Disclaimer: They belong to JK Rowling, I just borrowed them, and they'll be glad when I bring them back because I'm a very sick person. Though, sickness is relative.

Squicks: Mention of rapes, character DEATH.

I was glad that the walls were soundproof, so I did not need to hear him scream when one Death Eater after the other went through the door where the traitor was kept, punishing him for his sins. And I was dreading the moment when the Lord would order ME to go through that door. As the hours passed, it became more and more certain that he saved me for the end.

Another masked and cloaked figure opened the heavy iron door and stepped out. I had lost count of them by now.

"Luciusss," the Lord hissed from the other end of the room. "Finish it."

I'm still not sure whether that order was intended as a particular cruelty or as a mercy. He knew of course how close we were, how loath I'd be to take his life and how eager to end his suffering.

I entered the dungeon as quickly as possible and shut the door behind me before Lord Voldemort could give me further instructions on how to kill him.

Severus was constrained at the wrists by chains hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the damp stone dungeon, as to give his torturers access to every inch of his body. His feet were barely touching the ground, even though he was hanging limply in the chains, his head looking to the floor, his face hidden behind his tangled black hair.

I stepped closer to him, inspecting his naked body. Someone had hexed him with a Tuberucus, causing an ugly purulent rash on his back. Didn't they have any sense for aesthetics?

Shaking my head in disgust, I took off my gloves and held my hands inches above the rash, concentrating on sending healing light into his injured skin. I heard Severus gasp as healing with magic is quick, but hurtful. It told me that he was conscious.

My gaze travelled further down and I noticed with anger that his buttocks and thighs were smeared with blood and semen. Apart from the offence that they couldn't even clean up after them - how could they dare to violate my property? And Severus was mine, always had been, from the moment on, 35 years ago, when my parents had bought him for me. Yes, we lived rather isolated and I was an only child, but my parents wanted someone to keep me company, so they bought a boy from a pure-blood, but poor family. His parents were glad to have one mouth less to feed, my parents were glad to have a present for my seventh birthday, I was glad to have someone to play with. Our games changed slightly when we were growing up.

He's always been my favourite toy, even after our ways parted when we were eighteen and he was no longer obligated to be with me. Now I saw that my toy had been broken, and I vowed to myself to take revenge on them all.

I used a quick cleaning spell, then stepped around him and watched his bruised frontside. Severus slightly raised his head, gazing at me through the unwashed strands of his hair. I took off my mask and saw recognition in his eyes, then hope. It annoyed me; he should have known that I was not here to save him. Then again, maybe he just realised that he did not need to expect pain from me; I never hurt him unless he asked for it.

I knew how Severus looked down upon wand-magic; he thought using wands was for amateurs. So I chose to kill him with a spell that couldn't be done with a wand, and one that could only be done by a powerful wizard. I knew he would appreciate that.

Slowly, I pushed his hair out of his face and held my palms to his temples. "Da me vigorem." I whispered. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognised the spell, then they closed in acceptance. This spell would enable me to absorb his life energy. It was not necessarily fatale, not if I stopped in time; but we both knew I wouldn't, couldn't.

Releasing the chains holding him, I caught him in my arms. He was too weak, too injured to stand, so I lowered him, both of us, to the floor, feeling the first streams of energy flowing like bright sparks of fire from him into my body wherever my hands touched his naked skin.

I cradled him in my arms as I sat on the floor with him, stroking his abused body, slowly withdrawing energy as I did so. I could have done this faster, but I wanted to savour these last moments with him. Severus whimpered slightly whenever my fingers touched one of his injuries. The sounds he made were beautiful; he was beautiful, so much more beautiful dying than he ever had been living. He smelled of fear and pain and sweat, his skin tasted salty, his blood sweet as I found when I started licking his wounds. I knew his body so well that the thought that this would be the last time I would caress it was hurtful.

I watched his face while I caressed his skin and took his life, expressions of peaceful despair taking turns with wayward acceptance.

He sighed when I claimed his mouth for a last kiss, closing his eyes. He didn't open them again when I broke the kiss, but he was still breathing, though only shallow. I held him in my arms and caressed him until I was sure that the last sparks of life had wandered from him to me, until his skin was cold as ice and his face relaxed and peaceful. I had never before felt so vigorously, so full of life.

After taking on my gloves and mask I picked up his corpse and left the room.

"I want to keep him." I told the Lord when I had entered the hall.

I couldn't see the expressions on the faces of the other Death Eaters, but they probably thought I got weirder everyday.

Lord Voldemort stepped closer to check whether Severus was really dead, then he shrugged his shoulders. "Do with him whatever you want." he told me.

I buried him in the family crypt, right next to my favourite dog. I already miss him, but it's a solace to know that a part of him lives on in me.

Fare thee well, my beloved.

FINIS

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