𝐒𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 || Severus Snape x OC ||

40. BLOOD MONEY

*.·:·.☽ ✧ ☾.·:·.*

"No one...can know," four words that Alice kept locked in the vault of her heart with all her strength. She could still see the look in his eyes, feel the magnitude of the secret Severus wanted to keep. The secret of his true allegiance. A day ago, he was the only man alive who knew. Now, Alice carried his secret with her. She didn't have to ask for more, she had read it in the dark pools of his eyes that if she was to be captured by those she was hunting, everything would be lost. Should the dark lord break into her mind, Snape would be compromised and the safety of not only himself but of every single child in Hogwarts would be at the dark wizard's inexistent mercy.

No one will know. The resolute promise to him and herself turned into the thorny, rock-solid encasement of her word, as she pushed open the door to Hog's Head Inn. Aberforth's mirthless gaze found hers as she stepped inside. She couldn't sneak back to the Room of Requirement yet, couldn't tell the students that the Sword of Gryffindor was already in Harry's hands. But what she could do, was sent an owl to the Order, carefully selecting her words about the Half-Blood Prince's latest movements.

"Something came for you, lass. But you better be careful next time. You're lucky the owl came when no one was around," Aberforth's voice halted her as she was climbing up the creaking staircase. She responded with an understanding nod and soon enough pushed the door to the little room open. There was a letter near the old nightstand, still sealed and a little crinkled from the journey. Aberforth's owl's talons had pierced the envelope right above the seal.

Alice closed the door behind her, and secured it with a spell, before picking up the tattered envelope. Breaking the seal and unfolding it, she found the words of Bill Weasley written upon it, coded carefully to be safekept from prying eyes. The safe house of the Order had changed, no longer being anywhere near Grimmauld or the Burrow.

Alice glanced over her shoulder in a hint of suspicion before picking up her quill, using the same code to write back and inform the Order that she will meet up with the Order soon with the news about the Half-Blood Prince's rule of the school.

She hid Bill's warning that this would be the last time he'd venture to send an owl to her. The Order still insisted that the use of a Patronus was the safest way to communicate with each other. The only issue was that the raven-haired witch hadn't learnt the spell yet. She recalled Severus' silvery doe prancing over the frozen lake. What would her Patronus be, she knew not. Not yet...

She secured the letter in the owl's leg and bid the feathered creature a safe journey, setting it free to fly. Hasting down the stairs, she sought for Aberforth, but halfway down the staircase, the door of the inn flung open. Dark dressed and displeased, the Carrows marched inside mumbling between them. Alice slid into the shadows as quietly and stealthily as she could, pulling her hood over her head and sneaking up the stairs, only to stand at the edge of the staircase, hunched down to listen carefully and observe them, unseen.

The door of the Inn parted again, and a familiar face appeared. A tattered pink scarf around his neck; a scarf Alice knew belonged to another, a leather jacket on his shoulders, and an air about him that oozed of a lawless man who slithered his way through the ups and downs of life, preying on those who couldn't defend themselves, hunting them down no different than a hyena along with his pack of Snatchers.

Scabior.

But this time, Scabior's air of a pirate thief bore something his stolen scarf couldn't hide completely; marks around his neck that told a tale of a deranged witch's whip-like spell around his neck. No doubt the two had met, and Alice guessed the unpleasant meeting had taken place around the same time that he snatched Hermione's scarf. Alice's gaze turned as dark as coal. The Snatchers had undoubtedly found the trio, and like good hounds they'd brought their prey to Bellatrix. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Were they even alive?