Author's Note: Beautiful artwork for chapter 81 by LilyHBP can be found here (remove spaces): http: / lilyhbp . deviantart . com / art / Paper-Boats-Sev-and-Lily-85911690 (It's the picture Lily looks at that she keeps by her bedside.)
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Chapter Eighty-Six
In the weeks following their wedding, Severus and Lily's lives settled into a daily routine, but neither grew too comfortable with the seeming normalcy of day-to-day life. At the beginning of September, Lily started training at the Ministry in the Department of Mysteries. She finally decided on studying what it meant to be an Unspeakable, but even as she was subjected to the oddities of rooms full of brains in tanks, Time Turners, and whatnot, she felt she was only skimming the surface. She wasn't permitted to share information with anyone, even Severus, as to what was studied in the Department of Mysteries.
When they were at work during the day, talk among coworkers grew about strange happenings, mostly confined to the countryside. While Muggle news reports spoke of natural disasters and unfortunate accidents, most wizards knew better. Voldemort and his followers were on the rise, and they were striking in small, subtle ways, slowly instilling fear right under everyone's skin, a latent infection waiting for the right moment to attack and spread.
Thankfully, the Untraceable Charm seemed to be doing its job regarding keeping Lily's family from harm, unless they simply had gotten lucky and not been further subjugated to attack. Severus had placed his own father under the protection of the charm as well, even though Tobias had tried to insist he was tough enough without it.
Hogwarts started a new school term without Severus and Lily. Some adjustment to married life and working at new careers was needed, for not returning to Hogwarts was a foreign feeling.
Another Order meeting was held in mid-September, and much attention was given to the growing threat of Voldemort and his followers. Several senior members were given special assignments, and Severus felt a bit put out that Dumbledore hadn't turned toward the younger members for assistance. What were they, just ornamentation? What was their purpose, if not to help the side of Light?
Lily's reassurance, although welcome, wasn't enough to quell Severus's feeling of dejection and inadequacy. If only Dumbledore knew of Severus's abilities!
"Then perhaps you ought to consider sharing the truth with him?" suggested Lily a few days after the meeting was over and Severus was brooding in his armchair in their sitting room one evening.
"Dumbledore doesn't need to know the truth," Severus grumbled, glaring into the fire. "I think I've had enough of his usage of me for one lifetime, let alone two."
"Then why are you complaining about not being chosen for a mission?" Lily pointed out. "I wasn't chosen, either, Sev, and neither were Mary, James, Sirius, or Remus. He's probably just giving us some time to feel our way out."
"But my knowledge of events-"
"Do you have anything specific that could help right now?"
"No," Severus muttered. "I wasn't given my first mission as a- a Death Eater until almost Christmas last time. I was practically as much in the dark then, at least in the sense of being uninformed, as I am now."
Lily came up behind him and snaked her arms around his neck, kissing him on the top of the head, then placing her cheek there.
"Hmmm, that's your problem, Sev. You can't be content without feeling 'useful.'"
Severus allowed himself to relax into her gentle touch, but he remarked bitterly, "Perhaps that's because I always felt the need to be doing something useful before. It had been pounded into my head. I hated being used, yet needed to be useful. Not a good combination."
"It's all right to be upset about it, but it's done and over."
Severus sighed and kept staring into the dying flames in the fireplace.
x x x x xIf Severus wanted to feel useful, his wish would be granted in due time. As the autumn peaked in the middle of October, the leaves turned every color of golden beauty, but the war grew, darkening the days. The daylight was rapidly shortening, and by the time Severus returned home most evenings, it was already dark.
While Lily was preparing dinner that particular evening, Severus went into the sitting room to start a fire. Ever thankful to be a wizard, he aimed his wand at the grate, and with a simple Incendio, a fire was merrily crackling away on the dry logs. As he was about to turn and help Lily in the kitchen, however, a voice rang out from the fireplace.
"Severus!"
Shocked, Severus whipped around, his wand defensively pointed at the flames. When he saw Dumbledore's head floating in the fire, he relaxed and lowered his hand.
"Yes, Dumbledore?" he inquired.
"I apologize for the last minute notice, but the Longbottoms and Edgar could use your assistance this evening."
"Just mine?"
"Lily's as well," Dumbledore explained.
Severus was about to excuse himself to retrieve Lily when she walked into the room. Seeing Dumbledore, Lily said, "I thought I heard voices. Hello, sir."
"Good evening, Lily," Dumbledore kindly greeted her. "As I was saying to Severus, your assistance could be used this evening."
"Oh?" Lily asked, her eyebrows raising in intrigue.
"As you are well aware, some Muggles have gone disappearing in the outskirts of Gloucester as of late. Frank and Edgar have been tailing Doholov and Travers, but those two now have a larger group of Death Eaters, perhaps new recruits, with them. We believe they are behind the disappearances, and I would like Lily and you to accompany Edgar, Frank, and Alice."
"Now?" Severus asked.
"As soon as you are able," Dumbledore said. "I would have notified you sooner, but Edgar just Flooed me and informed me himself. He requested backup."
"All right, we'll be there. Where in Gloucester, exactly?"
"Meet Edgar, Frank, and Alice at Sudmeadow and Llanthony Roads... say, seven o'clock? I shall let Edgar know you are coming."
"Very well."
Dumbledore broke the connection.
"Seven?" Lily asked, gazing at Severus. "That's- that's only a half an hour away! Do we even have time for dinner?"
"I suppose we ought to grab something quickly and be on our way," Severus said. "Whatever it is we'll be doing, it'll be better to have some food in our stomaches."
Lily nodded and returned to the kitchen. Instead of the dinner they were going to have, they settled on chicken soup and devoured their portions quickly. Once finished, they didn't bother to tidy up, as that hardly seemed important right now.
Taking Lily's hand, Severus asked, "Are you ready?"
Lily inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, then exhaled and opened them. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. "Let's do this."
They Disapparated to the location specified, instantly seeing three others waiting for them. Keeping to the shadows cast by some half-naked trees, Severus and Lily approached them, keeping their wands aloft just in case.
"Identify yourselves," Edgar's voice demanded in a soft hiss.
"Severus and Lily Snape," Severus returned just as quietly, locking eyes with Edgar. "You requested our help, Bones?"
"Yes, I asked Dumbledore to provide assistance," Edgar stated, sizing up the two young arrivals, "although I hadn't expected him to necessarily send along the newbies..."
Severus bristled slightly, but Frank cordially greeted them. "Hello, you two. Edgar, everyone needs to start somewhere. It wasn't so long ago when Alice and I were freshly graduated." He offered Severus and Lily a smile, which only made Severus more irritated.
"Right," Severus ground out. "Well, here we are. What's the assignment?"
Edgar mumbled something about being inexperienced and no Auror training, then explained, pointing toward some nondescript houses farther down the street, "Attacks happened the past two nights here. No bodies even left, which leads us to believe the Death Eaters are either taking them to be used for some sort of experimentation or sport... or they're somehow leaving no trace of what they've done with the bodies. To destroy a human body, to transfigure it into a needle, let's say, and bury it, would still leave a trace of such magic being performed in the house. We have more reason, therefore, to think they are actually taking the Muggles alive."
"And when you say using them for experimentation or sport-" Lily started to ask, her voice mixed with disgust and trepidation.
"You don't really want me to answer that question, Miss Ev- er, Mrs. Snape," Edgar said grimly.
Severus knew well enough what was done with prisoners. They were the subjects of poisons, curses, werewolf victims, and worse... until they might finally be given the mercy of being killed.
"That's awful," Lily said in a small voice, and Severus placed a hand on her arm to steady her. She was still new to this whole experience, after all.
Alice gazed sympathetically at Lily. "I know," she agreed, "and that's why it's so important we be here."
"I trust we're not obvious to passersby?" Severus suddenly questioned. They had been standing around talking for the past several minutes, and despite the shadows afforded by the trees and the fact no one was actually outside strolling by on the pavement, that didn't mean they ought to assume no one would see them.
"Of course not," Edgar said indignantly. "What sort of a fool do you take me for, Snape? We placed the necessary wards and enchantments. Neither Muggle nor Death Eater should be able to see or hear us."
"And sense us?" Severus persisted.
Edgar growled deeply, and Severus decided it best to stop pushing the topic. Hopefully the man knew what he was doing. He was an experienced Auror.
At that moment, something moved in the darkness across the street. Everyone was silenced, their senses heightened. Severus was glad he wasn't the only one who saw the slight difference between the darkness of the hooded cloaked figures and the regular night.
For a minute, they followed the movement, but then it disappeared, lost. Severus knew the Death Eaters couldn't have Disapparated, as they would have heard it... unless they were well protected, too.
"Shit," Edgar hissed very softly. "All right, you lot. Let's move on out. Disillusion yourselves and stay in the shadows as much as possible. Cross the street here and into the back garden of the first house. That one's empty, as is the one next to it."
Severus wondered if the Muggles living in the third house had had any sense to leave. Surely attacks for the past two nights should have alerted them, but it was plausable that the Muggles weren't yet aware of their missing neighbors. The houses weren't very close together.
They Disillusioned themselves and made their way to the other side of the street. They passed the first house, going behind it, and continued on. The second house came and went. They were closing in on the third, looking for any signs of attack. The house sat quiet and dark.
"I don't reckon anyone's home," Frank whispered.
Edgar was about to reply when a scream issued forth from somewhere farther away.
"Wrong house," Edgar said. "Come on."
Severus's heartbeat increased as they moved swiftly across the ground, the tall grass brushing against his legs. He hoped the rustle of the leaves crunching underfoot couldn't be heard, but somehow doubted it. There was no Dark Mark looming above the next house, and from the looks of it, the Death Eaters had Apparated inside. No signs of forced entry were present.
"Move on in," Edgar instructed. "We need to see if this is the right house..."
A single light was on inside. Severus got the impression the house wasn't occupied by a whole family, but more likely an elderly lady by look of the ornaments she had in her garden.
A green light flashed inside, and a shout was heard. Apparently the Death Eaters were no longer hiding themselves from being seen or heard, probably because they wanted to impress their sudden appearance upon their poor victims.
"Inside, now," Edgar hissed, and they Disapparated.
Severus glanced around. He could hear angry voices upstairs.
"Idiot!" a gruff voice barked. "She was supposed to go with us!"
"Too old!" a higher-pitched voice argued. "She wouldn't've lasted a day."
Only seeing Lily by his side, Severus realized the others must have Apparated to the upper level. More shouts issued forth. Edgar and the Longbottoms had been discovered... or they had discovered the Death Eaters. Severus didn't know who had found whom first.
"Come on," Severus said hastily, pointing down the hallway toward the stairs.
Lily nodded quickly and followed, but as they turned the corner, she glanced into a small room off to the side and saw a pair of large, scared eyes gazing at her from a small crack between the door and the frame.
"Severus!" she whispered, stopping and glancing back and forth from him to the child.
"What?" Severus asked. "Lily, we don't-"
She pointed at the child.
"Take him and get out of here," Severus stated.
Lily didn't have time to argue. She approached the doorway, and the little boy tried to shut it, obviously afraid.
"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you," Lily told the child as gently as possible, but her voice was shaking.
"What happened to Grammy?" the boy whimpered. "Who- who are you?"
"I'm someone here to help you, little one. Here, take my hand-"
"I'm not going with strangers," the boy cried. "What-"
Lily could hear a battle raging upstairs and shivered. She prayed Severus would be all right. Not wasting another second, she grabbed the struggling child by the hand and Disapparated.
Author's Note: Evil cliffie, yes. We're in the thick of a war now, so there will be a lot more battles and the whole prophecy/Horcrux/destroying Voldemort issue will be addressed more and more, but not really overly much until "1979." We're still in '78. But yes, it's October, not much farther to go!
