Note; I own nothing!
WHAT YOU OWN
"I head the most peculiar rumour today" Lucius Malfoy said as he sat himself down in an antique elegant armchair on the opposite side of the heavy mahogany table by which Severus was reading by the light of the fire in the Slytherin common-room. He actually looked up from the book he was reading and acknowledged Lucius presence. He was one of the few people which Severus would to this honour. But he didn't respond to Lucius comment, he merely looked at him, with one finger on the passage which he was reading.
"I was most astonished by it" Lucius continued, a slight smile playing on his pale lips as he looked at Severus with cold, grey eyes. He still didn't respond, instead he waited for Lucius to make his point, which he didn't seem in a hurry to do. Severus was used to Lucius way of making everything dramatic. He didn't much care for it. He knew perfectly well the point Lucius was waiting to make, and stalling it only meant wasting time.
"I heard" Lucius continued, since Severus didn't respond (not that he had expected him to), "That you are taking that Evans-girl to the Yule Ball? And here I was under the impression that you weren't going?"
"So was I, but I was obviously wrong" Severus replied.
"So it doesn't bother you" Lucius continued, still smiling "That the first thing she does after making a surely unworthy display of herself in public and breaking up with that strapping Ravenclaw" Severus snorted at the definition of Thomas "Is to come running to you, insisting for you to take her to a dace?"
"No, Lucius" Severus answered cooly "It does not bother me half as much as being interrupted while trying to study"
"Why I would think nothing would bother you more then that, Severus" Lucius answered with a handsome, but still cold, smile "I am merely expressing my concern for you, my friend"
"And though I am not ungrateful for that concern, Lucius," Severus replied "I must ask what that might be?"
Lucius leaned forward over the table, his long, white-blonde hair brushing the dark mahogany.
"That concern being" he said, in a lower tone as if to tell a secret "That you are being used by that woman. Manipulated, if you wish"
Severus answered Lucius with a cold grin, the only type of smile he used with anyone but Lily.
"I assure you, Lucius, you need not worry for me"
"Oh, but I can not help it" the blonde smiled.
"It must me your warm and caring nature" Severus grinned back.
"It must be" Lucius sat back into the chair again, seating himself more comfortably.
Silence fell between them as Lucius studied the flames in the fireplace and Severus took up his reading. He'd almost finished the chapter when Lucius spoke again.
"So, what are you wearing to this ball?"
"What is this obsession with clothes all of a sudden?" Severus exclaimed, his head snapping up.
"So you have nothing, then?" Lucius smiled at him again.
"Nothing at all" Severus sighted.
"Well, seeing how I am such a warm and caring person" Lucius started his smile widening "You can borrow one of my old dress-robes if you like. I had a new one made for the occasion anyway. And my old ones should suit you, we are about the same height, I would think"
"And since we are such good friends" Severus said "I am sure there is something I can do for you in return?"
"Well, if a Slytherin is going with a Gryffindor" Lucius spit out the word "We might as well make him look presentable. I am merely thinking of what is best for our house. We have an image to maintain Severus, one that we should honour"
Being both half-blood and poor to match Severus was well aware that he didn't fit in to this ideal.
"But since you so gracefully offered" Lucius continued "You may do my essay on the founding of Wizengamont for me"
"I will do half of it"
"You are going to look funny with only half a dress robe" Lucius mused.
"Fine then, I will do everything but the conclusion" Severus resigned "You are intelligent enough to formulate that on your own"
"I am intelligent, good-looking and well formulated" Lucius laughed "But I am also helplessly found of having my afternoons off. Now, I wonder what we can do about your hair…"
"What is wrong with...?"
"Oh please Severus" Lucius rolled his eyes "Even you must pass a mirror now and then!"
"I see your point"
"You must be blind not to"
"Thank you, Lucius"
"Anytime, my friend"
They stared at each other for a moment, black meeting steel gray, Lucius still smiling that charming smile of his. They were friends, he and Lucius, although it might not always seem that way. Lucius version of friendship might seem a little unconventional to others – he picked his friends after what use he could have of them, not because he liked them. In return for their skills he offered his money and good-will. Knowing someone like Lucius Malfoy came in handy in several aspects of life. Severus knew the only reason Lucius spend his sometimes unwelcome attention on him was because he was gifted and intelligent, thus he could be used to aid in Lucius schooling and other matters. Not that Lucius wasn't gifted, but he was still not as good as Severus, and he knew how to take advantage of someone else's brilliance. And how to reward it. So his attention wasn't totally unwelcome. Also Lucius often made clear t others that he thought higher of Severus then them and sometimes, Severus almost got the impression that Lucius might actually enjoy his company. Even though he was "just" a half-blood.
"So you are taking Narcissia, I assume?" Severus asked in a casual tone, only giving Lucius half his attention as he turned back to his reading.
"Oh but you assume wrong" Lucius replied, sipping a glass of read liquid that he'd made a younger student fetch for him.
"I do?" Severus asked, actually interested but not showing it other then casting a glace at the blonde.
"Yes you do, I thought my reply was clear enough?" Lucius answered with a bored tone "I don't much like to repeat myself. Really, Severus, have you already started to be infected by that dim-wittedness of the Gryffindores?"
"I thought maybe you would like to elaborate?" Severus continued, ignoring Lucius remark about Lily "I thought you and Narcissia was going out?"
"Ah, with that assumption you are correct" Lucius answered, watching the light play in his glass "But me and her were going out. It is so no longer"
Severus didn't reply, he just waited for Lucius to continue, as he knew he would. He loved talking about himself.
"No, I have become quite bored with Narcissia" he continued with a slight sigh.
"She is a nice girl" Severus remarked.
"Yes she is" Lucius smiled "She is nice, and beautiful and pure, intelligent but not feisty. Which is exactly why she bores me. No, I asked a girl that is more… fun"
"So who are you taking?" Severus asked.
"Bellatrix"
"Her sister"
"I know, rather untactful of me isn't it?" Lucius smiled in a way that said he didn't think it was nothing but humours.
Again Severus said nothing, he knew Narcissia and knew she loved Lucius more then anything in this world, and he felt sorry for her. But then at the same time, contempt. She knew how Lucius was, she knew his manners. Why would she fall for such a man who would only hurt her? And then crawl back to his feet when it suited him? Making up excuses for his actions, like Severus stupid mother used to do. As Lucius turned his way and their eyes met, Severus must have shown some sign of contempt, probably at the thought of his mother, because Lucius smile faded and his eyes hardened.
"Oh, come on Severus" he said, in a silky voice that dripped with sarcasm "We can't all be as faithful and loyal as you, loving one woman and only her for all eternity, and I…"
"I do not love…" Severus started but Lucius cut him short.
"I do not appreciate being interrupted, Snape!" Lucius said, his tone hard all of a sudden. Severus knew better then to push Lucius when he was getting angry, one clear sign of that was that he started using his surname. He bowed his head slightly in an inaudible apology, breaking eye-contact. This seemed to calm Lucius, as the colour that had flashed into his face had once again been drained. Severus idly thought that handling him was like handling a vicious dog. Look away and expose your neck and he'll calm down, knowing that his position as the Alfa-male isn't being threatened. He smiled at the thought on the inside, he wasn't so stupid to let his emotions show on the outside.
"I know you are Narcissias friend as well, Severus" Lucius continued, obviously calmed by Severus silent sign of redemption "And she is a fine, pure girl. The kind you would like to marry"
He looked at Severus, again with a smile, searching for any sign of approval or disapproval. Of cause, the dark-haired man wouldn't let anything like that show.
"But?" he simply asked instead.
"But I'm not quite ready to marry jet" Lucius smiled, while finishing his drink "And in the meantime" he looked Severus straight in the face with a charming smile playing on his lips "I do like my fun"
Severus merely met his gaze, without showing any emotions, as always. This seemed to amuse Lucius, as his smile turned into a laugh as he got up from his chair.
"You know, you are a peculiar man, Severus" he said as he started to walk around the table "Interesting. So I have always thought"
He stationed himself right behind Severus. Leaning over the back of his chair he brought their faces close, so close in fact that Lucius long, blonde hair fell over his shoulders.
"You are so passionate, obsessed even. You let the things that you bring close to you completely devour you"
Severus had a hard time not flinching when Lucius pushed strains of black hair out of his face, his fingers lightly brushing the skin of his neck. He knew Lucius enjoyed making him uncomfortable, testing his boundaries. He was well aware that Severus didn't like to be touched, or have people so close to him.
"So you say it's not love, Severus, and I believe you" Lucius purred, still toying with his hair "I do not think you know how to love anything. Love is to loose control" he continued, and his face was even closer to Severus now, but he firmly started at a place in front of him and refused to turn to face Lucius "And if there is one thing you love in this world, Severus, that you can love, it is control"
"So do you, Lucius" Severus replied in his usual tone, not letting any of the discomfort he was feeling ring in his voice.
"I do" Lucius smiled, and he was now actually tracing his fingers down Severus neck "That is why, I think, I enjoy your company, my friend"
When he uttered the last words he was so close that Severus could feel his breath on him. He had to make a tremendous effort not to pull away our curl his hands into fists.
"And I must ask you" Lucius continued "Do you know how to dance?"
"Excuse me?" Severus was taken aback by the sudden change of subject.
"Well, for the ball of cause!" Lucius sighed, straightening himself up in his full height again, brushing his long, blonde hair over his shoulder.
"Yes, I know how" Severus replied, turning slightly to look at Lucius, who seemed to be done with tormenting him for the moment.
"Splendid, I was afraid I was going to have to teach you" the blonde answered absentmindedly, shooting a hard glance around the room, making the students that had stopped and looked as he had closed in on Severus hurriedly resume their daily activities.
"Snooping little bastards, aren't they?" he mused, then he once more turned to Severus, firing a cold smile at him "Well, I'll leave you to your studies for now"
Then he turned and walked away, an epiphany of black and blonde. Severus breathed in heavily, and wondered if he might not be loosing a little more control then he would like to.
AUTHOURS NOTES; Ok I'm so NEVVAH going to write a conversation between Lucius and Severus again (not this long anyway)! That was hard! phew I would also like to point out that's it not my intention to turn this into a LM/SS-fic, I just think that Lucius enjoys control, and trying to make others loose theirs. I would like to write more about their "friendship" thought. As Severus concluded, Lucius (like Draco) picks his friends according to what use he can have of them. But I do think he likes Severus, just because he won't loose control, and he is an intellectual challenge. But I also think that, according to what I make of the book, Narcissia and Severus are actually closer then him and Lucius. More on that to come. Also, it is my impression that it was Lucius that introduced Severus to the Deatheaters, maybe that will come up to. OMG long chapter and long note. Sorry! Review if you don't hate me… and even if you do!
Until next time!
