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Fire & Ice: War Games	By : Anubis Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3344 -:- Recommendations : 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.

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            Two days had passed since the, appropriately referred to, incident: Rimball’s Revenge. While
he had forgiven the house elf, Severus refused to admit it aloud. The Slytherin profusely believed that
the house elf would lord it over him until the call of reckoning should she discover this. The last thing,
Severus decided, that he needed was an egomaniac house elf on his hands.

            The estate’s vast library resembled a tornado alley with its scores of books and scrolls laying
haphazardly on the large oak table and stacked on the floor in wobbly piles everywhere. So deeply
engrossed in his quest, Severus was oblivious to the mayhem of his creation found scattered around
him. The house elves, under the close supervision of Rimball, kept the used dishes from piling as well
and adding to the disaster. Owls were kept at bay and their messages carefully complied to the side as
the Slytherin labored at his task.

            The great clock chimed the witching hour as Severus finally pried himself away from the secret
knowledge contained by the yellowing pages before him. Almost as soon as he had pushed himself
away from the chair, Rimball pounced on him. Laden with a large plate of food and a steaming goblet
of hot chocolate, she followed him to the plush armchair before the cozy fire. “Master is to be needing
his strength and sleep,” the old house elf sternly reminded him in her best motherly voice. “You’s be
going back to Hogwart’s today.”

            Despite his growing fatigue, Severus smiled warmly at the nurturing house elf. "I don’t want to
return, Rimball."

            “You must," the house elf scolded as she set the plate and goblet down on the end table.

            “But Hogwarts’ elves don’t make hot chocolate like yours, the Slytherin boy whined as he took
a sip from the goblet. The house elf blushed as she snapped her fingers and disappeared. Severus
smirked as he began collecting the dusty old texts that he wished to bring with him to Hogwarts. He
knew that when it came for him to go to Kings Cross, Rimball would have everything already packed in
his trunk.

            Scribbling a quick note, Severus left it tucked beneath the cover a text on top of the pile he was
taking so that the old house elf would know. Severus retreated back to the plush leather armchair in
front of the warm fireplace to eat. Cradling the plate in his hand, he watched the flames flicker and
dance. His mind whirled with thoughts of the Herculean task before him. He knew that the
megalomaniac wizard was testing his budding potions skills with this assignment. Severus could name
several of the dark followers who had long since earned their Master’s in Potions and had the
experience to brew this one.

            Whatever the reasoning was behind the dark wizard’s decision, Severus wasn’t ready to
question the inner workings of Fate’s scheme. He was content for the time to play the blind fool in time
with both the warmongering wizard and the Headmaster Dumbledore’s fiddle playing. Severus would
use to his advantages both of the wizards’ clout on either sides in order to see his own desires
achieved. As far as he was concerned, he was loyal only to the Sierpe and by extension, the Shepherd.
Whether the wizards’ were aware of his true motives, he didn’t know or care.

            Serverus despised the weak and handicapped, a trait inherited from his deceased parents, no
doubt. As dangerous as the game was to play, the greater the rewards that lay in waiting to be reaped.
Wiping the last of the gravy off the plate with the last bit of roll, Severus set the dish on the nearby
stand. Reclining, he popped the soggy bread into his mouth. Like his father before him, Severus
believed there was a fine line between coincidence and destiny. He was grateful to the powers that be
that he was in possession of his parents’ discipline and yet he wondered from whom did he owe his
patience. His part in the sordid mess demanded both or the forfeit of his life up-front and immediately.
Sighing contentedly, Severus closed his eyes and was lulled to sleep by the crackling flames.

            “.....Julius I just can’t!"

            He crept closer to his father’s study door, the sound of his parents’ arguing voices
growing louder with every inch he dared to cover. Severus’ heart drummed frantically in his ears
as he sought the source of the disagreement and fearful of his father catching him luring in the
hallway eavesdropping. To his young and curious mind, the consequence of being caught was
well worth it depending upon what he was able to learn.

            “Zola, we’ve been over this before and my answer is still the same."

            “I never wanted another child. You were the one who agreed to let the little bastard into
our home, Julius."

            “It wasn’t my idea to bring the little brat here, into our home, Zola. Do you think that if I
had had the option of turning him away that I would have? He’s here and there’s nothing either
one of us can do about it."

            “You could have told....."

            Severus’ brow furrowed as the full impact of his parents’ words registered and clanged
loudly in his ears. His body trembled as he silently inched away and back to the sanctuary of his
bedroom chamber. Severus bite his lip to prevent the cascade of heartbreaking sobs from
bursting out and exposing his presence as the tears broke free. He wanted nothing more then
find a deep hole and bury himself in it, hiding from the harsh reality of life and its razor sharp
curves. He knew that life was unfair and that the world would not end for his breaking heart, but
that didn’t stop him from wishing for it.

            Slamming the door, Severus threw himself onto his bed and surrendered to his pain. Sobs
wracked his young body as his tears soaked into his pillowcase. Reality decreed by his parents’
conversation had obliterated the world of his creation and Severus found himself wallowing
amongst the smoldering rubbish that remained behind. Rimball seemed to know his pain and
appeared with sweets to comfort him with and yet she seem to understand that only time could.
The house elf stayed at his side through the night, rubbing soothing circles on his back and
letting him cry.

            Severus woke with a start, his mind buzzing with reawakened childhood memories and
knowledge that had been purposely buried, forgotten deep in the recesses of his subconscious mind.
Denial had always been a reliable friend to him in his hour of need and Severus was grateful. He
stretched his lean frame as he stalked out of the library and down the horseshoe shaped stairs to the
ground floor. His mind was weighed down heavily with thoughts of the dream. "Master is well rested?"

            “Yeah, like a baby," Severus sneered before abruptly freezing. "Rimball?" He asked cautiously,
as though he were approaching a skittish hippogriff.

            The house elf tilted her head. "Master Severus?"

            “Did Father or perhaps even Mother ever tell you....I mean, did they ever say...." He stumbled
over the words sitting on the edge of his tongue, refusing to be uttered. A part of him wanted to know
and yet a part of him was afraid to discover the truth. But the unburied memory persistently dogged him
to seek the truth about his blood. Sighing, he pushed himself to ask the house elf. "Rimball, did the
Snapes ever mention who my true parents were?" Severus said and braced himself for the house elf’s
answer.

            “Master Severus Snape is the Snape heir!" Rimball shrieked, tugging on her ears as she darted
her eyes.

            Severus knew that the house elf was searching, seeking the for the quickest escape route.
"Rimball, I know that they named me their heir. I was the only child here when ....." Not wishing to
resurrect more painful memories, he switched topics. "I want to know if the Snapes ever mentioned
who my biological parents were."

            “Master Severus Snape is the Snape heir!" Rimball repeated stubbornly as she inched away
from him and closer to the door.

            “Rimball, please, it’s important!" Severus shouted, wanting to pull out his own hair by the roots
and bash the house elf’s skull in at the same time.

            An eternity seemed to pass before Rimball spoke again. "Rimball is not knowing the answer
that Master Severus is wanting her to say. Rimball is keeping her master’s secrets." He translated what
she had said into "I’m not telling." Severus snorted as he stomped off in a whirl of material, leaving a
dismayed and torn house elf in his wake. He didn’t see Rimball hitting her head against the marble
railing of the stairs nor her slamming the door on her hands.

            The heavy door slammed shut behind him as he flew down the steps and into the waiting
carriage. Severus turned his back to Rimball’s tearful farewell as he shouted to the driver, “time is
wasting.” He crossed his arms and began to pout, missing the tears streaming down the old house elf’s
face and the bandaged hands briskly wiping them away.

            “As you wish, sir," the driver said as he closed the carriage door and climbed up to his seat in
front. He cracked the long black whip above the horses’ heads and they jerked forward into a trot.

            The wooden wheels of the antiquated carriage clicked as it wound its way down the long
private drive. Severus watched the ever changing tapestry of the sheltering canopy above, his mind a
turmoil of thoughts. He felt more betrayed by Rimball’s refusal to answer his question then when he had
originally discovered that he wasn’t a true Snape. In the end, Severus decided that he would simply
search the Snape Estate once again for clues and conduct a more thorough interrogation of the Snape
Family portraits then he had done previously when he had been a child.

            Severus tore his eyes away from the materializing little village proceeding him and turned his
attention to the contents of his school robe. Taking a quill and a piece of parchment from one of the
inner pockets, Severus began to scribble and compile a list of susceptible suspects from the Snape
Family Tree. Every family had a few apples with loose lips and all he had to do was discover which
ones they were, he did have six months to complete his list after all.

A/N

This chapter beat-ed by Kate

            I am aware that throughout this piece of fiction that Severus Snape has not been J.K. Rowling’s
Severus Snape. As he not an adult, harden by the years that he has in the Harry Potter books, I feel
(and am taking liberty with) that Snape wasn’t always the Rock of Gibralter that he appears to be in
Goddess Rowling’s books. However. He is on his way to being the dreaded Potions Master that we all
love.

Sierpe

All that I’m willing to tell you at this point is that this a small faction of an organization that is part Auror
and part vigilante. I solemnly swear that we will learn a bit more about them *scratches head and tries
to remember* next chapter or so, just not a lot. They’re story, more or less, will be in the next novel
length Fire & Ice piece. For a tantalizing glimpse at what the future holds in store for Severus Snape in
this fan fiction series, check out my user lookup Anubis81 on www.fanfiction.net.
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Fire & Ice: War Games