Death Whispers

Chapter Seventeen - Relapse

Longbottom House, Just after midnight, January 28th, 1982

Severus, adorned in the serpentine Death Eater robes, was greeted when he appeared beside four others. They all wore white skeletal masks, black silky robes and grim expressions. He tried to recognize his companrades but the masks made them look inhuman.

"Let's go," said Bellatrix, her voice and her frame as the shortest and only female of the group easily recognizable. The four began to walk down the hillside to the small farmhouse below.

"Wait," called Severus, "Shouldn't we check it out, form a plan and come back tomorrow?" he asked trying to buy time.

One chuckled, "We must reach our master, Lucius has instructed us to act. There is no time to spare."

Roldulfus, however, sided with Snape, "Hold on love, Severus outranks us."

Bellatrix glared, "Not without Voldemort around, and I intend to find him! We will not wait!" She was always over-ambitious and too aggressive.

"Stop," ordered Severus in his iciest voice.

"Why?" she hissed. Severus took note that despite her suspicions she stopped and turned. The others just looked on with interest.

"Firstly we have to check for wards," Severus said, mocking her in his silkiest "I know best" voice.

Bellatrix said nothing knowing she had been outsmarted. If she wasn't wearing a mask Severus could have sworn she was pouting. He muttered incantations and removed some of the wards. Unfortunately the man who spoke earlier assisted him. This meant Severus had no chance to leave some on.

The group crept toward the silent house. Bellatrix again took charge, "You!" she beckoned her husband and the quiet one, "wait outside. Keep guard."

Severus, the other man, and Bellatrix all separated, like hunting wolves, around the house. With the two left outside on guard. Severus magiced himself up to the second floor and entered via a window. Windows were rarely warded, or at least, not with as much protection as doors. Severus was easily the first inside. He steadied himself in the room his eyes already adapted to the low light.

It was a child's bedroom. It was decorated in gentle blues and greens. Severus' stark black figure like an ugly thorn; invading its serenity. Children were always a problem, especially in raids, loud and unpredictable. In Severus' raiding days he would have killed them quickly. It was kinder that way, but now he had Dumbledore to watch out for. A small boy lay peacefully in a crib. Severus' pulse quickened as he stunned the boy and shoved him in a toy box.

Severus crept out of the room and into the hallway. Moving gracefully and as silent as soft silk across a bare neckline. Bellatrix and the other had made their way inside. Severus heard the man mutter incantations to stop anyone from leaving the house.

Severus quickly joined him on the landing. He nodded to the other man and they entered the last bedroom together. The couple were asleep in their bed.

"Crucio," Bellatrix screamed, jumping between Severus and the Death Eater in an evil haste. Before the woman had a chance to wake she was screaming.

"Expelliamus," he called catching the wands as they flew up from the nightstand. He put them in his pocket. The screaming softened to sobs, it took a moment to realize that Bellatrix had released the curse.

"Where is our Master," Bellatrix demanded.

"I'll tell you nothing." The other Death Eater twitched, Severus wondered if this was his first raid. New recruits were typically anxious, excited or petrified and he couldn't tell which one the man was yet. There was a time when he enjoyed this.

"Crucio," called Bellatrix again cursing the woman. The screams were so loud that Severus warded the room to protect the sounds from reaching the neighbours.

"Catherine," the man begged reaching for his wife. "I'm not telling you anything," the father repeated breathlessly staring at Bellatrix with a blasphemous courage.

"Tell us!" the young Death Eater demanded stepping closer to the bed and slapping the man across the face.

"Please, leave her alone," he begged. Bellatrix obeyed somewhat turning the curse to him.

Catherine was sobbing and he still remained silent despite the effects the curse had on his body.

"Crucio," Bellatrix called turning to the wife again. She didn't relent and the woman's voice grew hoarse as the man started pleading for her to stop. He was sobbing and tried to hold his wife down to stop her shaking. The other Death Eater stood and eyed the scene carefully stepping closer with each curse.

Severus tried to focus on working out his identity, it was a task that could take him away from this place. There was nothing he could do now without giving up his identity especially to Bellatrix who already had her doubts, although she doubted everyone. Severus concentrated on the other Death Eater. The man was pale skinned, looked eager, Severus assumed that he was young but knew he was powerful because he had helped with disabling the wards.

The two continued to torment the married couple, the screams were still violent and fearful - Severus focused on the Death Eater's hands which were calloused and rough with blondy brown whisps on the knuckles.

Then Bellatrix changed her line of questioning, and Severus' snapped to attention.

"Were you the Aurors that killed Rosier and Wilkes?" she demanded. Severus spun around eyes blazing. He drew a fierce breath filled with controlled anger.

"Crucio," Severus called before he had time to stop himself. He felt the power rush up his arm. It was a release he hadn't been given for a long time. The man was screaming but Severus had blocked it out. He thought of his friends and this monster who was no longer a father, husband or man to Severus.

"Tell us!" Severus demanded loudly, coming closer and shaking Frank fiercely as he cast the pain curse on his wife, his loss of control radiating off him in fierce colour.

"Please, leave her alone," Frank sobbed.

"TELL US!" Severus commanded, a soft red aura growing around him.

"You killed them!!!" he screamed hitting her again with the curse, "You killed them!" he shouted and cursed again trying to relieve his own guilt at the same time as he caught the sad look in the mans eyes.

"Yes, there was nothing else we could do. Please stop this, we don't know anything," Frank finally revealed his eyes filled with self-depreciating tears. The woman's body was thrusting more violently now, blood flowing from her nose and mouth, the screaming had stopped instead she was gagging, making choking noises as she sputtered.

Severus stopped as suddenly as he had started, taking a giant step back and lowering his wand. He was glad for the mask as his face would have been etched in terror.

He had noticed the small child in bedclothes by the door. His eyes and face were round with fear, but until he entered the room the silencing spell was stopping the sound of his screaming. The boy also was glowing a powerful red and it was daunting, he had obviously thrown the stunning curse, and now built a protective force.

"It was our only choice," the Auror sobbed, as he jumped to cover his wife, checking her over, there was nothing he could do for her now.

"That's why he's in the Silver Circle," whispered the boy to Bellatrix who was smiling cruelly. "That was amazing!"

Severus felt sick. He was shaking and his aura faded. He looked down at the man holding his wife eyes filled with tears. She was not responsive at first and Severus thought he had killed her. But then he heard her ragged breaths.

The young Death Eater was still talking to Bellatrix, "Make sure you thank Lucius for recommending me."

"We know nothing," Frank sobbed, turning his back on the group and focusing solely on his wife.

The child looked stricken and Severus wondered how to make him disappear. He still stood unnoticed in the doorway looking on in shock.

"Please tell us where the Dark Lord is," Bellatrix began in a tone that mocked all politeness. She and the young Death Eater were closing in on the bed still oblivious to the young child at the door.

"I honestly don't know?" Frank said silently, his resolve evaporated. "We had heard he was in Eastern Europe." Frank had noticed his son but tried to draw attention to him rambling about difficulty to access information at the Ministry because of the death of the Minister. Bellatrix replied to the Auror's ramble with a curse. Even through the violent convulsing Severus saw the man look up to him. His eyes pleading - for him and for his son. At the sight of his father's pain the young boy went to run to the bed but Severus was quicker, he stunned the child and watched him fall without a sound, using a banishing spell to push him behind a door.

When the curse was released Frank immediately looked down the hall for his son but couldn't see him. He turned to Severus with understanding and tried to make another plea as if he understood Severus' challenge.

"Tell me!" their cohort shouted, raising his wand to cast the curse again but Severus stepped forward.

"Enough!" he said quietly, and drew a thin vile from his pocket.

"Vertisim." He now knew the man was telling the truth, this whole sticky mess was for nothing. The spasms of power that still thrust through his arm both tempting and frightening at the same time. He now had to save face with the party.

Bellatrix grabbed the vile and pushed it all down Frank's throat, he coughed and sputtered on it.

"Where is the Dark Lord?"

"I don't know," replied the Auror honestly.

"CRUCIO!" yelled the boy truly angry and did not remove the curse as the husband shook.

Suddenly, the three felt a burn on their mark. Uncasting the silencing wards the Death Eaters heard the sounds of shouting. The Auror's had arrived.

"Apparate," they heard Roldulfus call. Bellatrix and the young man quickly fled the scene.

Severus watched the man roll over and his eyes were foreign, he rushed to the door. The poor child's face had frozen, eyes wide and fearful. Severus released the spell and the child immediately began crying loudly.

"Dada, Dada!" the boy called, Severus looked down at his round face solemnly. Severus looked at the family shattered and unnaturally sprawled over the bed. The couple spread lifelessly, their eyes vacant and filled with pain.

And for what? He asked himself mentally.

"I'm sorry," Severus murmured to the boy and then poised his wand to cast a powerful memory charm. The boy fell down and sat looking as dazed as his parents. With a final look at his doing Severus drew his robes together and quickly Apparated from the scene.