ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 36: Bindweed

It was quiet in the Gryffindor common room. Heavy angular wall clock went 'ticktock', never before had Remus heard this sound.

It has always been so joyful and bustling in the Gryffindor Tower. But not now. Cheerful cries of juniors, jokes of Marauders, meowing-croaking pets, colorful conjured flap-flops, all this has disappeared.

Moony sat in his favorite chair by the extinguished fireplace staring stupidly at charred logs. James wasn't speaking to him, Lily wasn't smiling at him, nobody laughed at Gryffindor anymore.

"Everything will be fine, Remus," Emily said quietly, unconvincingly. "Let's go to sleep."

✨ ✨ ✨

Malfoy Manor, a week before

"She can be very useful, my Lord!" Severus Snape almost shouted, kneeling on the floor. "You don't understand!

Lucius Malfoy in a snow-white shirt and a dark blue frock coat stood beside them, his hair in the light of magical lamps seemed pearly. Malfoy looked at Snape contemptuously, silently enjoying the show.

"My Lord," Severus crawled to the wizard. "My Lord, she's the most talented witch! Much, much better than me!"

"She has dirty blood, Severus."

"Me too!"

Malfoy's face twisted, and he stared in awe at his former house mate. Snape is not a pureblood? But how?!

"I won't brew this damn potion! No!"

"Here's how?" the Lord didn't get angry, he was simply surprised.

"Yes!" Severus breathed heavily, looking at Voldemort with his anthracite eyes.

"And if I... let's say, kill you?" Voldemort moved his hand as if he was squeezing a flea between his fingers and smiled affectionately.

"I don't care," Snape said hollowly, not even pondering the answer.

"Or torture you..."

"I don't care," Snape repeated louder and shook his head. His dirty hair clung to his forehead like the tentacles of a slimy octopus.

The silence was filled with Snape's heavy, hoarse breathes and quiet whispering of Death Eaters, their eyes pricking Severus's back. It seemed to potions-master that one more moment and his heart would be torn apart. But instead, the silence swayed and fell apart with Voldemort's long, tired sigh.

"I don't understand this affection, Severus," the Lord closed his eyes.

Death Eaters looked at each other in surprise: there was no hint of anger in the Lord's voice, he was just interested.

"But, perhaps, Severus," Lord smiled, "I will yield to you."

Malfoy, watching the scene, shuddered and stared at Voldemort. Death Eaters looked at Snape like at a fly that magically turned into a unicorn.

"You will... you allow me?" Snape's eyes flashed. He couldn't even for a moment allow himself to think that the Lord would agree. He expected death, torture, anything, but the miracle happened.

Snape sobbed and, looking up at his master, thought that there was no smile more beautiful than the one that now spread over the pale face of the dark wizard.

"Good servants need to be rewarded, Severus. Let it be my little gift to you," Voldemort nodded graciously. "In case, of course, that you'll successfully cope with the potion."

It seemed that Severus would hug Voldemort, but the guy reasonably suppressed the impulse and stepped back. Malfoy looked at him with a childhood grudge. Some kind of upstart, wretched mudblood wizard bargained a whole human life for himself while Malfoy had to spend the hardest three weeks inventing all sorts of ideas for the Lord.