It was in a circle meeting when he noticed it, the cold leering eyes watching him from across the large rectangular table.

Green glassy orbs, focused solely on him, completely ignoring their master whom he sat beside. It was an interested look, like how one would look at a lover as they told them about their day, but there was no love in those eyes. Just malicious interest, which made Severus' stomach turn unpleasantly.

Trying to keep his eyes from wandering from the dark lords form as he talked, he attempted to engage himself into the man's words, looking like the other sycophants' around the table. But, those eyes were burning holes into his forehead and he yearned to curse the green eyed man just to get those intense eyes off him.

"Severus?" His name slid out of the lipless mouth like bitter poison. "Am I, perhaps boring you?" The threatening tone did not pass over Severus and he stiffened in his chair.

Getting up from the high backed chair the dark lords bare feet made no noise as he prowled closer, feeling the oppressing power approaching him, the potions master clenched his linked fingers and starred hard into the golden brown table in front of him. "No my lord, I apologize if it appeared I was uninterested."

The dark lord made a contemplative hum, "but, your thought do seem to wander today Severus."

Sucking in a small bit of cold air, "I apologize, my lord." He replied curtly.

"Maybe, you need you need a reminder about what you should be focusing on." Making a motion with his hand Severus couldn't see, the man that had been starring at him before stood up. "Hadrian, I know that our dear potions master has caught your attention as of late, I'll leave it to you to 'bring his concentration back', take it as an apology present."

A sudden chill of fear creeped its way down his spine. Hadrian. This man was the dark lords right hand, his shadow. He took in a sharp breath of air, which made the dark lord behind him grin sardonically. His 'companion's' reputation preceded him.

The cold smile that curved the raven haired man's lips, made Severus's stomach curl into a hard ball in his gut and rise into his throat. Hadrian 'The Reaper' the man was often called, was rumored to be nearly as cruel and powerful the dark lord himself, gaining his title from his nasty habit of practicing necromancy on his victims after days of agonizing torture, raising them from the dead just to torture and kill them again, sometimes they became temporary servants, but they never lasted long.

Shakily standing on still legs, he pushed himself away from the table and made eye contact with Lucius, who watched him with something akin to sympathy. The blond probably knew they would likely never see each other again, and Lucius would not disrespect him or endanger his own life by defending him.

With a stiff nod, Severus' friend sent him a silent goodbye, which the potions master returned than turned to face his executioner, who stood waiting by the door with the same chillingly pleasant smile on his face.

Taking his time, he was not in a rush to die, he secured his occlcumency walls and approached 'The Reaper'.

Fighting his instincts to flee, he watched as the false pleasant smile morphed into something much more disturbed, a grin with too many teeth and stretched a little too wide to be fully human. The black feather mop of black hair swayed in an eerie manner to a non-existent wind, occasionally obscuring and shadowing luminescent green eyes.

When he was within arm's reach, he couldn't stop the arm from wounding tightly around his waist and pulling him flush against Hadrian's body. The arm around his waist was painfully tight with nails digging into his skin but he made an effort not to pull away or fight back, he knew his odds.

Hot breath suddenly brushed against his ear when lips gently brushed it and whispered, "Let's go play, potions master Severus Snape."

And they were gone with a soft crack.