wednesday, september 3rd - 6pm; grimmauld place dining room
i hear footsteps coming down the stairs and dumbledore returns into the dining room. everyone is silent, all eyes turn onto him. he resumes position at the front of the table.
"i'd like to thank you all for so patiently waiting."
he continues,
"i have received intelligence that voldemort and the death eaters have left malfoy manor, and are now en-route to borgin and burke's."
i look at severus, whose eyes are focused straight onto dumbledore. i notice his jaw subtly tightens, as if expectant of what was to come.
"alastor, kingsley, sirius, remus, it's time." dumbledore began,
"severus, you know what to do."
snape gave a subtle nod.
"everyone else, please remain here and await our return. it is the safest place any of us could be right now."
snape suddenly stood up and made his way out of the room, not a second glance at anyone. not even me.
i look turn in my seat to look behind me, his cloak bellowing behind him as he briskly walks to the front door.
i look back to dumbledore, who informs kingsley and alastor that they will exit through the back door. he usher to sirius and remus, and the five of them quickly leave.
what the hell just happened?! no goodbyes or anything. what if any of them don't make it back?
everyone else resumes talking, and molly starts prepping dinner.
i suppose this is normal order behaviour then.
i contemplate following professor snape, but decide i don't want to risk ruining the mission. it doesn't stop me from becoming worried over him, though. why do i care so much?
i wonder how long it will take them to get back. i reckon a few hours.
in the meantime, i decide that i am going to go and visit the twins at the shop.
"hey molly, i know that dumbledore said to stay here, but can i go visit fred and george?"
arthur smiles, and so does she.
"ofcourse you can, dear. as long as you go straight there and back before dinner! there is some floo powder in the front room." she chuckles. i nod, and smile.
"thank you, see you later!" i hug her and arthur, and head into the front room.
"no later than 8!" arthur beckoned.
i take some floo powder and stand in the fireplace in the front room, uttering a clear "DIAGON ALLEY!".
dropping the powder, a warm green flame consumes me. in it's dissipation i face the familiar street, which is eerily empty.
i quickly walk into the shop, which is bustling with people, a far cry from the desertion outside.
i weave my way through the crowds and find fred using his wand to restock shelves. business must be good, as usual.
"freddie!" i smile, breaking his notice from his work.
"chlo," he returns the smile, opening his arms for a hug, an opportunity i gladly take, and we embrace tightly.
"where's george?"
"he's working on a new invention of ours in the back. come on, i'll show you."
we walk through a door, and into the anterior segment of the building.
sat infront of a desk, i see george tinkering on what looks like a chocolate bar.
he turns as he hears us walk in, and a massive grin appears on his face.
"chlo!" we hug.
"whatcha working on?" my gaze diverts to the curious-looking treat.
"we call it shockalate! it's chocolate that electrically shocks its consumer - not fatally of course, but enough to cause a fright!"
"wow! i can think of someone i would love to use that on." i laugh.
"here, have some. it's still a bit temperamental, but if it's intended for who i think it is, there are no unfavourable outcomes." george smirks.
draco malfoy. we all hated that git.
"thank you georgie... i place the chocolate bar in my bag... also guys, did you know snape's in borgin and burke's right now? WITH you-know-who?"
the twins both said "yea" in unison, unsurprised and unenthusiastic.
"are you not the slightest bit tempted to go and spy? i mean, it's right down the road!"
"i mean... we had thought of it, really, but it's not worth it."
fred laughs.
i roll my eyes.
"but what if he's in danger?"
"snape? in danger? chlo, something must be wrong with you." george laughed.
"besides, they can't know that snape's working for us. us showing up there would be blowing his cover." fred added.
"i guess you're right. i just feel so helpless.. you know.. about how we can't do anything to help the order."
i look down, my hand grazing a nearby wooden countertop.
"it's less than a year until graduation, and then we'll be able to be inducted." george said reassuringly.
"that's true." i smile.
the three of us spend the next hour or so chatting about hogwarts (and the lessons we're missing while all of this is happening), you-know-who's arrival, what we think the order might be doing to stop him and the upcoming yule ball.
"so... have you boys asked anyone to the dance yet?"
fred blushed, and george smirked.
"fred asked angelina johnson the other day. she said yes ofcourse."
i grinned. "that's brilliant! freddie, why didn't you tell me!?"
"i don't think he can believe it himself." george sniggered, nudging fred's shoulder.
"what about you, chlo?" fred spoke up, his blush fading slightly.
YOU ARE READING
when lights go down | severus snape
Romancechloe swanboro is a seventh-year ravenclaw student at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry in the year 1995. she'd be lying if she said she hadn't always had a harmless crush on her infamous potions professor, severus snape. and that's all it...
