A/N* I would like to have your input on this story if you are reading it.
So, please review I would also like to think Devil Dog666 for his help with
this chapter. It is a short chapter but I promise the next one will be
longer.
Severus had been home for several uneventful weeks. He was not allowed to return to work as the apprentice to the potions master his father knew nor was he allowed to work on his own. All his books and ingredients were locked away. His wand with them. He had nothing to do but lay around and watch the flies on the ceiling. Your going to spend your summer like a normal boy," he said in a voice that sounded like a winier version or his mother. He hadnt had a chance to talk with his father since he got back, come to think of it he hadnt really seen his father since he put him on the train to leave for school. It wasnt that big of a deal for his father not to be around he hadnt been before why should he change now. The warm yellows of the light from the sun turned to the cool blue shades of the moon. He could hear the wolves howling in the near by forest. Must be full tonight he thought. He rolled over to watch the moon and stars as they flickered through the waving branches of the tree out side his bed room window.
After several hours of staring he heard voices from down stairs. He could pick out his fathers. The other voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He waited till the other voice faded and then decided that it was now or never. He hopped out of bed and glanced in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. He rushed down the stairs and rounded the corner to his fathers study. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and then casually entered the room as if he hadnt noticed his father was even in the room.
" Hello father. I didnt know you were home. I am not interrupting anything am I?"
" Did you need something boy." His tone was like it always was, very annoyed.
" I was wondering if I could talk to you about school." Severus kept one eye on his father and the other on the door. If it came time he could make it to his room and down the tree before his father could catch up with him.
" What about school? I was told that you had top marks in all your classes. What else could be more important?"
" I was wondering if you heard that Dumbledore is now the headmaster. He is expected to take in a larger number of muggle borns next year. My grades should have been better and I was to have top grades in the school but the teachers all took a liking to this snooty red headed mudblood." His fathers facial expression had changed from annoyed to one Severus knew all too well, so he cut his rant short.
" You let a mudblood out do you. Your mother said that you had the highest grades in the school, I for once thought that I had been wrong about you. That maybe I could start to believe the stories about you being some sort of a genius child. Looks like I was right you arent any better than a little girl mudblood." he was yelling so loud that walls seemed to be shaking. Severus started to make a run for the door but he was to late his father had appearated to the door.
" No running this time boy." he turned and slammed the door with such force that several books on a near by shelf fell to the floor. " You have embarrassed me and this family for the last time." He pointed his wand at a near by table and then flicked it at Severus's head. The table had hit him right in the face, flattening his nose and knocking him out.
Severus came to in a pool of his own blood his head felt like it had been split open with some sort of sharp object. His vision was blurry but he could make out his father standing where he was when Severus had been hit with the table, which was now in pieces around him. He felt himself rise slowly from the ground. He hovered there then he felt as if someone had grabbed him by the back of his robes and yanked him back down. He could feel several of his ribs snap as he hit the floor and then was lifted back up again. His father said nothing as he repeated this processes several times. Severus could hardly breath and was now coughing up blood each time he tried. He wished his father would stop playing and just kill him already. His father let him lay in the puddle of blood for several minuets before lifting him in the air one more time. A loud pop came from somewhere behind Severus and a familiar voice followed, " Put the boy down."
His father spoke for the first time in hours, " He is my son. This matter doesn't concern you."
" Ah, but his welfare does concern me. Now put the boy down." Severus felt himself falling harder this time than any of he had before, but his landing was softer this time.
" I don't like for my followers to disobey me. I thought that you would have learned that by now. Crucio." Severus watched as the shadowy figure of his father fall to the floor and twitch. He screamed for his tormenter to stop but al he did you laugh quietly. Severus watched his father be tormented with a slice since of pleasure till he passed out from all the pain.
Severus woke in a strange dark room lit only by a fire. He started to sit up to get a better look at where he was but half way he gave up his chest felt like someone had jumped up and down on it several hundred times. He lay back down and watched the light on the ceiling dance. I have been doing that way to much this summer thought to himself. He heard a door open and someone enter walking very softly as if they were trying not to wake him.
" Your awake. I didnt wake you did I? How are you feeling?" Lucius said in a sort of hushed voice almost like he was afraid to talk to Severus.
" I am as well as could be expected I guess. You didnt wake me. Where am I?"
" I cant tell you that but he will when he thinks you are ready. I am sorry for up setting you at school I......." he went red and then looked away with out finishing his sentence. " Have you heard I am getting married in a couple of weeks. If you are better by then I was wondering if you would like to be in the wedding, maybe as the best man."
" I didnt even know you liked girls. Well I am assuming it's a girl." Malfoy once again went red. " Yes it's a girl and she is kind of cute to. Her name is Narcissia Black. I met her yesterday." Severus gave him a funny look. " Prearranged marriage. You have one too, But they never would tell me to who. Don't worry about that now. You need to rest. You broke all of your ribs and punctured a lung. Your nose is broke too. I tried to fix it back the way it was but it didnt work. It's a little crooked now but it doesnt look that bad. Here you take this and I will go tell him you are awake."
" Just who is he anyway?" Severus asked after taking the potion as quickly as he could to avoid having to taste it.
" Your father never told you he was a Death Eater."
" Voldemort saved my life." Now he was confused the most evil man know to exist saved him, a nobody, from his father. Why would he do something like that?
Lucius had left the room and returned a few minutes later with the man who he had talked to in his bed room they night of his birthday. This man couldnt be Voldemort he had been so nice to him.
" How do you feel?" he asked as he bade his way passed Lucius to the chair next to the bed.
" Like a giant sat on me. Are you really Voldemort?"
" Yes, I am." He smiled. Well it was actually more like the smirk the twins use to give their mom when the got doing something wrong.
" Thank you. For saving my life I mean. I know you have more important things to do than save me and I don't know why you even did that ....."
" No need to be frightened Severus," he interrupted, " I saved you because you are special. You could help me a great deal with your gifts. Your father never liked the fact that I was only keeping him around because of you. Your father is dead. I don't tolerate disobedience. When you feel better you will go back to your mother."
"What will you do if I decided not to help you? Will you kill me then?"
" No, I do hope you will see things my way of corse but it is your decision after all. If you decide to stay neutral as you are now then I will respect your decision. I would like to make a suggestion. I feel you need to remain at Hogwarts. You will get a better under standing of what we are fighting for if you remain there. The choice however is yours. Your mother will allow you to attend what ever school you wish. I will be visiting you to make sure you are safe. I f thats alright with you."
" Thats fine sir." He couldnt believe it one of the most powerful wizards of all time was treating him like he had always wished his father would. He felt a strong urge to do what ever it took to make him proud. For the first time in his life Severus felt like he had a father. Some one he could count on, that he could trust.
" You need any thing you let Lucius know. I have to take care of some things. Anything he wants Lucius he gets is that understood." Lucius nodded his head in agreement and Voldemort left the room.
" He likes you," Lucius said in an almost jealous tone, " He never is like that with the rest of us. I think he would have let my father kill me if I would have been in your place. You should sleep. I will be over here if you need me."
Severus lay there lost in thought. He was still going over the conversation in his head and continued to do so till he feel asleep.
Severus had been home for several uneventful weeks. He was not allowed to return to work as the apprentice to the potions master his father knew nor was he allowed to work on his own. All his books and ingredients were locked away. His wand with them. He had nothing to do but lay around and watch the flies on the ceiling. Your going to spend your summer like a normal boy," he said in a voice that sounded like a winier version or his mother. He hadnt had a chance to talk with his father since he got back, come to think of it he hadnt really seen his father since he put him on the train to leave for school. It wasnt that big of a deal for his father not to be around he hadnt been before why should he change now. The warm yellows of the light from the sun turned to the cool blue shades of the moon. He could hear the wolves howling in the near by forest. Must be full tonight he thought. He rolled over to watch the moon and stars as they flickered through the waving branches of the tree out side his bed room window.
After several hours of staring he heard voices from down stairs. He could pick out his fathers. The other voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He waited till the other voice faded and then decided that it was now or never. He hopped out of bed and glanced in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. He rushed down the stairs and rounded the corner to his fathers study. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and then casually entered the room as if he hadnt noticed his father was even in the room.
" Hello father. I didnt know you were home. I am not interrupting anything am I?"
" Did you need something boy." His tone was like it always was, very annoyed.
" I was wondering if I could talk to you about school." Severus kept one eye on his father and the other on the door. If it came time he could make it to his room and down the tree before his father could catch up with him.
" What about school? I was told that you had top marks in all your classes. What else could be more important?"
" I was wondering if you heard that Dumbledore is now the headmaster. He is expected to take in a larger number of muggle borns next year. My grades should have been better and I was to have top grades in the school but the teachers all took a liking to this snooty red headed mudblood." His fathers facial expression had changed from annoyed to one Severus knew all too well, so he cut his rant short.
" You let a mudblood out do you. Your mother said that you had the highest grades in the school, I for once thought that I had been wrong about you. That maybe I could start to believe the stories about you being some sort of a genius child. Looks like I was right you arent any better than a little girl mudblood." he was yelling so loud that walls seemed to be shaking. Severus started to make a run for the door but he was to late his father had appearated to the door.
" No running this time boy." he turned and slammed the door with such force that several books on a near by shelf fell to the floor. " You have embarrassed me and this family for the last time." He pointed his wand at a near by table and then flicked it at Severus's head. The table had hit him right in the face, flattening his nose and knocking him out.
Severus came to in a pool of his own blood his head felt like it had been split open with some sort of sharp object. His vision was blurry but he could make out his father standing where he was when Severus had been hit with the table, which was now in pieces around him. He felt himself rise slowly from the ground. He hovered there then he felt as if someone had grabbed him by the back of his robes and yanked him back down. He could feel several of his ribs snap as he hit the floor and then was lifted back up again. His father said nothing as he repeated this processes several times. Severus could hardly breath and was now coughing up blood each time he tried. He wished his father would stop playing and just kill him already. His father let him lay in the puddle of blood for several minuets before lifting him in the air one more time. A loud pop came from somewhere behind Severus and a familiar voice followed, " Put the boy down."
His father spoke for the first time in hours, " He is my son. This matter doesn't concern you."
" Ah, but his welfare does concern me. Now put the boy down." Severus felt himself falling harder this time than any of he had before, but his landing was softer this time.
" I don't like for my followers to disobey me. I thought that you would have learned that by now. Crucio." Severus watched as the shadowy figure of his father fall to the floor and twitch. He screamed for his tormenter to stop but al he did you laugh quietly. Severus watched his father be tormented with a slice since of pleasure till he passed out from all the pain.
Severus woke in a strange dark room lit only by a fire. He started to sit up to get a better look at where he was but half way he gave up his chest felt like someone had jumped up and down on it several hundred times. He lay back down and watched the light on the ceiling dance. I have been doing that way to much this summer thought to himself. He heard a door open and someone enter walking very softly as if they were trying not to wake him.
" Your awake. I didnt wake you did I? How are you feeling?" Lucius said in a sort of hushed voice almost like he was afraid to talk to Severus.
" I am as well as could be expected I guess. You didnt wake me. Where am I?"
" I cant tell you that but he will when he thinks you are ready. I am sorry for up setting you at school I......." he went red and then looked away with out finishing his sentence. " Have you heard I am getting married in a couple of weeks. If you are better by then I was wondering if you would like to be in the wedding, maybe as the best man."
" I didnt even know you liked girls. Well I am assuming it's a girl." Malfoy once again went red. " Yes it's a girl and she is kind of cute to. Her name is Narcissia Black. I met her yesterday." Severus gave him a funny look. " Prearranged marriage. You have one too, But they never would tell me to who. Don't worry about that now. You need to rest. You broke all of your ribs and punctured a lung. Your nose is broke too. I tried to fix it back the way it was but it didnt work. It's a little crooked now but it doesnt look that bad. Here you take this and I will go tell him you are awake."
" Just who is he anyway?" Severus asked after taking the potion as quickly as he could to avoid having to taste it.
" Your father never told you he was a Death Eater."
" Voldemort saved my life." Now he was confused the most evil man know to exist saved him, a nobody, from his father. Why would he do something like that?
Lucius had left the room and returned a few minutes later with the man who he had talked to in his bed room they night of his birthday. This man couldnt be Voldemort he had been so nice to him.
" How do you feel?" he asked as he bade his way passed Lucius to the chair next to the bed.
" Like a giant sat on me. Are you really Voldemort?"
" Yes, I am." He smiled. Well it was actually more like the smirk the twins use to give their mom when the got doing something wrong.
" Thank you. For saving my life I mean. I know you have more important things to do than save me and I don't know why you even did that ....."
" No need to be frightened Severus," he interrupted, " I saved you because you are special. You could help me a great deal with your gifts. Your father never liked the fact that I was only keeping him around because of you. Your father is dead. I don't tolerate disobedience. When you feel better you will go back to your mother."
"What will you do if I decided not to help you? Will you kill me then?"
" No, I do hope you will see things my way of corse but it is your decision after all. If you decide to stay neutral as you are now then I will respect your decision. I would like to make a suggestion. I feel you need to remain at Hogwarts. You will get a better under standing of what we are fighting for if you remain there. The choice however is yours. Your mother will allow you to attend what ever school you wish. I will be visiting you to make sure you are safe. I f thats alright with you."
" Thats fine sir." He couldnt believe it one of the most powerful wizards of all time was treating him like he had always wished his father would. He felt a strong urge to do what ever it took to make him proud. For the first time in his life Severus felt like he had a father. Some one he could count on, that he could trust.
" You need any thing you let Lucius know. I have to take care of some things. Anything he wants Lucius he gets is that understood." Lucius nodded his head in agreement and Voldemort left the room.
" He likes you," Lucius said in an almost jealous tone, " He never is like that with the rest of us. I think he would have let my father kill me if I would have been in your place. You should sleep. I will be over here if you need me."
Severus lay there lost in thought. He was still going over the conversation in his head and continued to do so till he feel asleep.