When the Moment comes

The kitchen was uncharacteristically quiet. Severus expected to find the house-elf in there bustling with the dishes so close to lunch. Baffled, he entered the living room, uneasy feeling replacing relief, at the suspicious silence. “Rosy?” he called softly. Someone was standing behind him, an ominous presence.



“Where were you?” A question sharp as a whip lash sliced the air.



“I was in the backyard, gardening.” Severus replied dutifully making an omission, not telling a lie. He tried to guess what she thought he was in trouble with. There was no immediate anger his presence provoked. Instead, there was a triumphal gleam, which made him wish she was furious. The remaining two exists from the room were blocked by his stepbrothers.



“You are certain?” Tanya insisted.



Basil grinned nastily. He was expecting to be entertained.



“Yes Madam.”



“Just you and the garden flowers.” Tanya sneered. She held no cane. A long, cherry wand was clutched in her hand. Deep red matched the colour of her cheeks when she was displeased. “That is not what I was told. So, you have kept secrets from us, Severus. I always suspected you did. Did you hope to break free? Did you hope to escape you miserable place in the world? Did you hope to cheat your fate? I don’t know what curse you have lain on the Prince but he will be free of it, for you will never see him again.”



Tanya grabbed his hair and dragged Severus with her. Sharp nails left marks on his head. Kerdo and Basil followed them kicking Severus whenever they thought he plotted resistance. Without explanation Tanya roughly pushed Severus down the basement stairs. The heavy door slammed shut. The key clicked several times locking him in the darkness.



Rubbing additional bruises Severus sad down on the last step. He was lucky he didn’t break his neck. Fear and hope clashed in his mind. Surely, Tanya recognised the danger of quarrelling with the royal family. Was her malice great enough to defy them? Yet, she never picked fights she couldn’t win. Speculating on the horrors she prepared for him, Severus waited endless hours. He hoped Rosy might show up, but the house-elf never came. When Severus decided that he was abandoned in the basement to starve to death, the door screamed open.



“Stand up.” Tanya ordered. Her wand was back pointed at him. “Resist and I will hex you. Understood?” She marched him ahead of her outside to the gates. It was dark. Close to midnight, Severus estimated. Aside, he noticed Rosy following them. The house-elf wrung the long shirt she wore into knots. Occasionally, a squeaky sound escaped from her.



Three wizards stepped out of the cover of the trees to meet them. “This, is the recruit?” One of them asked disdainfully.



Tanya snarled. “Take him. Should he be good for nothing, then at least his blood will be of use for some dark magic sacrifice. I will tell the authorities that he ran away.”



The wizards were draped in the long, black cloaks. Skull shaped masks covered their faces. The rumours, rumours about the Death Eaters abducting the magic folk, were all true. One of the wizards reached for him.



“No.” Severus whispered through a knot in his throat. He took a step back regardless of how many wands were pointed at him. “No.” He said again firmly. “Stay away from me.”



Tanya pushed him into their grip, which was heavy like a tomb stone.



“Let me go!” Severus screamed, “you …” Tanya flicked her wand to seal his jaws mid-scream. Severus elbowed one of the captors in the stomach and stomped on someone’s foot. One of the wizards stunned Severus and lifted him by the collar. With a loud howl Rosy pounced. Her teeth sunk deep in the wizard’s arm. Cursing, the Death Eater punched her hard on the head. The house-elf fell on the ground where she got viciously kicked. She landed few steps away and went silent. The cloaked group apparated holding their prisoner.



“Brat.” One of them said gruffly. “You aren’t worth the trouble. If the Dark Lord weren’t interesting in using the likes of you, you wouldn’t be alive.”



With the jaw-locking spell in place Severus could only glare at the impassive masks. He was not familiar with the area where they apparated. It was a forest, not as creepy as the one near Hogwarts, but Severus wouldn’t be so sure that it held no dangerous animals, besides the wizards who led him. Although resisting was useless, Severus dragged his feet stalling and doing very little walking. The Death Eaters impatiently kept pushing him. Severus tripped and fell on purpose.



“Creg. What have you brought us?” They heard a rough voice just as Severus felt his captor’s patience had ran out.



“Nothing significant.” The wizard who was bit by the house-elf responded to the name. He dragged Severus into a clearing. There were two more Death Eaters. They had transfigured what seemed like a log into a wooden bench and sat there waiting.



“A small help for our plan. I don’t think we have time to be picky.” One of the wizard’s who came to abduct Severus told them.



Another wizard rose from the log. He critically examined Severus. “This distraction will do.” He must have noticed a defying glare because he laughed. “Look fellows, he doesn’t think he will help us.” The others snorted in amusement. “You will.” The wizard continued almost peacefully, “imperio can do many things. Of course we don’t have to result to it providing you cooperate. Listen here kid, don’t be offended, but no one cares about you. Your family gave you away. No one will miss you. What future could you possibly have in a world that disdains you? No better than a house slave. None. But there is an option. The Dark Lord is powerful. He can give you a purpose. He rewards loyal service richly. That’s better than you can ever hope for. I suggest you help us willingly. What do you think?” Through the speech he paced back and forth in front of Severus, but then he stopped, looming above the young wizard.



Creg snorted inelegantly. “He can’t answer you.” He said and then muttered few words lifting the curse.



Severus massaged his jaw saving a moment to come up with something useful to say. “You might wish to try this speech before the abduction. You might get a few volunteers.” It was not a response the masked wizards wanted to hear and he continued quickly before they could do anything. “I still can’t understand why I should help when I know nothing about you or about your plan. As far as I know my role in it will get me killed, so what is the difference if it is now or very soon.”



The wizard in charge of the group returned to his spot on the bench. He seemed hardly interested in a success of failure of his speech. “The brat wants more convincing. He said lazily. “Creg, convince him.”



“Crucio.”



The pain exploded convoluting his body. It twisted the joints, shifted bones in unnatural order. The teeth felt like they were switching places. Everything burned. Then the pain ceased. Severus lay on the ground gasping for air.



“Are you convinced yet?”



“Go ear dragon droppings.” Severus spat along with a bit of blood.



“Don’t curse him again.” The leader warned, “We need him.”



One of the wizards grumbled, “The attack is not before dawn. What are we to do in this boring hole?”



“Get the kid prepared for the mark. We can’t have him pure, can we?” The leader conceded. “Remember, no permanent maiming.”



The others snorted in amusement.



“Do you think he never.”



“A kid that ugly? He would have to beg for it.”



Severus lay still, listening to them discussing his fate. Not the first time someone did, he thought bitterly. His hair were grabbed painfully and his head was jerked up.



“Easy to find out.”



The foul breath was like a blow. There were hands all over Severus. The carousel of hands, feet and mouths, confusing like crucio, shredded his clothes, body and dignity. Then, there was a bright light.