Chapter Six
Severus sat and drummed his fingers on the grubby table that stood in the kitchen of Spinners End. Lily and he had tried to do it up at one stage but the horrors that he'd suffered at a child were too deeply ingrained in the walls here for it to ever be a home.
He never thought he'd have to come back here; the panic still rose within him the second he turned down the road towards the faded door. Voldemort had ordered him to be available, though, and Dumbledore thought he'd be better away from his family. Severus hadn't been able to argue there.
It was raining outside, the sort of heavy summer rain that would normally have been a peaceful way to drift off to sleep but currently Severus sat, sipping the now quickly cooling tea, waiting for the knock on the door.
Pettigrew kept poking his nose round the door leading to the stairs, wondering if maybe it was too late for anyone to come calling.
Severus sent him away with a glare. He had no like for the man and was generally annoyed by his presence. Having one of his childhood bullies living under the same roof as him only added to Severus's hate for this house.
Azkaban hadn't been kind to Pettigrew; he was near enough bald, only a few scraps of hair at the back and to the sides that he frequently picked at. His skin was covered with slowly healing sores and his robes hung loosely from his starved frame.
"What do you want, Wormtail?" Severus drawled, pouring a little more cold, scum filled tea into his cup.
"I was… I was just wondering-" Pettigrew muttered.
"No, we many not go to bed yet." Severus, "You are free to leave if you wish however, I have no need for you here."
"The Dark Lord-" Pettigrew squeaked.
"Yes, the Dark Lord bid you stay so I suggest you stop your whining." Severus snapped.
He wanted to go home, to hug Lily and possibly get the chance to say goodnight to Harry for once before he went to bed. That wasn't to happen tonight, however, as he'd received a letter saying that he was to meet Bellatrix Lestrange and go over latest news and events.
She was late, the clock had just ticked by half ten when there was finally a knock on the door.
"Fetch that Wormtail, as you are so obviously hiding behind the door." Severus hissed.
Pettigrew opened the door slowly and hurried across the hallway to the front door. The door was hardly open a crack before Bellatrix pushed her way into the hall, lowering her hood and shaking free her curls.
"Here again Pettigrew?" she smirked, flinging her wet cloak at Pettigrew and walking into the sitting room, "Severus."
"Bella." Severus poured another cup of tea, tapping the mug with the tip of his wand to heat it, "How are you today?"
"Wet." Bellatrix hissed, "I had to walk here in the rain."
"Yes, it does seem to be coming down rather heavily." Severus smirked.
"I see Pettigrew is still here." Bellatrix said, "The Dark Lord still feels the need to keep an eye on you then?"
She sat down and picked up the mug, wrinkling her nose at the contents before taking a gulp and saying nothing about it.
"Not at all." Severus smiled pleasantly, "Pettigrew has no-where to go and the Dark Lord was getting annoyed with him following about all the time, so I offered to put him up here."
"Well, you're still normally with your little red haired mudblood aren't you!" Bellatrix hissed.
Severus shifted slightly in his seat. It was becoming more and more clear that his relationship with Lily was not going to be tolerated for much longer.
"I return to school soon, I won't have to see so much of her then." Severus said dismissively.
"Oh?" Bellatrix asked, raising an eyebrow, "Do I detect a hint that not all is well in paradise?"
Severus rolled his eyes, "Marriage to Lily was not all I expected it to be, but I stay for the sake of my child. Yours are doing well, by the way."
Bellatrix glared at him, "I know, thank you."
"Really?" Severus asked, he doubted that she'd thought once about her children in the time they'd been apart.
"Yes." Bellatrix sniffed, "I was going to ask about them in a minute anyway."
Severus resisted the urge to snort a laugh, "Is there a reason for your visit Bella? It's just that it is rather late."
"Dolores Umbridge sent me a letter." Bellatrix said, unfolding the grubby bit of parchment, "She wants to give us information about Dumbledore and the school's defences."
Severus looked over the tear stained scrawl of a letter and tossed it dismissively to the table, "You can't trust her."
"Why not?" Bellatrix demanded.
"She has done nothing but served the Ministry and torture children! She used those quills on your children as well!" Severus snapped, letting his anger take hold for just a moment before he composed himself.
"Only Gemini." Bellatrix smiled, "And only once."
"And now your child has some silly words scarred into her arm or hand, words dictated to her by a half-blood with a squib for a brother." Severus pointed out.
"No." Bellatrix's smiled widened, "No she doesn't. Gemini drew the dark mark onto her arm."
Severus looked at her in shock, "You can't be serious! In the school? In front of a Ministry official? Is she mad?"
Bellatrix glared at him, "She's loyal. And as you said, she wasn't about to have a filthy half bloods words written on her for the rest of her life."
"She could have ruined everything!" Severus hissed.
"But she didn't! Umbridge never reported her." Bellatrix insisted.
Severus shook his head and took a sip of tea to give him a moment to think clearly, "I doubt the Dark Lord sees it that way."
Bellatrix lowered her head, "No… no he is less impressed with her gesture. I tried to get him to give her a true mark but he refused."
"And that, I assume, is the real reason you are here?" Severus smirked.
Bellatrix glared at him, "No, I need to know if this offer is genuine or not." she gave the letter a shove.
"I doubt it." Severus sighed, "Umbridge wasn't headmistress for long and from what I've heard she couldn't even get into the headteacher's office, let alone work the school's defences. I think she's just looking for friends with this."
Bellatrix ran a hand through her hair roughly, "Brilliant."
"You haven't shown this to the Dark Lord already have you?" Severus asked.
"No! Of course not! I'm not stupid!" Bellatrix snapped, standing up and pacing in front of the fire, "I wanted to check with you first and I'm glad I did. The Dark Lord doesn't need to be troubled with things like this."
Severus nodded, "So… he refused to make Gemini a Death Eater? She can't be more than thirteen."
"She's fourteen." Bellatrix said promptly, "Fifteen before the end of the next school year."
"Did the Dark Lord give you a reason?" Severus said, quickly changing the subject back to it's point.
Bellatrix sat back down and stared down into her cup, "Me, or rather… our failure at the Ministry. He was not pleased that we lost the prophecy."
Severus nodded, he couldn't honestly say he was disappointed at Voldemort's unwillingness to accept Gemini into the family order but Bellatrix seemed to be becoming more and more unhinged.
"It was hardly your fault. Potter has always been… volatile." Severus said carefully.
"And I had very little help." Bellatrix huffed.
Severus snorted a laugh, "Really? The Dark Lord sent over a dozen trained Death Eaters with you."
"Avery was killed from a kick by a little girl!" Bellatrix snapped, "That's how useful they were!"
"Well, what's done is done." Severus said calmly.
"Where were you?" Bellatrix asked harshly, "I didn't see you trying to stop your little step brat ruining your master's plan!"
Severus had been waiting for this question, it had been asked many times over the last month, "The Dark Lord didn't want me there."
Bellatrix snorted a laugh, "Oh didn't he?"
"No. He ordered me to stay away, that my ability to return to Hogwarts was more important than helping you with a task you should of had enough help with." Severus hissed, "Unlike you, skulking around in the corners and unable to show your face in society any more, I have to be able to be seen to be on Dumbledore's side, to gather valuable information."
Bellatrix slammed her hand on the table and jumped up, pacing back and forth again, "What about the Malfoys? I didn't see them volunteering to help either."
"Stop blaming everyone else for your failing, the Dark Lord knows exactly what you are trying to do, and he is not impressed. That is why he refused your pathetic pleas, she hasn't earned her place amongst us. And clearly the Malfoys couldn't come to help as Draco was with Harry, they did the Dark Lord a kindness by not joining in against him." Severus said calmly.
"Draco is a traitor! They should be dealing with him like they would anyone else." Bellatrix spat.
"You would fight against your own child?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow. The fact he knew almost for certain that she happily would was neither here not there, he needed to at least pretend to be shocked.
"If I had to." Bellatrix insisted.
"And yet, you are so determined that Gemini should be honoured." Severus spat.
"I know she hasn't done much, yet. But she did tell us that we needed to include Danica in the fake dream." Bellatrix pointed out.
"Yes, we have yet to discuss that…" Severus glared at her.
"And she told us that Harry was training the others somewhere, she passed that information on to us, not Umbridge." Bellatrix snapped, "She is loyal!"
"Being a Death Eater takes more than loyalty!" Severus roared, "You should know that and if you don't I will report you! You can not claim to have worked to earn your place when you are simply riding on your family name!"
Bellatrix rolled her eyes, suddenly calm, "Calm down. Of course I want her to earn it. That's the issue with people like you, you are so sure that everyone who has a name is abusing it."
Severus rolled his eyes. He'd seen the hint of fear in her eyes at the idea of being reported, that told him exactly how much trouble Bellatrix was in; she was one of Voldemort's favourites after all.
"What do you think I could do? To get her to earn her place?" Bellatrix asked, sitting almost exhaustedly in the chair.
Severus shrugged, "You should talk to the Dark Lord, but in truth I think he feels she is a little young."
"She's older than her years." Bellatrix said.
Severus shrugged again, "Maybe. But the Dark Lord has only met her once and now she is away from your care. How do you know she will even want to join if and when you see her again?"
Bellatrix shook her head, "No, Gemini is loyal." she repeated, "She's hating being held prisoner at the Malfoy's."
Severus narrowed his eyes for a moment, he was sure that some how Bellatrix was in contact with Gemini or how else would she know how she was feeling? Bellatrix was too secretive to tell him how or even confirm she was in contact with her daughter so Severus didn't even bother trying.
"I'm sure. My point is that until she is seventeen and free from Ministry control I doubt you will be able to have much effect over her." Severus said coolly.
"We've heard whispers that Dumbledore is ill." Bellatrix said, pointedly changing the subject, "The Dark Lord dismissed them and punished Goyle for even brining it up, but I wanted to check."
"Dumbledore is not ill, the Dark Lord was right to dismiss the rumours as such. He has hurt his hand, that is all." Severus told her firmly.
"How?" Bellatrix demanded, "It seems strange it hasn't healed by now."
"I do not know." Severus sighed, "I questioned him of course but Dumbledore is never forth coming with answers."
"I should tell the Dark Lord…" Bellatrix muttered to herself.
"I have already told him!" Severus snapped, "And before the rumour reached him though anyone else, which is why he was so annoyed at Goyle. For goodness sake woman think!"
Bellatrix looked at him most offended, "Well. I think I should leave."
Severus gave her a prompt nod, "I think that would be best. And for you to stop assuming I am working against you all and keeping information to myself!"
"I was only saying the Dark Lord needed to be told!" Bellatrix snapped.
"And I will be the one to keep him informed, as I am the one risking my neck playing both sides." Severus hissed.
Bellatrix ignored him and swept towards the door, "Pettigrew, we know you're there. Bring me my cloak."
Pettigrew scurried around the door leading to the stairs and wrapped the cloak around Bellatrix's shoulders, she made sure to give him a nasty scratch as she took the clasps from him.
She left without another word to either of them and strode out back into the dingy street. The rain had moved from pouring to a gentle but freezing drizzle. Bellatrix moved quickly, hurrying to get far enough away from the houses so she could apparate.
Severus had given her an idea though, although she'd never admit it came from him. It seemed highly strange to her that Dumbledore's injured hand hadn't healed and whatever Severus tried to say, Goyle wasn't the only one to have heard that rumour and the rumour that Dumbledore was failing must have come from somewhere. She needed to get another message to her children.