A/N So I should have uploaded this chapter almost a week ago. I have been busy and stressed and just haven't had time to sit down at my computer. Currently plucking away at chapter 27. This little story is making slow progress. I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 24

Severus Snape observed the moon. Or rather, the dim shadow of the new moon. Satisfied, he turned back to his cauldron. The potion, as complex as any he'd ever made, was finally ready, the lunar phase correct. Ladling some of the dark, iridescent potion into a shallow dish, Severus picked up a quill and gave the handwritten instructions a final studied glance. Certain he had done everything correct, he began marking out a complicated pattern of Cyrillic words and runes onto his work surface.

A thick, cloying scent filled the air, tugging at the back of his throat—he endeavored to ignore it as he worked, glancing back at his notes occasionally as he did so.

His wrist began to ache. "Bloody complicated Russians," he muttered under his breath. Realizing he'd made an error, he swore and wiped the offending section away. He paused, pushing his hair from his face and glared down at the notes again.

He could do this. He definitely wasn't in over his head. Granger had been generous with her memories of his future. He was Severus Snape, a potions master and genius. At least… the man in her future was. Just then, he was experiencing a rare bout of self doubt. At eighteen, Severus knew he was more than good, a natural talent—the best in his generation even. But Granger's foreign wizards… this complex spell, the potion, the arithmancy was…

It was a humbling experience to say the least.

Sighing heavily, he got back to work.

After nearly a week of unusual silence—and in the middle of a meeting with the Dark Lord no less—Granger's blasted charmed galleon had nearly burned a hole through his trousers. Enduring until he'd been dismissed, Severus had apparated to the noted meeting place without bothering to change out of his Death Eater robes. A muggle repelling charm disguised him just as easily in his haste.

It was with supreme irritation that he had thrown himself into the dingy corner booth, both of his partners looking much too eager and refreshed for his liking. They admitted to having been out of the country. France. How nice for them.

They were in the middle of a god's damned war. Who did they think they were, taking a bloody holiday. A mild taste of jealousy had only worsened his mood. If anyone deserved a bloody holiday… He felt like shouting at them for their stupidity.

Then Granger passed him a stack of parchment covered in hastily written, broken English and runic diagrams. He'd scanned it once, and then read it closely a second time. By the third go he was nearly out of his seat.

Apparently all of them had been lax with security, even the Dark Lord himself. He very much wanted to know how Granger's Russian wizards had spied on them all without being noticed. However that curiosity would have to be shelved for the time being in favor of said wizard's parting gift.

A spell to locate horcruxes.

Once the idea had been presented, Severus was stunned none of them had thought of it. It was so simple. Tracking spells were nothing new so they should have at least entertained the idea of modifying one.

Then again, this spell itself was anything but simple. Complex arithmancy, elaborate diagrams of runes drawn with a tedious potion. And of course, a specific lunar phase.

It was brilliant, but not so amazing that another equally skilled witch or wizard couldn't have come up with something similar if they needed it badly enough. When Severus had said as much out loud, Granger had grown temporarily quiet before erupting in a red-faced tirade about calculating old bastards and obnoxiously flamboyant dress robes.

Privately, Severus agreed—though he'd never debase himself enough to shriek in public. He had no doubt that Dumbledore was more than intelligent enough to have attempted a tracking spell. Instead, he'd sent children to wander the countryside all on their own and with little direction.

Severus was really starting to loathe prophecies… and megalomaniacs.

"There… should be…" He set down his quill after nearly a half an hour and triple checked what he'd done. At last, the buggering thing was done. Taking a step back, he admired his work. Considering what it was for, the elaborate diagram was actually rather beautiful. Then, all dark magic had that certain, almost sexual allure. Why would this be any different?

Now for the dangerous part.

He had placed the diadem in the chest he'd charmed almost as soon as he'd found it and been careful not to touch it. The thing hadn't had time to affect him. Now it would be out and he'd be unprotected from its malice. He didn't like to think what being contained for the last few months would have done to it. Granger had theorized they were somehow sentient, and it made sense considering what they were.

Using his wand, Severus unlocked the rune covered latch and opened the chest. Nothing happened. Confident it would stay that way, he levitated the diadem to the center of the diagram.

He glanced out the window again. A memory surfaced, unbidden. Of dark tunnels and untouchable Gryffindors, of werewolves and betrayal. New moons were never pleasant for werewolves. He hoped Lupin was having a shit night.

Then he remembered Weasley and wondered how the lack of moon was playing on him.

He set the diadem down in the center of the diagram and frowned.

Why was he the only one taking such risks? Having the horcrux here was dangerous for him. One of his fellow Death Eaters might barge in at any time and if he was caught with it? He could have made the potion at whatever locked down safe house the time-traveling-twats were staying at and they could have done the rest of the ritual.

With the diadem placed at the center, he picked up the appropriate page of notes and read through the incantation again, checking his pronunciation was correct.

He was the one doing this complicated spell. He would be the one chasing down most of the blasted things.

He deserved a bloody French holiday.

A gust of wind blew around his house, causing the open shutters just to his left to crash shut. The shock of the sudden noise ripped him from his spiraling thoughts just as he was about to cast the incantation. He blinked hard and shook his head.

What was the matter with him? He'd agreed to all this, hadn't he? He'd seen the future, he knew what was at stake. These were tasks only he could carry out.

He could fuck off to France once the war was over.

Focus regained, he put up his occlumency shields and spoke the incantation.

"воссоединить душу. Cевер, юг, Восток, Запад. каждый кусок, темнее последнего."

To reunite a soul. North, South, East, West. Every piece, darker than the last.

The thick, potion-inked runes, already black in colour, darkened impossibly—as though momentarily absorbing the scant light in the room. After a few, tense seconds, the entire diagram slowly reshaped, oozing across the nicked wooden table. Setting aside his wand in favor of a quill and parchment, Severus watched the newly formed markings keenly.

Longitudinal coordinates, six pairs. Writing them down, he checked them with his grid map. One: his current location. That was the diadem. Two: Little Hangleton, where they'd located the Gaunt shack. Three: Malfoy Manor, the diary no doubt. Four: Lestrange Estate… interesting.

Based on Granger's memory, they had anticipated the horcrux given to Bellatrix to be stored at Gringotts. Evidently that change was made later. Truthfully, Severus wasn't sure which location would prove the greater challenge. He wasn't exactly on visiting terms with the older witch and her husband.

That only left…

"Bollocks!"

The last two matched and seemed to fluctuate, as though moving in a small circle. Five and Six: Slytherin's locket and the Dark Lord himself. He was wearing the bloody thing!

"Bloody buggering bollocks!"

How the bloody hell was he meant to reach it now? Snatch it from the Dark Lord's very neck?

He turned from the table, a storm of anger and defeat. It was impossible. They would just have to save it for last after all, as they'd initially planned.

A small stack of books and parchment scattered across the floor, victims of his aggravation. Breathing slowly through his nose, Severus pulled the galleon from his pocket to alert Granger. He'd done the spell and had the exact locations of every horcrux. All a short apparition away.

When his coin burned with her brief reply, he vanished the mess with a wave of his wand and replaced the diadem in its case. Looking around the room, he nodded once to himself and snatched up his wand. One, at least, could be dealt with tonight.

Severus had cast his modified point-me as soon as he'd apparated to the manor. From what he could tell, before Lucius greeted him in the parlor where a house elf had left him, it seemed to lead towards where he knew Lucius's personal office to be. When his surprisingly haggard looking friend had immediately offered him a drink in said office, he accepted.

"It's good you've come, actually."

Lucius stood at the narrow window in his office, staring blankly out as though lost in thought. Taking advantage of his friend's distraction, Severus surreptitiously looked around the room. "Oh? And why is that?" Glancing at Lucius, he took three causal steps toward an ornate hutch. His wand, hidden up his sleeve, vibrated the closer he got. It was here. "Miss me?"

Lucius sniffed and took a sip of his whisky. "Narcissa lost another pregnancy."

Severus' fingers paused in their sliding along the edge of the nearest shelf. He hadn't even known Narcissa was pregnant. Unsure what to say, he glanced across the room at his friend. Lucius hadn't turned from his post at the window. Looking back to the shelf, he continued scanning the titles as he tried to think of what to say. "I'm sorry to hear that. How is she?"

The ice in Lucius's drink clinked in his glass, but he still did not turn around. "Not well. This is the fourth…" His voice broke but he cleared his throat to cover it. "It is difficult… We've tried every known variation and combination of fertility potions and prenatal potions. Nothing is working."

As sorry as Severus felt for his friend in that moment, his mission was more important and Lucius's deep distraction was convenient. He could feel guilty later. "Even Blackstone's formulation?" His wand was vibrating wildly and a faint trace, as though some spell was partially blocking it, of the sensation he now associated with horcruxes prickled his skin.

"Yes, even that." Lucius paused to take another, long pull from his glass. "We're out of options. The healers don't believe it's a physical problem with either of us so the potions should work but…"

He knew the moment his fingers touched the spine of the diary. With one deft movement, Severus slipped the worn book into a pocket in his robes he'd prepared for this. Letting out a relieved breath, he turned his attention fully to Lucius's crisis.

"It is a magical problem then?"

Lucius sighed, finally turning around. Seeing that Severus had not poured himself a drink, he gestured to the bottle on his desk. "Entirely likely." He ran a finger down his forearm where his dark mark hid beneath his sleeve. "I had wondered if perhaps this had anything to do with it. If perhaps it had somehow infected our magic or if magic itself had decided we were too dark for such a blessing but…" He shook his head. "Others of our brethren have not had this trouble."

That was true. Severus seemed to recall at least two marked Death Eaters recently having announced the births of children. From what he knew about fertility potions, they worked with a person's magic and body. If they weren't working… maybe it just wasn't meant to be. He tried to remember if Granger had shown him anything about her classmates in school. He would have to ask her if she knew a Malfoy.

"You are a Death Eater but certainly not the most wicked of the bunch. But… I'm not sure what any of this has to do with you being glad for my company."

Wincing, Lucius knocked back the rest of his drink. "I'm funding your mastery, Severus. Because you're a once in a generation talent and it would be a crime to let that go to waste just because your father was a poor, drunk bastard… and because you're my friend. Even without the Dark Lord's insistence I'd do it. As your friend, I'm asking you to see if maybe… if perhaps you might be able to come up with something new."

Severus sighed internally. This was no small ask. Certainly, all the common potions hadn't been altered in any serious way for almost a century and modern understanding of human biology had come a long way since then but with everything else he had on his plate? That was even assuming it was possible to help them.

But how could he tell him no?

"I'll try. There's no telling if I'll have any luck, but I'll give it my best."

Some of the tension left Lucius and he nodded. "Thank you, Severus."

Bloody wonderful. Another life or death project for Severus Snape.

A/N New POV. I am lacking enthusiasm to write a little since our main couple is already over their tension and together. I almost with I could go back and make them act stupidly after the Burrow attack and continue with the angst but that's too much work and I liked that scene lol I promise they will have more time as the focus and their relationship still has progress to make but this story needs to move along. I know more or less how I want it to go. I just need to sit down and find time and motivation to write it out. I will have two kids to start homeschooling in a couple of weeks so I will be even more busy. I hope I can make some progress before that. ALSO I apologize if the Russian was annoying. I wanted to Romanize it but I couldn't figure out how. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you leave me a comment, they are so awesome to see and I hope you all liked this chapter!