The Boy who lived and The Boy who survived (Drarry)

Chapter 19: Darkness Arising

2 years ago. Summer before 7th Year. Malfoy Manor.

Snape stride through the gates of Malfoy Manor and throwing the darkly lit garden. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge, a fountain was playing. Snape strode towards the front door, which swung inwards at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.

The hallway was large, dimly lit and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the walls followed Snape as he strode past. Snape eventually stopped at a black ornate door and turned the silver handle.

The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly up against the walls. Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. Snape lingered for a moment on the threshold.

"Severus..." aid a high, clear voice from the head of the table. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd lost your way..."

Voldemort was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. His dark red eyes stared at Severus as he chuckled darkly.

"Come..." said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right which was next to another Death Eater, which Snape had not seen before, who was hooded. The person's face was hidden. "We've saved you a seat."

Snape whipped his cloak around and sat down on to the black chair.

"You bring news, I trust?"

"It will happen Saturday next... at nightfall." Snape said darkly without looking away from Voldemort.

"I've heard differently, My Lord..." Yaxley had leaned forward to look down the long table at Voldemort and Snape. All faces turned to him. "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen-"

"-This is a false trial." Snape interrupted with a sneer. "The Auror Office no longer plays any part in the protection of Harry Potter... Those closest... to him believed we have infiltrated the Ministry."

"Well they got that right, haven't they?" said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley; he gave a wheezy giggle that was echoed here and there along the table by the others.

Voldemort did not laugh. His gaze had wandered upwards, to the body revolving slowly overhead, and then looked over at the far end of the other side of the table and then back to Snape and looked at him darkly.

"Where will he be taken?" Voldemort asked "The Boy?"

"To a safe house,"said Snape. "Most likely the home of someone in the Order until he's been given every manner of protection possible, once there it will be impractical to attack him."

"And what of the other boy," Voldemort said darkly. "Draco?"

Everyone was quiet as the silent atmosphere turned thicker, so thick you can cut it with a knife.

"My Lord... I have been unable to locate him since the attack that night at Hogwarts." Snape said, nothing on his face gave away the slight fear that was inside of him. "After Harry Potter had attacked us Draco escaped along with him."

The true events of what happened that night are only known to Severus and Narcissa. However, Snape modified Bellatrix's memories into thinking that Harry had attacked her that night, causing her to faint and running away with Draco, instead of it being Narcissa, who Snape modified in Bella's memories as cold and ruthless while Lucius died, when in truth, was mourning deeply for her husband.