[HP] Can you be gentle with me

Voldemort continued to lean back on the chair with great interest, the woman underneath was already covered in blood, but he found it extremely interesting.

Seeing the man in the black robe clenched his hands, trying to hold back something, he found it inexplicably interesting.

Those two were just too capable of entertaining him, too capable of...entertaining him.

"I couldn't help noticing that you didn't use the Kedavin Curse," he said quietly.

Snape turned and knelt down, counting the time in his mind, maybe he could still convince the Dark Lord to change his mind and get Tahlia back.

"Don't play tricks on me, Severus." Voldemort said coldly. "My orders to you are to kill her, but apparently she's still alive..."

"Go on, she's not going to live." Snape forced out a word.

Voldemort watched Snape carefully. "I think this is not... what you hoped for."

"Yes." Surprisingly, Snape admitted without hesitation. "I don't want Watson dead."

"Watson?" Voldemort chuckled. "Oh, Severus... when are you going to admit to me that you actually have a crush on her?" Snape froze. "Is this something unforgivable? When did I give you this impression? Huh?"

Snape was silent.

"I still have to say something." Vodemort raised the corners of his mouth, but there was no hint of a smile on what he said. "I've always disagreed with your taste in people—whether it's the red-haired woman before, or...her." He paused, then sneered. "Though I can see your progress. There's just one problem, Severus…" He paused again, waiting for Snape to look up. "What do you mean by hiding it from me?"

Snape stared blankly at Voldemort.

He immediately realized that his mind was blank and he didn't know what to answer.

The corners of Voldemort's mouth turned upward. "I should ask, why are you hiding it from me...?" Originally, he only noticed that Snape had changed his attitude, and that's why he just cast a curse on him. What he didn't expect was that this move unexpectedly led to another a secret. "Tahlia actually cares about you too, doesn't she? But she—she and you—has always acted like they hate each other, lying to me..." His tone was cold. "I'm not happy about that, Severus—if you're cheating on this one, shouldn't I reasonably suspect that you're cheating on other things too...? Or even, being unfaithful to me?"

"No, Lord."

An extremely weak voice sounded.

Snape turned his head sharply, and noticed that Tahlia was almost fainting, but she was still talking. "You—"

Voldemort chuckled jokingly. "oh?"

Tahlia pulled herself up with difficulty, and the move caused some blood to splatter from a deep gash on her right shoulder. "No matter what, I will never betray you." She raised her head in pain, and met Voldemort's cold gaze directly, without any fear. "I've always been... Jing... looking up to you──I...cough cough!" Suddenly, she coughed, and she coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood on the ground. "I...you are the only one I respect...I...want myself...to be able to—" She coughed a few more times. "Being able to stand by your...side...but I always...couldn't really be like you."

Voldemort didn't make a sound, still looking at Tahlia coldly.

"I suppose...like you...any...personal affection is...unnecessary..." she continued in staccato staccato. "In this way I... I am... qualified to assist you... But I can't do it... I hate... I hate him... I hate that his existence always...affects me──" She coughed again With a sound, she lost her strength this time and collapsed to the ground. Even so, she continued to speak. "I hate him, Lord, I always hated him..."

"Really..." Voldemort narrowed his eyes.

"I... never thought of betraying... betraying you."

Snape pursed his lips tightly and stared straight at Tahlia, he couldn't turn his head to see what Voldemort's expression was now, it should be said that he didn't have the courage.

All he knew was that the Dark Lord was silent now, a very disturbing silence.

What would that person... do?

Tahlia was also silent.

And Snape seemed to be petrified, unable to move at all, he could only keep staring at Tahlia, she was still breathing, breathing weakly... But if the Dark Lord continued to remain silent, soon, her life would really be gone .

He didn't even know why he was able to stand here so calmly, doing nothing.

"Severus."

Finally, Snape waited for Voldemort to speak, and he turned his head almost instantly, waiting for the order from the Dark Lord...or, the sentence.

"why?"

Why?

Snape didn't expect to hear such a question, and looked up in disbelief.

"Since when did you fall in love with her?" Voldemort asked flatly. "And why, attracted by her?"

Snape froze for a few seconds, then looked down. "She is very powerful." After a pause, she added another sentence. "Slytherins will always be drawn to the strong."

"You're right." Voldemort's tone remained flat. "The problem is, she's also into you." By implication, he thought Snape was far from being strong enough.

Snape shook his head decisively. "I don't understand what she's thinking, Lord...we just know each other for too long, and we have the same direction of endeavor." He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued. "She never thought of betraying you, no matter what, she is trying to match you and meet your expectations──"

"Stop." Voldemort raised his hand, interrupting Snape directly. "I'm not going to hear that from you."

Snape shut his mouth and glanced at Tahlia out of the corner of his eye.

"She said you influenced her," Voldemort said again.

"As I said before, my king," Snape said respectfully. "We've known each other for far too long."

"—Even caused your hesitation, huh?"

Snape opened his mouth mechanically with blank eyes. "I don't think you really want her to die──" Sensing that Voldemort narrowed his eyes dangerously, he continued immediately. "At least not here, at this time."

Voldemort snorted coldly and leaned back in his chair. "Do you understand the difference between you and her? Severus, you are irreplaceable."

"My pleasure, Lord." Snape bowed his head again.

The space fell silent again, and Snape didn't even hear Bella's group behind him.

"I don't have time to continue playing games with you." After a while, Voldemort lazily opened his mouth. "Do what you like." He waved his hand casually, and then he really ignored Snape, and called out to the group of Bella and his party behind him who couldn't contain their excitement. "Bellatrix, come here."

After they moved tremblingly and fell down in front of Voldemort, Voldemort threw another sentence at Snape who was still motionless. "You have to remember, Severus. She is alive because of the kindness of the Dark Lord, because of your ability—and most importantly, because of the rewards you have given you for successfully completing your mission this time, and I am in a good mood, so I'll spare her life." He paused for a moment. "Do you understand?"

Snape nodded silently, and then didn't hesitate any more, while Voldemort was saying something to Bella and the others, he quickly healed the wound on Tahlia's body, and poured several bottles of blood-replenishing potion for her.

I don't know how long it took, but the face of the person who fell on the ground gradually recovered a little color, but he was still asleep, defenseless... Being defenseless in front of the Dark Lord, this situation is really very dangerous.

Snape's nerves tensed.

He didn't know what made Voldemort change his mind temporarily, or if he hadn't intended to kill Tahlia at this time, he couldn't figure it out now.

All of this is too weird. Could it be that, as the Dark Lord said, he just happened to be in a... good mood this time?

They were in a good mood...but they almost killed them──even if they successfully rescued Bella and his group from Azkaban at the risk of their lives, all they got in return was to spare them from dying.

When had Voldemort become so intolerant of Tahlia's presence?

Snape secretly made up his mind, no matter what, he had to finish the potion as soon as possible, otherwise, if he continued to delay, Tahlia would be tossed to death by him before the Dark Lord was completely killed.

At the moment he was thinking this, Voldemort had finished his conversation with Bella's group and turned his attention back to Snape and Tahlia who was still awake.

"I think you understand, Severus, that what the Dark Lord hated most in his life was deception."

Snape froze and nodded stiffly.

"In that case, I'll presume that Tahlia isn't lying to me, but you—" he said coldly. "You would have ended up like her, Severus Snape."

Snape quickly knelt down. "I beg your pardon, Lord."

"That's why I didn't intend to take your life." Voldemort said coldly. "Now, get out of here and get on with the mission I gave you, get that Quirrell thing done, get that old madman at school."

"I understand." Snape replied, and then, he hugged Tahlia sideways, saluted Voldemort hastily again, and exited hastily.

"I'm waiting for your good news."

Voldemort was expressionless.

Then he turned to Bella. "Then, Bellatrix, I have a task for you—"

Snape Apparated immediately after he walked out of the house for a certain distance, he didn't think much about it, he didn't realize where he had taken Tahlia until the scene in front of him changed.

Spider's End, the house where he lives.

Without stopping, he quickly walked into the room, placed Tahlia on the sofa, lit the fire, and then froze for a few seconds before speaking. "You can open your eyes now." As he spoke, he commanded a glass of water with his wand. "He won't send someone to follow."

The woman on the sofa immediately opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "You already knew?" She said hoarsely, her tone was cold.

"Already knew you were awake?" Snape asked, then shook his head. "No, I didn't realize until I got here that you didn't open your eyes in front of the Dark Lord. It was a very wise decision."

"Isn't it?" Tahlia smiled weakly.

Snape froze, and the arm that was about to hand out the water froze in the air.

Tahlia's expression, although it was a smile, somehow only gave him a sense of alienation, as if the distance between them was stretched invisibly and without limit.

"Tahlia?"

Tahlia shook her head silently, took the glass of water and drank it directly. "I just want to sleep right now, and I don't want to say anything, Snape." After finishing speaking, without giving Snape a chance to ask any more questions, he lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Tahlia...

Snape sat aside in silence, watching Tahlia who fell asleep in an instant, with mixed emotions in his heart.

He originally thought that Tahlia and him had a much better relationship, no, he was sure that they could get along normally... But at that moment, it seemed to him that he had returned to the time when Tahlia had just returned here with her two children, full of The alienation of resistance, that made him feel powerless.

It was as if his efforts over the years were all in vain, and when he turned around, he found that he was still standing at the original point, without moving at all.

"Don't you...can't feel...?"