Severus kept to the shadows as he slinked through the village. His heart raced but he had to make sure that Swift made it back to the school. He had a feeling deep down that something was going to happen. That the Dark Lord would do something while wearing the face of Lucius Malfoy. He felt like this was a tipping point and he wasn't sure which side that he was choosing. Swift had come into his life and Severus felt captured by him. It was a different feeling for him.
He ducked down an alley as a witch appeared and waited for her to pass by. He'd gone up to the castle and changed out of his uniform. He now had on a plain black robe with a hood but he still didn't want to be spotted. He'd had plenty of practise sneaking over the years as he made his way to the Hog's Head. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there as he stopped beside the large building. He took a deep breath and flicked his hood up before walking into the tavern. It was busy as he slipped to the side of the room and glanced around.
His eyes caught on Swift with Malfoy and three other men at a table at the back of the room. The dark-haired man was lounged back in his seat with a drink in front of him and for all the world looking relaxed. Severus knew better, he'd been around Swift enough to see the slight tension but he knew that to anyone else they wouldn't see it. He wondered at what point that he could read Swift that well.
Severus took advantage of his height as he seated himself at a table to side of the room. He knew that he wouldn't be able to spend much time there before he would have to buy something but for now the busy room worked to his advantage. He was just lucky that he looked older than his years. He took in the five men seated at that table as Lucius leaned in close to Swift and said something. Swift barked a laugh and Severus felt his heart clench.
"Do you want a drink?"
Severus started and looked up at the waitress beside him. He placed a sickle on the table and she frowned at him.
"What's on the tap," Severus ordered as he pitched his voice lower.
The waitress hesitated briefly before she grabbed his money and walked off. Severus leaned back in his chair and took in the tavern but couldn't relax. The waitress came over and placed his drink down and walked away without a word. Nothing was said about his hood being up and he was sure that they were used to people wanting anonymously in these times. In fact, when he glanced around, he noticed a few other people with their hoods up and nursing a glass before them.
Swift stood from the table and shook hands with the four men before glancing around. Severus quickly looked down but he could almost feel his teacher's eyes on him. However, when he looked back up Swift was at the door to the tavern. Severus gave him a count of five before standing and leaving the untouched drink on the table. He waked outside and spotted Swift further down the street. He followed after at the distance but Swift was making his way towards the path back to Hogwarts. He gave him a little more distance as Swift turned around the corner.
Severus rounded the corner then yelped as someone grabbed his arm and threw him towards the wall of the building. A hand quickly covered his mouth as a body pushed him into the wall, face first. One hand wrapped around his wrist and twisted it up behind his back painfully. He struggled but he was held fast by a shorter body pushing into his back. A hand reached up and grabbed his hood and pulled it back.
"Severus," Swift whispered and Severus shivered as the man's breath ghosted over his neck with the scent of alcohol. "What are you doing?"
Severus pushed back into Swift and the man released him. Severus spun around and expected to see anger and rage but Swift just looked at him in confusion.
"Severus?" Swift repeated.
Severus looked down at the stones then started when Swift grabbed his arm gently. His eyes darted up but he didn't know what to say. He felt silly now.
"Um," Severus muttered.
"Come on," Swift said and released him. "I could use the company back up to the castle."
Swift started walking and Severus fell into step with the shorter man.
"That's it?" Severus demanded after a few minutes of silence.
"What?" Swift asked. "Should I rage at you about being away from the castle. Give you a month of detentions and loss of points? Drag you in front of the Headmaster?"
Severus looked down at the ground before him. The soft light of the moon and street lights lighting their way. Swift waved his hand and a light sprang up before them as they walked out of town. Severus took in the casual use of wandless magic and felt even more foolish.
"Other teachers would have," Severus grumbled.
"Are you putting me in the same category as 'other teachers'?" Swift asked mildly.
"No."
"But believe me to act the same?"
"Why don't you?" Severus blurted out. "You don't take points or give detentions. Is it because you also work for the Ministry?"
"No," Swift answered. "It's better to think through your actions then just face a mindless punishment. Like tonight, you came back to Hogsmeade going against the rules of Hogwarts. Knowing that you could be expelled by your actions. You then stalk your teacher through the dark streets when any unknown amount of danger could have happened to you. Not to mention after you told me that Lucius Malfoy was not in fact Malfoy. You were aware of the dangers of not only Death Eaters but the Dark Lord himself and yet you still did it."
Swifts words hit Severus harder than any blow as he thought through his actions. That was what Swift did, he made you face your errors. Laid them bare without sugar coating them.
"That also makes me look deeper into your actions," Swift continued. "You are a smart man, Severus. You were aware of all of what I've laid out but still went ahead with it. Why?"
"You," Severus blurted out as he blushed.
"You believed that I needed the help of a student?" Swift questioned.
"No," Severus stated.
Swift stopped on the path and Severus was forced too as well. The small ball of light bobbed in mid-air as they stood there. Swift's face was cast into shadows but he was sure those sharp eyes were seeing through him.
"Ah," Swift mused. "You were concerned about me."
Severus looked away but the words hadn't been said in condescension, just pure statement. Swift started walking again and they made their way in silence for some time.
"You're not going to say anything else?" Severus demanded. "Mock my concern?"
"Why should I?" Swift said.
"Say that it's weak and unwanted?"
"I don't mind it," Swift stated, which surprised Severus. "What does concern me is the fact that you put yourself in danger for me."
Severus swallowed down any retort he had as the castle came closer.
"What side are you on?" Severus whispered.
"That's an interesting and dangerous question," Swift remarked. "It also alludes to the fact that there are sides. That there is a black and white view to the unspoken conflict around us."
"You can't just give a straight answer, can you?" Severus grumbled and Swift laughed.
"And what side of this conflict are you on, Severus?"
Severus was thrown by the question and almost tripped over his own feet. Swift glanced over to him as the lights of Hogwarts reached out to them. Severus had less than six months to answer that question. He had two ways to go and before the school year had started, he would have been able to answer easily, now he hesitated.
"The winning side," Severus uttered and Swift laughed.
"I was unaware that you had been peering into crystal balls and foretelling the future," Swift said.
"Don't be daft," Severus snapped, without thinking.
"Then what side wins?" Swift pressed.
"I don't know."
"Then you don't know what side to join."
"I'm on your side."
"Hm," Swift murmured.
Severus looked over at Swift but it looked like he wasn't going to say anymore. He'd just declared to stand beside Swift and the man said nothing. He wasn't sure what else to say as they walked up the front steps of the school. Swift then stopped and Severus paused as well.
"You say that you are on my side," Swift said, his face in shadows. "But do you really know what kind of man that I am, Severus? Do you know about the blood on my hands and the life that I have led? That I have seen the light die from the eyes of people that have stood beside me. Watched as both good and evil men and women have fallen."
"I know people," Severus declared as he lifted up his chin. "You have seen the life that I have led. The darkness that I have battled throughout my life."
"You see yourself in me?"
"Yes," Severus said simply.
Swift slowly nodded his head and glanced up at the castle. His face bathed in light for the first time. Harold Swift could still take in that light. Something that Severus believed that he didn't deserve. Severus reached out and placed his hand on Swift's arm and the short man focused back on him, casting his face back into shadows.
"You could take the easy path," Swift responded.
"Or I could take another," Severus countered, without removing his hand.
"I suppose that you could," Swift agreed.
Swift grabbed his wrist and removed his hand from his arm but didn't release him. This was the turning point. Severus felt it deep within him. That chance that he'd been waiting for without realising it.
"Let us take that first step together then," Swift suggested and let his wrist go. "Come and see me tomorrow night at seven."
"Yes, sir." Severus stated, without hesitation.
"My name is Harry, Severus." Swift told him before he turned on his heels and walked through the open castle's doors.
Severus was left standing there on the front step alone and yet felt lighter than he'd been in years. For he had chosen a side. He just hoped that he could trust his instincts.
xXx
Harry looked at the bottle before him as he sipped the whiskey. He felt unsettled and indecisive as he lounged back before the fire in his rooms. Many would believe, if they knew about the situation that he was in, that he was unsure about Severus. They would be wrong. That was one thing that he was sure about. He started when a knock sounded on his door and he looked over that way.
"Come in," Harry called as he waved his hand to unlock the door.
Albus appeared in the doorway and Harry eyed off the old man.
"Good evening, Harry." Albus greeted as he shut the door. "You missed diner tonight? Are you well?"
Harry held up the glass in his hand in answer and Albus chuckled.
"The children are not that bad," Albus countered as he walked over to him.
"It was not the children," Harry slurred. "But the conversation that I had later with a group of four Death Eaters."
Albus started at his words and the twinkle went out of his eyes.
"May I ask about what?" Albus asked.
"Recruitment."
Albus gave him a level stare but Harry just finished off his glass and poured more into the cup. With a flick of his hand another glass appeared and Harry poured a little into that and held it out to Albus. The old man took it in his hand but didn't take a seat.
"It's a good thing that you came to see me," Harry continued. "Saves me the amount of stairs up to your office. I wish to take on Severus Snape as my apprentice."
He'd shocked Albus as the man stood there with the glass in his hand.
"Will that be a problem?" Harry questioned.
"No, no, of course not." Albus said quickly. "Just surprising. You know how to throw a man."
"Both by magic and physically," Harry remarked and Albus chuckled.
"I can have that paperwork filled out tomorrow," Albus stated. "Can we circle back to the Death Eaters?"
"Sure," Harry answered.
"They were trying to recruit you?"
Harry pulled up the sleeves of his shirt to show Albus his bare forearms before taking a sip of his drink.
"Does that answer your question?" Harry said. "Or would you rather that I swear on my magic?"
"And if I said yes," Albus commented and Harry quirked a smile.
"I swear on my magic that I am not a Death Eater," Harry declared. "But that doesn't mean that I am good man. Far from it, in fact."
"We all have a past," Albus responded and took a seat next to him. "Some darker than others."
"Yes," Harry agreed and sipped his drink.
Albus held up his own glass and Harry touched his to Albus with a sharp 'tink'.
"To dark pasts," Harry intoned.
"And to a brighter future," Albus added.
Harry drank to that but couldn't find it in his heart to believe it for he knew what could lie on that horizon.
