Note to Chapter: both thoughts and the contents of a letter are given in cursive. NB: I borrowed the idea of the curse from a story by Subversa, the story is `The love you take` - a steaming hot story in my opinion!

Chapter two

Sitting in Luciusˋ study a few days later Severus Snape regretted being hasty when Lucius told him "I strongly suspect you warned Narcissa that I had planned on getting rid of her, now she has vanished without a trace."

"Does not this only mean that you now can divorce her without blame, as she clearly has abandoned you?" Severus suggested. As an answer to that Lucius smiled in a cruel manner "I didn`t plan on divorce old friend as you probably guessed… but you are right this way the blame will be hers. She has started divorce proceedings actually, as I have been informed. That is no loss, Nott has been most receptive to suggestions of bonding his daughter to me when I am free again.

Poor girl, Severus thought to himself, but raised his glass to Lucius in a congratulatory manner.

"And since I suspect you had a hand in this I decided to spread the joy" Lucius said still smiling cruelly, "a couple of old curses the dark lord bequeathed to me seemed appropriate."

Coolly Severus scowled at Lucius "I did nothing Lucius, and you cannot expect me to sit still for this abuse" he said rising rapidly.

"Aren`t you curious which curses you have been struck with old friend" laughed Lucius.

"You are mad Lucius, I am not cursed with anything and I am leaving."

Swirling round with his signature billowing of robes Severus left the manor rapidly swearing not to return however necessary Dumbledore would claim it could be.

As he reached his home he hurriedly barred the floo from accepting Lucius` entrance and sat down with a drink in hand thinking: It was foolish to warn Narcissa but it was good that she listened to me, I hope she persuaded Draco too… Lucius is probably quite willing to murder him also. All that business with the curses though, Lucius seemed to have gone totally mad.

At this moment Lucius` distinctive eagle owl appeared holding a missive, and feeling a bit foolish Severus checked the missive for curses before accepting it.

`In appreciation of a long association I decided to let you know what to expect. I spelled the floo to deliver the curses, quite ingenious if I may say so myself.. One is a favourite of our Lord, I know he planned to use it on some of his followers to ensure that they produce more children. It is a modified lust curse that ensures you experience growing lust until you impregnate a woman. I wouldn`t think you have a chance given your unfortunate looks, but who knows. The second is all my own, a curse to make you lose what you value the most with yourself, I would give much to know what that is..

Au Revoir old friend.

Lucius`

Scowling Severus waved the hovering bird away and burned the missive, in all probability this letter was just Lucius way of trying to scare him into admitting he`d helped Narcissa. But Severus doubted Lucius cared enough about anything to curse a potentially valuable ally.

Sadly for Severus he was wrong in this surmise; Lucius` pride had been wounded, and he`d let go of his normal Slytherin pragmatism choosing instead to seek revenge for this perceived loss of face. As Severus slept, tossing and turning, his fate hung in the balance and two young women sat conversing in a cosy drawing room a long way away…..