Title: Friendship Politics
Characters: Severus, Lucius
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling and publishers. No offense is meant by this fan fiction and this is made purely for fun.
Summary: Severus and Lucius grow tired of their games.
Day: Sept 02
"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.
Don't walk beside me; I may not lead.
Walk beside me, and just be my friend."
-Albert Camus (1913-1960)
Lucius sighed inwardly as Severus gained leverage on him once more. This was how he lived, a constant battle for a top rank in life's delicate hierarchy. He always had those he needed to trump, those he needed to manipulate and those he would not dare touch directly for risk of ruining his hard work. But just once he would like to have someone, who was not his wife, who he could associate with without worry for such things, where politics and a status quo were not need. Now he would have to follow Severus' lead and behave with the nuances they both knew to indicate who the dominant party was.
Eventually he would be the one holding the cards and leading the way. It always happened. They flowed back and forth with a continuous shift in power. It was the first time Lucius had encountered someone so on par with him and he loved it. He only wished that they drop the contest and settle into something more than silent competitors with a cordial front. They could be... friends, he supposed, though he was not quite sure of the exact structures of such a relationship. He had never needed to know.
He locked eyes with Severus and his finger twitched as he noted the similarity of their expressions. Perhaps his old colleague was feeling very much the same. It was simply a matter of them finding some way to broach the topic carefully. They were in new waters. Seven years in Slytherin house does not prepare one for friendship, it prepares them for a lifetime of cleverness and hidden agendas. This was not something they could plot. They needed to tread lightly.
"I do think that I'm quite tired of this game, do you not, Lucius?" Severus drawled, in his usual tone. His eyes were full of caution though.
Lucius inclined his head before he spoke, "I quite agree, Severus. Though, I had not expected you to be so... forward."
Severus gave an almost imperceptible smile and said, "At times it pays to be blunt. Subtlety is not always the most appropriate method."
And Lucius knew that Severus had not intended for that bit of advice to be a sign of his intellect or wisdom, but something he had shared with an old colleague. One he did not need to compete with because they need not hold anything over the other. He watched, stunned, at the amount of tension they both seemed to release now that the games were over.