Desperation

"Severus," called a high, icy voice.

"Yes, my Lord?"

Snape stood before a tall hooded figure that could have easily been mistaken as an elongated shadow of a surrounding Death Eater in the dim light. Long, white hands issued from its black sleeves.

"You were one of my most-faithful, always there for me."

"Yes, master," replied Snape, with nervousness edging up in his voice.

"You served me well because you believed in my fight, unlike Wormtail, here, who served me out of fear."

The frigid voice ceased and then broke the eerie silence again. "But, I am disappointed in you. I thought you served me, and only me. On the eve of my greatest mistake, many of you left me."

Voldemort looked around at each of the draped figures gathered around him and then swiftly turned back around at Snape. "But you, Severus, you left me too. How foolish I had been to assume you were loyal. I was wrong about you Severus," he snapped coldly, "you were just like the others."

"But, my Dark Lord, I..."

"Silence," barked Voldemort in his shrill tone.

"There is no need to lie to me. How quickly you forget. I am also a master of Occlumency.

Your nerves aren't helping you cover up the truth."

Severus tightened up his face.

"Ah, speaking of the truth Severus," said Voldemort, his sickly face crinkling in a sly smile, "Dumbledore will never think of granting you that position which you so desire. Severus Snape," he cackled. "Severus Snape, the lowly Potions Master. Not exactly what you had in mind, eh? Not, that it matters to you. As long as you get Dumbledore's trust and Hogwarts protection, there's no reason for you to fear me. Tell me Severus, if given the chance to come back, without any punishment from me, would you?"

Snape opened his mouth and then shut it almost instantly.

"Of course you would. Not really a hard choice, is it? You want power, Severus. It's something you crave. You can't exercise your authority, because you have none. I know what you want, Severus, you want more power than me, the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"My Lord, I'm afraid I do not..."

Voldemort edged closer to Snape, "How can you gain more power when you can't even finish your sentence?"

"My Lord..."

"You have done everything in your power to keep me from getting to the Potter boy. Why bother? Don't you realize I could just finish you off? I'd just throw you aside. Why do you make every effort to foil my plans? Why did you take it upon yourself to find out exactly what Quirell was up to? Why did you try to save Potter at his first quidditch match? Why do you always follow Potter around? Why do you care to meet up with him and put a damper on whatever it is he's doing? Why did you try to shut me from his thoughts? Why on earth did you join the Order? When surely you have nothing against what I do. Severus, you have the mark of the Death Eaters, you will always be a Death Eater to me. What good did your foolishness do you? Sirius is dead and the rest are soon to follow. In the end, you were brought to me, facing me, the Dark Lord Voldemort. What are you going to do now?"

"My Lord I was simply doing my duty."

"Duty?"

Snape looked intently at the snake-like face of Voldemort.

He hissed, "I never asked you to do anything. You weren't there to help me after that night, what would I want with you now?"

Snape swallowed hard and continued, "My Lord..."

"Do not call me that," shrieked Voldemort. "You are nothing to me but a greasy, hooked nose nuisance. As much as I hate the Marauders, they were right."

Snape gave him a contemptuous glare and spoke through gritted teeth, "I only heard part of the prophecy. But, I know there was another. There was another born on July 31. Perhaps, my Lor..., I mean perhaps Potter was not the one."

Voldemort's hooded head tilted downward towards Snape then he whispered, " Not the one?"

"No, Neville Longbottom shares the same day."

"The Longbottoms have been taken care of, and the boy is of no use," snapped Voldemort.

Then a figure came out of the darkness.

"My Lord?"

"Yes, Lucius?"

"Perhaps Severus is lying. He could want to keep Potter alive in order to kill you. Just like the prophecy."

"You're right, Lucius," he said slowly, "but this time our friend is not lying. They did defy me thrice."

Snape looked eagerly up at Voldemort.

"Then, Severus, explain to me how he survived. How did 'The Boy Who Lived' live?"

"His mum..."

"No, don't remind me of my greatest mistake. I know I overlooked her. No, tell me how he has survived all of his encounters with the Dark Lord if he is not the one from the prophecy? I know that Longbottom shares the same day. But you must think me thick to believe he's the one."

"No, I was only..."

"Only what?"

Voldemort reached into his robes and grasped his wand. He pulled out it into sight and pointed it threateningly at Snape's chest.

Snape's fearful eyes rested on it.

"It takes only one spell, Severus," he said menacingly, "I believe you know the two words."

Voldemort's red eyes glowed as he spoke, "There's nothing you can do now. Powerless, aren't you? How does it feel to have your plans foiled? Believe me, it would bring me great pleasure."

Snape breathed heavily and began to shake violently and fall slowly towards the ground. Eying the wand, now prodding him, even more desperately.

"Really, I'm glad the old fool, Dumbledore, loves Potter so much. That's what I was hoping for. He'd be harder for you to get. But when you started to give him Occlumency lessons, I realized you were shutting me from his mind. That's why I called you here; to finish you off."

Voldemort lowered his aim at Snape as he landed to the ground.

"What can you do with Potter? He won't help you, you know. What would a pureblood want with a half-blood? Potter's my equal. But there's something he has, that I don't, his stupid mum's love. Once I get rid of him I'll be even more powerful. Tell me, Severus, how will you defeat me then when you can't defeat me now?"

His blood red, serpent-like eyes shone into Snape's. "What will the Head of Slytherin House do now?"

A terrified Snape looked pleadingly over at Lucius Malfoy.

Voldemort quickly looked over in Lucius' direction. "What's Lucius to do for you? His money and friendship are absolute, when you have betrayed the Dark Lord."

He then turned back to Snape and sneered, " I agree with Dumbledore you would not have been good for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Snivellus."

A look of terror and hatred were apparent in Snape's eyes.

"My Lord?"

Without turning around Voldemort replied, "Yes Lucius?"

"My Lord, I was wondering why you did not perform the Death Curse now. He doesn't deserve any delayed death."

"That's quite something for a friend to say, Lucius."

"He's no friend of mine, my Lord."

"Ah, there you have it, Severus," he said as he stared down at Snape. "Terrible thing when someone denies you their friendship, isn't it?"

Voldemort surveyed Snape for quite sometime and then stated, "I'm not going to kill him."

"But, my Lord!"

"Enough, Lucius," he shouted icily.

"No, I'm not going to kill him."

He looked down at Snape, who had a look of immense relief, as he lifted his wand from his chest.

"No, it would prove me cowardly. I'll admit it would have pleased me greatly to get rid of him. But if I have learned anything from last time, it was that I killed too much. Let them fight it out. Let's see who the better wizard is. In the end, we will all see."

Voldemort stood straight and continued, "Get up Severus, the Second War is about to begin."