Pursuing the Prince
Chapter VII
Disclaimer: I don't own them; I don't know anyone who does. Oh, JK does but I don't know her :)
Rating: Umm…T
A/N: So…here's the next chapter. Thanks again to Daddys Morbid Little Girl for taking the time and reviewing! If anyone else wants to, lol, there's a lil button at the bottom of the page. I promise you it'll take three seconds (depending on the speed of your connection) to type "yay" or "nay".
OK, enough with the pestering lol!
Enjoy
Phoenix
Severus rapped smartly on a tall, thin door, flanked by Amycus and Alecto, and waited to be called on.
"So, where you staying now eh, Snape?" Alecto asked, breaking the pleasurable silence. "I heard that the Dark Lord wanted to set you up a nice cushy place but you turned it down."
"It appears that way, doesn't it Alecto?" Snape drawled, not looking at the squat woman at his side.
"Well, I'm just sayin' that there are rumours as to why you said no…" She continued. "Rodolphus said that he thinks…"
"I have defied everyone who thought I was Dumbledore's man. I have never cared about rumours," (she gave him a sceptical look), "Oh no, I have not. By any chance, I am surprised Rodolphus has been speaking his thoughts on a subject that not even his shrieking wife cares about."
Amycus, who before had been silent, spoke, "Bellatrix merely does not know how to respond to your act of allegiance. I must say, I was one who doubted your capability to finish off the old kook."
Severus didn't respond but rubbed his brow, tired of the idle talk between the two shallow wizards and wished the Dark Lord would have him enter the lair before he finished them off too.
As if his thoughts had been read, (which was a real possibility), the door before them creaked open and they stepped inside.
"You can tell Avery to see me later, I have had enough of his mistakes. They're costing me my patience," came the hissing voice of their lord.
Dolohov nodded curtly and, after raising an eyebrow at Snape, strode out of the room and closed the door behind.
"Ah, Amycus…" the Dark Lord began, "and Alecto. I must say I've been impressed with the efforts the two of you have put into our movement lately," he purred. "It almost makes me forget how useless you usually are."
Alecto simpered at the backhanded compliment, and Amycus nodded his head to his master.
"So I am assigning the both of you a portfolio of sorts," he declared silkily. "I know how you admire general mayhem so much, and thus I am ordering you to find the school friends of Potter. We need to drag him into action. I don't like the silence. And, afterall, we no longer have our magnificent spy prowling the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," he inclined his head to Severus.
"I don't care how you do it, but I want you to keep an eye out for the filthy Gryffindor brats Potter made friends with. I definitely want Longbottom. Understood?"
"Yes master, we shall be delighted," grovelled Alecto.
"Leave me," he said and the two of them left the room.
"An excellent plan, my lord," Severus interjected.
"If it were indeed an excellent plan, I would have given the assignment to you. No, I'm just keeping the puffskeins entertained."
"I mean no impertinance, my lord, yet I was simply wondering whether it is wise to target Potter's friends. It may end up being a time wasting experience, no doubt their parents shall have them entirely safe from those dunderheads you're sending out."
The Dark Lord blinked slowly, his red slits of eyes appeared burgundy in the lack of light in the room. "It may indeed prove ineffective," he said slowly, "but I'm sure you can help them along?"
Severus nodded dutifully.
"Because nothing gets to Potter more than needing to be the hero. His strength lies in those around him. Target them more specifically, and the weaker he becomes."
Voldemort trailed a tapered, ghostly finger over his thin top lip, and suddenly changed direction.
"Bellatrix has told me the most amusing story."
"Indeed, my lord?" Snape responded, his curiosity piqued at the intonation the Dark Lord placed on 'amusing', but suddenly felt that it could only mean worse things to come.
"Her brother-in-law has settled back into his house."
Severus took a moment to register the comment. His mind turned over the information, looking directly at the obvious flaws in the statement.
"Lucius?" was all he managed.
"Yessss," his lord purred.
"How did he escape, my Lord?" Severus inquired solemnly.
"Of course Lucius didn't escape," the eyes of the two half bloods met, "he was helped."
"My Lord, if any one of your subjects has helped Lucius abandon his confines then they have committed treason against you, thus they must incur your wroth, your displeasure…"
Voldemort raised a long, white hand to silence his advisor.
"It was…your mother."
Severus remained silent as the snake-like man chuckled manically.
The Dark Lord continued, "I would ordinarily have had Lucius thrown back in Azkaban and your mother disposed of…but I'm curious, Severus. I am curious about the re-appearance of your blood traitor mother. I do not disagree that Lucius has been punished amply for his mistake at the Ministry…but why would she…how can I put it? Rescue him?"
Severus opened his mouth but no words came out: he was shocked, to say the least.
The Dark Lord was tutting mockingly, "As head of my intelligence network, I must confess my disappointment at your…severe lack of knowledge of recent events," he paused, "are you saying you were not privy at all to this?"
Snape inclined his head to indicate that this was indeed, the case. "I can assure you, my lord, had I known that this disobedience would take place I would have surely put a stop to it. As for your curiosity…I had no idea the intentions of Eileen Prince, nor have I spoken to her for many years."
Voldemort rubbed his hands together, his veins throbbing through his skin, "Send for both of them, Severus. Lucius, I feel, shall be welcomed back into the fold…and Eileen," he turned from Severus and suddenly became interested in the parchment covering a large desk in the corner of the room, "Eileen has some questions to answer."
Chills ran consistently down the muggle's spine, his current destination had him cowed in the corner. Cracking his eyes open, he thought he recognised the concrete monstrosity. Not usually a happy man, he felt he could not even muster a fake grin, and as if the words were reverberating around his mind, he suddenly remembered Eileen talking of the perils of such a place. Azkaban? She was worried her son would end up here after murdering the headmaster of Hogwarts…but what was he doing here?
He slid along the floor and pulled himself up with the help of the bars enclosing him in the space. Feeling as though the strength had left his body and his mind was frozen over, Tobias tottered on the spot before sinking pathetically to the frosty floor once more.
He bent his mind to the past and remembered, with bitterness, his encounters with wizards: of Severus and his blond friend, of Eileen's family…of this You-Know-Who and his hatred of muggles.
With thoughts unbecoming any father, Tobias lay crumpled on the ground and blamed his son for his misery, his lack of affection for anyone, his dejected life and his current abode.
He needed to escape…soon enough someone will come and get him and he will have vengeance on the son he wished he never had.
Severus apparited just outside the iron gates of the Malfoy's Wiltshire mansion. He adjusted his robes and pursued the double doors.
He pressed the tip of his wand to the door and heard soft chimes ring throughout the house.
He was nervous. He didn't want to see her, talk to her, confront her. He didn't want her around this lot: it was difficult enough trying to manoeuvre without her on the loose; wanting to help him, wanting to get to be in part of the action. It was his world, his mistake, and his penance.
Fortunately, Draco opened the door.
"Oh," he said sullenly, "It's you."
Severus sneered at the boy, "expecting a more…floral acquaintance?"
Draco snorted and flung the door open, enabling his ex-professor access. "She's due any minute now," the youth responded. "You see, she's quite bored…and considering school won't resume in September she'll need something to keep her occupied."
Snape stopped in his tracks. "You're getting her to join us?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, and wondering whether it had worked.
"She's considering it," Draco said, leaning against the doorframe of the closest lounge room. "Pansy's not afraid, she's not a coward."
The word struck at Snape. The bubble of bitterness and hatred swelled in his stomach, the words Potter had called him rumbled past his eyes, "You cowardly…"
He snapped himself out of it. "That's true, she's always been…" he searched for the word, "resilient."
Draco eyed Snape unusually, as if looking for something he had not seen before but had a feeling was hidden beneath the surface. This action disquieted Severus. He hated feeling out of control, feeling exposed. He had to get back on top.
"Father home?" he asked.
"Your mother too," Draco jeered. "Nice old lady," he continued, "very interested in the Dark Lord."
It was what Severus had been afraid of.
"Very eager to see you," Draco said mockingly, "when was the last time you crossed paths with mummy?"
Severus stepped forward and whispered dangerously, "I am no longer your teacher but you shall continue to show me respect. I saved your life, I saved your family. I saved you from the Dark Lord's displeasure at your failure to finish the task He assigned you. I am the reason you are standing here…and if you continue to insult me as you once did Potter…" he left the threat unsaid.
"Father is upstairs in the bedroom," was all Draco said before slinking out of the entrance hall and out of sight.
Severus managed the stairs two at a time and turned left at the top landing. He walked with caution, with stealth, hoping to avoid his unwelcome mother.
He knocked on the bedroom door, which was shut, and waited.
Lucius swung the door open.
"Hello old friend," Severus said coyly and looked inside the room. "Alone?"
Lucius chucked, "No welcome back party?"
"I heard you were keeping low-key," Severus said and stepped into the room. "I wouldn't want to ruin your plans."
Lucius snapped the door shut behind them. The room was tidy: evidenced that Narcissa had been the only one utilising it for some time. Lucius' documents lay sprawled over the bed and the black covers were crinkled where he had obviously lain before he was disturbed.
There was a breeze wafting in through a slightly open window; lightening the ambiance of the room.
Lucius busied himself and tidied the parchment up, bundling everything together and sliding it into the bottom drawer of his bedside table.
Severus raised an enquiring eye.
"Warning letters…from the Ministry. They say they've got evidence against the whole family, which is ludicrous. Everyone's too frightened to touch any one of us, particularly those so close to the Dark Lord."
"It was bound to happen," Severus said, seating himself in an armchair. "Scrimgeour is busting at the seams to have us all captured. After Dumbledore's murder he became particularly interested in your family, the whispers of Draco's assignment wafted around the community. He was intending to have Narcissa and Draco in Azkaban, where, coincidently, he thinks you are."
"I almost forgot to congratulate you," Lucius. "The Dark Lord must have been…"
"The Dark Lord is happy the old man is out of the way, and that is all," Severus interjected. "Speaking of whom," the younger man continued, "He wants to see you, and Eileen."
Malfoy nodded, "I suspected as much. I was going to see him soon anyway, to let him know my intensions. I hope to remain unseen by the wider community. I can be more useful if the Ministry and the Phoenix lot think I'm still in Azkaban. But why does he want to see your dear mother?"
"My mother is an anomaly, is it not enough that she is a blood traitor? The Dark Lord is anxious, I believe, as to her presence. And I cannot say I blame him. Her appearance is suspicious and unnecessary. He wants to question her."
"She is thinking of taking the Mark."
Severus rolled his eyes, "No, she's not. She wants to claim some of my glory, Lucius. I thought you of all people could see that."
"I see another follower. I see a witch who has come to her senses. I see a woman who has thrown her muggle husband in Azkaban to replace me. She wants to see you again," Lucius said sternly, almost as though he was chastising Severus like he would Draco.
"She what?"
"She wants to see you."
"She replaced you with Tobias?"
Lucius nodded his head briefly; "It's funny that you refer to your parents by their first names."
"I never had reason to feel filial affection to either of them," Severus responded and suddenly stood up. "I came here to tell you the Dark Lord requests to see you."
Snape walked to the door, with his hand turning the knob, he heard Lucius say, "What a pretty thing the family is."
Quote from Elizabeth I, (2006)
So ... thanks for reading this chapter guys!!
with 3, Phoenix