Unexpectedly Expecting

26: Rescue Mission

Severus

One Month Later...

Lucius arrived on the outskirts of the Riddle cemetery just as planned. They were both wearing their deatheater masks, although Severus loathed having to wear the blasted thing yet again. Lucius wore his silver mask, and apparated beside the monument that held the graves of the Dark Lord's parents and grandparents.

"I still say this is a suicide mission," Lucius remarked in low tones. "We've already set off enough security wards as it is."

Severus rolled his eyes. "You volunteered for this, as I recall."

"Worst decision I have made this year."

"You can't be both smart and good looking."

"Pretentious asshole."
"Preening peacock."

They both grinned at one another before growing serious. Severus spotted two guards nearest to the front door, the others were close by. He motioned for Lucius to flank him from behind. Lucius nodded, and as one, they got out their wands, poised to attack.

Lucius motioned a cutting motion across his throat, but Severus mimed an injury gesture. 'You're no fun,' Lucius mouthed.

Severus shrugged his shoulders. They crept on silent feet up to the derelict mansion. The two guards were having cigarettes and not paying attention. Lovely. He knocked them both out, and then injured their legs, should they wake up at any point.

Lucius took out the other guards. They moved into the dilapidated mansion, and the whole place looked like a cheap muggle haunted house Lucius's friends once dragged him to one Halloween after graduation. The subtle magic they used to freak out the muggles had been amusing, but this was anything but fun.

The floors creaked underneath their feet, and Severus cast with his wand, "Hominum Revelio."

The spell revealed the presence of other hidden magic users, about thirty of them according to the locator spell. A coldness slipped down his spine: this was a deliberate trap. Was it just a trap against unwitting passersby, or was this the Dark Lord's plan all along? Severus swallowed past the lump in his throat. Nothing was ever simple with Voldemort, nor would it be if he were in the despot's shoes.

Stop it! You don't have time to play devil's fucking advocate right now. Severus closed his eyes for a moment, and erased his emotions. Some would call such an act easy, or even heartless, but for Severus he had had no choice but to live in survival mode for the majority of his life.

Lucius began to shiver, and he said quietly, "I think we're going to have to fight dementors soon, and I...I am not certain if I can summon a full patronus in light of recent past circumstances."

"Hopefully, mine can. Cover me, we have to get Lovegood out of here," He ordered, his breath coming out like hot steam.

"On it." Lucius backtracked, holding out his wand.

They went from room to room, and then there was a piercing scream from downstairs in the basement. Severus wasn't sure what Lovegood's screams sounded like, but it sounded like Wormtail's. If that were the case, he could exact some revenge at last.

"Lumos Maxima." His wand shone brighter as he held it out in front of him.

"I found the lock to the trapdoor."

"Good. We might as well see what's behind door number one."

Lucius grinned. "We're going to discuss your telly addiction once we are out of here."

"I will not dignify that answer with a response."

"Denial."
"Stalling."

They tried the usual unlocking charm, and a few obscure ones. "Cistem Aperio," Lucius cast.

The lock blasted off its hinges. "Cute. I wonder whose bright idea that was," Lucius remarked.

"Ponder that later, git," Severus growled.

"N---Noooooo!" Someone screamed. "Get away! Back off, I'm too fat and young to die!"

Two dementors floated around Peter Pettigrew as he tried casting the patronus charm, but without success. Severus noticed Xenophilius Lovegood hanging lifeless on one of the walls. He was shackled at his wrists and ankles, and was wearing the remnants of his bed clothes. Apparently, he had been kidnapped in the dead of night, so what Luna had told of her father's abduction was the truth. Severus moved to unlock the wizard's shackles, but the dementors moved in, and began sucking his life force out of him.

His most terrible memories of being abused, of his father's fists on him, of his cigarettes being put out on him, his mother's screams as his father hit and tried to assault her threatened to overwhelm him. Then he heard his younger self say in his mind, ("Fight back, Severus. Fight for your family, your sons. They need you!")

("I'm not worthy of them.")

("If not you, then who? Our preening peacock of a cousin? Now, fight for them!") His younger self shouted. ("Do it now, you stubborn prick.")

Severus summoned his most powerful memory, and suddenly felt the strength to regain consciousness, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" His lion patronus flew from his wand, and its spectral roar sent out its waves of power that exhausted him instantly. The dementors tried to fight off the lion, but flew off as they could not stand against such power.

His lion patronus eyed him intensely for one moment as if to say, 'Protect my mate. I place her life in your hands, wizard.' He then dissipated, and Severus sank to his knees winded.

"I...I thought your patronus was a doe."
Lovegood laughed, but it came out as a croak, "At least...I'm glad that that rumor is...true."

Wormtail was on the floor, his beady eyes open, but he saw nothing. "I think his soul got sucked out during the battle."

"Take his wand, Lovegood might need it." Severus turned to Xenophilius. "I'm here on your daughter's behalf, Mr Lovegood."

"Luna...Safe?"
"Yes."
"Good...I'm so...so sleepy."

They freed Lovegood from his bonds, and they used the levitation charm to lift him up. They kept an eye out for any stray deatheater, and found none. Good. Lucius nodded. "I have to go play politics now. Have fun with our guest."

Lucius hugged him, and Severus playfully pushed him off like when they were kids. Lucius tousled his hair, and smirked, "Take care, cousin."

"You too."

Severus picked up Lovegood bridal style, and disapparated to St Mungos Hospital. He made sure the wizard was placed under the best of care, and sent off an owl post to Luna that her father was recovering from his incarceration...

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Once that was done, he paid for Xenophilius's care, and went back to Hogwarts. He wrote in his note journal to Hermione about the incident, and how his patronus, and younger self saved him. She wrote back of her love for him, and how relieved she was that they both made out of there safely, but she added the caveat: He will probably know of your true loyalties now, so please be careful. Even Harry knows he's a wily, crafty bastard.

Severus frowned at the last line. He knew that all too well, which was why he never bothered to take a wife before he foolishly got Hermione pregnant during her Claiming to begin with. They wrote of their love for one another, and he shut his note journal.

He got ready for bed, and hated his solitary bed. He wanted his wife. No, he needed her. He needed her warmth, to be able to touch her rounded belly, and feel his twin's kicks and heartbeats. Most of all, he loved her. He tossed and turned for two hours before using the floo network to go home, and climb into bed with Hermione. Screw this sleeping in separate beds bullshit, he had been alone far too long, and for once he was going to be selfish. Let Minerva groan about the teacher's meeting in the morning, at night, He was going to sleep and make love to his witch for however long he could, and that was a promise he was willing to freely make just to himself from here on out, for who knew how long they all had until he had to play deatheater once again in this blasted farce of a war?