Brains, Brawn, and Spider Silk || Sep and Sev || August 28, 1980
Mysterious Beasts and Where to Spy on Them Date: August 28th, 1980 Time: 7:45PM Location: the forest outside Hogsmeade, Scotland @notlibatiusborage
The sun was still casting the orange hue of late afternoon across the wild landscape when Septimus Crabbe apparated with a snap into the field outside Hogsmeade village, just beyond the shadow of the forest. It was getting on into evening, but the summer - though waning now - meant longer days. The wizard was glad for that, even if normally missions like this were better done under the safe cover of darkness. He had no desire to wander into the nearby woods in the dead of night.
Not that the light would last, especially once he was in amongst the thick tangle of trees. He was trying not to dwell on that, though. When faced with imminent danger or worrisome events, he generally found it best to simply avoid thinking about it too much. This approach hadn’t killed him yet, so he reckoned it worked for him.
Shading his eyes with a hand against the low angle of the sun, Sep looked across the field to Hogsmeade. There was no one in sight, but it was possible that someone in the outermost row of houses might be able to spot him from a back window. Still, it was a good distance and he didn’t think that anyone would be able to see him clearly enough to identify him. He wasn’t wearing his Death Eater robes or mask at the moment, for several reasons. One, he reckoned that if he was spotted, he could always explain it away as a simple walk in the countryside. Two, he didn’t like the idea of traipsing about in the increasingly shadowy woods in the heavy black robes, nor have his vision partly obscured by the silver mask.
No sign of onlookers, but that wasn’t the only thing Sep was on the lookout for. He searched the field for his partner for the evening. The last time he’d been in this spot, it had been Ramsey at his side. As it always should be, as far as Sep was concerned. Sure, their encounter with the clan of giant spiders who lived in the forest hadn’t exactly gone down smoothly, but they’d gotten out alright in the end. And that, he was certain, was down to his and Ramsey’s excellent teamwork.
Maybe the Dark Lord didn’t agree. Because it wasn’t Ramsey who would be accompanying him this time. No, this time it was Severus bloody Snape. About as far from Ramsey Goyle as you could get within the Death Eaters’ ranks. Sep grimaced at the thought of the sullen, sallow-faced young wizard. He was a weasel, Sep thought derisively. Scrawny, untrustworthy and too smart for his own good. The Dark Lord seemed to like him, though, for whatever reason.
“Snape!” Sep called out, trying to raise his voice just enough to be heard if Snape was lurking about at the treeline, but not so much that he might draw attention from the village. “You here already?”
