Title – To Consort With The Devil 4/?
Rating – R (Just to be safe)
Disclaimer – I own none of this, it all belongs to Rowling. I just have the honor of using her creations in my story. No sex, slash or profanity.
Summary – Let The Devil Be Your Friend
A/N – July has been a very hectic month for me, hence the lack of promised updates. But with August right around the corner I hope to have real life under control and have lots more time to write. Thank you for your patience! All reviews, corrections, suggestions and questions are welcome! Read and enjoy.
To Consort With The Devil
Chapter 4
Snape returned to consciousness slowly.
The first thing he was aware of was the cold. He felt cold - so cold it seemed he could never get warm again. His blood was like ice as it flowed sluggishly through his veins and he curled into a tight ball, trying to convince himself that the cold was external, not internal, but failing miserably.
Groaning, Snape hesitantly opened his eyes and stared into space for a few minutes as he took stock of his situation. Faint moonlight filtered in from a small, high window, giving him enough light to examine the cell he was locked in. Shifting his sore body Snape found he was lying on a lumpy mattress and clothed in new black robes. He lifted a shaking hand and rubbed his forehead, wondering where he was and what in the seven levels of hell had happened.
With a sharp gasp Snape recalled exactly where he was and what had happened. He cast his mind back over the last four days and abruptly rolled to his side where he emptied the meager contents of his stomach.
'Oh Merlin it wasn't a nightmare' he thought as fragmented memories came together to paint a horrifying picture.
For four days he experienced intense pain, unnatural changes and smothering shadows. He had been drained of his blood and turned into a vampire, suffering endless agony with no hope for death or rescue. His body and soul had been reshaped into an instrument of evil, changed into something despised and feared by the world at large. He vaguely recalled his inherent magic fighting against the changes, but even his magical core was no match for the greater forces playing with his body.
Spitting the bile from his mouth, Snape froze when his tongue touched something new and sharp. He traced the sensitive fangs with his tongue, wincing when the lengthened canines nicked his lower lip and drew blood. His wail echoed off the stone walls as he encountered further proof of his change.
Snape suddenly felt hot and breathless and his hands gripped his hair in madness. He could not accept that he had been turned into a dark creature and his mind rebelled against the very concept. His cries grew louder and tears leaked out of his horrified eyes.
The sound of a door creaking open captured his attention and he turned blurry eyes to the entrance of his cell. A tall shadowy figure was standing there and Snape shrank back from him. The figure knelt by the mattress and gently stopped his shaking hands from pulling out his hair.
"It's all right my dear. Listen to my voice and calm yourself." The figure said in an clearly accented voice. He continued to speak in soft tones until Snape went limp in exhaustion and sobbed piteously.
"Please, kill me now." Snape moaned, clutching desperately at his apparent protector.
"I cannot do that." The figure replied, "I can only show you how to survive and embrace your full potential. Here drink this, it will make you feel much better."
Snape felt a glass pushed at his lips and too weary to resist he opened his mouth and began to drink. A thick, slightly warm liquid ran down his throat and with a sickening lurch of his stomach, Snape realized what it was that he was drinking.
Blood.
He gagged, intending to push the glass away, but his body had different ideas and began to gulp down the liquid at a faster pace.
"See, it's not so bad. This is a secret my clan uses to ease the newly changed into their vampirism. It is a mixture of goats milk and fresh virgin's blood."
A part of him knew he should be repulsed at the mere thought of drinking anyone's blood, but a newer, stronger part of him realized that not only did he need the nourishment the blood provided, he was beginning to enjoy the taste of it. The milk tempered the fresh blood just enough so that his new form would not reject it and could benefit from the power of the blood itself. When the glass was empty Snape finally felt warm and refreshed and moved away from the figure to sit against the wall of his cell, examining himself from a new perspective.
All of his senses were subtly strengthened, allowing him to hear the heartbeats of the guards - mercifully human this time - outside his cell and to smell the stale straw that stuffed the mattress in the corner. He had a heightened awareness of his own body and could feel the craving for fresh blood in every pore of his being. Snape also instinctively knew that he had been turned into a predator, with unnatural speed and endurance. Right now he felt incredibly weak, but when he was at full power he would be a fearsome hunter.
"Amazing isn't it? How your weak, human body has been cast aside for a clearly superior form? I will teach you how to appreciate your new self. I will be your guide as you discover the glories of your vampirism and will answer any questions you may have."
Snape looked up into the gray eyes of the stranger and his brow furrowed in confusion until a name floated up from his memories – Strix. This was the vampire who had destroyed his humanity and made him into something wholly evil. His mouth twisted into a sneer as he replied,
"I don't want your help. Get out."
Before Strix could respond there was a low chuckle from the doorway and both vampires turned to see Lord Voldemort standing with his arms crossed and white lips curved in a smirk. Behind him stood Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, both looking expectantly over at Snape.
"I would listen to Master Strix Severus. He is your only friend here and I would not turn him away."
Strix rose and faced Voldemort with a frown.
"He is not yet ready for your games. Leave him in my care for tonight and tomorrow you may have your fun."
"I must disagree with you Strix. My loyal followers are eager for revenge and I will not deny them that pleasure."
"Tom . . ." Strix began stubbornly.
"Do not call me that!!" Voldemort shrieked, glaring coldly at the vampire. Strix met his glare with an unreadable expression before inclining his head in acquiescence.
"Very well. Lord Voldemort it is then. Don't you think it would be better for your minions to torture him at full strength and actually work to wear him down? If you take him now he will be only half the fun. They will destroy him." Strix pointed out, his voice calm even as he questioned the judgment of the Dark Lord.
Snape forgot his misery and desire to die as he quietly watched the complex interactions between the vampire and the Dark Lord. How did Strix know Voldemort's muggle name was Tom Riddle? Snape only knew it because Dumbledore had trusted him with the whole story several years ago. The name was not common knowledge. It was a mystery Snape was too tired to unravel and decided to ponder at a later time.
Voldemort turned his red gaze on Snape at that moment, appearing to consider the arguments of Strix. The ex-spy tried not to cringe and looked away before Voldemort could see how afraid he really was. Finally the Dark Lord said,
"I will heed your advice Strix just for tonight. But rest assured I will come for Severus in the morning and he better be ready."
"Of course my Lord." Strix answered with a small bow. Voldemort sneered and swept out of the dungeon cell, gesturing for a clearly disappointed Lucius and Bellatrix to follow.
Silence filled the cell until Snape shifted and cleared his throat. Strix looked down at him as he asked,
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Protect me from the Dark Lord."
Strix sat back down on the mattress with a sigh.
"It is my duty to see you through your change and protect you while you are vulnerable. Make no mistake my child, I do not really care what Lord Voldemort does to you once I am gone. And though my time here is short you are my responsibility for tonight and as your mentor I am sworn to help you."
Snape sat quietly for a long time, struggling to understand and control the different emotions warring within him. One part of him wanted to scream and curse at the vampire for putting him in this position, while another felt great gratitude for sparing him from painful torture and humiliation. He wanted to die and he wanted to live. Should he give up now or fight til his last breath? Strix was equally as quiet, lost in old memories.
"What happens now?" Snape asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Normally you would feed and work on building up your strength. A virgin witch would be best for your first meal, but I have a feeling you are going to object to human blood."
Snape raised his voice in objection before the elder vampire could even finish speaking.
"NO!! Absolutely not! I refuse to kill live people like that!"
"How else will you survive Severus? You must kill and feed to live." Strix replied calmly.
"Give me animal blood if you have to. I will not succumb to your depravities."
Strix gave him an icy look, upper lip curled in scorn.
"You forget you are also a vampire now and sooner or later you will succumb to our depravities. Animal blood will only give you a half-life at best. You will need human blood at least once a week."
"Give me animal blood or nothing at all." repeated Snape. He turned away to face the wall and ignored Strix completely. Soft footfalls indicated that the vampire was leaving, but Snape heard him stop at the door.
"There are plenty of rats in these dungeons. Catch them and you will have your animal blood. I will return in the morning."
Then the vampire was gone and Snape was alone. He brought his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, feeling quite lost and uncertain.
As the half moon traveled across the night sky, Severus Snape wept for the first time since his childhood.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Wake up Severus!"
A sharp pain erupted on the side of his head, jerking Snape from his restless slumber. He cried out and opened his eyes to see Lucius Malfoy standing next to the mattress, his gloved hands holding out his snake-headed cane menacingly. Bellatrix Lestrange chuckled darkly from her spot by the door, wand already out and twitching.
"Now Lucius that wasn't a very nice wake up call for our poor traitor." Voldemort admonished as he entered the dungeon cell. "Let's try something else. Crucio!"
Agony raced throughout his body and Snape bit his lip to keep from screaming. As the haze of pain lifted, he realized that the aftereffects of the Cruciatus were not as bad. His vampirism must have tempered the unforgivable curse into something he could easily handle. There was still pain of course, but it seemed muted, less sharp somehow.
When the curse was finally lifted, Snape slumped to the ground and glared up at Voldemort with narrowed eyes.
"Good morning to you too Severus. Did you notice the sunlight yet?" said Voldemort casually. Snape spit out some blood from his bitten lip and looked up at the high window. Sure enough pale morning light shined through the bars and while he stared at it he tried to figure out why Voldemort was so fixated on it. "Bellatrix, would you bring dear Severus upstairs. It's time to have some fun."
Bellatrix smiled and waved her wand. Thick ropes wrapped themselves around Snape's legs and arms, effectively immobilizing him as she dragged him along with another flick of her wand.
"Where is Strix?" Snape asked as they made their way out of the dungeons.
"He is waiting for us, don't worry." replied Voldemort.
They passed through the manor to a small garden that was veiled in darkness. Strix stood by the doors, completely shrouded and hooded in a thick black cloak. He also wore black leather gloves and Snape was disturbed to note that not an inch of the other vampire's skin was exposed. Voldemort went to stand by Strix, leaving Snape with the two Death Eaters, and said,
"I have cast a temporary umbrella spell over this garden to block all sunlight, but rest assured it is mid-morning outside. Today, Severus, we are going to find out just how sensitive vampires are to the sun."
As Lucius and Bellatrix dragged him to the center of the garden, Snape recalled what he knew about the weaknesses of vampires and realized it was not much. What he did know was based on a lot of rumor and myth and not a lot of truth. Some books claimed that sunlight was fatal to vampires, while others said it only caused mild irritation. There were too many secrets and half-truths surrounding vampires and Snape sighed inwardly in frustration. He did not know what was going to happen, but judging by the smiles on Lucius and Bellatrix's faces it was not going to be pleasant. Glancing to Strix revealed nothing, as the vampire merely stood next to Voldemort stoically.
Bellatrix pointed her wand toward the sky and opened a small hole in the umbrella spell, causing a large beam of sunlight to penetrate and hit the grass next to Snape. She then dissolved the ropes binding his arms and Lucius reached down to grab his right hand in a cruel grip.
"They say sunlight causes vampires great pain." Lucius said, "Master Strix has informed me that while the sun is not fatal to your kind, it can leave lasting marks."
Snape realized too late what Lucius was intending to do and struggled to free his hand from the Death Eater's grasp, using his new strength in the effort to break Lucius' hold. Unfortunately Voldemort was prepared and cast a weakening charm, a bit of dark magic that was used to subdue certain dark creatures. Snape went limp, completely unable to fight back. Lucius smirked and tightened his grip on the slender hand, bringing it to the edge of the ring of sunlight.
"Don't, please Lucius. Not like this. Please." Snape begged, more concerned for his hands than his pride. If he ever escaped from this situation and managed to return to his previous life he was still a Potions master and would draw comfort from his precious potions. But what good was a Potions master without use of his hands? The answer was just too horrible for Snape to comprehend and he would do anything to be spared this torture. Lucius sighed happily and replied,
"I've waited a long time to hear you beg Severus. A shame that all the begging in the world won't help you now."
Lucius thrust his hand into the beam of sunlight and for a moment nothing happened. Faint hope stirred within Snape, but it was crushed when pain unlike anything he had ever experienced before radiated up from his hand, throughout his body. It made the cruciatus he suffered earlier seem like a mild itch.
He watched as the skin of his hand began to peel and turn bright red, similar to a very bad sunburn. Snape could not hold back his screams when blisters began to form and sections of his skin peeled away through muscle and nerve right down to the bone. He barely heard Voldemort's order for Lucius to stop and sobbed silently in relief when his hand was finally brought out of the sunlight and released.
"Interesting, very interesting." Bellatrix murmured as she bent closer to examine the burnt hand, "Do you see how the sun burned all the way to the bone? Is this permanent Master Strix?"
Strix glided forward and looked over Snape's hand with a clinical eye.
"Not yet. His natural healing powers will heal this wound in a few days."
"Then we must continue with the rest of his body." Bellatrix stated and pulled his left hand toward the circle of light.
Snape's screams echoed in the garden for a long time after.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Stop your moaning and drink this. It will help ease the tremors." Snape cracked open crusty eyes to glare up at Strix, who was trying to force a glass of a dark red liquid down his throat. He turned his head away, determined not to succumb to the growing desire within him for blood. Strix swore something in a foreign language. "Fine. Be a stubborn fool. I'm trying to help you yet you are determined to thwart me. You only weaken yourself for Voldemort's amusement."
Snape continued to glare at Strix until the elder vampire sighed and put down the glass of blood. Sitting back on his heels, Strix looked solemnly at his young charge.
Black robes were in tatters, revealing the horrendous wounds covering most of Snape's body. Some of the burns went down to the bone and were aggravated by the uncontrollable trembling of arms and legs. The worst injuries though were to Snape's hands. Left in the sunlight far longer than any other part of his body, Strix was not even sure if there was a way to reverse the damage. The sunlight did not penetrate inside the bones themselves, giving Snape a slim chance that his natural vampiric healing powers would heal the wounds with time. But something within Snape's demeanor seemed broken already and Strix noticed how the former spy would not look down at his hands, as if he was unwilling to acknowledge the damage.
"Tonight I leave for my home in the mountains of Transylvania." Strix said, suppressing a frustrated sigh. Getting angry with the new vampire would only make things worse. Luckily patience was a virtue he had honed over the long years. At the very least Strix hoped Snape would have some trust in him by the time he departed later tonight. "It remains up to you if you want my help now, for tomorrow I will not be here to save you from Voldemort."
Snape used the last of his strength to ignore his hurts and depression and focus on the elder vampire. The thought that he would be at Voldemort's mercy, alone, was a frightening one and Snape swallowed his anger and what was left of his dignity to admit to Strix that he did need some form of help.
"Stay with me." Snape said through gritted teeth, "For today. Tell me everything."
Strix smiled, flashing his pointed fangs, and began to show his vampire child how to use his new healing powers.
TBC
In Chapter 5 we return to Hogwarts and find out what our dear Headmaster has been up to.
Huge thanks for all the reviews! Sorry I don't have time for more personalized responses, but time to write has been hard to come by lately and I thought you'd want the chapter now instead of later. :) Keep the reviews coming, I really appreciate them!