Too Deep
Oh my goodness. Severus does not remember who he is? BUT WHAT ABOUT HIS ALLEGIANCE TO DUMBLEDORE?
Would someone please think about DUMBLEDORE?
I wonder if things are about to get nasty?
~ SS19
Chapter Nineteen:
When he woke, he felt sore. It seemed to him as if his whole body was burning. He moaned and turned his head to one side, clenching the blankets tightly to try to ride out the pain. What was wrong with him? It was far too warm - but he didn't want to kick the blankets away because he felt like he was shivering and trembling. He blinked and screwed his eyes up when the ceiling span, not sure where he was or why he was there.
A hand pressed to his forehead and he groaned with both pain and relief as the palm was cooler than his burning forehead and it soothed him. He leaned into the touch and took in a small shaky breath, trying to open his eyes again but struggling.
"Severus. You have a fever." That was the Dark Lord's voice. He frowned underneath Voldemort's hand, fighting to open his eyes and look at his master, trying to confirm that he had seen Voldemort earlier and he had looked very different. "My…my Lord…" He tried to focus on Voldemort but his vision was blurred and it was taking far too much effort, "What…what is wrong…"
Voldemort moved closer and sat on the bed next to Severus, "You have not been taking very good care of yourself at all, Severus. You're in fever - here - drink this - it will help." He helped Severus up into his arms and pressed the rim of a glass to Severus' lips, coaxing him to drink the cold liquid that tasted like water with an added ingredient he could not identify in his current state. His hand dropped from the side of the glass and he slumped back against the Dark Lord's chest eyes fluttering closed. He could hear the voice next to his ear becoming more echoic - "You just need to rest, Severus…" - as his consciousness was stolen away.
Albus Dumbledore was watching out of his window once again. Darkness had started to settle, inviting evening to arrive and lead into night. He turned from the windowpane to glance at Fawkes, resting on his perch, seeming close to death and rebirth. "He has been gone a whole day, Fawkes - a whole day - I have such a bad feeling…" He stroked the bird's crest and frowned, looking back toward the glass. "Please, Severus. Please. Come home…"
"So, where do you think Snape was at dinner?" Ron asked over the top of their Defence Against the Dark Arts essays that they were working on.
Hermione glared at him, "Harry said he had been called - it's obvious where he is." They were working in the mostly abandoned Gryffindor common room, but Harry was finding it hard to concentrate. The chair at the teachers' table had been empty for dinner, as it had been for breakfast, and Professor McGonagall had covered their Potions lesson for that day. Even though he tried to convince himself that he did not care, he was finding it hard not to think about Snape - what if, as Professor Dumbledore feared, Voldemort had broken him? What if he surrendered the location of the Order and the members of the Order? What if Voldemort killed him - then how would they know what Voldemort was doing? He did not wish death on the Potions' teacher, not at the hands of Voldemort - because it would be a terrible way to die. Harry thought he might have seen something - or felt something - if Voldemort had been that angry…he tried to focus once more on his essay but in the end simply put down his quill and stared out at the forest and the grounds of Hogwarts.
Voldemort pulled the door closed, locked it with a quick spell and started along the corridor, deep in contemplation. He was met by Lucius, who was carrying a potion - "My Lord - you asked for this - for Severus…"
"He won't need it, Malfoy. He won't need any other potions. I will take care of him."
"I thought he had betrayed us, my Lord?" Lucius murmured, and Voldemort turned to face him. "Severus will never betray me again, Lucius. I shall make sure of that."