I received more of those wonderful reviews and I am grateful for the detailed way some of you commented on the story. There are two aspects I have to deal with the next chapters: the necklace and some more Snape family history and Lucius Malfoy. You are going to meet another member of the Snapes and see some more Hermione/Snape interaction. Plus a bit more of Harry and Ron visiting their friend Hermione in the dungeons.
12. [ Mudblood ]
When Severus Snape looked into the mirror after he rinsed off the shaving gel he tried in vain to understand what the hell Hermione saw that made her stay here in the dungeons. He remembered quite clearly how she had comforted him last night, the tender endearments she had murmured and the way she had clung to him not letting him slip away into despair. And once when he had looked into her eyes they had been filled with the most amazing mix of love, pain and understanding.
His hair was now even oilier, it always was after washing it, and it was still wet in parts. His cheeks were hollow and ashen with even darker circles under his puffy eyes and his hooked nose appeared even more prominent causing him almost to look like a monster from a tale to scare children.
In more ways than one he really was a monster, a scary figure that nobody liked, that nobody wanted to touch. Neither his mother nor his father had ever loved him, his mother too scared to protect him and his father who rivalled Bellatrix at times with his sadistic tendencies had simply enjoyed breaking him. It had never been about doing something for him no matter how often he had claimed to just educate him but always about doing something to him. His father had been a cruel man, one of the cruellest he knew maybe only rivalled by Voldemort. Maybe, and he knew for sure that the dark Lord never touched children in a sexual way.
So what did that say about him? He was his mother's and father's son and had inherited some of their genes- again he wondered what made Hermione stay. If it was possible for him to run from his own life, to get away from the person he was, he had long since done it. He despised himself for what he had allowed to happen, for what he had done in return and what he had become- a nice little copy of his father.
Turning his face he stepped into the room and went to his wardrobe. He didn't look at the bed so he didn't see his wife sitting there with the daisy in her hand watching him.
Her eyes were clouded with pain and she studied his lean body for a moment. He was only dressed in black pants and as he bent down to get some socks she noticed how thin even skinny he was. The muscles were seen through the skin and his spine sticked out in many places. His whole figure was lean, with bones sticking out at his shoulders and some clearly visible scars on his back.
He was surely no beauty nor was he handsome in the usual sense but something about him was so intriguing that she felt drawn to him in so many ways. Shortly she wondered if maybe she wanted to protect him, wanted to give him back what his father had taken from him in his childhood but there was more. Even before she had known about the abuse and even before she had received the necklace there had been something about him that spoke to her. It wasn't looks and she was pretty sure she was no beauty either but it went deeper than that. They were both outcasts somehow, he as a former Death Eater and suspect, she as the muggle born witch. It pained to admit it but racism was far more present in the wizarding world than she liked to think about. But for some reason her husband had never in all her six years at Hogwarts called her a 'mudblood'.
His father had done so yesterday and she wondered if maybe many more people were thinking it instead of saying it. There were some people she knew for sure didn't feel that way. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Harry, Ron, all Weaslys really, Lupin, Flitwick but for the others she couldn't say for sure. And it bothered her. More than she wanted to admit. Maybe some of her urgent need to prove herself was because she wanted to provide evidence that she was a capable witch even so her parents were both muggles. And maybe somewhere along the way Severus had given up to prove that he was not evil and cruel.
"Are you done with staring at me?" His voice sounded carefully neutral and his shoulders were slightly tensed up.
Lying down on the bed she crossed her arms behind her head. "I wasn't staring. I was thinking."
Reaching for a black shirt he slowly buttoned it. "May I ask what about?"
"You may. You are my husband so you are allowed to ask me all kinds of things." She grinned without humour when she saw how he flinched when she said the word 'husband'. "I was thinking why I like you so much."
Turning towards the bed one eye brow rose. He sat down next to her on the bed gently placing her feet in his lap.
"And what did you come up with? My favourable looks or my pleasant character?" The irony tripped again from his voice but he took the sting with gently kneading her ankles.
She smiled shortly and then closed her eyes. "We both know that you are neither Lockhart nor Lupin my dear." It was the first endearment she ever used to him and it felt strangely natural. Opening her eyes she saw his stunned expression. "And I wouldn't take any of those if my live depended on it. Maybe it's because we are so similar. Both no beauties, both with difficult characters and both having trouble finding our place in the wizarding world."
He bowed down his head looking at her feet and gently began to rub them.
"You are comparing yourself to me Hermione? That's hardly fair. I am really unpleasant both in appearance and character while you are in simply different than the other students."
"Oh yes Severus? I am bossy, I know that, and I have a temper even worse than you plus I just argued with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall in the headmaster's office and left having thrown a tantrum. I am neglecting my friends in favour of studying without having a bad conscience and I know I am in no way the regular beauty."
"You argued with Albus?"
"Of course that is the part you would pick up." Her voice sounded slightly similar to his when he was sarcastic. "Yes I went there this morning and told him I wanted to discern what he knew and he told me about this prophecy. Then I got angry when he didn't want to tell me what the prediction was about and left after as I said raging for a while."
"You are not ugly." He sighed and then placed her feet on the bed and got up. "And now enough of that. We have a life to face Hermione and we-" He stopped and gripped his arm as if in pain.
"What's wrong?" She had jumped up and was with him.
He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply. "I am summoned. Please go to Dumbledore and tell him that I left and then I want you to attend the rest of your lessons for today. No reason to skip more than you already have."
Hesitating shortly when he stepped to his wardrobe and extracted a silver mask she pointed at the room. "You can't apparate."
"I know a short cut to the castle boundaries. Now leave Hermione!"
She nodded and was gone in a second.
» » » » » » » » » »
As Bellatrix Lestrange gazed into the darkness her eyes turned to the direction where her latest toy was crumpled on the floor in a messy heap of flesh and blood. Maybe she had overdone it a bit but Lucius had been fun to play with and he was still alive, only how long she honestly couldn't say for sure. The Dark Lord wouldn't mind much she was certain, he was quite fed up with the man and if he returned with Severus there would be other things on his mind.
In the last months she had begun to distrust the potions Master but so far with little proof as to his new alliances. Her master was too trustful with Severus and she couldn't approach him without any real evidence that he was indeed what she suspected him to be, a traitor.
Well time would help her with this, she was sure. She couldn't wait to see what he came up with to explain his marriage to this mudblood. Oh yes, Hermione Granger was a brilliant witch, even Bellatrix had to admit that. But she still was a muggleborn, somebody who should have never been allowed into the wizarding world. She still remembered her from the ministry last year, she had been a nuisance back then, with all the carefully placed spells and the way she had never lost her head until she had been knocked out that was.
When she had been in Hogwarts herself she had been told that she had the gift, was a seer but so far this skill had never helped her in all her years. This was the first time she had a gut wrenching feeling about this mudblood and Severus. It was as if those two were right now the greatest thread to the Dark Lord but she had no way to prove it. You had to be careful who you blamed in the inner circle and it was a fact that not many people were closer to the Dark Lord than Severus Snape. Bellatrix had seen him torture people to please his Lord and she had seen him administering potions to the master himself to help him survive. No, she surely couldn't talk to anybody until she had any way of proving that her theories and speculations were justified.
In the end none of it all bothered her much. It was only the fact that those two, the mudblood and the potions Master were married that gave her a headache. And in the end it was all due to this little piece of flesh behind her. She itched to perform the killing curse but Voldemort had said to play and not to kill. So she turned to the door neglecting Malfoy for the time and stepped into the house. Time to see if there was a way to kill the mudblood.
» » » » » » » » » »
The dark figure moving over the castle grounds kept to the shadows all the time and if you looked very carefully you could almost see the way his brows were furrowed in concentration. Severus was trying to clear his mind of emotions and thoughts using his occlumency skills and when he had reached the school boundaries he was done only leaving the loyal, cruel devoted Death Eater inside him. Sometimes he wondered if maybe he had grown two different personalities but stopped himself from thinking about such matters.
Placing his body a foot out of the castle grounds, he inhaled one last time and then apparated to wherever his Dark Lord wanted to see him.
The first thing he saw was one of the persons her liked least with the exception of Voldemort himself and maybe Lucius Malfoy. Bellatrix Lestrange lounged in an arm chair dressed in a low cut scarlet robe and her black hair was flowing down her exposed back. She had been a beautiful woman when she was young but the time in Azkaban had taken its toll on her. Last time he had seen her before the fight in the ministry she had looked pale and her hair had been falling out in parts. She had definitely improved her appearance over the summer and she almost looked like she used to before the fall of Voldemort.
Her face was as usual twisted into a sarcastic grin as she extended her hand to him in a way that implied to kiss it.
"Good morning Severus. Had a pleasant trip?" Her voice was dark and throaty and tainted with malice. The hostility between them was always present even so in front of their Dark Lord they didn't express it openly.
Making two large steps, he bowed in an elegant way and breathed a kiss on her flawless hand.
"As always it was, Bellatrix. Where is my Lord?" His voice dripped with politeness and venom- nothing really had changed here in the last months.
"He is waiting for you in his room. I am to welcome you and lead the way. He is angry Severus, any idea why?" she asked and carefully inspected her wand.
"I am sure that he has a reason my dear, since he is all-knowing but I hope to be able to calm him with my presence and possible explanations." Severus understood the warning in her voice, no doubt it was her doing that had made Voldemort furious about him, and he had a slight foreboding about the issue he had to explain in a couple of minutes.
"I hope you are successful, Severus, since he already killed Lucius an hour ago and you know his moods." She got up and moved into the direction of the stairway with in a graceful way like a panther. Bowing his head as to hide his amusement he followed her. Bellatrix had always wanted to seduce him but so far to no avail. Suppressing all thoughts about Hermione he took the stairs one at a time and disappeared into the room that had the green skull on it. Bellatrix followed and shortly he wondered if maybe this was his execution. Shrugging it off he faced his Lord's furious glare and emptied his mind.
» » » » » » » » » »
„Severus." His voice as usual was shrill and as he lounged there in a chair he appeared like he was in a good mood. Severus knew him better than that. He was furious and barely contained his anger. If he wasn't careful with the first thing he said he would be dead in seconds.
Gracefully Severus went to his knees and let his wand fall on the floor.
"If I have offended you my master then do as you please." It was risky manoeuvre he knew but Voldemort treasured and respected courage and fearlessness. He knew that the Dark Lord in all likelihood would only torture him for a while and he had plenty of experience in that.
"Offended is the wrong term my dear friend Severus. I would rather say I feel like you are keeping vital information from me." He got up and grabbed his hair forcing his head up. His eyes bored into his and Severus let him explore the contents of his mind. There was nothing there to blame him for.
"I understand your anger my lord and I would have contacted you sooner but unfortunately since Lucius little stunt I am being watched more closely by the headmaster."
"Dumbledore was always a nuisance and if I could I had him dead by now. So tell me Severus, why wasn't I invited to your wedding with Hermione Granger?" He let his hair go and moved back into the arm chair motioning Bellatrix out of the room.
"There was no real wedding master. Dumbledore forced me to use an ancient necklace to protect her from further attacks and I not knowing what it was used for other than protection used it with her. The wedding simply happened and now I am punished furthermore with having to endure this little mudblood in the dungeons." He let his voice drp with disgust.
"Can't you kill her?" Voldemort studied his spidery fingers.
"I am afraid she is under Dumbledore's protection as well. At the moment I can't do anything if I don't want to arouse suspicion." Severus still kneeled until Voldemort motioned him to get up.
"I am not really distrusting you my loyal servant but the thought of you, from one of the most selective and blood-clean families, being married to a mudblood is quite… let's say unforeseen the least. But alas if you need to uphold the façade right now I won't argue." Padding the potions Master's back like he was an obedient dog he extended the other hand which was shivering. "You see my tremors Severus. Do you have any means to please your Lord?"
Obediently bowing his head Severus pulled a little vial out of his robes containing some greenish liquid. "Of course my Lord. It was brewed yesterday and that should be adequate."
Gulping down the content Voldemort rested his head against the chair closing his eyes. He was tired and had to sleep. But soon he would be strong enough to prevail against Dumbledore and Harry Potter again and then the wizarding world would be his. He would purge it of all mudbloods.
"Leave now Severus. Return to Hogwarts and as soon as you get access to information contact me."
"Yes my Lord."