It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 21: Ambitious

Ambitious

Albus Dumbledore was not happy, this fact was obvious. Severus didn't even need to be a spy to pick up on how frustrated the older man was. Reclining easily in the stiff chair, Severus maintained an outwardly calm, indifferent appearance. Inwardly, he faced a turmoil of his own. Everything he thought he knew was changing. He felt like a fool and he was not a man to be made a fool of.

Since his Master's fall and Lily's death, Severus had felt empty. He had no purpose except to fulfill that accursed Vow to protect Potters' spawn. When he turned to Dumbledore in despair to save Lily, he'd knowingly turned away from his Master. He'd hated doing so but he'd felt he had no choice. He couldn't let Lily die. Severus was a Dark wizard, he wasn't ashamed of it. Swearing a Vow to Dumbledore didn't change that. His magic sang when near the Dark and the Dark Lord was a beacon of Dark magic. Now it sang when near Potter too and wasn't that a hard potion to swallow. However, his love for his childhood friend overpowered that connection to the Dark.

So Severus became stuck. Stuck teaching worthless brats. Stuck feeling empty and hollow. Stuck feeling constantly patronized by Dumbledore sucking those damn lemon drops. Stuck in his life, feeling trapped and unable to progress in any direction.

When Potter finally arrived at the school, the Vow kicked in and he protected the brat. Even though helping Potter meant ruining the Dark Lord's plans; meant ruining the chances the Dark had for growing stronger.

Now though...now Potter and the Dark Lord were allies. Now, Potter lived with the Dark Lord. Now it appeared Potter was currently the safest he had ever been. And wasn't that another shock.

Severus glared at the man with twinkling eyes. The bloody coot had him swear an Unbreakable Vow to protect Harry Potter and then proceeded to send the boy into constant danger. And if that wasn't enough, Dumbledore had the boy tortured. Tortured, maybe even when Severus was at Grimmauld to make a report.

Dumbledore made a mockery of the Vow he'd forced onto him. Potter wasn't even safe before coming to Hogwarts. Severus had drawn vague confessions from Potters friends about how he was treated. The vague picture wasn't pleasant. A flying car breakout, yanking bars off of a window to aid the escape, runaway attempts, pleas for food during the summer months, Severus had heard enough after that.

Dumbledore was an icon to the Light and never had Severus considered the thought that the old man could be held to the same heartless level as the Dark Lord. At least the Dark Lord showed his displeasure if anyone else messed up. The Dark Lord expressed his vexation and dealt with it immediately, was honest in the disappointment and could allow the transgressor a chance to remedy their mistakes. Dumbledore hid behind falsities, guilt trips, and blackmail manipulations. Lately Severus felt dirty just being in the old man's presence.

"Thank you everyone for coming," Dumbledore called the meeting to attention. Severus pulled his mind from his internal thoughts and set about studying the others. It was a small group that day. Dumbledore had taken to separating the Order members into smaller groups. Severus was certain it was partially to keep the other members from thinking about Moody and Shacklebolt and the other reason being that without Grimmauld, there was no meeting place and Dumbledore was forced to have everyone in his office which wasn't big enough. Currently, around the office stood Emmeline Vance, Molly and Arthur Weasley, the metamorphmagus, and a mousy haired woman that Severus wasn't sure the name of, but she was a new recruit. "I know times seem to be turning against us but take heart. I am certain things will be turning in our favor soon."

"How can you be so sure, Albus?" Molly Weasley asked, twisting her hands fretfully.

Severus eyed the plump matriarch. Potter had said he had Order members on his side. If he had to guess, he'd say it was Lupin. But Lupin was still a lapdog to Dumbledore and in the middle of the woods negotiating with the werewolves. He'd never considered the Weasleys stepping from Dumbledore's shadow, but considering the youngest of the brood were firmly with Potter, it had Severus eyeing the parents in a different light.