The Only Protectus

What You Can Do For Me.

The black coffee was hot on his tongue, unpleasant considering he didn't really like coffee, but it bought him back to reality. His travelling cloak, black and worn from years of use lay neatly over a carved wooden arm. He wasn't in the mood to sit in his chair, so instead he stood beside it, bleakly staring into the fireplace. He also wasn't in the mood to go travelling, and he was hoping for some kind of diversion.

Rash decisions Severus, what would your father say if he knew that you were making rash decisions? What would Lydia say? Out of the both of us, she was the one who would be more likely to hike around the country side without a moment's notice. Well, I do suppose that I am rather the only one left now to be irrational. Still, I can't believe I...yet, the fact that I have this poison running through my veins...

And I will be able to keep a closer eye on her this way. If she's silent in my office, she's less likely to be screeching pitifully for sympathy in her quarters. If I can supervise her usage of the Insidious potion then I will know that she isn't trying to use it on anyone else, for any other purpose. Yet. This doesn't feel right.

The coffee mug clattered down onto the ledge about the fire, spilling black liquid which seeped quickly into old and unvarnished wood. He stared. He yanked his travelling cloak from the chair and wrapped it around his shoulders. The fire sputtered from the movement, then burned dangerously low as the staffroom door opened and Dumbledore walked in sedately. His blue eyes lit on Severus, then at the empty state of the staffroom.

'You have a travelling cloak, Severus,' Dumbledore remarked with a slight grimace.

'I have always had a travelling cloak, Dumbledore, however it was kind of you to notice it now.'

Dumbledore laughed softly and then took of his spectacles which he absently began to clean.

'How fares Svelte?'

'Well, thank you Headmaster.'

'You did not report to me after the meeting last night, was it so unmemorable?' Dumbledore remarked quietly, setting the glasses back on his face. Severus blinked in surprise, his mouth opened as though to protest but Dumbledore shook his head. 'Do not worry Severus, no one can hear this conversation, we are warded. You should remember that. What happened during the meeting?'

Severus took his own wand out of his pocket and cast silencing wards around the panelled room. The travelling cloak slid to the side of the armchair as Severus shrugged it off. 'It's not that I don't doubt your instincts, Dumbledore. It is just that there were some new events and I want to run no risks. Voldemort was not present, Frederick was in charge of the meeting. Our earlier suspicions about his creating the Insidious en masse has been confirmed. Blatantly.'

Dumbledore frowned, his fingers interlaced. 'It is a hard potion to trace in the bloodstream.'

'I could trace it.'

'I wonder if you are the only one,' Dumbledore said very softly and suddenly his hands flew apart. 'Could you trace it Severus?'

'Headmaster, I might gloat on the frequent occasion when I have reason to, but I do not exaggerate. What do you want me to do?'

'Almost always too much. I was just thinking...well. It's merely a thought. Is Frederick planning on getting other Death Eaters to use this potion freely?'

'Freely. Every Death Eater there had access to a decent amount of the liquid, free of charge. I could hazard a guess as to what you're thinking, Dumbledore. Do you want me to develop a trace?'

'Just think, if we could develop a counter-solution, or an immunisation, even an antidote...if we encouraged the members for the Ministry of Magic, and the students of Hogwarts to take some. It would render this pathway ineffective. Yet, this plan has flaws.'

'Yes. There are Death Eaters everywhere, and not all who are Death Eaters were present at the meeting last night. The construction of the trace would be, for the lack of a better word, traced back to me. Especially considering the fact that Frederick is marginally gifted when it comes to the art of the liquid magic. I could only get a trace to work, if there is enough time to make one, if it was ingested without the person's knowledge.'

There was a long silence. Severus was ticking over the possibilities in his mind for there were many. Suddenly he blinked. Looked sharply into the fire. His mouth slanted sideways and he exhaled sharply.

'However it develops, the antidote, or immunisation could be tested on Siana. That way we could be aware of it's effects. And we need give no one else the potion. After all, it can be fatal, and we cannot measure the way it will react with the common body,' he said and quietly wondered if this tack would indeed work. After all, he was going to help her wipe the effects from her mind anyway, wasn't it? Presumably. Help isn't the right word. Dumbledore was nodding, even the flames in the fireplace seemed to jump with approval. Suddenly Dumbledore stopped nodding.

'The effects of that Insidious potion are out of her system now, it is why she is allowed here, she is no longer a danger to others.'

Ah. Of course, careful not to slip up here. As much as I'd like to see the little bitch kicked out of Hogwarts, she could possibly thwart her own Uncle without realising it. I bet she would hate that. So here is were I take the card of blackmail, and exchange it for the card of trickery. This feels so trivial now, lying...especially when I can still see the blank look of horror on that woman's face.

'Yes, but we are aware that she has taken it before and survived. I would be administering the potion to her in much smaller doses, and in much more controlled environs. She would be completely aware of what was going on around her, and we would have the satisfaction of knowing that she isn't likely to suffer any deadly side effects. Especially in my presence Dumbledore. I know what I'm doing.'

'Frederick won't be suspicious of you asking for the Insidious potion will he?'

'No. Of course not. Why would he be when I'm the devil that's supposed to be infiltrating Hogwarts from the inside anyway?'

'Is there anything else I should know about the meeting last night?' Dumbledore added quietly and Severus shrugged lopsidedly. Dumbledore had to hide a half smile here, it was rare that the potions master was tired and exhausted enough to stop restraining his body. When he was tired, he shrugged, he yawned...a rare thing to see Severus Snape hiding behind a yawn.

'Not really. Frederick is a malicious, cunning and irresponsible braggart. But then, he's a Basilica. Lucius was there, with another cat. Though he seemed to have learnt his lesson from last time, it's not a kneazle, and blessedly not an Animagus. That would have been hard to explain to Voldemort.' Severus half laughed at the thought. He then sobered up considerably. 'A Muggle was killed.'

Dumbledore said nothing, only looked away sadly.

'And the meetings start again in full swing I suppose.'

'Yes. I hear Siana will be training you to take on the form of a second Animagus, are you sure that's wise?' Severus said, desperate for a change of topic. 'It would be very easy for her to do something detrimental whilst you are attempting to change the cellular structure of your body.'

'Severus, I appreciate your concern, but your hatred of the Basilican bloodline is clouding your judgement. Siana was under the influence of the Insidious potion when she killed Lydia, you know how potent the potion is. She was locked up in a tower until the age of twenty seven...she's bound to be a bit eccentric, and she didn't deliberately try to kill you in Stow.'

'You weren't there,' Severus spat and Dumbledore sighed. Clouds scudded by, dark and oppressive outside, the fire continued to leap and furl.

'She was genuinely worried Severus, you wouldn't remember that, you were unconscious at the time. She was almost hysterical when she found out that you'd gone to see Voldemort. She yelled at me, if I do recall.'

'If I recall, she gets hysterical at just about anything.' Severus picked at the threads in his robes and then suddenly snorted. 'Can we talk about something else please?'

'How is Svelte?' Dumbledore said amiably and Severus grunted in the back of his throat. Then he stood abruptly and yanked his travelling cloak up off the chair.

'This is ridiculous, I can't take my mind off the situation. Svelte. If you must know, she's fine. I daresay she's keeping me sane, there's something very grounding when one cuts up a mouse after all. She's keeping out of the way of my attacks, for the most part, otherwise she's excited, disgustingly cheerful and much too energetic and spritely for someone of my age.'

'Your age?' Dumbledore mocked and Severus half snarled, though the snarl curled halfway into a strange, self-mocking smile.

'Thirty eight going on one hundred and thirty eight. Listen Dumbledore, I can't talk right now, if I have to go and see Frederick to get this potion I'd rather get it over and done with. Better to face the torturer now than torture myself instead. Though I'm not entirely sure which of us does the better job.'

'I think I could guess Severus, and my guess doesn't have the last name of Basilica on the end of it. Are you interrupting your previous appointment for this? You were going travelling after all.'

'Only to the apothecaries,' Severus lied smoothly. He was very good at lying to those that trusted him, he had developed the talent for years, and had finally decided that if he could lie to Voldemort, than he could certainly get away with it in front of Dumbledore. 'I'll make it a round trip. I want you to be on your guard, Headmaster. I do not doubt that you're already aware of the seriousness of the situation, but this could well explode into the rise of Voldemort quickly.'

'We have our hopes, Severus. You have been, and continue to remain, one of them,' Dumbledore said softly as the Potions Master took a small handful of powder and threw it into the flames. Severus merely grimaced at Dumbledore as he withdrew his wand stepped into the smoke, he did not yell the location, and disappeared quickly.

* * * * *

Now. I have no earthly idea where Frederick is residing, but I know one man who would. Not this way... Severus often navigated the Floo network without stating a man first. He liked the method of travelling more than most, and enjoyed the rushing sensation, even if he severely disliked the soot on his shoulders afterwards. His wand pointed the directions he needed to go clearly, and he rushed to and fro, from fireplace to fireplace as his wand vibrated enthusiastically.

A few minutes later he stepped out of a fireplace, tapping himself with his wand to rid himself of the dirt.

'Lucius!' he called briskly and heard a muffled exclamation, some thuds and cursing from behind a door.

'What in blazes do you want, Severus? This is a ridiculous time to be visiting.'

Severus said nothing, merely raised his eyebrows as he heard more swearing. He looked around the office and saw the secret bookshelf that led to the Death Eaters uniform. No raid had ever revealed that. Severus himself hid his in the most obvious place, his wardrobe, where most Aurors didn't think to look anymore, because it seemed such a stupid place to hide such damaging evidence.

Lucius emerged looking a little flustered, a little rumpled.

'What were you doing in there?' Severus drawled, amused and Lucius squinted his eyes into a glare.

'None of your damned business. Now what do you want?'

'Are we safe?' Lucius impatiently nodded, as though to say, why wouldn't we be? 'Good. I need to contact Frederick. Quickly. It's a matter of urgency, I do not have the potion in my possession like I thought, and there is not enough time to brew it.'

'He'll like you visiting him. The man positively adores you.' Lucius chuckled to himself. 'You poor sod. You know that? If you had only stayed away from Hogwarts, people wouldn't treat you like this. Like the scum of the earth. Though in many ways Severus...'

'A warning to you, Lucius, I hold one of the most important positions at Hogwarts, and should all the plans go correctly I'll be elevated to His side. You know that.'

'Of course,' Lucius said delightedly as he sifted through the many pieces of parchment on his desk. 'Why do you think you're so thoroughly hated dear boy? They're all jealous. No one ever thought the little rat of a child would ever end up playing the part you do now. Training our little Slytherin brats, infiltrating the school, why it must be a positively delicious job. So typically Snapish really,' Lucius muttered and Severus frowned.

'How easily you come to mock me.'

'It has been easy to mock you since I saw you with that Basilica. I understand that you have to socialise with her, to get on her side, all of that. Perhaps I just prefer a more direct approach, I don't like to know my enemy. You, it seems, do.'

'I try to know all my enemies, Lucius,' Severus whispered silkily and Lucius looked at him, sharp eyes narrowing perceptively.

'Be careful.'

'I didn't mean you, Lucius, honestly.' He fingered some of the sheafs of parchment on the desk and then turned to face the window. 'How fares Narcissa, and Draco?'

'Draco has been enjoying the time away from Hogwarts, he doesn't have to put up with Albus there. Narcissa? She's good. Happy it seems, about all of this.' He waved vaguely with his hand, and Severus nodded slowly. 'And you Severus, when are you going to be settling down? Never I suppose?'

'And who would you have me settle down with Malfoy? We've had this conversation before, it ended badly. If I do recall.' Severus half smiled, it wasn't enthusiastic. 'I don't particularly want to extend the Snape line of purebloods, our reputation was destroyed when my father...'

'Yes. Your father. Interesting fellow,' Lucius muttered absently. 'Your sister was like him. They both would have been Gryffindor's, lion spawn. You know Severus,' Lucius looked up, 'It really is better that they're both dead, I know you've heard me say it before, but lion's aren't anything special. They get culled quickly in reality. Though it is a shame in some ways, Lydia was...well, you obviously got the brains, she obviously got the looks.' Lucius handed Severus a small piece of parchment with a scrawled address on it. His eyes seemed to glow with unspoken plans. Severus frowned, resisted the urge to kill Lucius here and now. He hated it when people insulted his sister, and the Death Eaters couldn't get enough of the topic most of the time.

'It is a good thing that I will never be having children, wouldn't want to produce anymore filth really.'

'I don't know if you could Severus, not a Gryffindor, not brave enough. Not a Hufflepuff, not loyal enough really, and Ravenclaw? No. You always liked your power. Head of House indeed. Trusted member of our little club. Though Frederick hates you as much as possible.'

'They have Snape-hating classes,' Severus stated mildly and Lucius shrugged. 'So tell me, why is he registered on the Floo Network?'

'He's technically not. Look at the address Severus, you know that's a heritage estate, it's an historical treasure to us wizards. Little that the tourism department knows, it's also affiliated with the Basilicas.'

'Ah.'

'You may use my fireplace if you wish, Severus. Frederick will be alone, he doesn't live with company. I don't know...' he paused, stroking a long, pale finger down his forearm, whilst looking at the Potions Master. In his eyes was a cross of sadistic pleasure, and offset pity. 'I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing.'

'It's all relative Lucius,' Severus remarked calmly as he stood in front of the fireplace that was roaring and stared down at the address calmly, ignoring the dread that was curdling in him. He took a pinch of Floo powder from a bronze chalice on the mantel and stared at it, before throwing it into the fire. The flames rushed suddenly, whooshed upwards.

* * * * *

The Post of Dugald was a dreary place, which was not surprising considering it was located on the Isle of Drear. It was only accessible by Floo, for going to the old granite house by land was dangerous. Foolish. Hairy MacBoons lurked in the strangest of places, and the Ministry of Magic had long since abandoned any attempts at Untransfiguration. The Hairy MacBoons could not access the small squat home of the late Dugald, and occasionally tourists who liked a thrill walked throughout the slabbed floors, marvelling at the danger, looking out the panelled windows to see if they could find a five legged monster.

Severus stepped out of the fireplace calmly, once more touching his wand to his shoulder and muttering a small phrase that would clean his robe and cloak of soot. He shook himself and immediately noticed the heating charm soaking out of the fireplace. He had no need for his cloak, so he shrugged it off and draped it on a dusty chair, the only piece of furniture in the dusty room.

'Frederick?' Severus called, looking around. There was nothing here. Windows, a chair, two threadbare rugs that had dead cockroach carcasses on them, and a multitude of cobwebs on the ceiling and hiding in the corners. Someone was obviously living here, or else there would not be a heating charm exuding from the fireplace during the offpeak tourism season.

How could that puerile Basilica be living here? How could he have brewed the potions here? It makes no sense. There's not a sign of anything else apart from that chair. There's nothing significant about that. Unless there's trapdoors underneath the rugs but no, the Ministry would have picked that up, even if they are completely stupid.

He looked at the one door that rattled in the unforgiving wind. Here he could barely make out fine details due to the lack of light. The clouds obscured everything, and shadows were cast by the stunted trees that spotted out what was a very drab countryside. He bit his lip, this was ridiculous. Not a joke, he was sure, but definitely ridiculous.

When the door slammed open, he started. Frederick stood, in travelling cloak and grey robe, oblivious to the wind that was fluffing his mildly wavy hair, and accentuating the unflattering wrinkles around his mouth.

'Severus! Pleasure! Heard someone call. Come on then, I'll take you to my humble abode,' he said, gesturing with one hand that was shaken by the wind, to the rolling hills and troll like trees beyond. Severus folded his arms.

'I have never, and will never, appreciate your sense of humour, Frederick.'

'Oh nonsense! They're not even out at the moment!' He walked in and slammed the door behind him. 'Oh I'm kidding!' he said with a smile and Severus resisted the urge to back up a step, to kill him, to throttle him, to do something more extreme than just standing still and trying to look impassive. He knew it was worthless, his indifference meant nothing to a man who had enough power to change that expression.

'I go out there occasionally, you know, for the fun of it.'

'It's a shame they haven't come out to play,' Severus said softly and Frederick's eyes twinkled.

'Yes. It is.' He grinned and hopped a little as he withdrew his wand. Severus felt his leg muscle twitch, felt the base of his spine start to ache, wondered if he would have seizures, which he was sure the man would enjoy. Foolish man! You think you could single-handedly take on a Quintaped? I don't care how powerful you believe you have become, it is not possible.

'You know why I am here, Frederick? I've come to collect the Insidious potion.'

'Can you not brew it? Oh, oh sorry, haha. How stupid of me, of course you can brew it. Just don't want to waste your time I suppose. Let's get out of here shall we? Take out your wand. We're apparating. Actually. It's probably a good idea if I do it. You've never been there before.'

And without another word Severus felt the uncomfortable sensation of rushing, a mild pop, and he before he could take account his settings, he realised that he'd left his travelling cloak in the Post of Dugald.

'It's where I live now, see.'

Frederick dumped his travelling cloak unceremoniously in a fire and waved his wand. The torches in the brackets flamed up and the room which had been dimly lit, suddenly became golden with light. The violet hangings with the basilisk insignia had been draped everywhere, and had obviously been there for a while. In one corner of the rectangular room was a set up of potion making equipment, on the other side were rolls and rolls of blank parchment and a few closed, untitled books. Near the long wall with the window behind it (showing angry, grey clouds) was a long, wooden desk, well made. It had all sorts of knick knacks on it, and he froze to see a newspaper article that he had long thrown out, of himself, Siana, the Basilicas. One of the reports after his sister had been killed.

'Take it all in Severus,' Frederick said softly, noticing where Severus' eyes had strayed. Severus started and looked away, staring instead at a cabinet where he could see the red of the Insidious potion glinting.

'I only need one vial.'

'Oh sure. One vial. That's all. Why don't you find your own Boggart eh? Not that hard now. Oh well. I'm sure I could handle that,' Frederick said half to himself, as he walked up to the door and took out the bottle. He caressed the test tube shaped object intimately, and turned his head slowly to smirk at Severus.

'Frederick if you please, I'd like to be on my way...'

'No. No. I rather expect there's things that you can do for me here Severus. I do,' he said, and then chuckled, staring at one of the basilisks clawing a pheasant as he did so.

'And what is it, exactly Frederick, that your banal mind wants me to do?' he ground out, trying calm himself, but unable to quell the apprehension, the seizure of his lungs, roiling stomach. He had an idea of what was coming, and he wanted no part in it. Not again.

'What you can do for me, Severus, is make me happy. I would dearly love for you to do that.'

'You should be happy enough Frederick, that I'm actually listening to you. Hatred between the Snape's and Basilicans does not simply disappear because we're apparently on the same side.'

'Oh but I beg to differ, I'm giving you some of the Insidious, it's hard to brew, to get the ingredients. Transaction for a transaction say? You know very well how you make me happy Sevvie. Little Sevvie,' Frederick purred insolently as he walked to the front of the desk and rested his hips against it. 'You get to see the bitch on an almost daily basis, and you still haven't found a way to get her here?'

'You know as well as I do, that the time is inopportune.'

'Of course,' Frederick drawled. 'He can't use her and all that. Well you don't know why he wants her. Do you? No, you still haven't worked it out yet.'

'Apart from the fact that she's a cunning murderer? I'm sure the Dark Lord can always do to have more of those on his side.'

Frederick nodded without looking, he was still holding the vial. Severus was about to start mentally brewing potions to take his mind of anxiety when pain jack-knifed through his body and ran out through his fingers.

Oh for crying out loud. Not now. Of all the unfortunate...

* * * * *

'Tsk, tsk, tsk, boy. What have you done to yourself? Look here, you still haven't worked out the antidote yet?'

Severus nearly turned around and smashed the mocking face down into his collarbone, but he could hardly move for the pain. He sensed that he was sitting, propped up against the coldness of a wall. He panicked for a second and twitched his wrists and ankles. He could still move them, he hadn't been tied up like he suspected.

'Frederick...' Severus warned, but the voice was broken. He opened his eyes and focused slowly. Saw that Frederick was still leaning against the desk, his wand out.

'Well isn't that an unhappy sight. You twitch like a fucking rabbit in a trap Sev. You really do,' Frederick said softly and then tossed the vial of Insidious carelessly into the air, just as carelessly catching it.

'You can, go to...hell. Frederick.'

'You can fucking come with me first,' Frederick ground out, his voice lowering to a cheerful whisper. His smile was piercingly bright. 'It's easy, get on your damned knees, crawl here, and you can figure out everything else. You've done it before. Come on, I bet you even want to, somewhere.' Frederick said and then laughed. 'I get oh so lonely here, you want to make the bad hurt all better?' He cackled himself into silence and Severus swallowed down a dry retch. None of the other Death Eaters had ever forced him into this, none of them. Perhaps they were too scared of the tables being turned and one day having to do it themselves. But not Frederick. Never Frederick.

'I have places to be...I don't have time for...'

'I don't care. If you do, you'll not only get the Insidious potion but I'll give you a cluey clue. How'd you like that eh? I'll tell you what one of the reactive ingredients in the potion destroying your nerve centre actually is. And then you can definitely build an antidote off that. Though it's still not going to be easy to make. Severus, also, you don't have a choice dear. Just crawl over here, I know you're in pain. I'm not even getting you to stand up. It's an easy choice.'

Severus knew that he had no choice, there was no easy choice, no hard choice. There was no choice. For a moment he damned himself for ever becoming a Death Eater, damned himself for ever getting involved in this. Then he silently damned all the Basilicas that had ever been born, as he rolled onto his knees and breathed deeply. He could not quieten the pain, nor could he quieten the humiliation that burned like a demon inside of him.

He thought of wormwood in great detail as he crawled across the gritty floor that seemed to bite at his knees. Halfway across the room he froze, had an image of himself, as though he was watching from far away. What in hell's name was he doing? On his knees, on the floor, practically begging for some potion. No. Not a chance. He'd make it himself. Swallowing, unnerved that he had even allowed it to go this far in his disoriented state, he withdrew his wand.

'Ah ah...no Severus. You can't back out now. Expelliarmus!' Frederick called and Severus watched, slightly blank, as the piece of wood - now useless - flew from his grip. 'Dear me, can't have you doing that. You're here now.'

'The Dark Lord will...'

'What? Congratulate me when I deliver her? Laugh with me at the way I've infiltrated the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts? All those good little witches and wizards out there? All the fucking mudbloods? Tell me Severus where will you be then? Out of a job, and I'll be able to do whatever the hell I want then. Especially to you. Daily. '

'...never share his goddamned glory with you Frederick, and he damned well shouldn't. You're an utter...' he trailed off. He was digging himself in deep here. Very deep.

'I'm a what? What am I? This? From the quiet, composed and oh so talented Potions Master? Look at where you are Sevvie, now shut up and get over here. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can go back to your dear, wise and disgusting caring Headmaster. He'll soothe the savage beast, I'm sure.'

Moments passed, Severus wasn't really sure what happened. When he found himself kneeling in front of Frederick he felt surprised. He didn't remember moving, and as Frederick directed him happily, he found he couldn't even think about what he was doing. It was a good thing, he decided, as he sunk into traumatised lassitude, the lassitude he hadn't experienced since Lydia had died.

* * * * *

Much later. Hours later. Many hours. He was back at Hogwarts, leaning into his lavatory for the tenth time, throwing up everything that seemed to have dared enter his stomach into the toilet. He was getting sick at looking at it. Bile not only filled his mouth, but seemed to coat the inside of his nose, so that every time he breathed in the bitter scent made him repress gags. He felt like he was dying. About to throw up again. Pain rocketed through his body, even though Frederick had not made him perform the whole nine yards...it seemed that the after-effects of the poison were much worse. Steadily increasing, becoming more severe.

On a desk in another room sat a small vial of Insidious potion, glinting softly in the dull firelight.

He wiped his mouth again, pointlessly he decided, and stared blankly into the murky water. His stomach lurched and he pushed himself away from the toilet, away from the smell. He could think of at least twenty potions that would make him feel better right now, and he was unable to take any one of them. Instead he collapsed backwards, feeling dizzy and confused, the taste of Frederick mingling with bile in the back of his throat. He was grateful to let the bliss of unconsciousness take him for the second time that night.