Chapter Five

"Severus, Severus. I expected better from you. Really. You disappoint me. Rather than a wife freely given, you have turned the girl into an angsty, rebellious daughter. This is what you get for not immediately consummating the marriage, you know. They think you have no control over them because you do not establish the 'Alpha Male' role. Surely you understand this, Severus," Lord Voldemort said, sitting in his throne-like chair by the fire.

"Yes, master," Snape answered simply.

"Crucio," Voldemort uttered. "I am disappointed in you. If I must, Severus, I will personally place the Imperius over you and inflict the deflowering of the girl. I wouldn't think it would be that hard. Especially after a life of strict, involutary celibacy. I mean, really. Aren't you eager to get...Oh, what do muggles call it? Laid? Yes, that's it, I think. Oh, and stop starving the poor girl. I can practically hear her stomach rumbling from here. Now, Severus. I have something else to address you with." Snape got shakily to his legs.

"What does my master wish for?" he answered robotically.

"I want youth potions."

"Y-youth...Youth p-potions?" Snape asked wonderingly.

"Yes. You see, Severus, I am an old man. It is not my age that I regret, for it has given me some experiences I would trade for nothing. It is my decrepencies. Do you understand? I cannot move with my old agility. The bouce in my steps has long been replaced with a limp. Not to mention my appearance is...less than endearing. I just want a few years peeled away from my old bones. Can you do it?"

"Of course, my master. Of course. A potion of this sort should take..." Snape paused for a mental calculation,"About a month, give or take a few days. I will bring it to you directly, my lord."

"Alright. You may leave, Severus." Snape turned to the door and put his hand on the knob. " And, Severus... The next time I see the girl, I want her to be pregnant." He nodded and left.

"You see, Wormtail. In order to successfully guide a member of a group of followers, you must force respect for your reward and punishment system," Voldemort commented as Wormtail scuttled from the kitchen area to the fire with a tray of the afternoon tea.

"Of course, master."

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Snape walked into the cool, shadowy depths of his chambers. The heat in his face left it as he sat into the cold leather of the sofa. He conjured a cup of iced water and sipped at it for a moment, then gave a loud, frustrated sigh. Then, from beneath the blankets of his bed, he heard a groan. the top of a head poked out, the blonde hair glowing in the darkness. Then two eyes followed, and the torso of the girl. One hand was rubbing an eye and the other was scratching her stomach. She looked like a five-year-old waking up. She gave another groan, then got up and padded across the cold stone floors into the lavatory. Snape gave a snort. He knew what he would do to fulfill Voldemort's requirement. And it would not include any messy deflowering.

Luna walked out of the bathroom. She looked slightly less groggy, but seemed still fuzzy from sleep.

"Luna?"

"Hmm?" she murmered, turning in his direction, her eyes blinking slowly.

"Facio praegnas," he said, pointing his wand directly at her stomach. The spell hit its designated spot, and Luna looked at him in extreme surprise. She felt her stomach, and after realizing she was whole, looked back up at him.

"What was that? What did you do?" she asked in a panicky voice.

"Nothing that will effect you for a few more months," Snape answered back.

"A few months? What did you do!"

"It doesn't matter. Here," he said, and a plate of food appeared at the tip of his wand. He took it in his hand and held it out to her. She looked at him suspiciously. "Take it, for Merlin's bleeding sake! It is not poisoned, I assure you." she took the plate and carried it to the table to wolf down. Soon the food was replaced by seconds, and eventually thirds. She stopped eating so quickly, but nibbled on the roast and tore apart the bread to eat piece by piece.

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice turning more towards curiousity than fear and panic, since she had been given time to recover from being shot a curse at.

"You will find out, I assure you. The effects will not be negative, if you choose to see them in a positive light. I'm going to bed in half an hour. You had better be ready, because the lights go out with or without you. I'm going to go wash up."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"No. Get ready for bed. I am tired." Luna glanced at him curiously but stopped eating and stood up. Snape walked into the bathroom with a goblet of wine in one hand and a towel in the other.

When he got into the bathroom, he turned on the charmed faucet and sat the goblet down. After using the toilet, he lowered himself into the steaming water, laying his head back and dunking his head under up to his nose. The Cruciatus curse almost always did this to him. He had forgotten to take the potion that dulled the pain. His body ached and throbbed, soothed slightly by the heat of the water. He hadn't expected Voldemort to be so eager for the girl to lose her virginity. Of course, she still hadn't, but at least she was pregnant. If she had the baby as a virgin, though, it might cause her more pain than was neccassary. Of course, he wouldn't normally care, but he realized Voldemort was right. She was becoming something of a rebellious daughter. But a rebellious daughter was better than a crumpled, beaten wife, such as Narcissa was when Lucius was around.

He pulled himself up a bit and sipped on the wine. It served to ease his roiling stomach. He swirled it around, enjoying the thick, rich taste of the sweet wine. Life had certainly improved since Voldemort gave him access to certain royalties for his medical aid. It reminded him of the youth potions. He understood for the most part why Voldemort wanted them. He realized what a pain it must be to look in a mirror and see a face that had been so handsome years ago. Snape understood it, though he never considered himself handsome at any point in his life. He had aged well, being a wizard, but the pain, insomnia, and stress of his life showed on his face, in his eyes. His cheekbones protruded from his narrow face, and added to his large nose, it gave him an angled, sharp look. His eyes were sunken and held bags and fine lines all around them. And just the other day, when he was combing his hair out for the wedding, he had seen a white streak concealed just behind his ear, beneath layers of black.

The youth potions would not be overly difficult. He had made them before for money as a university student. But he still could not understand why Voldemort wanted the potions now. Why didn't he wait until he was truly disabled with age? Youth Potions sometimes had negative effects, but if a person was old enough, the effects would do little to no harm, whereas to Voldemort, the effects might prove incapacitating. Of course, he would do it. There was no question. There was no choice, rather. He began compiling a list of ingredients in his mind. He would have to order a few rarer materials, but not many. It would be altogether quite simple.

He climbed out of the bath and pulled the plug. He dried off quickly and pulled on his pyjamas. When he exitted his room, the lights were off and a lump lay in his bed. He crawled into the bed next to her and pulled the blankets up over himself to sleep.

----

Severus woke with a start. Pain had jerked through him for an instant. The Cruciatus curse inflicted on him had obviously had more negative effects than usual. He felt a weight that was not all together unpleasant on his chest. He looked down, and there was Luna, stretched out by his side, arm wrapped around his chest and head on his shoulder in some subconcious cuddling. He began to dislike the situation. A twitch told him he had best escape her grip before drastic measures had to be carried out. He emptied his mind of everything and allowed it to pick up the subject of youth potions. He squirmed beneath her, trying not to wake her because, he realized, if she did, he would be more horribly embarrassed than he already was. Due to his rather wiry stature, her arm made its way almost entirely around his chest, and her grip was very firm. He managed to get her head off his shoulder when she groaned in some sleep frustration. When he freed his chest of her arm, he was so relieved that he fell off the bed. He snapped up quickly and straightened his robes, making sure no one had seen, though he was quite unsure as to who he might be seen by in his own quarters. He straightened his pyjamas and went to rummage through his potion supplies.

Luna smiled and stretched her legs out, taking advantage of the warm, empty space he had left behind.

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A/N: I added that last bit for humor. It cheered me up from the slump I've put myself in by fasting for three days. Today is day number one. You all can hope that not eating will mean more time spent writing. Next chapter out soon! Review!