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A chapter in less than two weeks! To all who reviewed: you guys make my day. I can't begin to express my appreciation! As always, replies at the end.
Quick A/N: This chapter contains issues of domestic violence (not explicit) and suicide (not our Potions Master, though).
Chapter 6: Betraying the Innocent
Sera pounced on the house elf as soon as it reappeared in the flat. "Where did you take him," she demanded, shaking him.
"Linkle cannot tell," squeaked the elf, frightened. "Linkle not allowed."
"Well, Linkle had better find his blasted master if he knows what's good for him."
The elf nodded reluctantly and disappeared. Sera paced the living room, fury building up inside of her with no outlet to ease her agony.
She sat down and closed her eyes, picturing her children playing at the kitchen table while she conversed with Severus, willing the calmness to sweep over her. 'Everything will be fine," she murmured.
"Seralina?"
Sera's eyes snapped open in surprise. The house elf had reappeared, hiding behind the Headmaster.
She clenched her fists as anger reentered her mind. "How dare you take him away like that? Where have you taken him?"
"Somewhere safe, I assure you," said Dumbledore, the hint of sadness evident in his voice.
"Take me to him, please." She didn't bother to hide the desperation in her voice.
"I cannot do that so easily, Seralina. You must understand."
"No, you must understand that I don't trust you when it comes to my brother. I didn't want to bring it down to this, Headmaster. I would have liked to have given you the information freely but you give me no choice."
"What information?"
"Information that you need immediately. Something that Severus told me. He asked me to tell you, knowing that he wasn't going to stay conscious for much longer," she said, spitefully.
"Sera, you wouldn't withhold important information."
"And I thought that you wouldn't treat my brother like a source of information and nothing else," she retorted, hotly.
"Sera—."
"Listen, I don't want anyone to die but I will not let you compromise my brother's well being."
Dumbledore sighed, a novel sense of defeat overcoming him. "All right Sera, let's go."
xxxx
Moody slowly folded the Daily Prophet and got out of the armchair, his eyes fixed on the fallen man. He bent over with some difficulty and checked for a pulse. Satisfied that Snape wasn't going to die if he delayed calling a healer, he took out his wand and muttered, "Ennervate."
Snape reluctantly opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't Lestrange reviving him in order to curse him again. No, standing over him was Moody, holding his wand down at him. His head throbbed as humiliation gripped his mind, overriding the pain—here he was, barely able to stand up, with the blasted ex-Auror looking down at him, happily. Why was he so weak?
Using his ailing strength, he grabbed onto a chair and tried to lift himself from the floor. He could see his blood staining the carpet beneath him. "Moody—," he began, before he was overcome in a fit of coughs.
"Come to make a confession," said Moody, jovially.
"Attack—." Snape began to shiver even though his body seemed to be burning.
"What, they attacked you with a coughing curse?" continued Moody.
Snape glared at Moody. "Listen!" He had tried to raise his voice but only found himself whispering hoarsely.
"Why should I listen to you? Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."
He felt himself sinking again, his eyelids becoming heavy. He tried to fight the drowsiness but he didn't have the strength to fight his body and Moody.
xxxx
Molly Weasley bustled into number 12, Grimmauld Place, carrying bags in each hand. "Alright children, upstairs with these things. I want them packed right away. No need for any confusion when school starts," she said as she handed the bags over to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, who were in tow behind her.
The teenagers added the bags to their already loaded hands and started making their way upstairs, too concentrated on not dropping the parcels to notice anything amiss in the living room.
"And I want you all to finish your homework. There's still a lot of work to do around here, so the sooner you've done your schoolwork the faster you can get to your chores."
"Oh joy," muttered Ron. "What a treat! Chores. You've done that Potions essay, right, Hermione?"
"Not that you'll see it," replied Hermione as the four of them disappeared into their rooms.
"Rather busy in Diagon Alley," said Molly, addressing Moody as she took off her wet cloak. "Pouring kneazles and nifflers out there."
"Ennervate," came Moody's voice.
"Alastor, what are you doing?" asked Molly, noticing the man concentrating on something hidden behind a couch.
Molly made her way over to Moody and let out a loud gasp. "Merlin! What happened?" she cried as she bent down over the unconscious man to check his vitals.
"Apparently 'Ennervate' isn't working on him anymore," muttered Moody, disappointedly.
"What do you mean? Why would you be trying to prematurely revive him?" Molly's face was etched with concern as she ran to the fireplace and threw some powder into it. "Healer Brokaw."
"The perfect opportunity, don't you see? He'd be too drowsy to resist interrogation."
Molly gave Moody a dangerous look. "How dare you! He's here, bleeding to death and you want interrogate him! What happened to calling a healer instantly? That was Dumbledore's orders, though no normal person would need to be told."
"You called?" interrupted a man from the fireplace.
"Healer Brokaw, you must come here immediately. It's an emergency."
The healer nodded without question.
"Oh dear," sighed Healer Brokaw as he saw the state of his patient. "Let's get him to a bed, shall we and Molly, you'll have to fetch me a clean nightshirt."
They took him to a bedroom on the ground floor and Healer Brokaw told Molly to wait outside while he looked at Snape.
Moody stood in the hallway, looking like a child whose candy had just been taken away.
"You are absolutely despicable," yelled Molly, turning to Moody and suppressing the urge to slap him. "Do you have no compassion? How Arthur holds you in such high esteem is beyond me."
Moody winced slightly at that comment. "Molly, you must understand—he's a Death Eater and once you're a Death Eater—."
"What you thought at that moment didn't matter—his health did and you ignored it. You pride yourself in never lowering yourself to the level of Death Eaters during the First War and yet, here you are acting just like one of them."
"I am nothing like them!"
"You acted exactly like them. You were willing to take advantage of the situation at his expense and what's worse is that he's your colleague—only You Know Who and his followers would stoop to that level." Her hands shook with anger.
"He is not my colleague," growled Moody.
"Is everything ok, mum?" asked Ginny, standing at the top of the flight of stairs.
"Go back to your room," snapped Molly. Ginny looked surprised and hurt but Molly had no time to apologize.
She waited impatiently until she heard Ginny's door shut before countering Moody. "Not your colleague? Who do you suspect butchers all the attacks? Brings back priceless information? Keeps us one step ahead of the enemy? Keeps us safe from surprise? Do you know how many people would have died if not for him?" Why hadn't she seen it before?
"Do you know how many he killed?" retorted Moody, smiling as if he had just delivered the best punch line.
Molly wasn't fazed. "Everyone deserves a second chance. At least he sees the mistakes he's made. You, on the other hand, are too arrogant to see your own errors."
"But how do you know he's taking this second chance as you call it. For all we know, he never left him in the first place."
Molly suddenly felt very tired. Dealing with Moody's arrogance was more draining than keeping Fred and George in line, even when they were toddlers.
Moody opened his mouth to continue in his defense when the door to the bedroom opened.
"How is he?" asked Molly, anxiously.
"Not good, I fear," replied the healer.
"What do you mean?"
"He's been subjected to an excessive amount of the Cruciatus Curse and 'Ennervate'. He's also got very deep flesh wounds."
Molly glared at Moody. Moody shrugged his shoulders, indifferently and left the hallway.
"Normally, I wouldn't be breaching my patient confidentiality but under the circumstances, it seems necessary."
Molly nodded. "Anything else?"
"Unfortunately. He has caught a rare form of bacterial pneumonia. Generally, a witch or wizard is immune to such bacterial infections but under the physical and emotional stressors he's been subjected to, his immune system was too weak to prevent infection."
"Can you treat it?"
"There are very successful antibiotics for some forms of infection but not for this particular bacterium. The only cure is rest, a proper diet and avoidance of any stressful situations. Of course, I plan to leave you with various potions to ease some to the symptoms, which will get progressively worse."
xxxx
Molly pushed against the door of the bedroom with her back, holding onto the bottles the healer had left her.
"Oh, you poor boy," whispered Molly as she put down the potions. Snape's skin seemed as pale as the white sheets surrounding him. His body shivered under the covers even though sweat trailed down his face. She placed her hand on his forehead. He was too hot.
A tear ran down her face. How could she have been so blind? She had mistrusted him and had openly shown it. She never knew what he went through to keep them informed. He risked so much to keep them safe and she couldn't even show him a little respect or gratitude. "All that's going to change," she promised.
Molly pushed away a damp strand of hair out of his face. He was muttering something. She couldn't quite make it out but it was obviously agitating him. More tears escaped her eyes, watching helplessly, wishing she could protect him from whatever haunted him…
1965
"Can I lick the spoon?" asked five-year-old Severus Snape as he watched his mother stir the cake batter.
"I don't know. What's the secret handshake?" asked his mother, Maureen, mischievously.
Severus grinned and stuck out his hand. Maureen took his hand and they proceeded through their elaborate handshake. It had been something Maureen had invented to distract him when he was upset one time and ever since then they always played the 'handshake game'.
"Just about done—a stir here and a whip there and voilà, perfect cake batter for my perfect little boy," said his mother, theatrically before giving him the spoon.
His mother sat down at the kitchen table and pulled him into her lap. She stroked his hair, her eyes darkening, lost in thought.
"Mummy, is something wrong?"
"No, not at all, darling," she replied hurriedly. "You know what? I have something for you."
"What?"
Maureen flicked her wand and soon an envelope flew towards them. She gave it to the little boy. "Open it."
Severus eagerly pulled out its contents—a glossy, moving photo of his mother and him in Diagon Alley.
In the photo, he was holding his mother's hand, swinging it back and forth, as he licked an ice cream cone with the other hand.
"Can I keep it?"
"Of course."
His face lit up and he hugged his mother. "I'm going to put it away somewhere safe right now."
Maureen laughed. "You go do that."
Severus went up to his small room and carefully lifted one of the panels. He placed the photo underneath and slid the panel back into place.
Downstairs he could hear the front door open. He slowly made his way back to the kitchen. He hid beside the kitchen doorway, against the wall in the adjacent living room.
"You're home early, honey," greeted Maureen with an uneasy voice.
"What? You hoped I would be home later so you could entertain unwanted guests," growled his father.
"Oh Sirrion, you know me better than that," said Maureen, coming up to him and giving him a quick kiss.
"I don't want your tainted kiss, you whore," yelled Sirrion, shoving her away. "You think I don't know what's going on with that filthy mudblood?"
Severus heard something crash to the floor and his mother's scream. Tears soaked his face as the fight continued. He tried to jam his small hands into his ears but nothing could stop the noises from reaching him. His mother screamed again. He had to do something.
He stepped into the kitchen and his eyes widened. Broken glass and ceramic littered the floor. The cake batter trailed down the kitchen counter. His mother's wand lay abandoned, snapped in two.
He could see his father towering over his mother, yelling and raising his hand to slap her.
He didn't know what to do. He cried in the corner, wishing his father would stop hurting her but he didn't. Why was he so weak? No, I'm not weak, he thought, building courage.
"STOP IT!" he screamed.
His father stopped and looked at him. "Go to your room! This does not concern you."
He pointed his wand at Maureen. "Crucio."
His mother's agonizing scream ripped through the room, muffling Severus's cries. His father lifted the curse and Severus ran to his mother. "Don't be hurt mummy," he begged.
"Move out of the way boy," ordered Sirrion as he grabbed him by the robes and pulled him aside. He raised his wand again. Severus couldn't bear to see his mother is any more pain and so as his father muttered the curse again the boy flung his arms around Maureen's neck.
"No, no, Severus!" muttered his mother, trying to push him away.
The curse hit him in the back and he screamed until his body went limp in his mother's arms.
When he woke up, he was no longer in his mother's lap but lying on the kitchen floor. He could hear crashes and screams coming from his parents' bedroom.
He ran to the room, ignoring his aching body and tried to open the door. It was locked. He banged on it and yelled through the door but his sounds were drowned out.
He sank down against the door, crying.
He didn't know how long he sat there but eventually everything went silent and soon the door opened. Maureen looked down at her little boy sitting in the doorway, her face stained with tears and bruises. She scooped Severus up into her arms and took him to his room.
"Are you still hurting, mummy?" asked Severus as she tucked him into his bed.
"You don't worry about that, darling."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about. You're the bravest boy in the world. I only wish I could be as brave as you." Her voice was hoarse and she didn't seem to realize what she was saying. "You're a survivor, you are, my boy. I only wish I were one too. I know you'll survive. You just have to wait until Hogwarts. You can survive 'til than, I know you can."
Severus listened to his mother but didn't really understand what she was saying. He was just glad that she was all right.
"Hogwarts is a lovely place. Everyone is so friendly. You're a survivor that you are," she continued, nonsensically.
"I love you, mummy," he said as he drifted asleep.
She kissed him on the forehead. "I love you too."
Severus was jerked out of his slumber to someone yelling. He winced. He had thought it was all over.
"HOW COULD YOU? HOW COULD YOU?" yelled his father.
Severus got out of bed and walked towards the voice, his heart beating. His father was in the bathroom. The light was on and the door was ajar.
He opened the door, cautiously, but nothing could have prepared him for what he encountered. His father was on the floor at one end of the bathroom, his head in his hands, sobbing and his mother…
His mother sat in the bathtub in a blood-soaked nightgown. He had never seen so much blood before—hadn't even known one person could contain so much, all seeping out from ugly gashes in her wrists.
"MUMMY!" yelled Severus as he ran towards his mother. "Mummy, get up!" He shook her shoulders but she didn't move.
He grabbed her hand. He cringed as the blood soaked his tiny palm but tried to do their secret handshake anyway. "Mummy, it's our handshake. Mummy please, I'll be better, I promise. Don't leave me," he cried. "You said you loved me." He rocked back and forth on the floor beside the tub. "Why would you leave me?"
xxxxxxxx
I'm not particularly satisfied with this chapter but I don't know how to improve it. I know that the issue of domestic violence and child abuse must be clichéd when it comes to Snape, but given the little that we've seen of Snape's past, it's just seems to be highly possible. I have been corresponding with a HP fan who happens to be a child psychologist, so I hope to give justice to these issues in terms of how it affects people.
The next chapter will include more Order members/Snape and Sera/Snape interaction. I hope that I have been able to hold your interest thus far.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated—it's both helpful and motivating!
Review Replies
Lilith11: Yeah, that wasn't a nice cliffhanger, lol, but now, after two cliffhangers I thought I would should stay away from them for a bit ;). I updated so much faster than usual :D. Thanks for the review! Weasleygirl-ca.
Asha Ice: I know what you mean. The book mentions that he never stooped to the DE's level and yet we see him transform and bounce a student as a punishment. That's very fishy! Thanks so much, Weasleygirl-ca.
Phinea Rogue: Thank you so much…I wish I could add some sarcasm in this chapter but with Snape's not really with us in the chapter all I had was Molly…I'm guessing she's not the sarcastic type but I love her (except sometimes when she gets too worked up).
Bellatrix is evil, isn't she…whom better than her for Voldemort to leave Snape with. I'm glad the torture scene was believable even though I wrote it pretty implicitly.
Yeah, Moody is pretty bad in my story, though he'll come around eventually and only after explicit evidence that he's working for the light. Thanks for your lovely review, Weasleygirl-ca.
Xiao Gui: Yup, cruel cliffie…when they come up, I just can't resist using them but I've mellowed for now. Like you said, if people are interested, they'll come back anyway…hopefully.
Moody is so stubborn, no, more like arrogant in this chapter and for many more to come. Your compliments made my day! Thank you so much! Weasleygirl-ca.
Oya: I hope you liked Molly's lecture…and I didn't even have Moody hurt him :D. I really like your idea about Moody getting in trouble for not listening to Snape. My plan was to have Sera withhold the info (which she did—more on that in the next chapter) but what Moody did was also very wrong, I see Dumbledore's anger already. Thanks for the great feedback! Weasleygirl-ca.
Hulahula: Ooo! What a long review! I updated so much faster this time :D. 'Bopping Moody with his peg-leg'—hehe, that's a very funny picture.
Yup, the Order is going to see what he really goes through. It's just wrong how they make assumptions without really knowing anything about his situation. Molly already sees her mistake…though some may not be as accepting.
I hope this flashback was effective in introducing his childhood. I found it very sad to write.
Bellatrix is one crazy villain…JK really does have a vivid imagination…I couldn't have come up with such a sadistic character. Well, I guess that's why fanfiction is the only thing I'll ever write.
Sera is really angry about Dumbledore's trick. As you will see in future flashbacks, her relationship with Snape is very important to both of them.
I really appreciate your comment on the balance in the torture scene. I'm more comfortable with writing violence on a more implicit level. My Snape seems to pass out quite a bit but as you said, one can only take so much without fainting. He's only human after all, very stubborn but still human.
To answer your question about Voldemort suspecting Snape if the attacks are botched: Snape pretended to be unconscious when he overheard the info so the DEs don't know that he knows and therefore they can't blame him.
I love replying to my reviews. You're so great to take the time and give some feedback and it's nice to have a kind of conversation with everyone. Thank you so much for your amazing feedback, Weasleygirl-ca.
risi: Moody did screw things up but you're right, he'll probably still blame Snape if something goes wrong. Sera definitely had the presence of mind to contact Dumbledore but she had ulterior motives…I feel so bad to put such a black marker on my character but she can't be perfect.
The house elf took Snape to Grimmauld under Dumbledore's order—Dumbledore's reasoning is that Snape will not take care of himself properly so he'll force him to go somewhere where others will call a healer. But of course, Moody wasn't following orders. Thanks for your wonderful review, Weasleygirl-ca.
Morena Evensong: I have a soft spot for Dumbledore, though I do see that he does screw up a lot.
Again, you've got my story understood to a T—Sera is very pissed and she's going to stay pissed for a while for exactly the reasons you listed—the Order, her brother being out of her reach and unable to make sure he gets the proper medical attention.
Not to be repetitive but you've figured out the next chapter—amazing—Moody isn't the one to help him and Molly does intervene (thankfully). The next chapter will show more of the other order members and their reactions to what their spy really does go through.
I'm also excited to write in his niece, during the welcome feast, though she's not a main character. I haven't decided what house to put her in yet. Definitely not Gryffindor—I was thinking Ravenclaw like her mother. Slytherin sounds really good too, though. Only problem is I see Luke (Sera's ex-husband) as a halfblood. Can't decide.
Hehe, is the biggest tool for procrastinating, I agree! I really appreciate your feedback—I love reading your reviews and being amazed at how right you always are! Thanks so much, Weasleygirl-ca.
Tigerfanfrv: Yeah, the cliffhanger wasn't that nice but I updated soon :D. I'm glad you like Sera…it's nice to know that an OC is good. Thanks for the review! Weasleygirl-ca.
Purple Raveness: Thanks! Weasleygirl-ca.
Jenrya Lee: :D I glad you think Sera is realistic, especially considering that you usually hate them so much. Thanks so much, Weasleygirl-ca.
Saphirefox-irl: Thanks! Weasleygirl-ca
Me: I know, poor Snape! BTW, what language is 'poresito'? Thanks for the review, Wealeygirl-ca.
