Chapter 24: Revel in Darkness
My thanks to all my readers and reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
Unknown Location, Wizarding World...
The sickeningly sweet scent of death had been on the horizon as the small breeze blew pedaling the thick black and gray clouds of smoke that filled the area. Everywhere shops burned and broken glass glistened in the light of the flickering orange and yellow flames. There were screams. There was always screams. He had known that ever since the first day. The coppery scent of blood filled the air as a lone man was dragged out of his shop. He had a look of terror filed across his face. It was nothing new. Sooner or later they all had that look. The breeze blew again twisting the hard gray robes that lined the lean frame of none other than Severus Snape. He stood gazing behind the white mask that had been the calling card of all his "brothers" in gray. The Potions Master watched as Dolohov pulled a screaming woman from the back of the shop. She had not been anything special to look at. Average at best with a well blended face. Her features left a lot to be desired but he knew that wouldn't matter. It never mattered to the sick and the depraved.
His brothers in gray were sent to cause as much chaos as possible.
He was sent to oversee them.
The Dark Lord's most trusted.
The Dark Lord's token half-blood.
Dolohov grabbed the woman who's yellow sundress had been flapping aimlessly in the wind. The color had stuck Snape as odd. Mostly for two reasons. Given her average appearance and yellow sundress so blatantly imprinted with little red flowers, Snape was reminded of his mother's dress in a similar fashion.
The Potions Master knew all too well what was ahead for her. It happened all the time. Her pretty little yellow dress would be pulled up over her head and her less than stellar body would be put through it paces by depraved and savage death eaters, hell bent on causing destruction. He wished that he could say that it would be over quick but it never was. They would be passed through the entire line of willing and aggressive wizards with no scruples what so ever.
Snape sighed.
He and Lucius had been so far up in the ranks that they had been spared the indignity of this part of the revel. Lucius due to his marriage to Narcissa and Snape due to the dark lord's fancy with him and Bellatrix were given a new means to entertain the depraved wizard. Their use was for a more private show. The sick part had been that neither of them had any control over what happened once it did. The dark lord had been quite unpredictable with his varying degrees of taste.
Coming back to his senses Snape apparated with his fellows and landed in the spot where the dark lord had chosen to host this evening's weekend long Dark Revel. The Potions Master had hoped to get to spend more time with his young wife back in his quarters at Hogwarts. While he dared not think of himself as becoming domestic in a sense, he had admitted to himself that Hermione had served to be quite an asset in terms of human companionship.
It was the closest thing to having a family of his own as he had ever come in his life and he found that he had rather enjoyed the aspect of it.
A scream shook him from his thoughts.
Lucius seemed to have spotted him amid the tents and flickering flames.
Loud noise and dancing had often been apart of these sinister things. The Dark Lord sat pleased with himself on his portable throne looking down among his "children" taking in their happiness as they gave in to their baser selves and sought out the heights of carnal pleasure. Neither Snape nor Lucius needed to debase themselves to experience that. Not anymore.
"Charming party is it not Severus?" asked the handsome albino blond.
"Indeed." replied Snape.
Both of them had been equally repulsed by the sight of the on going chaos. Both had been wishing they could just be home with their respective spouses.
Still they knew better than to say so.
They were honoring the dark lord after all.
The Corridors, Hogwarts...
Hermione had been pleased to have Ginny accompany her back to the dungeons. She had not been too keen on being alone and she had not seen hide nor hair of Severus since potions class ended the Friday afternoon. She had been worried as it was Saturday and no one had any word from him about anything. She had hoped and prayed that he would be alright. The last thing she needed was for something to happen to the father of her unborn child.
"He'll be alright." said Ginny confidant. "It's Professor Snape remember, he's been doing this since before we were born...he's as tough as they come...didn't you tell me once that he's even stared down a werewolf to keep you, Harry and Ron safe?"
Hermione nodded.
"Yes." she said trying to remind herself of the brave Slytherin she married.
Still she had seen him beaten and broken from the wills of both Dumbledore and Voldemort. Ginny had not been so unlucky. With a sigh the bushy haired witch turned her attention to giving Ginny a sort of private tour of her new home with her husband.
The red haired witch had been impressed with the many books stating how it had been "right up Hermione's alley" to live surrounded by numerous books to read until her heart was content. The bushy haired witch giggled at her friends obviously correct assumptions. Thought she sought to counter with a witty comeback of her own.
"Actually, I don't really get around to much reading these days." she said with a grin.
"I'll say, it's no wonder you're pregnant." said Ginny.
Hermione giggled as did Ginny.
They had never spoken about her pregnancy out loud much. Ginny had figured it out early on, given how many children her parents had it was no wonder she knew the signs right away. The red haired with had done her best to keep Hermione and Snape's secret for weeks now.
"How long have you known?" asked the bushy haired witch as they sat down on Snape's green sofa.
"For weeks now." said Ginny smirking. "Professor Snape sure didn't waste any time did he?"
Hermione shook her head.
"It wasn't like that." she said.
Ginny arched an eyebrow at her.
"Severus is a good man." she said. "Some times I can't believe how lucky I was to find him."
"Hermione do you have feelings for your husband?" asked Ginny.
The bushy haired witch turned red from the look her friend gave her.
"As a matter of fact I am." replied Hermione. "I even told him so."
Ginny's mouth dropped in awe.
"Y-You actually told Snape you love him?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I told Severus, that I love him." said Hermione not at all ashamed of her affections for her husband. "Why not, it's true."
"Did he say it back?" asked Ginny.
"No and I am not pressuring him to." said Hermione.
Ginny shook her head.
"You really are a brave witch Mione." she said.
"So everyone tells me." said Hermione. "I just...I hope that Severus understands..."
"He will." said Ginny with a warm smile. "Give him time."
Hermione nodded.
Needing to change the subject Mrs. Snape made her way over to her husbands desk. She broke the ward with wave of her hand and helped herself to his stash of Toffee nut bars. Ginny shook her head unable to shake how funny the scene had been.
Unknown location, Wizarding World...
The stench of death hung thick in the air. The Potions Professor had felt unclean as he made his way passed the rows of terror stricken corpses laid out in every which way. He could feel the bile rise in the back of his throat as he looked down at the woman in the yellow sundress. He had been correct when he figured that it would be pulled up over her head. Now stained with blood it flapped endlessly in the small breeze against her life less form stained with blood.
The image seemed to burn itself into her mind.
He thought of his mother being left in a lifeless heap on the kitchen floor back at Spinner's End. Her lifeless obsidian eyes looking up at him. The faded yellow cotton dress with small pink flowers imprinted into stained with blood. Tobias had killed her after one of his drunken binges. She had been dead for nearly a week before Severus arrived.
The stench of the house was almost too foul to endure. He had lost the contents of his evening feast soon after all over the floor. His young heart shattering but not completely obliterated at the sight of his mother's gruesome demise.
He had not wanted this taint of darkness anywhere near Hermione and the baby. It was all he could think of to apparate straight to Malfoy Manor. Lucius had already gone ahead. No sooner had his dragon hide boots touched the ground, Snape collapsed in a boneless heap. He the image of his dead mother burned into his mind as he reflected on the woman in the yellow dress.
His body grew cold and his mind distant.