The Pet

The Pet

Chapter Two

It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don’t recognize.

Deep in a wooded area of the Lake District, there was an old abbey. The traveler who might happen upon it would find it to be rather a quaint and picturesque ruin. It was roofless and little more than a few stone walls were left. And that is all that they would see. That was what they were meant to see.

The reality, however, was that there was an area of the abbey that still had a roof and intact walls and windows. There was no central heating, no plumbing and the fires that were magically lit in the fireplaces provided heat for comfort and cooking but no smoke or smell.

Still, if our intrepid adventurer were to ignore the prickles of the wards and come a bit closer, he would have heard…

“Fuck all, I don’t need a bloody nanny.”

Snape was in a stinking mood, something that was happening more and more often, thought Tonks.

“I don’t care what you think you need or want,” she told him. “The last thing Mad-Eye Moody did was assign me to you. I’m to protect you so that there will be no more attacks against your person. You are important to the cause, no matter how little you think of yourself, Sev.”

“That is not the case at all. However do you plan to protect me while I am at a Death Eater’s Meeting? How am I supposed to introduce you? Lucius Malfoy, Dark Lord, please meet my keeper Nymphadora Tonks, half-blood and Ministry Auror. Oh, I can see that going down well.”

“You know what your problem is?” Tonks stepped close to the black robed Wizard and jabbed her finger into his chest. “Do you know? You need to get out. O-U-T, out. And you could if you trusted me to protect you.”

Tonks walked around Snape gesturing to the walls around them. “This place is awful. I can’t understand why you would have chosen bandbandoned abbey. It’s cold, drafty and smells of mold. Even with fires in every fireplace, you can’t get the place to warm up.”

“It’s well warded. And that is all that counts.”

“Reminds you of the dungeons does it? Nice and clammy down there this time of year, I bet.”

Snape gave a look of annoyance, “You don’t like this place, then leave. Get out of my sight!” The fact was he did miss his home. His library, bedroom, labs, all abandoned, Merlin only knew what had happened to his belongings. He threw a book at Tonks for good measure and she skipped out of the room, which they used as a galley, dining and living space.

She ducked her head back in and stuck her tongue out at him, “Missed me.” And she headed to her quarters. Her room was barely larger than a walk-in closet, but at least it was warm and didn’t smell. Which was more than she could say for either of them. It was too drafty for a full bath and, surprise, there was no bathroom anyway. Reduced to using chamber pots and emptying spells. Ugh. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Stupid great bat! Choosing such a bolthole! She took out a copy of Witches Weekly that she had read for the twentieth time and sighed.

The real problem was, she figured, was that they wanted each other! She had felt the chemistry ever since she had been assigned to watch over his recovery in the infirmary. Those had been long, terrible nights of witnessing the man suffer from the effects of theses ses and hexes that Malfoy had thrown at him. She had been helpless, watching him groan and struggle in pain. Madam Pomfrey had kept him pretty well knocked out for most of the time so he could rest and heal as she lifted hex upon hex from him. But there were the times that the spells and potions had worn off and Snape had come round in agony. In those moments, he was no longer the nasty, snide bastard from the Order meetings. No, he’d just been a thin, vulnerable, ugly man.

Too bad he had to get better! He was much nicer when comatose. Now, he was just his usual cranky--

There was a cry, a crash and an ominous thump. Tonks leapt from her bed and ran down the corridor to the living area.

Snape was rolling on the ground holding his leg. The damned curse was at it again-- the only one that Madam Pomfrey had not been able to remove.

Tonks withdrew her wand, “Accio Snape’s Relief Cream.” From out of Snape’s quarters the jar of cream lifted and came careening down the hall and into Tonk’s outstretched hand.

She removed the lid and took a few fingers full of the purple ointment. She pushed up Snape’s robes and started massaging it into his scrawny leg and thigh. At one point a flailing limb hit her in the nose.

“Damn it.” She sat on his chest and continued to work the ointment in harder. Snape was openly sobbing from the pain. Tonks noticed that the muscles of the leg were starting to atrophy. Slowly, his thrashing died down and his breathing calmed. She got off of him and saw blood coming from his mouth.

“Oh Hell.” She crawled up to him. “Open up, hurry.” He stared at her with reddened eyes and complied with the request. “You bit your tongue badly.”

He mumbled something which sounded like, “Leave it be.”

“Stop being a coward,” and performed a simple healing spell. “When are you going to learn to trust me?”

He swallowed the blood in his mouth, “When you learn how to walk without falling over your own two feet.”

She punched him in the gut. “The cream is almost out. Do you have more?”

Snape shook his head. With a scowl on his face, he sat up and began to lower his robes. “I’ave ave to either raid the dispensary at Hogwarts or go get some equipment and ingredients from my stores.”

Tonks gave him a hand up and then put his arm over her shoulder to help him hop over to a half broken down easy chair by the fire. “No. It’s too dangerous to go back there still. You should go to St. Mungos.”

“I might be traced from there to here.”

“Not you. I bet you could slip in there and out without a soul noticing.” Tonk’s lie was rewarded by a fleeting smile. She knew he was a sucker for a kind word. It didn’t take long at close quarters to see that. “Besides you need a professional to see to that leg. It’s getting worse.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Stop being a puddin’ head.”

Snape hissed, “How dare you!”

“Noodle head.”

He started to go red in the face.

“Dunderhead. Meathead. Chowderhead. Poo-brain.” Tonks kept a straight face. Barely.

“What did I ever do to be hooked up with such a Harpy?” He said in a voice filled with misery and loathing.

Tonks leaned down and kissed him on the nose. “Just lucky I guess.”

The worst part of it all, thought Snape, was that he couldn’t be sure. She flirted with him remorselessly and he sensed it was because she was bored. She was stuck there with him, stubborn thing, refusing to go against Moody’s last request by leaving him. So if he were to respond to her advances, wouldn’t she just laugh at him?

He wasn’t yet forty, but he’d aged four times that since the incident with Malfoy. Even if she were to want him, he didn’t think he’d be able to do a thing before his leg would act up on him and make him scream like a girl. Oh yes, he was being emasculated, one little bit at a time. She wasn’t his Hogwarts bodyguard any more, protecting him from a possible attack Malfoy Jr. might try while he was laid up in the infirmary. No, she was now his nursemaid. And he didn’t want to admit it, but without Pomfrey’s expert medical care his disability was getting worse. However, once he entered St. Mungo’s, he probably wouldn’t be able to leave. Then he would be of no use to anyone. Game over.

The fact that he was a double agent no longer provided him much protection. He’d been too ill to Apparate when last summoned to the Dark Lord, having been struck with one of the residual fevers left over from Malfoy’s drubbing. The retribution awaiting him if he were to return to the Dark Lord might just polish him off. He thought about it. That might be the best thing to happen. He was of no use to anyone right now anyway. Still, by the Gods, he’d love to get laid first.

He looked at Tonks, cleaning up the broken dishes from where he’d grabbed at the table and missed, taking the cloth and the breakfast dishes with him. It was humiliating it was. She was supposed to be the clumsy one, and here he was making her seem as graceful as a swan! Nothing to do for it, but wait for the next Order meeting and see if there was some way he couldn’t help in spite of his inability to get around or spy for that matter.

He longed to go back, security be damned, and just stay in his own rooms. His part of the castle hadn’t been affected when Hogwarts had been attacked. However, Tonks was right, it would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to ward the dungeons even with their combined talents. And it was too obvious a place to return to. A trap by the Death Eaters was most likely already planted there.

Snape watched her finish up with the last of the mess. She had somehow figured out that he fancied her with long, straight black hair and dark amethyst eyes and had stayed fixed in that form. Why? Was she such a sadist as to simply want him to long for her? Well, he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction!

Snape felt disgusted with himself. She was so much younger than him and he sat around all day, sniffing after her, like some filthy old dog!

At least there was an Order meeting tomorrow night. He’d drawn up some points that he felt could help the Order strategically and he’d try his best not to seem ill.

&&&

Harry paced the vaulted subterranean room. Dumbledore watched him with some concern mixed with gentle amusement.

“So nobody has heard from her?”

“I’m sure she must be well. Her death is something Voldemort would use against you to weaken you. So no news is good news.” Dumbledore sorely missed his lemon drops.

“I’m not so sure.” He sat down on an overturned dustbin. Just then Ron Apparated in.

“Anything, Mate?” Harry shook his head. “Well, no news—“

“Is good News? Yes, I think there’s an echo in here,” he glared at Dumbledore.

“Cheer up!”

“Ron, I can’t.” Harry’s hands went into tight, angry fists.

Several more popping noises occurred and suddenly there was Tonks with Snape supporting himself on a cane in one hand and her arm in the other. Mundungus Fletcher was also there along with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin.

“Is this it then?” asked Dumbledore. “Let’s start. Not knowing if there is a spy in our midst…”

Ron shot a look at Snape.

“Every meeting will only have a partial attendance of the Order. This way we hope to increase our chances of survival should Voldemort find out where one of our meetings is being held.”

There was a murmuring among the various members.

“It’s been a bit of a standoff though, hasn’t it?” said Shacklebolt. “They set up a raid and the Ministry Aurors get sent in. There’s a skirmish and the Death Eaters run off. Nothing earth shattering, simply demoralizing. Like the fact that Hogwarts has effectively been brought to it’s knees. And yet, the Ministry of Magic still stands. So what are they looking to gain?”

“Me, I believe,” said Harry. “It’s the prophecy. And the longer I’m not allowed to face Voldemort, the more chaos will ensue. It’s that simple.” The frustration was obvious on the young Wizard’s face.

“Always about you, eh, Potter?” Snape gave a superior little smile.

“And?” Harry’s green eye’s held a dangerous look.

He shrugged. “Couldn’t dream that the Dark Lord was simply bidding his time until the Wizarding population becomes so scared that they would clamor to accede to any of his demands?”

“Severus…” said Dumbledore in a warning tone.

“Headmaster, you have got to see how his ego colors everything.”

Dumbledore shook his head, “Enough.”

Tonks felt a tremor go through the man who was grasping onto her for support.

“But I have some theories on the matter that I should like to present.”

“Have you been able to actually attend any meetings of the Death Eaters?” Dumbledore sighed at Snape’s silence. “Then your theories will have to wait until later.”

Snape made a small noise in protest.

“Later, Severus, later.” Dumbledore turned his back on the former potions master.

Tonks felt like crying for the man.

“Reports, now. Remus, anything for us?”

“Nothing except there seems to be more activity in Knockturn Alley amongst the unlicensed Animagi…”

Later that night, long after the meeting had ended, Lupin realized that he hadn’t informed a soul that Hermione Granger was safe and well with him. He pondered the matter for a moment and decided perhaps it was for the best. After all, one didn’t know who was a spy and who wasn’t. Hermione was safe and sound and that would be his secret to keep for now.

&&&

Snape returned to the abbey in extreme agitation. Tonks watched him pacing, muttering curses and deprecations under his breath, spitting into the fireplace and, in general, being the git he’d always been. Finally, his leg gave out and he fell.

She went to him and simply held him. No words of comfort. There was nothing she could say that would not upset him further. So she just held him. At first he cursed and fought her. But she was strong and he had been weakened by the months of illness.

Eventually, she helped him up off the floor and into bed. He turned on his side, face to the wall and she left.

&&&

Hermione walked through the garden lit by the three-quarters full moon. Very soon it would be full. And she’d be there on the island while he transformed. She wondered what it would be like. Would she sit in her room, shivering as he howled? He had shown her the chains that would bind him. A partial alloy of silver ensured that he would not be able to break free of them. She felt bad about him being chained. It was his island. He should be allowed to roam free as had been his original intention.

She had been relieved to hear that the meeting had gone well. He had seemed a bit preoccupied, even evasive about her questioning. He was a curious man. He seemed very open and above board, but he kept secrets. Of this she was sure.

&&&

Tonks lay in the dark and thought about, of all things, the man sleeping just a doorway away from her. Pretty stupid, really. But she wanted him. She found him appealing in a drowned rat sort of way. Oh, his personality was horrid, but there was a part of him always so grateful for even a smidgeon of attention. She’d like to see how he would react to a lot of attention. Like her taking off all of his clothes and stroking him to fullness. Hmmm. She touched her breasts with one hand and the other headed to her nub. She felt the warmth begin to grow deep inside of her as her hand moved more quickly and she slipped a finger inside of her. Her pelvis pushed against her hand repeatedly and after a few minutes, with a quiet moan, she came.

She pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and settled in. Hmmm. How totally perverse it was to masturbate while thinking about the Wizard she was set to guard.

Why him? She didn’t understand that part. Perhaps it was just the proximity to him and loneliness of the assignment, but it may have been pity as well. The one thing it couldn’t possibility be though… was love.


A/N: Thank you all for your patience. This is another writing stretch for me and I tend to be terrified of it! So thank you again for all your encouragement and I hope that you stick with this story to completion.

For their reviews hugs to: DeblovesDragon, Rilla, Michelline, Snapaholic, Katrine, Deb, GeekGoddess, Seshat, Andrian, Bansidh, Spaz141, Katta, Ellocution, NegativeNine, Amsev, and Swirlygirl.