"There," Voldemort said loudly, as he entered the sitting room. Severus was seated, reading a very thick volume.

"What?" Severus asked, looking up, and slamming the book shut. Now at least, he had found a way of perfecting that damned strengthening potion Voldemort would never stop complaining about.

"I have written to Yaxley," Voldemort said, waving what was clearly a letter on one hand, "who is going to have one of his men to make sure that the news will not reach the Daily Prophet, and the Dementors are going to make sure every one of my Death Eaters can get out tomorrow. We shall have a meeting at midnight." The Dark Lord looked exceptionally pleased with himself as he sat down next to Severus.

"Ah, good-" Severus said. "-Just don't kill Lucius when you see him."

"Hmm." Voldemort sat back, apparently thinking. Severus contented himself with cuddling into his lovers arms, kissing his shoulder repeatedly, with small, suckling kisses. "I was thinking about making their manor our headquarters, for meetings and such. We cannot keep risking having them here, we will eventually get infiltrated by the Order..."

"Oh, Vol-" Severus cut himself off quickly. "Master, we cannot live at Malfoy Manor, everyone would know about us."

Voldemort shook his head. "No one will know, only the Malfoy's and Bellatrix, and Rodolphus, and they already know."

Severus scowled. "I like living here."

"Well, obviously, Severus this is your home," Voldemort snapped impatiently. "It makes sense. I want to keep a watch over the Malfoy's anyway, to keep them in line. When we win, this will be ours, ours only Severus. No one else will come here, we can change it, and make it better for our lifestyles. You can have a better laboratory, a study of your own, a Potions library. Something new to look forward to."

Severus nodded, and turned Voldemort's face towards his own, leaning in and kissing him deeply on the lips for a while. The Dark Lord suddenly pulled away, turning his back to Severus. "I cannot- I have to send- Send this..." Severus then realised that he had just made Voldemort very turned on, while being in full knowledge that his lover had a lot of work to do still that night.

"Sorry," he murmured, though he didn't bother to hide his smirk. Voldemort looked over his shoulder at his lover suspiciously, only to see the man returned to his book.

"You are so easy to please," Severus heard Voldemort sigh, as if it was a bad thing. Severus only looked up, his smirk returning, when Voldemort had left the room.

"Peace at last," Severus said to himself.

"Do not make yourself comfortable, I will be less then an hour," Voldemort shouted from the next room, apparently hearing Severus's comment.

Severus laughed loudly. "Whatever you say!" he shouted back, still laughing. He loved life with Voldemort.

x-x

It was almost midnight. The Dark Lord was pacing feverishly, his lover and his pet watching from the Throne. Severus knew that Voldemort hated waiting, but the man was so nervous - more so then Severus had ever seen before.

"Sit down. It's almost midnight."

Voldemort ignored him and continued pacing.

"I do not understand why you are so nervous about this, my love," Severus said softly.

Finally, Voldemort turned to face him, and walked towards the Throne. Severus stood up, and let his Master sit down. "If this goes fine, and nothing is mentioned in the Prophet, it means I am getting somewhere with the Ministry. It means I am very close. It means Yaxley is doing his job right for once." Voldemort frowned. "I am wondering where they are though. They should certainly be here by-"

He was cut off by the doors opening. It was Bellatrix. Severus groaned quietly, but Voldemort didn't seem to mind. "May I be present for the meeting, my Lord?" she asked.

Voldemort nodded. "Of course, Bella. Take your place." Severus noticed the smile on Voldemort's face. He decided he was going to flirt with the next woman he saw. Unfortunately, the next woman he saw was Narcissa Malfoy, and so, he changed his mind hastily. "Narcissa, you made it, how wonderful," Voldemort said, icily, ignoring Draco who was following slowly behind her. Severus could see from the distance that the boy was shaking. "You may stand next to your sister." The Dark Lord coldly acknowledged Draco, who stood next to Narcissa, and looked very thankful when the doors opened once more - Twelve men marched into the room, in varying states of health, instantly walking to their places in the circle. The Dark Lord stood up, walking around the room. "Dolohov... Rookwood... Mulciber... Lestrange... Malfoy... Macnair... Crabbe... Goyle... Jugson... Avery... Lestrange... Nott..." Each name he spoke caused a shiver of nerves around the group. Narcissa and Severus were the only two that did not seem concerned.

"Every one of you in this room has been punished," Voldemort began, softly speaking. "I am merciful." Severus wondered when his punishment had been, and was somewhat disappointed he had missed it. "During your little visit to Azkaban, for those who went, some things have changed... By tomorrow we shall know how close we are to gaining control of the Ministry, for we are hoping that, with the help of our infiltration, the news of your escape will not be mentioned... and Dumbledore is dead..." A shockwave of whispers went around the room. "Yes, congratulations for Severus are in order..." Draco had turned bright red, Narcissa a shade whiter, and Lucius... Severus could see his eyes widen in shock, clearly he had been informed of Draco's task, and had only assumed that his son had managed it well enough to be alive still. His hands were shaking, and he had turned a blue-white colour. "So, Hogwarts is closer to us then ever. I have a candidate in mind for Headmaster, and with the help of our friends at the Ministry, I am confident he will get the job.

"Which brings me straight to another matter. My mind often... worries... That we will be discovered, holding our meetings here. Who knows, perhaps we do have a spy amongst our ranks..." The Dark Lord smiled. "Our English weather stops us from holding our meetings outdoors, and this Manor is not the place for me to live at the moment." He paused. "Which is why, Narcissa and Draco, I asked you to be here tonight. I asked for repayment, from you, Draco, for your failure, and I am asking for it, from you, Lucius, for yours. I am sure, should you oblige, that I will be far more willing to forgive, if you allow me residence in your beautiful manor?"

Draco looked like he was about to pass out, but Lucius hid his surprise well. "I would have suggested it myself, my Lord, if you had not... This is a great pleasure for our family... An honour... my Lord..." Severus glanced at Bellatrix for a moment, who looked as if she was about to cry for happiness. He rolled his eyes.

"Excellent. Severus and myself will be there on the morrow. He will be staying with me for the moment." Lucius bowed, though Severus could see he was still shaking. This was a moment in history, the Malfoy Family finally being made aware that they were not in favour with any circle in life. "One more matter you all need to be aware of - In order to catch members of the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry are using the Taboo - and my name is being used. Do not use the name, though... I doubt any of you do..." Voldemort smirked, and sat back on the Throne. "Dismissed."

Slowly, the room emptied, and only Severus and the Dark Lord remained. "The Malfoy's are terrified," Severus remarked.

"Good," Voldemort replied shortly, with a smile at Severus, who suddenly felt very nervous about going to live at Malfoy Manor. The Dark Lord was going to be making the Malfoy's lives absolute hell...

x-x

It was the eve of their arrival at Malfoy Manor. They had unpacked their clothes into the same wardrobe, and set their possessions around the room. Severus had various books and potions, the Dark Lord with his own books. Severus now felt like he was really living with Voldemort, they'd just moved into the same rooms together. Severus was in bed reading when the Dark Lord came into the room.

"You're not still reading that bloody book, are you?" Voldemort snapped upon seeing his lover.

"Only seven hundred more pages to go, don't worry," Severus replied, grinning.

"Put it down a minute, a thought has just hit," Voldemort said, and Severus quickly put it down, open, face onto the table. "I need to find out when Potter is going to be removed from his relatives house, they won't keep him there now he's going to turn seventeen, the protection on the house Dumbledore left will be gone..."

Severus nodded. "I will find out for you."

"How?" Voldemort asked, suspicious.

"Mundungus. He's always around Knockturn Ally, easy to find, easy to get spells on... I do not know why the Order keeps him around. Albus always liked him, for some reason," Severus said. "I will do it before the meeting you have called in a few days, and relay the information to you there."

"Good," Voldemort responded, getting into bed next to Severus, who went back to his book. The Dark Lord cuddled into his side, and Severus found he could no longer keep reading as well as concentrating. He quickly bookmarked his page, and blew out his candle. "I don't know how you always manage to solve my problems. I couldn't ask for a better lover."

Severus smiled happily. "Neither could I, my love," he said, softly. "We're meant for each other."

"I will start doing my proper research on our bond when you are back at Hogwarts, and I have nothing to do on the nights we cannot be with each other."

Severus nodded. "I will have a look at the Hogwarts library too, you know how helpful it is in there... Pince adores me anyway..." He smiled smugly, but it was lost in the darkness.

"You always say that," Voldemort grunted. "Shut up and sleep."

"I love you too," Severus muttered sarcastically, but soon forgot everything as he fell into a deep sleep, tightly in the arms of his lover.

x-x

When he got there, Severus remembered how much he disliked Knockturn Ally. It was much busier then he remembered it, though, but it wasn't hard to find Mundungus. The man had a bag full of Doxy Eggs.

"They're cheap!" he was saying to a man, with a hood pulled over his face. "In fact, yer couldn't find em cheaper anywhere else in all of Knockturn Ally!" Severus waited for the man to walk away, before walking up to Mundungus and pushing him back into a doorway, wand at his throat. "Impero," he murmured, and Mundungus's eyes instantly became blank. "Tell me, when will the Order of the Phoenix be moving Harry Potter?" He quickly poured a vial of veritaserum into Mundungus's mouth. "Tell me!" he hissed.

"Saturday, Saturday at nightfall," he said, half gurgling on the potion.

"To where? Moving him to where?"

"I don't... I don't know... To a member of the Order's house, as they've always said..."

"What protection will there be?"

"Order... No Ministry... But all the protection possible on the houses..."

"Why no Ministry?" Severus demanded.

"The Order don't trust em tha's why... We think the Death Eaters have got in, they got into the Minisry of Magic..."

"Do the Ministry know about this?"

Mundungus shook his head. "No... They're planning a false lead, false trail of information in the Ministry - To lead em on..."

Severus paused for a moment, before letting go of him, and releasing the Imperus Curse. He quickly Stunned him, and then erased his memory of the last five minutes, replacing it of one where Mundungus had been in a fight with the man whom he had been trying to sell the illegal Doxy Eggs to. He added magically a few cuts and bruises to his face and body, and disapparated, realising with a jolt of panic that the meeting was going to start within the next six minutes, and that he was going to be late.

Severus apparated to the lane leading up to the Malfoy Manor, wand drawn and ready in case of an attack on getting there. He first noticed someone in front of him, wand pointing straight at his chest. On his second look, Severus realised it was Yaxley, and stowed his wand back into his cloak, and continued up the lane.

"News?" Yaxley asked, as they walked, moonlight illuminating his harsh face.

"The best," Severus replied, knowing full well if they didn't hurry up, they were both going to be very late.

"Thought I might be late," Yaxley said after a moment of silence. "It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?"

Severus nodded, but was not going to elaborate. Yaxley was one of the annoying, nosey types that Severus could not stand at the best of times. As they approached the gates, and raised their left arms, and passed right through the gates as if they were not there. There was a noise to their right- Yaxley raised his wand, and pointed it in the direction of the sound, and there, strutting along, was a pure white peacock.

"He always did well for himself, Lucius... Peacocks..." Yaxley muttered, as they stroad towards the doors leading into the house, which swung open though no body had touched them. The portraits of Malfoy ancestors glared down at the pair as they entered, but Severus and Yaxley were in too much of a hurry to noticed. They reached the room in which the meeting was to be held, and paused, for a split second, until Severus boldly reached for the handle and opened the door, stepping over the threshold. The room was dark, illuminated by a fire at the back of the room, casting shadows over the wall. An eerie figure was suspended from the ceiling, upside down and clearly unconcious.

"Yaxley... Snape... You are very nearly late..." Severus looked to the end of the table, as they stepped furthur into the room, and saw the Dark Lord, sitting, arms rested lightly on the table in front of him. "Severus, here," Voldemort said, indicating the seat on his immeadiate right. "Yaxley, next to Dolohov." The two men took their seats, Severus walking with more confidence than Yaxley. He could feel all eyes in the room on him, the gaze of the man on his left the strongest. "So?"

"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix means to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety, on Saturday next, at nightfall" Severus said softly. The room was completely silent except for the crackling of the fire.

"Saturday... At nightfall..." Voldemort repeated, thoughtfully, looking into Severus's face with a distinctly harder gaze. Several people around the table looked away, but not Severus, who returned the gaze with a calmness that none other had mastered with the Dark Lord. He could feel his mind penetrated, and let it happen for a moment, before pushing his lover out with a warning thought, back into Voldemort's own head. The Dark Lord smiled, after a moment. "Good. Very good. And this information comes-"

"From the source that we discussed." Severus's answer was abrupt, but Voldemort didn't seem to notice.

"My Lord." The voice had come from half way up the table, it was Yaxley speaking. All faces turned to look at him. "My Lord, I have heard differently." He waited for Voldemort to speak, but when he did not, Yaxley continued. "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved on the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."

The Dark Lord turned to look at Severus for a moment, who smiled. "My source told me that there are plan to lay a false trail, this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time, he is known to be susceptable."

"I assure you, my Lord," said Yaxley. "Dawlish seemed quite certain."

"If he has been Confunded naturally he would be certain," said Severus. "I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."

"The Order's got one thing right then, eh?" someone said, from the bottom of the table. A few people laugh, though Voldemort did not. His gaze wondered to the figure above the table, apparently lost in thought.

"My Lord," Yaxley pressed on. "Dawlish believes that a whole party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy."

Voldemort held up a white hand to Yaxley, forcing him to subside. Yaxley watched resentfully as the Dark Lord turned back to Severus. "Where are they going to hide the boy next?" he asked.

"At the home of one of the Order," said Severus. "The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and the Ministry together can provide. I think there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has falled before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover, and undo some of the enchantments, to break through the rest."

"Well, Yaxley?" Voldemort called, down the table. "Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"

Yaxley shifted in his seat. "My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have - with difficulty and effort - succeeded on placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse." The Death Eaters looked impressed, Dolohov even clapped Yaxley on the back.

"It is a start, but Thicknesse is only one man. Scrimgeour must be surrounded by our people before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way," said Voldemort.

"Yes, my Lord that is true, but you know, as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact, not only with the Minister himself, but also with the heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy, now we have such a high ranking Ministry official under our control, to subjugate the others, so that they can all work together to bring down Scrimgeour."

"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said Voldemort. "At any rate, it seems that the Ministry will not be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, it must be done while he travels."

"We are at an advantage there, my Lord," said Yaxley, who was clearly after his potion of approval. Severus could hardly hide his smirk. "We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter apparates, or uses the Floo network, we shall know immediately."

"He will not do either," said Severus, glad he had a reason to burst Yaxley's bubble. "The order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled of regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."

"All the better," Voldemort said. "He will have to move into the open. Easier to take, by far." He looked up to the revolving body above him, once more. Severus wondered who it was, and how she'd got there so quickly while he had been out. "I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors then to his triumphs. I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."

There was a sudden, loud wail below the Death Eaters feet, clearly coming from the cellar below them. "Worm tail," said Voldemort, no change in his quiet and thoughtful tone, and no change of his gaze upwards. Severus remembered the Dark Lord taking Ollivander prisoner there, over a year ago, and wondered why he had kept the old man alive so long. "Have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?"

"Y-yes, my Lord," Wormtail said, hurriedly getting up from the table and leaving the room.

"As I was saying," Voldemort continued, looking back to his followers. His hands slid under the table, and one rested lightly on Severus's knee. Severus forced his face straight, trying to ignore it. "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go and kill Potter." There was silence in the room. Severus was certainly not going to be letting Voldemort borrow his wand, nothing was going to make him go without a wand for a week. "No volunteers?" Voldemort said. "Lets see... Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."

Lucius looked up, clearly shocked. Severus suddenly felt very sorry for his old friend, and would have, had it been just Voldemort in the room, protested. "My Lord?"

"Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand."

"I..." Lucius cast a sideways look at Narcissa, who jerked her head slightly. Lucius withdrew his wand from inside of his robes, and passed it down the table to Voldemort.

"What is it?" Voldemort asked, fingering it lightly.

"Elm, my Lord," Lucius whispered.

"And the core?"

"Dragon - dragon heartstring."

"Good." He started comparing the length of it to his own wand, and Lucius seemed to make an involuntary gesture, as if he was expecting to receive Voldemort's wand in return for his own. The gesture was not missed by Voldemort, who's eyes widened maliciously. "Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?"

Several people sniggered.

"I have given you your liberty, Lucius, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less happy of late... What is it about my presence in your home that displeases you, Lucius?"

"Nothing - nothing, my Lord!"

"Such lies, Lucius..." Voldemort's voice seemed to continue, even though his mouth was not moving. The hissing grew louder, and Severus felt something soft brush against his foot. Nagini appeared from under the table, rising quickly, and then settled herself on Voldemort's shoulders. The Dark Lord absently stroked her head, still looking at the Malfoy's. "Why do the Malfoy's look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?"

"Of course, my Lord," said Lucius, and Severus felt another great wave of pity for him as he wiped his upper lip, his hand shaking. "We did desire it - We do..."

"My Lord," said a voice from a bit further down the table. Severus sighed, it was the first time Bellatrix had spoken during the meeting, and he hadn't missed a second of it. "It is an honour to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

"No higher pleasure," Voldemort repeated. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you." Bellatrix's face was shining, and Severus wondered if Voldemort ever did any of this to wind him up. He realised he was being perfectly serious, the Dark Lord was not going to fool around during an important meeting.

"My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!" Her eyes were filled with tears of joy. Severus sighed again.

"No higher pleasure... even compared the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"

Severus didn't bother to hide his smirk. Lupin and Tonks had finally got married, then? Bellatrix clearly didn't get it. "I don't know what you mean, my Lord," she said after a moment.

"I am talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud." There was an outburst of laughing and jeering around the table, Nagini hissed loudly, angry at the disturbance. Only Severus seemed to hear it, Voldemort was laughing too.

"She is no niece of ours, my Lord!" she cried over the noise. "We - Narcissa and I - Have not set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. The brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries."

The laughter continued, and Voldemort ignored Bellatrix's speech, looking maliciously at Draco. "What say you, Draco?" His voice was quiet, yet it carried through the mirth around them. "Will you babysit the cubs?" Draco looked up in fear at his father, who's gaze was fixed at his lap, instead he looked to his mother for assistance, who shook her head slightly. "Enough," said Voldemort, stroking the angry snake. "Enough." The laughter died immediately. Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said, as Bellatrix stared at him, breathless. "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy. Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."

"Yes, my Lord," Bellatrix said. "At the first chance!"

"You shall have it. And in your family, so in the world... We shall cut away the canker that infects us, until only those of the true blood remain..." He raised Lucius's wand, and pointed it at the figure above their heads, awakening her with a single flick. "Do you recognise our guest, Severus?"

Every member was looking up now, and Severus was the last. Clearly, he was the only one who had recognised her. "Severus! Help me!" she cried, terror in her voice. Severus ignored her.

"Ah, yes," he said, looking to his lover, with a small smile.

"And you, Draco?" The boy shook his head jerkily, but could not look up to the woman above him. He seemed frozen to the spot.

"But you would not have taken her classes," Voldemort said. "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage, who until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." There were stirrings around the table, one woman laughed. Severus suddenly felt like he was in the same situation as Draco, he could not look up to Charity at all. "Yes... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles... How they are not so different from us..."

Burbage turned to face Severus again. "Severus... Please... Please..." The man looked cautiously at the Dark Lord, who flicked his wand at Charity.

"Silence!" he hissed. "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept those thieves of knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles... or, no doubt, werewolves..." The anger was clear in the Dark Lord's voice, and Severus knew that this would not be a good moment for him to try and calm his lover down. He was too deeply, emotionally involved at that moment.

Charity was facing him again, tears dripping into her hair. Her eyes were pleading with him. Severus looked back, face impassive. Nothing could save her, not even he... The Dark Lord's lover... Not that Severus would have bothered. He couldn't stand Muggle lovers.

"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort hissed, Lucius's wand pointed at her.

Charity fell, onto the table with a resounding crash, several members stepped back from their chairs, Draco fell off his... Severus sat perfectly still, eyes on the fallen Muggle Studies Professor.

"Dinner, Nagini," Voldemort said softly, the great snake moving from his shoulders, across the polished table to the dead form of Burbage. Severus could see her fall has broken her neck. There was a flash of teeth, and spray of blood, and Severus's eyes were back, fixed to Voldemort, unable to watch. While the rest of the group were busy watching with curiosity and the snake feeding, Voldemort looked back to Severus, under the table taking his hand and squeezing it.

"Yaxley," Voldemort said softly, and at once the whole room was silenced, Yaxley turned to look at the Dark Lord.

"Yes, my Lord?" he said, looking somewhat nervous.

"You have done well at the Ministry. The Prophet has been silenced, and is in our direct control, and we have a lot of control over some of the most important departments. You know what you must do - Have Thicknesse put the Imperius Curse on high ranking members of each department, so that one can get close enough to Scrimgeour to kill him. Do not fail me."

"I will not, my Lord," Yaxley replied, a smile appearing on his face.

"Alecto, and Amycus, I have a task for you both as well... Hogwarts is ours, in all but name. Severus will be the next Headmaster, as you have assured me, Yaxley-" Yaxley hastily nodded. "And so, we will be needing a Dark Arts Professor, as we will not, naturally be teaching them defence... And also a Muggle Studies teacher, though the general purpose of it will be teaching them about how Mudbloods and Muggles ruin our society. I will also be relying on you to help Severus with disciplining the children, I suspect there will be several Gryffindors defying our control. Will you both be willing?"

Alecto spoke for both of them. "My Lord, this is a wonderful honour... Of course... Thank you for choosing us..." she said, Amycus nodding feverently. Severus didn't have a problem with either - they did their jobs well and were loyal. He was glad Voldemort had chosen them and not anyone else.

"The rest of you, be ready for battle on Saturday next - You will be summoned at noon so we can go through the plan before leaving." The Dark Lord's eyes fell on Nagini for a moment, but Severus still refused to look. "You may leave..." Voldemort said softly, and Severus stood with the rest of the group, walking with the Dark Lord out of the room, and across the hall, up the stairs to their own rooms. "I am pleased," said Voldemort. "Things are going well."

"You were extremely nasty to the Malfoy's today, and you did a fantastic job of humiliating Bellatrix..." He stopped Voldemort mid-step, and kissed him hard on the lips. "And it's made me love you all the more," he added, in a whisper. Voldemort chuckled.

"You're a bad man, Severus," he said, resting his hand on his lovers ass.

Severus grinned. "Do you not want me to be good?" he asked, after a moments pause. "You know you could make me so."

"No, I like you the way you are... Horrible... Rude, very cynical... in fact, absolutely perfect." He smiled, and kissed Severus again, pushing him through the door, into their bedroom. He gave the man one more shove, onto the bed. "Take off your clothes, and get in," Voldemort ordered, disappearing into the bathroom. Severus quickly did what he was told, sliding under the covers just as the Dark Lord came back in. "Mmm, and there is that wonderful, rare obedient streak you possess... Truly magnificent..." he said, as he removed his own clothes, dropping them into a messy pile on the floor, unlike Severus's neatly folded on the chair pile, and getting into bed beside Severus. "Now, where were we? Kissing? Or something different..."

"Ahh... We were kissing, my Lord," Severus said quickly, as he could feel Voldemort's breath tickling his neck, which normally meant the Dark Lord's vampirish streak was going to come out.

"So we were," Voldemort muttered, moving up and kissing Severus hard on the lips for a while. "Now, why is it that whenever you normally call me that, it does nothing, yet when we're all naked in bed, snogging, it works wonders? Feel this, Severus, just feel it, that's disgusting!" Severus started laughing hard, looking at the Dark Lord's smile. "I don't know why you're laughing, you should be ashamed about doing this to your Master!" He rolled over, onto his back, pulling down the covers. "Now, do your magic for once, get rid of it." Still laughing, Severus kissed Voldemort on the lips for a while, and then started to kiss down his body, until his face was buried under the duvet, still kissing. "That's right," Voldemort said, arching his back, and moaning lightly. "Gods I love you..."