Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do not own the characters, they belong to the wonderfully talented J.K. Rowling. I am making no profit whatsoever off of this story.
A/N: Hey everybody, I know it's been a really long time and I'm sorry. Life just kept getting in the way, as well as my laziness. And just when I was about ready to post, I overstretched the ligaments in my thumb, which set back my writing and corrections to the story. I also spent a week in Dryden, Ontario, which is about a seventeen hour drive from where I live, at OFSAA for volleyball. For anyone who isn't a Canadian, or Ontario resident, OFSAA is the Ontario championships. It was uber cool, and it was my team's first time there. Then I spent a week in New Orleans, Louisiana with my boyfriend and his family, so I didn't have any time to post. Again, my apologies.
I HAVE A REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! My friend, Meg, has kindly beta'ed this chapter for me and she will be the one looking after all of my mistakes from now on. So, even though there may be mistakes, they're still mine.
Review Responses
duj—Thanks again for the review, I really needed it (you're my most loyal reviewer!). I was thinking of doing that, your idea may still come to pass if I decide to keep the school open. Hehehe
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Auror101—Thanks for the vote of confidence in my story development.
Chapter Six: New Life
"Severus! Severus, damn it!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door as
the man currently grumbling about his noisy and unwanted visitor descended the stairs quickly. He wrapped his tattered housecoat around himself more tightly and opened the door, scowling fiercely at his intruder.
"This had better be good, Draco," he grumbled, glaring harshly at his former student.
"Oh, it is, my friend; of that, I can assure you," a sibilant and all-too-unwelcome voice chuckled. Severus felt his heart drop to the floor, but managed to force a pleased expression onto his usually emotionless features as he extended his hand to his former friend.
"Lucius," he murmured, the two of them embracing almost warmly, while Severus allowed himself to think that they were friends again. He could not, after all, allow himself to believe otherwise, or else his entire cover would be blown to pieces. "I had heard of our Lord's plans to free those loyal to him from Azkaban, but I had not realized that it would be so soon."
"I have heard many a rumour as well, Severus," Lucius replied never the one to be blunt about what he wanted. Severus invited the father and son into his old and mouldy house, realizing that he was not the most prepared host.
"I apologize for the state of the place. Ever since Wormtail moved out to join the Dark Lord and rid myself of his filth, I haven't had any inclination to clean it," Severus explained when they entered the low-lit sitting room to find dust clinging to nearly every surface.
"This seems a bit low, Severus, even for you," Lucius sneered, curling his lip at the lack of luxury that he was clearly expecting since his escape from the wizard prison.
"A temporary abode, old friend, until the Dark Lord finalizes the plans for all of his loyal followers to move into Headquarters," Severus replied. He fought the urge to grit his teeth in annoyance at the man.
"Ah, so the Dark Lord believes you to be loyal to him, now, does he?" Lucius asked in a tone that only spoke of his disbelief if you were looking for it. Through years of dancing around the darker circles of society, Severus had learned to decipher others' true feelings simply through their tone of voice, no matter how subtle the inclination.
"In case you hadn't heard, Lucius, your son was charged with the mission of killing Dumbledore…I only helped him speed the process up a little," Severus answered, allowing a smirk to come to his lips. "Forgive me. I still find the idea of the old fool's death quite amusing. He even begged." Severus sent a silent plea for forgiveness to his mentor when he said this, knowing full well that he had no such feelings on the matter.
"Indeed?" Lucius asked, clearly pleased by the idea of Albus Dumbledore pleading for his life. "Well, it seems that I have not only underestimated my son, but also you, Severus. For that, I apologize." Severus was not fooled by the fake apology, knowing that Lucius had never asked for forgiveness for anything he'd done in his life.
"I accept. Although I know that you wanted to catch up with me, why did you come in the middle of the night?" Severus continued. He wanted to know what foul plans Lucius had been concocting ever since his incarceration in the wizard prison.
"You never were one to mince words, were you Severus?" Lucius smirked, pale grey eyes assessing his old friend. A thick silence descended upon them as they each made their own assumptions about the other. "I came to you, firstly to thank you for your interference in Draco's plans, for I doubt he could have done it alone. Narcissa tells me that you made an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco and to ensure that should he be unable to finish his task, you would undertake it yourself. For your willingness to protect my son when I could not, I thank you."
Draco's eyes flicked to Severus at the news, as he had not been privy to Lucius's understanding until then. Severus's eyes briefly met his, then turned to Lucius again as the man began speaking once more.
"There is another matter that I wish to discuss with you, old friend," Lucius whispered.
"A moment, Lucius. I recognize that tone and I wish to have a drink. Would you care for one?" Severus interrupted, rising from his armchair. It disconcerted him that Lucius looked worried, a foreign expression on his usually cool and collected features.
"No," Lucius murmured, sitting back against the couch in which his wife had sat a year prior.
"Draco?" Severus offered, and the youth nodded after glancing surreptitiously at his father. "Is wine alright?"
"Yes, Severus," he replied quietly and Severus went to fetch the same wine he had served Narcissa and Bellatrix when they had been there. Once he had returned and served the wine, he gestured for Lucius to continue with his dialogue and the older man did so, looking composed once again.
"I have visited the Dark Lord and he means for you to take command of his army--"
"I know of his plans, yes," Severus interrupted.
"He means for Draco to take over as negotiator between himself and the dark forces who have not joined us yet. You know that it leads to often dangerous and taxing missions, Severus, having been a negotiator yourself. It is not a job that I can see my son surviving for long," Lucius implored. "You are favoured by the Dark Lord beyond all others, you could make him change his mind."
"If you believe that being head of the Dark Lord's army is going to grant me clemency when I make such a request, then you are a fool, Lucius," Severus snarled. This was indeed quite a development and one Severus had not been prepared to counter. After all, Draco was merely a boy, not even of age yet, and the Dark Lord planned to give him this important and yet highly dangerous post of negotiator. "I cannot rule over our Lord's wishes. If he wants Draco to undertake a negotiating position, there is hardly anything that I can do to change his mind."
"Severus, why would he do this to me? He has already tested Draco and it was my impression that he had passed. I think he means to rob me of my only heir, Severus, and I will not let that happen," Lucius snarled fiercely.
"And nor would I, were I in your position. You must understand that the Dark Lord was furious when he found out how you'd fared against Potter and his friends at the Ministry. He does not forget, Lucius, nor does he forgive those mistakes easily. You saw for yourself how I was treated when he was angry with me. It has taken me years to regain his trust again, and had I any remaining relatives, I am sure he would have taken his rage out on them. Do not jump to any conclusions yet; let things play out and see where it takes Draco." Severus looked at Draco for a few moments as he continued. "Your son may surprise you, Lucius. I have watched him closely over the last year and he is very well prepared for what may or may not come to pass in the next few months."
Lucius's own gaze swept to Draco, looking at him in a clearly dubious way, then huffed in frustration, looking down to his hands, which were clasped in his lap. He stood abruptly, dragging Draco up with him by the arm and Severus mimicked their movements, realizing that their tense discussion was over. As he saw them out with words meant to comfort, he contemplated the news he had recently been given. He sighed again; Draco's dilemma was only adding to his already complicated life.
He was worried for Draco's safety as much as Lucius seemed to be, having been a negotiator for three years of his service to the Dark Lord. It was a dangerous job that had nearly gotten him killed several times. If it hadn't been for Albus…
Severus huffed at himself in annoyance, steering his thoughts away from that topic forcefully, lest he be overcome by any unwelcome emotions. He sat in his armchair long after the pair had left, thinking desperately of anything that he could do to help the young Malfoy heir, but nothing came to mind. He had become so used to looking out for Draco over the past year that it came as second nature now and without a concrete plan, he was torn.
A slight burning in his left forearm let him know that the Dark Lord wished to speak with him, so he quickly rose from his seat and went to change into his black Death Eater robes.
His arrival was greeted almost warmly as he bent to kiss his master's robes reverently, making him wonder what had the Dark Lord in such a good mood.
"Severus," Voldemort hissed, his voice sending a frisson of worry down the Potions Master's spine. "Your rooms are nearly prepared for your arrival, you should be able to move in tomorrow at the very latest."
"Thank you, my Lord," Severus replied obediently, thankful at least for the protection that being in the Order had offered him.
"That is not all that I wished to discuss. We have captured an old friend of yours, someone you knew from the Order. I thought you might want to have a bit of fun with him before we killed him," the snake-like creature in front of him laughed.
"A challenge, I see. Who is it that was so fortunate to stumble into our den?" Severus asked with a devilish grin. The den of snakes, he thought. His heart was pounding with something akin to fear, wondering who they could have caught. His mind ran down the list quickly, trying to guess from the smirk on the Dark Lord's face whether the member was someone important.
"Mundungus Fletcher. Not so high up in importance, but he may have some valuable information on Dumbledore's Order," Voldemort answered. His cruel laughter sent a chill down the spine of the normally collected spy. "Or what's left of it, rather." Severus forced a lacklustre laugh from his chest, although it tightened painfully from the reminder of his mentor's death. Again, he snuffed those feelings out like he would a candle, and smirked coldly.
"I would like a chance to play with him, just to see if he has the information. Thank you for the opportunity, my Lord," he murmured, bowing respectfully, even though he was feeling nothing of the sort.
"Think nothing of it, Severus. Now that you are to lead my army, I believe you deserve to deal out some payback to those fools who trusted you on Dumbledore's behalf."
I believe that it is you who is the fool for trusting me, Tom, Severus mentally corrected the man, but he had already followed the Dark Lord down to the dungeons of his manor safe house. When Severus entered, he could immediately detect that Fletcher had already been tortured for a while by the two guards watching him and sneered in disgust at the stench coming from the petty thief.
"You," Fletcher rasped out when his eyes rose to meet Severus's black gaze, narrowing in anger. "How dare you show your face after what you did."
As Severus drew his wand to renew the torture, he reflected that he was not going to enjoy the information-gathering so much as he was the torture of someone who still believed him to be evil. Of course, after the torture, Severus reflected, he may just have to go and throw himself off the nearest cliff for ever believing that he could enjoy it. And with a feral grin at his now-enemy, Severus unleashed the fury of the Cruciatus Curse.
A/N: Again, I hope you liked this chapter, I spent a lot of time toiling over it. Also, updates may be few and far between because it's my last year of high school and university applications are flying left and right. Thanks to anyone who's stuck by me since I began writing this fic. Toodles.