Chapter Two: Truth

Skirting the perimeter of the whitewashed toilet block to the rear of the house Severus ensured he was out of Bryony's sight: out of sight, out of mind, he thought, knowing this would be as appeasing to Bryony as it was to him. He placed a cigarette between his thin lips and lit it with a silver lighter he maintained in his trouser pocket. He could hear the television distribute a chaotic combination of bagpipes, cheering, clapping and singing, an endless irritation to him. Glancing around the garden he saw that Bryony had done her best to maintain it, the lawn was tidy, the trees trimmed, and tonight they danced in a soft breeze, their frosted coats sparkling in the moonlight. In the distance the sound of the final celebratory fireworks cackled into the night air, and the last drunken muggles stumbled back to their homes. Severus exhaled loudly: a second Christmas, and a second New Year, without Quentin had taken its toll. He would return to Hogwarts the next evening, and attempt to forget for another year… There was a shuffling and a clicking. Severus looked up in time to see Perry's face momentarily illuminated by a flame that flickered then diminished. Father and son acknowledged one another with a stiff nod.

'It was no easier this year, was it?' Severus asked, almost inaudibly.

Perry frowned, seemingly shocked, and looked up at his father, 'err… no,' he said at length.

'How does your mother do when I'm not here?'

Perry snorted, 'better,' he said. 'Dad, you're crap at this kind of talk' he added, after a moment, 'stop pretending you care. Just leave it.'

'Of course I care,' he replied quietly, 'I don't know what's happened to you, Perry.'

'You don't know anything about us, and it's fine, no, it's better that way. Quentin was quite clearly your favourite…'

'I don't have a favourite, Perry, for Merlin's sake!' Severus interjected harshly.

'When you got back before Christmas did you care to ask if I'd heard from Puddlemore? Do you care that Jared has Sirius Black plastered all over his bedroom walls? Did you even check if Noel has shown signs of magic yet?' Perry asked, his eyes becoming wider with every question. 'I didn't think so. You have no idea how much I miss Quentin, no clue. But, bloody hell Dad, we're still alive!'

Severus hung his head, determined not to let Perry know how much his rant had stung. He allowed his son to calm down a little before he spoke again. 'Did you hear from Puddlemore?' he eventually asked.

'Oh for Merlin's sake!' Perry snapped and they finished their cigarettes in silence before moving back into the house together.

Bryony and Severus' mother were sat on one sofa with Jared between them while Noel stood on the sofa in the bay window with his head under the curtains behind it. Watching Perry disappear up the stairs two steps at a time, Severus situated himself beside his youngest son. Bryony and Eileen were watching some muggle musician prance about a stage on the television and Jared read his book. To Severus it was all somewhat disappointing. Tonight should have been festive but had instead been spent like a wake. There seemed to Severus no escape to this perpetual mourning.

'A man,' Noel said suddenly, bringing his head back from behind the curtain.

'What's that?' Severus asked.

'Look, a man, Daddy!' Noel repeated, pointing towards the window.

Severus turned around and drew the curtains open in one swift motions. He could see nothing and nobody.

'Stay here,' he said, with a pointed glance in Bryony's direction. He took his wand from his pocket and unwarded the front door, stepping out into the cold winters night. He strode down the garden path and flung the gate open, his wand outstretched before him. 'Where are you?' he shouted into orange light flooding the street from the streetlights. 'I know you're here somewhere!' he yelled. There was no response as he glanced rabidly from one end of the street to the other. He was met by silence. 'When I find you, I'm going to kill you!' he screamed, turning back to the house. A pale form in an upstairs window caught his attention, and he watched as a smirking Perry slinked back into the shadows.

Severus strode back into the house and sought Noel who was Eileen had huddled in her lap. 'That man you saw,' Severus said, in a harsher tone than he intended, 'what did he look like Noel?' Noel whimpered slightly and huddled further into his grandmother's lap. Severus sighed and inhaled deeply, 'I'm sorry Noel,' he said, altering his voice now, 'can you tell me what that man looked like, please?'

'Urm… I… he had a hood, Daddy… all black, all over!'

'And what was he doing?'

'He just looks, looks at me and at a house.'

Severus moved back and sat on the coffee table, slamming a fist hard down onto it.

'Severus?' Bryony inquired tentatively. 'Who was it?'

Severus shook his head, 'no one to worry about,' he lied, 'I didn't see anyone.'

o…….…….o

Severus sat in an overstuffed armchair in Professor Dumbledore's office, adjacent to a rather defiant looking Perry. It was evening on New Years day and they had been summoned by the Headmaster in order to discuss Perry's return to Hogwarts following his lengthy expulsion. Behind his desk, leaning forwards casually on his elbows, Dumbledore did not look as grave as Severus thought the situation warranted, Perry would never take the old man seriously whilst ever his eyes glinted in that fashion.

'Well, Perry,' the Headmaster began. 'I have spoken with Professor Burbage about you returning to us this term, and as it stands, I'm afraid, she's refusing to teach you.' Perry covered an evident grin with his hand and nodded with mock solemnity. 'However,' Dumbledore continued, now eyeing Perry suspiciously. 'I think that if you were willing to apologise for you behaviour, she may feel differently. Will you apologise?' Dumbledore asked.

'Oh, yes, yes sir!' Perry replied, nodding furiously. Severus suppressed the urge to backhand his son sharply on the shoulder for his childish and unmistakably mocking tone, but a fleeting glance issued his way by Dumbledore helped him resist.

'Very well, and please Perry, if you ever speak to a member of staff, or a student for that matter, in that way again we will seriously have to consider your future at Hogwarts.'

Perry nodded, 'won't happen,' he said.

'Very good. Now, Professor Burbage will be in her office I should imagine, you go there are make a profuse apology before you go to your common room, alright?'

'Thanks sir,' Perry said, standing up and turning to leave without even acknowledging Severus' presence.

Severus waited until his son's muffled footsteps disappeared down the stairway before he spoke, 'he'll apologise but he won't mean it,' he spat with undisguised contempt.

'Now, now Severus,' the Headmaster chided, 'he isn't a bad lad.'

'You have no idea!' Severus replied loudly, standing up and beginning to pace about the room, 'He's been seeing Lucius Malfoy, I think he's told him where the house is… he was there, last night, outside, just looking in.'

The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes diminished, 'you saw him?' he asked.

'No, not exactly… Noel did, but I mean, who else could it have been?'

Dumbledore sighed, seemingly relieved, 'anyone, Severus, it could have been anyone,' he said with a small smile, 'forgive me if I don't take the word of a four year old as evidence.'

'We need to repeat the Fidelious Charm, we'll move them again and we'll get a new secret keeper,' Severus demanded.

'If that makes you feel better.'

'I think to be honest it's the least you can do,' Severus spat, turning to face the Headmaster, 'after all the stuff you've got me running around doing for you, or, rather, for Potter! You know that Granger girl is still stealing from my stores?'

'Severus, Severus, sit down. That is inconsequential,' Dumbledore said, his voice remaining steady. 'You said before, Perry has been spending time with Lucius Malfoy. I assume because Lucius intends to use him as a piece offering when Voldemort returns. We need to put a stop to it.'

'Don't you think I know that? If there was any way, I would!' Severus replied, slumping back into the overstaffed armchair with his arms crossed.

'Severus,' Dumbledore said seriously, eyeing the Potions Master over the top of his half-moon spectacles, 'I think it might be time to tell Perry the truth.'

o…….…….o

Perry Barrington waited, cracking his knuckles as he did so. Green hues reflected from the lake through the high windows danced over his face as he glared into the dying embers of the fire. The common room was cold and damp and his breath gathered in wisps of condensation as he exhaled; lengthily and angrily exhaled. He had been and apologised to Professor Burbage, though he was loathed to do so, and he hadn't meant a word. As far as he was concerned she'd deserved every syllable of abuse he'd uttered. Anyway, she had agreed to continue teaching him Muggle Studies this term so he'd got what he wanted…

There was a click of a door opening somewhere behind him but he didn't acknowledge it. A blonde haired intruder made his way across the common room and slid onto the suede emerald sofa beside Perry.

They sat for a moment in silence before Draco spoke. 'My father has asked that I apologise to you,' he droned. Perry merely nodded. 'He also told me what business the two of you have… said he's preparing you… for when he comes back?'

'Yeah.'

'Why isn't your own father doing that?'

'Cos' of Dumbledore. It's got to seem like he's reformed hasn't it? Obviously!'

Draco exhibited a long hiss of mocking laughter, 'and are you quite sure he hasn't?'

Perry looked at Draco for the first time, 'absolutely!' he spat, 'you'll see, when he comes back, who he deems to be his most faithful!'

'I'm sure I shall,' Malfoy grinned, standing up, 'my father urges that you exercise a little more discretion this term, he doesn't think the Dark Lord would be impressed with your blatant attacks on muggle lovers… you know, until the time is right?'

'Whatever.'

'I'm just telling you what he said.'

'Get lost!'

Draco shrugged and left the common room the way he'd entered, leaving Perry alone once again. Generally, alone was the state in which Perry preferred to be. He had once enjoyed the company of a number of good friends and, probably because of his mother's muggle heritage; they were not all pureblood championing Slytherins. But since Quentin's death he'd pushed them away, retreated into himself and preferred to spend his time wallowing in his own grief.

People told him that in time the pain of losing Quentin would ease, but Perry did not want it to ease, to him that would be like forgetting. He knew that Quentin, like his mother and his father, would be ashamed of the person he had become, and, though he would never admit it, it was because he was scared. He had attached himself to Lucius Malfoy because he was scared that when the Dark Lord returned he would not believe his father when he explained that he was not on Dumbledore's man but his. He was scared that either at the hands of Voldemort, or one of his minions, he would suffer the same fate as Quentin. As far as Perry was concerned, what his parents thought of him was no longer of any significance.