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Word Count - 1408

Little Lion

The meeting hall was already packed when Severus arrived, but the Dark Lord hadn't arrived yet, for which he was ever thankful for. He'd almost expected to be late, after Dumbledore's waffling waylaid his departure.

There was a curious excitement in the air, and Severus wondered what was going on. It didn't bode well for him when he missed things that caused this kind of reaction.

He found his space in the middle of the pack and stood with his hands folded behind his back, waiting.

Within minutes, the Death Eaters were falling silent as the Dark Lord stepped into the room, his red eyes moving over them slowly.

Severus twitched minutely when they stopped on him, not letting himself breathe an audible sigh of relief when they moved on.

"My loyal followers, tonight I invite you to greet the newest member to our ranks. He is special, very special, and you would do to gain his favour, as he has mine."

Severus blinked, grateful for the mask that blocked his face. The Dark Lord never spoke of his servants in such a way and it was strange to hear such words in the familiar lisping tones.

What was so special about this new Death Eater that made them able to jump the ranks without going through the rigorous missions that the rest of them faced?

"Come, join us," he hissed, and a new figure entered the room. Severus frowned. The man—woman?—person seemed to practically float on air with the grace that they moved. They were wearing a different mask to the others, gold, instead of the usual silver and the draping robes the person wore were gold trimmed with the finest looking thread.

"Take off your mask, let them see you," the Dark Lord prompted, and after a full minute, during which the Death Eaters seemed to hold their breath in sync, the gold mask was removed.

An audible gasp moved through the hall, and Severus knew his own was amongst the crowd.

Messy black hair, glowing green eyes, and a tell tale lightning bolt on his forehead, Harry Potter stood side by side with the Dark Lord and smiled.

Severus' brain seemed to stall as he stared at the two of them. For so long, Potter had fought against the Dark Lord, only to stand proudly by his side now, his eyes gleaming with something that Severus was scared to identify.

"You must all be wondering why he's here," the Dark Lord said, his amusement evident as he looked at his followers. "When, just months ago, we were battling one another on the site of my rebirth."

There were nods around the hall.

"Albus Dumbledore, is a scheming, manipulative bastard," Potter said quietly. "He used me to his own ends, lied to me, and led me to believe things that were not true. He taught me good and evil, with himself on the winning side. He was wrong."

"How do we know we can trust him, My Lord?" Bellatrix asked, her tone nervous and forced, but still strong. She was the only one of them that had the guts to question their Lord at all.

"You think he's duped me, Bella?" the Dark Lord asked. "You think he's come to me and been so convincing as to lie to me?"

"No, My Lord," Bella whimpered. "But, if Dumbledore were to—"

"Enough," the Dark Lord snapped.

Potter put a hand out and laid it on his arm, a calming gesture to many, but once more the collective Death Eater's held their breath, waiting for him to be cursed in reprimand.

A curse that never came.

"It's understandable that she, that they, do not trust me," Potter said softly. "In their position, I wouldn't trust me either."

The Dark Lord stared at him for a long moment before he nodded once. "Very well."

He turned back to the crowd. "Let us say, that he demonstrated his evidence to me very well and I trust him unreservedly. I expect the same from the rest of you."

There was a low murmur of assent from the crowd.

Severus could only stare at the two of them. They seemed to be communicating with only their eyes. Suddenly, green eyes flashed over the crowd and landed on Severus. The eyes narrowed minutely, and then Potter smiled.

Properly smiled.

Severus couldn't deny the shiver than traced down his back. It was… slightly terrifying, for this Potter to be smiling so.

He murmured something too quiet to be heard by anyone except the Dark Lord, and when the red eyes flicked his way and then back to Potter, Severus could practically foresee his own doom.

The daft old coot had practically announced Severus as a spy to Potter in the hospital wing only months before. No matter that Severus had chosen no side but his own, Potter would surely believe him to be Dumbledore's man.

The Dark Lord spoke with a few of the Death Eaters about their latest missions, but Severus couldn't take his eyes off of Potter. He was watching them all with a calculating look on his face, and Severus was confused by the coldness there.

The Potter he knew was a dramatic little ball of fluff that kept getting stood on. It was an oddity.

Eventually, the Dark Lord called the meeting to an end. Severus was about to join the throng leaving when he heard his name called. He turned and saw both red and green eyes on him.

"Stay behind," the Dark Lord ordered.

Severus' heart sank into his feet, but he dropped back against the wall and waited for the room to empty.

"My lord?"

"Severus, Harry brings me troubling news. He speaks of your spying on me, on the utter belief the old fool has in you. It makes me question your loyalty, Severus. To whom are you loyal, my little spy?"

"My loyalty is with you, My Lord," Severus replied quietly.

"Lie," Potter whispered, his lips tilting slightly. "But also not entirely false. I believe, Tom, that Severus here is loyal to none but his own self. He's perfectly positioned to be on the winning side, as it were, whichever side that may be."

"I believe, my little lion, that the winning side is the side that has you, is it not?"

The tilt of Potter's lips grew until it was a full smirk. "True," he replied simply.

Severus was still reeling that Potter was still alive after calling the Dark Lord Tom.

"I believe… a compromise, Severus," the Dark Lord hissed then, his eyes alight with glee. "An oath of fealty, if you will."

"Whatever you require, My Lord," Severus replied. He could see no way out of this and honestly, without Potter, the light were fucked anyway, so he might as well throw his lot fully in with the dark.

It was where he felt he belonged the most.

"Oh, not to me, Severus. Harry, you know the spell, correct."

Potter nodded, his eyes gleaming as he met Severus' own obsidian gaze. They stared at each other for a long moment before Severus nodded.

He still wasn't sure what it was about Potter, but there was something different. Something… powerful. He didn't know what it was, but as Potter intoned the spell that would bind Severus to him irrefutably, Severus wondered if it wasn't perhaps, the best thing for him.

With the sheer power circling Potter… he'd be a fool to not understand the protection that offered.

"This will be our little secret, won't it Severus?" Potter asked, though Severus knew it wasn't a question.

"Yes… my lord."

There was no deception this time. Severus knew that it would be suicide to alert Dumbledore to this particular update.

"No need for that, Severus," Potter murmured. "Harry is fine. And your behaviour must remain the same in school.

Severus took a deep breath and then nodded. "Of course, Harry. Whatever is required of me."

Harry nodded, and then smiled up at Tom. "You promised to show me the fire manipulation, Tom. Shall we?"

"Of course, Little Lion. Lead the way. Severus, return to the school. If Albus is to gain knowledge of this before we wish it, know that you will not live to see the end of the day."

Severus nodded. Whilst fealty to a Potter was enough to make his teeth clench, loyalty to Harry… he suspected it wouldn't be so difficult.

Written for:

Auction - Harry becomes a Death Eater because Dumbledore is actually evil

365 - 87. Float

1000 - 58. Severus Snape