Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. Anything you recognize from JK Rowling's books is not mine. Anything you don't recognize is either mine or a typical fanfiction plot device. The Call of the Blood and the concepts associated with it are my creations, not the creations of JK Rowling – please email me if you wish to use them or a derivative of them in a story.
Partly inspired by the Marriage Law Challenge on WIKTT. See Chapter 1 for full disclaimer. Author's Notes at the end.
Warning: This fic is SS/HG and includes character death, descriptions of abuse, and adult situations.
Cloak of Courage
WendyNat
Chapter 21
"If I insisted… you were supposed to kill me, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Severus sighed quietly and stared up at the bedcurtains. He should have known that her logical mind would come to that conclusion… the correct conclusion. He and Dumbledore had, in fact, analyzed every possible outcome and scenario to her situation. There had been little choice but to either turn her away from the path, or to remove her from the path entirely.
They would do what they must.
What surprised him most about the confession she had wrung from him was the emotion he had sensed through the bond. Relief. Her emotions had been too erratic for him to sense anything concrete until the very end, when she uttered "Thank you." There had been an overwhelming sense of relief… Although he questioned, now, whether that feeling had actually been hers or his own.
He was still confused about those words, in fact. Thank you. What had she been thanking him for? For telling her, or …
… for being willing to do what had to be done?
It seemed that she understood their position, thankfully. She could not be allowed to go to the Dark. And yet… despite all of their efforts… she was. The Call had a toehold, and the Call was never content to let the link, even a thread-thin link, disintegrate. It would compel her, drive her emotions ragged, lure her to learn more… lure her to cast Avada Kedavra.
Or to perform the Blood Rites.
Frowning, he turned on his side to face her. She was sleeping, her even breathing calming him. He knew what she was planning. It was all too obvious, since their discussion about his Blood Loyalty pledge. But he would not allow her to sacrifice herself in such a way – to willfully and knowingly perform the very act which would throw the gates of her mind, her soul – her essence – wide and allow the Call free reign. The struggle could well be too much… she was strong, but he didn't know if she was strong enough to turn her back on a fully realized Call.
Ollivander and Moody had both confessed that they would have been unable to do so, had they formed the final link using the Blood Rites. They only felt it sporadically, but even that was enough to test the very bounds of their strength and determination. Severus, on the other hand, felt it at all times. Some times less than others – but it was always there. Waiting. Biding its time. He often wondered if it actually was strength and determination that kept it at bay… or simply pure stubbornness.
But… perhaps she was stubborn enough.
Perhaps.
"I thought the idea of keeping her here was to avoid something like this. To keep her from succumbing to the Call," Moody rasped out, staring at Severus with thinly veiled suspicion. Severus pursed his lips in annoyance, biting back his initial response at a stern look from Dumbledore.
"Severus did what he could, Alastor. She had already viewed the Book of the Blood before we were aware of Mr. Krum's involvement."
Moody shook his head. "Blood of the friend… damned bastards. This is the kind of scum you chose to join, Snape? Oh, but I forget… now you're reformed. A reformed Death Eat-"
"Alastor!" Dumbledore's voice was angrier than Severus had heard it in a long time. A shot of elation went through him at the furious look on the Headmaster's face. Moody's lips twisted strangely before he gave Severus a curt nod of apology. Severus returned the nod just as coldly, wondering – not for the first time – how he could have been fooled by Barty Crouch Jr.'s Polyjuice trick. He should have known the man was far too pleasant to be the real Moody.
Pushing the thought aside, Severus cleared his throat. The sooner he could get out of this office, the better. "She has not yet been taken by the Call, Moody. It is a toehold only."
Moody nodded slowly. "But if she performs Avada Kedavra…"
"Yes. Or the Blood Rites," Severus bit out. "She knows the danger."
Moody's face relaxed into a concerned expression. He did so worry about his pet Gryffindors. "She may know the danger… but the lure will be great. Resisting it is easier said than done. Is she strong enough?"
Dumbledore glanced at Severus. "I believe she is, Alastor," the Headmaster said.
Severus shifted in his seat, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb along his wedding band. "She is strong enough, yes. However, there will be some very… difficult… times for her shortly." He caught Albus' eye and saw the dawning comprehension in the Headmaster's gaze. "Faced with her parents' murderer… not to mention the murderer – or at the least the man who orchestrated the murder of – her friend Mr. Weasley…"
Moody's brows grew together. "What's he talking about, Albus?"
Albus sighed heavily. "It can no longer be avoided. Tom Riddle has demanded that she be brought before him."
"To a Death Eater meeting?" Moody replied harshly, his magical eye rolling to stare at Severus in a very disconcerting manner. He cleared his throat.
"No. I was able to… dissuade… the Dark Lord of that notion. On Friday, Macnair will hold his annual get-together."
Moody turned both eyes to look at Albus once more. "Death Eater Dinner Party. We should just crash it, take all the scum out at once." Severus sneered
"You know that's not possible, Alastor." Dumbledore's voice was tired. "We must wait for them to bring the battle to us. On our ground. Harry must be prepared. The prophecies – both of them – must be fulfilled. This time, Tom Riddle must die. Permanently."
The sneer still on his lips, Severus said, "And aside from that, Moody, Macnair has set so many traps and wards around his manor it would be near to impossible to attack there. He has zones erected with different sets of wards, even, so it would take more curse-breakers than you know to get through them all. And by then, the element of surprise would be lost."
Moody sat back and let out a low growl of frustration. "Well, then, Albus. What now?"
"I believe we need to take another look at the prophecy, my old friend. See what other interpretations we can make of it."
Moody snorted. For once, Severus agreed. The old Auror shook his head as he said, "Blood Rites will conquer the shadow. I'd like to know if there's another possible interpretation for that phrase."
Severus sat back in his chair, turning his head to gaze out of the window. He heard Albus answer. "Alastor, we must plan for all possibilities. Even if that phrase has another interpretation."
"You know my thoughts on that, Dumbledore." Moody's voice was a low growl. "I'm holding the Call back now. But if I perform the Blood Rites… who knows what the effect could be."
"The bond cannot be altered once in place, Moody," Severus snapped, turning his head back to face the older man. Moody stared at him evenly.
"That's the theory. I'm sure you can understand that I don't want to place all my trust in a few theoretical books written by Dark wizards."
"It's not just theory, Moody. It bears out in practice, also. Look at the Lestranges. Rodolphus finalized the link using Avada Kedavra. Had he finalized it with the Blood Rites, as Bellatrix did, then he would be as insane as his wife after years in Azkaban."
"Well, forgive me if I don't care to gamble my soul on the word of your Death Eat-"
"That's enough, gentlemen." A heavy silence fell, broken by Albus. "What of Ollivander?"
Severus shook his head. "He won't. He wishes to remain neutral, as he did in the Grindelwald conflict. He's already done more than he intended, giving us those lists of names."
Dumbledore nodded, unsurprised. "What of Herm-" He stopped when he caught Severus' cold glare. Silence fell again, only broken when Moody began to chuckle. Startled, Severus turned his cool gaze on the old Auror.
"A little more attached to her than you expected, Snape?" Moody asked with an unfriendly smile. Severus did not deign to answer.
Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly. "Well. We will have to revisit that as we draw closer to the time of battle. In the meantime… have you had a chance to look through the Book, Severus?"
"For this elusive key from the prophecy? Albus, there are many spells and rituals in a Book of the Blood. No two Books are exactly alike." Severus shook his head and looked out the window once more.
Moody spoke then. "We need to let some more minds in on this. Lupin and Shacklebolt are my suggestions." Severus turned back to look at the other two men, meeting Dumbledore's gaze. Lupin. The man, admittedly, was a master of defense against the Dark Arts. Reluctantly, Severus nodded.
"Do you mean to tell them about Hermione, also?"
"They are discreet, Severus."
"Shacklebolt is an Auror."
"And a member of the Order. His loyalty is to us first," Moody ground out. Severus nodded absently. Shacklebolt and Lupin both did seem fond of Hermione, perhaps it would be safe to let them know. And she would need as much support as possible, to continue her resistance of the Call, if he were to fall in battle. If he were required to perform the Blood Rites.
As if reading his mind, Albus said, "Both men would not allow any harm to come to Hermione, Severus. You should know that." Severus nodded, scowling.
"You seem mighty concerned about this girl who you claimed would just be a burden, Snape. Gotten under your skin, has she?" Moody cackled unpleasantly.
Severus shook his head, a condescending smirk on his lips. "Believe what you will, Moody."
"Well, Alastor. I will leave it to you to inform Kingsley and Remus about the situation sometime this week. We should prepare to meet again next Sunday."
Moody nodded and stood. Severus watched as the old Auror clunked over to where he sat, raising an eyebrow silently. What did the old fool want now? "She's a good girl, Severus. Take care of her. If anyone can help her resist, you can." Not waiting for a response, Moody continued out of the room. Severus was unable to take his eyes off of the old Auror's back, off of the brown robes that swayed with each uneven step… off of the door as it shut behind the Auror.
Was Moody finally coming to trust him?
He was startled when Albus cleared his throat. "Severus… I was thinking…" Inwardly, Severus cringed, steeling himself. Generally, nothing good ever followed that statement. "Hermione should assist you in your search through the Book." Severus' blood ran cold.
He waited a moment until he had his anger under control, and then said, "Absolutely not. Did you hear nothing Moody and I told you?"
"She is the only one to have a breakthrough regarding this prophecy. Two breakthroughs. I really ought to reevaluate her abilities in Divination…"
"No."
"Severus-"
"No."
"It should be her choice. I will present the idea to her."
"Damn it, Albus!" Severus hissed, rising from the chair and stalking to the Headmaster's desk.
"Severus, this may be our only chance to win. She has shown an ability to look beyond the obvious and decipher this prophecy… she has the best chance at looking beyond the obvious and finding the key that is in that book!"
Severus' lips twisted and he paced to the window, leaning on the ledge heavily as he stared unseeing through the glass. The Call already had a toehold on her… if she studied a Book of the Blood, particularly that Book of the Blood… the bridge that would be built would be immense. And if it were finalized…
Albus' voice was hard and cold when he said, "This is a war, Severus."
Severus' head whipped around at the words.
"Oh, indeed? You think I don't know that? My entire life has been shaped by this infernal war, one thrice-damned thing after another, enduring indescribable pain and suffering for the cause of this war. But that is not enough, evidently. Now, you want me to risk the one good thing…" Severus stopped, appalled at how much he had said. Turning his back on the Headmaster, he leaned against the window ledge, scowling, the knuckles of his hands going white as he clenched them into fists.
"You… care for her."
Severus continued to lean against the window ledge. He lifted his head for a moment and glanced at Albus before turning back to stare at the Hogwarts grounds, his jaw set. He did not answer.
Albus' voice was gentle as he said, "It's her choice, Severus."
He pushed away from the ledge. "And you will manipulate it so that your choice becomes her choice. You've done it to me often enough. The Head of Slytherin, outmaneuvered by a doddering old Gryffindor. Pathetic." Dumbledore opened his mouth, but stopped when Severus made a cutting gesture with one hand. "Spare me, Albus."
With no further words, he swept from the room, allowing the door to slam loudly behind him.
When Hermione's stomach settled from the Portkey travel, she looked around her in confusion. They were in the middle of a field, a line of carriages in front of them. "What-"
Severus sneered. "The carriage will take us the rest of the way to the Manor. Many of the purebloods employ such tactics. It's their way of keeping up airs, I believe the term is."
"And avoiding attack," Hermione mused quietly. Severus shot her a speculative look.
"Yes. Macnair is not a… trusting sort… you might say."
Hermione grinned at that. "Well, let's go pretend to be society, then."
As the carriage drove them to the Macnair Manor, Hermione mentally reviewed Severus' instructions. The Dark Lord would make an appearance at the actual meal, which would not occur for at least two hours after they arrived, to leave ample time for "socializing." (The sneer that had accompanied that word had been one of the finest Hermione had ever seen.) Maintain eye contact, but not too boldly. Do not avoid eye contact too suspiciously. Remember your trust in me. And try not to hex Malfoy.
The final caveat was undoubtedly the most difficult.
"Be wary of Lucius, Hermione. He will likely try to put you off-balance before the Dark Lord arrives. Nothing would further his own agenda more than to see me lowered in the Dark Lord's sight."
Hermione nodded. Yes. The final caveat would definitely be the most difficult.
Hermione had been suitably impressed with the massive marble staircase, but the rest of the manor was woefully overdone for her tastes. By the pinched look on Severus' face, he shared her opinion.
"The Macnairs have always been… ostentatious," he whispered in her ear. She fought back a grin as she eyed a dreadful chandelier… heavy crystal, gold, and silver, with undulating silver snakes coiled around each candle. She shook her head.
"They kind of overdid the snake theme, didn't they?" she asked in a low voice. The doorknobs, the banister, the chandelier – they all bore snake carvings. Some were even enchanted to move.
Severus snorted. "You should see Malfoy Manor."
"I'd rather not."
Finally, they reached the room indicated by the House Elf. Hermione turned to Severus to see him staring at her, his black eyes unreadable. "Are you ready?"
Swallowing, she nodded.
Hermione was actually having a pleasant time. While the other guests hadn't been precisely friendly, they had been polite enough and certainly interested in speaking with her. Of course, they all seemed to draw the conversation to Harry and how well she knew him within the first five minutes of small talk, but it was better than she had expected.
She was speaking with a plump woman in purple velvet dress robes when the woman stopped in mid-sentence, glanced over Hermione's shoulder, and made a quick escape. Hermione stared after her, confused.
Suddenly, a smooth voice came from behind her. A voice that she recognized all too well. She heard it in her dreams… her nightmares…
"I never did offer you my condolences on the loss of your parents and friend."
Carefully, she set her jaw and turned to face Lucius Malfoy. She nodded curtly, not trusting herself to talk. He seemed to sense the effort she was exerting to maintain control and he smirked at her, the nasty expression ruining the image of cold elegance that he worked so hard to maintain. Just leave… please leave…
"I was so very saddened to hear of it – such a tragedy…" his voice trailed off and the smirk turned into an ugly smile. "Such a tragic end… such an unnecessary sacrifice."
Such a tragic end… such an unnecessary sacrifice.
Words straight from the letter that had been enclosed with the ring… the ring that had held Ron's blood… she could feel her face drain… then she could feel it grow warm… hot… her blood began to burn… her hand, buried in the pocket of her robe, clenched around her wand…
Can't… not now…The haze began to form at the corners of her vision…
Do it… answer it… he deserves it…The red haze… familiar, now… almost welcome…
Each step seems but a small one. No!She struggled against it, closing her eyes and turning her head. Lucius was saying something else, something that she couldn't quite catch… her ears were filled with the sound of her own heartbeat… she could hear her own blood rushing through her veins…
A hand on her elbow caused her to start. The red haze returned and her eyes snapped open in a fury, her fingers clutching the cool, familiar wood of her wand tightly. When she saw who stood before her, she gave a sigh of relief…
…even as something deep inside her howled in frustration…
Severus hadn't wanted to separate, but in order to keep up appearances they both had to mingle with the others – at least for a short time. If the others witnessed him keeping her on a short leash, so to speak, they would assume his control was weak. Or that her trust in him was weak. Either way, it could not be risked.
He had kept a close eye on her, even as he socialized with some of the other Death Eaters and their guests. Luckily it was a small gathering – exclusive, he supposed it could be called – and so he was able to keep her in his view as he mingled. And, also luckily, he was speaking with Rodolphus when he saw Lucius approach Hermione. Evil though the Rodolphus Lestrange inarguably was, he and Severus had always maintained a sort of respectful camaraderie – an alliance of sorts. A friendship, it could perhaps be considered.
He was well aware that sharing that knowledge with an outsider would appear ludicrous, but it was the simple truth.
As Lucius spoke, Severus' eyebrows drew together. Rodolphus glanced in the direction of Severus' gaze and shook his head slightly. "Be wary of that one, Severus. He wishes to see you fail. He wishes it too much, I think."
Severus' eyes did not leave Lucius as he nodded. "I agree, brother. And I'm afraid I should leave you for the moment, and see…" All of a sudden, his blood mark burned. He could feel the Call rising in her, could feel it through the bond… the loathing, the anger… Without waiting for Rodolphus' reply, he quickly made his way to where she and Lucius stood. Her eyes were closed, head turned to the side, and she practically jumped when he touched her elbow to gain her attention. He didn't miss the rigidity of her arm, and he knew instinctively that she was clutching her wand in a death grip.
"Come, Hermione," he said smoothly, glancing at Lucius. "She was unwell before we left."
"Of course. Perhaps you should take her to one of the private lounges to rest before the Dark Lord makes his appearance," the blond man replied, his voice filled with insincere concern.
Severus nodded coolly and led her from the room and into the hallway. She was still trembling, all of her muscles tense, and he could feel the Call still raging in her… it was sporadic, unable to get and keep her in its thrall, but it would grow stronger the longer her emotions remained in upheaval…
…the longer the Call went unsatisfied.
But what to do? He could not allow her in front of the Dark Lord like this… the Call was filling her, guiding her motions… it would be disastrous. She would never be able to achieve the emotional control necessary for Occlumency with the Call raging in her.
The Call would have to be satisfied before he could allow her back into the room. They had some time, still… an hour or more until the Dark Lord was set to arrive. Making his decision quickly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hastened their pace. "Come." He guided her into a small room – one of the private lounges – and shut the door behind them, casting numerous wards and silencing charms.
Spinning her around to face him, he hissed, "Control it, Hermione! You can afford no mistakes tonight." One more chance, to see if she could force it back on her own.
She nodded but he could see the trembling in her limbs, could feel the roiling anger – spiking at times with the Call's influence. After a moment she shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. "I can't… I don't know how…"
He smirked and pulled her to him roughly, taking possession of her mouth. Her fingers twined into his hair and he winced slightly when her hands fisted, pulling harshly at the roots. He pulled away from the kiss long enough to look at her, to see the darkness clouding her eyes, the need… he could both see it and feel it through the bond…
"Yes… relieve it… satisfy it… if you don't, you will have no relief from its demands…"
"How?"
"Causing pain, fear… the debauching of an innocent… though that might be difficult. I think you may have to stick with causing pain, my dear," he said with a wicked grin. Oh, yes… he was looking forward to this. He could feel his own Call rising in his blood in anticipation.
"I don't want to hurt you," she said, her voice husky, her hands already working at the fastenings to his robes.
"But I want you to hurt me," he growled against her mouth. "Draw my blood, Hermione." She looked at him with clouded eyes and pulled his clothes off quickly, pushing the heavy cloth of his dress robes from his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor in a heap. As he worked on her clothes, she leaned forward and licked the blood bond mark… a jolt of arousal shot through him and he pulled violently at the remaining clothes that were now in his way.
He stopped himself once they were both naked, breathing heavily. He had to allow her aggression to take control… he had to remain passive – as passive as he could, to help relieve the horrible tension the Call had given her. He hoped she would be able to let herself go…
… and his hopes were realized when she pounced at him, practically shrieking with a mixture of lust and anger…
Mouths, tongues, teeth… he was backed against the wall and his wrists held tightly in her hands as she slid down to kneel before him. He was surprised at her strength… and then he could think no more as she took him in her mouth.
She had become more practiced at this from her first time, and he leaned his head back against the wall, not bothering to stifle his moans as her lips and tongue moved over him. Her hands pressed harder against his wrists, driving them into the wall on either side of his hips as she licked him from base to tip. "Hermione…" he choked out even as she pulled her mouth away, nipping at the skin of his stomach and upper thighs. He moaned again when she detached one hand from his wrist and stroked him roughly.
Suddenly he hissed in a mixture of pain and pleasure as her roving mouth bit down on the top of his thigh… she continued the long, steady strokes as she sucked at the blood welling from the wounds… It appeared his concerns about her holding back were unfounded. He could feel, through the bond, her anger lessening and being replaced by something else… she rose to her feet sinuously, deliberately rubbing her body against his as she did, and his erection hardened further at the sensuous movement.
Being the passive partner wasn't a normal thing for Severus, and without thinking he grabbed her and swung her around, pressing her against the wall while he caught her mouth in a demanding kiss. She met his movements ferociously, the roughness she displayed reminding him of their predicament, and he pulled back slightly… loosening his hands on her arms when he did so.
"Hmm. This won't do. It won't do at all," Hermione whispered sultrily, slithering away from him and rummaging in her robes. "Here it is… this should make things a bit… easier." When she turned back to him, she had a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I told you I've been working on gaseous Transfiguration… let's see if I can make something of use to us here tonight."
She glided up to him and began to kiss him, leading him to the colorful rug in the center of the room. Pushing him down against the thick pile, she leaned over and sucked at the bite on his thigh, causing him to lay his head back and groan. With a feral glance at his face, she moved up to straddle him, positioning her center directly over him and then lowering herself to rub along his length… not allowing him to enter. When he tried to use his hands to control her movements, she shook her head. Grabbing his arms, she pushed his unresisting arms up over his head. "Stay," she commanded. He obeyed.
Too late, he noticed the wand in her right hand. With a quick flick and a muttered incantation, he felt something solid surrounding his wrists. He pulled at them experimentally, frowning slightly when they did not budge. It felt like no metal he could identify, and yet the substance was harder than steel… Hermione's hair brushed his face as she leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Just some shackles, my dear husband… I feel the need to be in control right now." She bit his earlobe hard before saying, "It's a little something I discovered… from gas to solid… from air to shackles..."
He was being held down by air?
He was unable to think of it further as her mouth claimed his… and that was the only term for it… a claiming. Her nails raked his skin, causing him to groan into her mouth at the unexpected – yet welcome – pain. She tortured him a while longer, teeth nipping, lips and tongue soothing… and then she rose over him on her knees, one hand reaching between them to position him just before she plunged down, sheathing him inside of her heat.
Afterwards, he gathered her into his arms and breathed in the scent of her hair, waiting for their heart rates to slow.
Eventually, she stirred beside him. "I guess we've got to go back out there."
"Hmm. Yes." Severus glanced at the clock on the wall. "The Dark Lord will likely be appearing shortly." Reluctantly, they stood up and Hermione laughed.
"This is crazy, I'm about to face the Dark Lord and all I can think about is how relaxed I feel."
"Better than being tempted by the Call when you go before him," Severus said darkly. "Remember your lessons, Hermione. No mistakes."
A serious expression took over her face and she nodded. Whipping out her wand, she cast a few cleaning spells and they both dressed quickly. "How do I look?" she asked, reaching up to touch her hair.
"Like you've just finished molesting your husband in a side room during a party," he commented, fingering a curl that had escaped its confines.
"Mmm. That won't do, will it?" Hermione commented, moving over to a small mirror hanging near the door and fixing her hair with a few waves of her wand. "Well? Are we ready now?"
With a curt nod, he took her arm and led her back to the gathering.
Red eyes. Harry had told her… Severus had mentioned it in passing… but it hadn't really sunk in until she saw it for herself.
The Dark Lord had red eyes.
She stamped down the small tremor she felt when his gaze passed over her. He sat at the head of the table, not eating, just sitting. And observing. And his gaze had crossed over her too often for her comfort.
Next to her, Severus' face was set in an emotionless mask. She could only hope she was doing half as well. Though he had told her that she only needed to block when the Dark Lord was looking directly at her, she had maintained the Occlumency blocks through the entire meal. She couldn't risk a potentially damaging image to go flying out when his gaze passed over hers.
After the dinner, she would be formally introduced to him. Gods… she barely held back a jump when she felt a hand on her leg. Severus. With warm, comforting strokes, he relaxed her… lent her strength. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on finishing her meal.
After the dinner, there was another short bout of socializing before the Dark Lord requested her presence. "Come before me, my newest daughter."
Daughter? What is he playing at? I'm a filthy Mudblood!
As if he had heard her thoughts, he hissed, "As the wife of one of my sons, so are you my daughter." Hermione inclined her head respectfully and moved to stand in front of him, concentrating on not trembling as his eyes met hers.
Carefully, Hermione blocked the damaging images. She let her mind wander through the rest of her memories… Severus, smiling gently at her… herself, counseling Harry to relax, to trust Severus, to question Dumbledore's motives… herself, telling Severus that she trusted him… herself, telling Ginny that she was falling in love with him… Harry, telling her he was frightened, that she may be right about not trusting Dumbledore… Lucius' sneering face and the loathing she felt… and then, completely unbidden, came a final image – herself, opening the envelope with Ron's ring in it, retching, fear and pain flooding through her… she couldn't hold his gaze anymore. With a supreme force of will, she cast her eyes down and knelt.
"My Lord."
"Rise." She rose but still kept her eyes downcast. "Look at me, daughter."
Reluctantly, she lifted eyes. His face was full of a cold fury and a wave of fear swept through her. "There is one here who has caused you great grief." The Dark Lord paused before hissing, "Isn't there?"
"Y-yes…" she stammered. Her fright was receding, being replaced by confusion.
"Lucius," the Dark Lord said, turning his gaze to the blond man standing beside Severus. Lucius immediately approached and knelt. "Rise, Lucius." As the blond man stood, pale blue eyes met fierce red eyes and Lucius froze. "You have followed your own counsel long enough, my son. I believe I ordered you to leave Mrs. Snape in peace."
Hermione couldn't help but glance at Severus, a slight furrowing of his brows the only sign of his shock. He frowned at her and she quickly turned her attention back to the tableau playing out in front of her.
"My Lord… I only meant to-"
"You have a good reason for disobeying me, Lucius?" The red eyes glittered. Lucius shook his head. "You have displeased me. We wish to gain our new daughter's trust, not undermine it with foolish displays."
"My Lord… we only wished to return that which belonged to her-"
"Crucio."
Involuntarily, Hermione took a step back, away from the writhing man on the floor. She watched him disdainfully, her lip curling as he screamed his agony. As he continued to twitch with the aftershocks, she felt a small smile grow on her face.
The room was deathly silent. She could feel the confusion among the Inner Circle members… it was almost palpable.
"Perhaps this will be a lesson to all of you gathered here. Follow your own agenda at your own risk. My word is law." The Dark Lord glanced down at the blond man, who still knelt on the floor, gasping. Bending down, the powerful dark wizard lifted Lucius' left sleeve and touched the Mark.
Lucius screamed.
The man who was once Tom Riddle slowly rose. "You are still a member of my Inner Circle, Lucius. Barely. However, do not fail me again."
"Y-yes my Lord." Lucius kept his eyes downcast until the Dark Lord moved away. When he raised his head, he stared directly at Severus.
And Hermione recoiled at the pure hatred in those pale blue eyes.
Note: This chapter has been edited – for the full "lemon" version, see lordandladysnape.net or adultfanfiction.net.
A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! I do hope you enjoyed this chapter – it gave me some troubles – more than any other – so I hope it came out all right. There was a rather obvious (to me, at least!!) clue in this chapter as to one line of the prophecy… I'm curious to see if it really WAS obvious or if it's only obvious to the author who knows what she's looking for ;).
I apologize for once again not having time to address individual reviews. It honestly takes about two hours to do, and I'm exhausted… my "real job" has been busier lately and with that and a toddler, it leaves me much less time for writing. Midnight is about my limit when I have to wake up at 5 AM the next morning… anyhoo - I hope that next week I'll be able to address individual reviews again. I DO read them all – usually the moment they come in – and they really really help me so please do review! Particularly if something doesn't seem clear – I can usually go back and reiterate it in the next chapter if it's something a lot of people are unclear on.
For those that requested it – here is another copy of the Prophecy:
The key to ensure light over shadows prevail
Is in the blood of the friend, bound in red
From dark to light, from despair to hope
From stag to blade, from blade to flesh
Betrayal brings hope, loyalty brings ruin
Blood Rites will conquer the shadow
And the Dark Lord will be dead.