Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK

Xxxx

July 1991

Severus flipped gently through the heavy tome. The fragile, yellow pages holding information far too valuable to be lost. Dumbledore had loaned it to him, the text originally belonging in the Headmaster's office. He was given no instruction, no guidance on what he was looking for, only to simply read. It was a dangerous assignment, particularly because Dumbledore was well aware of his fascination with the dark arts. Only one that truly understood them could desire to defeat them, but that didn't mean one couldn't lose their mind in the process.

The sound of his knocker on the ancient wood disturbed him from his studies. Leaving his book abandoned on the pale yellow, winged armchair, Severus peered through the frosted glass window in suspicion. The shoulder length, white blonde curls staring back were faded by the pitting, but recognizable all the same. The thin line of his mouth deepened as the black painted door was answered.

"Mrs. Malfoy, to what do I owe this pleasure?" His words came out slow, deliberate, and slightly sarcastic. He'd never expected the visage of Narcissa to be standing at the entrance to his…home, for lack of a better word. Their previous meetings having taken place in far less conspicuous areas.

Her usual pinched look and tightly pursed lips had lessened, taking on a more timid demeanor. Inviting herself inside, she examined her surroundings with an air of indifference. The wrinkle that crossed her nose broke the façade she had been aiming for. Her obvious discomfort was nearly laughable, if he'd been the laughing type he might have pointed it out. Instead, Severus eyed her silently, waiting for the unnecessary scrutiny to end.

Her eyes passed over the well-used furniture, pausing at the piece he had so clearly been using before her arrival. She grazed the cover of the book he had abandoned, tracing the deep purple pattern that adorned the black binding. She tilted her head, taking in the title. "Secrets of the Darkest Art?"

"Narcissa." He urged her to get on with it

She rounded on him with a sigh. "I debated sending Draco to Durmstrang, it's what Lucius would have wanted." She held her black gloved hands in front of her, intertwining her fingers together. Severus' eyes flickered towards them, the small fidgeting having drawn his attention. The stiff movements of her fingers were the only noticeable sign of her agitation.

"Yet, you've chosen Hogwarts." He finished for her, straightening his posture impossibly taller and toying with a button of his sleeve.

"Surely you haven't been immune to the murmurs, Severus?"

Murmurs? The situation had escalated far beyond whispers, merging into that of physical manifestations. The once faint red, visible only because he knew it was there, had begun to darken. It was flushed again with the blood that had once swam in the Dark Lord's own veins, surging to life at the potential of his return. "I'm aware."

"With Lucius gone..." Her sight dropped off his face and to the threadbare carpet, revealing true fear rather than simple anxiety. "I'm no longer privy to the Dark Lord's secrets, not without taking the mark myself. I'm afraid Draco will be targeted."

It was a reservation Severus certainly understood. If he had been given the option now, he wouldn't have taken it either. He didn't wish for the parasitic mark to mar her porcelain skin, a desire he'd shared with Lucius.

"The rumors have not touched your family. Dear Bella would be the most vocal about your persecution, should it come to that. She'd be desperate to rid her family of the stain you've left." He folded his arms, his stance forming into one of self-protection. Severus was fully aware of what she was about to ask him. The only thing he doubted was his ability to turn her down.

"Are you questioning my knowledge of my own sister?" She looked at him again with a playfulness in her eyes. The shadow of a smile graced her features momentarily at the shared joke between them before growing serious once again. "As the Dark Lord's presence grows, its only natural that her shame in us should too."

"It should be no surprise, given his heritage, that Draco will be placed in Slytherin. That in itself will provide an advantage. I can only watch over the boy so much before my interference becomes noticeable. I will not sacrifice my standing with the Dark Lord because you wish to keep him near." His level of irritation was always kept dangerously close to the surface, threatening to boil over. There was only so much that could be asked of him before he was spread too thin.

His fierce assertion seemed to do little in swaying her resolve. The fumbling of her hands came to a stop and she edged toward him. The only sound in the room was that of her juniper shaded robes shuffling with her movement. "I'm not asking you to be his body guard. Just to keep him out of trouble."

Severus' lips curled into a smirk at the suggestion. "Given his parents, that will be bloody near impossible."

"And its foolish of me to believe his Godfather would be a better influence." Narcissa edged her eyebrow upward, baiting him.

Severus met her crystalline eyes, the playfulness of the moment gone. He turned away from her, keeping his face out of her line of sight. After thirteen years of practicing occlumency, mastering occlumency, there was only one thing that threatened to shatter his resolve. "I'll watch over Draco." His voice was flat, his baritone resonating around the sparse room.

Narcissa cleared her throat, composing herself and redirecting the conversation. "Will you keep me informed?" Her voice was apprehensive, in stark contrast to his. It was a dangerous question, for both of them and she was fully aware of the consequences.

He let her question fall between them. His back was turned to her still, eyes trained on one of the many shelves of books. Severus lifted a finger, dragging it along the bindings distractedly. "Lucius already asked that I keep you safe." He looked over his shoulder at her, standing in the center of the room and entirely out of place in the impoverished surroundings. "You didn't need to ask for Draco's protection." From the corner of his eye he watched as Narcissa stepped towards him. "I was already planning on giving it."

The tension in her body ceased as he promised to protect her son and she allowed an honest smile to form, one he was tempted to return. Her petite hands, still clad in fabric, went to the muscles of his back. The pressure of her fingers found their way to his skin through his own nearly black robes. "Its been too long."

Severus tilted his head back at the promiscuity in her voice. He was tempted to give in to what he knew would be a good time. He faced her fully, her hands brushing against him as he twisted. Narcissa's previously light eyes had darkened at the suggestion, a habit she had so intimately learned could get to him. He left a whisper of space between them as he bent forward, kissing her deeply.

A soft exhale escaped her lips as his own parted. They moved in sync, Severus brushed only the slightest hint of a touch to the small of her back. Pulling back, he nipped her lip roughly before dropping his tone to a low tremor. "Now isn't the time."

Xxxx

Severus was entirely unprepared for the new school year. The break was never quite long enough, and he found himself holed up in the castle far sooner than he would have liked. At least students had the privilege of arriving on the first of September. He was given the glorious gift of flooing in a week earlier to prepare for them.

Potion supplies were ordered at the end of every year and arrived just before the new one began. Some were simply unpacked and stored while others he prepared for his own personal stores. Dicing, crushing, and even drying various ingredients to be used at a moment's notice. He'd grumbled about the task for the past ten years, but in reality, he found it soothing.

There was a sense of control in the rhythmic thud of the knife against the stone counter. In the ever-present chaos that was his life, this was something he could count on. Severus found relief in the stability. He enjoyed the touch of his thumb on the back of the cool, steel blade and the way the glass bottles clinked together as they were placed on shelves. The intoxicating scent of herbs and the morbid evidence of decay, it all compounded into its own type of potion, one that only affected him.

The silence provided another sense of security. There was no incessant prattle of children, or far more irritating, teenagers. He knew far too much about the intimate lives of each of them, despite all attempts of drowning them out. There were few students actually interested in learning and they were rare outside his N.E.W.T classes. So, yes, he flourished in the time he actually got to be alone.

The necessary equipment was lined up across his workspace and pleasure flooded his body at the task to come. Far too soon this room would be filled with not so eager students and it would be another year before this moment came. Grasping the wooden handle of the knife, he prepared for the first cut only to be disappointingly interrupted by the unbelievably bright patronus in front of him. The previous pleasure dissipated, forming instead into one of disappointment.

Xxxx

"Severus, there's a rather unusual quality to our newest teacher." Dumbledore eyed him curiously for a reaction he'd never get. They had the same conversation every year Severus had been there. The curse had been enacted even before Severus' birth. He'd seen more than his fair share of oddities join them throughout the years. He also knew it was Dumbledore's primary reasoning for not placing him in the position, unfortunately.

"Vampire? Serial killer? Which mental patient will we be blessed to have in our service this year?" Severus goaded, knowing the old man enjoyed a fair game. The shared smile he expected however, wasn't there.

Dumbledore instead trained his gaze on the Hogwarts' grounds, the rolling green hills that would be infested in just a few days. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you this year. Does the name Quirinus Quirrell ring a bell?"

"Ah." Severus gave a singular chuckle with a shake of his head. "By unusual you mean spineless? Quite an endearing personality trait for a defense professor." He had been lucky enough to attend Hogwarts alongside Quirrell, a truly a timorous man, having done nothing brave in all his existence. There was a reason Quirinus had been sorted into Ravenclaw, academics lacking the need for courage.

"Several years ago, I would have agreed with you, but that's not what I find unusual, and certainly not the reason I asked him to rejoin our staff." Dumbledore paced the office, hands clasped behind his back and forgetting the window entirely. "I'm afraid he's recently returned from a rather ambitious endeavor – in Albania." His eyebrows quirked above the golden rim of his half-moon glasses. The gesture informed Severus that he expected a reaction to this as well.

"What exactly are you implying?" His own brow lowered in a glare, disbelieving what he was hearing. Surely Quirrell wouldn't be foolish enough to fall for the Dark Lord.

"Merely…speculation. But, perhaps it would be wise to keep an eye on him."

"Among the growing rumors, you find it wise to select the applicant most likely within the Dark Lord's grasp? Particularly on the year Potter will be joining us?" He gritted his teeth in irritation. The grand defeat of the Dark Lord was tediously turning into a list of people who needed to be babysat.

"That's precisely why I found him the most…qualified, shall we say?" His eyes twinkled mischievously, and Severus approached him, narrowing his eyes further.

"You wish to draw out the Dark Lord?" Every letter was carefully enunciated, willing Dumbledore to deny the accusation.

"It's war, Severus. Harry must be prepared for what's to come. If we can expose Lord Voldemort's return in our own means-"

"We can control the narrative."

Dumbledore smiled gleefully in return. "I see you're catching on."

Severus remained stoic, unimpressed by the Headmaster's tactics. Should he have allowed his occlumency barriers to fall, the calm would have easily given way to a storm. He closed his eyes, concentrating on securing his defenses. If Dumbledore had his way, he would be in the Dark Lord's clutches far sooner than he desired. "And should harm befall Potter? What then?"

"He has a name, I think it would be wise to get used to the idea." He deflected. "We'll have plenty of opportunities to discuss the topic further. For now, it is enough that you're aware of the situation."

Severus watched him a minute more, trying to figure out the enigma that was Albus Dumbledore. As the headmaster walked away, the dismissal was made painfully clear. Severus turned with a flourish, his cape billowing out behind him as he barreled through the door and down the guarded staircase. He took determined steps through the corridors, descending lower into the castle and back to his solitary domain.