Chapter 122: The Bitter Rambling Of A Drunken Man
A/N: Here's Another Update...I couldn't stand Albus Dumbledore but {R.I.P Michael Gambon}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers-S.S.
The Sitting Room, Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...
The bitter sting of fire whiskey had not its usual kick when Severus Snape turned up the bottle in the wake of his return from Malfoy Manor, he'd been pleased to see Lucius Malfoy finally reunited with his family and equally pleased that the treacherous rat-faced goon Peter Pettigrew had finally left his home to be under the heel of the dark lord directly. He had been able to make use of his misfortune in terms of being the one charged with killing the former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in addition to having a price on his head from The Ministry Of Magic, The Order Of Phoenix, and The Death Eaters themselves, he'd been made Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle by decree of The dark lord himself. Knowing Minerva McGonagall as he did, he didn't see her rolling over and allowing his ascension soon. He did not doubt that Potter would tell everyone listening now that he could bend the public's ear. Everyone including his best friend and Severus' young wife, Hermione Granger.
Taking a long slow sip from the glass bottle, he had grasped so tightly in his large pale hand, of dark swirling fire whiskey, Snape took a few moments to process all that had happened since he'd last his young wife and knew all too well that she'd have questions. Many many questions about him and his apparent killing of one former Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.
The slow crackling of the fire as it danced along the blackened log amid the shades of yellow-orange and white had been but a precursor to the chaos that Severus Snape's life had become in the wake of carrying out the orders of his former employer. Already he was feeling the ramifications of his actions being alone and isolated in his childhood home so far from Hogwarts, and by extension so far from his young wife.
"Hermione," he said amid the darkness of his home, pleased that when The Dark Lord took off from Malfoy Manor, he'd taken Pettigrew out of his house as well.
While he couldn't bear the thought of her hating him, as everyone else in the wizarding world no doubt had, he had concluded that it was for the best, for her survival he'd go to the ends of the earth if it meant she'd be safe and looking back, he had known all too well that Dumbledore had counted on that. The crackling of the flames had not been the only sound amid the old house for long as Snape found himself staring at the rising green mist that had been the floo.
Lucius Malfoy had stepped through with a look of concern filed across his handsome yet troubled face. He'd not been as dashing and well-kept as he'd been in the days before his stint in Azkaban but he'd been doing his best to keep it together, at least where his family had been concerned. He stood in his usual brand of attire though the flare of it had been lost, his platinum blond locks down his rather limp shoulders as he made a show of dusting himself off and took note of the dimly lit room and the bottles of fire whiskey that littered the sitting room floor and a rather embittered and drunken Severus Snape glaring at him wand drawn at his throat and rage burning behind cold obsidian.
"Take it easy, Severus, I just came to see how you were faring." said the Senior Malfoy evenly.
"Go home, Lucius," replied Snape his voice dark and low as he spoke.
"Severus, it's been weeks and the term begins soon," said Lucius still very much concerned for his oldest friend.
"All the more reason for you to leave me to prepare my lesson plans," replied Snape in a snide manner.
"Come now little brother, this is me you are speaking with," said Lucius with a sorrowful expression filed across his pale face. "I can see that this whole ordeal has taken quite a toll on you."
"Do not presume to believe that you can assess my emotions," growled Snape narrowing his eyes at his oldest friend.
"Severus...if you would only curb your unruly tongue I have news," growled Lucius in annoyance.
Snape glared at him for a moment then sighed.
"Out with it then," he said in a rather cold tone.
"The Dark Lord launched an attack on The Weasleys, apparently there was some sort of wedding, I wasn't permitted to join so naturally I had gone against the wishes of our so-called lord and as it turns out, your little wife was among those that attended," he said evenly.
"Hermione was there?" asked Snape despite knowing the answer. "Was she hurt?"
"No," replied Lucius dutifully. "At the time of the attack I had gone to warn her for your sake and she'd been out of the way when it commenced, last I saw she was alive and well but concerned, heavily concerned...one more thing little brother...Bellatrix had been chosen to lead the charge and you know how she hates Muggles and Muggle-born alike."
"Is it too much to hope that my wife has avoided her unseemly wrath while speaking with you," said Snape feeling suddenly quite weak and exhausted. "I can only imagine what she must think of me now."
"Not to worry on that account Severus, she still loves every bit as much as you love her," replied Lucius confidently.
Snape narrowed his eyes at Lucius who had always known him best.
"If were a betting man, I'd wager she's as resourceful as her husband all things considered and she's found a way to survive this war, no matter what it takes," said Lucius in a rather positive light.
Snape's glare softened and he moved toward his chair. Lucius watched as he plopped down in it and stared at the flames in his fireplace. He'd been every bit as weary as he looked it seemed and was growing even more so by the day.
"He's going to kill me you know," said Snape suddenly breaking the eerie silence that had fallen between them. "He's probably going to use that damned snake to do it, but he'll come through you to reach me...but it'll be as it should."
"Severus..." said Lucius upset due to not wishing to speak of such things.
"It's alright Lucius, I've already made my peace with it the moment I chose to end Dumbledore's life in place of Draco," replied Snape with something of a weary smile. "If I never get the chance to...so to it that the boy lives a long and pleasant life."
"Severus don't..." began Lucius before a wave of emotion cut off his ability to speak.
There had been no denying it, both men had known the dark lord far too well and his intentions had been quite obvious from the start.
Snape said nothing as he passed out from the combined effects of drunkenness and exhaustion alike.