McKay (scribbulus_ink) wrote in time_of_storms, @ 2006-10-24 18:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | chronological, snape |
October 21, 1997
Original poster: black_cauldron
Music: Gods and Monsters, by Psyche
Standing close to the side of the Dark Lord, glowering like some malignant spirit, Severus watched Bellatrix and Lucius wheedling their lord and master, and he felt utterly repulsed by it.
"We think the attack on the Burrow would be best done now," Lucius said haughtily, and at his side, Bellatrix nodded. "These petty attacks on random targets aren't inducing enough fear or doing enough damage. The Weasleys are by far the most vulnerable of the Order members; they refuse to leave that dung heap of a home of theirs, even though we know precisely where it is. Let's hit them hard, and do it at once. A surprise attack..."
"A surprise attack has as much chance of backfiring on us as damaging them," Severus spoke up quellingly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at Lucius. "Or do you forget that one of your jobs is to track Potter, and you've been unable to ascertain his location with any accuracy for over a week now? What if he just happens to be visiting when we all show up?"
Lucius' face went scarlet, and Bellatrix's was little better. Severus felt a brief surge of internal satisfaction at the sight of it. He had no doubt at all that Lucius' sudden desire to spring an attack was nothing but a smoke screen for the fact that he hadn't been able to find out where Potter had disappeared to. The boy and his companions had apparently dropped off the face of the earth, which threw the plans of the Death Eaters into a bit of a jumble. It indicated to many that a plan might be in the works by their enemies, and
it made many of the Death Eaters nervous. It gave Severus no small amount of sardonic amusement, as he watched powerful, evil men who had fought in two wars looking under rocks and almost fearfully watching doors as though expecting Potter to pop out at any moment and say "boo."
Not that Severus had any idea where Potter was, either, but he also wasn't going to spend his life being afraid that the brat was going to show up and try to kill them. The fact was that unless Potter found and destroyed all the Horcruxes, it would be folly to try to take on Voldemort directly. Of all the Death Eaters, however, only Severus and possibly Wormtail even knew about the existence of the Horcruxes, and Severus had no desire to divulge his own acquaintance with them. Voldemort probably suspected that Severus knew, given that Severus had once been one of Albus Dumbledore's most trusted allies, but Voldemort was in the position of being unable to ask Severus directly for fear of exposing the secret, and Severus was too intelligent to mention the subject at all.
"We'll find him!" Bellatrix snapped, shooting Severus a nasty look. "You don't seem to be having much success with your little pets, Severus. Is that why you are attacking us? To keep Our Lord's attention from your own failures?"
"No," Severus responded. His voice was low and dangerous, and he was grateful for his Occlumency, which hid the burning depths of his hatred. Let Lucius and Bellatrix believe that if they wished, but they must never find out that the werewolves - or rather, one werewolf in particular - was constantly on his mind. "I've dealt with the beasts, and that will be the end of that. They have been shown that either they will cooperate, or they will die."
Wormtail, standing to Voldemort's other side, suddenly spoke up. This was an uncommon occurrence, given that he tended to hide in the shadows like the rat he was. Severus always had the impression that the man was waiting for the stronger Death Eaters to do each other in, and then he would rush in to pick over the carcasses, feasting himself on the destruction. He stayed out of the way, doing Voldemort's bidding like the good little toady he was, but for the most part, he stayed out of the dangerous politics between the factions.
"I think Halloween would be a good time," he said, rubbing his real hand over his silver one. "An attack under the cover of the Muggle holiday." He gave a snickering little laugh. "Trick or treat, Weasleys! Definitely a trick!"
Severus glanced over at the disgusting little man, hiding his repugnance with the ease of long practice. There was a gleam in Wormtail's eyes, and Severus knew it was a dangerous one. They all tended to underestimate Peter Pettigrew, because he was such a loathesome little bastard; but he was also tenacious, and Severus was certain that 13 years as a Weasley "pet" had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Given his own dislike of the Weasley clan, he could imagine that Wormtail had many, many scores to settle with that brood.
"Halloween, yes," Voldemort said, a nasty smile curving his lipless mouth. "It has a certain appeal. But if we are going to strike again, I want to make certain there are no nasty surprises like at that damnable wedding." The red eyes burned, and the Dark Lord glared equally at Bellatrix and Severus. "A distraction, I think, large enough to pull the Aurors away from the Burrow, but not so large as to have the whole Order decide to butt in. Perhaps... an attack on one of their own? I owe the Aurors so much, after all. Perhaps it would be appropriate to repay them in kind."
Severus suddenly felt a cold knot of anticipation in his gut. The Dark Lord was looking at Bellatrix, his red eyes seeming to burn. "Your niece is an Auror. Your sister and her Mudblood husband have been left alone for too long, I think. It is time they felt my power. Strike them. Strike them suddenly and hard, and while the Aurors are dealing with the aftermath, we will go after our true target."
Bellatrix seemed to freeze, her eyes widening with surprise. Severus wanted to laugh bitterly at her reaction; she was more than willing to kill Draco, but she quailed at an attack on Andromeda and Ted Tonks? He never would have believed it, but if the expression on her face was any indication, she was definitely unhappy about the idea. Perhaps murder of relatives was fine, so long as Bellatrix got to choose the victim rather than having it ordered from on high.
For a moment, Severus wondered if she would argue, but then she tilted her chin up, dark eyes hardening. "Of course, My Lord. It shall be as you command."
If there was any vague hope that Bellatrix still had a soul, that put paid to it rather neatly, Severus thought darkly. And Lupin isn't going to like this, not one damned bit.
Severus was far more concerned about Lupin pulling some foolhardy Gryffindor stunt in an effort to spare his former lover pain than he was about his own safety in the attack. There was a very real danger that if he told Lupin about the attack on the Tonks', Lupin would feel it his duty to interfere and get his damned fool self killed.
Frowning, he forced himself to pay attention to the rest of the planning, while in the back of his mind, he was trying to figure out how to explain the situation in such a way that he could protect Lupin from his own silly-arsed nobility. Nobility was all very well and good for war heroes, but it had a damned annoying way of turning heroes into martyrs, and Severus had no desire to lose his lover - especially not for the protection of a stupid little bint like Nymphadora Tonks.