Chapter 56

"Is it wise to involve Narcissa Malfoy in this," Mag asked.

The two were alone in her bedroom at WestCraven Manor. As soon as they'd all gotten home from the meeting at Adler Manor she'd practically dragged him upstairs. Foolishly Severus had supposed it was to work off all her excitement over meeting the great Grindelwald in a few weeks. Granted she hadn't seemed particularly excited about that, only mildly interested, but a man wanted to think being dragged to the bedroom meant something good, didn't he? "Of course it isn't wise to involve Narcissa Malfoy in this or anything else," he replied dryly. "That certainly wasn't my plan." /What did you tell her and why, as you would so eloquently put it, are you trying to start shit,/ he asked Nightshade darkly. The owl was sitting on the end of the large four poster bed preening his feathers.

/I didn't do nothing. She was all worried about you taking on some Death Eater and getting noticed. I saw you thinking about Narcissa so I just told her the truth. That you feel she owes you a favor so you've probably got it covered. Now don't be shitty to me, your only friend./

Severus smiled in spite of himself. /I suppose you weren't starting shit, then,/ he relented. /Sorry./ Was Nightshade the first person he'd ever apologized to? He thought about that for a few seconds, then decided perhaps he was.

/It's all good. We're cool, Prof./

As he began to slowly undress in hopes of gaining Magritte's attention, Severus idly wondered if Nightshade was right. If, when it came down to it, the owl was indeed his only friend. There was Filius, of course, and Albus, even if the old head master had just tried to screw him over by dying. There were Raislen and Heather, but could former back stabbers ever truly be trusted no matter their almost good reason? Mag was definitely a friend, but she was also much more if against his better judgment, or at least the better judgment of the upper half of his body.

/You and Filius,/ he thought to the owl.

/What?/

/My only friends. And Mag, but we're more than that now, so it's you and Filius./

/Would Filius stay and die with you if it came to it, Prof,/ Nightshade demanded indignantly.

/I thought we were planning not to do that,/ Severus replied.

/Yeah but still, would he, though?/

/I don't know...probably not./

/Well I would, so I'm your top when it comes down to it ride or die only god damn friend./

Severus couldn't help but laugh out loud and shake his head at the owl's antics. /Very well. When you outline it so clearly./

"What's so funny," Mag asked. Admittedly she was watching his slow disrobing with open interest.

"Oh just the insane voice in my head," Severus quipped and Mag chuckled.

"Nightshade," she said, fondly scratching the owl's head.

/Yeah, that feels awesome!/

"So what are you going to do that involves Narcissa Malfoy," Mag asked, worry evident on her face.

"I just want to look into her address book. I know all the Death Eaters, but she'll know far more of their addresses. I won't explain why and if she's wise she'll consider it a thank you for that bloody unbreakable."

Mag sighed in relief. "That seems harmless enough, I suppose."

"I'm not trying to trust her with anything," Severus said with an incredulous shake of his head. "Now are we going to bed," he half demanded, unable to keep the impatience from his voice. She had literally dragged him up here to the bedroom, after all.

Mag smiled, allowing her expression to soften. "Oh yes! Most definitely we are."

The next day, Severus went to his home at Spinner's End before writing Narcissa Malfoy a note asking her to meet him there. For once in his life, Nightshade actually offered to take a letter.

/I want to scope the place out,/ he told Severus. /To see who's there./

/Just be careful,/ Severus said, sending the owl off reluctantly.

It was just that when they went into danger it was together. Nightshade didn't like Severus attending meetings without him and Severus discovered he didn't like Nightshade carrying mail to Death Eaters either. The owl wouldn't be gone long, he assured himself. Still when the owl returned, tapping at the window of Severus's sitting room to be let in, he breathed a sigh of relief.

/Who was there,/ he asked, removing the parchment Narcissa had tied to Nightshade's leg.

/Bellatrix and her husband and her brother in law. They seemed weird somehow. Dazed or something, plus shitty looking from too much good Azkaban living,/ the owl noted, but Severus didn't like the Lestranges to put it mildly so didn't care.

"Hmmm," was all he commented to that as he unrolled the parchment and read Narcissa's brief agreement to be there in an hour.

As he'd hoped, it was simple to get a look at Narsissa Malfoy's address book and to get her agreement not to mention his curiosity to anyone for any reason. Not even her sister. She agreed to meet him again the next day on the pretext of going shopping and bring the address book with her. She was shocked that he promised to call it even for that and for her secrecy, but she was pleased. That meant she'd stick to her word, and for that Severus was also pleased. When Narcissa arrived the next day she was alone as promised and with her address book up her sleeve. Severus didn't take long to find his intended target. The man he chose was middle aged, so would have enough youth for Grindelwald, and while not useless, he was not one of Voldemort's favorites. That meant he shouldn't be missed right away.

They'd get rid of the body through the veil that Raislen had recently removed from the ministry to sequester in Adler Manor. This would ensure there were no traces of the body or the dark mark that Voldemort could track with dark magic even if he tried. Severus chose to strike in the middle of the night when the man was likely to be sleeping. He decided to take Wolfgang Adler along just in case. The half giant was far more used to killing Death Eaters, after all. This time they couldn't just strike as Adler was wont to do, however. They had to take the man alive back to Adler manor so that Wolfgang could torture him into being glad to die and willing to breathe his last into the potion bottle that would be so kindly and gently provided for him. The prospect of torture didn't really bother Severus much considering who was being tortured. Still he hadn't the stomach to do it himself if he didn't have to, so was glad to leave it to Adler.

If the man had done something personally to him or his, that would be a different matter, but without a personal issue, Severus wasn't sure he could mean it enough to be truly effective. Wolfgang was perfectly willing to come along and he provided them each with a cloak of invisibility under which to hide. The man Severus had chosen lived alone. His name was Samuel Seaworth. He was a miser who never seemed to want anyone's company much but his own. He was born into his money so never made much of an effort to do a great deal with his life other than serving Voldemort. His manor was layered in wards, but Wolfgang had disabling spells ready for those and they slipped through with little effort. Together they captured Seaworth easily and once he was bound and helpless at Adler Manor, Severus was free to depart.

He went next to Hogwarts to check up on Albus, deciding not to mention the Grindelwald situation. He knew that Albus wouldn't approve for several reasons, so he wouldn't bring it up until he absolutely needed to do so. To his shock it was Albus who mentioned Grindelwald first. He brought it up as soon as he let Severus into his new chambers in The Room of Requirement where he was remaining, at least for the summer. When term began he planned to set up something for himself in one of the secret passages. Until then The Room of Requirement was, as he'd put it, far more fun. "Why Gellert Grindelwald of all people," he demanded.

As Severus closed the door behind him, Albus began to pace, expression angrier than Severus had ever seen it. "What did I do to the world, Severus? How did I offend them to deserve the indignity of this? And even if they believe me to be dead...well that just makes it worse! A dead man can't even defend himself! I cannot even defend myself and as I am supposed to be dead, at least for now, I can't even sue her...Yet. But trust me when this is all over and I am free to live again, I shall! For this, I cannot ignore or forgive."

Severus stared, slowly comprehending that perhaps Albus was ranting about something other than their plan to free Gellert Grindelwald.

"What are you talking about," he asked slowly.

"Didn't you see it yet," Albus demanded. It was only then that Severus noticed the book Albus held in his right hand. Mainly because he'd started waving it around. When Albus held still for a moment, Severus was able to make out the title.

THE LIFE AND LIES OF Albus DUMBLEDORE

BY

RITA SKEETER

/Wow, he's pissed off. Awesome,/ Nightshade crowed gleefully into Severus's mind.

"Do you know what this book says," Albus practically shouted.

Severus shook his head dumbly. "No. I wasn't aware of it."

"It just came out. Minerva showed me this morning. This book says that I am gay! Not that there is anything wrong with that for other people, but I am not."

Severus nodded. "I never thought you were," he said, aiming for a soothing tone. It was his first attempt at a soothing tone so he wasn't sure how well he'd done.

/Not very,/ Nightshade informed and he shrugged.

/Oh well. At least I tried./

"Even worse than that, I am supposed to have been gay with Gellert Grindelwald of all people! Do you know what that will do to my reputation? Everyone who hates me will believe me to be the biggest hypocrite there ever was, considering all Gellert believes and has done!" This definitely wasn't a good time to tell Albus of Wolfgang's plan, Severus decided firmly.