Said the Spider to the Fly

SAID THE SPIDER TO THE FLY

Chapter 2 -

Lily had left The Leaky Cauldron that night without saying another word to James and two days had passed since. She knew very well how James felt about Lucius Malfoy and why, but that didn't give him any right to speak to her as he had done. The problem was James apparently felt that he was in the right and she was the one who had behaved badly, for she'd heard nothing from him since she'd pushed past him and out of the pub without answering him as he called her name.

Finally, on the morning of the third day since Sirius' party, two owls arrived for her over breakfast. Her father, finally having become accustomed to feathered messengers soaring in and out of the dining room simply moved the toast rack to one side without comment, making room for the owls to land. The first owl was from St. Mungo's with a notice regarding her first interview in her application process.

"Well, St. Mungo's is agreeing to consider my application," she sighed in relief. "I've an interview tomorrow morning with Winifred Plotch, the assistant to the Director of Potions Research."

"That's good," her mother answered with a smile. "You do very well at interviews. I'm sure you'll make a very fine impression."

Lily returned her smile and took the note from the second owl that was waiting with somewhat less patience. It had already made a grab for a slice of toast from the rack, only to have the rack pulled further out of reach by Mr. Evans. He'd relented though, and was currently feeding the small brown owl a bit of bacon from his own plate.

She'd hoped the note would be from James as the owl was the one used by the three boys sharing the flat, but when she opened it, she found to her surprise, it was from Sirius.

"Evans, I don't know what went on with you and Prongs the other night and I'm pretty sure he'd hex my bits if he knew I was writing to you, but I do wish you'd have a word with him. He's been a right tosser for days now and if you don't make nice with him again, Moony and I will have to take drastic measures. Seriously, Lily, please. Come talk to him. He's really in a state."

Lily frowned and looked at the clock. It was just half past eight o'clock and if she knew James, he wouldn't appreciate any sort of visit at all for at least another hour. Quidditch season hadn't begun yet and he had made it clear to all who knew him that he intended to take his ease right up until the moment he had to report to Wimbourne's first training of the season. Well, served him right, didn't it?

"I think I'll go see James," she said, rising from the table. She tried to keep her voice neutral, but her mother wasn't fooled.

"I'm glad, dear," Mrs. Evans answered with a knowing smile. "You two have a nice chat."

Blowing her parents a kiss, she disappeared with a pop.

***

Standing outside James' flat, Lily lost some of her confidence. James wasn't expecting her and hadn't asked for her. The desire to roust him from his lie-in no longer seemed sufficient reason to be the first one to come forward in this situation. Unable to decide what to do, she turned away from the door and started pacing up and down the little corridor. She nearly screamed aloud when the door swung open beside her.

"Lily. I thought I heard someone out here," Remus said mildly, smiling. His tone was pleasant enough but it was gravely gravelly as if from fatigue and his eyes were rather bloodshot. "Were you planning on knocking or are you just taking some exercise?"

"I hadn't decided, actually," Lily answered honestly. "I thought I'd better come over before James drives you and Sirius spare or something. But I can't say I particularly wanted to."

Remus stepped into the hallway with her and gently shut the door behind him. "Sirius owled you today, didn't he?" Lily nodded. "I told him I didn't think that was a good idea." He ran a hand through his hair. "But, I am glad you came. James is a mess and no mistake."

"Well, whose fault is that, I'd like to know?" Lily flared at him, hands on her hips.

"Hey, I don't even know what the row is about," Remus replied, hands out before him.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Lily answered. "Maybe I'd better just go in and get it over."

Remus frowned at her tone, but opened the door and stood aside for her to enter. Lily squared her shoulders and entered the living room. James was sprawled across the couch staring morosely into the fire. Clearly, he hadn't taken any notice of her entrance. Seeing him so totally wrapped in his thoughts, his guard down completely, Lily felt an uncomfortable twist in her chest. Without the usual cocky grin and cheeky arched brow, James looked poisonously young. He'd tossed his glasses on the side table and their absence made his expression rather too vulnerable for comfort. It was rare to see James in such a state and it worked on Lily painfully.

With a nearly inaudible sigh, she crossed the room and dropped to the floor beside the couch, placing herself directly in James' line of vision.

"James -" she began tentatively, but halted when he pulled his gaze to meet hers.

He looked purely awful. His eyes were red-rimmed and rather glassy, his cheeks flushed as if with fever. But it was clear that no fever brought on that heightened color. James reeked of the stale smell of old ale and fire whiskey. It looked as if he'd gone on a real tear the night before and probably hadn't dragged himself home until shortly before her arrival.

"Come to apologize, Evans?" he asked gruffly.

"Apologize? What on earth for? As I recall, I wasn't the one pawing the ground and snorting like a rutting bull." Lily rose as she spoke, arms crossed over her chest.

"Why don't we start with your cozy chat with that bloody tosser," James answered, sitting forward on the couch. "What in hell were you doing with someone like Malfoy?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Lucius Malfoy simply said hello. He mentioned he'd heard about my application for the apprenticeship, is all." She frowned and brushed some imaginary lint from her jumper. "Look James, if you're going to be horrid, I may as well go home now."

James leaned forward and reached for her arm. "Not until you explain what in bloody hell you were doing chatting up a bastard like Lucius Malfoy. No apprenticeship is worth that." Lily tried to full free, but James rose, his hand still holding her wrist.

"Oh, I suppose Mr. Malfoy wouldn't be so crass and ungallant, would he?" James sneered, his grip tightening on her arm.

"Let go of me," Lily answered coldly. "You're still half drunk."

"Not too drunk to wonder why the girl I've asked no less than FOUR TIMES to marry me is having a cozy chat with one of the smarmiest pureblood snobs ever to come along," retorted James, his voice rising. Lily yanked her arm from his grip and stood watching him, red-faced and furious. "Nothing to say, Evans? You didn't have any trouble talking to him."

Lily stepped back as if reeling from a blow. "Clearly, I wasn't wrong in trusting my instincts, was I? I said we were both too young to get married. Well, I'm at least half right." She turned and walked woodenly toward the door. Without looking back, she said in a low, miserable voice, "James, I always knew how you felt about people like Lucius Malfoy but I did think you thought better of me." Anything else she might have said was lost as she shook with silent tears, her eyes tightly shut.

Suddenly, hands gripped her shoulders, spinning her round. James pulled her tightly against his chest. She could feel his racing heartbeat. "Lily, don't," he murmured into her hair. "Don't cry." He buried his face in her hair. "I don't know what to say."

"I don't want you to say anything," she retorted. She was dismayed to hear her voice sound sulky rather than determined.

James only held her tighter and she sighed unconsciously. "Lily, I know you think I'm over-reacting and acting like a jealous maniac, but you have to remember who we're talking about. Malfoy is not just a good little Pureblood boy. Remember, Dumbledore has Remus doing some background work on him for the Order member who has to dog his steps. Have you any idea the sort of people Malfoy is likely to count as friends? Remus has hardly scratched the surface and he's about ready to hex that Pureblood wanker into the next century. Dumbledore wouldn't go to such trouble to have Remus checking him out if he believed Malfoy was trustworthy."

It took all of Lily's self-control not to flinch. If only James knew how little Malfoy was really trusted, there'd be no way she could continue Dumbledore's assignment without telling him everything and then arguing about it endlessly. She began to wonder if it wouldn't just be easier to throw Dumbledore's instructions in the dustbin and have it all out with James now. But facing that sort of discussion with him wasn't remotely appealing. How could she begin to explain? How could he be expected to go along with this? And would she really want him to? Wouldn't she rather he hate the whole idea and try to talk her out of it? Of course, saying nothing was worse, in a way. She avoided the inevitable fight with James but it left her telling, at best, half-truths. How hypocritical to be chastising James for distrusting her when she was, in fact, about to plunge into a situation that would demand she hide the truth from him for a possibly indefinite indefinite period.

In the end, the struggle was brief and she found herself hiding all too easily behind the cover Dumbledore provided. In fact, she glibly spoke with a sound of long-suffering patience which was rather disturbing even to her own ears. "I know," she sighed. "But James, if you can't trust me to have a simple chat in a pub, how can you expect anything to work out for us?" She could feel James shudder slightly at the accusation.

The silence stretched as she tried to marshal her whirling emotions. Close to him this way, she noticed some odd scents clinging to his clothing. Scents that, while nearly overpowered by the liquor, were nonetheless distinct. She thought she recognized some of the odors as potion ingredients she'd been using in some of her experiments on the Invisibility Potion.

Not even bothering to pull free, she spoke into his chest. "James, just what have you been up to, anyway?"

James stiffened slightly, then pulled back from her with a shrug. "I should have known you'd cotton on." He pulled back from her and put on a hang dog sort of expression that didn't fool Lily for a moment. "I was out with Sirius and Peter last night." Here, he met her eye with an odd expression. She gasped in sudden comprehension.

"James! Donaldson!" Her hands went to her hips and she leaned toward him accusingly. "What did you four get up to last night?"

"Oh, don't worry," James answered, carelessly. "Donaldson isn't hurt. We just helped him hide his bad attitude, that's all."

"James, out with it. I know I can smell Essence of Demiguise Fur. You have to dissolve it in pure Wormwood extract. Smells just like the inside of your school trunk, if you must know. All musty like old socks." She wrinkled her nose accusingly. "And what in the world have you been doing with Jobberknoll feathers?" she asked, picking a downy blue feather from his sleeve.

James didn't answer and focused his gaze on the opposite wall. Thinking hard, Lily put what he'd said about hiding Donaldson's bad attitude together with the Demiguise fur and the Jobberknoll feathers. There were several possibilities and each was more risky than the last. Would they have been trying some sort of memory potion? Veratiserum? Surely they weren't mucking about with her experimental potions.

"James, you didn't give Donaldson a memory potion, did you? Do you know how dangerous that can be? Not to mention illegal in at least a half dozen different ways." James rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well, I don't see what good Veratiserum would do in 'hiding his bad attitude'," she mused, half to herself. "Then, WHAT?" She flailed her arms about helplessly.

"Oh, give us some credit," James snapped crossly. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. I told you Donaldson is fine. We didn't do anything to him."

"Then, what on earth did you do?" Lily felt like slapping that smug look right off James' face. "If not to him, then who?"

"Not who," James answered. "What."

Lily thought this over. "The pub!" James gave her a carefully neutral look. With a jolt, she realized what they'd done. "You made The Crowing Hen Unplottable! But, James, loads of people go there everyday!" she yelped. James nodded in grim satisfaction.

"Not anymore, they don't. At least, not for a while. See, we figured if no one could find his pub, he wouldn't have to worry about how to get along without a busboy, seeing how he gave Remus the boot." He shrugged. "Simple, really. Of course, we started by throwing a Dissillusioning charm around the place just so people wouldn't look too hard to find it. Then, we just needed a few bits of the pub. You know, some crumbs of mortar, a few paint flecks, a bit of the dirt from around the foundation. That sort of thing. Peter and I brewed the potion while Sirius charmed the map."

"And then you soaked the map with the potion and erased the pub from the map it," Lily interrupted. "But James, don't you know how dangerous that charm is? Erasing a location from a map to make it truly Unplottable is risky stuff. If the least thing had gone wrong you might have erased yourselves instead of the pub."

James frowned slightly. "Well, yes. It would have been a lot easier if we'd just dragged you along, but well -" He paused, biting his lip. But with another odd look he continued, "But Remus managed to follow us to the pub without letting on. When he saw what we were up to, he did try to stop us."

"And you wouldn't listen to him, as usual," Lily scoffed. "I suppose he ended up casting the erasing charm for you just so the three of you wouldn't disappear in a whiff of brimstone or something." She shook her head.

"It serves the old tosser right, Lily," James announced, arms crossed over his chest. "You know what he did to Remus. Frankly, I think he deserves a lot worse. This can be undone once he figures out what happened." He grinned. "And by the time he does, there'll be no way of knowing who cast the spells."

"James, the four of you are absolutely impossible," Lily said with an exasperated sigh. She was about to point out at least a half dozen things she could find wrong with their crazy scheme but her words were swallowed abruptly when he lunged forward, pulling her close and drawing her into a fierce kiss. After a breathless moment, she pulled back, watching him with wide eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," he whispered, stroking a strand of her hair back behind her ear with a gentle finger. "I've been horrible to you and you don't deserve that." His gaze fell.

Recovering herself somewhat, Lily gave a wry smile. "Well, I can't say I disagree with you." James winced. "But Pureblood bigotry certainly does seem to bring out the very worst in you." She paused and when he didn't meet her gaze, she added, "James, you are an awful prat sometimes but I do love you."

His face lit with his usual quirky grin of delight. "Knew you'd not be able to resist me for long, Evans," he drawled, leaning in for another kiss. Lily thrust him away with a snort of exasperation.

Shaking her head, Lily turned back to the door and called out, "Right, you two! Come on in. The coast is clear." Sirius and Remus shuffled in from the hall, smiling sheepishly. She looked sternly at them, hands on her hips. "What have you two to say for yourselves, listening in like that?"

"We weren't -" Sirius began indignantly, but Remus poked him hard in the ribs. Lily couldn't help but laugh.

***

It was a much more collected Lily Evans who arrived in the lobby of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries the following morning. Having spent the largest part of the day with the boys, listening to them relive their prank on Donaldson and regaling her with stories of the ensuing celebratory drinking, she'd gone home to the best night's rest she'd had since Dumbledore first handed her this new assignment.

A young witch sat on a high stool behind the main reception desk, sorting what looked like a stack of owl post. Seeing Lily approach, she smiled. "Welcome to St. Mungo's. How can I direct you?"

"My name is Lily Evans. I have a ten o'clock appointment with Assistant Director Plotch. Could you direct me to her office?" Lily cleared her throat in an attempt to cover the nervous squeak in her voice.

"Of course, Miss Evans. If you will wait just one moment, I'll have someone escort you." The woman turned to a small iron stove set to the right of her desk area. Tossing in a small handful of Floo powder from a small pot on the desk corner, she leaned forward toward the open iron door. "Potions Research? Miss Lily Evans to see Assistant Director Plotch."

A muffled voice issued from the stove. "One moment, please. Someone will arrive to escort Miss Evans."

The young witch smiled at Lily. "Would you have a seat?" She gestured to a row of purple chairs. Lily sat down, grateful to have a moment to collect her thoughts. This interview, while with the assistant director and not with the director or the Board of Trustees, was the all-important first step. If she failed to impress Winifred Plotch, Lily could forget ever seeing the director or the Board. A polite clearing of the throat drew Lily from her reverie and she looked up at a very serious-looking wizard and nearly gasped in surprise.

"Miss Evans," said the dark-haired young man, "if you will follow me, please." He turned and stalked toward a downward staircase on the opposite side of the reception area without another word or even a glance to see if she had, in fact, followed.

Lily jumped to her feet and hurried after the disappearing figure. In her surprise, she hardly noticed the snub she'd been given. "Excuse me," she panted slightly trying to catch up. "Please, wait. Severus -"

Severus Snape paused at the top of the steps and glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, Miss Evans? Is there a difficulty?"

"Er, no," Lily answered somewhat surprised. "It's just, well, I haven't seen you since graduation and didn't know I'd find you here this morning." She stiffened slightly as the sullen wizard didn't answer. "I simply wanted to offer a better greeting." She lifted her chin as she spoke, her gaze fixed on his face. "That's only politeness, isn't it?"

Severus gave her a perfunctory nod of the head and answered, "Yes, of course. If you will come along then, I shall escort you to Madame Plotch's office. She is expecting you and I must be getting back to a potion I left." This time, however, he did pause to note that Lily was following.

***

Having been duly delivered to the Potions Mistress' office, Lily was delighted to find the Assistant Director of Potions Research a great deal less forbidding than her potions apprentice. Once Madame Plotch appeared in her doorway, Severus nodded silently to his employer and stalked off down the corridor without so much as a parting word for Lily.

"Ah, Severus," she said as she gestured Lily to a comfortable arm chair before her desk. "Brilliant mind, my dear, but between you and me, I've never known such a gloomy young man." She shook her head and took her own seat. "Of course, I understand you were classmates at Hogwarts so you would know all about him. He's grim enough and no mistake, but I couldn't bear to part with him. Such a natural talent for research I have very rarely ever seen. Brilliant mind."

Lily hardly knew what polite agreement she offered, but it satisfied Madame Plotch who dismissed the enigmatic Severus Snape with a shake of her head. Slipping on a pair of spectacles which, to Lily's amusement, were remarkably like those worn by Dumbledore, she selected a parchment from a stack on the corner of her desk. Lily could see it was her own application for the apprentice position. Peering over its contents briefly, she looked back up to Lily with a smile.

"Well, Miss Evans, I hardly need tell you that your qualifications appear very much to your advantage. Prefect, Head Girl, top, or nearly so, in all your classes and personal recommendations from both Horace Slughorn and Albus Dumbledore. Very impressive, I must say." She paused and took on a more business-like demeanor. "However, you must know that there are several highly qualified candidates of which you are only one. It is our task to select the candidate who would best fit our needs and our philosophy. Tell me, Miss Evans, how you came to consider potions research as a career."

So, Lily launched into an explanation of her interest complimentary charms and potions as a means increasing the effectiveness of each. She added her own experience of finding the 'whys' of potions brewing so much more fulfilling than the 'hows'. "Becoming a competent potions brewer is very important," Lily concluded, "but I find I am not satisfied with that, alone." She smiled a bit. "Perhaps it seems a bit too much like cooking with my mum. At any rate, I believe I can be an effective assistant in this laboratory and I so want the opportunity to learn from such excellent researchers."

"Thank you, Miss Evans," Madame Plotch said, rising from her seat and extending her hand. "It has been a pleasure to talk with you and I shall certainly give Director Merriston and the Board of Trustees a good account of you." Escorting Lily to the office door, she added, "As I mentioned, there are several candidates so the interview process will take some days. Expect to hear from us by owl within the next week regarding further interviews. Thank you again for coming. Shall I send for Severus or can you find your way?"

"Oh, I'll be quite alright, thank you," Lily answered and with another parting handshake and a cheerful pat on the back, Madame Plotch retreated into her office, leaving Lily in the corridor.

Lily headed back along the corridor the way she had come but this time, she was relaxed enough to be curious about her path. Quietly, she peered through windows on the doors of various rooms as she passed. Most were occupied by a white-clad witch or wizard who worked over a cauldron steaming in any of a dozen different colors. A few stood empty save for a large cauldron and shelves upon shelves on shining apothecary jars filled with ingredients only a few of which Lily could identify from her brief look. So interested was she in these rooms, she must have missed a turning somewhere for she soon found herself in a totally unfamiliar corridor. There was an open door halfway along and, as she could hear voices coming from it, Lily headed toward it, hoping for some directions back to the main reception area on the floor above.

As she neared the open doorway, the voices began to take on the tone of an argument. She hung back in the shadows just outside the wedge of light falling from the doorway across the corridor and listened.

"Severus, do be reasonable," said one voice. It sounded as if the speaker's patience was wearing thin. "I really need you to locate the information I seek. How else can I make a decision?"

"I am not your personal lackey," Severus answered, sourly. "As I have already informed you, if the information becomes available to me, I shall pass along what I learn. I will not, however, jeopardize my position to suit you."

Lily backed away as quietly as possible. She recognized Severus' companion all too well. That voice could belong to no one but Lucius Malfoy. Anxious to get away before either of the men came into the corridor and found her, Lily scurried back along her route until she'd found the first corridor Severus had led her along. Once she'd gained the main lobby, she found the ladies' loo and ducked inside to think.

***

Lily couldn't help but notice whenever Lucius Malfoy entered or left the Great Hall at mealtimes. He was rarely alone, but there was that about his bearing when coupled with his fair hair and taller than average height that made it impossible not to notice. So, it was a surprise to see him rise with only a gesture to his housemates and exit the room all on his own. She didn't know what possessed her, but before she knew what she was about, Lily had excused herself and was following not ten meters behind.

It was easy to follow at first because the echoes of students at dinner in the Great Hall followed them quite a distance along the corridors. However, when they descended the stairs to the dungeons, remaining unnoticed became a trickier thing. Several times, her shoes scuffed on unexpectedly uneven stones in the floor causing her to duck behind statues, into alcoves and behind half-opened doors to hide. In fact, Lily was tucked into an empty niche which must have once housed a life-sized statue when Lucius stopped, looked carefully in all directions, and stepped into an old storeroom, closing the door firmly behind him.

Lily crept closer, her ears straining for any sound of voices or footsteps but could hear nothing. She waited, uncertain, until the potential embarrassment of the situation, should she be seen, came to her. Tiptoeing quickly back along the corridor, she heard voices behind her. Ducking once again behind a nearby statue, she held her breath.

Lucius strolled along the corridor, arm in arm with a tall, willowy sixth year Slytherin. He was smiling down at her as she talked. Returning his smile with a laugh, Narcissa Black gave Lucius' arm a playful squeeze and they disappeared around a corner leaving Lily alone in the shadows.

***

"What am I doing?" Lily murmured to her reflection in the mirror over the washbasin. "It was only Severus and Lucius Malfoy. What in the world made me run away like that?" She shook her head in disgust. "Fine secret agent I make."

"You might try combing your hair, Girl," a voice barked from the mirror. "One can't face anything well if one isn't properly groomed."

Rolling her eyes, Lily ran her hand through her hair and turned away. She ran over the scene in her mind again. Just what had made her bolt that way, anyhow? What sort of information could Lucius need Severus to find for him? Could he be wanting inside information on new potions being developed? That information would certainly be valuable. Of course, she could also understand why Severus would be so reluctant. If he was found passing information to anyone outside the lab, even a Board member such as Lucius Malfoy, it would certainly be the end of his job.

"That must be it," Lily said with a nod. "Good for Severus for not giving in." With that, she strode confidently out of the Ladies' Room.

Lily crossed the reception area, still wrapped in her own thoughts. She was so caught up, in fact, that she never saw the man until she'd run straight into him, stepping heavily on his right foot. He stifled a groan as she jumped back in fright and mortification.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon -" she began breathlessly but caught herself abruptly when she looked up into the face of Lucius Malfoy. Wincing inwardly, she continued, "Please forgive me, Mr. Malfoy. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh?" His eyebrows lifted. "You were expecting me in some other part of the lobby, then?" His voice full of haughty amusement, but there was something else in his eyes that made Lily pour out excuses to cover her near error.

"No, of course not," she answered with an affected giggle. "I guess I was still caught up in my interview with Madame Plotch. I really didn't expect to see anyone I know." She gave him a winning smile and, to her relief, he returned her smile with a smirk. "I do hope I didn't mash your foot too badly."

Malfoy waved off her apology saying, "Ah yes. The preliminary interview. I expect I'll hear from Madame Plotch soon enough." He looked at her speculatively. "Of course, perhaps you would be so good as to tell me about it now. Over tea, perhaps?"

Lily was sure she must have gaped like a fish before finding her voice but find it she did.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Malfoy. I'd be delighted."