Disclaimer: I do not own anything... though I really do wish I owned Sirius Black... enjoy and please do not sue.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you visit other HP sites you might see this fic there. It has the same title and you'll find that it is identical... I am the same Julianna from hpff.net so don't report or anything... I just like spreading my work around. Happy reading!
Prologue
"Lucius, come here!," came the angry voice that sounded like snakes sliding across a stone. The anger that was poured into those words were enough to turn any man into cinders if only the person the voice came from wanted to do it. No, that was another punishment and example for another time and another person more than likely. No, Lord Voldemort treasured his most loyal more than that and was always careful not to hurt him too bad…Even if the punishment was deserved.
There was a slight hesitation before Lucius Malfoy came to kneel at his Lord's feet. He kneeled and kissed the hem of his robes, as was proper and expected from his Lord's followers. "Yes, my lord," he asked, staying bowed down until his master told him to rise.
"Rise, Lucius," he said, looking distinctly bored and angry at the same time.
Lucius rose and stood tall, though uncomfortably nervous while waiting for his lord to say something. If you could have seen past the traditional Death Eater's mask you would have seen the sweat rolling down his pale skin. He was always afraid when he faced Voldemort, though he managed to mask his eyes he couldn't keep it from his face.
"What of the task I assigned you," he asked, voice hard as nails and as hot as fire. "What is your son's news of the Potter boy? Fifth year has ended already."
Lucius cleared his throat slightly before saying anything. "Draco has told me little except that Potter has once again managed to thwart his attempts to get him expelled. Umbridge was the perfect teacher to make it happen. Unfortunately it didn't quite work out. That is all he has told me as of yet."
"Your son disappoints me, Lucius. If he is to be one of my fold then he needs to be more informative and quicker about it. He needs to succeed more, just like his father," he said coldly, all heat in his voice gone. "You are dismissed."
Lucius bowed down once more and said, "Yes, my lord," straightened and then headed for the door.
"Oh, and Lucius," the lord said offhandedly, twirling a wand through his fingers that hadn't been there before.
Lucius stopped dead still, fear exploding in the pit of his stomach as he turned to face his lord again. "Yes, my lord," he asked. He could suddenly hear his own breathing loudly in his ears and the frantic beating of his own heart. It was loud, almost deafening.
"Crucio."
Screaming in pain, Lucius went down to his knees. It was overwhelming and so painful. Just like a thousand knives stabbing into your body, being dumped into boiling water and taken out, only to be thrown in again while the other just laughed mercilessly and repeated the torture with a child-like glee on their face. Just like having your bones broken and healed just to have it repeated again.
Suddenly the curse was lifted and he looked up to meet the sneering, cold face of Lord Voldemort. "Do not disappoint me again, Lucius. I fear that you will not, let's just say, live through my anger next time. Are we clear?"
Lucius struggled to his feet, his white-blond hair that was usually so squeaky clean, hanging limp and dirty. "Yes, my lord," he said, bowing stiffly and hurrying as fast as he could from the room without being so obvious.
"Now," Voldemort purred in a calmer voice, "Severus, what is your news on the Potter boy? You had better hope that it is better than Lucius' news because my temper is on a very thin leash tonight."
Severus Snape stepped forward from the crowd that was slowly inching away from him. His black eyes glared out through his mask and his greasy black hair hung limply around his mask. "Yes, my lord," he said repeating the same kneeling game Lucius had done. "Potter is once again at his home. He'll be there until Dumbledore gives him permission to leave to Merlin knows where. I have-"
"Après Temps," a voice shouted, interrupting Severus and causing him to turn as a purple streak flashed past him. The spell hit Voldemort directly in the chest.
Severus turned, wand ready, only to be faced with nothing more than a fleeting glance of white-blond hair.
Lucius.
He turned back to the place where Voldemort had been sitting earlier at the cries of the other followers in the room. Nothing. Only a vanishing wisp of smoke.
Severus glanced quietly around the room and turned walking slowly to the door. As soon as he walked out of it he apparated with one thing on his mind. To get to Hogwarts and warn the Headmaster and the others.
What in the hell just happened?
NOTE: The above spell is one of my own... And it is in French because the Latin translators that I found online seem not to like me all that much. It translates "After Time"
See ya and Happy Reading...
Jade
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