The Faults of Men are Not But Few
Disclaimer: Neither Snape nor Lucius belongs to me. Gedia does. *shrug* What can I say, she's my alter ego!
Author's Note: A conversation takes place between Snape and Gedia, regarding the latter's relationship with Lucius Malfoy and the nature of men. How many faults must one commit before it becomes too hard to forgive?
Dedicated to Storm, just because she likes Lucius so darn much.
* * *
Part One: The First Fault
The Slytherin Common Room was empty, as it should be. The entire school as currently either attending classes or teaching them. Or they, in the case of the girl who had accidentally spilled Shrinking Solution on herself, were lying moaning in the hospital wing. Well, all of them save for two, the two who had decided on skipping classes to engage in something more... enjoyable.
The secret wall slid open to allow two Slytherins to stumble inside, their hands grabbing at each others robes and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The sixth-year boy dropped down onto the green plush sofa, pulling his companion with him. She fell eagerly onto hi, her dark curls forming a silken curtain around their faces.
His pale hands caressed her curves, pulling her closer to him, crushing her body against his. "Gedia," he murmured into her soft lips before calling her by the pet name he had given her, "Dia..."
Her long, slender fingers grazed his smooth face, tracing his features with feathery touches. To his arousal-heightened senses, her touch was like liquid fire. He burned for her. He slid his hands into her robes, causing a shiver of delight to course through her veins.
She broke the kiss, moving to focus her attention on his earlobe, exposing her long neck to him. Pressing his warm lips to the area just above her collarbone, he devoted his efforts into re-marking her alabaster skin to claim her as his own.
He paused to release a growling moan as she lightly blew in his ear. Great Merlin, he'd skip class any day to do this.
He'd caught her in the hallway while she was on her way to Transfiguration, pulling her into an empty hallway with a motion for her to be silent. For her, it was an unexpected surprise, but for him it had been something he had been waiting all day for.
They had waited until classes had begun before running hand-in-hand back to Slytherin Hall. Outside the entrance, he had pinned her to the wall and attacked her mouth with his.
Their tongues had dueled back and forth in a fiery, heated dance before they had broken apart long enough for him to murmur, "Purebloods," so that the wall could open up to admit them into the Common Room.
He silently wondered if they would be able to make it down to his dorm before they lost themselves in one another. From the furor in their kisses, he seriously doubted it.
That changed abruptly as the wall slid aside once more to reveal a dark figure. He cleared his throat, averting his dark eyes from the pair on the couch.
Gedia looked up over the back of the couch with a soft gasp. Her lips were red and slightly swollen and her lipstick was smeared on both her and her partner's faces. The intruder immediately wished he hadn't volunteered to look for the missing Slytherins. He should have known better.
"Severus," stated Gedia's companion, running a hand through his tousled white-blonde hair. "What are you doing?" He wanted to snap at his friend for interrupting, but kept his explosive anger in check.
The black-haired boy tore his eyes away from Gedia, who was self-consciously preening her mussed curls. "Forgive me, Lucius. I was sent to search for you when you were not present in class."
"You couldn't have said we went to the hospital wing?" he growled abruptly.
Severus' black eyes flashed. "McGonagall is no idiot, Malfoy. Do you wish me to get points taken from Slytherin for lying, after you will get points taken for skipping?" His tone was dangerous. He was one of the few who dared argue with the charming yet bad-tempered Slytherin.
Lucius was about to make a reply, but Gedia laid a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. "It's not his fault, Lucius."
His pale eyes traveled over her and he leaned forward to capture her mouth in another kiss.
Severus resisted the urge to fidget nervously. Ever since his two friends had begun dating, he had felt very much like a... how did the Muggles say it?... a third wheel. Especially at times like this.
Malfoy was part-Veela and therefore happened to be quite sexually active and far less able to control his desires than others were. That fact was made painfully evident to Snape by the sheer number of times the two disappeared, leaving Severus alone.
Not that he minded being alone, but he couldn't help but wish that things would go back to the way they used to be. Then he wouldn't have to feel so... jealous.
Jealous?
He balked at the word, and yet, he couldn't deny the green twinge of envy that gnawed at him. But jealous of what? Surely he was not jealous of the fact that Lucius was the one able to kiss Gedia.
Certainly not. Gedia was his friend, nothing more than his truest friend. She was the one who glanced apologetically over her shoulder at him as Lucius dragged her off to an abandoned corner for another sexual tryst. She was the one who helped him exact revenge on the Marauders. She was the one who sat cross-legged on his bed half the night and had deeper discussions with him than he had ever known possible.
But those conversations, acts of revenge, and glances had become few and far between as of late. That was what he was jealous of. Nothing else. He would not think of such things again, he promised himself that.
Lucius finally broke the kiss and stroked Gedia's smooth cheek with a fingertip. "Of course you're right," he purred to her. "It isn't that bat's fault that we were interrupted." He tossed a joking glance towards Severus, who did not smile back. But then again, he never did.
Gedia glanced at Snape. He had the most curious expression on his face, but try as she might, she could not read it. It was something she had never seen before. She searched his eyes for clues, but all emotion in them was expertly hidden and they betrayed nothing, even to her expert gaze.
He turned away from her probing eyes, looking instead at Lucius. "I'll leave you two... alone. I suppose you'll be reporting to the hospital wing... later on?"
"Absolutely, old boy. After all, we might need a good nap." He kissed Gedia playfully and stood. "Join me downstairs, sweet lady?"
She glanced back at Severus, who was looking fixedly away, and felt a strange twist in her stomach. Curious. Must be something she'd had for breakfast- pumpkin juice gone bad or something. Whatever it was, it made her feel quite... off. She suddenly lost all desire for what they had just been doing.
"No, Lucius."
His hand tightened on hers. "What?"
"I said no."
He sunk down onto the couch with her. "Ged... you can't do this to me... you can't. You know what it does to me." He tried to kiss her again.
She wrenched her hand from his and stood abruptly. "No." Turning on her heel, she strode out of the Common Room, the door banging shut behind her.
The remaining boys lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Lucius also got stiffly to his feet, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. "Very well," he growled, stalking out of the room as well.
Severus sighed. There were times when he wished that Lucius and Gedia had never met. This was one of those times. Then there would not be these problems and he would not be so often alone.
He went to class, then to lunch. Gedia sat at the table, but did not eat or talk, choosing instead to isolate herself. He knew better by now than to attempt to talk to her about the touchy subject matter. She would only bite his head off... not literally, of course... but close. Besides, he was not exactly the best at such discussions.
Lucius was not there, and Severus knew that he was not the only one to notice the absence. So he touched Gedia's shoulder lightly before leaving the table, letting her know that, in his own way, he was there for his friend, as he had always been.
On his way back to Slytherin Hall, he happened to hear a light giggle coming from an adjoining hallway, where Lucius often took Gedia. But Gedia was still back in the Great Hall...
He knew he shouldn't pry, but...
Silently, he slunk down the hallway, following the sounds of a voice that sounded suspiciously like Malfoy's. He paused, for a moment not wanting to find out, wanting to let things go back to normal. But then he thought of Gedia, thought of the way she trusted him.
He couldn't let Lucius do this to her.
So he forced himself to turn the corner.
END PART ONE
Disclaimer: Neither Snape nor Lucius belongs to me. Gedia does. *shrug* What can I say, she's my alter ego!
Author's Note: A conversation takes place between Snape and Gedia, regarding the latter's relationship with Lucius Malfoy and the nature of men. How many faults must one commit before it becomes too hard to forgive?
Dedicated to Storm, just because she likes Lucius so darn much.
* * *
Part One: The First Fault
The Slytherin Common Room was empty, as it should be. The entire school as currently either attending classes or teaching them. Or they, in the case of the girl who had accidentally spilled Shrinking Solution on herself, were lying moaning in the hospital wing. Well, all of them save for two, the two who had decided on skipping classes to engage in something more... enjoyable.
The secret wall slid open to allow two Slytherins to stumble inside, their hands grabbing at each others robes and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The sixth-year boy dropped down onto the green plush sofa, pulling his companion with him. She fell eagerly onto hi, her dark curls forming a silken curtain around their faces.
His pale hands caressed her curves, pulling her closer to him, crushing her body against his. "Gedia," he murmured into her soft lips before calling her by the pet name he had given her, "Dia..."
Her long, slender fingers grazed his smooth face, tracing his features with feathery touches. To his arousal-heightened senses, her touch was like liquid fire. He burned for her. He slid his hands into her robes, causing a shiver of delight to course through her veins.
She broke the kiss, moving to focus her attention on his earlobe, exposing her long neck to him. Pressing his warm lips to the area just above her collarbone, he devoted his efforts into re-marking her alabaster skin to claim her as his own.
He paused to release a growling moan as she lightly blew in his ear. Great Merlin, he'd skip class any day to do this.
He'd caught her in the hallway while she was on her way to Transfiguration, pulling her into an empty hallway with a motion for her to be silent. For her, it was an unexpected surprise, but for him it had been something he had been waiting all day for.
They had waited until classes had begun before running hand-in-hand back to Slytherin Hall. Outside the entrance, he had pinned her to the wall and attacked her mouth with his.
Their tongues had dueled back and forth in a fiery, heated dance before they had broken apart long enough for him to murmur, "Purebloods," so that the wall could open up to admit them into the Common Room.
He silently wondered if they would be able to make it down to his dorm before they lost themselves in one another. From the furor in their kisses, he seriously doubted it.
That changed abruptly as the wall slid aside once more to reveal a dark figure. He cleared his throat, averting his dark eyes from the pair on the couch.
Gedia looked up over the back of the couch with a soft gasp. Her lips were red and slightly swollen and her lipstick was smeared on both her and her partner's faces. The intruder immediately wished he hadn't volunteered to look for the missing Slytherins. He should have known better.
"Severus," stated Gedia's companion, running a hand through his tousled white-blonde hair. "What are you doing?" He wanted to snap at his friend for interrupting, but kept his explosive anger in check.
The black-haired boy tore his eyes away from Gedia, who was self-consciously preening her mussed curls. "Forgive me, Lucius. I was sent to search for you when you were not present in class."
"You couldn't have said we went to the hospital wing?" he growled abruptly.
Severus' black eyes flashed. "McGonagall is no idiot, Malfoy. Do you wish me to get points taken from Slytherin for lying, after you will get points taken for skipping?" His tone was dangerous. He was one of the few who dared argue with the charming yet bad-tempered Slytherin.
Lucius was about to make a reply, but Gedia laid a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. "It's not his fault, Lucius."
His pale eyes traveled over her and he leaned forward to capture her mouth in another kiss.
Severus resisted the urge to fidget nervously. Ever since his two friends had begun dating, he had felt very much like a... how did the Muggles say it?... a third wheel. Especially at times like this.
Malfoy was part-Veela and therefore happened to be quite sexually active and far less able to control his desires than others were. That fact was made painfully evident to Snape by the sheer number of times the two disappeared, leaving Severus alone.
Not that he minded being alone, but he couldn't help but wish that things would go back to the way they used to be. Then he wouldn't have to feel so... jealous.
Jealous?
He balked at the word, and yet, he couldn't deny the green twinge of envy that gnawed at him. But jealous of what? Surely he was not jealous of the fact that Lucius was the one able to kiss Gedia.
Certainly not. Gedia was his friend, nothing more than his truest friend. She was the one who glanced apologetically over her shoulder at him as Lucius dragged her off to an abandoned corner for another sexual tryst. She was the one who helped him exact revenge on the Marauders. She was the one who sat cross-legged on his bed half the night and had deeper discussions with him than he had ever known possible.
But those conversations, acts of revenge, and glances had become few and far between as of late. That was what he was jealous of. Nothing else. He would not think of such things again, he promised himself that.
Lucius finally broke the kiss and stroked Gedia's smooth cheek with a fingertip. "Of course you're right," he purred to her. "It isn't that bat's fault that we were interrupted." He tossed a joking glance towards Severus, who did not smile back. But then again, he never did.
Gedia glanced at Snape. He had the most curious expression on his face, but try as she might, she could not read it. It was something she had never seen before. She searched his eyes for clues, but all emotion in them was expertly hidden and they betrayed nothing, even to her expert gaze.
He turned away from her probing eyes, looking instead at Lucius. "I'll leave you two... alone. I suppose you'll be reporting to the hospital wing... later on?"
"Absolutely, old boy. After all, we might need a good nap." He kissed Gedia playfully and stood. "Join me downstairs, sweet lady?"
She glanced back at Severus, who was looking fixedly away, and felt a strange twist in her stomach. Curious. Must be something she'd had for breakfast- pumpkin juice gone bad or something. Whatever it was, it made her feel quite... off. She suddenly lost all desire for what they had just been doing.
"No, Lucius."
His hand tightened on hers. "What?"
"I said no."
He sunk down onto the couch with her. "Ged... you can't do this to me... you can't. You know what it does to me." He tried to kiss her again.
She wrenched her hand from his and stood abruptly. "No." Turning on her heel, she strode out of the Common Room, the door banging shut behind her.
The remaining boys lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Lucius also got stiffly to his feet, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. "Very well," he growled, stalking out of the room as well.
Severus sighed. There were times when he wished that Lucius and Gedia had never met. This was one of those times. Then there would not be these problems and he would not be so often alone.
He went to class, then to lunch. Gedia sat at the table, but did not eat or talk, choosing instead to isolate herself. He knew better by now than to attempt to talk to her about the touchy subject matter. She would only bite his head off... not literally, of course... but close. Besides, he was not exactly the best at such discussions.
Lucius was not there, and Severus knew that he was not the only one to notice the absence. So he touched Gedia's shoulder lightly before leaving the table, letting her know that, in his own way, he was there for his friend, as he had always been.
On his way back to Slytherin Hall, he happened to hear a light giggle coming from an adjoining hallway, where Lucius often took Gedia. But Gedia was still back in the Great Hall...
He knew he shouldn't pry, but...
Silently, he slunk down the hallway, following the sounds of a voice that sounded suspiciously like Malfoy's. He paused, for a moment not wanting to find out, wanting to let things go back to normal. But then he thought of Gedia, thought of the way she trusted him.
He couldn't let Lucius do this to her.
So he forced himself to turn the corner.
END PART ONE