Fanfiction based in the world of Harry Potter, created by JKR. Her characters are hers. Original characters are mine. No pecuniary rewards. Please see first chapter for full disclaimers and description.
Thank you to my Beta, Elaine!
Chapter 29: Political Games
Cornelius Fudge was found dead in his bed three days later. The Daily Prophet listed the death as "suspicious". St. Mungos Medi-coroners were baffled—which is precisely what made it "suspicious". Avada Kedavra and a few very rare, select poisons were the only known things that could cause such a death and leave no trace. There was no health condition to explain it.
In spite of the uproar this caused among the media and the chatter it provided for those who enjoyed fun gossiping, there was actually little adverse effect from his death. The Deputy Minister of Magic handled the chaos in a no-nonsense fashion. However, she also immediately indicated her desire to retire, so arrangements for elections began quickly.
The breakfast conversation that ensued on the day of the article was unusually disinterested in light of the news. By chance, only Order Members were at the table at the time, and Rowena felt the tingle of privacy shields when she took her seat. Still, conversation was guarded.
"Severus, have you seen today's Prophet?" Albus asked, regarding the Potions Master with his sharp azure gaze.
Severus had only just taken his usual seat next to Rowena, and glanced at Albus with an air of decided boredom. "Of course not. I never read it before breakfast. It often puts me off my appetite. Is there something noteworthy today that can't wait until I've completed my repast?"
"Cornelius Fudge was found dead this morning."
He did not make the slightest pause in the act of putting eggs and sausage on his plate. "Fascinating," he said sarcastically.
"His death is regarded as 'highly suspicious'."
"He is the Minister of Magic. Or I should say was. If he looked a bit peaky it was called 'highly suspicious'. If he stubbed his toe on someone else's foot, he cried assault. I find it difficult to be alarmed by the news," he said, casually buttering a bit of toast and biting into it.
Rowena watched the exchange with curiosity. She did not miss the slightly apprehensive look about Albus's piercing gaze at Severus, nor did she miss the supremely disinterested air of her husband.
"The paper suspects Death Eaters, of course," Albus pressed, "but then, in light of our recent information, that doesn't seem likely, does it? It would be incredibly foolish and dangerous for a Death Eater to assassinate Fudge just as he was coming in line, wouldn't you say?"
"Hmm," Severus hummed noncommittally. "Death Eaters don't like to share power. It is just as probable that someone was jealous of Fudge. If he was seen as a threat or too highly favored, he could have easily made himself a target. Lucius Malfoy would not like anyone to be more powerful than himself in matters of manipulating the Ministry."
"Lucius Malfoy would not take that level of risk to save his status. It would be more his style to ingratiate himself even more than usual to Fudge and maintain power in that way," Albus contradicted.
"Perhaps," Severus replied.
"I suppose Voldemort will suspect all of his Death Eaters of this for a time."
"No, not all. But some."
"This was a very dangerous move for someone wanting to stay in Voldemort's good graces."
"Most assuredly. If he was murdered, and it was a Death Eater, and the Dark Lord discovers them, then that individual's life isn't worth a drop of Murtlap Essence," Severus said, supremely unconcerned. "Only a fool would do such a thing."
"Of course, I would never encourage anyone from the Order taking such a material step," Albus continued.
"Certainly."
Professor Vector entered the Great Hall then, and took her seat at the table. As she was not in the Order, the privacy ward dropped, as did the conversation.
The final weeks of term passed in a blur of activity, both in terms of school work and work for the Order. Mrs. Granger regained consciousness, and Hermione spent much of her free-time studying in her mother's room in the hospital so that Severus lost her assistance. He would never have admitted that he found her aid valuable, but now that he no longer had it, he was busier, and surlier than ever.
He also had taken to living in his dungeons again after Lucius's visit. Rowena confronted him on this at once, and he had simply said that he had too much work to do and too much on his mind to be in any humor to entertain distractions. Nothing she could say would sway him, and she was hurt and angry that he would shut her out so completely. Even the Bond, which had initially given her so much comfort and reassurance, was now a source of worry for her. It was always there, she could always FEEL his presence… but the emotions there were just like all the rest of him—firmly buttoned away so that it was like caressing a brick wall when she tried to send thoughts of affection to him.
Harry gradually relaxed as Hogsmeade proved to be secure and the attacks on Muggle born wizards seemed to come to an end, at least for the moment. Of course, the Daily Prophet was vocal in its criticism of the Hogsmeade residents and Dumbledore's actions. The tiny village had been a favorite visiting place for many tourists, and was now on virtual lock-down. Only people with residence there and proper passwords could come and go with ease; no one could Apparate in or out, like Hogwarts, and even the public floos had been locked to general traffic. It was effective for safety. It was unpopular with that portion of the wizarding world that believed all this war nonsense was exaggerated.
Gryffindor easily won their next Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, thanks to the now-expected spectacular snitch-catch from Harry. He, as always, seemed to find some level of genuine happiness in the game and the aftermath. Katrina had clapped and cheered with the rest of the fans, wrapped head-to-toe in Gryffindor scarlet and gold, a miniature version of Harry's own Quidditch robes that he had bought for her. Severus, as might well be imagined, looked on the outfit with severe disapproval, but said nothing.
The invitation to the "Dinner Party" arrived as promised, and Rowena again set out shopping—this time strictly via Owl-Order, but with the advice of her mother, Molly Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall.
It was necessary to brew another round of Narcissa's rejuvenating potion before the event, in addition to other preparations to make the exchange of Tonks and Claire. Severus found it a cruel twist of fate that made it Potter's 'turn' to donate to the potion when he was already at the far-limits of his patience as it was. Miraculously he managed without hexing the imbecilic boy into oblivion, but it was a near thing.
The carriage traveled silently through the crisp night. The stars glittered against the clear blanket of black sky like diamonds thrown to the winds. The moon was nearing full, which contributed to Remus's peaky complexion when he had come earlier to help her with her hair. Of course, worry over Tonks was an equal factor.
Tonight, she had dressed like a Death Eater's Woman. Severus had given her very little instruction, but from the innuendoes thrown about between him and Lucius, she had decided it was time to play her part in the game properly. She was more heavy-handed with her makeup than she would normally be in any circumstance, though she still couldn't quite force herself to go for the garish shades of reds and blues that the other women used. The effect still was surprising, giving a dramatic, almost exotic appearance to her usually nondescript features.
Remus reprised the role he had often held when they were kids, and came to help her with her hair. Her mother had delegated the task to him when Rowena was still very young—she would shriek and holler when Becky came at her with a brush, but managed to sit docilely when her brother did it, so he 'inherited' the chore. He was glad to do it now, as it gave him something to do besides worry about her and Tonks, and what they were about to do.
He helped her pile her hair high up on her head in a series of elaborate twists and knots that kept it secure and her long neck bare, yet still allowed artful tendrils of fine baby-hair curls to grace along her ears and jaw. Her mother did not fully understand what was going on between her and Severus. They certainly did not behave like a newly engaged couple and she hardly ever saw them together. But Becky Lupin knew her daughter had finally connected with the man that had fascinated her for so long. That her husband John respected him from a professional standpoint was also in his favor, of course. But to see Rowena with some level of happiness amidst the chaos was recommendation enough for her.
Becky also lent Remus a long string of diamonds that John had given to her early in their marriage. They were not large diamonds by any means, and plenty of fine, golden chain stretched between each stone. Remus wound this through the knots of Rowena's hair so that it looked as though she had tiny, glittering raindrops among the honey-brown tresses.
The gown was ebony black satin, sleeveless with wide shoulder straps, hugging her form tightly from bodice to ankle. The neckline scooped gently to a point emphasizing her modest cleavage, and the hemline was slit to just above the knee on one side revealing a shocking (for Rowena) expanse of shapely calf when she walked. A long black stole draped across her shoulders and tucked into her arms, trailing almost to her knees on either side.
In her searches for accessories, she had found golden Egyptian-style armbands designed to be worn around the upper arm. Many of these were serpents, of course, but one was a very savage appearing eagle in fight, the wings wrapping around the band and the talons sweeping down the arm as though poised for attack. Remembering Severus's Patronus, she bought it and felt a surge of defiance against the lot of 'them' when she put it on, tightening it snuggly around her left arm. Severus raised a sardonic brow when he saw it, though she thought she detected the slight quirk at the corner of his mouth, as though he had to prevent himself smirking in approval.
He produced a choker of small diamonds and stud earrings to match, and she accepted them without objection, shivering slightly as his hands brushed her nape when he clasped the necklace. They were nothing like Narcissa's gaudy gems that seemed to drip from her body as though her very pores oozed precious stones; they were tasteful and delicate, accenting her small bone-structure and contrasting with the black of the dress and tawny tone of her skin without looking ostentatious.
Of course, Severus wore black, and today his robes were also of a shimmering satin so that when she stood next to him it was hard to tell where his robes ended and her dress began.
He barely spoke to her until they were in the carriage. Indeed, he had barely spoken to her at all after returning to his own quarters two weeks before! Once in the carriage, he pulled out a small leather wallet of sorts from an inner pocket of his robes. First, he removed two small, paper-thin clear disks, almost like onionskin. One of these he held out to her.
"Place this against your cheek, it will adhere there, like so," and he demonstrated with the second. "It is good for up to 72 hours, Merlin forbid we should need it that long. It is a Veritaserum Antidote. It will burn slightly if it is activated, so you will know if you have been given the serum surreptitiously. Have you seen Veritaserum in use? Allow your face to become relaxed and expressionless, and betray no emotion once you feel the burn. Answer questions put to you however you wish, but be sharp! Do not contradict your lies and do not delay too long in answering! It is unlikely you would be tested with Legilimency while under Veritaserum, as no one outside of the Order, and very few within it, know that I have developed this antidote."
She obeyed as she listened to him, and was surprised that she could barely feel the thin film in place once it was against her cheek. She kept toying at it with her tongue as he spoke, checking it.
"Don't do that!" he snapped, "It will draw attention. The antidote will stay in place on its own; there's no need to fidget.
"Drink this, my current multi-purpose poison antidote. Do NOT rely on its effectiveness. The Dark Lord has new Potions Masters working with him of whom I am unaware. I cannot counteract that which I do not know. Eat nothing that I have not examined first, and drink nothing that I have not given you if you can at all avoid it. It will be difficult, and you must not give offense. It is not uncommon for these events to have at least one duel over some imagined slight or another and the women are every bit as vicious as the men.
"I will have to leave you for at least a short period. No doubt Lucius will wish to speak with me privately and I must attend to 'Claire'. You will need every ounce of your Occlumency. This concerns me, as I am not at all reassured by your insistence that it has improved, or even Potter's accolades at how "strong" you have become. In light of the boy's own skill in the area, I would certainly hope you had talent enough to impress HIM."
"Severus," she chided, as much as she didn't want to interrupt him. This was the most he had spoken to her in weeks, even if he was talking in his cool "Professor" tones and had displayed nothing of affection in his monologue. "He's much better than you think; he's improved a great deal."
He scoffed and cast her a scowl at her interruption, "Indeed, it would be impossible for him to be worse than I think. The current issue, however, is to keep you from being maneuvered into a dangerous position when I am not immediately at hand to offer something of security."
"I'm not utterly helpless, Severus. I will be careful, I promise."
"You have your Hogwarts Portkey at hand? Preferably somewhere that you don't have to waste valuable time fumbling to get your hands on it?"
"Yes, beloved, it is in my brassiere, would you like to see for yourself?" she teased, attempting to shock him out of his cold formality.
It did not work; he only raised a brow at her and the tell-tale muscle in his jaw twitched in irritation. "Lupin, this is not a time for levity. I admit that seems to be a convenient location for the item. Lucius and Narcissa can be expected to offer you some degree of safety, though do not trust them wholly. You will want to be on particular guard against the Mulciber daughters, the eldest most especially. She has long had her silent 'claim' on me, and more than one supposed 'rival' has met their demise in mysterious ways."
He turned to look away from her, his back rigid and his jaw tight, "Do not go beyond the public rooms—the dining room will be open for the meal and the ballroom will be full of cocktails and appetizers. Most of the main floor and the gardens will be open. However… there is likely to be… sport occurring in other rooms of the house. You may… hear things. There is no way you can stop the entertainment, and if you try you are likely to become part of it. Stay away. Is that clear?"
She swallowed the chill of fear that ran through her and nodded. Her voice, when it came was small and dry, "Yes. Perfectly clear."
He nodded, waved his hand to indicate she should drink the antidote, watched to make sure she did, and then slipped into a heavy, brooding silence as thick and dark as the black night around them.
She recognized the neighborhood as they approached the Malfoy Estate, as the surrounding houses quickly began to become wealthier in appearance, and farther and farther apart as the sizes of the estates increased. At last they receded altogether, a sure sign that they were very close. Suddenly, she gasped in shock just as Severus sat bolt upright, wand in his hand so quickly she did not see it happen. An icy cold had filled the carriage, and she felt inexplicable terror rise up inside of her. He swore savagely as the numbing chill increased, causing the Thestrals pulling the carriage to shriek in their harsh voices and jerk ungracefully at the harness. They did not waiver from their course, thankfully, and gradually the unnatural cold faded again.
"Severus?" she asked, not understanding why there would be Dementors at the perimeter of the grounds—for surely nothing else could cause that distinctive sensation. More upsetting to her than the Dementors, though, was the sharp, almost painful spike of pure fear that she felt from him through the Bond. Never had she known Severus to be afraid like that! That the fear took him enough by surprise as to break through his rigid control, so that she felt it so strongly for that instant through their Bond, was all the more telling.
The sensation was gone in an instant, and he turned from the carriage window to look at her with inscrutable calm and an utterly flat expression on his face.
"Use your Portkey now. Return to Hogwarts at once."
"What? NO! What would happen to you if I didn't come now that they are expecting us to arrive together? I'm not leaving you to face this alone," she insisted, shaking her head. Still, she couldn't keep the tinge of fear out of her voice when she asked, "Why are there Dementors here?"
"There is only one reason Dementors would be here. The Dark Lord is somewhere in that house. Go back to Hogwarts, now!"
The truth is, she wanted to obey. The idea of You-Know-Who being inside the Malfoy estate was horrifying to say the very least! She had no desire to ever see him face to face—it was terrifying enough to know of his existence and see evidence of it in her day to day life! But she also knew that Severus felt this was going to be some sort of test of his loyalty. He was expected to arrive accompanied by her. If she left, especially now that the wards of the estate would have detected her presence, Severus would be in grave danger.
Stubbornly she shook her head, though she was too frightened to speak. His face darkened with anger, and he would have said something more, but at that moment the carriage door was opened by a boy she didn't know, acting as a Porter for the evening. It was too late for any retreat now!
He stepped out without another word and handed her out, tucking her hand firmly into his arm before heading inside.
The home was dramatically lit with candles and chandeliers; the 'public' room doors all open with elegantly dressed couples wandering here and there. Doorways were decorated with tasteful sprigs of holly and even the smallest hint of mistletoe in deference to the season, though the touches were too subdued to truly appear 'festive'. Rowena thought the parody of 'holiday spirit' seemed somehow sinister in this house filled with Death Eaters! The most popular room, for its sheer size, seemed to be the ballroom, though it was set out as a fine cocktail parlor for this evening.
"Rowena, why you look positively stunning!" Narcissa spotted them at once and glided over to the door to take Rowena's hand in her own. She wore a deep green dress that appeared to be painted onto her flesh, utterly strapless and surely held up quite literally by magic. Enormous diamond-accented rubies adorned her ears, wrists, and throat, and a matching band surrounded her elegant coif piled high on her head. Her nails and lips were painted a matching shade of blood red so that Rowena was hard pressed not to imagine her as some sort of twisted vampire. "I've never seen you looking so elegant and so grown-up, dear. I see our Severus has been a good influence upon you after all!"
Rowena smiled sweetly through gritted teeth. Grown up? Just because she didn't choose to wander around looking like sex on two legs, she somehow didn't normally look "grown up"? She would have loved to say, 'Thank you, Narcissa, you look like a parody of a Christmas Tree' but decided that it wouldn't fall in the realm of 'do not give offense'. Instead she returned the empty compliment, "Thank you, Narcissa. You look lovely and elegant as always."
Lucius also approached, and he regarded them with amused approval. "I had a moment's pause when you appeared delayed, my old friend," he said smoothly. "I began to fear that perhaps you would chose not to attend after all."
"I believe the term is 'fashionably late', Lucius?" Severus asked dryly, and the blond man laughed delightedly.
"But when have you ever been concerned with fashion in any form? Do come and mingle. I will need to claim your attentions for Narcissa's ill cousin soon enough."
A house elf passed with a tray full of bubbling champagne in crystal flutes, and Lucius whisked two off, apparently at random, and handed them to Severus and Rowena. "I must attend my lovely wife as she greets the new arrivals. Please make yourselves at home."
Rowena regarded the glass suspiciously as Lucius strode away, but Severus raised his own, scented it briefly, and sipped slightly. Apparently he was satisfied, but he traded the glass with the one in Rowena's hand and began to walk through the room. Gradually he introduced her to the various people that made their way toward them. Rowena was interested to note that Severus seemed to come across as no more easily approachable among the Death Eater set as he was among the Order or his students. Acquaintances came forward with hesitation, and made a great show of being polite and cautious of giving any offense.
She had no doubt Severus had engaged in his fair share of 'duels' in these settings and apparently had made a name for himself as someone not to be trifled with!
They had several unremarkable conversations with parents of a few of their students—Slytherin students almost exclusively. The parental concerns were very like any other parent inquiring after their child's progress and abilities. Parents of the weaker students attempted to make excuses for the weaknesses. Some tried to hint that perhaps their child was being judged too harshly—though they were very cautious in the suggestion. Parents of the stronger students just wanted to bask in the reflected glory of their child's accomplishments.
Occasionally, if they happened to be standing near one of the hallway doors that lead deeper into the house, Rowena would hear things that sounded unpleasantly like screaming. Specifically, screaming of a human being in pain. She thought she did very well not to betray that she even noticed the sound, but her stomach rolled. She knew she was not imagining it, because invariably when this occurred, Severus made their excuses to whomever they were speaking and moved to another part of the room where the noise of conversation would block external sounds.
Dinner passed without incident, though Rowena had little appetite for the elegantly prepared gourmet dishes. She no longer feared for herself, and even thought that perhaps Severus had been overly concerned in his fears. He examined every dish carefully before allowing either of them to consume anything. Rowena would have thought THAT would give offense, but she soon saw that it was something of the fashion—all the guests seemed to be doing the same thing.
He did not relax as the meal wound to a close—indeed he felt like a spring too-tightly coiled where he sat next to her, and his eyes took in everything behind his mask of impassivity. After dinner the crowd again wandered from room to room, apparently renewing and solidifying alliances and acquaintances.
As he had warned, one woman, Gwen Mulciber, regarded Rowena with intense dislike, even as she favored Severus with warm, almost fawning smiles. She was taller than Rowena, though that was not hard to do, and full figured, nearly falling out of her red silk dress. The dress was strapless, like Narcissa's, but she wore full-length matching silk gloves, so that Rowena was certain the woman must be a Death Eater. She had shiny black hair and crystal blue eyes, which she batted constantly from within a very pretty face.
She took Rowena's hand and examined her ring with feigned congratulations, but her smiles did not meet her eyes. Rowena could almost hear 'Crucio' directed at her from the glance! Still, the woman made an effort to be friendly and even introduced Rowena to other women in the room, gradually but very effectively separating her from Severus.
In the end, women in these sorts of situations seemed to be universal in their similarity. They spoke kindly of one another when in their immediate presence, and scathingly of each in turn, as soon as an individual walked away from the small group.
It was not long before Rowena realized that Severus was no longer even in the same room with her. Perhaps he had taken this opportunity to attend to "Claire". She carefully… SLOWLY nursed her approved glass of champagne, dragging it out as long as she could. She did not want to have to refuse the offer of another and possibly give offense.
A/N: Sorry for the semi-cliff-hanger! The 'party' just got too long. I'll post the next chapter in a few days, it's beta'd and ready to go. Next chapter we see some serious Death Eater 'business'. I hope you enjoyed. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!