Harriet Potter 2

Welcome

Severus glanced at his watch before taking a patient sip of coffee. It was undoubtedly going to be a long night, and he needed to ensure that his composure was perfect. There would be absolutely no room for error.

Voldemort's return had been reluctantly admitted by the ministry and at the end of term feast the night before, Dumbledore had reigned triumphant. This meant only one thing for certain - the dark lord would be very, very angry.

The mug had just met Severus' lips, when he felt it, a searing pain from his left forearm. The moment of reckoning had arrived. Severus took a moment to drain his mug before responding to the call.

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Snape swept into a low bow before where Voldemort sat at the head of the Malfoy's dining table.

"My Lord."

Severus took a moment to glance around at the diminished group. He did not need to use his powers of legilimency to sense the fear filling the room.

He could feel Voldemort's rage simmering just below the surface as he delivered his cold order "be seated."

Voldemort's voice was high and cold, promising violence. "I would like to understand how the Potter girl managed to escape from my death eaters?"

"She had help my Lord" Bellatrix replied quickly "there were others-"

"Do you mean to tell me that none of you were able to overpower a group of teenagers?" Voldemort hissed.

"Dumbledore was there too-" Goyle started, when suddenly he began to choke, clutching at his throat in alarm.

Snape blinked coolly from where he sat, blameless in the fiasco. Doubtless Goyle would be fine. Voldemort could not afford to lose any more death eaters at this stage. Sure enough, just as Goyle was beginning to turn purple, he suddenly sucked in a huge gulp of air.

Snape could not help shooting a smug glance toward Bellatrix who, as he had planned, rounded on him viciously "where were you during the fight at the ministry, Snape?"

Severus ignored Bellatrix, addressing his answer directly to Voldemort himself, using the calculated opportunity "If you had informed me of the plan, my Lord-"

"I did not wish to compromise your role in the Order of the Phoenix, Severus. Your intelligence has been most valuable. It would have been a great loss to us if you were booted from the order.

Snape inclined his head in wordless acknowledgement. His single unfinished comment had achieved three things - building Voldemort's trust in him, ensuring that he would be informed of future plans, and asserting himself above the other death eaters in a risky power play.

"Next time" Voldemort added "perhaps I will not be so fast to kick you to the curb."

Snape willed his face into neutrality, ignoring the pointed foot related jabs. It might have been a coincidence, but one could never be sure with Voldemort. "Thank you my lord."

In his peripheral vision Snape noticed that Narcissa's face beside him, was stricken. Doubtless she was afraid of Voldemort's wrath following her husband's recent failure to get the prophecy. She was right to be afraid, he mused.

All the same, beneath the table, Severus slipped his hand into hers, giving it a quick squeeze of support.

When he made to withdraw his hand, Narcissa would not let it leave her trembling grasp.

Unexpectedly, Voldemort's mouth now widened in what might be interpreted as a smile, before he addressed the group again. His voice was now suspiciously pleasant, bordering on charming, as though he had not seconds before nearly killed one of his inner circle. "Now, it is a time for celebration" he smiled, raising his wine glass "I would like you all to welcome a new member to our ranks."

Narcissa now gripped Severus' hand back so tightly that he was sure that she was cutting off blood flow to his fingers. To Severus' surprise, Narcissa's terror seemed to mount with Voldemort's unexpected switch to pleasantness. Something was afoot.

Severus skimmed the surface of her mind rapidly as footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the room. Narcissa's thoughts were spinning out wildly, seeming almost unhinged as flashes of Lucius, Voldemort, and his godson Draco flooded his mind. It was difficult to make sense of what he was seeing. Unless of course, he was interpreting it correctly, which would mean-

A slow dread grew in Severus' stomach as realisation dawned upon him.

His hand grew slack in Narcissa's as the door opened and Voldemort spoke again, his falsely warm voice echoing triumphantly in the high ceilinged room.

"Welcome, Draco."