J.K. Rowling owns HP. I own OC and the plot. thanks :)

Alone No More

CHAPTER NINE: share

9

After straightening their clothes and donning their cloaks, Severus and Lumora rushed from his quarters and out of the castle. As they jogged far enough away to be able to apparate, he was giving her instructions.

"The Dark Lord will be able to sense our connection. We cannot hide anything of our feelings from him. You will have to be careful as to why you care for me. They cannot include-"

"Anything to do with your work for the Order, or even that you make a mean anti inflammatory potion." She said in a serious tone, then "Oh, I can think of things like your sexy voice, or your eyes, goodness!" She squealed like a little school girl, a silly smile on her face.

Suddenly he stepped in front of her. Eyes blazing, he whispered in a cool, deadly voice, "If you cannot take this seriously I can assure you that you will die. Is that what this is, a death wish?"

Lumora got right in his face staring evenly back at him. "Severus Alexander Snape, I do not wish to die. I welcome it if that is my fate. I will not do anything to compromise your position or mine. This is everything to me. Seeing Voldemort defeated and sent back to Hell is what I live for." Her voice was silky, but very cold. Then she stepped around him, continuing towards their destination, "Besides, I was just reminding myself of things I could use as reasons for being attracted to you. I thought you would like that Mister Detestable Potions Master!" she exclaimed in her silly school girl voice again, using the name he had called himself earlier.

Snape could hardly hold on to the laugh that threatened to ruin his reputation. Of course he wanted to be angry, frustrated and distant. Feeling like this for Lumora led to distraction. His orders did not warrant distraction. As they reached the hill beyond the boundary of Hogwarts, Snape again stepped in front of her. He looked down at her, his hands gripping her upper arms, "I cannot protect you." His eyes held something foreign to her, it was doubt.

"I can protect myself. You are under estimating me again, Severus." She said gently. She then let her hair change from blonde to inky black, her eyes shifting from violet to green. Then she remembered her white blouse and quickly spelled that to her signature black-violet.

"So I am," He thought with a snort as he watched her adept her appearance. "We need to go now." His voice and face again composed, cold and distant.

Somehow Lumora managed to hang onto breakfast as they apparated. She always felt incredibly nauseous afterwards, but this time was different. She knew it was because she had held on to Severus.

They found themselves in a pulsing night club. The had arrived at the far end of the dance floor against the wall. Hot purple neon crawled up the walls, smoke filled the air like an eerie fog. The flashing lights and pulsing music made her skin prickle. She loved places like this. She suddenly realized it was full of vampires and magics. Snape's tight expression got even tighter, so did his grip on her hip. Lumora placed her hand on his, drawing a heart on the back of it. Knowing he wouldn't hear her above the music she thought, "Let go," He seemed to have been holding onto her unconsciously, and loosened his grip. The other couples on the dance floor were beginning to notice them. She could feel Snape's anxiety hit the ceiling as he came to the same revelation.

Choosing to take control, she turned to him, pinning him against the wall. They needed to blend in. She slid her fingers into his hair pulling him down for a searing kiss. His reaction was what she hoped for, he stayed against the wall and let her have her way. He still couldn't believe that she had chosen this willingly. Here they were, in a hot, sweaty night club plastered against the wall, snogging. He rather liked the snogging part, but he could have done without the death eater cloak. After a few moments, the attention of the crowd shifted to focus on a couple caught in a heated tango at the front of the club.

She pulled back slightly to whisper in his ear, "Duty calls." With one last look into his smoldering eyes, she turned away from him, melting into the crowd. Severus kept a safe distance, letting her arrive first at the back room that Voldemort had chosen tonight to dwell in. She went up to the bar directly across from where they had arrived.

She could see Lucius Malfoy standing at a door off to the left of the bar. Above his head, a gilded sign read "Staff Only." She snaked, twirled and shimmied through the dancers, trying to keep her mood light. She wanted Voldemort to see her aura burn brightly in approval of his little scheme. Lucius nodded as she danced past him into the hallway. She could hear Bellatrix cackling three doors down on the left. She tried not to roll her eyes, she never really could stand Bellatrix. The room was password protected. As she neared the door her arm burned more intensely and a word came to her, "Party." She almost lost it. The password to Voldemort's room was party? Snape was going to have a field day with this. Quickly she said the password and went in.

Her dark master stood in the left corner, surveying the room full of his faithful death eaters. "Ah, Lumora dear," Voldemort said with fake tenderness, "always a pleasure." He waved her over to him. Walking away from the door she nodded to the others who had stopped their conversations to stare at her. She could sense Severus had just entered the room, Lucius was with him.

She still had trouble looking the Dark Lord in the eyes. It still unnerved her that he could see directly into her soul, and judge as he wished. She took a deep breath and focused on her allegiance to him. "My Lord, 'tis a pleasure as always." She answered bowing at his feet and kissing his rumpled robe. Voldemort grabbed her hand as she stood and kissed it. His lips to her skin was like ice. The coldness swept through her, and she could tell he was searching her thoughts. He let go, a look of interest on his face. Then Snape stepped forward to bow at the Dark Lord's feet.

"My Lord," Snape said, rising again. Voldemort looked deep into his eyes, he too could feel the Dark Lord searching his thoughts. A cruel smile spread across his lips as he switched his gaze from Snape's face to Lumora's.

"You seem taken with our newest addition Severus. It seems Hogwarts is the place to be these days, hmmm?" He teased, watching every twitch of emotion in Severus' face.

Severus stayed silent.

"I want you to be happy Severus, really I do." Voldemort turned Severus around so the pair watched the room. Lumora was across the room from them, near the door. Lucius Malfoy was chatting with her, she looked very bored. "Exquisite, yes?" He whispered right into Snape's ear. Lumora then turned to look at them, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Snape swallowed, "Yes My Lord."

"Of course, I could take her for myself."

"Yes," Snape agreed.

Voldemort smiled, "But since the two of you work so well together," Voldemort had dove into his mind again, he saw the memory of her pinned against the door, his lips barely brushing hers. Then he switched to the memory of them dueling in front of the class. Finally he came to memory of them in the broom shop. "I can share."

"Thank you, My Lord." Severus murmured. He did not want to share. He tried not to look too angry. He didn't want Voldemort coming up with a reason to forbid their affair.

Voldemort then spoke to his assembled followers, "My faithful servants. I have brought you here tonight because I believe we have been compromised."

Lumora couldn't breathe. She focused her thoughts on her disgust at such a revelation. She blocked her real response. Fear was threatening to take over. Slowly she began telling herself that Voldemort desired her. He admired her abilities. He saw in her promise, potential, not a traitor. Snape had moved to stand next to her. She took a peek inside his mind, his thoughts were similar. He was imagining doing a cruciatus curse on the traitor until he pleaded for Snape to kill him. She pulled back, satisfied that Severus was doing his best to keep up the dangerous charade.

"Tonight we are going to enjoy ourselves. Dance, integrate yourselves into the party. This place is crawling with many powerful magics and vampires. They are willing to aid our cause and rise to power. Find out what you can. Do not worry. I know all of you are loyal even unto death." He scanned the faces in front of him. Little did the vampires and mystical creatures know that they meant nothing to him. They were only a means to and end. He wanted pure blood to reign again, and his Death Eaters would ensure that.

"Sir," Lucius Malfoy spoke, bowing low, "Do we need to report back to you?"

Voldemort smiled, "Lucius, you are a prize." His smile was very unkind, "Only if you find anything." Then his faced changed into a look of determination, "I want you to experience what it is to be powerful among others. This night is about enjoying your status in this dark world." With a heartless smile he then motioned to the door. "Go, and please, please enjoy yourselves."

A unison, "Thank you My Lord," came from the Death Eaters. They were well trained.

Snape began to guide Lumora to the door when Voldemort spoke, "Lumora, dear, a wee moment of your time?"

Dearest Readers,

Oh no! Are Snape's fears going to come to pass? Is he going to be able to protect her from the Dark Lord's desires? well here's to finding out...up next is "face the music."

xoxo

Lumora the White