Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Writers Notes: thanks to my beta HGranger89 and to FlowerChild23, Lucyole, Whatanidea15, jadely31, Chelsea always, Smithback, leonix2009, FrancineHibiscus, lia a karas, IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse, Smootsmokey, Fast Frank, gisela19wwe and emjrabbitwolf thanks for the positive feedback.
Another long, stressful, and very eventful year at Hogwarts had finally ended, and Severus returned to his home in Cokeworth for a much-needed break.
As much as Severus enjoyed being away from the brats, the school year distracted him from his dark thoughts and self-loathing. Here, in this house that had caused him so much pain as a child, his depressive thoughts ran wild, poisoning his mind: thoughts of Lily, the faces of people he had killed, tortured by his own hand, or as a complicit follower of the Dark Lord. He could not stop thinking of the lives he had ruined and the families he had destroyed. Sometimes he wondered what happened to his victims and their loved ones. Did they suffer as he did? Did they ever forget or move on?
During the summer holidays, Severus kept himself busy with potions research. Many years ago, with Dumbledore's help, the Potions Master converted his basement into a potions lab to rival the one he had at the castle. Sometimes he would immerse himself so fully into his research that he would forget everything else, he wouldn't eat, sleep or dwell, he just brewed. Brewing potions was a balm that numbed his soul. Otherwise, he'd slip into another depressive episode and turn to alcohol or drugs. He had turned to substance abuse on and off over the last twelve years since Lily's death, and it helped for a short while, helping him forget his pain, but eventually, the bitterness, loneliness, and self-pity returned. So, he worked, at least it was productive.
One summer weekend, Lucius and Narcissa foisted Draco on him so they could have a few days alone as if the other ten months of the year weren't enough. This led to the dark haired man and his godson sitting down in a Muggle diner in the run-down town a few blocks from his home.
"Hello dears, how are we doing today?" asked the annoyingly cheery waitress. How do you respond to that thought, Severus? 'No actually, I'm having a pretty shit day, thank you very much, now please pour me a cup of coffee so at least I don't have a caffeine migraine to make my shitty day worse.'
Instead, Severus just grimaced painfully and murmured, "We are doing just fine today. Thanks," because that's how you're supposed to behave in polite company. Nobody cares how you feel, he thought, if he was honest and told her how all he could think of was throwing back a pint of something strong to numb the pain coursing through his body, she wouldn't know how to respond.
"I'll have the fish and chips, and black coffee to drink," Severus ordered, as the waitress scribbled it down, looking at Draco.
"And what would you like dear?" She smiled.
"The cheeseburger platter and chocolate milk," the boy answered in a tone he used when directing a house elf. The spoiled brat earned himself a kick to the shin, so the boy muttered "please."
"How is your summer holiday Draco." Severus inquired.
"Good, but we lost a house elf because of Saint Potter." Draco hissed, "You?"
"Fine." They continued their stifled conversation until their meals arrived.
Once they finished their meals, the pair set out into the night to walk back to Spinner's End. The small town was probably the most miserable place in Britain – a place where the sun never shines, and you'll shiver the whole night through. The chilly mist drifted over the dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks and an immense chimney, a relic from a disused mill, reared up, shadowy and ominous. The whole town had suffered the day the mill closed down from a collapse in the eighties, causing the deaths of few local residents, Tobias Snape included; after that, the town's economy collapsed along with it.
As the pair walked, there was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water rippling against rocks and the breeze of the cold wind and no sign of life apart from a scrawny fox that slunk down the bank to nose hopefully at some old fish-and-chip wrappings in the tall grass. Draco stayed close to his Godfather's side as they walked through the streets and passed some questionable characters. They could have apparated home, but Snape had decided it was time to show Draco how some people lived, hoping the boy would be more grateful for his circumstances.
They finally arrived at the Snape home, the last house on the street. The small, brick rowhouse looked much bigger on the inside than out. Once inside Severus flicked his wrist at the record player and Richard Wagner began to play. He led Draco into the sitting room, which felt like a dark, padded cell. The room held a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table in one corner; a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling. The walls were covered in bookshelves that reached the ceiling and bowed under the weight of books Severus had collected over the years, from writers such as Mark Twain, Willian Shakespeare, H.G Welles, Ernest Hemingway, and Nostradamus, along with scrolls and texts on every branch of magic imaginable. Besides the precious potions equipment housed in the basement below, Severus' entire life earnings were held in these dusty pages. It wasn't much of a life, but it was enough for Severus.
The place had an air of neglect, as though it was not usually inhabited, but it was clean. Severus headed to the back door, ignoring Draco's whining as they tended to his small potions garden. Since he lived in a muggle town, the garden was bewitched to look like normal plants to muggles and spelled to keep the critters away.
"This is servant stuff." Draco groaned as he pulled the weeds. Severus sighed remembering how Draco used to love helping him in the garden and brewing when he was younger. "I'm sure father would give you one of our house elves, you know muggles can't see them."
"Draco there is more satisfaction in doing things ourselves."
"Whatever." Draco rolled his eyes.
"You watch your cheek with me, young man. Your parents may put up with it, but I will not." Severus threatened. Luckily for Draco, the lecture was interrupted by a knock came at the door. As if his day couldn't get any worse, upon opening the door he found, much to his great displeasure, the bloody Wolf was standing on his small stoop.
"Afternoon, Severus," Lupin smiled, Severus hated their interactions, the wolf always acting like there was no bad blood between them. The dark haired man didn't bother to respond to the wolf; opting to slam the door in Lupin's face before heading down to his potions lab to grab the vial of Wolfsbane Potion. Re-opening the door, he held onto the vial until Lupin handed over the ten galleons. Severus didn't know how Lupin was able to afford his prices, and he didn't care. People like Lupin were desperate enough to come to Severus for their potions instead of getting a Ministry approved prescription. It helped them remain employable, and Severus wasn't above a little black market dealing. He was a Slytherin after all.
"Thank you, Severus," said Lupin.
Snape refused to reply to his childhood bully, once again closing the door in the wolf's face and went to return to Draco, but his fireplace burst into green flames and Severus surprisingly found the headmaster flooing into his sitting room. The old man rarely actually came into the house, opting to just floo call, send Fawkes or a patronus.
"What's happened," Severus asked, knowing it must be urgent.
"I need your help, Severus."
"DRACO!" Severus tilted his head to his garden.
"Yes?" Draco entered the living room and paused when he saw the headmaster standing next to his Godfather.
"Hello, Draco has your summer going?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"Good...Headmaster …" The young wizard turned to Severus. "Did you call me?"
"Something has come up, and I must return to the castle with the Headmaster," Severus answered, "Floo home Draco."
"Alright," Draco responded, rather quickly, happy to return home. After the boy disappeared through the floo, Severus reluctantly grabbed Dumbledore's outstretched arm, and they disapparated with a crack.
Severus hated side-along Apparition: it always left him nauseous. He shook his head and took in his surroundings. They were at an old graveyard situated around large trees. The gravestones were speckled with moss, grime and dirt nearly covering the names and many were broken and crumbling; father time had not been kind to this place over the years. There was no path between the rows of stone, having been taken over by nature with tall grass, and there was no evidence that anyone had visited here in ages.
Albus cut the grass down to form a proper path and cast Lumos; Severus followed the Headmaster as he looked around and the tombstones aiming his wand at the stone to make out the names. Dumbledore led him through the cut brush for several minutes until they stopped at a grave.
"Here," Albus stood aside and turned to Severus, "Severus cast some detection spells first," he commanded, and Severus moved up to the gravestone froze on the spot as he stared at the name on the tombstone: Merope Riddle, Mother of the Dark Lord. He briefly turned and stared at the Headmaster who just nodded in affirmation. Severus cast one spell after another, detecting Dark intent, curses, protections, hidden things, monsters, creatures... finally he stopped and sighed.
"There are many enchantments on the grave," he said, "and most of them lethal. Some are meant just to repel Muggles, but the others... they'll take a while to dismantle."
Dumbledore motioned for him to continue, so the spy set about dismantling the protections.
Once Severus was finished he call the Headmaster over, who seemed incredibly uncomfortable about grave robbing to retrieve a possible Horcrux.
"Severus... would you," Severus starred blankly at the man's trepidation and aimed a blasting spell at the earth, and lifted the coffin out. If it meant destroying Tom Riddle, looting a grave was hardly the worst thing he'd ever done, Severus thought.
Magically removing the lid, both men peered inside the coffin and found Merope's body, perfectly preserved, and resting on her hand was…
"A ring," Albus said quietly and made to grab the object resting on the corpse's left hand.
"Do not!" Severus snapped, and Albus' hand stilled, his eyes jerking to Severus. "Do not touch it! It carries on a curse; surely you realized that! "
"But it's the ..." Albus tried and then sighed. "I was sorely tempted."
"The what?" Severus questioned.
Albus furrowed his brow and avoided the other man's question. Angry and annoyed by lack of response, Severus took a dagger with a Basilisk's fang for the blade from his back, peered into the grave and stabbed the ring. A loud, unholy shriek caused the ground to shake violently.
Dumbledore grabbed the cracked ring and screamed as pain gripped him. "We have to leave now!" The Headmaster ran towards Severus, and he quickly apparated them back to his house, just before the ground opened up from under their feet.
Escaping the clutches of death, the two men landed disheveled and panting in Dumbledore's family home. Having used most of his power to apparate the both of them, Albus collapsed, and Severus had to grab him to keep him from falling onto the stone floors, supporting his weight and carrying him over to a nearby chair.
Looking over Dumbledore's exhausted figure, the potions master saw that the man's left hand was held in a tight fist and charred black. "Drop the ring, Albus. Now." Severus hissed before waving his wand over the Headmaster's hand. He could see the internal war Albus was waging with himself before he finally complied and released the object, letting it fall to the floor.
Detection spells notified him that the curse in the ring was now lifted, having transferred to Albus, so he kicked it away and began to work on Albus' arm. Whatever the curse was, it was ancient and very dark, it was tough to read, and Severus tried his best to counteract it, but it was spreading quickly. There was no stopping it, so Severus focused on temporarily containing the curse in his hand to hold off the curse as long as possible.
"How is it?" Hearing Dumbledore speak in a weak tone was genuinely haunting.
"It is carrying a curse," Severus explained as he walked over to the kitchen and fetched the old man a glass of water and a pain potion. "I contained it to your hand; however, it won't last forever it was beyond my power to remove the curse."
"How long?" Albus asked nonchalantly after finishing his glass of water.
"A year?" Severus didn't really know. He was making an educated guess. The grief that he couldn't do more began to consume him while his employer was just sitting there, with the same old warm twinkle in his eye, seemingly wholly unaffected by the news of his impending death.
"Why did you touch it?" Severus questioned, "You should have realized it carried a curse."
"I was reckless and careless," Dumbledore sighed deeply, "I was tempted."
"You said that before, what was it?" Dumbledore didn't answer his question, but his face was warped in guilt. He heard the worst moments of his life, the desperate cries of his sister calling out to him.
"It doesn't matter now, Severus keep this between us," The headmaster brokered no room for argument, "It would do no good for this to get out, our enemies cannot find out before I go." Severus only nodded in agreement, still reeling from the situation. "And Severus," the old man's eyes locked onto Severus', "Don't add my fate to the weight you carry. You warned me then destroyed the ring, and yet I was still a foolish old man."
Severus stayed with Dumbledore for a few hours longer to make entirely sure that the Headmaster could be left alone. It was hard to process that Dumbledore was dying. Severus didn't see Dumbledore as the second-coming of Merlin, unlike the rest of the wizarding world, but even he would agree that Dumbledore was one of the most brilliant wizards their world had seen in a long time; and now the man was dying, and Severus was caught entirely off guard. He never thought he would see Albus Dumbledore die, for he had planned to be gone from this earth long before the old man.
Hermione Granger marked another day off her calendar, counting down the days until she returned to Hogwarts. A week ago, she received her letter with her Hogsmeade permission form, elective choices, and book list. She had immediately replied to Professor McGonagall, begging to take each elective. When her Head of House responded that the Headmaster had given his approval, the bushy-haired witch could not contain her excitement. She could barely sleep and was having dreams of Hogwarts all summer.
Thankfully, this summer had been the best in recent memory. Her father had picked her up at Kings Cross and announced she would be staying with her Aunt Rose, Uncle Phil and two-year-old cousin Hugo, at their house in Ealing, for the entire break. She usually spent weeks or sometimes months at a time with her extended family while Father went on long business trips. They were kind and loving, and she enjoyed spending time with her aunt gardening and baking.
The family was sitting down to breakfast together, and Hermione just felt the relief that she could eat her aunt's pancakes and not hear her father's cutting remarks.
"Sleep well, Hermione? Her uncle asked.
"Very well Uncle Phil," Hermione answered when the doorbell rang.
Aunt Rose left the table to answer, wondering who could be at the door at this early hour.
"Hello?" Her voice was puzzled, "May I help you?"
"Yes, I was told Miss Granger was staying here for the summer? I am a Professor with the school." Hermione turned to the door and found her Potions Master standing in his full wizard regalia, seemingly more angry and snarly than usual.
He hissed at her to quickly get dressed as he had better things to do than chaperone her all day. Hermione promptly took one last bite of her breakfast before running up the stairs. While he waited, Severus glanced around the house trying to figure out if anything was out of place and puzzle out why Miss Granger was staying with relatives and was not at home. He had first arrived at her Father's house and had been forced to resort to 'Point-Me' Spells to track the girl down.
"Hello," a tall man in his late thirties with light brown hair said as he walked over to Severus, extending his hand, "I'm Phil, Hermione's uncle, and this is my wife Rose and our son Hugo."
"Severus Snape..." He didn't really care who they were, but he was curious to get a glimpse of Miss Granger's home life.
"A Professor at Hermione's school? I'm one myself, University of London." He smiled. Severus just nodded curtly and counted down the second until Miss Granger came down the stairs, hoping to cease the uncomfortable small talk with her Muggle uncle.
When Hermione bounded down the stairs, Professor Snape led her down her aunt and uncle's street, to a small churchyard where the apparated to Diagon Alley. As they entered Diagon Alley, Hermione was almost bouncing on her toes, despite her Professor's snarl.
Severus was angry that he had drawn the short straw this year and was required to escort Miss Granger to Diagon Alley instead of Minerva, Filius or Pomona. Not only were his more dubious contacts passing him contraband items on the street, but He preferred to be feared, not seen helping little girls buy their schoolbooks and robes. Their first stop was Gringott's to exchange her muggle pounds for wizard money, after which they traversed the various shops buying parchment, quills, and, most of all, books. It was a nearly impossible task dragging the girl out of Flourish and Botts; she would have bought every damn book in the place if Severus hadn't stepped in.
During a short lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, Severus carefully watched the young girl's eating habits, having noted with Poppy how thin she was the year before when petrified. She only ate half of her sandwich and completely avoided the chips. He didn't question her choices, just observed. He had also noted when he forced entry into her Father's house that there were no pictures of her anywhere in the house, with the exception of her own bedroom, and even then it was one framed photo of her as a baby in her mother's arms, and it was turned upside down on the night side table. Severus didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he did feel the need to talk to Minerva and Poppy and contemplated tracking down her father to question the man.
After lunch, they made one last stop at the Magical Menagerie; the young witch dragged him into the small little shop by the hand.
"Good afternoon," smiled the portly little witch. Severus just nodded slightly as the girl searched through the shop as if on a mission.
He's wonderful..." Hermione gasped, and the animal rose from where it had been sitting, pushing his back against Hermione's hand. His legs were bent strangely, and his face looked grumpy and squashed.
"That one is called Crookshanks," the shopkeeper said from behind the counter, "he's been here for a long time."
"Nobody wanted him? Oh, poor Crookshanks!" Hermione cooed. "You are absolutely gorgeous!"
The thing was far from gorgeous, Severus thought. To him, the creature resembled a miniature lion that had run headlong into the brick barrier at Kings Cross.
"Would you like to come home with me?" The girl asked; the creature purred loudly rubbing itself against her leg.
The store owner smiled. "Seems Crookshanks took a great likely to you, young lady, which is rare for him. You must be a good person because Crookshanks is a half-kneazle and they're excellent judges of character. Are you sure you want him? Having a pet is a big responsible?"
"Of course," Hermione smiled, handing the storeowner her galleons, also purchasing some food, toys and a carrier basket.
As she went to pick up her new familiar and place him in his carrier, she found the half-kneazle rubbing himself along her professor's leg, covering his black trousers in long ginger fur.
"He likes you too Professor," Hermione chirped, and Severus was just a second away from using the beast as potion ingredients.
"Come Crookshanks." Hermione placed the fat fur beast in his basket, and the owner cheerfully waved goodbye, happy that Crookshanks was going to a good home.
As the unusual group passed a newsstand on the way out of the Alley, the headline of the Daily Prophet caught Severus off guard. Quickly swiping the nearest copy, Severus was frozen in shock as he read. This had to be a mistake or a cruel joke, but Severus' eyes remained fixed on the front page: "Escape from Azkaban" and staring back at him was the mad face of his greatest enemy, Sirius Black. Shocked, he lit the paper on fire in a fit of rage.
"Is everything alright Professor?" Hermione asked.
Severus was jolted back to reality, remembering he was accompanying a student. He took deep breathes trying to calm himself down. Looking down at the ash from the newspaper, then glancing back to the newsstand to confirm the headline was real, he responded curtly, "I am fine Miss Granger, let's return you to your Aunt and Uncle."