Beholden To No Man

Chapter 9

Aurelia couldn't take her eyes off of the tray of food. A part of her mind knew it was there to distract her, that he was only playing games with her, but that part of her mind was not in control at the moment. "I can't give you that. Please, let me have something to eat," she pleaded.

He picked up a piece of cheese, which she desperately wanted. "You do realize that nothing in this world is free. We each have something that the other wants. I can compensate you quite nicely for your work."

Reaching up and grabbing his hand, she pulled it closer so she could eat the cheese. "I don't need your money."

Leaning closer to feed her another strawberry, he whispered, "Not all rewards are monetary." He caressed her arm. "The Malfoy name will once again be returned to prominence. Aligning oneself with a powerful wizard has often been found to be...very rewarding."

She wasn't sure what he was getting at, but she was at least able to enjoy a few precious bites of food.

He watched her, continuing to caress her, testing her reaction. After she finished chewing, he brushed the edge of her jaw. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" He held the tray out for her to select something else.

She picked up another strawberry, cautiously watching him. He let her eat a few more bites of food before he set the tray behind him on the bed, the various delicacies still in plain sight. The rumble in her stomach prevented her from concentrating on anything other than the food sitting just out of reach. She didn't notice that his hand was on her thigh.

He licked his lips in anticipation and slid a little closer to her. "Would you like more?"

Assuming he was discussing food, she replied, "Yes, please."

He leaned forward and captured her mouth in a demanding kiss.

Aurelia immediately tried to jerk back, but he had wrapped his arms around her. When she finally broke free from the kiss, she shouted, "No!"

"You would do well to rethink that sentiment. I do not tolerate disobedience."

"I'm not your servant." Fear suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. She knew that he was stronger than she was, that he could easily overpower her.

He pushed her against the bed, pinning her arms so that she could not strike him. "You said that you wanted more. I am only giving you what you asked for."

She had wanted more, but this certainly wasn't what she had meant. "Not this," she sobbed.

Malfoy shifted his grip so that he captured both of her hands in one of his. He slid his free hand under her skirt and caressed her thigh. She tried to fight against him, but one of his knees was wedged between hers. The tears came unbidden.

Abruptly, he removed his hand and gave her a look of disdain. Grabbing her jaw with his hand, he said, "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior. It is childish and unattractive. You will obey me if you wish to eat." He kissed her hungrily, shifting his hand to squeeze her breast before releasing her. He then waved away the tray, and rose to his feet. "Should you change your mind, you have only to call my name."

After he left, she curled up and sobbed uncontrollably. Those few pieces of food had not been enough to sate her hunger; instead, they had only made it worse. After the tears finally stopped, she began to wonder if it would really be so bad to help him. Regardless of what she might do for him here and now, he would still have no way of entering Britain without quickly being captured

Forcing herself to think clearly, she knew that she could never help him. He was a Death Eater, and it would be a crime for her to aid him. Besides, no matter what happened, he needed her alive. She wondered why he hadn't used the Imperius Curse on her. That would be the easiest way for him to get what he wanted.

&&&&&&&&

Severus decided that his best course of action would be not to speak first, but to let Adrian drive the conversation. They sat in a less than comfortable silence for what must have been a minute or two, although it felt like an eternity to him.

"You know that I have no problem granting personal time on weekends. You need only ask. While Charlie has been so ill, I know that you have been doing your best for him, working nearly round the clock. You richly deserve, and probably need, a break. And as he is finally stable, I would have no problem granting you some time off."

The blood drained from Severus's face as he remembered that he was still supposed to be aiding in the research to neutralize the venom of the beast that had bitten Charlie.

Adrian beamed. "Fortunately, Poppy and Pomona had a breakthrough of sorts. They were finally able to isolate and, they believe, neutralize the venom, and Charlie seems to be recovering quite nicely now. He should be back to normal, or as close to normal as a Weasley ever gets, anyway, in another week or so." Adrian paused a few moments before continuing. "Is there a reason why you decided to take the weekend off without telling me?" His eyes twinkled with amusement.

Severus realized it would be incredibly easy to let Adrian believe that he had spent the weekend with Aurelia. Unfortunately, it would do nothing to aid his search. "Aurelia did not come to dinner on Thursday. Neither was she at home, nor did she send me an owl letting me know that she wouldn't be able to make our...appointment. I became concerned. She has not been home since Wednesday morning. Supposedly, she sent a letter to St. Mungo's requesting a few days off, that she had met old friends who wished to discuss the Lethifold research, but I don't believe that. I was searching for her this weekend."

"And where were you searching?" All the levity suddenly drained from Adrian's voice.

"Western Europe." He tried to determine how best to continue without incriminating himself. "I have reason to believe that one of the former Death Eaters survived, and that he may be interested in her because she knows the cure to the loyalty potion that we were all given before the Final Battle, a potion that nearly killed me." He hoped that was vague enough that Adrian would not suspect he'd had any contact.

"Which Death Eater?" Adrian asked quietly.

"Lucius Malfoy is the only one of the inner circle who survived and evaded capture. I believe it to be him."

"And did you know where to find him?" Adrian asked gravely.

Severus proceeded cautiously. "No. Any of the property he owned outside of Britain has previously been searched. In order for him to have abducted her, he would have needed help, someone who could enter the country and act on his behalf. I know the types of places where that sort of person would most likely be found, and I began questioning people to see if anyone had seen him."

"If you truly believe she has been abducted, you should inform the Ministry."

Severus replied irately, "To what end? She's not in the country, not if Malfoy has her. I am the only one who can find her now."

"You are a senior member of the faculty of Hogwarts. You have responsibilities here," Adrian reminded.

"Responsibilities that another can easily assume for a few days. But I am the only one who can find her." He was losing his temper, and he was finding that he no longer cared. "You have to grant me a week off, at least a few days. It shouldn't take much longer. I know him, and I know how he thinks. I can find him, and thus, her."

After several seconds, Adrian acquiesced, "Very well. You may take time off to search for her... On one condition."

"A condition?" he wondered.

"You are not the only one who has noticed her absence. Remus was supposed to be working with her this weekend. When he found her missing, he informed me that a Death Eater had approached all of you last summer while you were searching for a Lethifold."

"Lupin," Severus growled through gritted teeth. The fact that Lupin had immediately suspected Malfoy bothered him nearly as much as the fact that Lupin had told the headmaster about their trip. "What did he tell you about that?"

"Enough. But that's not relevant. What is relevant is that he, too, suspected a Death Eater. Once we realized that you were missing, presumably on a search for Mrs. McLean, he contacted a friend of his who is an Auror and asked if he could do a little investigation on the side."

Severus could feel a knot forming in his stomach. "Which Auror?" he asked quietly.

"Harry Potter. And he should be here shortly. I sent for him as soon as you returned."

He could feel the color again draining from his face. "Why?"

"That is my condition. I will not have one of my professors engaged in a potentially dangerous activity alone. While you might have preferred Remus's company, I am not willing to grant two of my professors a leave of absence to undertake such a potentially dangerous mission in the middle of the school year."

"You expect me to work with Potter?"

"Severus, this is for your own good." In a kinder voice, he added, "And Aurelia's." There was a knock at the door. "Ah, here he is. Come in," he called, as the door swung open.

"Headmaster," Harry said politely before shooting a scathing look at Severus. "I was able to take some time off without them asking too many questions."

"You will not be undertaking this search as an Auror?" Severus asked.

Harry shook his head. "We don't have any authority to investigate matters outside of Britain, and trying to bring in the Dark Wizard catchers from other countries would be a maddening exercise in bureaucratic tedium. And it would be noticed. What I don't understand is why you didn't turn Malfoy over when you knew where he was? You aren't still working with him, are you?"

Severus glared at Harry. "I would not have spent my weekend traipsing all over the Continent if that were the case."

Adrian interrupted, "That will be quite enough. What happened in the past is in the past. Severus, once you have briefed Harry on where you have already searched, take the time to get your classes in order and get a few hours of rest. The two of you can leave this evening. I assume the establishments you will be searching do not normally attract the most interesting portion of their clientele until later in the day."

"That is correct," Severus replied before conjuring a map. With a flick of his wand, he marked the places he had been with a red 'x' and the places he intended to check now with green ones. "I believe you are smart enough to figure that much out on your own."

As he walked down to his room, the foul mood dissipated, replaced by overwhelming exhaustion. All thoughts of taking some Invigorating Draught, or even a shower, vanished. He collapsed onto the bed and was soon asleep.

When Severus woke, he was momentarily disoriented. Once he realized where he was and what he had to do, he started with a shower. He then proceeded to his office and checked his lesson plans. His lower level classes could follow the standard curriculum. Pomona and Adrian should be able to handle his planned lessons. Deciding he didn't trust anyone else to teach the upper level courses, he penned a quick quiz for the fifth years, and assigned the sixth years a long essay on the properties and uses of the Mandrake root. The seventh years would be given various potions to catalogue.

Before leaving the dungeons to find the headmaster and Potter, he put together a kit with various potions. Searching through the many bottles and vials, he wondered where the Veritaserum was. It might not be ethical, but then again, the people he was likely to be dealing with operated outside the law, both the civil code and the moral one. Besides, he would be in a foreign country, and the Ministry need never know what he had done. All that mattered was Aurelia's safety; he tucked that bottle into his pocket.

Adrian was not in his study, but Potter was waiting there for Severus.

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked tersely.

"If you are. We shall be starting in Germany, Bavaria to be exact. I assume you have studied the map and have no questions?"

"Not about where we are going." Harry was forced to talk and walk as Severus turned to leave the headmaster's study. "I do have a question about how we are going to find Malfoy."

"You will leave that to me. I am used to dealing with people of that ilk. You are only along to satisfy the headmaster."

"Hold on, this is an Auror matter..."

"Which the Ministry can do nothing about because it is occurring beyond our borders."

Harry said nothing until they were out of the castle. As they were walking towards the gates, he finally asked, "So, this Healer, she's the one you were with at the New Year's Ball, isn't she?" When Snape didn't answer, he continued. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"My personal life is not your concern," Severus replied coolly.

"Look, Snape... Professor, she obviously means something to you. I just want to know what."

"Why should it matter?" Severus asked tersely.

"Because I want to know how irrational you are going to be. I know how I would act if someone kidnapped Hermione."

Severus was surprised that there was no scorn in Potter's voice, only sympathy. "She is very... special to me. That is all you need to know," he replied calmly.

Harry wisely elected to say nothing more. Once outside the gates, the two men Apparated to a small Bavarian village.

Severus grabbed Harry's arm. "It would be best if you allowed me to do the talking during the search. In fact, I would prefer if we entered separately."

"We're supposed to be working together," Harry insisted.

"And we will. Just because we are working together does not mean that we need be attached at the hip." He knew that while Potter had calmed down some, the young man was still prone to acting rashly. "It would be best if you watched my back. That would be safer for both of us."

Harry frowned. "I'm that one who's the Auror."

"Yes, but I know more about those we are trying to find." And he was the one with the potion to ensure people were being honest with him. The less Potter knew about that, the better.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After two days, Severus and Harry had searched Germany, Poland and all of the Balkans with nothing to show for their trouble.

"Severus, what if they aren't even in Europe? He could have taken her anywhere." The two of them had reached an uneasy truce and had agreed that using each other's first names would be less obtrusive.

"Not likely. He has never had any ties outside of Europe."

"Well, we're almost out of Europe," Harry said dryly as they entered a rather seedy establishment in Norway. "Are we anywhere near Durmstrang?" he wondered out loud.

"Not really," replied Severus as he charmed the mud off of his boots. "Wait in the corner." He watched Harry take the booth toward the back of the room. He went up to the bar and ordered a glass of 'akevitt'. He didn't particularly care for the beverage, but it tended to make the locals more open if he imbibed the native spirits.

Standing at the corner of the bar, he could get a decent view of most of the establishment. He slowly sipped his drink, taking in the atmosphere, trying to decide whom to approach first. After ten minutes, he thought he spotted his marks. A pair of large, blonde gentlemen had been talking animatedly about the latest flying reindeer race, but suddenly switched to hushed whispers when the name of a town that Severus didn't catch was mentioned.

He ordered three more glasses of 'akevitt' and, after lacing two of them with a drop of Veritaserum, took them over to the table being careful to keep track of which drink was unadulterated. "Good evening, gentlemen." He placed the glasses on the table, careful of which drink he kept for himself. "I'm looking for a friend who is renting a house in this area. Unfortunately, the owl that was carrying his letter to me dropped it in water, and the exact location was smudged." Since the men did not tell him to go away, he took one of the empty seats and slid the remaining drinks across the table.

"Who is this friend you are looking for?" the smaller of the two men asked.

"He is fair, about your size, and he likes to keep to himself. If I know him, he brought his house-elf with him to do all the work." Severus gave them a small chuckle, letting them know he wasn't the type who even had a house-elf.

"Does your friend have a name?"

Severus watched as the two men sipped their drinks. It would only be a matter of time. "He prefers not to use his true name, in order to maintain a low profile. He's a very private man." Noticing that they weren't entirely trusting of him yet, he continued, "I would have sent an owl asking for the address a second time, but he gets irritated by mistakes like that, and I'd rather he not take it out on my owl. Those birds are bloody expensive, you know. If you don't know where he is, is there another village in the area I could check?"

The two men shared a glance with each other, and than said something in Norwegian. When they were done, the smaller man said, "We have many visitors in this part of the country. Understandably, many are fair."

He tried not to smile triumphantly. He knew they were trying to get more information out of him. With only one drop of Veritaserum, he would have to ask them fairly specific questions, but he couldn't be too obvious in case others were watching. "Of course, but surely you don't get too many Englishmen."

"We get a few."

He was beginning to wish that he had added two drops. "This one is a business associate of mine." Taking a sip from his drink, he waited for them to reply. When they didn't, he continued, "We worked together during recent events in Britain. I come bearing news from home for him as I know he has been away for some time. Surely, you would know of him if he is in the area." His patience had run out. Gripping his wand tightly beneath the table, he leaned closer and whispered, "I know that you are working for Lucius Malfoy. Where is he?"

The two men looked as though they were struggling to keep the information to themselves. "There is a house three miles north of town, set back from the road. It is well protected, though."

"Thank you and have a good evening." He threw a couple of Galleons on the table before departing. While he didn't check, he knew that Harry would be joining him outside shortly. A part of him just wanted to leave immediately and not involve Harry, but he knew this was one instance where having backup would quite possibly be necessary.

"Did you get the information?" Harry asked once they were away from the building.

"I did. There is a house three miles north of here."

"Let's go," Harry replied eagerly.

"We can't just show up there without a plan. It is quite likely that I can easily get us past whatever wards he will have erected. He might expect me, but I doubt that he would expect me to have an accomplice."

"Then that works to our advantage. Why don't you seek him out first? I can wait out in the hallway; he'll never guess that you've left a second line of defense there. That way, if he gets by you somehow, I'll be there to stop him. And if you need a hand with him, you would only need to shout out for help."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "How do I know that you wouldn't let him do away with me, and then step in to capture him yourself?"

Harry replied seriously, "Severus, we've been on this search for days now. I think we've both learned a lot about each other. I have your back. Don't worry."

Staring deep into the young man's eyes, Severus realized this was the first time that he could not detect malice. With great difficulty, he said words he never thought he would utter. "Thank you, Harry. Now, we should do this before anyone warns Malfoy."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Aurelia woke with a start. She heard a noise and froze where she lay in her bed. She wasn't sure if it was Malfoy paying her another visit or if Severus had finally found her. She knew that he had to be looking for her, but with each day that passed, she began to lose hope, falling deeper under Malfoy's spell.

The door swung open and she saw a dark figure silhouetted in the door. Pulling the blanket up to her chin, she stared fearfully at the figure.

It stepped into the light and spoke, "Aurelia, I've come to take you home."

She couldn't resist laughing softly in relief. "Oh, Severus," she exclaimed happily. Rising from the bed, she crossed the room to the dark figure, only to have it fade away. "No!" she screamed.

Opening her eyes, she realized it had all been just another dream. Again, Severus had not come for her.

Checking the clock on the mantle, she saw that it was late evening, or at least that was what the clock said. Since there was no window in the room, she found it difficult to keep track of time and wasn't sure that the clock was reliable. Lucius was liable to come visit at any time of the day. He hadn't made any more advances, but she could see the look in his eyes. And she could not ignore the fact that his conversation continually made references to the rewards and pleasures that would be hers if only she would do what must be done and help him. It had been nearly a week already. Surely Severus would arrive soon.

She jumped when the door opened. Malfoy entered, followed by a house-elf carrying a tea tray.

"Good afternoon, my dear. You are looking quite tired. I hope that you have been getting enough rest."

She tried to hold onto her hatred for her captor, but she was finding it increasingly more difficult. "You mean you don't know?" she snapped.

"Manners, my dear. We have discussed this before. Good manners are rewarded and bad manners are punished. And I know that you have impeccable manners, so there really is no need to be rude."

She was about to deliver a stinging retort to him, but she knew he would punish her by withholding some of the precious little food he gave her. "I'm sorry," she replied meekly, hoping he would believe the sincerity of her words.

"That's much better," he replied as he poured tea. "You really are making this more difficult than it has to be. It would be so simple for you to assist me, and then I could tell you the full truth. I would think that the fact I cannot discuss it would be proof enough of my sincerity. If it were not the truth, I would be able to tell you the lies."

That made sense to her. If he hadn't been coerced into cooperating with You-Know-Who, he could have told her that he had been. Instead, he had danced around the subject of his loyalty, choosing to concentrate on how much better off wizarding Britain would be with him. It all seemed so plausible. And he would still have to answer to the Ministry, as he was so fond of telling her.

The only thing that bothered her was the confidence with which he seemed to believe that his name would be cleared. If it were not for that fact, she would have been more inclined to trust him.

"Is something bothering you, my dear?" he asked gently.

"Other than the fact that I am still here?"

"I really have made your stay as pleasant as possible. If you wish to go home, you need only brew the cure for me. It's so very simple. It's painless." He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. "And it can be incredibly rewarding. You need only name your price." Picking up her hand, he kissed it. "Say yes and I can have the house-elf prepare a magnificent meal for the two of us."

His words were so easy to believe. There was no harm in helping him; after all, he wanted to help the wizarding world. She was just suffering needlessly, and the thought of a fabulous meal was irresistible. His tender touches clouded her judgment. He wanted her, needed her... She should just say yes.

He pulled her hair back from her neck, and was leaning down to kiss her there when he heard a commotion in the hall. Instantly on alert, he wrapped his arm around her so that he could use her as a shield and then he brandished his wand.

The door flew open and Aurelia could see Severus, wand at the ready. "Severus!"

Malfoy drew her tightly against himself. "Careful, Severus."

"You won't hurt her; you have need of her," Severus said confidently.

"Do I? If you take me back to Britain, I am as good as dead. I believe that you have more reason to want her alive than I do. I would rather live in exile than die. Can you live without her?"

"If you harm her, you will not get out of this house alive."

"We are at a stand-off, Severus. You can't stop me without hurting her. Now, move away from the door."

"Severus," Aurelia pleaded. She needed him to stop Malfoy. He had found her; surely he couldn't just let Malfoy take her away now. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Help me."

Severus knew that if he tried to stun Malfoy, there would be no guarantees the spell would not affect them both. Malfoy might be able to either attack him or worse, Aurelia. He was not willing to risk her safety, so he reluctantly moved away from the door. This was a tactic that he had not only anticipated but had even dared to hope for.

Malfoy smiled victoriously as he turned to keep Aurelia between himself and Severus. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Severus looked into Aurelia's horrorstricken face. He knew that she felt he was abandoning her, and it cut him more deeply than he had expected. Then suddenly a red flash of light hit Malfoy in the back, and he heard Aurelia scream as she was pulled to the floor by Malfoy's dead weight. Moving quickly to her side, he pulled her into his arms. "Are you hurt?"

She clung desperately to him and sobbed onto his shoulder. "I knew you would come."

Harry had come down the hall and was checking Malfoy. "Is she all right?"

"I think so. Why don't you get him out of here? Before he's questioned, I'll see that he is given the potion that will allow him to testify truthfully."

Harry nodded. "Right." With a wave of his wand, he levitated Malfoy's unconscious form so that he could perform the Side-Along Apparition to take them back to Britain.

After the Auror and his prisoner had left, Severus murmured softly in her ear, in an attempt to calm her. "It's alright now. You're safe. He's gone."

She looked into his eyes and asked cautiously, "You're really here? You really came for me?"

"I always will," he replied before gently kissing her. When he broke the kiss, he helped her to her feet and led her to the bed. He noticed that she was still shaking. "How are you?"

"Much better now that you are here." She touched his cheek, his chest, his arms, as though reassuring herself she was not merely imagining his presence again.

"Once you've calmed down, we'll go home." He couldn't help but notice how drawn and tired she looked.

"Can we leave now? I don't want to be here anymore."

"Anything you want."

She clung to him and whispered, "Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

"I'm not going anywhere."