On a Night Like This

Disclaimer: none of these characters are mine, everything belongs to JKR


Chapter One: Mixed Up Confusion


Things were in a bit of an uproar at number 12 Grimmauld Place. School had just finished and the Golden Trio were in the summer before their seventh year. Dumbledore’s funeral had brought everyone back to the very real war with Voldemort. It had also brought back a favorite pastime of Harry, Ron and Hermione: Snape-hating. Members of the Order were wandering around the house, alternating between cursing, sobbing and trying to find something useful to do. The latter was always quickly abandoned for the former two.

That said, they were not handling this well. Dumbledore had always been their rock, so to speak. And he trusted Snape without reservation and so they did too. But he had betrayed them all.

Suddenly there was a crash as the door slammed open. Heads popped up, curious as to who could be coming since they weren’t expecting the rest of the Weasley clan for another few hours. It was safe to say that it was the absolute last two people anyone at all expected to see: Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.

Standing in shock, the Order had not moved a muscle before Snape quickly spoke. “Petrificus Totalus.” Great, Harry thought, This is just fan-fucking-tastic. Stormed by a whopping two Deatheaters and killed without a fight. He could see the headlines now. At least the wizarding world should get some sort of a laugh out of this. How could they have been so stupid?

Severus smirked at them. “I see that you have neither changed the wards not to admit me or recast the unplottable spell so I could no longer locate the house. Tsk Tsk, this is not exactly admirable for an order of what is supposedly the greatest wizard minds in the world. Of course I am glad for your thoughtlessness; we could have never been made it in here otherwise. And I apologize for the petrifying, it’s just that Draco and I would prefer to keep our limbs firmly attached to our bodies. This way you can hear us out.”

Though petrified in body, everyone’s minds were racing a mile a minute. This was not at all going how they expected. Hermione had been preparing herself to be tortured and beaten until she died from physical trauma, blood loss or hopefully a merciful killing curse. No one expected them to talk.

“We need to get to work right away on finding the rest of the horcruxes and destroying them. I also believe that there is a potion that I may be able to make that will slowly drain Voldemort of his magic, allowing Harry to kill him. But first I suppose I should explain to you the situation regarding Albus’s death. We’d better sit down, Draco, this could take a while.” Severus sat down in a wing backed chair and steepled his fingers, looking decidedly Snape-ish. Draco slouched down on the couch next to Harry, who did his best to shoot fire out of his eyes.

“I have never done anything harder in my life than end Albus Dumbledore’s. It was however, part of a carefully orchestrated plan to bring down the dark lord.” All around him eyes flashed with disbelief. Severus sighed. “I know that my word alone means nothing, as Albus knew it would after the deed had been done. He put together a pensieve full of his memories of our plans so that you may see the truth.” Severus positioned everyone so each had a finger in the bowl, and they quickly dove into the memories of the late headmaster.

“Please, Severus, this is the only way.” Albus Dumbledore was looking a bit less twinkly than usual. “Hell no! I will not kill you! How can you even say that? You must be out of your damned mind, old man!” Albus threw himself into one of his squishy chairs by the fire. "I will be fatally weakened from retrieving the locket. You know of the poison yourself and its effects. I am the only one of us who can retrieve it, you know this. If you kill me it will once and for all prove your loyalty to Voldemort. It is essential that you are in his innermost confidences for you to be of any use to the Order in the final battle.” Severus scowled at the headmaster. They sat there silently for some time. “I understand,” Severus said softly, “This is the only way. You know, of course, of what has been demanded of Draco?” Albus nodded at him. “This is the only way to protect him and ensure we know of Voldemort’s true plans. But Albus, I don’t know if I can do it.”

The headmaster’s eyes swept over Severus. For a moment, he recalled the broken young man who came to him, begging for forgiveness, death, anything to end the horrible life he had become ensnared in. Severus had changed greatly since then in some ways, in others not at all. “I know that you will do what needs to be done. Promise me one this though, you will tell the others the truth at the earliest possible time, and that you will look after Minerva for me.” Severus looked at him with grim resignation on his face. “Of course I will Albus, she is like a mother to me. I know how much she means to you." Well, he thought to himself, she is how a mother should be to me. His memories of his own mother were not exactly happy ones. His parents had been woefully deficient in the whole “love” and “caring” aspects of parenthood. “Excellent!” said Albus, startling the potions master out of his trip down unhappy memory lane. “We have much to discuss then.”

They shot out of the pensieve and Snape looked around, determining who could be released. Not everyone yet, judging by the murderous glances still lingering in some, though it was true that none were as strong as before. He released Minerva, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks and Hermione Granger from their bonds. Minerva trusted Albus’s memory, he knew, and he had worked alongside the two aurors long enough to have gained their trust. Miss Granger had a small crush on him that embarrassed him to no end, though it was good for getting her to lend him that magnificent brain of hers. That girl could think like there was no tomorrow. In fact, she had grown into quite the lovely young women. If only he was a little younger and not already attached he probably would have reciprocated her feelings. She was a little too annoying for his taste anyway. Minerva immediately ran to him, crying her eyes out and hugging him. He gently patted her hair, wishing she would quit blubbering. He had promised to look after her, but comforting crying women was certainly not good for his snarky image.

He glanced around at those left. Harry and Ron certainly did not believe him. Neither did little Ginny Weasley, Remus Lupin and of course the paranoid Mad-Eye Moody. He doubted that Moody really trusted anyone other than himself when it came down to it. Although given his experience with the younger Barty Crouch a few years back, the crazy fool probably didn't even trust himself. He could hear him yelling in his mind, "Constant Vigilance!" Snape looked thoughtfully at those he had already convinced and those he had yet to persuade. He had no doubts they would come around eventually. Severus Snape was not really an arrogant man, but he knew he could be persuasive as hell when he wished. “Dumbledore also suspected that even his memories would not be enough for some of you. So we have someone else, someone impartial to vouch for our truth. As a matter of fact though he is quite partial, and not normally in our favor. This makes it all the more meaningful, coming from his mouth. You know he would never proclaim we were telling the truth unless he was absolutely certain. Though it quite pains me to say it, we have Sirius Black on our side.”


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Please review and tell me what you think! This has been mulling around in my head for a while but if no one like it I guess I could stuff it back in there. Thanks!