After All This Time - Book 2

Sixteen

Snape's POV

The sound of the large grandfather clock echoed through the room as the minutes slowly ticked away. I was exhausted. I had spent three nights now at the manor, tending to usual buisness and dealing with Voldemort's explosive temper.

Voldemort had been growing increasingly impatient due to the lack of current events and had began his sprees of torturing innocent half-bloods again. I sat and watched as he relentlessly tortured a family of half-bloods. I knew the family, they had lived in spinner's end just a few houses down from mine. It had seemed like hours had passed before Voldemort grew tired of the family. The husband and wife and their son were dragged down to the dungeons by the Carrows, leaving the daughter behind.

"Who wants her" Voldemort hissed, turning back to the table. His beady eyes ran up and down the table before landing on me. "Severus, my loyal servant. She is yours to do with as you please."

I felt my inside begin to twist as I stood from my seat and bowed to Voldemort. "Thank you My Lord." I walked over to the girl and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up from the floor and dragging her down stairs and down the hall to one of the many guest bedrooms in the manor. Over the years I had become disgusted by Voldemort's tradition of rewarding us with young girls. As a young man I had taken advantage of Voldemort's rewards to me. Now, it was a stain on my conscience that would haunt me forever. I dragged the girl into one of the guest rooms and securely locked the door behind me. I cast a silencing charm over the room before turning to the girl.

"I am not going to hurt you, but you cannot tell anyone that. When we leave this room you must act as if I used you and tortured you relentlessly. Understand?"

"Yes, thank you Mr. Snape."

I led the girl over to a couch by the fire and sat her down so I could examine her for any wounds I could quickly heal. By the looks of her, she and her family must have been sitting in the dungeons for quite some time now. Her clothes were dirty and torn and her hair was matted with dirt. As I finished healing a large gash on her forehead I heard a soft knock at the door followed by Narcissa's voice calling to me that Voldemort had left. I reached down into the pocket of my robes and fished out a small vial containing a silver liquid and handed it to the girl.

"This will heal any open wounds your family has. Just a drop, that's all you need. Keep it hidden from anyone else at all costs."

The girl took the vial and tucked it down into her blouse before giving me a small smile and following me to the door.

"Act scared" I whispered to her. I opened the door and gently pushed her out into the hallway infront of me. Narcissa placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and led her out of the hallway and back down to the dungeons. I recomposed myself quickly before walking back upstairs to the dining room. Most of the Death Eaters had now left except the Carrow twins who were talking to Lucius. As I entered the room Amycus caught my eye and turned to me as a sinister grin spread across his face.

"Have fun Severus? How was she? So young, so-"

"Adequate" I drawled, cutting off Amycus.

"So what is your little girlfriend going to think about this? Or are you not going to tell her."

"Miss Potter is not my girlfriend Carrow. I am simply her mentor."

"Not your girlfriend? Well I guess it's pray time I go visit-"

Before Carrow could even finish his sentence I had pulled my wand from my cloak and uttered Crucio. Carrow fell to the ground, crying out and writing in pain. His sister pulled out her wand and aimed it at me, ready to kill me on the spot when Lucius sent her flying across the room.

"Enough" he roared, grabbing the attention of the two siblings who were lying on the floor writing in pain. "I have kept silent about the first incident but if either of you go anywhere near my son or Annalise, I will see to it that the Dark Lord is informed immediately."

The Carrow twins both pulled themselves off the floor and gave Lucius and I a wicked grin before diapparating from the manor.

"Go back to Hogwarts, Severus" Lucius said to me. "You are needed there more than you are here. If anything of importance arises I will notify you immediately."

I nodded and within seconds had arrived back in my office.

~

"Not a matter of dire importance? Severus, anything involving Voldemort and the girl is indeed of dire importance." Dumbledore sat back down as his desk and began shuffling through piles of paper. "I assume you have been at the manor the past few nights?"

"I have. Voldemort has been growing increasingly impatient and has began taking half-bloods again."

"Who?"

"The James. They have been there since Sunday night. I was able to give their daughter a bottle of healing potion for them tonight, but I have no doubt that they will all be killed by the end of the week."

"And what about Annalise?"

"I reasoned with Voldemort. I told him that visiting her or Draco could put his entire plan in jeopardy and he agreed."

"Is that all Severus?"

"Amycus Carrow has his eyes on the girl again. Lucius threatened him, but that has not stopped him before."

Dumbledore nodded and picked up his wand. With one wave, a piece of folded parchment appeared on his desk which he handed to me. "The Mauder's Map. I believe you confiscated it from Harry a few years ago? I have had it in my possession since then, but I believe it will be put to better use in yours."

I unfolded the parchment, but found that it was completely blank just as it was when I took it from Harry. "What am I supposed to do with blank parchment Albus?"

"It shows you who is in the castle and where they are at all times."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Dumbledore gave a light chuckle as he reached across his desk and placed his wand on the parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Seconds after his wand left the parchment an intricate map of the entire castle began appearing before my eyes. I quickly scanned the map until I found two small sets of footprints, each with a name attached to them.

"It only shows you who you need, or rather want, to see."

I stared at the two sets of footprints for a moment longer before I folded up the map and shoved it down into the pocket of my cloak for safe keeping.

"Albus, there is one more thing. Voldemort has requested to see the two before the holiday's."

"And so he will see them. They still have two weeks of detention correct?"

"Correct."

"Well then I suggest you put that time to good use Severus."

I nodded and promptly stood up and left his office. It was already late into the night and I was due to relieve Minerva from her rounds. I immediately pulled out the map and began making my rounds, watching as my small footsteps moved across the map. As I walked, other small footprints began appearing on the map. Professors making their way through the castle and students sneaking back and forth to their common room began appearing all over the map, completely covering the names of the two I was looking for. I sighed and shoved the map back down into the pocket of my cloak. The two of them were safely in their rooms at the moment. I still had a little over an hour until my shift was over and I highly doubted those two idiots would try anything within that time frame.

My hour of pacing the corridors of Hogwarts passed fairly quickly and as I saw Flitwick's patronus pass me by I began to make my way back down towards the dungeons. It was still relatively early in the night and I had time to mull things over in my office. Annalise and Draco's second meeting with Voldemort would approach quickly and I had to make certain that they were fully prepared for whatever may come their way. I pulled my cauldron and a few ingredients from my private store and set it up on my desk. As I finished adding the ingredients I gave the liquid a stir before sitting back in my chair and pulling out every dueling book I had in my possession.