"With your cold persona, no one will question your lack of emotions in public."
"That means you won't be telling Tracy either, or Blaise for that matter," she noted to herself.
...
He took a moment to consider his reply and how he viewed his relationship with Blaise, "No, I won't. Blaise is your ally and betrothed Daphne, not mine. Whilst he has become more moderate and less outspoken in his more prejudiced views, he still hasn't made any real effort to win me over. Nor do I see any advantage trying to change our relationship. We're like two different species of predators, both inhabiting a common territory of mutual interest, but with no personal interest in the other."
Just as he was leaving the classroom to get on with his busy day, she responded. "That's an interesting way to describe me," Daphne voiced smugly. He didn't even need to look back at her to know there was a smirk on her face.
"I was actually talking about Pansy," he voiced innocently, despite having a smile on his face.
"You twat!" she spat back, realizing his attempt at humour.
"So what are you and Blaise doing for Valentine's Day?" he asked.
"Nothing to my knowledge," she declared with an annoyed huff. "You would think he would at least make an attempt to charm me, contract or not. We're still in an early stage after all."
"Maybe it's a surprise?" Harry offered.
"I would know if that was the case. Blaise is a terrible liar," she countered, before the pair of them fell into a comfortable silence as they walked through the school halls towards the great hall.
Upon entering the great hall the pair separated to go to their individual tables, but he was intercepted by Professor Sprout before he could sit down in his usual place. "Mr. Potter, here are a couple more names of former students I thought might be of interest to you," the head of Hufflepuff offered, before handing him a small piece of parchment.
It took him a few seconds to remember what the head of Hufflepuff was talking about, before he gratefully accepted the piece of parchment. "Thank you professor, anyone of interest?" he asked, while ignoring the stares from his fellow students.
"Mr. Culpin and Miss Tilly, but the headmaster recommended Mr. Birchwood," she offered back with a smile.
As soon as he heard the title 'headmaster' he instantly became suspicious, whilst speculating how the headmaster had found out about his request. He then remembered the head of Hufflepuff had mentioned it during an earlier staff meeting, a meeting he was fortunate enough to be spying on through the enchanted mirrors. "The headmaster recommended Mr. Birchwood? I wasn't aware that he even knew I was looking for qualified herbology experts?" He asked, while giving the head of Hufflepuff a stern look.
His pointed question caused the professor to shuffle awkwardly, with a hint of embarrassment on her puffy features, "I may have mentioned it over dinner," she answered back.
He didn't challenge her on the lie, but just nodded his head while looking at the short list of names. "Oh, how thoughtful of him to take an interest in my private family affairs... Anyone else he mentioned?" Harry probed.
"A couple actually, Mrs. Atkinson and Mr. Millar as well," Professor Sprout answered back with her trademark easy going, carefree smile.
"I'll be sure to give them extra consideration, especially with the headmaster's own recommendation," he replied evenly, knowing that even in the unlikely event that he did hire them, he would take extra security measures against them.
After all, he had no desire for the headmaster to be interfering in his affairs, or having informal informers within his businesses, but he also didn't like the idea of wasting talent either, simply because of an as yet unknown connection with the headmaster. If they were truly talented and hard working and better than the other candidates, there was no reason why he shouldn't employ them. He would just have to make sure that their magically binding employment contracts prevented them from discussing any business related matters with non-employees.
"Happy to help Mr. Potter, now if you would excuse me, I have a class to prepare for," the herbology professor voiced, before leaving the great hall. With their discussion concluded, he took his place at the Ravenclaw table. No sooner had he sat down to begin his lunch that the first question was launched his way by an overly curious year mate.
"Hey Potter, what was that all about?" Anthony Goldstein asked from up the table.
"Just an inquiry I made," he replied, but offering no more on the private matter.
...
( Wednesday – Midday )
The day had been passing tediously slowly for one Severus Snape, with nothing but an outdated magazine on women's beauty products to read while he waited for Madam Bones to finally arrive and begin her questioning. He knew what they were doing. They were sweating him, trying to get under his skin by keeping him waiting rather than just questioning him right away, and truth be told, it was working to a point.
Privately he expected all this was a great bluff by Albus, since he knew many of the aging wizard's secrets, but unfortunately those secrets were not destructive in nature. The question really was why the headmaster was willing to leave him exposed to the long arm of the law? He knew the aging wizard had some hidden motive, he always did, but he just didn't know what. Did Albus plan to hand him to the she-wolf Madam Bones as a gift, a peace offering?
Or did the aging wizard plan to come in on his high and mighty horse and save him at the last moment, just to prove he had the power and ability to do so? Or did the old wizard plan on discarding him now that he was too much of a headache? Or did he just want to give Madam Bones information without intentionally being seen as doing so? Or did he want Madam Bones to get enough dirt on him so that he could be charged, just for Albus to step in, get him back and reassert control, under his protection?
It didn't really matter what the old man's motives were, it didn't change the fact that he was in hot water and he had to find some way out of it or potentially be boiled alive. So the simple question now was what to do?
Regrettably, it didn't take him long to realize that his options were extremely limited, with only the secrets he knew being worth anything. The true question was, who was he loyal to? Should he stay loyal to Lucius and take the fall with his overly ambitious friend and spend the rest of his life in a jail cell? Or should he submit to the headmaster's will and do has as the elderly wizard had instructed and start talking? Or should he just look out for himself and make a new path, one of his own making? After a long while considering his uncomfortable position, he finally decided he would have to cut a deal.
When it came down to it, if this was going to be a mass purge, a mass round up of uncharged death eaters, he knew deep down that they would all look out only for themselves, sacrificing each other for any chance at maintaining their own freedom. There was no loyalty, just self-interest.
With Lucius living on borrowed time, and Dumbledore selling him out, it was time to look out for himself, and try to escape all the chains in his life.
With his decision finally made, he confidently walked across the room and opened the kitchen door to confront his guards. "Tell Madam Bones that I'm willing to make a deal," he voiced dispassionately, but firmly, the two guards looking up from the game of cards they were playing.
"She'll be pleased to hear that," the male auror replied with a smug smirk. "Anything particular I should tell her?"
"No, nothing I'll share with you anyways. I don't deal with middlemen," Snape voiced, before turning on his heel and leaving the kitchen and returning to his chair. Back in his seat, he went over his pitch, his plan of action, what he would say, what specifically he would be willing to share with the head of law enforcement to gain his freedom. 'Any moment now' he told himself, expecting Madam Bones to come marching in straight through the door to start his questioning, to pressure him into talking, where he would naturally stall, misdirect and obfuscate, before she would finally tire of the game and decide to make a deal with him instead.
'Any minute now,' he told himself, as he puffed himself up, ready to play the game of captive and interrogator.
Unfortunately he found that he was wrong, he was very wrong, as time slowly ticked by. Excruciating boredom soon set in with no sign of the head of law enforcement turning up to question him. He knew what was going on, what game Madam Bones was playing with him. She was intentionally making the simple point that she was the one in control of the interrogation, not him, and that he could and would be questioned at her leisure, rather than his own. The goal obviously being to try and keep him off balance, and uncomfortable. It was working.
Another hour passed before Madam Bones finally joined him in the front room, accompanied by two aurors, who undoubtedly were there to act as official witnesses, as well as to restrain him if he did anything stupid. Unlike when he usually saw her, this time Madam Bones had a spring in her step, a certain bounce that reminded him of a carefree school girl, rather than the normally grim faced head of law enforcement officer. 'Good,' he mentally voiced, knowing that it would make this meeting easier.
"Good afternoon Professor Snape, I trust that you are having a pleasant stay with us?" His interrogator voiced lightly while taking the seat opposite him.
"I have been better, can't say much for the reading material on the other hand," he voiced as he waved his hand over the discarded magazine.
...
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