Nighttime at Hogwarts.  All of the soul’s in the castle were tucked safely into their beds.  They all slept peacefully.

Or perhaps not all…

The hospital wing doors creaked open and a shadowy figure slipped in.  It looked around then slowly crept towards the only occupied bed.

Swoooosh!

Silver glinted as a dagger was drawn from a sheath somewhere upon the shadowy figure’s body.  They continued to creep forward, raising to dagger high.  The muscles in their arm knotted to deliver a deathblow…

“Mmm,” mumbled a sleeping Niamh, shifting her position.  She was curled up on the edge of the bed, her head pillowed on Harry’s chest.  One arm was thrown haphazardly over his stomach whilst the other was curled in his dark hair.

The figure lowered the dagger and slipped back into the shadow.

Swoosh.

The dagger was sheathed as the figure crept back out of the hospital wing, closing the door carefully behind it.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“The girl was there, Master.  I could not kill Potter with her there.  She was lying right next to him…”

“I do not care for your excuses, boy.  I want Potter dead.  Kill the girl if you must.”

“But, Master, we need not kill anyone else…”

“SILENCE!  You piece of rotted flesh!  I made you and you will obey me.  Or you will suffer the consequences.”

The shadowy figure bowed before the fire.

“Yes, Master.”

“Better.  Perhaps you need a bit of help.  That Ymber boy could be used…”

“Perhaps more…professional…help, Master?  Ymber fights.  Even now.”

A pause.

“There is no chance that he will break free, of course.”

“Of course, Master.  He simply rants and raves.  But I am stronger.”

“Good, good.  Perhaps we can get Severus to assist you…”

“I do not trust him, Master.”

“Nor do I, boy.  It is well you do not trust him.  He betrayed me once.  He may very well do it again.  Let us test him.”

“And if he fails?”

“One less nuisance for me to worry about.”

A grin spread across the shadowy face.

“Yes, Master…”

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Severus was playing a game of chess with Dumbledore when the Call came.  He was just about to make his move when pain from the Mark ripped through his arm.  A tiny whimper escaped him as he was unready for the pain and he flinched.  He hated showing weakness.  It was a product of growing up in Knockturn Alley and living with his father.

Not to mention surviving the Death Eater ranks.

“Forgive me, Albus,” he gasped through clenched teeth.  “Our game shall have to be postponed.”

Dumbledore just nodded gravely and said, “Go.”

Severus fled.

He left the castle as quickly as possible, heading towards the gate.  When he got there, he touched a stone in one of the huge columns that held the hinges for the gates.  The stone slid aside and he grabbed the black robes and stark white mask that had been hidden there.  Drawing on robe and mask, he stepped off the grounds and Apparated.

When he Disapparated, it was at Voldemort’s very feet.  He dropped to his knees and bent to kiss the hem of the madman’s robes.  His stomach threatened to revolt and expel the meal he’d eaten a hour earlier but he forced it to calm.

Then he noticed that he was the only Death Eater there.

A shiver of icy fear flickered through him.  This could not be a good sign.

“Severus,” purred Voldemort.  “Your reflexes have slipped in their potency.  Years ago you would have been here in an instant.  Now it takes you five minutes.”

“I cannot Apparate from inside the Hogwarts wards, my lord.  Forgive me.”

“Ah, forgiveness.  Yes, there is a question of what I should do with you, Severus.  Your actions of late have been very suspicious.”

Severus’ breath froze in his throat.

Don’t say anything about Harry, he prayed.  Don’t say…

“Particularly your relationship with Harry Potter.”

Bugger and blast.

“Lucius tells me that he stayed with you for a time last year.  He and a girl.  Would you care to explain this strange occurrence, Severus?”

“My lord,” said Severus, keeping his voice flat.  “Dumbledore forced me to look after the pair.  The girl is Potter’s friend.”

“That does not explain why, Severus.”

“Dumbledore does not trust Potter’s relatives, my lord.  Nor the girl’s.  Since I am their Head of House, Dumbledore decided that I should care for them.”

“I see.  This odd sort of loyalty you have to Dumbledore is disturbing as well.”

“My lord, I…”

“CRUCIO!”

Severus’ world exploded in a familiar flood of nerve-wracking pain.  As the curse raced through him, his mind slipped away from the pain.  It was a trick he had learned in his days in the Knockturn Alley orphanage.  When he had been beaten up severely by the larger boys, it had been a blessing.

In Voldemort’s court, it had been a lifesaver.

It also never allowed him to scream.  Which gave him a certain amount of respect from the Dark Lord.

“Still not screaming, I see,” said Voldemort as he released the curse.  “Very good.  I like consistency.”  A pause.  “Unless it is one of failure, of course.”

“Of course, my lord,” coughed Severus, bringing himself back.  “You are very wise.”

“Any you, my potion maker, are still as sly as ever.  Now…I have a job for you.”

“A job, my lord?  I will do all I can to serve.”

Voldemort smiled a cold smile and said, “I am glad to hear it.  Now your job shall be to…”

Severus’ brain suddenly screamed that something was wrong.

“…kill Harry Potter.”

“Yes, my lord,” said Severus, slamming the door shut on the part of him mind that had started to scream.  “It shall be done.”

“Very good.  I hope you do not fail me, Severus.  The consequences will be dire if so.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Go.”

Severus bowed low and Apparated back to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds.  He removed the robe and mask and tucked them back into their hiding place before he started across the grounds.

Kill Harry.  Kill my son.

Never!

Severus nodded to himself.  He could never killed Harry.  He loved the boy for Slytherin’s sake!  Hell, he had even come to like Hermione and Ron.

And he had never liked Gryffindors.

Minus Lily, of course.  She was always more Slytherin than Gryffindor anyway.

Except for that damned courageous spirit of hers.  A spirit that her son – their son – had inherited.

“Severus?”

Severus looked up to see Flitwick standing there.  The tiny professor was frowning at him.

“Are you quite alright?”

“Fine, Filius,” muttered Severus.  “What are you doing up this late?”  It seemed an hour had passed since he had been Called.  That curse must have lasted longer than he thought…

“I could ask you the same thing,” replied Flitwick with a smile.

Severus shrugged and said, “I was Called.  Nothing more.”

“I see.”  Flitwick had a worried look now.  ‘What did he want?”

He wants me to kill my own son!

“Nothing,” was Severus’ actual reply.  He dared not reveal his and Harry’s relationship to anyone else.  Especially not out in the open where prying ears could hear.

“Ah,” said Flitwick, not looking as though he believed the dark wizard.  “I’ll let you go on your way then.”  He started to move away and then Severus threw a question at his back.

“Where are you going, Filius?”

“Hospital wing,” came the reply.

“To see Harry?” asked Severus.

“Yes.  I am trying to find a charm that will wake him.  I’ve heard that he was made up a few of his own but no one seems to be able to tell me any of them.  Do you know anyone who might know?”

“Inquire with Miss O’Feir.  I suppose the students do not call them the Lord and Lady Hex for nothing.”

Flitwick smiled.

“No, I suppose they don’t.  Well…goodnight, Severus.”

“Goodnight.”

Severus sighed and continued on to his rooms, where he was immediately set upon by the little kitten that Niamh had given him.  It clawed at his ankle until he bent down with a sigh and picked it up.

“You are a most annoying creature.”

“Mrow?” said the kitten.

“Indeed.  What is it you want?”

“Mrow,” repeated the kitten, gnawing on a digit of his fingers.  He could barely feel the tiny teeth pricking his skin.

“A name perhaps?”

“Mrr-ow!”

“Fine.  I’ll call you…Cat.  That’s simple enough, isn’t it?”

“Mrow.”

“Infernal creature,” growled Severus as the kitten continued to gnaw at his fingers.

He sank down into a chair by the fire and sighed, absently petting the kitten in his lap until Sleep came and took him into her sweet arms.