The Dark Side (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 24: The Truth

          Snape opened the drawer with caution and peered into it. I reached down to grab it, but Snape spoke.
          "No—it may be cursed," I retracted my hand, and Professor Snape lifted the small bottle into the air with magic. Seeming satisfied, he placed the flask into his hand, rolling it around on his palm.
          "Do you know what it is?"
          "It does appear to be a love potion," he uncorked it, putting it beneath his crooked nose. His face screwed up in disgust as he corked the flask again. "And a potent one."
          "Where would she even get something like that?" he examined the flask carefully as if he was looking for something.
          "They're not particularly difficult to obtain or make, for that matter, but a single mistake can be most undesirable. This specific sample has been prepared by..." he squinted as he searched the flask. "...myself," he attempted to hide his surprise.
          "Why did you make a love potion for my mother?" I exclaimed.
           "Quiet your voice, you'll be overheard," he hissed. "Many years ago I made three vials for her. I didn't ask about their purpose, and she didn't elaborate. I had all but forgotten about them."
          "Yes, but why? As far as I know, she and my father were perfectly happy."
          "Think, Alexandra. We both know The Dark Lord can be unpredictable at the best of times. Wouldn't she find comfort in knowing there was a way to solve that issue?"
          "It makes sense but... wouldn't he have known?"
          "As far as I know your mother did not practice Occlumency, so I would say yes. Yes, he would have been very aware," he thought for a moment, mindlessly rolling the vial between his fingers. "I think it best to ask him yourself if you truly want to know," I made a sound halfway between a laugh and a cough. Before I could reply, a sharp pain erupted from my Dark Mark, and I saw Snape wince. I looked at him and sighed. "The Dark Lord calls."
          "What do I do with this? I can't leave it here, what if someone else finds it? Bellatrix would be tickled pink."
          "I can store it for safe-keeping," he opened the door for me and I stepped through.
          "You're a life-saver, Professor," he tucked the vial into his pocket and gave it a reassuring pat.
          We made our way downstairs to a room my father had dedicated to meetings. As soon as I opened the door my skin was dotted with goose-bumps. A fire roared in the hearth, but the room was still icy cold. I took my place beside my father, pretending to be fascinated by the lacquer on the table. Slowly the room began to fill, but there were still a handful of empty seats. I felt Nagini slither over my feet, and then flinched when she crept over my shoulder. I spoke to her in Parseltongue, despite the looks I received from around the table.
          "I'm certain you are all aware why I have gathered you this evening," the room was silent. "Once again, Harry Potter has escaped my grasp. This failure resulted in casualties, one of which was my beloved wife. The person responsible for this mistake has already been dealt with," he inclined his head to me, "as I am sure you are all cognizant of.
          "Now, I do not intend to fail again," he looked around the room at his followers. "Thanks to Severus' invaluable information, I have become aware of a celebration taking place at the Weasley residence," many made grunts of disgust at hearing the name. "I have learned from my past mistakes, and have decided to take a different approach. On the first of August, we will attack, but no one will attempt to harm Potter," ripples of confusion spread through the room. "This will cause him to flee to locations he is no longer protected. We are keeping a very close eye on the places he will likely retreat to. We must be patient, and in the meantime, we will continue to advance our army. The Ministry is near its demise, and soon Severus will take his place as Headmaster at Hogwarts. Everything is exactly where I want it to be, now all we require is time," he folded his hands, looking around the room. Once he seemed satisfied, he spoke. "You are dismissed," the deathly quiet room erupted in sounds of chairs scraping the floor. I met Draco's gaze and followed him out of the room. I found his hand and entwined my fingers with his.
          "C'mon," we walked up the stairs together. When we were out of earshot he spoke. "So what did Snape say?"
          "What?"
          "Snape. You said you had to talk to him and it was urgent," I contemplated telling him about the potion. We sat down on my bed and I leaned my head on his shoulder.
          "I just found something strange in my mother's room, I thought he'd be able to tell me what it was."
          "Oh," we were silent for a few moments, listening to the rain batter the windows. "If you want to talk about her, I'm here for you, you know," I looked up at him.
          "Thank you, but...it's just too fresh, I think," I could feel the lump in my throat as I held back tears. "Thank you for thinking of me," a crack of thunder sounded. "What about you? No one ever asks about you. You've been through as much as I have."
          "I'm fine, I guess," he was quiet for a while "Well, actually I'm not fine. I would have snapped already if I didn't have you. I don't think anyone else quite understands if you get what I mean."
          "Yeah, I do."