Title: Silent Butterfly

Disclaimer: I don't own. Anything. Except the general thought. Story was originally thought up after listening to Smile.Dk's 'Butterfly'.

Summary: In retrospect, a voice wasn't so much of a loss, as long as he accomplished his goals. If he still had his voice, he would've said the spell again because it did the task.

A/N: As the disclaimer says, the original plot was thought up (and revolved around) the song 'Butterfly'. In the past two days, that plot bunny has morphed into this creature. So... this should be interesting. The RORequirement can have a DDR machine, right? (sweatdrop) This is my first dip into HP fiction. With most likely contain HPDM somewhere along the way. So now here we go. And please be kind to Ted and Harriet. (huggles them)

Other Notes: This chapter is set in two different places at once. It'll be interesting to say the least. Paragraphs in all italics are a different setting than those not. M'kay? Not confusing, I hope? I try not to be. And anyone else think the way that Snape acted in HBP was odd? 'Specially at the end? Intriguing character...

Book On Butterflyes - Chapter Ten

...know nothing of them.

To explain to one not of one's family about the Butterflyes, especially one of muggle heritage, about the Butterflyes, is a claim for them as their lifemate.

THREE

They had set the shaking proffers down in the kitchen, placing a mug of the 'draught of peace' in his hands as he sat quaking from what he had seen. His greasy hair hung in straight clumps and his eyes held a bit too much fear in them. His one shaking hand lifted itself from the table to run through his hair in a movement that was quickly becoming a nervous habit. Dryly, he licked his lips before he started.

"Goyle cornered me yesterday into descending upon Potters household today." The Professors eyes slid side to side fretfully and his hand grabbed his handful of hair before settling around his mug again. With a little splash, he had brought the up to his lips and drank a sip. Bit small bit of his normal pale color returned. Looking slightly more calm (though still a far way from it) he continued. "The Death Eaters that I have contact with are becoming nervous due to the Dark Lords absence lately." Snape absently rubbed his forearm before his shook his head and took another sip of the steaming potion.

He flew alongside the gleaming white bird, letting his innate powers carry him above the water as his toes barely skimmed it. He gave her his smile and blessing as the parted ways, she off to Number 12 Grimwald Place, England, and he off to Number 12 Grimwald Place, Japan.

It was then that the true gravity of the situation fully dawned on any of them.

This was their greasy professor who had killed hundreds during his days before he turned--shaking and with all shields down over something that he had seen even before dawn had fully cracked.

"Goyle, surprisingly, remembered that James Potter got his inheritance at sixteen, as did Lily Evans." He snorted as he took another sip. "How, it escapes me. Crabbe evidently was the one to think up the plan o attack Potter while he would be going through his inheritance. They thought that perhaps that luck would be with them and that Potter would be weak since he didn't have anyone to mentor and brace him for the influx of power."

With a snap of magic, he crossed miles withing seconds and could now see the shore of Japan. Another snap, and he was now setting down in the subway in Tokyo--the one connected to Japan's version of Diagon Alley.

"I, of course, had to accept or else might be thought to be a traitor and then could no longer work as a spy." Another sip of the potion, and Snape almost looked back to normal. That is, except for his eyes, the way that they nervously flitted about. "I knew that Potter was protected by the blood of his family, but the other two didn't. To reveal that information would have meant that I knew more of what was going on than they did." The proffers then shuddered, startling everyone. "We got onto the property this morning and no one was there. The wards let us pass because they didn't see us as a threat--their protected didn't need them at the moment."

'Top-tap, left-tap, side-freeze arrows, back,' he mouthed as he completed the exact same steps on the dance pad. 'Back, top, right, left.' He waited, frozen in place as the wall in front of him crumpled in on itself to allow him passage to the Wizarding world of Japan.

His voice had become dull and flat as he continued. "The house was silent--there had been signs of recent life there as late as this morning, but no living thing in sight. Once we reached Potters room, we discovered that indeed no one was in the house at all. Everything in Potters room had been packed and the only thing out of place was a single floor board that looked as if it had recently been removed." He took another sip of the rapidly cooling potion. "It became evident that Potter knew that we were coming." He shuddered once more. "He left us a note..."

Calmly, he passed through the barrier of magic, smirking as it swelled around him and recognized who he was. He shuffled off to a few shops, buying a smattering of potions supplies that Snape wouldn't have as easy access to. Shrinking them with hardly a thought, he raised them to the blue cutout on his upper arm that was now covered by a billowy black wizards robe. It sunk in through the material.

"It was in red, and still dripping. One thing, over and over and over again, up and down the walls, framing the one sentence that was different: 'You can't find what had flown / you can't kill what is dead.'"

The professor shuddered a final time before he fell silent.

Hermione by that time had already taken out a tiny notepad and had most of his tale written down in it by time he had stopped. She bit her lip nervously. "Professor, what was the other sentence?"

"'Green, Black and Blue.'" His eyes had calmed and he looked about ready to fall asleep.

Hermione frowned at that, but wrote it down anyway. Sticking the end of her pen in her mouth, she hesitated before she asked her next question. "What color were the words Professor?"

There was a long pause and then...

"Blood."

Harry grinned as he looked at his watch. 'Hedwig should be there soon.'

A girl with long black hair stood a foot away, her blue eyes sparkling. "You've managed to escape?"

Harry gave a slight shrug accompanied with a smile. 'For the moment. I need to set things into motion for the fall.' He picked up a top-like bauble and signed to the shopkeeper that he would buy it.

Everyone of the Order sat for a little bit, just waiting for each to register what they had just heard.

Death Eaters had gone to Harry Potters house and he had not been there. There had been no signs of life. There had been a message on the wall of Potters room written--seemingly--in blood.

Everyone was silent.

Until Hedwig appeared out of thin air to deliver Harry's letter.

Harry straightened, stiffening slightly until he realized what had happened. 'Hedwig just delivered the letter to the Order.'

The girl just nodded her head. "That's good then. That should alleviate their fears."

He ran a hand through his hair. 'I didn't mean to scare them as I did though...'

"How did you know that they are scared?"

'The same way you guessed. Hedwig.'

With a heavy hand, Lupin extended his arm out to grasp the scroll that Hedwig clutched so firmly in one claw. "Isn't that just a bit too big for you?" he murmured to her.

Her wings flared up and both claws fell onto the scroll as she hooted indignantly towards him. Everybody was surprised at this show. She snorted before she got off the scroll and head butted it to Hermione.

Her fingers shaking slightly, Hermione opened the letter and then read it aloud.

---

I have done my research. (grins) The HP Lexicon is a very good site. (glomps it.) So glad I found it early. Otherwise I would have had Snape drinking a potion for colds instead of one to calm him down.

Melika Nosaki Nollie: I think that it's Regulas (Sirius' brother). I stayed up to read mine too. I got it at 12:01 and couldn't read it till 1:00 (which is when we got home) then read till five. Went to sleep and woke up on my own after two hours. Then read till eleven and then I had to go to work. (11-7) I'd managed to read to page 425. (grins )And thanks!
Smiley-name person that didn't leave a name that would show up: Sorry about the confusion. Does this make it better on what Snape meant?

-Glue