A/N: I had earlier decided to post twice a week, but I am going to post a few chapters in quick succession in the beginning so as to gain the interest of some readers to my story.
Also, I already have a few people who have put my story in their favourites or alerts. To them, I extend a heartfelt thank you. Thank you so much for giving me a chance.
Enjoy!
Chapter 2: When Duty Calls
The fifth house on the street at Spinner's End belonged to a man who was seldom seen by the other residents of the neighbourhood. One could not call the neighborhood peaceful due to the presence of a playground just around the corner and a Primary School two streets away. As it happened that almost all the houses in the neighborhood had children. One could also not call the neighborhood wealthy, for the people who lived there were ordinary when it came to finances. A bakery shop nearby was the hub for little gatherings of ladies in the evening—and that was all the luxuries they had. Some small stores were lined some streets down, too, but one could hardly find anything ranging in the category of 'expensive' there.
But be that as it was, the neighborhood could be called amicable. Almost everyone knew one another, and to keep a secret, it took efforts. But even among that sort of environment, one man had managed to keep a secret hidden for decades now.
In the said fifth house, lived a wizard, Severus Snape. For the residents of the neighborhood, the man was a reclusive being, quite arrogant, as well. In the language of the resident children, the man was 'scary'. If one were to ask the greying man who lived across the street from him, the man was 'Just like his dead Pa, I bet he's a drunk!'
All in all, Severus Snape was a mystery that none of the Muggles could solve—and wizards alike. All they knew about him was that he stayed away for most of the year and returned only in the summer months. Seldom was he ever seen outside his house, anyway.
All those opinions were neatly and deliberately crafted by the man, himself, who took pleasure in being energetic. Because the less people interacted with him, the easier his life would be.
The said man had spent the last fifteen hours or so sleeping. After last being summoned by the Dark Lord, merely twenty four hours ago, he was still recovering from the effects of the Cruciatus.
The madman had been furious since losing against Dumbledore in the Ministry, some weeks ago. Since none of the present Death Eaters had neither a plan nor any relevant news to share, all of them were subjected to the Dark Lord's wrath. Severus, being the spy, too, had failed to provide the whereabouts of Harry Potter, again. Thus, he was 'punished' just as well.
After the meeting, he had gone to Albus to report whatever little he could, and then returned to his house. A number of potions and two rounds of muscle spasms later, he had collapsed on his bed, face down.
That was the state that he had woken up, too, by a sharp pain in his forearm. "Fuck!"
The man immediately bolted up and glanced at the window—it was dark. A quick Tempus revealed that it was nearing Ten. What day is it?
He grabbed a plastic bottle of water and gulped mouthfuls to wash the dryness from his throat. Every movement hurt his limbs and left him clenching his jaw to avoid wincing. Severus pulled a drawer in his bedside cabinet open and groped in the dark for a vial he had seen kept there. He emptied some of the contents on the floor before finding the Muscle Relaxant. The potion worked instantly to give him some respite but proved rather weak in front of the effects of the Dark Lord's merciless Cruciatus.
But all those thoughts didn't matter, he decided, as the pain in his forearm worsened. He cursed again. Bloody megalomaniac!
A quick wand movement had him looking clean and fresh, another had vanished his stubble away, albeit with some discomfort. The quick spell-work, though, could do much to change his mood or temperament, or his deep wish to fall back asleep.
But those thoughts occupied only the back of his mind as he erected his strong Occlumency Shields to conceal the forefront of his mind. Grabbing his customary Death Eater cloak and the mask, he quickly Apparated away.
UUUUUUUU
Severus' landing was smooth, despite his fatigue and the dull ache that still lingered in his bones. The Entrance Hall of the Malfoy Manor was empty, though he could hear loud voices coming from the meeting room. He wondered bitterly what new plan the bastard had come up with now.
He wore his mask, concealing his face and his identity as a Potions Master, to replace it with that of a malicious Death Eater—not unlike his former self. He realised that he was a bit late and might even be 'rewarded' for that tardiness. Nonetheless, he made his way to the meeting room, walking by the obnoxious water fountain, his boots clicking on the white and black marble flooring as he walked.
On entering the room, he noticed the presence of the inner-clique, all standing in two files beside the dais. Their unconcealed excitement permeated the room and sparked strong suspicion in Severus' mind. His guess was another attack planned for the night. Severus nodded to a few unmasked faces before making his way to the most pressing presence in the hall.
The Dark Lord was seated on the dais. His throne-like chair was embedded with green stones and silver snakes. His nasty familiar, Nagini, slithered by his feet. Severus took into account that the others were exceptionally enthusiastic today. Perhaps, they did have a plan, then. At last, he would have something to report back to Albus.
Heavy rain was pouring on the huge windows, the window-panes trembled with strong gushes of wind. Severus knelt before his Master, feigning reverence. "My Lord," the words came out in a way that one said 'Amen'—reflecting one's utter faith in that four-lettered-word.
"Severus," the Dark Lord said in acknowledgement. Severus took the cue and bowed to kiss the hem of the other wizard's robes. The Dark Lord's red pupils eyed Severus with wariness but the smirk never left his visage. The man lived to be worshipped.
"You made me wait quite a while, Severus," the words did not hold the wrath that they would usually have, Severus noted. "Why?"
"Forgive me, My Lord, the old coot had called me for a meeting," he lied with conviction. "He had insisted that I stayed after the meeting with the Heads of Houses. I thought I could get some relevant information out of the greying bastard that would benefit You, My Lord."
"Ah! Anything that you have for me, my loyal servant?" The voice was smooth.
"Not much, I am afraid, My Lord, only that Potter is apparently in the depths of depression after losing his mutt of a Godfather," Severus was too much of Slytherin when it came to conviction. "The boy is under a constant watch. I have gathered that. Perhaps, he had tried to take his own life."
"Excellent! If the boy is willing to make my job easier, we must aid him!" A bitter and sickening bout of laughter filled the room. The other Death Eaters, too, joined their Master, all convinced by Severus' well-worded piffle. "Despair is like an Imperius, it can drive one easily. Just a bit of fuel into the fire would do the work."
"Yes, My Lord," he bowed again.
"Stand up, Severus," the Dark Lord permitted. With another dip of his head, he stood up, wincing inwardly at the dull ache left by the last session of Cruciatus. "Can you add that well needed salt into the gaping wound of our little Chosen One's heart?" Another round of laughter followed and Severus felt sick. He heartily wished that his story wasn't truly holding any veracity—clearly, the boy would be sulking, but he hoped he was not actually trying to exercise such impulsive recklessness over his life.
"My heartfelt apologies, My Lord, but the old bastard will not allow me to meet the boy until the term begins," Severus delivered those words with such deep feeling of guilt as if he were a Healer who was delivering the news of one's husband's demise in a surgery that did not go well. He liked to make such colourful comparisons when in the said company—they helped him cope with the sheer amount of stress and terror of being exposed any moment.
"That needs to change, then," the icy tone made the hair on the back of Severus' neck stand. He braved himself for another round of 'punishment'. However, it never came. "But I will give you time for that, my faithful servant."
Severus bowed, "Your kindness appalls me, My Lord." So, he does have something else planned for tonight.
"We have some guests here with us, Severus," the Dark Lord said with a smirk. "I am sure, you will like the company more than anyone here."
"My Lord?" That made Severus' stomach turn. He was suddenly glad that he had no living family left. Whoever these 'guests' were would be acquainted with him. Perhaps, it was a colleague from Hogwarts. Or, Merlin forbid, a student. He quickly went over the handful of people who could be used against him to test his 'loyalty'—Albus, it was impossible for him to be captured; Minerva, the venerable witch was too strong and mindful to escape if need be; Poppy, she was in Wales... Could she have been captured...? No. He hoped not. The lady was a close ally, one who sometimes even tended to his injuries after being summoned.
"Bring her in!" The Dark Lord ordered.
Her?
Behind them, the mahogany doors were pushed open. Severus heard footsteps, some walking, some dragging or being dragged. He was well acquainted with the procedure. Severus did not turn to see who the hostage was, until he was 'ordered' to.
"Remove the Silencing Charm from the little Mudblood, I would like to hear her scream," the man ordered.
It was a Muggle-born woman, then. It could not be Minerva or Poppy, then. He raced his mind to recall all the Muggleborn women he knew—there were not many, though.
With a mumbled Finite from Dolohov, the said woman's Charm was lifted.
"Leave me, you bastard!"
Merlin! Severus knew that voice all too well! He had been hearing for the last five years now! Fuck! A chill ran down his spine—were her two friends caught, too?
"Look, who we have with us, my faithful servant."—it was the permission that he got. Severus turned around, almost knowing what to expect, yet fervently hoping he was mistaken.
The Granger girl stood before her, held by Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange. The bruises and the bloodied lip were proves enough of what might have transpired. The girl was shaking like a leaf, so Severus surmised that the Cruciatus had a role to play.
"You, scoundrels, leave me!" She kept shouting, calling the Death Eaters names. She could not recognise Severus as he had his mask on. The girl looked over his shoulder, at the Dark Lord, her face scrunched up in utter furor and pain. "You, swine! Is that the best you can do, kidnapping us from our Muggle locality where you can find no resistance? Is that how afraid you are?!"
Idiotic Gryffindor, instigating the Dark Lord when she does not even have her bloody wand in sight!
At that, one of the Death Eaters struck her witch a Crucio. The girl slumped back, screaming, only remaining on her feet because the two men still maintained too tight a grip on her.
When the spell was revoked, the Dark Lord said, "Our little Mudblood has a foul mouth, it seems." His voice was smooth with disdain and mockery. "Let us see what choice words she will use when my loyal friend reveals his identity to the little bitch."
It was a test for him, Severus realised. Killing two birds with one stone. Since the battle at the Ministry, Bellatrix had been filling the Dark Lord with ideas that he, Severus, had alerted the Order—which was true, but definitely not a piece of information that should have reached the megalomaniac. He had a fair idea of what was to follow, he would have to prove his loyalty to the wizard or his cover would be blown.
Complying, Severus removed his mask. Granger's bloodshot eyes followed his movements and widened in shock and terror.
"Miss Granger," he feigned a smirk in order to convince the Dark Lord and his cabal of his role.
"P-Professor?" She mouthed the words without much of a voice. The girl was gawking at him in sheer shock.
Severus kept his Shields high, not letting any of that to affect him—it was too dangerous.
"Yes, your Professor Snape," the Dark Lord mocked. He turned to the Potions Master, "Tell me, Severus, how do you find my surprise?"
"I am flabbergasted, My Lord," Snape said. "I dare say, that old coot will be tearing his hair in desperation. His old heart is too fragile to accept the flaw in his well-crafted plan."
Granger's brows furrowed just as her mouth gaped. "He trustedyou!" Granger whispered forcefully. She reflected genuine remorse.
"One of the many glaring errors that you all committed," Snape said coldly, with a satisfied smirk. His stomach churned at his own words.
"And you are proud of that?!" She hardly mumbled.
"I was of help to My Lord," he said dryly, "And I hold pride in everything I am able to do for my Master."
"Your Lord is a swine!" she shrieked in anger.
Severus cursed inwardly. The idiot girl did not realise how little chance she had of surviving the night, anyway, even without provoking the bastard!
"How dare you!" It was Bellatrix who had yelled, Severus had not realised that she was present at the meeting until then. She pointed her wand at Granger. "Crucio!"
The girl fell to the ground this time as the two men left her with a shove, screaming.
"Stop!" yelled the Dark Lord. Bellatrix inmediately withdrew the curse, leaving Granger panting and trembling on the ground. "She is mine to deal with, only mine!"
"But, my Lord, she tried to disgrace you—twice," Bellatrix lamely pointed out.
"The mere words uttered by an imbecilic Mudblood cannot smirch the honour of our Lord," Snape said. 'Mudblood'—that word left a bitter taste in his mouth and a painful memory in his mind. He quickly strengthened his Shields further.
"Right, Severus," the man smirked. "Another action by you, Bella, won't be tolerated by me."
"My apologies, My Lord," she went and stood aside.
"Severus," the Dark Lord said, "I have given you a reward, I expect you to put up a good show for us here. Kill the little Mudblood and entertain us, won't you, my loyal friend?"
"Of course, My Lord," Severus said with fake ecstasy. He quickly needed a way out of the mess. He could certainly not kill the girl. He was certain that the Dark Lord had thoroughly searched her mind for whatever information he could attain. So, clearly, the girl was of no use to the bastard. "I beg your pardon, My Lord, but I request to take the liberty to make a suggestion."
"I will grant you that, Severus, but your suggestion better impress me," he threateningly said.
"Thank you, My Lord," he bowed. "But as I fear that I might not be the best person to drive the Potter boy over the edge, perhaps the Mudblood could do that for us." He desperately hoped that his idea worked. "She is a close friend of the boy, and could spy for our side. Even manipulate the boy."
"And how do you plan to do that?" The Dark Lord seemed partially interested at least.
"The Imperius Curse, perhaps," he said, keeping his face straight.
"I will never go against Harry!" The girl shouted. If she were to survive that night, Severus decided to kill her himself the next day for her utter idiocy.
"No," the Dark Lord said bluntly. "She might very well fight the Imperius."
Had it not been for his practice, blood would have drained his face. He could not see any other hope to protect the girl... He could not insist much or he would be caught.
But the idea of killing her—a student he had taught for the last five years, an ally, and an asset for the Order with her mind... To sacrifice another life...
"But," the man said, "I do see some scope in your idea."
A small flicker of hope illuminated in his mind.
"But we need something more extensive than an Imperius," the madman announced.
"Does My Lord suggest something?" He asked with a dip of his head.
"Yes, my friend," he said. "A Dark Wedding!"
Severus paused in shock. His mind took a leap, looking for any way out, any way to convince the man otherwise. But it seemed that it was either that or Granger's murder—on his conscience!
He surreptitiously glanced at the girl. She was still on the ground, trembling. She was trying to to sit up, balancing on her shaking arms. Her eyes looked murderous. Severus sincerely hoped that the girl knew the concept of a Dark Wedding.
"What do you say, Severus?" Severus knew he was not being given a choice. He could not refuse.
"My will lies in my Lord's command," he said with faux sincerity.
"But there is one task that you should do before laying claim over the Mudblood," the Dark Lord said. "Bring them in!"
The door was pushed open again. The madman gestured Severus to watch. Four Death Eaters brought two half-conscious figures in, dragging them, and pushed them to the ground unceremoniously, beside the girl.
"Mum! Dad!" The girl shrieked, struggling to crawl to the two prone figures. Severus watched, keeping his face impassive, as the girl tried to shake them awake. He could see that the couple wasn't dead yet, but they were covered in blood. Their eyes were opened in slits and he could hear their wheezing. The violent trembling of their limbs indicated the liberal use of Cruciatus. That unforgivable on Muggles had an even graver impact. Even two rounds would make the Muggles end up in a state similar to that of the Longbottoms, if they survived at all.
"Kill them for me, Severus," the Dark Lord ordered.
Ice ran through his veins. No! He could not! Not in front of the girl!
"No!" Granger shrieked. "No! Don't!" She tried to cover their body with that of hers.
Anger surged through Severus—he wished he could kill the bastard then and there!
"Go on, Severus, you have been given a task!" The megalomaniac shouted. He could hear the impatience in his tone.
It was the moment to make the decision—either he could spare the Grangers and let the Dark Lord do the job himself, as well as kill him, Severus, for his disloyalty; or he could kill the couple and get the girl to be involuntarily bonded to him, and bear the burden on his soul forever.
His promise to Dumbledore of keeping Lily's son safe reverberated in his head. If he died, the Order would lose all intelligence, and he could not keep his promise. The Granger girl would be killed, too. But she was a child for God's sake! His student! He had taught her, she had sat in his class! How could he kill her parents right in front of her eyes! How could he bond the girl to himself—that, too, without her consent. Severus had perpetrated many crimes both as a Death Eater and as a spy, but going against a woman's consent in such a matter was never one. He could never forgive himself for that.
Help me. He prayed to any power who cared to listen.
He took small steps towards the three people lying on the ground. He could see that Sectumsempra had been used on the couple, too—his own invention! They were exsanguinating profusely. He could estimate in how much pain they were. There was no chance of their survival, being Muggles even his counter-curse would not help them.
Nagini hissed at the bodies in a plea to bestow the 'honour' to her.
"No, Nagini, Severus must kill them," the Dark Lord petted the snake's head, but kept his eyes trained on the sight before him.
"No! No! Please!" The girl was crying, all anger replaced by desperate pleas. She was hugging her father's prone form while holding her mother's hand tightly. "Please, please! Kill me, instead! Please, spare them."
Severus had never had much sentiments for his now deceased parents—for his Mother, yes, but they had mostly been cold and distant with each other, but his Father, an abusive drunkard, not even a shred. He could never empathise with people who claimed to 'love' their parents or caregivers. He was at a deeper loss with the girl—the girl who a moment ago was not showing any signs of submission was suddenly pleading him to take her life instead, for her parents.
He wished he could tell the girl that killing them would end their suffering... It was only a matter of hours when they would die, anyway, and in inexplicable agony.
"Get aside, girl!" He growled.
"No! Please, Professor! I beg you!" She was crying, imploring him.
Severus kept his face devoid of any emotions. True, the girl had been one annoying element in his class, he would be lying if he said he ever felt even an iota of pleasantness towards her, but even then, to perpetrate such a hideous act sickened him.
"I said, get out of my way!" He snarled.
As expected, she didn't move. The Dark Lord made an impatient noise in his throat. Severus was compelled to take an action before the bastard's mind could change about keeping the girl alive.
He snatched Granger's arm and easily pulled her aside, pushing her to the other side, dragging her on the ground. She couldn't suppress the cry that escaped her lips.
He drew his wand and pointed it at the unmoving, but still alive, woman. Granger caught his foot suddenly. She tried to make him lose his balance, but failed miserably, with the little strength she was left with.
"Please, Professor, please," she was begging him, still holding his boot-covered foot. "Don't do this, please. I beg you, please! Spare them. They're innocent people-"
"Severus!" The Dark Lord shouted in fury.
He could not wait. Severus jerked his foot, pushing the aside. She still tried to crawl to her parents. He could not take a chance. He aimed his wand at the girl, instead, and put her into a Body-Bind Non-verbally.
She collapsed on the ground, but kept pleading and crying. "Let me go! My parents are simple people, let them go! They didn't do anything! Unbind me!"
He wished he could cover her eyes with an invisible blindfold, but the girl would most definitely shout at him to uncover her eyes—that would not bode well with the Dark Lord.
He could not delay it anymore. Severus pointed his wand at the woman again, willing himself to cast the curse at once, to at the very least give them a painless death.
"Avada Kadavra!" The malicious green light from his wand struck the woman. Her wheezing stopped. She laid absolutely unmoving on the ground.
"MUM!" Granger shrieked, bawling now, trying to raise her forehead from the ground, her eyes fixated on her parents.
Severus pointed his wand at the man now, not letting himself be affected by anything else, but his motive. He willed the girl's cries to fall on deaf ears.
"Avada Kadavra!" Another flash of green and another death.
"DAD!" Granger bawled, her whole body shaking, her face covered in tears, her eyes...empty, but for the tears.
In a moment, he made the witch—an innocent girl, an orphan.
With a flick of his wand, he released the girl from the Body-Bind.
With great efforts, Granger turned her head towards Severus—her eyes red, horrified and feral. Disgust dripped from her voice when she spoke. Her body held close to no strength, but whatever she had, she mustered to mouth the words to him.
"I will never forgive you, Snape. Never."
No, it wasn't a shriek, it was a whisper—just a whisper. But it reverberated in his ears with great force with a promise to haunt him forever.
Neither can I, Granger, neither can I.
Hope you liked it. And please note, English is not first language so pardon me for minor errors.
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