Chapter Thirty-One: Lord Voldemort

The incident with Sabine made Severus more anxious than ever to get to Malfoy Manor. He was ready to go long before the appointed time, sitting on his trunk in the living room, willing the clock to speed up. Sebastian appeared in the doorway when there were thirty minutes left to wait, his arched brow doing nothing to soften the disapproval in his eyes. He sat beside Severus on his trunk, staring into the fireplace with the boy.

"Eager to be going, I see."

"Yes." Severus' tone was short; he was in no mood to hear a thinly veiled lecture, and he certainly had no desire to have his guilt over Remi Bagsby resurface, either.

Sebastian looked as though he wanted to say something, thought better of it, and then opened his mouth again. "No doubt you recall Abraxas's 'honored guest' from last year?" he asked carefully. Severus frowned, but nodded. "I understand you and the other children were caught eavesdropping while he was speaking." Again, a nod. "Should he happen to be there this year, I don't want you to be caught again, do you understand?"

"After last year, I doubt any of us will –"

"No, boy, listen. I do not want you caught again."

"Who is he?" Severus asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Just a man," Sebastian said, turning his gaze back to the fire. "Just a man many of us thought we knew, once. Severus, I realize you don't quite grasp the enormity of what's happening and what part you're to play in all of it; I wish I could enlighten you, but the truth is, none of us truly know what's to come. There are dark forces at work now; forces we're not even sure how to fight. I just fear that you are getting pulled in deeper each day, and I'm at a loss as to how to pull you back." He smiled, but there was no trace of mirth, only a kind of defeated sadness that seemed to pull the corners of Severus' own mouth down into a frown. "At any rate, pay attention tonight, won't you? Let me know if that man shows up again, and what he says. If you don't want to come to me, go to Melison or Dumbledore. They'll know what you mean."

"What if I can't hear what he's saying? Lucius' father wasn't too pleased the last time –"

"Do your best, Severus, that's all I can ask of you. I do not, for any reason, want you to put yourself in danger, is that clear?"

"What danger?"

"You'll know if you keep your eyes open," Sebastian said, glancing up at the clock. "It's time. Remember, boy – be careful."

Severus stepped out of the fireplace at Malfoy Manor, sputtering from the Floo Powder and lugging his trunk out onto the dining room floor. Mikin the house elf scurried past him, levitating the place settings around the table, and muttering something unintelligible. When he saw Severus, he let loose a beleaguered sigh and let the dishes settle onto the table.

"Master is expecting Severus Snape in the garden. Mikin will take your trunk to your room." Severus watched the elf as he hobbled away, Severus' trunk hovering behind him. Mikin turned at the doorway, his eyes narrowed when he saw that Severus had not moved. "Master will not like to be waiting. Severus Snape must go into the garden." He turned around and headed down the corridor to the back stairway, leaving Severus standing awkwardly in front of the fireplace.

After a moment's hesitation, Severus made his way out of the dining room and into the immense garden, his eyes scanning the area for his friend. His gaze found Abraxas first, strolling along the hedgerow that marked the edge of the property. When he saw Severus, he changed course and headed across the lawn, a smile of welcome on his face.

"Severus, how pleasant to have you back. I trust you have arrived intent on enjoying yourself while you are here?"

"Yes, sir," Severus answered, his eyes flicking back into the yard for any sign of Lucius.

"Good. We certainly don't want a repeat of last year on our hands, do we now?"

"No, Sir."

"Excellent. I will be counting on both you and Lucius to keep the other children occupied this evening when our guest arrives."

"Me, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, Severus, you. Lucius tells me that you are a trustworthy young man, and from what I know of you, that seems an accurate observation. There shall be – consequences – should I find the trust afforded either you or Lucius to be misplaced. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Severus responded with a slight frown. Abraxas's eyes shifted to something over Severus' shoulder, and the boy turned, relieved to see Lucius emerging from the house.

"Already delivered his warning, I see," Lucius said flatly.

"You will do well to remember our own conversation this afternoon, Lucius," Abraxas said, his eyes glittering. Severus looked between the two of them, his frown increasing. This was altogether a different relationship than he'd observed before, even during the summer. Something had happened, Severus was sure of it. "Try to stay out from underfoot until the other guests arrive, won't you?" Abraxas's voice was cool and hard. Severus and Lucius stared after him as he disappeared back into the house.

"What –"

"Shut up," Lucius said immediately, grabbing Severus' arm and leading him through the lawn, away from the house. They walked past the edge of the house, through a line of trees, and finally stopped at the pond they'd visited the year before. "Father doesn't want us overhearing what they talk about tonight."

"I figured that out, thanks," Severus said, succeeding in yanking his arm from his friend's grip.

"And have you also figured out what to do about it?" Lucius asked, a sly grin creeping over his face.

"Amuse ourselves in the garden?"

"Not likely. I've an interest on what goes on in there tonight – and you should as well."

"Why? I don't care who –"

"You ought to, Severus." Lucius' eyes were shining with excitement. "He's a great wizard, and he's going to lead the purebloods back to the top, where we belong."

"How?"

"That's why we need to listen in, isn't it?"

"But Abraxas –"

"Will not find out. We won't need our ears to the door this year, Severus." He held up what looked to be a miniature radio, his smirk spreading over his entire face. "I took the liberty of hiding the other half in the library. All we will have to do after dinner is come outside and listen in on this." Severus' smirk grew to match the older boy's.

"I'm game," he said, immediately forgetting Abraxas's earlier threat.

If Abraxas suspected the boys were up to anything, he gave no indication during dinner. When the children were excused to the garden, Severus and Lucius wandered to the side of the manor, out of sight of the others, and Lucius brought out his receiver. It seemed not to have worked; they couldn't hear more than their own breathing, and the object sat still and cold in Lucius' hand.

Just as Severus was contemplating sneaking back inside, the receiver rose in the air, pulsating with an amber light as voices began to drift through it. Lucius grinned as Severus' eyes widened, then they both leaned forward to decipher the voices.

Even though he'd heard it only once, the voice coming from the receiver was immediately familiar.

"Dumbledore has seen fit to deny my application for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts," the voice belonging to the mystery guest said. "I have taken steps, however, to ensure that he has difficulty keeping the position filled." There was a murmur of voices; evidently this was not something they'd expected. "In time, Dumbledore will exhaust his other options, and come to me. For now, we will bide our time."

"What was it you wanted from Pemberton?" someone asked. Lucius flicked his eyes to Severus' own as the younger boy opened his mouth to speak.

"What are you two doing back here, anyhow?" Sirius' appearance at the edge of the house had the receiver turned off and in Lucius' pocket before the other boy could see what they had.

"Sod off, Black," Lucius warned. "This doesn't concern you."

"What, are you two snogging back here or something?" Sirius asked with a wicked grin. He opened his mouth to speak again, but clapped his hands to his throat as though he were being strangled. Lucius wore his own satisfied smirk as Sirius fell to his knees. The older boy brushed past him, knocking Sirius to the ground before muttering the counter curse. Severus followed Lucius, his heart racing.

"I'll wager that's the last remark I'll hear out of his foul mouth," Lucius sneered.

"Well, he deserved a lesson," Severus said, catching up to the older boy. "But – Lucius, you could have –"

"What, Severus? Killed him? Don't be daft. I knew precisely what I was doing. He won't even have a sore throat in the morning. You said it yourself; he deserved it. And next time he might think twice about his words. Besides, how many times have you put him in the Hospital Wing in this term alone?"

"That isn't –"

"The hell it isn't," Lucius interjected. "You're as aware of the consequences of every hex, jinx, and curse you toss around as I was of the one I just treated Black to. Don't pretend your methods are any better."

Severus opened his mouth again to protest, but snapped it shut quickly when they became surrounded by the other members of their group.

"What are you two playing at?"

"Nothing," Lucius said with a small frown towards Severus. The doors to the dining room had opened, and the parents were streaming out to collect their children.

When the last guest had gone, leaving only Severus and Lucius standing in the dining room with Abraxas, the older man immediately sent them off to bed. Severus bade Lucius goodnight and went to open the door to his room, only to be nearly trampled by his friend in his hurry to get them both inside and shut the door. He was about to ask what was happening when Lucius smirked, bringing the receiver out of his pocket.

"Didn't you notice? He was still in the library," Lucius explained, quickly reactivating the receiver and sending a triumphant glance to the younger boy when it again began to glow.

" – understand secrecy is tantamount to success." The voice was that of the guest, and tendrils of excitement crept through Severus. Maybe they would find out what happened to the Pembertons after all.

"Of course, my Lord. It should not be difficult to bring an ample number of supporters to our cause. Particularly after the Pembertons' tragic deaths." Severus glanced at Lucius again, but his friend had a stony gaze fixed upon the receiver.

"I shall leave it in your hands, Abraxas. I would hate to return to find that the progress we have already made has not been furthered."

"I will see to it, my Lord."

The receiver dimmed slightly, then fell back into Lucius' hand as the conversation between the two men ended. "Lucius," Severus began, hesitant at the scowl that had appeared on the older boy's face, "who is that man? Why did your father call him 'my Lord'?"

"I would have thought, even with your father's lax attitude in presenting you in the right circles, you would at least have heard Lord Voldemort's name before now, Severus."

The younger boy shook his head. "Lucius – the Pembertons –"

Lucius interrupted him by turning quickly to the door. "Father's coming. I've got to get into my room. Go to bed Severus."

Then he was gone.