Hey me lovelies, I know I know it's been far too long but in my defence I have just been through a pretty hefty examining week. Therefore I will be updating another chapter a little later this evening.
Things are really hotting up now so...
Enjoy!
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be
Blinded by tears
"How could you be so thoughtless!" Severus hissed dragging Harry into his quarters by his arm.
Severus had left Harry to finish off his dinner after the fight with Hermione and then practically kidnapped him as he was on his way out to visit Hagrid afterwards, taking a firm grip on his arm and using it to pull him down into the dungeons.
"How could I be so thoughtless?" Harry asked incredulously, "I was trying to shut her up!"
"Well you failed didn't you?" Severus sneered, "Why didn't you silence her as soon as she opened her self righteous trap? A simple charm would have done it, or are you so incompetent that you can't remember a simple spell?"
Harry gaped, "I am not incompetent! Look things just got out of control! I didn't even start the conversation in the first place and-"
"There were better ways to deal with it Potter!" Severus snapped, sick of listening to his mate's excuses. "Now I've obliviated all within hearing range, don't" He said holding up a hand, "ask me how, I don't have the time or patience to explain how I did it, I'm just warning you that I did. Now let me see your face." He said then moving to tilt Harry's chin so his face was in the light.
"It was only a slap." Harry said nervously after a couple of minutes of scrutiny.
Severus remained silent, but Harry noticed that his gaze got darker and darker with each passing second.
"The bitch bruised you," he said at last through clenched teeth. "I have some salve that will help but by gods she better not cross my path anytime soo-"
He broke off with a hiss as his mark enflamed and his arm fell from Harry's chin sharply.
They shared a look of fear and foreboding before Severus whisked into the bedroom to fetch his mask and robes.
Harry wondered whether he should go after him but dismissed the thought as Severus emerged almost immediately.
"The salve is on the top shelf in the bathroom cabinet, apply it liberally and rub it in gingerly, I would prefer that you return to Gryffindor tower tonight for there is no knowing what time I shall return." Harry grimaced, he knew the real reason Severus was sending him back to his bed in the dormitory was because he feared this meeting may end in his being beaten or worse.
"Sev do you think-"
"Yes, I do" His mate said sending him a knowing glance and stepping up to him he kissed him gently on the lips before stroking his unbruised cheek with a sappy smile. That he would never later admit to.
"Please be careful." Harry said with all the emotion he knew, hoping that perhaps in some small way his request would solidify into a reality.
Severus nodded once and with that he turned and strode out of the door, Harry staring tremulously after him.
Severus trod purposefully up the stairs of the old mansion, his nostrils filled with the smell of stale air and rotting furniture.
He was nervous but attempting to calm himself as he walked, he was almost certain that he knew the reason for this visit to his master's place of residence.
Stopping outside the doors of the parlour he took a deep breath and with sturdy resolve to appear as if nothing were amiss pushed opened the ancient double doors and entered his masters current domain.
"Ahh my Severus, prompt as usual, sit down, sit down, would you care for a brandy?"
Severus nodded in affirmation and dropped to recline in a faded red armchair, wincing as the springs jabbed harshly into his rear.
The Dark lord poured two snifters of brandy and handing one to Severus, sat down in the only half way decent seat in the room.
There was a silence and Severus shifted marginally, impatient to get what was coming over and done with.
After a fashion the Dark lord appeared to finish an observation of his brandy and sat back even further, crossing his legs and stretching his arm out along the back of the couch.
"We are about to conclude long and laborious negotiations with a large portion of the vampire community, it appears as though they are willing to join with us and if they do, great things will be set in motion."
Severus was hard pushed to keep the lower half of his jaw from falling open at this.
Choosing his words carefully he said, "This is good news indeed, I had no idea they would consent to such a proposition."
"They stand to gain considerably if they do," The Dark lord said, apparently engrossed in assessing his fingernails.
"I should imagine they would." Severus said, taking a sip of his drink. The atmosphere was making him uncomfortable.
"I was rather hoping that you would lead the negotiations, but unfortunately something came up recently which caused me to reconsider this idea."
"Oh?" Severus said, fixing an expression of polite curiosity onto his face, inside he was quivering with suspense.
"Hmm, something to which I was for a time very puzzled at, now though I think I have worked out the reason for the act that was committed although I am not certain. Would you happen to know what I allude to Severus?"
"No my lord, I am afraid I do not."
The Dark lord took a calculated sip of his own brandy, his eyes never leaving Severus's as he set the glass down at his feet and leaned forward a little.
"Lucius Malfoy was found dead just inside a little forest in Wales, near a local inn called the 'Rusty Dubloon', did you know?"
"No sir, I'm afraid I wasn't aware of that." Severus said, fighting desperately to keep his breathing calm and even.
"You don't seem very surprised by the information, indeed I would expect a little more reaction seeing as he was your dearest friend."
Severus's pursed his lips as the Dark lord rose and walked over to stand once again by his drinks cabinet, his back to the wary vampire.
"I am simply shocked my lord, Lucius was an important and-"
"I think your lying Severus," his master said, running his fingers down the intricately carved glass neck of a decanter near to him. "I think that you already knew of this occurrence because…" here he spun round to stare directly into the vampire's eyes, "I think you killed him."
Severus spluttered on his mouthful of alcoholic beverage. "No, my lord I-"
"I think you killed him and left him somewhere where he would be easily found, more easily found by one of my men than the one of the ministery's and I don't think it was a planned event. Do you deny it?"
"Yes!" Severus said forcefully, "Vehemently!"
"Hmm, I thought you would." Here the Dark lord chuckled, "Admittedly you were very clever, you'd covered your tracks well and even had me fooled for all of a minute. There were no fingerprints or anything of the like on the body, no clothes and evidence as to what had happened. You didn't even try to hide the fact he was dead and hid him in a place know one would have associated with you. But…"
The Dark lord sauntered lazily over to Severus and knelt down before him and taking a slim, pale hand in his own he said softly,
"You left a protection spell on his body Severus, what murderer in his right mind would kill a man and then attempt to protect his body afterwards? Only you my dear little blood demon would have paid him that courtesy. No," He said holding up his hand as Severus went to delve his own in his pocket. "No doubt you used a different wand as well, it would be pointless me checking the last spell's you cast. Now be sensible and own up now, my Severus."
Severus sat stunned, such a simple thing, a tiny mistake. How to fix it?
Quite suddenly he slid to the floor on his knees and caught his master's wrist as he had stood and turned away whilst waiting for the Vampire's reply.
Allowing tears to flow from his eyes freely, Severus hung onto that wrist for dear life.
"Please master. It was spur of the moment, I…I just couldn't stand the thought that he would return to the position of right hand man again. That he…he would replace me."
He crawled forwards a little, his knees already protesting, "I want to be your favourite sire, your most trusted always…what right had he to be after he failed you so drastically?"
With this he lowered his forehead onto his masters hand, making sure some of the tears would flow onto some of his loosely curled fingers, it was his only hope. Normally his master was in no way moved by tears but after all, Severus WAS one of his favourites.
"Oh hush my love." Was spoken softly into his hair as his master kneeled down beside him, "I knew this must be the reason and rejoice in this knowledge." But Severus didn't hear the last bit, his brain was stuck on the 'my love'.
His master wrapped his arms about him and rocked him gently.
"You see I have loved you from afar for a long time Severus, unable to say anything because of the issue of your mate and it has been utter torture for me. Just being near your austere presence and dark soul lures me like a drunk to a bottle and I have often had to stop myself from seducing you.
But then Malfoy redeemed himself by informing me of the existence of two potions, he being the only one to know how I felt for you. One would return my body to its previous form so as to be more appealing to you and the other would…trick your mind, body and soul into thinking it was I who was your true mate."
Severus's heart stopped.
He was sure of it.
"You cannot comprehend how overjoyed I was to find out that you still had yet to find your mate this circumference. If you had I may have left you to it, but now…knowing how you feel."
"H-how I feel?" Severus said in a thin reedy voice, to shocked to take it all in at once.
The Dark lord tilted Severus's chin back and smiled fondly at him, "Do not lie to me Severus, I could see it in your eyes when you were telling me why you killed Lucius, you feel for me as I feel for you and now you will take the potion and stay by my side as you were almost meant to."
Severus squeezed his eyes shut as his master's face inched closer and suddenly he felt icy cold lips touched to his. The kiss was freezing, bitter and horribly unlike Harry's and he almost vomited when a slimy tongue slipped past the barriers of his lips.
'Well at least I'm not in trouble' he thought hysterically.
Harry groaned as a stabbing pain erupted behind his eyes, Voldemort was unusually happy this evening. Harry couldn't help but hope against hope it wasn't because he was merrily torturing his mate.
Trying not to worry himself further Harry thought back to his conversation with Ron not half an hour before.
:Flashback:
"I dunno what came over her mate I mean did you ever see Hermione slap anyone like that before? I mean the events leading up to it are pretty sketchy an'" Here he paused to stuff a handful of cockroach clusters into his mouth, "I can' really member but-"
"No Ron," Harry said tiredly, "I can't think what came over her."
"Well I tell you one thing," His red headed friend said glancing out of the window and up at the stars, absentmindedly fiddling with his coverlet, "She looked almost happy to get a detention with Professor Lupin for a moment there." Here his face took on an insecure expression. "You think she fancies him?"
:End Flashback:
Harry hadn't had the heart to tell his friend that he couldn't give two shits whether she did or not so of course he had said she probably didn't.
But he couldn't help but wonder if Ron were right, it sure would explain a lot and Ron wasn't basing his theory on just that evidence, she did seem to pay even more attention then usual in Lupin's class and her eyes would light up when ever he talked specifically to her for any reason.
Wearily he rubbed his head again as there was another stab of pain, he sure hoped Severus was alright.
Severus watched in trepidation as his master retrieved a vial from a hidden compartment in his bookcase.
"I had it made specially." He said with a grin, kneeling once more beside Severus and uncapping it.
A million thoughts ran through Severus's mind as the vial was raised slowly to his lips, he couldn't let this happen, but what was the alternative? He had to keep Harry safe and that wouldn't happen if the dark lord found out-
"Drink my Severus." Severus's eyes flicked to his masters and in that moment he knew, it was best to drink.
Slowly his lips parted and the bottle was tipped into his waiting mouth.
But before the hated drops of potion could spill onto his tongue the vial was whipped away and two fingers were pressing forcefully into his throat.
"What. Is. This!"
Severus fought to breathe, not that it mattered if he didn't, he was just uncomfortable.
"What sir?"
"There are marks on your neck Severus, marks made by teeth, a bite of love perhaps?"
Severus watched as the scarlet eyes staring into his own widened in recognition and before he knew it his head was crushed against the floor, blood seeping slowly into his right eye, staining his vision red.
"You lied to me!" He hissed. "Who is it? Who is the scum that dare claim to be more your mate? Legimens!"
Severus was caught off guard and before he knew it something was ripping painfully through his memories and a furious scream was heard above his own.
"TRAITOR!"
Severus just had time to blink before his head was being pounded into to stone again.
"YOU DARE TAKE THAT FILTHY HALF BREED CHILD FOR A MATE!"
Severus growled, how dare he insult his mate, how dare he harm him!
With a snarl Severus ripped free of his recent master's hold and pounced sinking his fangs into his neck. His blood tasted vile as it washed across his tongue, like snake venom and dandelion milk, but he persevered until the sound of several pairs of feet pounded on the stairs.
Snarling he ripped away from Voldemort, uncaring as the skin ripped and shredded under his fangs.
Using his vampire speed he turned and sped out of the room, knocking over several Death eaters as he left.
"Sire? Sire can you hear me?"
A raspy voice and much gurgling answered.
"Did…they ag-ree?"
"As you spoke sire."
"Good, br-ing th-the dates forward, we attack…tomorrow."
Author tentatively pleads for reviews (Big puppy eyes)