Deathsong Balladeer

Into The Serpents Den


Staring down at the small piece of parchment in his hand, Severus Snape wanted to tear it in two. Things had not been going well, and this was only the latest in a long line of bad news.

\"Attempts have failed. You must take drastic measures. Lucius will give you your instructions.\"

And he certainly didn\'t have to guess at what those drastic measures were. And here was where the thin linehad had been walking narrowed even further, and extended out over a deep chasm. There were no excuses as to why he couldn\'t kill Dumbledore. All he had to do was request an audience, and let that be that.

//And they\'d abandon me to the Dementors, the self serving bastards.// Severus tossed the parchment aside, and buried his face in his hands. Would anyone truly notice, if he simply left? Disappeared into the countryside and washed his hands of everything?

//Harry wou/
/

Harry. Harry Potter. He was something Severus did *not* want to think about. The boy was a permanent fixture in his life now, regardless of how hard he had attempted to push him away. Potter had *insisted* that he stay, remain by Severus\' side and in his bed.

//Foolish boy.// Severus raked his hair back, a sharp pain forming behind his eyes. Too many things were going too wrong. And Draco!

//What in God\'s name am I going to do about that one?// Things were spiraling out of control. Too much was happening too fast, and something would have to be done. Something had to be done about Lucius. But not now. Now, he needed to take a healing draught and rest. He would turn his mind to problems after he felt better.

Which, considering Lucius would most likely be arriving soon, wouldn\'t be for a good long while.

***

Not too far away in Hogwarts, someone else had received a letter.

\"Damn him!\" Draco kicked at his bedpost, before falling back onto his bed. He was being called home, immediately. His father claimed to \'need\' him. Which meant that something was happening, something big. And Lucius didn\'t want his son involved. Or, on a more pessimistic end, Lucius was in an extremely foul mood and no one could curb his anger save for Draco.

Snape had promised. Snape had promised to take care of things, and he hadn\'t. Adults. They couldn\'t be trusted, and that was that. And Draco was not going to sit around and wait for something to be done. If he had to take matters into his own hands, he would. Lucius thought him broken, but he wasn\'t. Not in the least. He had only grown stronger, with every blow, every cut. And much as he loved his father, he hated him all the same.

\"No more.\" Draco rose, smoothing his hair back. He straightened his robes, and began packing his trunk. The Headmaster had already been alerted. Lucius had covered all bases. Whatever it was, Lucius wanted his son home badly. And that made Draco not want to leave.

//He\'s not going to lay a hand on me, I don\'t care what\'s going on.// Draco threw his things into his trunk angrily, feeling his blood rise. //If he so much as makes a move towards me, I\'m going to run. Just kick him hard and run.//

Draco closed his trunk, and pulled his things out into the hall. He didn\'t want to leave. Or, more accurately, he didn\'t want to go home. He didn\'t want to see his father. But, it seemed he had no choice. Lucius was standing inside the main doors, talking with Professor Snape.

\"Ah, Draco.\" Lucius smiled, and Draco tilted his head back.

\"Hello, Father.\" Draco inclined his head in a polite nod, hands gripping his trunk handles.

\"I regret having to do this Draco, but it\'s quite necessary.\" Lucius held out his hand, and Draco moved closer, allowing his father to stroke his hair. \"I\'ve just been discussing things with Severus here.\"

\"Oh?\" Draco narrowed his eyes at Snape. \"Have you then?\"

\"Politics, Draco.\" Snape said, not looking the young Slytherin in the eyes. //He has the perfect opportunity, and he does nothing! What am I to expect, from Death Eater scum like that?//

\"Oh, Of course.\" Draco narrowed his eyes, tensing as Lucius pulled him close.

\"Severus may be joining us, later.\" Lucius said.

\"Oh?\" Draco did not like the tone of his father\'s voice.

\"Yes.\" Lucius nodded, still stroking Draco\'s hair. \"I must speak with him on a few business matters, but I\'ve extended the offer to stay for dinner and a bit of dessert. I\'m certain you don\'t object.\"

\"Why would I object?\" Draco asked, shrugging and giving his father a look of annoyed confusion.

\"Well of course I\'d expect you to help me entertain.\"

\"Oh.\" Draco\'s voice went flat. \"Of course father.\" //Sick, sick, sick bastards!// Draco screamed in his mind. //Oh yes, Snape\'ll help me. After he\'s had me himself. Dirty old man...// Draco narrowed his eyes at Snape. \"I do hope you\'ll be joining us, Professor.\" The bitterness in his voice was only thinly veiled.

\"Well, I do have much to do, Lucius...\" Snape said.

\"Nonsense.\" Lucius smiled brightly. \"I insist you join us tonight.\"

\"Of course.\" Snape nodded. \"Then...I shall see you tonight. Lucius. Draco.\" He nodded his head before turning on his heel and stalking off.

\"Now Draco, it\'s time for us to take our leave.\" Lucius smiled down at his son, and Draco forced himself to smile back. No. He wasn\'t going to let his father touch him...

***

\"You\'re what?\" Harry shook his head, taking a step back. \'You\'re going there? With him?\"

\"Harry, I have little choice.\" Severus sighed, rubbing the bridge of his n

\"You can\'t be serious.\" Harry didn\'t know what to think, what to say. All he knew was that he didn\'t want Severus going to the Malfoy manor. Who knew what sick things Lucius had in mind?

\"Harry, you know that I often must do things I do not enjoy.\"

\"Sleep with Lucius?\" Harry snapped. \"No!\"

\"Harry...\"

\"Don\'t keep using my name like that, it sounds like you\'re patronizing me.\" Harry snapped, sitting down in the other chair. \"I don\'t want you to go.\"

\"And I don\'t care.\" Severus said, shaking his head. \"I did what I could to extricate myself from the situation, and it failed. And I highly doubt Lucius has anything of the sort in mind. He made mention of his son joining us as well.\"

\"And knowing that, you still don\'t think he wants to sleep with you?\" Harry sighed. \'You know he likes to watch his friends...do stuff to Draco.\"

\"Excuse me?\" Severus\' voice was cold, which indicated that no, he didn\'t.

\"Yes. Lucius...gives Draco to his friends.\" Harry shuddered.

\"Dear Lord.\" It was as if a light had dawned in Severus\' mind.

\"And then what do you do?\" Harry insisted. \"There\'s Malfoy, offering up his son on a silver platter, and what do you do? How far do you go?\"

\"I will do what I must.\" Severus said, avoiding Harry\'s eyes.

\"You\'re not going alone.\" Harry decided. He wasn\'t going to let Severus put himself in that sort of position. He couldn\'t, in any good conscience. What sort of person would he be, if he let the man he loved...

Harry had to take a deep breath. Where had that thought come from? Did he really *love* Severus? He took a deep breath, eyes un-focusing as he retreated into his mind. How had that happened? It had all started out so...well, not exactly simple, but certainly not so complicated. And the emotion that had been there hadn\'t been love. Fondness, a common bond, comfort...but not love.

\"What is it?\" Severus asked, aarryarry was too far lost in thought to think of some clever excuse.

\"I think I love you.\" He said stupidly, amazed at the way the words sounded coming out of his mouth. They sounded natural, really. Well, he supposed he did actually love Severus. He didn\'t have anything to base it on, but it seemed right.

\"Excuse me?\" Severus\' voice was confused and shocked, and Harry looked up, suddenly realizing exactly what he\'d said.

\"Uh...\" Harry wrd hid his brain for something clever to say. But nothing came. \"Never mind?\" He offered with a nervous chuckle.

\"Quite.\" Severus was watching him intensely. Harry swallowed hard, held pinned by that black gaze. He met it as well as he could, not challenging but simply being. \"You were saying I would not go alone?\"

\"No. I\'m going with you.\" Harry felt better on this topic.

\"You most certainly are not. You fear what Lucius would do to me, think what he would do to you!\" Severus shook his head.

\"I\'ll wear my cloak. He won\'t even know I\'m there.\" Harry shook back his hair, feeling older and more tired then he truly was.

\"No.\" Severus\' voice left no room for argument.

\"Yes.\" Harry took a deep breath. \"Look, I meant what I said. And I\'m not letting you go alone. I can\'t stop you from going, you can\'t stop me from coming.\" he crossed his arms, defiantly.

\"Then I refuse to be responsible for you, while we are there.\" Severus said. \"It is your decision, you will be the one to suffer any consequences that arise.\"

\"Fine.\" Harry wasn\'t worried about himself, he was worried about Severus.

\"Fine.\" Severus glared at Harry, and he glared right back. He didn\'t care if Severus was angry with him, he was going to go. \"We leave tonight. Be here after dinner.\"

~~~~~