Title: Venomous

Author: Phinea Rogue

Rating: PG-13

All the characters belong to JKR, only Tarquinius is mine.

Well, I didn't mean to leave you for long with that cliffhanger. Actually, I wanted to up-date this sooner, but I had this chapter in my mind already before I started writing this story and there it's perfect, but putting it down on a paper . . . it just misses something, so I was rather struggling with it. Then again, I'm rarely ever satisfied with my work, and I really hope you'll like this chapter. One more thing: I think I should have said earlier that italics in the story indicate either Harry's vision, quotes or characters' thoughts (but I hope it wasn't too confusing).

Chapter Nine

Severus was surprisingly light in his arms as Tarquinius, crying and sobbing, carried him out of the old manor and away from the Dark Lord's murderous wand. Why was he this light, this thin? He seemed so frail in his arms, just a fragile little child. He thought it outrageous that the evening should be warm and the setting sun beautifully red when his only child was dying. If only he could, he would shoot every bird flying and singing around Snape Manor and dry the loud waves of sea so that peaceful silence would descend upon the last two Snapes. It was to the old mausoleum of the Snapes where Tarquinius headed, an ancient circular building resembling Roman architecture, and guarding the bones of his once noble ancestors. Hidden in woods and grown over by wild roses, with its walls crumbling, it was nevertheless a beautiful tomb. The Dark Lord hadn't followed him and Tarquinius was thankful for that. However, he knew he would return and demand his life too after biding farewell to Severus.

Carefully he lowered him onto a marble stool outside the mausoleum and gently began to play with the dark, bloodied strands of his hair. It flowed through his fingers like a silken river and Tarquinius smiled sadly through his tears. 'Why haven't you told me anything? You didn't trust me, did you? I thought you too weak to defy the Dark Lord, I thought you had repeated my errors.'

There was a break in his voice as Tarquinius remembered the boy Severus used to be, the child on which he had often released his anger and frustration. 'I've failed you, son. But no one will ever hurt you again, I promise you that. Fear no more, I shall free you from this suffering, from this dreadful world.'

And he smiled sadly as he bent down to kiss Severus's cool forehead. 'We'll be together, no one will separate us.'

§§

After they had apparated to Snape Manor, stunned and bound Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin ran into the woods hoping to find Snape alive. Lucius couldn't have given them much information as Dumbledore's stunner had hit him so powerfully he had been knocked out unconscious. Remus was truly astonished at headmaster's pace as they were now rushing to the Snape family mausoleum. Clearly the old wizard cared deeply for the Slytherin, rarely had he seen him this anxious and furious. At that moment Dumbledore was capable of killing.

§§

A soft moan escaped Severus's slightly opened mouth when pain got through the darkness surrounding him. He couldn't move a limb or open his eyes, but he felt he was outside and a coarse, but gentle hand was caressing his cheek.

Cold.

He felt as if laying in freezing snow, whole his body hurt and he felt weak as never before. Someone embraced him . . . tightly . . . too tightly . . . and Severus coughed as a piercing pain almost ripped his lungs apart. Every breath he took hurt him . . . he couldn't think coherently . . . pain . . .

. . . blood . . . a cough . . . a pained moan . . .

. . . a finger wiping at something on his lips . . .

. . . blood . . .

. . . the smell of blood and a tear . . . and chilling coldness . . .

§§

He could tell that Severus was conscious and in joy he embraced him, but . . . Tarquinius's tear dropped onto his son's white face as he wipe drops of blood from the corner of his mouth. Once again he had hurt him, unintentionally, but he had done it. What if one of his broken ribs had pierced his lungs? And Severus was so cold and so white! He couldn't let him suffer this much. 'Fear no more the heat o' th' sun,' whispered Tarquinius the words of an old poem, 'Nor the furious winters' rages; thou thy worldly task hast done, home art gone, and ta'en thy wages.'

More tears run down his cheeks as he remembered how much time had Severus always spent in library, reading and reading. The day after he had left Azkaban, he had found him there, sitting in a huge armchair with a book in his lap while he had been gazing out of the window, deep in thoughts.

'You won't suffer anymore, son,' sighed Tarquinius and brought out a small vial and a dagger from his pocket. 'I'm so proud of you, truly proud. This won't hurt for long, I promise.'

And then he had turned to him and his narrowed eyes had shone in loathing. No more had he feared him, that feeling had been replaced by hatred and disdain.

'I know you despise me, Severus, and I deserve it. Sometimes I had the feeling that you wanted me to love you, but you didn't let me through your walls. I understand it. I nearly killed you. And you've always been the cleverer, the braver. I'm the weak one. Forgive me. Forgive me.' He buried his face in Severus's hair and wept, watering it with his tears.

When Severus had risen from his armchair, the book had fell down, but he hadn't noticed. He had accepted him back, had taken care of him, but he . . . What had he given in return? The only thing he could do now was to free him. The dark curses on his body – would they ever vanish? Why should he suffer any longer? Once again he stroked Severus's hair and then put the vial to his lips. 'We're the last and we die with honour.'

§§

Albus finally spotted the ancient mausoleum through the woods. His wildly pounding heart stopped at once when he saw Tarquinius giving Severus something to drink. He was limp in his arms, but certainly alive, otherwise Tarquinius wouldn't make him drink it. Next to him Remus sniffed, 'Blood, I smell blood.'

Slowly Severus's head rolled back, the dark hair falling away from his face. Albus noticed how deadly pale he was, only a think streak of blood shone on the whiteness, trickling from the corner of his mouth. Too pale . . . They both gasped when a dagger appeared in Tarquinius's hand, glittering in the dying sunlight. 'Noooo!' cried the headmaster, but to his astonishment it was himself whom Tarquinius stabbed. He collapsed onto the marble stool holding onto Severus and Dumbledore rushed to them, quickly crossing the few steps that separated him from the pair.

He snatched Severus from his father's embrace and tears sprang to his eyes at the sight of his injuries. So many wounds and most of them deep cuts, bleeding and bleeding. His eyes fell on the vial. Vial . . . dagger . . . death . . . poison?

'Severus!' he shook him and slapped his face. 'Severus, you can't die, not now, not here!'

Carefully, he bent him slightly and forced him to vomit the poison. Severus coughed violently; more blood appeared on his lips as he trembled weakly. He collapsed into Dumbledore's embrace and muttered, 'I'm . . . sorry.'

'What are you sorry for, my dear?' asked the headmaster, taken aback.

'I said . . . that . . . that you're . . .' struggled Snape to form a coherent sentence. Everything around him was blurry and Dumbledore's face was coming to him through thick fog. Darkness was all around him and he felt himself surrendering . . . Was this death? He was cold, colder than before . . . and someone sobbed . . .

It was Dumbledore, holding Snape's body tight to his heart and crying quietly. Overcome by grief, he could do nothing but cry and hold him, silently praying to whatever god or power listening to save this man, pleading with his ancestors not to take him. Remus's arms came around his shoulders, offering comfort and Dumbledore thankfully leaned into him. For a while they watched Severus's peaceful face, no worry or evil sneer was marring his features and suddenly he looked young and carefree. 'He's not dead, headmaster, and neither is his father. We should move them to St Mungo right now.'

A frown settled between Dumbledore's brows when his sky-blue eyes rested on the form of Tarquinius Snape. 'So he is alive,' he said, his eyes clouding with anger, 'I wonder how he's going to explain this!'

Without any more delay, he ushered Remus to help him to take the wounded men into hospital.

§§

A/N: This is almost the end, the last but one chapter. But I've already had a plan for a sequel in my mind, so if you want, I can post it soon after this story is finished. Originally I wanted to kill Tarquinius, but now I couldn't do it (he's grown to my heart, pity being) and he's going to be useful in the sequel.

Thank you very much for your reviews, I hope you liked this chapter too. One more thing: that poem Tarquinius quotes is from Shakespeare's romance play 'Cymbeline' (I heard it sang by Loreena McKennitt, it's truly pretty). On to your reviews . . .