AN: Thank you for the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
Wicked Witch Molly was a far more tasteful decorator than the Molly of his world. Instead of blinding orange wallpaper and Quidditch posters around the castle, her throne room was a stone wall with open windows. In the center of the room was a table with a crystal ball, no doubt the way she'd kept track of them. There were a few dark corners where she had more than likely planted some traps.
In moments like this, Severus was grateful for being a spy. Molly was a few bristles short of a broom, and Severus had years of experience lying to two masters. If Dorothy and her friends could escape the Wicked Witch's grasp unscathed, he was confident he could do the same.
"So Severus, you're finally here," Molly gave him that smug smile he'd come to despise over the years.
"Indeed, I was simply in the area and decided to stop by. I was hoping you'd have some tea, or at least a biscuit."
"Sarcastic to the end," Molly growled.
"I am who I am," Severus eyed the closed door, trying to determine what could be behind there. In the movie there were soldiers of the Witch. If they were behind the door, how many could there be?
"I'll give you one last chance," Molly took one step towards him. "Give me the shoes, and I'll make sure you and your friends die a painless death, well," she tapped her foot. "Relatively painless."
"How could I ever think to give up such a nice pair of shoes? The arch support in these is amazing. It's great for those long days running around Oz," he answered. "I would prefer to keep them if at all possible."
"So that's the way you want to play it," Molly chuckled before turning to George and Fred. "Has your bedding been lighter than usual?"
"No, it's fine," George recoiled.
"Everything is perfect. It always is," Fred answered.
"Oh but my dears, I was walking by yesterday and the hay appeared dirty. You also appear to be flat," Molly looked at Harry. "It looks like it could use more straw."
"I guess it could," George admitted.
"Then go grab some!"
George and Fred leapt on Harry and began ribbing handfuls of straw from his body.
"Stop!" Severus shouted.
"NO! Not until I have those shoes!" Molly shrieked.
"I'll give you the stupid shoes if you'll stop."
"No!" Harry yelled as he began to slump. "You can't give her those shoes under any circumstances."
"No, I won't keep the shoes if she harms you." He reached down towards them.
"No," Harry threw what remained of his body onto Severus' right shoe. "We promised the Good Witch of the North we wouldn't let you give them away. It's what we had to do to help her awaken you."
"Can you not break the promise?"
"Would you want to break a promise to a witch?"
"Oh stupid, stupid Potter," Severus muttered.
"Get off of him." Hermione thrust the monkeys across the room. They slammed against the wall.
"Now that wasn't very nice," Molly began. "Then again, what could I have expected out of someone with no heart?"
"Leave Severus and Harry alone. It's me you want, not them," she argued.
"Oh yes, you've been a pain in my arse since the day Ron laid eyes on you. I always thought rusting in the rain was too good for you. I've dreamed of doing something more personal."
"Let Severus and the rest of them go," she demanded. "You can have me, torture me however you like. Just leave them alone."
"I have a better idea," Molly's smile was as twisted as any as Severus had seen on Voldemort. "I'll do whatever I want to you while Severus is helpless to intervene! I'll have everything I want then!"
"Don't you dare hurt her," Severus retorted.
Molly snapped her fingers and held out her other hand. An axe landed in it. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Do you remember this axe?" Molly lowered her voice. "It was quite useful to you for a time. It's only too bad it began to…malfunction."
"You can't scare me with that. I'm not afraid of it, not anymore."
"I have no idea whether to commend you for your fearlessness, or rejoice that your stupidity makes all my plans work so much better." Molly tossed the axe to the ground. It stood at attention and flung itself towards Hermione. Then, it chopped off her right arm.
"Take the shoes!" Severus shouted as he bent down. "Just take the bloody things!"
"No!" Neville shouted. "You can't do that."
"Damnit this isn't worth it! None of this is worth it!" Severus yelled.
"No, we made a promise," Neville put his paw on the left shoe.
"Yes," Harry answered. "We have to keep it."
"Don't worry about us," Hermione voices was weaker as the axe sliced off her right arm and leg. "Just escape Molly. Save yourself."
"Damnit stop encouraging him to be noble!" Molly shrieked before she dove and grabbed the shoes. She screamed as a shock went through her body and threw her back.
"They won't let her hold them," Severus felt bile race up his throat. "No matter what I do, she can't have them."
"No! That's impossible!" Molly screamed before turning to the monkeys. "Bill, Charlie. Put our lion and pussy cat in a cell before they start causing problems."
The flying monkeys grabbed both of the felines.
"Also, call in the Generals of the Winkie Guards," she ordered.. "We'll see if they can touch those shoes."
Severus did not like the way the eyes of the flying monkeys grew, nor did he like how Ron's face lost color at the sound of "Winkie Guards."
"Are you certain?" Bill asked, his voice cracked.
"Did I sound uncertain?" Molly yelled. "Get the generals now!"
"Does your voice ever get raw from all that shrieking?" Hermione asked as the axe began slicing her chest..
Severus' stomach plummeted. She was in at least fourteen pieces, and the axe showed no signs of stopping.
"My voice is perfectly fine. Yours however is grating."
Severus rushed over and grabbed the axe. He held it up, using all his strength to prevent it from causing any more damage. It swiped at his feet, but he was able to wield it away from him.
"What is it about you, Hermione, that makes people go wild for you?" Molly asked. "I have been racking my brain for years wondering how my son could ever fall for a heartless bitch like you. Now, this man is risking life and limb to save you. I honestly do not understand it."
"No, you wouldn't understand it because you don't understand how anyone could love something good," Severus argued as he kept the axe away form his body. "You'll never understand what it's like to love someone completely and not want to control them. You'll never understand what it is to have someone see the worst in you and still care for you. You'll never know what it's like to have someone finally accept you as you are."
"I'll also never understand what it's like for someone to walk away from you because you weren't good enough," Molly replied.
Severus barely kept the axe from chopping his leg.
"I don't understand why you think you have a chance with any woman, much less her," Molly argued. "She has no heart. Why would you pine after her?"
"Because she does have a heart," Severus replied. "A big heart."
"But it will never belong to you," a man's voice interjected.
A chill ran up Severus' back. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.
The axe sliced his leg. He buckled under the pain as it bled.
"It's about time you arrived," Molly flicked her wrist. The axe flew back to her. "You're late."
"We're sorry, but we were in the dungeons preparing for our guest." Another familiar voice said. "What do you need us for?"
Severus shook as the four generals stood before him. All of them wore an orange, handmaid sweater with their initials. Their green faces were even more sinister in the dark than they had been that afternoon by the lakeside. There was no friendliness, no joy, only a desire to follow whatever sadistic order came from the Wicked Witch's mouth.
In school he had pretended not to fear the marauders. Now, he wanted nothing more than to take Hermione, Crookshanks, Harry, Neville, and flee from them.
"I need you to remove a pair of shoes from this little troublemaker." She pointed to Severus.
"What, those ugly silver things?" The Sirius general asked.
"They are not ugly!" Molly yelled. "They'll look fabulous with my newest black dress!"
Unlike everyone else, the generals were unfazed by Molly's outburst. If anything, they enjoyed watching how her screeching intimidated others.
"Of course they wouldn't be ugly on you," the James general answered in a sweet voice before sneering at Severus. "But they look ugly here on big nose."
"He looks like a Snivelus," Remus general began.
"Ooh Snivelus," Peter general rubbed his hand together. "I like that name."
"Yeah, Snivelus," Sirius approached him. "Give me the shoes, Snivelus!"
"Don't do it," Hermione ordered.
"No, don't let her become more powerful," Harry chimed in.
Severus turned to the generals, who had him surrounded on all sides. There was no escaping what they were about to do. All he could do was fulfill his friends' wishes.
"You'll pry them from my cold, dead corpse," he growled.
James general pulled out his wand. "Scourgify."
Molly darted into the corner as bubbles came from Severus' mouth. It was an action that didn't go unnoticed by him.
"Hang him so we can get the shoes," Sirius demanded.
Remus pulled out his wand and did as his friend requested. Peter leapt up to grab the shoes, only to be jolted away.
"Damnit, you always were incompetent," James reached for the shoes, only to be jolted back himself.
"Lemme try," Remus did so, to the same result.
Sirius tapped them, only to have a jolt of magic go through him.
"Give us the shoes!" James demanded.
"No!" Severus yelled through the soap in his mouth. Gods he was tired of the marauders, so freaking tired of them. He just wanted it all over, for them to be gone once and for all.
"Fine, we'll make you beg to take them off," James replied.
Severus suppressed a scream as the marauders continued to hex him. Harry and Hermione screamed as the generals danced around Severus, making their hexes into a game of who could fire the most painful one. All the while they chanted, "Snivelus! Snivelus! Big nosed ugly Snivelus."
"You're an old greasy git!" Molly yelled over them. "Nothing but an old, greasy git!"
At some point, their taunts became softer, and the pain became less acute. At that moment, blessed darkness overtook him.