Severus Snape sped off towards the Death Eater camp, and gingerly touched the bandage on his neck wound to discover that it was bleeding through yet again. He was getting tired of patching it up, ever since his revival from the vicious attack by Nagini - Being a snake cursed and bestowed with dark magic, the venom itself was not ordinary. The wound just would not heal, as much as he tried in every way possible. The new anti-venoms within his stores seemed to keep it at bay, but it just would not dissipate from his system. Since the attack, the poison would send him into excruciating pain all over his body, as it flowed to every corner of his vascular system. The anti-venom was the only thing preventing the venom from destroying his heart completely. Even still, the few vials he had left with him could only do so much.

Arthur Weasley was lucky enough to have the right care, but at that point, Nagini was not bestowed with additional magical protection. Severus just happened to be highly unlucky.

Severus realised he had given Potter the last vial of the Blood Replenishing potion and cursed himself for not bringing more with him. The rest of his stores were back in the Potions lab – A place he would not be able to get to anytime soon.

At this point, he had departed from sending the students off to Hogwarts with the rescued children, and he made his way hastily back to the discovered base to tend to the victim – he presumed her already dead, but he had to make sure. If the woman was still alive, he could at least tend to her wounds before the Aurors show up to take over. Either way, he needed to keep a low profile. He was still a highly wanted man.

Severus reached the campsite with extreme caution. He lit his wand with Lumos and proceeded to scout the grounds for any sign of further hostile activity. Treading carefully, he observed the animalistic cage in which the children were held and noticed rusty broken chains within. Severus's eyes glossed over. The wretched Death Eaters had chained the children within the cage, like animals. The man had seen this before throughout the first and second Wizarding War. During his time as a Death Eater, he was always absolutely against harming children in any form. However, within the ranks of the Dark Lord, Severus was often tasked with escorting them to their fate. But that also meant he had no other choice but to watch helplessly as they were frightened and tortured by his colleagues. He tried desperately to save who he could, but often, his efforts were useless.

No one could forget the young ones who died by the Dark Lord's hands. Especially when they died before his eyes, and their terrified piercing cries were enough to haunt the man forever. Even Occlumency was not enough to help shift it away from the forefront of his mind, and he had no choice but to become numb to it.

He found the poor woman sprawled awkwardly on her back only a few meters from the cage. Realisation hit him instantly as he knew they had tortured her in front of the children. The man released the breath he held and knelt gently beside the woman's unmoving form. It was evident – she was already dead and had been for a while. The woman was youthful; Severus guessed she was in her mid-forties. Her wavy ash blonde hair scattered around her face, and he noticed dried blood through the tips of her hair. She reminded him of Charity Burbage, but the last images of his ex-colleague were not pleasant ones. Another person he could not save.

Gently, he moved some of the hair from her face, trying his best to preserve the woman's dignity. The Aurors would be here soon, and he needed to move quickly. The Death Eaters left nothing else behind in their wake during their pursuit of them earlier. However much to Severus' disappointment, they had all escaped.

He stood up and performed a visual sweep of the grounds. Raising his wand, he began to perform several incantations in his efforts to reveal any wards or barriers created by the dark wizards. Often, the Death Eaters would create concealments around their establishments, in an attempt to hide additional areas, not limited to their prisoners. In past raids, Severus would usually conceal artifacts and potion stores with smaller wards and enchantments to keep them away from prying Muggle eyes or enemies. It was standard procedure.

Suddenly, there was a shuffle of feet in the distance, and Severus quickly ducked behind one of the large twisted trees in time to see several Aurors appear. His wand was at the ready by his side, as he listened to their conversation.

"What a mess, Hector."

"The Ministry isn't going to be happy about this. Blimey, I thought we caught them all."

"The scoundrels got away. Those kids are lucky to be alive."

"I don't know why the devil Hogwarts students are out here attacking them anyway. Madness!"

"And reckless."

"Oi, we have one here. Poor lass."

"Merlin's beard. Another one."

"Recognise her, Marko?"

"Sadly, not. I wonder if the Malfoys are behind this."

"I heard Lucius got sent to Azkaban. Bloody good riddance to that piece of scum! He petitioned to have my Muggle-born wife persecuted."

"Right nasty piece of work. I'm sure his self-entitled spawn would finish the job someday."

"Crazy times we live in, that's for sure."

Severus had heard enough. Treading carefully, he slipped away in the shadows of the Forest far enough away from the voices and managed to Apparate away – charcoal smoke blending in with the darkness of the tree canopy overhead. There were only three places the man considered going, and neither were safe options. But he would be damned to make sure those Death Eaters did not harm another life.

This needed to end one way or another, and Severus was running out of time. The least he could accomplish was to try and discover what the scattered Death Eaters were planning to achieve. But he had to be incredibly careful – he has the opportunity to finally finish this, so he best not mess this up.

The world spun back into view once he reappeared at the familiar black iron gates of Malfoy Manor. It was pitch black – lightly overcast, but still an evident windy chill enough to bother him. He hated the cold. He much preferred the warmth and humidity of the dungeons back in Hogwarts, but right now, he did not have that luxury. He would give anything to sit by a crackling fire within his private quarters, reading books on literature, instead of pursuing his deranged ex-colleagues, fleeing from being captured and thrown into Azkaban, all while nursing a cursed venom-infused wound in his neck.

He definitely has seen better days.

Slipping behind the overlarge hedged fence, he waited in the shadows to further observe his surroundings. He could see from his perch that there were lights on within the Manor, but he could see no further activity among its exterior. Hopefully, that remains a good sign. The next problem would be the wards. Once he was confident that no one was around, he casually walked up to the front gates and paused. He was hoping these wards had not been reconfigured – after all, it was he who placed them in the first place, by order of the Dark Lord when it was previously used as headquarters. Perhaps Severus was overconfident, but he knew the Malfoys had fled against the evil regime at the Battle at Hogwarts at the end. Therefore, he predicted that the Malfoys may also be in danger. If the rogue Death Eaters were picking off their enemies one by one, then the Malfoys were also a target.

With his wand above his head, he flourished it towards the gates, muttering several incantations. Once he was satisfied, he opened the gate with a flick of his wand and walked right through without hesitation. Following the cobblestone pathway to the entrance, he continued along on high alert, until he reached the large ebony back doors. Gingerly, he pulled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal the slightly faded Dark Mark and held it up towards the serpent-shaped silver engraving on the door handle. The serpent emitted a dull glow and then faded. The door then opened with a click. With one quick glance behind him to make sure he was not followed, Severus hastily stepped inside.

His wand was raised to chest level at the ready, as he walked inside the elegant Manor slowly. Initially, he thought of staying silent, but he was not liking the idea of sneaking up on his comrades. After all, he meant no harm here. His only worry was how the Malfoys will take his appearance since his deception to the Dark Lord.

"Narcissa…Draco…" Severus Snape whispered as he continued to walk further inside. "It's Severus. I am not here to harm you." He lowered his wand to his side gently, still on high alert in case of an ambush.

He heard a faint shuffle upstairs, and gradually, the sounds of footsteps grew louder. Severus turned to the staircase, as he observed Narcissa and Draco making their way downstairs, both with wands outstretched.

"It's alright, Narcissa," Slowly, Severus placed his wand back within his left wrist holster and raised his pale hands in a sign of surrender, "We need to talk."

"How are you here? How are you alive?" Narcissa continued to point her wand at Severus, as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Draco looked worried as he trailed just behind his mother.

Severus nodded toward Draco, "He didn't inform you? Your son found it imperative that he save my life."

Narcissa looked at her son quizzically, then back to Severus. "I don't understand. The Dark Lord told us he killed you. You're a traitor…"

"As were you, Narcissa, do not lie, " Severus's face softened, "You never wanted any part of this, either."

"I did it for my husband!" Narcissa fired back.

"And where did that land him?"

Narcissa looked furious, but Draco lowered his wand, stepped beside her, and ushered her to stop, "Mother, enough of this. Let's just hear what he has to say."

Mrs. Malfoy hesitated, but slowly lowered her wand to her side as her eyes welled up with tears, "I'm sorry, Severus. We do not know who to trust. The Ministry barely let us go. But Lucius…"

Severus bowed his head respectfully, "I know. The Ministry is in pursuit of me also, but you must listen. I gather you are aware of the rogue Death Eaters re-establishing the mission?"

Narcissa nodded, "Yes, but we are no longer a part of that. Not after Lucius was taken from us."

"I realise that, but I have reason to believe that you may both be targeted. I do not know who remains, but they are starting to attack, kidnap and kill those who are within their sights. Resistance and ex-Death Eaters alike."

"Last I heard it was Macnair, Selwyn, and Amycus Carrow, to name a few. I don't recall who else fled their capture, " Draco explained, "They are rounding them all up."

Severus frowned, "Draco, how do you know this?"

"I followed them. Turns out they went straight to your residence in Cokeworth. After all, you did offer it up for use for Voldemort -"

Severus winced, "Do not say his name!" He let out a small sigh. So, they did use his house. Looks like he will not be returning there anytime soon. 

Bollocks.

"Come, Severus, let us sit down. You must tell me what you know, " Narcissa motioned for Severus to follow her, and the three of them settled down in the comfort of the lounge room. At least Severus got his roaring fire.

"I need your word that you keep what I say, between us," Severus asked, softly. He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his knees. "It is imperative you both keep a low profile for now. You are in a highly vulnerable position."

"Of course. Draco and I are fearing for our lives! I am afraid to leave this house. Not just from the Death Eater attacks, but…everyone else. We are not used to being…cast away like this."

"I understand – "

"How did you do it? Fool the Dark Lord all this time? Fool all of us?"

Severus drew in a deep breath and looked at both Narcissa and Draco. "With delicate precision. I was once loyal to him. Once. Then he did something I could never forgive him for."

Narcissa frowned, "It wasn't that Gryffindor Mudblood you fancied at school, was it? You can't be serious?"

Severus' cheeks flushed as he leaned forward suddenly; mouth twisted in a deranged snarl, "Don't say that word in front of me!"

Narcissa leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, "I knew it! She died that night, and I knew you were not the same after that! I had my suspicions; I just wasn't sure. Lucius was oblivious, but I knew."

"What? Who?" Draco asked, confused by this exchange. Severus hesitated.

"Lily Evans, was it, Severus? Harry Potter's mother. The woman behind this bloody prophecy in the first place, " Narcissa spoke in a patronizing manner, and this seemed to anger Severus even more. She turned to her son, "Your Godfather here went to school with her. Lucius teased him often for that. I remember how devastated he was when they both got separated by house. For the best, I think -"

"ENOUGH!" Severus slammed his fist against the armrest of the couch he was on, causing Narcissa to jump, and Draco to look at his ex-Professor, with a frightened gaze. He had to take a few moments to calm himself, but once he raised his voice, a sharp pain emanated from his neck wound. He could taste blood. Immediately, he placed a hand on his bandage and could feel it seeping yet again. He growled in frustration. "Bloody hell."

Unsure of how to handle this situation, Draco immediately conjured bandages and raced to the man's side. He shot his mother a warning look, "Mother, that is quite enough! I wish we had the courage to do what he did. Whether he fancied her that way or not. Does it really matter to us? Father was a fool to trust the Dark Lord anyway – he doomed us all to...this." Severus watched, as Draco hastily applied another bandage over the sickly-looking wound, once he gingerly removed the old one. The wound itself seemed to ooze more than just blood, but the surrounding skin appeared to have unusual sickly purple and green tendril-like bruises surrounding it. Feeling ill at the sight, Draco quickly patched it up. He had never seen anything like it.

Narcissa watched as her son tended to his Godfather – she was rather impressed by Draco's immediate response. Once Draco was finished, she looked back at Severus and sighed. "Then what do you require of us?"

Severus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes trying to calm himself for the faint dizziness he felt. Once that feeling subsided enough, he looked back at Narcissa, "I must ask for your assistance to help me bring them down – "

"No."

"No?"

"You heard me, Severus. I want nothing more to do with them. I just want peace now. With my son."

"There won't be peace until they are rendered silent. They will continue to pursue you if we do not act."

"I'll help you," Draco interjected with confidence. "Whatever you need, I'll do it."

Narcissa looked horrified, "Do not dare, Draco! I will not have you running blind orders again from someone else!"

"We have a chance to do the right thing now. Running away like cowards at the end of the battle did us no favors!"

"Allow him to make his own decision for once. The poor boy never even had a choice," Severus said, softly.

Narcissa looked furious, "You don't have children of your own, Severus, so don't give me orders on my own son."

Feeling a severe internal blow at that comment, Severus reeled silently as he lowered his voice, "Running will do us no good. I will not allow them to come after you or Draco. I will put an end to this – finally – if it's the very last thing I do."

Tearfully, Narcissa nodded. Deep down she knew he was right, but she did not want to face it. "Alright." She looked up at Severus' pale and gaunt face, and concern was immediately evident on her own, "Severus, you look absolutely terrible."

Suddenly exhausted, Severus pursed his lips, "I was supposed to die, but didn't. How else do you think I'd feel?"

Draco suddenly looked uncomfortable, and guilty, "I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't just let you die – "

"It's no fault of yours, Draco. The Dark Lord marked me as his victim due to his inability to acknowledge his own simple mistake. The coward couldn't do it himself, so he sent Nagini instead," Severus said bitterly as he recalled that horrible night.

"Why not stay here, Severus? Let the Ministry handle the Death Eaters. Rest. Recover, " Narcissa suggested.

Severus shook his head, "You and I both know I cannot do nothing. I have, well…Other obligations now."

Narcissa frowned, "The Dark Lord is gone. You can't still be trying to protect Potter? The fight is over. Leave the boy."

"It's…complicated, " Severus said gently. "He is still in danger. As is your son. I still have a duty to uphold. It's not over."

Narcissa sighed and looked at Draco. "Draco, dear, take Severus to the guest room upstairs. I'll prepare something for him to eat."

Severus bowed his head in gratitude, "I appreciate the hospitality. Hogwarts is out of bounds for the time being." He rose from his chair, at the same time as Draco and the pair made their way out of the living quarters and ascended the marble staircase to the floor above. Severus felt slightly faint, but he pushed through his need to stop and kept walking. Draco noticed the man swaying slightly but stood by closely just in case. Severus looked at Draco and noticed his guilty expression.

"Do not blame yourself, Draco, " They reached the top of the stairs, and made their way down the elegant corridor.

"I blundered up your healing spell. I messed it up, " Draco was frustrated with himself.

"It wasn't the spell. It was Nagini. You took a huge risk in coming back for me. He could have killed you too."

"I didn't think of that – I just couldn't see you die."

They reached the guest room, and Severus stopped and turned to his Godson. Warily, he softened his gaze and nodded, "I know your father would be disappointed in you defying the Dark Lord, but…I am proud that you eventually did. You are not your father. Be grateful for that. "

Draco nodded, "I still feel like I betrayed him, though. Even though I didn't really have a choice. You know that."

"I understand. Truly. You were given a near-impossible choice. Even before you received the Dark Mark, " Severus stumbled to the guest bed and sat down. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a small vial of antidote and downed the murky liquid. He closed his eyes, as he felt the potion work slowly to the wound but giving him just enough of a relief to function. Despite that, the wound still stung. He wondered what the implications of using an antidote - such as this one - long-term would be. In all honesty, it was not wise to do so.

"I'll let you be. Goodnight." With that, Draco left the room, and Severus retrieved his wand, and flicked it at the door, closing it immediately.

Severus sighed. What the hell was he going to do? He had no real plan. No real direction this time. For once in his life, he was not taking orders from someone else. From now on, the decisions he made will be his own. Here he was taking refuge at Malfoy Manor, and he knew very well that he could not stay for too long. He was being hunted by the Ministry – He even considered giving himself up. But the man knew that he could be of better use helping the Ministry capture the rogue Death Eaters. He may still be sentenced by affiliation and his past crimes, but it would have given him the peace of mind that he needed. Knowing he betrayed the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters will surely want to execute the man for his treachery. Either way, he could not escape punishment from either side. To Severus, death by Death Eater seemed like a better way to go than being sentenced to life in Azkaban. There will be no light sentence.

Slightly stressed by his new dilemma, he reached into his robe pocket and retrieved the torn photo of Lily, which he stole from Grimmauld Place. He watched as her moving form smiled – He knew the other side of this torn photograph contained a baby Harry and James bloody Potter, but it was her smile that gave him some peace of mind. She was the center of it all. Everything he did, he did for her. Whether his Slytherin friends mocked him for it, he dedicated his life to fighting for her. No matter how often James Potter and his Gryffindor misfits made his school life a living hell – He still fought for her. Even long after her passing.

His world was slowly crumbling again – And suddenly he regretted ever giving Harry Potter those extra memories. Now everyone knows why he did what he did, and the thought of that absolutely destroyed him inside. He felt ashamed – No one could ever understand the lengths he took to keep Lily's son safe from harm. Safe from the attempts of the Dark Lord. No one would ever understand why it meant so much to him. He gave up his adult life fighting for a child that was never even his. Perhaps in a perfect world, it could have been. In a perfect world, he would have been happy. Free. In a perfect world, Lily would have forgiven him before her death. In a perfect world, he would have still had his best friend – perhaps more - by his side.

'You don't have children of your own, Severus, so don't give me orders on my own son.'

It hurt Severus to think what would have become of him if things were different. How different would he have been if he were loved? If he was not a subject to be bullied 'just for existing' – From the words of James Potter. Even Lucius would have never dared to jump to his aid unless it benefit him. Even his own friends cared nothing for the hurt he experienced - he suffered in silence for years.

Neither of them knew how much that hurt him.

Severus placed the photograph down on the bedside table and buried his head in his hands. He should not be here. He should not even be alive. His existence put multiple lives at risk – and now due to his recent return, people are still in danger. Narcissa fears for her family. Draco feels he has no place anywhere. Harry Potter is a psychological mess, and Severus has no idea where to even begin with that.

And what the devil was he thinking? Calling Harry by his first name. Never in all the years he has known the boy, has he ever slipped like that. He felt like a right fool. Potter even admitted himself – he could never completely forgive him. Severus knew that, and yet coming from the Golden Boy, it stung the man more than it should have.

Perhaps Potter was right – He should have just left and never returned. Faked his death as he should have. He was not even sure what he hoped to gain from showing up to battle for one last metaphorical middle finger to the Dark Lord. But he did admit, the Dark Lord's face upon his return was enough to satisfy him for eternity.

Albus left him a near-impossible task. That old fool had it easy. A mercy killing. Oh, what Severus would have given to trade places with him.

"Here you go, Severus, " The wary Potions Master was almost startled by the voice of Narcissa, who entered the room carrying a tray of warm food. The food smelled lovely, but he felt far too poorly to even attempt to eat anything. She placed the silver tray on the table, and Severus noticed a teardrop-shaped vial with sapphire-colored Potion within. He arched his eyebrow.

Narcissa gave him a small smile, "I don't have much left within my stores, but I found something for pain relief. I figured you needed it."

"Thank you. I shall re-stock your inventory tomorrow. If there is anything you need, allow me to assist you."

"I appreciate that. Bella cleared out my stores before she left…" Narcissa looked at Severus sadly. At first, Severus frowned at the woman, and then realisation hit him. She had perished in the battle. That explains why she was not present here at the Manor - She often hung around like vermin.

"Ahh - I see, " Severus looked grim. He cared nothing for that deranged woman. She never trusted him, and he never trusted her. He could not pretend that he cared, as Narcissa already knew that they never got along. But if anything, Severus still had sympathy for Narcissa for losing a sister to a dark regime that destroyed all their lives.

Narcissa hung her head, "Also my apology - About having no children. That was highly insensitive of me."

Severus didn't say anything to that comment, and Narcissa knew that hit a sensitive nerve with the man. He couldn't forgive her for that.

"Get some rest, " Narcissa turned on her heel, and left the room, shutting the door behind her, respectively.

Severus welcomed the silence once again. Picking up the potion's vial, he downed the analgesic elixir. The taste was foul, but he much preferred a shot of hard liquor. It was not a strong potion – he already made that assessment upon its hue, but it was all he had to give him a decent night's rest. He could only hope that he got more than four hours of sleep this time.

Slowly standing up from the bed, he removed his torn and bloodied traveling cloak – Most of the blood came from Potter and the horrific injury he sustained with his own spell. Sectumsempra was a gruesome spell he created in his youth, but the effects afterward were devastating and often permanent. It was his signature spell in battle, so it was no surprise that some dunderhead of a Death Eater tried to mimic it. He threw the cloak over the small black-leather armchair in the corner, and then gently began to unbutton his dress suit top, being careful not to aggravate the ghastly wound on his neck. Once he was done, he kicked off his mud-caked shoes, placed them neatly beside the chair, and slipped right into bed.

The analgesic he consumed worked quicker than he anticipated, and once drowsiness began to settle in his exhausted and battered form, he finally drifted to sleep.