Mask of the Red Death

Title: The Man of the Crowd

Author: YaoiBoyDemonLover

Disclaimer: The HP characters do not belong to me. The Man of the Crowd title and quotes do not belong to me. It is a story by Edgar Allan Poe. A man that I have idolized for years.

Rating:

Pairing: Sev/Draco

WARNING: SLASH AND TORTURE. IF EITHER OF THESE THINGS UPSET YOU I SUGGEST YOU TURN AWAY NOW. I AM ONLY SAYING THIS TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT LIES AHEAD. IF YOU IGNORE THIS WARNING AND TO TO CONTINUE READING WHEN YOU KNOW TAT THESE THINGS UPSET YOU DO NOT COME BOTHER ME ABOUT IT. IF YOU ARE TRULY DISTURBED BY IT I AM SORRY, BUT I WARNED YOU. ALSO I’M NOT STANDING BEHIND YOU WITH A GUN TO YOUR HEAD MAKING YOU READ THIS UNLESS I KNOW YOU VERY WELL. IF YOU ARE EXTREMELY UPSET BY THIS, E-MAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW.

Dedication: To Princess.

Draco entered the classroom nervously. He had never attempted to talk with Professor Snape alone late at night. He wasn’t sure if the professor would punish him for being out of his dorm but he knew that Snape had let him get away with much before.

‘ Professor Snape, can I talk to you?’ Draco stood in front of Snape’s desk, trembling slightly from the chill in the room. Snape looked up from the papers he had been grading, not startled at all to see the young boy in front of him.

‘ Yes. What is it that you want?’ Snape asked, motioning for Draco to pull up a chair. Draco hesitantly walked over to one of the tables. He chose the closest chair and carried it behind Snape’s desk, sitting down beside the older man.

‘ My father told me about something while I was home for vacation. I just wanted to know the other side of it.’ Draco swallowed hard. He hadn’t been this nervous in a long time. For some reason the conversation that he knew was to come frightened him. He was almost ready to forget the whole thing.

‘ What was it that he told you?’ Snape looked a bit worried. Draco studied the man before him. He found it hard to believe that this was the man they called ‘The Red Death’. Sure, he looked intimidating but was he really all that bad?

‘ He told me what they called you.’ Draco looked away from the older man.

Snape laughed. ‘ Is that all? What was it that he said they called me?’ Snape leaned forward, face dangerously close to Draco’s.

Draco swallowed hard. ‘ He said that they called you ‘The Red Death’. Is it true?’ Draco watched as Snape nodded. //So it’s true then.//

‘ Is that all Mr. Malfoy?’ Snape asked leaning back again. Draco thought for a moment. There was more he wanted to know. But he wasn’t sure how to get Snape to tell him. He could just ask, but would that work? Most likely it wouldn’t. Snape was very secretive. Why would he change that for some curious kid? Unless—

‘ There *is* something else.’ Draco pulled his chair closer to the now confused Professor. ‘ Tell me about my father. What did they call him?’
‘ Why should *I* tell *you* that?’ Snape smiled coldly as he watched Draco. Draco moved closer again, nervousness fading.

‘ Because I wish to know. And *he* wont tell me.’ Draco raised an eyebrow to emphasize his point. He had a plan, and he hoped it would work if necessary.

‘ Ah, I see. But what would I get out of telling you something I was instructed not to?’ Snape leaned on his desk, eyeing Draco carefully.

‘ This.’ Draco stated as he slid off the chair to kneel in front of Snape. His hands trembled slightly as he opened the Professor’s robe.

‘ Mr. Malfoy. Not here and not now.’ Snape pushed the boy’s hands away. ‘ Come tomorrow night to my room. I’m sure you know where it is. We will discuss this there.’ Snape turned the chair back to the desk and gestured to the door.

Reluctantly, Draco stood and walked out of the room. //What did I just do?// He thought as he slowly made his way back to his dorm.