4. The Beginning
Wearing an old black robe and the wand safely hidden in her pocket, Riana was just passing through the door to the back gardens of her family's masion. Greyback was leaning against a tree, waiting for her. As she reached him, a wry smile appeared on his face, though his eyes were glittering dangerously.
"Snapey been giving you a pep-talk?"
She wasn't very sure he was joking.
"I haven't spoken with him. It took me a lot to find this old thing, you know." She replied on a neutral tone, pointing at her clothes as an excuse as why she had took so long.
Fenrir didn't move. She could feel the tension in the air.
"He wasn't at the party when I got there."
This time she was sure – he was definitely not joking. She kept her cool. Riana knew that deceiving Greyback was vital. It wasn't just her life depending on it anymore, but Severus' as well.
"I do not know where he was, and believe me, I don't care." She retorted coldly. Now she was happy she had had that outburst in her father's study. They should all believe that she disliked Snape.
Greyback was just preparing to reply, when the door of the mansion opened and Lucius appeared in the doorway. He was frowning.
"Haven't you left yet?" He snapped, his voice somewhere between anger and annoyance.
Fenrir signaled her with a small move of the head and they both disapparated.
Severus had barely managed to escape the suspicious looks and rather uncomfortable questions of Deke and Lucius. He told them he had been on the balcony, getting a breath of fresh air, but it was obvious they weren't convinced by that. Luckily, no one had noticed him going up and down the staircase.
The party had been long over. Lucius and his family had left and the Craides, one member short, had gone about their usual business. Severus was left to do his best in sneaking around, so no Ministry witch or wizard would stumble across him – and they were combing the streets quite thoroughly. Dumbledore's death had made most of the wizarding community angry.
Where was he to go? Until then, he had slept in a small inn on Knockturn Alley, wearing a disguise of course, but only that morning he had noticed a group on wizards asking questions about him. He couldn't risk going back there again. Spinner's End was an even worse choice – it was most likely kept under continuos observation. And, obviously, the old Black house was swarming with Order members. But there was one place… The Riddle Residence. After the whole thing at the end of the Triwizard Tournament 2 years ago, the Dark Lord would surely not have been reckless enough to continue living there. However, Severus couldn't be too sure – the Dark Lord never told anyone where he was hiding.. at least not that Snape knew of.
Since it was the best plan he had, Severus decided he would check it out. With a whoosh of his cloak, he was gone.
With a small sound, two figures apparated in the middle of what seemed to be an underground labyrinth. Fenrir shot the woman one last suspicious and almost savage look, then headed for one of the passageways and disappeared in the darkness, leaving her alone and clueless.
All for the best. She thought. She was, after all, supposed to be a scared victim who was certain she would get either lycanthropy or death. But I have my wand with me. Yes, I can keep it hidden, but what if the unexpected happens, and someone sees it? I have to find a plausible explanation to why I have it with me, but I don't use it… They… They threatened they'd kill me if I tried anything funny… but they meant that the general way – obviously, if they had known I had a wand, they would have taken it. Yeah, that sounds good, I had a wand, but I was too scared to remember that when they attacked, I could only think about running, escaping. But, eventually, they caught me. I hadn't used the wand, so they thought I didn't have one. They brought me here, blindfolded or something, because I don't know how to get out. And I don't just disapparate because… because… because I never passed my test! Brilliant! I just can't apparate. Silly, but simple – exactly what I need.
While making all the plans in her head, se was walking slowly, absently through random passageways.
All right. So I'm scared silly, I don't have the courage to try anything against them – I'm desperate. I don't know if should choose lycanthropy or death. I don't want to die, definitely not; I must still show hope, if I will be interested in joining the Order.
She would have had much more to say to herself, but her thoughts raced back to the former Potions Master of Hogwarts. Many feelings had woken up in her, but the strongest by far were those of admiration and respect. He had managed to fool the Dark Lord for so many years… and those ungrateful people! They wouldn't understand he was still on their side even if Voldemort himself would come and tell them that. After all, they didn't believe it coming from Dumbledore, why would they believe it coming from somebody else?
Her heart shrank. If they didn't believe it coming from Dumbledore… would they believe it coming from me? She pushed that thought away. She decided she would discuss it later with Snape. He probably knew how to handle that problem already, anyway. He always seemed to have all the answers. Riana chuckled. She had just remembered a rather amusing encounter between a young Ravenclaw and her Potions professor. Of course, it was amusing now – back then, she had been terrified.
In her mind's eye, Riana saw a 2nd year Ravenclaw wandering around the corridors, past curfew. A blonde, brown eyed girl, still in her school robes. She had left her Common Room to go explore the castle, but she ended up lost instead, and was desperately trying to find her way back before Peeves, Mrs. Norris, or Filch would run into her. She had just found herself in front of the Library, when a voice behind her made her freeze. And what would you be doing here at this hour, miss Craide? he had asked her. She had gulped and turned around slowly, muttering an excuse inaudibly. He had leaned towards her, telling her that, should it happen again he would take 100 points from her house and that she'd better go straight to bed. Just then, the image changed. The student was now 16 years old, Snape leaning towards her like he had before, only now she wasn't scared; something inside was begging him to come closer.
Blushing, Riana shook her head, pushing the image away. She knew it was perfectly normal for a student to have a crush on her teacher at such an age as 16, but the reason she had blushed was another. Once, he had caught her not paying attention in class. When he had asked why, she had only muttered an apology, avoiding the answer. He kept deducting points, but she still refused to speak, to the horror of her classmates. Then, he had used legilimancy. Images of what she had been daydreaming about flashed before her eyes, and she knew he had seen them too. He had looked positively shocked once he broke the spell. Without saying another word, he had went back to the lesson, before the confused eyes of the class. She had taken her seat, her whole face red as a tomato and tears of embarrassment in her eyes. She had been daydreaming about her and Snape, being together, in rather high detail. She always appreciated the fact that he had never told anyone anything, and had never brought it up again.
Her mind came tumbling down into reality. She had reached a passageway that was lighten with torches and she could hear – faintly, but still – movement and voices. She had finally made it to the populated part of the caves. Her first impulse was to move forward, but she paused instead. She hadn't had time to properly discuss things with Snape. Maybe she could contact him now, just to make sure that the charm worked properly.
She took out her wand, and took a look around. He had said to tap it on any surface. But if she would tap a wall, would the whole wall turn into a mirror? What if someone walked in? She couldn't mask a wall. After a moment, she frowned a little. Well, he did say any surface… She raised her left hand, looking at her palm. Raising the wand, she whispered. "Specularis!"
The Riddle Residence was empty. Severus had checked it carefully, and it was clear that no one had lived there in years. It seemed even the Ministry had gotten tired of patrolling around the house after 2 years. Sighing in relief, he entered the only inhabitable room – the one where Voldemort himself had stayed, before he had recovered his body. Hurrying to the broken, filthy windows, he pulled what was left of the old ragged curtains, so no Muggles would see fire burning in the house again.
With a perfectly aimed charm, a roaring fire started spreading its heat from the fireplace. Only then could Severus dare to lie down on a dusty, screeching couch. He closed his eyes for a moment. That was obviously the best place for him to hide in, until Riana would finish her part.
And then he realized. He had been questioned about where he had gone, surely they wouldn't have just let her go. She wouldn't have told them the truth, he was convinced she had more sense than that… She knew that was her only hope… their only hope. He closed his eyes again. It was long since he had last felt anxiety. If only she would find a good moment and contact me...
A few moments later, he felt a strange stiffness in his left hand. It was growing cold, as if it was slowly freezing. He tried to move his fingers, but he couldn't. Frowning, he stood, looking at his hand. His palm now had the texture of a mirror, and in the mirror…
"Mr. Snape…" Riana began shyly.
A faint smile of relief appeared on his tired, but no longer worried-looking face.
"Clever girl." He said on a more cheerful tone.
She smiled back, knowing he had meant her idea of using the palm of her hand.
"So, how are things going? Any problems?" He asked, becoming serious again.
"Greyback suspects you had come to talk to me. I denied it, of course, but he didn't believe me. You should be careful." Came a just as serious and concerned answer.
"I know, Deke and Lucius have the same suspicion. But don't worry, neither of them know where I'm hiding, so I daresay I'm safe for now."
Riana was just about to ask where, but thought better of it. If I don't know, I won't be able to tell even under torture. The thought of torture made her shudder for a moment. She was aware it was something she might have to go through at some point in this whole adventure, though.
"Ran into Lupin yet?" He asked.
"No… By the way, should I do as planned? Try to… seduce him?" The idea didn't appeal to her at all. "I mean, I don't think they would really care what means I use, as long as I get into the Order, right?"
There was a longer pause, before Severus' short, cold and rather spit out than spoken reply came.
"Do what you have to do."
"Finite Incantatem!"
Severus had broken the charm. A moment later, he regretted it. It was normal for her to ask, and even more, it proved that she trusted him. It certainly wasn't her fault that Severus couldn't even picture her in Lupin's arms without getting an impossible urge to destroy something. He had blamed it on his hate for Lupin, of course.
