Chapter 2: Confrontation and Regurgitation
Severus Snape returned from the bathroom relieved, at least physically. He headed to the fireplace planning to make tea,
as he had quit consuming alcohol along with his return to Hogwarts. He wouldn't have minded some right now, though. The
thought vanished before he got to the fireplace, thanks to a searing pain in his left forearm. He gritted his teeth and
grasped his arm, cursing.
"Oh bloody hell," he muttered through his clenched teeth. "So much for -relaxing-."
Grabbing a long hooded cloak (black, of course) he set out through the hallways. Thankfully there was no one but himself
to deal with as he continued through the large main doorway and towards the village of Hogsmeade. Upon leaving the grounds
of Hogwarts he apparated, not sure to where he was going. He only knew what he'd be greeted with.
He reappeared in a lavish, large room. Malfoy manor, he realized with a sneer. Before him, writhing on the floor was
a...well, a human, he assumed though he couldn't be sure. The thing had been stripped of it's skin and mercilessly
tortured until it was no longer recognizable in any way.
'Have to check the dental records for that one,' he mused. His thoughts were interrupted by a gratingly oily male voice.
"Ah, Severus, I see you've decided to join us," it was the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
'As if I had a choice,' Snape thought to himself, but replied. "Of course."
"I expect you remember Mr. Lark?," Malfoy continued, motioning to the...thing...on the floor. "Oh, don't be rude, now, say
hello to Severus."
Malfoy gave the thing a rather forceful toe to the, well, what would have been stomach. It didn't seem to respond, and
Snape imagined that was due to the fact that it was in so much pain it couldn't register more.
"Lark?," he said to Malfoy, concern not evident in his voice. "Pretty risky, isn't it?"
Madrid Lark was an employee of the Ministry, and a rather high-ranking one at that. Besides this, he was a muggle-born
wizard. Or had been.
Malfoy laughed. The sound evoked responses in one's body similar to that of listening to fingernails scraped across a
chalkboard.
"Risky? Well, maybe, but now that the Dark Lord has returned -," Malfoy's voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. " - nothing
can touch us. Nothing. And those who oppose us will find that out in the worst way."
He grinned as if he knew something. Snape didn't like that grin, and he didn't return the gesture. Aside from the fact that
Lucius Malfoy was the one who got him into this bloody mess, Snape had plenty of reasons to dislike him. But then, anyone
who knew the man for more than five minutes could have come up with at least a hundred reasons.
His revere was broken as the temperature in the room seemed to drop and the throbbing pain in his arm increased.
"Severussss..," a voice behind him hissed. Snape flinched, but not visibly, and slowly turned.
Dark red, cat-like eyes. Spidery-veins running across pale, thin hands. The abscence of any protrusion for a nose. A
nauseating smile. Voldemort had returned.
Supressing the bile creeping up his throat, Snape dropped to his knees and kissed the hems of this monster's robes.
"My Lord," he managed. "You have returned, finally. How, I dare not -"
The imposing figure cut him off. "Yessss, I have returned, which you no doubt already knew. And it seems you have as well,
though I daresay, you are somewhat tardy in your return."
His statement left the feeling of questions. Questions he wanted answers for. Questions Snape would have to answer. Snape
rose.
"My Lord, I couldn't possibly go...everyone around, surely someone would have noticed. You must understand, if I am to
continue in my posistion at that school, I can leave no hints as to my alterior motives," Snape covered. Of course he hadn't
returned. He was almost as insistent as Fudge that Potter was mistaken when he told the story, but his was feeble hope. He
had felt the pain, he knew Voldemort was back. He just didn't want to believe.
"Yessss," hissed the vile creature he was forced to call 'Lord'. "I understand a slightly belated appearance. But, two
weeksss...it is rather unimpressive." The monstrosity trailed a long, sickly-looking finger across Snape's cheek and he
forced himself not to blanch. "One might suspect that you aren't as loyal as you claim..."
Snape didn't have a chance to respond. The cruciatus curse hit hard, causing pain to every nerve in his body. As he fought
not to drop to the floor and writhe as the once-human-Mr. Lark was, he knelt again.
"Loyal," he spoke through gritted teeth now. "To you, always...loyal."
The figure above him grinned that stomach-turning grin and snaked away with a final. "Yesss, we shall see. You may go now."
Severus Snape didn't waste time. Despite the pain still racking his body, he managed to apparate back to whence he came.
He found himself outside the grounds of Hogwarts, and promptly dropped to his knees and vomitted. No, this would not be
a very relaxing summer...
---------
*A/N* YAY! I got a review. Took me a while to figure out how to read it, but...eh. Anyway thanks to Aetheral Blood AKA
Hildagard for my first ever reviewy, and making me want to write more. I dunno where this is going to go, but maybe it'll
be fun, huh? Disclaimer has it's own chapter so I hope that'll suffice. The story needs a new name, too. Reviews please!
Severus Snape returned from the bathroom relieved, at least physically. He headed to the fireplace planning to make tea,
as he had quit consuming alcohol along with his return to Hogwarts. He wouldn't have minded some right now, though. The
thought vanished before he got to the fireplace, thanks to a searing pain in his left forearm. He gritted his teeth and
grasped his arm, cursing.
"Oh bloody hell," he muttered through his clenched teeth. "So much for -relaxing-."
Grabbing a long hooded cloak (black, of course) he set out through the hallways. Thankfully there was no one but himself
to deal with as he continued through the large main doorway and towards the village of Hogsmeade. Upon leaving the grounds
of Hogwarts he apparated, not sure to where he was going. He only knew what he'd be greeted with.
He reappeared in a lavish, large room. Malfoy manor, he realized with a sneer. Before him, writhing on the floor was
a...well, a human, he assumed though he couldn't be sure. The thing had been stripped of it's skin and mercilessly
tortured until it was no longer recognizable in any way.
'Have to check the dental records for that one,' he mused. His thoughts were interrupted by a gratingly oily male voice.
"Ah, Severus, I see you've decided to join us," it was the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
'As if I had a choice,' Snape thought to himself, but replied. "Of course."
"I expect you remember Mr. Lark?," Malfoy continued, motioning to the...thing...on the floor. "Oh, don't be rude, now, say
hello to Severus."
Malfoy gave the thing a rather forceful toe to the, well, what would have been stomach. It didn't seem to respond, and
Snape imagined that was due to the fact that it was in so much pain it couldn't register more.
"Lark?," he said to Malfoy, concern not evident in his voice. "Pretty risky, isn't it?"
Madrid Lark was an employee of the Ministry, and a rather high-ranking one at that. Besides this, he was a muggle-born
wizard. Or had been.
Malfoy laughed. The sound evoked responses in one's body similar to that of listening to fingernails scraped across a
chalkboard.
"Risky? Well, maybe, but now that the Dark Lord has returned -," Malfoy's voice lowered to a dangerous whisper. " - nothing
can touch us. Nothing. And those who oppose us will find that out in the worst way."
He grinned as if he knew something. Snape didn't like that grin, and he didn't return the gesture. Aside from the fact that
Lucius Malfoy was the one who got him into this bloody mess, Snape had plenty of reasons to dislike him. But then, anyone
who knew the man for more than five minutes could have come up with at least a hundred reasons.
His revere was broken as the temperature in the room seemed to drop and the throbbing pain in his arm increased.
"Severussss..," a voice behind him hissed. Snape flinched, but not visibly, and slowly turned.
Dark red, cat-like eyes. Spidery-veins running across pale, thin hands. The abscence of any protrusion for a nose. A
nauseating smile. Voldemort had returned.
Supressing the bile creeping up his throat, Snape dropped to his knees and kissed the hems of this monster's robes.
"My Lord," he managed. "You have returned, finally. How, I dare not -"
The imposing figure cut him off. "Yessss, I have returned, which you no doubt already knew. And it seems you have as well,
though I daresay, you are somewhat tardy in your return."
His statement left the feeling of questions. Questions he wanted answers for. Questions Snape would have to answer. Snape
rose.
"My Lord, I couldn't possibly go...everyone around, surely someone would have noticed. You must understand, if I am to
continue in my posistion at that school, I can leave no hints as to my alterior motives," Snape covered. Of course he hadn't
returned. He was almost as insistent as Fudge that Potter was mistaken when he told the story, but his was feeble hope. He
had felt the pain, he knew Voldemort was back. He just didn't want to believe.
"Yessss," hissed the vile creature he was forced to call 'Lord'. "I understand a slightly belated appearance. But, two
weeksss...it is rather unimpressive." The monstrosity trailed a long, sickly-looking finger across Snape's cheek and he
forced himself not to blanch. "One might suspect that you aren't as loyal as you claim..."
Snape didn't have a chance to respond. The cruciatus curse hit hard, causing pain to every nerve in his body. As he fought
not to drop to the floor and writhe as the once-human-Mr. Lark was, he knelt again.
"Loyal," he spoke through gritted teeth now. "To you, always...loyal."
The figure above him grinned that stomach-turning grin and snaked away with a final. "Yesss, we shall see. You may go now."
Severus Snape didn't waste time. Despite the pain still racking his body, he managed to apparate back to whence he came.
He found himself outside the grounds of Hogwarts, and promptly dropped to his knees and vomitted. No, this would not be
a very relaxing summer...
---------
*A/N* YAY! I got a review. Took me a while to figure out how to read it, but...eh. Anyway thanks to Aetheral Blood AKA
Hildagard for my first ever reviewy, and making me want to write more. I dunno where this is going to go, but maybe it'll
be fun, huh? Disclaimer has it's own chapter so I hope that'll suffice. The story needs a new name, too. Reviews please!