Disclaimer: Except for some OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling. This chapter takes place within the timeline of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

“Master, I apologize for the delay.” Severus knelt and kissed the hem of the robe before him.

“And here is my servant who I thought lost to me forever, returned, after all this time? Crucio!”

Had it always felt this way? Had he grown soft in all those years? Perhaps, or possibly the Dark Lord had many years of rage and anger to release as he punished what he considered to be transgressions against him.

“I called for you two hours ago, Severus, where have you been? And what have you been doing all of these years, when you might have helped me? Enjoying the comforts and delights to be found in the bosom of your wife and family, no doubt?”

“Human weakness, Master. We felt such grief the day you were taken from us, and right away our son was born, too soon. He did not survive his birthday. Death Eaters were arrested right and left, I was accused, and by the time it was all over, I could not find a trace of you anywhere.”

“I don't think you looked hard enough. Crucio!”

“No, Master,” he gasped out. Oh, the agony. How did he deal with it before?

“And why did you thwart Quirrell and me?”

“Quirrell seemed so unworthy, it made no sense. If I had realized, if you had given me a sign, I would have behaved differently...”

“Perhaps.” It was a different curse this time and he felt a pain in his arm. “Why are you so late tonight?”

“Master, I was protecting my role with Dumbledore. The fool thinks he sent me to you, just now. I also have information based on tonight's events.”

“Well?”

Severus straightened up to take the chair he was offered. “I was there as Potter returned with the Diggory boy. I heard his story of your rebirth and I saw Cornelius Fudge himself refuse to believe it.”

“Truly?”

“Yes, and I regret to tell you that Barty Crouch has been kissed by a Dementor. He told a story of working for you this entire school year to Dumbledore, but Fudge didn't hear it. Before Fudge could ask any questions of Crouch, the Dementor came...” It was hard to describe what he had seen. Voldemort caught a glimpse of the memory as Severus brought it forth.

“My most loyal servant all these years, reduced to uselessness... Fudge will pay. You have brought useful information, Severus. Dumbledore stands alone, then, and the Ministry will not help him?”

“He's gathering his Order together, but they are scattered to the winds.”

“Scattered to the winds...While my own circle has come to surround me this night with very little exception. I shall have a mighty advantage, made greater by your information, Severus. And you are well placed in your surroundings?”

“They do not suspect a thing. They think I spy for them on you.”

“Ah, that's gratifying. How is the delectable Emily? I assume by now you know of my plans for her. I hear she was delivered of a son recently?”

“Yes, Master. The boy thrives and she does well.”

“I was unaware of it before tonight. A year ago when Wormtail came to me, I assembled ingredients of a potion Quirrell found for me while at Hogwarts. I used snake venom but another substance would have served better. It's a shame I didn't know of your wife's pregnancy. I might have waited under the circumstances for the other substance as it would have restored me to a more human form. Up until now I required snake venom just to keep me in that form.”

Severus realized what he meant and pulled out the vial Emily had given him, offering it to the person before him. He was startled by the laugh that came from the lipless mouth.

“Such devotion! I see you are my servant after all to make such an offer. Unfortunately I cannot use it, now. I shall have to wait until I am finally able to kill Potter. One last spell and then I shall be ready to get my heir.” Severus hoped his face showed the proper reluctant acceptance of this dictate. “Don't worry, Severus, you will be compensated at that time.”

“Yes, Master.”

“My thoughts turn to the prophecy you brought me so many years ago. I wish to re-enter your memories.”

Severus prepared for the pain of the Dark Lord's Legilimency, feeling his mind ransacked as ever in a search for more information. Fortunately or unfortunately he had none to give.

“It becomes clear that you did not hear it all, Severus. A shame. The remainder may hold the clue of how to destroy the Potter boy once and for all. You have failed me in this.” He used the Cruciatus Curse one last time, although less strongly than before. It was odd that the red eyes could have an almost loving look in them as he applied the torture this time.

“You have served me well this night, Severus. Continue to raise Death Eaters for me and bring me information such as you have brought tonight. You could become my most trusted servant after all, more valuable than my circle of Death Eaters, to which you do not belong.”

Snape bowed again and backed out of the room. It took all the self control he had left to rise and stride purposefully to where he could Apparate. He ached in every joint from the curses, his head was pounding from the search it had received, and what exactly had been done to his arm? His own thoughts turned toward Emily and comfort.

---

As the Headmaster and the Healer watched, a shape formed just outside the gate. Dumbledore opened the gate and Emily slipped through it, just in time to catch her stumbling husband. She turned and brought him with her inside the school grounds and onto the path that would most quickly bring them to their own quarters.

“Do you need help?” asked the Headmaster.

“We Healers have our methods,” answered Emily, simply.

“I had thought my office--”

“You are welcome to join us, Albus, but I'm taking him to the comforts of his own surroundings.” She practically tossed the words over her shoulder. The man in her arms gave half a chuckle and then a gasp of pain. Sometimes there was no arguing with Emily and one simply did as she said.

Dumbledore sent a message to Hagrid that Severus had arrived by the gate and followed the Snapes into the castle. Emily brought Severus into their quarters and helped him lie on the couch, then went and gathered her supplies. It was sadly odd how easily this pattern returned to her. Emily cast her charms and used her ointments, asking a quiet question here and there while her husband and Dumbledore discussed what had happened with the Dark Lord and how it affected the future. Severus left out the portions concerning Emily, feeling they were unnecessary to the Headmaster.

“So he seeks the prophecy,” Dumbledore mused. “We shall have to protect the record and the Seer. The only person to hear it in full is me, so I think we are covered there.”

“He thinks you are alone and weak, while he is surrounded by his Death Eaters,” said Severus. “He assumes he can control much due to the ignorance of the Ministry.”

“He's not wrong on that last score. Cornelius will be extremely difficult to work with next year.” The Headmaster stood. “You are no doubt exhausted from your work tonight, and Emily is holding your sleeping potion and looking daggers at me. We can discuss more tomorrow if need be, Severus.”

“Good night, Headmaster.”

Emily guided her husband into the bedroom and helped him with his night time arrangements. She had just gotten him settled in when Brendon demanded her attention. She sat on the bed next to her husband and fed the baby as Severus watched in pleasure.

“You may have been right about that vial you gave me. It may have saved me, after all.”

“What did you do with it?”

“I offered it to him. He was discussing ingredients of the potions he used to take shape again and said that it was unfortunate that he didn't know you would be having a baby.”

“What did he do with it?” Emily wasn't sure she wanted to know.

“He didn't take it, but he thought that if I would offer something like that, given to me by my wife, that it was a show of great loyalty to him.”

“Hmmm...I don't think the Muggle journals would consider turning away the wrath of maniacal wizards to be in the same league as the effects they've published.”

Severus smiled. “If he succeeds in destroying Potter, he will want you, but not before. Then you will have to decide.”

“Is there a decision to be made, Severus? Are we to survive at all costs, like the Malfoys, or do we have a preference in this fight? Is one side truly better than the other, or do we play both sides against the middle and hope for a better day?”

Severus put his hand over the baby's head. “We have Hope to consider, and we have this young prince. He thinks of them as future Death Eaters and instructed me to provide him with more. Is it better to ensure their lives as servants of such evil or to work at risk of their lives but provide them a world without such horror as we have witnessed?”

“I suppose we know the answer but are too tired to acknowledge it.”

He dozed as the baby nursed. Emily looked down upon her son and over to her husband, feeling safe for the moment but worrying a bit about the next summons. After a while her nipple was released and the little face scrunched into her breast shifted. She patted him on the back, bringing up a bubble as she carried him to the crib in the next room and then returned to the bed.

“Is the baby down?”

“Yes, he should sleep for around six hours, now.”

He waited until she got into the bed and then rested his head against her in the way that he always found comforting. She held him to her with one arm while with the other she summoned a hankie. She watched as he slept. The small cloth caught the tears she would never let him see.

A/N: I hope everyone has been enjoying their holidays. Thank you for stopping by to read my story. I have really enjoyed the reviews I have received, too. Thank you especially, to Trickie Woo, for great beta reading.