Thicker than Water (Marauders Era) PART II

30 December, 1996 - Spinner's End

From the moment Lavinia apparated to the bank of the river that ran through Spinner's End, she was second guessing herself. This was an unreasonably stupid idea, she was sure of it. On the other hand, she couldn't help but think that it might also be necessary. Or at least... worthwhile. Afterall, when she was in school, all she had needed was a way out. Any way out. And once she'd had that... well. Her life had improved by leaps and strides. So surely that was all Draco Malfoy needed. Right?

Right?

If she was honest, Lavinia wasn't entirely sure. But, she supposed, she didn't need to be. At least this way, Draco Malfoy might have a choice. At least this way, Lavinia could be certain that he wasn't completely and entirely... stuck.

Which was why Lavinia squared her shoulders and stepped forward, picking her way around the patches of half melted snow that dotted the rather bleak landscape. Actually, this entire neighborhood was bleak. The houses were run down, their paint peeling to reveal half rotted wood beneath, their shabby curtains drawn as though they could block out the reminders of the rather depressing neighborhood around them.

It explained a few things about the man Lavinia was visiting, really. And they weren't entirely things Lavinia wanted to dwell on.

She sighed. Most of the memories called up by this visit were things she would rather not think about. Which was probably another reason to turn around and go home, of course, but she didn't suppose that would do anything useful. It wasn't like running had ever done anything helpful in the past. It was, she supposed, probably about time she started learning that lesson.

But even with this thought in her head, even with a quiet, wavering sort of determination in her chest, Lavinia still hesitated at the door, bracing herself. She had excuses that she hoped she didn't need. She had explanations that she and Severus both could use to explain away her visit if necessary.

If Order members found out and asked, well, then it was a simple matter of him being her friend and she rather thought she ought to pay him a holiday visit. If the Death Eaters found out and questioned him, then he could say he was merely keeping up appearances. He wouldn't exactly make a very good spy if he told Order members who came to visit to get lost.

So... so they would be fine. No one need ever know what kind of conversation was about to take place. No one needed to know that Lavinia's heart was still soft in all the wrong places.

No one needed to know.

Afterall, what would Harry say? The way he said the name Malfoy told Lavinia that Harry wouldn't understand this. That he might even hate her for it because... well because Merlin, he had sounded like James talking about Severus and Lavinia didn't think that kind of hatred ever really went away. Even if it didn't have any real basis in the first place.

And of course, Dumbledore would probably tell her to keep her nose out of the whole thing because he had it under control. And maybe he did, but Lavinia couldn't quite bring herself to believe that. Afterall, he had hinted more than once that he'd known about her mother's abuse and had done nothing. Because he seemed to think that situation had been under control. And besides, when it all came down to it, Lavinia didn't trust Dumbledore's judgement where the children of Death Eaters were concerned. He had shown her plenty of times what he thought of the friends she had known to be stuck in a horrible situation. And he had done nothing to press the Ministry for mercy. He had done nothing to stop the school or the Order or the entire bloody nation from condemning those children who had been born into the wrong families. Sorted into the wrong house. Trapped by the labels a hat had given them at eleven years old and never offered a way out.

So maybe Dumbledore did have this under control. But maybe he didn't. And if he didn't... well. That was why she was here.

So Lavinia knocked. The sound was odd, almost muffled on the damp wood door, though whether that was from the frankly dilapidated state of the architecture or some myriad of protective enchantments, Lavinia didn't know. She also didn't particularly care because muffled or not, only a few moments passed before the door cracked open and Severus's hooked nose appeared on the other side.