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FIC: Phoenix Rising, Part 1 of 37
Continuing with the reposting. I posted this on Moonshadow in 10 parts, but those were large files, so I'm having to break down each chapter into 3 or 4 LJ-sized posts.
Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 1 of 37
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~8,940
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), Phoenix Reborn (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8)
Summary: Snape and Dumbledore meet with the Donner family to discuss Dylan's forced induction into the Death Eaters; Lupin, Sirius, and Branwen share a celebratory drink and get a bit tipsy.
***
Snape had just come up from the dungeon when he spotted Potter pointing his wand at Malfoy in the entrance hall while Crabbe and Goyle stood by watching slack-jawed. "Potter!" he shouted. Damn that boy; hadn't nearly being killed by the Dark Lord taught him ANY common sense? Apparently not. {Although,} Snape's inner voice piped up in its usual annoying fashion, {Malfoy probably provoked him.}
{Probably,} Snape agreed sourly as he strode over to where the four boys were standing. {Malfoy has no common sense, either.} Aloud, he said in a cold voice, "What are you doing, Potter?"
"I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir," Potter said fiercely.
Still insolent as ever; one would think the boy might show Snape just a little gratitude after saving his good-for-nothing godfather...but that was probably too much to expect from a Gryffindor. "Put that wand away at once," he said curtly. "Ten points from Gryff--" He broke off and smiled when he saw the giant hourglasses on the wall. "Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hourglass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to--"
"Add some more?" a voice asked cheerfully.
"Professor McGonagall!" exclaimed Snape. "Out of St. Mungo's, I see!" He was momentarily relieved to see that she looked well aside from the fact that she was leaning on a walking stick, but any benevolent feelings he might have had towards her quickly evaporated as she sent Crabbe and Goyle upstairs with her cloak and bag, then spoiled his fun by awarding fifty points each to Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Longbottom, and Granger for "alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who." Snape's ten points were then deducted, but there was not much satisfaction in that now. McGonagall then headed up to her office as Potter wisely beat a hasty retreat, leaving him alone with Malfoy. Snape scowled at McGonagall as she walked up the staircase. "Damn Gryffindors," he muttered under his breath. He turned to leave--he was on his way to the Headmaster's office--when Malfoy said, "Sir? Can I talk to you for a minute?" The boy looked pale, angry, and frightened.
Snape hesitated; well, his business with the Headmaster wasn't really urgent...and he had been so busy this year trying to keep Dylan out of the Voldemort's clutches, that he had not spent as much time as he should have on Draco. He had wanted to save both boys from the Death Eaters, but right now his track record was looking pretty abysmal--the Mark had already been forced upon Dylan, and Draco was probably all too eager to take it. "Very well," Snape said. "Let's go down to my office."
They went back down to the dungeon, and Snape took a seat behind his desk and said, "What is it, Draco?"
The boy did not sit, but stood there clenching his fists. "How can you just let Potter walk around free while my dad is in prison?" he burst out.
"I'm not 'letting' Potter do anything, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said coldly, a note of warning in his voice.
Draco ignored it. "And why are you walking around free when my father and my friends' fathers are in Azkaban?" he shouted. "What are you going to do to help them?"
Snape jumped to his feet and loomed over the boy, who took a step backwards, belatedly realizing that he'd gone too far. "Watch your mouth, Mr. Malfoy!" Snape snarled. "I will make some allowance for your distress, but I will not tolerate that kind of insolence! As you just pointed out, I am one of the few allies your family has left that is not in prison, so if you want any help from me, you had better treat me with some respect!"
Draco went pale and said, "I--I'm sorry, sir. I just...I was so upset about my father, I didn't think...I'm sorry."
The boy looked chastened and the apology seemed sincere, so Snape sat back down and said in a less threatening voice, "Take a seat, Mr. Malfoy." Draco quickly dropped into a nearby chair, and Snape said in an almost kindly voice, "I suppose we can let it go this once, considering the stress you are under..."
"Thank you, sir," Draco said, looking relieved. "But...about my father...? I know I was wrong to blame you, sir, but isn't there something we can do?"
"Azkaban is no longer guarded by Dementors," Snape pointed out. "I doubt they will be there for long."
"I know, but..." Draco's face twisted in anger and humiliation. "The other students, especially the Gryffindors, are gloating about it..."
"Ah, is that what the quarrel with Potter was about?"
"Yes, sir," Draco said sullenly.
"I know it is difficult, Draco," Snape said, trying to sound sympathetic--and was not quite sure if he succeeded, since sympathy was foreign to his nature, "but you must keep your temper and your dignity." Snape remembered how Branwen Blackmore had once chastised Black for always acting without thinking; it occured to him that both Potter and Malfoy suffered from the same fault. "Hold your head up high, and act as if their insults mean nothing to you. When you react as you do, you are only giving them the satisfaction--"
"So I'm just supposed to stand by and let them insult my dad?" Draco asked indignantly.
"You're supposed to act as if their petty insults mean nothing to you," Snape said sharply. "The Dark Lord's mission failed, and that means the Death Eaters must go back into hiding. Those of us still free must keep up a respectable face to the outside world, do you understand me, Malfoy?"
"Yes, but--" the boy protested in a whiny tone.
Snape decided to play on the boy's pride; he might be a spoiled little brat, but he did love his mother, and Snape could use that to his advantage. "While your father is away, Draco, you must be strong, for your mother's sake. You are the man of the family now. It's up to you to look after and protect her."
Snape didn't think that Dylan would have fallen for such blatant flattery, but Draco ate it up. He sat up a bit straighter in his chair, a look of pride and determination on his face. "Yes, sir! Don't worry; I'll look after her!"
"Good," said Snape. "And remember, that means staying out of trouble."
Draco scowled a little at that, but said obediently, "Yes, sir." He hesitated, then asked, "Professor?"
"Yes, Draco?"
"When will I get to take the Mark? I mean, with Dad and the others in prison, doesn't our Master need more followers at his side?"
Snape gave him a cold look. "That is not up to me, Mr. Malfoy; it is up to the Dark Lord. And it is not your place or mine to tell our Lord what he should do."
Draco looked crestfallen, and a little sulky. "Yeah, I know, but why did Dylan get to join when he's a year younger than me?"
Snape glared at him. "You are not ready to be a Death Eater if you do not know one of our most basic precepts: never to question the Dark Lord's judgment."
"I know, but--"
"Draco, have you not noticed that being a Death Eater is a dangerous profession? Your father is in prison; your friend Dylan's father is dead."
"But--"
"Has it not occurred to you that perhaps your parents are trying to protect you?" Actually, Snape wasn't sure if that was true or not; Narcissa was overprotective, but he wasn't sure if she was really aware of the danger her son would be in if he joined their ranks, or whether she was blinded by worship of Voldemort. As for Lucius, although he indulged his son with material gifts, he showed little fatherly affection or concern towards the boy. He was, come to think of it, not unlike Snape's father, cold and concerned more with power and upholding the family name than he was with his son's welfare.
"I'm not a baby!" Draco protested. "I don't need to be protected!"
"Yes, you do," Snape said coldly. "Your attitude proves it. If you talked back to the Dark Lord the way you are talking to me now, your punishment would be far more than detention or points taken off your House, I assure you." He rose from his seat and glided around the desk; Draco looked up at him nervously. Snape leaned over and said softly, "Do you know what a Cruciatus Curse feels like, Draco?" The boy shook his head. Snape leaned down further and whispered in his ear, "Well, I do."
The boy nearly jumped out of his seat; he stared at Snape, his gray eyes wide with horror. "Y-you...?" Draco stuttered. "Th-the Dark L-Lord...?"
Snape knew he was taking a risk, but this might be his last chance to save Draco; he was already nearly beyond redemption. And with Lucius gone, he had some leeway; maybe without his father around to constantly extoll the praises of being a Death Eater, Draco might actually use his brain and think about the consequences...well, it was rather unlikely, but one could always hope for a miracle...
Snape continued in a smooth, silky voice, "The Dark Lord does not tolerate insolence, and he does not tolerate failure. In fact, Draco, I think it is indeed wise for you to postpone joining our ranks for now. You see, our Master is likely to be a bad mood since the mission failed. And you do not want to see our Master in a bad mood, Draco." Snape sighed dramatically. "I would not want to be in the shoes of Bellatrix Lestrange right now, or any of the others who managed to escape. The Dark Lord will be looking for someone to blame..." Snape leaned down and whispered in Draco's ear again. "And a Cruciatus Curse is likely to the least of the punishments he will inflict on them." Draco shuddered and went pale. "Actually, Draco, I don't mean to make light of the situation, but your father and the others who are in Azkaban are probably better off than the ones who went free. Perhaps our Lord will have cooled off by the time he gets around to freeing them."
Now Draco really began to look alarmed. "He wouldn't punish my father, would he?" the boy cried. "It wasn't Dad's fault the mission failed--"
"The Dark Lord cares about results, not excuses," Snape said coldly, but the boy was beginning to get too agitated, and he didn't want him doing anything foolish out of hysteria. "But don't worry," he added, in a soothing tone. "Your father is one of our Lord's most valued servants; I'm sure he'll be all right. It's likely the Dark Lord will have spent his anger on Bellatrix and the others by that time, anyway."
The boy calmed down a little, but didn't look completely reassured. Good; he wanted Draco to have some doubts. "So you see, Draco," Snape said calmly, "I think it is best you continue your education before you think of joining the Death Eaters. You must learn all the magic you can, and more importantly, you must learn discipline and self-control. The rewards the Dark Lord offers are great, but so are the risks and responsibilities. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," a shaken Draco Malfoy said quietly.
"Very well, run along now." The boy stood up and Snape called out to him, "Oh, and by the way, Draco?"
"Yes, Professor?"
"I don't think you should mention any of this to your mother; she has enough to worry about right now."
"Yes, sir," Draco agreed, looking protective. It seemed he was taking Snape's suggestion that he look after his mother seriously. Good.
"Oh, and I'm not supposed to tell you until the results are officially posted, but since your father is such a good friend...I'm sure it wouldn't do any harm to tell you a little early. You passed your O.W.L.s with flying colors, Mr. Malfoy."
"I did?" Draco asked, cheering up a bit.
"Yes indeed, so I shall be pleased to accept you into my N.E.W.T. class next year."
"Thank you, Professor!" Draco said, looking pleased.
"You may go now, Draco...and remember, this is our little secret." Snape gave the boy a conspiratorial smile.
Draco grinned, looking flattered to be sharing a secret with his teacher. "Yes, sir!" he said, and then left the office. Perhaps this could be a useful thing, getting Draco used to keeping secrets from his family--dangerous, of course, but useful...
***
School had let out for the summer, and Snape and Dumbledore went to Mathias Donner's estate in Wales to discuss how best they could protect Dylan Rosier. They sat down with Mathias, his wife Goewin, and Dylan's mother Ariane while the subject of their discussion was sent upstairs, protesting, to his room. The Order of the Phoenix was bound to come up during the conversation, and both Snape and the Headmaster wanted to limit the amount of sensitive information Dylan was privy to until they had all decided how much he should be told. The more he knew, the more of a danger he was to both them and to himself, should Voldemort be able to rip the information from his mind. He was progressing smoothly in his Occlumency lessons, but he was still only a boy, and not yet a match for the Dark Lord. The lessons were only to allow him to keep up the facade of a loyal Death Eater, and to be able to lie without detection; he would not yet be able to ward off a direct attack from Voldemort should the Dark Lord decide that Dylan was hiding something important.
Ariane was still in shock from learning that Lucius Malfoy had kidnapped her off the estate and used her to force Dylan to take the Dark Mark. She remembered nothing of that evening, only that she had been taking a walk on the estate grounds, then felt dizzy and fainted. Mathias had gone looking for her when she did not show up for dinner, and found his niece, unconscious and burning up with fever.
"But it was a very odd and sudden illness," Mathias said grimly. "I suspected it was magically induced, although I had no proof of it. But I have placed added protections upon the house and the estate grounds to keep out unwanted guests."
"I'll kill Lucius," Ariane said through gritted teeth, then glared at Snape. "You were supposed to be protecting Dylan!"
She expected Severus to get angry or look worried, because after all, their unspoken agreement had been that she would spread no rumors about the Potions Master and Remus Lupin as long as he kept Dylan safe, and he had broken his promise. She still didn't know exactly what his relationship with Lupin was, but simply hinting that she did had been enough to alarm him. But Severus looked neither angry nor worried; his black eyes were haunted and filled with guilt.
To her surprise, all Severus said was, "I'm sorry, Ariane. It's my fault; I should have been watching him more carefully."
Goewin was looking at him suspiciously. "You have always been close to Lucius Malfoy, Severus; how do we know you were not involved--"
"Do not blame Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. "I trust him completely, Goewin. He did his best, but it is impossible to watch over a child twenty-four hours a day." When Goewin still looked skeptical, Dumbledore added, "He loves Dylan just as much as you do. He would never have done anything to deliberately put him in danger."
Mathias raised an eyebrow while the women's jaws dropped open in shock. Snape's face went red and he looked mortified, but he did not contradict the Headmaster. He quickly ducked his head, letting his black hair fall over his face like a curtain.
{He really does care about Dylan,} Ariane thought, hardly able to believe it. He had not been protecting her son solely out of a sense of duty or because she had blackmailed him--he had done it out of love. Ariane felt like her head was spinning; cold, practical Severus Snape, who had never cared for anyone or anything but his own ambition, acting out of sentiment? Could she have misjudged him all along? The genuine guilt and remorse she saw on his face softened her anger, and reminded her that she was not blameless herself...with horror, she remembered Lucius Malfoy's visit last summer.
"Severus is not the only one to blame," Ariane said softly. "I am at fault as well." The others gave her a puzzled look, and she continued, her face flushing with shame, "Lucius Malfoy visited me here on the estate last summer, Uncle, when you and Goewin had left to take Dylan shopping on his birthday."
"What?" Mathias said, anger filling his gray eyes. "I trusted you, Ariane! Have you been in contact with Malfoy this whole time?"
"No," Ariane protested tearfully. "He appeared out of nowhere, while I was walking on the grounds gathering flowers; he must have Apparated over. He came to tell me that the Dark Lord was gathering his followers to him once more, and hinted that Dylan and I would be expected to prove our loyalty soon."
"What?" Goewin cried in outrage. "And you said nothing of it to us?!"
"I put him off," Ariane said. "I told him Dylan was too young to be a Death Eater, and I thought he was willing to wait; I was wrong." She began to weep. "I'm sorry, Uncle Math, if I had told you right away, you would have been forewarned and able to protect Dylan, and this might not have happened. I'm sorry..."
"Niece, why did you keep your silence and endanger your son?" Math asked sadly.
"I was afraid," she sobbed. "I was afraid the Dark Lord might win in the end, and if I broke off ties to him completely, we would be punished when he came to power. I thought I could delay and play for time until I could tell which side was winning. I wanted to protect Dylan, I didn't want to choose the wrong side. I had no idea Lucius would move so soon, Dylan is only fourteen, and Evan and Severus didn't join till they were eighteen..."
Goewin stared at Ariane in shock and disgust, while Math slid over on the couch they were sitting on to put an arm around his niece. Ariane laid her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair as if she were once again the small girl he used to comfort when she had argued with her mother or been teased by her brothers. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "It's all my fault!"
"You have always been too clever for your own good, my dear," Math said gravely. "I fear you have outsmarted yourself this time."
Snape watched the old wizard comfort his niece; he was reminded of Ariane's trial, when her mother and brothers had watched her with contempt, but her uncle had regarded her with sorrow and compassion in his gray eyes...gray eyes...something about that nagged at Snape's memory...
"Of course!" he shouted out loud, slapping himself on the forehead. "Gray eyes!"
Everyone else turned to stare at him, even Ariane, though tears were still running down her face. "Severus?" Goewin asked warily, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"There was a Death Eater I didn't recognize at one of the meetings," Snape said excitedly, turning to Dumbledore. "He was wearing a mask, of course, so all I could see were his eyes--gray eyes. Lucius is the only Death Eater I know who has gray eyes, but I'm sure it wasn't him. But they looked familiar, and I only just now realized where I had seen them before--they reminded me of Dylan's eyes!"
"Dylan was at the meeting?" Goewin asked. "I thought you said he was taken only to the one where they put the Mark on him--"
"No, it wasn't Dylan," Snape interrupted, his mind racing. "It was before he was inducted, and anyway, this was a full-grown man, not a boy. But the eyes were just like his, that odd silver-gray shade all the Donners have..."
Ariane, Math, and Goewin stared at each other; all the Donners had gray eyes, save for blue-eyed Goewin, who was a Donner by marriage, not birth.
"You're sure it was a man?" Goewin asked, giving Ariane a suspicious look.
Ariane bristled for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose I deserve that," she said, and pulled up the sleeve of her robe, revealing that her left arm was still unmarked.
"It wasn't Ariane," Snape said firmly. "The person I saw was taller, and broad of shoulder. I'm sure that it was a man."
"Then it's not Ariane, and certainly not Deirdre," Goewin said uneasily. She looked at her husband, saying, "And of course it wasn't Math. But then that leaves only..."
Her voice trailed off and Math finished grimly, "Gilbert and Gwydion."
"But that's impossible!" exclaimed Ariane, her tears forgotten. "Gwydion hates the Death Eaters; he'd never join them! That's why he turned against me when I fell in love with Evan! And Gilbert's a half-wit; what would the Dark Lord want with him?"
"Of course!" Snape shouted again. "Damn it, why didn't I see it sooner? That's what he wanted the Mind Restoration Potion for!"
"Mind Restoration Potion?" Ariane asked, startled.
"Shortly before school began, the Dark Lord instructed me to make a batch of Mind Restoration Potion, and then again right after--" Snape broke off, flushing; he remembered that night well because it was the same night he had caught Potter spying on his thoughts in the Pensieve. Perhaps that was why he had been too distracted to make the connection until now. "Um, and he ordered me to make more again this past spring," Snape finished. "It was at that meeting that I saw the gray-eyed Death Eater, and I noticed him staring at the chest of potion ingredients the Dark Lord had given me." Snape slapped his forehead again. "Stupid!" he said in frustration. "How could I have not figured it out? But Gwydion Donner was one of the last people I would ever have thought of as a potential Death Eater; I didn't know him well, but I know he hated all Slytherins..."
"But Gwydion loves his brother--loves him too much, some would say," Goewin said in a bitter voice. "I think he would do anything for Gilbert, even sell his soul to Voldemort..."
"The Dark Lord recruited both Dylan and Gwydion at the same time?" Ariane said in outrage, then flushed as Goewin glared at her and her uncle gave her a stern look.
"No honor among thieves," Goewin said coldly. She and Ariane had never been friends, but Goewin loved Dylan, so for the sake of both her nephew and her husband, she had done her best to be kind to Ariane and accept her as family after her fall from grace when her Death Eater lover had been killed. And over the years, the two women had gradually warmed to each other. But now Goewin felt furious and betrayed to learn that Ariane had been contemplating going over to Voldemort. In some ways, Goewin found Ariane's cold pragmatism to be even worse than Evan Rosier's acts as a full-fledged Death Eater; at least his devotion to Voldemort had seemed to be sincere, if misguided.
"Ariane was trying to protect Dylan, in her own way," Snape said quietly, and Ariane gave him a startled but grateful look. A part of Snape was angry at her as well, but he thought it was more fear than ambition that had made Ariane keep her options open, so he forgave her, because he understood that fear all too well. "You have never seen the Dark Lord in person, Goewin. Those of us who have know the fear he can inspire; fear enough to believe that he might, indeed, triumph in the end. He very nearly won the first time around, you know. If not for the Potter boy..." Snape scowled, hating to be reminded that a Potter had saved the world from Voldemort.
"I understand why Voldemort wants Dylan," Math said, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Snape flinched a little at the sound of the Dark Lord's name, but the old wizard didn't seem to notice, and continued, "After all, Dylan is the son of one his followers. But I do not understand why it was so important to him to recruit Gwydion. That potion, as I recall, is very expensive and difficult to make...."
"Labor is not a problem, at least not to the Dark Lord," Snape said dryly, "since he has assigned that task to me. And money is not a problem either, as most of his followers come from wealthy and powerful families, not to mention the fact that he had a considerable fortune amassed before his fall, and I'm sure most of it was hidden in a safe place. He would see the potion merely as a means to an end, no different than using money or power as a bribe. But yes, I do wonder why he wanted Gwydion...he is a powerful wizard I suppose, and a more-or-less respected figure in society..." The Donner family knew the truth, and so did Snape, because Ariane had told Evan, and Evan had told Snape: that Gwydion had helped his brother Gilbert to assault Goewin when she was a teenage girl. But as far as the outside world was concerned, Gwydion Donner was a respectable member of an old pureblood family. "Perhaps he wants to use Gwydion as a spy...one who won't draw suspicion the way Malfoy or I might...no one would suspect Gwydion of being a Death Eater, after all."
But Ariane, recalling her earlier conversation with Lucius Malfoy, came up with another idea. "Malfoy knows that Goewin made Dylan her heir," she said slowly. "And no, Goewin, I did not tell him that; he learned it from his Ministry sources after you filed the official documents. Dylan and I were outcasts, existing, as my dear brother pointed out, on the charity of my family. If that were still the case, I admit I might have been more eager to join my lover's old comrades, not only to avenge his death, but to win power and wealth for my son. But once you named him heir, it no longer seemed so urgent: Dylan would have a title and lands to call his own, and the risks of being of a Death Eater seemed greater than the rewards. For years, I dreamed of revenge--revenge for Evan's death, revenge for the way my mother and brothers turned against me." For a moment, her silver-gray eyes went hard and cold. "If they had not forbade our marriage, Evan might not have joined the Death Eaters."
"You could have married anyway, once you turned eighteen," Math pointed out gently.
"I know," Ariane said softly, her anger fading. "I was willing to. But Evan was angry with the way they treated me; he said he'd make them sorry for it. He swore he would become so powerful they would have no choice but to give their consent; he swore he would not marry me till they bowed down and begged my forgiveness. And the only person who could give him that kind of power was the Dark Lord."
"Evan always was proud and stubborn," Snape muttered.
"But suddenly, my dreams of vengeance no longer seemed so important, compared to my son's life. I remembered how my lover and his friend died, I remembered how many other Death Eaters died or were sent to Azkaban, and I didn't want to risk Dylan suffering the same fate. I think Lucius suspected I was getting cold feet; he called me a fence-sitter and warned me not to take too long to choose sides."
"I see," Snape murmured. "If he couldn't have Dylan, then he would take your brother, and perhaps use him to destroy you and Dylan."
"But Dylan took the Mark, however reluctantly!" Ariane protested.
"One cannot expect fair play from Voldemort," Dumbledore said quietly. "That is the sort of thing he would find amusing, to double-cross both you and your brother."
"Evan was loyal to him," Ariane whispered, "even if I was not. He died rather than surrender and betray his Lord--"
"Voldemort is loyal to no one but himself," Dumbledore said. "And Evan, being dead, is of no more use to him."
Snape nodded in agreement, a bitter look in his eyes. "He called us his family, but he was quick to punish, even kill, those who failed him, however loyal they were."
"Professor Blackmore warned us that he could not be trusted, but we didn't listen," Ariane admitted miserably.
"None of us did," said Snape, looking a little shamefaced.
Ariane frowned thoughtfully. "I read some crazy rumor in the Daily Prophet that Professor Blackmore is still alive, that she turned up at the Ministry during the battle--"
Dumbledore grinned, his eyes twinkling despite the seriousness of their discussion. "I am pleased to say it is no rumor; she is indeed alive and well!"
"What?!" exclaimed Ariane. "After all these years? Where has she been hiding?"
"It's a very long story," Snape muttered.
"Let it suffice to say that she has been in hiding for her own safety, among other reasons," Dumbledore said. "But now that her cover has been blown, so to speak, there is no point in hiding anymore. Perhaps you will even have the chance to apologize to her." Ariane flushed.
"I'm delighted that the Professor is still alive," Goewin said impatiently. "But we're getting off-track; what are we going to do to protect Dylan? I think we should take him out of school and keep him on the estate--"
"If you do that," Dumbledore said patiently, "you will endanger both Dylan and Severus--"
"Severus is an adult," Goewin snapped. "He can take care of himself! And it seems to me that Dylan is in more danger at Hogwarts, where Lucius Malfoy was able to kidnap him right off the school grounds--"
"And he was also able to kidnap Ariane off your estate," Dumbledore pointed out.
"That was before I was aware of the increased risk," Math pointed out, but he looked worried. "And I did strengthen the protective spells guarding the estate and the manor--"
"But can you be absolutely certain, that your spells can keep out several determined Death Eaters, and perhaps even Voldemort himself?" Dumbledore asked gently. "If he believes that Dylan has betrayed him, he will seek to punish both Dylan and his mother. And you have never been a fool, Math. You may have forgiven Ariane after the trial, but I'm sure that you were on guard, watching to see if she would contact any of the surviving Death Eaters, and vice versa. You may not have expected Lucius to kidnap Ariane, but you were prepared for trouble, and still he slipped through your defenses."
The old wizard bowed his head. "I was vigilant for many years, but I have grown a little lax of late...nothing happened, and Dylan seemed to be doing so well at school. I thought his friendship with the Muggle-born girl, and their little project to help the house-elves, meant that he was turning away from the path of a Death Eater. I grew complacent, but that will not happen again! But you are right, Albus, that it is impossible to guard against every possible danger."
"And you are right, Goewin," Snape said in a level tone. "My safety doesn't matter. But the Dark Lord punishes traitors mercilessly. Dylan might well be safer if the Dark Lord thinks he is a loyal Death Eater."
"Severus's safety DOES matter," Dumbledore said firmly. "Even if you don't care what happens to him, he is our only spy in Voldemort's camp. The Order cannot operate without the information he supplies."
"Dylan is too young to be a spy," Goewin said, turning to her husband with pleading eyes. "Math, don't let them do this!"
"We don't intend to use him as a spy," Snape said. "He'll keep as low a profile as possible--"
"Have you instructed him to tell you when he is summoned?" Goewin demanded. "And to tell you what is said to him at meetings?"
"Yes, but--"
"Then I call that spying!"
"I would spare him if I could, but he is already Marked!" Snape said impatiently. "I need to know these things in order to protect him! But probably he will not have to tell me anything, because if he is summoned, most likely I will be too." Goewin started to protest, but Snape cut her off. "And I do not think you can get Dylan to stay here unless you lock him up, because the Dark Lord has threatened to kill Ariane if Dylan betrays him."
Goewin frowned unhappily. Her nephew was fiercely devoted to his mother, and would never let himself be hidden away for his own safety if it put Ariane in danger.
"Besides," Snape pointed out. "It could take years to defeat the Dark Lord--if that's even possible. How many years are you going to keep Dylan locked up here on the estate?"
"Well, if we cannot keep Dylan completely safe, is there something we can do to at least lessen the danger he is in?" Math asked sensibly.
"Severus is teaching him Occlumency," Dumbledore replied, "which will help him to guard his thoughts from Voldemort and ward off mental attacks."
"Ah," said Math, comprehension dawning in his gray eyes as he looked at Snape. "So that is how you have been able to deceive your Dark Lord. Yes, that will be very useful."
"Isn't there anything more we can do?" Goewin asked helplessly.
"The protections around the school have been increased," Dumbledore said, "and Severus and I will be watching closely over him."
"I promise," Snape said, quietly but fervently, "I won't let anything happen to him this time. If he's in danger, I'll pull him out and bring him to safety, even if it exposes my cover."
The Donners looked bemused by the fierce protectiveness in Snape's voice, while Dumbledore smiled, though he also looked a little concerned. "Severus will continue to tutor Dylan over the summer, as often as his other duties allow," the Headmaster said. "As for what you can do, you must guard Dylan carefully over the summer; your estate is more vulnerable than the school. And if Gwydion Donner has been corrupted, you may have to guard against your own family members as well."
Math nodded grimly. "I have barred Gwydion and Gilbert from returning to the estate after they insulted Goewin and Dylan last summer, but I see now that mere words will not suffice. I will add a spell to the protective wards around the estate, that will prevent them from entering or Apparating into the house and grounds without my express permission. And perhaps I had better include my sister in that ban, in case they attempt to use her against me. I do not think any reward would entice her to join the Death Eaters, not even a cure for Gilbert, but she has always overindulged the boys, and they may be able to manipulate her into performing their Master's work without her knowledge."
"And we could use your help in the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore added quietly. "You have given us your support, of course, but--"
"But I was not able to take a more active role, because I was watching over Dylan and Ariane," Math finished. "That was my agreement with my sister, that if she used her influence to save Ariane from Azkaban, that Ariane would be exiled to my estate, and I would act as her keeper. But now, I think we are all on the same side--"
"Are we?" Goewin asked, giving Ariane a suspicious look. "Can we really trust her?"
"The Dark Lord has threatened my son," Ariane said quietly. "Any loyalty I might have felt towards him is gone. I swear, by this ring--" She held up her hand, the silver-and-rose engagement ring glittering on her finger. "--that I will let go of my hate, and give up my dreams of avenging my love. He is dead now, and the living are more important. I will let Evan rest in peace, and focus all my energy on protecting our son. I swear on the life of my son that I will not betray you, not even to save my own life." Ariane, who for as long as Snape could remember, had been proud and arrogant even in defeat, said humbly, "You may bind me to my promise by magic, if you wish. Geas me not to reveal any of our secrets, now or in the future."
Geas was an ancient and powerful form of Celtic magic; one could use it, for example, to make a warrior incapable of betraying his lord, or use it to bind a person not to reveal a secret, as Ariane had suggested. It bordered on the Dark Arts, because it could be used to make a person act against their will--not unlike the Imperius Curse, in a way, but much more powerful, because it was permanent unless the caster of the spell revoked it. Snape had not known there was any living mage capable of casting it--not even the Dark Lord, since he would no doubt have already used it if he could--but apparently Mathias Donner was. The Donners had always had odd and rare magical gifts, and were tied more closely to the old, pagan ways of magic than most of the other wizarding families.
"Very well, Niece," Math said solemnly. "Not because I do not trust you, but to protect both you and ourselves, should the worst happen and you be captured by the Death Eaters." He turned to Dumbledore. "I still need to stay on the estate most of the time to guard Ariane. She will need more protection than ever now, and also, it is best, I think, if it appears to the outside world that nothing has changed, and that Ariane is still a virtual prisoner. But if you need me, send word and I will come, and in the meantime Goewin can attend the meetings and report back to me. Discreetly, of course."
"Of course," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Although the Ministry finally acknowledges the truth of Voldemort's return, I think it is best if the Order continues to meet in secret for now, to protect the members' safety and prevent leaks of information. I am sure he must still have some agents in the Ministry, even though his most valuable source, Lucius Malfoy, was captured."
"What about Dylan?" Goewin asked. "What, if anything, should he be told about the Order?"
"My first thought is to tell him nothing," Dumbledore said. "But then again, keeping Harry in the dark proved to be a very wrong decision..."
"Mr. Potter isn't likely to be attending any Death Eater meetings," Snape pointed out. "Dylan already knows that we're working against the Dark Lord, which is dangerous enough. He doesn't need to know the details right now. The less he knows, the less he'll have to hide, both from the Dark Lord and his Slytherin housemates."
"He's just a child," said Goewin. "Can he really act well enough to fool not only his classmates, but the Death Eaters?"
Snape laughed harshly. "Don't you get it, Goewin? He's been acting his entire life! He dreamed of being a Death Eater like his father, until he met me and began to realize that being a Death Eater isn't all power and glory!" She stared at him in horror, and he wondered how she had retained her idealism, after being attacked by the twins, after watching her niece stand trial as a Death Eater. "So, yes, I believe he can keep up the act, but I think it would be wise not add to the strain of it by giving him more secrets to conceal." Because Snape knew from experience, what it cost to keep up a constant facade, never letting anyone see your true feelings...
Dumbledore shot Snape a concerned look, but merely said, "Do we agree, then, not to involve Dylan with the Order for now?" Everyone agreed, and Dumbledore, as Secret-Keeper of the Phoenix headquarters, gave Math and Goewin--but not, Snape noted, Ariane--permission to enter the Grimmauld Place house, and told them when the next meeting would take place.
"Wait," called Ariane, as the two Professors prepared to leave. "May I speak to you in private for a moment, Severus?"
Math and Dumbledore exchanged looks; the Headmaster gave a slight nod, then said cheerfully, "I'll meet you back at the school, Severus," then Disapparated, vanishing from the room.
Ariane led Snape into a nearby room--her uncle's library, by the looks of it. They stared at each other in wary silence for a moment, then she smiled and said, "You surprise me, Severus--you are not what I thought you were. All these years, I thought you were a cold and pragmatic man, who cared only for your own safety and ambition--so it shocked me to learn that you are a hero in disguise! But perhaps I should not be so surprised; you always did have a sense of honor back in school, however much you tried to hide it. That was why I wrote to you and asked you to help Dylan in the first place."
Snape flushed and said a little peevishly, "Well, you are not what I thought you were, either, Ariane! I thought you were raising Dylan up to be a good little Death Eater!"
"I was," she said, shamefaced. "I tutored him extensively in the Dark Arts while he was growing up. It was not until Lucius showed up last August that I realized how much danger I was putting him in and came to my senses--too late, unfortunately."
Snape felt a little guilty then, and said apologetically, "Well, I'm glad I was wrong. And he's turned out pretty well, so you must have done something right."
Ariane gave him a serious look and said quietly, "You have protected and looked after Dylan these past two years, and not just out of duty to Evan's memory or because I threatened you. You care about him, and it is obvious to me that he cares about you as well. I'm sorry, Severus, that I tried to blackmail you. I promise I won't say anything about you and Lupin."
"How DID you find out about us, anyway?" Snape burst out, and Ariane repressed a giggle at the indignant look on his face.
"I just guessed," she admitted. "I was thinking about Evan and myself, how we were enemies before we were lovers, and how you were the only one of his Slytherin friends--other than Lyall, of course--who accepted our relationship before Malfoy granted us his approval in exchange for Evan becoming a Death Eater. Then I remembered how you always used to follow Potter's little gang around, and I wondered if you might have had a crush as a boy, on Potter or one of his friends." Snape looked outraged at the thought of having a "crush" on James Potter, and this time Ariane did laugh out loud. "Your rivalry with Potter was the most intense, but I also remembered how you were obsessed with Lupin's frequent absences, and how you worked together with him on that project for Blackmore's class. And then I remembered some gossip one of my old Ravenclaw friends had written to me about, how you had gotten Lupin fired from his job at Hogwarts. I made an educated guess, and hinted to you at the Quidditch match that I knew more than I really did, and your reaction told me that I'd guessed correctly."
"You mean you were BLUFFING?" Snape groaned. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for that!"
"I'm sorry, Severus," she said with an amused but contrite smile. "I still don't know exactly what, if anything, there is between you and Lupin, and I won't ask. And I will keep my guesses to myself from now on." But her best guess was that he was in love with Lupin, whether or not his feelings were returned, because she knew from experience that only love could make someone as practical and wary as Snape behave so foolishly. To her surprise, she found that she hoped Lupin did indeed return his feelings, because he deserved some measure of happiness in exchange for all that he had done and risked for her son, and for the Order of the Phoenix.
"You had better, if you know what's good for you," Snape growled.
He turned to leave, but Ariane placed a hand on his arm, and he looked back at her suspiciously. "Thank you, Severus," she said quietly. Her gray eyes met his startled black ones, and a look of understanding passed between them. She no longer needed to ask him to look after Dylan, because she knew he would do it on his own without being asked; could not, in fact, be stopped from doing it, even if his own Headmaster had ordered it.
"You're welcome," Snape said, just as quietly. Then he cleared his throat and said gruffly, "I'll return to give Dylan his lessons in a few days." Looking grumpy and embarrassed, he said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way..." Ariane smiled and took a step back, and Snape Disapparated, leaving her alone.
***
Meanwhile, Lupin, Sirius, and Branwen were sharing a celebratory drink in the kitchen of the Grimmauld Place house. "Well, Sirius," Branwen said, "your name has been cleared, so you are now a free man. And since I was seen at the Ministry of Magic, there is no longer any point in hiding my return, either. To freedom!"
"To freedom," Lupin and Sirius echoed. The three friends clinked their wine glasses together, and took a sip of a particularly fine vintage that Sirius had fetched up from the wine cellar.
"So what will you do now, Branwen?" Sirius asked. "Move back into Blackmore Manor, I suppose?" He was surprised to find that, despite their many quarrels, the thought of her moving out made him a little sad.
"Oh, I intend to fix up my family home," Branwen said. "But it's in a rather remote location, and a bit too big just for Bane and myself. I thought for the time being, I might continue to stay here...if you don't mind, that is." She smiled at Sirius, a little hesitantly, as if not quite sure of her welcome.
"Of course!" Sirius said heartily. "The more the merrier! This house is way too big just for me and Remus." He grinned mischievously. "Besides, we'll need some help with the cooking and cleaning, now that Kreacher's gone--not that he was ever much help to begin with." Dumbledore had whisked off the house-elf to some unknown location, where he could do no harm, to himself or anyone else.
"I can summon some minor elementals or household spirits to help with such things," Branwen said casually. "Though now that you are a free man, you don't actually have to stay here anymore..."
"That's right!" Sirius exclaimed. He didn't have to live in this gloomy old house anymore; he could rent an apartment or small house, perhaps in Hogsmeade, to be near his godson...but he would miss Lupin and Branwen. "Well, I've kind of gotten used to it, I suppose--and besides, someone has to keep the headquarters in order."
"But how long will you be staying, Branwen?" Lupin asked. "Now that you've officially returned from the dead, will you apply to teach at Hogwarts again?"
"I don't know," she replied. "My specialty, Summonings, is still banned from the curriculum, though Albus is trying to persuade the school governors to change their minds."
"You could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts," Lupin suggested with a grin. "I hear there's an opening." Umbridge had apparently had a nervous breakdown after her encounter with the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest.
"I could," she said, smiling back at him, "but I think Albus is campaigning for you to take over your old post."
"Me?" Lupin asked in surprise. "But after the parents' protests two years ago, and the anti-werewolf legislation Umbridge passed--"
"Yes, Umbridge who is now disgraced," Branwen said with a smile of dark satisfaction. "And you are a hero now, you know, Remus. You helped to save Harry Potter and fight off the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters." Lupin looked even more startled. "Certainly that is the picture Dumbledore is painting, and he now has all his old influence back, and more." She grinned and made an expansive gesture with her arms. "We are all heroes--we have fought off the Death Eaters and alerted the world to the return of You-Know-Who! We might as well ride out the wave of sentiment, and take advantage of it while it lasts."
"Wait a minute!" Sirius said indignantly. "You can't both run off to Hogwarts and leave me alone here!"
Lupin and Branwen laughed. "Well, Sirius," Branwen said, "it's by no means guaranteed that either of us will have a job there. But as I said, you are a free man, now. You can come visit us anytime you like; you can even take up residence in Hogsmeade if you wish."
Sirius cheered up considerably at that thought. "That's right, I could! Say, are there any other openings at Hogwarts? Then we could all be together--"
Branwen burst out laughing, nearly falling off her chair, at the thought of Sirius becoming a teacher. Bane squawked, flapping his wings to keep his balance on her shoulder, as his mistress tipped back in her chair. Then he began to laugh too, a raucous cawing noise. Even Lupin chuckled a little.
Sirius scowled at the trio. "It's not THAT funny," he complained in an offended tone.
"Sorry, Sirus," Lupin said with a smile. "I just can't picture you being patient enough to handle a classroom full of unruly children."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call Snape 'patient,' either," Sirius pointed out sulkily.
Branwen wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, saying, "Yes, Professor Snape is known for his notoriously short temper. But he does have more patience than you give him credit for, Sirius. He has been playing the role of the loyal Death Eater since he was eighteen years old, and if he truly had no patience, he would have been unmasked and killed long ago."
Sirius grudgingly admitted to himself that he probably could not have pulled it off himself, but nothing short of an Imperius Curse would ever make him admit it out loud. "Okay, okay," he muttered. "It was just a thought."
Branwen said soothingly, "You could apply to become an Auror again. Or, now that you can move freely once more, Albus will probably have many tasks for the Order that you can perform."
"Maybe I can help Moony on his missions," Sirius said brightly. "You and me together, Moony, it'll be just like old times..."
A look of alarm filled Lupin's blue eyes; his missions were mainly diplomatic ones, and he could not imagine anyone more ill-suited to diplomacy than his reckless, impulsive friend. "Er...um..." he stammered, stalling for time while he tried to come up with a tactful way to tell Padfoot that was not a good idea.
As it turned out, he didn't have to. Bane flew up into the air with an indignant squawk as Branwen tipped back her chair again, overcome with laughter. "Sirius? A DIPLOMAT? HA HA HA HA!"
Lupin smiled apologetically as Sirius protested, "It's not THAT funny!"
They polished off that bottle of wine, and most of a second, before Lupin, looking a little tipsy, bid his friends goodnight, giving Sirius a hug and Branwen a rather sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"Better not let Snape catch you kissing anyone else," Sirius warned.
"S'okay," Lupin giggled. "He's afraid of Branwen. And anyway, Branwen kissed him too, after he healed you!" Sirius scowled a little, hating to be reminded that he owed his life to Snape, but Lupin didn't seem to notice. "So now we're even!"
"I'm not sure I follow that logic, but whatever you say, dear," Branwen said indulgently. "Now go upstairs and get some sleep." She was looking at him with an almost motherly kind of affection, and Sirius grinned. Well, sort of motherly, anyway--he couldn't picture Molly Weasley smiling indulgently if any of her brood got drunk, even the ones who were of age!
"Yes, Professor," Lupin said meekly, and stumbled out of the room.
Part 2
***
Afterword: Looking back on this fic now, I'm amused to see that I came up with the Geas spell, which seems to have unwittingly foreshadowed the Unbreakable Vow. (As mentioned in the header, this story was written pre-HBP.) Well, I didn't invent the Geas myself, of course--it's a common element in Celtic legends, including the geas where Math must rest his feet in the lap of a virgin in the Mabinogion. A geas isn't exactly like an Unbreakable Vow--it seems to be a more of a random curse or taboo, while the Vow is a pact between two people, but breaking a geas is usually fatal, and I wonder if helped to inspire JKR when she created the Unbreakable Vow.
Also, since this story is so long, I'm creating a separate tag for it.