A/N: Holy banana sandwich, it's been a long time. Sorry, all. I sorta lost my inspiration for this one. I got a pm, though, that reminded me about the story, and since we're getting so close to the end, I decided to just finish it off and hope for the best. It could take a while for the chapters. I'm sorry. Like I said, the inspiration is sort of gone. But I'm going to work on it! Also, I don't have a beta, so I'm sorry. I do, however, edit for myself before I post, so there shouldn't be too many errors. So, yeah, have fun!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Do you think if I did, I'd be writing fan fiction? No. I'd start a Japanese talent agency for very pretty boys. So please don't sue me!
"Aha!" Lily cried triumphantly. Harry, afraid of what his mother could do, whimpered, about ready to cry.
"I'm afraid too, son," James scooped the child up and edged out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Severus asked, about to enter.
"Lily's cackling madly," James whispered, hoping his wife wouldn't hear him. Lucky for him, she was cackling too loudly to notice.
"Lily, is something wrong?" Severus could be heard asking from the adjoining room. James and Harry (who was naturally good at mischief) had their ears to the wall. James wasn't certain if his child, only a few months old, was actually talented in the art of pranking and the like, or if he was just imitating his father.
"Just found what I was looking for, is all," she remarked, suddenly calm. James knew that the sudden change in Lily's attitude never boded well.
"And what were you looking for?" Severus asked in his normal dry tones. Now that he was rather certain it wasn't destructive, he was uninterested.
"Well, I've noticed that you sort of hold back when I'm around James and I think that it's because, whether it's conscious or not, you think I have more of a claim on him as I'm his wife and you have no tying titles such as that." James could tell just by the tone that Lily had that determined gleam in her eye.
"You'd do well to inherit her stubbornness, Harry," he told the child, who he wasn't sure could quite understand him. "It's a right good trait, even if it'll make you intolerable at times. All the best Gryffindors are stubborn."
"That's not something you'd be looking for," Snape replied simply.
"I was just giving you back story," she snapped. "You needn't be so ungrateful."
"I believe I was being impatient," Severus corrected. James snickered. A real battle of the intellects here.
"Anyways, I was thinking of ways that would give you a similar claim on James so you wouldn't feel you had to back off on my account," she replied. "And I didn't know how legal it was in the wizarding world but in the muggle one, you can't have more than one spouse."
"Wizarding law is very vague on such matters," Severus stated simply. "Because old laws allow it, but newer ones greatly restrict it."
"Oh, I know," Lily muttered. "I spent ages going through law books."
"And then ages more going through old texts trying to find the proper charms?" Severus asked.
"Well, I asked Remus for help," she admitted. "But it still took far longer than I wanted."
"Lupin?" Severus looked shocked.
"Well, when looking up the laws, I noticed that there were plenty of acceptable charms for taking a second wife," Lily admitted. "But there's only one acceptable charm for marrying another man," she explained.
"So you thought that Lupin might know of it, in case he and Black were considering a Unity Ceremony." James had crept around the corner, Harry crawling with him, to watch the two.
"That is what came to mind, yes," Lily replied.
"You know, Black would have been the one to know the spell," Severus replied. "All the old families pass that sort of information down, mostly for the purpose of producing the necessary heirs."
"What, one wife doesn't work so they take another?" Lily asked with a scowl. Severus nodded. "Don't they know that it's the man who provides the genetic information to produce the child's gender?" Lily asked looking appalled.
"Is it really?" Severus looked shocked.
"I suppose wizards don't know much about genetics," Lily muttered. "Anyways, I've found the spell necessary. So, all we have to do is get James to agree."
"Is it difficult, this spell?" James asked, standing up (and taking Harry with him). Lily proceeded to explain. Severus wondered when he'd actually agreed to it, looking dazed.
"Suzette's nearly finished again," Sirius announced one day, coming home covered in grease from working on the motorcycle. "But the charms are going to be difficult, for sure," he added. "I probably should have put them on the parts but it's hard enough getting everything to work as it is."
"That's lovely," Remus replied as if he hadn't really been listening. He was, after all, looking more intently than usual at the book he was reading. Sirius turned to Regulus, who it seemed hadn't even heard him. Regulus was scribbling notes as he scowled at his own book.
"Well, I'll be taking a shower now," Sirius announced. "And Moony, by all means, feel free to join me." He wore an impish grin, hoping that it would sink in with the werewolf in a few minutes, as he walked toward the bedroom, gathering things before his shower.
Remus did look up, after a moment, scowling in the direction of the bathroom, where he heard the shower starting. "That man," he muttered, marking his page in the book. He'd need to gather his thoughts now.
"Remus?" Regulus looked up helplessly. "I've read the same passage five times and I still don't get it," he looked hopefully at the werewolf.
Remus was still helping Regulus to understand it (and trying to get it, himself) when Sirius emerged from the shower. He flopped on the couch dramatically before springing up again when a large, silvery-white stag cantered into the room.
"Padfoot, Moony," it said urgently in James' voice. "Emergency meeting at headquarters." As it disappeared, Regulus let out a loud curse, dropping his quill to clutch at his left forearm.
"Looks like we're going to be busy tonight," Remus muttered.
"Lily!" Alice Longbottom cried, coming up to the Marauders' group.
"Alice! How's little Neville?" she asked while hugging her friend. Alice had had a son about a week before Harry was born.
"He's good. Staying with my parents tonight," she responded. "Where's Harry?"
"He's staying with James' parents," Lily explained. "I popped over while James sent word to Remus and Sirius."
"What of Peter?" Alice asked.
"Out of town. He's on some mission," she explained, "and it keeps getting extended."
"Poor Annabel," Alice replied, having spent enough time with them to know the girl.
"She seems to be getting along fine," Lily replied. "Though her brother did have to leave on business yesterday. She's all alone in that god-awful flat now." Lily's nose scrunched up in distaste. "If we had the room, I'd offer to let her stay at our place. Our house is just so small!"
"Quiet, everyone," Dumbledore said in his carrying voice, once everyone had arrived. "We've received word of a premeditated attack on the part of Voldemort."
"Aren't most of his attacks premeditated?" a woman named Marlene McKinnon asked. Lily barely knew the woman. All she did know was that she had a young family and that their dog, Rufus, had liked Sirius the one time he'd visited (to deliver a message to Marlene).
"This one is immensely so," Dumbledore stated simply. "We know he's been aiming for the where, Healer Markson's Hospital for Severe Magical Ailments, for quite some time. We didn't know, however, the when or the how. Now we know the when as well."
"Well when?" Sirius asked loudly.
"May 3rd," Dumbledore replied gravely.
"That's five months from now!" one of the Prewetts cried.
"Why May 3rd?" Remus asked softly.
"Because that's the man who runs it, Healer Markson's birthday." Marlene wore a scowl. She was the group's healer and, in fact, worked at Healer Markson's Hospital
"How will we stop it?" someone asked. "What about the patients?" another added. There was a general murmur of questions and Dumbledore waited for it to die down.
"We likely can't stop Voldemort from doing anything," Dumbledore informed them. "And, if it comes down to it, we can move the patients to the Hogwarts infirmary. However, Poppy can only handle so much traffic there, so I'd like as many of the patients as possible to be moved to St. Mungo's."
"Well, there are only seven- no, six now- patients there currently," Marlene informed. "But who knows what the number will be in five months' time. It could be none or it could be twenty."
"Why would he want to take out Healer Markson's Hospital?" Frank Longbottom asked. "It's only for those who need extensive medical care, who'll likely die anyways. And besides that, they're only staffed to accommodate, at most, twenty patients."
"But there's also the fact that many of our treatments are a combination of muggle and magic," Marlene pointed out.
"That's his reason then," Sirius stated glumly.
"That's not enough to call us here on emergency, though, is it?" James pointed out. Everyone turned to him.
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore's voice was again, grave. "There's been a breach in the auror unit."
"What do you mean a breach? Were they attacked or have they been infiltrated?" Remus asked.
"Both," Moody replied gruffly. "We think, anyways. We got into a skirmish with what we thought were minor criminals but were really Death Eaters under the influence of Polyjuice Potion," Moody explained. "They took some of my best men. But we think that we've a spy because there've been too many occurrences like this lately. Little things turning into big problems and the like."
"Does anyone have any information about the Auror infiltration?" Dumbledore asked.
"Lately the Ministry's been passing legislation allowing for the restrictions for becoming an Auror lifted temporarily in the country's current state of crisis," someone blurted out.
"And they're delegating all the simple stuff to other offices of the department," Edgar Bones added. "My personal favorite is when they give the Reversal Squad a job." He wore a smile. "Criminals are promptly forgetting the crimes they were about to commit."
"If I'd ever gotten good at the memory modifiers, I would have totally been an Obliviater." Sirius donned his trademark impish grin.
"How are our friends in the muggle law enforcement groups?" Dumbledore prompted.
"Can the Reversal Squad spare a couple Obliviaters? We want each group in the muggle law enforcement fields to have someone who can modify memories. The groups themselves are sneaky but our adversaries don't exactly have our concerns. It's getting troublesome for them to always call over a Modifier from another group or from the Reversal Squad. Leaves messy questions," Sirius explained. It was a rare day when he referred to the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad's Modifiers by their proper title. Of course, most people referred to Modifiers by the main spell they used anyways.
"We can look into it," Edgar promised. "But all of MLE is stretched thin. We've been counting on other departments' help more and more lately."
"Understandable," Dumbledore murmured. The rest of the meeting went similarly, with various complaints about not having enough help where it was needed. Things were getting stretched thin across the board and they all knew it, making the fight against Voldemort that much more difficult.
"Oh!" Remus cried in remembrance just as the group was about to disband. "Sirius' brother, Regulus, has been staying with us, as you all know. Tonight, just as Sirius and I were about to leave for the meeting- with proper stories, of course- Regulus was called to a Death Eater meeting. Any ideas on the significance of the timing?"
"That'll likely be an Azkaban raid," Moody muttered irritably. "Despite the breach, we've still been putting 'em away. Caught some of the higher ups last time, more from a blunder than anything else."
"Is there anything else?" Dumbledore asked. No one spoke up. "Then I suppose the meeting is over." Everyone started filing out, some lingering longer than others to chitchat and mingle.
Sirius and Remus went over to the Potters' house afterwards for lack of anything better to do. James and Sirius headed out to the shed to take a look at Suzette while Remus and Lily sat in the kitchen and sipped tea while conversing.
"How is Regulus doing with his little project?" Lily asked conversationally.
"He's muddling through. It surprises me that James and Sirius made it through those books so easily at fifteen," he replied.
"McGonagall always said becoming an animagus was tricky work. It would stand to reason that James and Sirius completed the transformation as teenagers just to spite everyone else." Lily rolled her eyes.
"True. Those two are surprisingly good at the oddest things," Remus remarked. "How is your own project going?"
"I found the charm. Sev and James have pretty much accepted. We just need to set up a time for the ceremony. Sev doesn't want to make a big production out of it but James and I think it would be nice if you lot were there," she explained.
"And who exactly do you mean by 'you lot'?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow.
"Marauders plus Regulus," Lily stated simply. "Just our very closest friends."
James and Sirius returned at this point, sparing Lily from Remus' ever-pragmatic advice. "Ah Suzette, I love thee so," Sirius said as if he were reciting a Shakespearean love poem. "Such woes that you are broken physically and I emotionally. Such scars we bear. You shall never be a Muggle motorbike again and I shall never love a woman properly. But you! Suzette you are my love. My one and only mechanical love. None shall take your place! Unless, of course, Moony sprouts a motor."
Remus snorted once Sirius finished his poem. "Fat chance on that last one. Tell Suzette she's safe."
"We should probably get home," Sirius said sadly. "You lot have fun without us."
When Regulus returned home, Remus and Sirius were sleeping. It stood to reason considering it was four in the morning. He fixed himself a snack before heading off to bed. The problem was he couldn't sleep.
Ever since the dementors had made it plain that they were allied with the Dark Lord, the Ministry had been putting human guards up at Azkaban to ensure that the prisoners were safe. Of course, getting past them was usually a cake-walk. Tonight was a little different. An ex-Auror was the guard. He was definitely the most competent guard the Ministry had yet supplied. And, of course, it had to be Regulus' job to get rid of him.
Usually, the Death Eaters would just hit the guard with a Stunner, but this guy must have known they were coming. This guy also knew quite a bit about dueling. Regulus cursed his bad luck. Spells flew as the rest of the Death Eaters crept past the battle going on.
"Mad-Eye had a feelin' you lot would be comin' soon," the man replied. "Called me in for this as a favor. Much better than the desk job I've had for the last five years." Regulus mentally went through a list of the Aurors he'd heard from his brother's description of Moody's mentions. Who was that old Auror that Moody thought was crazy enough to warrant desk work for life.
"Frivol?" Regulus asked.
"Smart boy. How did you know that?" Frivol looked about as mad as everyone considered him.
"I'm not usually a fighter," Regulus informed. After all, he was completely anonymous in his mask and cloak. No one would recognize the youngest Black. "I'm mostly a recon man."
"Ahh, that's probably best for yeh. Yeh seem scrawny," the guy smirked at him. It was true; Regulus had never been good at dueling. Although he was a pretty boy, Sirius always seemed to be trying to look tough. Regulus who had never had a problem with being a pretty boy, was not cut out for this sort of thing.
"You're not in tip-top shape either," Regulus shot back.
"I bet yeh can't kill. Recon men rarely have the stomach for what the fighters do." Sage advice, coming from an adversary. Regulus was fairly certain that Frivol knew he was going easy on him.
"I'm a Death Eater," Regulus replied in the haughty, pureblood tones his parents had drilled into him from a young age. "I've killed before," he added, feeling some sort of need to prove himself to this old Auror.
"I remember the days when I was new on the force," the man replied wistfully. "Back before Grindelwald, that was. They still let Aurors use the Unforgivable Curses in those days. There was little regulation on it. Now you have to fill out hours of paperwork to explain why you've done what you did."
Regulus wondered when this lazy duel had turned into a lecture on the use of Unforgivables. "You ever have a Cruciatus turned on you?" Regulus asked angrily.
"Never hit," Frivol replied. "I'm Fast Feet Frivol." There was a rather toothy smile on his face.
"Well, perhaps you'll learn what hell it is tonight," Regulus muttered. "Perhaps you'll appreciate the paperwork." With that, he shot a Cruciatus Curse at the old man. He was shocked that it hit. The man he was fighting was tiring after all. As he cried out in pain, Regulus saw his face. It was contorted with discomfort. This was why Regulus hated being a Death Eater. When the man had passed out from the pain, he released the curse and ran off to the rendezvous point.
It was the image of the man's face that Regulus couldn't shake. He'd been a Death Eater quite awhile and had used Unforgiveables on many, but never anyone specific. By getting to know this person, even a little, he had put a face on the destruction that the Dark Lord was wreaking. Before it had been bad, just knowing he was hurting people, but now that he could see someone he was hurting, he couldn't stand it.
He went out to the living room, bringing a book on the Animagus transformation. It was all but impossible to get through, which is why he was going to read it now; he needed a good distraction. He opened it up to where he'd left off and his brow furrowed almost immediately in concentration.
"Reg," he heard a little later. It was still the wee hours of the morning.
"Sirius?" he looked up from his book, a confused look on his face. "What are you doing up?"
"I have trouble sleeping sometimes," he shrugged. "I guess it's mostly stupid."
"Does Remus know?" Regulus was concerned. Since when had Sirius had this trouble.
"Of course," Sirius replied, almost chuckling. "He's a light sleeper himself. Always notices when I leave. Even back at school before we were sharing a bed. Sometimes he'd keep me company."
"Why do you have trouble sleeping?" Regulus asked.
"Like I said, it's mostly stupid," Sirius shrugged. "I don't know why I worry about it. I usually just clean something. That always puts me to sleep."
"I bet it does," Regulus replied, a chuckle in his voice.
"I think it'll be the fridge this time," Sirius decided. "Why are you up? It can't be just to study highly advanced transfiguration techniques." He wore his impish grin.
"Couldn't sleep either," Regulus muttered. "Couldn't stop thinking about the meeting tonight," he offered as an explanation. Sirius nodded. "All this complex stuff takes up all my concentration though."
"I'd think you wouldn't be able to focus," Sirius replied. "I know I have trouble focusing on much of anything after a battle. Those are the nights where I end up turning the flat upside-down cleaning it. Moony doesn't really mind though. He just sorta retreats into his books."
"I didn't know cleaning calmed you," Regulus was still astonished by this fact. Sirius had half the contents of the fridge sitting on the counter by this time.
"I guess I like doing something mugglish," Sirius explained. "Like fixing up Suzette. Some nights I apparate over to James' shed to work on her."
"Hmmm," was the only reply Regulus could offer.
"Well, Prongs or Moony would say I need something to do with my hands. As long as I'm busy like that, I can just stop thinking." Sirius shrugged. "So, what's troubling you with the transformation?"
"All this theory stuff is bogging me down. I mean, I can barely wrap my head around it," Regulus replied. While Sirius was cleaning the fridge, he offered helpful tips for Regulus, and answered all of the boy's questions.
"Annabel?" Peter's wavery voice called through the flat. She was probably mad at him for something he did but couldn't remember.
"Hmm?" Annabel's head popped out of the bedroom. "Oh, welcome home, Peter," she said in a distracted way.
"Why is there fabric all over the flat?" Peter asked after surveying his surroundings. Stretches of fabric were draped across all the furniture, and scraps and such were scattered all over the floor.
"Oh, I was just throwing some designs together," Annabel replied. "Lady Cassandra said that if I completed some things on my own time, she'd look over them and maybe even sell them in the shop." By the end of her explanation, Annabel was beaming. Her face showed the passion she held for designing.
"Oh. Is the bedroom a mess too? I'm tired?" Peter looked tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was sort of sagging.
"Oh, I'll be but a minute," Annabel said, rushing into the bedroom. When she came out, she was using a hover charm on a mound of fabric and other things, including a mannequin. "I might be up a little late designing," she admitted. "But sweet dreams!"
"Mmhmm," Peter said as he trudged into the bedroom. Annabel felt almost relieved that he didn't even give her a goodnight kiss on the cheek. She was a bit guilty about the night with Regulus, even though she knew he had no right to be angry with her for it. She was quickly distracted from her turbulent feelings while she made her sketches into reality.
"Those things smell horrid," Peter informed Regulus, who just shrugged, taking another puff from his cigarette. The two were in an alley, Regulus fishing for information that could be helpful to him, surrounded by big grey buildings. He wasn't quite sure why Peter had followed him, and he wasn't exactly pleased about it, but Sirius had said once that the rat was hard to shake. He obviously hadn't been kidding. "Why are you doing that?"
"If you don't like it, Pettigrew, you can fuck off," was Regulus' reply. He wasn't sure why, but the rat's presence just seemed to piss him off. Every time he was around Peter, Regulus' whole body just bristled with agitation. He wondered, vaguely, if it was his family loyalty kicking in, but he didn't pursue the thought. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know.
"You act like you actually care about me betraying your brother," Peter replied, "when you're doing the exact same thing." Peter knew it was a daring move on his part. After all, Regulus could be dangerous. He had wild mood swings, just like his older brother. And he was a Death Eater, so he wasn't afraid to use Dark magic to make people bend to his will. Peter wondered briefly where he'd gotten the courage.
Regulus pulled the cancer stick away from his mouth and fixed Peter with an intimidating glare. "I make no pretenses about my intentions," Regulus replied harshly. "Sirius knows exactly why I wanted back in his life. You, on the other hand, are a conniving little rat. Opportunist, I believe the word is."
"I'm the opportunist?" Peter was appalled. "You just wanted out of that harpy's house!"
"Of course you'd oversimplify the matter," Regulus muttered. "Yes I wanted away from my thrice be damned mother, but that's not all. Much as it bothers you, Pettigrew, Sirius is my brother. I have more claim to him than you have. Hell, I think pond scum has more claim to him than you have at this point."
"What are you trying to say, Black?" Pettigrew said in what he assumed was a threatening tone. It wasn't exactly scary unless you didn't know that all threats from Pettigrew were empty ones.
"I'm trying to say that you oughtn't make me out to be the bad guy. You're being a hell of a lot nastier to my brother than I am. He trusted you and there you go, throwing that trust away. You're not even worthy of their friendship, you traitor." Peter had never really noticed how really like Sirius Regulus was. He knew the exact words that would cut you the deepest, and it was one resemblance to the other Black boy that Peter could do without. The physical features, the affinity for sleeping around, that he could deal with, but when Regulus' shrewd observation led to the cutting insults that Peter had never been on the receiving end of, that was when Peter got worried.
Peter fumbled for a reply. "You betrayed him too!" he finally cried, pointing an accusing finger. "You were the only one in your family that Sirius was at all fond of, and then, as soon as he was made a Gryffindor, you turned on him just like all the others." Regulus knew this was true. He hated himself for it, but life would have been hell at home if he hadn't. Sirius knew that firsthand. And there was a reason Regulus wasn't made a Gryffindor: he was a coward. Whenever Sirius had stood up to their parents or other dangers, Regulus had always watched in awe and admiration. He had never been as brave as his brother, and he probably never would be.
"I don't know how you made Gryffindor," Regulus replied, tossing the cigarette butt on the ground and grinding it in the ground with his shoe until he knew it was out. "You're quite the coward." That was the phrase Peter had been dreading as soon as this conversation had taken a turn for the worse. Peter hated that he was so afraid. He hated that he wasn't as brave as James and Sirius, nor as strong or as smart. He was always Little Peter Pettigrew to be pitied. Everyone always patronized and looked down on him. He absolutely despised it.
It must have shown on his face, for Regulus smirked. "I see I've hit the nail on the head. You know you're a coward, that you're not worthy of them. That's what spurred this, isn't it?" His smirk just grew. That was one thing that was different about Regulus and Sirius, Peter had noticed. When Sirius was pleased with himself, he usually wore a smug smile or an impish grin. Regulus smirked. He looked like a cat playing with a mouse.
"Y-you don't know anything!" Peter stammered. Regulus did so love tormenting the rat. Maybe it was because he was named after a star in the Leo constellation, and Pettigrew was a rat. Cat and rat were natural enemies. Or maybe he took pleasure in the boy's pain because he was a sadist. More recently though, Regulus had decided that it was probably because he was pissed at how Peter treated those who cared about him, especially Annabel. Regulus didn't want to admit it, but he had a soft spot for the petite aspiring robe designer.
"I know a lot more than you," Regulus informed, a manic grin on his face. Peter watched him wide-eyed, too terrified to move. "I grew up in this world, if you forgot. Most of our comrades in arms," he sneered this part, "have been casual acquaintances of mine for most of my life. I could make life hell for most anyone." Regulus was bearing down on him and Peter was afraid he'd wet himself, or accidentally turn into a rat. It said in the animagus book he remembered reading when they were learning the process that when one feels like their animagus form, they can actually turn into the animal, especially if they have little control. "Especially a cowardly little rat like you," he said this last part so menacingly that Peter was surprised he didn't turn into a rat.
"Regulus," a cold, dry voice said. Peter never thought he'd be so grateful to see Severus Snape in his whole life.
"Sev," Regulus said casually.
"What are you doing?" Severus asked, an amused tilt to his eyebrow.
"Terrifying the rat," Regulus said with a pointed look.
"You're like a cat with a mouse," Severus muttered. "Do I really need to tell you to leave him alone?"
"He deserves it," Regulus replied. All this talking with Severus about potentially being nice to Peter was making him want another cigarette.
"Despite that, I doubt it will do anyone any good if you make the poor boy wet his pants. What kind of accomplishment is that?" Severus fixed Regulus with a serious stare.
"Oh but it's so very fun," Regulus pouted. Peter made a mental note of another relation between Regulus and his brother. When they were at Hogwarts, Sirius would likely have killed anyone for mentioning such things, but now Peter hoped he'd gotten past that point.
"Torment him later," Severus drawled. "You're supposed to be gathering information." Regulus had forgotten in his malicious glee. In fact, he wasn't even sure whether he was spying for Dumbledore or the Dark Lord at this point. Life was a confusing mess.
"Thanks, Snape," Peter mumbled, making his hasty escape. He definitely didn't want to be around Regulus any more than necessary.
"This shit's getting old," Regulus breathed, a tension suddenly fleeing from him when Peter left. "I can't even remember why I'm doing any of this."
"Well, it's a good sign if you can't remember why you're a Death Eater," Severus said quietly. "It means you've got a healthy, working conscience. If you can't remember why you're aiding the Order, then I suggest you get your head checked out." Severus shot Regulus a small smirk.
"It's not that. I mean, I get why I switched sides. That's not difficult. What I don't get is why the Dark Lord's being such a bastard," Regulus muttered. "This is a pointless war. It's just pain for all involved. Why do we have to fight?" He looked up at the sky, covered with oppressive grey clouds.
"I'd rather like to know that myself," Severus muttered in a quiet voice.