Chapter Forty-three: The Duel

Severus found Lily on the train the next morning, in a compartment filled with giggling girls. He locked eyes with her; she'd saved him a seat, but he took in the rest of the compartment with annoyance.

Lily rolled her eyes and came out into the corridor with him. "Just come in and sit down. There's room."

"I'd hex everyone before we pull out of the station," he said.

Lily tilted her head and sighed. "Is there anywhere else that's less crowded? I haven't seen you all summer, Sev!"

The nickname sent a bolt of warmth through him. He'd been so busy over the summer, he hadn't had a lot of time to realize how much he missed hearing her say it.

Lily grunted when he didn't answer right away, and Severus's mind snapped back to the night he'd stumbled onto Lucius and Narcissa in the dining room. Warmth spread through his body as an image of himself—with Lily—replaced the memory. He turned away quickly before she could notice.

"I'll go look," he said. He hurried down the corridor before she could protest.

What in Merlin's name was that about? He'd never thought of Lily like that before. She was his friend. His best friend. And that was enough.

Wasn't it?

Nikolas emerged from a compartment at the end of the corridor, and he hurried to Severus before he could duck away.

"I saw you had an apprenticeship this summer," he said.

"So?"

"Just making conversation," Nikolas grumbled. "So when do I get into the group? You said—"

"I know what I bloody said," Severus growled, still uncomfortably warm. "I haven't been on the train five minutes, Avery. You'll be in the group this year. Which compartment are they in?"

Nikolas pointed to the compartment next to the one he'd left.

"Great. Stay here until I come and get you."

"How long will that be?"

"I don't know. If you want to be part of the group, you're going to have to start listening to me. I can always change my mind—"

"Fine. Just hurry up."

Severus grunted and went into the compartment where the other Slytherin group members were seated.

"Look who decided to show up," sneered McNair. "Our boy king."

"Shut it, McNair," Severus said. "Lucius left me in charge. Anybody that has a problem with it can get out."

For a moment, he thought McNair might do just that. Finally he snorted and shook his head. "We'll give you a week."

"I'm flattered," Severus said flatly. "And now that I'm in charge, things are going to change. We need to grow the group. By more than just one first year."

"We've never taken more than one firstie," Dolohov said.

"And that's something wer're changing. Along with adding another person per year. I've already got a third year I'm bringing in. I'll make decisions this week about the other years. If anyone has recommendations, that's fine. But the decision will be mine." His heart hammered in his chest, belying the confidence in his voice. Could they tell he was terrified?

Five sets of eyes focused on him. He met each of them without blinking. If he couldn't convince them of this, he was doomed.

After a moment, they glanced at each other.

"More members means more liability," Narcissa said.

"We let MacNair in, didn't we?" Severus said. "He's more liability than the rest of us combined."

"Except MacNair doesn't have a feud going with his dormmates that loses us points," Dolohov said.

"No, his low marks do that on their own. I've got a couple of people in mind, Severus." Rosier said.

"Yeah, and there's a girl in my year," MacNair said. "She'd be great."

"This isn't an opportunity to get you a date," Severus said. "The criteria will be the same. Loyal, useful. If you've got specific people in mind, you have twenty minutes to convince me."

#

He gave them thirty. By the time he found his way back to Lily's compartment, his saved seat had been taken. She folded her arms and cocked her head at his irritated scowl.

"So? Did you find somewhere else?"

"Nowhere you'll want to be," he said.

"Your little Slytherin gang?" she asked.

"My friends," he said.

"Well, your friends won't want me in their compartment anyway," Lily said. She sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't hold the seat forever, Severus. Let's just find each other after the feast."

He shifted from one leg to the other. If Goyle kept to the duel, he wouldn't be around after the feast. He'd be in the Forbidden Forest. "Can't we just stand in the corridor for a while and talk?" he asked.

Lily gave him an amused shake of her head. "I'm not standing out there for hours because you were too cranky to sit in here at the start."

"Fine. I should be in the other compartment anyway," he snapped, irritated. He left her looking after him, eyes wide with surprise.

#

Severus slunk into a seat across from Mulciber when they reached the Great Hall. The older boy arched a brow and sniffed. "Rough summer, Snape?"

"I'm in charge of the Slytherin Group from now," Severus said.

"Hooray for you."

"I'm expanding it." He met Mulciber's eyes. "Two students from every year instead of just one. We need to grow."

"No."

"You don't have to do anything," Severus said.

"I'd have to socialize," Mulciber said. "You're bad enough. I don't want to be lumped in with anyone, especially a clique that counts McNair as a member."

"We'd be stronger with you."

"I'm strong enough on my own, thanks." He narrowed his eyes. "You want me there to back you up."

"If I can get you to join where Lucius couldn't, I'd have more clout with them, yes."

Mulciber sniffed again and glanced down the table to the rest of the group. They looked away quickly. "My loyalty isn't cheap."

"I don't have money."

"Who said anything about money? You apprenticed this summer with Yaxley, didn't you?"

"Yes. What has that to do with—"

"So you know her formulas, I'd wager backwards and forwards, right?"

"I'm not giving you proprietary formulas."

He shrugged. "Not what I asked."

"I know some. The things that sold quickly. And we experimented."

Mulciber's head tilted to the side, his eyes glinting with interest. "Experimented? With what?"

"A lot of things."

"Poisons?"

Severus's blood froze. "Of course not. Levina—" Mulciber's lip twitched upward in a smirk. "—Mrs. Yaxley didn't give me access to anything dangerous."

"Have you ever tried combining that herbicide of hers with the Draught of Peace?" he asked.

"No. Why—" Severus stopped. The hellebore in the Draught of Peace would counterbalance most of the poison in the herbicide. What would be left was a brew that would induce hallucinations while calming the drinker. Severus cocked a disbelieving brow. "There's no way that combination is legal."

Mulciber shrugged again, the smirk still present. "All I'm saying is if I had some Draught of Peace and some of Yaxley's herbicide—it has to be her formula, or it doesn't work—you keep me in those potions, and I'll be in your little club."

Severus gritted his teeth. "Like I said, I don't have any money to 'keep you' in any potions. I'd have to get the ingredients somewhere—"

"It's a good job you're Melison's pet then, isn't it?"

Severus's stomach went sour. Melison would never give him access to those ingredients on a regular basis. Which meant he'd have to steal them. Did he really need Mulicber this badly?

Unfortunately, he did. He had to bring Mulciber into the group to ease his own obligations, if nothing else. And it would cement his reputation if the first thing he did was bring in one of the most terrifying members of his house.

"Fine." He'd figure out how to get the ingredients later. "You'll sit with us at mealtimes, then." Severus stood, intending to return to the group. Mulciber's hand shot out and settled onto his, the weight of it pinning Severus where he was.

"I'll expect the first set of potions in two weeks, Snape. I don't get them, I won't just leave your little club—I'll dismantle it and the reputation I helped you build. I'm not your friend."

Severus yanked his hand out from underneath the older boy's and kept his face and tone unbothered even while his heart raced. "You'll get your potions. And I've never asked for your friendship. I'll have your loyalty, and if you undermine me in the group—or out of it—you won't like the consequences."

Mulciber smirked. "I'm almost tempted to see what you'd do, Snape. I think we understand each other." He stood and shoved a second-year further down the bench to sit beside Nikolas, whose face paled.

Severus nodded once and took his seat next to Narcissa. She stared at him, her mouth slightly open.

"Him?" she hissed.

Severus nodded and looked up at the doors as they swung open and the first years filed in. "I told you I had plans for some new members."

"What did you have to promise him?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried," Narcissa said with a sniff. "It's your neck. I'm just thinking this year's going to be more entertaining than I thought."

Severus took a deep breath. He already had a headache, and it was only the first night.

Up at the front of the hall, the first years lined up in front of the sorting hat. It began its annual poem about sorting, and Severus took the time to look over the batch of students. Their backs were to him, so he couldn't see faces, but the body language was clear enough. He nudged Narcissa.

"The one in the middle. Straw hair, keeps looking over his shoulder at us. Who is he?"

"I thought you spent the summer with Lucius learning about all the families."

"Some. But I also spent a lot of the summer apprenticing, in case you missed it."

She let out a puff of irritation. "That's Barty Crouch, Jr. His father's Head of Magical Law Enforcement."

The boy was sorted into Slytherin before the sorting hat fell onto his head, and he ran to the table, beaming.

Severus nodded, mind going over the day he'd been at the Ministry with Abraxas. Had he met Crouch Sr.? Yes, briefly. He'd had no patience or time for Abraxas. Having the son of such a highly placed Ministry official in their group might have some benefits down the line. No wonder Lucius had mentioned him.

Severus's attention strayed to the head table. Professor Burtram was not in his usual place by Professor McGonagall's side. Instead, a heavyset man with a fastidiously shaped mustache was there. He watched the ceremony while curling the ends of the facial hair around a finger. So Burtram had retired. Dumbledore confirmed it when he gave his start of term speech, putting unusual emphasis on the Forbidden Forest being out-of-bounds. Or maybe that was just Severus's guilt, knowing he'd be heading straight for it after dinner.

In fact, dinner had barely finished when Crabbe arrived at his side and hissed in his ear. "Goyle's waiting for you. No seconds for this, Snape. Just you and Goyle."

"Good," Severus said, standing with the rest of the students. He cast a Disillusionment charm and slipped out the front door, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving Lily to wait on him.

He muttered the spells he'd learned over and over, trying to quell the nervous flip of his stomach.

Everything will be fine. You've practiced.

Goyle waited in the clearing. As soon as he spotted Severus, he held his wand up to his face, then hurled a stinging hex at him.

Severus countered it easily despite being caught off guard.

Dammit. Lucius warned you he wouldn't play fair.

Each of them threw spells at an alarming rate, too quickly to afford the opportunity for Protego or any other shield.

He's been practicing, too, Severus thought as he dodged a hastily thrown Confundus Charm.

Curses and hexes struck branches and undergrowth, and occasionally their targets. Sweat dripped down Severus's robes as a sliver of doubt crept in. None of the curses he'd learned at Lucius's were landing. He needed something Goyle didn't have a counter for. Something that would give him a slight advantage.

An image of Goyle hanging upside down from a tree sprang into his mind, crystal clear, and he somehow just knew the incantation.

"Levicorpus!"

Goyle grunted and rose into the air, his robes cascading over his head.

Severus took a moment to catch his breath. It had worked. He'd just created a spell. It was—

He didn't hear the curse Goyle cast next, and didn't get out of the way in time.

A flash of pain seared from just beneath his left ear to below his chin, followed by a gush of warm wetness. Severus opened his mouth to cast, but blood bubbled on his lips. He fell to his knees, his hands grabbing at his throat, trying to stop the blood.

Goyle stepped up to him—apparently he'd managed a counter to Severus's curse—and kneeled beside him, his eyes glinting with triumph.

"I knew without your precious Lucius to protect you, you'd be embarrassingly easy to beat, Snape." He kicked dirt at him and left.

The edges of his vision started to blur, the blood still rushing over his fingers. His mind swam with spells, useless against this. If he'd had a potion or two, he might have been able to stem the bleeding.

Stem. Blood. Again, in his mind he pictured exactly what he needed. Slow the blood flow. Don't stop it. He clutched his wand with one hand, and visualized the spell. Derivantur Sanguis.

His heartbeat slowed, but so did the blood between his fingers. Enough that he could get to his knees. He tore off his robes and held them against his neck, crawling towards the edge of the forest.

He collapsed before he could even see the lights of the castle, his vision snapping to blackness.