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Much Ado About Nothing	By : goblet Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2534 -:- 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.

Chapter List
- 37
- 38
- 39
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
by The Goblet

Chapter 37

While James was keeping Remus and Sirius pre-occupied, Severus had successfully slipped back into the castle. He had, at Voldemort's insistence, written an owl to Albus, in order to try to convince the Headmaster to allow him to return to Hogwarts.

To He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's great delight, Severus had succeeded in persuading Dumbledore to open the floo in his office. This allowed him to travel straight from his rooms at Wilkes' Manor to Hogwarts without being seen by anyone who could recognise him.

The Dark Lord had been quite impressed when Severus had received Albus' reply stating the correct name of his fireplace and a specific time when he would relax his wards in order to permit Severus entrance to the school. Little did You-Know-Who know that Severus had worded his request in such a way that the Headmaster knew that the communication would be scrutinized.

"So, my boy," Albus said, as he re-established the wards on his floo connection. "You have had a successful visit?"

Severus nodded. He had spent the better part of four days in the company of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters: acting as though his heart was not broken and his life not shattered, and pretending to be annoyed that his plans had been ruined - though that had not taken too much acting on his part.

He had succeeded in his mission even though all he had really wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and cry and scream at Fate herself, asking her why she thought she could turn his life upside down.

Albus smiled at his former student, and turned his attention to the inglenook. He tapped the large, black kettle which was sitting on a hook in his fireplace. It jumped into the fire and Albus beamed when steam whistled out its spout. Picking up the kettle, he poured the boiled water into two cups he had readied earlier, before replacing it on the hook.

The Headmaster handed Severus his cup. It was full of strong, black tea, just the way the Potions Master liked it. Albus added honey and lemon to his own, sat down by the fire in one of his overstuffed armchairs, and gestured to Severus to sit in the armchair to his right.

Severus sat awkwardly, and took a long drink from his scalding hot teacup in lieu of screaming at Fate. The Potions Master set his tea on the table beside his chair and sat, staring into the flames.

Several long minutes went by without either Headmaster or Potions Master uttering a word. Albus was waiting for Severus to give an account of his time at Wilkes Manor. Severus was finally taking a few moments to think and reflect on his new status in the Dark Lord's ranks.

"Severus?" Albus said tentatively, trying to draw the boy out of his stupor.

Severus looked up at the Headmaster. "Why?" he asked softly.

"Why what?"

"Why do they hate Muggles so much? They disgrace them, laugh at their failings and mock their strengths. Why? Because they have no magic? Because they are not of 'Pure Blood'?

"Do they not have eyes? Hands? Organs? Senses? Affections? Passions? Are they not fed with the same food? Hurt with the same weapons? Subject to the same diseases? Warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer?

"If you prick them, do they not bleed? If you tickle them, do they not laugh? If you poison them, do they not die? If you wrong them, do they not exact revenge?

"Why do they hate them so much? Those who are not 'Pure-bloods'? What does it matter if you have magic or not?"

Albus was silent for a moment after Severus' impassioned speech. Slowly, his face broke out into a proud smile. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say those words," he told his former student.

Severus looked at him with large, dark, soulless eyes. "That's why they did it," he said quietly. "That's why they plotted to ruin my life. They didn't think that a 'half-blood' should marry a 'pure-blood'."

Severus snorted. "Imagine what they would have done if they knew he was a werewolf."

"Was Voldemort pleased?" Albus asked quietly, resisting the urge to lean forward and grasp the young man's hand.

The newly inducted Death Eater winced as he felt a shooting pain stab his Mark. "He believed that their 'groundwork' and 'execution' were 'admirable' but was very angry that they had not informed him of their plan before hand, and was livid that they boasted of their success in a manner which allowed them to be linked to their crimes."

"He punished them?"

"Yes. I brewed a potion which made their mouths close over. He wanted them to remember to keep their secrets to themselves. The potion will wear off tomorrow."

Albus was quietly shocked. "He has you brewing potions for him?" he asked, although pleased that his young spy was gaining the trust of the Dark Lord.

Severus nodded. He did not find his new position in Voldemort's pleasing in the least.

While Albus was taking another sip of tea and contemplating the new, fully welcome development, Severus rolled up his left sleeve and removed the bandage on his forearm with a flick of his wand. Slowly, he extended his arm to the Headmaster.

Albus sprayed tea all over his lap as he saw the Mark. "He marked you!" he growled in rage, hastily replacing his teacup on the table.

Albus leant forward and took a hold of Severus' arm with long, icy fingers. "He marked you," he repeated in a dead whisper.

"How dare he mark you!"

Severus pulled back his arm; Albus' grip had grown surprisingly strong, and Severus' arm was still sore. "I was given no choice," he whispered. "I believe that refusal would have resulted in too many questions… or, if he felt that I was a threat to his power, my death."

"Voldemort touched you," Albus repeated, the anger evident in his voice as he watched Severus re-bandage his arm, flinching in pain.

"Please do not say his name," Severus murmured.

"I will not be afraid to say his name!" thundered Albus, furious that his nemesis had laid claim to one of his Order members.

"The Mark burns each time you say it," Severus explained. "It hurts."

"Oh my poor boy," Albus whispered, looking at Severus again.

"He will never want me now," Severus answered in an exceptionally soft voice.

"Voldemort?" Albus answered. "He wants you. He wouldn't have branded you like an ox if he didn't want you."

Severus gasped as his Mark burned again. He shook his head. "Remus… Remus will never want me now."

Albus' look of sympathy quickly turned stern as he looked at his young spy. "Remus has been beside himself since he heard of your 'suicide'. He misses you, he wishes you were alive and safe."

"He rejected me when he thought I was sleeping around behind his back! He only wants me back now because he knows it was a lie. He's never going to want me back when he learns that I bear the Dark Mark. It stands against everything he believes in!"

"Remus is a Dark Creature," Albus reminded Severus softly.

"Your point being?"

"Just as you didn't have a choice but to take the Mark, Remus did not have a choice when he was Turned. He will understand, Severus. He will empathize with you. He will know, for it is in his heart, that you are a good man. And that you love him. And that it is because you love him that you consented to this. And he will especially understand that the actual decision of whether or not to take the Mark was not yours to make, but pressed upon you by a deranged Dark Creature, just as his curse was pressed upon him."

"You make it sound so simple," Severus whispered.

"It is. You have not seen him as I have seen him these past few days. He is overcome with grief. Not the grief of someone who is remorseful for having killed someone, but the heart-wrenching grief of a man who has lost his life partner. He would do anything to get you back."

"Until he learns of the Mark," replied Severus.

Albus sighed at Severus' stubbornness. "Do you trust me?" he asked the obstinate man sitting to his right.

"Within reason," Severus responded.

"Do you trust me in this?" asked Albus.

Severus said nothing for a moment before nodding.

"Then leave it up to me. I will speak to Remus on your behalf."

The Potions Master took another sip of his tea. "The Dark Lord wishes for me to marry Remus and get close to you," he informed Albus.

"Volde- He was not upset that you were marrying a half-blood?"

Severus cringed as he mark twitched again. "He requests that all his followers marry pure-bloods and produce progeny, but allowed special dispensation on my part as I explained that Remus was close to you, and thus so was I, by extension. He knows of your plan regarding my suicide, and ordered me to return and allow myself to be bonded to the degenerate 'half-blood'."

"Well, we shouldn't disappoint the Dark Lord, should we?" Albus replied, a twinkle returning to his eye.

"No, sir."

"Severus, do you want to marry Remus?"

Severus looked at the Headmaster. The old man was finally asking him of his wishes.

He nodded. "If he will have me."

"He will, Severus. He will. Just leave it all up to me."

"Thank you."

"Now, Severus, there are three very worried ladies waiting for you in the Hufflepuff Common Room…"

tbc...

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Much Ado About Nothing