Brief British Cultural Notes:
a perv = common slang for a pervert
a fringe (British English) = bangs (American English) e.g. lots of little girls, and some bigger ones, in the 90s had fringes in school photographs
(the American English for us is so funny as bangs = has sex, he's/ she's banging so and so, he/ she bangs him/ her, etc.)
Reminder that 'shagging' = having sex (equiv. to banging; screwing)
I hope that non-native English speakers will by now have picked up on the many euphemisms for sexual services and sexual favours referred to until now. If not. Then you know now! And will follow the like in this chapter!
skiving (rhymes with 'diving') = skipping class or work (she skived off school, he skived off work, etc.)
'sup = what's up and yu'righ' = are you alright (so "yu'righ' 'sup" is "hi how are you")
Onwards with the story!
Chapter Ten
A Catamite Convalesces
In which the Dark Lord is instructed by his servant on the subject of the terminology pertaining to love and friendship.
"Yu'righ', Sniv? 'Sup?"
Severus's eyes opened. Immediately alert.
"Where are we? And why are you talking like a chav, all of a sudden? Jesus Christ, I-"
"Shh shh shh shh shhhhh."
The little group were on their own on the far side of the Hospital Wing.
The furthest end of the room from the door. Away from the few beds occupied by the students.
Not for their own benefit, you understand.
Not out of considerations for privacy, or anything like that.
Madam Pomfrey had entered the nursing profession owing to her caring disposition.
It was the very least she could do: keep her patients away from the volatile viper that was 'Lord Voldemort'.
"We've got company, by the by."
"Who- Oh. Oh Weasley. What do you want?" Severus Snape sneered. "Come to have a good laugh? Where are your little friends?"
He looked 'the master' in the eye.
Why the hell have you dragged her here?
He couldn't imagine for a moment that she would have come of her own volition.
Ginny's voice was quiet.
She wished she could get into bed herself.
Curl up under the covers.
Cry.
But she couldn't.
Not here. Not in front of him.
The man who was threatening to murder her family.
So she didn't.
"Umm, I- I wondered if I could have a, err, a bit of a chat. Please. Professor."
Severus tutted, and huffed.
"Can't Minerva deal with it, whatever it is?"
Ginny might have kept her voice steady but-
Severus could clearly read the anguish in her eyes.
And her desperate efforts not to cry.
But he had his own problems to worry about.
He turned away in his bed.
"Just leave me alone. Both of you."
He did not articulate the 'bugger off' aloud.
He was not a completely unfeeling bastard.
The girl was, clearly, extremely distressed.
And he could begin to imagine why...
But a short time ago, he had wanted to die.
He still did. Probably.
Possibly.
"I don't want to deal with Princess Prissy, here. Or anyone else!"
He wasn't able to suppress his frustration and worse, after all. To avoid burdening the girl.
He just needed to be alone. To say whatever. Do whatever. To achieve that end.
"She wants the afternoon off, Sniv."
"Certainly not! I'm not sanctioning skiving, whatever this is all about!"
"To go and say goodbye to her family!"
"Goodbye?" Snape sat up straight in bed at that.
"Why? What has happened?"
He wished to be alone. And to sleep.
But he was more than capable of jumping into action. When required.
Years and years of espionage had seen to that…
"I've acquired her!"
"What?!"
Snape breathed the word. His shocked, serious tone, barely above a whisper, was evident for Ginny to hear.
"Well, not formally. Yet. But she will agree. They always do! And I think she wanted some advice. On how to deal with me, or some such-"
"What are the terms?"
Severus was serious. And businesslike.
"Oh, the usual."
"Have you told her?"
"That I'll put out an order telling my followers that they're not to harm her family on sight, if she comes to me? Yes, that was rather the general idea!"
That was not the question he had been asking.
"Fuck's sake- And you agreed to this, Weasley?!"
"Not yet but… I mean. I don't have any other choice! Do I?"
"Good girl! See, she's a real smarty-pants, Snivvy, this one: she's a keeper!"
Voldemort ruffled her hair.
And didn't let go.
Embedding his fingers into her luscious locks-
Ginny tried to ignore him.
She hoped he'd stop and leave her alone if she didn't react.
Severus raised his eyebrows. But said nothing. Reflecting. Calculating.
Evidently. She had not been told what would be expected of her. Ultimately.
What was expected of any or all of the Death Eaters- If called upon.
Called upon to perhaps perform any such special service, any favour asked of a 'favourite'-
Concerning, however, that which the man had actually said. 'The master'. Severus Snape immediately saw all the loopholes.
'they're not to harm her family on sight.' The Death Eaters.
Voldemort himself could kill them, then, for one thing. Or issue new orders. Or… 'on sight' being the crucial part, at this particular juncture... No premeditation proscribed.
Perhaps any follower could kill them. And only be following orders. So long as it were 'pre-planned'-
Ginny was still ensnared by the Dark Lord.
She looked to Severus Snape. For help. Advice. Encouragement. Comfort.
Anything.
And saw.
Disappointment.
Perhaps… destain?
For her?
'Fuck's sake- And you agreed to this, Weasley?!'
She looked away.
Embarrassed and flustered at the memory. At his apparent reaction.
He had called her 'not incompetent' earlier. The highest praise, apparently, that he had ever bestowed upon a student. And now-
Severus made eye contact with 'the master'.
I thought you weren't being serious! Just wanted to scare her. Flirt a bit. Play mind games.
You can't be serious!
The right side of Voldemort's mouth flickered into a smirk. At his servant's destain. His incredulity.
Severus closed his eyes.
He had no wish to be the figure of fun.
Poor sod. Poor girl.
"I think the fringe is going to have to go Sniv, yes?"
Voldemort finally released Ginny and stepped away, observing her. Making a frame with his two thumbs and index fingers, he closed his left eye. As if envisaging a photograph. Or the subject of a proposed painting.
"The hair is also perhaps a trifle too short for my tastes. Unless- Well the whole effect does rather make her look young. Very young, in fact. Gooood. There's potential there. As for the robes. Ghastly."
They were a little faded, granted. And perhaps a tad too short. But otherwise, fine.
"What size are you, my dear?"
Ginny said nothing
"I could simply torture you into submission!"
She looked again to Snape for help.
He raised his eyebrows. Looked away. And gave a wave, or a flick, with the back of the hand. Was that a gesture to go on? Or did it mean 'don't involve me'?
"A 6," she completed, eventually.
"A UK 6, making a US 2, and an EU 32… Yeeees. I have a few combinations in mind. Hmm. You know? I likely have more women's clothes in your size than you actually own! Well. And those of little girls… I suppose your being so skinny fits with your being so young. If your hips don't widen of their own accord soon, however… When you're an adult, curves would suit you far better, my dear- We can always do something about that, can't we, Severus? I don't like the current look, all heavy up top and nothing to write home about below! If it were flat-chested it might be another matter entirely. A youth flat all over with the fringe and such short hair- quite the little girl's look. Hmm. I'm not quite sure which direction I'm leaning in, overall. What do you suggest, Sev?"
Severus closed his eyes and shifted about, settling into his pillow.
"Ignore him." His tone was bored. As he addressed the ceiling. "He's always like this. Controlling everyone's hair, diet, weight."
"That's disgusting!"
"Yep. He's an unapologetic perv."
"That's a new one, Sniv! That's going in the Moleskein, that is!"
Voldemort's tone was one of delight. Ever proud, as he was, of his notorious reputation.
The Dark Lord made a note towards the back of his pocketbook. Under the heading 'Amusing insults Snivillus says'.
"Unapologetic… perv. Brilliant! Where are we? Well, go on, Sniv! Keep the good advice coming!"
"Just don't accept any food and drink from him. Prepare your own, where you can. He can starve you but not sneak you some fattening up potion that way-"
"That's disgusting!"
"Well, some would say going up a couple of dress sizes is less bad than being starved slowly and painfully to the brink of death for two weeks while locked up in a white room but, well. I've not had the pleasure of experiencing both."
"Little Lucy has!"
Lucius Malfoy.
"He much preferred being starved to looking podgy, in far too tight clothes! It's my go-to threat, now: that I'll ruin his sweet, svelte looks. IF HE EVER DISOBEYS ME OR FAILS ME AGAIN!"
Voldemort grinned, toothily. Regaining his composure.
"There is method in my madness, you see, Ginny dear! Severus is largely indifferent to his appearance. Only he quite likes brushing his long hair- As do I, in fact! So I don't bother threatening to fatten or starve him. Since I am also quite pleased with his current look. Lithe and lanky, and all that. Threaten to shave him bald, however, and destroy all ingredients corresponding to hair growth potions, and he suddenly becomes somewhat more compliment!"
"Emphasis on the somewhat," muttered Severus.
"Agreed. Whereas I note that you, my dear, are disturbed both by the idea of the loss of all hair and that of the loss of one's lovely, slim figure. Useful to know for future-"
"There's a saying about you, you know. How does it go? Something like? Voldy-"
"Shhhhh, Sniv. Not in public!"
"More of a rhyme than a saying, actually-"
"I don't want to know! I don't want any of the kiddies laughing! Tell me later, yes?!"
"Poor Mouldy Voldy, four legs or two, if it breathes, he'll shag it, before turning to you-"
"If it breaths? Ha! Clearly such people know nothing of my reputation through direct experience!"
Severus raised his eyebrows again. And rolled his eyes. He couldn't be bothered even to sigh. Too much extra effort.
He had hoped to get one up on the Dark Lord. Upset him a little. By making fun of him sexually. He ought to have lost face, and sulked. Maybe that would have made Ginevra Weasley laugh-
"You really do have an answer for everything, don't you?" Severus grumbled.
"Indeed. Now then! What other advice have you got for this dear, sweet, slip of an innocent girl-"
"Go and talk to Albus. With me."
"What? Dumbledore? But I thought he's-"
"His portrait, Miss Weasley."
"You had a portrait commissioned of him? But you-"
"He had one painted before- he, err, died."
Long before.
"And then you put it up after… after you…?"
He glared. Daring her to complete the sentence.
"After all that?"
After you killed him?
Of course he couldn't blow his cover and tell her.
Much as he wished to.
Not before the war was won.
"He wasn't vain enough to put up portraits of himself in his own lifetime. Unlike some people I could care to mention!"
"I only have two!" Voldemort whined.
"Yeeees. As if one of you wasn't bad enough-"
"What. Are we going to do about sleeping arrangements? Sniv?"
"As if all this wasn't bad enough as it is, you have to bring that into the picture so soon!"
"I, err, I. I can stay in the Gryffindor dormitory! Surely?"
"Out of the question. You're mine, now. Vipers' nest of my enemies' children, that place."
"Slytherin dorms?" Ginny volunteered. Hopefully.
"That's actually not a bad idea," said Severus.
She couldn't believe that she was sounding hopeful at the prospect of moving to fucking Slytherin House, of all things-
"When's your birthday, girl?"
Ginny said nothing.
"ANSWER ME!"
"August," chipped in Severus.
"How did you know that?!" the others chorused.
"Magic! Funnily enough!"
"Oh, that's a point, Severus," said Voldemort, seriously. "You'll need to teach her occlumency, soon. She can't be knowing all our secrets- Well, I know she shan't go out and leave my side, and all that. But I shall be wanting her to go into battle potentially, one day. Not before she's utterly devoted to me, of course, and would willing give up her life for mine, and all that. May take a while, all that, with this one-"
"I'll never willingly follow you! I'm only doing it because I'm being coerced!"
"Hmm. They almost always say that, in the beginning. Only with a handful of exceptions. But they always do as I plan, in the end. You will offer yourself willingly to me. My dear!"
"LIAR!"
"Well, I suppose it is a little tedious and repetitive. The defiance. But they're always most fun to break! Those who challenge me, defy me! Before I rebuild them. In the image I envisage. What's my success rate, Severus? With my 'projects'?"
"By what measure?"
"The proportion who haven't defied me, ultimately, who've gone on to serve me diligently-"
"Oh, that. Last time I checked… 96%-"
"-and willingly, until the end. 96?! I thought it was something like 98?!"
"We've had a few more failures in the last couple of years-"
"But I've only been back a year and a handful of months! Well. Fully formed."
"Two years, two months."
"As long as that? My, how one loses track of the time. I suppose... only for the last handful has one been in public."
Since Dumbledore's death.
"Almost all your projects have been failures in that time."
Since his return. In the graveyard.
He was far too volatile. Quick to anger.
And then he broke and discarded his playthings.
"Projects- Failures. What is all this?!"
"Just do what he tells you, Miss Weasley, and you won't come to harm."
He hoped.
"I'm not doing anything that involves killings!"
"He won't ask you to kill for him."
Yet.
He doesn't trust you enough.
"Just take one step at a time. Each day at a time. Now. Go and eat. Have a nice lunch with your friends. Try and relax and chat and have as normal an afternoon as possible. In the circumstances."
"I don't really feel much like eating. Not after what he just said-"
All that disgusting stuff about altering her dress size-
"Will she be permitted to see her friends?"
"That rather depends. Which Houses are they in?"
Ginny was stunned into silence.
The prospect of seeing her friends. Ever. Again.
That was up for debate?
"Gryffindor, mostly," Severus chipped in. "One or two in Ravenclaw. You're not especially pally with the Hufflepuffs, I believe, Miss Weasley?"
"Oh really? I've never seen the point of friends myself but- Well, I suppose she can make new ones. If owning or collecting friends, or whatever the phrase is, means so much to her-"
"I am here, you know!"
"I was aware of the fact. Why is she stating the obvious, Severus?"
"You should be aware. He takes things very literally. Bit autistic-"
"IF YOU USE THAT WORD AROUND ME AGAIN, SEVERUS-"
"-very quickly prone to anger, as I'm sure you have surmised. And easily offended, naturally."
"Why does he let you talk to him like that? Out of turn-"
"Oh, is that an example of the proper context in which one might use the expression 'I am here, you know?!' Useful to know, if so! Sorry, I'm a little slow. On all this- Oh! I think I finally follow! Yeeeessss! I'll tick that off the list. Now where was I? Ah. Yes. Severus and I have developed a particular way of talking in private-"
"You're not in private!"
"Oh? Oh what YOU?! You're a girl. A female. And a child. You don't count as a person-"
"WHAT?! Oh, erm. Like. Can he not help it or something? If he's, like, you know, a bit. Can't help being socially awkward, and all that-"
"Sometimes it's just an act, Miss Weasley. He knows how easy it is to offend by spewing misogynistic bilge. But even I can't tell when he's just acting and when he's serious, sometimes."
"Severus came to me when he was 13. Offered himself. Most of my recruits did it that way, back in the day. Before I acquired my reputation, such as it is."
"We go back a long way, basically. When you work all times of the day and night and sleep in ditches in the rain besides someone and, err, stuff… You become a bit casual. Outside of formal settings, like meetings. Regardless of any official, you know, distance and difference in rank between you-"
"He means we're shagging!"
"Oh."
"Oh for fuck's sake! Thanks a bunch! Voldy!"
Voldemort aimed an air kiss at his servant.
"De rien. Snivvy!"
Not at all. In French.
Ginny bit her lip, somehow sniggering, in spite of the situation, and trying to stop...
"I think the Slytherin dormitories would be best, on balance," said Severus.
"I mean I wanna stay in Gryffindor if I can-"
"It's that. Or bunking with me. And him. I bet I can hazard a guess as to which you'd prefer?"
"I don't wanna have to wait til bloody August! 11 months!" Voldemort wailed.
"11 and a half months," added Snape-
"Just Christ! We may as well send her to a nunnery!"
"Don't even joke about stuff like that," said Ginny, pointing her wand at Voldemort, then Severus Snape, in turn.
"I could change the law? Lower the age of consent below 16!"
"It wouldn't be a good look."
"No, Severus?"
"No. First thing you do after taking over the Ministry and Hogwarts is lower the age of consent? Then get with someone who was previously legally beneath the age-"
"Eww, that's gross! Again, I am still here, you know!"
"PR disaster, my Lord, don't even contemplate it."
"My Lord?!" Voldemort snorted. "Must be very serious, then, for you to condescend to address me thus, and get my attention in so doing! Still, I suppose, on such matters as my public image, you know best-"
"I do. Yes."
"Very well, Severus. She may stay with other students."
Thank Merlin, thought Ginny.
"And I will abstain."
Abstain?!
"Good," replied Severus.
How can he talk about me like this?!
How can either of them?!
"Until she is of age."
"Hang on, what?!" cried Ginny.
"And gives herself to me. Willingly."
"You're not seriously bargaining over my-"
"Yes?" prompted Voldemort. Smiling wryly.
She stopped herself from going on.
Virginity, she had been about to say.
Severus gave 'the master' a look.
Voldemort smirked.
Challenging his servant.
Is that a no, Severus? What are you going to do about it?
"I'll think of something."
To stop all this.
I always get my way in the end.
"I'd like to see you try! He thinks, my dear, that he can protect you. Dearest Severus. Sweet, saviour Severus."
Severus narrowed his eyes.
"My sweet servant, Severus, with a saviour complex. A mere schoolmaster. A suicidal schoolmaster."
Severus clenched his covers.
"And a middle-aged musician. An indifferent musician."
Enraged.
The memories of earlier flooding back.
That the man had stooped so low, to yet another low, as to insult him. In his distress. His ill health.
To make a mockery of it-
He must not. Cast curses. In anger.
Not in close proximity to a student-
"I shan't, in fact, force myself upon you. Dear Ginevra. My dearest."
She said nothing.
What on earth could she say to that?
"You will give yourself to me. Willingly-"
"NEVER!"
"You wouldn't be the first young person to fall in love with me. Well, to desire me. Admire me. It's all the same thing, isn't it? Isn't that right, Severus?"
Severus had long since suppressed such memories…
Well. Had tried to.
Sometimes… Less successfully than others.
"Isn't that right? My dear?"
The kisses. And caresses.
"How old were you?"
And more besides-
"14?"
"Not quite so young as that," Severus snapped.
When they had first-
"It was the same year as the mudblood-"
"Don't say that word!"
Ginny and Severus spoke over each other.
"that girl, then. Rejected you. You waited a few months, in case. But she didn't change her mind, and you were all horny and wanted to experiment.-"
"LIAR!"
"-with someone you 'trusted'. So you, Lucy and I-"
"As interesting as it no doubt is for her to observe the ravings of a crazed fantasist- She doesn't need to hear all this! Let her see her friends a final time!" Severus pleaded. "There's still 40 minutes of lunch left."
Ginny was grateful for the change of subject.
"I mean, like, if you guys want me to sit with you at the teachers' table for lunch or whatever going forward, ok, but- I'll still see them in class, right?"
Severus looked away.
Sad.
"Right?!"
And ashamed.
"You'll have plenty of one-to-one lessons with teachers," said Voldemort. "And some small group sessions with some of my better Slytherin intake. I may, eventually, condescend to instruct you myself. If you are, indeed, truly not an incompetent. How many Slytherins have we got at the moment, Sniv?"
"90."
"That's more than half the school that remains, I believe?"
"Yes."
"Well, then. There you are, girl! You must be able to find and acquire at least one special friend in so large a cohort!"
"They're usually called best friends," Severus prompted.
"Best friends. Best friend. Plural, singular?"
Severus nodded.
"Right, right. I'll try not to forget again! She should be able to find some best friends in a group of 90? Right? Is that how such things work?"
"Most people have only one best- Never mind. That's too complicated. Lesson for another day."
Voldemort nodded. His 'How to think like the enemy' lessons were a bit slow. But he had started so far behind most people in terms of all that icky, emotional, friendy-wendy stuff.
"20 of the current intake are First Years."
"And that matters why?"
"11-year-olds and 15-year-olds are not, on the whole, suitable candidates to be paired to become bosom buddies."
"What?"
"A synonym for best friends."
"Right." Voldemort wrote it down in his notebook. "Noted! Is this the correct spelling?"
"You may not wish to repeat my particular turn of phrase, since I used the expression in a somewhat wry and derisory fashion-"
Voldemort rapidly scrubbed the note out.
"Why is all this stuff so complicated?!" he whined. "And tell me this! If the Carrow twins have a brother four years their junior, why do people say they're all 'best friends', if you can't be friends with someone when there's a four year age gap?!"
"Sibling relationships are different. As are adult relationships generally, from those between children. Adults can befriend other adults, of varying ages.
"Oh really?!"
"Yes. Whereas children tend to need to be close in age, as well as-"
"Oh no, so much information! There's not going to be an exam on all this, is there?!"
"Hmm...There might be."
Severus kept a poker face.
"Oh GOD!" Voldemort wailed, head in hands.
Severus winked at Ginny.
Ginny laughed.
"It'll all be ok," he murmured.
She could lip read, thankfully.
"I hope so," she mouthed back.
"Go and have your lunch." His voice was audible to all, once more. "See me in the Headmaster's Office. Any time after 2."
The take you time was unspoken, but evident.
She was, after all, the least incompetent student he had taught for a very long time indeed.
Well. Amongst those that remained at Hogwarts this year.
Barring, in other words, the Granger girl.
"I thought it was locked to you?" said Ginny.
Dumbledore's office.
"It is said that it is. Not the same thing. Rumour, versus reality. Students are too accustomed to queuing outside there to bleat about their problems. Whereas no one likes to hang around in the cold, dark dungeons corridor." Where he still occupied his old office. "Well, only my Slytherins can endure it. And they tend to be much keener on hiding their emotions to save face in front of their peers. And, thus, don't make a point of unburdening themselves on others. Of being seen to come to me. So, technically, people are welcome to come to the office of the Headmaster- meaning my dungeons- for help. In practice: no one ever does. Win-win for me."
"Not for nothing they call him a 'miserable old sod'," chimed in Voldemort. "I may not get all the icky, lovey-dovey friendshippy stuff. But. I do understand some human emotions and sentiments, you see."
"He has a brilliant sense of humour."
"Thank you, Severus! How charming, yet unexpected-"
"I know that. Since he told me himself!"
Ginny guffawed. And snorted.
Voldemort uttered a wry chuckle, shaking his head.
"I rather walked into that one, didn't I?!"
Ginny giggled. Then remembered her situation.
"I'll leave you guys to it," she muttered, before Severus Snape could continue the seemingly ceaseless banter. Her 'get a room!' would have to go unsaid…
"See you in a bit, Snape- Professor."
He did not rebuke her. For failing to thank him.
In the circumstances.
A/N:
Will saviour Severus save Ginny?
Will she help him heal?
Will Ginny fall in love with Voldemort, as he plans?
Will Severus fall in love with Ginny, in spite of himself? How will she feel for him, in turn?
Will Voldmort learn what love is? And acknowledge whom he loves?
Who can say?
Well, you can! If you keep reading on!
Sorry, I made a mistake on the dates yesterday, but I've got plenty of completed chapters lined up to keep you all agog going forward!
As ever, I'm keen to know if anyone has any thoughts:
Keep up more of the same. It's too dark for your tastes. It's not dark enough. Sprinkle in some more comedy and light. Or whatever! As I want to write what you like!
I personally like a heaped helping of hurt in my hurt/comforts. Baddies are just such a delight to write! I'd love it if you could message/ comment with thoughts and requests. Many thanks in advance for feedback! 😊
PS: if you're enjoying this, check out Love and War are Far From Fair! I wrote this to establish the background to Voldemort's and Severus's relationship: this is a sort of prequel to that, if you like! I've written them in such a way that there is overlap and some Easter eggs if you've read one and start the other after, but with no spoilers! See my profile! Ta ta for now!