Of course, this chapter is based on HBP. This story will unfold through the eyes of a lot of the characters - adults and teens. Please take in consideration, for the next scene, that Wormtail is not there. This scene goes from a POV to another and back again.
Oh, and just to keep it clear so you don't run for your life: Snape is not in love and will not "fall in love".
Chapter 8
Witnesses, Accomplices and Spies
Somewhere, in a sinister burg…
When the black-clad man and the desperate-looking blond woman clasped their hands together, the woman with the long black hair hesitantly drew her wand to join them in an Unbreakable Vow.
But a third woman, the one that was there against herself and against all her common sense, gasped against her trembling hand.
She was stuck against her will in a tiny, invisible room created by the man's effective and strong magic and all issues were spell-locked. While frenetically muttering counter-spells to be ready to move quickly if necessary, her eyes were not leaving the alarming scene that was unfolding, a few feet from her, through the peephole in the door. Her lean body against the magical wall, she swallowed hard and her mind started racing, as she asked herself, «What would Dumbledore think of this? Should I intervene? What's the kid supposed to do?»
Her heart fluttered when she saw a first snake of light rise from Bellatrix Lestrange's wand. The spy knew she was there to protect the man, Dumbledore asked her to and that darn magic her former professor had conjured was more than an habitual Claudaporta. The spy suddenly remembered an ancient spell her mother taught her for defence, as she was a little paranoid about dark magic…well, she had good reasons, didn't she?
The young woman was looking at her two aunts and felt slightly sick to her stomach. If her Mum had decided otherwise, she would maybe have become one of them. She tried to shiver away that thought.
Firmly holding her wand in her two hands, she closed her eyes and tapped it against her forehead. She pointed the tip towards the man, not knowing if the spell could go through those magical walls. Intently looking at the man, she mumbled with despair, «Immunitanimus.» She repeated the incantation two more times, trying to focus all her energy towards the man, as the snakes of light were tying him to the blond woman. Only then, she let herself slip to the floor, exhausted. She rubbed her arms in a self-reconforting gesture.
Doubt flooded her: did she do the right thing? Was this supposed to happen?
She decided to keep quiet what she had done.
For the moment.
A man, tall and sullen, his face frozen into a harsh expression, stayed a long time on the threshold of the neglected house, his cloak floating around him as the wind was bringing the earthy smell of the upcoming rain. He watched the two women walk away in the night and he saw them abruptly Disapparate.
His eyes were dark and inscrutable, but a deep wrinkle in his forehead gave away his bitterness. A nervous tick agitated his left eyelid. Breaking the silence, he took a deep breath. He was furiously thinking of the consequences of what he had just done. Racking his brains to make and remake all possibilities that were open to him, he could not identify what was the most damaging event: going for the Unbreakable Vow or having a witness to this mess.
He should have felt that something like that was coming his way, when he received Narcissa's owl this morning as Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his living room. While he was opening the letter, Dumbledore's blue eyes were like magnets. A few hours later, the young girl – he sneered as he thought of her heart shaped face- came knocking to his door, so full of herself, saying that Dumbledore had sent her for protection. He looked down on her, with a dismissive shrug, «You need protection, Nymphadora?» Under the hood, he could see her violet hair: she shot him back a glum look and her voice flapped like a flag when she retorted, «No, Professor Dumbledore says that you do.»
Thinking that Dumbledore believed he needed help was not comfortable: he pondered on the real reason why the Headmaster has sent a witness to this meeting, an Order of the Phoenix member, for all things. Did Dumbledore doubt his capacity to do his job? He choose to lock her out of this: what would she have done, Metamorphose herself into Wormtail? He snickered to that thought.
Lupin would have enjoyed the sight, he was sure of it.
The uncertainty, more than the humid air, made him shiver and he felt suddenly frozen stiff as he closed the door. His nimble hand pulled down his sleeve on his bare arm. His black hair hid his face when he sat down on a worn armchair. He needed to be alone, to think about this, what he would say to the Headmaster and he felt the urge to send the girl home, as fast as he could. But before, he would have to play his cards wisely.
His fingers brushed against an old copy of «Plants & Potions»: he took it and turned a page, the words dancing in front of his eyes. He grabbed his wand with the other hand and waved it towards a wall, first muttering incomprehensible words then saying loudly, «Declaudaporta! Get out now.»
A pretty young woman, with long dark violet hair, pushed the door that had just appeared through the arabesques that adorned the faded wallpaper. He could see tension in her face and her forehead was lined by a frown. He thought she looked tired and could not help to wonder, with malice, how hard she worked her magic to get out of there.
He watched Tonks wave her wand towards the door she had just passed and she whispered, «Disparere!» The outlines of the door faded in the wallpaper. She laid her wand besides the empty glasses on the coffee table and dropped down on the couch, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. He felt her eyes on his face, and he lifted his from the magazine. She looked like she was waiting for an explanation.
I don't owe you a thing.
Snape kept an expressionless face as she spoke, with growing irritation, « Did you ask Dumbledore for protection? Did you plan this little…ceremony?» Snape arched an eyebrow as Tonks was playing with a wisp of her violet hair, her lips tightly shut. She crossed her legs and she leaned towards him, as she continued, « What did you do to that door? That was not a simple Claudaporta, wasn't it? This was perfectly irresponsible. How could I have protected you if Lestrange had decided to hex you?» He watched her growing resentment and she added, almost barking, «Was it necessary to play the hero today? To go to the extent of this?»
Snape commented in a cold voice, disdainful, «I don't believe I will be discussing my motivations with an Auror. I'm surprised that you were frightened by this little display of strength between Bellatrix and me. Don't question my actions. I won't question yours.» Tonks lifted her chin defiantly, «My actions? Do you have something to say about my actions?»
Snape intently turned the page of his magazine and menace oozed from him as he said, «I wonder how the Minister of Magic would react if he learned that one of his Aurors, not only having failed to capture Bellatrix Lestrange last spring, has disobeyed to the strict order to disarm at sight. A simple Claudaporta between you and your aunt…quite pitiful, I must say. You are taking great risks for your cover in this troubled time.»
He watched with a cruel satisfaction her face blush from nervousness and she loudly exclaimed herself, «Don't call her my aunt. My cover? You can't be serious. You just put in danger numerous lives, including yours, so you could appease Lestrange galloping paranoia. You presented yourself as a spy! How much time are you going to be able to maintain this without getting caught? You could have got the information on the young Malfoy without resorting to the Unbreakable Vow.» Snape was keeping his face together but he was starting to boil: will this girl ever shut up and go away?
He looked at her with supreme indifference but Tonks was holding her side as she brought herself closer to him, «I'll give you my opinion, Snape, even if I know you couldn't care less about it-» Snape muttered, «That's perfectly true. Nice deduction, Auror Tonks.» Tonks clenched her jaw and she spurted, « Any wizard with the knowledge of what happened in the Department of Mysteries last spring would have trouble believing your cover, seeing you with Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy.»
Snape leaned towards her and he watched her shiver when he started talking, his voice lashing sarcasm, «Nymphadora, is this your point, if you have a point? You are scolding me because I'm doing my job? You are quite brass to undermined my loyalty to the Order. I'm quite touched, though, to see you sacrifice your peace of mind for my fate, but if I may I say… You should worry for yours first. I'm surprised that you did not take the chance to arrest them. »
He kept silence a few seconds, as Tonks was tightening up on the couch. Snape continued, his voice now light, «But I should have known that family bonds are strong.» Tonks pursed her lips, and gave him a very Black look, «Are you threatening me?»
Tonks swallowed and shame overcame her, followed closely by anger. This pretentious, contemptuous man, who visibly was ignoring that she had conjured a strong protection for him - she fiercely wished it had worked, she wanted him to be at her feet, thanking her for saving his skinny butt- this man was trying to bring on her back the fiasco of the operation that was held in the Ministry. She could not explain why he was able to always draw out from her troubled emotions and why she acted like a hysterical sissy when he confronted her. She tried to banish from her mind Remus' pained and rabid expression when she woke up at St. Mungo's after he told her Sirius was killed by Bella.
She spoke again, trying to impose herself a calm demeanour, «You are doubting my sincerity. Fair enough. I was asked by Dumbledore to protect you tonight. If I had known it was Lestrange, I would have done it the other way. Instead of letting me observe the scene from outside the house, and maybe prepare a trap, no, you locked me out on purpose, didn't you? You did not want me to blow your cover. This way, you tied my hands together. I could not do a thing. »
In front of her, Snape threw on the table the magazine and he got to his feet, «Justifications…I had to be sure you were not seen or heard. I'm sure the Dark Lord would have enjoyed finding one of his lieutenants lying on my carpet, from a fight with an Auror. » Tonks blushed when she realized that he was hinting to her proverbial clumsiness.
He was towering her and she blinked when he looked at her, «Why did you accept such a mission?» Tonks was going to retort that she did never questioned Dumbledore's missions, she was devoted to him, but she was drawn to the glistening eyes of a striped cat that were observing her from outside.
Watch itTonks startled: a voice resonated in her mind and her hand snagged a glass that fell and broke in pieces.
He heard something before the glass broke up. He advanced to her with a surprising limber move and he asked coldly, «What did you say?» He saw Tonks shook her head a little too rapidly, «Nothing. I'm sorry, I've broken your…I'll take care of that.» She waved her wand slightly and the glass was intact again. Snape sat on the table before her and he plunged his eyes into hers. Their knees were almost touching and he could see with satisfaction that she was trying to protect her mind from him.
Nothing to hide, really?Their faces were close and she looked repulsed when he said in a dull manner, «I've been your teacher, Nymphadora, and I had the first-hand look at how the tip of your nose moves slightly when you lie. I had tremendous occasions to watch for this, having taught you for seven years and having been lied to all those years. What... did...you...say?»
Snape saw her face contort as she said slowly, «I said, I'm here because of Dumbledore. Why do you do all this?» He scrutinized her face, looking for confusion, accusation or anger – he could read her face well - and he flatly said, «The ultimate causes are bigger than us. This being said, it's none of your business.» She asked again, a pushy glimpse in her dark eyes, «Like to protect Harry's life?»
Harry PotterThe name lashed in his mind like a whip. Snape snarled, «That's your job. There is a lot at stake, not only Potter. » He saw her break into a calculating smile: she looked suddenly really happy and he jolted again when he felt magic emanate from her. He captured something, a word,
NOThe Auror softly said, «You're talking about the Bearer's protection?»
He felt his anger rise and to his uttermost frustration, heat coloured his face. How could she know about this?
He grasped Tonks' shoulder, «What do you know about her?» Tonks jerked and tried to liberate from his tight grip, «You're hurting me. Let me go now.» He took away his hand, berating himself to have lost his cool. He said unctuously, looking at the tip of her nose, « So you know about the Bearer.»
Tonks massaged her shoulder, a warning darkening her eyes . «Of course, I know her. She is three or four years older than me. I think she worked briefly for the Magical Secret Services. But you must know that. Haven't you got her in your classes?»
Snape stared at Tonks. Of course he remembered her. A gifted Slytherin, one of his good students that he had tried to coax into Potions Higher Education. A Pureblood Bearer.
When she decided to try the Auror training instead, he was furious for days; he told her briskly that she was dishonouring her house, acting like a hot shot Gryffindor instead of a opportunistic moving Slytherin. It had been Bill Weasley's fault, he was sure of it. He had an extraordinary influence on her. Snape thought he should have separated them in class.
When Dumbledore told him this morning that she was considering joining the Order, Snape saw Dumbledore scrutinizing him. The Headmaster knew what her presence would bring back to him.
My past, again and again, thrown to my faceSnape noted again that Tonks was rubbing her nose, as she was trying to hide it as she dismissively said, « We'll need her soon, though. Hermione Granger has been hit by-» Snape did an annoyed gesture as he interrupted, «Yes, yes, I know about Contamination spells. I've been brewing potions. Will she intervene soon?»
Snape watched Tonks carefully, as she was trying to keep control on the tip of her nose, «Nobody knows where she is.»
Outside, a cat jumped from the windowsill and slipped in a shrub.
A Muggle would have been astonished to see a dignified woman, clad in a long tartan cloak and a bonnet, extirpate herself from the branches and leaves. She hurried to another shrub and took in her hand a rusty teakettle. In a swish, Professor McGonagall vanished.
To be continued...
