The Man Who Came In From The Cold

JK Rowling's characters and Wizarding Universe are all uniquely hers. Plot, new characters, new magical terms and abilities etc. are my intellectual property. If you want to borrow then please kindly ask.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. If you are looking for strict Canon or even a slight deviation from Canon you won’t find it here.

Summary: The war has carried on well past Harry Potter’s 7th Year. Snape is on the run from Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic, both of whom will stop at nothing to silence him. He finds unexpected refuge in the most unlikely of places.

Authors Note: Aspecial thank you to ‘Lady Atreides’ at ff . net for reminding me of the Imperius! I aim to right a few perceived wrongs with the Scrimgeour storyline in this chapter. But having watched an interview with Ralph Fiennes about his portrayal of Voldemort on the Goblet of Fire DVD – the rants and rails are a part of the personality… the Dark Lord has deep mood swings… That’s something I do want to work with.

The Man Who Came In from the Cold


Chapter 009: It Happened One Night…

Snape looked at the man who had come to his rescue when he set foot on Jersey all those weeks ago.

‘So… we meet again, Monsieur Ravenscroft…’ D’Arcy said quietly.

‘Again?’ Christiane asked as she looked at Snape, then D’Arcy and finally back at Snape again.

‘We made our acquaintance upon my arrival,’ Snape replied evenly. ‘Monsieur D’Arcy was gracious enough to provide me with shelter from the storm.’

‘Did he really?’ Christiane asked as she looked again at the man her sister always referred to sarcastically as her “Guardian Angel”.

‘Remember our conversation the day I returned from England? Monsieur Ravenscroft was the stray I referred to…’

‘So he’s the one who isn’t as pretty as me!’ Christiane sputtered, trying not to laugh. She nearly choked herself with the effort.

‘As you well know, I never tell anything less than the absolute truth,’ D’Arcy said self-righteously.

‘C’est fou!’ Esmé muttered as she looked at D’Arcy and then at her sister. She said something else that they didn’t catch amidst their considerable laughter, but Snape definitely did – and his eyes wandered casually in her direction.

Esmé couldn’t believe how condescending and insulting both of them were. The tension in the room now was almost unbearable and her sister and D’Arcy were oblivious. The stranger couldn’t help what he was any more than the rest of them could. But it was easy to feel so superior when one was as wealthy as D’Arcy was.

‘You know, Monsieur D’Arcy, that you would not be considered so handsome nor would you be so interesting to so many, including the woman who wears your wedding ring, if you were not so rich…’ she said icily with a pointed look.

Snape’s black eyes met Esmé’s brown ones – and she gave him the faintest hint of a wink.

‘Esmé – apologize!’ Christiane barked. ‘I won’t have it! Not from you and not in my home – the home which I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Gill!’

‘Given the company you keep and the life you lead, I will not consider that an insult, Mademoiselle Esmé,” D’Arcy replied with a glare. However I will agree that it was Insane indeed for Monsieur Ravenscroft to take off in the middle of a blizzard. There was nothing but a note left behind to even indicate that he’d ever been in my home. Hill went looking for you the moment he found your note, Ravenscroft...at his own peril I might add.’

‘More fool him,’ came Snape’s disinterested reply.

‘Good God Man! We were very concerned about you,’ D’Arcy continued irritably as he reacquainted himself with Snape’s prickly personality. ‘We thought you had surely met a gruesome end out there in the open. Although I had no doubt that I would see you again, if you had been fortunate enough to survive the cold.’

‘He nearly didn’t,’ Christiane said. ‘He was lucky enough to find his way into my barn, but the cold nearly killed him. I found him, and God help me – somehow I got the strength to get him on the sled and pulled him in here.’

‘So that’s what happened to the carpet!’ Esmé exclaimed. “You failed to mention that little when you told your tale to Maman…’

‘Yes, it was torn up by the runners – I had to get rid of it and re-do the floors.’ Christiane said coldly. ‘Anyway, he was at death’s door for a couple of weeks when the storm was at its worst. It nearly took the life out of me to heal him – to make him well again. He wasn’t particularly pleased with the situation when he regained consciousness; but everything worked out alright enough in the end I guess.’

‘You have a knack for landing on your feet, Ravenscroft,’ D’Arcy said with a smile. ‘Something you have in common with Mademoiselle Esmé!’

Esmé felt the stranger’s empty black eyes on her as the blood drained from her face. D’Arcy and Christiane continued to make fun of her even more. For them it was easy, given they thought it was simple embarrassment. However, Esmé did not like being talked about, and especially by D’Arcy.

‘I won’t deny it’s a shock – but I am very glad to know that you made it,’ D’Arcy said, ignoring her as he took a seat.

‘He has more lives than a cat it sounds like…’Christiane muttered as she served D’Arcy a tall mug of coffee and buttered a few pains au chocolat for him. Esmé reached for one after the plate was placed in front of the landlord and her hand was slapped back by her sister.

‘Oh – ahh do feel free to have one?’ D’Arcy muttered.

‘No, that’s alright. You know what I’m like. I see food and just can’t resist, whether I am not hungry or I actually am,’ Esmé said blankly.

‘Are you in a rush to get back to town tonight?’ D’Arcy asked her. ‘Your friends are no doubt keeping themselves occupied with some of the fine ladies of Jerri. A little inclement weather hasn’t likely stopped them judging by their behaviour earlier...’

‘Ahh, you cast your judgment as always, eh Monsieur D’Arcy? The boys have their fair share of groupies wherever they go; not dissimilar from yourself from what I observe whenever I come here…’

‘As do you; you were no short of attention the last time you were here,’ D’Arcy said sharply.

‘Monsieur D’Arcy, I wouldn’t know anything about what you call ‘attention’. I do what I am here to do and go back to my lodgings – alone. Since you take great pleasure in minding my business as much as you do everyone else’s, surely you would have noticed that!’

‘You’ll never get a man with that attitude, sister dearest.’ Christiane sniffed. ‘And since it wasn’t your money or the band’s that paid for the room, there really isn’t an issue with whether you use it or not. You might as well stay here and save Gill the trouble of having to go all the way to St. Helier again and back.’

‘I don’t particularly like how you get your men, sister,’ Esmé replied icily. ‘For a start, the right one will be the one who is all mine if he really does want me. As long as I don’t have a problem with being alone then nobody else should care that I am. And second, like I said earlier; it wasn’t my idea to come out here tonight – and this was why! You do this every time, Chris, and it’s not right! Play your games if you both want – just leave me out of them!’

Snape looked at his companions, restraining a considerable smirk. Christiane looked as though she’d been slapped and the grin was sufficiently wiped from D’Arcy’s face as everyone fell silent. It was interesting how they carried on, raising themselves above everyone else under the banner of supposed goodness and open-mindedness and yet had the temerity be as thoughtless as they had been tonight.

‘Why don’t we go into the living room, Gill?’ Christiane snapped as she stood and picked up a bottle of wine that she’d sat on the counter upon his arrival. ‘There are some things I have wanted to talk to you about…’

‘Yes…as have I. Ravenscroft, if I don’t see you again before I leave – good to know you’re alright. Esmé – I’m sure you can find your way back to St. Helier,’ D’Arcy said as he grabbed two long-stemmed wine glasses and the opener from their usual places. It was clear he also knew his way around Christiane’s kitchen as much as her sister did.

Snape’s eyes were being opened to his employer and her landlord in more ways than one. And he definitely had a sense that Esmé was not at all happy about it. He looked over at her as she grunted slightly at the retreating backs of her sister and D’Arcy.

‘I must apologise for ruining your evening,’ Esmé said as she looked at Snape once she heard the door to the living room close. ‘I should have stayed in St. Helier…’

‘Are you intending to return this evening?’

‘Yes; I’m going to leave now while the buses are still running.’

‘Won’t your sister mind?’

‘She’ll mind it more if D’Arcy has to see my face across the breakfast table tomorrow morning.’

‘Oh?’ Snape asked with wide eyes.

‘I’ve heard it said that a woman’s heart is an ocean of secrets; but none can rival that of Monsieur D’Arcy…’

Snape was beginning to wonder just what the hell had he fallen into when Esmé disrupted his thoughts.

‘Say goodbye for me, will you. I can just make the next bus, I think…’

‘Permit me to escort you to the stop. You shouldn’t be wandering the countryside at this hour by yourself and it’s quite a walk.’

‘Thank you, Monsieur Ravenscroft; Jerri isn’t dangerous – I can manage just as I always do when I come out here on these unplanned visits…’

Snape quirked his eyebrow.

‘Despite the relative safety of Jerri, prudence never goes amiss…’ he replied as he led the way to their coats.

Esmé put a finger to her lips and tip-toed past the living room door. There was laughter followed by a faint rustling and then sighs. She and Snape said nothing as they donned their outer garments and took their leave.

‘Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll be fine…’ Esmé protested as Snape took one of her hands and hauled her through the snow once they were outside. It was a bit hard going because the ground was heavy with packed snow and ice and the wind was starting to pick up again. As it was it came up to their knees. ‘I’m sure your house is a much nicer proposition than being out here. I don’t want to cause any more problems than I already have…’

‘If this were a problem, I would not be here now I can assure you…’ Snape replied with a frown.

Feeling that she’d somehow offended him, Esmé wisely decided to stay quiet as they stomped along in relative darkness. The odd light or two twinkled in the distance as they made their way towards the road that connected the homestead to the rest of the parish and beyond.

Mercifully they made it just in time; the large coach that was their transport was grinding down the desolate road just as they arrived at the stop. Snape flagged the driver down and then helped Esmé up after it skidded to a stop.

‘Thank you…’ she said quietly, feeling self-conscious with the driver looking at the two of them.

‘Are you traveling, Monsieur? If not, I must get going…I want to get home too!’ the driver barked.

‘No…’ Esmé began as she reached into a pocket.

‘Yes, I am,’ Snape said impulsively, climbing aboard. ‘Two tickets to St. Helier please...’

‘Hang on…’ Esmé interrupted.

‘Why don’t you find our seats, Esmé...’ Snape replied.

The young woman gave him a dirty look and then did as she was told. She walked all the way to the back and took a window seat in the darkness of the coach. Snape joined her and sat down after taking off his coat, hat and scarf and putting them in the rack above their seats next to Esmé’s.

‘It’s only 9 o’clock,’ she whispered.

Snape looked at his watch,

‘Indeed it is – it must be a singular gift, being able to tell time…’

The only response was an eye roll.

‘Tell me, Sebastian, are you always in the habit of escorting young women home who don’t need it?’

‘Tell me, Esmé, are you always in the habit of taking seats with strange men far away from prying eyes?’

‘Only the ones I want to know better…and who don’t seem to be particularly enamoured with being around other people any more than I am.’

‘You don’t know me…’

‘You don’t know me either…but it’s you who is out here with me, not the other way around… And since you’ve gone to this trouble, I can only think that you want to get to know me as much as I do you…’

‘Better a young woman than one past her prime,’ Snape snarked.

‘Better an older man whose been around the block a few times and knows what he’s doing than a younger one just fumbling along in the darkness… It’s not the sea that gets you sick, it’s the motion of the ocean.’

‘Is that a fact?’

‘I can’t speak for anyone else but myself… Monsieur Sebastian,’ Esmé smirked. ‘I just know what I like…and what I’m sick and tired of…’

Snape chuckled.

‘I take it you are not as fond of D’Arcy as your sister is.’

‘I am not as fond of him as most of their parish is… then again he owns most of it so they do what they have to for the sake of what they have. He’s fair enough, from what I’ve been told. But I wouldn’t want to be owned like they are. I like having something that is mine, something that no one can take from me or use against me.’

‘Does that extend to the man in your life?’ Snape enquired cautiously.

‘It would do, if there was someone.’

‘So – there isn’t anyone, anyone in particular?’

‘Not yet…’ Esmé said looking out the window first before looking in Snape’s direction. ‘And you…?’

‘No one… not yet,’ Snape found himself admitting, much to his surprise.

xxxOOOxxx

‘So; what’s so important that it couldn’t wait until we at least had dinner, Hermione,’ Lupin asked as he strode into his small sitting room and then turned to face her. ‘Why are you still wearing your coat?’

‘Because I’m not staying…you won’t want me to after you hear what I’ve got to say.’

‘So – what is it this time? Ginny having another crisis with Harry?’

‘No, I am!’

‘You what? Is something wrong between you?’

Lupin moved towards her to touch her face and without thinking, Hermione pulled back.

“Ahh, so this is it; after all this time, all the madness – this is how it ends.’

‘Madness? What are you talking about?’

‘Your obsession with Severus Snape! This insane infatuation that you won’t let go of!’

‘Remus – I am getting sick and tired of telling you and everyone who listens to you I feel NOTHING for Professor Snape! I don’t particularly like him any more than the rest of you, but Dumbledore always believed in him – surely that should be enough for anyone! Someone needs to be the voice of reason since Dumbledore isn’t around!’

‘And that’s supposed to be you, is it?’ Lupin laughed. ‘I don’t think any of us did you any favours by setting you up on that lofty pseudo-intellectual perch of yours.’

‘Pseudo-intellectual?’ Hermione gasped.

‘The only thing you know is what you read in books! If it’s not in a book then it’s not worth your consideration! There is a difference between intelligence of the intellect and intelligence from the senses – from living and being, Hermione! You haven’t faced just how cruel and cold the Muggle world can be any more than you have faced what that bastard and those like him have done to our world! Its not you who has been on the front lines to see how evil, evil can really be! Your nose is stuck in research at the Ministry and what little you have to contribute to the Order is only ever about your precious Severus or the latest big contact you’ve made through your networking! And that so-called networking hasn’t amounted to much!’

‘I am doing what Dumbledore wants me to do!’ Hermione said shakily. ‘I’m not to discuss to anything specific during the meetings! Even he told you that before he…!’

‘Since when have any of you always done what everything that Dumbledore wants you to do, eh? You don’t even talk to me – me, the man you’ve been conveniently using since Snape isn’t here!’

‘That’s not fair! I thought I was in love with you!’

‘Ahh – so you thought you were in love with me? And reading some book has no doubt convinced you of what your feelings really should be! How very like you!’

‘I don’t have to listen to this!’

‘No you don’t! Go on and run – run like you always do when things get just a bit too honest! The fact is that other than Snape, your big, important job is the only thing you talk about! Sometimes I think you and Percy would be quite a match! Both filled with your own self-importance; neither of you willing to care about anything except making a good impression with the right people! I don’t even know who you are anymore – you certainly aren’t the girl that I KNEW I loved! I don’t know what the real attraction is for you with Severus – but you’ll only get hurt by it in the end! Nothing good comes from anything to do with him! And seeing what he’s done – and knowing what he did to become what he is… I never thought that the likes of him…’

‘No one remains the same, Remus…except you funnily enough! You’re always ‘Good Old Lupin’ who never puts a foot wrong, who never says anything unkind or out of turn; except when it comes to me…and Professor Snape. You’re so passive-aggressive when it suits you…and yet if I said one word against you no one would ever believe it. It would just be more of “oh, that’s just Hermione, you know what she’s like…” and the funny thing is you don’t really know me at all, not deep down where it counts! You have never loved me, Remus; only your idea of me! I gave you value because of my job and everything I was turning my back on for you! It fed your ego and your image to have someone like me be willing to be shunned and outcast socially because she loved you! You’re no better than your friends, you know that? Sirius wouldn’t condescend to do anything but screw me behind your back and then whinge to you about how you need to get some standards because there are far more attractive girls than me! He’s as much a hypocrite as he ever was and you are just as bad!’

‘Sirius…?’

Lupin began to laugh. He shook his head incredulously and then flopped down into a seat.

‘You are so full of yourself, aren’t you Miss Granger? He wouldn’t condescend as to…’

‘You’re a skilled Legilimens, Remus. Oh don’t try and deny it! You are – so why not use that gift of yours to find out a few home truths about your old buddy! He hasn’t changed; he’s the same as he ever was – its no wonder the Order hasn’t imploded on itself given his shagging around! It shouldn’t take for Dumbledore to be around for people to get their act together!’

‘You slept with him? You slept with Sirius!’

‘No, actually; I didn’t! I turned him down cold and it just so happens that after that I stopped being one of his favorites and he started the bitching about me – and especially to you and Harry! He’s vindictive, manipulative and he’s selfish – and one day it’s going to cost him and the rest us! He’s not a teenager anymore! This isn’t some game and its time he grew up!’

Lupin glared at her, and Hermione took a step back.

‘He wasn’t so drunk that he didn’t know what he was doing. You know what he’s like, Remus! A man like him doesn’t want to go a long time without companionship and it’s not like he can get outside of headquarters, now can he and its his own stupid fault! You can be completely asexual until it suits you not to be but Sirius won’t play that game for anyone. He thought he was doing me a favour – thought he was going to show me what being with a so-called “real man”…He was too bloody aggressive and it scared the hell out of me!’

‘ENOUGH! I think it’s time we ended this farce…!’

‘Yes, the truth hurts Remus! There are loads of truths you never want to face about the people around you – the people that you decide to like and the ones you want to like you! You play the martyr – and it doesn’t suit you!’

Lupin sprang from his seat, his eyes filled with rage. The half of him that was a flesh-and-blood hadn’t been this close to the werewolf who battled for dominance within for a long time; but Hermione, she was enough to push him over the edge…she always had been. No one had ever challenged him the way she had once she became of age. He mistook her assertiveness with him for something else...he had to have done, right?

‘Go – since that’s what you want. Go before I…’

‘Before you what? Introduce me to your parents? Come to the Ministry functions I kept inviting you to as my partner? Lay our relationship out in the open to the Order? It’s not like no one knows, people aren’t as stupid as you want them to be sometimes! Even Snape knew better…he always told me that…!’

‘Snape! Not that again! Just get out, Hermione! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!’

Hermione said nothing as she turned on her heels and left as he demanded. There was the slam of the front door and then she was gone… and he knew that nothing could salvage this. There was nothing he could say or do given how much they’d lost control of the situation.

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Snape.

Once again, what should have been a pleasant evening was ruined. But not only that, his life was ruined and by Severus Snape of all people. The man had been the bane of his existence since their days at Hogwart’s. It had vexed him to no end that a Death Eater was preferable as a Hogwarts teacher than him. Lupin had just as many qualifications as Snape in his chosen field if not more – and yet even after all this time, he knew Dumbledore would welcome Snape back and with some feeble-minded excuse if he survived. The old wizard had a way of convincing people when he wanted them to believe anything but the absolute truth.

Even Hermione had said once that Lupin had to be an extraordinary man for fighting a war on the side that would never give him anything. She had a point. A Death Eater could still hold a respectable position in wizarding society – but not a werewolf. No matter how much he sacrificed, no matter what he did – he would still be no better than shunned when all was said and done. Even with Dumbledore apparently on the brink of death, some were jockeying for position – and he was not one that counted for much in the eyes of his comrades beyond spying on the werewolves.

It wasn’t fair.

The only thing that held the Order together was Dumbledore. Without him, many of them would rarely have crossed paths, if ever. With him gone things had slowly begun to disintegrate. Dumbledore had only really wanted to make it up to him for choosing the debacles over his affliction in the first war…

But there was so much Albus didn’t know… and Lupin wasn’t going to be the one to tell the supposed Greatest Wizard of the age…not that it would matter given his imminently expected demise. And this situation with Hermione; it just added further problems to an already overburdened and complicated situation.

It wasn’t fair.

He had gone through so much for these people and because of them – and it just wasn’t fair…

xxxOOOxxx

‘Scrimgeour forgets his place!’ Bellatrix snarled. ‘If it were me I would…’

‘You forget yourself, Sister,’ Narcissa Malfoy hissed menacingly. ‘If anyone heard you speak of such a thing…’

‘If anyone heard what, dear ladies…’ Voldemort said evenly as he entered the darkened sitting room which overlooked the Riddle family cemetery.

Both women immediately fell silent.

‘Bellatrix – offering up yet another unsolicited opinion on matters which ought not to concern you as much as they clearly do?’

‘No, My Lord, No! I… I did nothing of the kind…’ Bellatrix said as she looked down at her feet.

‘Narcissa? Does your sister speak the truth?’

Narcissa held his gaze.

‘No – she does not.’

‘And what opinion did she offer this time?’

‘Only that Scrimgeour forgets his place.’

‘And you take that to mean – what?’

‘I take it to mean that he ought not to disrespect you as he does, my Lord. It was him that approached you, not the other way around. To a degree, he is not entirely necessary; merely useful. He only cares about himself…but he serves two Masters. He’s a fool.’

Voldemort looked at the blonde witch appraisingly.

‘There are moments when I perceive Lucius in you – no doubt that would have been his assessment as well.’

Narcissa nodded faintly. She was lucky to be alive and still in the Dark Lord’s presence. His displeasure with her husband had not abated, and she would be a fool of the highest order to even so much as breathe his name in Voldemort’s presence. At times like these, when the Voldemort appeared to be calm and reasonable, she had to be very careful. Every moment spent in his presence was like walking through a Muggle minefield. They were at war alright…as much with the mercurial moods of the Dark Lord as with those who opposed him.

‘And what do you think Lucius would have suggested?’ Voldemort asked, standing directly in front of her.

The tension in the room was almost unbearable as the game of cat and mouse rolled on.

‘He would have proposed more direct influence in some instances, my Lord…’ Narcissa answered truthfully; there no other answer she would have dared given.

‘The Imperius?’

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Mmm; indeed,’ Voldemort answered before taking a seat in his old armchair. ‘I do think that he chose well when he chose you as his bride…’

Not sure of exactly what the Dark Lord meant, Narcissa was silent. She only knew what she hoped he didn’t mean…

‘My Lord it would be my greatest honour to…’

‘You. Will. Hold. Your. Tongue!’ Voldemort hissed darkly. ‘It is clear to me that I should have never used you as the intermediary between myself and Scrimgeour; you only seem to agitate the man even more than you do me. You may go – and I don’t want to see you again until morning!’

Bellatrix opened her mouth and then shut it almost as quickly before walking out of the room as quickly as she dared. It was obvious; Narcissa was about to be given a job to do – her job! The Imperius was the one task that she had suggested to the Dark Lord herself all those months ago. But would he listen, no! Narcissa didn’t have what it took to be a soldier any more than her husband had been. She was only useful when she was flat on her back for the sake of the cause…

Once they were alone, Voldemort beckoned for Narcissa to come to him.

‘You have never failed your husband; so I believe I am quite right in expecting that you will not fail me. You never have done all these years…although just like the others even you did not care to seek me out…to render aid in my gravest hour of need…’

‘Had my husband and I had any inkling that you had survived Potter’s curse, we would done what we could… The whole of our world believed you do be…gone.’

‘Good answer… Lucius schooled you well, didn’t he?’

Again Narcissa did not answer.

‘I have a task for you, Mrs. Malfoy. And if you prove yourself, then I may have something even more important for you to do. But I do think you will quite like this first task…’

‘Which is?’

‘To secure your husband’s release from Azkaban – by influencing Scrimgeour. He was very…reluctant…when I proposed it to him.’

‘By your command; I have business to attend to at the Ministry at the end of this week. I shall pay him a little visit, my Lord.’

‘As I knew you would,’ Voldemort answered with a nod.

‘And the other task?’

‘Never you mind. Scrimgeour first…’

‘I will not fail you, my Lord,’ Narcissa said with a faint bow.

‘I am sure you value your life and those of your son and husband too much to fail me, Mrs. Malfoy.’

‘Draco? But he…’

‘…is very much alive and has been under my watchful gaze for sometime now,’ Voldemort said smoothly. ‘He is not his father’s son. His feeble attempts to run are laughable – he is no Severus Snape either although I think part of him wanted to be. Had he listened to Snape, given into his influence, things might well have been different for him – perhaps…’

The pale blonde visibly blanched.

‘Succeed, Narcissa, and I will allow him to come home – along with Lucius…’

‘By your command…’

‘You may go…and of course you will speak of this to no one.’

Narcissa thought momentarily about Bella…

‘I will see to your sister…’ Voldemort said darkly. ‘Now go… and I expect to hear from you as soon as you leave the Ministry. You are to come to me at once.’

She nodded, and then took her leave.

xxxOOOxxx

Once home, Narcissa instructed her chamber-elf to bring her dinner, which she would take in her bedroom after a hot bath. Her heart was racing and it was all she could do not to collapse. Why the hell hadn’t she thought of this herself? The Imperius – the oldest trick in the world. And it did not hurt that the Minister had always been so overly fond of her… The very idea of it made her skin crawl, but she would do what it took to get near enough to cast the curse.

As she gave in to the comfort of the heat and scented water she thought about Lucius and Draco; after all this time, her prayers were going to be answered! The Dark Lord has been watching Draco – so he knew where her son was even when she did not. His “feeble attempts to run were laughable,” Voldemort had said. Narcissa blinked back tears. Even knowing how much pain she was in being in this house all alone, the Dark Lord did nothing to assuage her concerns though he could have. But why would he – this…being…this thing…this thing that did not feel. Cat and mouse – how he played that game so well with all of them; that is, until he grew tired of them…

But she knew for certain now that Draco was alive. He was alive and he would be coming home along with the man she loved more than life itself; and the only one she loved more than him was her son. It didn’t matter that Draco wasn’t his father or even Severus Snape; the point was that he would be coming home. And they could start to rebuild and be a family once more…

Narcissa tried not to think about Severus, about how he could possibly be so fortunate be on the run for so long when so many others had failed and paid for it with their lives.

He couldn’t be alive, surely not after all this time.

xxxOOOxxx

Snape and Esmé sat in Le Café Rouge, enjoying a traditional French dinner of six courses and their third bottle of wine. They talked mainly of France and her life in Bayeux. She was an artisan, weaving the tapestries that the area was famous for along with lacework.

‘Weaving is a big industry because of the original Bayeux Tapestry. The tourists can get kits now and do small versions of their own – cheesy, but it’s a good way ensure the art doesn’t die out. What we do is hundreds of years old, handed down from generation to generation. It takes a lot of patience. Once maman showed me how do my first I was hooked. So now I make my own designs and weave when I can. I’ve got a workspace that I also sell from – it’s my main bread and better along with lacework – the other big industry back home. It takes years to be fully qualified; luckily I did it where I had the time at school and during the summer…my classmates and teachers thought I was mad... I was supposed to want greater things in life – whatever they are…’

The ends of Snape’s mouth curled up slightly.

‘It is an odd but interesting choice; the arts aren’t particularly lucrative except for small percentage of those who choose to pursue them for a living.’

‘We grew up with it. It’s a custom on maman’s side of the family. I learned from her and my grand-mere, but I had my own ideas about what I wanted when I was done with school. I did an apprenticeship with Manufacture des Gobelins. I could never settle for anything other than what I do now. My life is my own – and I like keeping our Norman traditions alive.’

‘So it isn’t music that preoccupies your interest…’

‘It’s just a bit of fun really, nothing more. My week here is a favour to my friends in the band, they can’t keep a singer to save their lives. But they want things I don’t care about… like being like being nomads roaming from place to place along with big houses and being filthy rich. None of us is good enough and at least I am not afraid to be honest. I guess it’s easier for me since I don’t have any vested interest in it.’

‘You are very fortunate indeed, Esmé. Most people spend the whole of their lives existing in a state of compromise, always wanting the one thing or a few that elude them or that which they have no genuine aptitude for. Relatively few of us are able to follow our heart’s desire.’

Esmé looked at the dark man seated across from her in the candlelight. Snape found it uncomfortable – as though she were studying him and could see right through him.

‘You must be terribly bored – hearing me talk about myself so much. I usually don’t as a rule…’

‘I’m not bored,’ Snape said quietly. ‘Far from it…’

‘Sorry folks – but we need to close up. It’s almost one in the morning,’ said Sandrine, the hostess wearily.’

Snape and Esmé looked up at the last few stragglers besides themselves before paying their bill.

‘I will need to get myself to the Night Bus…’ Snape said as he stood and held Esmé’s coat for her.

‘The buses have all stopped running – the roads need to be plowed and salted. I’m afraid you’re stuck in town for the night…’

The woman looked at Snape and then at Esmé.

‘That won’t be a problem…Thanks,’ Esmé said as she followed the former professor to the front door.

‘Be seeing you later tonight then, Esmé?’ the hostess asked, clearly not quite believing what she was seeing. Her eyes hadn’t really left them all night as it was.

‘Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like always!’

Snape smirked as he took Esmé’s arm and linked it through his as Sandrine closed and locked the door behind them.

Esmé looked up at him, feigning shock.

‘Giving her even more to gossip about?’ she laughed.

‘Very perceptive, another singular gift; you are full of surprises…’

‘Tell me, Monsieur – are you in the habit of always being so insulting?’

‘Only with the women I intend to sleep with…’

‘It’s good to know I won’t have to compete with another man…’

‘Not tonight, at least…I’m only thinking of how good it will be to get inside where it’s warm…’

Esmé started laughing and then forced herself to quiet down. There was no one about but them.

‘You have quite a dirty laugh, Mademoiselle…’

‘You have a one-track mind, Sir…’

Finally they reached her B&B; every window was dark, but there was a faint light to be seen through one of the panes of glass in the door. She opened the door and a single light was on in the hallway. Snape followed her quietly as she made her way up two flights of stairs and then to the back of the building.

Silently they removed their cold, damp clothes and Esmé spread them across the radiators in the room. Fortunately it was dark, and they couldn’t see very much of each other. He wcouldn’t see how nervous she was and she couldn’t see the look of apprehension that had crossed his face.

‘Are there any extra blankets,’ Snape whispered, breaking the silence. ‘I should sleep on the floor…’

‘Don’t be silly – you’ll catch your death down there. After what you’ve been through with your health…c’est fou…’ she replied as she moved under the covers.

Snape took a deep breath – and then slid in next to her.

‘Don’t you care what people will say?’ he asked defensively.

‘If I did you wouldn’t be here. And I don’t – so neither should you…’ Esmé yawned.

‘Your sister…’

‘If she says one word just make one of your sarcastic remarks about her and D’Arcy. He’s screwing her brains out now – she’ll be a wreck as always for the next few days and won’t have time to think much about you or me. I’d be surprised if she even notices that you didn’t sleep at home tonight… As long as I don’t turn up dead she won’t give a damn!’

Esmé sounded angry. The moon chose that moment to appear momentarily through the heavy cloud cover, and he could see that she was quite upset.

‘Why does their relationship bother you so much?’ he asked he covered one of her hands with one of his as the room grew dark again. ‘Aside from the fact that he is married, albeit unhappily…’

‘Can we… can we just not talk about it right now?’ Esmé said rolling onto her side, facing away from him.

‘OK,’ Snape whispered. ‘I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to…’

‘I didn’t think you would…’ Esmé replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. ‘And I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to, like talk about yourself…There are things I don’t particularly want to talk about either… and I think everyone has secrets; it’s no sin…’

Snape blinked his eyes in the darkness and was grateful she couldn’t see him. He felt a renegade tear falling down a cheek and brushed it away before spooning into her. Esmé tucked his arm across her belly, and settled into a deep sleep as he lightly brushed his thumb across it.

Snape could not help but wonder just what the hell he was thinking to have done this? He hadn’t given into his impulses in such a long time… But to deny one’s impulses was to deny being human. He was many things, most of them not particularly nice, but he was human. He was a human being with the same frailties and feelings as everyone else. He wasn’t a nice man, but he was a good man. He wasn’t good-looking like D’Arcy and had never been even remotely popular as a student… But he wasn’t evil, was he? Even with what he’d done all those years ago when he was young and foolish; he’d never done anything of the sort as Lucius had done… He was no Dark Lord-In-Waiting as most assumed he was.

All of his blustering pretenses had melted away now that he was in bed with a good-looking woman; a woman who definitely wanted more if he was willing to give it.

But what would Esmé say – if she knew she was in bed with a rapist and murderer?

It would be some time before Snape allowed himself to fall asleep.