"What now?" he asked, tired of the standoff they'd been engaged in for the past few minutes.
"Now, you will give me one good reason not to summon the dementors to take you away," she kept her wand trained firmly on the dog.
"You are a perfectionist and calling them would destroy all of your careful work." He tried to appeal to Snape's considerable ego, knowing that in this case, it probably wouldn't work.
"Not good enough, you traitorous murderer," her voice hissed around the room.
"I didn't kill those people, it was Pettigrew."
"You expect me to believe that?" Severus scoffed, eyes cold as they stared at him.
"Snape, this is me we're talking about. You know the way I work. Was that my style?" Black burst out, exasperated with this whole thing. Of all people in the world, surely Snape would recognize the truth when he heard it.
His old school rival was anything but slow when it came to him. Too much of the studying they'd actually done in school related to each other, though that wasn't to say that they slacked off school work.
No, they had been far from lazy in doing their class work. After all, if they had to play catch-up with that, they never would've been able to torture each other.
The wand wavered before being slowly lowered and Sirius carefully let out the breath he'd been holding.
Merlyn, but Black was right. There were only two people who knew how he acted. One had been the target of every joke and jibe the Gryffindor could come up with.
And the other one was dead.
Severus' head shook regretfully. "Well, I never really believed that the Dark Lord would be stupid enough to enlist you. You're too charismatic for him, to dangerous to his desire to be the only real power in the world. But that doesn't explain what you are doing here"
"That betraying rat is here," he snarled out an explanation, not willing to risk Snape turning him in. Which was still an option, though the Slytherin had surprised him by listening to his reason. "Pettigrew is an animagus. He's the rat that Weasley calls his own."
Severus put away her wand, though Mogget hissed in displeasure. But she couldn't hold him prisoner when she knew he was telling the truth. She hated knowing that he was being honest with her "Fine. But what are you doing here?"
"I'm going to kill him," he answered bluntly.
"And then what?" she asked, an eyebrow was raised in question.
"When the Ministry sees his body, they'll know the truth. I will be a free man. Then, I can raise Harry as James always intended."
"You dunderhead. Do you honestly think the Ministry will admit its error and let you go?" she asked witheringly.
"They'd have to when they have the proof before their eyes," he protested.
"Oh, you poor, naïve fool. Just what I expect from a Gryffindor," she scoffed. "Fudge will never admit his error. He's to dependent upon the public's opinion of him to try to redress the wrong done you."
"So, what? I should do nothing?"
"Let me think about this, Black," she scowled at him. "There has to be another solution besides you resorting to murder, though that seems to be your main recourse of action when something disturbs you."
"For the last time, Snape, I didn't try to kill you. It was an accident."
"An accident that would have cost me my life-and Lupin his." Though the words were said it went unspoken that Snape could care less what happened to the wolf.
"I know that," he shouted.
"To bad you didn't know it then," she retorted.
He bit his tongue to keep from lashing out. Right now, as much as it galled him to admit it and accept it, Snape was his only help. There would be a heavy price to pay for letting the git help him. But there was no other choice.
Remus might listen to him if he could see him but he'd have to run the risk of getting caught in order to talk him. Even if he didn't get caught, his old friend might not listen to him. He hadn't exactly trusted him when his name had been mentioned as another secret keeper.
And he couldn't ask Snape to invite him down here. There was no reason the git would allow them to meet in his quarters. For obvious reasons, the classrooms and office were not a choice.
Compassion was a word Snape only knew because it was in the dictionary.
A thought occurred to him. "What about the dementors? They are patrolling the school, aren't they?"
"Scared, Black?" she jeered.
"Aren't you?" he shot back.
"Not of them," she replied, meeting his eyes evenly. "I give you my word, Black, you are as safe as you choose to be. Don't do anything stupid, by that I mean act like yourself, and no harm will come to you."
"You are enjoying yourself, aren't you?"
"With you here?" she questioned, turning away from him. "The second worst enemy I ever had is laid bare before me. He has to beg me, me, not turn him into the Ministry or hand him over to the dementors. I hold your life in the palm of my hand and you ask if I am enjoying myself. What do you think?"
"You're right, for once. What was I thinking?"
She smirked, watching him. "You can do that and not get hurt? I'm shocked."
"Don't get to full of yourself, Snape. Once this mockery is over, I intend to reclaim my life-and make you pay."
"Turning into Voldemort, Black?"
"Don't you DARE compare me to that creature."
"Or you'll what?" she challenged. "Think carefully about your words, Black, think about them very carefully."
His mouth shut tightly.
"See? You are learning."
"Abhorsen," Mogget warned, climbing up and sitting on her shoulder. "Send him away. He has no business being here."
"Mogget, do not press me about this," she sternly warned. "I gave my word when he was only a sick dog that he would be safe here. That I would see to it that he healed before I released him, would you have me revoke my promise?"
"This is a mistake, Abhorsen. But you will do as your ancestors have done. No matter how misguided it is." The displeasure of the cat filled the room with its strength.
"And you will continue to be as disapproving as you always are. What is wrong?"
Sniffing dismissively, Kerrigor spoke for the first time. "Send the criminal to bed. We will talk later."
"I may have escaped from prison but I am no criminal!"
"Shut up, Black," Severus tiredly said. Her head pounding a repetitious beat steadily in her skull. "Come along," she invited, ignoring the mutinous look on his face.
777
"Poppy, would you help me solve a mystery?"
The medi-witch let him into her office and shut the door. "Sounds serious, what is it about?"
"Severus Snape and Harry Potter," he bluntly told her.
"There is no mystery there, Headmaster. Both express a distinct lack of liking for the other," she shook her head.
"And the strong abilities of a necromancer," he interpolated his words into the conversation.
Her hand rose, resting momentarily on her throat. Rising, she went to a cabinet and pulled out a few files. Interpreting his look, she explained. "These are Mister Harry Potter's files, as well as those of Lily Evans and James Potter's. This one is Severus Snape's, though there are a few discrepancies I can't quite figure out how they got in there. If there is a solution to this problem, it should be in here."
"Thank you," he absently said, already busy with the folder for Severus.
777
"You let them escape and did not follow them to the Abhorsen?" a voice harshly demanded of the quivering form.
The wraith nodded miserably.
"I told you to let them go and keep on their trail. What happened?"
"They were aware," he finally replied.
The eyes narrowed. "Then I find that I have no further use for you." No sooner said than done, the wraith was destroyed. "I will find you, Abhorsen, and when I do, nothing shall resist my will again."
