Decimotercero

Forbidden Obsession

Decimotercero

"Lucius," hissed Voldemort, "You will stay." The Dark Lord had dismissed the rest of his Death Eaters. "You requested to speak with me earlier. Speak."

With Voldemort's return three years ago, Severus had quickly moved up in ranks, and it was no secret that Lucius was envious of the attention his old friend had received from their Master.

"Thank you, my Lord. According to my son, Draco, Severus has been faithful to the heirs of current Death Eaters while at Hogwarts." The Dark Lord nodded. "But on several occasions when Draco seized the opportunity to bring Potter and his friends down a peg or two, Severus would always appear from the shadows, terminating their fun before it began."

"Obviously a ploy of his charade," responded Voldemort. Raising his wand, he pointed to Lucius. "You will not waste my time because your son and his friends are not capable of executing adolescent games on their own."

Lucius flinched but quickly spoke, "No, my Lord, there is more. Severus may be indecisive as to where his loyalties lie." The Dark Lord lowered his wand.

"Continue."

"I believe Severus will wait until the final battle and then join the winning side. Until that final battle occurs, he is serving two Masters." Voldemort got to his feet and slowly walked around Lucius. Lucius realized he had his attention and continued, "A man cannot serve two Masters. He will love one and hate the other. Which one does he despise, my Lord? You or Dumbledore?"

"Do you have proof of such accusations, Lucius?" he hissed.

"No, my Lord."

"You do realize the consequences of your accusations, Lucius?"

"I do, my Lord. It is against our nature to degrade and dishonor a fellow Death Eater, but, my Lord, I serve only you and for me to withhold information from you would be dishonoring you." Lucius bowed his head and waited his punishment.

"CRUCIO!" cried Voldemort. While Lucius' body shook from the curse, the Dark Lord was pondering the placement of Severus' true loyalties.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucius staggered into Bellatrix' room and collapsed on her bed. His blonde hair was spread across his face, stuck to the beads of perspiration from enduring an unforgivable. His breathing was staggered and he winced from the tremors his body he had endured.

"What did he say?" Bellatrix shrieked upon seeing him. "What did our Master say when you told him?" She had been anxiously awaiting Lucius' return.

"The ... the potion..." Lucius stammered. Bellatrix retrieved a vial of Pepper-Up potion and handed it to him. He took it with shaking hands and drank the contents. Within seconds he felt a calmness take over. His eyes retreated to Bellatrix as a smile consumed his face. "My reward, first," he hissed. Grabbing her by the throat, he claimed her mouth in a lust-filled kiss.

Bellatrix melted under his kiss, and between her legs dampness took over. Lucius stood up, bringing her with him. Pushing her against the wall, he pinned her down by her throat with one hand and used his other to tear the clothes from her body. Her breasts were exposed along with her womanhood.

"Let's see how bad you want me," he hissed, thrusting his fingers into her. She was wet and ready, just as she always was. Pumping her with his fingers he brought them out. They glistened with her warm liquid and he offered them to her. "Taste yourself, Bellatrix. See why men are addicted to you."

Obediently she opened her mouth and greedily sucked his fingers clean. Lucius watched her as she worked her tongue on his fingers. His erection was pressing against his trousers, begging for release. He could wait no longer. Unfastening his trousers, he released his cock. Lying back down on the bed, he motioned for her to join him. Bellatrix dropped to her knees giving him the first of many rewards promised.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The meeting of the Order took place that next Saturday. With his hands held out, Albus brought the room to silence. The disarray was soon put to rest as he began to speak.

"Allow me to extinguish any doubts or concerns you may be having. Please join us..." He turned to a side door and gestured someone toward him. It was Remus Lupin, alive as ever. Realizing his death had been staged, most of the members of the Order jumped to their feet and welcomed Remus "back from the dead." Hermione felt a twinge of guilt due to her interference on the night of his "death" so she decided to wait her turn and speak with him later.

Severus Snape remained in the corner, arms crossed with a smug look on his face. He was well aware of the accusations and threats that had been directed to him over Remus' death. This was not the first time he had been misjudged and he knew it would not be the last. Nothing needed to be said.

When the meeting was over, Hermione found Remus in one of the side rooms, alone. Closing the door behind her, she quietly approached him.

"Remus," she said, walking toward him. He turned to face her. Hermione was so overjoyed to see him that she threw her arms around his neck and embraced him. He had a pungent odor of alcohol about him. "I can't begin to express how pleased I am that you are alive." Remus didn't return her embrace. Instead he pulled her arms off him and turned his back to her.

"Hermione, you say that like you have forgiven me." His voice was cold.

"Forgive you? For what?" she asked, confused by his behavior.

Turning around to face her, he hissed, "Do you not remember that I tried to kill you?" Hermione's eyes widened at his sudden display of anger. His hair was a mess, falling across his face.

"It...it wasn't you...it was the werewolf...he tried..." He stepped closer to her and she stepped back in fear. His breath was wreaked with alcohol. His clothes were tattered and filthy.

"I am the werewolf," he snapped. Hermione tried stepping away from him but with every step she took, he closed in. "Even now you fear me."

"Remus, I..."

"Step away from her, Remus, or else we won't have to worry about keeping your survival a secret," said Severus in a low threatening voice. Relief washed over her when she heard his voice. She quickly moved behind Severus. Remus' eyes looked at her and then Severus.

With a smug look on his face, Remus said, slurring slightly, "Yes, I did hear that you were the hero in this particular situation." He took a glass, filled it from the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey and drank it. "Tell me, Severus, how does it feel to play the part of a hero? It's a new role for you, am I correct?"

Severus made a movement forward, but Hermione grabbed onto his arm, holding him back. Again Remus' eyes fell on Hermione, and he snorted. Filling his glass again, he drained it. Placing it down on the table next to the nearly empty bottle, he turned to face both Severus and Hermione.

"So, Severus," slurred Remus, still looking at Hermione, "I've never known for you to keep a woman around so long. She must be good."

Severus launched himself forward, knocking Remus back into the table that held the bottle of firewhiskey and glass. It splintered underneath the weight of both men. As Remus lay on his back, Severus reached out and grabbed him by the front of this shirt, pulling him up.

"You will not speak of her," he hissed in a deadly tone before throwing Remus across the room. Remus slammed into the wall, bringing down a tapestry. Staggering to his feet, Remus threw the tapestry off his body and drew his wand.

"Accio, wood!" cried Remus. A larger part of the table that had shattered flew into Remus' hand. Severus drew his own wand, but before he could cast a spell, the wooden stake came flying at him, piercing him in the chest.

Severus' body flew backward, slamming into the opposite wall. Seeing the stake protruding from Severus' chest, Hermione let out a scream, alerting the others.

"Shut up!" Severus hissed to her. Grabbing her by the arm, he left the room through a different door while the others entered.

"Remus!" cried Tonks, who was one of the first to arrive. The others had their wands drawn, prepared for the unexpected. She quickly moved to his side and knelt down next to him. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he hissed, trying to get to his feet. Just as he managed to do so, he toppled over on his face, passing out. Tonks looked up at the others and then at Albus.

"I can take care of this," she said. Albus nodded and escorted the others out of the room.

There was a silent understanding of why Remus was drunk. He was basically under house arrest, just as Sirius had been.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus entered one of the many bedrooms, bringing Hermione with him. Warding the door behind them, he turned his attention to the piece of wood sticking out of his chest. Hermione stared in shock as he yanked the piece of wood out. Blood immediately oozed from the wound but before Hermione could even react, the gaping hole closed and the wound healed itself.

Trying to comprehend what she had just witnessed, she took a few deep breaths and just stared at him. Not knowing what to say, she sat down. The silence in the room was uncomfortable so she spoke.

"Why would Remus do that?" she asked. Severus placed the last of the charms on his clothes, repairing the tears from the wooden stake.

"It's his twisted sense of humor. All those years he spent with Black rubbed off on him," he sneered. Hermione didn't find the humor in the comment. "Hermione, he tasted human blood. He's given up. His soul is condemned."

"But I survived. I'm not a werewolf."

"It's not about survival, it's about tasting human blood."

It was the first time Hermione had spoken to Severus directly since the night of the attack and now that she was here, alone with him, she didn't know what to say. She should have been concerned about Remus, but something else took over her thoughts and emotions. All she could do was just watch Snape, admiring him, understanding what he was yet not knowing what he was. Her eyes traveled the length of his body, from his legs to his chest to his face. His eyes met hers and suddenly she was thrown into an indescribable sense of urgency to become his. Severus quickly looked away, reminding himself it had to be her choice and he could not influence her.

She got to her feet and walked toward him. Taking his hand in hers, she raised it to her mouth and kissed it just as he had done. She then looked up at him with her dark brown eyes and began to whisper, "I..."

"Severus, Miss Granger, will you please join us?" said a voice. Hermione spun around to see the Headmaster standing in the doorway with a very grave expression. Clearly the wards had not kept him out. "We are waiting for your presence so that dinner can be served."

~TBC

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