CHAPTER 63: WEB OF ALLEGIANCES
The tone did not sound like an order, but nonetheless, Marie-Louise took it that way. Her eyebrows immediately furrowed as the desire to cast a spell on this insolent man grew as she looked at him. She knew nothing about him, but he seemed so eager to talk to her that he had come to do so directly at Gringott's – with the risks that entailed in case of an attack against her within the bank's premises.
Eventually, she agreed to this small effort, closing the distance between them and sitting on the offered stool after ensuring nothing suspicious was there within the folds of her hoop skirt.
"You would have inconvenienced me greatly if I had been forced to sit in your company while you were still standing," the man explained, sitting down as well.
"Get to the point, Monsieur," Marie-Louise urged. "I had to leave the company of my loved ones and the tranquility of my castle to meet with you, so instead of beating around the bush, tell me what you want to say."
The man seemed somewhat taken aback by the unfriendly tone of his interlocutor. However, while his features tensed slightly, he took the time to sip from his cup before placing it delicately back on the small table between them.
"Very well then," he said, straightening up in his seat. "As I told you earlier, I am not your enemy, and I have no intention of becoming one in the near or distant future. I brought you here today precisely so that we can work together towards goals that are common to us, objectives that only by combining our efforts could we undertake, but which, if achieved, could lead us to accomplish great things—things that could change our destinies and those of our close ones."
"Go on," Marie-Louise said, as the man paused, awaiting her approval.
"I doubt that you could know me, and in truth, we have never met. But something unites us, or rather, someone in particular could be a link bringing us closer, and it would be wise for us to come to an understanding."
Again, the man stopped talking, and a certain discomfort seemed to be creeping upon him as he fidgeted slightly in his seat.
"I am Severus Snape, a potionist and a member of the International Academy of Magical Sciences in this field. Through the connections I have established within this academy and with the only goblin member of it, I managed to contact you. Otherwise, and without his timely assistance, I would never have had the approval of the director of Gringott's to address this letter to you if my intentions had not been deemed good in his eyes. Your security measures to avoid being bothered by anyone are remarkable, by the way," he added, offering a shadow of a smile.
However, the compliment had no effect on his interlocutor, so Snape opted to continue with the more delicate part of his story.
"I haven't told you everything about myself," he said nervously. "I... Besides my potion-making activities, I am also a... professor of Potions at Hogwarts."
Immediately, his gaze lingered on her, attempting to discern any emotion, including surprise or even fear, that might show on her face. Although her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at this information, the control she maintained over her emotions was quite spectacular.
"And why should that matter to me?" she said in a neutral tone.
"Let me continue my story, and you will understand where I am going with this," Severus replied. "So, I work at Hogwarts, the magical school of Great Britain, and you know perfectly well who runs this school, as you have already faced him in the past, haven't you?"
A nod was her response, but Marie-Louise remained silent, indicating that he should continue.
"Dumbledore, as famous and powerful as he may be, is not the wizard everyone thinks he is, and the company he keeps around him does not help his case. However, I have been in his service for nearly seventeen years, after realizing the mistakes I made in the past, mistakes that I deeply regret to this day. One of them concerns the woman you hired in your service, an Englishwoman..."
Once again, Severus was surprised by the absence of any emotion in the gaze of his interlocutor to the point where doubt crept into him regarding the reality of Lily Potter's presence with her. Was he on the wrong track?
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," she assured him confidently.
"Madame, if I had ill intentions towards you or towards this woman, do you think the goblins would have left me in your company? Do you think they would have let me discuss with you if they had the slightest suspicion against me? My intentions toward you are as pure as can be, and the thought of causing you harm has never crossed my mind. You know what I'm talking about; you're far from being a fool. Even if you don't trust me, at least listen to what I have to say and stop this little game between us. If you wish, at the end of our conversation, I am willing to let you cast the Memory Charm on me if you think the safety of the woman we are talking about is in danger..."
Rather than immediately giving him an answer, Marie-Louise chose to remain silent for a few seconds. Yes, Lily's safety was at stake, and beyond that, the safety of her children. Yes, the man before her seemed to know much more than she initially thought when entering this room, and no, she was not willing to trust the first person just because he knew a few secrets about a hidden facet of her life. But Severus seemed so sincere, so eager to help that she couldn't help but believe him deep down.
"Even if we were talking about the same person, what would you want from her?" she asked, still somewhat suspicious.
"To protect her, no matter the risks involved," Severus immediately replied. "She... She is in grave danger, even greater than you might think, and it's not just about Dumbledore or her foolish husband. The Dark Lord himself has instructed his most faithful Death Eaters to find her and bring her back, and... And he knows that she is with you."
"That Dark Lord is dead," she reminded him.
"That's what we all thought," he immediately confirmed, "but he has indeed returned since the end of the Triwizard Tournament. Unpleasant as it is to admit, the son of James Potter, the so-called 'Boy Who Lived,' is telling the truth about this. However, The Daily Prophet and the Ministry of Magic are doing everything to deny this reality, portraying this boy as insane."
"How?" she couldn't help but ask, losing some of her detached demeanor.
"That we do not know, at least not those who were there for his resurrection that night."
"No, I wanted to know how he knows that Mrs. Evans might be in my company," she insisted.
"Lord Malfoy..." he sighed. "You fought him last summer during the Quidditch World Cup, and although the memory of his defeat still stings in his mind, he has not forgotten that by your side was a woman he immediately recognized as the runaway wife of James Potter."
The duel immediately came back to her mind, and now that she thought about it, she bitterly regretted not being more proactive in eliminating the three Death Eaters who had fought her. What a judgment error... Now this seemingly insignificant detail suddenly changed the game, and by believing her family to be safe, Marie-Louise had only delayed the inevitable and Voldemort's pursuit of Lily. It didn't bode well for her family in the weeks to come if he managed to make the connection, as, of course, the threat would extend to her children. But if this dark wizard intended to harm them, he would have to go through her first, and she was determined not to make it easy for him in that regard.
"You seem well informed for someone who was not at that famous World Cup," she pointed out. "How do you know that this Lord Malfoy and I fought and that he hastened to mention it to the man he serves?"
Once again, Severus seemed uncomfortable in his seat, and the truth seemed so difficult to admit that it took a long moment before he spoke, looking tense.
"I haven't told you everything about myself," he said without looking at her. "I have made many mistakes in my life, especially in my youth... I was then a lost young wizard, affected by the remarks and mockery directed at me because of my behavior or even my appearance... Some would say I was troubled, and perhaps I was, but at the time, only potions and my best friend were my solace. But one day, I made a mistake, and because of my mistake, I lost that precious friend for a remark thrown at her without thinking. Desperate, I turned to those who reached out to me, and to be honest, they were certainly not the best people to confide in with my pain, anger, and despair."
"Would Lord Malfoy be one of those people?" she asked curiously.
"Not really, but these students were, in a way, intermediaries between him and me," he conceded. "A majority of them will turn evil in the future and become what we call in my country Death Eaters, the servants of the Dark Lord..."
Hardly had he finished his sentence when a magic wand had taken its place just under his chin. Raising his head, he was barely surprised to discover that the wand's owner was the woman in front of him. Merlin, she was fast!
"Are you one too?" she questioned, although her voice left no doubt about the idea she already had of him.
"I have been," he admitted calmly. "I won't deny that I have been one, and today, the Dark Lord still thinks I am..."
Sparks immediately erupted from the tip of Marie-Louise's wand as if a spell were about to be cast. But Rogue did absolutely nothing to protect himself or even to retaliate against the woman who held him at wand-point.
"I told you I'm not here to harm you," he reminded her, slightly losing patience. "The Dark Lord doesn't even know that I am currently in your company!"
"Excuse my outburst when it comes to protecting my interests," Marie-Louise retorted.
"Your interests?" Rogue repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And what interest could you have in Lily Potter?"
"That's none of your concern," she said confidently.
"Very well," he sighed with dismay. "You leave me no choice... I, Severus Snape, swear on my life and magic to have no other purpose for this meeting than to ensure the tranquility and safety of Lily Potter, be it to protect her from Dumbledore or the Dark Lord. So be it."
Both of them felt a brief second of the atmosphere chilling, then Rogue pulled his own wand from his sleeve, quickly grabbing it to release a few bursts of green sparks.
"You see?" he said as he stopped his little act and already put away his wand. "I am still alive, and I still possess my magic. Do you believe me now?"
"You didn't do the same with Mrs. Potter's children," she reminded him, keeping him in the line of her wand.
Rolling his eyes, Rogue once again made the magical oath, this time including Lily's two children, even though he had no knowledge of their identities. And as before, he did not drop dead on his chair, and new sparks emanated from his wand when he picked it up.
"Perhaps we can finally converse in peace now," he muttered bitterly as Marie-Louise finally sat back in her own chair, looking slightly more relaxed.
"I want to clarify that Mrs. Potter has not been called that for a long time," she told him as she conjured her own teapot to serve herself a new cup of tea a few seconds later. "In the eyes of the goblin nation, she is now only Mrs. Lily Evans."
From the corner of her eye, Marie-Louise noticed that Rogue's gaze seemed to have brightened, as if Christmas had come six months early.
"So, you want to protect her," she resumed, stirring her spoon casually. "Why would she be in danger?"
"The Dark Lord doesn't truly want to find her," Rogue immediately clarified. "In his eyes, she is only the means by which he can get his hands on his eldest son, as he knows she is probably with him right now."
The features of the Princess of Lamballe immediately tensed, and the cup she held by its saucer began to tremble slightly at this news.
"And what does Lord Voldemort want with this boy?" she asked, trying to appear as detached as possible.
"He wants to find him because he represents his greatest current threat," he said, sensing the turmoil in his interlocutor. "It would be him, not the younger son, who defeated him that night and forced him into hiding all these years. He wants to find him to... to eliminate him."
At that moment, Marie-Louise's cup simply exploded, sending debris across the room and staining the princess's dress with a significant stain on her bodice. She immediately made it disappear, but the look she gave Rogue afterward was enough to make him flinch.
"Explain what this boy can have in him for this dark wizard to consider him a threat," she ordered him in a harsh tone.
Rogue then embarked on a detailed narrative as faithful as possible to the events unfolding in England since the night Voldemort was defeated, at least from what he knew based on the information gathered from Voldemort and Dumbledore. The prophecy linking one of James and Lily Potter's boys to the Dark Lord, the fall of the Dark Lord, the falsely proclaimed victorious son, the magical world's blindness to this, Dumbledore's misjudgment in this designation, and beyond that, the Dark Lord's error during his resurrection, the two sides' current attempts to find him... Everything that could, in one way or another, contribute to drawing a target on the eldest son of the Potters and make him the enemy to be eliminated for the Dark Lord and the necessary weapon for his camp. However, more personally, he also addressed the reasons for his desire to meet with her, especially since he knew that there was a connection between him and her, and that this connection was crucial for the events to come.
"As I told you, the Dark Lord has learned, through Lucius Malfoy, that Lily Evans was with you during the Triwizard Tournament final," he explained. "But rather than attacking you directly, taking a great risk of escalating the conflict throughout magical Europe, he preferred caution by approaching you, hoping that you could tell him without formalizing the place where she would be and, if necessary, her son. He hopes that, in this way, you would be grateful to him for this peaceful approach toward you and would hand over this boy, or alternatively, his mother."
"Does he think that I couldn't establish excellent relations with this woman and her son over the years to the point of refusing his request?" inquired Marie-Louise.
"It never occurred to him that you could indeed protect them and refuse to deliver them," Rogue assured her. "He is convinced that, like your other servants and in your own interest, you would be willing to give them to him to ensure your survival."
"The problem, Mr. Rogue, is that I am not accustomed to treating my servants so unreasonably and selflessly. I will never hand anyone over to someone wanting to harm them for the sake of tranquility or because it could jeopardize my integrity," she said categorically.
"Even when the consequences may affect your children?" Rogue argued doubtfully.
"If measures need to be taken for their safety, I would not hesitate for a second," Marie-Louise affirmed decisively. "But I will never deliver anyone to death."
"You know that your answer, if transmitted to him, will not satisfy him in the slightest," the potions professor reminded her.
"As you said earlier, countless alliances bind me to powerful families across Europe, magical or not, and if your master knows what's best for him, I advise him not to go after me, my children, or anyone currently living on my lands," she replied firmly.
A silence settled between them, each observing the other so distrustfully that it seemed as if at any moment one of them could grab their wand to attack the other. Yet, neither went to such an extreme, preferring the comfort of the seats they had been in for quite some time now.
"There is something else you're not telling me," she said. "You could have warned me by other means about these facts concerning Lily Evans without needing to come in person, or just as well assured Voldemort that this woman was no longer under my authority and left it at that."
"Indeed, but I waited until I was certain that Lily is safe with you to broach this subject," Severus replied. "Needless to say, I am certain now," he added, with what seemed like a tiny smile. "Firstly, if I allowed myself to contact you, it's because, in order to approach you, the Dark Lord wanted to do so in another way through the possible connections his followers may have with you... Each Death Eater from his inner circle had to review their family tree in its entirety, going back several centuries to try to find any branch linking us to your family, be it a relationship from servant to master, vassal to lord, or otherwise."
"And I suppose you are the one who fulfills these conditions," she deduced.
"That's correct, but believe me, I didn't know," Rogue admitted calmly. "I had no idea about the Italian origins of my maternal family, nor did I know that we were once called 'Principe.' It seems, and I can give you a copy of my family tree, that my family originated from Piedmont, but several of my ancestors were servants of the House of Savoy from the very foundation of the duchy. The reasons why my family settled in Great Britain escape me, but nonetheless, as long as a Prince lives, we remain, bound by a magical oath to your highness, and it strictly prohibits us from taking up arms against you, be they magical or Muggle weapons."
"So, if we summarize our case, you are tasked by your master to serve as an ambassador to me to persuade me to hand over Lily Evans or her eldest son, but at the same time, you are bound to me by a magical oath recognizing your family as subservient to mine," she recapped. "Is your allegiance stronger to this Lord Voldemort or to me?"
"I am only bound to the Dark Lord through this mark," he said, lifting his sleeve slightly to reveal the Dark Mark. "This mark, placed on the servant's forearm, is merely a trace of merit granted by the Dark Lord to the one who serves him, and only the most deserving Death Eaters bear it. It serves no purpose other than to establish a hierarchy among us but also as a signal through which the Dark Lord calls us and requires our presence. Apart from that, nothing binding connects the Death Eater to his master, and I could leave his service immediately without any adverse consequences. However, concerning you, the loyalty oath of our family to you prohibits us from harming your integrity and the members of the House of Savoy, under the penalty of facing... consequences eloquent enough not to offend your sensibilities."
"My sensibilities will be just fine," the Lamballe princess assured him sarcastically. "But I thank you for your concern. So, the Dark Lord's best asset cannot harm me... But then, why have you come if not to inform me about your master's efforts to find me? Does your approach hide something else?"
Marie-Louise noticed that her question had hit the mark, as the potions professor began to fidget in his seat, looking uncomfortable.
"I... I would like to make you a proposition," he said, avoiding her gaze. "You are free to accept it or not, but you would benefit from considering it."
"I'm all ears," Marie-Louise replied, crossing her hands, curiosity evident in her tone.
"I swore to you earlier that my endeavor had no other purpose than the protection of Lily Evans, and that if I wished to meet you here, it was not at the initiative of the Dark Lord or Dumbledore but my own," Severus first reminded her. "I would like to go even further, and out of respect for the loyalty oath of my ancestors, I would like to offer my services to you."
Marie-Louise arched an eyebrow, surprised and as skeptical as one could be in the face of such a proposition from a man she had known for barely an hour. Accept the services of a man so close to both Voldemort and Dumbledore? Yes, it might seem surprising, but above all, dangerous; Magical oaths were so easy to circumvent... Yet, she couldn't help but believe in the sincerity of the potions professor and his desire to defend the mother of his children. Why? She didn't know, but before anything else, and before even considering for a moment putting them face to face in the same room, it was better to be on guard, and caution was paramount in such circumstances.
"What advantages would I have to grant you this honor?" she imperiously asked as she pretended to be interested in the fireplace.
"Like Dumbledore, I will be your eyes and ears, even your mouth if you wish, to pick up any information that could guide you on the plans of the Dark Lord or the headmaster of Hogwarts," he immediately affirmed. "This way, you could anticipate their moves and guard against their attempts to get hold of Lily or her children."
"And how can I be sure that you will not act in the opposite direction? Who tells me that you will not be the eyes, ears, or mouth of the headmaster of Hogwarts or Voldemort solely to harm me?" she argued sensibly.
"I have provided you with the reasons that drive me to such a step," Severus reminded her in a pinched tone, appearing to lose patience slightly. "I made an oath, remember, and I would never have undertaken this if I were not driven by a strong desire to protect Lily. The Dark Lord has already targeted her, and I do not want it to happen again, just as I have no intention of being the instrument of his vengeance. Is it not reason enough to show you my good faith? Must we still discuss for hours the truthfulness of my words when we could already establish together a strategy to protect her? To keep her safe?"
Marie-Louise remained silent, surprised and irritated by the almost imperious and disrespectful tone with which Rogue had just spoken to her. Rarely had someone taken such liberties in addressing her, especially a stranger! But did he not understand that she sought to secure the second mother of his children? No, of course, he couldn't guess for a moment the kinship linking her to this woman... Nevertheless, she still noted a detail that hadn't escaped her since the beginning, but the insistence with which the potions professor used to reason with her left a curious thought germinating in her mind: by wanting to defend and protect Lily Evans so much, could there be other undisclosed or hidden reasons for this approach? Could his conduct be the result of more... personal feelings? It was conceivable, and the Princess of Lamballe could bet on it.
"Do not cast me in the role of the villain when my only concern is to protect my employee and her children," she still retorted, her tone harsh. "And you would be grateful to address me more courteously if you are so eager to highlight the relationship that seems to unite our families. Your ancestors probably did not take so many liberties to address mine!"
Severus seemed to fume at this new attack, but he was interrupted before he could even think of retorting:
"Your intentions, if they are genuine, are commendable, although I feel that other reasons you intentionally want to hide from me dictate your actions. If I accept your offer, I still want to warn you: I will wait to be perfectly certain of your claims before even considering a meeting between you and Mrs. Lily Evans."
"I did not expect anything else," Severus agreed, relaxing slightly. "I just have to warn you that the Dark Lord continues to inquire about you while we talk, and if he now knows that your son should be marrying soon, he has not yet explicitly ordered me to go to your home for this occasion, but I doubt he won't do it soon."
A chime suddenly rang out, making both of them jump. Almost an hour had now passed if Marie-Louise judged by the time displayed on the clock, but she still had the feeling that a much shorter time had just passed.
"And what do you propose?" she asked, turning her attention back to him. "That I invite you to attend the ceremony?"
"That is not to be ruled out, at least for my safety," Severus replied. "Managing to attend your soiree would demonstrate my involvement and willingness to serve him and the progress of the mission he entrusted me with. In the opposite case, that is, in case of failure, the consequences could be, to say the least... painful, even if this first meeting is postponed by only a few days."
"We will see when the time comes," Marie-Louise told him calmly, making her entire porcelain service disappear. "Your invitation is not an obligation, and truth be told, I do not know you well enough to have an ounce of pity for what might happen to you if your efforts prove fruitless. As for your proposal regarding serving me and spying on your master... I prefer to wait until I am certain of the validity of this request before providing you with an answer that could very well be negative, although I doubt that such a response could have negative consequences on your part towards Mrs. Evans."
Then, rising from her seat, she turned to him again, and extending her hand, which he began to kiss out of formality, she spoke again in a calm tone:
"We will continue to converse in the coming days, but only by letter. You will deliver your letters to Lord Griffdur, who will pass them on to me, and he will send you mine by owl post. No meeting during this time, unless you have reconsidered your proposal favorably, will be possible, and I also reserve the right to cut short our correspondence at any time. But if truly your concern is to protect Mrs. Evans and her children, I have no doubt that nothing unpleasant should happen, putting me in a position to break off our dialogue, is that not so?"
"Of course, Madame," Rogue replied gravely.
"Very well, then, until the pleasure, Mr. Rogue," she greeted him, slightly inclining her head.
And without waiting for a response or even for him to offer to escort her to the door, she headed towards the exit, her mind solely obsessed with one simple thought: Strengthen the castle's protections immediately and notify Lily.
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