Warning - Just some nasty Dark Lords playing their nasty games!:D

Chapter Three –

Snape broke out of his reverie as a chill travelled down his spine when the Dark Lord beckoned him closer. "Tell me Severusss, how come you failed to inform me that the child was to be born not only in the seventh month, but also just as the seventh month died? Crucio."

Snape fell to his knees as excruciating pain lit up his every nerve ending. Soon the spell was lifted and he was left panting on the floor. "My Lord, the child must have been born prematurely. I was informed that the due date was in September." It was the truth. Everyone knew that Lily's due date had been in September; but only he, Dumbledore and Potter knew that the baby was to be premature. They had all agreed unanimously to keep the birth of the baby in July a secret as the news of the child been born in September would have sealed Voldemort's belief that Lily's child could never be the prophesied child.

Afterall it was the prophesied child Voldemort feared. It was the prophesied child Voldemort wanted to destroy at all costs.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..."

Yes, it was that thrice-damned prophecy because of which Voldemort had kidnapped Lily that accursed night; because of which he had to force himself upon the woman whom he loved; because of which he now had a son.

Flashback –

"Do whatever you have to… just don't let her die."

"I will not," Snape promised.

xXxXxXxXx

As soon he stepped out of the Headquarter, he felt the Dark Lord's summons. As soon as he reached the Dark Lord's lair, he was directed towards the cells in the dungeons. His blood ran cold. Was he too late? Was Lily already dead? Despair clouded him but he beat it back with sheer stubbornness.

He found Lily in the very first cell, writhing on the stone cold dungeon floor, moaning; and for a moment he could do nothing but stand there and stare at her numbly. Then the sheer relief which spread through him made him weak in the knees. He ran towards Lily chanting the mantra, "She is alive, at least she is alive..."

As soon as he touched her though, her eyes flew open with a gasp. She retreated from his touch with a painful whimper.

"Lily, are you all right?"

"Yesss… Severusss. She is all right," It was the Dark Lord who answered him. Snape jumped.

"Or rather she will be once you give her what she seems to be begging for…," Voldemort chuckled.

Snape stiffened and then softly enquired, not having to feign the confusion in his voice, "My Lord?"

"Severusss, you have served me well; you have been brilliant and faithful… consider thiss your reward. Though your feelingss for thiss mudblood never fails to amuse me."

For the first time, Snape's well honed mask slipped from his face in front of the Dark Lord showing his astonishment.

"Why so surprised Severusss? Well you see, to make sure the prophecy never fulfills itself, I guesss I can simply kill the mudblood. After-all there are only two people in Britain who have dared to defy me thrice and are still breathing. The mudblood and her husband. But Severusss, I do not trust the old coot Dumbledore. Who knows to what lengths he would go after her death to get the prophecy to fulfill itself? No. Instead, I have decided to take away their hope. To not kill her, but dessstroy her…"

Snape felt the premonition of something terrible about to take place. He looked at Lily, her dilated eyes, her body pulsing with heat, the smell of hellebore and fluxweed wafting from her…

A potion, she had been fed a potion. But which one? Hellebore and fluxweed were a rare combination, completely unstable unless mixed with Unicorn blood and…

He could not withhold his gasp as he recognized the potion which had been declared illegal throughout the world after it was invented by Potion Master Kwastosh and his eyes flew towards Voldemort who seemed highly amused and excited. "Yesss… well done Severusss. It is indeed the potion of Kwastosh, compelling her ovaries to release all her eggs at once, driving her into an animalistic heat and you... are to impregnate her."

Laughing sadistically, Voldemort left the cell.

xXxXxXxXx

Snape couldn't believe it. He was trapped in all ways. He had to… have sex with Lily or she would die. The potion would make sure of it. But if he did she would end up pregnant for the first and last time in her life, as the potion would kill all her remaining eggs.

"No Severus. Please no. I cannot betray James in this way. Let me die. Let me die Sev," Lily rasped, having heard the entire conversation and reaching to the same conclusion as him.

Snape closed his eyes for a moment. There was no choice; atleast for him. He would go to any lengths to keep her alive. Opening his eyes he murmured, "I am sorry, Princess. But I cannot to let you die."

xXxXxXxXx

The thing called fate is pretty strange. The Dark Lord's plan had been airtight. Lily and James were the only two people who had defied him thrice and were still living. So the prophesied child had to be theirs. Voldemort tried manipulating Fate by making sure that James and Lily would never have a child together. Lily's only child would be with one of his most trusted followers and the prophecy would be null and void. No longer would he feel threatened by a child to be born as the seventh month died.

But sometimes, prophecies fulfill in the strangest of ways. He was ignorant of the fact that his trusted follower had in reality defied him far more than thrice.

So the prophesied child had been born and the first half of the prophecy had been fulfilled. The part Voldemort knew about.

xXxXxXxXx

He knows… he knows that the baby has already been born in July, just as the seventh month died. Snape was jerked away from his thoughts when Voldemort hissed at him, "Severusss… the child is yoursss, is it not? So how can he be the prophesied child when to be so both his parents must have defied me thrice?" The Dark Lord asked in a deadly voice.

Snape was aware that his life depended upon this question. His answer would decide whether he would live to see another day or not. "My Lord…," he began carefully, "as I had already informed you, Dumbledore made me swear that I will never try to claim the child as my son or heir and for all rights and purposes he would be a Potter. I had to do it as to not fall under any suspicion. James Potter too has accepted the role of the child's father. This might have caused the prophecy to acknowledge the child as theirs. Though I think it is highly unlikely and the child's birth just as seventh month died was a mere co-incidence."

Snape finished ad then held his breath as he felt the Dark Lord's oppressive intrusion into his mind. Locking away most of his thoughts safely behind impenetrable occlumency walls, he pushed his fear, shock, confusion and disbelief to the forefront. After a long time it seemed as if Voldemort was appeased. "You are right Severusss… I too believe that it was a mere coincidence that the boy was born in July 31st. And even if he is the prophesied child, how can a measly baby defeat me? The very idea is preposterous," he laughed.

"But he'll always be a thorn in my side. And I do get rid of my thorns."

Snape's heart suddenly started beating faster, "My Lord?"

"I am going to kill the brat…"

Uh-oh! Now what is our favourite Potion Master going to do?