I sighed. James was out on a mission for the Order again. And I was stuck at home, expected to just sit here while my husband and my friends risked their lives to fight Voldemort. I have to make sure the baby’s all right, the baby that I carry, the baby that might hold the future of the wizarding world in his tiny hands.
Damn that prophecy! It’s messing with our lives already, and the baby’s not even born yet. Imagine the effects when Voldemort starts to get a clue to our savior’s identity. Alice and I worry over this constantly, and there are weeks when I could kill Sev for being who he is, for turning against me. Days when I wish Dumbledore had never told me who had been the informant.
I’m wallowing again. Damn mood swings; making me feel like the world is against me just because I’m having a baby. The cycle’s starting all over again…within an hour, I’m sure I’ll be slap-happy or something, followed shortly by anger.
An owl just flew in the window. I get up to grab the letter attached to his leg, expecting it to be from James, telling me that he’ll be late for dinner again. It’s not, though; I don’t know who it’s from. Curious, I open it.
Lily Potter,
I have a delicate matter that needs a quick resolution that involves a common enemy I have with the Order, an organization I am sure you would love to assist. If you are interested in undertaking this mission, please come to the Hog’s Head tomorrow at eleven. Do NOT tell anyone.
Hmm…intriguing. Whoever this is knows a lot about me, at least about me right now. The possibility of becoming useful to the Order again is a strong lure. Or maybe I’m reading too much into this. Should I go? I want to; I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t interested. Is it the right thing to do? Maybe; this might be the Order’s only chance to catch a dangerous enemy.
I tell myself I’ll sleep on it, but deep down, I know I’ve made up my mind. I’m going.
~*~
The next morning I wait for James to leave. For some reason, he seems to take longer then usual, and gives me a suspicious glance when he thinks I’m not looking. Does he suspect something? Is this a trap? I think I’ve caught some of Moody’s paranoia.
Finally he leaves, and I pull on my wool cloak and Floo to the Hog’s Head. Looking around at the other patrons nervously, I sit down at the bar to wait. The barman passes me a Gillywater.
“Compliments of the man in the cloak,” he says when I protest, gesturing towards the end of the bar. The cloaked gentleman inclines his head in acknowledgement when he sees me looking.
I am about to take a sip when I remember Moody’s warning, “Never drink anything that you haven’t ordered or served yourself.” Setting it aside, I notice the note scrawled on the coaster.
Here is your mission, Mrs. Potter. I promise I’ll make it worth your while. If you kill Severus Snape, I will deposit 100,000 galleons into your Gringotts account. I don’t need to know the particulars; I don’t even want to know the particulars. Because I understand that this is a difficult decision, I won’t make you decide now. An owl will arrive at your house tomorrow at eleven. That gives you twenty-four hours to make your decision. I await your answer eagerly, Mrs. Potter.
This is what someone would call a “delicate matter”? I snort. I could go to Azkaban for this if I wasn’t careful! But 100,000 galleons! That could take care of Harry, James, and I for life! No more crowded one-bedroom apartment, no more scrimping and saving…we could travel the world like we’d talked about, before we had a taste of the real world and those troublesome things called “bills”. And think how much this could help the Order! All the supplies we need, Invisibility Cloaks, Dark Detectors…we could have it all!
I glance back at the cloaked man, trying to see if I can get an indication that he’s serious, but he’s not there; it’s like he was never there, and the note is the only proof I have that I haven’t dreamt this entire thing.
~*~
I toss and turn all night, making mental lists of pros and cons, and trying to justify each side to myself. The truth is, I want to do it. I want to escape the prison that is our apartment, to do something useful again. If I am honest with myself, I also want to get revenge on Snape. I want him to feel the same pain that I do, even though my pain is more emotional. I want to make him suffer, to make him regret that he ever passed the prophecy on. And the 100,000 galleons is a pretty strong temptation too. The things James and I could do with that money…well, it’s going to be pretty tough to pass up.
I try asking James if there are any missions for me to go on over breakfast, hoping against hope that there is something for me, some reason for me to take the easy way out and say no, without really making a decision, but he blows me off, saying that I need to rest, to save my strength and to not taking any chances with “our savior”. Something’s happened to him since we found out about the prophecy, something that I really don’t like. I know that he’s just trying to take care of me and our baby, but sometimes, I wish he wouldn’t. Today he’s even worse, the most condescending he’s been since we started going out. That, if anything, really cements my decision. When the owl comes flying in the window at eleven, I’ve already made my decision. My answer is written on a scrap of parchment and I’ve been staring at it for the last half-hour. Shaking my head to clear it of the cobwebs, I fix my answer onto the owl’s leg and watch the three words that will change my life forever fly away.
I’ll do it.
The Dark Lord smiled unnervingly at his Death Eaters. “You have your missions. Go to them, and bring me nothing but good news. You are dismissed.”
The figures opposite him did not move until he had turned his back on them to gaze into the blazing fire. Then, in one silent motion, they flipped their hoods up and exited the room in a single line. Only once the door had closed behind them did they dare to speak to each other, as they began to leave the building one by one.
Snape entered the dark alleyway, sidestepping around some stuff on the ground”likely garbage, he thought as he began to walk away. He looked up to see another cloaked man coming the opposite way, clearly not a fellow Death Eater. He gave a sharp nod to the man and continued walking.
“Excuse me! I think you dropped this.”
Snape turned around, startled, and saw what the man was holding; he appeared to have picked up a piece of paper from the ground. “I didn’t drop anything, sir.”
The man held it up and asked, “Are you sure?”
Snape snatched it from the man’s fingers and squinted at it, trying to read it in the dim light. His eyebrows flared up and he stepped back in shock as he saw the first words. Recovering quickly, he said, “I’ll take care of it,” and strode away toward a secluded place where he could Apparate back to Spinner’s End.
~*~
Back at Spinner’s End, Snape took off his cloak and turned on one of the lamps, holding the paper under its light, eager to get a closer look at what had shocked him earlier.
Severus Snape-- I have a proposition for you. Meet me at the Hog’s Head at noon tomorrow and I will make you an offer that you will never forget.
~*~
Fifteen minutes before the time specified on the note, Snape strode into the Hog’s Head and shook his head at the bartender, who was about to inquire as to his choice of beverage. He made his way through the empty bar towards the back, finally taking a seat at the dark corner table, and thrust off his hood to wait.
Before too long, a tall man swept into the bar, with the hood of his cloak drawn tightly to keep his face hidden. He, too, shook off the bartender and stared around until he saw Snape sitting in the corner. Taking the seat opposite, he took out a piece of parchment and slid it across the table with a gloved hand.
Severus Snape- I need you to kill Lily Potter for me. I have money to pay for your services, should you require it.
Snape frowned and shook his head at the slip of parchment before burying his face in his hands. Who would want to kill Lily? The Dark Lord would, but he wouldn’t have bothered with this charade. Spinner’s End is comfortable enough, and I love Lily”why on earth would I kill her? I won’t do it.
He was about to respond when another slip of parchment was handed across the table. As Snape looked down to read it, the stranger got up and walked out the door of the bar, leaving him to his thoughts.
You need persuasion? I have 100,000 galleons at my disposal. If you kill Lily Potter, I will deposit those 100,000 galleons into your Gringotts account. Leave a note informing me of your decision with the bartender before you leave today.
Snape just sat there in the Hog’s Head for another hour, pondering his decision.
~*~
When he finally left the bar and Apparated back to Spinner’s End, he heaved a long sigh, still thinking about his decision.
Lily loves Potter, he thought, not me. But why should I let that prat have her?
A hundred thousand galleons would last him a long time.
~*~
Back at the bar, the tall man opened the note and smiled.
Yes.
Without Reason by Ravenclaw_Soprano, LilyGinnyWrites92
Chapter Notes: As you probably know, neither of us is the amazing J.K. Rowling. We certainly don't own these characters, but we really like them!
Thanks goes out to hermione210, our guide, and Amber0_o, our beta. Lily is written by th_poet/Kate and Severus is written by Lauren/Ravenclaw_Soprano.