And so the madness begins Chapter 7 up! I want to thank you all for reviewing the story and sticking with it! It means a lot to me and has encouraged me to keep writing! As for singingequestrian89 AW I am so happy you related to my story and best of luck with your finance! To lalakid87 thank you so much for your hilarious reviews they truly make my day haha I promise you will meet the little girl…much later on but you will still meet her! To LemonDropsWoolSocks I have been planning to fit Andromeda in the whole story so it's no trouble at all! I am so happy you all love this story! THANK YOU!
Enjoy!
Chapter 7
"We attack the Potters, and we rid ourselves of the last thing that could stand in our way. We will be VICTORIOUS!" The Dark Lord's words rang in my head over and over again.
I was sitting at the dining table of Malfoy manor. My mind was racing. Had I heard him right? Lily.
No, no this could not be. He would hurt her. He would kill Lily and Lily's son. No. I would not let another love be lost to the Dark Lord. No, not this time.
Once the company left Malfoy Manor and Lucius retired to his chamber with a mysterious girl I found Cissa. Cissa was never at the meetings The Dark Lord thought she could not be trusted and he was right.
Shortly after her marriage to Lucius she turned to spy for Dumbledore, bringing him inside information. However Voldemort became suspicious of her treachery so he banned her from the meetings. He did not feel the need to punish her. He knew Lucius would see to that.
Without Cissa Dumbledore lost his only source of inside information.
I couldn't let Lily or her son be harmed. No matter how much I hated James it was only right to admit he did not deserve to die either.
I had to tell Cissa. I ran to the nursery.
"Cissa…something terrible has happened…"
She walked over to me and placed a loving hand on my cheek.
"What is it dearest?" Great worry could be seen in her blue eyes.
"The Dark Lord plans to kill Lily's son…You know that he will kill her to…Cissa I don't know what to do…" I looked down and felt hot tears begin to burn the inner corners of my eyes.
She gently turned my head to face her. "Become a spy…Severus you are the most accomplished occlumise I know…Go to Dumbledore. You must."
"Cissa he won't want me…He won't trust me…"
"Having a heart can be a great benefit in many areas, you just found yours. He will see you are of pure intentions, He is not stupid Severus he will know…Go before it is too late. Voldemort does not wait long."
I nodded and turned away. She grabbed my waist and hugged me. "Please be safe Severus. I love you."
I turned around and kissed the top of her forehead and place a hand on her stomach. Even though the child was not mine I thought I was as close to a father the child would get I might as well act like it.
"I promise. Get some rest Cissa, please don't worry…" with a final I love you I apparated to Hogshead. I walked into the castle I once called home and into the Headmasters office.
Before I had even knocked I heard a soft voice say. "Enter."
"Professor…I trust you know why I have come. I-"before I could say any more he had held up a hand to stop me.
"Cissa sent me her patronus and explained everything. My dear boy I cannot begin to express how proud I am of you." He smiled a fatherly smile. It faded and he looked suddenly solemn.
"This is a dark matter…But I believe we can save the Potters. When is Tom planning to strike?" A dark cloud passed over his face as he said Voldemort's real name.
"On the child's birthday…I was hoping you would know when that is Professor."
"Please call me Albus, and yes we do not have much time at all…Harrys birthday I am afraid is tomorrow…"
A chill ran down my spine. "Tomorrow? We…We must act now!" I stood up and walked toward the door.
"Severus…please sit. If we act to soon Tom will know that someone in his ranks had told me. You know who he would blame…"
Realization dawned on me. "Cissa…"
"Precisely…I think it would be best to tell the Ministry and trust Pettigrew to warn James and Lily. He is a spy as well but not very useful he is scared of Tom…However I am sure we can trust him he loves James and Lily."
Dumbledore walked to the window and wrote a quick letter. He stuck the letter out the window. An owl immediately swooped down to grab it.
"I will do all I can to protect them Severus trust that…However it is possible our efforts may fail…I will try my best." He looked down. I took this as a sign to leave.
I stood. "Please tell me any information and let me know if I can help." I left his office and returned home.
I had a troubled sleep. Dreams haunted me. Dreams of a baby crying, a lighting shaped scar on his head... And Lily lying on the floor, pail and unmoving. I woke with a start.
"Just a dream…" I told this over and over to myself but it had been so real…A horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach rose to my throat.
An owl tapped at my window. I opened the letter as slowly as possible for fear of what it might contain.
'Dear Severus,
Meet me in my office. Immediately.
Yours sincerely,
Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore'
I quickly dressed and apparated. I made my way up to Albus's Office.
A voice, heavy with sorrow answered. "Enter."
I bolted in. "Are they safe?"
He did not answer.
"ARE THEY SAFE?" I shouted it this time tears pouring down my face.
"The boy lives…But Lily and James…we were to late…Pettigrew had us fooled all along he betrayed us…"
I collapsed against a wall sobbing. She was gone. Gone forever. The ghost of Lily's last laugh echoed in my ears.
Albus rose and patted my on my back. "You did all you could Severus. The prophecy came true. Harry vanquished Tom. Lord Voldemort is no more…for the time being."
I quieted a fraction. "Where will the boy be taken?"
"To his aunts and uncles. I will be taking him there shortly. I am so sorry Severus." I could tell he was.
"You think he will come back don't you?" I looked up at him, he gave a small nod.
"I will do all in my power to protect him at this school. It's what Lily would have wanted." Somewhere far away I knew she was happy, I knew she was watching me and thanking me for protecting her son, just like my mother was watching.
"Indeed she would...Indeed she would. You are a great man Severus. Remember that." He gave me another comforting pat and spoke again.
"I must be leaving soon. You should go and visit Miss. Black they just took her husband to Azkaban to await trial. She may need you just as you need her. You may use the floo." With that he turned away and walked out of sight.
I walked over to the fireplace and shouted "Malfoy Manor!" In an instant Cissa was there her arms around me.
"Oh Severus…I'm so sorry." I wrapped my arms around her and silently cried whale allowing her to sooth my sorrows.
I don't know how long we stayed like that but to me it felt like the safest place in the world. I pulled away and she stroked my cheek.
"What do you need?" she asked concern etched in her voice.
"I need you Cissa." It was true I needed my best friend and my true love there right beside me.
"Of course." She smiled and took my hand. "Come." She led me into the sitting room and had a house elf make us tea. We sat and talked for hours about Lily and all of the absurd things I did for her. We reminisced about the good days when everything was fine and all of our worries nonexistent.
This is what Lily would have wanted. She would have wanted me to be happy and I was.
For the next week I stayed with Cissa at Malfoy Manor. We were re building our own peaceful world that we had created during Hogwarts. This world had been destroyed by Lucius and James. But neither of them could touch it now.
I sat at the kitchen table waiting for Cissa to come down to breakfast. I heard her soft footsteps travel down the stairs. She said nothing but simply placed the Daily Prophet on the table.
We had been through this before. No matter how hard we tried I could not bring myself to read Lily and James obituaries. Every day it was the same she would bring the same Prophet down and I would stare at it.
I didn't want it to be real. It couldn't be real. I thought I was getting better that it was getting easier. I thought of Lily's laugh and how I would never hear it again that thought alone brought tears to my eyes. I wasn't getting better and it sure wasn't any easier.
I looked down and choked back a sob. "I can't do it Cissa…I can't admit that its real…I thought it was getting easier but every day she's gone it gets harder and harder to accept." Cissa placed a gentle hand on my cheek and turned my face towards her.
"But Severus, it is real. There is no use in playing pretend. She isn't really gone Severus, she is only as gone as you make her to be. Just try dearest please." I turned away and stared at the Prophet.
Slowly I reached for it. I turned the page. To my surprise there were no words just pictures upon pictures upon pictures. At the top there was a small inscription.
'No words can describe our loss. It's best to fill our hearts and heads with pictures of the happy past than to fill them with words of the solemn present.'
As I looked at the pictures of the happy family I couldn't agree more.
I could not tell you how long I looked at those pictures or how many times I did. I took one last look and turned to Cissa. She was gazing at me an expression of deep thought on her face. She spoke.
"The funeral is tomorrow…I think it would only be right to go." I couldn't agree with her more.
The day was cool and sunny, a mockery of the sad events which had taken place. There were easily seven hundred people in attendance. Each held a white lily in their hand and threw it on to the caskets.
No one wore black everyone was dressed in a light green. Lily's favorite color. I stayed behind and knelt at the graves.
"I will never forget you." I whispered. I felt Cissa hand on my shoulder. It was time to go hope. Peace had been made.
I had come to the decision that it was my turn now to pressure Cissa into something that needed to be done but she couldn't bring herself to do. She needed to leave Lucius. I tried for weeks. Nothing Cissa would not budge she was scared I knew it. Every time her answer was the same.
"If I leave him I would put your life into more danger than it already is just because Voldemort is gone doesn't change the fact that Lucius is a trained killer. I will not do that to you Severus end of discussion."
No matter how hard I tried the answer was no. I had brought up this topic I could map out or conversation.
"We could leave and move far away."
"Too much of a hassle and you forget he keeps track of my every move."
"We could fake our deaths."
"I am not living my life as something I am not, I have done that enough for one lifetime."
"You're not going to budge are you?"
"Not unless you come up with a brilliant idea no, eat your breakfast dear."
I kept at it over and over again but she was true to her word. She would not budge.
I had been at it again all morning this time but suddenly Cissa got very still and very pail. She set her tea cup on the table.
"Cissa what's the matter?" I felt the worry boil inside me once again I wondered if I had overstepped a mark.
"I do believe…" She paused and laughed a shaky laugh. "I do believe Lucius is going to miss his own son's birth."
Panic did not even describe the emotion I was feeling. I rushed her as fast as I could to Mungos Hospital to the emergency wing. They quickly escorted Cissa and me to a room. A happy Doctor came into the room and introduced herself as Dr. Tonks.
Yes I know I should have known right off the bat that this was the sister Cissa had mentioned but I was a bit preoccupied with my screaming friend who was about to break my hand. Dr. Tonks or Andromeda smiled and began happily chirping away.
"Let's have a baby shale we?" She began working. Cissa screaming away. I had never been in a more awkward position. Watching Andromeda work was like looking at a busy bee. She was buzzing about the room never resting.
She had a kind face. Not filled with haughtiness like Bellatrix's or an emotionless mask like Cissa's. She had the same bright colored eyes and high cheek bones cissa did. Her slim frame was the same as Bella's but her smile was not like either of theirs. It was constantly filled with warmth.
Cissa suddenly began to grow weak and I in turn began to grow worried.
"Are you sure you know what you are doing Dr.?" I snapped.
"Positive." She smiled. "Don't think I would slack off on my own sister now! Mother may hate me but Cissa was always there! If it was Bella here I promise you things would be a different story. Just relax Mr. Snape. It will all be over soon." With that she got back to work leaving me completely dumbfounded.
One thing was for sure her and Cissa shared the same quality of making you feel like an idiot.
Andromeda was right it was all over soon. Within seconds I saw a little screaming boy being hoisted into the air. He had his mother's hair. I smiled overwhelmed with joy. Andromeda gave the child to Cissa.
"He is beautiful Cissa." She smiled and gave her exhausted sister a hug. "Just like his mum."
"Thank you so much Andy." Cissa smiled and hugged her back. Andromeda turned to me.
"You take care of them ya hear? The last thing they need is another ass of a man in their lives." I smiled and turned to her.
"I promise thank you so much." She hugged me and walked quietly out of the room.
Cissa lay in the bed holding the tiny bundle in her arms humming softly whale her hand caressed his face. Though a young age Cissa was a wonderful mother I could see that already. She motioned for me to come over to the bedside.
I looked down upon them. Mother and Child.
"What will you call him?" I was no good with names and prayed she would not ask me for ideas.
"Draco." She answered immediately. "My little star." She smiled at him fondly. I sat on the edge of the bed and snaked my arm around her giving her a soft kiss on the head.
"Do you want to hold him?" She asked not taking her eyes off of Draco.
"I can't think of anything I would rather do." She gently handed him to me and settled herself against the pillows. Though she tried to hide it she was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep.
I stared down at the small infant and talked to him. I talked to him about his mother, and his father, and me.
"I will be the father you deserve little one that is a promise." He looked up at me he had his mother's eyes. Slowly his eyes closed and he to fell asleep.
I made many promises in my life this was one I was sure to keep.
Clareabell- AWWWW Baby Draco! Haha! I'm not so sure about this chapter...but I thought it was good enough to post!