Bittersweet
Severus Snape was a harsh, cruel type of man that never let any emotion pass is face that was not scorn, anger, frustration, or loathing. His tongue and sarcasm could cut down the bravest of men. Yet, here was Severus Snape, standing alone in the middle of a once grand hall, the blackest of robes hiding his figure and a white porcelain mask covering his nervous face, as all the other Death Eaters left at their Lord's dismissal.
His heart raced as the large doors closed, echoing through the hall, locking him in with the impious Dark Lord Voldemort. A man with a name even he could not speak, who was watching Severus underneath his shadowy hood. The Dark Lord's red eyes were the only feature that could be seen through the void of such a cloak and those very eyes pierced right into Snape's tarnished soul.
They stayed like that, Master and servant, starring at each other as if they were part of a puzzle they could not understand. It was only when Voldemort stood, did Severus brake off his eye contact and drop to his knee as the Lord approached.
The swaying of the Lord's cloak grew closer and the Professor's body ever so slightly stiffened. A low chuckle greeted the kneeling man and a clear voice said, "Rise Severus." Only when he did, did Voldemort continue, his next words causing his heart to stop. "Kneeling is only for those loyal to me, Severus. You haven't been, in a very long time, my friend."
Lord Voldemort, once upon a time, was Tom to a young Severus Snape. He was a friend; a title his Lord as ceased using a long time ago. That simple word shocked Severus more than him knowing he was a spy for Dumbledore.
Severus took a step back as Voldemort's hand shot out and pulled back Snape's hood. "Take off the mask, my friend." His hands shook, but he could not disobey. Those dark red eyes blinked at him under the cover of darkness and cause Severus to shudder. "Come walk with me, Severus." The tall Dark Lord turned on his heel and glided to a door to the side of his hall. It connected the hall to his private wing in the manor, where is best kept secret lay asleep in his chambers.
He smiled to himself as Severus kept two steps behind him. It amused him further when he stopped to let Snape catch up to his side. "I said walk with me, not behind me."
"I don't understand, my Lord."
"Don't use that title," snapped Voldemort, his eyes glowing. "You are not my servant and have no loyalty to me. I will not have you mock me, Severus."
Bowing his head slightly, Severus said, "I do not mock."
Turning to face the other man, Voldemort pulled his head up. "You used to call Tom."
"I do not wish to repeat the same mistake I made the last time I called you Tom." Severus's eyes flashed painfully at the memory. It was the first time he truly understood he had lost his only friend and mentor. The pain from that day had lasted him a life time.
There was sadness in the Dark Lord's voice when he spoke next. "Severus, I can never truly explain my actions that day or the years after, but I regret what I did. It is one of the only things I truly regret in my life." Pausing, he said, "I'm asking you to call me your friend once again."
"I don't know if I can." Severus did not like where all of this was going. An insane, distant Dark Lord he could handle, but not this calm and collected man before him.
"I'm in need of a friend, now more than ever if I'm going to make this work." It was vague, but Severus knew the Dark Lord was waiting to see what his next move could be before he confided in him.
Slowly, Severus asked, "How long have you known I was no longer loyal… Tom?" It felt good to say it as well as hear is name. The Dark Lord smiled, but it could not be seen. Instead of answering he continued to walk and Severus used his longer legs to catch up to his side.
Still he did not say a word, but lead the Potion's Master to one of his many private rooms. Hesitantly, Severus walked into the room as the Dark Lord held open the door. He stepped in just after and closed the door and locked it with a spell. Snape spun around, hearing the locking spell; his eyes were wild with fear.
"Calm down, my friend or you'll wake her." Tom pointed to the large bed off to the side of the room. The glow from the fire place at the other side gave Severus enough light to see the little girl tucked into the overly large bed.
Her skin glowed like freshly fallen snow; her hair looked like it was created from flame. The red-headed child clutched a small tattered bear and tossed to her side in a peaceful sleep.
Voldemort went to the side of the bed and pulled the kicked covers back over the sleeping child. He brushed her hair with his fingers and let the strands fall on the pillows besides her.
"I found her in the orphanage we raided three months ago," he said softly to Severus. Briefly his face twisted in anger, he could not see it, but Snape heard it in his voice. "She was locked in a broom closet, crying her eyes out. Can you imagine; she was locked in there for two days, she told me. Two days!"
Severus could believe it. He knew someone that was locked in a cupboard under the stairs for eleven years. Hard to believe anyone would remain human after growing up in such an environment. Lord Voldemort was an example of this, a bad one at best, and so was Harry Potter. Both had similar past but became men so differently from one another. Bonded by the night Voldemort gave Harry his scar and, as Severus would find out tonight, much more.
The Dark Lord left the bed side and went up to Severus. "I should have left her but she looked at me and I could see my Lily in her." Severus gasped. Surly he did not mean Lily Potter! "The same bright hair and beautiful green eyes. I killed my daughter once and it broke me, Severus. She knew I was after Harry and she knew what buttons to push. She made me kill her. Believe me when I tell you that whatever humanity I had left died with her. I was not planning on killing my Grandson, you know. I wanted him, wanted to be near him as he grew, but no son of James Potter would ever grow up knowing his evil and dark Grandfather.
"I admit that I enjoyed killing that arrogant fool, but my Lily… she was all the good I had left. After she was gone, I could not let her son live to grow up not knowing his Mother. I could not let the boy be placed in an orphanage. Dumbledore would never rest if I had kept the boy. He would probably send you to take him away from me." The Dark Lord grew silent. Whether he was reliving that night, Severus did not know, but his old friend was suffering and despite all the years that Tom mistreated him, he could not help but to place a comforting hand on his shoulders.
Taking in a deep breath, he said, "Thank you for listening, my friend."
Frustration rapidly built up in Severus. "Why this? Why now?" He yelled and Tom shushed him with a look to the bed. The girl did not wake but merely tossed her head. Lowering his voice, he said, "After all this time, why are you doing this?"
"I've found a missing part of my life, Severus. I let it go once, but not this time." Slowly he added, "I'm… changing."
The words struck Severus as odd. He peered closely at his old friend, but could only see the red eyes. "What do you mean?"
To answer him, Voldemort unclasped his cloak and let it fall to the ground. He was in dark slakes and vest with a white poet shirt. He normally did not dress that way; so muggle, but it was the man in front of him that made Severus struggle for breath. He was not the snake-like man that rose from the cauldron in Potter's fourth year. No, this was something else. His snake-like skin was shedding to reveal the man he once knew. Pale smooth skin, dark hair and a friendly face; he looked so much like Harry. Yet, he was not.
"I want a treaty, Severus; between Harry and I." The Lord rolled up his bellowing sleeves as he sat down on his desk to write a letter; a small piece of dried skin broke off and landed on the floor.
Coming up behind the chair, slowly, Severus said, "They will not give you what you want, Tom."
Turning in the chair to see his friend, he smiled, showing off his still pointed teeth. "I want what they want. Peace, my friend, and a chance to live my life as I see fit. It is what you want, I know."
"The Minister will never—"
"Fuck the Minister," Hissed Tom. "He has no power! Severus, you know, more than most, that I could easily take control. If I use my full power and resources, I could. The public opinion is wavering; this war has gone on long enough. It would be a sigh of relief I would hear if I took over, not screams of pain."
"What is it that you want?" He asked his once Lord.
Chuckling darkly, Tom said, "I want a province of my own; to build a school not afraid to teach the… darker aspects of life. You know that the Dark arts are not meant to be feared; you still remember my teachings."
"Yes, you always said that you can not find your true self until you achieve balance. The perfect balance of the light and the dark." Blinking Severus asked, "Have you ever achieved your balance?"
Looking over to the sleeping girl for just a moment he said, "Yes, I believe I have."
"Your school," Severus crossed his arms over his chest, thinking. "Would you only allow pure bloods?"
"I would be a hypocrite if I did not. Besides I'm not afraid of muggle-borns like Salazar Slytherin. I would teach anyone who wished to learn the entire characteristic of magic." Looking at the girl again, he sighed, "She will never know of the great things wizards can do. She's a muggle." That little confession shocked Severus. If there was ever proof that the Dark Lord was true with his words, this was it. "However, she is still my daughter and perhaps one of her children will be gifted with the talent to use magic."
Turning back to his desk, the Dark Lord started writing. Severus leaned over his shoulder to read; a gesture that made Tom smirk softly. Snape used to do that when he was just a boy under his guidance. It was also a sign that he was becoming comfortable with him again.
Signing the letter, Voldemort folded it and sealed it in wax with the Slytherin crest. Standing from his chair, he handed the letter to Severus, saying, "Give this to him. Make him understand."
"What makes you think the brat will listen to me?" He snapped, taking the letter and pocketing it.
"My dear friend, I know you better than you think." Heading towards the door, he went out and only closed it when Severus walked out into the hall. "He likes you, you know." His red eyes lit with humor as Severus became flustered. "You obviously like him… possibly even love—"
"Do not finish that!" The other barked.
Voldemort laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Deliver that to him, my friend. I will call you back, not for a Death Eater meeting of course, but I've missed our talks over tea."
Softly, he replied, "So have I."
"Go now and take care of him for me." Severus's face pinched at the request, but left with out a word, nonetheless. Tom laughed as he watched Severus's Death Eater robes bellowed out behind him as he turned down the hall. When the door next to him opened with a small squeak he looked down to find his daughter rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Who was that, Daddy?" She asked with a yawn.
"That was your nephew Severus." Picking up the little girl he put her back into bed. "You'll meet him later, as well as your nephew Harry."
He could not believe that man! Coming into the castle at this time at night. He was at a Death Eater meeting all night and that always made him nervous. Now that he was back, however, he was mad. Snape was there for hours and the first thing he does is go into his chambers. Doesn't give a report to the Headmaster; he just retreats into his room as if he was just coming out of class and not some sort of death trap!
Professor Harry Potter, now twenty two, stocked down into the dungeons in search of Snape's office door. The man would be there, he knew. After a Death Eater meeting he would always go to his office and grade papers and tonight was no different. The man was his friend, sort of, they did come to an understanding, and Harry always worried about the people he cared about, especially those who go willingly to Death Eater meetings and stay there for odd hours at a time.
Harry saw light underneath the door and without knocking he opened the door and closed it just as swiftly. "Do you have any idea how worried Albus is?" Harry ranted as he approached the dark Professor who did not look up but kept grading. "You were gone longer than all the times before! He thought something had happened to you! He's been pacing up in his office for who knows how long and—" Harry's rant was cut sort when Severus grabbed is ink well, jumped up from his chair and chucked it at the wall on his left.
Pointing to where the ink crept down the wall like blood, he sneered, "That, Potter, is what your head will look like against my wall if you do not stop your relentless yammering!"
Harry's eyes grew wide as the Professor rounded his desk. He took a step back but Severus followed him all the way to the back wall. He had never been afraid of Snape before, angry, hurt, yes, but he never feared the man… until now.
His dark eyes sparkled with something primal and that fueled Harry's own anger. "What do you think you are doing!"
Severus backed him completely up against the wall with no way to get by. He was trapped and he decided he quiet liked a trapped Potter. He came closer still, into Harry's personal space, just evading it, yet it was not enough for the both of them. To this day Harry wouldn't be able to tell you which one moved first, but the power of Severus's kiss slammed his head against the wall. The small amount of pain was dizzying but he did not wish to break any contact with Severus. Harry would never forgive himself if he did.
Their kiss grew more heated and the rubbing of cloth against cloth made their bodies burst with heat and passion. The second time Harry's head hit the wall; Severus's right hand left Harry's hip and crept its way to the back of his head, where Severus entangled his fingers in his dark unruly hair, keeping it from hitting again. It was the closets declaration of love Harry thought he'd ever get from the reclusive man. Yet as the night wore on, he was, time and time again, proven wrong.
Emotions passed over Severus's face that he doubted anyone had ever seen. There was so much raw emotion that Harry knew he would never be able to decipher. All he cared about was that the man lying next to him, enfolding him in a web of arms and legs, was safe from the Dark Lord's rule.
It was in the early hours of the morning that he now understood what he had to do. Yes, Harry was to save the wizarding world from Voldemort, a feat that he could not achieve yet; he was not strong enough. Severus made Harry except his destiny. He would protect only Severus if it came down to it. At least he knew he was strong enough for that.
Snuggling Severus closer, Harry looked around the room. Clothes were thrown about in their time of passion and it caused him to smirk, until he saw a letter addressed to him.
Slowly, he untangled himself from the other Professor and picked up the letter. The Slytherin seal on the back caused hi heart to pump harder. He checked the letter for any spells or hexes and surprisingly found none.
Breaking the seal, he opened it and read.
Lord Voldemort was a night owl. He would admit to it, but little else. He received visitors from all times of the night, so when Harry Potter showed up in his hall just before sunrise, he was not surprised.
There was no greeting, but a question. "Do you really mean it?"
"No truer words have ever passed these lips," he replied smoothly, watching his Grandson take down the hood of his cloak. Those green eyes of his would continue to hunt him throughout the years; his Lily's eyes. Although, to see them shine with happiness for the first time in years, made a small smile play on his thin lips.
"You will stop the killing, the suffering?" Harry walked in to the hall with more confidence than he had when he stepped in.
"Yes, I will not attack but I will not be defenseless either." He rose from his throne, meeting Harry half way into the once grand hall.
Those beautiful eyes of his closed for the longest time but did reopen. "I will be able to have a family? You will be part of it, wont you, Grandfather?"
"You knew," he did not say it as a question. He did not tell the boy in his letter about being his Mother's Father.
"I've seen Mother's birth certificate. Magical documents do not lie." His face was bright with emotion that Voldemort himself was still learning about. "So, will you be apart of my family?"
In a pleasant way, he flashed Harry his pointed teeth and embraced his Grandson for the first time. "Yes, my boy. Yes, indeed."
Neither noticed the two silent watchers; one for Harry and the other for Tom. Severus and the little girl, Daisie, both smiled at the two lost souls in the once grand hall. Perhaps, with care, it might become grand once again.