Chapter 41: Submission Before The Dark One

Snape's Quarters, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

Severus Snape had been awakened in the middle of the night as sweat poured off his pale lean form in waves. The taste of blood had been stronger than anything he had ever willingly eaten or drank in regard to bitterness. The onset of the dream...like something attempted to call him as he slept. He could feel the beast raging within trying desperately to get out of the confines of it's fleshy prison. He had barely gotten over being jolted out of his slumber when the sudden searing pain ripped through him from the dark mark on his left forearm. The pale wizard flung himself out of bed falling rather brokenly to the cold stone floor below him as he tried to get to his wardrobe. He was being summoned and he had not known wither it would be the dark lord of Lucius this time. The prospect of his werewolf side coming out in the presence of the dark lord had occurred to him. The despot hated the beasts for as long as Snape could remember. He knew it did not bode well if it were known about his ability to become one of them. Certainly, with Greyback dead there would be little chance of the despot knowing but that didn't mean he didn't have other less conspicuous eyes on the werewolves.

Scrambling to put on his dreaded death eater robes, Snape grabbed his mask and tightened his grip on his wand. The beast within wanted nothing more than to escape the confines of it's fleshy prison and challenge the one who dared issue a command to it. The rule of anyone Hircine had been nothing more than a running joke to it as it lashed out slipping behind the mask of calm as Snape took a breath. He disapparted from Hogwarts and composed himself at the edge of the forbidden forest.

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Open Field, Unknown location...

Snape found himself standing in the center of an open field as the despot known as Lord Voldemort stood clad in his gray death eater robes with his sleek serpent like flesh and equally serpent like face as his eyes glowed an eerie red color. Snape had not been present when the dark lord made his grand reemergence nor had he been at the subsequent revels that followed. He had been biding his time knowing that when the despot did call for him...he would have to submit himself before him like before ready for whatever punishment he was to endure at the despots hands.

"S-S-Severus-s-s." hissed the despot as he eyed the newly arrived Potions Professor. "How nice of you to join us-s-s."

Snape fought to quell his rising temper. It had been clear that the Alpha that resided within him had not thought Tom Riddle fit to rule over it. He blocked the urge to rip into the despot with his wolfish fangs by stroking the beast's ego in the name of studying it's prey. For the time being at least, they both seemed to be of one accord.

"My lord." said Snape dropping to his knees before the dark lord kissing the helm of his tattered gray robes. "I've heard you've returned..."

"And yet you have not come to see me before I elected to summon you." said Voldemort minus the hiss for the most part of his speech.

"I could not simply give away my position within Hogwarts my lord." explained Snape. "Though you are right to find fault with me for not attending your return party my lord."

Voldemort smiled an eerie smile as he drew his wand.

"I have doubts about you S-S-Severus-s-s." he said aiming the wand at Snape. "Of course given my newly awakened status I must put them at ease you understand."

"I do my lord." replied Snape in his usual emotionless tone.

"You see when we last spoke...Lily Potter ended up on the business end of this very wand." said Voldemort searching for any flare of emotion or flicker of rage behind the Potions Master's vacant gaze.

"I remember my lord." replied Snape emotionless as ever.

Voldemort offered another strange smile.

"S-S-Severus-s-s you should have come to see me sooner...then your punishment would have been over by now." hissed the despot.

Snape braced himself hoping the wolf spirit that dwelled within did not make itself known in the process.

"Crucio!" shouted Voldemort as he aimed his accursed wand at the Potions Professor.

In an instant Snape felt his knees buckle and his legs give way causing him to collapse onto his back writhing in agony.

"Crucio!" shouted the despot once more adding to the pain that had already been gripping the ebony clad wizard.

Snape's long pale fingers dug into the hardened earth below his palms as he struggled to keep control of himself and fight through the pain.

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Elsewhere...

Hermione Granger's amber eyes opened rather forcefully as she sat up in bed surrounded by the empty darkness of the Hogwarts Infirmary. She tossed off the covers and her bare feet came in contact with the cold stone floor below as she got out of bed. A node of panic went through her as she found herself searching in the darkness for Severus.

The bushy haired witch had been further distressed when Remus Lupin came rushing into the room. He had been expecting to find the Potions Master at the young Gryffindor witch's bedside and had been beyond disappointed to see that the ebony clad Slytherin had not been about the castle grounds.

"Severus is missing!" shouted Lupin pleased that she had managed to recover but distressed by their current situation "I...fear he's been called by Voldemort."

"We have to find him." said Hermione struggling to stand.

Lupin helped her support her weight.

"Your leg muscles are a bit out of sorts." he said offering his hand at an explanation for her symptoms. "Nothing to get excited about...you were just in bed for quite a while during recovery."

Hermione took a deep breath as she tried to ease the feeling back into her legs.

"Do you have any idea where he would be once they've finished with him?" asked the bushy haired witch.

Lupin shook his head.

"That's not exactly privileged information Miss Granger...Hermione." he said. "Severus usually brings himself back from these meetings one way or another...but it's likely he'll stop in the forbidden forest."

Hermione considered this.

"Then we have to get to him before he hurts someone." she said knowing all too well that a scared and injured Snape was bad enough in human form, but if he transformed due to his rage there was no telling what he would do in that state of mind.

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The Forbidden Forest, Wizarding World...

Beast-Mind:

Pain. There had been a good deal of it all over. He could hear the sound of rushing water and noted the taste of blood in the air. It had not been the blood of prey...it had been his blood. The faint scent of jasmine had been lingering in the area. The beast made his way toward it hoping to find the female. His minor hopes had been dashed. The urge to let out a mournful cry filled it and the beast sat back on it's haunches. Where was the female? Why had she not come? Why was she not listening? He had been hurt and afraid and so very alone in this dark place...he needed her.

Lupin's keen ears picked up the distant howl coming from the forbidden forest. It had been a mournful sound and almost made him want to go against his human nature and howl back in return. Hermione had insisted on tagging along despite her weakened condition and just awakening in the infirmary.

"That's him." said Hermione knowing that sound as if it had been common knowledge.

"Miss Granger...Hermione calm yourself...he's not going to be very agreeable when first encountered." warned Lupin.

"He wouldn't hurt me." replied the bushy haired witch before taking off.

The mournful howl came again this time leading Hermione to a small clearing near a bunch of trees. She could see him clear as day, his rather large muscular ebony fur clad form amid the shade of the trees even in darkness. His yellow eyes glowing as he let out another howl. The sound had been loud and piercing.

"I'm here, Severus." said Hermione coming from the bushes.

Her sudden movement seemed to startle the werewolf and he immediately coiled his body as if he had been poised for attack. A deep vicious growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

"Severus..." said the witch trying to get him to see reason.

She could tell he had been hurt pretty badly as it seemed difficult for him to keep one of his eyes open properly as he glared at her. His body coiled but she could see where he had been bleeding and he seemed to favor one side of his body over the other not really putting too much weight on his right arm.

"Please calm down." pleaded the bushy haired witch. "I'm not here to hurt you...Severus...I just want to get you better."

The werewolf growled fiercely as she took a step toward him.

Lupin knew better than to approach Snape given his state of mind though he linger so that he could offer assistance to Hermione should Snape chose to attack. He watched the two of them puzzled as to how they managed to form a relationship with the Potions Master being cursed as he was.

"Severus, please let me help you." said Hermione.

The ebony wolf didn't seem interested in her pleas. He growled louder baring his teeth as she stood there on the verge of trembling. The bushy haired witch had stepped on a twig and caused the wolf to launch himself at her. Lupin had attempted to protect her but was cast aside the instant the werewolf landed with his large body standing over the downed witch.

He growled again shoving his nose into her bushy hair. Hermione had been afraid then...not for herself but for Snape as he sniffed the exposed flesh of her neck. Saliva dripped from his open mouth running along his razor sharp teeth as he looked her over with a predatory gaze. She made no sudden movements as he continued to stare down at her as if daring her to move.

After a moment in this seemingly submissive state Snape seemed to have calmed down.

"Severus." said Hermione softly.

The werewolf simply laid himself on top of the witch licking at the tears falling down her pale cheeks. His tail waving back n forth stirring up dust and all kinds of debris. He let out a yelp noting in his excitement that he had found the female and that he had hurt himself with that display. He showed her that he had still been dominate and she had submitted.

Hermione sighed when Snape rubbed his rather large wolf's head against hers in a bid to show affection. She had been grateful that she could move again running her fingers along his wet nose and head. He rewarded her with a few casual licks across the cheek and hand. His low whimper caught her attention.

"Will you let me help you now?" she asked.

Snape rolled off her and onto his back stretching his very lengthy body before her and at the same time showing off his impressive appendage. Hermione smiled just a little before she looked him over. Snape grunted as she ran her hands along his soft underbelly coming in contact with his overly muscular pale flesh.

He closed his eyes at the warm sensation of her touch.

"You're going to have to calm down so that we can get you to the infirmary." she said at a loss as she examined him. "Madam Pomfrey can fix you up."

Snape licked his lips running his rather large tongue along his perfect razor sharp teeth.

"You're thirsty?" asked Hermione.

Snape whimpered and licked his lips again.

The bushy haired witch nodded and used her wand to conjure a pale of water. Snape let to his feet rolling around like a cat in mid air and attacked the bucket lapping up the water furiously as he looked at the witch gratefully. He emptied it and she refilled it according to his apparent desire when he stared at her.

Lupin watched from the safety of the shrubs that protected him. He had the wind knocked out of him a bit but he was fine otherwise. He peeked at Hermione's progress with Snape. He seemed to have calmed down a bit given his ordeal. She was giving him water to drink. The DADA Professor noted that his avid thirst was due to his healing factor causing his body to become overheated.

Snape let out a low groan before collapsing onto the ground.

"Come on." said Lupin coming from amid the shrubs as Snape reverted back to his human form. "Let's get him back to Hogwarts."

Hermione turned her attention back to Snape. He had been naked due to his transformation but she could see all too well where his injuries had been. His light trembling indicated that he had been cursed quite severely and she didn't doubt that it had been the despot himself that had done it given Harry's explanations of the curse by the despot's hand during fourth year.