They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, the prophesy safely tucked away in her carpet bag.
He found sleep came more easily next to her. She found her nightmares less frightening with him in her bed. The darkness still haunted him but there was comfort waiting on the other side of the pillow.
She knew his demons were many, outnumbering hers exponentially simply because she had eight terror-filled years at Hogwarts...he had his whole life. It was essential, for his own sanity's sake, to keep the bad things locked away, behind solid walls in the deep dark recesses of his mind. It didn't always work.
~~~ZZZzz~~~
Dark clouds tumble around Malfoy Manor. The putrid odor of scourge and barbarity permeate the halls of this damnable place. His stomach retches forcing him to swallow hard to keep the bile down.
Voldemort conducts the proceedings from the head of a long table surrounded by his cabinet of Death Eaters. Serpentine features twisting into a hideous grin,
"Ah, Ssseverusss, I believe you know our guest."
A woman, Charity Burbage, hangs in mid air held fast by invisible bonds. Her face bruised and battered. Her clothes ripped, nearly torn from her body. She had obviously been abused and tortured. He could barely conceal the retching.
Hold control, remain passive. The turmoil within still raging.
Her head twists round to look at him, begging pitifully,
"Severus, please, help me."
His heart breaks at her words. He can not answer. He is as condemned as she.
Voldemort stabs his wand in the air hissing,
"Avada Kedavra!"
Charity falls hard onto the table. The other Death-Eaters cheer over the corpse of muggleborn Charity as she lay lifeless like some grotesque centerpiece.
Don't vomit! Hold it down! Breathe!
"Nagini, dinner," Voldemort sneers through sharp yellow teeth and blazing red eyes.
The snake rises high over the Dark Lord's shoulder.
His mind stumbles. Fight to keep control! Calm yourself!
The monstrous viper slithers toward the dead.
Keep Control!
His inner body trembles. Sadness, disgust. Control!
Massive jaws disarticulate, opening wide to consume ---
~~ ~Z Zz "NOOOO! Zz z~ ~ ~
Hermione knew about night terrors. She knew all too well,
"Wake up, Snape! it's all right."
Hermione shook him by the shoulders. She could feel the tension in his body,
"Snape!"
At that moment his hand seized her throat. Hermione grabbed desperately at his wrist, pulling, pushing, trying to loosen his grip. She couldn't breathe. Black spots appeared before her eyes, she blinked, her body giving in to the lack of oxygen. Tugging and clawing at his hand she gargled his name,
YOU ARE READING
Old Sins, Long Shadows
FanfictionThe war ended 7 years ago. Now, in 2006, recruited by MI6, British operative S3, Severus Snape, is caught up in a desperate search for a stolen magical artifact that could see the rise of another megalomaniac bent on world domination. His magical co...
