The Days Of The Flower
"The chicken is good."
"Yes, the elves have outdone themselves."
"So it would seem."
Silence and then a soft sigh.
Voldemort looked up from his dinner.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Must you ask the obvious?" Severus all but sneered.
"Severus," Voldemort said, voice tight with warning.
"It's been nearly three weeks. I am still slow from my wounds and you have my wand. I am defenseless."
Voldemort snorted at the thought of Severus defenseless, even if the man still was injured, whoever was his attacker knew exactly what they were doing….that or were very lucky.
"And I'm beginning to develop a case of cabin fever. Let me out of this room."
Voldemort looked around said room. "What's wrong with my chambers?"
The Potions Master glared at him.
"Severus, please try to be a little more patient."
"Milord, I have been patient, even though I'm not sure what I'm being patient about!" Severus snapped.
Two weeks ago when Severus was able to get out of bed, he quickly found out that certain people could go in and out of the room, but he couldn't leave. Even though Voldemort started joining him for breakfast and dinner, Severus had not been pleased and made his feelings known, loud and clear.
After fourteen days, Severus was quickly losing control of his temper, especially since no one was telling him how the hunt for Harry was going or if it was still going on at all.
Voldemort sighed before taking a sip of his wine, trying to figure out how to pacify his Potions Master in a way that wouldn't result in getting something thrown at him, or getting punched….or both.
Luckily there was a knock on his door.
"Enter."
"E-Excuse m-me -"
"Pettigrew."
Peter straightened up from his bow. He looked at Severus and squeaked when the Potions Master glared darkly at him.
"Severus, behave," Voldemort scolded, voice laced with amusement.
"L-Lady B-Bellatrix h-has r-requested a-an a-audience w-with y-you."
Voldemort sighed before standing up.
"I'll return as soon as I can," he said to Severus who ignored him.
The Dark Lord left with Peter scurrying behind him.
When the door closed, Severus sighed and slumped in his seat, groaning when the movement upset a still tender bruise. After waiting for the pain to pass, he stood up from his chair. He wasn't hungry to begin with.
He glanced at the door, tempted to try once again to break the spell that was keeping him in before dismissing it and heading over to the fireplace. He sat down in the armchair and picked up the book he had started reading during the day.
At least the Lord was keeping him entertained.
Opening to the marked page, Severus resumed his reading, pushing away the worry and telling himself that all was well, that Harry was okay, he had to be. He had to be healthy, had to be happy where he was (Despite being, somewhat friends, Severus didn't know where the Den was. Though it wasn't because of trust), he had to be running around laughing with the wolves.
Harry had to be okay, he had to be, Severus wouldn't accept anything else.
Harry, his son, was safe.
~.~
Voldemort barely listened as Bellatrix reported her finds, which was one part professionalism and one part flirtation, he thoughts on Severus.
Today had shown that the man was breaking, not in the sense that the man was ready to tell all his secrets, but in that he was willing to do something desperate, for a moment the perverted part of his mind (recently making its self-known after he learned that he was in love with Severus) wondered how desperate the Dark Lord was.
Pushing those thoughts into the back of his mind, Voldemort wondered how he was going calm the man, he didn't want to cause the man stress…well anymore stress. Not mention Jacob, Lucius, and Narcissi, would be pissed.
"Milord?"
Voldemort looked at the witch, who had finished her report and was waiting for his response, he stared coolly at her, inwardly grinning with glee when the woman started to squirm.
"Leave" he then ordered, watching as she did so.
Once she was gone Voldemort stood up from his throne and made his way back to his room, on the way there he called for one of the elves and ordered him to get those white chocolates Severus liked so much and had the delivered to his room. The elf nodded happily (the elves had it in their minds that he was courting his Potion Master, because apparently locking others in your room is a sign of wanting to court in elves culture), and popped off.
When he entered the room, Severus in the cushioned chair by the fireplace, reading, the Dark Lord took in the way the man sat, one leg crossed over his thigh, elbow resting on the arm chair, cheek resting on hand as he read.
It was such a simple thing, and it made so many things rush through the Dark Lord.
Voldemort cleared his throat.
Severus didn't even glance at him, with a sigh Voldemort moved over he stood in front of the man, then glanced over at the table where the food was still there.
"You didn't finish" he said.
"Lost my appetite" was his answer.
Voldemort sighed again, "Severus…"
"Not to be rude Milord, but I've just gotten to the interesting part, can't this wait"
Voldemort stared at him in just a small amount of disbelief, before he felt annoyances. With a bit of a growl he snatched the book out of the man's hand. Severus merely blinked before looking at the man.
"Something wrong?"
Voldemort threw the book into the fireplace, with a hiss of a spell it roared to life and burned, Severus watched it before turning to the Dark Lord.
"That was a little extreme."
What he did next, well Voldemort blamed it on the wine from earlier, with another growl, Voldemort grabbed the man by the arm, hauling him up onto his feet and kissed him. It was hot and more than a little possessive, a tongue pushing past shocked lips mapping out the hot mouth, when he pulled back, Severus was looking at him with big surprised eyes.
"…I take that back, that was a little extreme."
Voldemort didn't return to the room for a couple of days.
~.~
He had many names, none of them flattering. Once, he used to hate those names, but now he embraced them, for those words - "coward, weak, useless" and so many more let him hide in plain sight.
After paying a visit to that bastard Potions Master (the sight of the man bleeding beneath his feet was so satisfying), he slipped out of the manor with practiced ease and Apparated to the village where Severus' home stood. Once there, he changed into Wormtail and headed into the woods.
One thing about being an Animagus that many didn't understand was that once the wizard became an animal, their scent changed, making them smell more animal then man.
He use to hate that he was rat, something so small and weak. Nothing at all like a stag, a great black dog or a Werewolf.
He was a rat. Something so common nearly everywhere that not even a werewolf would take note of its presence or even its scent.
When Wormtail finally came upon the Den (an underground cavern with numerous tunnels), he easily snuck past the sleeping mix of wolves and humans. Going deeper into the Den, he recalled memories of days gone by when learning about Werewolves was new and exciting. About how the pack's young and vulnerable would always be at the back or close to the nearest escape route in case of attack.
When he came into the room he was not surprised to see the Alpha and Remus asleep, their furred bodies curled protectively around a hand-carved crib. In a corner was a perch with that blasted white owl (who luckily hadn't seen him yet).
Now came the tricky part.
Keeping to the shadows, Wormtail changed back into human form. He froze when the Alpha twitched before lying still.
With an inward sigh of relief Peter quickly started chanting the incantation, focusing on his magic. Wandless magic was never easy for him.
There were two surprised yelps and then silence.
Dark eyes took in the two stunned Weres.
"Bet you wish you hadn't made us all learn the stunning spell now, don't you, Moony?" Peter chuckled as he took the Were's nearby wand.
There was a loud screech.
Peter just had enough time to duck to avoid getting clawed at. He quickly shot off a stunning spell at the owl and watched her fall. He would have killed that bird right there and then, but already he could hear the sounds of the rest of the Pack heading this way. Dropping the wand, he headed over to the crib, scooped up the sleeping baby and ran out.
He disappeared into the night.
~.~
"Severus, I— what the hell happen to you?!"
"So many things, Milord. Would you like a list?"
Voldemort rushed over and knelt down next to Severus who was sitting on the floor, face was swollen, bruise and bloody. With a gentleness that surprised Severus (thought really it shouldn't if that kiss some days ago was anything to go by), Voldemort took hold of his face.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" the Dark Lord asked. Although his voice was neutral, his eyes were blazing with anger. "Who did this to you?"
"No one that concerns you, I assure you, Milord," Severus said, swatting away the fingers that were prodding at his face.
"None of my concern?! Severus, this is the second time you've been attacked! The second time someone in my fold has gone against my orders! And how the hell did they get past my wards?"
Severus raised an eyebrow. "So which part are you upset about, the wards or someone disobeying you?"
"I'm upset about you getting hurt, you idiot! You're mine!"
Severus raised the other eyebrow as well. "Yours?"
"I - I mean, uh, of course you're mine. You're my Potions Master!"
"I thought I was a traitor."
"Yes, well, that — I may have been a bit… harsh…"
"You Crucio'd me and had me thrown into the dungeons," Severus said dryly.
Voldemort forced back a wince, and prayed to the gods that the man didn't bring up the kiss, he wasn't ready to explain that. "Yes, well —"
There was knock on the door.
"What!?"
The door creaked opened and a nervous looking Death Eater entered.
"M-M-My a-apologies Milord, b-b-but Pettigrew —"
"Tell that rat I'll —"
"He has him, Milord," the Death Eater hurriedly said. "He has Harry Potter!"
Silence fell.
A sudden tension filled the air and Severus knew icy cold fear. The feeling intensified when Voldemort's face went blank and he stood up.
"Milord," Severus started, standing up as well.
If either of the three in the room heard the desperation in his voice no one said anything.
"Milord, please."
"I'll be there in a moment. Make sure the room is cleared by the time I get there and no one is to touch Potter," Voldemort ordered as he headed to the door.
The Death Eater nodded and scurried off to do as ordered.
Severus followed. "Milord —"
He stopped at the edge of the door. The spell prevented him from going any further and he could only watch as the door closed.
"Milord!" Severus called, pounding on the door, "Milord! Milord! Tom!"