Severus Snape A Soul Undiminished

Chapter 60 - Thunder

Severus entered Malfoy Manor apprehensively. He knew the Dark Lord would find his report of the attack unsatisfactory. His scuffle with Sirana had at least provided him with proof
of his participation in the skirmish. His broom was badly damaged, and he had cuts and scrapes from his fall.
Voldemort was tall and thin, his limbs looking impossibly long. Severus watched him as he moved toward him, the layers of his robe moving as if there was a breeze in the still room. The Dark Lord moved in a way that seemed unnatural, as if he hadn't quite grown accustomed to his reformed body. The image gave Severus the impression of a snake, slithering standing up across the floor. Severus looked into The Dark Lord's large, hollowed eyes, making a concerted effort not to cringe at his serpent-like appearance.
"My Lord, the attack was planned. They were waiting for us. Either we have an informant among us, or they had gained intelligence of our meeting site. If I hadn't been knocked off my broom and left for dead, I would have befallen the same fate as the rest," he explained as the Dark Lord stroked his snake, Nagini.
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"This has been the fifth attack in as many weeks. If there was a spy among you, then they are dead now," the Dark Lord said as if his problem had been solved for him.
"Yes, my Lord. We must be more cautious in the future not to reveal our hand" Severus offered.
"It does not matter. It won't be long now, Severus," Voldemort said.
"I am prepared, my Lord," was all he could bring himself to say. He left the Manor, knowing his trial was impending.
When Severus returned to Hogwarts, the darkness settled over him. Seeing Sirana fighting so valiantly had filled him with loving pride. She was impressive, and he could see why they wanted her to fight with them. It also filled him with regret for what he had sworn to do. He had to meet with Albus tomorrow, and he would implore him to change his mind.
Severus left the astronomy tower, having just begged Albus to release him from his oath. Albus had been unmoved by his plea. When he passed Potter on the way back, he stopped, but couldn't bring himself to say anything to the boy. He returned to his room to prepare himself for what would come soon. He hadn't slept well since Sirana left, and he felt the weariness fall upon him. He turned on the record player, feeling somber and alone, and sat in his chair thinking of his time with her. He leaned his head back, letting his mind drift through memories of his life. Lily...He wondered if she would have forgiven him the weakness of his youth. Harry...his eyes held his mother's
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Thunder
courage. Albus...he would sacrifice his own soul for this man. Sirana...she had renewed his spirit, and he now knew his own soul was worthy of his sacrifice. He felt her there, in his mind, and he touched upon their link. It steeled his courage. He heard the sound of thunder and felt the darkness creeping in. Whatever was his fate, it would be soon now.

Sirana made it back it to the rendezvous. It was a house that looked like several additions were added over the years, one on top of the other. It was the middle of the night, but there was a soft glow coming from one of the windows. She was the first to arrive. A tall, well-built man with ruddy red hair and a pleasant face came out to greet her.
"Come in, please. Did the others make it?" the man said, ushering her in the door.
"Yes, they should be right behind me," Sirana said.
He looked out the door, then closed it, turning to face her. "I'm Arthur Weasley. And you must be Sirana. I know your grandfather," he said.
"Nice to meet you," Sirana said.
They heard a noise outside. He went out and brought in the rest of the group that were supposed to meet here. He must have already known them, and he greeted them all jovially. A jolly woman with red hair came down the stairs and welcomed them to the kitchen.
"This is my wife, Molly. We've been waiting for your arrival. Molly, this is Sirana, Kane's granddaughter," Arthur said.
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A Soul Undiminished—Severus Snape
Molly had a kind, motherly face. She was short, only coming up to Arthur's chest. They were a lovely pair. She greeted Sirana kindly and brought them all drinks.
"How did it go? Did you lose anyone?" Arthur asked.
"It went well," Grayson replied. "Just as planned. Everyone made it. We were lucky this time."
Arthur breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. Two more members will meet you here tomorrow night.We'll go over plans when they get here. For now, you can all get some sleep. Molly will show you to your rooms. Our children are in school, so we have extra beds."
Molly led Sirana's grandfather away first. He looked beyond tired, and Molly must have noticed it. She came back for Finn and Ava next. Ava had done splendidly in the battle, despite her initial trepidation. Sirana noticed no one usually spoke directly following a mission, like they needed the night to move past the unpleasantries before going over the details.
Arthur spoke while they waited for Molly. "Some of my children are students of yours, Sirana. They are quite fond of you. I'm sorry you had to leave. I know they were told you had to care for your grandfather. Are you planning to return next year to teach?"
"I hope so," she said. "I really enjoy it." Albus had invited her to stay as long as she wanted. It seemed like really far in the future, considering she was happy to even survive week to week.
She knew who their children were, not only by their last
name, but by their hair color, which they all had in common.
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"As far as I'm concerned, she can work with me as long as she wants," Grayson said. She felt flattered, especially since he wasn't one to dole out compliments.
When Molly came back to get her, Arthur asked her to take Grayson next. "Go ahead, Grayson. I need to talk with Sirana for a moment." He poured her another drink.
"It's been great having your grandfather back full-time. He's done so much for the Order," Arthur said. "I've noticed the last few times I've seen him that he's looking more and more tired. Have you considered talking to him about not taking on so dangerous of missions? I didn't feel it was my place to ask him myself."
"Yes, I have. I've noticed the same," Sirana smiled sadly. "He said he will stop when he is no longer capable. I don't think it will be much longer, though I think he wants to see it through this war."
Arthur nodded. "Well, he's still one of our best. And I hear you're following well in his footsteps."
Sirana blushed. She was glad that she didn't let all of the praise go to her head, or she would probably float away.
Molly came back and took her to her room. She said it was her youngest daughter's. For a moment, Sirana envied Molly for her large family. Their home was full of warmth and love, and she could only imagine how much more so it would be with all of the children in it. She knew that her life would probably never include her own children, but she was content with her lot in life regardless.
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A Soul Undiminished—Severus Snape
"Thank you, Molly," she said, and snuggled into the soft, warm bed.
The next day, she spent helping Molly prepare for the evening meal as the two new members were supposed to arrive. It was nice to cook again, and they worked well together. Arthur was an attentive husband and would come in to offer help and flirt with his wife regularly. Sirana enjoyed their good-natured company, but she couldn't help but miss Severus. Suddenly, what was left of the evening light coming through the windows darkened. Arthur and Grayson ran outside to look. When they came back in, their expressions were bleak. She felt darkness come over her as well, and she reached out through her link with Severus, finding it too was tinged with darkness.