Snape the Younger

In the Name of Malfoy

Narcissa sighed and squirmed against the cushions of the leather lounge, restlessness surging through her. She noticed that there was a dead leaf on a plant in the conservatory and rose awkwardly to waddle out to the covered garden. It was quite hot in the conservatory, the louvers obviously not adjusted properly. Raising her wand, she tried to adjust the glass but it refused to respond to her magic. Angrily stamping her foot, she called a house-elf to do the job but even that did not work. Searching though the pockets of her very voluminous smock, she found the bell Lucius had given her and gave it a sharp ring.

A house-elf appeared immediately and hurried to do her bidding but it didn't help. She was not appeased by its abasement of itself and snarled impotently as it disappeared again with a pop. Her magic had not functioned properly for weeks in the last stage of her pregnancy and she was not happy. Even as the petulant thought worked its way into her consciousness, she noticed there was a book out of place in the small bookcase Lucius had brought into the family sitting room to hold Severus' multitude of tomes. Growling under her breath, she stormed into the sitting room and began to rearrange the damned dusty and tattered-looking works into alphabetical order but then they still looked untidy so she put them into size order which looked so much better.

Pleased, she groaned as her back twinged from bending over the shelf then spun on a heel and surveyed the area with a pleased eye. It was clean and tidy and neat so she wandered out into the dining room and polished a small finger mark off the dining table, wondering why the house-elves did not pick up on these tiny details. That was what house-elves and housekeepers were for, wasn't it? Immediately she rang for Madame Johnson and tapped her foot impatiently until the older woman appeared at the doorway, her apron as neat and as starched as ever.

"Have you seen this place?" Narcissa demanded as soon as the woman caught her breath. "Finger marks, dead leaves, flat cushions, books all untidy, it's as if no one cares any more!" To both their chagrin, Narcissa burst into tears and collapsed on the floor sobbing her heart out. "I feel terrible," she moaned as Madame Johnson hurried to her side."

"There, there, dearie," the older woman clucked sympathetically. "Is your back sore and are you feeling all out of sorts, sick in the stomach and sort of squirmy in the lower regions? Now you just sit there in that comfy chair and let me put your feet up for you. I'll just get Suzy Benden, our medi-witch to come and attend you. We were wondering when you would start labouring and Suzy thought it would be tomorrow or the next day but there you are, just a tad early, nothing to worry about at all."

"Are you sure, is the baby coming? Is it too early? Should we get Lucius yet?" Narcissa almost jumped to her feet but her back hurt too much to move just then.

"No, no, everything is as it should be, a bit of nesting, a sore back, restlessness and heaviness, just your body preparing for the blessed event. And it's too soon to let men get under our feet, this is women's business." Jolanta Johnson had very strict ideas on who should and who should not be present at the birth of a child, and if she had her way, men would be very much excluded!

Fortunately Suzy Benden, the Malfoy clinic's director arrived on the scene and took over the handling of the first time mother. Before Narcissa had a chance to panic, she was being prepared for the birth, a very undignified process that made her glad Madame Johnson had stopped her calling Lucius until she was tucked into her bed with a pretty bed jacket draped over her shoulders and a sedative potion making her feel serene and in complete control of the whole event.

~~*~~

Lucius arrived slightly mussed, the summoning charm having caught him at an inopportune moment with his latest present from the Dark Lord, a wonderfully responsive Muggle youth who screamed satisfyingly when introduced to certain interesting perversions Bella had thought up. He barely had time to cast a cleaning spell over his robes and shoes before hurrying into the Ushering Suite. For centuries Malfoys born in the Manor drew their first breath in the Ushering Suite as the traditional birthing room was known. Ornate heavy hangings and furniture left over from the late 16^th century were rather daunting but Narcissa didn't seem too intimidated as she sat up against the crisp white linens. Then Lucius realised her eyes were somewhat glassy and her smile fixed and realised she was potioned up to the eyeballs.

Medi-witch Benden stood with her hands neatly folded over a crisp, white apron, ready to do her duty to the Line of Malfoy as was her place. Madame Johnson stood at the other side of the high bed, her thin lips pursed importantly as both bobbed curtseys to the young Master. Narcissa sketched a vague wave in her husband's general direction as he bent to kiss her cheek.

"How are you coping, my dear?" he asked softly, managing to clasp one of her hands.

"Much better now," she said with a slight slur in her voice.

Lucius raised an eyebrow in the medi-witch's direction and she smiled nervously.

"Madam was in pain and very nervous until I gave her a slight sedative but she seems to have had quite a reaction to the sedation."

"She's completely stoned," Lucius commented with a smirk. "This will not affect the child, will it?"

"Oh no, milord, it's guaranteed not to affect the birth process at all," the medi-witch assured him.

"And Severus brewed it?" Lucius pressed, turning his full gaze on the woman who began to sweat a little.

"No-o milord, it was not brewed by Potions Honorarium Snape; it is from an old family recipe, tried and tested on a long line of Malfoys and their retainers. I always use it when there is a birth on the estate."

"Humm, and has it ever affected anyone like this before?" Lucius pursued relentlessly.

The woman was sweating profusely now. "No-o milord, not like this," she was forced to admit uneasily.

"Madame Johnson, call Severus immediately. If there is anything wrong with my child when it is born, you will truly wish you had never been born, do you understand, Benden?"

Severus and Abraxas arrived almost simultaneously, summoned by a house-elf. Severus sniffed the potion and assured Lucius that it was not dangerous in any way but that Narcissa was merely susceptible to the extract of sloth alga. In a couple of hours she would be over the worst of it and ready to give him hell as per usual. Medi-witch Benden almost fainted when the tension left her master, relief coursing through her. Lord Malfoy might have been very mellow with his staff these days but he still had a nasty temper and young Master Malfoy was always dangerous.

Three hours later Lucius was wishing his wife was still under the influence of the sedative. As it wore off, Narcissa began to feel the labour pains and the discomfort having a baby entailed and she was not happy. Even worse, she made sure everyone in the room knew she was not happy with the whole undignified procedure to the point of slinging hexes at Lucius' head. Fortunately her magic had succumbed to the usual effect of pregnancy and was barely a shadow of its usual power therefore the hexes were no more than a mild tingle instead of deadly. He watched enviously as both his father and his lover quietly slipped away, unashamedly leaving him to cope with his wife and her temper.

~~*~~

Some twenty hours later, Narcissa had stopped complaining and simply moaned pitifully as yet another contraction tore though her body. Medi-witch Benden did not look as confident as she had and Madame Johnson had begun wringing her hands almost continuously as the long and painful labour continued to be unproductive. Finally Lucius stood up and pinned the medi-witch with a glare.

"This is not right, is it?" he stated rather than asked.

"I-I, no milord, it is not," Madame Benden finally admitted fearfully. "I- I have examined Lady Malfoy but I cannot see anything happening at this point."

"Your advice?"

"I... there is a spell that can be performed but I-I do not have the power to, to perform it. I... perhaps if...."

"Madame Johnson, get Severus, he will know what to do," Lucius declared firmly and the older woman fled unashamedly.

~~*~~

Severus sat staring into the fire thoughtfully, a small crease drawing his brows down. He had just finished a rather long and not very felicitous conversation with 'Mr. Riddle' who was staying at his club. He had been asked to do something that he really did not want to do and now he had to decide on a course of action to steer himself safely from dangerous waters without endangering anyone else. He was still pondering on what to do when the door flew open and Madame Johnson stumbled into the room. She didn't have to say anything, her expression was enough, and Severus hurried out to the Ushering suite.

Narcissa looked haggard and worn out, not at all pretty or serene as she had almost twenty four hours earlier. Even Lucius looked to be at the end of his endurance as he sat by his wife's side and held her hand comfortingly. The sight of Severus' dour face seemed to hearten him a little as the tall thin man slipped into the room. A wave of a hand indicated the medi-witch who looked terrified as she studied the couple on the bed.

"What is it?" Severus asked, drawing her frightened gaze.

"Oh, Lord Snape, I need to perform a certain spell to see how the baby is lying and what is going on, er, internally but...." Her eyes dropped and she studied the floor nervously.

"You don't have the power," Severus stated flatly. "What is involved?"

Lucius looked on nervously as the medi-witch approached his wife, Severus looming dark and heavy behind her. The crumpled sheet was moved aside and Narcissa's gown eased up, leaving her bare to the world. He was almost amused when Severus made a small moue of distaste but was distracted when the medi-witch placed her hand on the top of the mound, her wand lightly pressing into the pubic bone. Severus placed his hand on top of the witch's and curled his other hand over her wand hand, each finger following the lie of the woman's. For a second nothing happened then the medi-witch gasped, stiffening as a golden haze appeared over Narcissa's stomach, the outlines of a golden baby forming and growing clearer. What became blindingly obvious was that the boy-child was upside-down for birth, his backside trying to go first. There was also something odd in the way his little arms were floating laxly in the mound of his mother's belly.

The medi-witch gasped and shook her head, Madame Johnson covering her mouth in horror.

"It's not a good thing, is it?" Lucius stated more than asked as Severus drew back, taking his power from the woman who slumped then slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, milord, you are going to have to take her to St. Mungo's as fast as you can," she said fearfully.

~~*~~

The receptionist at St. Mungo's jumped nervously as the floo roared, green flames licking the ceiling as the tall blond stepped out, a blanket wrapped bundle in his arms. She was about to make comment when the floo roared again and a cloud of darkness emerged and glared at her before sweeping off toward the rear precincts of the hospital before she could stop them. A couple of orderlies jumped out of their way as the two men swept past, all but running toward maternity.

The maternity staff stared with dropped jaws as the door was thrust open and the newcomers glared at them impartially. Medi-wizard Stromburg straightened immediately when he spied the bundle the second man carried. "This way," he called pushing past the pair of young witches and opening an examination room immediately. In seconds Narcissa was laid on the bed, the blanket unwrapped and a complicated monitoring spell covering her.

"Not good, not good, not good," he chanted under his breath as he worked hurriedly then pressed his wand against his throat. Lucius expected Sonorus but instead, his voice sounded hollow and distant as he spoke, ordering theatre two to be readied and the medical team be assembled.

"What are you going to do?" Lucius asked nervously as he was all but shouldered aside.

"I'm sorry, if you want this child to live, I haven't time to talk to you. Get the registrar to explain it to you," he snapped tersely as a pair of wizards broke in with a gurney to trundle the distressed woman away.

Lucius shot Severus a helpless glance as they hurtled away, taking Narcissa with them. "I think we should find somewhere to wait for a while," Severus murmured, taking Lucius' elbow and leading him out into the corridor where a very young witch was waiting for them.

"Mr Stromburg will have to remove the child from its mother without using the natural birth method as the child is weak and so is the mother. He and the team have performed this procedure many times before and it is usually successful if they get to the mother and child in time. Now please, have a seat in the waiting room and we'll call you as soon as we have some news for you both."

Stunned at this half hopeful, half hopeless recitation, both men plonked down in the nearest chair and stared at each other hopelessly. "I will kill her," Lucius said flatly.

"Madame Benden? No, I don't think so. She did the best she could with what has been an exemplary pregnancy. Not even the specialist you employed foresaw any complications even as late as two days ago. This is purely bad luck, I'm afraid," Severus counselled softly.

"What if.... What if the boy dies or Narcissa dies?" Lucius asked in bewildered confusion.

Severus sighed deeply. "If the child dies then you and Narcissa must create another. If Narcissa dies and the child lives then you will raise the child to the best of your ability. If both die then you will have to find another bride and start again. However, we are not going to borrow trouble. Do you want a potion to relax you?"

"I... will we have time? I thought they were going to hurry, you know?"

"They probably are but how fast that hurry is, is yet to be found out. It might be minutes, or hours, who...." He broke off as the doors opened and a smiling medi-witch beckoned them.

"Which one of you is the father?" she asked coyly. "Well come along, you have a new child to welcome into the world, Daddy."

The grin on Lucius' face was almost painful in its intensity, making Severus grimace and shake his head ruefully. He grunted as Lucius threw his arms around him and almost broke his ribs with the strength of his hug. "I have a child, Severo! I have a son!"

Chuckling, Severus unwound his arms and gave him a push in the direction of the door. "Looks like it, go and find out what sort of child you have, you idiot," he encouraged.

The medi-witch smiled cheerily as the two men separated, beckoning the new father out. Severus watched them go then pulled his personal shield of 'unnotice-ability' around himself and slipped into the hallway. He cast his senses wide and picked up traces of the spell he had cast over Narcissa when helping Madame Benden. He had been given certain orders by his Lord and had no choice but to follow and carry them out.

Slipping down the corridor, he found the strongest trace leading from an anonymous door and strode onward. He almost ran into a pair of young trainee medi-witches who were gossiping in the corridor, the trolley where the trace was strongest pushed forgotten against the wall. Moving past as if he had business further down, he slipped around the corner and waited for a few seconds before casting Confundus with a twist of his own. His luck was holding and he was relieved to see two of the alembics sitting on the trolley.

The two young witches had no idea they were slowed to a crawl as he hurried forward and opened the first alembic that made up part of the trolley. It was all there, caul, cord and afterbirth, his magical signature fading even as he used his wand to carefully gather up all traces of the bloody mass, transferring it to an alembic he had already prepared. As soon as it was sealed, he shrank the metal container down to the size of an eggcup and secreted it under a disguising spell in the deepest recesses of his robes. Opening the second alembic, he cast a quick acclaro and nodded when he saw it had all the same ingredients and was also from a male birth. Carefully adding a trace of the spell he had used on Narcissa, he sealed it up again.

Slipping away, he brought the girls back up to speed and waited; lurking in the shadows until the girls broke away, still giggling. The trainee finally pushed her cart into the holding room and lifted the alembics off the trolley, slotting them in beside four others waiting to be sent to the processing rooms the next morning. Singing a popular tune under her breath, she stowed the trolley, doused the lumos spell and wandered off again.

Waiting a few minutes, Severus was about to slip into the room when he stopped, an anomaly making the hair on the back of his neck rise nervously. The afterbirth from a witch's delivery was a potent and important potions ingredient. It had to be carefully controlled and protected or both the mother and child who were connected to it could be damaged or even killed by its misuse. His Lord had asked him to acquire the afterbirth of a delivery - meaning the Malfoy delivery - but no matter how much he loved and revered his Lord, he would not subject his godson to such a fate! The fact that the ruse he had set up would subject a different child to that fate was of no consequence to him.

Now, however, something was wrong, out of place in the warded room, beyond the normal protections. Moving as carefully as a cat, he cast a variant of Acclaro, more subtle and less traceable than the common variety, almost dropping his wand when he saw the result. Aurors had laid a very neat trap across the room, anyone taking any of the alembics would be allowed to leave but as soon as they crossed the threshold, the alarm spell would sound silently. The Aurors would follow the culprit and find out where he went who he saw and eventually round up all the thieves and their network.

Pondering the trap, Severus smiled a smirk full of teeth and pulled out a common lead crystal powder box, engorging it to the size of an alembic. Selecting a corner of his robe, he covered his face in a confundus spell, flipped the lid off the alembic he had doctored earlier and caused it to hover in mid-air as he wandlessly summoned the contents of the alembic and dropped them into his powder box. Replacing the lid on the alembic without touching it except with his robe corner, he sealed his crystal powder box, shrank it down and slipped it into his pocket carefully. To completely hide his signature, he cast six spells in quick succession, casting confundus between each cast then sprinkling a potion over the rest of the room to confuse the scene even more. Just to add a little more confusion to the room, he released a second potion which caused the room to be filled with a fine powder within a few minutes of his leaving. The magical signature of first person to walk into the room would be imprinted on every surface in an instant.

As he left the room, he thought he was a movement out of the corner of his eye but the corridor was empty as he hurried back toward the maternity ward where his new Godson waited to meet him.

~~*~~

Narcissa was asleep, propped up on pillows still looking pale and drawn. Lucius sat in a chair, a fatuous look on his face as he stared down into the blanket wrapped bundle nestled in his arms. He glanced up as Severus let himself into the room his smile one never seen on his face before. Severus was surprised to see tears in his eyes as he returned his gaze to the new scion of the Malfoy line.

"He is just perfect," Lucius whispered, carefully easing the fold of blanket aside so that Severus could take his first glance at the scrunched up red faced bundle in his arms.

One eyebrow rose and Severus smiled crookedly. "Have you counted his fingers and toes yet? And the male parts are all in place, I take it?"

"And fingernails, creases in his hands and feet, eyelashes even, and he has the same birthmark on his thigh as I have."

"What, that tiny red dot thing?"

"That is a Malfoy tiny red dot thing!" Lucius answered with dignity but could not keep up the facade in the face of his present contentment. "What are we going to call him, Severus? Narcissa wants to call him something after the stars and stuff, like most of her family but there are a few family names I want to give him. We've argued back and forth but in the end I think you should have the honour of naming him. After all, you are going to be his Godfather, as I promised all those months ago."

"Me?" Severus squeaked in surprise then swallowed hard. "Can I think about it?"

"Until midnight," Lucius said graciously. "However, you know the rules, he must be named within twenty-four hours of his birth and he was born at twelve twenty six am on the fifth of June."

"I'll have a name for you by sunset," Severus promised then cleared his throat nervously. "Can I hold him?"

Lucius grinned and carefully transferred the bundle of blankets to his lover's arms, resting a hand on his shoulder as they both studied the small boy in whom the Malfoy line resided.

~~*~~

The Pensieve was an old one, had been in the Snape family for generations and was well used. It took but a moment to draw the memory of the first alembic out of his head, leaving only the memory of the second in place. He then proceeded to remove all memory traces of the careful destruction of the Malfoy placenta, including his distress at losing such a potent potions ingredient. Still, he had preserved the cord and caul, making a potent and very private present for his Godson, one that very few people would ever recognise but it would cast a powerful charm over the boy, bringing him luck and protection for the rest of his life. Those memories went into the Pensieve along with the rest and he was finally ready to meet his Lord and lover at the Wizard's Club.

Tom smiled broadly and kissed Severus hello as soon as the young man was inside the suite, drawing him to the fireside chairs and seating him carefully. When they were both comfortable with a glass of firewhiskey and their feet up, he cocked an eyebrow in Severus' direction.

"So, how did it go?" he asked almost casually but Severus knew his Lord's moods intimately and heard the eager greedy note hidden in the depths.

"I have what you wanted but I must confess my Lord, I am not entirely sure whose I have," Severus muttered contritely, eyes downcast for a moment. Before Tom could react, he raised his eyes and invited the wizard into his mind, showing him the memories of his meeting with the girl, his chagrin when he realised there were two of the alembics and he didn't know which was which then his decision to cast the trace spell on both of them. Later, when he broke into the alembic room he was even more chagrined to find both marked alembics were from male births.

"I had to make a choice, my Lord, and I can only hope I chose well," he added contritely as Tom withdrew.

"Oh well, I suppose it will have to do," Lord Voldemort said flatly then narrowed his eyes at his lover. "What were the spells on the processing room? You had to cast rather a lot of magic before you picked up the ingredients, what else did you cast?"

"A lot of confundus plus some potions to lay a false trail, the place was covered in Auror spells," Severus answered truthfully but he wondered how on earth the Lord had known that, then he remembered the odd sense of movement he had had at the scene. Someone had been spying on him! "It was almost as if the Aurors were expecting a theft and were going to track the thief back to his or her lair."

"Humm, interesting hypothesis, did they trace you?"

"Never, my Lord," Severus smirked. "There was a hint of a problem the next morning but no one spoke to us about it and we were there at the crack of dawn. Abraxas could not wait until a decent hour to sight his Grandson and had us there at seven am of all things."

Both men laughed at the disgust in Severus' voice then settled down to a very fine meal, the events forgotten but Severus had a lot to think about when he finally returned to Malfoy Manor. The Lord had set a spy on him, him of all people! The Lord did not trust him perhaps, or was it just a general distrust. And what did the Lord hope to use the caul and cord for, as well as the placenta? There were a few rather nasty spells that involved such potent ingredients but the caster had to contribute a lot of himself to make them work. That was one of the drawbacks of Blood Magic, the fact that it could backfire on the caster and destroy them instead. Still puzzling over the turns of events, Severus managed to catch a short nap before going to his latest classes.

~~*~~

"Draco? What sort of name is Draco?" Bellatrix demanded, glancing down at the child nestled in her arms. "Gods Narcy, not another star system surely? The boys named after stars in our family don't seem to do too well. Sirius is a bloody Gryffindor of all things and Regulus betrayed us all. Andromeda married a stinking, disgusting Muggle and now you go and name this poor scrap Draco, how could you?"

"I didn't name him and I didn't know there was a star called Draco, so there!" Narcissa snapped at her sister as she adjusted the lacy white robes she had chosen to wear to her son's Naming. She still had a pot belly that no amount of spells could reduce and she was not comfortable. "Severus named him and he said it was because he roared like a dragon every time his belly was empty."

"Severus Snape? Why on earth would he have a hand in naming him?"

"Because he is my Godson," Severus said from behind her shoulder, making them both jump. "It's almost time for the ceremony, better give him here." He held out his hands and Bellatrix almost threw the child at him despite Narcissa's quick word of caution. The glare Snape sent her really did have impact and she reeled back on her heels for a second.

Severus ignored her as he allowed Narcissa to drape the elaborate naming gown over his arms and straighten the silk and lace cap the poor child wore. The robes were heirlooms and had been worn by all the Malfoy children to their Naming for the past three centuries. Bella shook her head and demanded to know why he was wearing black of all things to a Naming Ceremony. Severus sighed deeply but did not dignify her with an answer as he stepped out into the hallway and smiled at Lucius who was waiting there for them. Lucius wore black outer robes and white inner robes after the same pattern as his matrimonial robes, the three of them standing together before the great double doors to the ballroom.

Exactly on three pm the doors were flung open and the guests all turned to watch as the Malfoys brought their child to the Master of Rites to be Named and declared the Heir to the Malfoy fortunes. Abraxas sat in a great throne-like chair at one side of the dais, incapable of standing all through the ceremony but refusing to miss even a second of it. He was here to see his grandson Named, to see his Family guaranteed continuance and put his stamp of approval on the proceedings for the entire World to see.

This was the last step in his duty to make sure the Family was safe for another generation and once the ceremony was over, he could bow to his fate with a clear conscience and a lightened heart. He sighed deeply in satisfaction, the end of his journey in sight and he was so very, very tired. He hadn't felt entirely well since coming back from visiting Baby Draco in the hospital. Mr. Truman had taken his temperature on many occasions but it was only a fraction elevated and there did not seem to be anything wrong with his medicines so they simply put it down to excitement.

~~*~~

The gift opening ceremony began with the lesser gifts from various distant relatives and political connections, business acquaintances and would-be hangers-on. They were just starting on the more interesting things when a weight landed on Severus' shoulder and he turned quickly, his wand sliding automatically into his hand. Zabini stood behind him, an agitated, if not frightened look on his face.

"The Master wants you immediately, in the small parlour," he murmured in Severus' ear and began to try and drag the younger man away.

Shrugging off his hand, Severus swept out, ignoring Lucius' raised eyebrow as he left the ballroom quietly and stalked down the corridor with his long, silent step. Scratching at the door of the parlour, he was surprised to encounter wards of a foreign build which tried to hold him out but finally crumbled when he impatiently swept them aside. Opening the door, he slipped into the room and rebuilt the wards with never a thought. A large fire burned brightly in the fireplace, the torches around the sconces ablaze and yet the place felt cold and uncomfortable as he hurried over to the tall, dark haired figure slumped in the chair nearest the blaze.

"Ah, Severus, you came."

"Of course, my Lord, what can I do for..." he broke off as soon as he had a chance to study the man. "Ah." Even as the soft exclamation left his mouth, he was summoning a house-elf which appeared almost instantly, and disappeared equally quickly to fetch his potions case from his suite. Obviously Lord Voldemort had put the ingredients he had brought from the hospital to use and something had gone wrong. It was a miracle he was still alive, never mind hurt in some way.

Bending forward, Severus asked permission with his eyes and laid two fingers on his lover's neck, seeking and finding the carotid artery, feeling the pulse that raced and trembled under his fingers. "Damn," he murmured as he turned and flung open his box, nimble fingers seeking and discarding bottles, pulling others out as he sent the elf off for a very specific silver crystal goblet and a bottle of soda water of all things.

Straightening, he leaned carefully and used a thumb to pull the Lord's lower eyelid down, not liking what he saw. A pinch of this and a drop of that went into the goblet, the soda water stirred in with an oak wood spoon then whisked with a copper beater before the cloudy potion began to fizz furiously. Someone growled but a single raised finger held the bodyguard aside as Severus knelt and helped his lord raise his head enough to drink.

"You realise, Ibrim, this doesn't taste foul. Are you sure it's any good?" Lord Voldemort asked, a small smile curling his lip as the young man recoiled in surprise then smiled back tentatively.

"Sorry, Tom, I will try to do better next time," he temporised, still listening keenly and not liking the underlying rasp in his lover's breathing, nor the waxy sheen that coated his forehead. "The potion will dull any pain without making you sleep. What have you been doing, my Lord; you are not at all well."

"Spell casting of course," the Lord murmured, a burbling cough making Severus sit up alertly, his nostrils twitching.

"I smell blood," he muttered as he reached for the Lord's robes, opening them swiftly. There was another gasp from the unseen watchers as the fine, pale blue silk under robes showed a small, but spreading red stain. Intent, Severus unfolded the rich fabric and flicked open the under shirt's buttons with the skill of much practice to expose a pale, well defined chest and abdomen, marred by an ugly blue bruise and a small, oozing hole just off mid-centre chest. "Someone has drawn your heart's blood and not very skilfully," Severus remarked in horror as his hands flew to his potions box and he snapped out an order to the house elf for bowls and cloths.

"True," Lord Voldemort confirmed breathlessly, the wheeze more pronounced with every breath. "Ironic really, that a skilled wizard is not always a skilled surgeon. Have I overstepped myself, my dear Ibrim?"

Severus raised his head in surprise then smiled sadly. "Possibly. I am afraid I am going to have to hurt you, Tom, badly. Are you prepared?"

For a moment he felt the lord seeking his mind then he smiled and nodded, a cough rattling in his chest. Severus wasted no more time signalling to the silent watchers to help him lift the stricken wizard out of the chair and lay him down on the hearth rug before the fire. Candles and torches clustered around, shedding as much light on the patient as possible. Severus took a deep breath then wiped the pale skin with a potion laden cloth, distantly amused to find it was a finely crafted hand towel, not the usual rag used in these situations. The potion cleaned and sterilised the site then Severus glanced up at his lover almost apologetically before flicking off the small, dark scab. Someone made a deep, retching sound as heavy clots of dark old blood welled up from the small hole, clumping and quivering with each laboured breath.

Severus murmured a binding spell of his own design and carefully twirled his finger in the mess, drawing it together and lifting it away. The patient groaned as more of the old clot was pulled sluggishly from his chest and Severus dropped the clot into the waiting bowl before touching his skin again. His fingertips told him there was still more of the dangerous clotting inside his lord's chest and he glanced up apprehensively to where blue eyes studied him with almost clinical detachment.

"Do what you have to, my love," Tom said, absolving him of any blame.

Nodding, Severus raised a hand, a tiny golden knife flying to his command. Measuring and testing, he pressed the blade against the flesh, the hiss of pain from the patient making his bodyguards growl but they had heard the quiet exchange and did not move to intercept the boy who crouched over their master. Bright red flowed, the hot scent making Severus' nostrils twitch but he ignored the smell as he carefully and gently inserted his finger into the man's chest. Although he moved slowly and gently, the lord cried out as he withdrew his finger, another blackish clot adhering and bubbling out, slopping into the bowl with an almost obscene squelch.

The third clot was smaller but this time it was followed by bright red blood which bubbled and flowed as blood should, coating Severus' hand almost lovingly. "Now that is not good," he murmured as he summoned more potions and more instruments of both gold and silver. "My Lord, the wall of your heart appears to be leaking, as if punctured and not healed up again. I am going to have to put a healing spell directly onto the wound and it will not be pleasant, I do assure you."

"And if you don't?" another voice asked from the gloom outside the circle of light.

"Then he will die," Severus said flatly.

"And so will you."

Severus shrugged indifferently. "That is always the price of failure," he murmured, making Tom snort softly, amusement mingled with the pain in his almost closed eyes. "Should I give you a sleeping draft, my Lord? Or do you prefer to remain awake?"

"Just do it, Severus, I trust you."

Pausing to take a fortifying breath, Severus swiftly enlarged the hole in his lord's chest and plunged two fingers in as guides, finding the still beating heart with the unerring skill of a surgeon or a Dark Arts practitioner. One educated digit located the tiny but deadly tear and both closed together, bracketing the hole. Using the other hand, Severus slid a copper tube down into the hole and lifted a potion bottle, tiny and glittering, by wandless magic alone. A single, rainbow hued drop slid over the lip and into the tube, sliding down slowly, slowly until Severus felt it touch the hole in his lover's heart. The phoenix tears based potion went instantly to work, sealing and healing the life threatening tear.

As soon as Severus was satisfied that the wound was sealed, he withdrew the tube and slowly began to withdraw his fingers, sending waves of healing magic down his hand to draw the hole he had made together, closing the way until his fingers drew free of the flesh and it healed up instantly, a faint pink seam all there was left to show where he had plunged his hands. The Lord drew a ragged breath, then another and yet another, each one steadier and deeper than the last. The watching circle breathed out sighs of relief as the colour fluttered back into their Lord's face and his glazed eyes regained their usual intelligent sparkle.

Severus sat back on his haunches; his own breath rattling in his lungs as he remembered to breathe himself but each deep drawn breath drew the scent of fresh blood into his nose. Without thinking, he raised his hand and carefully licked the bright red blood from his palm, his long, narrow tongue lapping it up until someone spat a curse and he froze in horror. Focussing beyond his bloodied fingers he realised the Lord was watching him intently, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Do I taste good," Lord Voldemort asked with a teasing note in his voice which slightly unfroze the stunned and terrified boy.

"A little salty," Severus murmured, gathering his wits. "You should ease back on the condiments," he added with a slightly more serious note in his voice which made Lord Voldemort laugh.

"Finish your treat, my dear vampire, then we must both prepare to attend the Naming, you know."

Severus nodded and quickly cleaned his hands by more conventional means, taking the damp towels the house elf brought and wiping the last traces of blood away from his Lord's skin most carefully. A waved hand cleaned the blood from his robes and Severus buttoned up the Lord's undershirt, hiding his flesh from view once again.

Tom allowed the intimate attentions, smiling slightly as the young man rearranged the folds of his under robe and retied his sash with careful attention to detail. Dressed once again, he was about to move when Severus laid a hand on his chest. "Let them help you," he murmured and sat back as Mulciber and Avery stepped forward to carefully ease their master back into the winged chair by the fire.

They stepped back as Severus mixed and handed the Lord yet another goblet of potion, bright yellow and as foul tasting as the usual concoctions potions brewers insisted on pouring into their patients. As the boy began to withdraw, the lord held his arm and summoned a towel to gently wipe his chin. "We don't want any rumours starting, now do we?" he teased as he removed the slight trace of blood, chuckling as the boy before him blushed fiercely. It was also a warning to his attendants to keep their mouths shut! "I own you my life, Severus Ibrim Snape," he mused softly and bent forward to kiss Severus on the lips. It was no ritualistic salute but as erotic and as demanding as anything Severus had ever experienced.

Before he could do more than register the intent, the lips were gone, leaving him slightly stunned and off balance, Tom was never demonstrative in front of others as a rule! Taking a deep breath, he collected his wits quickly and rose too. "No, Tom, I merely repay what was owed. You saved my life some two years ago and now I return the favour, that's all." He was pleased to note he sounded unaffected, even if his mind was racing with the possibilities and reasons for the Lord being injured in such a way. The reasons for such an injury were terrifying in their scope and range and Severus was beginning to wonder just who the man in front of him was, if he was still Tom Riddle or Lord Voldemort or something else again. Shoving such traitorous thoughts deep into the recesses of his sub-conscious, Severus met his lover's eyes guilelessly.

Voldemort studied the long, strong face gilded by the firelight then smiled gently. "If you believe it so," he conceded, offering his hand and allowing the younger man to ease him to his feet. When Severus went to step away, he carefully placed his arm around the young man's shoulders, feeling one of those long, thin arms support him around the waist. "Shall we go toast the happy parents and child now?" he asked teasingly. "And later we will arrange to play chess again, perhaps at my club. They do a rather good dinner."

If nothing else, Severus was an intelligent man, and the Dark Lord was his lover as well as his friend, or was before he began to dabble in the blackest of black magic. "Only if we go slowly and you take care not to exhaust yourself," Severus temporised as he helped his lover from the room.

The Dark Lord laughed.

~~*~~

"It was a good Naming Ceremony, as these things go," Lucius mused, still sprawled naked on Severus' bed.

Severus chuckled and brushed the hair off his forehead to lean over and drop a kiss on his brow. "And yet here you are, not three days after the event, taking up space in my bed again, how is this?"

Lucius snorted a laugh and rolled over to lick the belly he had been using as a pillow. "Let's just say she is out of commission at the moment and leave it at that."

"You could always buy her a strap-on," Severus teased and was slapped for his cheek which resulted in a wrestling match that left them both breathless and limp.

"See, this is what I mean, you are fun in bed, and she is so bloody serious! Honestly, you would think she was reading the moves out of a sex manual for all the enthusiasm she brings to the task in hand. I thought it was just because she was a virgin when we married, then I thought it might be that she was pregnant. Lastly I wondered if it was because giving birth made her, well, stretched out and sore but no, here we are nearly eighteen months married, parents of a healthy child and she still acts like a virgin on her wedding night. And she can't go down like you can," he added then grinned wickedly. "Severus, just a question - no pressure, mind."

Severus' eyes narrowed at the silky tone in his lover's voice, he knew that note too well. "What?"

"Where did you learn to tie your sash on your formal robes? It's a very unusual knot, rather like a Turk's head actually, and I've never seen anyone else ever use it."

The dark youth stopped to stare at his lover in surprise; this was not the question he had anticipated. "My house-elf showed me how to tie it; he taught me how to dress and how to look after myself, why?"

"A house-elf? Well, I never thought of that!"

Severus snorted at his incredulous tone. "Why?" he reiterated.

Lucius sat up and crossed his legs tailor fashion as he scrutinised his friend most closely. "It's just you see, I couldn't help noticing that, when you came into the ballroom with Lord Voldemort draped all over you the other night, his sash had your knot holding it and I really never thought you would, er, play with the Dark Lord under my roof."

For a moment Severus looked stunned then he began to laugh so hard he couldn't get his breath and ended up with the hiccoughs. Lucius looked so silly when he was jealous!

09/07/2006