Chapter 6

Severus woke when he heard footsteps and a door open. He didn't dare move and he kept his eyes shut.

"Don't pretend to be asleep Severus, I know you're awake."

This voice was familiar and Severus tried to turn so that he would see the face. However, his back was on fire and he hissed in pain. Lucius Malfoy rushed to Severus's side and knelt beside him.

"Drink this," he pressed a vial to Severus's lips who swallowed the contents. He recognised it as a Pain Relieving potion and an other vial was pressed to his lips. Blood Replenishing potion.

Memories of the other night were rushing to his mind about him being discovered, though Severus don't know how the Dark Lord found it out. 'Perhaps that traitorous Pettigrew saw me training Potter', he thought. Severus's last memory was about Lucius kneeling over him and wispering, but his words were spoken so softly that Severus really had to concentrate on hearing them.

'I'll get you out of this hell.'

And Lucius pressed a vial to Snape's lips secretly, so that neither the Dark Lord nor the Death Eaters were able to see it. Severus's felt the pain get better instantly, and in the next moment he heard Lucius snarling something and a white light, then he blacked out.

"What was that spell you used on me?" Severus asked Lucius.

"Falsus Mortem. It's a spell invented by me. It will cause the target to faint while making it look like he is being tortured. You were writhing on the floor and screaming. The Dark Lord thought I really tortured you, and he suspects nothing."

He looked at Lucius thoughtfully for a moment.

"Such a Slytherin way. You're the most Slytherin... Slytherin I've ever met if you tricked the most powerful Dark wizard in the world with this."

Malfoy laughed, and gave Severus some food and water.

"I have a plan. In a week, the Dark Lord wants to kill you so we'll have to be quick. At night, when most of the Death Eaters are on mission or at home, we'll break free, all right?"

He gave Snape a few more potions, then left. Severus looked around the room he was locked up in, and was disturbed and puzzled when he recognised it as a cell in the Tower. The Dark Lord rarely used it, only for the most important and dangerous prisoners would be locked up here. He frowned. He wasn't that important, but he took it as a compliment.

Severus looked over himself. Of course, Lucius couldn't have given him real healing spells, because the Dark Lord would know that he's not on the 'Dark' side. Severus had dozens of cuts that ranged from long to short, thin to thick, smooth to raised, clean to ragged, deep to shallow, and everything in between. His robes were a bloody mess. He had bruises and his left eye was swollen, but he could open it slightly. Dried blood was all over his face because of Bella's dagger.

Severus sighed and turned to be more comfortable. Darkness came as he closed his eyes.

-----

It had been five days since Snape was discovered. Harry had slept ten hours all in all these last days. Before, he always had that little fearful feeling deep in his heart when he went to sleep, that maybe Voldemort would send him another nightmare about him torturing people, and that he would have to suffer those curses he threw at the prisoners. But now, he was hoping that Voldemort would send him one so that Harry would know where Snape was, or, at least, if he was alive. So he tried to sleep and, to his bitterness, only darkness came. But after a while, he saw a little light to his right. Harry walked over and he was wrapped in the middle of a scene.

Snape was in a very bad shape. He was bleeding and he was severely injured. His right arm seemed to be broken and his hands kept twitching. The Mark on his left arm was barely visible for there was gore all over it. His face was the worst. He had this wicked, creepy smile on his face which was, by no dubt, made with a knife or such.

Voldemort had his wand on Snape and was casting a Cruciatus on him.

"Filthy, Moodblood-lover, traitorous coward. That's all you are, Severus. A coward. You deserve every course I use on you, and you would deserve even more courses, but I'm too bored. You're not even a good plaything, Severus. I'll amuse myself for a few more days with you and then I'll kill you."

Snape didn't say anything. Harry realized he should note the room they were in. It was the same as the other day, but it was back to 'normal', lit with only a few torches, and the throne made of skulls and bones were in the middle of the room. So Snape was in Malfoy Manor.

The torturing continued for some more time and then it faded and the darkness took control over Harry again.