Brief British Cultural Notes:

'pissed' = drunk, whereas 'pissed off' = angry. (As opposed to the American English, where, for those who don't know, pissed = angry). Don't worry about memorising: it's clear from the context of 'pissed' plus alcohol, below. I only mention it to avoid confusion, for my international readership :)

Chapter Two

A Pleasant Chat About This and That

"You're a young woman not complete devoid of all attributes and merits- He's got a thing for girls in uniforms. Don't wear yours."

"Keep the topic of conversation to business, and, between us, we'll distract him from… other possible directions."

He hoped.

"What does he want to talk about?"

"He intends to interrogate you about your brother. So as to gain intelligence on him. And Potter. Deduce facts that will lead to their capture. Or entice the boy to come to him, and such like-"

"I'm not helping him!"

"Don't interrupt, Weasley! I am giving you extraordinarily valuable advice! Give the impression that you do not know that you are being interrogated. You may show a little nervousness, that is natural. Do not indicate that you are repulsed by him in any way. He considers that he is exceedingly attractive, popular and brilliant in every possible way, and you must not disabuse him of such notions. Do not reject any advances-"

"Advances?!"

"-as he cannot stand being rejected."

"What happens if someone rejects him?"

"Heard of Beria?"

"What's that? A spell or a potion or-"

"Never mind. Forget I mentioned it. Don't look him up!"

That sounds suspiciously like a challenge-

"Unless you want to be making dreamless sleep potions in your free time for the rest of your school days, I'm serious. Don't."

Is he trying to scare me or what? Still. Sounds a bit sinister...

"Professor Snape? Can we come in? It's five past-"

"GET OUT!" the man screeched.

He realised he'd pointed his wand at the Fifth Year Slytherin boy in question, and hastily withdrew it.

"Say you have detention with me," he muttered. "To your friends. I have one final instruction: pay close attention. You are to be interrogated. You must not give away anything you know of value. Yet you must not give the impression that you are withholding anything. He will chat pleasantly about this and that. Aim to lead you, relaxed, from innocent topics, along avenues of interest to him. To that which is useful. Dangerous. You won't know what is of value and what is utterly insignificant. Don't take notes, girl, for God's sake! Do you seriously suppose you could bring them into the meeting, for reference, or risk leaving them lying about at lunch?!"

Ginny sheepishly closed her notebook on her quill.

"The Dark Lord will pretend you are the most fascinating person in the world. Will try to make you feel very important indeed. Do not be taken in by him. Do not allow yourself to feel special. Do not confide confidences. Otherwise, you will cause lives to be lost. Speak only of that which is already publicly known about your brother, about Potter. Fear of spiders. Cupboard under the stairs. The incident with the stolen car. Who they took to the ball. What they play on the quidditch team-"

"But he already knows everything there is to know about Ron! And Harry! The diary business- Stuff that isn't public!"

"There have been plenty of recent developments, let alone all those since you were a First Year. Drag your stories out. And make them count. Public knowledge only. Make sure he doesn't learn anything else."

He spoke so clearly and precisely in that deep bass voice of his. And yet somehow, despite the impression of slowness, every sentence rapidly ran into the next.

"Nothing intimate from your home life. Evidently, he believes there is a great deal more to learn from the horse's mouth. You will disappoint him, and ultimately repeat what he has heard elsewhere."

"But- won't he expect me to refuse to tell? It's not convincing if I babble on and on! I'm 15, not 5!"

"He will attempt to drug you, surreptitiously."

"Veritaserum?"

Snape nodded.

"Should he notice that he has failed, he may threaten to torture you-"

"With the Cruciatus?!"

"Very possibly."

The man could do so much worse. As Severus knew so well. But she mustn't get sidetracked-

"If he threatens you, you will at first defy him, then appear to give in and 'tell all' at the height of your fear. Again, you must stick to the plan. No intimate betrayals, no private knowledge! Do not push so far in your defiance, your refusals, so as to be tortured for the first time- in all likelihood you'll lose control of the narrative completely, at that point. In the confusion. And pain."

Ginny Weasley looked more than a little worried.

The real threat of torture? That made all her overdue essays pale in significance... And how the hell was she supposed to remember all this? There was no way in hell she'd get through it without fucking up! Surely? This was... Impossible. Too much. Overwhelming. And he'd said lives were at stake-

"He will give you warnings. At least two. Where business is concerned, he makes it clear: do X. If you do not, I will do Y. Final chance, etc. What else- Oh. Don't get pissed. The wine will be flowing all night. You need to stay sober. Accept a drink, and pretend to sip, but if he asks why you're not drinking more, make your excuses. Exams year, want an early night, routine early on and so on."

Still, she stared without a word.

"I'll swap drinks with you, so you don't actually ingest any veritaserum."

His tolerance was high. Hers was probably non-existent, so the dose would be low.

"You're coming too?"

"I insisted on it. I'm not leaving you alone with that man."

She was staring at him in silence again. Evidently rather scared.

Who wouldn't be?

Of 'Perhaps the most evil man ever to have lived'.

Voldemort had heard that one. It must have been said by someone in the Inner Circle, to have reached his ears, the Dark Lord reasoned...

He loved the epithet.

And had put it about himself, with gusto. Affectionately regarding the term as something of a soubriquet.

"You'll be fine, Miss Weasley."

Miss?!

He made to stand.

"I wouldn't bother wasting my most valuable time on advising you if I thought you were incompetent."

"You're calling me competent?"

"Yes."

He did not tell her off for failing to call him 'Sir'.

She reflected on the previous five years she had known this man. All the marked homework. The "feedback" (more like: cutting remarks).

"Competent?! That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"

"Yes."

"Thank you!"

She was smiling at him.

Smiling?!

He cleared his throat, and looked away.

"And the nicest thing I ever will say!" he snapped. "To you, or any other student! Now get a bloody move on and pack your bloody things away. And get out of my classroom!"

A/N:

Next chapter: the smut and sauciness commences. In a manner of speaking...

Speaking of smut: let's hear it for Mr. Lehrer (see Youtube, if you don't know it! The song is entitled, 'Smut', funnily enough):

'SMUT!

Give me smut, and nothing but!

A dirty novel I can't shut!

If it's uncut!

And unsubt- (2, 3, 4)

-tle!"

See you about the same(ish!) time tomorrow!

PS:

For people reading my other main 'novel' on the go: I realise I haven't explained there yet in explicit detail what happens when someone rejects Voldemort. So... technically there are no spoilers here if you followed Severus's instructions. Returning and new readers: don't look the thing up that Severus said here not to! But if you are desperate to know and simply can't wait, and find yourself tempted to scroll up, copy paste and Google search... On your own head be it! ;) At any rate, all will be revealed... But Severus and Ginny are fighters, and won't be beaten if they can help it (no more hints at spoilers!)

Bonus points to anyone who thinks they know, or can take an educated guess, as to who called Voldemort 'Perhaps the most evil man ever to have lived'!