Prequel to Deathly Hallows

Before the 7th Book Series: Running Scared

This story takes place right after the murder of Professor Dumbledore. Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy are forced to flee after the old wizard dies and Draco ends up getting lost. Luckily, he meets several companions and must flee to London or risk being captured.
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Draco woke up; he and Severus were asleep in a shack deep in the Forbidden Forest. It had been one exciting yet tragic night. First off, Albus Dumbledore, who was headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, was murdered and the school attacked by Death Eaters. And the man who killed the old wizard was hiding in the woods with him.

I don't deserve this, Draco muttered to himself as he stood up and wandered around. What have I done? This is not how my life should be going! I deserve better than this! He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and saw that cursed Dark Mark there. If only I can destroy it, he thought to himself, then I'll have no problems at all...

"Hello? Anyone there?" a voice cut into his seething thoughts. Draco stared out the lone window and saw an older boy standing at the door. "Who are you?" he snapped.

"My name is Sidney Rowes," said Sidney. "You may have heard of my brother, Sean Michael LeSouse-Rowes."

"Sean? As in Sean Michael Black?" Draco snapped. "You mean the traitor who left Regulus Black to die?"

"Who are you yelling at, boy?" Severus snapped as he faced his student and godson. He then noticed Sidney and said, "I apologize for my nephew's rudeness. I am Severus Snape and I heard right that Sean LeSouse-Rowes is looking for me?"

"You heard right," said Sidney. "He awaits you and you must go to him if you want to show your face in society."

Severus gripped Draco's arm and said, "You better show some degree of respect towards Sean."

"Why should I?" Draco snapped. "He destroyed the Black family!"

"I married his sister many years ago," said Severus. "Stacey and Gabriel, your cousins, are my sons and Sean's nephews." Draco shut his mouth and said nothing else.

Sidney smiled as he saw the wizards and led them to a grand house that was hidden even deeper in the woods. Severus frowned and wondered why on earth would my brother in all but name and bloodline hide here out of all places? Were not the LeSouse-Rowes family rich?

He sighed and walked past the gates to the house. An older man with graying brown hair dressed in flowing silver and blue robes sat before the huge doors leading inside the mansion. "Severus Snape," he snapped. "It is about time you showed up here. Why have you not met with me all those years ago?"

Severus frowned and said, "I couldn't face the father of my Shannon Claire after foolishly allowing her to die all those years ago."

"And why not?" said the older man. "Why not allow me to see my grandsons? I hear and see that they have both grown into fine young men. And I see and hear that you have taken a second wife and had a daughter. But why did you not see me?"

"Seamus, you and I both know the answer to that," Severus said.

"Seamus? Who is that out there?" a woman's voice cut into the scene. An older woman who had yet to see old age (she was only 45 years old) walked to the door and gasped in shock. "So this is the man who murdered Headmaster Dumbledore!" she cried in horror.

"And about damn time someone killed that foolish monster," Seamus snapped. "It had to be my son-in-law and not me! What a story that would be!"

The woman said, "You wanted to kill the headmaster?"

"Yes," said Seamus. "He and his pathetic lover, Gellert Grindelwald, (may he rot in hell for all eternity), thought it would be wonderful if they could take over the world. But their little plan for the "Greater Good" brought about the deaths of scores of people."

"And what does this do to you?" the woman asked.

"My dearest Janelte, do be patient," said Seamus. "I was kidnapped when I was 16 years old and helped prisoner by that evil Gellert. He raped me every night." He noted the shocked looks on his family's faces and a single tear streaming down Severus's face. Draco had a look of indifference. Seamus continued, "But my brothers and sisters came and rescued me, and yet it was too late. But for a curse a certain *relative* had placed on me, I was found to be pregnant. I had a daughter, Wendy."

"Wendy?" Janelte cried out.

"Just then, Albus said he regretted anything happening to me and gave myself and my daughter a place to stay," said Seamus. "I stayed in Hogwarts and watched as Albus killed Gellert, his former lover mind you, and become proclaimed as the greatest wizard that ever lived...as if Merlin and Gandalf weren't enough for the Wizarding world and their works were deemed worthless!"

Sean cut in by saying, "And then Albus ruined Dear Seamus's life by forcing him to bond with him in a rather unholy marriage, which sprouted second daughter Ariana. Wendy, meanwhile, married a man named Clarence Mobley and had a daughter named Cassandra. Seamus broke from that union and moved with his daughters and granddaughter to Muggle Scotland, where he met Justine Kalligan and had myself, Shannon Claire, and Scarlette Joanna."

"Very good, Sean," said Seamus. "But then tragedies happened, as I had to watch both wife and daughter Wendy die and Cassandra's father take a second wife, who mistreated my granddaughter and she went to live with me. I knew, but never said, that it had been Albus's way to force his "wife" to return to Hogwarts. And I did return to Hogwarts with Ariana and the younger children, where my dear Shannon Claire met and fell hard for Severus Snape, and it took him several years to return her affections. But then Albus tried to control the lives of my progeny as well. Cassandra's so-called marriage fell apart and she lost the baby, Ariana and Scarlette both married young and died in childbirth, leaving behind Julia, Joanna, Jamie-Lynn, and Tyler, and Shannon Claire married Severus and had two sons, Stacey and Gabriel, before meeting an untimely end."

Severus had tears running down his face; Draco had never seen him cry before in his life. Severus was usually stone-faced. Seamus said, "And all the time, I blamed Albus for everything: starting that false war that created an unimaginable monster, which took my Sean Michael's young love from him, leaving him heartbroken and pregnant. Also, Albus decided to punish me by forcing my Sean to be Lucius Malfoy's sex slave and bearing his children..."

Draco could not take it anymore. He snapped, "You mean to tell me that my father was involved with Dumbledore as well? And he did things to...him without my mother's knowledge?"

Sean said, "In all my years, I always knew that Albus was a monster. But I never did realize that he plotted to destroy our family as well. I thought all he held was a grudge against Irene Romanov, and that's why she hid the name of Dearest Jacquelyn's father. He hated Irene's father and so he killed Paul and Isabella Romanov. I heard that he fathered Jacquelyn and two others against Irene's wishes, if that is to be believed. And if that were so, then he killed Irene and saw to it that Jacquelyn lived a terrible life so she would reject the Romanov name."

Draco frowned and thought to himself so that's why Jacquel was acting all bitchy all the years I knew her! She had to be that fool's daughter! It all made sense now! He then said, "Could Albus Dumbledore really be Jacquel's father?"

"I don't see why not," said Seamus. "That old fool has done horrible things to people he hated, and young Thomas Riddle is no exception. he molested that boy and later raped him, turning that boy into the cruel monster we know as Lord Voldemort..."

Severus gave a start as soon as he had heard the Dark Lord's name, but kept silent.

Sean said, "Now that we're here and the old man is gone, we must expose the truth about him. And when we do, people will be doing more than scratching their heads." Several children came to the door, all curious and staring at the two mysterious guests who were at the door. "We must go inside; there is no need to darken this day any further."

As they all walked inside the house, Draco couldn't help but wonder if he had seen someone standing in the bushes with a pen and a pad of paper. He knew that nothing good would come out of this, as far as Jacquel was concerned...