Summary: Severus is stressed and Tonks is depressed.
A/N: Sorry, like I warned, RL is eating away at my writing time. Sorry that this chapter is a bit short. Be warned that things will veer more and more from canon from here on but hopefully not too much. There will be angst but there will be love too, I promise.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They were created by JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing them for a little while and I don't make a penny off of this.

Rating: M

CHAPTER 13

"My lord, the potion is ready," Severus announced as he entered the room. The Dark Lord had commissioned a potion to improve his looks and protect his fragile skin. Unknown to all but a select few, the dark wizard's snake like skin did in fact suffer from severe psoriasis.

"Is it any good, Severus, my loyal servant?"

"I experimented with powdered almond, sandal wood, rose water and calendula oil bases, my lord and the calendula oil seems most effective on test subjects."

"Wormtail," he hissed, extending a cloaked long-fingered arm.

"My lord," Pettigrew grovelled, carefully folding the robe back to expose the translucent skin.

Severus braced himself. The old Voldemort was a shade more understanding of potions and experimentation than this one. He had found no reasonable way of explaining to this man or creature that there weren't any suitable test subjects- no one else was part human-part reptile. He only hoped that the potion would work.

As his Potions Master began to apply the thick unguent, Voldemort felt a small tingle in his skin. His instincts screamed that this potion would be more successful than any others he had tried to date. This was why he was so willing to forgive Severus. The man was invaluable.

"When I was in Albania waiting for you and my other loyal servants," he felt satisfaction at Snape's flinch, "I often possessed animals to gain corporeal form. Most were too weak and useless to survive the intrusion for long. One day though, an ermine I inhabited was bitten by a snake, similar in breed to Nagini," he stroked the snake distractedly with the other hand as he spoke. "Instead of dying though, the weasel continued to live, at least as long as I was in its body. Or rather, I was able to continue my possession, animating the body but the corpse itself began to decompose.

It occurred to be then that perhaps I should inhabit humans bitten by snakes but the snakes could or would not control the amount of venom. I then decided to possess the snakes, biting and then inhabiting the humans. Unfortunately few humans came my way and I was never able to quite master the art of possessing the snake, biting the human and then moving to the human fast enough. Although, I *was* able to find out enough information to begin creating the potion that brought me back.

It's a pity you did not come to find me, Severus. You would have been much more useful to possess than Quirrell." Severus struggled to contain a shudder of disgust but the Dark Lord sensed but fortunately misinterpreted it. "Yes, Quirrell was a weak useless fool."

He watched as the pale potion hardened, becoming a yellow mask. Snape pulled at one corner and the pliant synthetic skin peeled away whole. Severus watched in morbid fascination at the entire layer of scaly epidermis that was being lifted away. Voldemort touched his new skin, pleased that it was smooth and moist. He peeled the skin he had shed away from the inside of the yellow cast and several separate layers in various states of fragility slide apart like a dried out onion.

"Nagini," he hissed, petting the snake, "It seems that I too must shed. There must be at least six layers here. Severus, proceed to make some more of the potion. Wormtail needs it to do the rest of my body."

"My lord, I am an exceptional potions master but even so, I must ask that you allow at least two days so that we can be sure that the balm is successful."

"You dare to give me a potion that does not work?"

"It works, my lord, it works," Severus hastened to explain, eyeing the raised wand. "I only wish to perfect it by adding more moisturizers if necessary. Also," he added for good measure, "now that I know about the need for shedding I can improve the potion even further."

Voldemort's scrutiny was difficult to endure. "You please me, Severus. Go."

***

Three days later Severus was able to offer his master an improved potion. The Dark Lord was quite pleased that there had been no side effects to the experimental potion.

"Severus, my clever friend," he hissed, "what will your reward be? Wormtail, you will serve Severus. You are at his mercy. To displease him is to displease me."

"M-my lord," Pettigrew looked terrified. He was trying to decide which he feared more- displeasing the Dark Lord or going with Severus Snape. The man had been eyeing him almost hungrily for some time and the predatory penetrating glares terrified him.

"Oh yes," Voldemort pretended to suddenly recall, "You were the one who betrayed the location of Lily Potter which led to her death. Fear not, Severus knows it was necessary, don't you?"

"I live to serve you, my lord," Severus drawled, the opportunity to be left alone with the rat so pleasing him that he neither hesitated nor struggled to say the lie.

"You see, Wormtail? Severus would not hurt you, too badly."

~Isn't he mine, Master?~ Nagini hissed.

~Yes, of course, my pet. I promised.~ Voldemort's parseltongue response was blood curdling.

"And if, by accident, Severus, Wormtail is fatally damaged, his body belongs to Nagini. Go."

"Come, Wormtail," Snake said silkily, barely remembering to bow to his master as he left. He would enjoy this. Even simply as a Marauder the rat would deserve his ire but he had done so much more. Pettigrew had made his sacrifice for Lily an act in vain. The rat would be punished.

Lord Voldemort regarded the scene with open amusement. So little entertained him anymore but he knew that this would. He was also pleased to see the glitter in Snape's eyes once more. Although he could see no deception in the dour man's eyes before, the thrilled eagerness to learn and experiment that once shined in the dark eyes had been missing since his return a year ago. Voldemort had convinced himself it was due to the loss of innocence and youth or perhaps the loss of Regulus Black- though he had not paid attention to the man's eyes after the boy disappeared. Today, however, the vicious glimmer and genuine adoration for the Dark Arts that had attracted him to Snape were clearly back.

~You are pleased to lose your servant, Master?~

~Wormtail is pathetic and weak. He follows the strongest person he can latch on to. I do not trust him. It pleases Severus and I do not care if Severus kills him. I also know that a sycophant such as he will keep me informed of Severus' activities. It is the best of both worlds~

***

Remus sat under a tree outside the Burrow. The latest meeting of the Order had just ended and he was happy that Dumbledore hadn't assigned him any immediate tasks. He was also relieved that Severus had signalled to him that they were to meet at their cottage in two days time. He only hoped nothing would happen between then and now.

Plucking at the grass around him, he wondered what his lover was up to at that moment. He was quite worried about Severus. Between the spying and whatever potions he was so busy working on, he was extremely stressed, even if he managed not to show it, at least to those who didn't know him well enough. He wouldn't talk about it but Remus suspected it had something to do with the Headmaster who seemed to be aging rather rapidly lately. He wondered whether it had anything to do with the withered hand.

For the last month or so, they only meet for a quick shag and nap. Severus was passionate and he enjoyed lying in the Slytherin's long, slim arms as he caught up on sleep. Funny that, although Remus was the one who spent many nights sleeping outdoors, Severus was often more tired than he was. He feigned sleep so that his lover would not feel any silly prideful need to stay awake. The dark circles and incomplete sentences were worrying signs that he wasn't resting enough at Hogwarts.

"Wotcha Remus!" Tonks joined him, tripping over a root and falling into his lap before almost bouncing off and onto the ground beside him. She smiled apologetically and shrugged and he couldn't help but laugh. "Well, at least you're smiling now. You looked so serious a while ago. Knut for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking about how horrible this war is," he shrugged. "Even Dumbledore seems worse for wear."

She nodded solemnly and he couldn't help but think that it wasn't a good look for her. As much as he missed Sirius, she seemed to miss him even more. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I miss him too but Sirius wouldn't like to know that you stopped smiling just because he died. He'd probably hex you with a Cheering Charm if he saw you lately."

Tonks offered him a watery smile and leaned on his shoulder. Between Mrs. Weasley's none too subtle hints about Bill and her duties at work, she found spending time with the sweet man to be a pleasure. She missed Sirius dearly. She always wished to know her cousins but Sirius was the only one willing to acknowledge her. While it lasted, having her very own cousin and one who was not only handsome, brave and fun but who also accepted her in all her clumsy and colourful glory was wonderful. They'd had such fun together! Being around his best friend made her feel closer to him somehow. Snuggling into Lupin's comforting body, she shuddered at the sight of Severus Snape glaring at her from the Burrow's window.

"It's August, are you really cold?" Remus chuckled, pulling into his arms nonetheless.

"Not really, no," she blushed. "It's just that Snape! I don't remember him being quite so cold to me when I was his student, you know? I even got an O in my potions O.W.L.s so I could live my dream of becoming an Auror. He wasn't really kind, per se, but during our N.E.W.T.s level classes he was much… nicer? No… more fun? I don't know but he seemed to enjoy teaching us at that level, he came alive a bit more somehow. But since I've joined the Order, I didn't expect him to be friendly but… this hostility… I suppose it's because he didn't like Sirius."

"Oh, Severus isn't quite so bad and I think you're right- working on higher level potions with only the best students probably pleased him," he smiled affectionately, gently brushing a fallen blossom from her hair. "But no, I suppose he wouldn't be happy with anyone who favoured Sirius, would he?" he chuckled. Feeling a prickling at the back of his head, he turned towards the house certain that he was being regarded with some intensity. If he hadn't seen Severus leave earlier, he would be certain it was him- few others could stare quite so piercingly. He thought he saw a dark shadow move in the kitchen window but only Ron and Harry appeared, waving cheerily at him.

"Hey, Professor," Ron beamed. "Avoiding Mum too?"

Lupin laughed, "No, no, I'm just enjoying the fresh air."

"How horrid!" Ginny exclaimed as she and Hermione joined the others.

"What is?" Ron and Harry looked amused.

"Your mum told her that she had a choice between helping either Phlegm or Professor Snape," Hermione giggled. "You shouldn't complain, Ginny. Phlegm didn't want your help and he chose to leave, didn't he?"

"Snape? He's here?" Remus perked up at the news. Struggling to control himself under the puzzled stares, he added, "I thought he left during the meeting."

"Oh he returned," Harry muttered nastily. "Surprised you didn't see him standing at the window glaring at you and Tonks. He's such…"

"A git?" Ron volunteered and everyone laughed, except Remus who barely managed a weak smile. Severus could be such a possessive and jealous lover. He shuddered.

"My thoughts exactly," Ginny smirked, seeing his shudder.

***

Snape buried his head in his hands and growled in frustration. Lashing out, he felt small comfort as the tower of books he was researching toppled across the room.

"Wormtail!" he yelled, "clean that up!" Hexing the foolish man as he entered the room almost made Snape smile, so he decided to do it again. Wormtail was his prize to do with as he pleased anyway and he certainly didn't want the Dark Lord to think he'd gone soft. He chuckled as the rat jumped, rubbing his back where the stinging hex fell. He waited until almost all of the books were neatly stacked before levitating another book and using it to hit Pettigrew in the face. When the pathetic creature dared to look at him, he charmed the books to swirl around him, launching at their target from every angle. "Pathetic," he sneered, stopping the whirlwind and neatly stacking all the books on the small desk with a few flicks of his wand before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

There.

He felt much better now.

He stood in his lab, stirring a potion while functioning on auto-pilot, his mind elsewhere. It had been only a week ago that he made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa. He wasn't afraid of dying and had told Albus as much. He had not expected the headmaster's decision. It was all he could do to convince the man to give him a few more months to work on a cure for the curse that he was only barely able to contain in the withered hand. He knew the headmaster was in pain and that the curse was slowly spreading towards his elbow in spite of all of Severus' work but he was confident that he could find the solution or counter-curse. He almost felt as the though old man was too willing to die. He didn't want his mentor to die and certainly not at his hand. He *had* to be successful. Failure was simply not an option.

Not for the first time he found himself regretting not listening to Lily all those years ago. He didn't really care, even now, about the Light or Dark. All he cared about was magic. Potions and Dark Arts fascinated him. To him they were the most intriguing parts of magic, as much because only an elite few could perform them well as because they were as far from Muggle magic as one could get. He had been seduced by the Dark Lord's beauty, power and intelligence. Only Slytherin prefect, Lucius Malfoy, in spite of his beauty, wealth and power, had befriended the uncouth, straggly and unattractive young Snape. Severus craved attention from those in authority and to him the Dark Lord rivalled only Dumbledore in power and authority. Only, whereas the headmaster favoured the Gryffindors and preached equality, Voldemort acknowledged the superiority of wizards. That and their shared love of intellectual pursuits had seduced Severus.

Or rather they had. Severus wasn't sure whether it was the death of his best friend and first love, a decade working closely with Albus or Remus' gentle influence that had changed him or whether the Dark Lord really had changed but something was different. It seemed to him that Voldemort was only too quick to kill magical folk this time around, even purebloods. He wasn't convinced that the Dark Lord he had followed loyally would have allowed Lucius to be sent to Azkaban. The old Voldemort would have done the punishing himself but kept Lucius around. He thought of Narcissa's tear stained face. He genuinely felt that the Malfoys cherished love and family above all else. Severus was certain that, had Bella not been around, he could have recruited Narcissa and Draco.

Placing a stasis charm on the potion, he reached for the notebook that Regulus had left him and which he had charmed to look like an old Potions text. He certainly didn't want the Lord Voldemort to see the diary in Pettigrew's mind. He held no illusions that the Dark Lord wasn't using Wormtail to spy on him. The filthy rat sniffed everywhere like a one pest infestation and he knew the fool was weaker at Occlumency than even Potter.

Potter. He still disliked the father and the insolent brat was a thorn in his side but seeing the pathetic picture that the Dark Lord's irrational obsession with the spawn made, reminded Severus most uncomfortably of the way that Albus and Minerva often described his own obsession with the boy. For the first time since he had laid eyes on the child he found himself having to act the part of a hate obsessed nemesis. It was fortunate that the impudent brat was so disrespectful towards him; it made playing his part that much easier; sometimes too easy, to tell the truth.

"Levicorpus!" he snarled, replacing the notebook carefully. "You'd better not be damaging my walls, Wormtail," he sneered at the sound of the man's head hitting the floor and walls of the narrow corridor as he was violently flipped upside down. "What have I told you about spying at doors? Liberacorpus," he muttered, dropping the man on his head. "Fool."

***

"Another year, another loss for Gryffindor," Snape greeted his colleague with a nod.

"I think you are mistaken, Severus. It is Slytherin who will lose this year. Harry is Quidditch captain," McGonagall smirked.

He didn't get a chance to fall for her bait, however. "Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall!" Horace Slughorn interrupted. "Lovely to see you both. Did I hear you discussing young Harry Potter? I met him, you know. Pleasant young man. I rather think we got along quite well."

Severus' bored look morphed into a sneer at Minerva's smirk. "Yes," her eyes practically twinkled like the headmaster's, "Harry is quite a pleasant young man. And Gryffindor's Quidditch captain this year as well."

"Ah, yes, Slytherin and Gryffindor," he sniffed dismissively. His house hadn't won often enough when he was in charge and he didn't care to be reminded that under Snape they practically ruled. "You must be quite fond of young Potter, Severus. He rather has his mother's eyes, doesn't he?"

For the second time that evening, Severus was saved from having to answer when he spotted a canine Patronus that looked disturbingly like Black's animagus form. Signalling to Minerva to keep Slughorn occupied, he hurried to intercept the message.

Stalking to the school gates to collect Potter, he struggled to contain his sneer. The message was from that silly metamorphmagus. His relief that his lover's Patronus hadn't changed because of his grief at losing Black was tempered by having to see that girl. He suddenly found himself wondering whether the canine was more like a shaggy dog or a werewolf. He'd confronted Lupin about their relationship and was reassured that they were only friends but he wasn't blind. He could see that the chit was trying to steal his lover and he wasn't amused.