Chapter Two
She landed smoothly outside a small wooden house. She knocked on the door.
"Narcissa… didn't know I'd be finding you here…"
"Severus, it's a pleasure to see you again, as always."
"Unfortunately I'm afraid I can't say the same thing… What do you want?"
"Only a place to stay for a few days. I would go to my family, but as Lucius is currently, as I'm sure you've heard, on the run… and my parents would be very disappointed if they knew that I wasn't with him… you know how they are about priorities… a woman must stay at her husband's side at all times and all that… I thought maybe seeing as we used to be friends…?" Severus' eyes narrowed considerably.
"Used to be, Narcissa. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Goodbye," he said, shutting the door.
"Wait!" She shouted quickly. He paused. "I can give you… money!" He snorted.
"You obviously don't know me well if you think you can tempt me with a few galleons…" Narcissa opened her mouth to retaliate, but suddenly she heard a small giggle from behind him.
"Sevvie? Where have you gotten to, silly boy?" Narcissa had enough time to see a blond head appear in the hallway, before it disappeared back into a room.
"I understand," she said coldly. "You have… other business to attend to. Goodbye Severus, you silly boy." She turned on one heel and started to leave.
"Narcissa."
"Yes?"
"You can stay."
"If it's not too inconvenient of course…" she said sweetly.
"It is," he scowled, holding the door open for her. "Go to the left, I have to take care of something first." She smiled and stepped into the house. She turned to the left and ended up in what looked like the kitchen. There she waited, listening carefully to the heated conversation taking place in the other room.
"Pandora, you have to go now," she could hear Severus saying.
"Why?"
"This is a bad time."
"Is it because of the woman?" Pandora said shrilly.
"No," he lied.
"I'm sick of being your doormat... I can't just pick up and leave whenever you want me to!"
"Well now you won't have to be. I think we should stop seeing each other. This just isn't worth it," Severus said coldly.
"After all we've been through… and this is the end?"
"There was never a beginning… Honestly Pandora, you didn't think this was serious did you? We never even talked really…" Narcissa heard objects crash to the floor as Pandora aimed curse after curse at Severus. She couldn't help laughing as Severus carried a stunned Pandora out of the house. He came back soon after.
"Alright Narcissa, what is this all about? Lucius I mean," Severus asked, sitting down.
"Well, Lucius seems to think he's better off hiding from the Dark Lord, which, I'm sure you'll agree, is suicide. He's taken Draco with him, and I just don't want to lose my life over something I know is a bad idea…"
"Fool. I told him not to hide. But why come here Narcissa? Surely you must have made several very good acquaintances while married to Lucius who would have been glad to let you stay with them…"
"All Lucius' friends," she dismissed. "You're pretty neutral Severus… Both Dumbledore's party and the Death Eaters trust you. I thought I'd be safe from both if I came here."
"You were sadly mistaken. I don't see how you could not know this, but Dumbledore is dead, and the Order of the Phoenix knows it's my fault. They're bound to come after me at some point," he sighed.
"I see. Do they know you live here?"
"No. Only Dumbledore knew, and I have already put as many anti-tracking spells as possible on this house."
"Then I think I'll stay," she said.
"How long is it you're staying exactly?"
"I don't know. Is it important? Do you have other plans?" He stood up abruptly.
"You show up uninvited, and use a friendship that hasn't existed for more than 17 years to fight your way in. You expect me to just drop everything and to look after you. Why don't you stay at a hotel I wonder? You plan to stay indefinitely. It's none of your business what plans I have or don't have! I want you out as soon as possible, you hear?" he shook her angrily. Taken aback, she stood up too, and took a step away from him.
"I'm sorry I caused this much trouble. Don't worry Snape, I won't be coming here any longer," she said quietly.
"Good." She started to walk away. She paused in the hallway.
"Severus," she whispered. "You know I had no control over what happened. If I did, you know what I would have chosen."
"That's where you're wrong," he said acidly, his eyes icy and fiery at the same time. "You did have a choice. You just picked the wrong option. Goodbye Narcissa, I won't be seeing you." He turned his back to her, and she had no choice but to walk out, and though he would never know, there were tears running down her face.