The Nothing I've Become (Areas of Expertise II) | By : SickPuppy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 18628 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
Another update! I suddenly realised today that I'd forgotten something fairly important so have been scrambling to make sure it was dealt with! SP
Chapter Twenty-Three - Without a Voice, Without a Soul
Severus' scream continued, long after Harry's had. He writhed on the bed, thrashing helplessly. In fact, he made so much noise that Hermione and Ron, who had been pretending they couldn't hear the very noisy sex coming from Harry's room, were worried and burst in.
Ron's face flamed red at the two naked forms and the noticeable smell of sex in the room. But Hermione was more practical. She rushed to Snape's side and noticed at once the dark mark on his arm, showing clearly against the pale skin.
'Oh no!' she gasped. 'Not now!'
'What?' Ron asked, staring at a wall.
'He's here.' She whispered. 'You-Know-Who: he's here.'
On the bed, Severus' scream had subsided. Now he was groaning in agony, clutching his arm. Beside him, Harry was moaning too, grabbing for his own arm in just the same way the teacher was.
Hermione noticed the gesture and filed it away for future reference. But she didn't allow that to distract her. 'Sir?' she began urgently. 'Sir, you must go. He must find you in your study, not here. Sir? Please!'
Snape gritted his teeth and nodded. Slowly, intense pain showing on his face, he rolled off the bed and thumped to the floor. He scrabbled for his clothes, Hermione helping him. It was she who cast a grooming charm to clear the smell of sex from his person and to tidy his hair. At last he stood, looking almost like the figure they were used to, but his face was so twisted with pain that he frightened them a little.
'Take ... take good care ' of him.' Severus panted, indicating Harry.
Hermione nodded, feeling wretched. She knew what danger the man was going in to. The Dark Lord had arrived to catch the culprit of the pranks, or to punish Severus for not doing so. And he knew who had caused the pranks, and where they were. She gulped, hoping he didn't betray them.
***
The Dark Lord stood on the raised dais in the Great Hall. He surveyed the Death Eaters encircling him, all bowing. There was one noticeable gap and he glowered. At his side stood Wormtail, cringing as usual. Fuming at the delay, Voldemort grabbed Pettigrew's arm and stabbed his wand again at the mark. The Death Eaters surrounding him all seemed to shrink and draw a collective breath of pain, and many surreptitiously cradled their aching arms.
The red eyes gleamed with satisfaction at the pain caused. Wormtail was whimpering softly.
'Sssshut up,' Voldemort said softly, but no one made the mistake of thinking he was feeling generous.
At once, Pettigrew stifled his cries, although his shoulders heaved convulsively.
'Where issss Ssssseverussss?' the Dark Lord hissed in anger.
Nagini slithered into the Hall. She had been coiled in the foyer, her forked tongue tasting the air, scaring off all the students who had dared to come down and see what was going on. Now she moved her massive body gracefully to curl about her master like some dreadful parody of a faithful dog. Pettigrew, stuck within the centre of the snake's coil, seemed none too pleased, but didn't dare move or comment.
There was a curious tension in the hall, stemming from the Dark Lord's displeasure. Nagini had picked up on it and was quietly hissing venomously, her slitted eyes fixing on each minion in turn.
The Death Eaters shifted nervously, but tried not to attract the attention of their leader. Pain would be the only outcome if they did that!
And still they waited.
It took another long, tense, three minutes before Severus appeared, hurrying to the Hall, clutching his arm, his face flushed, his black eyes inscrutable as always. He fell to his knees by Nagini's coils, as close to Voldemort as he could get.
'My Lord,' he gasped, 'My Lord, I do most humbly beg your forgiveness. It is inexcusable of me to make you wait, and I am most distraught at the precious time that has been wasted whilst you graciously awaited me.'
Nagini had uncoiled and was circling Severus menacingly.
'Leave us!' Voldemort ordered his followers, and they left, secretly displeased to miss what was, they were sure, going to be an exquisite torture scene.
Alone with the black haired man, Voldemort sat in the headteacher's chair and beckoned the other to kneel beside him. Severus crawled, climbing awkwardly up onto the raised area and bowing patiently beside the other.
There was silence for a long time.
'Sssseverussss! I am disappointed. You are failing in your duty. There have been too many 'pranks'. I will deal with those in a moment, but first, I placed you here to watch in my place, and today I learn from Wormtail that yet again you have left the school. This has happened too many times. Explain yourself.'
'My Lord,' Snape began, still on bended knee, 'I admit I left the school. However, I wished to meet Umbridge to ensure that the latest leaflets being produced were appropriate. I must agree with you, my Lord, in your original estimation of her, a foolish woman who believes that authority must be correct. In your case, of course, she is right to follow, but still...'
'Indeed, Severus, indeed. She is useful for that very reason. But this only explains your last absence. There have been others, have there not?'
Snape nodded. 'I hurried to Gringotts' the moment I heard there had been a break in, but sadly the item had already been taken...'
Voldemort went deathly still. 'I was not told of this.'
'Perhaps people feared your reaction my Lord. I cursed myself for not acting sooner; I was in London, as it happens, searching for certain potion ingredients, but had no cause to visit the bank. It is still unclear how the intruders got past security, and how thy got back out again without being captured.'
Voldemort moved restlessly. 'This disturbs me, my Severus. More than I can say.'
'My Lord,' Severus said soothingly, 'did you yourself not say that one of your precious items was hidden in a place none but you knew of? Surely you are safe, as, as I understand it my Lord, it is only when all of these items, whatever they are, are collected that a threat to you could happen.'
Voldemort sighed softly and sank back into the chair he had arisen from to pace in agitation. He curled one sharply clawed hand into the lank black hair of his servant. Severus tensed internally, but let nothing of his disgust show in his movements. His hair was petted as the Dark Lord mused, 'And none would ever guess where another of my items is. You are right, Severus, I am safe.' He sighed softly and relaxed. 'And now,' he went on, after the silence had started to worry Snape, 'tell me about these 'pranks'...'
--As ever, PLEASE review! Don't make me beg (any more than I already am!)
--I forgot: there are three key pieces of information given in this chapter. Big prize to whoever gets them all!
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