Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Imperfect Art of Sacrifice	By : eyesuhkattspeleeng Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 1212 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I have no rights to make any sort of money off of this. All due credit goes to J.K. Rowling for having imagined and brought the world of Harry Potter to life.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween! I had a blast taking my son out trick or treating along with my niece. No one is ever too old to enjoy free candy and I'm no exception. I'd also like the time to thank Sia the Alchemist for reviewing. Even though I only got the one review, it's very encouraging to know that some one is reading my story. Again, thank you.

Chapter 2

The morning of Orientation came a lot quicker than Severus would’ve liked. He’d spent his last unemployed days at his home, staying mostly holed up in his room, reading. When he wasn’t reading, his father demanded that he help him do some work around the house. Severus didn’t mind it too much. It kept his mind off the internship and the dread he felt. Tobias wouldn’t let Severus use magic to speed up some of the jobs around the house, like fixing cabinet doors and fixing the leaky sink in the bathroom. He insisted that there some things that were better off doing by hand. Of course, Tobias didn’t trust magic, not after Eileen had kept the fact that she was a witch secret from him until after they were married.

Severus had yet to figure his parents out. He didn’t know much about how they met or how they fell in love, if they’d ever fallen in love. All he knew was that Eileen was pregnant not too long after they’d met and that they’d married fairly quickly, not even a year of knowing each other. What stumped Severus the most was that they had stayed married even with all the fighting. Severus couldn’t ever remember a time when either of his parents were happy with each other or happy in general. He wondered what life would be like had they’d gone ahead with a divorce. Would life be better off? Would they be happy away from each other? Was Severus the only reason they stayed married? The damage they had done to Severus by staying together and being perpetually sullen far surpassed any damage done by them splitting up. He wondered if they would finally decide to divorce once he was out of the house. Perhaps if he made it clear that it wouldn’t bother him in the least if they did, they would.

After leaving Malfoy Manor that day, Severus had gone straight home. Both Eileen and Tobias were both there and in the kitchen. Eileen was getting started on supper and Tobias was at the kitchen table, messing with a motor that belonged to one of his mechanical devices.

“What’s that?” Severus asked even though he really didn’t care. Severus’ lack of knowledge of muggle mechanics bothered Tobias and the only reason Severus asked about such things was to deliberately annoy his father. It was one way to amuse himself. The one draw back was that Tobias always found a way to take his frustration with his son out on Eileen.

“Damn motor on the refrigerator went out again,” Tobias mumbled. Wires were poking out of the motor. The ends were frayed into a display of copper from years of Tobias’ abusive repair. Severus could tell Tobias was starting to reach a breaking point because his knuckles had gone white around the head of the screwdriver he was using to fiddle with it. Pretty soon he’d slam the screwdriver down, announce that he was sick of shit not working and then disappear into the living room to go watch a match on the television, with it’s large, bent antenna and scratchy snowy screen.

“I keep telling you we need a new one anyway. This one’s had it’s day,” Eileen said.

“And I keep telling you that as long as you keep the temperature set right on it, it won’t freeze like it does. I don’t see why you have to keep all the food frozen.”

“I don’t trust it.”

“That’s completely stupid, Eileen.”

Severus could sense that this particular argument had all the makings of a particularly nasty row. His parents had an appalling talent for turning a minor squabble into a full out war. Severus wasn’t in the mood for it, so he decided to cut in with his news.

“I got a job,” Severus said casually. Both Eileen and Tobias stopped with what they were doing to look at him. “At the Ministry of Magic. I got into the internship program.”

“That’s wonderful, Severus!” Eileen exclaimed. “I had no idea you’d even applied!”

“How much does it pay?” Tobias asked with a suspicious stare. “I don’t like the sound of it. Internship. Isn’t that just another word for free labor?”

There wasn’t a lot that Severus agreed with Tobias on, but this was one of those rare instances. Ironically enough, Severus wasn’t in the position to openly agree with him.

“I’m not exactly sure how much it pays. It won’t be much, not at first but once I complete the program, I’ll get a top position where I’ll be making loads.”

“How long does that take?” Tobias had put down the screwdriver and was paying full attention to Severus now. Severus wished he’d just leave it at that and be happy that he’d even gained employment at all. Tobias wasn’t one to do that, however. He had to scrutinize everything his son did until he was satisfied with making Severus feel as small as a speck of dust.

“A good six months, I think.”

“Where is this Ministry at? London?” Tobias asked. Severus merely nodded. “They’ll be reimbursing you for travel then, right?”

“I’m not going to be driving your car back and forth if that’s what you mean,” Severus replied in a snotty tone, the tone his father hated. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a wizard, Dad. We have more cost efficient ways of traveling. As in we don’t have to pay anything at all to get from point A to point B.”

“What about that powder stuff you and your mum use in the fireplace? Doesn’t that cost something?” Tobias shot back.

“I’m not going to argue with you about being magical versus being muggle, Dad. I’m not in the mood for it.”

“You know I don’t like that word,” Tobias warned. Severus rolled his eyes.

“Muggle? You’re so proud of being one, you’d think you’d take it as a compliment.”

“It’s not! It’s an insult is what it is!” Tobias jumped up suddenly from his chair and slammed his fist into the table. The resounding cracking noise made Eileen jump and made Severus wince because it sounded as though several knuckles had broken. “I’m so sick of the two of you, the way you lord your stupid powers over my head! I’m sick of it! Neither of you are better than I am!”

“I’ve told you several times, Tobias,” Eileen said, her voice pleading with her husband. “I don’t look down on you because you’re a mug-” She stopped herself short and cleared her throat. “You should know by now that I don’t think any less of you because you can’t do magic. For heaven’s sake, I gave up my family for you!

“Yeah and there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t remind me of the fact!” Tobias snarled.

“Please, Tobias...”

“To hell with the both of you,” Tobias said. He slid the refrigerator motor across the table to Severus. “If your magic is so great, you fix this piece of shit. And while you’re at it, fix this whole fucking dump of a house!”

Tobias stormed off, leaving a satisfied Severus and a sullen Eileen behind. There was complete silence for a few awkward moments but then Eileen whipped around, her lank hair falling in her face. She made a frustrated attempt to sweep it out of her face but it didn’t do her much good.

“Why do you have to do that?” Eileen hissed at him, tears welling in her dark eyes. “Why do you have to goad him like you do?”

“I wasn’t goading him, Mum,” Severus said defensively, even though he knew full well that he was lying through his teeth. “Is it really my fault that he’s sensitive?”

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Eileen said. “He’s your father whether you like him or not and it would do you some good to show him some respect!”

Eileen slammed her oven mitt down and went after her husband. Severus was stumped. Usually when the two of them rowed, Eileen was quick to take Severus’ side on the matter just as he was quick to take hers. He supposed he should’ve felt guilty but he didn’t. His time living under the same roof as his parents had almost expired and he would embrace the chance should it come sooner.

Tobias didn’t show much face for the next couple of days and when he did, he said nothing to either his son or his wife. When ever Eileen would try to talk to him, he would either ignore her or give her short answers which did nothing but upset her even more. The tension had gotten so bad that Severus really only left his bedroom to eat and to go to the toilet. It wasn’t until the following Sunday that Tobias finally gotten over it and approached Severus on his way back to his room.

“I need some help tuning up the car. Give me a hand, would you?”

Severus knew he didn’t have much of a choice. Tobias wasn’t asking him, he was telling him. Frankly, he was surprised Tobias had come out of his silent spell that soon. He was hoping he’d save it for a few weeks after he’d started his job. At least Tobias couldn’t make any jabs at his unemployment then. But Severus followed him outside and into the driveway where the rusted old car was parked. It was an eyesore. Perhaps at one point it had been something worth looking at but that had been way before Tobias had purchased it.

The hood was already open and propped up with a sturdy piece of wood. Tools were spread out on the ground on top of a greasy red rag. Tobias tossed Severus a flash light, which was a great relief. Severus was useless when it actually came to helping him and all Tobias expected was for Severus to hold the flashlight when the sun sank behind the trees that seemed to completely blank it out.

“Grab me that wrench, will you?” Tobias said as he bent and swooped under the hood of the car. Severus hazarded a guess at which greasy tool was the wrench. He assumed he grabbed the right one because Tobias took it with out a word. “You start your job tomorrow right?”

“Yes,” Severus replied.

“Well, good luck, I guess,” Tobias said with a grunt. He was almost completely flat against the innards of the car. “I don’t rightly understand what you’ll be doing, but a job is a job.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you sure it’s what you want to do? Interning, I mean.”

“It will pay well eventually.”

Tobias peered up at Severus, squinting to get a good look. Severus stood there, dumbly, wondering what Tobias was expecting him to do or say.

“Doesn’t seem like your cup of tea. And to be perfectly honest, it sounds wonky to me. Sounds like cheap labor.”

“I know,” Severus said with a defeated sigh. “But it’s not an easy program to get into and my friend pulled a lot strings to get me there. I can’t rightly turn it down. It’s too good of an opportunity.”

“Opportunity?” Tobias said with a slight snort. “That’s you and your mother’s problem right there. The both of you are opportunists. You think something is a good deal with out weighing the possible consequences first. You shouldn’t do something based on whether or not it’s going to pay off. You do it because it’s what you want to do. You do it because it makes you happy.”

“How can you sit there and preach? You work at a plastics factory. Don’t tell me you do it because it makes you happy because it doesn’t.”

“But it pays,” Tobias said. “I’ve got you and your mum to look after for the moment. You don’t have anyone but yourself to look after. So do what will make you happy.”

Severus was a bit perplexed. This had to be one of the longest conversations the two of them had ever had that didn’t include them biting each other’s heads off and spitting down each other’s necks. Severus was starting to suspect that Tobias had called him down and insisted he be helped just so he could have this conversation. Tobias knew Severus was completely useless when it came to helping him repair anything.

“I don’t know what that would be,” Severus said, feeling a bit stupid.

“You know what I wanted to do when I was your age?” Tobias said as he pulled himself out from underneath the hood of the car. He wiped a thin line of sweat from his forehead, leaving a large black greasy trail behind. “I wanted to be a school teacher. My mum was a school teacher, you know? She told me once that being a teacher was one of the hardest, thankless jobs out there but it was the most important job in the world. Going to University costs a lot of money, so I started taking menial jobs to save up enough to go but before I got there, I got stuck in it. I wish more than anything that I would’ve taken the chance and just gone. Maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Teachers don’t get paid much more than you do now, Dad,” Severus pointed out. Tobias frowned but not his usual angry frown. This frown was one of thought, the very same look Severus himself had inherited when ever he was puzzled or deep in thought.

“Your probably right but I’d be a helluva lot more happier,” Tobias said. “Just think about it. Don’t get stuck working some job you can’t stand just because it’s stable.”

“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” Severus said. “I figured you’d be happy that I finally got a job and could start pulling my own weight.”

“I never said that,” Tobias said. “I don’t expect you to pull your weight because you never have. I expect you to save up your money and get the hell out of this house and out on your own. I don’t want you to end up quitting because then you’d just move back in and go back to being completely useless.”

“Thank you,” Severus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I really appreciate the pep talk. You really know how to encourage me.”

“Glad I could help. Now go away, you’re distracting me.”

Severus didn’t argue with him. He turned and went back inside, his head full of questions about whether or not he was doing the right thing or not. Tobias was right; he couldn’t take a job just because it was expected of him. But the Ministry would place him in a department that would suit him and his intellectual needs. There was plenty of room for him to grow and branch out. So, despite it all, Severus decided that it was probably a good idea. Besides, if he could save up enough money to get out on his own, he wouldn’t have to listen to anymore of Tobias’ dreadful lectures. That would be well worth any potential unhappiness.

The next morning, Severus got up early, showered and dressed. He was much too nervous to say much to his parents, though his mother insisted on sending lunch with him. As annoying as it was, Severus had little money to eat with so he took it with out complaining and headed on his way.

It took him a few tries to get the numbers right in the phone booth and just as he was about to give up, the floor began to lower, though he hadn’t been given a badge, like Lucius said he would. He made his way through the Atrium, where hundreds of witches and wizards flooded in by the dozens through the fireplaces that lined the walls. He felt very intimidated and out of place though no one seemed to notice him. They all brushed past him as though he weren’t there as they hurried through the place. Relief overwhelmed him when he managed to locate the security desk.

A tired looking wizard stood there behind the desk, though he seemed to be completely zoned out because he didn’t notice Severus standing there.

“Excuse me,” Severus said as politely as he could muster. The wizard seemed to wake up fully at the sound of Severus’ voice.

“Can I help you?” The wizard said. He seemed astonished, as though Severus had just appeared out of nowhere. “Wait, you haven’t got a badge.”

“Er, no, I didn’t get one,” Severus said. “But I’m here for Orientation for the Intership program.”

“Ah, well that would explain why you haven’t got a badge.”

“Whys that?” Severus asked. He was genuinely curious. The whole badge thing had stumped him.

“Because you’re sort of a Ministry employee and you sort of aren’t,” the wizard said with plenty of authority mixed in with his tone. “After your internship is finished, then you’ll be an official employee. But most of you lot came through the fireplaces.”

“Right, well I wasn’t told about that. And I wasn’t told where we were supposed to be meeting either so do you think you could tell me?”

“Hang on a second,” the wizard said. He bent over and picked up a loose leaf booklet and began to rifle through it, mumbling to himself. “Ah, here we are. Courtroom ten is where you’ll be needing to go.”

“And how might I get there?”

“Keep going that way until you get to the lifts,” the wizard said and pointed in the direction Severus had been traveling in. “Take it to level nine. Go down the corridor, all the way straight until you hit the Department of Mysteries, then make a left and take the stairs down to level ten and the courtroom will be your last door on your right.”

“Thank you,” Severus said, trying to memorize the directions. Lift, then left, take the stairs, last door on the right. He kept repeating it to himself as he took the lift, like the wizard had told him, walked down the seemingly endless hall until he came across the Department of Mysteries and took the long flight of stairs down. Luckily, there wasn’t much traffic and Severus was able to find his way with out much trouble but when he got to the large wooden door with the gold plate that declared it “Courtroom Ten,” Severus found himself having second thoughts again. This was the point of no return. He could go home and do what Tobias had said to do or he could go through the door and have a set future ahead of him with little worry. The latter seemed much more sensible, so he took a breath and pushed the door open.

It was a vast, musty room. Rows of benches seemed to overlap each other as they inclined upwards. What was potentially a rather formidable location, Severus found desks lined up on the stone floor, not unlike the ones they’d used at school, in perfectly symmetrical rows with a podium set up in front of them. No one was on the podium speaking, nor was anyone in the desks. Witches and wizards were milling around a long table off to the side with several pots of coffee and jugs of water along with an assortment of small pastries, obviously meant to be a complimentary breakfast of sorts.

Severus slowly approached the crowd, careful to not attract any attention from anyone because he was some what late. In all, there were about a dozen or so people standing around, conversing quietly. Most of them looked a little bit older than he was and they were all from the same mold. They were all professional looking, with immaculate robes and a good majority of them were wearing glasses. None of them seemed to be smiling and it appeared that quite a few of them looked as nervous as he felt.

“Severus,” a voice from his left called. He looked around for the source, knowing full well who to look for. Her voice was a relief to him and her face was the friendliest he’d encountered so far. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“Perion,” he acknowledged and poured himself a cup of coffee. He wasn’t hungry so he left the pastries alone.

“Seriously,” Perion said. “I thought you said this program was stupid. How come you never told me that you’d applied?”

Severus hesitated, trying to come up with a convincing lie. He didn’t want her to think he’d cheated his way in, which he had.

“I didn’t apply,” Severus told her. “Lucius Malfoy was able to get me in.”

“Lucius did?” Perion asked. “Why?”

“It’s a long story,” Severus said as he took a sip of coffee. The bitter, hot liquid seemed to warm his body and he felt alert all of the sudden, as though he hadn’t been fully awake to begin with. “I didn’t really want to do it but he’d already secured me a place before I could turn it down.”

“Well that was nice of him.”

“I know you worked hard to get here and I’d rather not talk about it because I feel guilty enough that you did work so hard and I did nothing to earn it.”

“Ah, don’t feel guilty. I probably wouldn’t have made it in either with out my mother’s help. To be honest, I’m relieved because I don’t know anyone here and a familiar face is a familiar face no matter how you got here.”

“So, am I late?” Severus asked. “What time did this start anyway? I was told nine o clock but it seems you lot have been here for longer than that.”

“The actual Orientation doesn’t start til nine. Here, I’ve got an agenda.” Perion pulled a piece of paper and handed it to him. He took it and examined it, scowling slightly.

8 AM. Complimentary breakfast buffet. This is not mandatory but you are encourage to attend so as to get to know your peers. After all the more friends you make, the more fun you’ll have!

9 AM. Orientation begins. Attendees must be seated at precisely 9:05 or else will be considered absent. Please keep in mind that this part of the Orientation is mandatory and that you will not be able to complete the internship if you fail to attend. Exceptions are made for emergencies, but hours must be made up at a later date for credit.

10 AM. Assignment packets handed out. The packet you will receive from the program coordinator will tell you which department you’ll be working for, a booklet which will describe your department and what you should expect from your new position. A schedule will also be issued with the package and an employment registration form that will need to be handed it in at the end of Orientation. You will be given an ample amount of time to complete this form but keep in mind that we cannot put you on our payroll if this form isn’t completed and turned in. Please go over every detail and make sure you fill it out the best to your ability.

12 PM. Lunch Hour. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch from home though it is optional. Attendees will be given the opportunity to lunch elsewhere besides the Ministry premises.

1 PM. Q and A. Attendees will be given the opportunity to ask the program coordinator any questions regarding the Orientation and/or new employment. Please save specific questions regarding your position for your supervisor, who you will meet the following day.

2 PM. Release. At this time, you will be released to go home.

Once more, congratulations! We at the Ministry of Magic would all like to welcome you. We look forward to seeing you!

“What rubbish,” Severus said as he handed the agenda back to Perion. “They call this a buffet?”

Perion smiled at him which made Severus’ stomach do flip flops, for some reason he didn’t care to know.

“I suppose they could’ve done better,” she said.

“How did you get in here anyway?” Severus asked. He decided he was hungry after all and wolfed down a danish filled with cream cheese which left a thick coating in his mouth. “Did you use the visitors entrance too?”

“What?” Perion asked, with her head cocked slightly. “I Floo’d in. Didn’t you?”

“No. Lucius told me to use the visitors’ entrance, the imbecile. I told him I wasn’t cut out for this. It’s all so..so...”

“Intimidating?” Perion offered in his search for the correct word.

“Yes, exactly. I didn’t want this. This is for people who work hard for it, like you. I won’t last very long.”

“You think this isn’t scary for me?” Perion asked. “It’s true that I slaved for this and that I was so ecstatic when I got my acceptance letter that I nearly fainted, but there’s no guarantee that I’m going to get into the Department I want. Whose to say that my supervisor won’t be a complete twat that I can’t stand?”

“Point taken,” Severus said. Even though she was able to put a damper on his terror, his anxiety level still rose. Perion had brought up some very valid points. But before he could add further comment, a man entered the courtroom, clapping his hands loudly together and asking that everyone take a seat. Perion and Severus both took the farthest seats away from the podium, right next to each other. Perion shot him an encouraging smile as she summoned a note pad and pen to take notes with. Severus hadn’t thought to bring that. He figured that once he was out of school, taking notes wasn’t necessary. But when he thought of it, this was a bit like school.

“Good morning everyone!” The man said as he stood before them on the podium. He was a bit meek looking, with very bony shoulders protruding prominently from beneath his robes. His hair was combed straight back, make his large forehead very evident. Glasses slid down the edge of his nose, making him seem weaselly looking. “My name is Nathan Wilburt, and I am this year’s program coordinator. I must say that I’m excited and that you all should be too.”

“He obviously never went through the program himself or else he would know that we’re all so nervous we’re all about to pee all over ourselves.,” Perion muttered. Severus snorted loudly which caused quite a few people to look back at him with annoyed glares. Severus sank into his chair, feeling even more foolish than before.

“Now that Orientation is officially in session, I would just like to say that I’m looking forward to working with you for the next few days,” Nathan continued.

“Please don’t threaten us,” Perion said. Severus stared straight ahead, knowing that if he looked at her, he would laugh and cause people to stare at him once more.

“Now, down to business! In order to complete your internship, you must attend at least twelve hours of Orientation classes. So we will meet here bright and early for the next few days.” Nathan was starting to look nervous now. He kept having to wipe sweat from his brow line as he glanced down at his notes. Severus almost felt sorry for him but it was hard to take the man seriously, especially when it was obvious he was grossly insecure yet kept trying to mask it by projecting an air of pompousness. He kept droning on and on for what seemed hours in almost the same monotone and had a nervous habit of repeating himself. After a while, Severus began to feel drowsy, which was a new sensation to him. He was always able to pay attention in class but Nathan had the ability to put him in a near state of sleep.

“God, I swear he could put an army of insomniacs to sleep and declare unwavering victory,” Perion said as she stretched. Severus was half asleep and her voice brought him back. She hadn’t done a very good job of keeping her voice down.

“Would you stop?” Severus hissed to her. Perion stuck her tongue out at him, which was very childish. Perhaps the situation would’ve been funny had Nathan not stopped in the middle of his speech to address them.

“Is there a problem back there?” Nathan asked. Everyone in the room was turned to stare at them.

“Oh, no, sir,” Perion answered. “No problem at all.’

“Then, why, may I ask, are you disrupting my class with your talking?” Nathan Wilburt was not by nature an authority figure. While he was trying to look stern, Severus could see he was completely unnerved.

“It’s just that my friend here was needing to borrow a piece of paper, sir,” Perion said and pointed casually at him. What ever excuse was about to pop out of her mouth, Severus’ only wish was that she would leave him out of it. “See, he finds the young woman in the third row dressed in red extremely attractive. He wanted to write her a note so he could ask her out for a drink later but I insisted that I couldn’t and I’m afraid he got rather hateful with me.”

Severus suddenly wanted nothing more than for a great earth quake to occur so that a crack might form a deep chasm into the floor that would swallow him up desk and all. While the witch Perion was referring to was attractive, he felt nothing for her and now she was looking at him as though he were another species entirely.

“Right, well, I ask that you please save your socializing until after class is released. We’ve got an awful lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in,” Nathan said. “And please note that while office romances are not prohibited, they are strongly discouraged. I don’t think I have to explain why.”

“Pardon my interruption, sir, but my friend really fancies the young lady,” Perion said, her eyes widened with false innocence. “I’d say he was borderline obsessed with her. Do you think you could explain to him why it’s not a good idea to strike up a love life with some one he works with?”

Nathan looked to be on the brink of frustration and tears. He sighed heavily.

“Office romances tend to cause turmoil in the work place. While often times the office can be a hectic place, we certainly don’t want any mounted tension to interfere with our lives. More often than not, these relationships do not work. It’s all in the handbook sent with you acceptance letter. Didn’t you read it?”

“I must’ve just barely glossed over it,” Severus answered weakly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Nathan seemed satisfied by this and struggled to remember where he’d left off. Another intern reminded him and he went back to his incredibly boring speech that Severus had no trouble tuning out.

“I couldn’t resist,” Perion whispered with out looking at him and with out moving her lips hardly.

“I’ll kill you,” Severus whispered back. Perion turned and gave him a quick wink before turning back to her notes. As angry as he wanted to be with her, he found his resolve melting and a smile escaped him. As boring as this whole thing was, at least he had Perion there to keep him going, even if she was out to get him.

--

The hours had dragged by but finally two in the afternoon arrived and Severus had never felt more relieved in his life. He and Perion were walking through the Atrium, toward the fireplaces. Being that it was two in the afternoon and most everyone was working, it was considerably emptier than it had been that morning. The two of them were both clutching brown packages.

“That could’ve been a lot worse,” Severus said. “I was sure with Lucius taking the aptitude test for me, I was doomed to something I was completely ill suited for.”

“Yeah, the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad isn’t so bad,” Perion agreed. “It’s interesting at least.”

“What about you? Are you okay with your assignment?” Severus asked. He had noticed that Perion had become considerably more quiet after they’d received their assignments. He had gathered that Perion wasn’t exactly thrilled with her assignment. She hadn’t told him what it was either.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting,” Perion said. “But, yes, I’m okay with it.”

“So what’s wrong?”

Perion stopped and looked at him, looking thoroughly miserable.

“I wanted to get into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And I told you I wanted to become a prosecutor.”

“So, what’s the problem? Did you get into the Department of Magical Games and Sports or something?” Severus asked. Perion gave him a weak smile.

“No,” she said. “I got into the International Magical Office of Law.”

“Don’t they work on making new laws? That’s better isn’t it?”

“They do that but they’re also the main office of defense attorneys as well. My mother despises defense attorneys. She’s going to be so angry.”

“Can’t you get her to change it?”

“I’m sure she’ll try but I’m actually extremely pleased. And I’m not supposed to be.”

Severus suddenly felt a great rush of sympathy for her. He knew how torn she was feeling and he knew it wasn’t easy carrying such a burden, being torn between what other people wanted for her and what made her happy. He wanted so badly to embrace her and to comfort her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead they kept walking.

“If it’s that big of an issue for her, let her change it.”

“No,” Perion said quickly. “I’m tired of living my life for her. She’s my mother and I love her more than anything but I think I’m going to stand my ground on this one.”

“Well, I’ll stand by you if need be.” It was all he could think to say to her. In a way, he was envious that she was unyielding in her moral stances. He only wished he could be. But it was easiest to let others run in his life. It took away a lot of the pressures in life.

“Thank you. That means a lot,” Perion said. She was smiling at him admiringly. It made Severus uncomfortable yet it stirred something within him. “Listen, do you want to come to my place for a cup of tea or something?”

“And watch your mother blow up at you?” Severus asked. “I’ll pass.”

“Oh no, I’ve got my own place you see. In the Crow Heart district. My parents own a bunch of real estate up there and they gave me the deed to a flat as a gift for finishing Hogwarts.”

“Aren’t you the lucky one,” Severus said, once more feeling very envious. What he wouldn’t give to be able to live by himself, away from everyone.

“Not really. My sister saw it as an opportunity and has been staying with me so she can have all the raunchy sex she wants with her ‘gentlemen callers’ with out getting caught,” Perion said, looking quite bitter. “She’s driving me mad, actually. And it would be nice to be able to relax at home with some one other than her. Unless you’ve got somewhere else to be, that is.”

“I was going to go over to Malfoy Manor and see Lucius,” Severus told her.

“It can wait can’t it?” Her eyes were pleading with him. Even though his brain was telling him to not do it, those eyes of hers made it hard to tell her no. “I want this day to end on a good note. And I don’t think it will if I don’t have some one besides my sister to share it with.”

“Listen, Perion, our last outing together sort of threw me for a loop. I don’t want to feel like a fool again.”

“I’m not inviting you back to my place to have an orgy with my sister. You’re my friend. Friends can privately visit other friends can they not?”

“Yes but I don’t think you want me to come to your place as just friends.”

“There you go, keep stroking that ego of yours, Severus. I like you, I’ve told you that but I’m not fanatically in love with you or anything. Besides, didn’t Wilburt’s lecture earlier teach you anything? Office romances never tend to last.”

“Fine,” Severus said. He’d come to terms with this defeat but there would be no others. He would conquer her. Or at least die trying anyway.

--

Severus wasn’t sure what he was expecting upon entering Perion’s flat. From the outside it didn’t seem like anything glamorous. He figured the inside would be some what compact, yet cozy. Something a single witch barely starting out on her own would live in. He wasn’t expecting an enormous living room with one couch and a fireplace. He hadn’t seen a chimney on the roof, but there it was, on the north-most wall of the spacious room. There was rugs thrown about on the polished hard wood floor and the giant window was encrusted with some sort of grayish grime. Severus assumed that it was from years of being exposed to the giant factory a few blocks away but Perion had yet to scrub them down.

The kitchen was separated from the rest of the room by a half wall and Perion had set up a small round table in an empty corner, next to a door that more than likely lead into the bedroom. Perion set her bag on the table and pulled off her robe, revealing a plain white shirt and a pair of jeans.

“How many bedrooms is this?” Severus asked. He was wandering about, inspecting his new surroundings with timid movements. He was never comfortable in another person’s home and this was no exception.

“Two,” Perion said. She had filled the kettle and it was on the gas stove to boil it. The tea was already on the counter, in a clear little canister.

“There’s only two doors in this place. Where’s the loo?”

“You come into my home and immediately ask after the toilet. Extremely charming. If your witch-in-red ever invites you to her home. I suggest you wait at least ten minutes.”

Severus shot her a dark look. He still had yet to forget about that little incident. During breaks from the training session, when everyone was milling about, getting coffee, Severus had noticed that the witch Perion was talking about was eyeing him with a bit of astonishment. She had also kept a very safe distance from him.

“Be serious, Perion,” Severus said.

“It’s between the two bedrooms,” Perion stated. “Not exactly conventional but an interesting lay-out none the less.”

When the tea was finally finished, Perion offered Severus a chair at the table. He took it but he wasn’t really in the mood for tea.

“So where’s your sister?” Severus asked, by way of trying to engage Perion in friendly conversation.

“I imagine she’ll be back any minute now,” Perion said as she stirred sugar into her cup. “She said something about going shopping today but I expect she’ll be bringing a friend so I’m warning you now. She’ll come in, say hello in that icy polite way she has about her, introduce her friend and then hole away in the bedroom for the rest of the night until she gets tired.”

“I see,” Severus said. Perion’s distaste for her sister was obvious. Severus wasn’t sure he wanted to be around when ever Paisley Graves showed up.

“And most of the people she brings home are male and old enough to be her father. On one occasion last week, she brought one in that was old enough to be her grandfather. It was awful. The whole time he was here, all I could think about was her fucking this old man and the way she moans and carries on, it’s hard to not picture.” Perion faked a gag and rolled her eyes. “She calls them her ‘gentlemen callers,’ like she’s some virtuous maiden in the fucking middle ages whose being courted.”

“That is rather sickening,” Severus replied, sorry he’d even brought it up. Before he could say anything more, the front door opened. A rather striking young woman entered, her arms laden with bags. Severus watched as she struggled to enter the flat and close the door. Perion shot him a knowing look and put her tea cup to her face, as though she were drinking from it, though it was nearly empty.

“Nice of you to help me, Perion,” Paisley said as she unloaded her arms. She didn’t even bother to look up. “I’ve got about a million heavy books and you don’t have the common decency to help me with them.”

“Sorry, Sis,” Perion chirped back in a false friendly tone. “I’ve got company.”

Paisley finally looked up, alarmed at having not noticed Severus before. In a split second, her annoyed demeanor instantly turned into that of scrutiny and politeness. Severus had seen her before but had never bothered talking to her but now that he was in something of a personal proximity of her, he couldn’t help but think that she came off as being an extremely fake person.

“I know you,” Paisley said with an mistrusting smile. “Snape, isn’t it?”

“That would be me,” Severus said. Perion was sitting stiffly and looked suspiciously detached from reality.

“People paid you do to their homework,” Paisley stated, looking quite proud of her ability to recognize those who were beneath her.

“That only lasted a few months into my fourth year,” Severus informed her. “McGonagall found out what was going on and had Slughorn put a stop to it.”

“That’s right! I remember perfectly well. I know I’ve never really properly introduced myself to you, but I’m sure you know who I am.”

“Yes, Paisley, he knows who you are.” Perion had finally snapped out of her trance. She was obviously annoyed.

“I’m just being polite,” Paisley said. She seemed astonished by her sister’s sudden rudeness. “Besides, he’s not just your guest. You can’t keep him to yourself.”

“Look, Paisley, Severus and I have had a long day at work. Not that you would know what that was but we just want to wind down in peace.”

“Well, I can clearly see I am unwanted.” Paisley’s voice suddenly went cold. Severus could tell Perion had cut pretty deep. He almost felt bad for her. After a moment, Perion seemed to as well.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you. It’s just been a hectic day. I’ve been up since four this morning. Really, I’m just counting down the minutes until the sun goes down so I can go get some rest.”

“That’s quite alright,” Paisley said with a slight sniff. “I’ve got a gentleman caller stopping in to see me. He’ll be here any minute now so I must go get ready.”

“Please tell me you’ve actually found one that will take you out and not one that’s too afraid to be seen in public for fear his wife might find out?” Perion said with a groan.

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business but no, we plan on spending a quiet evening here. You don’t have to go out on the town to have a good time you know. I’m not much for night life anyway.”

Paisley didn’t wait for Perion to reply. She gave Severus a slight bow and went into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Severus stared after her for a moment but realized what he was doing and turned back to Perion who had her face in her hands with her eyes squeezed shut.

“God what a nightmare!” She exclaimed. “For once, I would love to be able to go to bed and actually be able to sleep. I don’t want to listen to her carry on another night. I can’t! I just can’t! I’ll go mad!”

“Why don’t you just put a few silence charms on the walls and doors?” Severus suggested. Perion looked up at him with a peculiar look.

“It’s never occurred to me to do that,” she told him with an air of astonishment. “That’s an awesome idea, actually. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“I don’t know,” Severus said with a grin. “You know for some one who is as intelligent as you are, you don’t really have much common sense.”

“Rude,” Perion said with a crooked smile.

“Speaking of being rude, I really do need to use the loo.” Severus stood. His bladder felt like it was about to explode. He’d been feeling the need to urinate but had merely passed it off as an annoying inconvenience. But the tea had sent him over the edge. It was such an emergency that when he ran through Perion’s room, he didn’t stop to take even a quick glance.

The bathroom was clean and smelled faintly of mildew and flowers. The sink was lined with all sorts of beauty products. Once he was done relieving himself, he pulled the shower curtain back. The bathtub was nothing like the monstrosity in his own bathroom. This one was tinted light pink and stood elegantly off the floor with clawed-feet. The wallpaper was starting to peel yet the bathtub was the most exquisite one he’d ever come across. Severus had heard rumors about the prefect bathroom at Hogwarts being the size of a swimming pool with loads of buttons on it that did different things. He’d always wanted to try it out but was never tempted enough to sneak in. But this bathtub had all sorts of gadgets on it as well. He wanted nothing more than to strip and climb in. And he almost did until he noticed that the door that led into Paisley’s room was cracked open.

Severus had always been curious about other people and had a habit of spying on them and watching them whether the intent was malicious or not. There was a certain satisfaction that came from watching some one who had no idea he was watching them. Besides that, there was never any telling what he might see or overhear. And this time was no different. He didn’t like Paisley. He didn’t like the way she treated her sister. Perhaps he would find her doing something that he could hold over her head, although he doubted it. He already knew her biggest secret and Perion knew about it as well. If Perion knew about that, she probably knew everything else as well.

Severus crouched down quietly and peered through the crack, trying to focus. For a moment, he couldn’t see her but there was a full length mirror in the corner adjacent to the door. He could see her on the other side of the room just as well, digging through her wardrobe. She pulled out a slinky blue nighty with thin straps. Severus didn’t have a good view of it but the bottom of it was hanging over her arm. The material was made from something sheer and lacy. He kept telling himself to look away because he knew she was about to start undressing herself but he couldn’t. He watched as she walked to the mirror, stood in front of it and draped the nighty over herself. She turned this way and that, shooting herself sultry looks as she did so.

“Perfect,” she said, beaming. She pulled off her traveling cloak and underneath she was wearing a rather short skirt and a plain white button up collared blouse. One by one she undid the buttons slowly as though it were some delicate procedure that required the up most caution. Next she shimmied out of her skirt. In the mirror, Severus could see the simple white underpants and lacy bra that seemed to be pushing her cleavage to her chin. The shirt came off completely and with a quick reach behind her back, the bra unsnapped and fell off. Paisley examined her breasts in the mirror. They were rather small but perfect. Her nipples stood erect as Paisley ran her hands over them and under them, inspecting them with her head tilted to the side. Suddenly, Paisley frowned and looked startled. She peered into the mirror closely and then whipped around. His heart leaped into his throat when he realized she’d spotted him, so he back away from the door and left the bathroom in a hurry.

“Thank you for the tea,” Severus told Perion. He didn’t bother sitting down at the table. He had to get the hell out of there and quick “It was quite lovely but I really have to go now.”

“Wait, don’t you want something to eat? I can make us some thing for supper after a while if you want to stay.”

“No, thanks, I really need to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Paisley had just poked her head out of the room when he shut the front door behind him. Severus walked and walked until he knew he was a safe distance away. He halfway expected Paisley to follow him and chase him down to give him a scolding for being a pervert. He wasn’t really. He had no idea she was going to be getting undressed. It wasn’t his intent to try and see her nude. Of course Paisley would tell Perion and Perion wouldn’t ever want to speak to him again. That prospect seemed a lot more daunting and terrible than it really should’ve. Most of all, he wished it had been Perion he’d been spying on and caught nude. She was far more attractive than her sister could ever hope to be. At least to him she was.

As always, please, please take the time and review for me. I'm enjoying writing this story and I'd enjoy it even more if I you'd let me know what you think. All types of feedback are welcome, of course, including constructive criticism. Everyone always has room to improve.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Imperfect Art of Sacrifice