10. The Snake's Lair

A/N: I was a little leery of this chapter and what sort of warning to place on it. You will read about sex in this chapter that is not considered rape, nor is it completely consensual or non-consensual. Sometimes one must do something distasteful for the greater good. Essentially, one says "yes" when one would rather say "no" but cannot. It is not violent in any way but it is squicky. (No, Percy is not in this chapter.) Those who have been following the story may know where I am going with this, but I do not want to give it away before you read. I stress, these are not "lemons" to be enjoyed, but sex essential to the plot.

Chapter Ten: The Snake's Lair

Albus closed and warded the door to the annex off the infirmary and turned toward the somber couple. Neither Severus nor Hermione felt very much like talking.

"It is done." Albus sighed. In a small way, an infinitesimally small way, he was relieved that it had begun. But, a large part of him could not shake the heaviness that rested upon his very soul. He positively despised having to take drastic measures such as this, even when it was necessary. Hopefully in the end, it would all be worth it.

Penelope Clearwater lie dormant behind the heavy wards of the door. Of course, Madam Pomfrey had been apprised of the situation earlier that morning. The Healer had grown paler and paler as Albus filled her in on the identity of their spy and a skeletonized version of events yet to come. After the debriefing, Madam Pomfrey had gone into her office and locked the door, reemerging much later with bloodshot eyes and a more-than-determined, business-as-usual attitude.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Both Severus and Hermione had been slaving over hot cauldrons for weeks, brewing the base for the Polyjuice Potion. And then one night, when Hermione was deeply immersed in one of the Black family books that dabbled on the edge of the Dark Arts but hadn't quite fallen in yet, she was given one of those rare gifts that strengthens people's faith in the existence of a higher being.

"Sev-er-us," she pronounced slowly, her voice tightly coiled, her eyes not wavering from the page.

Severus had looked up from his grading, slightly alarmed at her tone, thinking something was terribly wrong. But then, Hermione exhaled and looked up at him with her brightly gleaming amber eyes, and the tension he always seemed to hold in his shoulders dissipated.

"Look what I found," she whispered as he came up to look over her shoulder at the open book.

Inside the ancient tome, buried deeply inside a chapter titled Herculean Herbage was a single sentence about using the bark of the North American Redwood tree as a means to prolong the effects of the Polyjuice Potion. Of course, it did not explain how much to use or when to add it or how long it would last, and it was such a fleeting citation, but it was there nonetheless.

They had exchanged stares, shocked at their sheer dumb luck, before scrambling over each other to get to the lab. Of course, there had been some long-distance Apparating involved to obtain the ingredient, as no supply shop had ever even dreamed of stocking the stuff. Severus had registered the discovery with the Ministry of Magic under both his and Hermione's names. When this was all over, they would make a neat little profit on the copyright, no doubt.

Extensive testing ensued, and eventually they were able to lengthen the potency of the potion fivefold. Instead of an hour, Severus now had five at his disposal before he would have to repeat the dosage. It was not much, but it was enough to make him feel more confident attending a Death Eater meeting as Miss Clearwater.

It was not often that a meeting lasted longer than a few hours. In fact, it had only happened a handful of times in the past five years. However, Hermione being Hermione, she had a back-up plan: an extra dose of Polyjuice within a vial and transfigured into a replica of the necklace Penelope always wore. Severus would wear it about his neck as a failsafe.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Albus turned to go but turned back to the still-silent couple at the last moment. "Everything is ready to go, is it not, Severus?"

"Yes, Albus." Severus' voice fell below normal hearing range. "The next time the Dark Mark burns, I will go."

"Very good, my boy." Albus looked in Hermione's direction. "Inform me when Severus has to leave, Hermione. Deliver the message personally. If I am not in my office, you should be able to find me in the Charms classroom." He tilted his head in parting.

"I still cannot believe he decided to take the Polyjuice Potion to teach her classes," Hermione stared after the departing headmaster.

"Hmm," Severus concurred as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her back to the dungeons. "I suppose it is his way of contributing to the cause, as it were."

"The old man is feeling left out, in other words," Hermione smiled.

"If I remember correctly, he mentioned something about young people having all the fun," he chortled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They did not have long to wait. Two nights later, Severus' Dark Mark began to burn.

Severus and Hermione didn't speak a single word as he prepared for the ordeal. He took the Polyjuice Potion and then carefully dressed his borrowed body to imitate the visions he had seen in the Pensieve. Hermione placed the necklace around his neck as a final touch.

She placed a hand on Severus' cheek and looked deep into his eyes, looking for any trace of her lover within. Only Penelope stared back at her, although she knew it was really him. Hermione supposed that was for the best. The Dark Lord should be none the wiser.

"Be careful, Severus," she whispered.

"Hermione," his voice trembled slightly. "No matter what happens, know that I still love you."

Severus had not gone into detail when describing what he had seen in the Pensieve, but she had a fairly good idea.

"I know that, Severus. You have nothing to worry about as far as I am concerned, do you understand? You do whatever you have to do to make sure you come home to me."

Looking relieved, he bent over and placed a small kiss upon her lips. It felt just like Severus' kiss but with a softer and much smaller mouth.

Hermione sighed and gently commanded, "Now, go."

The walk to the outskirts of the castle grounds was excruciating. A sense of foreboding gripped his heart and made it quite clear it was not about to let go. He felt like a condemned man on the way to the gallows. Knowing that his fear and opposition were irrelevant, he took a few deep, cleansing breaths to clear his mind; then, he placed his hand over the Dark Mark and Disapparated.

What good fortune, he thought sarcastically as he Apparated directly in front of the Dark Lord. Apparently, Miss Clearwater was not required to debase herself by trudging through the muck and brambles like the rest of the Death Eaters. She most certainly was the Dark Lord's favourite. Severus' stomach clenched.

Prostrating himself on the floor in front of evil personified, he kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes, trying not to retch at the stench. It would not do to give himself away in the first five minutes, after all. Silently, he prayed to the gods to have mercy on him tonight. Make it quick. Make it painless.

"Rise, my beauty," the voice croaked above him. A single scaly hand reached down to aid in his progress. The Dark Lord drew Penelope's body up to its full height and sighed. Severus kept his eyes downcast until the creature tilted his face upward so he could look deeply into Penelope's eyes.

Severus pushed the Pensieve memories to the fore of his mind, concentrating on those that consisted of their mutual physical contact. He did not have much more to offer, but he had a lot to hold back. He prayed it was enough.

The creature's laugh was soft but foul as the eye contact broke. "Yessss, my dear. I have missed you as well. I am afraid you will have to be a little patient tonight. Business before pleasure, as usual."

Severus shuddered at the insinuation, and the Dark Lord chuckled louder, under the mistaken impression that he shook out of anticipation.

"My Lord," a silky voice drawled, and a dark-hooded figure crawled to perform the perfunctory greeting.

Lucius.

Severus stiffened beside the Dark Lord. With surprising gentleness, Severus found himself being drawn to the corner of the room where he was allowed to sit. A glass of Firewhisky appeared.

"I do not expect this to take long, my dear," the creature hissed and returned to the slowly forming group.

Severus sipped at the Firewhisky after determining that it was not tampered with. He was surprised when it was free of additives. It was almost as if the Dark Lord actually cared for Penelope, not just using her. He shook his head in amazement.

Bits and pieces of murmured conversation filtered their way across the room and fell on Severus' attentive ears.

"What have you to report, Lucius?" he heard the Dark Lord ask.

Lucius' voice droned, as though reciting something from memory. "The stone of the battlements will seek out its brother. When all its occupants have been gathered, therein will begin the slaughter."

Since when did Lucius start speaking in prose?

But then the Dark Lord answered, "With the equinox sunrise, our enemy will meet its demise. You have done well, Lucius, my faithful servant. You would all do well to follow Lucius' example."

Consenting murmurs resounded around the room. Severus pondered the rhyme as he finished off his Firewhisky and placed the empty glass back on the table. He was surprised when it conveniently refilled itself. Looking at the amber-filled glass blankly for a moment, he figured he may as well be as drunk as possible for what was to come next.

Only a couple Cruciatus curses were administered, both at younger members who still had not learned to suppress their grandiose egos in the Dark Lord's presence. The meeting was no longer than an hour, and the elder members milled about afterward for a fraction of that time with Lucius finally offering to continue the party at his estate, as he almost usually did.

Severus was halfway through his third drink when he felt the presence of the Dark Lord at his side. He placed his glass upon the table and stared at the foreign, demure hands folded in his lap.

"Rise," the voice of the Dark Lord commanded. His body obeyed, as he knew it would. Years of serving...or half-serving...the power-hungry wizard had trained him well. Albus had been right: he was the only person who could do this.

Severus kept his eyes cast downward. He would not look into the eyes of the monster before him. Mind over matter, he told himself as a sharp finger traced a line across his cheek and trailed down to the neck of his heavy, velvet robes, resting on the ornate clasp.

"Pateo," the creature uttered, and the Death Eater robes seemed to melt open, exposing the long, silk, black gown he had carefully chosen, replete with silver serpent buttons from neck to ankle. Under that, he wore nothing.

He felt the hiss of pleasure on his cheek as the creature leant toward his body.

"You please me, my dear. I will never forget the first time you wore this for me." The Dark Lord's breath floated in Severus' ear.

Severus closed his eyes as the deed commenced. A pair of hands grabbed and kneaded Penelope's weighty breasts through the silk. He wanted to push the serpentine monster away and run from the room, but the fear of his cover being blown was greater than the desire to do so. Horrified, he noticed his body responding to the attention, and he watched as the nipples tightened beneath the Dark Lord's touch. An involuntary response, he reminded himself, similar to being exposed to a cold room.

Thankfully, the Dark Lord seemed to have little or no patience for foreplay. After a scant minute of intense exploration on the upper part of Penelope's body, Severus heard the beast mutter, "Exuviae," and Severus was left standing in the nude.

Obviously not one to waste time, the Dark Lord pulled Severus toward him and plunged a hand between Penelope's legs, fingers finding purchase amid the folds and curls. Severus could feel how dry he was. In fact, it seemed as though every bodily fluid had dried up in response to the creature's touch. But he knew he had to relax. He was supposed to be undercover; he was supposed to react as Penelope would. With a little shudder, he accepted that his right breast was being manhandled as well as the small bundle of nerves down below. With his eyes closed, he could almost push aside the knowledge...almost...that it was the Dark Lord manipulating his flesh. Picturing more pleasant moments with Hermione, he found that, despite his revulsion to the current situation, it was possible to relax enough to allow his body to respond to the stimulation, albeit slightly.

He kept reminding himself that to fight the feelings would arouse the Dark Lord's suspicions. Penelope obviously felt and exhibited desire in those memories he saw. She never did initiate anything; the Dark Lord was too demanding to allow that, and Severus felt relief that he would not be expected to do so. Hermione told him to do whatever he had to do. Had she suspected that he'd have to endure this?

Suddenly, Severus was pushed back to lie upon the table. The Dark Lord spread Penelope's legs wide apart to expose the sex before him. The creature's breath came in short bursts of excitement as it looked upon her flesh.

"Yessss, my lovely one. You are sssso beautiful," the voice hissed.

Severus resisted the temptation to open his eyes. It would be easier to deal with later if he did not look. Not to mention, if the memory needed to be reviewed after he discarded it within a Pensieve, there would be no need for anyone to be Obliviated.

A strange heaviness rested against his opening. He wondered vaguely at first what it was, until it penetrated and began to move with quick, jerky movements.

Severus gasped at the foreign sensation. He felt full. His body seemed to stretch around the width and length as the monster's appendage plunged into him. To feel this as a woman was indeed an experience of a different order. He wondered how it would feel under different circumstances, with a different partner. Analysing the sensations helped him to forget somewhat who was above him and allowed him to experience the tiniest bit of what Hermione must feel when they made love. While he most certainly was not enjoying what was happening, he could definitely see the allure to being a woman with a man inside, rather than the other way around. His mind latched on to Hermione and their relationship, and merely so that he could more accurately behave as Penelope would...at least in his body's response...he concentrated on experiencing the sexual act as Hermione would. He needed to make this as realistic as possible.

The Dark Lord may have been stingy on the foreplay, but he certainly was not selfish. Severus jumped slightly as Penelope's clitoris was found once again and firmly ground in circles in between the animalistic thrusts going on above him.

The creature sputtered in a language Severus had no desire at the moment to figure out. That could be translated later in the Pensieve for all he cared. All he knew was that it was sure to be over soon. Severus concentrated on Hermione and finding his own release...as Penelope undoubtedly would...and found to his surprise that it was building quietly and involuntarily with the extra stimulation. He seemed to be powerless against it. In fact, as it grew, he found himself curious and analysing the sensations once again. The tingling started out softly at his core and began to spread throughout his body. He thought of how Hermione's face looked before she came, and he relaxed into it, trying to emulate her.

In a state of disbelief that this body was about to climax, and relieved that his cover was not going to be blown, he held his breath, waiting for the grinding and the thrusting to complete the act. The penetrating hardness seemed to increase, and the rhythm faltered. Thank gods it was almost over, he thought, and then his body performed its final betrayal and began spasming around the creature's still thrusting cock.

The Dark Lord ceased his hissing and growled, bringing Severus' thoughts sharply and fully back to the creature above him. Severus felt the creature's organ throb inside of him, depositing its fluid with each thrust. And then the fullness was gone, and Severus was left lying upon the table, feeling the creature's seed slide out of his body, matting his pubic hair. Repulsion resurfaced full-force.

A couple cleansing charms...very thoughtful of the Dark Lord in Severus' opinion...and a "Vestio" later, Severus-as-Penelope found himself clean and dressed once again. He took a deep, shuddering breath, thankful for the safety of the heavy Death Eater robes that now enveloped his used body.

"Beautiful one," the creature crooned. "Splendid, as always."

"Thank you, my Lord." Severus prostrated himself once again, hoping that this indeed indicated his impending departure.

The creature sighed from above. "When this is all over, we will be together. Nothing will keep us apart, especially that fool Dumbledore."

"Yes, my Lord. I cannot wait," Severus diligently replied.

"Until next time then," the creature helped him once again to his feet.

"Until next time, my Lord," Severus replied and Disapparated.