Chapter Eighteen
For a few moments Lucius couldn't pry his eyes away from Bellatrix's high-heeled sandal dangling tantalisingly from the tips of her bare toes. The slow, languid movement kept him mesmerised, capturing his attention. He frowned, jumped from his seat and began pacing the room they were sitting in. "Worried for your dear little Severus?" Bellatrix's mocking voice reached him, "Oh, how cute, how touching! Did you love him? Such a weakness, coming from a Malfoy…"
Furious, Lucius whirled around to glare at her. "Shut your mouth, Bella."
"Or what?" she laughed, letting the sandal fall from her foot. Never leaving his eyes, she sipped at hot cocoa, holding the cup with both hands. "I've never seen you so … nervous… so weak," she whispered with menace, "You're slowly crumpling, Lucius. Why? What's he to you?"
"What's he to me…" he murmured, "He doesn't deserve the Kiss, not Severus."
"Oh, do lecture me, Lucius. What does a traitor deserve?"
"Death, torture… not this. Damn him!" he shouted as he brought his fist down on a table, "I… I don't want him dead or kissed! I want the good old Severus back…"
"Not the traitor Severus…" smiled Bellatrix, "but the vicious little cousin of yours. Well, well, you'll need to forget him. You'll have to choose between our lord and Severus. You can go on moaning and sighing about it, but you still know who you'll choose, so quit your moaning."
"Do you?" came a voice from the doors not belonging to neither Bellatrix, nor Lucius, "For your sake I hope you choose well."
Lucius's eyes lingered on Voldemort's face, taking in the mocking half-smile and narrowed crimson eyes. At his feet his loyal Nagini hissed and he hissed something back at her. The Death Eater felt a shudder rip through his body at the sound of the parseltoungue. Still smiling, Voldemort walked over to him and gently tilted Malfoy's head up with an ice-cold finger, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"Luciusss, my friend," he hissed, "I see doubts in your soul. How… disappointing."
"I do not doubt you or your ideas, my lord…"
"Shh, Lucius," Voldemort said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "Be quiet or you'll say something that…" his finger ran over Malfoy's lips lightly, "… will displease me. Do not question the way of how I've dealt with Snape. Do not show me your weakness. I loathe seeing it. It…" his hand suddenly clutched at the Death Eater's throat, "it disgusts me, Lucius!"
He slammed him into a wall, fingers tightening around his throat. Lucius gasped as a gurgling sound escaped him. He heard Bellatrix laugh loudly and Nagini hiss. Voldemort's lips came to his ear, whispering, "I have a special punishment just for the case you choose badly. And I've got someone to aid you into the right direction. Do you see how kind and forgiving I can be?"
Feeling his heart beating painfully against his chest, Lucius was well aware of his fear immobilising him. Whatever the Dark Lord was up to, it certainly wouldn't be kind and forgiving.
"Arenwald!" called out the Dark Lord and once again Bellatrix laughed while Lucius found himself thrown to the feet of the dark creature.
§§
Like a desperate animal, Lucius struggled wildly to tear the vampire's grip away and pull himself loose. He was bruised from the efforts as he struck him again and again with no success, with hands that were too soft, too weak and only mortal. He screamed and kicked, but nothing he was doing proved to be enough to stop the dark creature. The vampire had him pinned to the hard ground, a sharp dagger shining in his right hand.
"Let go of me, you disgusting creature!" he shouted at him, through his voice trembled. Never had he been getting along well with this… this scum, this filthy monster. Blood-sucking monster, how could have the Dark Lord allowed someone like him into their noble and pureblood ranks? Blood was leaking from the slashes he had inflicted and Lucius whimpered in fear and pain. All this was Severus's fault. Severus, always getting into problems… always and pulling him with himself.
"Stop," he breathed out, willing to plead for his life. Life was more important than some stupid pride.
Laughter came as an answer to his pleas. "How delicious, for someone as arrogant and prejudiced, to become the creature you detest. Will you loathe yourself, Malfoy?"
Arenwald lowered his mouth to a wound, sucking out blood. Hmm, delicious… Lucius froze in horror, finding himself unable to move. "Please," he whispered, "please, don't… Arenwald, I beg you…"
The vampire ripped open Malfoy's robe at his neck, revealing the white skin and smiled when he saw him shut his eyes tight. As if he could shut him out… Oh, to have this arrogant, self-conceited wizard in his power who had never shown him respect or at least good manners!
"No, I'll do anything!" groaned Malfoy.
"Anything?" laughed Arenwald, pushing the dagger against Lucius's neck, enjoying the situation greatly, though something strange was starting to gnaw at him. He dismissed the feeling and concentrated on his victim. "You're such an arrogant, egoistic bastard, Malfoy."
"Oh yes, he is, Lucius is," said Voldemort, leaning against a wall, "Am I right, my slippery friend?"
"Don't let him do this to me, master!" screamed Lucius, resuming his furious struggles.
"If I asked of you to kill Severus, would you do it?" asked the Dark Lord coldly, his eyes glowing.
"Yes, yes! Just don't let him…"
"Would you torture him?"
"Yes! Anything!"
"Rather him than you, am I right?" smiled Voldemort and added softly, "There goes your love for your cousin."
Lucius nodded wordlessly.
"Very well. You may leave, Arenwald."
The vampire stood up, regarding Malfoy contemptuously. Without a glance at Voldemort, he rushed away from the two dark wizards, trying to collect his racing thoughts.
§§
"Where do you think you're going…"
"Guess where."
"You're not allowed to go there!"
"I am! As his father, I can see him whenever I feel like it!"
"You don't have permission…"
"Bugger off, kid. I know the law; I'm not stupid! I spent years in here."
"No, Mr. Snape, you can't…"
The heavy door to his cell opened and a streak of light fell upon the stone floor. Severus remained lying in his cot, with his back to the door. He discovered he could not will himself to turn around or that to speak would require too much effort. Everything around him had blurred into grayness as coldness was creeping under his skin, making him shiver and cough. A strong arm came around him, pulling him close to his father's broad chest, until he could hear the rhythmic pulse of his heartbeat and feel his breath at the back of his neck.
"Severus," whispered Tarquinius into his son's tangled hair, "What have you done? What have they done to you?"
He made him turn around gently, let Severus bury his head into his shoulder while he began caressing his back. Through the thin material of his tunic he could feel bones under his skin. Severus must have lost some weigh and there was also heat rising from his body… was he feverish? Damned Aurors, they never cared much for prisoners' health.
"What are you doing here? I thought that Dawlish wouldn't let anyone see him."
Tarquinius rolled his eyes at the sight of Alastor Moody entering the cell. The expression in his face was telling him clearly that he was not welcomed, but the former Auror didn't seem to notice it. His gaze fell upon Severus's skin, which was sickly pale, even paler than usual.
"Is he alright?"
"Does he seem alright to you, oh mighty Auror?"
It was time for Moody to roll his eyes, irritated by the older Snape's mocking voice. "I mean it, Snape. When I visited him yesterday, he didn't seem to be doing well, but Dawlish assured me that a healer saw to him. However, he doesn't seem to be doing any better."
"A healer – what a noble word for these Azkaban charlatans!"
Moody approached the two Snapes and put his hand on Severus's forehead. His skin was hot to the touch and yet he was shivering in cold. He frowned. Clearly Tarquinius was right about the quality of the Azkaban healers. The younger Snape need a good healer and he needed him now.
"He's burning up," he murmured, "Fine, I'll speak to Dawlish. I'll persuade him to let a St Mungo's healer examine him. After all, I don't think he would want him to die of pneumonia or something like that."
Once again he frowned at Severus who seemed to take no notice of what was happening around him. He was either weakened by Dementors and imprisonment or there was something different going on with him. And the coldness of the cell clearly wasn't conductive to his health.
"Very well, stay here, I'm going to find Dawlish," said Moody and rushed out of the cell, determined to persuade Dawlish with any means available.
Meanwhile Tarquinius tightened his arms around Snape in an attempt to keep him warmer. "Everything will be alright, Severus," he whispered to him, though he himself didn't believe in it.
§§
Author's notes: Well, there's not much Severus in this chapter, but Lucius is going to be important in one later chapter. (hint, hint) As for the ending – happy or not happy – I'm not that sure about it yet. Anyway, it's all so mixed up, these two endings, that I have no idea which one I should use. Stupid Demon Muse! (kicks her Demon Muse)
On a slightly happier note… When I was writing the part of Lucius and Arenwald, I didn't write the "self-conceited wizard" right. So the Word gave me two examples on how to right it and one of them was "self-conceived wizard". LOL Funny little thing, this computer.