And there had been the interesting slip of information that Lucius knew of the Dark Lord's origins; clearly Lucius found them lacking. Severus had been told the truth by Albus once he had been taken on as a spy and found it more than a little amusing that the purebloods that so prostrated themselves at the feet of the Dark Lord had no idea that his origins were closer to Severus's than their own.
Severus's brief smile faded. Lucius was now aligned with Black – and Potter! –and would work with him against the Dark Lord that much was clear even if the message had been coached in formal language that would give Lucius leeway with the Dark Lord should Severus ever mention it to him. Not that he would. Severus was proud of the fact that his own allegiances were well obscured. The former Death Eaters believed he was their spy among the Light and Albus believed he was his spy among the Dark. Truthfully, Severus only had one allegiance…
Lily Elizabeth Evans.
He walked over to the small liquor cabinet and poured himself a small finger of oak-matured twenty year old Scotch. Raised in the muggle world he had a preference for it rather than the dratted Ogden's that the wizarding world favoured. He downed the glass in one go, savouring the peaty taste.
Lily had been his only friend as a child; the only one to see past a strange lank-haired, hook-nosed sallow youth and acknowledge the intelligent if serious boy inside. He had gloried in being able to introduce her to the wizarding world and revelled in her innocent affection for him.
All that had come tumbling down because of Hogwarts. In many ways he regretted ever setting foot in the school. Perhaps if they hadn't been separated by the House divides, if he had been home-schooled as his late mother had wanted and avoided the influence of those who would willingly serve the Dark Lord…
But he had long accepted that it was his own fault their friendship had come to an end.
In the Summer before their fifth year he had asked her to pretend not to be friends with him anymore because he was under pressure from the rest of Slytherin House to conform to their prejudices, and with the rising influence of the Dark Lord, Severus was under no illusions that he would suffer if he didn't. Lily had been sympathetic and had agreed. But he could tell as the school year progressed and he didn't shield her from the comments of his friends but agreed with them, as he stood aside and watched as the Slytherin girls tripped her with hexes and did nothing (although Lily fought back quite splendidly), that her patience and understanding were eroding. They disappeared entirely when he called a mudblood.
Shame heated his cheeks to burning once again as the memory flooded back; James Potter turning him upside down to humiliate him and Lily defending Severus only for Severus to deny her so harshly…and he hadn't meant it. He had never thought of her that way.
But the damage had been done and when he'd tried to apologise to her, she had told him that she had had enough. He had made his choice perfectly clear and she would thank him to stay away from her. He'd left her alone at Hogwarts believing they had the Summer to mend fences but instead he'd had the Summer to stew over his mistake further when Lily had pointedly refused to come to the door of her muggle home and had instructed her sister to turn him away, something which Petunia had done with relish.
In his anger, he had blamed the Marauders for the loss of Lily. He had spent the rest of the Summer plotting. When he'd returned to Hogwarts he'd overheard Regulus Black talking with his friend Mathias Flint about his brother running away from home because their mother had finally flipped and beaten Black half to death. It was the perfect bait for his lure. He had easily provoked Black into telling him about the Whomping Willow and on the night of the full moon he had made his move to kill the werewolf and have Black expelled leaving Potter alone and vulnerable.
Only he had miscalculated, assuming Lupin's meek mild manner would carry over to his werewolf personality when it didn't; that Lupin in his werewolf form would be an easy target. The werewolf he had glimpsed had been angry and fierce and scared him half to death. When Potter had turned up and saved him, Severus had actually been grateful and so angry at being grateful that he could have obliterated half of Hogsmeade. And then to rub salt in the wound, Albus bloody Dumbledore had seen right through him, warned him against further action against the werewolf, and had refused to punish the Gryffindors harshly; a few detentions and a ban from Quidditch for Black and nothing, nothing for Potter and Lupin.
Worse was to come though at the end of his Sixth year when Lily had caved into Potter's pursuit of her and agreed to date him!
Severus had gone to the Dark Lord willingly after that, taking the Mark that Summer and killing some poor muggle man that had already been tortured half to death by Mulciber Senior and who hadn't even defended himself as Severus had levelled his wand at him and pretended it was his father. The killing hadn't bothered him at the time – he had after all plotted to kill Lupin (as far as Severus was concerned werewolves were creatures that should be put down as soon as they were discovered no matter what anyone – Dumbledore – said) – but he had come to regret it as an older and wiser man, understanding the sin that stained his soul better.
In retrospect he was thankful, the Dark Lord had appreciated Severus's talent with potions and so he had been excused the usual revelry and muggle baiting. In his stupidity, he had decried not being able to attend, believing he was missing out on truly serving the Dark Lord. Then he had heard the beginning of a prophecy. He'd run, run, to the Dark Lord with it…
Severus bowed and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes. "My Lord, I have something I must tell you but I believe it would be best to do so in confidence."
The Dark Lord stared at him with hard red eyes and Severus felt a pain deep in his head. He flinched as it left abruptly. The Dark Lord dismissed everyone from the room.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/gokublack444🎉