Previously on The Years Of Decisions 9: A Wife On The Edge
"Will Albus Dumbledore always be interfering in our lives, dragging you back to something you've cut from your life?" Janna asked. "I love you and always will. That doesn't mean I will remain quiet while our Headmaster puts you in danger while he chooses to remain sitting behind his desk. We are husband and wife now. Tell him to find another cuckold."
Wrapping himself more tightly around Janna, Severus whispered that he had made the Unbreakable Vow. As such he was bound to do as Dumbledore asked.
Slow tears began to fall from Janna's eyes as she recoiled trying to back away from Severus. Severus held her even more tightly.
With a final push, Janna was able to extricate herself from Severus. "I am not a wife who will willingly sit by and watch you give up our life. It may come down to Albus or us. I'll be in our rooms." She left the room without another word.
Severus didn't chase behind Janna even though he wanted to. She was right. He was always going to be beholden to Dumbledore. She would always come second. It was at that moment Severus realized Dumbledore had him in a position where he could lose the love of his life for a second time. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't allow that to happen. But what was the alternative? Perhaps everyone was wrong. Perhaps the wizard he had followed so faithfully in prior years was really dead and would not be returning. At least that was Severus' hope.
Severus wanted nothing more than hold Janna and make love to her before leaving Hogwarts. With the mood he had put her in. Severus decided he would get to Albania, do what had been asked of him and get back. Hopefully Janna would have calmed down by then. He just couldn't lose her twice. He wouldn't.
The Years Of Decisions: Chapter 10: Not Everything Ends Well
Janna waited patiently for Severus to stop by their rooms before leaving on his journey. And she waited, finally realizing that her husband had no intention of coming to their rooms before setting off for Albania.
"Alright," she said to herself. "I can understand Severus not wanting to come deal with a weepy wife, but his arse will pay for not stopping by."
Then she had pulled on a sleeveless jumper meaning to go take a walk around the Black Lake. Janna had made it all the way to the front doors where she ran into Sybil.
"Miss Southway. My apologies. Mrs. Snape. How very nice to see you. It's a lovely day for a walk."
"It is indeed," Janna replied. "I was just on my way out to have a walk around the Black Lake. Would you care to join me?"
"I- I. How nice of you to ask me. That would be lovely."
The two women followed the path which wound around the lake talking about the upcoming school year with Sybil mentioning how exciting it would be to welcome Harry Potter to Hogwarts.
"Yes. The famous Harry Potter will be starting his education this year," replied Janna. "What shall I expect? Will there be news reporters camped outside the gates of Hogwarts waiting to interview the boy?"
Sybil looked sideways at Janna. Her normally protuberant eyes got even bigger as she very softly answered that Dumbledore wouldn't ever allow reporters or photographers anywhere near Hogwarts.
"I understand Lucius Malfoy's son will be starting in September as well. Lucius is quite powerful. Will his son be treated as a celebrity as well?"
Sybil didn't know what to make of Janna. She was not acting herself. "Is everything alright Janna? You seem to be distressed. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Janna realized she was letting her feelings toward Severus show through. "My apologies Sybil. I do have some things on my mind, but it is not my intention to take anything out on you. I appreciate your company. I hope my manner hasn't discouraged you from accompanying me out in future."
Sybil's lips formed what could be considered a smile. "The walk was lovely. I would be pleased to accompany you on another walk whenever you choose."
As Janna turned away to walk up the stairs, Sybil stiffened in place and began speaking in what could almost be considered tongues. "As there is a double sided witch there is a double sided wizard as well. The time is coming for choices to be made. A mother who isn't a mother and a father who isn't a father will greet the son who has no mother or father. And all will be choked by the darkness." Cough. Cough. Cough.
"What! What are you saying Sybil? Double witches? What mother? What son?" questioned Janna as she grabbed Sybil by the arm.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean. I haven't said anything other than have a good afternoon," replied a surprised Sybil. "Are you feeling alright Janna?"
Janna stared at the other witch deciding she must have been playing some kind of joke. "Very well Sybil. At this particular time I do not find your little joke funny. However it might just be the mood I'm in. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Good day." Janna hurried up the stairs to get back to her rooms.
Sybil Trelawney shrugged as she turned to the Great Hall for dinner.
/*/
Janna hadn't stopped as she entered her and Severus' rooms. She had crossed the room pulling off her clothes as she headed to the bathroom. Whether Sybil Trelawney had meant what she said or not. Her words had unnerved Janna. It had all been gibberish, but Sybil's words had made Janna feel as though she needed a shower. Stepping into the shower, Janna began to scrub herself raw.
After her shower, Janna wrapped herself in one of the Muggle robes she had purchased for herself and Severus. Then she had snuggled into Severus' big chair to finally doze off. She dreamed of Severus somewhere in Albania with his Death Eater friends scouring forests, searching bushes and peering into every nook and cranny. In the dream, her husband was using his wand liberally against the people who wouldn't or couldn't answer his questions.
Janna woke herself out of the dream when she thought she heard Severus calling her name. He wasn't calling her and he wasn't there. She was still alone sitting in a chair in their rooms.
Janna sat for a bit longer finally deciding to get away from Hogwarts to go visit Wales while Severus was away. The problem was she remembered Wales, but that was all. She couldn't remember if she was from south, north, east or west Wales. In fact, she didn't remember all that much about her home. The more Janna tried to remember her home, the more she couldn't remember. Her mum had died. That she knew. Her father was dead as well. She didn't have any siblings, or at least she didn't think she had. Her lack of memories frightened her to the extent she decided to go speak with Albus Dumbledore to find out what information she had supplied to him when she applied for a position. That's what she had done.
/*/
Knock. Knock. Janna knocked lightly on the door of Dumbledore's office.
"Enter," called out Dumbledore as he stood to greet his visitor. "Ah. Janna. Please come in. How are you today?"
Dumbledore was not surprised to find Janna at his door. He was well aware of the trauma she was going through because Severus had to leave her to travel to Albania. Dumbledore knew when Severus married there would be issues when he was called to do his duty. He still haven't decided what he would tell Janna. He did know he wouldn't tell her the truth.
"You may think me mad Professor Dumbledore, but I have some questions."
"And just why would I think you mad? Have a seat. Would you care for some tea?"
With a small laugh Janna replied that he should wait to hear her questions before deciding if she was mad. She had also accepted his offer of tea.
Once Janna had her tea and Dumbledore was seated back behind his desk. They sat for several minutes enjoying the tea before Dumbledore turned his gaze to the flustered witch before him. "If you will enlighten me, I'll see what I can do to help."
Janna searched Dumbledore's eyes hoping he would understand her concerns. The last thing she wanted was for him to think he had a nutter on his hands. Folding her hands in her lap Janna let out a soft sigh and began to speak. "I have found myself in quite the peculiar position. Severus has gone on a journey, but I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I'm at loose ends with him gone so I have decided to visit Wales for a couple of days. However, I'm at a loss. My life in Wales is decidedly cloudy. I remember that my mother and father are deceased and I do not have any siblings. I remember attending a school, but that is quite hazy as well. My request to you is to review the paperwork I turned in when I applied for the position at Hogwarts."
This caught Dumbledore by surprise. He had cast permanent and if he said so himself, very precise spells on Lily Evans Potter. This memory failure should not be happening. Janna's life in Wales was only supposed to be an anchor to her younger life to be referred to in passing. More importantly, there was supposed to be a powerful deterrent in place to keep her from ever wanting to return to Wales.
In the several seconds between Janna finishing her thoughts and his expected answer, a myriad of thoughts passed through Dumbledore's head. Had he missed something? Was her anxiety over Severus causing some disturbance within Janna he hadn't foreseen? He was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He did not make errors. In Janna's case he obviously had. He hadn't cast temporary spells. Each of the Old Magic spells which had been cast on Lily were supposed to have been for life. Now she was sitting in front of him questioning memories that should be lying inviolate within her head.
Without a thought and with a wide smile on his face, Dumbledore wordlessly put Janna into a meditative state. She could answer questions, but wouldn't have any inkling of what was going on or how she was being manipulated.
Dumbledore knew he had to proceed with caution as he didn't want to corrupt the spells and charms which had been laid in correctly. Grabbing his wand to lock the door in order to prevent any intrusions, Dumbledore walked around to stand in front of Janna. He then began to question her regarding the area which had malfunctioned.
After only fifteen minutes of testing Janna's memories, Dumbledore found the problem. Two overlapping memory charms had somehow broken their bonds and pulled away from each other allowing the memories he had so carefully placed to fall into a crack. So to speak. Dumbledore quickly and carefully corrected the problem.
After stepping back from Janna, Dumbledore summoned the file which contained the information she had requested before waving his hand to wake her up.
For perhaps half a second, Janna had been surprised to find herself sitting in front of Dumbledore with him holding out a file.
"What's this Albus?" she asked taking the file from his hand. "My file? Is there an issue?"
"My apologies Janna. I was under the impression there was something in your file you wanted to review."
Janna handed the file back to Dumbledore with a shake of her head. "I'm here to let you know with Severus away I plan to spend several days in London. There are items I would like to purchase for the upcoming school year. Now would be as good a time as any."
"Sounds lovely Janna. In the way of caution, I will say there are quite a few ruffians about. Keep your wand handy and do not wander about in unknown territory."
"You're as bad as Severus. I will be careful, but what harm can come to me in Diagon Alley? I will be leaving tomorrow morning. I will return sometime Sunday afternoon. Thank you."
/**/
Janna was up very early on Friday with plans to leave the school straight after breakfast. She still had a small flat in London which she would utilize over the next several days to think. She loved her husband, but how could she be content knowing her husband was still doing the unthinkable on Dumbledore's orders and his Unbreakable Vow. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but hastily wiped them away. Tears wouldn't help or change anything.
As Janna made her way to the Great Hall, Dumbledore was in his office making strange signs with his wand. When finished he hurried to the Great Hall to greet Janna before she left on her mini holiday.
Dumbledore took Janna by surprise when he approached her with a cheery good morning and a pat on the hand.
"Good morning to you too Professor Dumbledore. It's a lovely morning. Have you come to see me off? I will be leaving shortly after breakfast."
Dumbledore turned twinkling eyes directly onto Janna. "I did not purposely come to see you off. However now that I'm here. I wish you an uneventful journey."
Janna smiled and nodded at the Headmaster as he left the Hall. Uneventful was a strange word for him to have used.
Janna had finished her breakfast so she left shortly behind Dumbledore. Thirty minutes later she was outside the Hogwarts gates preparing to start her time in London.
/*/
'Step back," snarled Severus to the witch who had sidled up to him reaching to touch places which now belonged only to Janna. "I'll take your filthy hand off at the wrist if you don't step back now."
The witch stepped back as quickly as she had stepped forward. "Oh? What's changed since last we met Mr. Snape? There were times when you couldn't wait to get my knickers off. Now I'm repugnant to you? I won't forget this," said the witch as she moved on to the next wizard sitting alone. Calling out over her shoulder she smirked. "Perhaps you should tell your dick you don't want me. It's as hard as it ever was."
Fuck you thought Severus. He didn't give two shites if the paid for service harlot was upset. He was married and quite happy with the witch whom he climbed on top of every night. Sexual relations with anyone other than Janna would not happen. Not anymore.
It wasn't just that a witch had approached him in an inappropriate manner. His main issue was that he was here and Janna was in Scotland.
Severus sat at the bar of the village pub drinking fire whiskey after fire whiskey until someone sat down on the stool beside him.
"Having a bad night are you Severus? Marriage has changed the witch forager. Wasn't that your favorite witch you just turned away? Your Pureblood witch. Janna is it? She must certainly…"
Severus had his wand out and at Yaxley's throat before anyone saw him move. "Have I not told you on more than one occasion I will not put up with your bullshite? There is no reason for my wife's name to pass your lips. I will not tell you again. What is it you want Yaxley?"
"Since you and Lucius seem to be in charge. I just came to tell you that I need to follow up a lead. I will owl everyone if it pans out. One more thing Severus. The Dark Lord may think the world of you, but until he is back you not in charge of anything but yourself. Draw your wand on me again and it will be a duel." Yaxley then strode away in a vicious huff.
The witch Severus had turned away sauntered back through. "Angry at everyone then Severus? Perhaps marriage isn't all that much to shout about eh?" and she too sauntered off. "If you want me, you know where to find me."
Without saying a word, Severus left the pub to get back to his duties. The sooner he did what was expected of him, the sooner he could get back to Janna. He was even more aggravated because there hadn't been anything to find. If there was it had eluded him.
Several of the people who thought they knew where the Dark Lord was holed up had led Severus to the nest of some foul smelling rat or other small mammal. He had spent hours waiting in a make shift hidey hole to only see what he had expected to see, rats.
At one point, Severus thought he had seen a rat with human looking arms. He had hurried to track it down, but the thing had moved so fast Severus couldn't be sure of what he had seen. He had then spent the rest of Friday searching every filthy rat hole he could find trying to catch another glimpse of the thing. To no avail.
Although he searched high and low, Severus never caught another glimpse of the rat with arms. He spent Saturday afternoon questioning villagers who were as ill informed as some of the dolts at Hogwarts.
Severus owled Dumbledore with his lack of progress telling the Headmaster he would have one last look. If he found nothing, he would be returning to Hogwarts Saturday evening. He also sent an owl to Lucius suggesting they talk when Severus returned to Hogwarts. Something in Albania was not what it seemed. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Severus planned for him and Lucius to come back to Albania together to get things sorted for good and for all.
/*/
Dumbledore read Severus' owl and let out a dispirited sigh as he realized Severus would probably be back to Hogwarts before Janna returned from London. That would be another battle.
/*/
Janna wasn't happy about being without Severus, but she was making the best of it. Most of the day Friday she had spent wandering about Muggle London. She liked the restaurants and shops. Unless she was to pull out her wand to hex someone. No Muggle had any idea she was a witch.
Back at her flat, Janna fixed herself a light dinner then relaxed with some white wine as she planned her Saturday. It would be Diagon Alley all day long. Then she would return to Hogwarts. She really didn't need or want the extra day. After three glasses of wine, Janna went to bed hugging the pillow she wished was her husband.
/**/
Saturday morning found Yaxley standing at the mouth of Knockturn Alley griping and venting to a young Death Eater called Pippin about Severus lording it over everyone as though he was the Dark Lord himself. Yaxley boasted how he planned to take Severus down a peg or two admitting he didn't yet know how.
Pippin laughed. "You want to go toe to toe with Severus Snape? You'd better take an army."
"Fuck you Pippin. What do you know?" shouted Yaxley. "He's no better wizard than I am. He's a stinking Mudblood lover. Nothing more."
"M-my apologies Yaxley," Pippin stammered as he put a bit of distance between himself and his irate associate.
And then, almost as though Merlin sent her. The lovely Mrs. Severus Snape sauntered by. Acting without thought to what Severus would do, Yaxley told Pippin he should go get himself a piece of the sweet young witch who had just passed the alley.
"Grab her. Show her what's what," he said pushing Pippin forward. "She looks as though she'll give a wizard a real ride." Yaxley even gave the unsuspecting Death Eater a last instruction. "Take her to Spinner's End. Severus won't mind," before quickly Disapparating away from the scene of the crime.
Pippin had grinned at Yaxley. He had no idea he was being sent after Severus' wife. Pippin waited until Janna was at the side street adjacent to the Magical Menagerie then he grabbed her and immediately Apparated to Spinner's End as he'd been told.
As soon as he and Janna landed. Pippin roughly ran his hand up the inside of her legs where the tips of his fingers touched her knickers. He tried pushing them aside while smugly taunting that he was bringing a present from Yaxley. As the Death Eater scrambled to free his dick from his trousers. Janna was fighting to get to her wand. When her elbow hit Pippin squarely in the nose, he had retaliated by hitting her so hard she fell to the ground unconscious.
"Just the way I like them," mumbled Pippin. "Legs spread and compliant," as he bent over Janna pulling at her undergarments. Suddenly he was hit from behind, knocked to the ground where he was, bound, blindfolded and gagged. He could only lie there helpless. Pippin couldn't see or speak, but he knew he was bound for Azkaban. Someone had come to the witch's rescue. He had been caught out.
Luckily or unluckily as the case might be. It wasn't Severus who found Pippin assaulting Janna. Albus Dumbledore had cast a tracking, alarm spell on Janna Friday morning in the Great Hall when he had patted her hand. He hadn't foreseen any problem with Janna going to Diagon Alley, but had decided to err on the side of caution. With the foul mood Severus was in. He would curse anyone and everyone to death if anything happened to Janna in his absence.
/*/
Dumbledore sent a Patronus to Poppy Pomfrey telling her she was needed at Hogwarts before carefully lifting Janna from the floor and Apparating her back to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey had just hurried in still pulling on her uniform as Dumbledore landed.
"Hello Albus," greeted Poppy apologizing for her attire. "Your Patronus caught me by surprise. Lay her on the first bed," she said drawing her wand and running it over Janna. "What happened to this poor child? She has a serious concussion."
Dumbledore simply told Poppy that Janna had been attacked in Diagon Alley. The fewer people who knew the whole of the story. The better.
With Janna in good hands, Dumbledore excused himself to return to Spinner's End where he had left Pippin.
"You are a fool," spit Dumbledore at the trussed up wizard. "You may have started out wanting to embarrass Severus and bring him to his knees, but all you have succeeded in doing is killing yourself. I will not even allow you the protection of going to Azkaban. Janna will have to suffer the ugly memories, but you will not. You won't even know why Severus has come for you. Obliviate!"
The last thing Dumbledore had done before Disapparating was remove the spells he had cast on the Death Eater.
Pippin had no idea how he ended up in Severus Snape's old home. He brushed himself off then quickly Apparated back to Knockturn Alley where he was supposed to meet Yaxley. Pippin went about his business having no way of knowing his life was now on countdown.
/*/
Severus arrived back at Hogwarts late Saturday afternoon. He headed directly to his and Janna's flat within Hogwarts. He walked through the door calling out to Janna. "Janna love. I'm back."
Receiving no answer, Severus walked deeper into the room still looking around. No Janna. Severus figured she was in the Great Hall or somewhere on the grounds having a walk. So he used the time to shower, return his black apparel to his former rooms then head to Dumbledore's office to report in.
Severus knocked on the office door turning the knob before Dumbledore had a chance to answer. He strode across the room and placed a folder in front of Dumbledore.
Dumbledore moved the folder to the side. "This can wait Severus. There's been an accident."
"What is this Albus? What kind of accident? Janna is alright, isn't she?"
"No Severus she isn't. She was attacked in Diagon Alley. I.."
"Attacked? In Diagon Alley? What in Merlin's name was she doing in Diagon Alley? Who attacked her? Is she in St Mungo's?"
"Severus. You need to calm down. Janna is in the Hospital Wing with a severe concussion. Go see about her. We'll discuss everything else later."
Striding across the room Severus snarled back over his shoulder. "My wife has been attacked. You couldn't have sent me a bloody owl? Now you stand there telling me to calm down. I will calm down when I have the bloody fuck's neck in my hands. Whomever hurt Janna….." and the rest had been lost as the door closed behind him.
Dumbledore fell into his chair placing his hands flat down on the desk as if to ground himself. "That poor fool Pippin has no idea what a few touches on the wrong witch has cost him. He'll never see Severus coming."