1/19/11

Three months of no updates is what you people get for pissing me off. If I get any more update requests, even in good nature, I will stop writing for this story. (After receiving insulting and threatening e-mails, can you blame me?)

Thank you to those who wrote actual reviews. I greatly value and appreciate them and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

XxXxX

The pale, ghostlike figure of the Dark Lord stalked the hallways of Riddle Manor. His followers, always watchful of their Master, had begun to fret over him. This was the second month they had watched him wander aimlessly, eyes unfocused, in search of his companion. Though they knew he would deny it, it was Lux that drove his sorrow. It had been weeks since he had seen his wolf friend and he was reasonably concerned.

Wolves died or were killed in the wild everyday. It was perfectly natural. But even with this logical perspective, Tom was worried beyond belief. What, beyond death, could possibly keep Lux away for so long?

It was then that an idea struck him, a reasonable, yet confusingly enraging idea. It was spring. Could Lux have fathered pups? Being the alpha male he would naturally have a mate, and with mates came puppies. This would explain his absence, but not the rage he felt inside. Why was he filled with hate for the female that was paired with his friend? It made no sense to be jealous.

'Jealous? I'm jealous of the she-wolf? What on earth for? Lux shall always remain my friend. He will always return to me. No female would change that. And yet…'

He was now even more confused than before. He would have to consult with his most trusted follower. Only then would his mind be at ease.

XxXxX

Severus Snape was a calm man. Being a teacher, he had built up a certain tolerance to stupidity from the ever-flowing river of idiots that drifted through his classroom. But even with this tolerance, the man was having a hard time controlling his temper as he listened to Potter's tale of ignorant teenage love. How could this boy, who had proved to be as cool and calculating as he himself had been as a student, be so stupid as to fall in love with the most dangerous man in their world?

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as the boy was finishing.

"…And so that's why I need you to take care of my memories."

He looked up. "Potter, what on earth are you suggesting?"

"That you remove them. I know you can do it, you're the best legilimens I know."

By now, shock was evident on every inch of his face, a rare sight to behold. It took the man a moment to recover enough to reply. "Potter, messing with the human mind is a dangerous endeavor, even for someone with the proper skills. Invading and blocking memories are one thing, but removing them… There could be irreparable damage."

Harry paled, envisioning himself in a bed at St. Mungo's next to Lockheart, or worse, as a vegetable. He couldn't end up like that. No.

"You understand, don't you?" Snape said, his tone softer. "Nothing is worth risking your mind, not even a situation as unusual as this."

"Unusual…" Harry laughed coldly. "That's my life."

"Did you expect any different?"

Harry looked at the man whom, for the longest time, he had considered his school-long enemy. There was something in his eyes he had never seen before: sympathy. He now recalled the memories he had seen in Snape's pensieve; how the man, then a boy, was teased and tormented for being unusual, and how he, Harry, was treated differently not just by the wizarding community, but also by the muggles before that. Some people were simply unusual; there wasn't anything wrong with him.

"No," he finally said.

Snape then looked directly at Harry and said in complete seriousness, "Let us try to deal with this in a more practical manner."

XxXxX

Later that same evening, Snape received a summons from the Dark Lord. Thinking it best he not inform the headmaster, he donned his plain black cloak and made his way out of Hogwarts, towards Hogsmeade Village. Once outside the school gates, he apparated to the Dark Lord's headquarters and hurried inside.

He was greeted by a house elf who took his cloak and directed him to the second story sitting room where Voldemort sat, staring into the fire blazing in the hearth.

Without instruction, Snape took his place at the Dark Lord's side and bowed low in a submissive greeting. "I came as quickly as I was able, My Lord. The journey from my quarters to the gates is time consuming."

The older man appeared not to have heard, instead continuing to stare at the flames.

"My Lord," Snape said, "I am here. You did request me, did you not?"

Voldemort seemed to snap out of his trance. "…Yes. Yes, I did summon you. I have called to speak to you of a very," he searched for the right words, "personal matter."

Snape, for the second time that day, was shocked. His Master had never discussed personal matters with him or anyone else. Not even Bellatrix, who was such a brown noser to the man Snape was certain she had seen up his arse, could get him to open up to her.

He was so taken aback that he had forgotten to answer the man and so he quickly replied, "Of course, My Lord. My ears are for you."

"I warn you, what I am about to say is quite unusual."

'There seem to be many unusual things happening lately,' Snape thought.

And so unusual things were told and heard, and as Snape listened he tried hard to keep his face neutral. The things he was hearing were incredible, illogical, and impossible. The Dark Lord was in love with Harry Potter. This idea would have made him faint were he not aware of the fact that Voldemort didn't know his wolf was actually the boy. He was indeed quite certain that, were the man to find out, Potter's life would be immediately extinguished.

But it was still the strangest thing he had ever heard. Even stranger than Potter telling him he was in love with Voldemort, as the man had never been known to be in love in all his years. Could the impossible really have happened? Could the Dark Lord be in love?

When asked what to do, Snape had no real, sure answer. He couldn't tell his Master to pursue the boy, as he was, to the Dark, a normal wolf and telling a man he should woo an animal was simply so wrong in his mind. He could tell him the wolf was Harry, but again there was the issue of Potter's life being extinguished.

He sighed inwardly and decided to be honest. "I do not know what you should do, My Lord."

"Neither do I. It is so troublesome, the human heart. I thought for certain I had rid myself of my humanity long ago,"

"Those born human stay human, if only in small pieces, My Lord."

Voldemort was quiet for a long while before replying, "Yes, I suppose you're right."

"My Lord, whatever is your decision, I shall assist you as best I can," Snape said, bowing low.

Another pause and a devious smile alighted the man's face. "Perhaps there is a way you could help."

XxXxX

It had been a week since Harry had visited Snape and had been told off for his reckless thoughts, so he was quite surprised when an owl came for him from the Potions Master requesting his presence after dinner. Could the man perhaps have changed his mind? Had he discovered another, safer way to remove his memories? He hurried his eating and made to prepare for the visit. He wanted to look and smell proper in the presence of his possible saviour.

After a quick shower and shave, he dressed in his non-school clothes and made his way down into the dungeons. He reached the potions classroom and knocked three times.

"Enter," came the man's voice from inside.

He opened the door and peeked into the dark room. "You wished to speak with me, Professor?"

"I did. Come and sit down."

Harry did as instructed and sat, looking up at the stoic man. He seemed troubled. "Sir?"

"The Dark Lord is in love with Lux."

Harry eyes widened and his voice caught in his throat.

"I can see you are shocked. So was I. However, I am not lying; he loves Lux and is under the impression that if you remain in your human form, you will not return to your 'pack,' and stay with him."

After five minutes of silence, Harry finally let out a strangled, "Huh?"

"He is going to slip Lux a potion that will keep you in your humanoid form."

Harry blinked. "And you agreed to this insane endeavor? You're going to let him keep me like a human pet?"

"I said no such thing. I am merely informing you of his intentions."

"You're warning me?" Harry asked, to which the man nodded. He gave it a bit of thought. "Perhaps it would be better to let him think I'm dead. Wolves die in the forest every day, it wouldn't be unusual."

"That would be wise…"

"But?"

"This may seem very odd for me to say, but I feel bad for the man. He has lost nearly all will."

Harry must have looked as surprised as he felt.

Severus sighed. "Such is the power of love."

"Love seems far more trouble than it's worth."

"I used to think so."

Harry looked at him curiously. "What do you think now?"

"Honestly?"

The boy nodded.

Severus looked at his feet. "I think it's precious and shouldn't be wasted."

As Harry made his way back to Gryffindor Tower, he thought hard on his feelings. He had a very important decision to make.

'This is going to be one long night.'

XxXxX

That's it for now. My eyes are so strained they sting.