Lestrange Story

Severus Snape grimly looked up at Dumbledore, finally ready to accept the news he's been dreading for so long. He grasped his goblet in his hand.

"Turner and Karida Lestrange have escaped from Azkaban," Dumbledore said sternly.

Snape tightened his grip and gazed at Dumbledore impassively.

Dumbledore walked further into Snape's office and shut the door behind him. He took a seat at his desk.

"We need to know where they would head," continued Dumbledore. "Of course to aid Voldemort, but how? And where?"

Snape inhaled deeply. "The stakes are rising so quickly. It's all coming together so soon. The young think they can make a mistake and it'll just go away. How wrong they are," he thought.

"Turner," Snape began. "Will go straight to Voldemort to await further instructions. As far as the Voldemort was concerned, he was evil enough, but his strengths came from his connections and money. He will pose no sneak attack on our side. But he will make sure evil is entrenched once it gets a strong hold."

"And Karida?" prodded Dumbledore, nodding.

Snape glanced back down at the goblet in his hand.

"And Karida," he said slowly. "Karida will come here."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and sat back in his chair.

"Here?" he asked. "Why?"

"Such a wise old man," thought Snape. "He knows so much about my time as a Death Eater. But not this story."

Dumbledore seemed to read his thoughts.

"There is always been more to you than meets the eye, Severus" Dumbledore said. "But I trust you completely. I am sorry all your thoughts and secrets cannot be your own, but these are troubled times."

"I understand Headmaster," replied Snape. "I should have told you sooner. I knew it would eventually come to this."

"But you were hoping it would not," answered Dumbledore. He smiled at Snape. "Hope in the face of adversity is the mark of a great wizard, one who will do much to keep darkness away."

Snape twisted his mouth dourly.

"She will come quickly," he continued. "She knows, more than anyone else knows, that I am a threat to the Death Eaters."

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Voldemort suspects you turned on him because you were frightened, not because you had a change of heart."

Snape snorted and his eyes flashed with anger. "It was when I gained courage that I finally went against Voldemort," he said.

"And Karida played a part in this?" asked Dumbledore quietly.

"Yes," said Snape, looking like he wanted to spit on the ground. "It was after my experience with her that I decided to try and find some."

"What happened?" continued Dumbledore.

"What didn't happen?" Snape asked himself. "So much we shared. So much we desired. So much that fell apart." He took another deep breath and decided to start at the beginning.

***

Deep into the night Severus sat in the dungeons of the Slytherin house. It was his seventh year. Graduation was almost upon him. Sadness and evil wrenched at his thoughts, but above all a burning desire to rise above his wretched Hogwart's experience. He had felt this way for years, but now, as his experience cumulated, it consumed him more than ever.

He heard footsteps. Whirling around, he saw a cloaked figure heading straight for him. The figure laughed deeply. He knew instantaneously who it was - Karida - the head girl at Hogwarts.

She pulled the hood away from her face as she advanced. For the first time, Severus saw her as Lord Voldemort's allies saw her. She was terrible, cruel, and beautiful. Her eyes bore into him as they were revealed to each other. He was speechless.

She grabbed a hold of the hair nearest to his scalp and jerked his head back, exposing his ear.

"Join us," she hissed.

And so it began. Snape had a purpose far mightier than exposing a few arrogant schoolmates.

They left Hogwarts together. Potions were his strength, and in that area she was his equal.

"Severus," she said one day, holding out a steaming cup. "Look what I made. It's an opposite intentions potion."

"Mmm," he answered. "That could be dangerous. Of course, it's not as focused as my ignis domus concoction." He brought out a simmering cup as well. "One sip of this and people with set their own houses on fire," he said, his eyes glittering.

"We could use them together," she said sharply, for she did not like to be outdone. "Can you imagine a town on this trying to save a burning building?"

Snape laughed. "They would probably feed the fire," he said. "Very good."

"Of course its good," she replied, raising a lovely eyebrow at him. "We are the best. Then we could use my relegare experiri potion that I made last week. It removes all traces of potions in one's body. We'd never be caught," she offered smugly.

"We'll never be caught anyway Karida," he said. "Our Lord will see to that."

Onward their relationship went. Hatred of humanity brought them together and laid out their path. Soon Voldemort's ranks grew. Severus and Karida discovered others had the same aims - Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Igor Karkaroff, and Evan Rosier to name a few of the skilled wizards on their side.

"Where are you going Karida?" Snape asked early one morning.

Karida softly climbed out of their bed. "I am staying at the Malfoy's for awhile."

Snape's nostrils flared. "With Lucius Malfoy? Why?" he demanded.

"And Narcissa," she answered coolly.

"I don't like it," he stormed.

"You don't have to like it," countered Karida. "Lord Voldemort demands it."

"For what purpose?"

"Our Lord does not need to explain himself to you," she retorted, her temper flaring.

He grabbed her arm. "But you do," he hissed.

She jerked her arm away. "I go to serve our Lord," she said. "My particular duty is of no concern to you."

"When will you come back?"

Karida merely smiled and shrugged, infuriating Severus.

"I will come with you," he said, tossing the covers aside.

"No," said Karida. "You must stay here and work on the potions Lord Voldemort asked you to complete. Potions master," she sneered.

"Is that what this is about?" he demanded. "Are you jealous that our Lord didn't ask you to complete the potions?"

She didn't answer and instead turned and started to gather her things.

"So this is how you punish me? By going off to dally with Lucius Malfoy?" he asked furiously.

"Don't flatter yourself," she spat.

"He's a stupid, blond, rich boy who plays at evil," he spat back.

"So he's not good enough for me? And I suppose you think you are? With your dank dungeons and grotesque features?" she asked, cruelty showing in every corner of her face.

Severus flushed. "You are not going!" he bellowed.

"Take it up with Lord Voldemort," she scoffed and apparated away.

Far from being their worst fight, their words that day were far too common. Their relationship wasn't built on anything good, but instead on pride, greed, jealousy, and at its best, lust. On and on they went, enabling and spurring each other on to more and more horrible things. Instead of easing each other's demons, they fed them. Until the day Severus Snape discovered he wanted more.

He came home after a short trip to Knockturn Alley to replenish their potion supplies. Karida didn't greet him. He assumed she was working near the cauldrons. He started down the stairs but was sidetracked by muffled sounds coming from the back of the house. Curious, he followed them.

It was Karida, huddled against the back door, crying.

He paused, unsure of what to do. She didn't notice him watching her. Finally,

"Karida?" he placed his hand on her shoulder.

She jumped and narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as if expecting him to mock her.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

This strange tone of voice alarmed her even more. "Nothing," she said, quickly walking around him. "Did you get the supplies we needed?"

"Karida," he said.

"I, I was just trying out a new potion, that's all," she stammered. "It didn't work how it was supposed to. I really need some of those supplies."

"I put them down by the stairs," he said, still following her eyes with his concerned expression.

"Karida," he pleaded.

She stopped and turned. "What is it?"

"Talk to me."

"Talk to you?" she asked. She backed away from him like he was some sort of dangerous creature.

He stepped towards her. "Please."

She stared at him blankly. "What on Earth for?"

"Karida."

"Severus, what has gotten into you?"

He stared at her, the brief hope sinking as quickly as it arose. And it stuck him, what he was doing. He shook his head.

"Nothing. I don't know," he turned and walked out the back door.

***

"And that's about it," Snape told Dumbledore. "Shortly after that, she announced that she would marry Turner Lestrange, one of Voldemort's newest recruits. Voldemort wanted someone to keep a close eye on him, and she volunteered for the job."

"I am sorry Severus," said Dumbledore.

"No," Snape said abruptly. "Don't be. It was a mistake on my part. There was nothing of her to love. It was just the beginning of my choice showing through. I didn't want to live my life as a servant to Voldemort. I didn't want to be a servant to anyone. Karida was a mess, like the rest of us. She hid it better than most, that's all."

"But you saw it," said Dumbledore.

"Yes, and I saw it echoed in myself," continued Snape, his brow darkening. "And of course, more important events happened after that which cemented my decision to become a spy for the Ministry, but you are familiar with those."

Dumbledore nodded silently.

"However," said Snape. "Karida never trusted me again. Long before anyone else suspected a thing."

"Well, rightly so," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "You were the one who set up a trap for the Lestranges."

"Yes, and if the Longbottoms hadn't bungled things up..." started Snape angrily.

"You might have been dead," finished Dumbledore.

Snape glared at Dumbledore briefly before looking down at his goblet.

"But before they took her away she saw me," he whispered. "She knew. She had figured out everything. That's why she'll be back. To get revenge on me."

"I'm afraid doing so would only please Voldemort," said Dumbledore.

Snape nodded.

"Then we must prepare for her visit then," Dumbledore said, getting to his feet. Snape got up after him and they strode out the door.