Disclaimer: Not Mine

The Arrangement

Chapter 10

They stayed beneath the Leaky Cauldron for three days. She did not ask about the Headmasters death and he did not offer any information. He was sullen and paced the floors when not sitting and staring into space. On occasion, he would watch Anne intently as he fixed meals or tried to read by the weak lights of the sparse candles.

They spoke little, seemingly avoiding what awaited them at the surface. Anne found him distant, but at the same time, he did not push her away, and allowed her to sit next to him, or to lay with her head in his lap.

For three long days, she stayed away from what she wanted to say, until she felt the time had come to approach him.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked to his face as she sat with him on the sofa. "What do we do now?"

"I will get you out of the country, France or Italy." He turned and looked down at her. "The Malfoys will owe me a debt, I plan on collecting."

"Malfoy," she said jumping up and stepping away from him. "What are you talking about?"

"He will hide you, Draco will," he said raking his hand over the stubble on his face as he rose and crossed to the shower. "I need to clean up, and then I have to get out of here."

"NO!" She ran and put her hand on his arm to stop him. "You can't be serious. You can't just hand me over to him."

"I can and I will." He looked at her coldly. "He will keep you from Voldemort, he will keep you alive."

"Alive?" She backed away from him. "Severus, no. You don't know what he will do."

He was over to her and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back, forcing her to look up at him.

"Would you rather I put you out on the street?" He spoke quietly, anger rolling off him. "Do you know what the good citizens will do to the wife of the Death Eater that killed Albus Dumbledore?"

She tried to shake her head, but he held her head too tight, she could do nothing but try to remain clam.

"Do you know what Voldemort will do with the Muggle born witch of his Death Eater? Lucius Malfoy will not kill you because he enjoys his toys too much. Draco however, is not his father. He will keep you safe, and if not… the worse will be that you are given to Lucius."

"Tom can send me someplace. He said he would help, he said he…"

"When he finds me here after hearing what I have done, do you really think he will still be my friend?" Severus pushed her back releasing her at the same time watching her stumble and fall to the stone floor.

He grabbed his robes and walked to the door, where he stopped and leaned his forehead against the door taking a deep breath before straightening up and laying his hand on the stone.

"Severus! You can't do this. You can't turn me over to them!"

"I can and I will," he sneered. "What other choice do I have?"

He opened the door and stepped out, oblivious to her protests. He swallowed hard as the door closed behind him, plunging him into the darkness and shutting off the sound of Anne's protests. He counted his steps in the darkness and headed back to Voldemort, knowing that his life was forfeit.

Anne waited one more day alone in the unceasing silence until Tom came to the door. He came in quickly and told her she had to hurry, get her things together and follow him out. He did not look at her, and said nothing more, not answering her questions or responding to her pleas as she followed him up the stairs and into the kitchen.

Stepping out of the fridge she saw a young man that she knew instantly was Lucius' son. There was no mistaking the grey-blue eyes, the silver-blond hair or the arrogant stance as belonging to the Malfoys.

"Tom." She stopped walking. "Don't make me do this. I will be fine on my own. I will just slip out to London, I'll be …"

"Mrs Snape." The young Mr Malfoy nodded. "You will not last five minutes on the streets. I have a safe house, an unplottable, where I will take you. I have made a promise to Professor Snape."

He came over and roughly grabbed her arm, and apparated her from the kitchen of the Leaky Cauldron to his home of the Malfoy Manor fighting to keep her still least she splinch.

"NO!" She pulled against him as hard as she could. "Let me go, I won't stay here, I won't go in there!"

"No one is home now. I will hide you in the east wing." He still had a hold of her elbow as he pulled her along toward a side entrance along the marble walkway. "You will be quiet, and stay where you are put, it will go poorly if you are discovered."

"Where has Severus gone?" Anne questioned, trying to drag behind him, reaching to clutch anything she could hold.

"That is none of your business," he sneered at her. "I am only doing this for him, so don't think you will get any special privileges while you are here. I have had to change the wards to allow a filthy Muggle in, so watch how you behave while you are here."

"How long do you think you can get away with this? Damn you to hell Draco… let me go."

"Until I tell you otherwise." He pulled open the door and shoved her inside. "Listen, as far as I am concerned all you filthy Muggles could rot, but it seems Snape has other things he wants to do with you. Only Merlin knows why he would defend the likes of you, but he has."

They continued down a hallway until Draco opened one of the many doors, and pushed her inside.

"Welcome home," he said smirking. "I have informed the kitchen elf to bring you food twice a day, if you need anything else ask when he brings the tray. The bathroom is though the dressing room, next to the closet. Try to escape and I will bind you. Do you understand?"

Anne looked around at the second prison she had been in that day and sitting heavily on the bed looked to Draco.

"How long?" she asked again, feeling the familiar prickle of tears.

"I don't know," He said looking down at his shoes. "I don't know what is going to happen now."

"Do you know why he did it? Why he … why he killed the Headmaster?"

"I have to leave," he said nervously. "When it is safe, if it is safe, someone will come for you."

"Someone?"

"I don't know if I will still be here," he said having lost his arrogant demeanour. "I don't know what to do."

Anne looked at the young man standing in front of her and saw him for the boy he was. She knew he had a connection with Albus's death but also knew better than to ask what it was. She sat silently as he walked out and shut the door, resetting the wards that would keep her trapped inside.

Anne lost track of time. She counted the first week by the meals that the house elf brought her. When she stopped eating, and no longer cared to lift the silver domed covers off the plates. She lost track of the dinners, and the passage of time. She no longer bothered changing for bed, lying down fully clothed she would watch the door and wait.

She waited until she thought she could wait no more, and just as she almost lost hope the door opened and a tall willowy silver-blond witch stepped in.

"I am Narcissa, you are to follow me."

Anne jumped and started to grab her belongings when Narcissa stopped her.

"Leave everything here. I will have your things sent along. I want you out of here." Narcissa said as she walked away.

Anne followed her into the hallway feeling the open hallway stretch out before her. Narcissa merely stepped across the hall and opened the door opposite her prison. Seeing her cross the room to a floo, Anne followed uncertainly.

"Get in," Narcissa said coldly grabbing a handful of powder.

"Where am I going?" Anne questioned, looking between Narcissa and the floo.

"Does it matter?" Narcissa's eyebrow shot up.

"No, not really, one prison seems like any other."

Anne stepped into the floo as Narcissa threw down the powder calling out "Professor McGonagall's Chambers."

Anne gasped and tried to back out as the floo carried her back to Hogwarts. She stepped out in front of Minerva fearing the witch wanted to question her about Severus.

"Anne." Minerva came over to her and embraced her in a large hug. "I am so glad we found you."

"Minerva, I am so sorry about the Headmaster." Her eyes filled with tears. "If I had known I would have tried to do something, it is killing Severus you know. I don't understand what happened. He could never have done something like that."

"Knew?" Minerva shook her head. "Albus knew, he planned the whole damned thing and set poor Severus with the job. Albus left a pensive, left the whole thing so we could see what he did. I must say he was in quite a state today at the Ministry."

"He is free?" Anne asked, "I will need a change of clothes before I see him, Mrs Malfoy said she would send them along."

"No my dear," Minerva said taking Anne's arm and leading her to a desk. "Sit here. There are some papers you must sign."

Anne sat as requested and waited for Minerva to return. She accepted the papers that Minerva had thrust at her, looking down to see what they were.

She was looking at a Writ of Divorce, she only needed to sign, and the marriage was over. The reason given was the reversal of the Muggle Marriage Act and the desire of the husband. The following pages restored her degree and her shop to her, and showed a deposit back into her Gringotts account.

She held the pages, looked up at Minerva, and saw the witches smile. Looking down again she stared at the word Divorce and saw his signature on bottom of the page. She slowly picked up a quill as she bit her bottom lip.

"Minerva?" She looked up to watch the witch's eyes. "When did he sign this? Was it before?"

"No child, it was this morning." Minerva raised her eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Did he want to see me?" She could barely breathe.

"No child." Minerva pointed to the place she was to sign. "Just sign here and it is over. I have the keys to the shop and Narcissa is having your things sent there. You will be home tonight."

Anne picked up the pen, and with a shaking hand signed the parchment she could barely see. As she watched, the document glowed and disappeared. She felt her left hand tingle and looked down to watch her golden ring disappear. Missing the feel of the gold band on her finger, she put the back of her hand to her mouth, and fought not to cry.

"Anne, I must ask for your silence in this matter," Minerva set her hand on Anne's arm. "The final battle draws near. Professor Snape may still be at risk, we must still play into Voldermort's hand. Do you understand?"

"You don't want me to protest the treatment I have received? Is that what this is about?"

"For now, please understand that there is much at stake, and the Professor's position is more dangerous than before. We must keep up the ruse that we believe he is with his Lord."

"I have no plans Minerva, other than to go home and pickup my life. I am done with him. You needn't worry."

Later that night she walked through the apartment above the shop alone in her memories of before. The previous tenants had stripped the apartment bare. Although she had regained the building, every thing was gone. She transfigured a pallet to sleep on, and turned a set of robes into a blanket.

In the morning she sorted the pillowcases, removing her clothing and putting them on the floor, she returned Severus' belongs to the pillowcase and put them in a corner. She would return them when she knew where he was. For now, she had to worry about other things.

It took her two full months to furnish her rooms and order supplies to restock her shelves. Finally, it was the last day before she reopened. She knelt on the floor to open and unpack the last of the supplies.

He walked in the door and saw her as he had the day she had told him to leave. When her head came up and he saw her eyes, he felt his breath leave him in a rush, and his mind suddenly leave him.

"I see you still have no use for tables and chairs," he smirked at her uneasily.

She stood slowly and walked behind the counter to take out his box of memories and journals and a pillowcase that still held his robes.

"I have kept these for you, in case they were taken," she said holding her voice steady. "I did not know where to send them."

He walked over, took the box only to set it down on the worktable, and tossed the pillowcase on the floor. Without taking his eyes off hers, he reached and tucked a loose stand of hair behind her ear. Slowly his hand went from her ear to the back of her neck as he pulled her head to his. His lips started slowly to brush against hers, then feeling her step closer he pulled her body to his and sighed.

"I want to do this right this time," he said into her hair.

"Do what right?" Anne said pulling back and looking at him.

"Marry you," he said with a smirk.

"Marry me?" she stepped back. "You bastard, you are the one that wanted the divorce."

"I didn't want you that way," he scowled at her. "I want you to marry me because you want to. I don't need you throwing my dinner out every time you think the Ministry put me up to this."

"And I don't need you to let the food grow cold on the table," she countered.

"I expect you to sleep in my bed and not down the hallway on a floor."

"And I expect you to shut up if you have nothing nice to say."

"I expect you to commute to work, and stay with me in the Dungeons during term," he demanded frowning at her.

"And I expect you to stay out of my garden, and leave the plants to me."

"I expect you to be quiet when I am reading."

"I expect you to help with the nappies," she said biting her lower lip and looking apprehensive.

"When the time comes we will discuss it," his lip twitched.

"Then start talking Dad," she whispered, standing on her toes and kissing his cheek nervously.

Severus looked at her, and then placed his hand on her stomach raised an eyebrow. She bit her lip and nodded.

"I do not expect you to have only one," he said softly leaning forward and resting his forehead on hers.

"I do not expect you to want more than two," she smiled as relief washed away her last doubt.

"You will not question me on this." He pulled her to him and closed his eyes feeling the sting of tears. "You may question me on all other things, but not on this."

END