Three Are One: Whine, Prison, Shadow and Marriage
Lucius stared at the ceiling for a long time. His ice blue coloured eyes took in every detail of the dark, hazy looking panels, his thin hold on his emotions just as dark and hazy. He muttered and rolled over, a hand brushing against warm, soft velvety skin.
The owner of this skin grunted and burrowed deeper into the blankets. They neither moved to snuggled against him, nor did they wake. This seemed to be the case every time they were together. His lover was not, or so he assumed, a snuggler after their sexual encounters. Each and every time, they would move away from him as if the very thought of touching afterwards was disgusting or absurd.
Lucius muttered again, rolled back onto his back and continued to stare at the ceiling. After a moment, he chuckled softly.
"Honestly, I thought you enjoyed our little moment together? Or, was this not to your liking?"
A muffled grunt from beneath the piled up blankets was all he received in way of a reply.
"Would you come out from under the blankets so we can have a decent conversation?"
Another grunt.
Lucius waited for a moment, then reached over, grabbed the end of the blankets, and yanked them off the sleeping form.
"Coming out now, Scabior?"
"I 'ate ya, Malfoy. 'ave I ever told ya that?"
Lucius chuckled once more.
"Every time I see you as a matter of fact."
More irritated grunting followed this.
"I 'aven't slept in four days! Just wanted to lay down for a moment, but no…"
Lucius waved that away.
"And whose fault is it that you haven't slept in four days? Not mine. That would be all you, Scabior."
Scabior rolled over onto his side, smirked coldly, ran a hand through his dark hair, and laughed.
"Well, I 'ave a job to do, Luc. Can't rightly be fallin' asleep while out roundin' up rubbish. "
"Nonsense, you could certainly sleep if you chose to, Scabior. I often think you just punish yourself for something when you do this sort of thing…"
"But…" Scabior whined softly.
Lucius waved this away, as well.
"I'll have none of that whining. You never whined this much when we were in Azkaban, did you? No, of course you didn't. Seems lately, you've whined far more about silly things then you ever have. Honestly, do you take me for one who enjoys it?"
Scabior tilted his head slightly to the side; several stray strands of dark hair fell over his grey-blue eyes, making him look far more like a mistreated sheepdog than a rugged Snatcher. He stared at Lucius for a long moment before replying.
"No, I don't think ya like it, Luc. Can't be 'elped really. I whine when I'm frustrated."
Lucius grinned faintly. He reached over, pushed one strand of the Snatcher's hair behind his ear, and smiled affectionately at him.
"Still, it would suit you more to stop it when around me. It will get you nowhere. I do not fall for your whining, nor do I fall for your constant flights of fancy."
Scabior's eyes widened.
"Wot? I don't 'ave flights of fancy!" He snarled deeply.
The former Death Eater simply laughed at this.
"No? What was that young red haired witch with the pretty emerald coloured eyes? "
"I still 'ave 'er round. She keeps our flat nice and tidy…"
Lucius smirked.
"You have yourself a house elf that's human." He cocked his head a bit, grinning. "She knows about us?"
Scabior nodded quickly.
"Yes, she knows and I…"
"What is she to you, Scabior? Your maid or something more?"
The Snatcher grinned lopsidedly.
"She's my girlfriend, Luc. She can 'andle me at my worst, unlike you or those other tarts…"
"Do you love her?" Lucius watched his face for any sign of a lie.
"Yes, I love 'er. Always 'ave and always will. She loved loved me when no one else did, or would. Other than you, she is the only one that stuck round after I went back to Azkaban. She waited, and didn't go off with some other tosser."
Lucius watched as Scabior's expression changed from chilly to sad. He ran a finger softly along his jaw, smiling warmly at him.
"I'm glad she loves you, and that she waited for you to get out again. Three years is a lot to ask of someone, especially when they are as beautiful as she is, and can be had by any wizard out there." Lucius grinned slowly. "What House was she in?"
Scabior chuckled.
"She is very beautiful, Luc. I asked 'er why she waited, and she said it was because she loves me, and that she didn't want any other wizard. She wants me." He pointed at his chest, smiling. "Shadow was a year be'ind me at 'ogwart's, and she was in Slytherin."
Scabior smiled more at this thought. Lucius smiled back, enjoying the quick happiness that this brought the usually morose Snatcher.
"And?"
Scabior's smile grew.
"I know I loved 'er at school and she loved me. Couldn't separate us, really. Where she was, they always found me." His smile faded slightly. "When I left 'ogwart's, I wanted to keep us together, but circumstances fucked that up."
Lucius stroked back another strand of Scabior's hair, noting how pathetic he now looked. Scabior hurried on with his memory, the smile fading more and more.
"She left school and ended up working at the Ministry, and 'er mum and dad didn't feel I was right for their daughter. I was poor and 'orrible in their opinions. Worthless and scraggly and disgusting."
"And your Shadow didn't feel this way about you? "
Scabior shook his head.
"No, she loved me, and went out of 'er way to be with me. They found us out, and sent 'er away to live with her Auntie in Devon."
Lucius nodded his understanding.
"And you found her again?"
"Yeah, when I was being sent to Azkaban the first time. She was there when they brought me in, and I never saw such a 'orrid expression on 'er face before. She followed all the way to my cell, and stood outside it for a long time, not talking or anything, just looking at me. Finally, she says, 'Scabior.' I didn't know wot to say to 'er, so I just nodded and looked away from 'er. I couldn't look at the woman I loved."
Lucius stared at him for a long time, wondering just what was going on inside the Snatcher's mind.
"She waited that time, too?"
Scabior grinned his lopsided grin. Such an endearing expression.
"Yeah, she did. Tried to 'ave me released to 'er, promising them she'd keep me out of trouble."
Both men chuckled at this.
"I doubt she could have done that, Scabior."
"No, not even Shadow would've been able to do that." He smiled. "But, when they refused 'er even that small request, despite 'er money and connections to the Ministry, she came to see me all the time. After awhile, they made 'er stop that, too. I depended on 'er visits, and once they made 'er stop, it felt like I'd died, Luc. Like my 'eart stopped the moment she left."
Lucius nodded.
"I understand."
Scabior shook his head slowly.
"No, no ya don't. Ya didn't 'ave that problem when ya were in there. They let yer wife visit ya all the time. Shadow wasn't my wife, and 'er family 'ad a 'and in them not letting 'er visit me anymore. They found out about 'er visiting me…"
"If she was a grown up woman, Scabior, how could they stop her from visiting?"
The Snatcher did something Lucius was not prepared for. He snuggled up against him, one arm lazily thrown over Lucius' hip. The blonde sighed and rested his arm over Scabior's.
"Luc, they 'ad money. Connections all that sort of thing. Wot was I? Nothing. I was a thief, a con, a cheat!" Scabior snarled coldly. "I was poor, and from a poor family with nothing. Just like when we were at 'ogwarts. Nothing 'ad changed."
"Still, she loved you, right? She waited both times for you to get out of Azkaban."
"Yeah, she loved me and waited. Loves me now, and I don't know wot I'd do without 'er."
Lucius ran his fingers along Scabior's arm lightly and slowly. An idea formed quickly in Lucius' head.
"Marry her then."
Scabior sat up, head cocked to the side, eyes wide.
"Marry 'er?" He thought about this for a moment. "Would that bother you, Luc?"
"Why would it bother me? She knows about us, and she accepts it. And, she loves you, you love her. I say marry your little Shadow…and move her out of the dingy flat."
Scabior smiled slowly.
"Yeah…I believe I will marry 'er…I wanna be with 'er badly. Maybe start a family?"
"I give you both my blessing." He pushed Scabior out of the bed roughly, reached into the drawer by the bed, and withdrew a small bag. He handed it to the Snatcher.
"Gold enough to buy her a nice ring and some flowers." He shoved the bag at Scabior. "And, once she says yes, bring her back here for the evening."
Scabior dressed quickly, a new sort of smile planted firmly on his pale, stubble edged face. He grabbed the bag of gold, jammed it into the pocket of his black leather coat, took out his wand and nodded.
"Yeah, we'll come back 'ere afterwards." His smile faltered a bit. "I 'ope she says yes…"
Lucius chuckled.
"She will, Scabior. You worry way too much. " He shooed him away. "Now, do get going and ask that little witch of yours to make you a happy wizard."
Scabior jumped forward towards Lucius, placed a quick kiss on his cheek and apparated out of the room. Lucius lay back on the bed, a slow cool grin creeping over his face.
"I do hope for your sake, she does say yes. I want you to be happy, my little Snatcher."