Like Moths To A Flame

Twenty: Busted

Severus

After three hours of waiting for Harry Potter to return to the motel they were staying at, Severus knew that something had gone horribly wrong. By persuading the sleazy proprietor of the motel to let him into his 'nephew's,' room, he found all of Harry Potter's possessions where he left it. He found Potter's phone, which was stupid for him not to have taken it, but then again, he had never been a smart wizard, even as a student at Hogwarts.

He cast a charm that detected previous magic. The room was rife with it, he could almost smell it in the air, and even see it. Strangely enough, there was no sign of a struggle, which was worrisome in of itself, because it meant that Potter was in some ways part of the opposition. He was about to leave the room when he noticed a blank DVD on top of the DVD machine. There was a note on it that simply said, 'Play Me.'

He did, and stood as he saw Hermione being under the Cruciatus Curse, and the one casting the curse...was Antonin Dolohov.

"Come to us, Snape," He sneered at the camera, and by extension, him. "And do hurry, I don't know how much longer I can...restrain myself from tasting that which you clearly have already sampled. Come to us in the shipping district of London on the stroke of midnight, Saturday, and I may be nice and let you share her, before I kill you both. Refuse, and well, I will just let your Bishop Gardiner have first tumble with her. Toodles!"

Toodles? What the fuck? Severus turned off the television, and took the disc out of the machine. He turned that off as well, and put it neatly back in its case. He wanted to tear this place apart. Hermione was in danger! He knew that he should have just worked alone, but he thought Potter could be useful, due to his previous friendship with his wife.

He went back to his own motel room, and changed into his black robes. There was no need to disguise what he was any more, he was a wizard, and proud to be one. He looked at the little white tie that marked him out as a Priest. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be a Priest any more, but he pocketed it any way, as well as his rosary beads. He took out his wand. The 13 inch piece of sleek black elder wood had been his ever since his school days at Hogwarts; it had never failed him, even as a deatheater. There was a time that he wanted to discard it, and live completely as a muggle. But it held too much sentimental value to him.

He burned his remaining muggle clothing, and pocketed the money. No need for that any more. He left the room, and paid for it. He then found a spot to apparate to the location where Hermione supposedly was. He perhaps should have enlisted his cousin Lucius Malfoy for assistance, but he always worked better alone. He preferred that, and he felt that he needed to do this on his own; it was his marriage, and Hermione was his responsibility...

⚡⚡⚡

When he arrived at his destination, he pulled out his wand. "Lumos."

A group of black cloaked men jumped out from their hiding place. But then a very familiar voice ordered, "Ah, yes. Do come and see our master, Father Prince. Now, will you please lower that ridiculous stick, or are my associates going to have to subdue you?"

"I will come," Severus said. "And if you harmed my wife, I will personally kill you, Gardiner."

Gardiner laughed derisively. "I don't think you're in a position to make any sort of demands...wizard. Lower your wand, and drop it."

Severus made a show of dropping his wand, but discreetly, he pocketed it, while replicating the sound of it hitting the concrete floor. He was seized by his arms, and he had a bag placed over his head. When the bag was lifted off of his head, he found himself tied up, back to back with Hermione in the other chair.

He heard Antonin Dolohov's derisive laughter before he saw him. "Ah, welcome, Snape. Welcome. So good of you to join us for my little party. I do hope that you enjoy yourself, because it will be your last..."