Forsaken
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
50
Views:
2,175
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
50
Views:
2,175
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Group Dynamics
Chapter 41- Group Dynamics
Percy straightened a pile of parchment sitting in his inbox, waiting for the Minister’s last appointment to leave. He eyed Miles Bletchley coming down the corridor, nodding at her as she passed. He glanced at Scrimgeour’s door and pushed his chair back.
Fumbling in his pocket, he smiled grimly to himself as he closed his hand around a small ball. He popped it into his mouth and quietly snuck down the hallway after Miles, pulling out a flesh-colored string from his other pocket. At murmurings around the edge of the cubicle in front of him, he stopped and crouched behind a plant, sticking the end of the Extendable Ear in his ear.
“-can’t do this anymore,” hissed Miles. Percy steadied himself against the wall. “Surely the Dark Lord doesn’t expect us to stay here forever!”
“We have to!” said a terse male voice. “He needs us here. With Snape out of the way -“
“Warrington! What in the hell are you doing up here!” shouted a voice. Percy winced, pulling the Ear out just a little. “Get back down to the lab, you knucklehead!”
“Yes sir,” said Warrington. “See you later, Miles.”
“Bye Carter,” said Miles weakly. Percy mentally cursed and yanked hard on his Extendable Ear. He carefully got up from the floor and slipped back down the hall, digging in his pocket for one of the small disks that the twins developed as a counter to their Invisibility Balls. He finally found one and placed it flat on his tongue, allowing it to dissolve as he made sure no one would see him reappear out of thin air. Fully visible, he took a deep breath and walked casually to his desk just as Robards threw open the door of Scrimgeour’s office. The furious Auror pushed roughly past Percy.
“Are you still here, Weasley?” asked Scrimgeour, leaning his hand against the door post.
“Yes sir,” said Percy ruefully. “It took me a while to get through those reports you gave me this afternoon.” He waved his hand at the tall stack of parchment on the corner of his desk.
“Good work, Weasley,” said Scrimgeour, picking up the top report. “Have a good weekend.”
“You too, sir,” said Percy. He took his cloak off the rack near the door and checked his watch. With a final nod at Scrimgeour, who wasn’t paying him any attention, he strode quickly towards the lift to the Atrium.
~+~
Severus stood in the farthest corner of the kitchen and pulled hard on his cigarette. He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to notice all the wary stares he was getting. His first general session since Albus’s death - he snorted at himself in disgust. All he had to show for the past seven months was his worthless carcass as a former Death Eater spy. Wonderful.
“Did you want anything to drink, Severus?” asked Molly, snapping him out of his morose thoughts.
“No thank you, Molly,” he answered quietly. She shook her head and moved towards where Tonks and Moody were in deep discussion.
Harry pushed open the door, a cigarette already hanging from his lips. He unbuttoned his rain-drenched jacket, his eyes roving over the crowded room. He frowned slightly and checked his watch, only to find that the battery had died.
“Damn,” he muttered. He unfastened it and stuffed it into his pocket, nodding at several people who called his name. He snapped his fingers close to the end of his cigarette, lighting it with a bit of wandless magic.
“Sorry I’m late,” said Percy as he burst into the room, panting from running down the street outside. He bent and gave Molly a quick kiss on the cheek before allowing her to take his cloak from him.
“Now that everyone’s here,” said Minerva, standing up at the end of the table. “I’d like to thank all of you for coming. The risk is getting much higher, so believe me when I say I am thankful to each and every one of you for being here.”
“As most of you are now aware of,” she continued, “Kingsley and Arthur have been detained by the Minister of Magic for crimes against the Ministry - in other words, for being a member of the Order. I don’t know how they found out, or if it was just good guessing on their part -“ Severus snorted loudly, waving his hand at her in apology for interrupting.
“In any case,” she continued, “I caution all of you to be very careful from now on.”
“Fred and George are working on making more of their Defense items for everyone who wants them,” interjected Harry. “They should be ready by Sunday night. We can bring them back here if that would be easiest.” Minerva nodded.
“All owl post between members must stop immediately,” said Minerva. “Even coded messages are too risky. All Order business should be sent via patronus. It’s secure, and it will lower the risk of false information leaking in.”
“Everyone should also look into setting up wards around your homes,” said Severus. Every head swiveled towards him. “If the Ministry comes calling late at night, you need to make sure you will have enough time to escape.”
“Anyone is welcome to come here and stay if you need someplace to go,” said Harry. “My house is and will always be open to anyone who needs it.”
“Which brings up the next order of business,” said Minerva. “Severus and Harry have been chosen to go get Arthur and Kingsley out of the Ministry’s holding cells. They will bring --“
“Hold on just a minute!” cried Tonks. “You’re sending him to go get them?”
“Why?” asked Harry sharply, exhaling smoke as he spoke. “Did you want to come?”
“I don’t trust him,” said Tonks, glaring at Severus in the corner. “Anything could happen.” Severus ignored the debate that erupted between her and Harry, with others joining in on both sides. He threw his cigarette into the roaring fireplace and slipped quietly from the room.
It wasn’t that he cared so much about what they thought of him - alright, he did care. Not to the point of defending himself, however. It took too much time and too much self-revelation to do that, even if someone did decide they wanted to take the time to listen.
He walked upstairs and into his room - well, the room he had claimed as his. He still wasn’t used to it - the desk was in the wrong spot, there were no bookshelves, and all of his bloody alcohol had been confiscated by the Aurors who raided his house.
They probably drank all of it as soon as they figured out it wasn’t poisoned, the bastards.
He walked over to the tall armoire and pulled a thin black shirt off a hanger, along with a pair of loose-fitting trousers. In the trunk beside the armoire lay a dragonhide vest and a black metal case. He pulled those out and dumped them and the clothes onto the bed, reaching up to undo the buttons of his shirt.
~+~
He went back downstairs a few minutes later, hearing loud conversation still being had as he neared the staircase leading to the basement. He flicked his wand at his head, binding his hair away from his face. Lifting the hood of his cloak, he slipped into the kitchen once again. He edged around the table, catching Harry’s eye before he melded in with the shadows.
“He’s a damned murderer!” shouted Tonks, her words carrying quite clearly in the silence that had come over the room. Harry’s eyes widened, turning from her face to find Severus’s.
“Are you ready?” asked Severus harshly. “We need to go.” Harry bit his tongue and stepped away from the table.
“Give me a few minutes and we can go,” he said. He walked swiftly from the kitchen. The door slammed behind him, echoing off the walls.
“Lovely,” muttered Minerva, throwing herself in a chair. “Let’s go and make them both so angry they can’t see straight before we send them into the most fortified building in the country.”
“Second most fortified building in the country,” corrected Severus, ignoring the whispers at the end of the table. “I doubt the Dark Lord would allow the Ministry to outdo him in protective paranoia. Though I think Moody’s running a close third.”
“You bet your ass I am,” muttered the old Auror, eyeing the dagger handles gleaming at Severus’s side. “You’re packing some heat there, kid.”
“I like to be prepared,” said Severus, flicking his eyes at Tonks.
“Bastard,” she hissed through her teeth. Severus smirked at her.
“Klutz,” he said silkily.
“Enough, Severus,” said Minerva, giving him a stern look.
“Well, while we’re waiting,” said Percy, straightening his glasses. “I overheard some of the Death Eaters we’ve got in the Ministry talking. They didn’t say much, but Warrington alluded to you being ‘out of the way,’ so -“
“Yes, well, I held the highest position within the Circle,” said Severus. “I can only imagine how many of them think they can take my place.”
“Alright, I’m ready,” said Harry, sticking his head back through the door. “Let’s go.”
“Be careful, both of you,” said Minerva. “We’ll be here when you get back.” Severus nodded and swept from the room.
~+~
“You shouldn’t let them get to you.”
“They’re wrong,” said Harry incredulously. “How can you just stand there and let them -“ Severus waved a hand at him as they stood in the alley next to the house. Harry clenched his jaw.
“Occlude your mind,” said Severus softly. “I need you to be right here with me now. No distractions, no hesitation.” He touched his finger between Harry’s eyes, then touched between his own. “Here. When I say ‘jump,’ I need you to do it without stopping to think. Got it?” Harry nodded.
“Good,” said Severus intensely. He looked around and picked up a piece of old newspaper. Sneering, he held it gingerly between two fingers. “Right. We’ll portkey into Doge’s office. It’s the closest to the holding cells.”
“Where does he work?” asked Harry.
“The Department of Mysteries,” said Severus. He flicked his wand into his hand. “Portus.” The newspaper glowed blue, giving Harry’s face a ghostly hue. Severus held the paper between them, too focused on what was ahead to see Harry’s shaking hand touch the print. “Three -“
Harry’s breathing went ragged.
“-two -“
Oh God, oh God, oh God…
“-one.”
They disappeared in a swirl of light. Harry’s legs buckled as they hit the floor of the sparse office, but he kept his feet.
“This way,” whispered Severus. “Follow me close.” Harry shook his head a little and took off after Severus down the hall, trying to calm the rising panic that welled up in his chest at being in this place. He almost ran into Severus, who had stopped in front of him.
“Oh shit,” hissed Severus, staring at the six other doors surrounding him. He scrambled past Harry just as the door they came through slammed shut in his face. “Damn it!” He fired a Marking charm at the door before they began spinning in a dizzying fashion.
Harry stood frozen, unable to move until the doors slowed to a standstill. So many memories -
“I am a bloody idiot,” muttered Severus, rubbing his hands over his face. “Shit! I knew we should have brought Doge with us.”
Harry frowned, feeling a strange pull in the middle of his chest. He hesitantly shuffled forward and reached out his hand. The door in front of him swung open, revealing a set of stone steps leading down into an amphitheatre.
Sirius…
He took off running through the doorway, heedless of Severus’s crying his name. He climbed down the steps, his ears pricking at the sound of voices whispering his name. He jumped over the last three and stood in front of the waving black curtain. The voices got louder as he moved closer to the dais. Entranced, he raised his foot, resting it on the first step.
“NO!” shouted a voice. A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around his chest and forcefully pulled him off the dais. He fell backwards onto the floor.
“Let me go!” growled Harry. “I want to touch it!”
“No,” said Severus, tightening his grip around the boy’s torso. “Harry, listen to me.”
“Have to get Sirius,” said Harry, fighting hard against Severus. “He’s just behind there. I can bring him back!”
“No, you can’t!” snarled Severus, cursing his tired limbs. “Harry, listen to me!”
“Listen to him, sweetheart,” said a melodic feminine voice. Both of them froze, instantly recognizing that voice. “Harry, please. You need to let Sirius go.”
“There you go playing favorites again,” said a sullen male voice. “Snivellus, I hope you’re happy. Lily’s still sticking up for your ugly face.”
“Jesus Christ, what is this thing?” whispered Severus in shock and horror at the black curtain fluttering in a non-existent breeze.