(no subject)
Title: The Lurid Light of Freedom
Author: Dezredel
House: Slytherin
Date/Challenge: July 4~What further satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
Character/Pairing: Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa, some Greengrasses, other DEs
Rating: PG
Severus paced back and forth, robes trailing the deep carpet behind him, hands clutched behind his back in agitation. The study was much warmer than outside, and snow melted off the young man’s cloak and feel to the carpet. Lucius watched it dispassionately, following him with eyes but offering no further comment from his comfortable seat in the armchair, a glass of wine resting neglected in one hand.
Snape paused and turned towards him, eyes troubled, “I don’t like it Lucius.”
“You don’t have to like it, Severus,” He said reasonably, “There is nothing for you to like. You merely have to do as the Dark Lord demands and not get yourself killed. I feel you are more than capable of this.”
“He’s asking me to spy on Dumbledore!” Snape hissed, turning on him, “And not only spy but to work for him and betray him from under his hooked nose!”
Lucius frowned and peered into his cup, “If the Dark Lord didn’t think you were capable…”
“Of course I’m bloody capable!” Snape snapped, he hurled his wet robe across the chair he should have been sitting in and turned towards the fire, “The old fool practically offered me the job.”
Lucius nodded silently, “You suspect he has ulterior motives?”
“Well wouldn’t you?” Snape asked folding his arms, “He suspects that I serve the Dark Lord. He may have blind spots a mile wide and a tendency towards foolish mercy but he’s not stupid.” He turned and took his seat, “Even his Lordship acknowledges that Dumbledore is his only real opposition for power.”
Lucius opened his mouth to respond as the door opened behind them and turned in his chair. Narcissa appeared in the opening, “Lucius?” she asked softly, “I was told we have company.”
The men stood as she moved gracefully into the room, dressed in a conservative nightgown that might have passed as a dress on lesser women, “It is only me Narcissa,” Snape said bowing slightly, eyes softening, “I had something to discuss with your husband.”
Narcissa smiled and nodded, “Severus. You’re always welcome of course. Shall I send for something to eat?”
“No,” both men replied at the same time. Lucius came forward around the chair and ushered his wife from the room, “You shouldn’t be troubling yourself so darling.” He said to gently, “Go back to bed. I will join you shortly.”
Narcissa smiled and demurred silently, “Of course dear,” she said and nodded regally to Snape over his shoulder, “Goodnight Severus,”
“Goodnight Narcissa,” he said bowing again as she wafted from the room.
Lucius returned to his seat and so did Severus and they sat in silence for a moment, Lucius sipping from his cup.
“The healers hint that her pregnancy might prove more difficult than we thought,” he said staring into the fire.
Severus nodded, “She is young,” he said agreeing, “But she seems hail enough for now.”
Lucius took another sip and set the wine aside, “And as to your-“
He broke off again as the fire turned a sudden shade of green and a head appeared in the flames. Propser Avery looked out at them from the flames, “Lucius!” he said in alarm, “Emergency at the Greengrass Manor! There’s been a raid by the Order!” he said in a rush and vanished.
He disappeared but both men were already on their feet, grabbing their cloaks and apparating with hurried cracks.
* * *
They appeared in chaos. Snow was falling in heavy clumps but all Severus could feel was a sudden rush of blistering heat and blinding light. He gasped in shock and fell back from the inferno raging just a few feet away. Strong hands grabbed his shoulder and dragged him through the melting snow towards safety.
The Greengrass Manor was burning, casting a lurid light against the cold, blank night, people running about it in frenzy trying to dose the flames. Lucius and Avery dropped him and ran forward to help, wands out and water blasting from its tips into the fire’s gaping maw.
Snape stumbled to his feet. A few feet away a woman was wailing in shock in fear, held by her husband who was having trouble keeping her from running back into the blaze.
“My babies! Solon! Nisaba!” she wailed, struggling against the bigger man. Another witch appear beside him with a vial and between the two of them they forced it down her throat. She quieted almost instantly and he cradled her to the ground, stroking her hair and murmuring to her as the witch ran forward to add her own spray to the fight, Snape following on her heels.
It was nearly an hour before the last of the flames flickered out, and more than half of the Manor was burned beyond recognition. The Ministry had finally arrived, a good 10 minutes before the final flickering embers were crushed under Lucius’ exhausted boot, and offered no aid or relief to the tired Death Eaters, save to question them all closely on the cause of the fire and why they had all managed to respond so quickly.
“It was those damned rebels!” Rookwood snapped at one of the Ministry witches.
“The Death Eaters?” She queried, Quick Quotes Quill posed over a piece of parchment.
“No!” He bellowed angrily, “Those damned Order Members! They’re out to get every pureblood who’s proud of their heritage! Vigilantes!”
Her quill worked furiously, “The Ministry does not acknowledge the existence of the supposed…”
Lucius and the other suddenly loomed behind Rookwood and glared at her, soot covered faces grim, “Perhaps that is why they are free wreck such havoc on innocent families.” He snarled at her, a fine blade of ice turning her face white, “And perhaps the Ministry would like to explain to Solon and Nisaba Greengrass how their murderers don’t exist.”
The woman looked a little ashamed and mumbled off some answer Severus didn’t hear, as he hunched over the burned arm of a young man whose name he hadn’t bothered to discover. From his eyes and hair he assumed he was a Holgrave, “There,” he said as the last of the blistering faded beneath his wand, turning to the next.
“Thank you sir,” The young man said scurrying towards the wreckage to help. Severus shook his head grimly and wondered when he became a ‘sir’.
Lucius approached him through sooty snow, his platinum hair oddly disheveled and his face furious and soot covered, posing an intimidating contrast to his frozen eyes, “I can’t believe this outrage.” He said.
“Are you hurt?” Severus asked curtly.
Lucius took a moment to register his voice, “What? No. I’m fine.”
Severus nodded and surveyed the damage, “What happened?”
“Most of the family was out,” Lucius said folding his arms. Without the burning house the night had turned deathly chill, even if the snow had stopped, “And the Order took advantage to raid the Manor looking for information or whatever the hell it is they wanted.”
“Did they find it?” Snape asked.
“No. There was nothing to find. Apparently they decided to burn the place behind them.” He snarled, “Solon and Nisaba Greengrass were inside. They didn’t get out. Neither did their nanny elf.” He said in disgust, “Good pureblooded children Severus.”
Snape nodded. He’d seen the violence both sides of this bloody war had committed, and he’d be a hypocrite to say this was anymore a tragedy than the murder of McKinnon and her family a few weeks ago. But this…it struck so much closer to home.
And, of course, it would only make a small article somewhere deep in the confounded tangle of the Prophet’s reporting. Families associated with the Dark Lord never seemed to merit much sympathy from the public in large.
“This could have been averted,” Lucius said coldly.
“How?” Snape asked in a monotone, knowing the answer as soon as he asked.
“We need to know Severus,” Lucius said lowly, eyeing the milling crowd sharing their grief with one another, “We have to know what the Order is planning. What if this had been my home?” he asked suddenly furious, “What if it had been Narcissa and our child in the flames, Severus?”
Snape nodded mutely, eyes distant, “I know Lucius,” he said quietly, “I know.”
“Then you’ll do it?” Lucius asked lowly.
Black eyes flickered with the reflection of a blaze that burned only in his memory and the echoes of a mother’s scream, “I’ll do it.”
Author: Dezredel
House: Slytherin
Date/Challenge: July 4~What further satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
Character/Pairing: Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa, some Greengrasses, other DEs
Rating: PG
Severus paced back and forth, robes trailing the deep carpet behind him, hands clutched behind his back in agitation. The study was much warmer than outside, and snow melted off the young man’s cloak and feel to the carpet. Lucius watched it dispassionately, following him with eyes but offering no further comment from his comfortable seat in the armchair, a glass of wine resting neglected in one hand.
Snape paused and turned towards him, eyes troubled, “I don’t like it Lucius.”
“You don’t have to like it, Severus,” He said reasonably, “There is nothing for you to like. You merely have to do as the Dark Lord demands and not get yourself killed. I feel you are more than capable of this.”
“He’s asking me to spy on Dumbledore!” Snape hissed, turning on him, “And not only spy but to work for him and betray him from under his hooked nose!”
Lucius frowned and peered into his cup, “If the Dark Lord didn’t think you were capable…”
“Of course I’m bloody capable!” Snape snapped, he hurled his wet robe across the chair he should have been sitting in and turned towards the fire, “The old fool practically offered me the job.”
Lucius nodded silently, “You suspect he has ulterior motives?”
“Well wouldn’t you?” Snape asked folding his arms, “He suspects that I serve the Dark Lord. He may have blind spots a mile wide and a tendency towards foolish mercy but he’s not stupid.” He turned and took his seat, “Even his Lordship acknowledges that Dumbledore is his only real opposition for power.”
Lucius opened his mouth to respond as the door opened behind them and turned in his chair. Narcissa appeared in the opening, “Lucius?” she asked softly, “I was told we have company.”
The men stood as she moved gracefully into the room, dressed in a conservative nightgown that might have passed as a dress on lesser women, “It is only me Narcissa,” Snape said bowing slightly, eyes softening, “I had something to discuss with your husband.”
Narcissa smiled and nodded, “Severus. You’re always welcome of course. Shall I send for something to eat?”
“No,” both men replied at the same time. Lucius came forward around the chair and ushered his wife from the room, “You shouldn’t be troubling yourself so darling.” He said to gently, “Go back to bed. I will join you shortly.”
Narcissa smiled and demurred silently, “Of course dear,” she said and nodded regally to Snape over his shoulder, “Goodnight Severus,”
“Goodnight Narcissa,” he said bowing again as she wafted from the room.
Lucius returned to his seat and so did Severus and they sat in silence for a moment, Lucius sipping from his cup.
“The healers hint that her pregnancy might prove more difficult than we thought,” he said staring into the fire.
Severus nodded, “She is young,” he said agreeing, “But she seems hail enough for now.”
Lucius took another sip and set the wine aside, “And as to your-“
He broke off again as the fire turned a sudden shade of green and a head appeared in the flames. Propser Avery looked out at them from the flames, “Lucius!” he said in alarm, “Emergency at the Greengrass Manor! There’s been a raid by the Order!” he said in a rush and vanished.
He disappeared but both men were already on their feet, grabbing their cloaks and apparating with hurried cracks.
* * *
They appeared in chaos. Snow was falling in heavy clumps but all Severus could feel was a sudden rush of blistering heat and blinding light. He gasped in shock and fell back from the inferno raging just a few feet away. Strong hands grabbed his shoulder and dragged him through the melting snow towards safety.
The Greengrass Manor was burning, casting a lurid light against the cold, blank night, people running about it in frenzy trying to dose the flames. Lucius and Avery dropped him and ran forward to help, wands out and water blasting from its tips into the fire’s gaping maw.
Snape stumbled to his feet. A few feet away a woman was wailing in shock in fear, held by her husband who was having trouble keeping her from running back into the blaze.
“My babies! Solon! Nisaba!” she wailed, struggling against the bigger man. Another witch appear beside him with a vial and between the two of them they forced it down her throat. She quieted almost instantly and he cradled her to the ground, stroking her hair and murmuring to her as the witch ran forward to add her own spray to the fight, Snape following on her heels.
It was nearly an hour before the last of the flames flickered out, and more than half of the Manor was burned beyond recognition. The Ministry had finally arrived, a good 10 minutes before the final flickering embers were crushed under Lucius’ exhausted boot, and offered no aid or relief to the tired Death Eaters, save to question them all closely on the cause of the fire and why they had all managed to respond so quickly.
“It was those damned rebels!” Rookwood snapped at one of the Ministry witches.
“The Death Eaters?” She queried, Quick Quotes Quill posed over a piece of parchment.
“No!” He bellowed angrily, “Those damned Order Members! They’re out to get every pureblood who’s proud of their heritage! Vigilantes!”
Her quill worked furiously, “The Ministry does not acknowledge the existence of the supposed…”
Lucius and the other suddenly loomed behind Rookwood and glared at her, soot covered faces grim, “Perhaps that is why they are free wreck such havoc on innocent families.” He snarled at her, a fine blade of ice turning her face white, “And perhaps the Ministry would like to explain to Solon and Nisaba Greengrass how their murderers don’t exist.”
The woman looked a little ashamed and mumbled off some answer Severus didn’t hear, as he hunched over the burned arm of a young man whose name he hadn’t bothered to discover. From his eyes and hair he assumed he was a Holgrave, “There,” he said as the last of the blistering faded beneath his wand, turning to the next.
“Thank you sir,” The young man said scurrying towards the wreckage to help. Severus shook his head grimly and wondered when he became a ‘sir’.
Lucius approached him through sooty snow, his platinum hair oddly disheveled and his face furious and soot covered, posing an intimidating contrast to his frozen eyes, “I can’t believe this outrage.” He said.
“Are you hurt?” Severus asked curtly.
Lucius took a moment to register his voice, “What? No. I’m fine.”
Severus nodded and surveyed the damage, “What happened?”
“Most of the family was out,” Lucius said folding his arms. Without the burning house the night had turned deathly chill, even if the snow had stopped, “And the Order took advantage to raid the Manor looking for information or whatever the hell it is they wanted.”
“Did they find it?” Snape asked.
“No. There was nothing to find. Apparently they decided to burn the place behind them.” He snarled, “Solon and Nisaba Greengrass were inside. They didn’t get out. Neither did their nanny elf.” He said in disgust, “Good pureblooded children Severus.”
Snape nodded. He’d seen the violence both sides of this bloody war had committed, and he’d be a hypocrite to say this was anymore a tragedy than the murder of McKinnon and her family a few weeks ago. But this…it struck so much closer to home.
And, of course, it would only make a small article somewhere deep in the confounded tangle of the Prophet’s reporting. Families associated with the Dark Lord never seemed to merit much sympathy from the public in large.
“This could have been averted,” Lucius said coldly.
“How?” Snape asked in a monotone, knowing the answer as soon as he asked.
“We need to know Severus,” Lucius said lowly, eyeing the milling crowd sharing their grief with one another, “We have to know what the Order is planning. What if this had been my home?” he asked suddenly furious, “What if it had been Narcissa and our child in the flames, Severus?”
Snape nodded mutely, eyes distant, “I know Lucius,” he said quietly, “I know.”
“Then you’ll do it?” Lucius asked lowly.
Black eyes flickered with the reflection of a blaze that burned only in his memory and the echoes of a mother’s scream, “I’ll do it.”