Chapter Forty-Eight

Dumbledore was silent, looking contemplative, but Severus could see the old man was just as confused as he was. Not that Severus was complaining.

In his first meeting with the Dark Lord since 1981, he had managed to successfully offer up a convincing enough excuse to spare not only himself from the Dark Lord's wrath, but also secure the Dark Wizard's help – practically unsolicited – with reviving Regulus. And, even more shockingly, the Dark Lord had also reasserted his assurance that his would keep to his word regarding Lily; she would be spared.

Though, the Dark Lord had expressed no wish in hunting her son at all. Had not even mentioned Neville Longbottom, the one Dumbledore claimed to be the 'chosen'. That was…odd.

"His concern was only with Regulus?"

"It seems so."

"And he expressed no wish to hunt the boy?"

"No. The matter of the prophecy was not addressed. The Dark Lord did not even mention the circumstances of his demise; only that we were fools to believe that to be the end of him."

"Hm."

Dumbledore regarded him curiously; "You seem remarkably calm."

"Why wouldn't I be? I survived, which is more than I had expected."

"You more than survived, Severus. Your old Master has granted you every request you should ever wish to make of him. Before you even had the chance to do so. That is curious."

"Curious?" Severus felt a jab of irritation, not certain if he was imagining the implication of distrust from the man who sat across from him.

"Why, yes. Surely you did not expect such generosity from him? Especially with regards to Lily."

Severus averted his eyes, unconsciously flexing his occlumency shields; "It is not so surprising. He merely reasserted an earlier acquiescence."

Dumbledore's eyes bore into him when he looked back at him. The distrust was practically radiating off of him; "One might wonder why you needed my assistance at all."

Severus felt his control snap; "Still don't trust me, Headmaster?"

"Severus –"

"Then look for yourself." Severus dropped his occlumency shields, leaning forward to stare right back at him.

For a second he thought that Dumbledore would refuse. Would back down and assure him that, no, that was not necessary. Of course, after seven years of remaining by his side, serving him, working alongside him, Dumbledore just knew that Severus' word was true. He did not need magic to tell him that.

But, no. Mere seconds and then the old man was in his mind; the invitation, the opportunity to see, without restriction, too great to pass up.

The events of the meeting passed by Severus' mind, Dumbledore delving deep enough to hear long strings of sentences; to see it all. The excuses. The torture. The talk of Regulus. The talk of Lily.

Then, the old man pushed further and it was so unexpected that Severus could barely react.

And, suddenly, they were looking at a memory from earlier that evening. He and Lily, in the lab, locked in passionate embrace. Lips and hands moving urgently against one another. Throaty sighs and panted breath the only sounds filling the air.

Severus slammed his occlumency barriers back up.

Dumbledore was sitting opposite, looking totally unabashed as he regarded him. And then the old man's eyes began to twinkle.

"That was private."

"Ah. But, Severus, you invited me to look."

Severus only glowered at him, feeling a heat rise up his neck, as anger and embarrassment warred with one another.

"I was not aware that your relationship with Mrs Potter had developed to such levels of intimacy –"

"It is none of your business."

Dumbledore only continued to look at him, his eyes glinting with amusement at Severus' discomfort. And Severus cursed himself for his foolishness as a boy. For playing his hand so openly, now finding himself in a situation where the two most powerful wizards in existence were both keenly aware of his weakness. And he was quite certain both would be willing to use it against him, should the inclination ever arise.

"We are not intimate."

"Indeed, Severus? I believe I saw something different."

"You saw a lapse in judgement. The first and the last of such."

"Now, my boy. That was no ordinary kiss."

Severus narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore, the continuing twinkle becoming infuriating; "As flattering as your assessment of my technique may be, Headmaster, I assure you, it was quite unremarkable. We did not see stars and the Earth did not move."

Dumbledore was smiling outright now.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, Severus. I know how Lily –"

"For Merlin's – hell – it was a mistake, Dumbledore! One that I have no intention of repeating." Severus cast glaring eyes around the room; "Nor does Lily. I am certain that once she learns that I have been keeping such a substantial piece of information from her for these past several months that the inclination will have long passed. Especially as regards her son."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was suddenly gone.

Severus met his look evenly.

Dumbledore drew in a breath, shifting in his chair; "You informed her of the prophecy."

"I did."

"Why?"

"You don't think she ought to have known? The boy is her son."

"And I have assured you, repeatedly, Severus, that the prophecy does not concern Harry Potter. Neville Longbottom is the chosen one."

"Then it should not matter that Lily now knows."

"Surely you understand the necessity for discretion in this case? If your old Master was to suspect that I know more, that I believed it to pertain to a child other than the one which he believes to be the threat, that this would only result in further actions being taken against the child of which the prophecy does not concern."

"He chose Harry Potter first."

"Severus, that is not the way it works."

"How would I know? You have told me nothing."

Dumbledore regarded him coolly; "And so it shall remain. It seems yourself and Regulus are incapable of controlling the information you leak to those whom you regard with affection."

"If you did not want Lily to know then it might have been a prudent move on your part to inform me that you had concealed it from her in the first place."

Dumbledore looked contemplative.

"What's done is done, Severus. If you wish to take on the task of guarding Lily's child, by all means, do so, but it is unnecessary. Events have already been set in motion and, I am certain, that the child on whom we must concentrate our efforts is Mr Longbottom. Do not allow your feelings to affect your better judgement. Any deviation in our behaviour will only draw attention to the Potters."

Severus lowered his eyes, drawing in a breath, as he considered the older man's words.

"Though it seems as if his focus is elsewhere for the time being. And I must admit I have my doubts that Voldemort's current motivation is driven by a simple wish to return Regulus to the ranks. While Mr Black is an agreeable boy, he is hardly an exceptional talent and even his highly regarded role within the Wizarding World is scarcely something that warrants such intense focus from Voldemort himself. It would be a concession simply to assign the task to you, alone, when he could put you to work on far more pressing matters."

Severus glowered at him, offended on behalf of his friend, even if what Dumbledore said rang true. The Dark Lord would not have gone to such lengths to save a Death Eater in the past. This was different.

"Then what do you think is motivating him?"

"Ah. The magic, Severus."

He met his eyes.

"Blood Magic. A far more likely cause for his concern is that he wishes to study the curse by which Regulus has been afflicted."

Severus nodded, slowly, in agreement.

He hesitated before speaking; "You wish for me to…thwart the attempt to revive Regulus so as to prevent the Dark Lord from learning more?"

Let Regulus die.

The unspoken words hung in the air.

Dumbledore regarded him openly, seeming to read every thought within his mind, even if he knew, logically, that even a legillimens could not read minds in such a way. It could not sense feelings.

Though Severus doubted legilliemency was even needed in this case.

Let Regulus die; that was something he could not do.

Some things could not be compromised.

Regulus' life.

Lily's life.

Severus was not a martyr; he could not stand aside and sacrifice those he cared for in the name of the Greater Good. He was not that cold. Or, rather, he was not that strong.

Thankfully, Dumbledore did not seem inclined to ask that of him; "Such a request would prove futile, I am certain. In any case, it is unnecessary. As Voldemort has seen fit to involve you – or, as I am beginning to suspect, needs your assistance, for he seems quite eager to appease you, Severus – well, if you are to be involved in such a way in his assessments then anything he learns you and I shall be aware of also."

Only a quietly released breath revealed his relief.

"I shall call the Order to reconvene this evening," Dumbledore stated, glancing at the timepiece on the wall that told them it was now almost four in the morning; "For now, we shall be cautious. I will inform Augusta Longbottom of Voldemort's return immediately, of course, and make arrangements for their concealment."

Severus clenched his jaw, thoughts returning to Lily once again. And the boy.

Dumbledore seemed to sense his shift in focus.

"The protection of Harry Potter shall be arranged this evening. It will be done in a way that is as understated as possible, so as not to draw attention to them. Sirius Black began training as an Auror following Hogwarts and is a long standing member of the Ord-"

"You cannot be serious!" Severus hissed, enraged at what he knew was coming; "It was because of that man's insistence that Lupin was the spy that Pettigrew was instated as the Potters' secret keeper in the first place! If the Dark Lord had come after them – Lily and the boy need real protective measures in place! Black is nowhere near adequate –"

"Sirius managed to successfully conceal them for several months in the previous war through the use of wards and enchantments prior to the use of the Fidelius Charm. And his motivations to do so have only increased since then. Sirius Black raised the boy with Lily, Severus. Do you doubt that he would be willing to protect them with his life?"

"That means nothing when the Dark Lord could kill him within seconds, Dumbledore!"

"Severus, enough." The old man said, wearily; "In this matter, it cannot be expected of you to think rationally. As I have already said, anything overt will only put Lily and her son in increased danger of suspicion. Until Voldemort confides in his Death Eaters that Harry Potter is considered to be of interest to him, we will do nothing to force his hand."

"Put them back under the Fidelius."

"Deep hiding, Severus? And you don't think Voldemort would respond in kind? To do so would be to mark them for death and relegate them to concealment for the remainder of the war, however long that may be, keeping them isolated from friends and family. From the Wizarding World at large. Hardly a way to live, don't you think? Especially when the need for such measures is grossly exaggerated."

"At least they would be alive."

"Even if Lily were to agree to such a thing, we have seen before that the Fidelius Charm is by no means foolproof. And suggesting it to her, Severus," he went on, warningly, "Will do nothing but instil fear within her. I ask you; do not behave rashly in this matter. To do so will only bring down further danger upon them."

Severus pursed his lips together, feeling his hands shaking in his lap as he considered the other man's words. Forced himself to think rationally, as the old man was saying; reminded himself that keeping Lily and her son off the Dark Lord's radar was what he had always planned to do. That any move against him would only draw attention, suspicion, just as Dumbledore said.

Forced himself to trust the Headmaster before him.

"Very well."

Dumbledore titled his chin downwards in a slight nod but, now, he seemed considering, almost uneasy as he regarded him.

"Severus, while your old Master may have agreed to spare her, even turn a blind eye to your feelings or, indeed, your pursuit of Mrs Potter – well, I hardly feel it is necessary that I advise you of the imprudence of such an endeavour on your part. And yet I believe I must."

Severus' eyes narrowed; "I told you. What you saw was a mistake."

"Indeed you did. A mistake more than seven years in the making."

Severus glowered at him.

"I do not mean to 'poke my nose in' where it does not belong, Severus, but I can sense the passion with which you speak of her, your wish to protect her. Even after all these years. While admirable, it is hardly conductive to your abilities to convincingly act the dutiful servant to your master."

"And which master is that?" Severus said, lowly.

Dumbledore lifted his chin; "And while Voldemort may have conceded on this matter of the heart, have you come to such an arrangement with Healer Eugene Hopkins? It is almost…insensitive of me to paint reminder to what happened to Miss Evelyn Redway, however –"

"I am not a fool, Dumbledore!" Severus interrupted him, his blood boiling; "Do you think I have not considered this? I have no intentions of pursuing her."

"Ah, but Severus, are you certain her resolve is the same?"

Severus drew in a breath; "Obtuseness does not suit you, Headmaster. I am quite certain you are aware that hell would sooner freeze over than I should find myself fending off the advances of Lily Potter."

Perhaps that was so not twelve hours or so ago, Severus found himself thinking; now, things were slightly less certain. Lily had kissed him first. And, before that, she had attempted to initiate another; tonight being the second move on her side to do so. The thought was both concerning and…not.

"You do not give yourself enough credit, my boy. Then again, perhaps in some matters, you give yourself too much."

Severus raised an eyebrow; "Meaning?"

"Only that I am left wondering, Severus, that if your resolve to keep her at distance should hold up in the face of the very real possibility that Mrs Potter may just pursue you."

Severus said nothing.

This was not a matter he was going to discuss with anyone. Least of all with Dumbledore. And Severus was not fool enough to believe the Headmaster was sharing this advice out of concern for either his, nor even Lily's welfare. Severus was not being entirely flippant when he had asked which master he would fail to impress while under Lily's influence.

"I shall see you again this evening, Severus."

Severus stood, effectively dismissed, even more aggravated following his conversation with Dumbledore than he had been following his reunion with the Dark Lord. He only inclined his head, offering no parting comment, and turned to head for the door.

"Severus."

He paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Do be careful."

With regards to Lily or the Dark Lord, Severus didn't know. Nor did he ask. Merely eyed the Headmaster before resuming his steps, swept from the office and down to the dungeons.

Lay in his chambers and awaited a sleep that did not come.

Sirius glanced with concern at his nephew, who had barely touched the cereal he had placed in front of him almost twenty minutes before.

"You alright, kid?"

Malachi made a murmur of consent but carried on pushing the little hoops around in his bowl, disinterestedly. The boy had been quiet, withdrawn, ever since Snape had handed the boy over to him so abruptly the night before – another matter that still concerned him – and had been eager to simply go to bed once Sirius has ushered him, along with Lily and Harry, back to the house.

Lily, also, had been strangely withdrawn when he had finally found her and told her they had to leave the Fundraiser immediately, offering up no resistance, only curiosity and then concern when Sirius had alerted one of the security personnel that he had reason to believe the building would soon be under attack.

The building was cleared out instantly.

And no attack had come. Whether because of the evacuation or because there had never been any plans to in the first place, no one knew. But many had heard it was the actions of Sirius Black that had led to the commotion, the dramatics. A known adversary of his brother and his concerns had been dismissed and condemned as those of a jealous, vindictive man unable to quietly accept his younger brother's success in the world.

"Hey." Sirius reached out, touching a hand to Malachi's shoulder and the boy flinched. Sirius frowned; "Malachi, what's wrong?" His mind flashed back to the moment he had come across him the night before, Snape dragging him down the hall by the arm, and he scowled; "Did something happen last night? Did Snape hurt you?"

Malachi looked up at him, sharply, frowning; "No."

"You can tell me if he did, Malachi."

"But…he didn't. Why would Severus hurt me?"

Sirius ignored the question, softening his tone; "Well, I can see that there's something wrong." Harry suddenly ran down the stairs, past them, grabbing a piece of toast from the plate in the middle of the table, as he headed over to the fridge.

Malachi looked down, drawing into himself as he did so; "I'm okay."

"Malachi." Sirius risked touching him again, hand on his shoulder to give him a reassuring squeeze, but, while the boy didn't flinch away as he did before, he still tensed beneath his touch.

"He's upset because Draco Malfoy said people like you killed his dad," Harry stated, mouth full of the toast he had picked up, as he plonked down on the seat next to him. Malachi lifted his chin, shooting a glare in Harry's direction, to which Harry only shrugged, before taking a gulp of the pumpkin juice he had helped himself to.

Sirius drew in a breath, turning his attention back to his nephew; "Malachi. I'd never hurt your dad."

Malachi kept his eyes on the bowl in front of him, speaking quietly; "My dad doesn't like you."

Sirius hesitated.

Then he nodded; "I know."

"He…he told me you don't like him either."

"Hey." Sirius spoke softly, and he lowered himself to kneel next to the boy's chair, straining a little on his legs as he did. Still not quite right. And he put his hands on both the boy's arms, turning Malachi to face him; "Listen to me, kid. I love your dad, alright? Sure, I guess we don't like each other very much sometimes. Hey, I bet your dad really doesn't like me at all. But that's not how it is for me, okay? He's my kid brother. I'd never want him hurt or anything like what those people have done to him."

Malachi only looked at him with uncertainty; "You don't look like you love each other. My dad and Severus, that's what brothers looks like."

Sirius fought to control the sudden burst of white fury that rose within him at the statement. Forced it down.

"Well. I am his brother. And, sure, maybe your dad likes Sna…Severus more than he likes me. They're friends. Your dad picked him. You don't pick family."

Malachi stared at him.

"But you love them all the same."

Malachi lowered his eyes, before lifting them back to Sirius', shyly; "Why doesn't my dad like you?"

Sirius drew in a breath, lifting his chin slightly; "Because I left him, kid."

"Left him where?"

"With people I should have protected him from."

When Malachi only looked at him, a seeming grimness in his expression, as if he knew Sirius ought to tell him more. He sighed and went on.

"Our parents. Our dad, well. He wasn't like your dad. He wasn't like me. He didn't think like we do. He believed in something else."

"What things?"

"Stupid things."

"Things like mudbloods and blood traitors?" Harry offered up, having been unusually quiet throughout the encounter.

"Yeah." Sirius nodded, giving his Godson a small smile, before turning his eyes back to Malachi; "Things like that."

"I don't understand. Draco thinks you and dad are different. He said that you and people like you were different from my dad. And if he thinks you're a blood traitor then, that means, he thinks my dad was just like his dad. So, he believes in mudbloods. Or, he thinks they're bad?" He looked at Harry, raising an eyebrow; "Right?"

Harry nodded, leaning over Malachi's shoulder to look at Sirius; "Yeah. That's what Draco said."

Sirius drew in a breath, feeling uneasy under the boys' curious gazes, as they innocently questioned Regulus' beliefs, his past, his mistakes; things Malachi shouldn't have been exposed to in the first place at only six years old.

"We're not different, Malachi. We're the same. Your dad fights for people like us. That's what the Foundation does. It takes care of people. The people that were hurt by the ones who think being muggleborn is wrong. Draco is just a little boy, he believes everything that his mum and dad tell him; he doesn't realise yet that it's wrong. And Draco's parents, his mum, she's my cousin. Her mum and dad were just like mine; they taught her the same things. She didn't realise that what they taught her was wrong but your dad did. When he was a kid, like Draco, he didn't know better. But now he does."

Malachi looked at him, his voice a whisper; "Did my dad hurt people?"

"Malachi." Sirius tightened his grip on Malachi's arms; "Your dad helps people."

"That's what mum used to say. She used to say he was out saving the world."

Sirius grinned; "Mm. Then I can see why your dad loved her. My little brother, the superhero?"

Malachi gave him a sad smile, lowering his eyes; "Now he's gonna die."

"Nope." Sirius shook his head, his tone light; "Not happening, kid. You think my brother, the superhero, is gonna die from some little curse? Please."

"You really think he'll be okay?" Malachi looked at him, his eyes hopeful, though uncertain.

"I do. Yep. I know he will be."

"How? My dad's gone."

"Harry." Sirius pressed his eyes shut at his Godson's unhelpful contribution; "That…was different."

"How? Bad people hurt him too. And you and mum kept acting like it was fine and that he was there and that he was listening but he isn't. And that just makes it worse. We're not babies. Don't lie to us."

Malachi looked at Harry and Harry looked back, giving him sad smile in turn, nudging Malachi's arm with his. The younger boy swallowed and nodded, glancing back at Sirius, his voice quiet and shaky when he spoke; "Can we go and see him? If…I want to see him again. Before…"

Sirius drew in a breath and nodded.