Knowledge is Power

Chapter 56

"Is it wise to involve Narcissa Malfoy in this," Mag asked.
The two were alone in her bedroom at WestCraven Manor. As soon as they'd all gotten home from the meeting at Adler Manor she'd practically dragged him upstairs. Foolishly Severus had supposed it was to work off all her excitement over meeting the great Grindelwald in a few weeks. Granted she hadn't seemed particularly excited about that, only mildly interested, but a man wanted to think being dragged to the bedroom meant something good, didn't he?

"Of course it isn't wise to involve Narcissa Malfoy in this or anything else," he replied dryly.
"That certainly wasn't my plan."
//What did you tell her and why, as you would so eloquently put it, are you trying to start shit,// he asked Nightshade darkly.
The owl was sitting on the end of the large four poster bed preening his feathers.

//I didn't do nothing. She was all worried about you taking on some Death Eater and getting noticed. I saw you thinking about Narcissa so I just told her the truth. That you feel she owes you a favor so you've probably got it covered. Now don't be shitty to me, your only friend.//
Severus smiled in spite of himself.
//I suppose you weren't starting shit, then,// he relented.
//Sorry.//
Was Nightshade the first person he'd ever apologized to? He thought about that for a few seconds, then decided perhaps he was.

//It's all good. We're cool, Prof.//
As he began to slowly undress in hopes of gaining Magritte's attention, Severus idly wondered if Nightshade was right. If, when it came down to it, the owl was indeed his only friend. There was Filius, of course, and Albus, even if the old head master had just tried to screw him over by dying. There were Raislen and Heather, but could former back stabbers ever truly be trusted no matter their almost good reason? Mag was definitely a friend, but she was also much more if against his better judgment, or at least the better judgment of the upper half of his body.

//You and Filius,// he thought to the owl.
//What?//
//My only friends. And Mag, but we're more than that now, so it's you and Filius.//
//Would Filius stay and die with you if it came to it, Prof,// Nightshade demanded indignantly.
//I thought we were planning not to do that,// Severus replied.
//Yeah but still, would he, though?//
//I don't know...//
//Well I would so I'm your top when it comes down to it ride or die only god damn friend.//

Severus couldn't help but laugh out loud and shake his head at the owl's antics.
//Very well. When you outline it so clearly.//
"What's so funny," Mag asked.
Admittedly she was watching his slow disrobing with open interest.
"Oh just the insane voice in my head," Severus quipped and Mag chuckled.
"Nightshade," she said, fondly scratching the owl's head.
//Yeah, that feels awesome!//

"So what are you going to do that involves Narcissa Malfoy," Mag asked, worry evident on her face.
"I just want to look into her address book. I know all the Death Eaters, but she'll know far more of their addresses. I won't explain why and if she's wise she'll consider it a thank you for that bloody unbreakable."
Mag sighed in relief.
"That seems harmless enough, I suppose."

"I'm not trying to trust her with anything," Severus said with an incredulous shake of his head.
"Now are we going to bed," he half demanded, unable to keep the impatience from his voice.
She had literally dragged him up here to the bedroom, after all.
Mag smiled, allowing her expression to soften.
"Oh yes! Most definitely we are."

The next day, Severus went to his home at Spinner's End before writing Narcissa Malfoy a note asking her to meet him there. For once in his life, Nightshade actually offered to take a letter.
//I want to scope the place out,// he told Severus.
//To see who's there.//
//Just be careful,// Severus said, sending the owl off reluctantly.

It was just that when they went into danger it was together. Nightshade didn't like Severus attending meetings without him and Severus discovered he didn't like Nightshade carrying mail to Death Eaters either. The owl wouldn't be gone long, he assured himself. Still when the owl returned, tapping at the window of Severus's sitting room to be let in, he breathed a sigh of relief.
//Who was there,// he asked, removing the parchment Narcissa had tied to Nightshade's leg.
//Bellatrix and her husband and her brother in law. They seemed weird somehow. Dazed or something, plus shitty looking from too much good Azkaban living,// the owl noted, but Severus didn't like the Lestranges to put it mildly so didn't care.