CHAPTER SIX: THE DARK LORD
The next afternoon, Snape was alone in front of the large handsome desk, writing and leafing through several books for his own studies to further his understanding of the magical arts.
There was a burst of green flames in the fireplace on Snape's right, and behind him Dumbledore in his portrait sprung up out his chair inside the portrait to leave. Within two seconds, Dumbledore had disappeared from his Hogwart's frame.
Snape finished doing some inscriptions of ingredients with his feathered quill and then rose, inwardly bracing himself. Not a second later, Lord Voldemort had entered. His powerful gaze went around the circular room and then he spotted Severus Snape.
Voldemort spoke with an edge of accusation, "Severus. I arrived earlier, expecting you."
"My lord, I was out for lunch in the Great Hall. Forgive me keeping you waiting," said Snape blandly. Snape would not have done this if Snape had known the date and time Voldemort would come.
And Voldemort came closer, looking Snape straight in the eyes, until he surmised, "The Sword of Gryffindor is still safe. Am I correct at thinking this?"
"Of course, My lord," said Snape, firmly.
And Snape, looked apprehensively towards the blank canvass as soon as Voldemort's red eyes unlocked from his black ones. Luckily, Voldemort had never suspected that the blank canvass was being filled by Dumbledore. If he had, it would have meant a great deal of trouble for Snape, trying to talk himself out of it.
"We remain as our primary meeting place, at Malfoy Manor. But I wanted to meet up with you in secrecy, so naturally I could be confirmed of the sword's protection, as that responsibility is in your hands, Severus. As well as to hear that things have been quieter over the preceding holiday at Hogwarts."
As soon as Voldemort finished, Snape spoke at once, "They have been so, My lord. The Carrows are very effective at discipline and they keep the resisting students out of recruiting the mainstream."
"Good….Once those youthful activists realize that I have won, that I have established arbitrary absolute power over them perhaps they will reconsider joining my - our cause instead."
Snape nodded, looking pensieve. He was highly doubtful that Neville Longbottom and Ginerva Weasley would want to join Voldemort, ever.
A moment of lulling silence past between them. But then there was a few knocks on the door.
Snape's face drained of it's colour at once, until Voldemort gave him a commanding glance, telling him to allow the visitor. Snape sighed and dryly spoke, "Enter."
Valerie Powers swung the door open, and then stopped, looking totally galvinized her face falling, and morphing into fear.
"Come here," said Snape irritably and Valerie obeyed woodenly, all the while staring at Voldemort with nothing shy of amazement.
Valerie stopped before the two men, standing in front of the large desk. She suddenly realized to acknowledge Voldemort first and she bowed deeply. "The Dark Lord! Whan an honor for me to be in your presence."
She then waited for someone to speak. Nobody did, so Valerie pressed on looking at Snape now, trying to think what to say to him next. She decided to be honest, "I only came to see you again, professor."
And Voldemort's eyes bored into Snape's again, as he asked with mild curiosity, "And who is this?…." And Voldemort looked back at Valerie again and said with a strange humor, "Is it a little mistress your keeping Severus?"
Snape nodded gravely, pressing his lips together looking at Voldemort, and then Snape's eyes drifted over to Valerie again.
Voldemort looked at Valerie as well, but appraisingly as if to see what there was about her that would make her Snape's mistress, and Voldemort seemed to be sizing Valerie up.
Valerie shot another glance at the Dark Lord's snake-like face, and then looked away again, and back at her headmaster expectantly. She wondered if she should just go now. It was better than staying and being gawked at. At that thought she crossed her arms over her chest.
Voldemort seemed to have been a good judge of Valerie's character. He suddenly asked confidently, as if he already knew, "Is she one of the students getting multiple detentions. One of those who refuse to reform to the new order being established?"
Snape's face was unreadable as he answered in a monotone, a factual tone, "She is a discipline problem, My lord." And once the words went past his lips, Snape regretted saying it.
Voldemort looked at Valerie and demanded of her sharply, '"How frequent are your sessions being Crucioed in the dungeons, where I heard the recalcitrant ones are rightly whipped and chained up?" And then his voice sibiliantly asked, "Valerie, are you subjected to these punishments on a regular basis?"
Valerie lurched at his usage of her name, apparently Voldemort had saw her name in her mind, not Snape's certainly, because of his Occlumency.
Valerie raised her chin up to address the Dark Lord, "Many times er, My Lord. But not because I am resisting the way things are run here at Hogwarts. I do not resist any of it. What I am getting these detentions for, is my lack of respect for Professor Carrow, the Dark Arts bloke. Amycus is an idiot, My lord and does not understand the Dark Arts. I refuse to do the work like he says!"
Voldemort's face morped into a smile. "What a brave little thing you are Valerie. Standing up to him. But, unfortunately I shall not tolerate your judgment of his teaching methods. Apparently, the detentions aren't working. I say we tame her, Severus."
And Voldemort regarded Valerie like a creature, leering at her like she was his newest prey.
Valerie gaped at Voldemort in fascinated wonder, her mind working furiously at what the Dark Lord wanted from her, or rather to inflict on her.
Snape looked like he wanted to object, but Voldemort wasn't looking at him. He was already had his lipless mouth smoothed together in something like an indulgent smile. He remarked, "She is going to serve me a bit today. Aren't you Valerie?"
"Yes – My lord. Yes," said Valerie nervously, but she was ready to try and eager. She wondered what she would be asked to do, or at least what he would actually do to her.
"To quell her rebellious attitude, I might ask if I can observe how you as headmaster would discipline a student such as this, Severus?," and Voldemort sounded hypothetical.
"…. My Lord. Would the birch rod be appropriate to you?," asked Snape, and there was a trace of a plea in his voice.
Voldemort nodded dully, but did not look totally satisfied. Snape took his wand out to accio over the birch rod, which would at least be a little less painful for Valerie than the cane. Meanwhile, Voldemort looked at Valerie and said rigidly, "Well, silly girl? Bend over the desk!"
Valerie actually gave a faint smile to Voldemort, which surprised him, and he looked at her interested again, for he was surprised at the girl's obvious courage and defiance. He thought she might just make a good Death Eater one day.
Snape looked pained, holding the lethal looking rod with dozens of bristles. His expression remained agonized in the sallow complexion, looking serious though as he stepped over to Valerie. And Voldemort moved hovering over Snape's shoulder, from behind him on Snape's left, wearing his hood.
Snape looked at Valerie's curvy hips wrapped around the pleated gray skirt. She had not brought her Gryffindor robes, but at least she was wearing part of the prescribed uniform. Heaven forbid, if it had been mugle attire, thought Snape. Knowing Voldemort might get impatient, he raised her skirt up roughly and then saw that she was wearing a white thong.
He decided not to pull it down. But raised the birch rod and with hard and deliberate force laid a smack on her already marked up pink lobes. He did it again and again, and Valerie remained rooted resiliently to the spot, only grimacing in the enormous pain she was feeling, as it surged through her like fire was being breathed onto her skin.
At the fourth resounding smack, Voldemort interrupted, "You must Crucio your student, Severus. And also let us not forget, she is your mistress. Punish her with the Cruciatus."
Snape paused and slowly raised his wand, his face becoming livid with anger, veins popping on his forehead, "CRUCIO!"
And now Valerie finally screamed, shrills of terrible agony, her hands clinging to the desk like a piece of wreckage from a storm, and her legs in the air, kicking and screaming. Snape was merely putting on an act, as he always had to do with Voldemort.
Once he relinquished the curse Voldemort looked pleased. Snape bent over Valerie and grabbed a fistful of her blouse hard. He did not mean to sound harsh, but he knew he must, "That had better suffice for your instransigent attitude and insolence, Miss Powers."
"Yes, sir. I will do the Dark Arts lessons as instructed," said Valerie obediantly, but not meaning what she said. She knew she was being used sort of as the model example for how Snape should punish a student sent to his office.
Snape had hoped that would be all for the castigation, when Voldemort suddenly waved his wand, and Valerie's clothes all came undone, the buttons on her blouse popped open, and her skirt and thong was at her ankles now.
Note: Hope it is good.