McKay (scribbulus_ink) wrote in time_of_storms, @ 2006-09-19 08:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | chronological, joint |
October 18, 1997
Original poster: werwolfoflondon
Music: In Fortune's Hand, by Clannad
Severus contemplated the parchment in front of him, and then he turned his head to glance at Draco, who was bent over Severus' work table, carefully peeling the shrivelfigs as Severus had asked him to do. Perhaps it was a sign of Draco's eagerness for Severus to believe that he was worth saving, because he had set to the task quietly, not arguing or giving in to a fit of the sulks. Of course, the Veritaserum had already confirmed Draco's intentions, so perhaps the boy was just bored from all the time he had spent alone and anxious to have something to do. Either way, Severus got his shrivelfigs peeled, and Draco was out of his hair for a few minutes.
Looking down at the parchment once more, Severus frowned. He had a feeling Remus wasn't going to be any more pleased about this turn of events than Severus was himself, but it could hardly be helped. Severus didn't want to fight with Remus - especially not after everything they had been through in the last few weeks - but perhaps he was worrying needlessly. Remus was a Gryffindor, after all, and prone to far more optimism about intolerable situations than Severus could fathom.
Finally picking up his quill, Severus scrawled a quick line, and then he sat back and waited. Remus would either reply or show up; either way, Severus would know soon enough.
There is a problem. Need to see you at once. Severus
Fortunately, Remus was alone when he felt the vibration of the parchment in his pocket, alerting him to a new message from Severus. Drawing the thin curtain over the entrance of his quarters - the only nod to privacy any of them could afford in the caverns - he pulled out the parchment and unfolded it, scanning it quickly.
A problem? Remus felt a vise clench around his chest as he stuffed the parchment back in his pocket. Was Severus all right? Had Bellatrix or Lucius tried to hurt him again? Was he in danger? Remus was too worried to waste time writing back, and even though he wasn't certain Severus was at the wizard's hole, he thought it best to assume he was, since Severus hadn't indicated an alternative location for meeting.
Pushing aside the curtain, he hurried out of the caves and strode deeper into the woods, waiting until he was out of earshot to draw his wand and Apparate away. As soon as he arrived in the wizard's hole, he glanced around anxiously for Severus, awash in relief when he saw Severus alive and unharmed.
He stepped forward, arms outstretched - and then he caught a whiff of a scent that was familiar, but that didn't belong here. Whirling, he found Draco Malfoy standing at Severus' table, at work as if he had made himself at home, and he turned back to Severus, his expression incredulous.
"What the bloody hell is he doing here?"
Severus watched Remus carefully and crossed his arms over his chest, aware that Draco had gone still, no doubt in fear of Remus' reaction. The boy probably thought if Remus wanted to kill Draco, Severus would go along with the idea. Unfortunately for Draco, he would be correct in thinking so.
"Unfortunately, our relationship was discovered," Severus replied, scowling at the situation. "It seems Mr. Malfoy disobeyed my direct orders by returning here and witnessing our reunion after your mission. Since he does possess some limited mental faculties, he withdrew at once, but he also came to the obvious and correct conclusion that my loyalty to the Dark Lord is not what I have presented it to be. Since Draco has no loyalty in that quarter, either, and because his life is now in danger, he came to me, requesting my assistance in removing him from the war completely. Which, of course, leads us to the obvious conclusion: getting him to the Order, so that they can protect him."
Remus' incredulous expression didn't change in the wake of this new information; he could scarcely believe what he was hearing, but once it sank in, he looked at Draco again, banked anger causing his eyes to turn stormy.
"How is the Order meant to protect him?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest in an unconscious mirror of Severus' stance. "Our safest house is-" He cut himself off before he gave away that information. "Well, suffice to say, Harry won't stand for it." He studied Draco with cold dispassion for a moment. "Are you entirely certain he isn't part of a trap, acting as the puppet of his father and aunt?"
Draco made a strangled noise, no doubt in reaction to Remus' look, but Severus held up a hand to silence anything the boy might have said.
"Entirely," Severus replied. He would have liked to touch Remus, to offer some reassurance through contact, but he felt that wasn't wise. "I gave him Veritaserum, and I subjected him to an examination with Legilimency. Draco is undoubtedly a true Slytherin, but in this case, his self-interest is not misplaced. He is quite aware that he is a pawn, and that his father and aunt both wish him dead. As such, he feels no loyalty to the Dark Lord or to anyone other than his mother... and to me. He is, however, also in possession of certain information that might be of use to the Order. I believe that Potter is out of touch at the moment, is he not? Which means the current Leader of the Order will be making the decisions, and far more mature and practical heads will prevail."
In spite of his reservations about Draco's trustworthiness, Remus felt a twinge of sympathy for him. It had always seemed to Remus that Draco idolized his father; to learn that he was nothing more than a pawn to the man he had looked up to his entire life had to be a terrible blow.
"Very well," he said at last, turning his attention back to Severus. "I'll do what I can for him, but I want a guarantee that he won't betray us. There are people in the Order who are suspicious of me already, and one wrong word about my relationship with you, and I could end up arrested as a traitor."
"I'll do anything," Draco said, stepping from around the table, but stopping abruptly when Severus whirled in place and brought up his wand in an instinctive motion to defend Remus. Swallowing hard, the boy lifted his hands up to show he was unarmed, and then he turned to look at Remus. "Anything, Mr. Lupin. I've got nothing to lose, have I? If you don't help me, I'm dead anyway - and I really don't want to die."
"An Unbreakable Vow?" Severus asked, looking at Draco hard for a moment before lowering his wand and turning his gaze to Remus as well. "I have no desire for anyone to betray us, either. I have some selfish motivation in that, admittedly, but it would also set back the cause for which we are working. If you would accept a Vow from Draco, that ought to both assure you and also protect him, to an extent, in the eyes of the Order."
Remus considered this for a moment, and then he nodded slowly. "Yes, that is acceptable." His expression softened then, and he reached out to rest his palm against Severus' cheek. There was no point in holding back if Draco already knew they were lovers, and he had wanted to touch Severus ever since his arrival. "Whatever it takes to keep us both safe. I will not lose you or be lost to you so soon."
The gentle press of Remus' hand relaxed something within Severus that he hadn't even realized had been cold and stiff with tension ever since Draco's unfortunate confession. He stood still for a long moment, looking deeply into Remus' eyes, and then he lifted one hand to press it over Remus', his dark eyes warm with the things he couldn't say.
After several moments, he nodded, and then he turned to look at Draco, still holding Remus' hand. There was no sense pretending, after all, that there was nothing between them, and in a way, Severus felt a defiant sort of satisfaction in being able to show someone that Remus was his. "So, will you accept that condition, Draco?"
Draco looked back and forth between them, his expression unusually somber, but then he nodded. "Yes, I will. I'll take a vow not to betray you, not to the Order or to the Death Eaters. I just want to get out of this, and to find a way to get my mother out as well."
The warmth in Severus' eyes helped Remus relax a little, as did Draco's willingness to take the Vow, and he nodded solemnly. "All right. Severus, if you will administer the Vow, I will stand as witness to it." He glanced at Draco, his features darkening again. "I'll do what I can for you, but I make no promises about what that will be."
The Order has enough to contend with as it is without adding baby-sitting a spoilt brat to the list, he thought, but he was tactful enough not to say it.
Draco looked at Remus with a slight frown, and then he turned to Severus. It was apparent in his eyes that Draco would have liked a bit more reassurance, but Severus merely shrugged in response; there were no guarantees in this war, not for anyone, regardless of station or intent. Draco's only other option would probably lead to his death, and so Severus felt no need to to offer any reassurance. After a moment, Draco sighed, and then he nodded and held out his right hand to Severus.
Severus was quite glad that for once he wasn't on the receiving end of this particular spell, and he released Remus' hand before gingerly wrapping his fingers around Draco's cold ones. Severus disliked touching or being touched by anyone save Remus, but he didn't let it show, merely turning to look at Remus with a raised brow.
"I believe we are ready," he said. "If you will begin?"
Remus drew his wand and touched the tip of it to their joined hands, and then he nodded. "I stand ready to be your Bonder."
Severus nodded, his gaze fixing on Draco with dark intensity. This vow might be all that would stand between them and betrayal, and Severus had no wish to take chances with either Remus' life or his own.
"Will you, Draco, keep the fact of my spying on and disloyalty to the Dark Lord and his cause secret, telling no one by spoken or written word, not betraying me by thought, action, or lack of action?"
Draco drew in a deep breath, and then he swallowed hard. His voice was perhaps a trifle unsteady, but he spoke the required words. "I will."
A thin tongue of flame shot from Remus' wand, wrapping around their joined hands, and Severus felt the magic binding Draco to his word.
"And will you keep the fact of Remus Lupin's involvement with me, his loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix, and his mission to aid in the defeat of the Dark Lord secret from everyone, under the same conditions?"
The second vow seemed easier, and Draco's voice was surer. "I will."
Another tongue of flame appeared, intertwining with the first, showing the growing conditions of the vow. "And will you keep the location of this Wizard Hole, the fact of my presence here, and the presence of Remus Lupin, singly or together, also secret from any and everyone?"
"I will."
"And will you give to the Order of the Phoenix any information for which they ask in order to find the Dark Lord and defeat him, and any information for which they do not ask but which you believe would aid them, except for where it might pose a conflict with the previous conditions?"
"I will."
Severus turned to look at Remus, inclining his head in a silent question. If Remus had any conditions he wished added, Severus was more than willing to go along with them.
Remus answered Severus' unspoken question with a nod. He had left the task of framing the conditions to Severus, trusting him to make them as air-tight as possible in case Draco was dissembling; Remus was satisfied with the conditions as stated, and the flames flared in a bright red glow before seeming to sink into Severus and Draco's skin as Remus lifted his wand.
Tucking away his wand, he faced Draco. "Right. That's sorted. I suppose you'll have to come with me now." He glanced at Severus, his expression questioning. "I assume you want me to take him to the Order right away?"
Please say yes, he thought. I don't want to curtail our time or our intimacy because of your house guest. It was selfish of him, perhaps, but it wasn't as if he and Severus had plenty of leisure time at their disposal to enjoy each other's company.
"That would be best, I believe," Severus replied with a nod. Draco looked pale but somehow more resolute than he had before, and Severus was satisfied that the conditions would keep Draco from saying anything which might betray them even inadvertently. "Just remember, Draco, that you will not want to let them know that I have had anything to do with you. Everyone in the Order hates me, and if you try to defend me, you will be shunned and looked upon with even more suspicion - and there will be a great deal of that anyway. If people insult me, agree with them. If they say I am evil, tell them that they can't begin to imagine the truth of it. For your own safety, I am also your betrayer, do you understand? Lupin is your savior - and I think it would be wise of you to thank him for that."
Draco's eyes had widened as he listened, but after a moment, he gave a rather dubious nod, and then he turned to look at Remus. "I... thanks," he said, sounding a bit stilted, as though gratitude were something which was unfamiliar to him. As, indeed, it probably was, given his upbringing, and Severus rolled his eyes in a silent prayer for patience.
The thanks sounded as if they had been wrenched from Draco forcibly, but Remus smiled nonetheless. "You're welcome," he replied politely. "Come here, then. I will have to Apparate us both."
Draco fought to keep from recoiling visibly, but his distaste was evident - enough that he couldn't squelch it entirely as he moved closer to Remus. It was a reminder to Remus of the innate prejudice Purebloods had against his kind, but it was hardly a novel experience; he had been dealing with prejudice all his life, and one up-turned nose from a spoilt boy wasn't enough to faze him at this point. He ignored Draco's reaction and slid one arm across Draco's shoulders, preparing to Apparate them to Grimmauld Place.
"I'll be back as soon as I can to let you know how it went," he said.
Severus nodded, squelching the small voice inside that wished he could be the one going with Remus, that he could go back and face only suspicion rather than certain death. But his place was here, and his mission was inescapable. The only solace was that at least he had someone how cared if he lived or died now. Somehow, that made more of a difference than he ever would have thought.
"Yes, return soon," he said, his dark eyes conveying a meaning for Remus alone. He nodded a farewell to Draco, and then he stepped back to watch them go. He knew that Remus would be as quickly as possible, but there would be questions, hard questions, and Severus didn't envy either of them the next few hours at all.