Summary: Voldemort is on a mission to expose the traitors within his ranks.  Suspecting Severus, he assigns the Potions Master a task that would prove his loyalty to the Dark once and for all.  Unfortunately it is a task that would have irreversible consequences for Harry Potter and his friends…

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Prologue~

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for once again failing to follow orders and an additional ten for erroneously assuming that your assistance is indispensable," Severus Snape snapped tiredly.  "Class dismissed."

The dark haired man watched silently as the students quickly gathered their possessions and exited the classroom.  The smallest glimmer of amusement crossed his face as he decided that 'fled' would be a more accurate description for the Gryffindor students that had opted to take seventh year potions.  'Two more weeks and this particular nightmare will be over.'  The realization that the seventh year students would soon be leaving Hogwarts forever had been the only bright spot in his day thus far. "And good riddance to the Fantastic Three," he groused, referring to the infamous trio of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Entering the room that housed his personal stores, he reached for the tiny blue vial that would provide much needed relief from the nagging headache that had plagued him since the previous night.  Since the Dark Lord's return Snape had faced various forms of tests designed to prove his loyalty to Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters. While Severus didn't doubt that the Dark Lord was attempting to weed out potential traitors, he knew that such methods of inquisition amused the snake-like figure to no end. Last night had been the all too familiar bout of Cruciatus followed by assorted hexes from his brethren. As usual he had passed the tests by remaining silent and allowing the Dark Lord to rifle through his mind in an effort to assure himself of the Potions Master's unswerving loyalty.  Fortunately Snape's own formidable powers and familiarity with such techniques ensured that Voldemort would see only those images that would assure his continued placement within the Inner Circle. However the cost to his physical well being had been uncomfortable to say the least. Voldemort's skills were extensive and the ability to resist the intrusive probing was not without considerable effort. A derisive laugh escaped Severus' lips as he thought of the consequences should the Dark Lord realize the extent to which his carefully cast Legilimens was being blocked and redirected.

Downing the contents of the vial in one swallow, the Professor returned to his desk to begin the tedious task of grading papers.  He was thankful he didn't have another class until later that afternoon.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"He's just utterly impossible!" the brown haired girl seethed, tossing her bulging book bag on a nearby table in the Gryffindor common room.  "I mean honestly, if I hadn't stopped Neville from adding the powdered dragon's nail before he added the essence of newt then we all would have been blown to pieces but does he even have the decency to acknowledge that fact?"

Harry Potter had just opened his mouth to reply when Hermione, his long time friend, interrupted his intentions by continuing with her latest tirade.

"Of course he doesn't!" she said, vehemently answering her own question.  Crossing her arms directly in front of her chest, she stood to her tallest height and lifted an eyebrow in a fairly decent imitation of Hogwart's resident Potions Master.  "That will be ten points for assuming your assistance is indispensable…  Oh, the nerve of him!  I should have stood back and let Neville add the dragon's nail and then I wouldn't have had to worry about him deducting house points ever again."

"That's one way to ensure we don't lose so many points on account of Slytherin," Ron Weasley murmured with a wry grin.

"What do you expect 'Mione?" Harry asked, absently rubbing his forehead.  "It's Snape.  He's been like this for the past seven years and he'll be like this until the day he dies. Probably even then too."

"Which should certainly liven Hell up a bit, don't you think?" Ron remarked, popping a Chocolate Frog into his mouth.

Seeing that his friend's temper was still running dangerously high, Harry walked over to her and pulled her into a quick hug.  "Look at it this way," he told her with a smile, "At least he didn't give you detention."

"Only because he doesn't want to see me anymore than I want to see him!" she replied hotly. She was about to continue her grumbling but quickly stopped when she saw Harry double over in pain.

"Harry!" Ron was immediately at his friend's side, his concern apparent.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked. A loud gasp escaped her lips when she pulled his hands away from his forehead and noticed the inflamed scar that stood out so noticeably against the pale pallor of his forehead.  "Is it Voldemort?"

"He's very angry about something but I don't know what," the Boy-Who-Lived managed to explain before once again crying out in pain.

"Ron, maybe we should get him to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested, her brow creased with worry. 

"No!" Harry exclaimed. Suddenly the world around him began to take on a fuzzy, disorienting quality, as a vortex of darkness seemed to open before him.  It was the last thing he saw before falling to the ground, oblivious to his surroundings.

"Ron, go and get Professor Dumbledore and tell him what has happened.  I'll wait here with Harry so that he's not alone when he wakes up."

"You don't think he's… I mean, he is going to be okay isn't he?" the young man asked, casting a worried glance at his friend. 

"He has just passed out," Hermione answered matter-of-factly, pulling out her wand and levitating the unconscious figure of her friend to rest comfortably on the sofa.  "Hurry, Ron."

A flash of red hair disappeared through the portal and Hermione was left alone watching anxiously over her friend.  "Oh Harry," she whispered quietly, "It must really be bad if it's having this drastic of an effect on you."

Her only answer was the silence of the room as she watched the unconscious form of her friend for any signs of change to his present condition.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Another prodigious failure," Snape muttered, dipping his quill in the pot of blood red ink on his desk.  He had just begun to mark a particularly large "F" on the parchment when an unusually strong searing pain shot through his left forearm. He barely noticed the quill fall from his hand and flutter to the desk as his fingers clenched and unclenched in response to the pain. Nor was he truly aware of the puddle of red ink pooling on his desk: Ink that had been knocked over as his hand instinctively reached to cover the pulsating shape of the Dark Mark. Muttering an oath that was unfit for human ears, he unsteadily made his way to his private chambers and tossed a handful of floo powder into the oversized fireplace. 

"Albus Dumbledore," he hissed while muttering a quick Accio to summon his Death Eater garments to him.  The Dark Lord rarely called Snape during the day knowing that he had classes to teach and a cover to maintain.  Whatever was going on, the Potions Master knew that it wouldn't be good, especially given the level of pain he was currently facing courtesy of the Dark Mark and the fiend that controlled it.

It was but a moment before the familiar face of the Headmaster appeared within the green flames.  "Severus?"  Dumbledore queried with concern as he took in the younger man's obvious distress.

"I must go," Snape said quickly while donning his robes.  "Voldemort is summoning me."

"You were just summoned last night," the Headmaster replied, a worried expression clearly visible in his usually bright eyes. "Do you have any idea why you are being called again so soon?"

"No but whatever the reason, the Dark Lord is very angry and I must leave immediately." He bit back a cry of anguish as another particularly painful sensation streaked through his arm.

"I understand. I'm releasing the wards so that you may Disapparate directly from your chambers. It will save time and perhaps mollify Tom in some small way." A mere second later Severus saw the elderly Wizard's mouth move as he quietly spoke an incantation that would momentarily dismantle the Apparition wards surrounding the castle.  "Good luck, my friend.  I will await your return."

"Thank you, Albus," Severus answered with a small bow of his head, wondering if returning to Hogwarts, preferably alive, would be a luxury the Dark Lord would allow him.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  My many thanks to Ozratbag2 for playing the part of Beta and lending her incredible talent to this chapter!  Also, this story is in response to the 'Cold Shoulder' challenge (created by runninoutofreasons132) at WIKTT.  For those of you interested in reading up on the rules of the challenge, please go to the WIKTT website where you will find this challenge listed in the Files Section under Fanfiction / Challenges.    

~Jules