Author's Notes:  This story is a little diddy that's been floating through my mind for a while.  I'm writing this for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of others.  I have no aspirations to become a professional writer and view scathing, sarcastic commentary as a sign of mental illness. (In other words, criticism is welcome if it is constructive.  If you don't know how to do this, then learn the art as it is perhaps the most lucrative job and social skill one can hone.) 

I hope you enjoy. 

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Chapter 5 – Some Strings Attached

As the sun began to fade in the sky, turning the pleasant evening light into a dazzling shade of crimson, Severus and Ruedella sat on an ancient sofa that faced a large picture window for an evening nightcap.  They had long since finished dinner and a series of charms were working on the dishes.  Severus was never one for idle chit-chat, but he did attempt to be somewhat pleasant to his guest and was curious about her activities for the past eighteen years. 

"I was first assigned to Mongolia," Ruedella commented.  "After a few years there, I was transferred to Egypt and then to Peru.  Two years ago I was assigned as a freelancer—I didn't have a set location but traveled to various job sites when they needed my expertise.  Japan, the States, Mexico, Central Africa... you name it." 

"That would be?" Severus asked.

"Enchanted objects.  Discovering and breaking the spells associated with them.  I learned a few things about traps and wards, as one would expect, but my expertise was in the objects."  She nodded towards the curio.  "I can take apart or create just about anything now.  The more intricate spells do leave me quite fatigued, but that's standard with very complicated magic."

"I'd imagine then, that your skills in Runes have increased appreciably.  I recall that you had a specific talent in that area," Severus said, his mouth tightening, as if he were holding back a grin.  "Rabastan used to rely on you heavily…"

"Using Runes for prediction can be very dangerous," Ruedella said quickly, knowing immediately to what Severus was referring.  "I never really ventured any further with it other than predicting a few Quidditch matches.  As for actually reading ancient texts and tablets inscribed with runes, yes, I'd say that I've gained considerable skill.  In hieroglyphics and others as well.  Much of that knowledge was requisite in determining the correct spell or spells to use to deactivate the object."

"Your accuracy was alarmingly high.  Rabastan purchased a new Cleansweep with his winnings from a single year alone.  I knew he relied on you, although he would never outright state his source.  As you know, I have a knack of finding out things." Severus then added, pushing his point, "if applied correctly, Ruedella, some would say you were gifted.  In fact, some would pay a hefty fee for your services."

"I suppose I could provide the Dark Lord some insight into next week's preseason Quidditch match between Tutshill Tornados and the Montrose Magpies," Ruedella sighed tensely.  "However, he would be disappointed if he expects anything else."

"A matter of practice, I suppose," Severus inquired.

"Much practice," Ruedella snapped back, becoming quite annoyed.

"Speaking of practice, I see that you've been applying what I taught you satisfactorily," Severus said with a curt nod.  "You never had the penchant for Legilimency…"

"No," Ruedella agreed, grateful that the conversation turned to another topic.  "One of my supervisors, I discovered, was a superbly talented in it.  I can say that I was able to practice my Occulemency nearly daily."  She turned and curled up into the corner of the sofa, making herself more comfortable.  "I still remember the day that Dumbledore and McGonagall caught you teaching the lot of us Dark Arts.  I still do not know how you managed to not get expelled."

"Your supervisor was an adequate practitioner of Legilimency, but from what I can tell, I wouldn't call him skilled.  You can hold me back… somewhat… as I can make out an occasional faint glimpse into your memories and thoughts—but certainly not enough that I can take advantage.  Pity.  But I see that we need to practice more if you wish hold your own with the Dark Lord or Dumbledore.  An hour or so a day for a week or two..." Severus said, not bothering to respond to, or even acknowledge, her other comments.

"You are putting yourself at great risk to help me.  This act of Gryffindorian self-sacrifice does not meet with the Severus Snape I knew.  Is this part of your greater plan that you have yet to reveal to me?" Ruedella asked tiredly.  "It has been too many years since I've been played for a pawn.  My brothers were quite adept at the practice."

"Pawn?" Severus said with a slight hint of surprise, "Not at all.  Not at all.  If you are concerned, my dear, I will simply tell Dumbledore or the Dark Lord-- whomever you fail to convince-- that you hoodwinked me.  You have a reputation for being clever, so the very notion is hardly implausible. "

"You are such a shameless flatterer, Severus," Ruedella huffed, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

He took out an antique pocket watch and studied the many-armed face; the right corner of his mouth twitched a bit as it usually did when he was amused.  "I would expect to see them by now.  Certainly my owl has reached…"

"For a man who is taking great care to show that he was, indeed, was telling the truth during his trial is taking a great risk by contacting them.  Given that Narcissa undoubtedly has placed the risk upon herself, why add the jeopardy needlessly?"

"Normally I would agree, Ruedella," Severus considered, "However, I do want to communicate to Rodolphus that my intentions towards you are honorable.  It would be remiss if I made such an assumption…"

"Plausible deniability," Ruedella added, filing away the comment of 'honorable intentions' in her mind for later examination.  "Just putting the pieces in place."  She rose from the sofa and walked over to a chess set that sat on a small table.  Two wooden chairs sat on opposing sides.  "Do you play much?"

"I find the game far too simple and one-dimensional.  Since one's opponent must limit their moves to within the rules, I find it is too predictable…"  Severus joined her at her side.  Moving two green knights into the center of the table, he then moved two scarlet knights who destroyed the green.  Taking a green bishop and pawn, he pushed the scarlet knights to destroy the bishop while the pawn meagerly defended itself, eventually losing, to a swift scarlet pawn.  "I like to change up the rules," Severus said, his eyes riveted on the destruction, "the pieces then never get complacent."

"Gryffindor beating Slytherin?" Ruedella said as she watched Severus repair the pieces with a wave of his wand.  "That's a bit traitorous…"  She paused for a second; "My I venture to guess that the knights, bishop and pawn were specific people and plays you have in mind… in your grand scheme of things?"

"We will take losses," Severus said simply.  "To play the game without those assumptions—and to not plan accordingly-- would be stupid.  A simple illustration, Ruedella," he said with a quick flick of his fingers.  She briefly thought that he might be protesting too much, but elected to take his explanation at face value for now.

"So which one am I?" Ruedella asked, pushing her theory a little.  "Dare I be so arrogant to suggest the queen?"

"There's a fine line between arrogant and astute," Severus replied.  Hearing a noise out by the chicken shed, he leaned to the side to peer out the window while Ruedella cautiously approached it.  "I see our guests have arrived," he noted while picking up the Slytherin green king and setting it beside the queen.  He looked at the chess pair for a second, his eyes darting to Ruedella for a brief moment before he arranged the pieces back in their starting play spaces.

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Ruedella retook her seat on the old, threadbare sofa, cradling the goblet of wine with two hands.  She was more than nervous, petrified actually, and prayed to the powers that be that Rabastan was with Rodolphus as he was often a calming voice of reason with her treacherous and dangerous eldest brother.  Whatever game Severus was planning she did hope, for his sake, that he factored in her brothers' compounded insanity from fourteen years in Azkaban. 

The hooded, robed, and masked figures entered one by one; a total of five in all.  They stood in front of the couch in a semicircle, all motionless as Severus came over to stand beside them.  Ruedella paused and looked at their masks-- their eyes actually-- to see if she could recognize any besides her brothers.  Getting up, she proceeded to a nearby liquor cabinet and procured some wine goblets and one glass tumbler, pleased that the cabinet was reasonably well provisioned.  "I assume, Rodolphus, that you still don't take ice with your Scotch?  Lucius, if I recall, you were more of a Chablis wizard… would a full-bodied Chardonnay do in a pinch?  She poured a few more goblets and levitated them over to their owners."  Seeing only four take the drinks, she sighed, "Sorry Bella, but Severus didn't stock the Vodka…"

"Quite a fine hostess, is she not?" Severus said as Ruedella walked over, handing him his wine glass from the evening now refilled.  "Please, do make yourselves at home and I really don't see a need for all this…" Severus made a gesture with his fingers around his face.  "As you may know, or have seen, my home is quite isolated."

"Avery!" Ruedella gasped as the slumped-shouldered man took off his mask and robes.  "I almost thought you were Theodore Nott…"

"So, my dear cousin," Lucius Malfoy said as he conjured a chair, apparently finding the other seats unsuitable for his aristocratic derriere, "been busy have we?  Narcissa went to great trouble to contact us.  She even asked for an audience with the Dark Lord himself to tell him about your endeavors.  I was shocked.  I did not think you had it in you."

"Well, that was special of Narcissa to go to so much trouble," Ruedella said with a squeak.  "Although I didn't reach the main objective, it did lay a lot of groundwork in other areas that I can… err…" She looked over to Severus for help as she was, sincerely, at a loss for words.  "The day has been long and perhaps Severus should explain the intricate details.  Severus, after all, had a huge hand…"

"I have managed to convince the Ministry and Dumbledore that this is all a large misunderstanding," Severus stepped in without further urging.  "Given that I have Dumbledore's confidence, I was able to persuade him to allow me to enter Ruedella's Muggle home for a private inspection of my own.  During that time I confiscated a few Lestrange artifacts that might be incriminating if found by the Aurors and placed a forged owl receipt from the Ministry regarding her Muggle residence application.  The wards and other protective devices, from that point, were easily explained away as her way to ensure 'Muggle safety.'"  Severus paused as Bellatrix sniggered.

"So what does Dumbledore actually believe now?" Rodolphus demanded with a bark.  His wavy brown hair was flat and lifeless and laced with a dingy grey that matched his eyes.  His face was sunken and drawn, making his large nose appear more pronounced than ever.  "Will there be a hearing?"

"Dumbledore believes that she is a good little witch trying to escape the evil influences of her brothers.  A witch who was so scared out of her wits that she went on Sabbatical and hid among Muggles.  The fact that she purchased a house exactly across the street from Harry Potter's summer residence was a fluke…" Severus splayed his palms and fingers in the air to reinforce the irony.  "He is, actually, quite afraid for her and asked that I keep an eye on her thinking that I could buy her some time—from you of course—until he could think of a plan.  In the meanwhile, I did contact your grandfather and advised him of the situation."  He then added silkily, "Had it not been for the years of trust I have built up with Dumbledore and my quick thinking, I cannot imagine poor Ruedella's fate…"

"But you do know where the house is?  Where Potter's blood relatives live?" Bellatrix interrupted, nearly frothing at the mouth.  "If we strike, we can eliminate the source of Potter's protection if not Potter himself!"  Her toothy, greedy, grin displayed her uneven, rotting teeth.  Ruedella held back her revulsion; Bellatrix used to be a beautiful woman.  Before her and Rodolphus' affiliation with the Dark Lord, Bellatrix had taken it upon herself to take Ruedella under her wing, filling an important, but otherwise absent, surrogate elder sister to the girl.  Being a quiet, astute child who knew how to be present but not noticed, Ruedella was given the privilege to hang out with Bellatrix, her sister Narcissa, and a few others including Aurora Sinistra, Debborna Wilkes and Astrelle Avery.  She wasn't their equals, but more like a favored mascot.  For an eight-year-old girl, the ability to be with twelve to fourteen year olds was an honor in itself.

"I assure you that Potter is no longer at the Muggle home," Severus responded.  "Dumbledore personally made sure that Ruedella's memory of the address had been removed; as he did for me as well.  The Dark Lord could try to reconstruct the memories, but I assure you that he will simply lose two useful and faithful followers…"

Ruedella shook her head and tried to remember her old home and address.  Realizing that indeed she could not, she bellowed, "What about my STUFF!  How in the hell am I supposed to get my clothes, my books, furniture… my key to my personal Gringotts' vault?"

"Ruedella," Rabastan offered in a surprisingly calm voice, "the Dark Lord will take care of you and…"  Ruedella's head snapped back to regard her brother.  Rabastan was always one with a cult mentality; the first to drink the pumpkin juice as it were.

Severus reached into his vest and pulled out a Gringotts' key.  "You should find a more secure place for it.  I took it because I was aware of Dumbledore's plans and knew the dunderheads he would hire to move your possessions would either not find it, or worse, steal it.  I would have thought that an employee of Gringotts would…"

"And for those moments for when I do forget," Lucius said with an amused drawl, "there are always those little things that you do, Severus, to remind me that Borgin blood flows in your veins."

"Thank you for telling me… eventually…" Ruedella snapped, quickly snatching the key from Severus' hand.  "I worked in curse breaking… not security…"

"Obviously," Severus replied drolly as he leveled a dangerous glare at Malfoy for his comment.  He added, "Dumbledore has arranged to have your items moved and the house sold.  The proceeds from the sale, minus applicable minor expenses, will be given back to you."

"So," Ruedella smiled at Rodolphus, occasionally turning her head to glare at Severus, "Mind telling me where you put the mansion?  Seems like I need a place to live…"

"Given that Dumbledore feels that you are innocent, running to live in the Lestrange Mansion will look rather odd.  He does expect that you will have contact with them—as we are expected to 'convince' them that things are not entirely as they seem.  Given that, keeping your distance, I believe, would be the wisest move.  Remember, I am supposed to protect you from them."

"And who's protecting YOU from ME!" Ruedella growled with a huff, folding her arms in frustration, her fingers slowly working towards the wand up her sleeve when Severus was not looking.  "For the short term I can stay in the Leaky Cauldron, I suppose… but it is difficult finding a flat in the wizard areas and the few months I lived with the Muggles was enough to last a lifetime…"  She grimaced at the last.

"Ruedella," Lucius spoke as he twirled the wine goblet in his hands.  "Superb wine, Severus, you do surprise me."

"There are more pleasant surprises to come, I assure you," Severus said with a lilt.  "You wanted something of Ruedella?"

"Yes…" Lucius turned back on track.  "The memory charms are unfortunate and given the results with Bertha Jorkins I doubt that the Dark Lord will attempt them on those he finds valuable.  However, to resist the temptation he may have, we might want to consider some alternatives.  The memory of the location is removed, but I would doubt that the steps… the process if you will… that you used to find out where the boy lived would have been Obliterated.  If you can tell the Dark Lord how you did it, then we can find another to duplicate the process."

Ruedella cleared her throat, covering the fact that she nearly choked on her wine.  Looking at Severus, whose eyes, for the smallest of a fraction of a second, reflected his panic—he apparently did not expect this question as well—Ruedella's stomach lurched.  Taking a casual sip of wine, she leaned back and traced her fingers over the back of the couch, portraying an arrogant façade as she rolled her eyes at Lucius question.  "Lucius, really now… it is so simple.  How do you think I did it?"

"If I knew how you did it, I would not have asked," Lucius snarled.  "Rue-dullard…"

"Lucy-cross," Ruedella responded to her former nickname with his.  It was childish, but it nonetheless stalled for time and jerked Lucius chain.

"Perhaps a little lesson," Lucius threw down the wine and drew his wand.  Rodolphus threw himself from his own seat, scotch and glass smashing into smithereens, and intercepted Lucius, his oak wand slashed at his cousin's throat.

"It would be a pity, Lucius," Ruedella replied, "if your lesson resulted in me hitting my head and 'forgetting.'"  She looked at the small, old throw rug that was now stained with Chardonnay and scotch.  "Do you know how hard it is to get these types of stains out?"

"HOW DID YOU DO IT RUEDELLA!" Bellatrix howled, her tenuous patience spent.

"Quite simple," Ruedella said, "When the boy got off the train in Kings Cross Station, I discreetly followed him and his relatives to their transportation thing…" She waved her fingers, not knowing the name.

"Car," Severus offered.

"Thank you Severus 'Muggle Studies' Snape," Ruedella nodded.  "I followed them to their… car… When they were loading it, I discreetly put a tracking charm on it.  Using a simple variation of the Four Points charm, I followed them to their home.  I then secured a residence, luck would have it that a house came up for sale across the street, and began to study the situation from that point."

"You were missing since March," Avery noted.  "I thought you had the house for a number of months, not from the beginning of summer?"  The others murmured in agreement.  Severus was stone silent, his black eyes boring into her but offering no real comfort.

"You are dense Avery," Ruedella spat.  "When the Dark Lord returned last year and the boy escaped, I knew that he would be keen on getting Potter any way achievable.  I followed the boy last year, noting the location.  When a suitable property became available in his neighborhood, I jumped at the chance to purchase it and called in my tenure to request a sabbatical.  This allowed me the time to study the charm that protects the boy while in his relatives care undetected."  She levitated the bottle of wine over, pouring more for herself.  "Intricate plans take time, Avery.  What was it… yes… eight full months passed before I could even more myself into position.  As usual, you lack subtly."

"Absolute brilliance," Severus said softly, his tone conveying the smallest hint of affection and his lips curled up slightly.  "A true reflection of superior bloodlines," he said studying the witch. 

"Shall I offer you a cigarette?" Lucius asked, looking at Severus.  "Do you need to be excused to change your trousers?  You were always one to be enthralled with a well-laid plan."

"Hardly," Severus said, casually clearing his throat.  "But, this perhaps opens an important segway into tonight's discussions."  He walked over to the tall curio cabinet in the corner.  "Bellatrix," he said as he pointed to the various items, "do join me, as this will be of great interest to you."

The witch rose from her seat and walked over to Severus.  Studying the various artifacts, she quickly came across a few she immediately recognized.  "My Grandfather's Order of Merlin!  The Black Family Crest Ring…!"

"The family tapestry, photo albums, portraits, genealogy records," Severus sighed.  "All thrown out by Sirius Black during his final days.  When I heard about it, I cannot say that my hatred for him deepened more than even I could ever imagine."

"How did you…?" Bellatrix said between sobs.  For a powerful witch, she was often easily overcome with emotion.

"As you know, the Order of Phoenix headquarters is in the Black estate," Severus began.  "From my connection there, I found out that Black was doing this—single handedly destroying nearly a millennium of pureblood wizard heritage.  Sickening… a blasphemy to all that is wizard.  When I heard, I had Mundungus Fletcher pilfer the garbage-- stealing all that he could carry.  I took what I could as well.  The family tapestry was discarded like last week's Daily Prophet."

"My sister and I will pay good money, Severus," Bellatrix began.  "The debt we owe for your conscientious…"

"No monetary repayment is necessary, Bellatrix," Severus said as he carefully placed his hand on her shoulder.  "I heard that your sister, Andromeda was to inherit the estate.  The mansion, the family fortune… a Muggle-loving traitor to inherit the Black fortune so she could throw out the remaining traditions, the rich heritage, that Sirius Black did not.  Bellatrix, I could not let that happen…"  He turned to levitate some papers over to them.  "I took it upon myself to put a stop to it."

"Severus," Bellatrix said, her tear-stained eyes riveted to the curio.  Her thin, knobby fingers ran along the glass, desperately trying to touch the items underneath.  "If what you say is true.  If you do indeed have the Black treasures and are able to put a stop to this... this unspeakable tragedy..."  She summoned the scotch over from the liquor cabinet and pulled the decanter to her lips, taking a deep draught.  "Narcissa and I will be in your debt.  If there is anything that we can do... anything..."

Severus' lips curled into a pronounced, triumphant smile.  "As I stated, monetary repayment, Bellatrix, would not be necessary.  However, your support in the future will be most appreciated."

"Of course, Severus," Bellatrix said faintly, "of course…"

"I am so pleased to hear you say that, Bellatrix," Severus said, "So very pleased."

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