Disclaimer: Hmmm... This might be difficult for some of you to understand, however, if it has not registered the first two times, then maybe you should stop reading the story... After all, we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, now would we?
Rated: Still R... Shocking, is it not? I repeat, disturbing fic. Minors, leave now before you innocence is tainted!
This chapter of the fic is dedicated to 'SnippyandSnarky' for making me laugh. Even though they have probably never read this fic, and probably never will. Keep guessing at the pairing, I need someone to dedicate the next chapter to. Also... I know this took awhile, but I'm a lazy sod, who wrote this chapter, reread it a day later, decided it sucked, and wrote it again, So there! Endless thanks again to Diagonalist, who puts up with me, and continues to be my beta reader.
A/n- I just realized that in a couple of weeks, this is going to become an AU fic, when the next book comes out.
Just a fun fact.
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Harry lay in bed later that night, thinking about the day. After the tour, they had gone shopping, with Ron and Harry groaning good-naturedly in the background. It had been a long exhausting day, Ron even turning against him, and choosing to hang out with Hermione and bake! All Harry wanted to do now was lay still and try to forget about his aching ribs.
As he lay in the dark, trying to block out the world, his thoughts drifted to last night. He shuddered slightly... Where had his subconscious gotten that idea? He would never feel that way about another male, especially not that other male. He had always known that the line between love and hate was a thin one, but this was getting ridiculous! The fact he had been noticing Seamus more lately... did not mean anything. He suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable lying next to Ron.
Oh God... Where was all this coming from? He had enough to deal with... why was it always him! Now even mind was tormenting him. He sighed silently, and rose from his bed, making his way toward the bathroom. In the darkness of the room, he tripped, falling into a shelf. "Bugger!" he muttered, louder then he meant to. He glanced back at Ron, but the pale boy only rolled over, and didn't open his eyes. Harry staggered towards the bathroom, fumbling in the dark.
As he reached the door to the washroom, he flicked the light on, squinting against the florescent glare. As he opened his eyes, he was shocked at what he saw. Hermione, lying still on the floor, tears rolling down he checks. The stench of vomit was in the air, and the water in the toilet was a murky brown. Feeling bile rise in his own throat, he flushed the toilet, and knelt down beside Hermione.
"Hermione! What's wrong? Are you sick?" He lifted her off the floor, and, seeing no better place to put her, sat her on his lap. He noticed how light she was in his arms. "Hermione... What happened?" She cried sorrowfully a bit more, and then looked deep into his eyes.
"Oh, Harry... I'm so sorry... I was getting better... I really was." She broke off into sobs again. Suddenly everything clicked. The weight loss. The Vomiting. The guilt. It all made sense. How could he have not seen? He held her gently in his arms as she cried. They stayed that way for a long time. If Harry had been able to read minds, he would have heard Hermione's desperate thoughts of 'Why him of all people!'
Occasionally Harry felt like he was being watched, but when he looked behind him, he only saw shadows by the dark staircase. Eventually, Hermione fell into a restless sleep, and Harry carried her back to her room. He thought he saw a shadow as he carried her toward her room, but dismissed it as a trick of the light. He stood over her bed, watching her in sad sympathy. He turned and crept back towards his room.
As he climbed back into bed, he noticed that Ron's face looked slightly damp. He must have been sweating in his sleep. Harry thought, but something nagged at him that he couldn't quite put his finger on... This Mystery on his mind, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
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While Harry was falling into a restless sleep, Ron was still wide awake. Half an hour ago, he had felt Harry rise from beside him. He was going to comment, but something told him to keep quiet. When he tripped, and Harry's nervous eyes fell on Ron, he had decided to fallow. After all, what normal person wanders the halls at three in the bloody morning?
He waited seven minutes (the appropriate time for anyone to go the bathroom), then got up and fallowed. Creeping in the shadows by the stairs, he was stunned at what he saw. Hermione was curled in Harry's arms, and Harry was clinging to her possessively. Shock, anger, desperation and disbelief rolled into one to make him numb, then were all washed away by a perpetual sadness that tired his heart out with emotions he didn't know he had.
As he watched Harry carry Hermione to her room, and look down on her with a caring that vowed protection in a glance, he tried to force back the tears that came anyway. He went to bed, and didn't say a word when Harry joined him minutes later.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Constrictus Caligo!"
Miles away from the sleeping form of Harry and Ron, a curse echoed of the walls of a mansion that could only be called a home if one tilted there head to the right and squinted slightly. Not, that the house didn't look lived in, of course... Nevertheless, the place had a certain... pristine look to it. I was rather like being in a creepy museum.
The mansion had a brooding, evil feeling to it, which instantly made one feel cold. Not many decent men could walk into the house without feeling something along the lines of shivers or nausea.
However, the two men, standing in one of the many rooms of the Manor, were immune to the unease atmosphere, having grown up there. The younger figure had his wand raised over his hooded head, a black smoke curling from it and surrounding a frightened rat that was curled in the corner of his cage. Just as the smoke began to choke the life out of the terrified animal, it disappeared in a wisp of gray.
The older man strode toward the shorter figure, striking him painfully across the face. The boy cried out, and stumbled towards the empty fire grate. The once roaring fire had died hours ago, and even though the young man was freezing cold, he didn't dare ask to relight the flames.
"Why can't you do anything right!" the older man exclaimed with fury. He dragged the boy upright by his ear and was about force him to try again, when he felt a searing pain in his arm. He hid his pain behind a face of rage, and drew his wand. "I'm tired of your half hearted efforts. Crucio!"
As Draco Malfoy lay convulsing on the floor, his father turned toward the exit. As the door closed behind him, Lucius Malfoy ended the spell, smirking, and left his only son to combat the after effects of the curse by himself.
*
Lucius walked briskly toward the center of the house. He climbed to the highest tower that rose from the center of the house. It was only here that the apparation barriers were weak enough to let him leave the house. He lifted his wand, and disappeared.
*
He reappeared in a dank dungeon chamber. He did not know where he was, but that didn't matter, he rarely did. He stood in the shadow, surveying the other Death Eaters for a moment. He was heading towards his master, when Severus Snape appeared beside him, mask in place. He could tell who it was despite the disguise because he had known the other man so long.
"Well, well..." Lucius muttered softly. "Have we actually decided to come beg for forgiveness?" He sneered unpleasantly. "The Dark Lord is not at all happy with you, Severus." Lucius stepped forward and knelt at his master's robes, though Snape lingered in the shadows.
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Severus continued to lurk until the meeting was over, listening carefully to jobs that were assigned, jobs that had failed, and target Muggleborns, Muggle lovers, and Squibs that were posing a problem with Voldemort's ideals. Finally, he took it to be his time to leave. One does not want to be left alone with Voldemort when one's loyalties were in question. He had turned to leave when he heard a voice behind him.
"Severus Snape... I have some issues to discuss with you..."
Severus flinched. There was no mistaking that voice. He turned to face his lord, and then bowed at his feet. "Yes Master...," he muttered, fallowing the snake-eyed man into a smaller room off the side.
When Voldemort had taken a seat there, Severus began kissing the hem of the Dark Lord's robes again. It was custom, of course. After a moment, Voldemort waved his hand, and Severus fell back.
"Severus..." the Dark Lord whispered his name in a way that made him want to vomit, though he stayed perfectly still. "Severus. Why did you not come to the last meetings? I was beginning to doubt your loyalties to the fold," Voldemort's voice was like a snake sliding over silk, defiling it. Snape began to fear for his life.
"I couldn't come, my lord. I am endlessly sorry. It was Dumbledore's fault. He had Ministry officials warn him when the death eaters were being called, and he watched me too closely for me to escape." He tried to express genuine fear and remorse, and found it was not hard. "Despite his calm reassurances to the public, he does not trust me..." Voldemort nodded.
"Is that the truth, Severus?" he asked.
"Of course, my lord," Severus replied, putting exactly the right amount of sincerity, shock, and fear into his voice to make it genuine and believable.
The Dark Lord laughed mirthlessly. "The truth is just a twisted façade caught between reality and what the world wants to hear! YOU ARE LYING!!!" Voldemort screamed. He fumed silently for a moment, and then calmed down. "Very well... Your excuses are believable enough; however, I will be watching you. Yes, I'll be watching you very closely..." he hissed. He gestured again, and Severus bent to kiss his master, and then rose to leave.
Just as Severus made it to the door, Voldemort called to him. The silver mask he wore glinted in the torch light as he faced his worst enemy, his master. "Let me hear you scream," he said softly, the voice echoing in Snape's mind. "Crucio!"
Nevertheless, Severus Snape never screamed, and eventually, shaking and limping, he was allowed to return to Hogwarts.
