A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Chapter 20 ~ The Meeting


Bellatrix LeStrange stood beneath two arching stones that met overhead. There were sparse bushes and many stones scattered about. It was a rather barren place she chose to meet Severus and a risky one as well.

This private location was just outside of Hogwarts and the place where she had lured Severus in their youth, persuading him to introduce her to the Dark Lord in no uncertain manner. That had been the first and last time she engaged the wizard, though it was clear the Potions Master had enjoyed her immensely. But Severus showed no further interest in her afterwards, and this snub by the pale wizard did nothing to increase her fondness for him. In fact, it is part of what made her try to break Voldemort’s faith in him at every opportunity. Hell hath no wrath like a witch scorned.

She looked overhead at the setting sun. He should be here soon. Bella fingered her wand in her pocket. If Severus did not agree to her wishes, she might be forced to kill him…if she could. But Severus was quite cautious and wouldn’t hesitate to strike her down if he had to. Hopefully, he would see reason and there wouldn’t be a confrontation.

“You look quite lost in thought, Bella,” a silken voice purred. Bella turned quickly to see Severus with his wand trained on her. He held out his hand.

“Your wand,” he said, his voice quiet and deadly, “It is safer in my hands than yours, I believe. I will return it to you when our meeting is completed.”

Bella scowled at him.

“You don’t trust me, Severus…when I put myself at risk to meet you, knowing you could possibly have given me up to the Ministry?” Bella snapped at him.

“No,” he said, arching an eyebrow at her, “I don’t, Bella. Now, your wand please.”

Snarling, Bella slashed her wand down into Severus’ hand with some force. It had to sting. But Severus said nothing as he put her wand securely in his robes pocket. Then he did the same with his own.

“Now, to what do I owe the honor of your summons” Severus asked her, folding his arms across his chest.

The gray-eyed witch looked at him consideringly a moment, then let her eyes rove over the area where they stood before resting on him again.

“Don’t you remember this place, Severus? What happened beneath the kissing stones?” she asked him, her voice becoming low and seductive.

“Yes I do,” he replied with a steely gaze, “This is the place you prostituted yourself to me in order to meet Voldemort.”

”Prostituted!” Bella yelled, enraged, “How dare you…you enjoyed what I did for you!”

Severus arched an eyebrow at her.

“Whether I enjoyed it or not, Bella, doesn’t change what you did,” he said.

Bella fumed at him, then calmed herself.

“I am willing to ‘prostitute’ myself again for you, Severus, if you will agree to my request,” she breathed at him. “I am still very good.”

”And very used,” Severus said, his nose wrinkling with distaste. “Remember I used to witness you and the Dark Lord. I have no interest in touching you in any manner, or you touching me. If that is what you have to bargain with…you already have lost the upper hand. I don’t want you.”

Bella made a very ugly face at him, wishing she had her wand. She could end this quickly and permanently.

“Still, tell me what you wish and I will consider it,” Severus said to the witch, smirking a bit. He enjoyed rattling her.

“You must not make the elixir for the competition, Severus. It is wrong,” she said to him, “They have no right to make a new Dark Lord from the inferior wizards in the ranks.”

“But I have already given my word I would do it, Bella. I cannot take it back. My honor is at stake,” Severus replied.

Bella actually spit on the ground.

“Honor? What honor, Severus. You have no honor if you turn on the Dark Lord!” she spat.

Severus cocked his head at the witch.

“The Dark Lord is dead,” he said. “I cannot be disloyal to someone who no longer has need for my loyalty.”

“He is not dead. I have him,” Bella hissed.

Severus looked interested.

“Voldemort is dead, Bella,” he repeated.
The witch's face contorted, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the Potions Master.

“Voldemort may be dead…but his heir isn’t. I have been raising him to take over his father’s throne. He is almost ready, but I need more time, time to bring him to full power so he can reclaim the throne. If they place another Dark Lord in power, then it will be more difficult to claim what is rightfully his,” Bella said.

“Voldemort has a child?” Severus asked, “I knew you were planning something like this, but I never believed you brought your plans to fruition. What is his name?”

”Voltaire. He is about to turn seventeen. He does not yet have enough power to assume his father’s place, Severus. I need your help. If you help me…you will be rewarded. You will hold a position of power in the new regime,” she said persuasively, “And if you do not help me, and he manages to take the throne with my help, you will be one of the first to die a terrible, terrible death.”

Severus looked at her consideringly. It was some offer Bella was making him. Help or die. Now, how could he resist that?

“Bella, although Voldemort is dead, I have still been experimenting with the elixir I used to transform him,” Severus said slowly, “and have created a more powerful brew that can give the imbiber three times the power given Tom Riddle. It is still risky, however, death is still a possibility,”

”Three times the power!” Bella breathed, her gray eyes lighting up lustfully, “I must have that brew, Severus. I will give you anything…anything,” she said.

“This brew must be administered by a true Potions Master. You cannot do it,” Severus continued, “Careful calculations have to be made before the proper dosage can be given. It requires a great knowledge of Arithmancy.”

Severus was lying outright…but knew Bella had failed Arithmancy miserably.

Bella scowled for a moment, then said…”You could give it to him then, Severus. You could be his Potions Master.”

Severus looked doubtful.

“I will bring you to my stronghold and you will meet him, see how suitable he is and do your calculations. Then you will administer the elixir and I will return you safely. Please Severus. Great things are in store for you if you do this,” Bella said pleadingly.

The successful conclusion of everything the witch had planned all hinged on the Potions Master’s reply. Severus studied her.

“What is in this for you, Bellatrix?” the wizard asked her.

“Power. I will reign beside Voltaire as his queen,” she responded.

“Aren’t you a bit old for the boy?” Severus responded, smirking.

“No!” she snapped at him, trying to keep her temper under control. Severus might receive a position of power, but she’d make sure Voltaire tortured the snarky bastard within an inch of his life at every opportunity. How she hated him.

Severus could see the hatred in her eyes. There would be no way he’d serve under Voltaire. He would most likely be worse than Voldemort in his treatment. He let his dark eyes drift over her slowly.

“Very well, Bella. I will have the elixir ready in about a month. I will meet you here a month from today, at this time and go to meet the boy. But Bella…I want an oath from you that you will return me safely should the boy die from the elixir,” Severus said.

Bella thought about this.

“No. I will not give you such an oath, Severus. You may purposely poison him,” she responded.

Severus did not expect her to say no to such a reasonable request, but again…she had a point. Still Severus believed he should argue the point.

“Why would I do that when I still have to administer the elixir to the winners of the competition as well? Like most, I also believe we need to be reunited under a new Lord. You have trained the boy all his life, and he is of Voldemort’s bloodline…actually the most suitable to assume the throne. And you have promised me power. None of the other Death Eaters have made me such an offer. To kill Voltaire would be foolishness,” the wizard purred at her.

“Be that as it may, Severus…I still need leverage. Knowing you may die will give you impetus to make sure the boy does not. I will not give you an oath,” she said evenly.

“Then I will be allowed to retain my wand for my own protection, Bella. I will not enter your stronghold unarmed,” Severus said.

After a moment’s thought, the witch gave her answer.

“Done, then,” Bella replied.

Even if Severus did get the upper hand, he would not be able to leave the stronghold without her. Even the house elves required her assistance to leave. Besides, she still had Volaria. If Voltaire died, she would force the witch to take the elixir. Once she transformed, she would be willing to rule. Or so Bella hoped.

Severus nodded, and handed Bella her wand…his own drawn. She took it back from him.

“One month from today,” the witch said, her eyes narrowed, “Bring two doses.”

Severus looked at her.

“Two doses? Why?” he asked her.

”I have my reasons,” she said shortly.

Severus didn’t press her. He would find out more when he went to the stronghold.

“One month from today, witch,” he confirmed, his black eyes focused on her intently, watching for any treachery.

“Long live the Dark Lord,” Bella breathed, then suddenly disapparated.

Severus let out a long sigh. That had been a rather tense meeting. But now, he had a way in. He would finally get to see the son of Voldemort.

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Bella returned to her stronghold and quickly walked through, calling Voltaire. Volaria was in her bedroom reading and looked up when she heard her aunt’s voice. She put the book down and disillusioned herself, exiting the bedroom and following the sound of Bellatrix’s voice.

She found her with Voltaire, standing on the arena grounds. Volaria pressed back against the doorway and listened to their conversation.

“Voltaire, you are going to have a visitor a month from now. A talented Potions Master who used to serve your father. I have enlisted his aid to serve you. He will be administering an elixir to bring you to full power. Things have changed, and you will have to claim your father’s throne earlier than we planned. Do you think you can do this?” she asked the boy, who nodded eagerly.

“Yes, aunt Bella. If I am at full power I can do anything,” he responded.

Bella smiled at him softly, running her hand around his cheek. He would be seventeen in two weeks.

“You are such an obedient young man, Voltaire. It is almost time for me to introduce you to the more…carnal pleasures of life. I will prepare pensieves of myself and your father…engaging, so you can see what to expect from me…and what I will expect from you. On the night of your seventeenth birthday I will come to you, and I will be more to you than I am now. You will accept me, Voltaire?” Bella asked him gently.

Voltaire swallowed.

“Oh yes, aunt Bella…with all my heart. I love you,” he breathed, his eyes glowing redly, “I will always love you.”

”Very good, Voltaire. Starting tomorrow, we will work on strengthening your curses and prepare you for battle. This will be very different, as I will be providing live targets…some with wands. They will be able to hurt you back, though I will disable them so they are not at full ability,” she said to him.

“Human targets?” Voltaire asked her excitedly.

Bella nodded.

“Excellent,” the boy responded, just as his father would have if he were pleased.

“I will also provide you with pensieves of the Potions Master when in service to your father, and how he was treated by him. When you come into power, you will treat him similarly…to keep him…humble. You will need him, Voltaire, but you don’t want him to become too proud, too disdainful of you. He must be afraid of you. All of your subjects must be afraid of you,” Bella said as Voltaire nodded.

“They will fear me, aunt Bella…they will all fear me, except you. You will never have to fear me,” he said intensely.

Bella rewarded him with a long, sensuous kiss on the mouth that left the youngster with longing eyes and tented robes as she walked away.

He couldn’t wait to see those pensieves.

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Volaria frowned as she watched Bella walk away from Voltaire, who was staring after her with adoring eyes. Aunt Bella was going to provide humans for Voltaire to kill? Oh, this was terrible. And who was coming to the stronghold? She had never seen another human being other than Jordan, Bella and Voltaire. The young witch walked back to her bedroom, thinking hard.

Another wizard coming to see Voltaire. A Potions Master who served her father. That meant he must be wicked too.

Volaria’s blue eyes narrowed. She knew Bella would keep her out of sight. She didn’t make any attempt to inform her of what was happening. Well, Volaria didn’t plan on staying put. She wanted to see what was going on.

And she would. She would.

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A/N: Severus didn’t have to work too hard to get Bella to agree to let him see Voltaire. We got another look at the children and Bella’s manipulation of the young wizard. Volaria has plans of her own. This could get very interesting. Thanks for reading.