Severus stepped out into the impossibly plush backward, eager to explore the grounds now that he had given the house a sufficient enough look-through for the time being. Using the leisurely paced he only used when he was away from Hogwarts, he made his way over to the enormous garden that took up the majority of the well-kept yard.
With mild amusement he noticed the garden was meticulously partitioned off by a fat row mound of dirt that served to separate the muggle side from the large magical section. Walking through each of the many rows, he took great care not to trample anything beneath his heavy, black boots.
He was well-pleased to discover that the muggle side only incubated flora and vegetation of the useful variety, housing none of the frivolous and useless flowers that so many women were fond of having. Aloe, basil, bloodroot, catnip, chamomile, cowslip, fennel, hazel, holy, lavender, mint, ivy, hemp, juniper, rowan, and vanilla each had their own designated areas on the muggle side, neatly lined up and miraculously still thriving. There was even quite a few vegetables to boot, just as useful for potion making as they were for eating.
He was all the more careful with his foot placement on the magical side, reasonably cautious for fear that plants of the dark variety might be nestled within its midst. Lying dormant and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to cause bodily harm to whatever living thing they could.
So, ever vigilant, he continued his surveillance and was greatly pleased at the sight that greeted him. Bountiful rows overflowed with fanged geranium, moly, gilly-weed, aconite, mandrake root, asphodel and dittany. With great relief he noticed that that the only deadly plants, the venomous tentacula and devils snare, were stationed off in the far two corners with a wide buffer zone betwixt them and the rest of the flora.
Resolving to do some much needed harvesting later, as he did not want the plants to go to waste should they wither, he made his way over to the large black poplar and stared up at the dwelling nestled within the thick branches. And while it was by no means a necessary task for him to gain entrance into the house, Severus's naturally curious nature won out and motivated him into taking action.
And as such, he began a cautious ascent ascension upward, paying little heed to the condition of the horribly withered rope ladder. For even if it was a deadly length from which to fall, he was more than confident that he'd be able to cast a cushioning charm swiftly enough to save him from the agonizing death resulting from several broken bones puncturing vital organs.
And the fifteen foot climb was hardly and trouble at all for Severus. Even in his earliest childhood he had spent a great number of hours scaling impressive heights in his pursuit of uninterruptable solitude or safety. And oftentimes he had accomplished such feats without the aid of his magic.
So, given his prior experience, it wasn't long before he pushed open the grimy door of the treehouse and stepped into a room. An area so thickly coated in dust and filth it reminded him of the condition of Spinner's End. Even the furnishing itself managed to remind Severus of his impoverished childhood, so meager and worn like the pieces back at his first house.
A worn out, holey sofa sat in the midst of the filthy room, a cracked glass table settled in front of it. Off to one side of the nearly-windowless room stood a rickety, aged sewing machine with a roughly hewn stool seated behind- completing the sparse furnishings the dingy room had to offer.
Coughing the thick dust out of his irritated lungs Severus walked across the room to a narrow door situated at the back and yanked it open to discover it concealed nothing more than a rudimentary bathroom that had obviously been the scene of some violent conflict.
Serving as evidence to that fact was the long rectangular mirror, smeared with streaks of blood that had long ago dried after having pooled in the various areas the glass had been cracked. The porcelain wash basin that stood beneath it, which was more trough-like than anything, was likewise decorated with a generous splattering of crimson blood- in such a great amount that the white of the porcelain was nearly indistinguishable amongst the stains. The walls and floors also offered proof of some struggle occurring within, for the walls were splattered with blood and a large pool of the same substance stained the floor. In fact, the only thing not coated in the bodily fluid was the toiler, a contraption so historic-looking that Severus was surprised it even flushed when he tentatively pressed the handle down with a foot.
Violent crime being nothing new to Severus, he left the bathroom behind and began to make his way back toward the exit when he finally noticed an aged trunk partially hidden behind the sewing machine. A flicker of excitement shot through him as he eyed the moldy trunk, for it was often that the seemingly innocuous items within pureblood properties were used to conceal paraphernalia of a darker variety. Given the Prince Families reputation it was highly likely that some sort of fantastic treasure, dark or not, lay concealed within.
He began his careful search of the trunk by running his fingers up and down the splintery sides, searching for any signs that might betray a hidden compartment. When that process yielded no results but sore fingers and frustration he slowly began to shake out every single piece of fabric that rested in inside, hoping that an artifact would fall from their folds and into his waiting lap. And when that tactic failed Severus ran his lengthy fingers over the seams of every half-done quilt and article of clothing, unwilling to end his search until every possibility had been exhausted.
But just as Severus was beginning to suspect that the trunk housed nothing of great value, save the expensive fabrics, his fingertips brushed against a wondrously soft, full-length emerald cloak with shimmering silver underlay. Figuring that an anti-thieving ward had been placed on the garment to result in his not noticing it at first, he carefully yanked the cloak free from its captivity and resolved to bring it back into the manner to make good use of it.
He'd been running the soft material through his fingers when a large book dropped out of the cloaks inner pockets, thudding loudly as it made contact with the neglected floorboards. Gingerly picking up the leather-bound book, he grimaced as it began to burn his fingers with unrelenting ferocity. Cursing loudly, he quickly wrapped it back up in the cloak before he sucked at his fingers to alleviate the pain. Shaking his head at his foolishness of grabbing at something that could very well have been booby-trapped with something far more sinister, he carefully gripped the cloak beneath one arm as he made his careful descent back into the yard below. He'd find a way to pry the book open later, once he'd completed his search.
Severus leisurely made his way toward the half-dilapidated shed that sat very near to the dense thicket of half-dead trees, side stepping the large stump that had a rusting axe embedded firmly within its base. Reaching out a tentative hand, he sucked in a deep breath to brace himself before making contact with the splintering wood.
It was with no small amount of relief that he was able to gain entrance without the horrid discomfort of another verification ward. The view that awaited him was rather bland; neatly stacked piles of timber stood up against a wall, crawling with spiders and ticks and a sturdy looking work table rested against the other wall with a work bench resting at its front. What caught his attention, however, was a small hiss that sounded when the door thudded shut behind him.
Scanning the poorly lit shed more carefully than he had the first time Severus noticed what appeared to be a dark shadow pulsating in a corner beneath the worktable. Immediately on guard he pulled his wand out before he kneeled on the splintery floor and peered beneath the table and past the cobwebs to discover that it was not a shadow but something far more innocuous.
Heaving an annoyed sigh at the intrusion, Severus returned his wand to his trouser pocket and pulled out an unresisting mass of dark fur from beneath the table. Offering him a feeble purr in thanks the thing blinked slowly upward into his face with gigantic artic-blue eyes.
As irritated as Severus was with himself for allowing a kneazle of all things to set him on edge, he felt pity for the wretched looking thing as abandonment was no new concept for him. And indeed the thing had to have been abandoned of neglected.
Thick hordes of ear mites thronged the animal's large ears and infection had clearly set within them long ago judging by the smell and color of them. Obviously well fed fleas worked in tandem with the mites to harass the luckless kneazle, and Severus was certain they'd be many bloated ticks hidden somewhere on the shivering body of the ill creature.
Its thick mass of pitch black fur was in a horrendous state as well. Sticks and leaves were trapped within the ridiculous two-inches of poofy fur and several mats had congealed in the few places that had managed to remain rubbish free. And being as aggressive as pureblood kneazle were, and prone to fighting, Severus could spot the areas on the too-thin body where the fur had been ripped out never to regrow. The smashed in face showed signs of battle as well, for there was heavy scaring on its nose and bottom lip and several teeth were missing from the grimace it displayed when Severus accidentally jostled it on his way out the door.
Swiftly making his way into the house, he seated himself on the living room sofa and set about healing the malodourous kneazle he had fittingly christened Flea Bait. And though it was extremely illegal to be in possession of a purebred kneazle for even a short amount of time, regardless of circumstance, Severus was a Slytherin. And Slytherin's didn't allow things as arbitrary as laws to dictate their behavior.