Severus stepped from the apparition point, while also pulling on his Death Eater mask and robes. His thoughts were not on the meeting, not even the wrath of the Dark Lord himself could sway his thoughts from his son, who was at home and not well when he left him. He entered the circle and took his customary spot next to Lucius.

All of the Death Eaters bowed down as Voldemort entered the clearing, but it was Severus he walked up to. Severus gulped down the bile rising in his throat at the shell of a man standing before him. He could not figure out why the Dark Lord was still staring at him, and he dared not to look directly at him, instead he stayed in his kneeling position.

"Severus, my little snake. Rise and tell me why you have come here in the clothing of a muggle, and note that your answer should please me, or you will find yourself wishing you were dead."

Severus mentally kicked himself. He, in his rush had forgotten to change his clothing and now stood before the Dark Lord in trainers and the shorts.

"I was sent by that fool Dumbledore to a muggle apothecary to procure some valuable ingredients. I was told these are the items of clothing that were required for the task. I did not mean to arrive in such a state. Please forgive me milord," Severus said, bowing deeply and kissing the rotting hem of the Dark Lord's robes.

"No matter your instructions from that fool Dumbledore, you arrived before me in these rags. You shall suffer for your lack of thought, Crucio!"

Severus bit down on his lip so hard it bled to keep from screaming out, but Voldemort did not yet release him. It felt like all the other times he had been placed under the curse, only this time he could have sworn he heard screaming in his mind. Before he could grasp what it was, he was released from the curse.

"Stand!" Voldemort ordered, and Severus rose on shaky feet.

Severus had to repress the urge to scream out from his injuries. His mind was still whirling as the crowd of Death Eaters parted and a man and his wife were dragged into the circle by Lucius, who flung them both to the ground, spitting at their feet.

Voldemort turned to Crabbe and Goyle, "Take the woman, do with her what you will. She shall be an example sent to our enemies." Voldemort then turned to Severus, who was favoring his right leg now, his left one bleeding from the rock he had fallen on.

"Severus, you shall prove the allegations that have come to me about you being a traitor untrue. You shall rid us of this muggle, and I wish to see him suffer."

Severus bowed down to Voldemort, and when he did he wiped a tear from his eye. He knew he would have to kill this man or be killed himself. When he stood upright again his face was a mask of anger and bitterness, something he had practiced for years, but inside his heart was breaking. He would someday kill Lucius also, for he knew that the pitiful excuse for a wizard had been the one filling the Dark Lord's head with these thoughts.

"Crucio!" he said, sending the curse toward the defenseless man. The man writhed and squirmed on the ground, but his predicament only sent waves of laughter throughout the circle of Death Eaters.

When Severus looked up he saw Voldemort nodding his approval, and then sent a bone breaking curse at the man. The man's screams echoed around the clearing, but Severus had tuned him out. Severus heard screams, yes, but not the man who lay before him on the verge of death, he heard Harry.

Severus threw the next curse without looking at the man. He did not want to see those pleading eyes again. Severus watched as the man drew his final breath and the Death Eaters dragged his body away. He stood before the Dark Lord and again bowed.

"You did well, my little snake. You will not show up in the attire of muggles again, no matter what that old fool Dumbledore says."

"Yes, my lord," Severus said. keeping his eyes averted. All of this was in vain as Voldemort sent the hex flying toward him. Severus knew that he would not hold it long. No matter how much Voldemort hated him, he was valuable enough to keep around.

Severus held back his screams as long as he could, but the pain of the curse was too much, and he finally let loose a moan of pain. This seemed to satisfy Voldemort, and the curse was lifted. The meeting ended very shortly after that, and Severus took off for the apparition point, pushing past a still gloating Lucius along the way. Severus had been worried at first that Lucius was going to recognize his clothing from earlier in the day, but, as always, Lucius was to preoccupied in the death of the muggle to notice anything.

When Severus arrived near his home, he took off in a run. He could have sworn he had heard Harry screaming when he was at the meeting. Severus' legs still had not recovered fully, and when he swiped the sweat from his brow, his hand came back covered in blood. Knowing Lucy would help him, Severus staggered on toward the house.

Lucy had been in the kitchen wetting the blood soaked cloth when the door swung open. Her master now stood just inside the doorway, clothes in disarray, hair caked in blood, and looking pale even by his standards.

"I am glad to see all is in order here," he said, grabbing the back of the chair to keep from falling.

"What does sir mean?" Lucy asked, wringing the cloth out and grabbing the glass of water on the counter.

"It is nothing; I thought I heard Harry screaming, but it was only my imagination."

Lucy gulped and tugged on Severus' sleeve. "Young Harry was screaming. He stopped, but not before begging someone to simply kill him. He cried and cried, and Lucy did not know how to stop the pain. There was so much blood, and Master Harry kept saying the Dark Lord's name."

Severus jumped from the chair, rushing to Harry's room and flung open the door. Harry was lying motionless on the bed, the sheets around his head covered in blood that seemed to be seeping from his scar.

"What happened here!" he screamed.

"Master Harry kept saying over and over that you were hurting, that the Dark Lord was punishing you for wearing the clothes he told you to wear. I tried to convince him it was not so, but he then started screaming and bleeding. He only stopped twenty minutes ago."

Severus shook his head. This could not be happening, not to Harry. It had been twenty minutes since Severus had gotten to his feet and arrived back home. Did this mean Harry felt all the pain from the meetings with the Dark Lord? Looking down at the small form of his son, Severus knew the answer. Gathering Harry into his arms, he took the boy to the sitting room and told Lucy to watch him while he went to get some potions.

Severus' legs were shaky and his movements down the hall sent waves of nausea through him, but he needed to get the potions. It did not take long before Severus was back with them, and Lucy helped him to sit Harry up, while Severus poured the potions bit by bit down Harry's throat. Harry gasped then choked, but Severus was glad that he had awoken at all, that was until the screams started again.

"Daddy! Do not hurt my Daddy!"

Severus' heart broke into a million pieces. Harry was so small, and yet he had seen things too horrible for a grown wizard. He wrapped his arms around his son, tears rolling from his eyes, down his ashen face.

"Harry, I am here. Wake up for me, son."

Harry's eyes fluttered open and, at the sight of his father, his tears started anew.

"Daddy, you are here now. Why did the bad man hurt you? Why was that man screaming? Daddy, I am scared," Harry sniffled into the folds of his father's arms.

Severus gathered Harry up into his arms and sat back on the couch, his own body begging for much needed rest.

"Does sir wish for me to turn down the bed for Master Harry?"

"No, thank you, Lucy. Harry shall be sleeping with me tonight," Severus said, picking up Harry and walking toward his room. Once he laid Harry down, Severus took off his own blood soaked clothes. His injuries pained him, but the sight of Harry curled into a ball shivering from fear had all thoughts of anything but him fleeing from his mind. Tomorrow they would have to talk about what had happened, but for now Severus took the remaining potion and laid down beside Harry to sleep.

Harry rolled over in his sleep and grabbed Severus' arm, laying his head down on it. Severus looked down at his son and wondered how he could ever live without him. Harry was his sole purpose for living. His son loved him unconditionally, unlike the love he had thought he would receive from following the Dark Lord. Grabbing hold of Harry, Severus pulled him closer, resting his arm across Harry in a protective gesture. Who would have known the Potions Master of Hogwarts loved nothing more than dragon clad pajamas and the little boy filling them. Kissing Harry upon the head, Severus succumbed to the potion and fell into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Next chapter is coming soon