And Counting || Silvanna Snape

Chapter Fifteen

Thirty-nine Chesire Way was a terraced house in a nice part of London, the kind that was neat but homely; pretty and cosy. When she saw the cherry-coloured front door she new she had the right place, and that she'd remembered the number correctly for when Marlene had told her. The iron knocker was shaped as a lion's head, and she slammed the ring down against the wood a few times, before a child's cries sounded from somewhere inside.

*****

 Lily Potter had just checked Harry was still asleep in bed, before heading back down to the kitchen collecting her hot chocolate. It was now lukewarm, and the cream on top had melted into mush. James and Sirius's empty mugs were in the sink, and she thought they must be listening to the radio in the front room while they each waited for Peter to come back from whatever Order business Professor Dumbledore had assigned him the night before.

 As the knock came from the door Lily rolled her eyes and sighed inwardly. She'd told the boys not to put the latch on the door when Harry was sleeping. Sure enough, his cries filled the air, drifting down the stairs.

 James's head appeared around the door, smiling gently, eyes sparkling. 'I'll sort him,' he said, before disappearing once more. His footsteps thudded upstairs, and she threw the drink down her throat before unlocking the door to let Peter in, wand in hand. Just in case Moody had told them, and for once they'd all listened.

 Except it wasn't Pete. It was the very last person she'd expected. Her hair was matted and flat, her lips cracked and stained. Old tears tracked her cheeks, dried flakes of leftover mascara encrusting them, and when Lily looked down she saw a blood-soaked shirt, now crusty and dry, but still sticking to her torso, and her nails were flecked with blood. It was evident that Silvanna Black knew what she looked like, because her eyes were wide, the whites of them pleading and the bags underneath making her whole face look much older than it was.

 'James!' she found herself cry, as Silvanna lurched forward. She raised her wand, prepared to defend herself from the on-coming attack, but it never came. Instead, she thrust her own wand into her free hand, and if Lily hadn't caught her she would've fallen straight to the floor.

 Sirius rushed around the corner and James clattered down the stairs, but both froze when they saw Lily propping up a body against the wall and swiftly closing the door behind her. And when James saw it was a blood-stained, unconscious Silvanna Black, he carefully made his way down the stairs.

 All was quiet in thirty-nine Chesire Way, except the four shaking breaths at the bottom of the stairs.

'Should we call a Healer?' James asked eventually.

 But Lily pointed out, 'The blood is dry.'

'Should we call Dumbledore?' he suggested instead, but this time Sirius shook his head.

 'We should wake her up first.' Nobody questioned why he thought this, only accepted that he seemed to know what he was talking about, and when they hesitated he only said, 'She's my sister-in-law, let's wake her up.'

 They took her into the living room, layed her on the sofa, and Lily sent James to get a cup of water while she revived her.

*****

 Silvanna did not immediately remember why she woke up to Lily Potter's face, but when she did she sank inwards, dread filing her up like rock in a mountain. As she sat up she saw Sirius, and then James holding a glass of water to her. When she didn't take it he placed it on a side table with a little clunk. Then she saw their wands, clutched in their hands, and realised none of them were sat like she was.

 'I'm sorry,' she croaked.

 Sirius narrowed his eyes, 'What for?'

'I-' But how could she apologise when all she had done was try to help? She shouldn't have come here, she could see that now. But she also shouldn't have shouted at Marlene, shouldn't have left it to someone else to sort Peter out. Look at the consequences of the things she shouldn't have done. 'Would you like me to leave?'

 'No,' James said firmly, 'we'd like you to explain what you're doing here.' James had been the only one whose polarity had scared her, how fast he had been to adapt to her new situation and shun her, even if it was to protect them all. It hurt to be here, looking at them as though they were strangers.

 'Marlene is dead.' Lily paled and James's gaze went steely.

 Sirius fidgeted, and then said, 'Did you kill her?' She shook her head. 'Do you know who did?' She nodded. 'Who?'

 'I'm sorry,' she whispered again.

 'You keep saying that,' James said, 'but you won't say what for. Leaving us with no explanation, endangering us, killing Marlene, marrying a fucking Death Eater!'

 'James!' Lily hissed, but he paid her no mind.

 'And then you come into my house, where I'm raising my son, and you say you're sorry? What are you sorry for Black?' He finished, his chest heaving and his face red.

 'Did you kill Marlene?' Sirius repeated.

 'No.'

 'Who did?'

 Peter. The answer was right there but it would kill them to say. It would kill them not to say. She became aware of crying upstairs, and remembered James talking about his son. Harry, Marlene had said. They were a sweet little family, and all she had to do was say one name to save them. Funny, how all these years, all this fighting and training, had led to one word; the name of a friend.

 There was a knock at the door, and James moved to leave and answer it.

 'Don't,' she urged, and he turned back to her, eyes boring into her mind, not even blinking when Lily placed a soft hand on her knee. 'It's Peter. He's the spy.'