Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-74-

When the morning comes, I got up before Severus and head down to the kitchen. In my long pyjama shirt, I started prepare us some breakfast. There is this smile on my face that won't go away even I would try to push it down. The coffee is about to be ready. Eggs and bacons are starting to look good moment by moment on the pan. Can't wait to see his face when he sees this! Then, I hear how the old wooden floor makes a sound as someone comes to the doorway of the kitchen. With bright smile I turn around:"Morning, handsome!". Immediately my heart drops, eyes widens and I let out a sharp inhale when I see the man who just came in isn't Severus. What the hell?! "Oh..-! M-my apologies, Miss. Didn't mean to scare you like that." a short, chubby man - who actually remotely reminds of a rat, looks me up and down with timid matter. Got the spatula in my hand, ready to use it if needed. Who is this man and what is he doing in here?!

But before I can even open my mouth and ask anything, familiar dark man comes behind the corner fully dressed in his usual all black clothing and stands right behind the short man. "Wormtail. You came... Early." Severus got his dark eyes narrowed, clearly not happy to see him. Wormtail? The man gets surprised by this and takes a step aside:"Ah! I'm terribly sorry, sir. I..- Didn't know you had a... A guest over this time of the day.". He really looks like he's scared of Severus. What's going on here? The way he called me 'a guest' sounded like he was hinting something. Sure, it may not look proper for me to be standing here only in the long pyjama shirt with hair puffed from the night before, but... Severus gritted his teeth under the cold appearance:"It's really not your concern whom I have as a visitor and when, Wormtail. Now... Get out of my sight before I'll make you disappear.". "Yes, sir! Right away, sir. Sorry, sir..." the man walks away.

Too stunned and confused what just happened, I just stand here. Thought Severus said he lives alone. After we hear the front door open and close, I turn to Severus. "What was that all about? Who was he?" I ask slightly embarrassed I got caught in pyjamas like that. For my surprise, Severus's cold gaze won't go back to sweet and soft like it usually does when we get to be alone again. "My... Assistant." he answer and walk up to the pot where I have made the coffee. Slight frown appears on my face:"Assistant? Where you need assistant for?". No answer. He pours himself a cup of coffee and acts like he couldn't hear me. Like his head isn't in the right place. "Sev." I gently hold onto side of his arm with questioning face. Finally, he looks at me with a bit more softer gaze, but I can still see something's bothering him:"The food is burning.". Both of my eyebrows raise:"Huh?". Then I realize the bacons and eggs I tried to make really are burning on the stove. "Ah!!" quickly, I rush to save the situation.

After the breakfast, we head back to Hogwarts. Even Severus started to act more relaxed, there still was this lingering tension in the air. A man named Wormtail, who's assistant to Severus Snape? Usually witches and wizards have elves there to help them, not another wizard. Or at least I haven't ever met anyone who would have. The way this person's appearance had effect on Severus also made shivers go down my spine. The way he looked at the poor man... It's like he despises him. Wonder if this Wormtail is someone Snape's family has forced to have? Is that a thing? My mind is filled with questions, and yet, Severus brushed it all off and made me feel like I shouldn't be asking any more 'silly' questions. So, I took a deep breath and thought I won't push it any further. For now.

As the days goes by, it slowly started to feel more and more like Severus and I had less time to spend together. Or whenever we did get the change to spend alone time, he seems to have his mind elsewhere. We barely spend any nights together after coming back to the castle. Anytime I asked or brought it up, he always had a way make me feel I'm just imagining things and there is nothing to be worried about. He just got way too much work to do - specially when the semester is coming to an end. I want to believe him. I really do. But it's like there is this little voice inside of me that tells me something's off. I just wish I'd knew what it was. So, I decided that as soon as we get time alone again, I'm really going to sit down with him and talk it over. That's what people do in healthy relationship. Right? I need to get the bottom of this. No more beating around the bushes!

In middle of all of this, Severus had asked me to learn the Apparate spell for some reason. Sure, it could come in handy at times, but... The request came so sudden and oddly, it got me more confused. Wasn't it enough I learned the Occlumency? When I kind of shrugged it off by saying I might look into it next semester, I'm not in a hurry to learn the spell, Severus demanded I'd learn it as soon as possible. Like there is no space of discussion to delay it. He even offered to pay the licence for me - which I declined. When I tried to ask why it was so important to him, he simply reply I will be needing it in the future. No further explanations. This all feels so out of place! Since the Apparate lessons are twelve weeks long here in Hogwarts, and the lessons are nearly closer to an end, I've taken a class right outskirt of the Diagon Alley that is dedicated mostly for witches and wizards like me who hasn't learned the spell back when they were younger for whatever reason. This is all time consuming, so there is yet another reason I haven't been able to spend time with Severus.

So, I am now walking in middle of the Diagon Alley among other people after my third Apparate spell lesson. It's been quite boring actually so far. Nothing but talk and talk and talk... Can't they just teach us the spell and be done with it?! I know because of my brain and difficulty to learn can be quite challenging at times, it won't be an easy road to take. Mostly I'm afraid the Splinching. Don't want that to happen. My thoughts gets cut off when I hear how someone further away yells:"Hey..!!", as someone else just bumped into them and didn't even flinch and just keep on walking. Huh? My heart drops for a quick second when I recognize the man who's walking ahead. It's the werewolf-man! He's pretty tall, so it's easy to spot him over this crowd. What I can tell from where I'm standing, he's not alone. No surprise that the people who are walking with him are all dressed in black, head to toe. Are they going to cause trouble?

With that in mind, I go after the group. Need to keep my distance, so they won't suspect anything. After all, they know who I am. My plan is just see what they are doing, and if they aren't doing anything to harm others, I'll be off my way. As I'm following them, I pretend to be window shopping and watch them walk seven meters ahead. Good thing this alley is always filled with people, so it's easy to blend in. Looks like there are six of them. Wonder if they all are Death Eaters? They eventually turn around a corner and I follow after. We are now a lot more secure place where they are no other people around. My heart starts beating faster, but I do a small, calming inhale and exhale thru my nose. It's going to be alright, (Y/N). If there's anything that I find incomplete when it comesto Wizarding World, is the lack of telephones... Could have called someone and tell there is Death Eaters meeting, right under our noses.

As quiet as I can, I approach the direction they all went while keeping my back near the brick walls. Can't stay too close to them, so I wait for a little while behind a corner as they walk couple more turns deep into the alleyway. Finally, they stopped walking in front of a building's front door and began to discuss about something. I sneak as close as I can and press my back against the wall, trying to hear what they are saying. At first it was impossible to make anything out of what they are saying, but slowly it all becomes more clear. "...and Malfoy will let us in when the time comes." a female voice speaks almost in whispery way. Malfoy? As in... Draco or Lucius? Had to take a peek, see if I recognize any of them. My eyes widens when I see familiar face. It's the woman that was visiting at Severus on Christmas Eve! Bell..- What was it? Belle? Betty? Soon, she and couple more others went inside. Now there is only two left. Wait... Wasn't there six of them?

That's when I notice that the werewolf-man actually wasn't there with them anymore. I better get out of here. As soon as I turn around, my face almost hits another person's chest. My heart misses a beat and I flinch eyes wide. It's the werewolf-man!! He's standing right in front of me, looking down with that same loose smile he had back at the Burrow before I buried him and Lucius Malfoy alive. Fuck..! With nervous smile, I start taking steps away from him:"Oh, it's... It's you. Back from the dead, I see.". No answer. "Well, well, well... What do we have here?" uncomfortably familiar male voice hums behind me. My body partly turn to see if my suspicions were right. And it sure was. "It's been a while, (Y/N). Almost couldn't recognize you in those jeans. The dress looked a lot better on you..." the man keeps talking. There is a woman standing right next to him. Amycus and Alecto.