The Last Horcrux

Bubble and Squeak

It was truly dreadful weather for a Quidditch match but the Nettington Nargles were undaunted. Sev had put his foot down and insisted that Remus stay home and he was glad that he had. He pulled his cloak tighter against the icy wind. He wished he'd worn an extra jumper. Snow was blowing into his face and his feet were starting to freeze. Oakley, dressed in his snowsuit, seemed impervious to the cold and stood at the fence with his attention rapt on the players as they swooped through the grey haze of the snowstorm, which was so thick Sev could barely make out the goalposts at the distant end of the playing field. Beside him Dudley and Draco, loyal Nargles fans to the core, stomped and blew on their hands. Amanda, claiming period cramps, had wisely elected to stay home with Remus.

The Nargles took the day and Gavin was elated. His brown and orange chaser's robes were rimed with frost. He was shivering but his eyes were shining. Sev was preoccupied, saying goodbye to Dudley and Draco, starting the Ford Anglia, getting the heater going, and buckling Oakley into his carseat. Something about the configuration of the damned straps always confounded him. He was bending over, trying to get the buckles to close over Oakley's bulky snow suit and simultaneously yelling at Gavin to get in the car and warm up, when he was startled by an unexpected voice behind him.

"Professor Snape?"

Blaise Zabini stood behind him wearing a muggle ski jacket and a knitted cap. "Draco said I'd find you here. Can I.....talk to you for a minute?"

Sev looked down his nose at the young man. He was reminded of his old methods for cowing students, his haughty imperious manner, the penetrating, unsmiling stare, the judicious use of silence, allowing them to dig themselves further and further into whatever hole they found themselves in. He remembered that performance. He had been incredibly good at it. Remus had called him a great actor, once.

"Papa," Oakley was tugging at his sleeve from the car seat. "I'm thirsty. Where's my juice?"

Sev shook himself. That was a different person, a different life. "Erm...." he said to Blaise. "I'm a bit distracted at the moment. Why don't you get in the car and warm up?" Blaise got into the passenger seat. "Gav," he yelled. Gavin was running about the playing field with his teammates in a celebratory free for all. "Get in the car! We're leaving!" The storm, if anything, was getting worse. He dug into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, extracted a juice box and a packet of peanut butter crackers and handed them to Oakley. Gavin came running over. Sev gave him a juice box and a packet of biscuits and made him get in the warm car.

"We won! We won! We won!" Gavin kept chanting.

"Boys, you remember Blaise," said Sev.

"Hi Blaise," the boys said politely.

"Hi guys," said Blaise, turning around and grinning at them.

Sev dug into his bag for a couple more juice boxes. "Juice?" he offered Blaise.

"It's fruit punch!" shouted Oakley, with enthusiasm.

"Er.... sure," said Blaise.

Sev handed him the juice box and opened another one for himself. He took a long swig. He felt he deserved it. He opened a packet of peanut butter crackers with a crinkle of cellophane. He handed a cracker to Blaise, who solemnly took a bite.

"What can I do for you Blaise?" asked Sev, extracting another peanut butter cracker for himself.

Blaise squirmed. "It's just...... I got this." He dug in his pocket and handed Sev a crumpled letter. "Draco thought I should show it to you."

Sev took the letter. Over the sound of the car heater, the squeaking of the wipers, the munching of crackers and the crinkling of wrappers he read Blaise's letter with a growing sense of dread.

"What are you going to do?" he asked when he had done.

"That's what I came to see you about," Blaise replied.

Sev looked the young man over. He had always liked Blaise Zabini and found him trustworthy.

"Best come home with me for supper," he said. "We can talk it over with Remus, and make a plan."

"We're having bubble and squeak!" cried Oakley.

********

The bubble and squeak was eaten, amidst a great deal of chatter about the Nargles victory and their chances for advancing into the semifinals. Sev noticed that Amanda was unusually quiet, and looked at Blaise with bashful, admiring eyes.

After dinner Remus and Sev left the children to do the washing up. The boys protested loudly but Amanda eventually pressed them into service. Sev and Remus retired to study with Blaise. Sev handed the letter to Remus. He read it then looked up at Blaise.

"You fought with the Order of the Phoenix in the final battle," said Remus slowly. "Fought bravely as I recall."

"I'm glad I did," said Blaise "It was the right thing to do. I hated You Know Who."

Remus smiled at him. "We use the name, in this house Blaise," he said. "It's all right to say Voldemort. He's dead."

"V....Voldemort," said Blaise, looking around nervously.

"Very good," said Remus. "What do you want to do now?"

Blaise shrugged. "I'm not going to join their fucking movement!" he said.

"Do you want to spy for us?" asked Remus.

"I...... I've been thinking about it," said Blaise, looking at his feet. "It's what Draco thinks I should do."

"It would be dangerous," said Remus.

"I know that," said Blaise.

"This is..... A disturbing new development," said Remus. "If the Death Eaters are meeting again, forming a new movement....He looked at Sev. "Kingsley should know about this, and MInerva."

"Kingsley..... Shacklebolt?" said Blaise. "The Minister of Magic?"

"He is also a loyal member of the Order of the Phoenix. One of the few we have left. And a highly experienced auror. If you join the Death Eaters and send us word of what transpires at their meetings it could be incredibly useful information."

Blaise shrugged and looked at the ground again. "I don't want them coming back into power again." He swallowed and looked up. He searched Remus' face,

"What do you think, Professor?" he asked, turning to Sev.

Sev met his eyes. "I think you would be doing the world a great service," he said.

"I....I have a girlfriend," said Blaise. "My family wouldn't approve of her, but I love her."

"Then it will be twice as hard for you to put yourself in danger," said Sev, thinking of Remus.

"I'll do it!" said Blaise, with sudden decisiveness. "I'll write to my mother tonight. And I'll go to Paris or wherever they are, and see what they're up to."

Sev looked at the tall, handsome young Slytherin standing before him, and he was filled with emotion at his bravery and determination. He himself had made such different choices as a young man and had lived to regret them.

"May the luck of Merlin go with you!" he said. Before he quite realized what was happening he had clasped Blaise in a tight embrace.