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Le Lion au Serpent
A glimpse of Chapter 10 ... yes, I am still working on it. ;)
Soon he could see silhouettes cut against the white of the sky circling above the pitch. A sense of familiarity he hadn’t felt in a long time spread a welcoming warmth in his being. He was already halfway up one of the towers before he realised he’d chosen the Slytherin stands. He smiled as he exited the stairs, spotting the back of Snape’s head, which at that moment turned to follow the action of the game.
He began to make his way toward him when a taller man brushed past him, hitting his shoulder without so much as a pardon-me. Harry frowned at the man and was about to excuse him when he spotted him sitting next to Snape. Normally he wouldn’t have made such a fuss about it, but there was something particularly queer about the way the man leaned sideways toward Snape, inclining his head as though to invite confidence.
Curious, Harry surreptitiously made his way to the row behind them and sat in hearing distance. The voices were low, and within the din of the audience cheering, Harry was certain he couldn’t make out all the words.
“... nice to see ... again, Severus.”
Harry frowned and leaned forward. He couldn’t see Snape’s face, but he caught the man’s back tensing.
“... doing here?”
“... vacation ... seem ... to see me.”
Frustrated, Harry slipped out his wand. He looked at the thing uneasily and glanced at the squat Witch gesticulating at the players next to him. “Excuse me,” he murmured at her. She looked at him in question. He smiled, affecting embarrassment. “I have an inner ear ... thing. I can’t hear very well, and I’m a bit rusty with my wand. Do you happen to know a spell to increase the sensitivity of hearing?”
She beamed at him and nodded, producing her wand with an agile flick of her wrist. “Sonorus Sensilis,” she said, and demonstrated the movement. Harry watched her keenly, nodded, then tried it on himself.
On the third try, he was nearly knocked back by the explosion of sounds. He had to clench his hands over the edge of his seat and will himself to accustom to the effect. After a while, he could filter what he didn’t want to hear.
“That’s enough, Severus. I didn’t come here to argue.” There was something unnerving about the man’s voice. Harry tried to catch his profile, but he didn’t look like anyone Harry was familiar with.
“What did you come here for, then?”
“I think you know.”
“Enlighten me.”
A burst of cheering made Harry wince and nearly lose track of the conversation.
“Certain people are not happy.”
“Really? I must have missed that bulletin when I was trying to survive an attempted Kedavra,” Snape hissed.
“Do you blame him?”
“Yes. I do. Would you like me to tell you what else I think of him?”
“He’s under the impression your loyalties ... have shifted.”
“I was to be made a practice dummy for his son. It has nothing to do with loyalties, and you know it.”
“We all know you used to spy on ... him, Severus.”
“I testified otherwise under Veritaserum. If your superiors have a problem with that, I suggest you find new ones to serve. Honestly,” Snape said, turning to look at the man. “Your skills are wasted, Walden.”
Walden.
Walden.
Harry clamped his hand over his mouth.
Macnair!
“We’ll talk again.”
“I think not. If your *superior* cannot find it in himself to talk without the use of his wand, then I have nothing to say on the matter.”
Snape stood up and turned to leave. Harry suddenly felt like a trapped animal as the Potions master’s eyes lingered on him without surprise. He looked away smoothly as though he hadn’t recognised him. Macnair also stood. “Reconsider this, Severus. If you don’t, they’ll send me again, and it won’t be with a wand.”
Harry shuddered, remembering the night he’d spied the man with his axe.
“You don’t impress me with your threats, Walden. They were more formidable when you actually had bollocks.”
Macnair hissed and made a sharp movement. The people around them seemed to ignore the fact that the man’s wand was drawn, digging into Snape’s chest. Apparently, conflicts within the audience were a common occurrence in the Slytherin stands. “I rather like you, Severus. I had hoped you would be reasonable.”
“No. You would hope that I return with you to face my execution. So sorry I had to disappoint you.”
“I’ll see you again.”
“Yes. You will.”
Harry let go of a breath when Macnair drew away, his wand slipping unseen into his robes. Snape took the opportunity of the man’s turned back to glare at Harry, who could only stare back stupidly. He opened his mouth ... to say something, to do *anything*, but Snape shook his head curtly and followed Macnair out of the stands.
*
Harry followed Snape into his quarters. The other man hissed and angrily unwrapped his scarf. “Honestly, this urge of yours to spy on—“
“I wasn’t spying!” Harry yelled, slamming the door behind him. “I came to watch the match. I’m glad I did. What the hell are you doing, Snape? The man could have killed you! And you just let him go!”
“He did nothing wrong,” Snape retaliated, shrugging off his coat. “What would you have me do? As a Ministry official, he is free to move as he pleases.”
“That’s bloody convenient, isn’t it?” Harry said. He glared at Liggy, who hesitantly offered to take his coat. He shook his head, and the elf promptly vanished. “You *know* he’s working for Voldemort and you just let him go.”
“Potter, *wake up*,” Snape hissed. “The man is protected. Unless he does something outrageously stupid in front of witnesses, there is nothing I can do.”
Harry made a dismissing noise and moved to leave. His hand was poised on the handle when he said, “Zabini approached me.”
Silence greeted his statement.
“What is he doing, Snape?” Harry looked over his shoulder. “Why is he in the Order?”
Snape said nothing. He was backlit by the fire Liggy had no doubt started in their absence. Somewhere, Harry could hear Pythas’ anxious murmurs. “Snape?”
“When Mr Zabini decides to inform you, then you will know.” I have class in twenty minutes.”
Get out.
Harry’s hope sank and he hardened his eyes. “Fine.” He shut the door loudly on his way out. “Stupid git.”
TBC ...
Soon he could see silhouettes cut against the white of the sky circling above the pitch. A sense of familiarity he hadn’t felt in a long time spread a welcoming warmth in his being. He was already halfway up one of the towers before he realised he’d chosen the Slytherin stands. He smiled as he exited the stairs, spotting the back of Snape’s head, which at that moment turned to follow the action of the game.
He began to make his way toward him when a taller man brushed past him, hitting his shoulder without so much as a pardon-me. Harry frowned at the man and was about to excuse him when he spotted him sitting next to Snape. Normally he wouldn’t have made such a fuss about it, but there was something particularly queer about the way the man leaned sideways toward Snape, inclining his head as though to invite confidence.
Curious, Harry surreptitiously made his way to the row behind them and sat in hearing distance. The voices were low, and within the din of the audience cheering, Harry was certain he couldn’t make out all the words.
“... nice to see ... again, Severus.”
Harry frowned and leaned forward. He couldn’t see Snape’s face, but he caught the man’s back tensing.
“... doing here?”
“... vacation ... seem ... to see me.”
Frustrated, Harry slipped out his wand. He looked at the thing uneasily and glanced at the squat Witch gesticulating at the players next to him. “Excuse me,” he murmured at her. She looked at him in question. He smiled, affecting embarrassment. “I have an inner ear ... thing. I can’t hear very well, and I’m a bit rusty with my wand. Do you happen to know a spell to increase the sensitivity of hearing?”
She beamed at him and nodded, producing her wand with an agile flick of her wrist. “Sonorus Sensilis,” she said, and demonstrated the movement. Harry watched her keenly, nodded, then tried it on himself.
On the third try, he was nearly knocked back by the explosion of sounds. He had to clench his hands over the edge of his seat and will himself to accustom to the effect. After a while, he could filter what he didn’t want to hear.
“That’s enough, Severus. I didn’t come here to argue.” There was something unnerving about the man’s voice. Harry tried to catch his profile, but he didn’t look like anyone Harry was familiar with.
“What did you come here for, then?”
“I think you know.”
“Enlighten me.”
A burst of cheering made Harry wince and nearly lose track of the conversation.
“Certain people are not happy.”
“Really? I must have missed that bulletin when I was trying to survive an attempted Kedavra,” Snape hissed.
“Do you blame him?”
“Yes. I do. Would you like me to tell you what else I think of him?”
“He’s under the impression your loyalties ... have shifted.”
“I was to be made a practice dummy for his son. It has nothing to do with loyalties, and you know it.”
“We all know you used to spy on ... him, Severus.”
“I testified otherwise under Veritaserum. If your superiors have a problem with that, I suggest you find new ones to serve. Honestly,” Snape said, turning to look at the man. “Your skills are wasted, Walden.”
Walden.
Walden.
Harry clamped his hand over his mouth.
Macnair!
“We’ll talk again.”
“I think not. If your *superior* cannot find it in himself to talk without the use of his wand, then I have nothing to say on the matter.”
Snape stood up and turned to leave. Harry suddenly felt like a trapped animal as the Potions master’s eyes lingered on him without surprise. He looked away smoothly as though he hadn’t recognised him. Macnair also stood. “Reconsider this, Severus. If you don’t, they’ll send me again, and it won’t be with a wand.”
Harry shuddered, remembering the night he’d spied the man with his axe.
“You don’t impress me with your threats, Walden. They were more formidable when you actually had bollocks.”
Macnair hissed and made a sharp movement. The people around them seemed to ignore the fact that the man’s wand was drawn, digging into Snape’s chest. Apparently, conflicts within the audience were a common occurrence in the Slytherin stands. “I rather like you, Severus. I had hoped you would be reasonable.”
“No. You would hope that I return with you to face my execution. So sorry I had to disappoint you.”
“I’ll see you again.”
“Yes. You will.”
Harry let go of a breath when Macnair drew away, his wand slipping unseen into his robes. Snape took the opportunity of the man’s turned back to glare at Harry, who could only stare back stupidly. He opened his mouth ... to say something, to do *anything*, but Snape shook his head curtly and followed Macnair out of the stands.
*
Harry followed Snape into his quarters. The other man hissed and angrily unwrapped his scarf. “Honestly, this urge of yours to spy on—“
“I wasn’t spying!” Harry yelled, slamming the door behind him. “I came to watch the match. I’m glad I did. What the hell are you doing, Snape? The man could have killed you! And you just let him go!”
“He did nothing wrong,” Snape retaliated, shrugging off his coat. “What would you have me do? As a Ministry official, he is free to move as he pleases.”
“That’s bloody convenient, isn’t it?” Harry said. He glared at Liggy, who hesitantly offered to take his coat. He shook his head, and the elf promptly vanished. “You *know* he’s working for Voldemort and you just let him go.”
“Potter, *wake up*,” Snape hissed. “The man is protected. Unless he does something outrageously stupid in front of witnesses, there is nothing I can do.”
Harry made a dismissing noise and moved to leave. His hand was poised on the handle when he said, “Zabini approached me.”
Silence greeted his statement.
“What is he doing, Snape?” Harry looked over his shoulder. “Why is he in the Order?”
Snape said nothing. He was backlit by the fire Liggy had no doubt started in their absence. Somewhere, Harry could hear Pythas’ anxious murmurs. “Snape?”
“When Mr Zabini decides to inform you, then you will know.” I have class in twenty minutes.”
Get out.
Harry’s hope sank and he hardened his eyes. “Fine.” He shut the door loudly on his way out. “Stupid git.”
TBC ...
Ebilsokiiiiiiiiii!!!!
I haven't read 10th yet but I'm so ... ecstatic because of that, because of you and because of this fic - my fav.
How can I thank you properly for making my day and night tonight?
I owe you.
bows,
moorland
When what to my wondering eyes should appear....
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