Alice

Chapter 7, London Calling

Professor Snape stalked around the dungeon, glaring at the students, willing one of them to blow up a cauldron just so he could give vent to his anger. However, it seemed that just to spite him, all their potions were fine, including Potter and Weasley's. Severus had spent the morning trying to remember, firstly, if any of the students had been inducted last night and, secondly, if he had been put under Imperious. After Alice had asked him if he had been responsible for the attack he had done Priori Incantatem on his wand, but that had revealed nothing. Deep down he didn't blame Alice for asking he had done the same thing himself. What angered him was her obvious distrust of him. He'd told her things that very few people knew. He'd trusted her, one of the few people he did trust, and she had thrown it back into his face. Well, this would put an end to their nightly work sessions in the dungeons. He wasn't going to work with that ungrateful, devious wench.

"Professor?"

Snape looked down his nose to see Draco Malfoy looking at him questioningly.

"What now Mr. Malfoy?"

"Who's a wench, Sir?"

Snape blanched. He must have been thinking aloud.

"I think you must have misheard me, Mr. Malfoy."

Snape continued prowling the classroom, glaring at the students. He noticed Draco Malfoy giving him strange looks, so he intensified his glare. After another five minutes of disappointingly silent prowling he went and sat down at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the class of - what was it he had called them in first year? Dunderheads? He was musing over the potential of any of them to progress to a career in potions after they had finished at Hogwarts when Dumbledore came cheerfully strolling in.

"Good afternoon everyone."

"Good afternoon Professor." Snape noticed that Potter and Weasley seemed extremely happy to see the headmaster, probably thinking that Dumbledore would save them from any of his torments.

"Professor Snape, I was wondering if I could have five minutes of your time?" Dumbledore smiled beatifically at Snape. Snape stood up and walked into his office, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the class were still working and not gossiping.

"Albus?"

"Back teaching Severus? Are you sure that is wise?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore sighed imperceptibly, realizing he was going to have one of those conversations with Severus that would be like pulling teeth.

"I spoke to Alice earlier."

Snape stiffened and a hard glint came into his eye.

"She is very sorry about her earlier accusation. You know she didn't mean it. I came here hoping to convince you to accept her apology. I need the two of you working together, not against one another."

Snape felt the anger rising in him and would have told Dumbledore what he thought of this idea in explicit terms, but the class outside forced him to hold his tongue.

"I must tell you, she wasn't alone in her suspicions. I admit to thinking you might have been under Imperious but, unlike Alice, I didn't have the courage to ask you. So will you forgive her?"

Snape stared at Dumbledore. He almost broke down and told him of his own fears, but he couldn't bring himself to admit any sign of weakness at the moment.

"I'll think about it," he said begrudgingly.

"Good, good. Now I need to see you and Miss Mulciber in my office at four. Will that be convenient for you?"

Snape nodded. Dumbledore took this as a good enough sign of the end of their conversation. He pitied the class outside, but there was nothing he could say to Severus to temper his anger. Snape walked back out into the silent classroom. He had had enough of teaching for one day, so he dismissed the class early.

***

Alice walked slowly back to the school. Her utter humiliation at Snape's hands earlier had steeled her resolve. If he couldn't see that Alice was truly sorry, then he could go to Voldemort and get struck by all three Unforgivable curses, she didn't care. Alice had moved beyond upset to a quietly simmering anger. Who did Snape think he was? He wasn´t the only one risking his life and reputation fighting Voldemort, but he was the only one -- so far as Alice was concerned -- that didn't seem to handle the pressure terribly well. He lashed out at those people who cared for him; always seeming to think the world owed him one, and holding a grudge because it wasn't paying up.

When Alice finally reached the headmaster´s office, she found Dumbledore enthusiastically toasting marshmallows in the fire whilst Snape looked on listlessly, slumped in a chair nearby.

"Hello."

"Ah, Alice! Toasted marshmallow?"

Alice smiled, "No thanks."

"Well, sit down. First things first: Miss Mulciber. She has been suspended for the moment. A ministry official will be coming to the school next week to conduct an investigation - if you could call it that." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and sighed, obviously frustrated by the Ministry's attitude toward any reports of Death Eater activity. "I thought it wise not to act too hastily. We don't want to upset those parents who are Death Eaters and give them any excuse..." His voice trailed off. Alice immediately thought of the Malfoys and judging by the expression on Dumbledore's face, he was as well.

"Right. The second thing is this." Dumbledore stood up, "Severus, I need you to go to Diagon Alley this weekend and pick up some things for me."

Snape looked up at Dumbledore with raised eyebrows. Alice noticed this and couldn't help but wonder what Dumbledore was up to. Dumbledore handed Snape a piece of parchment that Snape shoved into the pocket of his robes without so much as a glance at its contents. Alice presumed that he was leaving the reading of it until later.

"I think it would be best if Alice accompanied you. Perhaps you can stay at the Kyteler's London residence?" Dumbledore suggested hopefully.

Alice looked across at Snape. He looked like he would rather swallow razor blades than spend any time with her - especially alone.

"Umm, Professor Dumbledore, I don't actually need to go to..."

"No Alice, but I want you to. I think you need a break. And besides, this isn't a request. It's an order."

Dumbledore looked at Alice and Snape, waiting for either one of them to question him, but neither of them did. Alice sighed.

"Fine. Professor Snape, I'll see you downstairs in an hour. Good evening Professor Dumbledore."

Alice got up and walked out, feeling the heat of the glare that was no doubt emanating from Snape on her back. Instead of going to her room to pack some things she went up to the owlery and sent an owl to a friend. "If I'm going to be in London, I am not spending the evening alone with Snape."

*** *** ***

An hour later, Alice found Snape in the Entrance Hall. She met his cold glare with as much civility as she could muster.

"I need to see Hagrid before we go to an apparation point," she told him coldly.

Alice walked out of the school towards Hagrid's hut with Snape silently following her. Inside she found Madox and Fang having dinner by the fire, whilst Hagrid was fixing his pink umbrella.

"Hi Hagrid." Alice gave Hagrid a strange look as he hastily shoved his umbrella under the table. "Um, do you mind if Madox stays for the weekend? Only I've got to go London with Snape on Dumbledore's orders."

"Ah, tha's no problem. Fang and he have had a grand afternoon. Does Madox good to have a run with Fang occasionally."

"Thanks Hagrid. Can I get you anything in London?"

Hagrid blushed and looked slightly sheepish. "Oh, well now... Are you going to Flourish and Blotts?"

"Yes," Alice replied hesitatingly, thinking that Hagrid didn't seem to be the reading type.

"...Only Charlie Weasley's written a book on Norwegian Ridgeback Dragons, and..."

Alice smiled. "No problem." Hagrid's obsession with dragons explained it all.

"Well, I better go. Snape's waiting."

"Course, Professor. See you when you get back."

Alice bent down and gave Madox a scratch behind the ears. "Don't worry, I'll bring you a treat too. Bye Hagrid, and thanks."

Outside, she found Snape waiting impatiently. "Well, are you finally ready?" Nodding, she followed him to an apparation point from which they apparated into the middle of a large kitchen, surprising the house elf at the sink. Alice looked around and smiled. "Home sweet home." She put her bag down on the large table in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hi Mollie, only here for a day or two. This is Professor Snape. Can you make up the spare room for him?"

"Yes miss." Mollie bowed to Snape and then disappeared with a pop. The kitchen was left in silence, and both Alice and Snape stared at the clock rather than look at each other or try and make conversation. Alice noticed that it was nearly seven. By the time she had changed into some dressier robes, it would be time to meet Seb.

"Your room is the second door on the right." Alice pointed toward the door that led to the rest of the apartment, whilst studiously ignoring Snape. She walked over to the door, put her hand on the knob and paused. She decided to give apologizing one more go. If it failed, she thought, then more´s the pity.

"Severus, I am truly sorry about this morning. Deeply sorry." Her voice trailed off as she looked back at Snape´s impassive face. It bore no trace of emotion at all; he just stared at Alice. She stared at back, but he said nothing. Eventually she turned and walked out of the kitchen to her bedroom, slamming doors along the way.

Half an hour later, Alice walked into the Leaky Cauldron and looked around for Seb Woods. He'd been her best friend at Hogwarts and the reason Alice was often caught sneaking into the Slytherin common room in the early hours of the morning. She was looking around when a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" whispered a voice doing a very bad impersonation of Snape. Alice whirled around in delight and hugged Seb.

"Glad to hear you are still doing your impersonations - albeit badly!"

Seb laughed and Alice looked up at him. He was tall and muscular, yet not bulky, and had mousy brown, curly hair and brown eyes, which sparkled when he laughed -- which was most of the time. Alice smiled and started to feel the invisible weight that had hung on her shoulders most of the day lifting.

"C'mon," Seb took Alice's hand and led her over to a table. "This is Fred and George Weasley."

Alice smiled at the two of them. One of them, she wasn't sure which, stood up and bowed.

"A chair, milady."

Alice giggled. At least this part of her trip was going to be fun. The twins sat down, one on either side, so she was sandwiched by Weasley's.

"So which one of you is Fred and which one is George?" Alice said looking at the two of them, trying to find a difference. "I'm George," said the one on the left in blue robes and he picked her hand up and kissed it. "Which means I'm Fred", said the other twin, taking Alice's right hand and kissing it. Alice started to giggle again.

"Seb, your shout," Fred said without taking his eyes from Alice's. Alice looked up at Seb and smiled helplessly.

"The usual?"

"Sounds great. Thanks Seb."

"Yeah, thanks Seb," Fred and George yelled in unison. Seb walked over to the bar.

"So Alice, teaching at Hogwarts - you got our brother Ron in any of your classes?" Fred asked.

"Um no, but I do know him, because of Remus."

"Ah, Remus Lupin! Wonderful man. He, Sirius Black and James Potter are Fred and I's personal heroes. They blazed a trail that mere mortals such as ourselves feel privileged to follow." Alice looked from Fred to George and noticed that that their eyes had misted over.

"What has Remus -- and Sirius for that matter -- done to make such an impression?"

"They made a map."

"Not just any map."

"No - a map of the school and the grounds, enchanted to show everyone's location. It's called the Marauder's Map. All the secret passageways..." Fred's voice drifted off.

"The fun we had with that map." George sighed. Their quiet reminisces were broken by Seb returning with a bottle of blackcurrant vodka and four shot glasses. He poured out shots and held one up: "To Alice," and sculled the shot in one gulp. The other three followed suit.

An hour later they were still drinking, making toasts, and talking about their school days with Fred and George playfully re-enacting their own great moments in Hogwarts History. Alice thought about how much fun it would have been to be at school with the two of them, especially if she had been a Gryffindor. She mused on the fact that the Sorting Hat had told her it wasn't going to go against her ancestor's wishes, and put her in Slytherin, despite her wishes to the contrary. Only now was she beginning to feel like a Slytherin, and that was mainly due to her dislike of Sirius Black.

Alice was relaxed and had almost forgotten her earlier disagreement with Snape; almost, that is, until he walked in with Lucius Malfoy and her father. Alice felt the color drain from her face and she struggled not to fall off her chair. Seb noticed Alice blanch and turned around to see what had upset her. The Weasley twins also noticed, but they were more amused by Snape's appearance in a London pub.

"Professor Snape."

"Sevi, old chap!" they yelled. Snape glared at the two of them, a look of utter disdain passing over his face. "Weasleys", he muttered.

Declan Kyteler looked at Alice and grimaced. It was the first time he had seen her since their disagreement in The Three Broomsticks. Although they were owling each other, their relationship could only be described as cordial, not warm. Declan hated what he was doing to Alice but he really didn't have a choice. He knew that he had a reputation to maintain in front of Lucius Malfoy, no matter how much it upset his daughter. Declan put a hand on Lucius's shoulder.

"Lucius, I don't think you have met my daughter, Alice. Alice, this is a very good friend of mine, Lucius Malfoy," Declan said warmly.

Alice slowly looked from her father to Lucius. He was tall, slim, and gave off an air of complete evil. Alice looked into his cold, grey eyes and shuddered. She gave silent thanks that Draco didn't have the same air of coldness of his father. However, she couldn't give thanks that her father had befriended such a monster. No wonder Declan couldn't say no to him. The man was evil personified. Alice was brought back to earth by what she assumed he thought was a seductive tone, but which made Alice sense danger and want to run, not to mention feel physically ill.

"Alice, a pleasure to meet you. I am so glad Hogwarts has finally secured a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor with such a fine pedigree as yours."

Lucius's eyes sparkled with malevolence as he slowly looked Alice over, his eyes lingering for far too long in some places for her liking.

"Sit Declan, I'm sure Alice and her, uh", Lucius looked disdainfully at Fred and George, "friends, won't mind if we join them." He sat next to Alice and draped an arm proprietarily along the back of her chair. Alice heard Snape make an animalistic sound in his throat and she turned to see that he was physically holding Fred and George back from springing on Lucius. Lucius, however, continued to address himself to Alice, oblivious to the looks he was earning from the others.

"So Alice, we have never had an opportunity to meet before, which is such a shame. If you are still in London tomorrow we should have dinner. I know of this Romanian restaurant, very discrete."

He leant closer to Alice and put a very cold hand on her knee and squeezed it. Alice swallowed down bile. She could smell Lucius Malfoy and he stank of a vile acidic, animal smell that made her feel nauseous. "Professor Snape and I are returning to Hogwarts tomorrow," she whispered, hoping that whatever Dumbledore wanted them to do wouldn't take long. She could barely get the words out of her mouth without wanting to be sick.

"Well then, I'll have to arrange a visit to Hogwarts -- or better yet, perhaps you could come to the Manor." He smiled at Alice as he started to stroke her leg. Alice's stomach started to heave, and getting up, she ran from the Leaky Cauldron into the courtyard at the back and threw up behind an empty butterbeer keg.

She felt a hand on her back, and jumping, screamed.

"It's okay, it's only me."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Seb. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"What happened?"

Alice looked up at Seb. Could she trust him with her secret? She bit her bottom lip as she thought.

"Alice...whatever it is, you can tell me."

Alice shook her head and smiled. "It was just the vodka."

Just then, the twins burst out of the door.

"Alice, you okay?" George asked.

"Sevi said we should take you home and tuck you into bed," Fred chimed in enthusiastically, earning a reproving glare from Seb for his enthusiasm. Alice smiled thinly. Somehow she couldn't imagine Snape suggesting she be tucked into bed by anyone. She looked around at the three boys, all of them looking at her with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Boys, I'll be fine. I just had too much vodka and it was a bit stuffy inside. Why don't you go back and enjoy the rest of the night."

"We'll walk you home," Seb said as he took her arm.

'No," Alice replied with a slight edge to her voice which told Seb that she wasn't to be argued with.

The boys looked from one to another and Seb shook his head, indicating to the twins that they should drop the subject.

"Okay then, Well night Alice." George gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Sure you don´t want me to tuck you into bed? I really don't mind."

"I'll be fine, thanks Fred." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and he blushed slightly. Alice turned and tapped the wall three times with her wand, then when the hole was big enough, slipped into Diagon Alley, aware that Seb would be following her against her wishes. She turned around to confront him but he was gazing intently at the latest Nimbus model in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Alice continued walking down the deserted Alley. Diagon Alley at night was a scary place and Alice was glad Seb hadn't listened to her and was surreptitiously trailing her. In between the occasional pools of light, eyes seemed to be gazing at Alice from the shadows and as she walked past the apothecaries, some of the jars in the window gave off a dull red, iridescent glow. She jumped at the sound of a garbage can being knocked over, and spinning around with her wand drawn, she yelled: "Expelliarmus!"

A rather large rat came hurtling through the air and landed at Alice's feet, whilst the rubbish bin flew backwards and slammed into a shop sign, sending garbage flying. The noise of the bin crashing on the pavement ricocheted off the buildings in the empty Alley. Alice quickened her pace and scurried up Diagon Alley, until, just after Knockturn Alley, she had reached the back entrance of her family´s London apartment.

"Alohomora," Alice panted, then adding the family password, "alizarin." The door opened and Alice stumbled up the steps and into the passageway, leaning against the wall while she waited for Seb. When he didn't appear, Alice stuck her head out of the door and saw Seb's departing figure as he walked back down Diagon Alley. Alice decided she would owl him later in the week to apologize and explain the whole situation with Declan and Lucius. She went back inside and closed the door, re-activating the locking charm. Alice felt the charm come into effect, which was an added safety mechanism. If the house was broken into, Alice would physically feel the charm being broken.

She turned and walked up the stairs into the apartment, grateful that Mollie had left candles burning in the kitchen. She picked one up, went through the kitchen, then down the corridor to her bedroom. Her bedroom, her sanctuary. She wished that she could pick it up and take it back to Hogwarts with her. Alice opened the door: the moon was shining in through the bay window, filling the sparsely furnished room with light. The only furniture in the room was her wardrobe and a cherrywood sleigh bed. The unpolished floorboards were covered with rag rugs that Alice had made with her Gran. Walking across the room, Alice knelt on the seat of the bay window. She opened the window and looked out. The moon was full, peeping over the rooftops of the buildings across the street. Looking at the moon, Alice thought of Remus and wondered what he was doing. A sudden breeze came through the window and reminded her that she was cold. She walked over to her bed and pulled the duna off, then wrapping around herself, returned to the window seat to wait for someone to come home. Someone who could tell her what Lucius Malfoy was doing with her father in the Leaky Cauldron on a Friday night.

She had just started to doze off when she felt the apartment´s locking charms go down. She sat up and listened. She heard the faint sound of footsteps, which she presumed was someone coming up the stairs. Then she felt the charms come back into effect. Getting up, she quietly padded over to the doorway and poked her head out into the corridor where she saw Snape walking out of the kitchen, a candle hovering before him and throwing light onto his pale face. His black eyes sparkled in the light. Alice let out a sigh of relief and leant on the doorframe for support.

"Professor Kyteler," Snape walked up to Alice and momentarily studied her face with a look that resembled concern before he resumed a more impassive expression. "I trust you are feeling better."

"Not really. Do you want to tell me why my father and Lucius Malfoy were in the Leaky Cauldron tonight?" Alice glared at Snape accusingly, as if it were all his fault.

"Lucius and Declan flooed in just after you left. Lucius thought it would be relaxing to have a drink before continuing on to the Manor, and seeing as there was nothing here, Lucius suggested the Leaky Cauldron."

"He's vile," she whispered, gazing vacantly into space, "So cold to touch." Alice shivered.

"If you think he's bad, you should meet Lord Voldemort."

Alice paled as she considered that for a second. "No thanks."

Snape considered Alice for a moment. She didn't look as terrified as she had earlier, but that wasn't saying much.

"Do you want a sleeping potion?"

Alice shook her head. "I'll be okay. Goodnight Professor."

Snape "humpfed" in reply and walked away to his room. Alice turned, closing the door behind her. She went over to her bed and threw herself onto it, curling up into a ball and hugging herself for comfort.

Damn her father, damn him to hell. She had felt violated by Lucius Malfoy's touch, and she blamed her father for the way she felt. If he had never allowed himself to become manipulated she wouldn't have had to meet Lucius Malfoy. Alice had a strong sense of foreboding. As if the next months and years weren't going to be bad enough, she couldn't help but think that her father´s involvement with Lucius was going to make it all worse. Alice rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

*** *** ***

Several hours later, Snape woke from a fitful sleep. He'd had a nightmare that Alice had been brought before Lucius Malfoy and that she had been taken into his dungeon. Once there, Lucius had drugged Alice and viciously raped her, forcing Snape to watch. Then, after Lucius had finished with Alice, Snape had killed her.

Snape sat up in bed, sweat pouring off him. The nightmare wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been witness to Lucius Malfoy performing such degradations in the past. And if he himself hadn't killed two of the girls so they wouldn't have to remember the horror inflicted upon them. Of course, at the time Lucius had thought Snape was just as sick and twisted as he was, and perhaps Lucius had been right: he had watched and done almost nothing, at times almost enjoying what he witnessed.

Snape had come to London prepared not to talk to Alice, and definitely not to forgive her, but at the moment he wanted to take her back to Hogwarts and lock her in a dungeon so Lucius could never get his hands on her.

He lay back down in bed and tried to get back to sleep but every time he closed his eyes he saw Alice screaming in terror. Eventually he gave up on sleep and lay awake in the darkness, staring at the ceiling.

*** *** ***

The next morning Snape found Alice in the kitchen early, gazing vacantly into space. The dark circles under her eyes suggested that she hadn´t gotten much sleep either. She pushed a pot of coffee across the table toward him as he sat down.

"Morning Professor," Alice said hesitatingly.

"Morning." Snape looked down at the plate of food that had appeared before him and started to play with the slice of bacon.

"Alice." Alice's head jerked up at the sound of her first name. Strange that he had reverted back to it.

"I want to apologize for the incident in the Potions classroom yesterday. I shouldn't have humiliated you in front of the students." Alice looked at Snape --he was staring at the plate of food before him, looking perhaps for the first time in his life both humbled and embarrassed. "I also want to say that I appreciate you apologizing for your accusations. However, I am not certain that I can trust you, so I suggest we begin working in the dungeons on alternate nights. We can leave detailed notes so that the other knows what is being worked on and so forth. After a period of time, if I feel I can trust you again, we can start working together again. Is this acceptable to you?" Snape's eyes bore into Alice's with such an intensity that she felt like he was looking through her skull. She had no option but to agree. She wanted to help in the fight against Voldemort, and if those were the terms, so be it.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Alice remembered what they were in London for in the first place.

"So what do we need to get for Dumbledore?"

Snape reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a piece of parchment. He unfolded it, read it, then threw it across to Alice. She picked it up, read it and laughed.

"Ice-cream? Dumbledore wants us to get him ice-cream?"

"Apparently."

"Okay then...Florean Fortesque´s, here we come. Oh, and I also have to go to Flourish and Blotts for Hagrid."

Snape looked up from playing with his food and raised an eyebrow. Alice shrugged. She didn't feel like rationalizing Hagrid's desire to read a book on dragons to Snape. So far as Alice was concerned, the sooner their ice-cream shopping trip was over, the better; she wanted to get back to the safety and relative normality of Hogwarts.

They finished breakfast in silence and made their way out to Diagon Alley. At Flourish and Blotts, Snape stood outside whilst Alice went in to get Hagrid's book. Once that purchase was out of the way, they walked across the Alley to Fortesque´s.

Inside, Snape placed Dumbledore's order with Florean whilst Alice greedily surveyed the display. She wondered what flavors Remus would like. She eventually decided on chocolate, lemon, and pistachio gelati in all-freeze containers so they wouldn't melt. She also got a small tub of honeycomb for Madox.

Once they had finished shopping they returned to Alice's apartment, got their things, and apparated back to the school gates.