The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 49

Voldemort stashed his wand in his sleeve. "I am the source of my power." He flicked his index finger and released Tobias, who immediately rose to his feet and charged at him. Severus opened his mouth to warn the Dark Lord of Tobias' fighting skill, but Lucius shushed him before he'd uttered anything. Another flick of Voldemort's finger sent Tobias crashing into a bookcase. He rose more cautiously this time and circled Voldemort, looking for a weakness to attack. Tobias slowly inched his way forward hoping to take Voldemort by surprise. His balled right fist shot forward in a flash, but was stopped by an invisible force before it connected with Voldemort's ribs. Again Tobias was flung across the room; he landed on a small table that broke under his weight. Each time Tobias was knocked down, the Dark Lord allowed him to rise and try again. Tobias began to tire, but his determination didn't wane.

Tobias sailed across the room; his head hit the fireplace mantle and set off one of Eileen's booby traps. A small grouping of poisoned darts shot out, one of which grazed Tobias' shoulder. A flick of Voldemort's finger sent the darts flying into the cushion of Tobias' chair. Tobias was dazed, tired, and breathing heavily. The poison's effect began almost immediately, but its ultimate effect took a little time. Tobias' heavy breathing turned into a struggle for breath. His chest heaved, but he was unable to draw in enough air. His skin and lips turned blue and his eyes rolled wildly in their sockets. He clawed at his throat and tried to pry his mouth open even wider. It took nearly five minutes for Tobias to die.

Lord Voldemort was enraged that his fun had been taken away from him. He wanted to kill the filthy muggle himself, but was deprived of the pleasure because of Eileen's bizarre booby trap. He whirled around and stalked up the stairs in search of her. Severus moved to follow, but Lucius caught his arm.

"Best not to annoy him further, Severus."

Eileen was easy to find; her bedroom door was open and she lay on her bed in her tattered housedress. The bedroom smelled strongly of sweat and faintly of body soil. Voldemort wrinkled his nose as he entered. The ruckus downstairs had roused Eileen, but she wasn't quite able to rise just yet. The sight of Tom Riddle standing at the foot of her bed startled her and she jumped up only to get dizzy and fall back down onto her dirty yellow-stained pillow.

"What have you done to yourself, Eileen?" Voldemort's expression was dour, his voice low. "I recall a promising pureblooded young witch with many worthy suitors. And now I see a muggle-loving wretch who is too hungover to even sit up." Some of what Tom said was true. She was undoubtedly a pureblood and though she was somewhat lacking in magical ability, her keen intelligence more than made up for her magical failings. As for her suitors; yes, she had them, but they wanted to ally themselves with her powerful father and had no real affection for her.

Eileen desperately wanted a man to love her for herself, and she thought she'd found that man in Tobias. He was fun-loving and agreeable until she told him that she was pregnant with Severus and they were forced to marry for propriety's sake. Their marriage was a relatively happy one until Severus came along and Tobias learned how expensive raising a child could be. Tobias wasn't a good provider and had no intentions of becoming one. He had no interest whatsoever in his newborn son and Eileen named the baby with no input at all from Tobias. He and Eileen fought almost constantly over money and their tenuous relationship quickly crumbled.

"Are you just going to lay there, Eileen? Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"Let me be, Tom. My life is my own business."

Voldemort was rankled by the use of his muggle name. "I—am—Lord—Voldemort," he said through gritted teeth.

A swell of aristocratic pride welled up in Eileen. "My dear father refused to call you by that ridiculous title and so do I," growled Eileen as she slowly pushed herself up to sit with her back against the bed's headboard. "Cassian Prince was a noble wizard, not a pathetic half-blood despot like you."