Knight of Pentacles, Queen of Wands

Ch10: Wheel Of Fortune

If anything, Severus' grip on Lily got even tighter when he spied Sirius Black standing slightly behind James Potter. Just the mere sight of him was enough to make him grit his teeth and want to throw hexes.

"Let her go. It's us that you want," Potter said calmly. His voice was an odd contrast to his demeanor, which looked anything but calm.

Lucius had closed in behind them and Regulus had his wand on them. Karkaroff was doing good to just stay out of the way. The smell of his blood was nauseating and they hadn't bothered to Evanesco the mess. If Potter or Black were curious they didn't say anything about it.

"Ah, but we've only just begun. Miss Evans is surprisingly delightful company."

With the lewd way Severus was holding Lily, which was certainly no accident, he knew his words would send Potter into a frenzy.

"Get your filthy hands off her, you Death Eater scum!"

However, and Severus was certainly beginning to wonder, it seemed that Lily's bodily reactions were betraying her. It was intriguing and he was going to use it to his advantage.

"But I think that she likes my filthy hands on her. Don't you, my dear?" Severus murmured silkily and then nuzzled her neck. He dearly wished that his mask wasn't in the way.

Her breathing hitched and he felt the goosebumps that were beginning to form on her arms and it was nothing short of exhilarating. When she whimpered he somehow knew that it wasn't truly out of fear. It was almost enough to make him forget where he was, but Severus had to focus.

"The Dark Lord is rather upset with the two of you. It seems you've been causing him some particular trouble and my colleagues and I have been sent to convey his displeasure."

Sirius Black looked murderous himself and growled. Now that Severus knew he was an Animagus, he thought it rather appropriate to think of Black as a mangy mongrel.

"Bring it on, scum!" Black barked out.

"Rein in your mutt Potter, or there will be considerably more trouble than even your insignificant brain can imagine."

To emphasize his point, Severus ran his wand across Lily's throat. It was most amusing to see both Potter and Black blanch as he subtly let slip that he knew of their Animagus abilities.

"As one of the aforementioned vile henchmen of the Dark Lord, I feel that I must interject," Regulus began. He nodded toward Severus and then continued, "What my brother-in-arms is trying to convey is that we don't merely intend to use this witch of unfortunate blood lineage for the purpose of securing our departure. We also intend to gather some information from you for our illustrious Dark Lord and perhaps we'll throw in a few hexes and curses for fun."

Sirius Black let in a sharp breath.

"Regulus!"

"In the flesh, brother," Regulus sneered contemptuously.

"I'm not surprised that you've come to this," Black said disdainfully. "You always were weak. Doing everything Mum and Dad expected."

"What would you know of it?" Regulus snapped back. "With you running about playing the shameful Gryffindor, someone had to be the dutiful son. It took a lot more courage to do that than to run off and leave."

"I didn't simply run off and you know it!" Sirius yelled. "You're acting like I abandoned you or something."

"Didn't you?" Regulus asked softly.

It was almost too much for Severus to take in. That Regulus could even remotely care what his older brother thought was almost too much. Severus had to redirect the family reunion back to the topic at hand.

"I do hate to interrupt, but we need to be getting on with things," Severus interjected insincerely.

"Yes, like your telling us how many Aurors there are outside," Lucius demanded.

"Now, why would we tell you that?" Black asked snidely.

"Because we'll be getting that information from you one way or another," Severus said menacingly.

Lily stiffened in his arms. He supposed his earlier demonstration on Karkaroff didn't help his case in her eyes. It couldn't be helped though. He turned his full attention back to Lily.

"Now, my dear, which one do you want me to curse first?" he asked her.

She didn't say anything. He knew she wouldn't.

"Potter? Surely, a witch wouldn't choose her own fiancé. She'd want to spare him. Perhaps Black would be the better choice. He's nothing to you," Severus said pensively.

"Leave her alone!" Potter yelled. "She's done nothing to you."

Severus inwardly snorted at that statement. What hadn't Lily Evans done to him? However, he outwardly ignored Potter's comment and continued.

"What will it be, hmm?" Severus still had one arm firmly around her waist, but with the other, he placed his wand hand on top of Lily's and forced her to grip his wand. It was a strangely intimate gesture for him, as Severus never let anyone touch his wand if he could help it.

"Maybe you're angry with Potter though. If you were, surely no would blame you if you were to curse him? We could say that your anger got away with you. Call it a crime of passion."

Lily tried to pull away, but Severus was persistent. He whispered in her ear, "You're doing well. Relax."

She did, but only marginally. It was almost surprising that she even thought to listen to him.

However, he then continued loudly, "Ah, I sense that you're conflicted. You really do want to curse Potter, don't you? Far be it for me to refuse the request of a lovely witch."

With those words, Severus directed his wand in Lily's hand into the motions for a particularly painful curse that wouldn't cause much damage. It hit Potter straight on and the young Auror trainee hit the floor.

Severus couldn't help asking Lily, "Felt good, didn't it?"

He knew that would get a reaction from her and Severus was intent on taking whatever he could get. It was beyond pathetic.

"No. You're going too far," she whispered.

"And here I thought I was being rather conservative," he responded dryly.

He looked at Potter dispassionately. It did give Severus slight satisfaction in seeing him writhing on the floor, whimsy to his mercy.

"I believe my colleague asked you a question earlier. How many Aurors are outside?" Severus asked pleasantly.

"Ten! There are ten!" Potter gasped.

"Clearly, Gryffindor bravery is overrated," he responded. "Tell me, have they set up an Anti-Disapparition Jinx?"

Black answered this time in an effort to take Severus' attention away from Potter.

"Of course. Standard procedure."

"Tell your colleagues to take it down," Severus demanded.

"They won't. They weren't lying when they said they refuse to negotiate," Black said sullenly. "Crouch's new laws." Apparently Black was as enthusiastic about Crouch Senior as the Death Eaters were.

Lucius sniggered. "How delightful! It's almost too much!"

All of the Death Eaters in the room knew what Lucius was referring to. Crouch Senior was cracking down on dark wizards and Crouch Junior was a dark wizard. His dear old dad had no idea.

Their means of leaving were cut off and that proposed an almost insurmountable problem. Unless, and it was almost too much to hope for, there was another way. Severus had to try.

"The Floo," he said simply.

Potter looked up quickly from his spot on the floor and Black flinched. Like all things Marauder, it was probably an illegal connection that the Ministry didn't know to block. How the pair was even allowed into Auror training with their propensity for breaking laws and rules was beyond Severus' comprehension.

"Well? Be useful for once and see if it works!" Severus hissed to Karkaroff, who was conveniently leaning next to the grate. "Go to Knockturn Alley and then Disapparate. You know where to."

The atmosphere in the room was charged with their anticipation. When the flames turned green and Karkaroff disappeared, Severus let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. They had to move quickly.

"Imperio!"

It was Regulus' voice that rang out as he placed the Unforgiveable on his mangy brother, to Severus' acute disgust. It was obvious to Severus that Imperio was Regulus Black's favorite curse. He talked about using it enough.

"Go to Knockturn Alley and wait for me there," Regulus ordered.

It figured that they would have to bring the idiot along. Severus' luck only extended so far, apparently. He knew it would be more difficult to take Potter as their hostage when he was in so much pain, but still. Potter was marginally preferable over Sirius Black.

Severus was the last to leave. He heard the Aurors outside go into a frenzy as they realized that there was an active floo connection in the house. He sneered at their incompetence. That alone would cause Lily Evans more trouble than she could likely handle, but he couldn't contemplate that at the moment. He let go of Lily and gently squeezed her hand before disappearing in a whoosh of green. It might have been his imagination when she returned the gesture. He did know one thing though, if he ever saw Potter again, he was dead, because it was not his imagination that the wizard had just grazed his arm with a curse.