The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Boggart

"Lucius," Narcissa mumbled, almost too tired to be exasperated. "Is your mark of servitude bothering you?"

Lucius turned agitated eyes over to look at her. She knew how much he hated his scar being called that, but her judgement was dulled thanks to how late in the evening it was. "Yes, one could say that," he hissed, while harshly presenting his forearm outwards.

Narcissa couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

Now fully awake, she couldn't help but stare at the small, inky, poisonous viper that was crawling up and down Lucius's skin.

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Severus Snape threw dark Death Eater robes over his shoulders. He put his mask in one of the expansive pockets, so he could put it on right before apparating to the site where the Dark Lord wished for him to appear.

Tonight's calling felt especially painful. Usually, when the Dark Mark flared up, it felt like someone had lit his arm on fire. This time, however, gave him the feeling that someone was pressing a hot iron onto his flesh. Severus desperately hoped the Dark Lord wasn't angry... especially not at him.

A niggling thought at the back of his head warned him to not go to that night's meeting. He ignored that voice, pushing it back. If he wasn't spying for the headmaster, what was he good for? He had no other life purpose. But what if you do?

He ignored the voice, yet again.

Severus scribbled down a message to Harry on a piece of parchment, in case the young man were to wake up and notice he was gone. It explained that he was away at a meeting. He would know what that meant. He left the note resting on the table in front of the mirror close to the front doors. Typically the man avoided looking at the mirrors in his house, but something... drew him to look at his face. Something about it seemed different. Severus never was a vain person, but something did look markedly disparate. Did the stress lines on his face look less severe? Or maybe his mouth appeared less downturned? He couldn't really tell, not in this terrible lighting.

He silently strode out the front doors. He was careful to be quiet, lest he disturb the three inhabitants inside. He knew that Harry was a very light sleeper. He cautiously let the door close.

Severus disapparated with a very audible pop.

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Harry sat up, startled. Nagini's head rose sleepily at his sudden movement, curious. A loud sound had woken him up, and his mind was filled with a sense of foreboding. As if in a dream, he pushed back his covers and set his feet on the floor. It was moments like these when he was glad that he slept with a shirt and trousers on.

Nagini uncoiled as best as she could from the bedframe. Harry couldn't help but wonder if it was hard being such a huge snake. Her muscles shuddered as she stretched out as far as she was able. "What issss it, Army-Leader?" she hissed quietly.

"I heard a noissse coming from outside," Harry responded. "I think it'ssss worth invessstigating."

Careful not to wake Dudley, picked up his wand tip-toed out of the room. Nagini did the best she could. It sounded like the sound came somewhere near the front doors, so he made his way over there. There didn't seem to be anything amiss with the scene he saw. He shot a confused look over to his snake, and placed his hand on the doorknob.

Before he opened it, however, his eye caught a slip of white paper that was resting on a table that was about waist height. He picked it up, not really expecting to see anything other than a blank sheet. Surprisingly, it had writing on it.