AN: Written for the Pairings Randomizer Challenge.

#6 Arthur Weasley #49 Voldemort

Safety (Arthur/Voldemort)

Arthur was sweating; the stiff, rough sheets of the hospital bed were sticking to him. What had he just seen?

A tail. It was scaly, slithering over obsidian tiles… Was this a side effect of the antivenin? It could be, although there was another possibility whirling around the older Weasley's head.

Could it be that the snake's venom had gained control of some part of his mind? Or worse, had Voldemort learned how to access his mind?

His nights were full of fitful dreams, all of them featuring the snake. His days were full of trying to piece them together; he would lie for hours in his bed, barely registering the nurses and doctors entering and doing their check-ups.

Then one night, his dream was different. Usually, the dreams featured the snake and only the snake. This time, there were two pale feet walking alongside the creature. Arthur couldn't bring himself to be disgusted at the purple veins that were clearly visible in the skin for an almost overwhelming feeling of protectiveness washed over him. He didn't know whether it was from the owner of the feet towards the snake, or from the snake towards the owner of the feet.

As the nights went on it became apparent that the reason he felt the emotions so intensely was because he was the snake. The theory was… disconcerting to say the least. Why would he be the snake and who did the feet belong to?

Despite the perplexity he felt, Arthur also couldn't help but crave the feeling of protectiveness that overtook him in his dreams. It was so strong that he felt an unreasonable desire to sleep even during the daylight hours. He wanted to feel safe and loved by whoever the feet belonged to.

When he was finally discharged from the hospital, he thought the dreams would stop.

As Molly fussed over him the entire day, he couldn't help but feel guilty about how he felt. But it was out of his control! He couldn't regulate what appeared in his dreams.

The dreams didn't stop… He woke up in the middle of the night next to Molly. He was sweating just as he had been that first night. He had heard something this time; a voice like a snake's hiss had said a name, "Nagini."

And that was when he realised just whose attention he had been so desperate for. He had heard that name coupled with the word "Attack" just before he had been rushed to the hospital.

The illusion did not shatter… The feeling of pure safety when he slipped into unconsciousness was intoxicating and he couldn't bring himself to hate it.

So as another evening passed, Arthur excused himself just earlier than everybody else to go to bed. And as the first wave of tiredness washed over him, he smiled. He was going to feel safe again.