Ring of Eternity - 8
Snape felt like his head weighed a ton, as he lifted it up too look about him.
He must have blacked out, he thought shamefully. His body was weak, and losing the strength he desperately needed to get through each day alive. He felt like he had aged ten years, and that he was coming down with something. Surely the loss of blood, lack of food, and lack of sleep were the main causes of this. They had made sure he lived this long by forcing ghastly tasting liquids down his throat.
He wished desperately that he could find a way to escape from here, or just for them to let him die. He knew the Dark Lord would not let him off that easily.
Deep in the back of his mind he still had hope that Dumbledore would find him, but he also knew that in doing so, that might mean him falling into a trap. The Dark Lord was keeping him alive for a reason, far deeper than just to torment him for his betrayal. He knew that he was hoping to take out more of the Order, when they would try and come find their spy.
A wave of nausea washed through him, as he heard distant footsteps approaching.
He cringed thinking that he should pretend to still be unconscious and spare himself a couple more hours agony.
He was surprised to see that the person entering the room was not the Dark Lord, but Lucius Malfoy.
Last he had heard Lucius was in Azkaban... so that must mean that there were more breakouts occurring.
Lucius' long blonde hair seemed to glow in the greenish light of the room, and his sharp blue eyes studied Snape.
"My... my... Severus, what in the world has brought you to such a pathetic state? Living at Hogwarts must have turned your mind to mush." he said.
Snape's eyes momentarily got back their old poison, but before he could respond a horrible cough racked his entire body. Sprits of blood appeared on the marble floor below.
Lucius looked down at them and shook his head, clicking his tongue.
"I doubt that you will last much longer in your condition. You are becoming ill..." he said.
"I'm so glad you noticed." sneered Snape.
Lucius raised an eyebrow and shook a finger at him as if he were a misbehaving child.
"Apparently he isn't doing it right if you still have enough nerve to sass," he said. "You aren't exactly in the best position to be talking back to me"
"Go to hell." he spat.
Lucius' face flushed with anger.
"How dare you speak that way to me! You forget that I am also quite skilled with the art of torture"
he hissed pulling out his wand.
"Calm yourself, Lucius... you will have your chance. For now it is I who deals out the punishments"
said Voldmort entering the room.
Snape felt his heart cringe up with fear, but his expression remained stoic and defiant.
Voldemort chuckled, walking up to Snape and pulling his chin up to force him to look into those horrible snake-like red eyes.
"It appears you have re-awakened the arrogance in our old friend, Lucius."
Snape couldn't bare the feel of the Dark Lord's cold, inhuman touch. His skin crawled and his stomach turned with nausea.
"Are you still too proud to beg me?" he asked.
Snape involuntarily shuddered, knowing what would come next.
Voldemort laughed and tightened his grip.
"Do I frighten you, Severus?" he asked.
Lucius watched the Dark Lord with a small smirk.
"Would you beg me to spare, your beloved, Potter?" he laughed.
Snape's eyes widened at the mention of Potter's name.
"No... I do not have him... but that is only for the time being." he said darkly.
Snape felt a queasy sensation when he realized that he was going to be used as bait for Potter. His Occlumency lessons had been a miserable failure, and he knew that if Voldemort wished it, he would let Harry see what was happening to him. He didn't know if he could bare it if he was to blame for Potter's death, despite his dislike for the boy.
The image of young Harry being picked on by some very large boy, and being chased up a tree by an ugly dog, kept coming back into his head.
