Original Sin

A/N Thanks to my beta Duniazade. All remaining mistakes are my fault. All warnings still in effect.

In which the Order discovers a foul plot afoot...

PART 3

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"Severus?"

Lily sighed, finally fed up. Where had that boy gotten to? She had even resorted to looking under tables, knocking on all the bathroom doors and peeping into closets only he was scrawny enough to fit into. But it wasn't like him to play hide-and-seek anymore.

Albus' silvery phoenix Patronus had followed her all throughout the house as she searched for her brother, summoning her to the table. She had tried to ignore it, loath to anger her father but even more determined to arrive with her brother. Finally, as she checked the library for the third time, the phoenix Patronus screeched angrily and she knew she could ignore it no longer. Resigned, she trailed obediently behind it as it led her to the upper kitchens.

"Where have you been?" Albus thundered, already on edge from the pressures of trying to make everything perfect. Lily said nothing, meekly staring at the floor. This was not the best time to demonstrate any of the lip or bold qualities her father usually liked in her.

"Hurry now, seat yourself at the table. They've been waiting."

"I can't find Severus."

Albus gave a contemptuous sneer. "Has he gone hiding again? When will that boy ever grow a spine? Go sit. If he doesn't show up to dinner, then he just won't eat tonight."

Lily bit back on what she wanted to say and dutifully went to the dining hall. She secretly thought to herself that she would have to make sure to take some leftovers to Severus once he decided to show himself again.

The Order members paid her little attention when she sat back down at the table. Even Regulus was busy chatting with the twins. What they were gossiping about so enthusiastically, she couldn't tell. Instead, she looked glumly down at her plate, wondering if Severus and Father had fought. Perhaps that was why Severus would forego an opportunity to see their uncle and the Order members he so admired.

Finally Albus arrived, sweeping into the room with majestic airs. He had on his finest set of robes, and the intricate golden stitch work glittered impressively in the candlelight.

"Thank you all for attending my most humble dinner this evening. Welcome to my house."

Albus sat down, and immediately food appeared on the empty plates. Tureens of different sauces and creamed vegetables appeared along the center of the table, and each plate had an array of small starters.

"I bid you eat, and I hope the fare is to everyone's liking."

The Order members seemed more pleased at the fine alcohol that appeared on the tables and in their glasses. The table immediately buzzed with friendly chatter as everyone poured each other drinks and slowly began to start with the different breads and salads.

Regulus slipped Lily a wink, reaching across the table to pour some wine into her glass.

"Old enough for such fine things, now, aren't you?"

She blushed, taking the glass from him and delicately sipping at the wine. She wasn't used to drinking it so only tasted it in front of him to be polite.

"And what is it that you do?"

Regulus smirked. "Some would say it's rude to ask."

Lily merely blinked, unshakeable, and Regulus' grin broadened even further.

"I'm the correspondent. I travel all over the world, bearing any sort of message you could imagine. Diplomatic treaties, ultimatums, almanacs, annual reports of trade... love letters between royalty..."

He winked, obviously enjoying their little flirtation. "I've been everywhere, Lily. You'd be amazed at what's just at England's doorstep. I've learned so many languages and dined with so many different peoples. Perhaps I'll take you someday."

"I doubt that." Lily smiled wryly, wiser than Regulus thought. She knew their flirting was merely that, and once he left her house she would be just another pretty face in the background of his adventure-filled life. But she was determined to enjoy the good-looking man's company while she was still the center of his attention.

"I see Borgin has neglected to honour his invitation... again."

Narcissa quirked an eyebrow at Lucius, delicately spearing a tomato slice to her fork.

"You know how busy my husband is. I'm very proud of him. He lives to make beautiful things."

Lucius smirked, fondling her thigh underneath the table. "And to serve beautiful things... you certainly knew to pick one without any sort of spine, didn't you?"

Narcissa smirked, playing disdain. "He worships me."

Lucius grinned, his hand reaching further up her leg.

"We make beautiful things too."

Narcissa playfully slapped his hand under the table, stabbing her fork into the untouched food on his plate meaningfully.

"Thing. I've only one son."

"With golden hair just like mine. And what colour is Borgin's hair? Oh, is it a plain brown?"

Narcissa ruffled a hand through her luxurious blonde hair, fanning it out and letting it shine in the candlelight.

"He has my hair. He has my blonde hair."

Lucius leaned in close enough that his lips tickled her ear and whispered, "But he has my nose."

Albus stared intently at the dinner party around him. Chatting, drinking, and all generally having a good time. None particularly concerned with satisfying their hunger at the moment, all more occupied with enjoying each other's company. Albus inwardly chanted to himself to be calm, to be patient, that it would only be a little longer.

"Lily," he said suddenly, "why aren't you eating?"

She looked up, startled.

"Oh... I, um, I'm just waiting, Father."

Albus sighed in disgust. "Then you'll wait so long you'll starve yourself, my dear."

Lily looked away, properly chastised and pushed her fork around her plate.

Aberforth's palate had finally been properly warmed up with the servings of good wine and delicate starters. The leftover crumbs and bits of food on their plates disappeared and were immediately replaced by the main courses. The tables were magically laden with cured sausages, roasted fowl, a meaty stew and a centerpiece of a still steaming roast. Aberforth's nose twitched at the aroma and he felt his mouth beginning to water. It smelled wonderful.

"Could I tempt anyone with a cut of my prize game?" Albus offered, picking up the serving knife and already beginning to carve into the pink, dripping meat.

Molly was the first to nod towards Albus, indicating that she would like a portion. It was soon followed by a similar gesture from MacNair, who solemnly stared ahead and ignored the dark look Molly flashed his way. Albus just hummed cheerfully as he placed hot, mouthwatering slices on their plates.

Apart from the small moment of tension between Molly and the brooding executioner, everyone else seemed eager to begin eating. As he spooned a hearty portion of the meat stew into his bowl, Aberforth noticed the silent executioner out of the corner of his eye and immediately sensed something was wrong.

MacNair, normally silent and cool, still enjoyed his meals. Hunting frequently himself, he had a great appreciation for the different game meats, butchery and finer cuts. Tonight, however, instead of quietly slicing away and savouring the delicious looking food, he was staring at it. Intently.

Everyone around the table noticed Aberforth hadn't touched his food either and followed his gaze to look at MacNair. The dark, gloomy man took his knife and pushed the flat of the blade against the center of the cut. The pink meat slowly released a small pool of blood onto his plate. He stared at it for a moment longer, pushing other parts of the meat, and then finally set down his knife and sat back in his chair. He picked up his goblet and drank his wine instead, completely ignoring the meat on his plate.

The others knew MacNair's fine tastes and that he never did anything without good reason. He was almost like their silent alarm detector, and they looked uneasily at their plates.

Molly, who had been watching just as interestedly at everyone else, scowled and looked to her plate. Insufferable man, she thought, and began to cut up her portion. Aberforth watched her begin to eat the juicy meat more in defiance than in relish or hunger.

Aberforth then noticed that his brother had been watching the proceedings with an intense mixture of alarm and triumph glittering in his eyes. Alarm bells immediately began ringing in his head.

Even before Aberforth could tell Molly to stop, she had already set down her knife and looked suspiciously at what she was eating. It resembled nothing she had tasted before, although she had originally thought it to be lamb or venison.

"What is it, Albus?"

He merely looked at his brother, infuriatingly quiet and calm, with his hands folded underneath his chin. Aberforth's hand began to tremble as the intensity of their locked gazes grew.

"What is it, brother?"

"Boy."

A pregnant pause filled the room as everyone was caught off guard by the cryptic answer.

Lily stared at her plate, deathly pale and with horror mounting in her eyes. Finally, her mouth working itself into a frenzy of tics, hands clenching the table, she pushed herself out of her chair, backpedaling away from the morbid feast.

"Severus. Where is he? Where is he?"

Molly made a gagging noise and the table erupted into an explosion of noise. Aberforth leapt up to his feet and Albus rose to challenge him.

"What have you done?"

"Not so wise, not so all-knowing as you think, brother!"

"What is the meaning of all this?"

"For too long you've been allowed to run around unchecked, no one questioning your authority or power. It is the very seeds that birth tyranny, Aberforth, and you've been irresponsible in allowing it to continue for so long."

Aberforth angrily faced his brother, wands already pointed at each other's throats.

"And you think you know any better?"

"You obviously do not. You are not the infallible leader the world meekly accepts you as – you are not fit to wield the unquestioned power you do!"

"You killed your son to prove a point to me?"

Albus looked grimly at him. "You've no ears for listening to me."

Aberforth finally released his older brother, backing away slowly in horror himself.

"You are not a perfect organization. Your Order is fickle and prey to the same humanly whims as the most common person, and yet you condescend to rule them as gods. How many have been lured into your promises of miracles and so blindly followed you to their life's detriment? How many go hungry, sick, and die, all in the fervent delusion that everything you do is for the best?"

Aberforth pointed his wand to Albus' chest again, hexes and curses running through his mind. His brother had gone insane and he had to be stopped. Yet, Aberforth stowed his wand away, unable to strike his brother.

"Whatever you accuse me of, you've made a fine example of it yourself in your perverted sense of pragmatism."

He spun on his heel and made his way over to the Order members. They had crowded around Molly, and Aberforth shooed them away, the anger at his brother directed into brusque commands.

"Everyone to the kitchens. Walden, keep an eye on him."

The group left, half-running, half-walking, to try and make it to the kitchens on time. Regulus, the fastest member, had already dashed off ahead of them. They could hear Lily's screams reverberating against the house walls.

In the dining hall, Molly had sunk to her knees on the floor. Albus had seated himself placidly back into his chair, content to quietly observe his surroundings. MacNair, surprisingly, paid him no attention and instead, slowly lowered himself to Molly's level.

"Go... 'way..." she choked through her sobs.

MacNair merely looked at her with those gloomy eyes of his. He moved slowly, being so tall and his hands clumsy and big. He produced a bowl that had held their bread rolls, now empty, and placed it in front of Molly. He then gave her a glass which he upended an entire shaker of salt into and some warm water.

"Here, mother, you must drink this."

She looked up at him, astonished. "What did you call me?"

He merely pushed the glass insistently into her hands. Trembling, she took it and, screwing up her face, tried to knock it back in one gulp. Immediately, she felt her stomach protest and she began to retch. MacNair held her shoulders gently as she retched into the bowl, finally bringing up the foul meat she had eaten to spite him.

When she was finally done, MacNair brought her a new glass, this time of wine, to wash the taste out of her mouth. She swilled the red vintage around in her mouth before spitting it into the bowl. She banished the contents once she was done and looked at the dark, silent man kneeling in front of her. It was the first time she felt compelled to think of him as something other than death and ruin.

"Her life will be so dark," Molly whispered.

MacNair considered that, thoughtfully running his fingers along the strap of his eye patch.

"I'll build her a garden."

He offered his hand to Molly, and she let him help her to her feet and walk her out of the room. They paused by the doorway as MacNair turned to consider Albus.

Albus merely waved his hand at them. "I'm not going anywhere."

MacNair shrugged. "All the same."

He raised his wand and cast wards on the room and wards on Albus' own person, which he would not be able to break without great difficulty and alerting the other Order members. Then, dutifully attending to Molly as before, he walked her slowly to the kitchens, the broken bonds between them finally beginning to mend.

TBC