1ST: WARNINGS! This chapter contains depictions of violence. They are not graphic but make sure to make the right choice for you before proceeding!
Hey friends, Sorry this is laate. As per usual, my class is kicking my butt. Hopefully I get a second update out this weekend, I will try very hard! As always, thanks for reading and your support. I know for some, the side quest Snape and Death Eater stuff isn't their favorite, but I think it's important for Snape's portion of this journey and for Penny to see EXACTLY who Snape is, where he's been and what he's done. Alright, enjoy!
When they stepped through the large double doors, Penny could not help but gasp a little. She knew the manor would be grand from the outside, but the marble entryway and staircase were so stunning, Penny wondered how it was someone's home, surely it was much too nice to be lived in. She felt like she was tainting it by walking over it.
They all paused for a moment, Penny finally looking over to meet the blue eyes that were watching her with interest. They were very startling against his dark brown hair. He was very handsome and noticeably younger than Snape. There was a youthful mischievousness in his blue eyes that Penny did not like. While his smile was charming, she felt as though it were the worm to lure the fish close enough to snare. Penny did not want to be anywhere near him, so she looked away, so she chanced a glance at Snape who's own gaze was also on the young man, a distinct look of distrust on his features.
"Is she a muggle?" the stranger asked, casually, still watching Penny.
"Half-blood," Snape corrected, producing Penny's wand, amazing her with how swiftly he'd removed it from her. She really needed to be better about keeping track of it.
"Pity, she would have been an ideal May Queen. No matter though, I'm sure she will still prove to be entertaining enough."
Snape gave a small snort in the back of his throat that Penny would have believed to be a natural response to the conversation, but the grip on her arm told her it was likely Snape stopping himself from remarking on the sentiment.
"I forgot, the spy cannot have a good time," the stranger said, a note of irritation in his voice, apparently taking the snort as one of derision.
"Or perhaps your idea of a good time, Alecto, is utterly mundane," Snape sneered.
"Don't worry. Severus, the Dark Lord has acquired plenty of little boys for tonight's festivities, no doubt you will find those more to your taste," Alecto said.
Before Snape could respond Alecto turned and made for the West side of the house, leaving Snape looking oddly relieved at his exit, and unusually unperturbed by his jab. Penny on the other hand was staring at her Potions Master in shock trying hard to comprehend not only the conversation she'd just witnessed but also the reality of her situation. Penny, in theory, knew Death Eaters were awful, evil even. They killed and tortured, and of course, Snape had been one of them, and was still one of them for Dumbledore, but she'd never been able to imagine the reality of the life Snape had lived and was now living.
The thought sent goosebumps bursting all over her skin, which caught the attention of Snape, who looked down his hooked nose on her, his brow furrowed. With a steely iciness he seemed to set his jaw and then push her towards the staircase, whispering harshly, "Say nothing." He proceeded to drag her up the staircase, turning right once they reached the top, steering her away from the sound of voices talking loudly in a room at the far end of the hall.
Snape opened a door and pushed Penny into a dark room. Evidently paranoid, he pulled out his wand and muttered "muffliato" and then dragged Penny toward a very spacious cupboard that he shut the two of them into.
"What was that? Little boys as in children?" Penny said, rounding on Snape.
"Pott-" Snape started before stopping himself, glancing toward the door like a tweaker might. "You are sitting on very thin ice, I suggest you do as you're told and shut up," he continued, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I'm on thin ice? This is all your fault! I was having a perfectly normal day-"
"Does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours! Do you have any idea the kind of-what he'd do-that I'd-" Snape raged in hissed whisper, struggling to find words to convey his anger.
"Yes, actually it does. Tell me, what is the honor that is bestowed upon the May Queen, hmm? Something tells me she will not like receiving the honor as much as what that Alecto guy looked like he'd get from bestowing it."
"You will stay away from Alecto, and Amycus," Snape snapped, returning to his severe alertness.
"Because I was planning to ask them to tea?" Penny said, darkly. "The only thing I'll be doing is leaving."
"You can't!" Snape said so forcefully in his whisper that his voice cracked.
"Can't? Can't is a contraction for cannot, and cannot is basically synonymous with incapable, and I assure you I am very capable," Penny replied, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"The Manor is magically protected-"
"I worked that much out myself, thanks. I'll walk back down the drive."
Penny tried very hard to suppress an eye-roll, watching Snape in the hovering light he'd conjured. His features burned brightly even in the dim light, but he seemed to decide it best to ignore her, and proceeded to move past her to start looking through what was hanging just behind them.
"Even if you could apparate, every Death Eater in the country is either already here or on their way.".
"So I don't walk down the middle of the pathway? What is the point you're trying to get across because in case you forgot, you left Snuffles tied up in the middle of London."
Seemingly dissatisfied with the options, Snape turned back on Penny.
"Black will be fine, you, on the other hand, might not be so fortunate. I believe it's also pertinent to remind you we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for Black's stupidity," Snape said, his voice getting steadily lower.
"That's rich, blame Snuffles for this . Tell me, exactly how is hanging out with one's goddaughter a worse offense than apparating off to some Malfoy-Manor-Midsomer-Muggle-Murdering-Masquerade?" Penny said in a huff.
"We do not have the time for your asinine accusations. I would not have believed I'd need to impress upon you the amount of danger you are in, but you have made it evident you lack any survival skills. But as it stands, the only thing between you and endless torture at the hands of the Dark Lord is that that hair color of yours, and I imagine even that won't hold when Lucius get's a look at you," Snape spat.
"So make me invisible and drop me out the window already!"
"Have you not been listening! The manor is protected!"
"Yes! So I can't aparate, but-"
"You lack any imagination, do you think the Dark Lord would not have set up precautions for those wanting to use a magical disguise to infiltrate his ranks?" said Snape, taking a step toward Penny."
"Alright, what's your plan, supreme leader?" Penny said, crossing her arms in annoyance.
Snape merely stared down on Penny, the vein in his neck throbbing and his jaw twitching, but he said nothing.
"Seems as though I'm not the only one lacking," Penny said, smugly.
"Will you pretend to take this seriously!" Snape said in a half-yell half-whisper, stopping abruptly when the sound of someone opening the door just outside the cupboard met their ears.
A swift hand took a hold of Penny's waist, pulling her into the corner of the cupboard. Snape's other hand snaked its way around her mouth, his hot breath hitting her ear as he whispered "Shh." As he spoke, he released her waist, reaching for his wand. Penny could feel the energy change around him, watching as the light went out while she listened hard.
"I really should get back, I was told the May Queens needed to be cleansed first," a tentative female voice said.
"I've been to these things plenty of times, trust me, you're not missing much,' a bored voice said.
The dull, husky tones were mildly familiar to Penny but she could not place them because she found it hard to pay attention, finding herself suddenly hyper aware of Snape's steady breathing and how the heart beneath his shirt beat as though it were any normal day. Penny on the other hand, clutched the front of Snape's robe in an attempt to calm her shaking, her own heart beating so violently she thought it might leap from her chest.
"Oh?" the girlish tones said, sounding more intrigued. "So. . .so do you think I have a chance at being selected?"
"You?" You're much too ugly," the man replied. The distaste evident in his tone jogged Penny's memory of the other man who'd looked like the brother of Alecto, Amycus.
"If that's your opinion, why did you invite me here?" the girl said, angrily.
"I thought that was obvious, no one will miss you," the man said, his monotone voice suddenly becoming alight with malice.
A violent thud against the door startled Penny so much she flinched, causing Snape to pull her closer to his chest, his quiet vibrations buzzing through his clothing and finding Penny, making her feel safe.
"That hurts." The voice was desperate, pleading-frightened.
"It's only fun when it does."
A yell followed his words, the girl crying out, begging him to stop.
"What are you doing?" she sobbed.
"Cutting your heart out. Did you know you have to reach through the abdomen and beneath the rib cage to get there?" Amycus said, so casually, Penny felt suddenly overcome with sickness.
A part of Penny did not believe what she heard was real. Surely the two were joking and would laugh it off soon. But the more Penny listened , the more she could not convince herself, and the more she began to feel frustrated that they were hiding in a closet listening to the horrible man. . .They had to help the girl outside the door, he was torturing her, was likely about to kill her. The horrible realization that Penny was witnessing what were possibly this girl's last moments sent vivid images of Cedric to the forefront of her mind. But Cedric was gone, Penny no longer able to pull him back, but this girl, she was just beyond the door, if Penny could just reach her. . .
But Snape held her ever more firmly, his hand still firm against her mouth. He pressed his head against Penny's, bringing his mouth so close to her ear that his lips tickled it when he whispered, "We can't, if he discovers who you are-"
Penny wanted to argue with him, to refuse, scream and force the situation, but as the words left his mouth, she felt the steady heart beneath her begin to beat erratically. It was this break in composure, his display of fear that kept Penny's mouth shut.
Was she a horrible person? Did she believe her life was worth more than the girl just outside, screaming and pleading? Sickening gurgling and choking sounds reaplced the screaming and were possibly worse than any scream Penny had ever heard. Then, the horrible sound of something soft and wet hitting the floor reverberated off Penny's eardrums. Penny was relieved to discover it was not the girls body as she seemed to find her voice again, but the agony in her voice was unbearable and Penny wanted nothing more than to close her ears, but at the same time, she felt like she owed it to the girl to be attentive to every moment she had left, to take them and remember, to give some meaning to such a brutal end.
But that did not stop the hot wet tears from rolling down her face and her body from shaking uncontrollably. With his hand, Snape reached down to Penny's hand and pried it from the front of his robes and engulfed it in his own. He held it tightly, life and energy spiraling from his fingertips, reminding Penny of another hand she'd once held. Cedric's hand had always been soft. He reached for hers and held her own so tenderly that Penny often marveled at his gentleness. But Snape's hand was nothing like that. It did not seek to coax her like Cedric's, rather it was rough and firm, holding Penny, demanding her to focus on it. There was something about Snape's hand that made her feel he would never let her go.
"You bled out already? That's no fun, I'll need to work faster next time," Amycus said, sounding irritated.
A sickening squashing sound followed his words, Penny assuming he'd let her body fall to the floor in a pool of her own blood and entrails. A minute passed with no sound, Penny terrified the door to the cupboard would open at any moment and reveal them, but to her relief it was the bedroom door that opened and shut. Snape waited several more minutes before he released her to step past her and listen at the door.
He waved his wand several times, murmuring. When he finished, he seemed satisfied they were alone again. He watched her for several moments before he walked back toward her, taking her hand and placing it on his chest.
"Breathe with me," he said.
Penny stared at him, trapped in her confusion. It wasn't until she focused on the rising and falling of his chest that she realized she'd been hyperventilating. Choking on her sobs, Penny looked up at the darkness to where she assumed the dark eyes would be and followed his rhythm, forcing herself to take long, slow breathes.
"We will stay the night, there are no other options. But they must not discover who you are and under no circumstances are they to think you are a May Queen, do you understand me?"
Penny nodded, her breathing calmed, but her hand shaking out of control.
"You will need to trust me, if you do not, I cannot help you," Snape went on, his voice harsh and unapologetic, almost as though he were trying to convince himself more than her.
"At no point in the evening are you to act as though you know me, do not even look at me. Make eye contact with no one. "
Again, Penny nodded, too afraid that opening her mouth would lead to an endless stream of vomiting.
"You will stay here, if my plan goes accordingly, you will know when to open this door. Before I go, how certain are you of your friendship with Mr. Malfoy?" Snape said, his voice returning to that of the Potions Master interrogating her for misbehavior.
"What do you mean? Of course he's my friend," Penny replied weakly.
"Would you trust him with your life?" Snape pressed.
"Yes," Penny blurted out.
"Good," Snape reaching for the door knob. He paused for a moment, staring at her in the dark. Penny wanted to ask him to stay, to help her come up with another plan, and to tell her what was going on in that head of his, but he turned and was gone before her thoughts could form sentences.
As soon as the door shut, Penny's heart began racing again. What had she just said, just agreed to? Did she trust Draco with her life? Perhaps thinking a little bit more would have been a wiser decision. Draco had proven himself to be inclined to self preservation. If his family was at stake, sneaking Penny, the sister of Harry Potter, the archenemy of Voldemort who Draco's father worshiped; would he turn Penny in?
The dilemma was a welcome distraction from the reality of what Penny had just witnessed but it did nothing for her nausea, in fact the worry seemed to make her feel even more sick. Would Penny end up like the girl outside? Would Amycus get the chance to better his technique on her? What about Voldemort, what would he do if he were to discover who she were?
Penny slid herself down the wall and pulled her knees in, hugging them to herself. Then she tucked her head onto it and silently cried. For whatever reason she felt suddenly overwhelmed and homesick. She wanted to be back at Hogwarts, safe behind the walls with Harry. The thought of her twin made the guilt in her heart grow three times bigger. Why had she and Sirius been so selfish? Was Harry worried about her now? And Lupin too? Would she ever get the chance to tell them she was sorry?
The questions tormented her, swirling through her psyche, reminding her of everything self absorbed thing she'd done recently, making her wish for the chance to make them right, to do better this time. But the chance felt like it was slipping from her fingers as Penny became increasingly convinced she would not be leaving this manor.
The sound of the door to the room opening slammed Penny back into reality. She sprang to attention, holding her breath and listening intently.
"Amycus, Severus-agh, that disgusting, petulant psycho. Looks like he was trying to draw it out, poor thing," a smooth voice said, sounding thoroughly disgusted.
Penny knew that voice, it was that voice that propelled Penny to her feet. Reaching for the door she yanked it open, startling Draco. His wand in his hand, he leapt away from the body he'd been kneeling beside.
Forcing herself not to look down, chest heaving, Penny said, "I need your help."
"Penny?" Draco said, taking a tentative step forward. "What the-your hair?"
"Please Draco, I need to get out of here. If any of them realize who I am. . ." Penny said, stepping over the body at the threshold of the cupboard and nearly slipping on the pool of slick blood.
Draco's pretty eyes, if possible, widened even more as realization dawned on him. He glanced behind him nervously, taking a casual step backward again.
"I-I can't," he said, not meeting her gaze.
Just incase anyone is worried, no Snape doesn't like little boys in my story!