the majority of the wood forming the frame. She forced her face into a mask of cold loathing when she spotted them on the other side.
"Where the hell are we?"
"That is hardly your concern," he fired back quietly. "I have business to attend elsewhere, and Dumbledore is away. You will remain with Lupin until I return."
"What?" she cried, a bark of laughter escaping her lips. "This shoddy little Gryph is my new warden? He couldn't watch over a housebroken puppy."
Lupin stepped forward, mouth open, but Snape slid casually in front of him, cutting him off entirely, and gave her a warning glare. "I will not be gone long, Miss Grey. I suggest you be a bit more civil to your 'warden,' or I shall hear of it when I return."
Remus stepped around the potions master now and faced him angrily. "I hardly need you to threaten the woman on my behalf, Severus. I am more than capable of..."
"Of what?" he snapped. "Dealing with her? I shouldn't wonder. You've certainly handled other convicted murderers with great competence. Too bad we can't even find Black's corpse. We could attempt to acquire from it a testimony of your capability as a watchdog..." Lupin's face paled. "... or should I say, watchwolf?" Snape added with a wicked smirk.
Never one to allow time for a clever comeback, he turned on his heel and left in a dramatic swish of billowing black robes, reversing the spell on his way past the door. With a flash of light and a sharp snap, it righted itself and Emily was left alone.
For a long while afterward, she lay on the musty-smelling bed, her fingers drumming an uneven cadence on the mattress. Unbidden, came the memories of Remus Lupin and the confusion which inevitably accompanied them.
Emily donned her emerald green robe and shamrock pin, slipped into her most comfortable boots, tousled her hair roughly into place, and skipped out the door. Halfway down the hall, she stopped to enjoy the view from the third-floor balcony. With a brilliant morning sun burning off the mist and a perfumed breeze playing in her hair, today promised to be the most spectacular day for a World Cup match she'd ever seen.
And she'd finally, finally coaxed her father into buying top box seats! So, with her brother staying home, it would just be the two of them all day. Fabulous seats, fabulous game, and fabulous company. Absolute Paradise!
Skipping down the stairs, thinking that nothing could spoil her mood, she was shocked to find the wind abruptly sucked from her sails as she bound into the breakfast room to see her brother and, of all people, Remus Lupin, at the end of the table whispering like conspirators with their heads practically touching. Guilty expressions were turned to her in unison and both boys smiled nervously.
"Morning, Em," Eric greeted - far too cheerily for the desperate pleading in his eyes. She knew that look, had seen it many times before. It was his silent request for her to keep her teeth together and not cause any trouble.
Eric rarely had friends over. Indeed, he often seemed insanely jealous of her relationship with Severus who, for the first time in a very long time, would be neither at the manor nor in Emily's company. Perhaps Eric simply felt more comfortable having his friends over when a boy they hated so deeply wasn't present. But, if Eric thought for a moment that she'd be civilized to Remus Lupin, he could just think again.
She gave a tight smile to her twin, deliberately avoiding the eyes of his guest, but he wasn't going to make it that easy.
"I believe you know Remus." That desperate look again.
"Unfortunately," she answered curtly, turning on her heel to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh, come on, Em," he called after her. "Don't be this way. Remus..."
"Was just leaving," Lupin interrupted kindly.
Emily sighed heavily and shook her head, turning back with as civilized a smile as she could manage. "No, don't go, Lupin. I'll be out of your way in an hour. I'm sure we can avoid killing each another until then... for Eric's sake."
"I quite agree," Lupin said with a warmer smile. "Will you come and have breakfast... please? I'd hate to be responsible for sending you off to the game half-starved. You might take a wild hair and actually eat stadium food," he added with a theatrical shiver.
That forced a reluctant laugh from her as she slid into a seat, silently cursing him for his easy, charming smile and tranquil temperament. Soon, she was munching her way through a plate of English muffins and strawberry preserves as her brother and Lupin resumed speaking in hushed tones.
"What are you two plotting over there?" she asked conversationally.
"World domination," was Eric's retort.
She chuckled into her coffee.
"Something funny?"
"Gryffindors will never take over the world," she answered smoothly. "Too noble."
"Well, maybe nobility is what the world needs for a change."
This inspired an outright laugh.
"What?" he prodded.
"Nothing, nothing," she chuckled. "Your robes should look splendid covered in boot tread. Why don't you just lie down across Diagon Alley and make it easy?"
"You see, Eric?" Remus began cheerfully. "A Slytherin can never understand the high ideals of a couple of upwardly-mobile Gryffindors."
Emily's smile faltered.
"High ideals?" she bristled. "Are those the encouragement behind tormenting a small, gifted boy who had never done a damn thing to you or your friends?"
"Emily..." Eric began, a warning in his voice.
"No, Eric," Lupin interrupted, dropping a hand on his arm. "She's right. James and Sirius were quite out of line, and they've started a war that's been escalating for far too long."
"A war you never lifted a finger to prevent," she snapped, "so don't pretend that you're even remotely blameless."
"I don't," he responded calmly. "I regret that I didn't stop them. It was inexcusable, I know." He gave his eggs a scowling poke with his fork. "But I'm rather... intimidated by them."
"More Gryffindor courage?" she muttered.
"There's more to me than my house colors, Emily," he reproved gently. "Can you truly say that you're completely defined by the Slytherin ideal?"
She didn't answer, just finished her coffee with a gulp and rose to leave.
"Emily," Eric called after her.
"What now?"
"If you see James and Sirius, could you please not tell them Remus is with me? He told them he wasn't feeling well."
Remus shrugged. "I'm not overly fond of Quidditch," he confessed.
"Well, I seriously doubt that your friends would lower themselves to addressing me in a social setting, but if they do," She glanced at her brother's pleading eyes and gave a tiny smile. "I never saw you."
"I appreciate that," Lupin said softly.
Emily regarded him solemnly for a moment. "You know what I would appreciate, Lupin?"
He shook his head faintly, eyes bright with curiosity.
"What you just told me about letting your friends torment Sev?" she began.
"Yes."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd repeat that to him... and add an apology to it. Despite the image Sev chooses to project, he does have feelings."
Remus stared at her expectantly for a moment, then responded.
"You know, I would've expected you to blackmail an apology out of me with the information that I'd skipped out on my friends."
"I thought about it." She raised her eyebrows pointedly. "But there's more to me than my house colors."
Author's note: Please forgive the lateness of this update, dear reviewers. The chapter (and several more, actually) has been written for some time, but my beta reader, the Loaf, has fallen ill. So, raise your teacup to my brave little Loaf-man. He crawled out of his comfy chair to make sure that you guys got your update tonight. Thanks again for the support. Your reviews mean the world to me!
Intel Ewok Ooohhh... nice compliment. Thanks. I love the thought of being able to write darkness well. I suppose it must indeed be nice for my readers to rest assured that I would never allow either of my guys to suffer a terrible fate. Invariably, they will find happiness... even if no one else does. Such is my dedication to Severus and Lucius. You're wise to not trust Emily. She is, as Teenage Zombie so sagely observed, far too easily seduced by power. Having grown up spoiled by her father and adored by her peers, she is a bit of a princess, so I have to give you the thumbs up on being a good judge of character.
Queen of the Faeries: Calm yourself, my dear. Lucius is only here for a few cameos. After all, he is the right hand of the Dark Lord. It's kind of difficult to have a story centered around Death Eaters without him. But, Sev is still the main focus of the story and will forever be. So, no worries. I appreciate the good word about Emily's falling back into darkness being believable. I was very concerned about taking that transition slowly so that it wouldn't seem as though she just decided out of the blue that Voldie was her boss again. I like to think of him as being a really good politician and manipulator. After all, the men he has on his side aren't stupid weaklings to be bullied into submission. He would know how to break someone down, then build them back up in his chosen image. That said, I must answer your question with the same one: What about Severus?
Sesshomaru's Angel: My book is about love and acceptance and the rapidly-changing philosophies that occur when one's life is turned upside down. I hope to have it finished by next summer, but who knows? I hope you do read it. It would be an honor.
Teenage Zombie: Why does everyone keep saying that?! Okay, okay, so Lucius Malfoy is my other baby. You're right. I can't write a story without him, but it wasn't out of context or anything. Was it? I hope not. As for Emily being easily seduced by power, I'd have to say that you hit the nail right on the head. Emily craves power. It's like a drug for her, but we'll delve further into that in the next few chapters. Hope to see you there!
Quietude: Cold and calculating, ungrateful, remorseless... Yes. That's Emily... from time to time. Don't give up hope. We have a long way to go until the end, and anything can happen. Be patient. But, keep ranting because I just LOVE IT!!! Not that I get off on your misery or anything. It's just so good to know that I'm not boring you to death. But, I believe I'm repeating myself, here. Sorry. Thank you so much for the compliment on the description of torture. I wanted it to be raw, but not repulsive. After all, the more empathy you have for Emily, the more you'll understand her choices... hopefully.
Captain Oblivious: I've never read the list you mention, but I'll remedy that as soon as possible. A little humor is always appreciated. Please, PLEASE don't be insulted about Kingsley's death. I like him, too. I assure you that I didn't just kill him off. (I save that kind of thing for Ron) I picked him for several good reasons: his strength, his grace under pressure, his power... and of course, his general coolness. I wanted someone who would die a grizzly death without really batting an eyelash, someone who would go down with dignity and honor and there's a reason for that, but I can't reveal it right now. Give me a few chapters. I'll make his death a great deal more relevant, I promise. I agree with you about Voldemort being able to manipulate people into his service. See my answer to Queen of the Faeries, above, for more on that point. Good choice to back down from Brando. I applaud your sensibilities.