Always Watching by AidaLuthien
Summary: Severus Snape is bound to watch and wait.

This is AidaLuthien of Hufflepuff writing for the Great Hall Challenge, Illustration for Inspiration.
Categories: General Fics Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 1688 Read: 1303 Published: 06/14/12 Updated: 06/19/12
Story Notes:
Inspired by Justice's lovely illustration, Contemplation.

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Justice180482/DSC_2637_1.jpg

Thank you to my beta, noblefate.

1. Memories by AidaLuthien

Memories by AidaLuthien
Severus Snape spent his whole life watching. He watched Lily for weeks, almost a month, before he said anything to her. Watching her was his secret pleasure. She was a witch, like he was a wizard. He would finally have a friend among the hoards of confusing, angry Muggles. They were blind to how powerless they were. Someone would finally understand him. Still, he had to be sure. Her sister didn’t seem to be a witch. Maybe she was a Squib. Eventually, he discovered that she was Muggle-born, but it didn’t matter. Lily was a witch. She was his first friend, and his first and only love.

Though he liked Quidditch, he never played for his House team; he never played friendlies either. He was always in the stands. When he refereed the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match, it was the first time he was in the air for a real match. Even this ended up being tainted by the younger Potter.

The first Potter had saved his life. He would never be able to repay him for that - the man was dead, and because of Severus. More importantly, he owed Lily. Every day that he outlived her, he owed her. He needed to keep their son alive. The Chosen One. The only one who could kill the Dark Lord.

When he became a Death Eater, it was the first time he was actually doing something. Even if that something was finding Muggle-borns. Even if that something was torturing people he had once known. Then he became a spy, and he was helpless to prevent Lily’s death. He was relegated to watching once again. Watch the Death Eaters and report to Dumbledore. Watch Dumbledore and report to Lord Voldemort. Play both sides, and watch.

Even now, he was stuck watching. He was Headmaster of Hogwarts, and he could do nothing. He watched as Lord Voldemort held Charity Burbage’s suspended body over the table after letting Bellatrix torture her. The only thing he could do for her was to kill her quickly. She wouldn’t suffer anymore. One green flash of light and it was over. Charity was gone. His soul was torn again. How many more tears would it have before he finally met his maker?

With the Carrows as Professors of Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts and Deputy Headmasters, he was going to keep to his office. Dumbledore’s portrait had plans beyond the walls of Hogwarts, and unfortunately for them both, Severus was the only one who could execute them. Besides, the Dark Lord had sent him the Carrows. Severus couldn’t be positive, but the Carrows were probably there to be sure of his shaky loyalty. He wouldn’t be party to the torture of children, but if he couldn’t do anything about it, he was certainly not going to be there and watch. –I hope you’re happy, old man,” he growled at Dumbledore, stalking away before the portrait had a chance to reply. He had no desire to see the Carrows meting out punishment.

Everything was going to hell. This place had been his own refuge, and the Dark Lord had taken it from him. Now he couldn’t even feel safe in his own rooms. He lay down in the bed and stared at the ceiling. It still disturbed him that he had been taken from the dungeons to a tower top. Even if he knew that he couldn’t hear children’s screams, up here, so far away, he felt like he could hear the echoes.

He forced himself to relax. Severus knew himself well. He needed the sleep.

He was moments away from slipping into unconsciousness when Filch burst in the door. –Students! Trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor!”

He wanted to howl with rage. It wasn’t even the real sword, the blithering idiots! They were lucky that Filch had caught them instead of the Carrows. They were risking being Crucio-ed and for a fake sword.

–I will tend to them.” He put on a dressing gown and stalked out the door. –Make sure that you bring any students who need punishment to me.”

He didn’t wait for a reply.

Severus wasn’t surprised by the group of students who faced him.

The Weasley girl. Longbottom. Lovegood. Of course. The remnants of Potter’s band that hadn’t disappeared with him into the wilderness. They were the ringleaders of anti-Carrow action, just as they had been of anti-Umbridge action. With Potter, the Weasley boy, and Granger gone, these three had stepped up to take their places.

Weasley looked defiant, as did Longbottom. Lovegood looked implacable, like nothing at all was wrong. He held back a sigh. –You all have detention.”

Longbottom clasped an arm around Weasley and squeezed her shoulder. –With Hagrid,” Severus added. He wouldn’t send them to the Carrows. He wouldn’t send any of his students there, not if he could possibly help it. Surely, they couldn’t think so little of him that he would just send them to be tortured? Then again, he rarely cared what Gryffindors thought of him. Let them wonder. It would do no good for them to be spreading rumors about whose side he was on.

Lovegood looked puzzled, her brow wrinkling slightly. She looked ready to speak, but Weasley interrupted. Typical Gryffindor. –With Hagrid?” Her tone was almost incredulous.

He drew himself up and glared down his nose at her. –As I said, with Hagrid. Tomorrow, after dinner. Now, I will be escorting you back to your dormitories so that nothing else happens tonight.” If he escorted them, it would prevent the Carrows from catching them out of bed after hours and punishing them. He had already had to dissuade them from using the Cruciatus Curse immediately when a student misbehaved. He wasn’t sure how long it would last, especially if these three students and their like-minded compatriots insisted on irritating the Death Eaters. The trio of students glanced at one another and then Weasley shrugged slightly.

–Let’s go.” They passed the fake Sword of Gryffindor and Longbottom stared at it longingly. Weasley kept her head straight, and he had never been able to read Lovegood. They thought they were going to help Potter, but they had only succeeded in getting themselves in trouble. At least, Filch had caught them. All things in good time, he wanted to tell them. Potter will get the sword when I can find him... even if you did manage to get the sword, what were you going to do after that? Didn’t you realize that the Carrows would love the opportunity to Crucio the entire student body to find the sword? They will pull the answer from your screaming bodies, or make you watch as they Crucio the firsts. Or are you so eager to be made into martyrs? Such typical Gryffindor foolishness to make a grand gesture without a single thought about how to execute a conclusion. Salazar save him from the idiocy of Gryffindors.

The students were blessedly silent. Perhaps his ill-temper was obvious enough that they didn’t want to speak. Or, more likely, they didn’t want to let any hint of their future plans slip through. Either way, it was fine; he couldn’t deal with any more Gryffindor stupidity. How a smart woman like Minerva had gotten Sorted into that House, he would never know.

Gryffindor Tower was closer, so he herded the group along. Longbottom gave the password, and then he and Weasley climbed up into the portrait hole.

Lovegood kept looking at him strangely. Of course, she looked at most things somewhat strangely. They reached the door of Ravenclaw Tower. The bronze knocker spoke: –Where do Vanished objects go?”

Severus hated the Ravenclaw Tower door. He supposed it was the exact thing Rowena Ravenclaw wanted - to make sure that students of her House were actually worthy of it. It was still immensely irritating to be so philosophical to a door, just to convince it to open.

Lovegood was finishing her response, and thankfully for them both, the door swung open. –Good night, Headmaster,” she said, as the door swung shut.

It wasn’t a moment too soon, for as the door was closing, Amycus Carrow approached.

–What are you doing out of bed so late, Headmaster?” he asked, bobbing his head in a facsimile of a bow. His tone was just barely not mocking.

–Just a bit of insomnia. Too many years of staying up late, walking these halls. Nothing to be concerned about.” Severus kept his tone as neutral as he could possibly manage.

Amycus Carrow widened his eyes, trying to appear genuine. –Oh, well, you really ought to go back to bed, Headmaster.”

–Yes, I think I will, Amycus. It’s good to know that you and your sister are keeping the halls of Hogwarts so safe.” He doesn’t let his voice betray the bitterness he feels, but it’s a close thing.

He retreated to the safety of the Headmaster’s office, feeling Amycus’s eyes bore into his back. At least Severus was confident in his Legilimency skills. The Carrows had no experience in those kinds of arts.

He would have to send the fake sword away, or the idiot Gryffindors would just keep trying to get it. They probably wouldn’t get so lucky next time. They would be given over to the Dark Lord’s real torturers, probably Bellatrix and Rodolphus. He frowned at the fake sword. Who could he give it to?

Finally, he smiled to himself. Bellatrix. She had one of the deep vaults in Gringott’s. No one would be foolish enough to break in there. He could give her the fake sword, assure her that it was of grave importance to the Dark Lord.

Then he would just have to watch and wait. He had watched his entire life. He could stand to watch a little longer. He looked out the window at the castle grounds. He would have to wait.
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