Come Back to Me (Don't Save Me Book 3)

Chapter 67: Weakness

"Forgive me, my Lord. I meant no disrespect." This seemed to ease his anger and he continued.

"Do you care for my daughter, Severus?" he asked and I chose my words carefully.

"I do, my Lord. She has been through a great deal and I don't wish for anything more to hurt her."

He nodded, seeming pleased by this answer, but he didn't end the conversation as I'd hoped he would. Suddenly he turned to the other members in the room.

"All of you! Out!" he hissed and they scurried away like rats finding a hole to escape. Lucius and Narcissa looked at me for a moment, fear in their eyes, but when Voldemort glared at Lucius they quickly left as well. Voldemort turned to me and there was a look in his eyes I could not quite place, though it was one I had never seen in him before.

"Explain something to me, Severus. A child who grew up without any sense of..." He trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Care... A child who grew up having to hide large portions of her life from others... now finally offered the chance at a family... but wants no part of it. Explain that to me."

I furrowed my brow, trying to determine the intention behind his words, trying to find any malice in them. I sighed, thinking carefully about my answer before speaking.

"She doesn't trust easily, my Lord." I chuckled as I remembered how we'd first met and she'd cornered me at the end of Slughorn's class and ordered me to meet her outside, trying to figure out why I was reading her mind. Voldemort tilted his head to the side, waiting for me to speak. I collected myself before continuing. "I think she's just afraid of being hurt again."

"Doesn't she understand I'm trying to look out for her?!" he spat, his voice hissing throughout the room and bouncing off the columns.

"Permission to speak freely, my Lord?" I asked, treading carefully, while also knowing he needed to hear this... Y/n needed him to hear this.

He nodded. "I suppose I should get used to it if I'm ever going to meet her," he chuckled. "I've heard she's got some fire in her," he chuckled.

"That she does," I answered, trying to ignore the bile rising in my throat as his chuckle hissed in his throat, leaving me with a sickening pit in my stomach. "She spent most of her life hiding, as you well know. She never had a family until she came to Hogwarts... If you'll forgive my tactlessness, my Lord... the only family she had also happens to be many of your enemies. She's afraid of betraying them while also afraid that you'll betray her. She's in a confusing position and I cannot blame her for not trusting either one of us," I answered, waiting with bated breath as my words sunk in. I had expected him to yell or throw me out but his expression remained calm, taking in my words.

"Insightful, Severus. Thank you," he said, his voice low but without the threatening tone it usually held. I lowered my head, giving a small bow, as I waited for him to dismiss me. When he didn't acknowledge the end of our conversation I looked up at him.

"My Lord? Was there something else?" I asked, causing him to look up.

"No no, you may go," he answered, waving his hand dismissively before returning to his thoughts as I left the room. Lucius and Narcissa were standing outside just a few feet down the hall, huddled together as they waited for me to walk toward them. I sighed, knowing what Y/n would have done and I chuckled at the hold she had over me. She forced me to become a better person. She forced me to care when I hadn't wanted to before. I slowly walked toward them, noticing Narcissa's tear-stained cheeks from a previous bout of crying as a new wave of fresh tears began slipping down her cheeks. Lucius had no expression but I could see the muscles in his jaw twitching as he held Narcissa. No sound came from her lips but her expression was clear. I placed a finger over my lips, silently ushering them out of the hallway, making our way to Lucius's study.

We stepped inside the room, closing the door behind us. I lifted my wand as a whisper of "Muffliato" left my lips.

"Are you two out of your minds?!" I hissed, keeping my voice low even with the silencing spell. "Blubbering in the hallway just outside the Dark Lord! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!" I knew my words were harsh but I also knew you couldn't have these types of weaknesses when in such close proximity with the Dark Lord.

"Severus... she's-," Narcissa began but I interrupted her.

"I know who she is! She's close with all of us but you cannot cry in the middle of the hallway! If you can't control your emotions then take them to another room! What do you think the Dark Lord would do if he caught you being weak! You know how he feels about such things!" I spat.

"D-do you think we'll see her again?" Narcissa whispered.

"Not if you continue in this way! Control your emotions, Narcissa! You must discipline your mind or you won't live long enough to see her again! And as for you," I hissed, turning to Lucius. "You best figure out how you're making it up to Y/n before she lets slip what you did that night! She's been careful not to mention what you did to her after you showed up at our house because she knows the Dark Lord has easy access to any of our minds and she knows he's been reading mine to look at my memories of our breakup! She's been trying to protect your dumbass without even realizing it! She's furious with you yet she can't bear the thought of anything happening to you because that's who she is!"

"She hasn't... said anything?" Lucius whispered, seeming surprised at this.

"No, she hasn't. Despite your idiotic actions she's still protecting you. Now, you need to do the same for her." I turned to Narcissa, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt wash over me as I could picture Y/n's forgiving smile in my mind. I sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer her some form of comfort. She moved away from Lucius, pulling me into a hug as she sobbed. I awkwardly patted her back as Lucius chuckled at my stiff form.

"Narcissa, look at me," I said, gently pulling her away from me to look down at her. "She doesn't hate you, you know that. I don't think she hates Lucius either... she just... doesn't trust anyone right now."

"She trusts you," she whispered.

"I'm afraid not at the moment," I answered.

"You don't honestly think we believe all that, do you?" Narcissa asked, raising a brow.

"Wait-... We don't?" Lucius asked, looking confused.

"No," Narcissa answered, saying nothing else.

Don't react. I kept my expression neutral as she spoke. "I'm not sure what you're talking about," I told her. She pressed her lips into a thin smile.

"We don't believe you," she responded, enunciating each word carefully.

"Seems your husband does," I answered, keeping my mind closed off.

"Men are clueless," she replied.

I rolled my eyes slightly as Lucius did the same.

"It took you and Y/n years to finally get together. That girl would move heaven and earth for you and she would burn the world down if you got hurt. As would you for her."

"I would've," I answered. "She does not feel the same."

"You keep telling yourself that," she chuckled. I rolled my eyes once again and she returned to her husband, wiping away the tears that she hadn't bothered to wipe before.

"The two of you are insufferable," I muttered.

"Where do you think you learned it from?" Narcissa answered, a small smile spreading over her face. I rolled my eyes once again but it was good to see her smiling. If the Dark Lord caught even a whiff of weakness in these two he would punish them both... which would punish Y/n in turn. She may be angry at the moment and wouldn't admit this but she'd burn down the world for them too.