"You really just lay here all dinner?" One of the other boys asked.
"Yes," he said.
The boy, Atticus, looked at Paris and Paris shrugged. They thought Severus was incredibly strange.
The door opened and Andromeda walked in, "Severus," she snapped, "Would you come talk to me for a minute?"
The black snake stood and followed her out of the Slytherin dorms and into an unused dungeon.
"Where the fuck were you at dinner?"
"I lost track of time reading on my bed," he answered.
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
"Where was Lucius Malfoy then?"
Severus frowned, "How should I know where my brother's friends are?"
"I dunno," she said, shrugging, "Maybe because you look well snogged and when I saw him a half minute ago he looked similarly satisfied."
"Oh?"
"Yes and since I've seen him hanging around your brewery every night for a month it makes me think 'oh, look, Severus and Luke are shagging" and what do you know, you are."
"Lucius Malfoy and I are not, not shagging and really, Andromeda, I don't know where you get off-"
"Really, Severus, you don't think I know what people, especially men, look like right after they've had a really good snog?"
He was quiet because he knew for a fact she had seen plenty of men that way. "You…you think any one else has noticed?"
She sighed and shook her head, "I hardly think the rest of Slytherin will notice you missing, I bet they noticed Our Holy God of Snakehood but you, probably not. Beyond that I doubt any snake in their right mind would assume you two were snogging."
"How did you? I mean…why did you…?"
"I wanted to confirm suspicions I've had for ages," she said, "I know how he looks at you and so does Pyrus, surprisingly, he figured it out all on observation. I was lucky enough to get you to admit it just now."
"You can't let anyone know," Severus sprang up, "Convince Pyrus he's wrong, please, please Andy, you can't, I mean-no one can know!"
"I swear not to tell and I can convince Pyrus not to share but I doubt I can sway him from knowing in general."
"Please try, Andy, I would be disowned, destroyed, if anyone found out."
"I know," she said, "But you should stay away from Lucius Malfoy."
"Don't think I don't know that," Severus grumbled, "He's dangerous and a bastard and totally immoral and despicable but holy Merlin, Andy, he's gorgeous and he's really rather nice…to me at least and he spends time with me and he listens and-"
"I know," she said, "But he's engaged to my sister. There is absolutely no future, you'll have to stop this in a couple years when he becomes my brother-in-law and then what? You're a seventeen-year-old gay wizard in love with his holiness Lucius Malfoy and he's married to the Black Goddess and you're all alone while he runs wizarding England. What a great life you're laying out for yourself."
"Really, Andy, it's not nearly as dramatic as you make it sound."
"Yes it is," she snapped, "In two years when 'Cissa graduates they'll get married and you'll be all alone."
Severus glared at the ground, "I-I don't think he'll just abandon me and in two years who knows what could happen. I won't invest my heart and soul in this but really, Andy, don't tell me not to have relationships."
She shook her head, "Bad idea, Severus Snape, bad, bad idea."
"I can take care of myself, Andy, I promise."
"Yeah," She sighed, "Okay."
"Thank-you."
They were quiet.
"Why him?"
Severus looked up and smiled a little, "Have you seen him?"
She smiled back, "I have, in fact, and I can see that much but really," her smile faded, "He's just like Icarus."
"No, he's not," Severus insisted, "He talks to me and listens and he reads my work and comments on it. We have discussions and he laughs and cares and he kisses me like he cares and it makes me happy."
"Hmm," she hummed and looked him over, "I doubt his intentions but…okay, do what you want."
He smirked, "I don't think a girl who's pursuing a muggle born should tell me who I should date."
"Ted is a good wizard no matter who or what his parents are."
"And Lucius is a good man no matter what you think of him."
"Fine," she relented, "You win."
He smiled plainly.
"Come on," he offered her his hand, "Let's go get some dinner."
She agreed, took his hand and they left the dungeon together to find the kitchens.
……………………….
"What?"
Pyrus, in all his gorgeous, half-naked glory, lay across one of the steam room benches. His heavy black hair was splayed around his head like a dark ring and glittered lightly with water.
Lucius, leaning against one wall with his legs stretched out in front of him, had one eyebrow raised as he examined the dark man.
"I've seen how you look at him," Pyrus said in his light Italian accent.
"Really, Py, I don't-"
"You're a beautiful man, Luke, but a wretched liar."
"How did you figure it out?" he relented.
"All I had to do was observe, my dear."
"Observe what?"
"How you look at him, of course," Pyrus said and patted his stomach, "Honesty, Lucius, you ogle whenever you have a chance."
"I hardly ogle him-"
"Liar," Pyrus said.
Lucius laughed. "Have you seen him though?"
"I have," the boy admitted, "And he's not ugly but really, you could shag any one in this school and you go for the introverted younger brother of one of your best friends?"
"He intrigues me and he doesn't fawn. He's unexplained and ferocious and he matches my intelligence without apologies and I-I couldn't stay away."
The Italian hummed, "Be careful, dear Lucius, for it is only two years before you're married to our darling Narcissa and have to break off this petite affair."
"Who says?"
Pyrus sat up, "You think Narcissa would tolerate her husband having sex with her brother-in-law?"
"I-"
"Or that Severus would tolerate being your side bitch, whore…affair beast on the side? You think that Icarus would not find out? You think your parents, Narcissa's parents, Icarus and Severus' parents would allow this? What makes you so confident you'll never be found out?"
"I'm not and…I have confidence that…that we'll be okay," he shrugged, "I know that if people find out, terrible things will happen, but I told you, I cannot stay away."
"If you're certain."
"You won't tell anyone, will you?"
Pyrus quirked an eyebrow, "No, not if you don't want me to."
"I don't want you to."
"Then I wont," Pyrus said and poured more water on the rocks. "But you have to worry about Andromeda, she knows too."
"How?"
"She saw you two spending time together in the dungeons."
"I see," Lucius nodded and then frowned, "How do you know she knows?"
The Italian smiled, "We're close."
"How close?"
"She's pursuing that muggle born Ted Tonks but he's not interested so far and she's a woman with needs," Pyrus lay down again and smiled.
Lucius clapped his hands and laughed, "I had no idea."
"We're more subtle than you and Potions-boy."
"You're a demon, Pyrus."
"I am," he smiled and stretched out.
……………………
Andromeda and Pyrus sat on the edge of the Astronomy tower. Their legs hung over the edge and the swung them out and then bounced their heels off the tower wall.
"How do you think this will all work out?"
She shrugged, lit a cigarette, and took a drag, "Poorly no doubt."
"Who will end it, do you think?"
"Severus will most likely. Lucius, I assume, thinks it will all be okay but Sev will realize everything and back away."
"He was always more grounded than Luke; that I admit whole heartedly."
"What do you think Icarus would do if he found out?"
Andromeda considered this for a moment, "Merlin I don't know…I suppose…everything would go horribly wrong…"
Pyrus agreed. He reached over and took the cigarette from between her fingers, "This is terrible for your health, you know." He took a drag and she smiled, "I'm aware."
…………………
"Oh look, it's Snivellus," Sirius Black smiled viciously when he saw the petite boy.
He turned and almost sighed, "What do you want, Black?"
"Nothing but to talk," he said innocently and slipped from his perch. He walked forward and James Potter followed him.
"I haven't got time, Black, I really need to-"
"To what?"
"Study," he said and looked the library, so close but so far.
"What are you studying for?"
"I have a test in Ancient Runes tomorrow and I don't want to fail."
"I doubt that," Sirius turned to Remus, "Is there a Runes test?"
"His class does have a test, Sirius."
The dog snorted and glared, "I don't care," he said.
"Let him go, Sirius," Remus reached out to pull the male back.
"No," he snapped, "I've seen you hanging around Lily, Snivellus, and we don't like it."
Snape refused to roll his eyes, "Really, boys, I'm not interested in Lily Evans, she's my study partner for several classes. That is all. I don't like her that way and I never will, so calm down and-"
"What's going on here?" Lily came out of the Library, "Severus, I thought we were going to start studying ten minutes ago."
"I would have only been four minutes late had Black and the Marauders here not stopped me for useless interrogation."
Her green eyes narrowed, "You're complete trolls," she said and reentered the library. Snape pushed through the lions and followed her to her seat.
"I hate him," she said as he joined her.
"Who?"
"James," she clarified, "He's a complete arse."
"Really, Lily," Severus unloaded his books and supplies, "He's a fifteen-year-old boy who has no idea how to expression how he feels. He really does like you, he's just a bit…expressively impaired."
"Why can't he be a regular boy like you or Remus?"
"Lupin and I are not regular boys," he said and sat down, "Let is be known that Potter and Black are average and Lupin and I are intellectuals. You want a boy who can match you in wit and knowledge, Lily, you want a man who doesn't exist."
She sighed, "I don't understand though, how does he think this macho act is winning me over?"
"It's working though, isn't it?"
She blushed, "It's the moments where he sets that costume aside and does something truly sweet and gentle that are winning me over, Severus."
"Either way, he's winning."
"I suppose just a little."
Sorry about the delay, I went to Costa Rica for a couple weeks. It was gorgeous and amazing and I highly recommend it. But now I'm back and here's a chapter just for you.
YAY!
LOVE and KISSES
FireStorm