Disclaimer: I do not own the following characters.
__________________________________________________________________
OWL POST NO.4
STATUS: SENT AND RECEIVED.
__________________________________________________________
"Ah………" hissed a spine-chilling voice, as its speaker's cat-like eyes gleamed with maliciousness. The vocalization was the only sound heard in deserted monastery, cutting through the still atmosphere like a blade slicing silk. "Look, my Death Eaters, now that is a courageous man."
Snape trudged towards the circle of masked wizards, feeling as though a force was dragging his legs back out of the door. Severus Snape had arrived late.
Voldemort waved his wand to and fro lazily, and thorny creepers shot out from the concrete ground, wrapping themselves mercilessly around Snape's ankles. The Potions Master ignored the piercing needles, and forced his limbs to carry his body closer to the Dark Lord. He could easily scatter the predatory plant with a simple charm, but he kept his wand to himself. He was very well aware that the Dark Lord was testing his endurance, and his adherence. A red substance was trickling steadily out of his impaled flesh, but the black-eyed man pressed on. If he failed to take his usual position in the circle, he would never live.
"Still eager to join us?" Voldemort asked with mock surprise, as he flicked his wand idly. "My, my, Severus," he said, shaking his snake-like head appreciatively. "You are a persistent wizard. Green-Fingered Jennys are hard to overcome, you know," he said, referring to the emerald-green creepers that were savagely attacking Snape's skin. As the blood-thirsty creepers fed on Snape's fluid of life, their poison-green thorns turned crimson, matching the man's now-scarlet robes.
In days to come, Snape would recall the walk from the door of the monastery to his Master with a shudder. It was as though a pack of hyenas were gnawing on his flesh and bone, as he made the walk. But to fall before he kissed Voldemort's robes was fatal.
"I serve you and only you, Master," gasped Snape, as he threw himself at Voldemort's feet, bloodied but determined. "I was late, that I do not deny. But Master, my loyalty to you is….eternal."
*******************************
The sun had rise, and a shaft of golden sunlight drenched Snape's face, when he woke up. His first thought was, 'Curses! I'm late!', before he finally registered that it was Saturday. With an unsteady hand, Snape reached for the vial of Consanescio Potion, a glutinous-like liquid in hues of grey and vermillion. He gritted his teeth and shook his greasy, shoulder-length hair away from his tired visage before lifting the hems of his robes. Dried crusted blood greeted his eyes, followed by a hideous greenish swelling. The thorns were venomous.
Snape sighed, as last night's events presented themselves to him. He was weaker these days, like a wand that had been scratched, splintered and trodden-on, until the dragon heart-strings in its core were forced to reveal themselves. In a way, the broken wand was a sinister metaphor for Snape's current situation. Voldemort's sensitive nose was beginning to sense deception, but luckily, he was short of Death Eaters, now that Lucius, his precious 'left-hand man' was in Azkaban.
He had kissed his Master's robes with his unwilling lips, grovelled at the feet that he hated, and begged for his infernal life. Snape knew that he was fortunate, that Voldemort accepted his excuse of Dumbledore holding him back, without administering the shrieks-invoking Cruciatus Curse. My body can no longer take it, he thought. And if I die…..before she knows….all will be wasted. And the possibility of me surviving the Final Battle is dreadfully low.
And the worst was, he was late because of Granger. She was much smarter than he thought and a lot more unrelenting too. Hermione had lurked pompously outside his office, waiting for him to emerge. When he finally did, she proceeded to question him about the various potions and concoctions that were needed in a Disguising Serum. Despite his scathing remarks and threats, she wouldn't leave until it was too late.
So she thinks that I used that elementary serum? How uncharacteristic of her, to make such a ridiculous assumption. And that wretched girl even dared to ask if I had been 'sending letters lately'. His mouth became grim, as he poured the Consanescio Potion over his injured legs. A vicious hissing sound that reminded him of the Dark Lord's dear Nagini was heard.
He grimaced, and heaved his bad legs onto a pile of books lying on the ground. As he waited for the potion to work its magic on his mutilated shanks, his hand reached for a piece of parchment.
You've just earned yourself another letter, my dear. Perhaps we wouldn't have to wait for the Battle to be over. After all, I don't want to meet you as a ghost……or a corpse.
**************************************
"Another post?" asked Harry, when a familiar one-eyed owl dropped an envelope into his friend's lap. Her reaction was dramaturgical. Hermione, who had been chewing on a toast serenely, as she memorised the behaviours of Griffins, spat her toast out into a napkin, shut her book with a thump, and tore the envelope open with shaking fingers.
"Blimey," said Ron, as Hermione's faced turned chalk-white. "What is it with you and your letters?"
"Harry!" she gasped, as she threw the letter at him. "Read this!"
But like Ron, Harry was unable to see its true contents. The Occulotio charm was very strong, and it was created to allow access only to its recipient.
"Fine!" snapped Hermione, as she met his confused stare. "I'll read it to you. He's gone too far this time….. I had always suspected Snape as the author, but I don't exactly have proof."
Ron blinked. "Snape's been sending you letters? Why, that git!"
Hermione glared at him as she smoothen the creases out carefully. Was that a spot of blood? "I know, Ron," she said sharply. "But I said 'suspected'. There's always a chance that someone's posing as him. You know, as in an impostor's writing letters, making me think that it was Snape all along. It's not like he doesn't have any enemies, you know."
Ron dropped his glass of pumpkin juice like a hot poker, but he paid no notice to the orange liquid that damped his robes. "DON'T tell me that you're actually giving Snape the benefit of doubt."
Harry stared at the letter intently. "Then we'd better make sure that it IS him, before we confront that slimy git. Anyway," he said, nodding at the letter. "What's this one about?"
Hermione took a sip of water, and scowled at the parchment in her hand. "Listen to this."
_________________________________________________________________________
Consanesco=to become healthy.
Occulo=private/secrecy/concealed
Author's note: Thank you, to the nice folks who wrote in to say that there ARE people reading! Till next time, and I love you all.
KDarkMaiden, ooh, thanks for reading! (and for writing in to say that you did.) tomzgurl77, yeah, Ron seems quite unlikely to write such stuff, sorry. Silent Cobra, thank you. Original….wow! Merlana, he's dropped too many hints, and now he's in hot soup. JustJeanette, uh-oh! Too dark for your liking? Da Bomb, yeah, it should be interesting…..i mean, I'll try to make it interesting. Not sure about whether she'll meet him, though. That's giving the plot away! Elphaba Snape, thank you….nice to know that. xSnapeLoverx, he's not OOC? Yay!! Pumpkinpiebaby, Snape's mean, yup! Lady Nessa Fefalas, hey! I can't find your fictionpress fic. Never mind. Concentrate on your current one……it's worth your attention. Aindel S. Druida, thank you for telling me that. Eagel33, nice! Urging me on like that. Organized Chaos 1982, hehehe! It's getting chaotic. A stranger, cool! Neat name. Snapecake, Here's more of Snape for you to chew on. Jenn, awwww….what a nice thing to say. Raven, yeah, I made Snape kinda sinister here. Not your usual lovey-dovey professor, I'm afraid. Usagisanpe, *laughs* yeah, Snape just can't stop asking Hermione to shut up, eh? I-Love-Snape, Snape's merciless……..and Hermione's just about to find out. Stay tuned, and once again, cool name. GeekGoddess1, oh, sorry for misspelling your name! Maybe I need to get my eyes checked. Nekura, wow…..skilful words? Cool! I hope you don't think of me as one of those dictionary-eating people, though. Actually, they're pretty simple, but thank you anyway! I'm trying to keep Hermione in character here. Tell me how I'm doing, please?