A/N Happy belated birthday to Snape! January 9th is when it officially was. I have a slight warning though…my exams start next week so this week is what I like to call "cram week". (I'm a really bad procrastinator if you didn't know that by now.) So, the writing might not be as intense as normal but hey, who knows. We tend to do well with procrastination. (Example: it's currently 6:35pm on Sunday and we have nothing written yet.)
Mrs Potter: Thank you! It's crazy for me to think people actually like our writing enough to look forward to it every week.
Amar 2: You have no idea how much I would love to have an entire chapter devoted to his death.
JaneDoh0: That's actually a really smart New Year's resolution. I try to review to every story I read because I love when I get reviews but sometimes I get lazy so I should try and do that.
Bienvenue a Bikini Bottom: Haha our friend banned cliffhangers from our writing so naturally we added more.
delenda est c: Thank you! And no problem I guess. Writing is something we want to do, we never expected people to read it.
Christine Dalenn: Ironically, Bailey and I sat and planned out the ending of the story this past week. We are so excited to write it you have no idea. Like, I'm more excited for this than when our shipment of attractive men will come. Yeah, I'm that excited.
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Mrs. Olivia Serena Stabler: Thanks for the follow!
delenda est c: Thanks for the follow!
Julie Annie 11: Thanks for the follow/favorite!
Severus shot a counter spell immediately and the spells collided, a loud noise filling the night. The Order responded and soon there were dozens of spells shooting through the air. Both Death Eaters fought their hardest to defend themselves and Severus found himself with the perfect opportunity. Though, as Severus watched his old friends struggle, he couldn't bring himself to kill them. He knew they hated him and he hated what they supported but if he killed them without hesitation, he would be no better than Bellatrix or Voldemort.
"Don't kill them! They will be useful for information!" Severus called out into the night over the sounds of the fighting. A few seconds later, two more Death Eaters appeared a few yards away from the fighting, their faces covered in the masks Severus knew so well. Severus was about to run to start dueling with them when Lupin ran up to him.
"I know you didn't want us to kill them, but now there are more and they are going to just keep coming. You of all people know this is a war, Severus," he said in a calm voice and Severus thought about that for a moment. "If we don't kill them, they are going to kill us."
Severus hated to admit it, but Lupin had a point. He may be worried about not stooping down to the Dark Lord and Bellatrix's level and becoming a careless killer but the Death Eaters would have no problem in doing so. They would be rewarded for their actions even, Severus was sure of it. He looked over to where Lupin stood next to him and knew that Lupin didn't really want to kill them either, but would do anything to protect his friend. Loyalty was, after all, one of the most valued traits of Gryffindors. And so was bravery, even against masses of Death Eaters.
"Fine, if its absolutely necessary, kill them. But don't turn into a idiotic Gryffindor and get yourself killed. And don't be a mindless murderer, we will leave that to them." Severus decided, and Lupin nodded in agreement.
"That we will." he said, before rushing off to meet some Death Eaters that had just arrived on the scene.
Severus quickly surveyed the fight around him and realized that he was in the middle of the action, and the Death Eaters were fighting hard to get to him. No doubt they would be a big reward for his death. Severus didn't let this keep him from joining the fight, however. He refused to be protected by the people who barely trusted him and were only protecting him either because they didn't want Voldemort to have the satisfaction and victory of having him killed or because he was probably the reason James and Lily were still safe, alive, and well in the midst of the war. Instead of staying in his safe sanctuary in the middle, he immediately went to one specific Death Eater who was firing off killing curses and other harmful spells everywhere.
Bellatrix.
She sneered at Severus as he approached her alone, many people in the order were either fighting other Death Eaters or were too busy trying to avoid her curses to challenge her directly. Or to scared. Severus kept his ward at the ready as he approached her. She made no movements towards him, but was panting heavily from the rush of the battle. Anticipation gleamed in her eyes; nothing would make her more satisfied than killing him and pleasing her master.
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Dumbledore fighting Macnair and Travers who, combined, were almost as skilled as the old man. Next to Dumbledore was Sirius, battling Selwyn and Rookwood and holding his own just fine. Severus had never realized that Sirius was not a bad dueler. All around the Weasley's yard flashes of light were going off everywhere, spells were ricocheting of of trees, and people were yelling in all directions. Whether the yells were due to the yelling of spells, yelling of pain, or yelling of triumph, Severus wasn't sure. He kept his eyes focused on his current enemy.
"Well, well, well," Bellatrix taunted him, "If it isn't wittle Severus, the traitor. Have you nothing to say for your act of treason against your master?"
"Hello, Bellatrix." Severus replied acidly, "And I answer to no master, unlike you. Aren't you going to call the Dark Lord? Aren't you to scared to fight me on your own. You call me a traitor, but I am not a coward."
"How dare you!" Bellatrix screeched into the night, "I can fight you on my own, and win! You are just a worthless traitor and Dumbledore's lackey. You have no skill and only do what benefits you and your precious mudblood who doesn't even love you. Poor pathetic Severus." She leered. Severus' blood boiled, but he did not let his emotion escape onto his face. He would not let her know how much her insults affected him.
"I am not pathetic, Bellatrix. And as I said before, I have no master. Dumbledore is not my master, but he is a leader. And I have chosen to follow him-"
"TRAITOR!" She snarled before shooting the first spell at Severus. He was ready for it though, and easily protected himself. This only enraged Bellatrix further though, and then the fight truly began.
All thoughts the Severus had about what was happening around him vanished and he focused his whole mind on Bellatrix, countering and dodging her many attacks. He vaguely registered parts of the battle, like Lupin screaming at someone to look out before firing off a spell at some target unseen by Severus, or Sirius taking down Selwyn with a spell, but Severus was unsure whether or not he was dead or not.
Volley after volley of spells Bellatrix fired at Severus, hardly ever using the same one twice and Severus realized the extent of her studies and admiration of the Dark Lord had led her to learn many more offensive and dangerous spells than he had ever known. He barely had time to fire his own spells against her because he was so busy protecting himself from one spell after another. The spells he did manage to aim at her however, she quickly defended herself against before firing off many more at Severus. She was a skilled fighter, Severus knew that for sure, but he did not back down. He couldn't. He fought against her with all he had because he could not afford to lose.
Right as Severus thought he was going to run out of energy or make a fatal mistake, he felt the presence of someone next to him. He quickly glanced over to see if it was friend or foe and was extremely surprised to see that it was James who was standing next to him and fighting Bellatrix along side him. Severus almost slipped up in his surprise, but quickly refocused.
Together, Severus and James equaled Bellatrix in the battle, despite the many more spells she knew. Now that she had to fire at and defend herself against to people, James and Severus had a better chance at winning. The two of them worked side beside like they never had before, suddenly on the same side of a fight, and each gave everything they had to the fight. They were, after all, fighting for the same people, same lives.
Severus didn't know how much time had passed since the arrival of the first Death Eaters but soon the sun was rising over the hill by the Weasley's house. They had fought into the morning. No longer under the cover of darkness, the Death Eaters began to hesitate. Even Bellatrix. She was slowing down from fighting all night, she was worn out.
On the other side of Severus, Dumbledore was quickly approaching the battle against Bellatrix to help out, having paralyzed Macnair on the ground and caused Travers to flee. Seeing this, Bellatrix began to panic and quickly shot a spell that caused a purple smoke to encase where she was standing. Severus and James fired at the smoke but when it had finally disappeared, Bellatrix was gone. She was the last one to leave, and now that she had there was an eerie, uneasy silence in the yard.
"Why did she leave?" James asked Dumbledore, "No one had won."
"The battle is not yet over." Dumbledore said, not answering the question. James, however, seemed satisfied by the answer. The three men walked together to where the Order was grouped around a body a few hundred yards away. Severus could hear the cries of the women from where he was walking. Lily, who had been inside the house for her protection, ran out the front door and to the body before collapsing into tears. James quickly went to her side and Dumbledore followed. Severus stayed back, feeling uncomfortable. He recognized the woman as Emmeline Vance, but had never spoken to her. He didn't know what to do or say. She looked fairly young as well.
After a few minutes, Molly Weasley began having people go inside while Dumbledore and Lupin talked about what to do with her body. Not wishing to stay outside, Severus followed. Inside, people were talking about who of the Death Eaters had been killed. Selwyn had indeed been killed, but not by Sirius. Frank Longbottom had killed him while Sirius was defending himself against Rookwood and did not see Selwyn raise his wand behind his back. The other Death Eater who had been killed was Amycus Carrow. Nobody knew who had killed him, but it was suspected that one of Bellatrix's spells had ricocheted off a tree and hit him. Now, both of the Carrows were dead.
"But how did they know we were here?" Frank Longbottom wondered out loud.
"Perhaps there is a spy among us." Sturgis Podmore suggested darkly.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Edgar Bones agreed.
"But who?" Alice Longbottom asked, "Peter has already been discovered, how many spies can we have?"
"Perhaps someone let slip about the meeting to someone." Frank suggested.
"To a Death Eater though?" Podmore asked.
"There is always Polyjuice Potion." Mad-Eye Moody reminded everyone from the corner of the room.
"Perhaps…" Frank agreed. There was a moment of silence in which Severus noticed how many sets of eyes were on him. He should have known, of course the suspected him. He waited for someone to suggest it was him.
"No one said anything out loud to anyone about the meeting?" Edgar asked, looking right at Severus. Everyone shook their heads and Severus became impatient with them as they all kept their eyes trained on him.
"Just say it." He said into the uncomfortable silence.
"Say what?" Podmore asked.
"You all think it was me. None of you trust me and you all think that I told the Dark Lord about the meeting tonight. You all stare at me accusingly and yet you say nothing." No one denied what he said, so he continued, "What do I have to do to gain your trust? I fight with you, and for you, I spied for you, I protected a family that belongs to you, and still you do not trust me. Is it because of this?" Severus demanded, pulling up his sleeve to show them his Dark Mark. Somebody gasped at the sight of it, "I am on your side! I am higher up on the Dark Lord's kill list than most of you in this room! I was fighting Bellatrix, the Dark Lord's most loyal companion and you still have no trust in me! You all have no problem asking for my help but all I ask of you is that you trust me in return."
"Why is Bellatrix still alive, though, if you are truly on our side?" Edgar asked accusingly, "You ask us to trust you but you asked us not to kill the Death Eaters last night. Why is that? Do you still feel like you are loyal to them? Like you are one of them?"
"Bellatrix is still alive," James jumped in, "because she is a highly skilled fighter, not because Severus let her live. I fought her with him last night and with the two of us combined it was hard enough to fight her. I trust Severus because he helped protect my family. Yes, we were never friends in the past and we probably never will be, but I do trust him, why can't all of you?"
"I trust him," Lupin joined in, Severus had not noticed him and Dumbledore enter from the yard, "And before you asked why Severus asked us not to kill the Death Eaters? He asked us this not because he wished to save their lives but because he didn't want us to turn into them, mindless murderers who kill anyone and everyone. That, in my opinion is a brave man."
Severus stood in shock. Here were his past enemies standing up for him. He did not forgive them for what they had done in the past, but in the present he appreciated what they had done for him. he nodded at the pair of them in thanks but said nothing.
"Severus," Dumbledore called from close to the door, "We have to go. People at the school will wonder about our absence. You too, Minerva."
"Of course," Minerva responded, and quickly got up and walked to the door. Severus followed suit and once they were at the edge of the yard they all apparated to Dumbledore's office. Once they arrived, Minerva immediately set off to her office, leaving Severus standing in the headmaster's office. He nodded to Dumbledore and then made his way to the door.
"Severus," Dumbledore called after him.
"Yes?" He responded, hand on the door.
"Give them time, I'm sure they will come around."
"We will see." And he opened the door and walked to his office, exhausted from the night's events.