There will be 2 chapters today for ya since I couldn't sleep last night and went on an editing binge! I just wanted all of you who posted comments and reviews that I totally appreciate them all and took them to heart! Especially when editing these next 2 chapters...I wanted to make sure you all got this back story while also tying it into and making the rest of the story move forward! Enjoy and Happy Saturday!
As Lucius began the walk out of Hogwarts and back to the gates where he could apparate as quietly as possible, without being seen he thought back to those early days of his relationship with Severus. He could still remember clearly the face and smile of Lily Evans. He could remember how faithfully Severus was devoted to her when they both had first arrived at Hogwarts. Lucius could never blame Severus for the devotion he lavished on Lily. If he had a friend like her growing up rather than being isolated as the Malfoy heir and then cloister inside after his mother's death, he would have done the exact same. He was nearly sure of it.
Lucius could see as time wore on that the Lily had wanted to remain as faithful and true to Severus and their friendship as the former was towards her. In the many conversations Lucius had with the girl that much was obvious. Of course Lucius could see why she had latched onto Severus. If he, Lucius, had been in the same position and hadn't grown up inherently knowing about magic and someone had told him earlier than normal that there was a place where magic was real he would have latched on and not let go. When most muggle borns get their Hogwarts letter at age 11 it clears up what had previously been a lifetime of mystery. As a Governor of the School he could not outwardly voice his disapproval at this age old practice but every time informing muggle born students earlier had come up he had thanked Merlin for secret ballots and voted for the movement. He had cursed Morgana every time it had failed.
He couldn't blame Lily for trying to protect Severus like the little lioness that she was. Truthfully Lucius found it quite charming. However he had expected that like all true Gryffindor's there was a lot of bravery and bluster but not the loyalty to back it up. So Lucius was not surprised when Lily, even seeing that Severus had been humiliated beyond comprehension by James Potter, Sirius Black and that gang of hooligans that called themselves the Marauders, that she would claim his words spoken in anger were unforgivable.
True, Severus had used a slur against her. However Lucius had heard from more than one source, none of them being Severus, that the poor boy had prostrated himself to her in some of the most demeaning ways, she would hear none of it. In her mind, Lucius was sure it was the perfect way to unchain herself from the world she clearly had no interest in returning too. Her parents had died the year before and despite Severus being there for her, his toxic home life was one he barely wanted to visit and Lily clearly never wanted to see her toxic sister again. Lucius could see the girl was just waiting for Severus to slip up and he had hated to see the man he had realized he loved his Seventh year suffer by the loss.
Sure Lucius had seen Lily weakly stand up against James Potter and what was little more than a gang as they were merciless in their pranks for a time but eventually she tired of defending her lanky, nerdy friend from home. She had stood by and watch almost intolerable cruelty against someone she claimed to love. She and Lucius had both known about how Sirius Black had almost gotten Severus killed and Lucius could not believe that she placed the blame for the events that night solely on Severus' shoulders. She looked at James Potter like the hero who had saved the day and this was just another example of how Severus was "bitter" and "cruel" in her words.
Lucius knew that for a time, Severus had fancied himself in love with the red-headed beauty and Lucius truly couldn't blame him for the infatuation. Even though Lucius being a few years older than Severus could already see the infatuation heading towards disaster. Lucius could already see that when push came to shove, Lily Evans would choose James Potter over her childhood friend and protector Severus. She would cast him aside for the glitz and flash that seemed to follow James around.
While Lucius was in school he and Severus had both chosen to keep their heads down and not seek out trouble, preferring each others company and the library or potions lab as ways and places to pass the time. Despite not being at the school, the near constant stream of letters from Severus assured Lucius that after he had left, Severus had attempted to do the same.
James and his gang had practically beckoned trouble to greet them every morning. From pulling harmless pranks on fellow Gryffindors and Professors to the crueller tricks and hateful remarks and nicknames they seemed to reserve for Severus, himself and the other Slytherins the four were relentless. Well really three, he could already see that Peter Pettigrew would provide little to no worth in life besides being a follower.
Truthfully Lucius could understand the disdain towards his house. Honestly Lucius couldn't stand the majority of his housemates. School was one occasion where he was glad and proud to be a Malfoy. He was able to barely hide his disdain on his face for his fellow Slytherin's and thanks to his higher breeding people either assumed that was his normal sneer or at least no one dared to approach him about it.
He hated how similar to his father his fellow housemates seemed to foam at the mouth when discussing the theories of blood purity. Having seen how brilliant witches and wizards like Severus and Lily were first hand that it was a silly notion. Meeting wonderful and powerful witches and wizards like them as well as the lessons his beloved mother had taught him before her untimely "illness" had shown him with indisputable evidence just how ludicrous that theory was.
He felt that he had explained this to Lily several times in his aristocratic round about way. It had taken a few times to sink in but Lucius knew the young witch had known that he held her in high regard as a female, friend and witch. The more he thought back to that time as he came to the edge of the boundaries of the school in the Forbidden Forest, a spot he and Severus had found at the beginning of the latter's career he thought about how many conversations he and the fiery redhead had talked about that theory.
The more he thought about it the more times Lucius could clearly see in his memories the several occasions where Severus had made the very same facts clear to the young witch he held so dear. Neither of the young wizards believed in the ideals of blood purity and they certainly didn't believe in the maniac that Abraxas had taken up with, Tom Riddle or how he fancied himself, Lord Voldemort. Still when Lucius had graduated he had a feeling that he was truly leaving Severus unprotected and alone. He had a feeling despite Lily being at school still it was only a matter of time until Severus was alone.
Lucius had known when he graduated that two things would be expected of him from his father. Failure to comply would most certainly result in Lucius' death. The first was that he would marry whichever pure blooded daughter Abraxas had deemed appropriate and most advantageous. He knew it wouldn't matter to his father that he had little to no interest in any of the girls that ran in that circle, or women at all for that matter. It had been clear to Lucius since his seventh year at Hogwarts, that his love for Severus was more than that of a friend. He had never mentioned it to the younger boy or anyone save his precious and warded journals but still he had yearned after his brilliant friend from afar knowing that it would never be.
The second expectation of Lucius was that he would follow in the footsteps of Abraxas until such time as his father was ready to hand over the reigns of the Lordship to him. Until then Lucius knew that after he sat his NEWT's and finished the rites of graduation that if one corner on one heel of his impeccably shined dragonhide boots even appeared not to fall in line with his father, the repercussions would be swift.
Lucius knew that if he embarrassed his father now that he was of age that the beating he received the last time he had seen his mother would appear to be child's play. He also knew that he was could just as easily disappear.
Yes, there would be questions for his father but as a consummate Slytherin, Lucius knew Abraxas would be able to slither out of any real issues. He also knew Abraxas was still young enough to produce a new heir that he could certainly mold into more of his ideal image of a child.
Lucius knew what was said about the Malfoys, you could never find one at the scene of the crime even if their fingerprints were all over the guilty wand and he knew that Abraxas was a shining example of that theory.