Severus and the Doctor

MIA

Doc

"How did it go?" Hank asked her the next morning, pouring a cup of coffee as thick as jet fuel

She sighed. Not as well as she had hoped. But not terrible. She could tell he was intrigued, he would come around once he got his bearings.

"He told me he wanted nothing to do with it and made me leave"

Hank chuckled, summoning the sugar over to the bar. The doors locked and shades drawn, it was safe to use magic.

"He will come around. What upset him?" Hank asked, spooning sugar into his mug

"I tried a bad tactic. I told him he could pay off his debt with us...He got really mad" she admitted, annoyed that she didn't get him to crack

"Ah. Well, his debt is already paid off. He saved Harry Potter. A double agent for twenty years.  Definitely a bad choice but you had to give it a shot" Hank shrugged, leaning back in his chair

"I don't understand why he didn't just leave. That kid had the whole magical world on his side, right?" she asked curiously, the details of the wizarding war a bit murky still

"That's not for me to explain. But I do know he is loyal. Which is why we need him" Hank answered shortly, looking up as the door opened with the key.
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Severus

He made the decision to leave. Flee into the night and away from anyone who threatened him. Boxes packed and ready to disappear. Build a new existence abroad. Pride held him back. He was no coward. He would square up to fight and face whatever challenges were presented to him.

No. He wouldn't run away. He held too much integrity for that. Plus, what could a Muggle woman do to him? What sort of powers could she possibly hold that would threaten his life? It was a joke. It had to be.

He opened the door to the bar, hoping Hank would be there to discuss the previous night.

"Hello Severus" his supposed friend called, waving him over to the seat next to Doc

Narrowing his eyes, he sat next to her, suspicious.

"See, I told you he was mad at me" she told Hank gesturing at him with her shoulder

"I don't blame him. Why did you have to break into his apartment to have that discussion?" Hank asked neutrally, pushing a cup of coffee towards him

"If you two could stop making a joke out of my life I would appreciate it" he spoke measuredly, rage boiling in his gut, the coffee bitter and thick

"Our conversation didn't go as I planned. That was my fault" Doc explained, regret coloring her voice

"What was your original plan? To guilt me into whatever cock-eyed idea you had? To use whatever misinformation you could get on me to wrangle me in? I've been guilted into submission my whole life and it will not work anymore. Do not lie to me" he growled, the rage barely contained, his hands cold and clammy

Hank leaned over, palms up in truce

"I knew who you were. I'm a wizard. Born from two No-Maj parents. I studied at Ilvermorny. I lived in both worlds. It was strange, splitting my time between them. I rose up the ranks in the American magical government, and I was invited to become part of a highly secretive society"