Chapter 28
"Is that . . ."
"Voldemort, yes," Severus told her.
"Has this happened before?" Hermione asked, a tinge of fear in her tone.
"Every time he personally tortures someone for failure," Severus said gravely, his gaze locked with Hermione's. The haunted look in Severus's eyes immediately chilled Hermione's blood.
He started to slowly move away from her. Hermione darted her hand out to clamp down hard on Severus's wrist.
The look of terror in her eyes struck pain into the very core of his being.
"Hermione, let me go," he said softly, his words barely audible.
She didn't loosen her hold on him and he did not try to pull out of her grasp.
"You know I must go to him,"
"I have this terrible feeling that you're in danger,"
"My dear, within these walls I'm always in danger,"
"You know full well what I mean,"
"I know."
"If you go see Voldemort now, I can't help but worry . . ."
"I'll come back to you, Hermione."
"How can you say that for certain?" she asked shrilly.
"If I was the cause of his anger, there would be men at that door, breaking their way in to drag me downstairs in chains,"
His words did precious little to comfort Hermione. Her eyes fell upon Severus's Dark Mark, which had begun to stand out like burning charcoal on his skin. She knew he had to be in serious pain, though he did absolutely nothing to show it. Even his breathing was perfectly calm.
Blinking back tears, Hermione released Severus.
She watched him, staring at him without even once blinking, as he went out the door.
Hermione stifled a sob with the back of her hand, praying silently to whatever gods might be listening that Severus would return to her safely.
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Severus Apparated to stand in front of the door of Voldmort's meeting room. Through force of will, his mind became focused on the only thing that mattered when he had to meet Voldemort face to face; survival.
All thought of Hermione was locked away. To show any sign of humanity in front of the creature he was about to face was tantamount to signing his own death warrant.
Severus once again became the cold and calculating man that Voldemort had mistakenly grown to trust. He entered the room quickly, passing men and women who were coming to stand in a circle around Voldemort and two people in the middle of the room.
Bellatrix was being held in front of Voldemort by the strong hands of her husband. Her wrists were tied firmly behind her.
"Severus," Voldemort spat, keeping his eyes fixed on Bellatrix. "This bitch has been disloyal to me,"
"Great Lord, I could not be with her long enough to decisively discern that she was in contact with her sister."
"Yes. I know. And I did not expect you to shadow her every hour of the day. Though if you had applied yourself more fully to the task, I could have learned of this that much sooner." Voldemort said in a low tone. "I am sorely displeased," he hissed evenly. "All I asked was for you to find out if she was putting her loyalty to her sister before her loyalty to me. Was that truly too much to ask?"
"No, Lord."
Voldemort let out a disgusted sigh.
"Rest easy, Severus. You are not to blame for Bella's actions. Count this as the one time I let you make a mistake without punishment. I suppose as the man who killed the once great Albus Dumbledore, I can find it within myself to forgive you. Though let this be a warning. If you find yourself in this spot again, Severus, I shall certainly make up for the benevolence I've shown you today in the torture you will receive at my hand."
"Yes, my Lord," Severus said in what passed for a contrite tone.
Severus wondered what had lead Voldemort to discover Bellatrix's communication with Narcissa.
Rudolphous let out a short laugh.
"I found a ticket to Sydney in Bella's purse," he said with dark amusement. "Let it suffice to say that I was able to force the truth out of her after that,"
Bellatrix glared at Severus.
"Hear now why I've been in communication with Narcissa and haven't told you. I had a telephone conversation from her just three days ago and she is confident that the man whom you consider the greatest of us all is really pulling the wool over your eyes. She tells me that she's completely certain that Severus here is truly loyal to those who stood with Dumbledore. She says Draco heard that Severus only killed Dumbledore because the old fool was already dying. She only needed proof to expose him for what he is before she came before you with such a serious accusation. I was to see her and help her obtain that proof my lord. And she made a point to tell me that she has Slytherin's ring in her possession. Draco was able to take it before he left Hogwarts." Bellatrix said in a clear and utterly calm tone. She held her head high and looked to Voldemort for a response.
Severus watched Voldemort tense visibly.
"You speak very frankly for someone who is in a position to lie. It's an interesting statement you make that Dumbledore was already on death's door when Severus killed him. The gods know the man was old enough. Perhaps he was really dying of old age and Severus somehow modified the spell so that hatred wouldn't be taken into account in its casting. He always was highly adept at creating and changing spells. But though that may be true, why should I believe you, Bella? You, whose life I hold now in my hands, could very well be making such an accusation in an attempt to save your own skin. Do you have any proof that your sister's suspicion in founded in fact?"
By sheer dint of will, Severus remained lucidly calm.
"I have no proof right now, my lord. If you but give me a chance"–
Bellatrix's words were cut short by a vicious backhand from Voldemort.
"Silence. I've heard enough from you."
Voldemort turned to face Severus.
"She has good reason to lie. But if she is telling the truth, to give her Veritaserum that you made would be quite counterproductive, wouldn't it? And I haven't any from another source. I could very well use Legilimency to see what's inside her mind, but even that in certain circumstances can be inaccurate. So I ask myself, what do I do?"
Voldemort's gaze was a gleaming leer as he looked Severus in the eyes.
Severus held his gaze without flinching.
"I shall have to test your loyalty to me. But how, Severus? What could I do to learn where your true loyalties lie?"
"Name any task, my lord and I shall see it done," Severus told him seriously. "I tell you truly and quite openly that Bellatrix has no reason to doubt me. She always did doubt me before, and I murdered Albus Dumbledore with the killing curse. You know that for the curse to work the one who casts it must feel true hatred for the victim. She finally relented after that and only now resorts to proclaiming her old accusations against me in an effort to gain favor when she's lost what what little esteem you had for her."
"You sound so perfectly confident, Severus. But is that because you are honestly devoted to me or because you are unusually adept at lying?"
"What must I do to assuage the doubt Bellatrix has planted in these past few moments?" Severus asked.
Voldemort was silent for a moment.
"I would have you give up your prize upstairs and watch as I had a bit of fun with her, but what would I gain by doing that? Even if you proved able to view the show, I'd have nothing to show for your loyalty. Without giving you a task that involves something else entirely, I would have nothing new to gloat over."
"What do you wish to have, my lord?"
Voldemort smiled evilly.
"How about Dumbledore's pet werewolf?"
"Done, my lord," Severus said smoothly.
"You have two days to get him to come to me, Severus."
"My lord, the werewolf will be turned to serve you well within that time frame,"
"Good. I'll look forward welcoming him into my legions. I daresay Fenrir will be most happy to have him under his command."
"You shall gain quite an advantage over The Order of the Phoenix with such a crushing blow. After bursting such a hole in their morale, I'm sure they will be able to do next to nothing to stand against you in these next few weeks before your strength returns in full," Severus told him.
"I can nearly smell their defeat already," Voldemort said with sinister twist of his lips.
Voldemort turned back to Bellatrix.
"Now. What shall I do with you?"
"My lord, please! I could be right about Severus!"
Voldemort snorted, highly unamused.
"And you could be wrong."
"Ruldolphous, what do you propose I do with your wife?"
"Well you can certainly kill her if you like. Though I don't think she's lost all of her usefulness. After all, she believed that her secret communication with Narcissa was in your own best interest."
Voldemort was eerily silent as he contemplated Bellatrix's fate, his hand absently stroking his chin as he thought.
"No, I will not kill her. I'm going to make it very clear that she is not to keep secrets from me. Ever. Again."
Bellatrix's screams echoed throughout the high ceilinged room an instant after Voldemort aimed his wand at her chest.
Severus looked on with expertly feigned tranquility, his mind still completely closed to any outside thoughts about the future.
Over a quarter of an hour later, Bellatrix's screams died away and Voldemort moved to address the crowd of robed figures standing around him.
"As I now know why Narcissa and her brat have been avoiding me, you may all cease your spells to find her. She no longer concerns me. I care not if she rots in Azkaban. In the grand scheme of things to come, Narcissa Black-Malfoy matters not at all. I merely needed to ascertain if she was somehow moving to strike against me, attempting to destroy my recently replenished supply of Horcruxes. Now that I know what she has been up to, and the reasons for it, I am satisfied to let her come to whatever fate the gods may have in store for her. I do not need Slytherin's ring to defeat the Order of the Phoenix and the teenage brat they stand with. As for the werewolf, it is Severus's job to find him and cast the spells necessary to bring him to my side. All of you are dismissed."
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Severus entered his rooms to find Hermione curled up in the fetal position on the couch. She immediately moved into a sitting position as he approached her. Before he could even cross the room, Hermione jumped up and went to him.
"I was so afraid that he'd somehow found out the truth and that he was torturing you," she told him in a strangled voice. She embraced him, leaning her head against his chest. He held her against him and suddenly she pulled back a little in his arms.
"Severus, you're shaking . . . did Voldemort . . .?"
"Cast the Cruciatus Curse on me? No."
Hermione breathed a nearly silent sigh of relief. She then looked up at him.
"Tell me what's the matter? Was it something you saw?"
"No. It was something I heard, Hermione."
"Please, tell me."
"Voldemort found out about Bellatrix's plans to see her sister. And thinking that Voldemort would kill her for keeping it a secret, she told him that Narcissa was almost certain that I served the Order of the Phoenix. She said that I killed Dumbledore because he was dying."
"No," Hermione breathed, staring up at Severus. "How could they have suspected that?"
"My guess is that Draco Malfoy somehow overheard a conversation between Albus and me, despite our best efforts to ward against eavesdropping. The thing about dark magic is that it can counter nearly every defensive or protective spell if done properly."
"Of course after that, Voldemort was convinced he needed to give me a task that will prove my loyalty once and for all."
"But you can't possibly commit some act of evil for him. What did he tell you to do, and how are you going to get around it?"
Severus did not readily reply.
His expression made Hermione's heart skip a beat.
Her hands went to his chest and she gripped his shirt in her fists.
"Gods, Severus say something. You're beginning to scare me."
"I have to make him think I am what I say I am," he said faintly. "I have to convince Remus to pretend to yield to Fenrir's manipulation. I have until Monday to get Remus to come here. If I fail my one opportunity to kill Voldemort before he forces Harry into the final battle will be gone."
"And Voldemort will kill you for treason," Hermione said softly. "And if you're killed, I'll become Voldemort's favourite plaything long before he ever considers ending my life."
Severus didn't respond, but then, both of them knew he didn't have to.
For a Gryffindor, Hermione was as brutally astute as any Slytherin.
"I can't continue to walk on this knife-edge much longer," he told her.
Especially not with you in so much danger, he thought privately.
"If we're going to end this together, I would ask for you help in planning what will happen in the coming weeks before I kill Fawkes. I need to find a drawing spell that works on highly magical creatures."
"And you and I need to decide how we'll be protecting your humanity. There's one book I haven't looked in yet. I relegated it to last, thinking that it was least likely to have something appropriate for this situation. I have a feeling, that it holds the answer we need."
"Are you up to researching now?" Severus asked quietly.
"You know I am," Hermione told him with conviction.
Before she went to collect her book and papers she gently pulled his head down to meet her lips in a feather soft, heartfelt kiss.
And in that kiss, she knew she would do anything to protect this man.
A/N: Nine more chapters and an epilogue to go.