Snape the Younger

When Push Comes to Shove

The Mothers-to-be Club

Narcissa sat knitting. It was a white, lacy matinee coat in the finest silk yarn on the finest gauge needles available and the pattern was the most intricate available in the Witches Weekly. Marta Goyle and Rilla Parkinson watched the needles move like hawks watching a mouse, ready to pick at any mistake or any hint of magic. Both had tried the jacket and both had failed to produce the fine, spidery lace. Lucielle Crabbe merely smiled, having known Narcissa for years and knew fine well she could knit and sew with the best of them. They were skills her mother insisted all three Black girls master at an early age.

All four women sat in the Malfoy drawing room taking afternoon tea and complaining about their husbands, their families and their swollen ankles. Mindful of position, Narcissa merely shrugged and smiled enigmatically when Rilla whined about her sore back. A giggle greeted the news that Marta's ballooning stomach meant she couldn't even put her own shoes on. Lucielle, furthest along and most uncomfortable sighed deeply and rubbed her bulging belly under the most fashionably cut maternity smock available from Italy.

"You never say anything, Narcissa, and you can't say you haven't felt uncomfortable this spring!" Marta snapped when the tall blonde giggled at her tribulations.

"It's barely February and not that hot yet," Narcissa reminded the woman sweetly. "I have learned that weathering the trials of impending maternity without complaint makes Lucius very proud, and I don't have to worry about even trying to put my own shoes on or rubbing my own back. I have a maid, a Squibb who helps me dress and looks after my hair. Lucius decided I was just being brave when I didn't complain and brought in a masseuse once a week so I don't have to worry about sore backs or swollen ankles. If I feel under the weather, even gloomy old Severus will whip up a potion to make me feel better."

"And how is dear Severus? Still with your, er, family?" Rilla asked slyly.

Narcissa smiled back sweetly, never a hint of her own fury showing as she finished her row. "Naturally, he is a favourite with Abraxas and Lord Voldemort, so of course we treasure him, if not for his own self."

Lucielle took a sip of tea to hide her grin at that sly put-down, knowing Rilla and Marta would miss it. Another twinge hit her back muscles and she grimaced a little as she tried to find a more comfortable spot on the chair. The baby was due in a couple of weeks but had decided to get ready early. The mediwizard had told her she might go to hospital a little early but her family history said late was more usual. Still, that was two weeks away and having tea with the ladies was not a social occasion, it was a political necessity.

They were still in the process of character-assassinating Severus Snape, not exactly a wise pastime either. Time and again, she had warned Vinnie to keep on Snape's good side, mainly because of the way Lord Voldemort never let him stray more than a few feet from his side. She wasn't sure of the exact balance of relationships between the Dark Lord and the dark boy but she was pretty sure it was too close to be intruded upon. Rumour and innuendo said they were making the two backed beast but there was no way to confirm it. At least Narcissa was wise enough to realise there was something going on between the two and not to make too much fuss. Still, it was rather a scandal that Lucius Malfoy kept his lover in his home, as well as his wife, a delicious scandal that didn't actually do Lucius' reputation any harm at all. Sighing, Lucielle moved again, the sharp pain making her gasp and squirm.

Narcissa looked over to her friend, putting aside her knitting as a flash of acute pain twisted Lucielle's pleasantly pretty face. "Are you feeling well, Lucielle?" she asked, half rising as the woman began to speak but then doubled over, a low moan coming instead.

"Oh Merlin preserve us, she's having it here, on the floor!" Marta shrieked, overturning her chair in a bid to get away from the suffering woman.

"How common can you get?" Rilla asked the air with a roll of her eyes but did nothing to help as Narcissa quickly hurried to her guest's side.

"Shut up, Marta! Make yourself useful, Rilla, summon a mediwitch!"

"I told you Narcissa, my magic is all about the place, I couldn't summon a handkerchief, never mind a wizard," Rilla gasped, clutching her chest as she backed away to where Marta Goyle was huddling by the sofa.

"Damn it! Winny! Mappa! Where are those lazy elves? Someone! Anyone!" Narcissa screamed when no elf arrived.

"Did you know you go all red in the face when you scream?" a cold, purring voice spoke from the doorway and Severus glided forward, Abraxas hard on his heels. "Humm, looks like you are about to drop your litter, Madame Crabbe," he said softly, only to be glared at by Narcissa and hushed by Abraxas who was helping Narcissa up.

"Severus! Be nice," Abraxas admonished sternly. "Take Lucielle to St. Mungo's immediately. I will owl Crabbe and tell him to meet you there. Best go by floo; you don't know how an apparation might affect the child."

"Shouldn't apparate after eight months," Marta said helpfully. "You can make the baby into an idiot."

"Well, no affect in your case," Severus muttered under his breath, making Lucielle snigger and gasp as he picked her up off the floor. "Toss in the floo powder, Narcy, there's a useful girl."

"If you weren't carrying a friend of mine...," Narcissa hissed as she tossed a handful of floo powder into the flames and Severus smirked as he called St. Mungo's and stepped into the green flames.

~~*~~

They Should Lay Eggs

St. Mungo's was as chaotic as ever, wizards and witches clamouring around the reception desk, harassing the young witch on duty with their insistence on immediate assistance for their child or spouse or parent. Severus surveyed the herd and simply ignored them all as he glided over to the reception desk, a wave of coldness heralding his arrival. People stepped away almost automatically, some gathering their families close, others bowing their heads respectfully. Lucielle shuddered but could not make any protest as another contraction hit her, making her groan.

"Maternity," Severus said softly, and the girl pointed automatically, her eyes wide and frightened. Inclining his head, Severus turned on his heel and glided off in the direction of the wards.

Depositing his burden on a convenient stretcher, Severus raised his head and pinned the closest available mediwizard with his black eyes. The man hurried over and Lucielle gasped the name of her doctor before the next contraction hit. When she was conscious of her surroundings again, Snape was gone and Vinnie was holding her hand, looking totally terrified. Vincent Crabbe junior made his way into the world later that day, a healthy ten pound bundle of joy. Father and son were doing well, mother was just glad to have it over and done with!

"What possessed you to go out to the Malfoys' so close to the birthing?" Vinnie asked patting the hand he had severely bruised during the birth. "You know a lady's magic is affected at such a critical time in her parturition. The Mediwitch said so at the classes we went to."

Lucielle shook her head too tired to be diplomatic. "And not to go to one of Narcissa's little mother-to-be teas would be political suicide for both of us! At least this way she knows I have a good reason for not turning up next week and can make no mileage out of it."

"Oh. I never thought of that. I suppose I had better send her a gift for getting you into the hospital so smoothly."

"That was Severus Snape's doing. He carried me through the floo and forced the medical staff to take care of me immediately when we arrived. I don't know how he did it but they just ran to do his bidding, quite amazing really."

"Snape? Oh Merlin! Now we are in for it! Snape hates to do anything for anyone; he just glares whenever any of us suggest anything. He is such a spoilsport!" Vinnie complained, pouting miserably until his wife smacked his arm.

"He was there when we needed him, and he didn't complain about my making a noise in his ear or a mess of his clothes so just be quiet, do you understand. You will say thank you to Severus Snape, publicly, and you will give him a gift, perhaps one of the small framed photographs, you know, the usual thing."

"For Snape? But, but he's a monster!"

Lucielle shook her head and closed her eyes tiredly. "Do as you are told!" she snapped.

Vinnie pouted but kissed her cheek and muttered 'yes dear' before going down to the nursery to stare at his son fatuously. He was such a good, big, strong boy in comparison to the rest of the scrawny brats, a typical Crabbe! Maybe Snape did deserve some credit after all, even a baby picture. It looked a bit like giving a fluffy kitten to a dragon though, not exactly the best of ideas.

~~*~~

"I hear you all but delivered young Crabbe single-handedly," Lucius teased as they lay side by side in Severus' big bed, relaxing.

"Gods! Don't remind me! Lucius, do yourself a favour, have Narcissa deliver at home in the clinic, St Mungo's is a madhouse! I had to put a Summoning Charm on the bloody stupid mediwizard before he would even come close enough to look at the woman. She was squirming and leaking all over me, and he stood there with such a gormless look on his face I thought I had ended up in the Special Unit instead of maternity."

Lucius dissolved into fits of giggles at Severus' sheer outrage, listening to him rant on about the inefficiency of the St Mungo's staff, the ridiculous system humans had for making small humans and the quirks of biology that did not allow for the proper precise timing of the child's birth in the first place! "Would you prefer we procreated via eggs?" he managed to ask then screamed with laughter when Severus nodded decisive agreement.

Reluctantly, Severus smiled, realising he was taking a very silly stance but he did like the eggs idea, very efficient. He summoned a house-elf to bring Lucius a drink of water for his hiccoughs and a handkerchief for his streaming eyes before rising to saunter into the bathroom. He was half way through showering when Lucius slid in behind him and wrapped his arms around Severus' waist. Smiling, Severus leaned back and gave Lucius better access to his neck and shoulder, allowing him to nibble on the flesh and send shivers down his spine.

"You were very brave, dealing with Madame Crabbe," Lucius concluded teasingly, then changed tack completely. "So, when are you seeing the Dark Lord next? You had dinner with him last week, didn't you?"

"Yes, your father and I dined at the Gentlemen's Club with him after a meeting. I think they are going to nominate me for membership which would be funny. Still the food's quite good there and they have a very acceptable scotch at the bar."

Lucius pursed his lips, then nibbled a bit harder, making Severus squeak. "I was just checking to see if you were still alive and breathing. The Gentlemen's Club is so bloody stuffy, Severo, you must have felt like a little kid amongst all those old grey beards."

Severus giggled. "You should have seen their faces when I took my hood down and they actually saw my face, the new doorman nearly had a heart attack. I think if I hadn't been with Lord Malfoy, they would have refused me entry. Oh come on, Luc, I'm notorious, nearly as notorious as you but not in a good way. The Establishment hates that I have refused to uphold the Family and have virtually turned my back on tradition to be with you. The only reason they didn't throw me out was the company I was keeping." He turned to stare down on Lucius, a cynical smile on his lips. "I would say they were speculating on which one of the powerful men I was with was actually bedding me, or was it both."

"Severus!" Lucius yelped in outrage, drawing back then pausing thoughtfully. "It would have to be the Dark Lord; my father doesn't go in for that sort of thing."

"Lucius!" Severus said scandalised then grinned. "How do you know? About your father, I mean?"

Lucius merely rolled his eyes and Severus sniggered.

~~*~~

Set-backs and Failures

Lord Voldemort was in a foul mood, shooting curses at anyone who got in his way, physically kicking out at the bodies strewn around the main street. Karkaroff and Dolohov had both been captured and sent to Azkaban in an aborted raid the week before. Unfortunately, there was no time to try and get them out again as a second raid two days later had resulted in Aurors killing both Rosier and Wilkes, although that bastard Moody had suffered a few nasty injuries before Rosier went down! This raid had gone quite badly too, four Death Eaters of the inner Cadre were dead and ten others injured. He had thought it was that traitor Black's fault but even hunting him down and tearing him slowly apart had not stopped the information haemorrhaging out and into Auror ears. There had to be another traitor deep in the heart of the party. Fearing this, Lord Voldemort had returned from Europe early to take complete charge of his people once again, abandoning his studies reluctantly.

Severus knelt in the dirt and checked another pulse, quickly casting a preservation charm over the woman he had found alive. Pulling yet another potions bottle from the inner recesses of his cloak, he gave her a few drops of the thick, oily substance that made her cough but at least she began to breathe a little easier. A few paces away, a small child lay twisted and still, a thin trickle of blood running down his forehead. Moving over to him, Severus, checked his pulse and gave him some of the thick potion too, the response not as fast or as positive as the woman's.

"What are you doing, you idiot? We don't have time to waste on bloody Muggles!" someone snapped furiously, grabbing his shoulder and dragging him to his feet. "The Aurors will be here soon and then the shit will hit the fan! Come on! With a bit of luck this lot will be blamed on the werewolves again."

"Merlin Forbid they find out the Death Eaters are a bunch of useless bastards, humm?" Severus snarled and snorted at the man's outrage. He didn't know who the man was but he was obviously not of very high rank.

"What would you know? Are you slated for the raid on Rillthorpe in Devon next week? No, of course you aren't, that will have only us real Death Eaters in charge, not this mixed bunch of incompetents and trainee wannabies."

Severus snorted again and pushed the man's hand off his shoulder only to freeze as the man turned around and cast Avada Kadavra on both the woman and the child he had just healed. Willing himself not to betray his outrage, Severus shrugged and moved on, glancing around to see where Lord Voldemort had gone. He was at the far side of the village square, his wand upraised as Severus dashed over.

"Mors Mordre," he bellowed, the green skull and snake billowing over the burning village.

Severus nodded to his Lord and both apparated almost instantaneously, both men appearing on Severus' hearthrug at his flat in London. Surprised, Severus bowed low and transfigured his Death Eater robes back into his usual cloak, taking his Lord's cloak and banishing them to the hallway before summoning his elf and requesting a filled ice bucket. Walking to the sideboard, he poured two tumblers of firewhiskey and added ice while the Lord threw himself into the chair by the fire and cupped his chin in his hand. Offering the drink Severus waited until the Lord had approved it before sitting opposite and sipping from his own glass.

"Why can't they get it right?" Lord Voldemort snarled angrily, exploding a small vial on the mantelshelf in temper. "I give them clear cut and explicit orders but do they follow them? No, they do not!" Another knick-knack exploded and the rest of the detritus on the mantelshelf rattled ominously. "I said very specifically that I wanted Randolph Morgalaine and his family alive and conscious, that was the whole purpose of the raid, to take them alive and take them back for a ritual, but do they listen? A bloody shambles! All I have left is one old man and a girl of perhaps seven who is about as much use as a sore thumb." The man jumped up to pace the hearthrug in short, angry steps. "What were your thoughts on the raid, my Severus?"

"Too many people for a surgical removal, too many people keen to make a name for themselves and earn 'good-boy points' for their efficiency and energetic performance." Severus sipped his drink and sighed. "I had two of the Muggles almost healed up when someone Avada-ed them, quite a bloody nuisance and no, I don't know who he was, just another masked Death Eater."

"'Good-boy points'?" Lord Voldemort repeated and laughed harshly, nodding his head. "Yes, I see what you mean, pat on the head and say 'good boy', as if training a dog. Yes, yes, your insight does you credit, my Severus. There will be a cadre meeting on Wednesday evening in the cemetery at Rippon and I would like you there. Meet me at the gate at seven in uniform."

"Your will, my Lord," Severus agreed unhesitatingly.

Lord Voldemort nodded and reached out to ruffle his hair before playfully waggling his glass. "Has the bottle gone dry?"

"No, my Lord, still an inch or two in the bottom," Severus smiled crookedly and pushed the strands straight again as he rose to pour.

~~*~~

The Dark Lord's Wrath

Lucius and Severus apparated into the Rippon cemetery at the agreed time of ten to seven on Wednesday evening. They arrived at the Muggle gates together and prepared to wait for their Lord. The cemetery was huge, the Wizarding section deep in the heart of the city of dead, protected by the array of Muggle graves. Lucius was reasonably sure the meeting would take place in the Muggle section as the wizarding section had many alarms and intruder charms on it, too many to be disabled easily. Severus didn't care, he just hoped it didn't take too long as he had a potions examination the next day which he wanted to prepare for, not that it needed much preparation but it was the first test towards his Honorarium.

Lord Voldemort arrived with five other people in tow at exactly seven o'clock. Severus recognised Lestrange by his height, Crabbe and Goyle by their height and width but the rest were unknown as he and Lucius bowed respectfully. Voldemort signalled them to fall into step and the seven-strong retinue followed their lord towards the older part of the Muggle Cemetery.

There was already a crowd gathered between the weathered stone monuments and marble headstones covered in old moss and lichen. When their Lord appeared, the fifty or so robed and masked Death Eaters fell to their knees and bowed down, foreheads touching the soil. Severus had never seen any other group of Death Eaters do such a thing but there was no way to speak to Lucius who had moved to the far end of the high cadre row that fanned out behind Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Lord began by giving a speech outlining the basic ideas that wizards were superior and the more pure the blood, the better a wizard was. He restated that half-bloods and mudbloods should be kept in their place which was firmly under the heel of 'real' wizards or buried somewhere in this venue they found themselves visiting this evening. That brought a laugh from the crowd as it was supposed to. Gradually however, the tenor of the speech became more harsh and accusatory as Lord Voldemort outlined the utter disaster the raid he had planned for Methton Minor had become.

"Muggles are our rightful property, to be used and disposed of as we see fit. But sometimes, just sometimes, one of them has something unique and irreplaceable, something that the Muggle was born for, bred for and has to be used in just the right way to die for. Randolph Morgalaine was one such unique individual, one of a kind, the pinnacle of many years of careful breeding and nurturing. He was to be the centrepiece of a ritual long in the planning and designing, a key to unlock one of the Secrets of the Universe. Did the raid bring this so very important key to me so I could unlock my secret?" The Dark Lord dropped his voice until he was speaking so quietly every ear had to strain to hear him, every eye strained to see him in the gloom, then suddenly he rose to his full height flinging his arms wide. "NO!" he screamed. "Some utter, unspeakable fool killed him and all his family so that even the brood stock was wiped out to no avail!"

There was a blast of magic that destroyed twelve graves, sending coffins, bones and rotting cloth showering over the assembly. Quite a number of Death Eaters fell to their knees again; seven others were suddenly dragged forward by an unseen force and spread eagled before the crowd, lashed to an invisible and unbreakable frame. Voldemort stalked around them, waving a hand in their direction. "These idiots, these despicable, brainless fools still bear traces of that blood on their hands and in their souls, enough so that they can answer for their crimes! Crucio!"

All seven writhed and screamed, the curse bearing down on them relentlessly until one by one they stopped screaming but still writhed in torment. Finally, the curse was lifted, four of the seven sagging limply against the invisible bonds. The sixth had not moved for at least five minutes and the seventh was giggling inanely, unable to distinguish between pleasure and pain. Severus had to admit he was fascinated by the differing reactions to exactly the same thing but he was not given time to study as the Lord strode back to the centre of the clearing, glaring at the kneeling ranks accusingly.

"This is the price of failure; this is the cost of uncontrolled action. When I say I want someone brought to me alive then I mean alive, not a bleeding and hacked-up corpse. Do we begin to understand one another?" he queried in a silky voice that carried to every member of the crowd. "I am asking that the people I contacted earlier stay after the meeting, the rest of you may leave immediately."

There was a concerted rush to leave the cemetery, only ten people left standing in a huddle before the Lord. Of those ten, six were on their knees, the other four crouched ready to either stand up or fall down and worship, whatever was asked of them. Voldemort smiled benignly, motioning them to stand and come forward once the crowd had dispersed. "My faithful few, I have specifically asked that you ten serve me in the capacity of hunters and collectors, so to speak. Fortunately for all, I have a second family of keys in reserve, one of which will be ready for the ritual at the end of April. I want you to go to the village of Rillthorpe in Devon and bring me Maureen O'Grady, whole and hale, with not a scratch on her. I do not want any member of her family hurt in any way and I want her delivered to me on the first day of May. Does everyone understand the orders? Would any of you like me to repeat them? Very well. Do you all understand the penalty for failure? Good, very good. Now, how will you recognise the person Maureen O'Grady?"

There was a collective scratching of the head, then someone dropped to their knees. "My Lord, pardon our ignorance, but we do not know, please, give us a sign, a picture, a description, something."

"Well done again, you are brave, my trusted Death Eater. Maureen O'Grady is five years old, has red hair and blue eyes. Her parents are Mary and Patrick O'Grady of the Mill House in Rillthorpe. She has two sisters so be careful you get the right child," the Lord admonished in playful tones before dismissing the group with a blessing and a promise to meet again one week before the raid was to take place. The group bowed and scraped apparating away while the Lord watched them go with a faint smile that turned to contempt as soon as they were out of sight.

"My Lord, I do not want to question your decisions but was that wise, to put such an important mission in the hands of such incompetents as those?" Avery, probably one of the oldest Death Eaters in the group said softly.

Lord Voldemort smiled enigmatically at the man and slung an arm around his shoulders companionably. "Sometimes you need to test the temper of a group, see if they are capable of carrying out orders without messing up the simplest of tasks. This will be that test."

"My Lord is very wise," Avery said in amusement. "Forgive my doubt and ignorance, you are always wiser than I."

"Yes, I know," Lord Voldemort said starkly as he gathered the group around him again. "To Targscran," he murmured and apparated.

Severus caught Lucius' eye and shrugged in puzzlement. What or where was Tagscran? Lucius smiled enigmatically and made his way over, putting a hand on Severus' arm and cautioning him that they were about to apparate. Severus had no time to protest before he was dragged away from his place in the world and slapped down in another, very different place. It was a Great Hall, in the pattern of Snape Hall, long rows of columns holding up a vaulted roof. For a moment Severus wondered if he was back in the venue of his tormented youth but then various differences showed themselves, no tables at the sides of the room, no Snape banners or streamers on the walls and no suits of armour standing in the alcoves. He shuddered but allowed himself to relax as the sense of his surroundings finally filtered into his mind.

Food and drink appeared, trays brought around by elves as the Death Eaters looked around themselves in either curiosity or indifference. Lucius, who had obviously been here before, smiled at Severus and dragged him over to where Crabbe and Goyle were gathering up a plate of edibles each. Goyle glared at the intruder menacingly but Crabbe smiled almost benignly and offered Severus a plate too.

"Thank you for looking after Lucielle the other day," he said with a nod of appreciation. "She said you got everything sorted out very quickly, quicker than most wizards manage."

"She seemed to be in some pain so it was expedient," Severus said with a shrug. "I was informed that the child was a boy."

"Yes, he is beautiful...!" Crabbe was off, rhapsodising about his new son until Severus thought a silencing hex might be the only way to shut him up!

Fortunately for both their peace of minds, the Dark Lord rose to make a speech to the small group, distracting the new father before he could pull out pictures of his very uninteresting offspring.

~~*~~

The Sacrifice

Maureen O'Grady was small, pale and terrified as she stood shivering on the barren flagstones where the man in black had dropped her. Other scary men in masks were standing around looking on as the tallest one made a speech which buzzed over her head without meaning. Her mother had told her not to speak to strange men but no one told her not to talk to strange women who said they were a friend of her mother's. It wasn't until the lady picked her up and laughed that Maureen realised something might be wrong. By the time she screamed they had already portkeyed out of the village and out to the hills.

The Death Eaters were gathered at Targscran again, the inner cadre assembled by order of the Dark Lord. Severus stood with both Lucius and Narcissa on their Lord's right, waiting for the next move. No one knew what the Dark Lord planned at this meeting; he had given absolutely no hint, only an insistence that everyone who was anyone attend, or else! Only Marta Goyle was missing having been taken to St Mungo's that afternoon, although Goyle was there, leaving his new baby behind.

The child was shivering, dressed only in a white shirt that barely covered her backside, one bare foot rubbing against a skinny shin, arms wrapped around herself for warmth. As Lord Voldemort finished his speech, magic grasped the child and spread-eagled her on the ground. Her skimpy shirt was ripped away and she screamed in high pitched terror as the tall demon faced man approached. He ignored her as he began to scribe lines and glyphs on the stone until she was surrounded by diagrams. Finally, the Dark Lord knelt on one knee and began to chant, his wand first becoming a knife to draw the child's blood, then cut off a lock of her hair. The wailing was becoming louder, hiding some of the lord's words but Severus was lost so deep in a hideous memory. He didn't need the sound.

He was six years old again, kneeling on one knee, using a genuine golden Kris to open the neck vein of a simulacrum and cut off a lock of his hair. The chalice he dropped his hair and blood into was a plain metal goblet; not the alabaster and gold one the Lord used. The words came to his tongue without thought, rolling off in time to the Lord's chant, the music his grandmother played to keep him in time swelled in the background as the child's beating heart was lifted from her chest and held aloft before sliding into the cup too. The magic built in a spiral, making robes and hair fly as It was called. The Elemental was called to the Blood Rite, the glyphs that made up its name keeping it confined within the diagram's limiting lines. Lastly, the Lord spoke the Binding Words and the body of the child writhed, spitting its poison while everyone stepped back.

Lord Voldemort used his Binding to ask the Lower Caverns Elemental to empower the blood offering with concentrated magic to be used in a further Rite at a later date. The Elemental fought hard but finally, grudgingly agreed to take the girl's heart and soul in exchange for the powerful potion the Lord demanded. Voldemort sent the chalice into the circle by magic alone and laughed when the Elemental howled its disappointment that he did not step over the boundary. At last it did what it had agreed to, changing the gold and alabaster chalice to a blackened granite cup of pure magic held in stasis by a crystal lid. Lord Voldemort bowed his thanks, again careful to stay away from the boundary and causing the Lower Caverns Elemental to hiss its disappointment as he prepared to sent it back to the nether regions from where it had come.

Severus stood frozen on the spot, knowing the next few seconds were critical to the ritual and praying the Lord got it right. This was where Severus had failed time and again, where the worst of the damage his Grandmother inflicted on him happened. Two syllables were all that stood between success and disaster, one tiny consonant that was so easily missed out. Something in Severus howled in silent fear, the music played on and the Elemental slowly left the child. Lord Voldemort turned with the air of a conqueror, exultation in every line until he saw the look on Severus' face.

"Did you think I would fail, my Severus?" he crowed aloud, striding over to place his hands on the younger man's shoulders before looking around the cadre of his faithful who were all stunned and awestricken at his triumph. "I have studied long and hard, and I have finally raised a Lower Caverns Elemental! It has given me what I want and I am ready to take the World."

"He gave you what you want but he has not gone away," Severus whispered carefully, forcing his mouth to move against his utter fear. The words unlocked his muscles and he grabbed his Lord's wrists, then quickly changed his grip to cup a hand around his face, holding his head and forcing him to cast Legilimens while throwing images at him as hard as he could. To those around it looked as if he was congratulating the Lord in a very personal way but the Lord could hear him, and see the images he sent. "You mispronounced 'Douwen' and said 'Douen' which negates the Banishing ritual. The Elemental is still in the girl, waiting."

A shudder of cold fear coursed down Lord Voldemort's back. Could this strange and very intelligent boy be right? It was Severus' strange story and upbringing that had pointed the new area of study he could pursue to garner even more power. He had witnessed the boy become a semi-demon himself when set to protect the Malfoy girl in a Muggle park. He was more than willing to accept Severus' expertise in the area, having seen inside his mind on a number of occasions. Lord Voldemort shivered again and nodded his acceptance of the warning. "Do you know how to fix it?" he asked equally quietly.

"Yesss, I - I remember how. Will you let me guide you?"

"Yes, my Severus, I trust you."

Severus bowed and let go, turning the man by his shoulders and stepping behind him. Together they approached the girl and both knelt in synchronisation, raising their left hand to make the first of the box sides from pure magic. It was hard for Severus to take his Grandmother's part, hissing and spitting the High Court language, making the gestures, forcing the Lord to make those same gestures and say the words a split second after him as an echo. They were half way through making the box when the Elemental stirred and made his first move to prevent the box spell from being completed. If the box was completed then a vortex would come into being, strong enough to suck even a Lower Caverns Elemental's life force out into the void. The Lower Caverns Elemental then had to make the choice of going back to the elemental regions or being utterly destroyed. Most simply returned to whence they came.

It roared, one small girl's hand growing large and clawed, scaled skin tiding down her arm as it lashed out at the Lord's face then changed its target when it realised the one in front was a puppet. Severus never moved as his face was opened from cheekbone to chin, the words never faltering as the fourth side of the box materialised. Lord Voldemort fed more power to his controller as the chant to secure the fifth side of the box began. The Lower Caverns Elemental thrashed and fought now as it was forced to choose, be forced down, back out of the flesh or up into the empty vortex contained in the box above. The choice was made and it fled the world of foolish men, choosing to go back where it came from rather than face oblivion in the vortex the wizards conjured.

Both Severus and Lord Voldemort made the final effort to Banish the vortex then slumped against each other for a moment before Severus straightened and drew his wand. With a practiced flick, he shrank the child and changed her into a small brown, very dead rabbit. Pulling a bottle from an inner pocket, he sprinkled the rabbit corpse with potion and watched in satisfaction as it smoked and blackened then fell into fine ash to be blown away completely.

"You know, I don't think I will be eating roasted rabbit for a very long time," Lord Voldemort said thoughtfully, rising carefully and helping Severus up too.

"Yes, the ending of this particular ritual does tend to take away your taste for meats. It's worse if you leave the corpse human while destroying it," Severus remarked grimly, hiding his glare and disapproval behind his stony mask as he swallowed a potion and healed his own face, careful to clean any Elemental taint from the gash.

The Lord was not fooled. He and Severus would be having a little chat in the near future and it wouldn't be all about failure, he decided as the others came hurrying over to bow and scrape and offer their congratulations for a fantastic piece of ritual magic that not many wizards could accomplish these days. In fact, from Lord Voldemort's point of view there was one other wizard capable of the magic that he had just used and he was a force to be reckoned with. However, Severus was his man and was owed an explanation for the mistake he made, he was somewhat worried by that prospect too.

~~*~~

Cleaning up the Fallout

"You didn't tell me you were going to be part of the Great Working," Lucius complained when they were alone in the corridor outside the Heir's suite at Malfoy Manor.

Severus snorted in disgust. "Do you remember a few years ago when you told me not to take the Lord to task but to work around little problems? Yes, well that - FUCKING IDIOT - nearly let a Lower Caverns Elemental loose in the world without any controls whatsoever! He opened a portal and didn't seal it after him. He made an error and didn't even notice! Merlin forefend, Lucius, you have no idea how close to death we all came this evening, all of us and probably half the population of the British Isles. I nearly shit myself and for once in my life I was so glad my grandmother believed in making me parrot perfectly before she stopped beating on me. It was all that stood between us and the end of the world as we know it. So don't you complain and whine to me about being left out!"

He strode away, leaving Lucius with his mouth hanging open in the middle of the hallway.

"Did I hear Severus shouting?" Narcissa asked with an interested gleam in her eye. The two men rarely had a crossword it seemed and any sign of a rift was always welcome.

"Humm, oh, yes, he was a little upset by the Ritual, reminded him of his grandmother," Lucius murmured as he entered the suite and closed the door. Severus would be answering some hard questions in the morning.

15.04.2006