Lily Lives On

Mercy

An unmistakable voice interrupted Bellatrix's deafening shriek of rage.

"I have always admired your honesty and nerve, Severus."

Bellatrix's eyes glowed with passion as she bowed down. "My lord," she whispered timidly, while looking at the floor. The sudden change in her behavior was unsettling.

Severus fell silent and bowed, too (although it was difficult, since his body was lying flat on the floor). Slowly, Voldemort approached him, stopping his feet right next to his head.

"Severus," he hissed while shaking his head in disapprovement. "Tsk, tsk. I thought you appreciated and honoured your Hogwarts house. We are all a family, a very ancient one... And now you are mocking Salazar Slytherin himself, and by doing that, you are also mocking me. SLYTHERDOR!" He spat the last word out with mighty rage, grabbed Snape's hair and made him stand up and hiss in pain.

"Who would have thought," he continued "That one of my most trusted, most influential Death Eaters will turn against me and everything I have been fighting for in such a disrespectful way... And all thanks to a mistake that I made - the mistake of giving mercy to that mudblood, who has obviously clouded your judgement so much that you fell in love with her."

Severus shook his head vehemently. "I... I wasn't mocking Slytherin, my lord. I was mocking Gryffindor. That is why... Why I let their emblems not disappear, but explode." And he showed them an ugly smile, baring his teeth. "It was to let my students know that this was an act against Gryffindor. Also, it was a step towards getting significant influence over the Gryffindor house. My mudblood looks strong and independent... It is but a mere façade. I rule over her. What she is a Head of, I am a Head of."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "And what about your love for that slur?"

"I never loved her, my Lord."

"Truly?" Voldemort whispered with a mocking undertone and took another step towards Severus while looking him deep in the eyes. Severus felt a strong pressure of the Dark Lord penetrating his mind. Quickly, he drew all memories of him ever insulting Lily to the surface.

"Even... Even if she weren't a mudblood, I still wouldn't love her," he added. "My ability to love is impaired. The closest thing to love I've ever felt is admiration, and that belongs to you," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Bellatrix stepped forward, bowing again. "I have an idea, my lord."

Voldemort turned toward her with curiosity in his red eyes. He gestured at her to continue.

"We could use a boggart we have in the attic to show us Snape's deepest fear. If he loves her, it will probably show him her dead corpse or something of that sort." Bellatrix let out a screeching laugh. "And then we'll see, Sevvy, where your true loyalties lie!"

Severus nodded in peace and shrugged his shoulders. On the inside, though, he was scared, because he was well aware that no level of Occlumency could fool a boggart...

"And you might want to consider getting a shorter haircut, Snape," Bellatrix smiled sweetly.

Severus's tone was ice-cold when he asked: "Why?"

"Because..."

And instead of finishing her sentence, she grabbed him by his hair, using it as a means to pull him wherever she wanted him to go.

Voldemort's face was showing a proud smile. "Very well, Bellatrix. Lead the way."

Severus was now praying in his head that his mind be strong enough to block the boggart from seeing his love, and fear, for Lily.

The attic was enormous and full of ancient (and undoubtedly expensive, as well) items. The boggart was hiding in a large wooden chest with a skull on it.

Bellatrix forced the chest to open with a wave of her wand and threw Snape in its direction. When Severus leaned over the edge to look inside, they heard him gasp.

And then, a large dementor, just like he remembered them from Azkaban, flew out of it.

Bellatrix sighed in utter disappointment: "Really? A dementor?"

But it wasn't over... Because now they could see Severus staring at something in the chest, blinking back tears, whimpering.

They came closer to see what it was. And there, lying in the chest, lay Lily, alive, but...

"Ha!" Bellatrix exclaimed just as Severus started to cry.

Voldemort took a few seconds to watch the broken, huddled figure on the floor. And then he spoke.

"You lied to me."

Severus didn't react. He kept staring at Lily wordlessly.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Severus's black eyes swept from Lily to Voldemort.

"M-mercy, my lord," he squeezed out of himself before his voice broke.

"Mercy," Voldemort repeated with a cruel smile. "Of course I will give you mercy..."

Bellatrix blinked in bewilderment. So did Severus.

"But first, I am going to punish you with good old Cruciatus for trying to deceive me. Second, I am going to kill Lily Potter - yes, Severus, and don't give me that look - just to get rid of the source of your weakness. And then... Only then can I have mercy on you. CRUCIO!"

It was so sudden, that Severus completely forgot about his unwillingness to satisfy their need to see him scream. But even if he'd tried not to scream, he still would. Voldemort's Cruciatus was stronger than Bellatrix's and there was no way Severus could possibly resist any of it.

His eyes were crawling out of their sockets.

His shrilling voice could be heard all over the manor.

Two storeys below the trio, a house elf sighed heavily.

Severus could feel his mind explode into a thousand red pieces that were now piercing through all of his organs, causing them to malfunction. All endings of his nervous system were activated with a sole purpose - pure agony.

It's too much, I can't - , he thought.

And suddenly, it stopped. Voldemort lifted the curse.

I am sane, I am still sane, Severus thought and looked in the faces of his tormentors. The Dark Lord. Bellatrix Lestrange. I am in the Malfoy manor and I am sane, he kept repeating to himself.

But it still wasn't over yet.

Turning to Bellatrix, with an even crueler smile on his lips, he hissed: "Do whatever you please with him. But make sure he stays sane enough to watch her die and comprehend it. I am coming for her now."

And then he disappeared.

Bellatrix looked at Snape with malicious delight.

"Do whatever I please with you, huh?" she laughed. Then, as if to observe how much more he could take, she kneeled beside him, taking his tear-streaked face in her palms.

"I could hug you, I could kiss you..." she sang softly. "I could wipe your tears, I could cradle you in my arms and promise to never hurt you again... Wait, I have a better idea... CRUCIO!!!"

Severus had no strength left. He shrieked and screamed until he couldn't. Then he wheezed and hissed, he spat blood on the floor, twisted, turned and banged on the floor with his fist.