Severus Snape walked down to his personal potions lab, courtesy of the Dark Lord. He weaved through the corridors, going lower and lower. He knew the steps by heart, like he did many potions. The lab was in the dungeons area. There was an actual reason to this, to many people's surprise. Everyone thought that potions masters were generally anti-social and that they liked the dark. But the air could not stir, else it could risk disrupting the brew. The same went for light; too much of it might cause negative reactions to the results. Severus knew of several potions that needed to be brewed in complete darkness, hell he'd even invented some.
Severus liked potions; he understood them. Life, on the other hand, gave him problems. What the hell was he supposed to do with Potter? Dumbledore would want an explanation. He'd want to know why there was no warning, but then again, since no one else knew either, he could fake innocence. If he had other spies, which was unlikely but plausible, they'd tell him the same thing. That would deal with the headmaster, but not the boy.
Snape had long ago wondered which side he should be on. At the moment he was partial to either side, helping neither more than the other. He was a neutral in the war, playing in the middle of the battlefield. He'd never heard of the saying, "Don't play in traffic." He didn't truly care which side won, but he'd be on the side that did. If Severus Snape respected anything, it was power. The more power you had, the greater the temptation was, the more likely that side would win. Everything was about power, and those that couldn't perceive it were blinder than those that could not see.
And at the moment the person with the most power was lying unconscious in the room he'd just left. He was loath to admit it, but it was true. Harry Potter was the deciding factor in this war. He'd been leaning towards the light after he met Potter; he'd known the Dark Lord wasn't really gone. Hell, everyone knew it; no one wanted to admit it. The one who controlled Harry Potter would control the outcome of this war. They would win it.
If it were Dumbledore, the world would go on as it has. But if the Dark Lord reigned, things would be different. Truly, Snape didn't care either way, as long as he was free, and both futures contained freedom for him. He worked long and hard for his power and his strength. Now that he had it, he'd be granted the freedom he sought.
And know he knew it was almost there; all that mattered now was what side the Potter Boy chose. And Snape had full access to the boy, to "help" him decide. So really, the question was: Who did Severus want to win? What side benefited him the most? A Slytherin to the end, and that answer would benefit him. It was really an easy option when you looked at it from a rational point of view. Come to think of it though, Snape wasn't known as a rational thinker.
With lighter steps and a lighter mood, Snape returned to the Dark Lord's chambers carrying a case of very delicate potion bottles. Even with unbreakable spells, he still needed to be careful.
When he entered the room, he set down the case and knelt before the Dark Lord. After lowering his head, he lifted it to stare into Voldemort's crimson cold eyes. He took a deep shaky breath and said:
"To you, the Dark Lord, do I owe my loyalty and my fidelity. I am yours to command, my lord." Staring into Voldemort's eyes, it was impossible to lie, for even a skilled Occlumens such as Snape couldn't.
