Perhaps Another Time, Severus [A Severus Snape Fanfiction]

2000

2000
Shaylah stood with her wand drawn and her feet firmly planted. She and two other members of the Order had tracked three of Voldemort's followers to the Hogshead in Hogsmeade. She looked at the faces of the followers whose names she didn't know and faces she didn't recognize. Brawn knew who they were, he was exceptional with names and faces. As soon as Cross had entered the pub a shot was fired, barely missing his head. They wasted no time in openly blasting spells at Shaylah, Cross and Brawn. The three had quickly backed out into the street and the others followed suit. Shaylah's eyes swept the street and saw that it was deserted. Eyes watched them from darkened windows, but no one was out to get caught in the crossfire.

She dug the toes of her boots into the dirt and gritted her teeth. The follower with a long braid of black hair fired first, her spell directed at Cross but he deflected it as if it were a pesky fly. He was a muscular man, who even in the winter wore only a black leather vest and dark colored jeans. His shaggy brown hair hung in his eyes as he waited for the next shot. Brawn didn't wait. A thick red light shot at the scrawny long haired follower in the middle and he collapsed to the ground in a heap of suffering. His body convulsed and his teeth audibly clacked together as he writhed on the street.

As his two friends looked on in shocked horror, Shaylah took the opportunity to paralyze the both of them. They fell back as stiff as boards, their bodies making a sick thud as they hit the ground. These were not the best Voldemort had to offer, but they would be off the streets nonetheless. They couldn't recruit more children to fight for them if they were locked in Azkaban.

Though everyone that ever showed an ounce of loyalty to Voldemort had been removed from the walls of the prison, it still stood and Vex was excellent with enchantments. He had made the prison more impenetrable than it had ever been. It was by far the most secure location she could think of, aside from Headquarters. A thick red light shot from the tip of Cross' wand and all three of the followers began to writhe. They would have let out guttural screams if it weren't for their jaws locking shut. Shaylah had felt that all consuming pain more times than she would like.

"Why would you do that? They were incapacitated." Shaylah spat.

"You know they deserve it." Cross answered. His voice was a low growl.

She did know they deserved it, she still didn't like watching her associates cause more pain than was necessary. Then the bodies fell still in front of them. Brawn kicked the foot of the long haired boy but there was no response. Shaylah cast the counter curse to unbind them, but still there was no movement. None of them had cast any curses.

Shaylah's eyes scanned the buildings for any sign that someone had joined them but there was no one in the shadows or the light. The three still standing exchanged confused looks before apparating out of Hogsmeade.

"What the hell was that?" Brawn was pacing, like he did whenever he was deep in thought. He couldn't stay still when his brain was racing.

"I don't know." Shaylah answered quietly. There was no one else there.

"Do we have extra help we didn't know about?" Cross cut in.

"I'm not going to ask questions." Vex said plainly. He pushed his thick rimmed glasses up on his nose. His blonde hair fell into his eyes but he didn't swipe it away. "We need all the help we can get."

They had lost several members recently and their numbers were dwindling. Shaylah ran her hand over her face as the others continued to discuss what had happened. Their Headquarters was really just Vex's flat with extra enchantments and security. The town he lived in was mostly Muggle and Voldemort hadn't made the jump to attacking predominantly Muggle areas. They had added extra space to accommodate their growing numbers but now most of the rooms sat empty.

"I'm about to go after Snape myself, Wilde here isn't getting any closer." said Cross. His tone hit heavily in Shaylah's ears.

"Leave her alone." said Vex defensively. "We're lucky she hasn't been spotted or she would be dead. Snape's dangerous."

Shaylah bit the inside of her lip. She hadn't told them about her meetings with the wizard or the warnings he had given her, even if she had they wouldn't listen. "Yeah but if we get rid of him, our jobs will become a lot easier. Snape is Voldemort's greatest asset." said Brawn.

Shaylah took a seat on the ugly yellow sofa next to Vex. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap. The men kept talking but their voices became a soft buzz in her ears. Something or someone had taken the situation in Hogsmeade into their own hands and helped them but didn't make themselves known. It was unsettling. "I'm going to the pub. I'll be back in a few hours." said Shaylah as she stood and apparated from the flat. She didn't give her friends a chance to follow her.

Again she stood across from the small dingy pub, the lights casting a soft glow into the night. She took a deep breath and crossed the street, straightening her back as she pushed open the door. Breathing in the confidence to face the wizard once again. His dark figure sat at the same booth as the last times they had met. She approached and sat across from him. "I thought you might show up," he said with an air of confidence. "I didn't bother ordering you a poisoned drink this time." He said silkily.

She motioned to the bartender and soon she had her own drink. She nodded as the thick balding man sat the glass down in front of her. He gave her a kind smile before returning to the bar. "Something odd happened in Hogsmeade today, but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Shaylah asked as she took a sip of her whiskey.

His dark eyes stayed trained on her and she felt herself shrink beneath his gaze but she wouldn't show him any weakness. On the surface she was solid and composed. "No, can't say I do." He swished the liquid in his drink before taking a sip. She noticed the faintest break in his voice, interesting.

"Funny, I could've sworn I saw a mass of black robes much like yours leaving the area." She hummed and shrugged her shoulders. "Must have been mistaken." It was a lie of course but his eyes widened and his back stiffened. Subtle tells that he was also lying. He was the help they had received in Hogsmeade.

"I can assure you, I was nowhere near Hogsmeade today." His words were smooth this time, as if to cover for his faltering.

"Severus, in your research did you find that I'm excellent at Legilimency?" Another lie, but she knew that he was a skilled Legilimens. She was hoping to bait him, but her attempt was futile.

"No, seems that didn't come up."

She watched him for a moment, his mannerisms and the way his eyes shifted around the room when they weren't speaking. He showed no fear, even though he had sat with a member of the Order several times, it seemed he didn't expect any repercussions. When his drink wasn't swishing in his hand, he ran his fingers along the smooth wood of the table in a back and forth motion. She wondered if he were reading the minds of those around them, but she didn't know why he would. No one here would oppose him, he held too much power.

When his finger had drawn back and forth on the table one too many times for her liking, she reached across and placed her hand on his, stalling his movement. She felt him stiffen under her touch, his eyes glued to her hand on his. She was surprised she didn't burst into flames. For all the evil he represented, his hand was soft and warm. He wasn't poison in human form, which for some reason was what she expected him to be. She quickly retracted her hand but not before a strange feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, one she couldn't name or explain.

His cocky demeanor had shifted, the dark irises in his eyes didn't bare the same hardness they had only moments ago. His face had softened as his body relaxed. It was strange, the monster she had been chasing all this time suddenly seemed human. "I'm sorry." Shaylah muttered before jumping out of her seat and leaving him alone in the pub.

She pressed her back to the cold stone of the building across the street, trying to stifle the heat rising up her cheeks. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest, as if she had just finished a duel. She watched him exit the pub as she apparated.