AN: This is really the story of Severus Snapes life that takes place in the middle of Their Secret. It will explain what happened to him during those five years. It will be when either three or four chapters and once I am finished I am going to start Hermione's side of the story. And look for another chapter of Their Secret soon.
Severus Snape stood there on a busy London Street waiting for a cab to pull up so he could start his journey home. The cab was taking so long to get to him that it was easy to get lost in thought. Every time he got lost in thought, it was always about his wife and child.
How could he of allowed himself to fall in love with her? His life was too dangerous, any day of it could be his last. He never wanted to fall in love, but then again he never knew there was someone out there that would fall in love with him. And he never thought in a million years that it would be Hermione Granger.
He felt something for her the first time they meant. She was ambitious in her first year and he admired it, as well as, despised it. What made it worse was she became friend with that Potter boy. Although all along he knew that his teaching would not be wasted on her, and she proved him correct in that aspect with the potion that she made for Saint Mungo's.
It was funny how that little potion changed his life. The potion tested her skill and commitment, and he was not disappointed with what he saw, while he watched her make it. Then on Halloween when she finished it with his help there was just this undeniable passion that they both had, a passion that had been building up since that unplanned dinner date where they were placed at the same table the previous summer. When they gave into their passion that night he never felt anything like it before. He knew that was the night that they conceived their baby.
Their baby that he never got to see grow in her, be born and the baby that he never got to hold. How much of his baby's life did he miss in the past five, almost six years? Was aiding in the fall of Voldemort worth it? Yes and no. By destroying Voldemort he helped make a safer world for his child to gorwo up in, but then again he had to sacrifice many things to get it that way. Mostly the family that he never knew he wanted until he had them. It was them, which made his life bareable the past five years. They were her one and only life line while he lived out his days in that living hell whole.
Thinking about the pain that he caused his wife plagued him every day. There was some way Voldemort found out about the two of them. Some other person realized the truth about them and went to Voldemort with it. Who? He would never know. They were so careful, and he knew Dumbledore would never tell.
"Sir, I believe that cab is yours." A little girl holding onto her parent's hands said, pulling on the back of his coat.
"Thank you, young miss." Severus said getting in the back seat. He handed a slip of paper to the driver, which contained the directions to a little Muggle town three hours away. From there he would get another car to drive him to the cabin where he was told his wife and son was at.
He could remember that last day he shared with Hermione. It was the first Saturday of February and most of the school went into Hogsmeade. He was called to a meeting the night before, and was told that the following evening he was going to leave with a small group of Death Eaters, to a Muggle Village and steal something or another. It should have been a simple mission that would have had him home within two hours Saturday night, and that is what he told her.
"Hermione it will not take that long. Have a nice evening with Harry, Ron and Ginny then go ahead and meet me in the Room of Requirement at eleven. I love you." Then with a kiss on her forehead and a pat of her belly he was gone.
When he arrived at the Lair of the Dark Lord he was not greeted by his fellow Death Eaters. No one was in the house. He knew that he had the time and location right. It was then that he should have figured something was wrong but he was too busy thinking about Hermione. If he would not of been so focused on her then he would have been right back there with her that night. She did not shed any tears when he said goodbye that night. She was beginning to get comfortable with is role as a spy.
He walked further into the house, and saw Nagini, the Dark Lord was somewhere in the building. He followed the snake, keeping his eyes on the lookout for anything that seemed peculiar. She lead him down into to depth below the house and too a small room at the back. He knocked on the door, "Master, it is I, Severus Snape."
"Come in." Was the reply that he got from the other side of the door. Severus took a deep breath and walked into the room. Voldemort sat in a chair at the other end of a table. "Sit, Severus."
Severus did not move from his position at the door. He knew that he was in trouble, but he could not make a run for it. He would surely get killed as soon as he turned his back. He walked to the seat to the opposite end of Voldemort and sat.
"Master, I thought that I had a mission to go on tonight? Did the plans change?"
"Yes, Severus, they did. It seems that I have acquired a few pieces of information about you this morning, some important information that you have been keeping from me. I am sure that you know what I am talking about, don't you Severus?"
"No, Master, I am sorry I don't."
"Don't lie to me." Voldemort said getting to his feet and pushing the table at Severus with an immense amount of strength that left him pinned against the wall in his chair. "I know for a fact that you happen to be married the mud-blood, Hermione Granger. I also know that you two can expect a baby in middle summer." He said walking back in forth. Severus tried to move the table but it seemed like it was keeping him trapped with magic.
"Further more I also know that for the past 17 years, you have been un-loyal to me, and have been giving the Order information about me and my plans. You know that the punishment is for turning your back on me is, right?"
"Death," he whispered.
"Too right you are Severus, too right you are. But in your case death does not seem fitting enough." Voldemort responded, lightly tapping his wand in his hand. "It would be too easy for me to kill you and take your life away Severus, you really would not feel too much with the Avada Kedavra Curse.
"Severus, I want you to suffer, know the pain of having your life slowly drain away from you. Knowing that each day that you continue to live is only bringing you one step closer to your death."
Severus sat there and listened to Voldemort discuss, his slow and painful death. But he was not really listening to him; he was thinking of her, it was past their time to meet, she would be getting worried.
"And what's more Severus you can live with the fact that the first chance I get I will kill your wife and child, and there is not a thing that you can do to stop it. Her death will be fast though, I do not need to waste my magic on the likes of her." Each of Voldemort's last words spoken felt like a sharp knife to the heart. By loving Hermione he condemned her to death. He needed to get word to Dumbledore to save her.
Under the table he could feel the tip of his wand from the pocket that it was in. If he could only more his arm a little closer. He knew that it was a good idea to brand himself with the Protean Charm on the opposite arm of his dark mark. It was a simple little thing and the only other that knew of it was Dumbledore he would receive the message that they worked out.
The message; Voldemort knew the truth and was going to kill him and that he was going to be looking for Hermione. When Dumbledore got the message he was supposed to get Hermione safely away from the castle and to the special cabin that Dumbledore had. Once the mark was pressed he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his wife and child might be able to avoid the horrendous treatment he was about to get.
No sooner did he get the message sent he felt his wand zoom out of his pocket and saw it land in the hand of Voldemort. Voldemort said nothing for a moment and when he spoke he said only one word, "Crucio."
Severus felt like his bones were trying to explode out of his body. He felt a pain that he never felt before, like every park of his flesh was being ripped open over and over. His screams filled the room as the pain got worse. He did not know how long the curse lasted but it felt like years. He did not even remember Voldemort stopping, all he could remember was pain then falling into nothingness.