Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Fifteen

"Your sins into me, oh my beautiful one
Your sins into me
As a rapturous voice escapes I will tremble a prayer
And I'll beg for forgiveness
Your sins into me."
-AFI, Silver and Cold

"Forgive me, Master, but I have not been able to find Snape anywhere." Lucius kneeled in front of Voldemort apologetically.

"I'm afraid I do not understand you, Lucius." Voldemort said, plainly concealing anger.

Lucius rose, "I meant to say, my Lord, Snape is gone from Hogwarts. He isn't there. Draco confirmed this for me as well."

Voldemort hissed again and paced the Study of the Malfoy Manor. Suddenly he stopped, a cold grin on his face.

"Get it out of the girl."

"Granger, my Lord?"

Voldemort sat down, "Yes. She has to know where he is. Snape wouldn't just disappear. Perhaps it is a cover-up of some kind. Find out what she knows, Lucius."

"What is her connection to Snape?"

The snake-like man rolled his narrow-slit eyes and said irritably, "I'm sure you remember when you encountered them in Diagon Alley, some weeks ago. And I'm also sure you remember our dear Severus always goes for younger ones."

Lucius grinned like a bobcat, and said, "Of course, my Lord."

"Good. Now think of something and bring her to me- as quickly as possible, Lucius."

"Yes, my Lord."

With a quick turn, Lucius swept out of the study and once positive out of Voldemort's earshot, snarled. Stupid dick couldn't do anything for himself.

But still, he left his house without a word to his wife and made for Hogwarts.

"Would you just listen to me?" Snape burst after Hermione in the hallway out side of the Potion classroom.

Hermione scoffed and certainly didn't listen, but kept walking. When she was sure he was out of sight, she grinned and went to her room.

She thought she was handling this very well. If he was getting so annoyed with her, than she would distance herself. Plain and simple.

Turning the page of her book, she sighed.

On the other hand, she was rather lonely. She did nothing but read in her room every day and she had never been more bored with that.

Part of her did want to apologize, but she'd done nothing wrong. Maybe part of her wanted him to apologize. That was it.

She turned pages lazily without even bothering to read them, and sighed heavily.

Maybe she should apologize...

An abrupt and annoyed knock hit her door twice. She didn't even have to ask who it was. Not only because he began talking before she even moved to open the door.

"Listen, I apologize for what I said. I acknowledge it was rude, and there is really no adequate excuse, but... I was just stressed out. This whole twenty years younger deal is... I hate it." He paused, and then continued.

"It's so different. And I know I sound childish and stupid and like I can't handle it, but you don't understand how new it is to me."

Hermione stood, but didn't walk over to the door.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. That's all I can say."

Hermione chewed her lip in contemplation for a few seconds before she dropped her book and rushed to the door.

But her stomach dropped when he wasn't there anymore. She stood there a second before she slowly shut the door and collapsed onto her bed.

Not a minute later, there was another knock that came to her door. Hermione sprang up and opened it.

She was very shocked and very frightened to see Lucius Malfoy standing in front of her with a cold smile plastered onto his face.

Snape sat in his temporary room Dumbledore had assigned to him with his head in his hands.

If he'd kept his mouth shut, he may have been turned back by now. More than likely not, but there was always that chance.

Not to mention he still needed to talk to Dumbledore about the De-Aging potion.

He groaned and sat up. He apologized. What more did she fucking want?

His damn anger. From his father's side, naturally.

Picking up his wand, he used a spell to blow out his candle and didn't bother changing to sleep.