With Heavy Hearts and Open Minds

[Deleted]

That knot in his stomach had been, as he had assumed, correct. Théodore could practically smell trouble when it started to brew, and he had known all too well that the attack on Hogsmeade would not have been a standalone event. That would have been too easy – Hogsmeade was a mecca for the wizarding world, a getaway and the home away from second home for so many Hogwarts students, sure, but it wasn’t vital enough. Voldemort had been trying to get into Hogwarts for so long now, to break down the infrastructure and turn it into something he could shape, mold, and ultimately tear apart at his will. At least, that was how Théo understood it. Call him crazy, but it wasn’t exactly a bad plan. If you controlled Hogwarts, you controlled Britain’s wizarding youth. That was essential, and Voldemort knew it. Truthfully, Théodore’s challenge had been getting down to the how, not the what and the why. Luckily for him, (and unluckily for the reputation of Slytherin house.) there were a few bulbs that appeared to be dimmer than the rest lumbering around the dungeons of the centuries old castle they called home for the majority of their year. Gregory Goyle, the son of an unfortunately deceased and not much smarter Death Eater had been Théodore’s golden ticket to learning the plot. Voldemort’s sudden obsession with werewolves could be risky, but it wasn’t necessarily a poor plan if he worked it right. No one could really be sure what he was trying to do here, not without being told directly at least. Werewolves were reckless, so trying to control them would likely end in the shed blood of the few precious followers that Voldemort had left. While the Death Eaters were sometimes seen as expendable, the scale at which the Dark Lord was working would require a great number of his dwindling groups of followers. He needed his strength, and likely would not go to such lengths. That left only one option: destruction. It was Théodore’s speculation that Voldemort simply wanted the blood to spill. This also wasn’t a bad plan – it was simply reckless. The lycanthropy virus was tricky, discreet, and was now being put into the food of select members of Hogwarts populous. It was enough to make his stomach churn in fear for his three siblings still in the school. He hoped, desperately at that, that his younger siblings were not at risk. This virus, Goyle had said, was not a sure-fire thing. That was something of a relief. Regardless, Théodore wanted to make sure that Aimee, Segolene, and Remi were safe. Unfortunately, he had no real way of ensuring that – especially because he had no idea if they’d ingested any of the potion. Sego, he assumed, was safe enough, but Remi and Aimee? They weren’t Slytherins, and to him? That was cause enough to assume they were potential targets. Before he’d been able to pin the brutish young boy to a wall with a wand to his throat to interrogate further about the safety of the Rochfort children, they’d been interrupted by a throng of first years on their way to a potions lesson. Goyle had, luckily sensed that Théo’s mood and his patience were slipping quickly and he had taken off as fast as his chunky little legs could carry him, leaving Théodore little choice but to combat the hoard of eleven and scattered twelve year olds – Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws this go around – in an effort to get back to the Slytherin common room, where he found himself spending more time than he should have. There had been several nights that he’d fallen asleep on the couch while perusing a book, rather than going back to the quarters that had been provided for him on the first floor with the other Ministry members. The Slytherin common room with its cool floors, the occasional glimpse of merfolk and the giant squid through the underwater windows, and the flickering of the magically tinted green fire still felt too much like home, and it was too easy to get back into his old habits. That was where he found himself now, stretched out on one of the soft cushioned couches with his feet propped up on one of the arms, a book folded on his chest and his eyes closed as he tried to breathe away the stress that came with the worry he held for the younger members of his little clan. Regardless of whether he supported blood supremacy or blood equality, his family came first, and looking out for them was top priority. It was yet another reason by he was so damn obedient and so willing to serve. He had seen what happened to the loved ones of those who slipped up – if the Dark Lord doubted you, there was no question of who he would attack first, or rather, who he would force you to attack first in order to prove your loyalty. Théodore had learned that quickly enough.

snape | 863 | come at me bro

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Setting aside a vial of experimental Wolfsbane base, Severus cleared up his work area and finished jotting down his notes before leaving and locking up his lab. Rubbing his wrists with a slight grimace, Severus moved to the carved oak box that was nestled between a row of Healing journals and a set of medical encyclopaedia and opened it with a tired wave of his hand. Pulling out a simple jar of an unassuming pale green, almost white substance, Severus unscrewed the lid with another tired wave and applied the salve with practiced motions to the weary joints. Once he had applied the proper amount, Severus put the salve away and looked about his quarters. He had noted it empty before, but now he was certain that Lucas was not about. Waiting a few more moments for the salve to start working, Severus ran a frustrated hand through his hair, already predicting the failure of his current advance, by picking apart its every ingredient in his mind in a manner only one as analytical and borderline eidetic as Severus could manage. Needing a distraction from his work, Severus left his quarters in search of Lucas only to find himself accosted by a small gathering of teary eyed first year Slytherins who this far into the semester were still having difficulty being so far from home. The four of them had banded together very early on, and Severus knew they would likely hold tight to one another from now until graduation. Until that far off day, however, there was only one adult whom any of them felt safe enough with to express their many panics with. Ushering them into his quarters, Severus sat them down on the couch and marvelled at how the four of them managed to tuck themselves in close enough to leave room on what was by rights a two seat chesterfield. They were like kittens. Shaking his head, Severus set about making tea as Clara confessed that she’d been having nightmares about losing her parents again. He added a dose of pure chamomile to each, a dollop of honey and milk, and cooled them to a temperature that wouldn’t scald the small hands he set them into as he listened to the quiet, watery words with due gravity. Taking a seat, he remained quiet as each child went through their various nightmares and worries. Werewolves came up quite a few times, and so did the names of a couple of second year Gryffindors who seemed intent on striking the fear of Merlin into the poor serpents. By the time they finished, the children were quite tired out by their tears and the release of stress, not to mention the judicious application of a sleeping agent in their tea. Gently, Severus assured each of them that their parents were very capable adults and that werewolves were in no way capable of biting through stone. Nor were they capable of flight. Once they seemed settled and convinced of these solemn truths, Severus took the cups from them and waved them up. Aubrey had fallen asleep midway through Demetria’s story, so the Head of Slytherin placed a featherweight charm on the child and simply picked him up. With silent motions, Severus ushered his sleepy first years out of his quarters and into the hall. Together, the little group made their way to the Slytherin Common Room, where Clara yawned the password for them all to slip through. Careful not to jostle Aubrey, Severus raised a brow when the first thing he noticed was a Slytherin alumni lounging on one of the couches as though he had completely forgotten he had graduated Hogwarts three years ago. He gave Théodore a bemused look before carrying on to the girls dormitory and making sure they all settled in, before carrying Aubrey to the boys dorm and tucking him in, resisting the urge to snort at the fact the child barely even budged the entire time. Cancelling the charm, Severus hushed the boys who woke up upon his intrusion and tucked them back in as well before heading back to the main common room. Stepping over to Théodore, Severus looked down at him a moment before stating mildly, ”Some things never change, do they, Mister Rochfort?” Now whether Severus meant the fact that he was still carrying first years to bed, or Théodore’s lamentable habit of putting his feet up on the furniture was anyone’s guess.

Théodore | 742 | I died.

[Deleted]

Dozing off in the comfortable common room was far too easy to do for Théodore, who had made a habit of it a thousand times over during his time as a student at Hogwarts. There had been countless nights where he’d pass out on this very couch and would mysteriously wake up in his bed – at least for the first three years. After that he’d rise in the same place he had fallen victim to his dreams, only when he would wake, he would find himself tucked beneath the thick fleece blankets of green and silver that often hung over the back of the couches. He’d come, after a while, to love the common rooms than his own dorm. It was certainly quieter there during the wee hours of the morning when his dorm mates were snoring, sleep talking, or having night terrors. Besides that, the gentle lap of the water against the windowpanes juxtaposed with the steady crackle of the ever-burning green fireplace created the perfect soundtrack for easy dreaming. Théo didn’t stir when Snape passed by him with the first years in tow, and when the Head of House returned he had only seemed to fall deeper into his dosing nap. The familiar, slow drawl of Severus Snape’s voice was what dragged him from his light slumber, prompting him to rub at his face before curling his fingers into his hair and stretching out. He took his time with this, trying to get his body and his mind up to speed with each other so that he could produce something intelligent in the form of words. Finally Théo opened one eye as he smacked his lips, staring up at the Professor he’d known and very nearly coveted during his seven years at Hogwarts. He yawned and stretch, body shivering in pleasure as the muscles came back to life. The other eye opened and he blinked wearily up at Severus, lips turning up into the smallest of grins. It had been some time since he’d seen the other male, who Théo supposed had gotten rather wrapped up in the whole teaching business. It would make sense at the very least, and truthfully Théodore could not hold it against him. Severus Snape appeared a very cold man to those who did not know him, but he was as good as any father figure to those in his house. He cared for those that no one else would, and that earned him a great deal of respect in Théodore’s eyes. “Professor.” He spoke slowly, voice hoarse and heavy with sleep. Théo looked around the empty common room before peering down at himself and giving a small shrug and a slightly wider lopsided grin. “I suppose not. What are you doing up? Surely you’ve got lessons early in the morning.” Truth be told, Théodore had a fairly good idea of what Severus was doing up at this hour. It all went back to him being impossibly good to his students, as he, (Théo assumed) had been the entire time that he had been head of house. Sitting up, Théodore tugged his sleeves down, carefully giving his arm a once over to be sure he hadn’t smeared any of the make-up he had applied to hide the slithering mark on his arm. Once his appraisal was completed and he was certain that not even the faintest shadow on the mark could be seen, and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. He was practically beaming now, knowing how Snape felt about shoes on the furniture, as he folded his arms casually behind his head and looked up at the professor once more. “It’s good to see you again, sir. Been busy?” Théodore’s tone held a formality to it, and a note of respect. He knew better than to outright verbally sass Severus Snape, unless you were looking for a slap to the back of your head. Severus knew him well enough, of course, to know that anything that sounded smart was probably nothing more than a little joke. Théodore had cherished his relationship with Snape immensely, both in and out of school, and would do nothing to threaten it. “I suppose you have,” He continued, a singular brow raised. “With the werewolves attacking and what not. I reckon you’ve likely dealt with your fair share of idiots trying to compare Slytherins to those damned Death Eaters.” His grin turned into more a sneer as his next words came out, laces with a laugh. “How dare they.”

snape | 754 | so many years ago. But you can make me feel like it isn’t so.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Severus watched mildly as Théodore slowly came to, stretching himself out before him with the languid grace of a sleepy cat. The child had grown to be a man attractive enough that even Severus noticed it, which was somewhat irksome considering the fact that Severus made a rather deliberate habit of not noticing such details. Flicking his gaze immediately from the display before him, Severus thinned his lips and resisted the urge to knock the younger man’s feet off the couch in retaliation – though what, exactly, Severus was retaliating against even he wasn’t entirely certain. Severus granted Théodore a rather bland look at his question, choosing to be kind and attribute something so foolish to the fact that the younger man had just woken up. Of course he had lessons in the morning. This was, first and foremost, an institution of learning. His sleeping patterns, however, were hardly anything that needed to be discussed at any point in time in this common room. As such, rather than answer, Severus merely crossed his arms and waited for something a little more intelligent to fall from Théodore’s lips. He knew, after all, that the boy was indeed quite quick with his wits. Perhaps they simply needed time to warm up. As though determined to prove him wrong, Théodore proceeded to spend a bit too much attention on his left arm after tugging down his sleeves, only to turn around and prop his feet up on the coffee table. The brightness of the grin he was getting from the young man was pure cheek and he knew it, so naturally, Severus raised his hand and flicked his wrist, causing the coffee table to remove itself from beneath Théodore’s feet by scooting just out of reach. “As busy as one might expect,” Severus conceded, stating a vast majority of things in a singular sentence. They were both Death Eaters, both fully well aware of the events in Hogsmeade and the latest plans of the Dark Lord – as appraised as anyone could be in that regard, anyway. Naturally this on top of his usual teaching and Head of House duties made him a very occupied man. ”As are you, I should imagine.” And again, there was much said that went unspoken. A member of the Ministry – an Obliviator no less – was bound to be run off their feet at this point in time. Not to mention the enforced Hogsmeade restoration roster. At Théodore’s following statement however, Severus found his gaze narrowing. ”Hardly a topic of levity, Mister Rochfort, though yes. Quite daring, I should say. Is there a reason you have chosen to commandeer the common room couch this evening?” The question was delivered in such a way that it was clear Severus believed there might be cause for a reason, but he was inviting Théodore to explain himself rather than provide the young man with an easy out. The Ministry volunteers were very deliberately not permitted beyond the first floor, for security reasons. Severus would of course overlook this – Théodore was one of his serpents, graduated or not – but if it was to become a habit then there had best be a reason he could present to the Headmaster should any questions arise.

Théodore | 742 | I died.

[Deleted]

The pout that suddenly took over Théodore’s features as the coffee table scooted out of reach was nearly pathetic, his heels flopping to the floor with about as much grace as a first year handling a juvenile mandrake. His arms moved from beneath the base of his skull to fold over his chest, hanging there a bit lazily in a display that showed he was quite far from being truly upset. It took a bit more than a displaced coffee table to grind on the young man’s nerves, and Snape knew that perhaps a bit too well. There would never come a day when Théo would tire of the slow, almost monotone drawl of Severus Snape’s voice. It had been his source of solace in his years at Hogwarts. Whenever there was a problem, that droning tone was always there to pick him up and set him on the path to contentment again. The effects were not going to ebb away from the forefront of his mind for a while. It was shocking, how differently Snape conducted himself dependent upon his surroundings. Severus was a man that could be counted as almost fatherly in the privacy of the Slytherin common rooms or after hours in his quarters, while in the classroom he could very easily be seen as a bit of a dictator. If anything, it was his teaching methods that made him so good at his job – most students were too terrified by the end of their first year to do anything but well in his lessons. Théodore gave a slight nod in acknowledgement to the professor’s current state of industriousness, conceding in his own right that he, too, was quite busy. Unfortunately for the obliviator his reasoning for being so tied up at the moment was not one he had explicitly or willingly signed up for. Duty called, it seemed, and it was his responsibility to go above and beyond that call. That was what being a ministry worker meant, and it was, in truth, only a small detriment. Théo had been lucky to find an opening in his dream job right out of Hogwarts, and he wasn’t usually one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Quite,” He spoke finally, hands folding into a steeple against his stomach. “More so than usual at the very least.” Snape’s level of disapproval at the young wizards attempt at a joke did not go unnoticed, and he quickly wiped the majority of the wide grin from his features. Even after all this time he still knew the tone of Severus’ voice that told him explicitly that he was bordering on utterly unamused. Théodore was relieved of any worry quite quickly then the Head of House changed the topic. The obliviator should have known that he would fall prey to this particular line of questioning, particularly when it had been made quite clear that Ministry workers were to remain confined to the first and ground floors. That set of rules, however, did not particularly suit Théodore’s needs. His curiosity had long since gotten the better of him, and he was glad it had. He had all the information - from the loaf of a boy that was Goyle -that he needed to understand what was going on. Rolling his shoulders and his neck, Théodore took a moment to mull over his possible answers. Surely Severus knew, to some extent, what was going on so saying as much would be a waste of breath and a security risk at best. Deciding to keep it relatively vague, the wizard shrugged. “I was curious to know what was going on in the lives of my former schoolmates.” His lips had curled into their previous smirk again, eyes telling volumes more than his words did. “I was quite curious. I’ve since been brought up to speed by one Gregory Goyle and all is well. I was going to return to the quarters that the headmaster has so graciously provided for us, but I found myself getting a bit homesick. Surely you understand, Sir.” Though there was plenty of potential for his words to turn into the cheek he so often relied on, they managed to remain rather honest. He did mean them, and surely Snape would know as much. “If anyone asks, of course, you can attribute my being in the common room to my wanting to visit my little sister. I did want to check up on her, so you wouldn’t be lying. I seem to have missed her, but no one needs to know that, now do they?” He took a moment to pause and think. “How is she doing, by the way? Over the holidays she had said that she was struggling in a few of her classes. Has that situation been mended?”

snape | 802 | ba da bing, ba da boom.

[SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE]

Ignoring the all too childish pout for Théodore’s own benefit, Severus concentrated more acutely on what the young Obliviator’s other behaviours indicated. It was clear that the young man still felt completely at ease in the Slytherin Common Room, but more than that it seemed that the three years in which he had spent working at the Ministry had yet to cleanse him of the habits he had formed as a student. He still had no respect for furniture, fell asleep where he ought not to, and had enough faith in his Head of House to be borderline cheeky. There was something to be said about fostering loyalty in them while they were young, not that Severus ever deliberately planned it that way. More often than not his serpents cut their ties with their old professor without a glance back, for which Severus was quite grateful. He had no wish to collect his students as Slughorn did, nor did he wish to acquire tokens or acts of gratitude. As far as Severus was concerned, to take advantage of such things set a precedent that would make him untrustworthy to future generations who would undoubtedly have need of him. So, naturally, Severus declined those few who attempted to offer services or artifacts as they aged and prospered and in so doing, secured the trust of the generation that needed him currently. Were Severus a more politically minded man, having a youthful Obliviator in his pocket would undoubtedly be counted as useful. As it was, Severus was far more concerned about the fact that this child – for Théodore’s actions remained very firmly on the level of child for Severus – was currently in the pocket of the Dark Lord and was, therefore, not to be trusted for a second in these halls. A delicate game indeed. Noting the way Théodore’s smile vanished however, Severus saw fit to relent somewhat and direct their conversation elsewhere, which resulted in an unwarranted surprise. The young fool had interrogated a student – if he had been caught – Pushing that thought aside in favor of concentrating on what Theodore had to say about his discoveries – which in true Slytherin fashion was not much and yet a very great deal at the same time. What Théodore did not say more than made up for what he did. His brow went up incrementally at the suggestion he attribute the Obliviator’s presence in the Slytherin Common Room to the need to check on his younger sibling and simply responded, ”Naturally.” There were times when Severus wondered if people stated the obvious simply to make conversation. He always had been a bit reticent with his words, choosing to state only that which needed to be said and perhaps that attributed to the many factors as to why his company only marginally agreed with most people. At the more genuine interest in Segolene, Severus relented once more, his expression softening ever so slightly. ”Segolene is performing adequately in most of her classes now,” He responded, knowing that Théodore would recognize the fact that adequate to his old Head of House was something close to exceeds expectations to most other professors at the school. ”She has not brought any concerns to me,” he assured the young Obliviator, knowing precisely how that would be translated to a Slytherin; if one didn’t go to Professor Snape about their troubles, it meant that all was well, or that the situation was manageable. As mad as it might be for students of other houses to realize, such a thing as that was as great a comfort as Severus could offer.

Théodore

[Deleted]

Severus had not changed in the few short years since Théo had left Hogwarts, but to say that he had expected the Head of House to do so even slightly would be a lie. Snape had always been the same, short with his words but always saying so much in every other way. The look of slight disapproval on his features was one that, at one point, would have cut Théodore to the core, as Severus had certainly been something of a role model in his time at Hogwarts. Now though, it amused the Oblivator more than anything else. His time as a Death Eater had taken a less than favorable turn for the worse, any humility long since swept away and replaced with a sense of arrogance that he often had to fight to hide. The only time it seemed to rear away and hide was when he was in the presence of higher-ranking members of the group, and truthfully Théodore thought (rather stupidly) of Severus as an equal. He felt no need to hide himself around the instructor. The wizard gave a nod at his former professor's words about his sister and stood, stretching. He paced a bit, towards the opposite end of the couch before perching himself on the arm of the leather-covered piece of furniture. Drawing his wand, he gave a quick scope of the room before murmuring muffilato, a cautionary measure though he had little intention of saying too much to Severus - at the very least Théodore knew better than to discuss anything too deeply here in the halls of Hogwarts where everything got back to the Headmaster. Besides that, Théo did respect Albus Dumbledore enough to not intentionally damage anything within his school. Turning his gaze back to Snape, Théodore tucked his wand away into his pocket again, hand slipping in afterwards and resting there. "I suppose you have some idea of what's going on then, Professor?" He questioned gently, though his voice took on a note of curiosity. "And you understand that it has already begun and likely cannot be stopped?" Théodore had to wonder just how much Snape did know. Severus had been a protector to the students of Hogwarts whether he knew it or not, and for a death eater his intentions had always seemed remarkably pure when it came to children, much like Théo's. The entire situation that was currently being undertaken by a handful of Slytherin students was enough to make the young and sometimes arrogant boy's stomach churn. Children were not weapons and should not be used as such, and yet here they were. It had been his first real clue that Voldemort was truly hell-bent on his quest, and though he would never admit it, the initial knowledge of what was going on was enough to make Théo doubt, even if only for a moment. He had recovered quickly, of course, reassuring himself the way he had been conditioned to that all was done for a reason, and that sometimes sacrifices had to be made as a means to an end. He didn't have to like it, but he had to support it... or at the very least deal with it. There was no second-guessing when it came to Voldemort. Once you committed yourself, you gave him your whole self, regardless of his decisions or your morals fighting you every step of the way. Innocent blood must always be shed as a stepping stone to the conclusion of a noble cause. History had told the world as much, and the world had never truly begun to question it. Théo saw no reason to start now. Hanging his head as he shook away his thoughts, Théo let forth a quiet sigh. "When is the next full moon?" He questioned, an innocent enough query even if Severus was unaware of what was happening right beneath his nose. If anyone knew the schedules of the full moon, it would be the school's potions master, what with Remus Lupin once again working the halls as a paid member of staff. He ran a hand through the thick tufts of dirty blond atop his head. "If I may, I suggest you brew an extra batch of wolfsbane."

snape | 725