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Title<\/b>: Challenging Fate <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Severus Snape savored the burn as he finished the bottle of firewhiskey he\u2019d purchased on the way home. Despair washed over him. He leaned forward, staring into the fire with his elbows balanced on his knees, the empty bottle hanging from his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat am I supposed to do now?\u201d he asked the flames, his mind muted by alcohol and misery, searching for an answer to his dilemma. They\u2019d known there had to be a mole in the Death Eater camp for a while now, but until tonight, Severus had had no idea just how close to Dumbledore\u2019s most trusted circle that individual was. He still didn\u2019t have a name, but there was no question that the mole – the traitor – was their very own Brutus, not after all the gloating was done tonight, revealing how much information the bastard had had.<\/p>\n \u201cFucking hell.\u201d Severus barely refrained from throwing the bottle at the wall. How was he supposed to keep his promise to James and Lily? How was he supposed to protect Harry? \u201cDamn it. I make a sorry fucking drunk.\u201d He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, trying not to think and failing.<\/p>\n Severus had fallen in with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters before he\u2019d even left Hogwarts. The lure of power and prestige had been too enticing for the boy from a broken-down home in Cokeworth. Then they\u2019d\u00a0 Severus had been invited in. The Death Eaters had been willing to give Severus a pass for his muggle blood due to his friendship with Lucius, his innate genius in potions, and the fact that his mother, at least, had been a Prince. Unfortunately, due to his stupidity, Severus found himself at the mercy of the Dark Lord once that foul brand was embedded in his arm, a slave in all but name.<\/p>\n Not only did it identify him as a loyal<\/i> follower, but it allowed the Dark Lord to track him and then command him from any distance. The mark also allowed the Dark Lord to embed commands that Severus found himself forced to follow. It was how the bastard had gotten the prophecy piece from him. The best Severus could do about it was get himself caught so he didn\u2019t hear the whole thing. He\u2019d learned and perfected the art of occlumency, which aided him in resisting and finding loopholes – to a point. However, he never let the Dark Lord know how much the leash had slipped – not yet – not until he could discover how to release himself completely.<\/p>\n Severus had taken the mark during a Samhain ritual immediately following graduation from Hogwarts and had just as immediately regretted it. He was sure that quite a bit of it had to do with the clarity of mind that had come to him around that time. It had been as if he\u2019d recovered from some sort of undefined illness he hadn\u2019t even been aware of having. The anger that had dogged him relentlessly was just…gone. One day he\u2019d woken with the unhindered emotional landscape he\u2019d been missing before.<\/p>\n Severus had gone to Dumbledore as soon as he\u2019d acknowledged his mistake, but Dumbledore had sent him away, telling him that there was nothing that could be done for him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf only you had come to me before you had taken the mark, my boy,\u201d the old man said sorrowfully, shaking his head, blue eyes twinkling at him. \u201cLemon drop? No? Well, I can\u2019t release you from Voldemort\u2019s service, but if you are willing to help our cause, then once he is defeated, it will go well in your favor, and I will speak for you before the court.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Severus had become a spy for the Order. He\u2019d been walking this precarious road for the last few years now, and he was exhausted. He should have known it would only get worse. His only consolation was that he\u2019d been in touch with Lily. Severus had swallowed his pride and managed to apologize for his behavior – to both her and James Potter. They\u2019d replied and forgiven him, but told him to keep his distance. He\u2019d been more than willing to adhere to any restrictions as he\u2019d never been expected to be forgiven by Lily, not after throwing around words designed to cut as deeply as they had. While their interactions at order meetings were awkward, they weren\u2019t as volatile as he\u2019d expected.<\/p>\n It had been James Potter who had made the first overtures towards what could tentatively be called something like friendship. He\u2019d helped one evening that Severus had come in to report after a Death Eater meeting. Severus had displeased the Dark Lord that evening and paid for it dearly. James Potter had helped with his healing after Dumbledore had dismissed them all and left. After that, the man wouldn\u2019t leave him alone, as intent on Severus\u2019 friendship as he\u2019d been on his rivalry. Severus could never really figure out what changed with the other man, but he had come to realize why people like Lily, Black, and Lupin were so loyal to James Potter.<\/p>\n Severus had felt himself begin to churn with aberrantly obsessive emotions again during the order meetings, so familiar from his school days. Now that he\u2019d had his mind clear, he was able to recognize the feel of false emotions trying to influence him, but he couldn\u2019t pinpoint the cause. He laboriously shuttled them all behind his occlumency barriers to examine later and began to take a potion of his own design to shore up his defenses.<\/p>\n The events of the war had been moving too fast for him to have time to do more than acknowledge that someone was trying to play games with his mind again. That they were intent on him hating certain members of the order, intent on turning what might have been a small and justifiable childhood crush on a friend into an obsessive and dangerous thing that could have – and almost did – ruin him.<\/p>\n Severus opened his eyes and lifted the bottle of firewhiskey. He frowned when he saw that it was still empty. He didn\u2019t drink often, and he drank to get drunk even more infrequently. Too many of his childhood memories were layered in the scent of cheap liquor. The news that had come from tonight\u2019s meeting with the Dark Lord had sent him straight for the bottle, but even if he felt like it deserved more than a single bottle of firewhiskey, he wasn\u2019t going to push it.<\/p>\n \u201cSnape?\u201d Potter called into the room. \u201cYou around, old man?\u201d<\/p>\n Severus shook himself free of his thoughts; he hadn\u2019t noticed the fire change from its red-orange glow, and now he had James Potter\u2019s head floating in his fireplace. \u201cI\u2019m here, Potter. Give me a damned minute,\u201d he said, setting the bottle down and ignoring when it fell over and rolled under the chair. He stood unsteadily, holding onto the arm of his chair for balance.<\/p>\n \u201cSnape?\u201d Potter called again, and Severus wasn\u2019t sure if the man hadn\u2019t heard him or was just being impatient.<\/p>\n Sliding his wand out of its holster and into his hand, Severus snapped out the locking and anti-eavesdropping spells. He had permanent spells built into the wards of the place already, but he wasn\u2019t going to take any chances, not with what he\u2019d discovered tonight. Kneeling in front of the fire, Severus met the concerned countenance of James Potter. It was surreal even after the last few months. Now that the vitriol that had fed much of their school years was gone, they\u2019d found themselves on the same side of a conflict and willingly cooperating. They were even something close to friends at this point.<\/p>\n \u201cThere you are,\u201d Potter huffed. He squinted behind his glasses. \u201cYou okay there, Snape?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve finished the better part of a bottle of Ogdens,\u201d Severus replied, settling himself more comfortably. \u201cI\u2019m considerably better than I was a few hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let Lily hear you say that,\u201d Potter replied with a glance back over his shoulder. \u201cIt isn\u2019t like you to drink like this. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Severus sighed, leaning back on his heels and pinching his nose. He was entirely too drunk for this conversation, and as much as he didn\u2019t want to be sober for it, he was going to need to be. \u201cOne moment,\u201d he replied. Then, leaning over to the side, he fetched a sober-up potion, a glass of water, and a bucket.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you using that purging sober-up?\u201d Potter called out. \u201cOh, man. Let me through. I\u2019ll help, and then we can have this conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t safe outside your wards, Potter,\u201d Severus said, sticking his head back into the fire. \u201cThis form of communication is dangerous enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re moving soon, you know that,\u201d Potter said, exhaustion lining his words. \u201cWe\u2019re just waiting until after Harry\u2019s blessing. We\u2019ll set the Fidelis then, and we won\u2019t be able to talk, so just let me through.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d Severus rocked back and got to his feet, spelling the security charms to let Potter through with the correct passcode. He bent over and poked his head through. \u201cPasscode is the same.\u201d He stepped away.<\/p>\n Fire flashed, and Potter stepped through, quick movements dispelling the ash from his clothes as he surveyed the room. \u201cYou need to change the passcode. Just because you have it locked to my magical signature doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware,\u201d Severus said dryly, but he approved of Potter\u2019s safety measures and concerns. The man had more than himself to protect these days. \u201cNow, I\u2019m going to get this unpleasantness over with. You know what to do if this blasted mark starts to–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Snape. I\u2019m a fully trained auror,\u201d Potter replied, twirling his wand and smiling that cocky smile that used to irritate the fuck out of him in school – hell, it still did. \u201cI\u2019ll knock you on your arse before you can say Slytherin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI find myself wishing that Black had come through,\u201d Severus said, lips twisting as he turned to collect his potion and water. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think Lily might be right about you and Sirius,\u201d Potter called down the hall after him. \u201cYou\u2019re both hate flirting. I wouldn\u2019t believe it was a thing if I didn\u2019t see the two of you together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t flirt!\u201d Severus slammed the bathroom door shut on the other man. \u201cFor fuck\u2019s sake. Hate flirting? I\u2019m already feeling ill, I didn\u2019t need the help, Potter,\u201d He muttered, setting himself up.<\/p>\n When he came back into the sitting room, he saw that Potter had made himself comfortable on his couch and was going over the reports Severus would be turning in at the next order meeting. Some would be passed around to all the members, but most would be kept back for Dumbledore\u2019s own inner circle.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t good, Severus,\u201d He said; he rarely used Severus\u2019 first name, even after he\u2019d been given permission to do so. The animosity of their childhood years had made it too awkward for either of them to let go of that one final barrier of formality.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d He agreed, shoving the other man\u2019s feet off the end of the couch and sitting down. \u201cWe knew that we had a leak, but this shows that the leak is in the top echelon of the order. This information was limited to a few, even I wasn\u2019t given it. I didn\u2019t know it until the meeting tonight. I wrote up the report and then got drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he\u2019s definitely after us,\u201d James swung himself up to a sitting position. \u201cFuck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise,\u201d Snaped looked to the side at him. \u201cDumbledore told you that you would be targeted a few months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe should\u2019ve told us as soon as Harry was born!\u201d James snapped, shooting to his feet and pacing. \u201cIf you hadn\u2019t gotten in contact with Lily and let her know, we could\u2019ve been unprotected for months before Dumbledore decided that we should know that the prophecy might be about our son.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus knew that something had caused a rift between the Potter faction of the order and Dumbledore\u2019s, but he hadn\u2019t been around enough to have all the details. His spying activities kept his contact to a limited number of order members and very few meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cListen, Potter, even though I wasn\u2019t your biggest fan at the time, Harry was still an infant and Lily\u2019s son,\u201d Severus took a breath and stood. \u201cI\u2019d do anything to protect her and Harry, you know that. She was my first friend, and even when I thought I\u2019d ruined that, I want to think I\u2019d have done anything for them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you wrote that letter to us,\u201d Potter stopped pacing to stare at him. \u201cI thought it was a trap or something. We all knew that you\u2019d taken the mark, of course.\u201d He nodded when Severus flinched, his hand covering his arm. \u201cYeah, Lily though–Lily said that she wanted to forgive you, but that it was up to me whether or not we would have anything to do with you after that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised that we are talking then,\u201d Severus said, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He\u2019d sent that letter over two years ago. He\u2019d taken the mark the Samhain after graduation, and by the New Year, he\u2019d realized the nightmare he\u2019d stepped into. He\u2019d written his letter to the Potters, he hadn\u2019t expected forgiveness, but without Dumbledore\u2019s help, he\u2019d been expecting his death and wanted to apologize to Lily for his behavior.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well,\u201d Potter laughed, rifling a hand into his hair. \u201cI didn\u2019t plan on it, but you started to spy for the order, and you didn\u2019t push into Lily\u2019s space. You left us alone, even when Sirius was being–\u201d He paused, shrugging.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean when Black was a prick?\u201d Severus supplied, feeling his brows arch. \u201cI don\u2019t recall letting him get away with anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t,\u201d He laughed, throwing himself back on the couch. \u201cYou have the sharpest tongue I\u2019ve ever heard next to Lily, but I can\u2019t say that Sirius didn\u2019t earn your replies this time around.\u201d Potter waved that off and continued, \u201cWhat I\u2019m saying is that you didn\u2019t try anything; your letter wasn\u2019t a trap or a manipulation or any of the things I thought it was. When you got in touch with us after Harry was born and told us what you knew about the prophecy. Snape, you didn\u2019t hold anything back then–didn\u2019t hide your involvement in the whole thing either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d cut this damned arm off if it would do any good,\u201d Severus said, slumping on the couch next to the other man. \u201cAs it is, I can\u2019t even kill myself without his permission. I can loosen my leash, but it still chokes me when I move too far.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get it figured out, Snape. Lily and the rest of the department are working on it. I doubt you\u2019re the only one that took the mark and regretted it,\u201d He clapped Severus on the shoulder companionly. \u201cSo, according to your report, we\u2019d better get under the Fidelus sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Severus nodded in agreement. \u201cBe selective in who you choose to keep your secrets, Potter, and who you give them away to. As you read, the traitor wears a familiar face.\u201d<\/p>\n The man took his glass off to rub his eyes, replacing his glasses, he stared solemnly at Severus, \u201cI don\u2019t want to believe it, but I\u2019m not stupid enough to deny it either,\u201d He said, looking at the table where he\u2019d tossed the papers. \u201cI don\u2019t envy you the work you do, Snape.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no hero, Potter,\u201d Severus snapped at him, jerking the sleeve of his robe up. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for this–for the anger, pride, and the stupidity that went along with it–you\u2019d have to find another to spy for you. I\u2019m grateful that what I\u2019ve done has kept Lily and Harry safe for now, but don\u2019t think that I wouldn\u2019t run from that thing masquerading as a wizard given the first opportunity.\u201d He pulled his sleeve back down, smoothing the fabric. He felt his face warm with embarrassment at his lack of control.<\/p>\n \u201cI get it, Snape,\u201d Potter replied, standing and gathering himself to leave. \u201cI can still be grateful and think what I want about the service you\u2019ve done so far in this war. I know that you\u2019re constrained by that brand on your arm, but you\u2019ve given us a better chance to win than we had. It was your intel that saved the Prewett twins, and that\u2019s kept the Longbottoms and us a step ahead of the Death Eaters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDumbledore-\u201d Severus began.<\/p>\n \u201cDumbledore has his own agenda,\u201d Potter said, frowning. \u201cI\u2019ve talked to a few people, and we aren\u2019t sure what it is, but we don\u2019t trust it right now. The decisions he\u2019s making might be good for the wizarding world as a whole, but I need to make the decisions that are good for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe wary of him, Potter,\u201d He cautioned the man as they moved to the fireplace. \u201cYou don\u2019t need enemies on all fronts, and make no mistake, Dumbledore won\u2019t take it well if you don\u2019t fall in with his plans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware,\u201d Potter replied grimly. \u201cI\u2019ve taken what precautions I can. If we don\u2019t speak again before the Fidelus goes up and you need to get in touch, go through Sirius.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll have to be desperate if I go through the mutt,\u201d Severus grumbled, handing the other man the floo powder.<\/p>\n Potter laughed, taking a pinch, \u201cFor all that you two fight, he\u2019ll help when you need it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware. I can take care of things on my end, \u201d Severus agreed, waving the man off. \u201cYou just worry about yourself and your family, Potter.\u201d<\/p>\n The floo flared as Potter left, and Severus shut it down for the night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBlack!\u201d Severus\u2019 throat was tight; he could still taste blood on his lips even though the spells and potions had already healed the worst of his injuries. \u201cSirius Black, get your bloody arse over here and let me through now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep your hair on, mate,\u201d Sirius ambled into view of the fireplace. His eyes widened once he got a look at Severus. \u201cWhat the hell happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have time for that,\u201d Severus snapped, \u201cLet me through.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPasscode is the only prank I\u2019ve ever apologized to you for,\u201d Sirius said, stepping back.<\/p>\n Severus pulled his head out of the fireplace and threw in more powder. \u201cGrim Haven Werewolf.\u201d<\/p>\n He exited the flew on unsteady feet, Black had a hand on his elbow to keep him from falling over, and he didn\u2019t hex the man for once.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to go,\u201d He said once he got his feet under him. \u201cWe don\u2019t have much time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is going on?\u201d Black asked, pulling him around to face him. \u201cYou look like hell Snape.\u201d<\/p>\n One good thing about the renewal of his friendship with Lily and whatever the relationship he had with James Potter could be called, no one called him Snivellus any longer.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going after the Potters and Longbottoms tonight,\u201d Severus gasped out, a pain in his side reminding him that while the worst of his injuries had healed, there were still some minor pains he\u2019d ignored in his haste. \u201cWe need to go Black.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll send out word to get a unit out to the Longbottoms. Frank never went under the Fidelus. He\u2019s sure the manor will hold up to an assault, but it\u2019s best not to take chances. James and Lily are safe under the spell, though.\u201d Black replied, calling up his Patronus to give it the message for one of the fighting units out to the Longbottom manor.<\/p>\n \u201cThey aren\u2019t, though, Black. They\u2019ve been betrayed,\u201d Severus bit out, whirling on the man. \u201cPeter Pettigrew is the traitor; he kneels whimpering at Voldemort\u2019s feet, tripping over his tongue to spill information as fast as he can.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirius Black went so still Severus wasn\u2019t even sure that he was breathing. His eyes didn\u2019t blink as he stared at him. \u201cNo, not Peter,\u201d He whispered, choking on his own words, but even as he denied it, he was fetching his battle gear from the next room, spelling it on before Severus had a chance to reply.<\/p>\n \u201cI managed to slip out while that monster was making his mad plans for the night. However, he\u2019s not going to wait. He sees tonight as an auspicious occasion; the fact that Peter brought him the information on this date cements the fact for him,\u201d Severus straightened his shoulders. \u201cI don\u2019t know how much help I\u2019ll be against him when he arrives, but I\u2019ve managed to block him effectively enough that he can\u2019t use the mark to command my wand against you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there\u2019s that,\u201d Black nodded, face grim. He cautioned, \u201cI can\u2019t give you the secret.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to,\u201d Severus grimaced, \u201cI already have it. Of course, if we make it through the night, they\u2019ll need to move and reset themselves just in case. But, honestly, it would be better if they left the country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou might be right,\u201d Black agreed, \u201cHave you been there before?\u201d \u201cDo you trust me enough for that?\u201d Black looked at him startled but reached his hand out gamely.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we\u2019ll see,\u201d Severus responded coolly, keeping his trepidation hidden. He bypassed the other man\u2019s hand and stepped up to him to grip his forearm; using his other hand, he gripped his wand and stood in front of Black facing behind him, chest pressed up against him. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare splinch me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t dare,\u201d Black said dryly, \u201cYou\u2019d beat me to death with whatever limb I left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n The crack that announced their arrival was barely a muffled whisper of sound, proving Sirius\u2019 competency in apparation as they arrived in a dark alley across from the cottage that held the Potter family. Severus had his wand up, eyes steady as he scanned the area. He didn\u2019t see any movement.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see anyone,\u201d Black murmured. \u201cI should send a message to Dumbledore and the order. We\u2019ll need back up if the bastard is on his way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sent a message to Dumbledore. I told him that he was moving,\u201d Severus said, stepping away from Black. \u201cI told him that the bastard was sure that Harry was the prophecy child, but he sent a squad after Neville just to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sent my Patronus directly to the units on standby and Frank, so whoever he sends to the manor will be met with plenty of resistance. If Dumbledore got your message, he hasn\u2019t sent out any units to the area here, though,\u201d Black said, looking around, casting the spells meant to reveal hidden order members.<\/p>\n Severus was silent, wondering if it was worth it to tell Sirius his suspicions about Dumbledore. He didn\u2019t have enough proof to convince the fanatic followers of the great Leader of the Light, but Black might listen.<\/p>\n \u201cDumbledore has his own agenda,\u201d Severus tested Black.<\/p>\n Black glanced at him before scanning the area again and moving them to an area with better coverage. \u201cDo you happen to know what that agenda is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt anyone knows,\u201d He replied using his own spells, pausing only to reach into his robes for a potion to finish the healing that he\u2019d put off. Enough time had passed that it was safe to take now. \u201cHe\u2019s obsessed with this prophecy though, if I didn\u2019t know better, I\u2019d think he wanted it to come true. Right now, it\u2019s in stasis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d Black turned to look at him after setting some monitoring charms. \u201cI remember some of my lessons with my grandmother. She had the gift and ensured that we were given basic instruction if Reg or I inherited it. That was before she got sick, and they retreated to the castle.\u201d He shrugged that off and continued, \u201cShe said that a prophecy in stasis is a prophecy that can be undone; it hasn\u2019t been activated. Even if it\u2019s been given and recorded unless it\u2019s been acted on–unless a physical manifestation, no a physical, purposeful act is taken–then the prophecy remains simply words spoken, and depending on what they were about, they will fade away.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus nodded, \u201cThe department of mysteries won\u2019t acknowledge it, I\u2019m sure, but there are a lot of empty prophecy orbs in their possession.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re saying that the prophecy Dumbledore is hoarding like a nesting dragon isn\u2019t important?\u201d Black asked skeptically, brows raised, face shadowed.<\/p>\n Severus pulled back further into the shadows himself, avoiding the quaint street lamps, \u201cNo, I\u2019m saying it is important. I\u2019m saying it\u2019s so important that we should make sure that it stays in stasis, in limbo if possible. We should keep that child out of this merlin bedamned war Black,\u201d He spat at the other man, waving his arm emphatically at the cottage with its glowing lights and happy family unaware of the danger that stalked them that night.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do we do that?\u201d Black asked quietly, not arguing with him for once. \u201cWe only know the part you overheard. Dumbledore hasn\u2019t shared the rest with us, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s enough to know that we should keep that monster away from the boy. When he comes, he\u2019s going to be determined to kill Harry. He\u2019ll cut down anyone in his way, single-minded in the pursuit of his goal, use that to our advantage, and take him out. He hasn\u2019t taken the field in battle lately, not with a specific goal. Instead, he\u2019s gone for generalized terror, which has made him hard to target. Tonight he\u2019s going to be driven to a single target.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Black nodded. Severus could see the man\u2019s mind begin to work out a plan. He might not like Black personally, but even he had to admire the strategic mind that hid beneath the flirty laid back persona. \u201cWe\u2019ll need to classify Dumbledore as a hindrance is not an enemy then.\u201d He frowned, \u201cWe need to get in there and let them know. We can\u2019t do this without them being aware. If James and Lily are taken by surprise, we\u2019ll lose half our advantage against the attack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan we get in there without setting off any charms or wards that will get back to Dumbledore?\u201d Severus asked, following the other man as he was already moving from shadow to shadow, silently crossing the street.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he forgets, I think where I grew up,\u201d Black a sliver of moonlight cut through the clouds catching his feral grin. \u201cI don\u2019t mean that he forgets that I\u2019m a Black, but he doesn\u2019t understand exactly what my upbringing entailed under my mother, merlin damn her soul.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t she still alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping he\u2019ll get a head start,\u201d Black muttered distractedly, reaching the edge of the property and beginning to cast.<\/p>\n Severus turned to keep watch. As much as he wanted to see what Black was doing, someone needed to keep an eye on their surroundings. He\u2019d left as soon as he could after being discovered as a faithful spy for the order. He was lucky not to be killed. If the monster hadn\u2019t been distracted by Pettigrew, he would have been strung up for more intensive torture. He hadn\u2019t taken the chance to stay long enough to find out when they\u2019d be moving on the Potters, other than tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cThat should do it,\u201d Black nudged him around, \u201cLet\u2019s go. I want to get in before anyone sees us out here. I don\u2019t know if Dumbledore has anyone watching the area.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re taking this better than I expected,\u201d Severus admitted moving ahead of the man, keeping off the lawn to avoid leaving signs of his passing.<\/p>\n \u201cJames and Lily had had their own worries about Dumbledore since before Harry was born. I\u2019m not sure what exactly made them wary of the man, but James told me to keep my guard up around him until he could get back to me on a few things,\u201d Black finished as they came to the back door of the house. \u201cI\u2019ve learned to trust his instinct on these things, and Lily has the same affinity with her magic to be able to get that reading on someone. So if the two of them feel uneasy around Dumbledore, that is good enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus nodded, moving to the side so that Black could let them in. \u201cWhere is Lupin? I\u2019d of thought that you would have sent for him before we left your place?\u201d<\/p>\n Black paused, turning the doorknob, \u201cHe\u2019s in Bulgaria, I think. Dumbledore has him running around trying to recruit in the packs that Voldie hasn\u2019t made inroads into yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus appreciated that he wasn\u2019t saying Voldemort\u2019s name, wary of the geis placed on it. Unlike some members of the order who took Dumbledore too literally and ran around yelling Voldemort at the top of their lungs, only to find themselves surrounded by his death squads moments later.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s convenient timing,\u201d He murmured to himself, following behind Black, shutting the door silently and casting a series of security and defense spells in layers over the entire back wall of the house. Then, turning back around, he raised a brow at the amused look on Black\u2019s face. \u201cIt is stupidity to leave a door open at our backs tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou might be right,\u201d Black conceded, smiling sharply, \u201cIt\u2019s just that I didn\u2019t think there was anyone more paranoid than a Black.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone that had to deal with a Black?\u201d James Potter suggested leaning lazily against the doorway that leads out of the room. \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting you tonight, Sirius, and I definitely wasn\u2019t expecting you, Snape. So I\u2019m guessing something is very wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeter is the traitor,\u201d Black informed him, the muscle in his jaw twitched as he sucked in a breath through his teeth. \u201cSeverus brought word that he plans to move tonight with the information from Peter, so I sent a unit to the Longbottom\u2019s manor, and Snape informed Dumbledore before he came to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome into the sitting room, Lily is in there with Harry, and she should hear this as well,\u201d James Potter turned on his heel and stalked down the hall.<\/p>\n Sirius and Severus exchanged a look before following the man, they both had experience with the man\u2019s temper, and even though it had been a few years, Severus remembered what it had been like to be at wand point with the man.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you heard him,\u201d Black finally said, shrugging his dragonskin battle gear to lay more comfortably across his shoulders but making no indication that he intended to remove it. \u201cLet\u2019s not keep his majesty waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus snorted indelicately and stalked down the hall, not waiting for Sirius. When he entered the sitting room, he set to work immediately to put down the same protection spells and charms.<\/p>\n \u201cHello Sev,\u201d Lily said from the floor, Harry standing on her legs and staring up at him. \u201cCan you say hello, Harry love?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello Lily,\u201d Severus nodded to her, studying Harry. The boy wasn\u2019t even out of nappies, and Dumbledore expected this child to defeat Voldemort. He shook his head. Severus didn\u2019t doubt the power that Harry had. He could see the magic in the child\u2019s core bubbling over without even trying. That being said, he was a child, and the act of destroying Voldemort would inevitably stain the purity of his magic. Why would such a thing need to happen when plenty of powerful and talented adult witches surrounded him who could take care of the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s beautiful, Lily,\u201d Severus replied when it became evident that she was waiting for some kind of response from him. \u201cMuch better looking than the last time I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was only a few days old then,\u201d She huffed at him, pulling Harry to her and cuddling him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe looked like a cross between a raisin and potato Lils,\u201d Sirius said, coming back from the front of the house, where Severus assumed he\u2019d secured the door and wards in that area.<\/p>\n \u201cJames!\u201d Lily turned to her husband on the sofa behind her, \u201cTell them that Harry has always been a lovely child.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely,\u201d James nodded solemnly at her. \u201cAlways lovely, I mean, I was a bit sleep deprived those first few months, but I\u2019m sure he was the most beautiful baby I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n Lily rolled her eyes at him, letting Harry go when he pulled out of her arms to toddle slowly around the sitting area. She lifted herself from the floor to sit beside her husband on the sofa, and Severus took the chair next to Sirius.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very powerful,\u201d Severus observed, meeting James\u2019 gaze since he predicted that James more than Lily would grasp the implications.<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed,\u201d He nodded at Severus, mouth tight, laughter leaving his eyes. \u201cIt was one of the first things Lily saw after she recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMagesight?\u201d Severus looked at Lily and raised his brows when she nodded. He hadn\u2019t known that about her. It had to be one of the gifts that she\u2019d trained when she\u2019d gone into the Department of Mysteries.<\/p>\n \u201cHas anyone else seen him?\u201d Sirius had caught on to the implications easily enough. \u201cMagesight isn\u2019t one of my natural talents, so I\u2019d never be able to see Harry\u2019s core without spells or a ritual, and I wouldn\u2019t do that without permission. I know it\u2019s one of Severus\u2019 abilities, has anyone else that has it seen him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we\u2019ve kept him away from most people since his core began to show,\u201d James replied, threading his fingers through Lily\u2019s.<\/p>\n Lily nodded next to him and then amended, \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to keep him away from Dumbledore as much as possible, but he might know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that he does know. It would explain why he is putting so much behind his belief that Harry is the child of prophecy, even before tonight began to put things into motion,\u201d Severus said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, dangling his wand in his fingers as he tried to think.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Lily\u2019s voice rose.<\/p>\n Severus ignored them as he thought. He heard the rumble of Black answering the questions that the Potters had to the best of his ability, explaining their plans before moving on to their concerns about Voldemort and Dumbledore.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Harry whispered as quietly as a toddler could, which was to say, not at all. \u201cOuch.\u201d<\/p>\n He tugged at Severus\u2019s sleeve, and before he could stop the child, Harry had his brand bared to the room. A somber silence chilled the room, but Severus couldn\u2019t lift his gaze from the small hand moving to touch the damned flesh on his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d He tried to pull away without hurting the boy but found he couldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n \u201cOuch!\u201d Harry said again, looking at him from under his lashes, a pout forming on his face, his green eyes, just a shade darker than his mother\u2019s, began to tear up. \u201cKiss.\u201d<\/p>\n Then the boy proceeded to do that, ignoring the gasps around the room and the horror churning in Severus\u2019s gut. He gave the brand a smacking wet kiss and then smacked it with his fat little hand.<\/p>\n \u201cBad snake,\u201d He scolded, frowning. \u201cGo away.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning, he toddled to his mother and let her help him climb into her lap, where he proceeded to curl up and doze off.<\/p>\n The adults stared at the boy and then at each other before making an effort to shake off the strangeness of children.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m going to put him down for now,\u201d Lily said, not bothering to hold back a smirk as she met Severus\u2019 disgruntled look. She headed out of the room in that walking sway all mothers had.<\/p>\n Severus ignored his old friend and turned his attention back to the conversation at hand, reaching into an inner pocket of his robe to retrieve a handkerchief to wipe off the toddler slobber from his arm.<\/p>\n The burning itch didn\u2019t penetrate his argument with Potter and Black about the best way to set up their defenses until he realized that he couldn\u2019t feel his fingers due to pain.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat,\u201d He groaned, rolling his sleeve back up, staring in horror, suddenly grateful that Lily had taken Harry down to the safe room and put him to bed while they decided their next moves.<\/p>\n The ink in the mark was bubbling out of his skin, like toxins released after a purging potion. The skin around the mark roiled and boiled; green gaseous smoke rose from the mark. He could almost make out images in it, the pain made him light-headed, and he could feel himself gasping for air.<\/p>\n Severus clenched his teeth together, refusing to scream or cry out any more than he might have already. He\u2019d been through worse than this; he was sure he had, even if he couldn\u2019t remember it. He didn\u2019t know what this was, if Voldemort was reaching out through the mark to kill him for his betrayal, finally noticing Severus\u2019 disappearance from the floor of the throne room or if his fight against the spells embedded in the mark itself were finally catching up with him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Sirius was at his side, helping him out of the chair as he fell from it and laying him out on the floor. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d He managed to rasp out. \u201cHe knows about my betrayal, and he\u2019s probably noticed my disappearance by now. This might be him deciding to pull a kill switch. It might be that I rebelled too much against the spells in the mark. I couldn\u2019t say for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me get Lily,\u201d Potter said from his other side, \u201cShe might have an idea of some charms that might be useful, or something that they were working on in the department of mysteries might help.\u201d He was gone before Severus could say anything.<\/p>\n A flash fire of pain swept his whole body, thick tears fell from his eyes, leaking into his hair, and his nose began to drip in a steady stream. Severus\u2019 body arched off the ground as the pain hit him twice more. He had a moment to breathe in. Icy pain shredding at his lungs as he sucked in air and fire burning in his veins. The pain hit three more times as sharp as lightning, shooting across his nerves. The pain released him abruptly, and he sucked in gasping breaths before the pain struck him a final three times down to his bones, rattling him until he thought his teeth would crack.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck,\u201d Sirius whispered in horror next to him, using a handkerchief to wipe his face. When Severus opened his eyes, he saw it covered blood and a black substance of the same consistency as the blood. \u201cWhat the bloody fuck was that?\u201d<\/p>\n Lily was suddenly kneeling next to his head, cleaning his face off with a wet cloth, \u201cSev, you still with us? James, we should move him down to the safe room,\u201d She called over her shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cLily look at his arm,\u201d James whispered quietly.<\/p>\n Severus almost didn\u2019t hear him over the heaving of his lungs as he tried to bring himself back under control, those words caused a root of panic to take root, and he struggled to sit up, ignoring the other\u2019s protests.<\/p>\n \u201cEither help me or get out of the way,\u201d He snapped, pain and weariness dripping from him. \u201cPotter, what about my arm?\u201d Even as he asked, he brought his gaze to his left arm. It lay cradled across his chest, still throbbing with pain. He was afraid to pull back the sleeve that had fallen down when he\u2019d sat up; he could feel the wet stickiness that couldn\u2019t be mistaken for anything other than blood.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a mess, Snape,\u201d James finally said, grimacing. \u201cBut I\u2019m pretty sure that your mark is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible!\u201d Lily inhaled sharply, making an abortive movement that Severus saw out of the corner of his eye.<\/p>\n Severus glared at the arm but slowly pulled it away from his body. He couldn\u2019t manage the sleeve and the arm at the same time, though.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll help,\u201d Sirius said, reaching over. He balanced Severus\u2019 arm and began to lift the sleeve, which was already beginning to stick. \u201cHow do you want to do this, Snape, fast or slow?\u201d He wiggled his brows with a smirk, but his grey eyes stayed somber.<\/p>\n Severus just arched a brow at the man, unamused at his attempt at humor. \u201cJust get it done, Black before it ends up worse than it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirius nodded at him and pulled the sleeve back in a smooth, steady motion. Severus clenched his teeth, the fabric hadn\u2019t quite begun to stick, but the skin underneath was over sensitive.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the bloody fuck–\u201d Sirius breathed once he had the sleeve off, using his wand to stick it back. \u201cI think James is right, Lils give me that cloth.\u201d<\/p>\n The arm was covered in a green and black substance mixed with his blood, it looked like it had been torn out of his arm, leaving an open wound, but something was making a barrier against the substance, leaving it to coagulate on his skin like an oil slick of poison.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got healing potions in my pockets,\u201d He whispered, unable to take his eyes off the spot where his mark had been. \u201cI think whatever this substance is, it needs to be cleaned up and destroyed. If it came out of that mark, there is no telling what kind of black magic could be in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake him to the ritual room. He\u2019ll need to be cleansed, at least. Unfortunately, we don\u2019t have time for a full ritual,\u201d James said, holding up a hand against Severus\u2019 protests. \u201cWe do have time for a healing and a quick cleansing. But, Severus, this means that you can do more than throw yourself in between one of us and that monster. Don\u2019t you realize that this means you have a choice? You can fight if you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s right, Snape,\u201d Sirius said. He stood up, giving Severus a hand under his elbow and pulling him to his feet. Sirius stepped back to lean against the fireplace and cross his arms. \u201cYou have a chance to show everyone what\u2019s really under all that Slytherin slyness and ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus felt himself pause; he knew without asking that they would let him go. He could walk out the door. His warning to them would be taken to heart, and they would be grateful for it, but he would never be welcomed fully back into their circle again. They would still let him go, let him run as far as he could from the monster that had put his mark on him and from whatever plans Dumbledore was making. They\u2019d probably even pack him a bag, bloody Griffyndors.<\/p>\n He looked at the three of them, Sirius by the fire, James and Lily near the door to the basement safe room where little Harry lay sleeping, and knew the danger that was to come later.<\/p>\n He couldn\u2019t leave. He\u2019d already made the mistake once of obliterating bridges with his only real friend. Now he had her back, and with her, he\u2019d somehow made something like friends with her husband and Sirius Black, of all people. Even Remus Lupin was on speaking terms with him, though with how much he traveled for the order, they didn\u2019t see each other often.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll stay, but whatever we\u2019re going to do, we should hurry. Knowing that monster\u2019s flair for the dramatic, he\u2019ll probably show up around midnight or three, counting on arithmancy to aid him, as well as catching you off guard.\u201d Severus replied, gingerly shrugging out of his over robes. Most of the pain in his arm was gone, but he didn\u2019t want to disturb the cloth they\u2019d laid over and secured with a sticking charm. The last thing he wanted to do was contaminate the cottage with whatever this vile substance was.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s head down then. It\u2019s in the space next to the safe rooms,\u201d James said. He nodded to Lily as she took up a guard position at the door when Sirius made to follow them down.<\/p>\n Severus made sure he kept his robe with him; all his garments would need to be burned to ensure that nothing was left of whatever had come out of the mark. \u201cDid either of you or Lily get any of this on you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLily had some on her hands,\u201d James said. \u201cShe\u2019ll come down and do a cleansing when we\u2019re done. We\u2019ll all go through it, just to be sure. I\u2019m just glad that whatever happened did it when Harry was out of the room.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus shuddered at the horror that thought brought. \u201cHe needs to be kept as far from that monster and his magic as possible. Potter, your son, has some of the purest magic I have ever witnessed. Yes, it\u2019s some of the strongest, but most of us can build strength as we age, as you know. The purity of our magic, though.\u201d He trailed off. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think he already is,\u201d James said, grinning. \u201cBut I get your meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarry is the best,\u201d Sirius punched James in the shoulder, moving to walk next to them now that they were down the steps. He grinned at Severus, \u201cHe\u2019s my godson, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think everyone is aware of that Black,\u201d Severus rolled his eyes, hiding his amusement at the man\u2019s evident joy and pride at being chosen. \u201cThe only thing you didn\u2019t do was take an ad out in The Daily Prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I was being circumspect,\u201d He sniffed when James laughed, \u201cI see how it is.\u201d<\/p>\n He threw his hair back and sauntered off down the hall, all false indignation as James chuckled behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat man wouldn\u2019t know how to be circumspect if it came up and bit him in the face,\u201d Severus muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t so bad, he does well at work and for the order,\u201d James defended, pushing open the door that Sirius had disappeared through.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes,\u201d He acknowledged. \u201cHe\u2019s good at his work, but in life?\u201d He sniffed and shook his head. He made his way to the side of the room and started stripping out of his robes.<\/p>\n \u201cPeg!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can Peg be helping Master Potter?\u201d He wore a uniform in the livery of the House of Potter and held himself very erect. The house-elf was small, the pale pink grey that most of their species were.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to do a cleansing, my friend was hurt by the monster we\u2019ve been hiding from,\u201d James said. He sighed at the censuring look the elf gave him. \u201cYes, you can have the nanny elf come in to watch Harry tonight, he\u2019s in the safe room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPotter!\u201d Severus snapped at the man, thoughts tumbling through his mind. \u201cAre you saying that you have access to Potter Manor, the manor that he believes has been destroyed, razed to the ground?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, yeah,\u201d James looked over at him, \u201cThe goblins put it behind wards for me, he did attack it and killed my parents, but the manor itself wasn\u2019t as bad off as I told everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why in merlin\u2019s name are you keeping Harry here tonight?\u201d Sirius interjected, seeing where Severus was going.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat he said,\u201d Severus agreed, waving his uninjured are in the other man\u2019s direction. \u201cIf you have at least one trusted house-elf there that can watch over him, why is he even still here?\u201d<\/p>\n James stood still for a minute before bursting into movement, \u201cI\u2019ll be right back, Peg get them set up for cleansing and send for Mimi, she\u2019ll be taking Harry to the manor.\u201d He turned to the other men, \u201cI have to go talk to Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirius turned to Severus. \u201cI didn\u2019t even know about the manor, or I would have made them go there and leave this place as a decoy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s your friend,\u201d He replied before turning to the elf who was tapping his foot impatiently. \u201cI need to empty the pockets, but after that, the clothing will need to be destroyed. It\u2019s all been contaminated, but unknown black magic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know what to be doing,\u201d Peg sniffed at him, snapping his fingers and disappearing.<\/p>\n Severus didn\u2019t even look down when he felt the cool air hit his skin, just glanced to the shelved to make sure the elf had indeed emptied his potions out, the uncontrolled destruction of which could have been a minor catastrophe.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are too, you know?\u201d Sirius said he was slipping into one of the white ceremonial robes that had been on the shelf next to him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Severus bristled, automatically stalking forward to get his robe on. He\u2019d forgotten about Black momentarily with how quiet he\u2019d been.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re our friend as well,\u201d Sirius smiled, his eyes crinkling. \u201cHell, if I know how that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a merlin bedamned miracle,\u201d James replied, reentering the room. \u201cCircumstances being what they were, I say it was a miracle. Lily says we all grew up, and some of us learned some harsh lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus felt the internal strike of that remark but didn\u2019t dispute it. They were harsh lessons, but at least he\u2019d learned them instead of ignoring what was going on around him and continuing on the path he\u2019d been on. Severus glanced down at his arm. It was still covered by the linen cloth, but he had a feeling that it would scar when all was said and done. While a part of him shuddered at the thought, mostly he was relieved that there would be something left to show what stupidity brought–at what his anger and pride had led him to–at the reminder that actions would forever have consequences. If it hadn\u2019t been for the mark, he wouldn\u2019t have been forced by the spells within it to report the glimpse of the prophecy he\u2019d overheard. Hell, he wouldn\u2019t have been forced to spy on Dumbledore in the first place.<\/p>\n \u201cFriends,\u201d Severus tasted the word as he said it, waiting for James to change into his robes. Of course, the term was familiar, but using it in connection to these men was so foreign he wasn\u2019t sure how to feel about it. \u201cI presume it\u2019s too late to change my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t run when your mark disappeared in our living room Severus,\u201d James said soberly, crossing the room to open the door into the open ritual bathing room.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the thing, Snape,\u201d Sirius said, clapping him on the shoulder and dragging Severus through the door with him. \u201cDespite how we acted in school and what you did in those last years after you and Lily broke off your friendship, we\u2019ve all noticed how you\u2019ve been working for the order. You run towards the danger in the most Slytherin way possible. You hamstring the bastards so James and I can cut their heads off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt took us a while,\u201d James said over his shoulder as he added potions to the sunken pool formed in the rock foundation that wouldn\u2019t exist if not for magic creating it. \u201cBut Lily and Remus both helped us see it from a different perspective, and it helped that you didn\u2019t act like you had in school. You were a bit of a–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were a creep when it came to Lily,\u201d Sirius filling in unapologetically. \u201cWe all know this, even you.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus nodded shortly, \u201cI don\u2019t disagree, which is why this is all the more baffling, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you aren\u2019t being creepy, that helps,\u201d Sirius laughed, breaking up the mood. \u201cYou\u2019ve made wrong choices, really wrong choices, but you\u2019re also trying to correct them.\u201d He shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cI say that you just accept it, Snape,\u201d James slipped out of his robe and into the steaming water, dunking himself in one motion as he moved to the opposite side to make room for them. \u201cIf you have run away by now, I expect you won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus and Sirius made their way into the pool without wasting time on any further conversation. Everyone seemed to feel the clock ticking down. They went through the motions to cleanse themselves and were out of the room and redressed within thirty minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cI have sir\u2019s clothing,\u201d Peg said, standing as tall as possible, hands clasped behind his back, ears twitching. \u201cBattlegear for sirs and the lady. Mimi took the young sir to the manor hall with Lady Potter\u2019s instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent Peg,\u201d James nodded at the elf, moving to dress. \u201cLet Lily know that the room is ready for her. We\u2019ll begin prepping the house for our visitors once we head upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs sir wishes,\u201d He sniffed before popping away.<\/p>\n \u201cThat elf has more dignity and pride than half the old men on the Wizengamot James,\u201d Sirius laughed, shrugging into his battle robes and sliding his wands into their holsters.<\/p>\n \u201cHe always has,\u201d James agreed, mimicking Sirius, twisting in his robes to makes sure they didn\u2019t inhibit his movement. \u201cI was shocked when I got to Hogwarts and realized that not all house-elves spoke or acted like him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an interesting material,\u201d Severus interjected, dressing in his robes slower than the others. His own robes had been disposed of, and he\u2019d known he\u2019d be borrowing robes, but these were of finer quality than he\u2019d expected, and they had adjusted to fit him perfectly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a mix of dragonhide, acromantula silk, and some lethifold, but don\u2019t mention the last part,\u201d Sirius winked, flicking the last clasps of his robe closed. \u201cLooks good on you, better than what you were wearing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s your arm?\u201d James asked, holding his hand out for Severus\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n Severus sighed and let James look at his arm. After the cleansing bath, it had been cleaned well, the toxic substance was utterly gone, and his arm looked like it had been scraped across the road harshly, but otherwise, it wasn\u2019t bad off. It didn\u2019t hurt enough to hinder him in the upcoming fight, either.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mark is really gone,\u201d Sirius stared from next to him, close enough that his breath brushed across the abraded skin of his arm. \u201cDo you have any idea how it happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Severus forced himself not to snap his reply. \u201cI can only presume that He attempted to kill me through the mark, and somehow it failed. How or why I couldn\u2019t fathom. I\u2019m not going to question it right now and simply count it as a blessing from Lady Magic, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ve done to be granted one, but I\u2019m not going to throw it away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d James nodded, standing back up, letting go of Severus\u2019 arm, and he pulled the sleeve of his robes down to secure the wrist buckles. \u201cLet\u2019s head up. I\u2019m sure Lily is already in the baths and will be ready to use this room soon.\u201d<\/p>\n James smacked Sirius on the shoulder, leading the men through the door at the opposite end of the room. Severus trailed behind them as they walked down the underground passage and up a set of stone stairs. They emerged out the back of the house into the cool night air.<\/p>\n James shrugged at their looks, \u201cWe went about it backward, for the most part, it wasn\u2019t wrong, but the rooms were built for us to come in from work and go through the baths before coming up into the house and the family. Everything is ritually cleansed each time, so going this way isn\u2019t going to lessen the effect, don\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get things set up,\u201d Severus said, moving to the fencing at the edge of the yard. \u201cWe should stay subtle out here. The point will be to get him trapped inside. With Harry not in the house, it\u2019s going to be even more important to draw him in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis will be our one real chance to get him unaware,\u201d Sirius agreed. He began to cast opposite of the other man.<\/p>\n James took the back of the house, avoiding the exit from the underground, obviously waiting for Lily to emerge before spelling the area.<\/p>\n \u201cYou started without me,\u201d Lily came up out of the passages like Persephone rising from the underworld, Queen even while deigning to bring spring to the mortals. Her red hair falling behind her like fire crackling in the autumn breeze, eyes blazing as green as the killing curse.<\/p>\n Severus almost pitied Voldemort and Dumbledore at that moment, those wizards who dared to threaten this mother\u2019s child. Almost.<\/p>\n \u201cWe left the best part for you, Lils,\u201d Sirius replied, gesturing emphatically to the house. \u201cAll the fun spells are going to be in there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d She sniffed, turning to look at the house, tilting her head, a twitch of her hand had her wand falling into her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck, she\u2019s gorgeous,\u201d James sighed, eyes heavy-lidded, smile soft and secret.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, loverboy,\u201d Sirius shoved at him. \u201cLet\u2019s finish the yard, and then we can follow your wife into the house to see what destruction she\u2019s wrought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you believe she\u2019s my wife?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have believed it in Hogwarts,\u201d Severus said quietly, his voice carrying on the wind after Lily had disappeared into the house. \u201cSeeing you together, even briefly over the last few years, though, you are well-matched, and she loves you. That\u2019s enough, I would imagine, for anyone to believe it.\u201d He turned away to finish casting his portion of the defenses, ignoring the heavy silence behind him. After a moment, he heard them move about to finish up their part.<\/p>\n Working together, it didn\u2019t take long before they were done and ready to head into the house. The wards were set and made to look as if the Potter\u2019s were defenseless, counting on the Fidelis alone to keep them safe. Sirius and Severus hid under a thick blanket of spells and charms to be undetectable.<\/p>\n A twist of the wards and a young house elf in the nursery left the impression that Harry was in residence, further drawing Voldemort into the trap, or so they hoped. What happened with Dumbledore afterward would depend on how he reacted when everything was done.<\/p>\n Severus was sure that James and Lily would dig a grave under her roses for the old man if he threatened their family. He didn\u2019t plan to stand in their way.<\/p>\n The night settled over the house. As they took their positions, midnight chimed on the clock. They heard the muffled cracks of apparition.<\/p>\n Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Lily tense before taking a breath and relaxing back into her position of feigned sleep on the sofa. Standing where he was at the doorway from the back kitchen, he saw the form of a disillusioned man making his way into the house. Severus readied a spell, stopping in shock when he realized exactly who it was. Narrowing his eyes, he followed the old man up the stairs, tapping James on the shoulder as he went by, \u201cDumbledore,\u201d He breathed in passing.<\/p>\n James just nodded, casually getting to his feet and making his way to the kitchen doorway, taking Severus\u2019 position by leaning against the wall.<\/p>\n That was the last thing Severus saw before he was out of sight up the stairs. He wondered at Dumbledore\u2019s reasons for being here. If it hadn\u2019t been for the subtle spells that they\u2019d laced the yard with, they wouldn\u2019t have noticed him coming in, and Dumbledore would have passed through without anyone\u2019s knowledge. Was he here to help with Voldemort?<\/p>\n Severus slipped into the nursery on the heels of the self-proclaimed lord of the light, making it just in time to avoid being locked out by a series of spells that Dumbledore cast after shutting the door.<\/p>\n Dumbledore removed the spell keeping him invisible, gliding across the room to the crib to study the sleeping child.<\/p>\n Severus held his breath. He\u2019d scoffed at Lily\u2019s insistence at spelling the elf to such an extent with her department of mystery charms to fully replace Harry, a changeling charm, she\u2019d called it. Severus was grateful now for Lily\u2019s paranoia and the elf\u2019s willingness to act as the child. Not only did the elf carry enough of the child\u2019s magical signature to draw Voldemort into the house, but he should fool Dumbledore as he stood over the crib.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re such a small child for such a large destiny, aren\u2019t you, my boy?\u201d Dumbledore murmured, leaning down to trace the boy\u2019s cheek with his wand. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a hard life for you, young Harry, but we can\u2019t choose our fate. We must simply follow where it leads.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus moved closer, trying to get a better look at what the old man was doing. He gritted his teeth when he saw Dumbledore begin to set a spell on the elf. He moved forward to stop it when he heard a commotion take place downstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s begun,\u201d Dumbledore said smiling, \u201cEverything is in place, just as I hoped. Every piece on the board and you little one, you will be my most important pawn.\u201d He set his spells again, fading into the background.<\/p>\n Severus managed to tag Dumbledore with his own spell so he\u2019d be able to keep track of the man even while he was unseen to the naked eye, just in case he became lost in the coming confrontation.<\/p>\n Dumbledore took the spells off the door and headed down into the sitting room, where James battled Peter until Lily sent a cutting hex that sliced him open.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re never getting that out of the rug,\u201d She complained, grimacing at the stains spreading from the body.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll buy you a new rug, love,\u201d James said exasperatedly. \u201cWe have other things to worry about, like the great noseless wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJames?\u201d Lily queried, staring at Voldemort as he came through the door of their sitting room wand raised, she threw a couch into the path of his first killing curse. \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t have a nose anymore, do you think he\u2019s missing anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d She tossed her bookshelf into the path of the next curse, both of them ignoring the monster\u2019s monologing. \u201cDo you think he still has a dick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLily!\u201d James paled, staring at her.<\/p>\n Lily just raised her brows at him and then looked at the thing that was supposed to be the darkest wizard of the age, \u201cHey you,\u201d She shot off a series of hexes intermixed with curses in a cycle she\u2019d learned from her mentor. Only a few of them hit, but they hit the thing hard.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a wretched woman, and I shall delight in killing you and your son,\u201d Voldemort hissed, staggering upright from the wall he\u2019d been thrown into.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m sure,\u201d Lily replied. \u201cNow inquiring minds want to know, do you or do you not have a dick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLily!\u201d James smacked a hand over his face and sighed, even as he managed to maneuver himself into place near where Sirius was crouched, ready to spring their trap.<\/p>\n Dumbledore suddenly broke his spells, \u201cJames, Lily, you must stop. This isn\u2019t the way things are meant to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone froze, Voldemort his wand still pointing at Lily, but his gaze locked on Dumbledore.<\/p>\n \u201cDumbledore,\u201d Lily said, ice coating her words. \u201cAre you here to help take care of this monster?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what is coming,\u201d Dumbledore began to coax the Potters. \u201cWhat must be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Severus stayed hidden, even as his gaze took in the battlefield that had once been the Potter\u2019s sitting room. He saw Voldemort make a move towards Dumbledore, and while he might be willing to let the old man go down, he was too close to James now for Severus to take the chance that Voldemort was only aiming for the light lord.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so, you ugly snake fucker,\u201d Sirius said, shooting a cutting hex from his place behind Voldemort.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think you can take me, the great Lord Voldemort?\u201d Voldemort hissed, spitting his words as he engaged in a fight with Sirius that led them past the Potters and out the front of the house.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s good,\u201d Lily complimented offhandedly.<\/p>\n \u201cYears of dancing and dueling,\u201d James replied, stalking around Dumbledore to wrap an arm around her in a quick embrace. \u201cIt\u2019s time to end this. You ready, Evans?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs if you need to ask Potter,\u201d She huffed, twirling her wand and began to glide her way through the wreckage left in the wake of Sirius and the monster who wanted to kill her son.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, you can\u2019t do this,\u201d Dumbledore had his wand out casting before anyone could catch their breath. The spell knocked James away from Lily and sent her out into the ongoing battle in the front yard.<\/p>\n Severus moved to James, slipping to his side. He didn\u2019t take the time to disengage the stealth charms when he saw Dumbledore looming over James.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, my boy,\u201d Dumbledore shook his head, \u201cThis could have been so much easier if you\u2019d have just played your part like I wanted you to.\u201d He stroked his beard, pressing a foot on James\u2019 chest when the man went to sit up, looking dazed from the impact with the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the meaning of this Dumbledore,\u201d He rasped out, shoving the foot away. He pulled a reserve wand and pushed the order leader back as he managed to stagger to his feet. \u201cI thought you were fighting against Voldemort, not for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI fight the dark, Mr. Potter,\u201d Dumbledore responded, slashing a hex with his wand, managing to twirl and dodge the barrage that James sent at him.<\/p>\n Severus shouldn\u2019t have been surprised by how agile the old man was, he\u2019d been the one to take down Grindelwald, and no one had ever besmirched the man\u2019s dueling abilities. Severus threw his own set of jinxes and hexes to keep the man off balance. He wasn\u2019t sure how James wanted to handle Dumbledore, whether this would be capture or kill situation, so he took his cues from the other man.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all fighting the dark old man,\u201d James wheezed. The blast must have injured his ribs. \u201cYou seem more intent on the death of my family Dumbledore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to die, James. You have to die to ensure that the prophecy comes to fruition and your son brings in a new era of light,\u201d Dumbledore spoke with the fervor of the devout, eyes blazing with the fire of the zealot. \u201cHe\u2019ll lead us all, and I\u2019ll teach him the way. Your deaths are just the first steps in his journey. You must understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s insane.\u2019 <\/i>Severus thought, there was no other word for it. They\u2019d long known that Voldemort was crazier than a peach orchard boar, but not one of them had thought that Dumbledore was on that level.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re insane,\u201d James said on stunned breath, face pale beneath the dirt and ash that had settled into a mask around his wide, shocked eyes, a trickle of dark blood crept down his forehead. \u201cYou\u2019re bloody fucking insane. I\u2019m not going to let you have my son, and I\u2019m not going to let you kill my wife or me.\u201d He shifted his stance, shaking off the shock and engaging in dueling Dumbledore with his full power.<\/p>\n Severus continued to help James after glancing out the hole toward Sirius and Lily. He saw the two of them engaged with Voldemort, so he presumed that the attack from Dumbledore hadn\u2019t put her down for long. Now it would be up to the two men to keep Dumbledore from putting his plans into motion. He rummaged in the debris and picked up James\u2019 wand, knowing the man would need it to hold out against Dumbledore.<\/p>\n \u201cPotter,\u201d He threw the man his main wand even as he felt the spells hold him invisible, being ripped away. He turned to face the light lord.<\/p>\n \u201cSeverus,\u201d Dumbledore said nonplussed.<\/p>\n \u201cDumbledore,\u201d Severus drawled, already casting against the man, he wasn\u2019t going to take any chances, and they needed to end this soon.<\/p>\n The fight was fast and furious after that, James and Severus trying to corner Dumbledore. They ended up out in the yard with the others before long, and the only thing keeping them from having an audience was that someone was holding some powerful wards over the property now that Peter was dead.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, I hate to do this, my boy, but needs must, and fate needs more than most.\u201d Dumbledore had James down on the ground, half-buried under the sidewall of the house and unable to move.<\/p>\n \u201cJames!\u201d Sirius jerked Lily back from Voldemort\u2019s spell, and with a look towards Severus and James, they went back to battling their own opponent.<\/p>\n Staggering to his feet, dazed from being thrown across the yard, Severus was moving before his vision realigned. He\u2019d lost two wands already tonight, he had one left, his mother\u2019s, and outside of the one he\u2019d received upon entering the wizarding world, it was the wand the resonated the best with his magic.<\/p>\n \u201cJust close your eyes, James. Death is just the next great adventure,\u201d Dumbledore pontificated, whipping his wand in a pattern that Severus didn\u2019t recognize but still sent a chill through him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t get your way Dumbledore,\u201d James said each word came on a labored breath as blood dripped into his eyes. His infamous hair was crackling with blood, dirt, and magic. \u201cLady Magic will take her due from you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m carrying out her will James,\u201d Dumbledore said, slicing his wand down, using a twisting motion at the last moment, creating what looked like a lance of light.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that is what you think, then you are more insane than that thing over there,\u201d Severus grunted, the lance that Dumbledore\u2019s spell had built cutting into his shoulder. With a twist and jab of his wrist, he cut the blade away, pushing Dumbledore back.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t give the man time to recover before holding his wand steady in front of him. \u201cSectumsempra!\u201d He held the spell as the cuts began to open on the old man. He held it as he felt the blood drip from his shoulder down his arm. He held the spell until he felt a hand on his shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gone, Severus,\u201d James said, pushing his wand arm down. \u201cIt\u2019s time to help Lily and Sirius.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou really think Lily needs our help?\u201d Severus said automatically, turning from where Dumbledore lay, as he did, the blood from his wound fell on the bare skin of James\u2019 hand.<\/p>\n Golden light shot out from them, encircling them, sparking from their skin and hair, lines shooting towards Lily and Sirius. Severus found he couldn\u2019t move, he couldn\u2019t speak, barely able to move his eyes, he watched the battle playing out in front of them.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of you paltry tricks will save you mudblood,\u201d Voldemort spat, blood oozing brackish red from cuts visible through the tatters of his robes. \u201cI am Lord Voldemort, I can not die. I will kill you and your son. This prophecy will die with you all tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Lily spun out of the way of another curse, hair streaming behind her like flames, \u201cMy son will not die tonight, not by your hand or anyone else’s. You\u2019re just an old wizard who has used himself up through too many rituals. You\u2019re falling apart; magic is barely holding you together. I can see it all now.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirius moved in with a cutting curse, moving away to avoid the return fire of Voldemort\u2019s blasting curse. He caught the edge of it but managed to keep himself from hitting what was left of the house.<\/p>\n Severus was doubly grateful now Harry was nowhere near the house and that the house-elf was long gone, having been given instructions to leave if the fighting became too dangerous. The house was not going to still be standing by the end of the night if it took too many more hits.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a little tug here,\u201d Lily danced forward, lunging with her wand forward, the tip glowing. She hooked the end and pulled.<\/p>\n Voldemort stumbled in the act of casting, his left arm hanging dead at his side briefly, \u201cFoolish tricks, you\u2019ll pay for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Lily retreated back, wand still hooked and pulling–something undefined from the monster\u2019s core.<\/p>\n Severus watched as the magick that was erupting around James and him flared one final time before washing in a wave over the yard leaving the four of them glowing, Voldemort the lone dark being on the landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cThe debt has been paid.\u201d<\/i> The words came from all around them and swirled towards Severus and James, following the visible glow of magic before it settled into them, reverberating into the very core of their magical selves.<\/p>\n James and Severus looked at each other briefly, the knowledge of what had happened in their eyes. Then with a nod, they joined the fight against Voldemort. Severus didn\u2019t know why he\u2019d come alone, but with the four of them prepared for him, they had the advantage, even after taking down Dumbledore.<\/p>\n Voldemort flung curses like parade candy; Severus was down, his leg broken. James lay not far from him, body splayed like a broken doll, but he could make out the rise and fall of the man\u2019s chest. Sirius went down to a curse soon after James.<\/p>\n Lily fought on. She kept making that hooking motion with her wand and pulling in between, casting her curses at the monster.<\/p>\n \u201cStop it, mudblood,\u201d Voldemort screamed in his hissing voice, desperation feeding his casting; his spells were barely sparking off Lily\u2019s shields. \u201cI am Lord Voldemort!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that means what you want it to mean,\u201d Lily laughed, cheeks flushed, red hair dancing in the air behind her. She cast on Voldemort and hooked near his chest, and pulled.<\/p>\n Voldemort went to his knees, wand falling from his hand, \u201cStay back, woman, I can not die. I won\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou will,\u201d Lily Potter strode across the ruins of her lawn, house falling down behind her. The man she loved broken on its grounds, two men she\u2019d gladly call brother laid near him, all down to this–thing– \u201cYou dare come to my home to kill my family–to kill my son. You do this and expect any mother to let you live?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re of the light. Surely, you don\u2019t want my death on your soul?\u201d Voldemort hissed when her foot connected with his chest, sending him on his back.<\/p>\n \u201cYou might be right,\u201d Lily nodded, twirling her wand, \u201cI\u2019m going to make sure that you can\u2019t harm my family, though.\u201d She glanced over at James and Severus, who had crawled to the man to check on his vitals.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be fine with some time, Lily,\u201d Severus said grimly, dumping a potion down James\u2019 throat and massaging it until it was gone. \u201cYou won\u2019t be made a widow tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned back to Voldemort in time to see him lifting a dagger dripping in black magic, \u201cNo!\u201d She whipped her wand around. \u2018Too slow,\u2019<\/i> she whispered as she flung herself back, the dagger cut into her battle robes. She finished her curse, though, and separated Voldemort\u2019s head from his body.<\/p>\n \u201cLily!\u201d Sirius was at her side, hands shaking as he eased her away from the body, \u201cLet me see.\u201d<\/p>\n She pulled at the robes, wondering how long it would take for it to poison the well of her magic.<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t cut you,\u201d Sirius said, hands patting at the skin of her naked arm and chest. \u201cSeverus says it didn\u2019t even cut into your shield.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Lily looked down and saw unbroken skin. Shaking her dazed head, she brought her magesight up and realized that the shield that had taken place after Dumbledore had fallen was indeed still intact. She felt her knees go weak. She forced herself to lock them. \u201cIf I\u2019m fine, Sirius, may I ask why you\u2019re still feeling me up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh?\u201d Sirius snatched his hands back, thrusting them behind his back. \u201cWe should go check on James and call someone to take care of these two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes and Harry,\u201d Lily said, heart aching. \u201cI need to see Harry, away from all this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLily?\u201d James called tiredly, his head was propped up on Severus\u2019 outer robes, and he was pale as the moon. \u201cWe got him. We broke the damned thing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we broke the bloody prophecy James,\u201d Lily straightened her clothes, brushed her hair down as well as she could with all the ambient magic still swirling around, and marched over to her husband. Falling to her knees next to him, she leaned in and kissed him softly. \u201cHarry is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d James smiled and then winced. \u201cI think I\u2019m going to go to sleep for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do that. We\u2019ll take care of everything,\u201d Sirius said, standing behind Lily. \u201cI\u2019m going to send a Patronus out to the aurors Lils. You should send one to your old mentor.\u201d He glanced around. \u201cThere are things here that they\u2019ll probably want to keep out of sight for now.\u201d<\/p>\n Lily looked at the body of Dumbledore and grimaced, \u201cYes, of course. This whole thing is going to be a mess. Severus, how is your leg?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBroken, nothing a few hours of Skeligrow won\u2019t take care of, though.\u201d He replied, he\u2019d already taken a pain and numbing potion to keep himself going until they were finished.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you mind going to sit with Harry?\u201d Lily asked, eyes begging him to agree. \u201cThe elves are wonderful, but I\u2019d feel better with someone I know with him. We\u2019ll send a healer to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about the wards on the manor?\u201d Severus asked warily.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take you in,\u201d Lily replied, standing, \u201cIf Sirius keeps watch here, I\u2019ll take you there and check on Harry. Then I\u2019ll come back with Peg and get him to take James. I\u2019d feel better if he was under wards right now since these ones are going to have to come down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen yes, of course, I\u2019ll watch over Harry and James as well as I\u2019m able,\u201d Severus agreed.<\/p>\n Lily moved away to discuss the messages to their departments with Sirius before they left.<\/p>\n Severus looked around the yard, at the destruction and down at James Potter, his school tormentor and hated rival, now his friend. Across the yard stood Lily, a lost friendship won again, and another schoolyard bully turned friend. This was not how he imagined life playing out when he went to Dumbledore for help years ago or when he\u2019d sent the information to the Potters and Longbottoms about the prophecy. He couldn\u2019t say that he hated it. He looked down at his arm; reaching down, he unbuckled and drew back the sleeve, brushing the back of his fingers over the abraded skin. Severus blinked back tears. He was free of the mark, not the consequences, no those he would still have to deal with, but he wasn\u2019t branded by that madman. Dead or not, to be free of that was a burden off his soul.<\/p>\n \u201cLily\u2019s ready to go,\u201d Sirius said, watching him. \u201cI\u2019m going to help you into the house, the floo is still connected, and it\u2019ll be easier on your leg than apparition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready,\u201d Severus said, bracing himself and letting the other man help him stand without putting any weight on his broken leg. He\u2019d splinted it with magic, but it still hurt like hell.<\/p>\n \u201cThen let\u2019s go,\u201d Sirius smiled, \u201cThat woman will drag us both in by our ears. She needs to get her arms around her son now that she knows James is out of immediate danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d Severus agreed, and they headed into the ruin of the house. Clean up, and questions would come, but the prophecy was broken, it hadn\u2019t even been activated, and now it was unmade. They\u2019d have to find out how the Longbottoms had faired, but that was for later.<\/p>\n Right now, their mission was accomplished. Little Harry Potter was safe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Title: Challenging Fate Author: Sibyl Moon Fandom: Harry Potter Theme\/Genre: Redemption, AU, Fix-it Relationship: mostly gen, James\/Lily, mentions of other pairings Word Count: 13,427 Beta: Twigen Alpha: \u00a0HarleyJQuin Warnings: Character Death, Canon-Typical-Violence, Discussion of mind manipulations through magic and\/or potions Summary: Waking up to the nightmare of his choices… Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[11,20,23,54,55,56,52,53],"class_list":["post-551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gen","category-harry-potter","tag-au","tag-fix-it","tag-harry-potter","tag-james-potter","tag-lily-potter","tag-redemption-prompt","tag-severus-snape","tag-sirius-black"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAuthor: <\/b>Sibyl Moon
\nFandom<\/b>: Harry Potter
\nTheme\/Genre:<\/b> Redemption, AU, Fix-it
\nRelationship<\/b>: mostly gen, James\/Lily, mentions of other pairings
\nWord Count: <\/b>13,427
\nBeta: <\/b>Twigen<\/a>
\nAlpha: <\/b>\u00a0HarleyJQuin<\/a>
\nWarnings: <\/b>Character Death, Canon-Typical-Violence, Discussion of mind manipulations through magic and\/or potions
\nSummary: <\/b>Waking up to the nightmare of his choices almost immediately after leaving Hogwarts & taking the mark, Severus Snape is determined to do everything to right the wrongs he\u2019s committed. When he discovers Voldemort\u2019s plans for the Potters, Severus decides to tell James & Lily everything he knows about those plans & the prophecy. Things really began to change after that.<\/p>\nChapter One<\/h1>\n
March\/April 1981<\/h2>\n
Chapter Two<\/h1>\n
October 31, 1981<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cNo, I\u2019ve made sure to stay away from anyplace associated with the Potters or Lily in the last couple of years, just in case,\u201d He said. \u201cI\u2019ll need a side-along.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sibylmoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Redeem-snape-collage-two-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C780&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n