Lucius led Severus into his study, a spacious room with a painted high ceiling, the walls were lined with books and maps to other worlds. A desk piled high with papers sat facing a window overlooking a glorious garden. Severus walked to the window. The view was spectacular. Flowers and plants of every color of the rainbow inhabited a bed of green, peacocks nestled within. In the middle of it all sat a fountian of serpents intertwining each other spouting water from their mouths.
"My wife." Lucius said with a half smile. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked.
"It really is."
A moments silence passed as Severus gazed at the garden and all of its wonders.
"I know you didn't come here to stare at my wifes garden."
Severus turned around, "I suppose not." He took a deep breath. "I know the Dark Lord is Recruiting. I hear whispers and rumors of his return."
Lucius nodded, "You've heard right my friend, but I've also heard rumors of your role in this."
"What do you speak of?"
"You don't fool me Severus. You have been raising the boy."
Severus chuckled. "You think I'm that foolish? To hide the child, then join the Dark Lord? It's a death sentance."
"You are not a foolish man, Severus. Brave, heroic even. You are intelligent, Loyal and true. Lily is dead. You would have done anything to bring her back, but you can't. The only connection left to her is that boy. Severus, I know you better than you may think." Lucius walked circles around him.
Severus stood firm. This was all part of Lucius plan to break him down. He wasn't going to bend. "Listen to me Lucius. You are right about Lily. I would have done anything to bring her back, but raising the boy would have been a burden I wouldn't dare to live with. The old man sent him to live with muggle relatives."
Lucius looked down. How was he to know if Severus was lying?
"Albus Dumbledore trusts me."
Lucius looked back up. "He trusts you...? But who's to say you're not working for him?"
Severus knew exactly what to say, he balled up is fist and furrowed his brows. "He let Lily die that night. I begged him to protect her! How could I trust the old fool now?!"
"I'll take you to him. I'll let him decide whether or not to trust you." Lucius glared and walked over to the fire place. He threw in a hand full of floo powder, green flames shot up the chimney. Lucius muttered something into the fire and stood aside. "Tell him Lucius sent you."
Severus nodded and stepped into the fire. He felt as if he was being sucked and twisted and pulled through a tube. He hated to travel by the Floo Network. It always made him feel terribly ill.
Seconds later he stood in another room. This one was dimly lit. It was cold and damp. He felt uneasy as stepped from the fire place, in one hand he armed himself.
"Stupify!" The last word he heard uttered before falling into a black coma like state.
Without opening his eyes, Severus laid on the cold hard ground listening. He heard a reptile slither heavily across the stone floor. He kept his breathing slow as waited for any recognition of human presence. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his left side. Abuptly, he curled into a ball.
"Stand you, intruder!"
Severus climbed clumsily to his feet. Two men stood in front of him, wands aimed at his chest. "Wait!" He threw up his arms sheilding himself.
The two men lowered their wands a half inch. "Any last words, mate?" asked the taller of the two.
"Yes, Lucius Malfoy sent me!" he searched the mens faces frantically.
The men paused. "Malfoy you say?"
"That changes things a bit..."
"Come wif' us."
Severus nodded. One man led them through a castle, and the other followed closely behind Severus.
They arrived at the end of a long corridor. The first man went inside, leaving Severus and the other man outside. "Lucius is The Dark Lords right hand. If he sent you , then you must have a great purpose for him."
He stood silently. Gathering his thoughts. He must not show his fear, he must be brave, for Harry. He took a deep breath and stood a little taller, he narrowed his eyes on the door, which opened.
"Come. He will speak to you now." The man let Severus inside, then slipped out, closing the door behind him.
Severus walked towards a giant snake display, a sickly pale man stood in front stroking a yellow and white python whispering something in a another language. The snake understood and hissed something back. The man turned around. His appearance shocked Severus. Like the great snake in the cage, the man had glowing red eyes, slits for nostrils, and his skin was smooth and grey. What shocked him ever so more was the mans voice. "Let me introduce myself, I am Lord Voldemort, and you are?" He was poliet and calm. He expected the man to be a ruthless monster.
"Severus Snape." He said boldly, standing tall and straight.
