Ficlets: Snape & Draco for Demarazare / Remus/Sirius for Acciochocolate
I didn't get anything posted yesterday - (work's fault*) - so you get two ficlets today. Some Snape-Draco gen for demarazare and some Remus/Sirius for acciochocolate.
Title: The Prince and the Lamb
Summary: After their flight from Hogwarts, Snape and Draco discuss their options.
Wordcount: 400
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for demarazare. Hope you enjoy! I had a terrible time picking out characters I thought you might like. *hugs*
"What do we do now?"
The man with the lank, dark hair closed the curtains and bent over a lamp. "We try to keep you alive." There was a click, and soft light pushed the darkness back into louring corners.
The boy did not like the edge in the man's voice. "Well, it's OK, isn't it? You killed him, he's dead, so it's all right."
"You know very little of the Dark Lord's ways if you believe you are now safe, Draco," said the man sharply.
The boy’s shoulders slumped. "I only wanted to do it for my parents," he muttered.
"Yes," said the man, "but you couldn't, could you, and in one way I am pleased about that. But if there's one thing you must learn, it is to redeem your promises."
"What shall I do?" The boy collapsed into a chair. A second later, he sat up straight and glared around at the knotty backrest.
"We have a choice," answered the man. "We can return to the Dark Lord, who will undoubtedly punish you and reward me. He will then set you another difficult task, which you will be compelled to complete under threat of death to you and your family, and which will certainly involve murder."
"What other choice do we have?" asked the boy dully.
"We can throw ourselves on the mercy of Professor Dumbledore's friends. They will no doubt kill me before I have an opportunity to speak, but they will almost certainly give you - and your mother - sanctuary."
"But you can't die." The boy's knuckles paled on the arm-rest. "I need you!"
"The third option is to take our own path. As I have done for many years, serving sometimes one master, sometimes another, but always myself."
The boy’s mouth fell open. "You - you mean you were helping Dumbledore?" He sat forward. "But you killed him!"
The man's face was still in shadow, and when he spoke, his voice was even. "I have served two masters since before you were born. Make no mistake, this is not an easy choice. It is not the easy choice. This time, we would be serving not two masters, but no one. Think about what that may mean."
When he turned, his expression revealed nothing. He poured wine into the waiting glasses, and held one out to the boy. "Which is it to be, Draco? This is your choice."
Title: The moonshine's watery beams
Summary: Sirius is still obsessing over the past.
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 165
Notes: Written for acciochocolate - hope you enjoy! In lieu of my inability to produce any Shakespeare last week, the title is from Mercutio's Queen Mab speech in Romeo and Juliet.
"When did you realise it was Peter and not me?" asked Sirius, sipping his whisky-laden hot chocolate. Harry and the rest of the guests had retired to bed but Sirius, in an attempt to prolong the Christmas spirit, had insisted on a nightcap.
Remus gave him an are-you-really-going-to-make-me-say-this-again look. "When I saw Peter with Harry and the others."
"Not until then?"
"No."
"You never wondered whether I might be innocent before that?"
"As I've told you before," Remus said, "I found it terribly difficult to accept initially. Perhaps if you hadn't been acting so oddly around that time..."
Sirius drank in silence, contemplating the Christmas tree.
"Damn, we were idiots, weren't we?" he said eventually.
Remus laid a hand on his arm. "We still are. Just older idiots."
"I'll drink to that." Sirius waved his mug in Remus's direction, and drained it.
Remus did likewise. "Come on." He stood up, pulling Sirius with him. "This idiot wants to make up some lost time. With you."
* I tell you, there's nothing like working two fifteen-hour days (again) and busting your guts to get some work sent off, only to get an email back saying the recipient is out of the office and will be back on Thursday. I could've had the evening off, you bastards!
On the plus side, I now get a day off! Will now catch up on all the comments that came through yesterday and then see what you lot have been up to. Oh, and then get my reversathon requests in, if there are any authors left!