The dinner table was almost silent to Severus, he wasn't hearing the conversation the Dark Lord was keeping up with Bellatrix and Rodolphus, his two most "loyal servants". He was supplying himself with a lot of wine, and was eating only to keep up appearances, as the Dark Lord would have wanted. When they'd all finished eating, Voldemort kicked Severus under the table and looked to Bellatrix and Rodolphus at the same time.
"I wish to tell you two something," Voldemort started, his foot sliding slowly up Severus's leg. "And it must remain between only the two of you, and Lucius who also knows." Severus's eyes widened. Sure the Dark Lord wouldn't… Without asking him first…
"My Lord…" he interrupted. Voldemort cast him a look, a very nasty look which told Severus to shut up or else. Severus clutched his wine glass and downed at least half of it. Voldemort looked back again.
"As soon as we have the prophecy, myself and Severus are going to become bond mates," he said, as if he was telling someone it was raining. The Lestrange's both looked completely shocked.
Bella surprisingly managed to speak first, considering the look of disappointment on her face. "Con… Congratulations my Lord," she said, with a faked smile. She glanced towards Severus, and smiled at him. "You as well Severus."
Rodolphus raised a glass. "To the Dark Lord and Severus." Everyone copied. After some more tedious conversation for Severus, the Lestrange's left Voldemort and himself to it.
"I cannot believe you just did that," Severus snapped, after the goodbyes were said. "Without asking me before."
Voldemort sat back down sipping his wine for a moment. "You were sat there in your own rude little world, and for a split second I felt the urge to tell the world about you and I." He raised his eyeline to Severus's. "And I do love you."
Severus downed the rest of his wine, and sat down with a thump. He was silent for a while. "I love you too," he replied, and allowed a small smile for a lingering moment. "Merlin, I love you too."
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By the time Severus had a chance to make it to the Headmaster's office, it was almost midnight. He'd had a pile of second year essays to mark backdated from the previous term, all of which were atrocious at best.
"Ah Severus!" The Headmaster called cheerily as he entered. "I was beginning to get concerned for you. Sherbet lemon?"
Severus declined the sweet. "You wished to see me, Albus?" he asked, as if reminding the Headmaster there was a reason for him being there.
Albus nodded. "After what happened to Arthur Weasley, we have a new discovery. Harry needs Occlumency lessons. I dare not be the one to teach him as I cannot have my mind opened to the Dark Lord, and so I must find a worthy candidate." His gaze lingered on Severus.
Severus gasped. "Surely you cannot mean…" He trailed off. "The boy and I cannot get along enough to teach him anyway, in Potions, let alone… This…"
"Then you must try Severus. Both of you must try. If Harry becomes possessed by the Dark Lord then that will be the end for us." There was silence in the room. "I ask you to go to the Order Headquarters tomorrow and tell him." Albus's voice was firm, and Severus knew he had no choice.
"Of course Headmaster." Severus stood up, and turned, and left the room, for a moment needing good advice on what to do. This was going to be helping their side, and the Dark Lord was going to be furious.
x--------------------------------------------------------------------------------x
"What?" the Dark Lord yelled as Severus finished his story. The clock chimed one in the morning. Lord Voldemort had just got into bed when he noticed a small shift in the wards, which meant one of his Inner Circle had just apparated into the building. The tap on his door had told him instantly it was Severus, and that he was needed.
"We are damned either way," Severus managed, pouring himself his third brandy and downing it. "If I don't help, Albus suspects, if I do, then it's closing up his mind and we'll never get the Prophecy." Voldemort sighed impatiently.
"Pour me a drink and come here," he ordered. Severus did as he was told. Voldemort took a huge swallow of the glass and sat it down next to his wand on the table. Severus was kneeling next to him on the bed. "You'll have to," Voldemort said softly. "Unless this can work to our advantage, and you open his mind further."
Severus shook his head. "But what if Dumbledore checks?"
Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "From what I understood, he did not want to risk even looking at Potter in case something happens." Severus sighed, and crawling forwards put himself between the Dark Lord's arms. "If it all goes wrong, we have still done the right thing. And I'll still want you." Severus nodded, but couldn't trust himself to speak.
"Teach him everything Severus, make it clear he has to practice. If you have described Potter to me truthfully then I am sure he will not be doing any practicing. He's stubborn and quite honestly, he hates you."
Severus nodded. "So in effect, these lessons won't help if you keep opening up your connection with him, leading him towards the Prophecy?"
The Dark Lord smiled. "You have understood correctly. Now, are you staying the night or do you have to go?"
Severus shrugged. "Well… It is Friday night, my Lord," he responded, hiding his smile. "No reason to get up tomorrow morning with the brats on holiday."
Lord Voldemort planted a light kiss on Severus's lips. "Correct answer, Professor," he said with a smirk.
x--------------------------------------------------------------------------------x
Severus sat in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, looking wherever Sirius Black was not. How he hated the man sitting in front of him, who had ruined his childhood at school. He was almost glad when Potter announced himself with an "er".
"Sit down, Potter," Severus said, after turning around to look at the boy, forgetting he was not at Hogwarts with him now.
"You know," Sirius started, speaking to the ceiling and not to Snape, for which Severus was grateful for, "I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."
Severus kept his mouth shut on that comment, and watched at Potter sat down next to Sirius. "I'm supposed to see you alone, Potter," Severus said, sneering at them both. "But Black-"
"I'm his godfather!" Sirius snapped loudly.
"I'm here on Dumbledore's orders," Severus snapped in return, gesturing to the letter in front of Sirius. He could feel his reasonably good mood, made from the night with the Dark Lord, plummeting. He should have expected it. "But my all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel… Involved." Severus smirked. How he hated both men sitting in front of him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sirius said, the chair he had been swinging on falling forwards with a loud band. Severus wondered how the Order could put up with the immature idiot sitting in front of him.
"Merely that I am sure you must feel- ah- frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing useful," Severus smiled. "For the Order." Sirius was silenced instantly, and Severus knew he had touched a nerve. "The Headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term."
"Study what?" Potter asked, and Severus wondered why he was so surprised Potter didn't know what it was.
"Occlumency, Potter. The magical defence of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one."
Potter's reaction was instant. "Why do I have to study Occlu-thing?" he asked, which seemed to have come out very quickly.
Severus wanted to yell at Potter, but resisted, for his own sake. He didn't want to upset Albus again. "Because the Headmaster thinks it is a good idea. You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?" Severus knew that was a rhetorical question, and Potter probably wouldn't understand.
"Yes," Potter replied. "Who's going to be teaching me?"
Severus resisted a smile. "I am."
Harry looked as if he was going to be sick, and turned to Sirius for support.
"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" Sirius snapped as if Severus had some sort of incurable disease. "Why you?"
"I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," Severus responded silkily. "I assure you I did not beg for the job." He stood up stiffly, ignoring the throbbing pain he suddenly felt in his lower back. The sex had been very good the previous night, but now he was suffering from it slightly. "I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you need them." He turned, quite happy this had been an almost painless task.
"Wait a moment," he head Sirius say behind him. He turned back.
"I am in rather a hurry Black. Unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time." He had another cauldron of strengthening potion to be making, not that, he was sure, the Dark Lord needed it after his display last night.
"I'll get to the point then," Sirius said, standing up. "If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to."
Severus sneered. "How touching, but surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?"
Sirius looked as if that was meant to be a compliment. "Yes, I have," he said proudly.
"Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Severus said sleekly. Sirius got off the chair, and strode around the table towards Snape, his wand drawn. Severus did the same. "Sirius!" Potter said loudly, but Sirius didn't seem to hear him.
"I've warned you, Snivellus," Sirius said softly, getting up close to Snape. "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better-"
"Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Severus. "Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who's been hiding inside his mother's house for six months?"
Sirius wasn't daunted. "Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted to have his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?"
Severus smirked. "Speaking of dogs," he started. "Did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognised you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform… gave you a cast iron excuse not to leave you hidey-hole in future, didn't it?"
Sirius raised his wand. "NO!" Harry yelled, running between them. "Sirius, don't!"
"Are you calling me a coward?" roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way.
"Why, yes, I suppose I am," Snape said, grinning.
"Harry – get – out – of – it!" snarled Sirius, pushing him aside with his free hand. The kitchen door opened, and in came the Weasley's with Granger.
"Cured!" Arthur Weasley called. "Completely cured!" Then they noticed the scene in front of them. "Merlin's beard! What's going on here?" the smile vanished from his face, and Severus put his wand away. "Six o'clock, Monday evening, Potter," he snapped, as he pushed his way past the Weasley's to get out of the hell hole he was stuck in.
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"What happened?" The Dark Lord asked as Severus came into the meeting room at almost nine o'clock on Monday evening. Severus sat down after bowing to the Dark Lord, looking to see who else was there. Lucius, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Dolohov and several others were seated around the table, watching him.
"Harry Potter is under the impression that your Lordship can read minds." The Dark Lord allowed a small smile to come to his lips for a moment, and then beckoned for Severus to continue. "He thought until corrected that being able to see a small part of your mind was helpful, that it saved Mr Weasley. I told him that your Lordship was not aware of sharing your thoughts and emotions with him, though we know that is not true. He also is quite happy to speak your name aloud…" He cast a small glance in the direction of Lucius, and then back to the Dark Lord.
"I have found out that he was not happy with the muggles he stays with, they possibly abuse him and neglect him." The Dark Lord smiled again. "The sorting hat told him he could do well in Slytherin, he has a fear of Dementors and… He's got a crush on a Ravenclaw." The Dark Lord's smile widened as he looked into Severus's eyes. "He thinks of Cedric Diggory as if it was his own fault he's dead."
"Anything else?" Voldemort asked, pouring Severus a drink and handing it to him. Severus realised the Dark Lord was pleased with him.
"One more thing. He knows that the visions are of the Department of Mysteries."
Voldemort stood up. "You will be rewarded, Severus," he said softly. "Well done. Very well done." The other Death Eaters looked slightly jealous at the reaction, though only three knew why for real.
"Thank you Master," Severus responded, with a private, genuine smile in the direction of the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort sent in return the smallest of winks, and at once, Severus knew precisely what his reward was going to be.