Another Tale of Two Men

TITLE: Another Tale of Two Men

Author: Lady Sirius

Pairing: SB/SS

RATING: NC17

FEEDBACK: darklove_zorg@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: Of course all rights belong to JK Rowling - I would claim Sirius if I could (but alas this is not meant to be!)

OOTP SPOILERS: This story is the sequel to A Tale of Two Men and is entirely AU, so yes there are a few references - don't read if you don't want to know.

DEDICATION: To my glorious, talenand and wondrous inspiration - Gary Oldman


Chapter Two

Unwelcome News

An irritated Snape threw back the door to his chambers, prepared to give a severe tonguelashing to whomever stood on the other side, but his vitriolic words were cut short at the sight of the young man that stood there, a large grin on his face.

"Harry!" Snape greeted him, "what in the world......"

Harry Potter let himself into the apartment, looking about him expectantly. "I'm glad to see you too, Severus," he replied. Harry had changed quite a bit in the intervening year since the marriage of his godfather to hirmerrmer potions master. He was even more darkly handsome, and had acquired an air of self-confidence that he had formerly been lacking.. Since graduating from Hogwarts, he had gone to work for Albus Dumbledore in a sort of advisory capacity, and he and Ron occupied #12 Grimmauld Place together - Severus had not made Sirius get rid of his ancestral home, as he had once threatened. In fact, they often joined the boys there on weekends and holidays as well as during the summer months. As part of his new duties, Harry sometimes traveled extensively, usually with the redheaded Ron in tow, seeking out information on a variety of topics.

"Sorry, Harry, didn't mean to sound so abrupt, it's just that...." Snape broke off, but his quick glance toward the bedroom door confirmed Harry's suspicions of what he had probably interrupted.

"That's okay, Severus, I understand," Harry smiled. "I just got back. Thought I would pop in before I head back to Ron, say hello to you two, see what's happening.." His words trailed off, and his expression grew thoughtful, but he forced a cheerful smile, as he hugged his stepfather, who returned the hug, if not with enthusiasm, at least with affection. "I just came from Albus. He said he would like to talk to you for a moment before dinner, if it's convenient...." (which could be translated as whether or not convenient, of course).

Severus sighed. "Surely it's something that can wait until after we eat?"

Harry shook his head. "Don't think so, he was rather insistent." He nodded his head toward the bedroom. "Is Sirius decent or do I need to close my eyes before I go in?"

Before Severus could reply, the door to the bedroom burst open and a fully clothed Sirius Black emerged. "Harry!" he cried delightedly. "I thought I heard your voice!" And he welcomed his godson with open arms, happy as always to see him.

Harry returned the hug with interest, before asking, "So what's been going on around here that I've missed? Has Severus killed any of the first years yet?" He grinned even as he said the words, still amazed at his own ability to joke around with the professor who had once so thoroughly terrified him.

"Not yet," Sirius laughed, "but the night is young!" He glanced at Severus, was surprised to find him with one hand on the door. "Where are you off to?"

Severus growled, rolling his eyes in annoe. e. "Albus has requested the pleasure of my company for a moment before dinner, so I had better see what the old fool wants before he comes down here and haunts us!"

Sirius laughed aloud. "Then run along by all means - we can't have that, can we? I'll just catch up with you at dinner then, shall I?"

"Yes, I'll be there, of course." Severus relaxed his face long enough to smile at his handsome husband, and Sirius responded by blowing him a kiss as he walked out the door. He then threw himself into the nearest armchair, legs hanging over the side in a comfortable but sloppy posture, looking up at Harry happily. Harry looked closely into his godfather's eyes, and couldn't help but notice that they were shining especially brightly.

"Sirius..." he began suspiciously, "what are you up to, hmmmmm?"

"Why, Harry, I don't know what you mean!" Sirius protested, but Harry recognized his tone as the one he used when he was being less than truthful.

"Sirius Black!" Harry tried to make his voice stricter, but he could never be harsh with Sirius, no matter how hard he tried.

Sirius looked deep into Harry's emerald eyes, and he could feel the deep love which emanated from them. He began to relent, glad to have someone to confide in. "Well, you see, Harry...." But that was as far as he got, for there was another knock at the door, and a softspoken voice could be heard, so he shelved his words for the moment.

"Siriuse yoe you decent? Oh, Harry, it's you! I thought Sirius was either talking to himself or to Severus!"

"Hello Professor Lupin!" Harry greeted him affectionately. "How have you been?"

"Just fine, just fine!" Remus looked from one man to the other, and he had the feeling that he had possibly interrupted something, but the moment passed as he closed the door behind him. "Just get back, Harry?"

"Uh-huh," Harry replied, pushing his glasses to a more comfortable position on the bridge of his nose. "Just got done talking to Albus - thought I'd pop in here and check on this one before I went home to Ron, make sure Sirius is behaving himself." He grinned widely, pleased at his own witticism, ducking as Sirius pretended to take a swing at him from his seated position.

"So what's new in the great wide world, then?" Lupin asked with interest. "We do tend to get buried here at Hogwarts, don't we, and don't hear very much of what is going on?"

"Not much," Harry replied evasively, shrugging. "Same old, same old..." But he looked away, not meeting Lupin's eyes.

Lupin looked at Harry sharply, but held his tongue. And what was up with Sirius? The werewolf could swear that that man was almost ready to purr, he was so self-satisfied. He would have to grill him thoroughly once Harry left.... He looked steadily back and forth from one man to the other....

Once again, Severus Snape was striding furiously along the halls of Hogwarts, as irritated and intensely annoyed as he had been previously, but maybe not as tense..... at least not in the same way. He reached Dumbledore's office in good time, having maintained a brisk angry stride the entire time, but before he could lift his hand to knock on the headmaster's door, he heard a familiar voice cry out, "Come in, dear boy!" and he was left with no other option than to enter the room.

Albus was seated at his desk, his half-glasses perched low upon his long thin nose, studying some papers which lay spread out before him. He motioned to Severus to sit down without looking up. Snape sighed. He had been hoping to remain standing and therefore able to escape all the more easily.

"Obviously you've seen Harry," Albus began, looking up at Snape, "he has just returned from a factfinding mission up in the north, gathering intelligence from some of my best people up there, the ones that are knowledgeable about the growing situation, which Harry actually isn't aware of.... He's just acting as my courier at the moment..."

"Headmaster, I'm not even sure myself what you're talking about," Snape interrupted. "What growing situation are you talking about?"

Dumbledore rose from behind his magnficent teak desk, pointing to the papers on it. "I haven't said anything before, Severus, because our knowledge of the situation has been rather sparse, but I can ignore the report no longer..." He looked at Snape evenly as he spoke, while the potions master felt a sudden constriction about his heart which he could not explain, and therefore dismissed it as signifying nothing.

"Of course we are all well aware of the defeat of Lord Voldemort, thanks to Harry,!"

Severus contented himself with a curt nod, even as he remembered that his stepson had not accomplished the feat single-handedly, but this did not seem to be the time to mention that.

"And his followers have scattered to the winds, an ineffectual and unorganized lot of miscreants searching for a leader..."

"Yes, Albus, I know all this," Seveus inserted impatiently. "Was this what you called me up here for - to listen to ancient history?"

Dumbledore shook his head solemnly. "I wish it were, my boy, I wish it were. My intelligence informs me that Voldemort's followers have begun to regroup."

Snape snorted contemptuously at the idea. "So what? There is nothing they can do on their own - they lack leadership - and the Dark Lord is dead, you know that."

"Yes, that is true, but someone else has arisen to claim his place, someone who is almost as evil as his former master..."

Severus wrinkled his brow in thought. "Who do you mean, Albus?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Give me a break! I thought you had more sense than to be scared of that blowhard!" Snape shook his head in irritation.

Dumbledore sighed, returning to his seat behind his desk. "Don't dismiss Lucius out of hand," he warned Snape. "He's more powerful than you give him credit for. And he has a certain.... shall we say, charisma, that Lord Voldemort lacked, a certain ability to draw people close to him, and to have them perform as he wishes. But then, of course, you already knew that, didn't you, Severus?" The last words were spoken in the silkiest of tones.

Severus felt himself grow hot at the implication rife in the headmaster's words, but did not dare respond. He contented himself with asking softly, "Just what is it you wish of me, Albus?"

Dumbledore did not reply immediately, considering Snape carefully, as if trying to frame his answer carefully. "My intelligence indicates that he is going to attempt to collect the Deatheaters once more to serve him - and that in all likelihood, you too will be called."

Snape winced at the knowledge, almost feeling his dark mark ache. "If I am called, you know I will go," he replied stoically, one hgripgripping his forearm tightly, "for the order, of course."

"Of course," Albus nodded thoughtfully. He hesitated again, then returned, "But there seems to be more to it than that, I'm afraid...."

Snape waited expectantly.

"There are rumours even among Malfoy's followers that he has found a way to bring back the Dark Lord himself."

"You must be joking - no wizard is powerful enough to do that!"

"No, not one single wizard, but perhaps with the aid of the power which helped to destroy him in the first place..."

"You mean Harry." This was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I mean Harry."

Snape still wasn't worried. "They can't get to Harry - you and I both know that - look at how hard they tried before - all their efforts ineffectual!"

"Yes, I agree," Albus nodded, "but my informant states that they have found another ploy - a weakness, a chink in Harry's armour, so to speak..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Snape was getting tired of the old man's babbling, his head beginning to ache once more.

Albus looked squarely into Snape's dark eyes, as he answered - "I think they mean to strike at Harry through Sirius!"

Severus fell back as if physically struck. Heavens help him, he hadn't considered that possibility - how very remiss of him. His demeanour remained impassive, even as his heart skipped a beat.

"It gets worse, I'm afraid - the chief instigator of the move toward Sirius is someone who has endeared herself to Lucius Malfoy, fastened upon him like a leech, and supplanted his wife Narcissa in an attempt to get close to him - and she hates Sirius passionately, probably as much as he hates her.... She wants him ultimately to end up dead...."

"Bellatrix!" Snape breathed harshly. Well did he know how Sirius felt about the co who who was responsible for his fall through the veil - he hated her with an undying passion, and would continue to do so until the last gasp of his last dying breath. But to think that the evil bitch would go to such methods to destroy a member of her own family - it was beyond comprehension, beyond understanding.

"What do you want me to do?" Snape asked calmly.

"I want you to maintain contact with my informant, who will bring back information for me that you will also need to know, to keep up with what is happening among Malfoy's group. Malfoy has made mention of you, is eager to see you rejoin them - he realizes your value to them, you see."

"I will serve as you see fit," Snape acquiesced, inclining his head obediently toward Dumbledore.

"I never doubted that for a second," Dumbledore smiled. As Snape turned to go, he held up on hand. "Oh, and one more thing, Severus..."

"Yes?" Snape barely managed to conceal his growing irritation.

"You mustn't say a word to either Harry or Sirius about this."

"Not say a ..... Surely you jest!" Snape protested.

"No, I am deadly serious," Albus replied. "Harry must not be allowed to fall into their hands at any cost..."

"And Sirius?"

"Sirius can't be trusted not to go running in and ruining the whole situation. Bellatrix is out for his blood - look what she did to him before. This time, there will be no coming back, I'm afraid."

Severus felt a chill sweep over him at Dumbledore's words. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Sirius once more - permanently. But how was he to explain his actions without lying?

"Who is the informant?" he wanted to know.

"Nymphadora Tonks."

"Nymphadora Tonks!" Snape fairly exploded. "She is a bubbleheaded, clumsy excuse for an auror! Of all the people...."

"She's what we need," Dumbledore interrupted, "she has infiltrated the group, and they have accepted her at face value. You will coordinate your activites with her when she comes to report their actions."

"Very well!" A stony-faced Snape swept out of the headmaster's rooms, his dark robes swirling about his long legs, as he strode purposefully along in the direction of his dungeon classroom. He wanted a little time to think, to sort things out, to come to grips with this disturbing news...

He was therefore quite surprised to find that there was a light which shone out from under his door. He knew it hadn't been on when he left. Cautiously he approached the door, opened it soundlessly and crept into the room. He could see a bulky shadow hunched over the shelves of his private ingredients cabinet, and he silently crept up behind this person, reaching out to grab the arms....

.....when he was greeted with an indignant squeal of pain. "Ouch! Severus Snape, what has gotten into you!" The figure turned about into the light, revealing herself e noe none other than Snape's assistant potions mistress, Hermione Grainger-Malfoy.

"Oh gods!" Severus murmured, scowling at her fiercely for giving him such a fright. "What are you doing here? You should be at dinner!"

"I will be, I will be," she replied, "but I was looking for something first. I needed an ingredient for a potion I need to brew, but I'm not having any luck..."

"What ingredient - what potion?" Severus forgot all about being angry at the prospect of talking about brewing a potion - which is why he got on so well with Hermione - she too loved to talk about making potions - a perfect fit!

Hermione consulted the list at her fingertips, then showed it to Severus, pointing to one of the ingredients. "There, that one," she replied.

Severus looked in the direction of her finger. "I have that ingredient," he replied, "albeit a small amount of it, but enough for what you will need. I know because I just ordered some the other day, realizing I was almost out,d had haven't used any of it since." He looked up at Hermione, smirking. "Tell me, has Draco decided that he wants to carry the baby himself? That is the only known use for that particular herb, you know."

"I know, Severus, and no, that isn't the case. It's for someone he works with at the Ministry (Draco Malfoy was now the liasion between Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic). A wizarding couple that wants to conceive. I promised to make this for them, and I just needed that one final ingredient, but I can't seem to find it."

"Don't be silly, it's here," Snape motioned her aside, began to systematically look through the various bottles and tubes and jars in the cabinet - both where the herb should be and also where it logically shouldn't be. But there seemed to be no sign of it anywhere, and he muttered to himself under his breath that he would personally kill the student who had seen fit to raid his private stores in such a manner. Looking up at Hermione, he reminded her, "At one time, Miss Granger, you would have been the chief subject of my scrutiny in regard to missing ingredients!"

"And you would probably been correct in your assumptions, Severus!" Hermione replied sweetly. "But obviously not this time, as I am the one who is looking for it."

Well, it obviously wasn't here now. Severus closed and locked his cabinet, reset the various hexes and charms with which he was wont to protect it, practically pushed Hermione out of his classroom, so that he couldalonalone. He shooed her on her way, his temples beginning to pound again, and sat in thought, pondering what Dumbledore had just told him, and how he was going to handle it...