The Half Blood Prince, also known as Severus Snape, walked down the corridor of Lord Voldemort's large manor house, two hours late. The Dark Lord would be here, he knew. After Potter's escape, he would be angry, and anxious to return to his manor, to inspect the damage, and to find out exactly what had been going on in the long years of his demise.

He opened the doors of the throne room, slowly and carefully walking in and taking in his surroundings. He remembered the room, golden finishings everywhere. The Dark Lord always did like his riches and finery.

The Dark Lord. Snape's eyes moved back straight ahead from him, to the occupant of the throne. He was hardly aware of the Death Eaters around him. Somewhere, he could swear he'd seen Lucius's blonde hair standing out, but such things didn't matter at that moment. Inside his white mask, as he got closer to his Master, he lowered his eyes, and fell to his knees a few meters away from the throne.

"This is the first time you have been late in over thirty years, Snape," observed Voldemort not looking up from his snake. Severus never did get why he was so obsessed with that snake. It had been Voldemort's pet for a long, long time. Voldemort stood up, letting Nagini fall to the floor, gracefully. He then walked down the steps of the dais the throne was settled on, and around his faithful servant.

Snape didn't comment, he didn't need to reply to that. He felt fingers under his chin, lifting him to a standing position. "Look at me," Voldemort ordered softly. Severus did as required, and gently, still looking into Voldemort's eyes, placed one hand on the one under his chin. Voldemort smiled, that terrible smile Snape remembered so well. "So bold, so brilliant," his Master whispered to him. "Are your defences up, though?"

Snape felt himself relax. This was important, very important and he didn't want Voldemort to suspect that his loyalties were elsewhere- when in fact they were totally with Voldemort. He knew what was to come next, and it came quickly. Voldemort was probing deep into his mind, finding the deepest secrets of his heart. The Dark Lord withdrew, and looked at Snape properly.

"You are, indeed, my faithful servant still, Severus. People here thought it otherwise," said Voldemort gesturing around him to several people. "But Lord Voldemort always knows, always." Snape soon realised that they were being watched, he let his hand drop from Voldemort's. His Master's gaze fell upon his mask once more.

"It irks me, Snape. You told me to go after the Potter's, and I, being so trusting, and so merciful after your little slip up in the pub that day, did so." Voldemort's face wasn't readable, but Snape wasn't stupid. He knew he was on a thin line here, one which was about to snap if he didn't tread carefully. "And I kill James without any problems, as I am sure you would have done. Lily, well, you told me about her, my Severus." The eyes were back on him, after flicking around the circle for any sight of emotion from the other followers.

"She was very protective of her son, dear Harry Potter." There was a small shudder at his name, and a few murmurings which Voldemort silenced with a small flick upwards of his fingers. "Her idiocy protection was the first stage of my downfall, and stopped me from getting the stone. Alas, Snape, you knew that. I tried to kill him, did I not, my friends? I tried, but I was beaten by the mere infant he was at the time. He's grown into such a handsome boy, do you not think?" Voldemort laughed once more, cold, cruel and mirthless. When Snape did not reply, Voldemort sat back down, drumming his fingers irritably on the arm of his throne.

"Leave us," he told the Death Eaters. They all left the room quickly, although Severus hardly noticed them in the first place and did not care.

"Severus, do you not think that it upsets me greatly that you will not speak to me?" Voldemort finally asked.

"My Lord," Snape whispered to him, stepping forwards and kneeling. "Harry Potter… he is nothing compared to you… nothing…"

"Crucio," spat Voldemort, aiming his wand at Snape. The screams were awful, ear shattering, but Voldemort seemed to be taking some pleasure out of the man's screams. He stood up, and kicked his servant onto his back. "I am aware of that, Snape, yet it worries me somewhat. How would an infant, of but one year old, defeat Lord Voldemort? When no other can, when so many have tried? There is one thing, Snape, one thing. The Prophecy means something about him, and I am determined to find out what. You will help me, Severus?"

Snape knew it wasn't a question to be answered in any other way. He nodded slightly at his Master, and quietly stood up. "My Lord, I wish for you to know that I did not like what I had to do to survive. In truth, my Lord, I, like so many others believed you to be-" Snape stopped as Voldemort held his hand up to silence him.

"I know, Severus," Voldemort said quietly. "But you knew I made precautions for this. You made Potions for me, the Serpens Cordial, being one – the effects of it you know of only to well. I became a snake in essence... My soul is not complete."

Severus looked up to Voldemort thoughtfully, before nodding, finally understanding. "My Lord, I have found out many things the past fourteen years." He stepped a bit closer to the throne. "May we go to your rooms?" he asked, his voice changing slightly, into a more determined tone.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "So early on in the night?" he asked incredulously with a smirk. "Never allowed that before, my friend." Voldemort stood and walked forwards to Severus. "Things are different now," the Master whispered to his old friend.

"I know, my Lord," Snape replied softly, breathing in sharply and quickly, almost afraid.

"Yet why do I sense you are frightened, Snape." Voldemort eyes were almost on fire, red was mixed with gold, black, silver and fiery orange. Severus was entranced in them, his black endless pits on Voldemort's glowing orbs.

"Not at all my Lord." Severus looked up at his Master and stepped back once. "I have simply missed you," he added on almost silently, as if he'd been contemplating saying it for a while.

Voldemort laughed loudly, though it was still cruel and cold. "Did you Severus? Did you really?" He looked at Severus and smiled once more, stepping towards the younger man, and pulling his mask off roughly and throwing it on the floor. Severus winced, sharply moving his head away from the mask that was now smoking on the floor.

Severus continued to speak, though he was breathing heavily, wondering if Voldemort would believe him, and wondering if he would die tonight. "My Lord, I long to be your most faithful servant once more, and I long for you to trust me once more, like you always did…"

"I trust you, Severus," Voldemort whispered drawing Snape in closer to him. "I have asked you no questions, yet I see that you are indeed loyal to yourself, loyal to me." Voldemort's hand had found itself on Snape's, and on his last word it tightened painfully, as if telling Snape it would be so. Severus continued to look his master in the eyes, and nodded. Voldemort's other hand moved upwards and settled on Severus's hip.

"This is like before…" he whispered to his servant. "Do you remember that? Those nights we spent together?" Voldemort smiled again. "Ahh, Severus, I am growing very sentimental, once more."

"I remember, how could I forget? They have been… almost haunting me for years," Severus replied quietly. "I have wished for you for so long, my Lord."

"And I, Severus," Voldemort replied quietly, as a hand settled itself on his own hip. He almost could have laughed at the expression on Snape's cold face, he hardly knew what to look at, and he certainly wouldn't maintain eye contact for longer then a second. Voldemort leant slowly forwards, and placed a small, gentle kiss on Severus's lips. "We need to make up for lost time," he said, after a while of savouring the kiss.

Snape leant forwards into Voldemort. "You are so different," he said finally, after a long pause of looking at him.

"Am I?" Voldemort asked him with an eyebrow raised. Severus swallowed lightly. "Will you be returning to Hogwarts tonight?"

Snape smiled. "The Headmaster is not expecting me to be back until tomorrow, or as long as you see fit to keep me here for. He was not expecting you to believe me, my Lord." He bowed his head waiting for a response. Voldemort's hand once again went under Snape's chin and pulled it up.

"He would prefer to see you die then…" mused Voldemort quietly. "It disgusts me, Severus, how he can do this to you."

"I do it for you," said Severus quietly, his voice shaking slightly, but not noticeably. "Because I would die for you."

Voldemort nodded. "Would not everyone who has the Dark Mark die for me?"

Severus smirked as he thought of all those stupid Death Eaters that always had paraded around , doing and saying whatever they could for the Dark Lord's approval. A particular woman came to mind, his hated enemy, the woman who would happily kill anyone in the world for her beloved Master. "Bellatrix especially," said Severus quietly.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow at Severus. "You should not chide her for it, Severus, she is loyal and I look forward to seeing her once more." Severus's expression changed slightly, but he did not comment. The Dark Lord, however, noticed. "Do not be jealous of Bellatrix, she does not have your potential. She can be a little mindless at times, however good she may be." Snape continued to look at Voldemort, but this time he was smirking.

"Maybe we should go to my rooms, Severus," said Voldemort after a moment, suddenly remembering that Severus would only be staying until early the next morning.

"Yes, of course," Severus murmured, and watched Voldemort walk past him, The Dark Lord always walked down the room, his robes flaring out behind him giving the impression that he was flying on a broomstick at the fastest pace he could. Snape smiled, and caught up with his Master as they left the room.

As they mounted the stairs, Severus was looking upwards as he walked. The hallway was dark, almost black, lit by a few candles scattered around. That was how Voldemort liked it. The staircase was made of dark wood, hard wood, nothing could break that. There was a black carpet lining every floor in the house, the manor as it was more of, thick and luscious and warm. Severus had always loved waking up in the mornings, and padding out of the bedroom into Voldemort's study, wrapped in only a thin silk sheet in the summer, and in the winter Voldemort's robe that always smelt of ashes and wine, feeling that soft, luxurious carpet under his toes.

He smiled, and walked close to Voldemort as he led them through dark and twisting corridors, marvelling at how the Dark Lord knew his way through them so well. It was getting darker still, he had to squint to see anything, even the man walking in front of him, and the candles seemed to be fading. He looked at Voldemort's back, he was still walking. Snape caught hold of his hand, not letting on that this was actually scaring him, and walked closer, bumping into the Dark Lord slightly, who sighed. "You always did hate this corridor Severus, even when you were a child…"

"I was seventeen when I first came to you!"

"A child," snapped Voldemort. "You were a child. A child living under the Malfoy household, attending dinners parties with the high society, with no idea what you wanted from life." Voldemort looked around to Snape, shook his head on pulled them into a room, his rooms.

Snape did not know what to do. He stayed by the door as Voldemort walked in and sat down at his desk, shuffling various papers around. The room was slightly lighter, there were more torches around the room, and the same black walls and carpet. Only in here, there was far more silver, silver candle holders and a beautiful silver pattern on the walls, almost snake like, curling and twisting in various different directions. It could have been writing. As he turned slightly, he saw a curtain over a doorway, dark green velvet with a silver tassel holding it back slightly. He remembered always wanting entry in there, that was for the highest Death Eaters only, Voldemort's most private rooms, his own sitting room, the Inner Circle meeting room and his other more private rooms - bedroom, bathroom and his own library. By looking through the curtained entrance slightly, he could see that it was decorated in the same way. That was how he remembered it, dark furniture with silver. The couch in there was black velvet, very soft. He smiled slightly, remembering everything just how it was.

"… Severus?" Voldemort said. Severus only heard the end part, and jumped and turned around rather guiltily. Voldemort was sitting at his desk, one paper in his hand, looking at Severus with an eyebrow raised, his mouth scowling. "Listen to me, Severus," he scolded.

"I am sorry, Master." Severus flushed pink and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

"Remembering the past, as you always seem to be doing." Voldemort stood up. "Come in here," he said quietly walking to Severus, taking him by the waist and pulling him into the sitting room. Voldemort sat down and beckoned Snape to sit next to him, in which Snape obliged. Voldemort's arm strayed around his partners waist, gently rubbing his opposite hip, and Severus was in heaven. Snape gently leaned over to Voldemort's shoulder, and gently kissed down his neck. Voldemort smiled. He could simply put his arm around Snape, and instantly he would get so much pleasure through some kissing, his neck always had been sensitive to such things. Severus knew that, he always played on that fact, using it to his advantage when best he could. Of course, Voldemort was just about never in that mood, his playful mood, to let Snape get him like that. Snape realised that now his Master was back, his powers quickly returning to him, he would be in a very good mood, but it would not last. With Voldemort, nothing really did last.

"What do you want?" Voldemort growled at Snape. "You only do that when you want something."

Snape delicately blew hot air into Voldemort's ear, and whispered to him. "It is you I want, my Lord," he said innocently.

The Dark Lord chuckled. "You flatter me, Severus," he replied, tilting Snape's chin back slightly. "Dumbledore will suspect," he said after a while of passionate kissing the lips.

Snape groaned and laid back on the couch. "Why must you always spoil things?" he said in an almost angry tone. "I have not seen you for years and you still insist on thinking about only Dumbledore!"

Voldemort sighed. "Severus, for goodness sakes- it is for your protection as well as the protection of the Dark Order. Why can you not see that?"

Severus shook his head. "I am an accomplished Occlumens," he said loudly, and then he added in quieter tones; "Please, I want this." Severus looked at Voldemort again, and slowly leant forwards. "I know you do as well."

Voldemort looked at his lover from so many years ago and moved closer into him, gently kissing him on the lips. "I will be damned forever if Dumbledore finds out about this, Severus Snape…"

Severus simply smiled into Voldemort's mouth and tightened his grip around his Master's waist. He had not had any thread of happiness in the years where Voldemort had been missing, and now he had the chance of it once more.