From the Tongues of Serpents

From the Tongues of Serpents

"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared..."

"I am," said Snape. He could feel his face grow paler.

"Then good luck," said Dumbledore.

Without a word, Snape swept out of the room, contemplating the task Dumbledore had set for him. His eyes hardened. Rejoining the Death Eaters was not the most pleasant thing to do. He would rather do anything else than rejoin them...he rubbed the inside of his left forearm.

Striding quickly through the castle, Snape crossed the grounds and passed through the gates towards the village of Hogsmeade. At times the anti-apparating jinx that surrounded Hogwarts was excruciatingly annoying. As the village of Hogsmeade came into view and Snape saw the smoke that wafted from the chimney of The Three Broomsticks, he had a compulsive desire to have a bottle of Butterbeer. He couldn't though. There were more important tasks afoot. He pulled his wand from his robes. There was a loud crack, and he disapparated.

He appeared in a weedy, deserted graveyard. The stone monuments were crumbling, moss and ivy had torn chunks of stone from the graves and were themselves now dying. The skeletons of flowers littered the mounds. Snape frowned. The man that he had come to meet was not here.

Snape began to pace the graveyard, ignoring the crackling of twigs and the rustlings of leaves. After about thirty minutes, there was another crack, and Lucius Malfoy materialized, pulling off his Death Eater's hood.

Snape stopped his pacing and said, "I thought you would have been here waiting for me."

"The Dark Lord was not pleased," said Malfoy shortly. "He had almost killed Potter and then he escaped. He took it very...badly." Malfoy's pale face turned even paler and a wince flickered in his eyes. "The fact that his loyal Death Eaters were not able to fight through a pack of ghosts and stop an injured boy infuriated him."

Snape nodded wordlessly. "And when can I rejoin him?"

"That's a bit presumptuous, Severus," said Malfoy languidly. "Who said anything about donning your Death Eater guise again. You are going to stay at Hogwarts and remain the oily git of a Potions Teacher."

Snape's eyes narrowed, glittering. "What do you mean?"

"See, Severus," Malfoy continued, a thin smile lighting up his face. "Many of his Death Eaters fled from him, but none of them were so foolish as to openly thwart him -- a mistake you made when Quirrel was teaching at Hogwarts. Not that that would change his impression of you," Malfoy added, shrugging. "He already knew he could not trust you when it somehow leaked that you had turned spy for Dumbledore. Why else would he choose poor foolish Quirrel?"

Snape raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh yes, didn't you know?" said Malfoy. "Igor accused you and Dumbledore announced it to the whole Wizengamot." Malfoy shook his head. It was very clear that he thought it a very bad move of Dumbledore to make.

Snape glared at him, then said, "I can still --"

"Oh no you can't," Malfoy interrupted. "Didn't you hear what happened in the graveyard?"

When Snape shook his head, Malfoy said, "The Dark Lord is very upset that Igor didn't return when he felt the Death Mark burn --" at this he rubbed his left arm almost absently -- "and he knew that one of us would never return -- that would be you, Severus -- and that he was to be killed. No, no," said Malfoy, shaking his head, "I am afraid that you are stuck in Hogwarts as the plain Potions Master. Severus, it's a life time of service to the Dark Lord. You just can't pretend to switch sides again. Even if that were possible, he'd never trust you enough. But the Dark Lord also mentioned another," said Malfoy, frowning. "His most faithful servant and that he was at Hogwarts. Who is it?"

Snape's face darkened and he glowered. "It was Barty Crouch, Jr."

"Very funny, Severus," said Malfoy icily. "but Barty died in an Azkaban cell because of the mania of his foolish father. Now tell me, who is it really?"

"It really was Barty disguised as Moody and he never died in Azkaban, Lucius," Snape snapped. And he went on to tell of Barty's confession.

Malfoy's face hardened and he kicked at a pebble with his boot. "And what did the Fudge do about all this?"

"He brought a Dementor with him when I summoned him to the school. Didn't loose any time swooping down on Barty and giving him a little kiss -- a kiss that he deserved long before now."

Malfoy glanced up quickly. "Dumbledore allowed that?"

"No, Lucius. Fudge did it all by himself. Dumbledore was furious about it."

"But why would he do that, Severus?" asked Malfoy.

Snape shrugged. "He is a foolish man. You should have seen what he did when Dumbledore told him about the Dark Lord. He blustered about it. Failed to believe Potter...said that the Death Eaters Potter foolishly rattled off had been cleared. You would have thought the man didn't know that such things as lies existed," Snape snorted. "The pompous oaf even refused to believe when I showed him the Mark. Just stood there trembling, insisting that it was mad. Foolish man," he said disdainfully. "Even though he does not want the Dark Lord to return, he will be the most useful instrument enabling his full return to power."

Malfoy sighed. "I shall have to keep a close eye on the Ministry. Become pals with Fudge." A look of supreme distaste passed fluidly over his pale, pointed face. "Keep tabs on what he's up to -- or not up to as is most likely to be the case."

Snape nodded. "I always thought he was a genial, incapable man. I never thought he could be so foolish. Apparently, Dumbledore didn't think so either. But he, at least, isn't going to sink back in his armchair, shuffling through his papers, convincing himself that Potter is delusional and that the whole thing is really just a horrid nightmare." Snape scowled.

Malfoy glanced up quickly, a cold fire in his grey eyes. "The Order?"

Snape nodded and the two remained silent for a while. After a few minutes, Snape asked, "Did he mention the Diary?"

Malfoy shook his head, a look of intense disgust burning through his face. "Did you know that Potter actually accused me of giving it to that Weasley girl?"

Snape smirked. "Potter has always thought that he understands everything, Lucius," said Snape. "It's sickening the way he struts about the school."

Malfoy smiled and then said, "I am glad that you came here instead of to the Manor, Severus. Narcissa was home and...well, you know who her sister is, don't you?" he asked.

Snape nodded again. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Yes. She was a bit upset that her sister was in Azkaban...was highly delighted when Regulus Black joined the Death Eaters, and was furious when he tried to back out. Not a tear was shed on her part when his body was discovered shortly after that."

"You will have to be careful, Lucius."

Malfoy scoffed. "It was always a dangerous job, even before Potter managed to bounce that curse onto the Dark Lord. We are well acquainted with the art of 'being careful.' Now, on to more pleasant matters. How is Draco doing in school?"

Snape smiled and said, "Draco can make a descent Potion which is far more than Potter can do. Fame isn't everything. Your son possesses subtlety, an attribute that Potter lacks."

Malfoy sneered slightly. "How like a Muggle."

Snape's smile slid into a smirk as he nodded his agreement.

"I must get back to the manor, Severus," said Lucius, standing up. "I'll keep you informed."

"Don't think that I won't do my part in gathering information, Lucius," said Snape smiling thinly.

"Severus, you must understand that many of the Death Eaters think that you are my little tool to discover what Dumbledore is up to and you, Severus, will do nothing that will destroy that illusion as it will most likely end with our painful deaths. I will also need certain information to keep my true position hidden," said Malfoy silkily. "The Order must be prepared to meet us and to meet with casualties."

"Yes, Lucius," Snape snarled. "We've done this before. I understand the danger and I know what we must do."

Lucius smiled thinly. "I understand that, Severus. But last time we were both with the Death Eaters and one of us was not forced to pretend to be a grubbing, ignorant puppy in the eyes of others."

Snape's face paled, and he nodded.

"Good," said Malfoy briskly as he pulled out his wand. Snape rose with him and they shook hands. "I'll keep you informed."

With a flourish of their wands, they both vanished from the deserted graveyard.