Blackmail

Chapter Two

Back at Slytherin Castle, Severus sat with the Dark Lord while he waited to find out what was going to happen with him in the near future. Somehow the evil man had discovered his secret and was going to punish him for disobedience and disloyalty.

Severus couldn’t help but shiver at how Voldemort was looking at him. The expression, though almost unreadable, seemed to say that he had put a lot of thought into what was going to soon happen.

“Severus,” Voldemort finally spoke, “I know a lot of questions will be filling that head of yours right about now, and I would like to assure you that no harm will befall you.”

Well that was good, wasn’t it?

Voldemort took another sip of his drink before continuing.

“You see, usually I would hand someone as traitorous as yourself over to my Faithful minions to do with as they wished, but I had to come up with something a bit more... special for you.”

Though the promise of not being given to the other Death Eaters as some sick sort of present was good, the whole thing still sounded bad.

“What I mean by that, Severus, is that I still need you to brew me necessary and important potions, and if I could find someone else as good as you, you wouldn’t be sitting with me right now.”

Severus swallowed hard, past the lump that had imbedded itself in his throat.

“Unfortunately, on my part, you are the best in your field, and I cant loose your skill and knowledge, not when I need to rely on a number of difficult potions in order to ensure my success with this war.”

“So what makes you think I will willingly do as you ask now that you know that I don’t support you anymore?” Severus was grateful that his voice didn’t waver while talking back.

Voldemort grinned at the bold approach Severus was taking. “Never mind about that, you will soon see what I have planned when the others arrive.”

Fuck, that didn’t sound good. Was the madman going to use some combined spell to control him? Something worse?

Severus knew that he would have to get out of here as soon as possible. His cover was blown so there was no chance of gathering any more important information, but how to do it with Voldemort sitting right across from him?

“So how did you discover my true intensions?” No point in denying it so Severus boldly asked one of his many questions that would lead as a potential distraction.

“Never mind about that, Severus. I have many little secrets that I haven’t told you, just like you HAD secrets you didn’t tell me!”

Oh, no. Did that mean Voldemort know about his relationship with Harry?

“I had been filtering for the spy for a while now and I was most disappointed to discover that it was you, Severus, who found it in your best interests to betray me.”

Severus sat there and listened while he worked out how he could escape the gaze and plot of this evil man.

“So once I knew who was leaking all my important plans and information I decided to do a little research of my own, thanks to a rat or two...”

Pettigrew then, the slimy little shit!

“Let me tell you, Severus, that I loved to hear about your wonderful meetings with the fool Dumbledore about what I was planning to do and how you could possibly counteract and damage that would be made.”

Voldemort drained his alcohol before continuing. Severus had to do the same with his own drink just to stay calm in the situation.

“Then I would be told about your stories of your Order of the Phoenix meetings and other certain escapades where you followed the mudblood lovers orders… rather than mine.” The last few words were spat and almost yelled as Voldemort continued on with his rant. All looks of amusement no longer present on the snake-like, pale face

“And the best part, I have to say, is when you would retire to your quaint dungeon rooms for the night to brew a potion or two for WHO knows, before going to your bedroom and tucking yourself in with...”

There was a knock on the door and Severus’ heart stopped.

Voldemort’s evil smirk returned.

“Ah, just in time.”

The Dark Lord rose up from his seat across from Severus and walked over to the door to invite whoever it was in.

“Severus, we have some guests.”

The Potions Master rose carefully out of his own seat to stand and face the door. He wasn’t exactly sure who it would be, but something told him that Death Eaters had a hand in it.

Voldemort swung the door open and Severus almost had to choke back a sob at who stood before him.

Three Death Eaters were standing just outside the room acknowledging the master with a bow of the head while holding up a partially limp figure between them, hands bound behind his back. The figure was only wearing a pair of black boxer shorts as he stood on the marble floor with bare feet and a slight shiver. The raven-haired head was lowered just enough so that Severus was unable to see the face, but by looking at the body alone, the Potions Master knew who it was.

They had somehow captured Harry.

Voldemort gestured for the quartet to enter inside the parlour, and Harry was dragged in along with the Death Eaters.

Severus could see that Harry was feeling particularly intense pain from his scar in the presence of Voldemort by the jerky movements his head was making from side to side.

Severus didn’t know what to do or say. Well he did know that he wanted to comfort Harry and tell him that everything would be ok, and yell at Voldemort to leave both him and his love alone, he just didn’t know HOW to say it. It was like his tongue had run off as a result of the anguish that was settling.

Thought it was now clear as to how Voldemort was going to get him to brew the difficult potions.

Blackmail, the perfect revenge to be used by the Dark Lord.

As Severus just stood there and stared, Voldemort had walked over to the boy and took a good hold of that messy black hair, wrenching his head up with a tug to reveal that Harry had been gagged over a split lip. Harry kept his eyes tightly screwed shut.

Just watching that seemed to break the barrier that was keeping Severus from being unable to talk.

“Let him go, Voldemort. I’ll brew your bloody potions and even stay here in the castle, but if you hurt him-”

Voldemort cut him off with that same smirk.

“You, my dear Severus, are in no position to make threats.”

The Dark Lord lifted a finger and pushed it onto the wound that adorned Harry’s lip and the boy let out an involuntary whimper, whether it was from the pain or increased contact with Voldemort, Severus didn’t know.

“Yes, you will be concocting my potions, and staying here, in the castle, but your little boyfriend will be staying here with us too, and I WILL do what I like with him.”

Both Harry and Severus began shaking at Voldemort’s words, one from fear and one from fury.

“Now Severus, sit back down and we will discuss our new arrangement.”

Grudgingly Severus did as was asked and he sat back in his chair, keeping one eye on Voldemort and the other on Harry.

Thankfully the Dark Lord did the same and returned to his own seat. The other three Death Eaters and Harry stayed standing not too far away.

“Oh, Severus, you don’t know how fun it was for me to learn that you were in love -” the word was sarcastically spoken “- with the Brat Who Lived. Yes, I do admit that I was furious to begin with, but so many prospects and opportunities were opened to me and I believe I have chose a particularly fun one!”

Black and red eyes looked back over at the boy who had, again, let his head drop down onto his chest. Severus couldn’t help but think that Harry felt ashamed – if that was the word – by this situation.

“Now,” Voldemort’s attention focused back onto Severus, “this is what will be happening. In order for me to keep the boy relatively unharmed -”

“Relatively unharmed?” Severus almost yelled. “You will NOT lay a finger on him and neither will your Death Eaters.”

“Oh? And what may I ask will you do if I don’t? Let me guess. You will run back to Dumbledore, talk amongst yourselves and come up with your own little plan to save the boy, then barge into my fortress and rescue the whelp and vanquish me? Is that what you’ll do, Severus?”

Voldemort waited momentarily for a response to the sarcastic comment before continuing.

“It is, isn’t it? And do you know how quickly I could kill him if you step one foot outside the castle? Think about it, Severus. You have no power over me when I have the boy... not that you did in the first place. But when I own the boy, I own you, and you will do what I say in return for keeping the boy RELATIVELY unharmed.”

Voldemort clicked his fingers again and summoned a house elf with another drink.

“I have prepared a set of rooms down in the castle dungeons for you to stay and a potions workroom fully stocked. Now, you will be allowed to roam free within the castle and I have set wards that will alert me immediately if you have left the castle grounds, whether it be by walking, Apparation, Portkey, floo powder, broom, or anything else. If you do leave, I WILL kill the boy. Is that clear?”

Severus mutely nodded.

“Very good. Now, to ensure that you are not purposely sabotaging my potions, I have decided that I will occasionally test a final product of yours on the boy. If I do not see the desired results from our little guinea pig then I will force you to torture the boy in unimaginable possible ways. Do you understand that, Severus?”

Again Severus mutely nodded, keeping his facial expression passive and unreadable. Inside he was screaming and crying and doing his best to mentally reach out to Harry and tell him that everything will be ok, and that he would not let the evil bastard hurt him in any way – if that were at all possible.

Voldemort continued, “Good. Other than what I have just mentioned, there will be no contacting any of you little Order buddies, or Dumbledore, though that is a blatantly obvious precaution. And if you need to owl over more potion ingredients you will come and see me personally.”

Severus didn’t do or say anything. It wouldn’t be that bad for him to stay here and do what was told of him, as he’d been doing it ever since he left school. But he didn’t know how Harry was going to cope being used as blackmail material, held in Slytherin castle and being surrounded by Death Eaters and Voldemort.

“Well, that seems about all... oh, wait. I also need to hold onto your wand, Severus. I promise it wont be damaged and you shall have it when you need it for your potions, but otherwise I wouldn’t want you to go around hexing things and people against my will.”

Damn.

With a great deal of reluctance, Severus slipped his hand into his robe pocket and handed over his wand. Without the comfort of the wood, he suddenly felt like he was doomed, along with Harry. He had no contact with the outside world and no wand. It seemed as though he would not be able to escape, let alone take Harry too!

Severus scowled at the disgustingly large smirk leering down on him from the lipless mouth.

“Excellent,” Voldemort rubbed his hands together in glee, “Escort Severus down to his rooms and leave H -”

“Wait!”

Severus was at least going to get something out of this blackmail that was to his advantage.

Voldemort turned on Severus, expression not angry but curious.

“Yes?”

“I want Harry to stay with me.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Severus. Who knows what sort of plots you two would scheme up if I left you together for limitless hours? Wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

Severus narrowed his eyes at the sickeningly sweet tone coming out of the evil man.

“I want to get to spend time with Harry. So if you want me to do what ever you ask without question then you need to let me spend a bit of time with the boy.”

Voldemort stood there as though contemplating the request, whether it was too dangerous or not to allow.

“Very well. I will give you permission to spend the weekends together and you can call it your weekly break from work. BUT if you two are to be staying together I will arrange a special set of rooms for your use and that is where you two will stay throughout the weekend. Also I shall have a number of my faithful Death Eaters outside your door at all times, just as a precaution.”

Severus glared as he thought over his options. He would, in fact, do anything if he could at least spend that small amount of time with Harry and decided that it was the best option to choose.

“Fine. I accept.”

Unfortunately Severus couldn’t tell whether he had done the right thing, or the wrong thing by Harry when he said those three words.

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