Chapter 11 - Part 3

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Severus Snape was not looking forward to Draco coming to the Dungeons that night. He knew Draco would come. He knew enough of the Malfoy's to know that they rarely, if ever, let up on something once they got it into their heads to pursue it – and Draco would never give up on his Father. Hell could freeze over and Draco would put on skies and keep going. He knew it was Draco as soon as he heard the knock at the door. The boy had probably been waiting impatiently for Snape's return.

After the incident on Boxing Day, Draco had wanted to return to Hogwarts with Severus and get to work on finding out what had happened to his Father. It had taken Snape hours to convince him that he should stay at the Manor and act as though nothing had happened. Snape had to admit that it was a selfish whim. He was so close to having Hermione, so close he could taste her, and returning to Hogwarts would have destroyed everything. He had reasoned with Draco that Potter had to be kept in the dark, and Draco returning to school hours after seeing his Father, was instantly going to arouse suspicion. Potter was good at putting two and two together, and he could make connections from the smallest fragments of evidence. How else had Harry Potter survived Voldemort?

In retrospect, it probably would have been better to bring his Godson back to Hogwarts early. Minerva had assured him that Potter and Draco being outed in front of hundreds of people had been quite spectacular, not to mention the fact that Moody had accosted the boy and threatened him – and some bastard had spat at him. Snape felt a raw surge of guilt. He'd promised Lucius that he would look after his son, and since Snape had made the promise, the boy had been tortured, almost died and then been ridiculed and threatened in Snape's own house. Some Godparent he'd turned out to be. And while Snape did not doubt that Potter knew about the Madragora Acid, he did doubt that Draco had revealed the true extent of the damage done. It had been Dumbledore, not Severus Snape who had saved Draco Malfoy after that little episode.

So all he could do now was try and protect him as best he could from any future harm.

Draco slipped into the room after Snape called him to enter. He looked pale and a little tired. Minerva had told him that he and Potter had actually flown from Wiltshire, which was madness – but he didn't put it past the pair.

"It's late Draco," he said bluntly. The boy clearly needed sleep and to own the truth, Snape needed it himself; Hermione was rather…active…at night. "We can discuss this tomorrow, after classes are finished."

"We can start now." Draco said, raising an eyebrow and trailing his fingers over a dusty copy of 'Daemonicus'. Snape bit back a sneer at the demeaning tone in Draco's voice. So much like Lucius that it wasn't funny. Draco leaned against the back of the chair and picked up the book. "So, what do you know?"

Snape sighed. He really thought he was rid of them. Not that he wanted to be rid of the Malfoy's; he loved them in his own way, but they were a demanding lot. His brain switched on and he knew he had to protect Draco. It was plainly obvious that if he didn't help him with this, Draco would attempt it alone and Merlin only knew what would happen.

"Sit down," Snape ordered, as he was, after all, the elder here and he wasn't going to stand for a jumped up, spoiled little brat ordering him around his own chambers, "do you want some tea?"

"Vodka," came the insolent reply.

"Tea."

"Anything with alcohol in it?"

"Tea."

"Hot Toddy?"

"Tea."

Draco pouted and threw himself into the chair, "Coffee?" he sneered caustically.

"Tea."

"Fine. Tea would be lovely…Uncle Severus."

Snape busied himself putting the kettle on and making the tea while Draco flicked through Daemonicus. Searching through the large roll top desk near his bed he found Lucius' journal and handed it to Draco. "Do you recognize this?"

Draco frowned, "yes, it's Dads." He put Daemonicus back on the pile and opened his Fathers book. "How did you get it?

Snape felt another surge of guilt. "The Curator of that Museum gave it to me by accident when I went to get Narcissa. I would have given it to you, but I had reason to believe that I may need it."

"Why, what happened?"

Snape quickly explained the sensations he'd experienced when drawing close to Lucius in the Museum. The feeling of that mind beating itself to dust, the rush of wings, something like the steady beat of a heart, and the scream in his head. Draco listened and stared unseeing at the pages of the book. His Fathers careful hand wrought words Draco could not read at that moment because he didn't want to read. He didn't want memories; he was sick of them. He needed to plan his future – and he needed to know if his Father was part of that future.

"At the back," Snape finished, handing Draco his tea, "there is an incantation and a recipe of sorts for a potion that may or may not have preserved his soul. Hiding it from the Dementors."

Draco coughed into his tea.

"The problem," Snape continued, "is that that I have tried the incantation and I cannot make it work. As for the Potion, it calls for things that are not part of this world. I have no idea how you Father could have possibly managed to procure them. So I have no idea if what he has written is at all possible."

"But it must be!" Draco's eyes were wide, like a small child who had just been told the ultimate bedtime story. "It has to be possible. He spoke to me, he broke that case and he spoke to me!"

Snape nodded and placed a calming hand on Draco's shoulder, forcing him to still. "Yes, " Shape conceded, "there is that." He sighed. "What Lucius has written down can't be complete. I have spent the last two months trying to work this out and I have come up with nothing. It is beyond anything I have ever seen."

Draco slumped back into the chair, disappointed. He had long held the opinion, no matter how ridiculous it was, that Snape held the answers to just about any magical conundrum. If Snape didn't know the answers then only one other person did…and Draco wasn't going to Albus Dumbledore with this. "There has to be some way," he insisted, "an antidote?"

Snape made an impatient noise in his throat, and fought back his temper. "Have I managed to teach you precisely nothing in seven years?" he asked silkily, "in order to create and antidote, you need to know what the potion is."

Draco shrugged and folded his arms, scowling. "So what can we do?"

Now there was a problem. Snape had no idea what to do. He sat down opposite Draco and watched him for a moment, speculating just how to approach this without upsetting the boy too much. "We don't even know his state of mind Draco." He watched Draco's face change, twist some how, and become pained. "He could have lost all sense of reason for all we know. We don't know what effect the Kiss has had on him."

"But…" Tears seemed to burst out of Draco like and explosion and he gulped air noisily. "He…but he spoke to me."

"I know that Draco, I do realize that. It could mean nothing at all. It could have been residual magic, a reflex of some kind, hell, it could have been wind!"

"IT WASN'T FUCKING WIND! HE SPOKE TO ME, HE SAVED ME!"

"What?" Snape scowled, "saved you from what?"

Draco swore softly and turned away. "Nothing. It was nothing."

"Did something happen? Something other than the case breaking?"

Draco swallowed, knowing full well he was walking a dangerous road if he was going to lie to Snape. If he revealed what happened, would Snape risk everything and report the Curator to the Ministry? Or would he go after the Curator? Draco had heard rumours about the state Krum had been in when he'd arrived at Azkaban. At the party, he'd heard Arthur Weasley saying that someone had taken the skin clean off him. Draco doubted Snape would do any such thing to the Curator; Draco was, after all, the son of his enemy. And Lucius was Snape's enemy – they just hadn't known it until the end.

If Snape went to the Ministry, the Curator might say something about Lucius in an attempt to get himself off, or simply out of spite. If the Ministry had an inkling that Lucius may have survived the kiss, they could well execute him – and that couldn't happen.

"It was nothing, the Curator was just a little…odd."

"Odd? How?"

"Just odd, I told you, it was nothing. Forget I mentioned it."

Of course, Severus Snape was not going to forget it. He bore down on Draco and jerked the boys pointed chin to face him. Holding him tight he looked into his eyes, ignoring the fact that the boy was trembling under his grip. Draco felt the familiar sensations as fingers delved into his mind, and he began to wonder if, between Snape and Potter, any part of his mind would be held sacred.

"Don't do that," Draco hissed, but Snape wasn't Harry. Harry would retreat guiltily as soon as he was caught, and Snape had a purpose, he knew Draco stood little chance of resisting. Legelimency was not part of the current school curriculum, something Snape would have changed if he was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. For the time being, Draco's lack of skill in this area would serve its purpose and Snape reached into Draco's mind with searching fingers. It didn't take long, the visions raced to him. Draco was making love to Harry and Harry was sobbing into his shoulder as he came, Snape felt Draco try and push him back, not wanting anyone to see that moment and Snape tried to calm him. Draco need not worry, Snape was not looking to fulfil some voyeuristic pleasure and he pushed past the intimate vision looking for something specific and he soon found it. The Curator touching Draco, speaking to him in a voice full of alluring lies, kissing him…and then the case broke.

Snape pulled back and glared at his Godson.

"Good Gods Draco! Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I…" Draco was red in the face, his eyes squinted in fury, "I didn't want to risk anything jeopardizing Dad, now just forget it!"

"Jeopardizing Lucius? What makes you think I would do any such thing?"

"Because you hate him," Draco spat.

Snape grabbed him again, as furious as Draco himself. "I never hated him. I loved him more than you could ever imagine and I would never risk him. Now drink your fucking tea and tell me about the Curator."

Draco trembled and slumped back in the chair again. He looked too pale and for a moment Snape thought he had pushed it too far. Draco picked his tea up from the pile of books beside him and took a mouthful and Snape relaxed. Draco quietly told him everything and at the end Snape curled his lip and paced the room.

"You are not to go back there."

"What? But how can I help Dad if I can't go back?"

"What exactly were you planning to do? Walk in and take him?"

Well, something like that. Draco shrugged, looking disgruntled and Snape knew that was exactly what he had planned to do.

"And how did you propose to explain the sudden appearance of your Father to Potter?"

Draco cursed Snape silently for all his infernal questions, "Harry won't be a problem."

"I cannot believe that you didn't just try it." Lavender shook her head in disgust.

Hermione blushed furiously and found herself fighting to maintain her dignity as two of her friends stared at her in amused shock. "I didn't want to do it wrong."

"How can you do it wrong? Put it in your mouth and suck on it."

"And watch your teeth…" Harry was caught somewhere between amusement at Hermione's concern for being perfect at everything, and horror at the fact that they were discussing the sucking of Snape's cock. He held out his glass for Lavender to refill and decided he should think himself lucky that they weren't discussing his sex life. One glass had quickly become five and he was tipsy and relaxed…and talking about Snape's cock…he shuddered.

"There has to be more to it than that," Hermione said matter of factly, "some kind of technique. I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing."

"Like Snape would notice!" Harry began to laugh, "No offence 'Mione, but I doubt he's had a line up of people wanting to blow him."

"Hey!" Hermione sounded indignant. "I'll have you know, he's an excellent lover."

"Oh Gods, don't!" Harry stuck out his tongue and pretended to vomit, "I don't know how you do it, I mean, who'd have him?"

Hermione glared at him and contemplated hexing him with brewers droop for a week. Her malice was drawn away when Lavender giggled and almost spilled her drink.

"I would have loved to have tried," Lavender laughed, "any day."

"Touch him," Hermione warned drunkenly, "and I'll kill you."

Lavender laughed her pretty laugh and shoved Hermione affectionately. "Oh 'Mione, like I would go after your lover! Besides, he wouldn't have me anyway…not in a million years."

"Don't sell yourself short Lav," Harry grinned, "you're a beautiful woman."

Lavender gave Harry a grateful smile. "Actually, I think in this particular case, looks don't matter. Professor Snape thinks I'm an idiot, and Professor Snape wouldn't deem to do anything intimate with an idiot." She turned to Hermione, "Mione, he doesn't care if your technique isn't perfect, what he cares about is that it is you doing it…just try it. If he doesn't like it I have no doubt he'll tell you."

"And probably take house points from Gryffindor…"

Lavender looked at Harry and burst into hysterical laughter.

"You are both pissed!" Hermione declared, "You're no help at all!"

"Well," Harry began to recover, "firstly, you're pissed too, and second, what do you want us to help you with? You want us to tell you how to give a blow job?"

"Well, basically, yes."

Harry frowned, how the fuck were they supposed to do that? "How?"

Lavender cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "I could think of a couple of ways."

Harry followed her line of vision to his crotch and shook his head. "Sorry Lav, it doesn't work for girls."

"Aww," Lavender fluttered her eyelashes, "Well, it was worth a try."

Harry chuckled.

Ok, option B." Lavender sat back, still eyeing Harry's crotch. "Ice cream – and hot chocolate fudge."

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"Potter won't be a problem?" Snape almost laughed, over the course of his schooling life, Potter had proved to be just the opposite. "I beg to differ. Potter may have a hero complex, but saving Lucius Malfoy would most likely not fall into the realms of things he would willingly do."

"Harry won't have anything to do with it."

"Then you plan to hide it from him? Draco, as much as it pains me to say this, he isn't as stupid as he looks, he will work it out."

Not if I hurt him so much he doesn't care what I do. "Not if he isn't around." Draco's face hardened and suddenly it wasn't Draco sitting in that chair, it was Lucius. Hard as a diamond, not a weakness to be found. Snape wondered if Draco could hold it for as long as his father could. "I'll end it with Harry."

"You're going to leave him?"

"Yes, it is the only thing that can be done." Draco was still, hard for a moment longer before the façade slipped and he turned his face balefully to Snape who was staring back at him. "What?" he demanded, "I thought you'd be happy about it!"

Snape raised an eyebrow, truly unable to believe what he was about to say. "Draco, you may not believe this, but my main concern is your welfare. And I consider your happiness to be part of that. Do you realize what Potter has actually risked to be with you? Did you see the paper at all over the weekend? It made the front page! Professor Dumbledore has had all mail to the both of you sent via Professor McGonagall's office due to the influx of hate mail that started coming in on Saturday – and it looks as though it is going to get worse now that you are actually back at school."

"I know, Hermione told us."

"Besides all that…" Snape shifted uncomfortably, "I would say he is in love with you." That's it Severus, throw in some ridiculous sentimentality, that will really work – you bloody git.

"He's an inconvenience at the moment," Draco replied, returning to the hard Lucius shell he had pulled on before, "it was doomed from the beginning; you above all people should know that."

It was on the tip of Snape's tongue to suggest that Lucius was the inconvenience at that moment, but he doubted such a comment would help, in fact, it might make this end in an all out brawl. "And I think you are in love with him." Actually, I know you're in love with him, of all people for you to fall for…stupid boy.

"I love my Father more," Draco said, forcing his voice to remain passive. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course I'm going to help you," Snape said, irritation creeping back into his voice. "I can hardly refuse you, under the circumstances."

"If you don't want to help me then you can always refuse…but I think you would agree that you owe him this much."

Just when had Draco become so much like his Father? At what moment had it occurred? "Yes, I supposed I do…after a fashion."

"After a fashion? You gave him to the Ministry!"

"His choices gave him to the Ministry, I was just the instrument used to deliver him."

Draco hurled the tea across the room.

"Tut tut, Draco, you're letting your emotions show, and that's not very controlled of you. Perhaps there isn't as much of Lucius in you as I thought." That wasn't true of course. Lucius lost his temper, and often. Snape simply knew Draco considered his Father the optimum control – and it was nice to bring him down a peg or two.

"So, what do we do first?" Draco said, though his voice shook, and he managed to keep himself in check.

"Ideally we would try and find out if his mind is still intact, however, I have to admit that I do not know how to discover that. I went back to exhibition after Boxing Day, but the Curator has removed Lucius from the display. I spoke to Kingsley Shacklebolt at the party and he says that the Curator has taken Lucius to London because he was 'damaged in the attack'.

"Attack?"

"That is what he called the whole situation. And attack by persons unknown, possibly fanatics. So this Semeuse bastard is covering it up very well, probably because he is terrified that you are going to go to the authorities – which you should, by the way."

"And if he turns around and tells them who really broke the case, Dad is as good as dead."

Good point. "So, as I can't access Lucius just yet, the best I can do is try to work out what it is he has done in order to preserve his soul and hope I can come up with the right answer. Then I can look at how it is possible to release it."

"And what can I do."

Snape thought for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Actually, you can petition the Ministry to have your Father returned home. If he isn't part of the exhibition, then the Museum has no need for him."

"And what if that fails?"

"Then we wait for the exhibition to end and you petition again."

"Wait? For it to end? That is months away!"

"Draco, you can't just rush in and grab him. You must learn to keep your patience." Snape paused before adding, "and I think we should perhaps speak to Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore helped convict him," Draco spat, "why would you go to him?"

"Because he doesn't agree with the Kiss or the exhibition and he may be able to help us find a legitimate way to bring your Father back."

"No Dumbledore. Nothing can risk this."

"If we manage this and he comes back, he will have to live in hiding and if anyone ever found out they would find him and kill him."

"No Dumbledore." Draco stood and strode to the door. "You get to work here, and I'll work on a petition to the Ministry."

"And Potter?"

Draco paused, his hand on the door handle. "I'll deal with Harry when we are closer to working this out."

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Hermione was grateful that Florean Fortescue super sized bucket of ice cream was almost bottomless, she also made a mental note that Lavender kept it on the outside of the window sill. She had been craving chocolate for two days and now she really was eating far more than was her fair share. Still, it was triple chocolate hot fudge surprise and who could possibly resist that?

"Ok," Harry reached into the bucket and sought out a vein of hot chocolate fudge, "so we're drunk and full of food, now what?"

Hermione and Lavender shared a look; men obviously did not understand the chocolate ice cream experience.

"Well," Lavender swallowed noisily, "it's triple chocolate hot fudge surprise ice cream, not food, and I was getting us in the mood."

"For what?" Harry looked dubious and pulled his robes around himself a little tighter.

"Don't fret dear, we are not going to molest you." Lavender dipped her spoon into a pool of fudge and pulled it out. "In the mood for this, are you watching 'Mione?"

Hermione nodded cautiously and then gaped and giggled as Lavender swirled her tongue around the end of the spoon, lapping up the fudge with one luscious slurp. She then took the end of the spoon into her mouth and expertly sucked the remaining fudge away.

"OK, now you try it."

Hermione blushed bright red. "I…don't think…"

Harry took the spoon from her, dipped it in the fudge and held it out to her, as they both stared at her expectantly. Oh Gods. Hermione hesitated, more than a little embarrassed, and finally she flicked her tongue out to lap at the fudge, doing her best to imitate Lavenders fluid motion.

"Use your tongue more," Harry suggested, "you should try and keep your tongue moving all the time."

"And concentrate on the top," Lavender urged.

"Maybe suck a bit harder."

"More tongue."

"Watch your teeth."

Hermione jerked her head up in frustration. "How the fuck am I supposed to do all of that at the same time?"

"Oh good grief, it isn't hard!"

"Well I'm sorry Lavender, I'm not so experienced as you at giving head!"

"What are you trying to say? I'm a slut?"

"Well if…"

"Oh for fucks sake!" Harry wrenched the spoon angrily from Hermione's hand. "Give me your finger."

"WHAT?"

"Give me your finger!" He grabbed Hermione's hand and gently, using the very tip of his tongue, he traced a thin line of spit up the underside of her fore finger.

Oh my god. Hermione felt her insides suddenly liquefy and she felt wetness rush to her groin. Harry licked her finger again, swirling a tiny circle at her finger tip and then his mouth closed over two of her fingers. It was wet and hot and his tongue seemed to swirl around her. Hermione had never thought of her hands as erogenous zones before, but the sensation was incredible. Instinct caused her to move her fingers, plunging them in and out of his mouth, mimicking the movements of a cock, and this movement ensured that her fingers were in constant contact with the tip of his tongue, the tops, then the sides and the underside in turn. He sucked gently, pulling her a little deeper into his mouth, the suction not too hard, but certainly not soft.

She gasped and ached to touch herself, for a moment it didn't seem to matter that she was in a room with Harry and Lavender and she felt her free hand flutter to her breast before she remembered herself and forced it away. Harry had closed his eyes, his lips flushed pink with arousal and Hermione cast a glance at Lavender, who was watching, no less aroused than herself, her pupils dilated, he nipples hard through the clinging satin robe she wore.

Harry drew back and Hermione almost cried out as the heat left her fingers and cool air fanned against the wet skin. Harry's eyes opened slowly, hypnotically green. He held out two fingers to her.

"Now show me what you learned."

She almost whispered 'Yes Professor' to him, but this wasn't Severus, this was Harry. This was a lesson…and that was all. She hesitated for a moment, leaned forward, and tentatively flicked her tongue out to lick the tip of Harry's finger. They were kind of sticky; no doubt as her own had been, and tasted of the chocolate fudge they'd been eating. Gently she took the fingers into her mouth.

"Ok," Harry whispered, "now move your tongue around."

She slid her tongue down the side of his fingers, taking in the texture of them, knowing a penis would be bigger, would fill her more. She swirled her tongue around Harry's finger tips and he moaned so softly she almost missed it.

Wow.

"Suck them," Harry whispered huskily.

Hermione allowed a glance at him, his eyes were closed again and she wondered who he was thinking about. Beside him, Lavender seemed entranced and traced her own nipple with her fingers and Hermione felt the wetness between her thighs increase. She sucked Harry's fingers and she knew it was too hard.

"Softer," he whispered and she released him a little, "that's better, good girl…"

She felt fingers brush her breast and she didn't know who's they were. Harry's or Lavender's, but at that moment she didn't rightly care. Her robes were being unbuttoned, gently pulled aside and one pert breast exposed, she felt Lavenders mouth on her nipple, softer than Severus, a more feminine touch. She moaned. Agile fingers slivered up her leg and she parted them slightly, allowing Lavender access to the wetness there. They were moving now, moving to lie down, Harry never removing his fingers from her mouth, but moving with them, helping Lavender open Hermione's robes, exposing her to them both. The fingers returned to delve into the wetness between her thighs, sliding under the elastic of her panties and stroking her swollen clitoris.

Oh Gods, I really shouldn't be doing this.

She sucked Harry's fingers deeper into her throat, aching for it to be something more substantial, wishing to the gods that it was Severus' cock…but she also knew at that moment she'd take Harry's if he would give it to her. She wondered how it was that lust and passion and desire could override all rational thought. But it wasn't even that. They were, all three of them, simply aroused and willing. There was nothing more to it, and the very baseness of the sensation amazed her.

Lavender pulled her satin robe over her head, revealing her perfect full breasts and Harry's fingers were soon removed and replaced with a hard, pinkish brown nipple.

They both reached for Harry at the same moment. It was an absent reaching of hands that found their mark and pulled him to them by his clothes. Hermione's hand brushed over his hard cock and her inner self raised an eyebrow and muttered; doesn't work for girls huh? Just how they got his robes off with out breaking contact with each other, the girls would never know, but they were suddenly overwhelmed with the masculine scent of aftershave and clean sweat.

"What the fuck are you three doing?"

Everything seemed to stop as Draco cocked a questioning eyebrow and closed the door behind him.

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"This is Edrisil," Semeuse held up a phial to Lucius and smiled, "do you know what Edrisil is?"

Lucius did know what Edrisil was, but did not answer. He sat propped up against the bed head, long hair drying after their evening swim, the salt water on his skin making him smell as though he had just stepped from some clean ocean. Semeuse leaned into his Angels throat and inhaled the scent from the warm skin.

"Edrisil is a marvellous substance. It creates a sort of portal between places." He had three phials. The largest phial contained the carrier and it was the one he would keep with him when he returned to the travelling exhibition. The second would be left with Lucius so that Semeuse could simply pour the carrier into the Edrisil bowl and gaze upon his lover whenever he so desired it. The third phial was to go to Hogwarts.

"I have decided that the best course of action to get your son is to watch him for a while. As you can imagine, Hogwarts is not the easiest of places to take someone from, and so I've decided that I need to watch him, and firmly establish his movements. Where he goes, who he sees, what he eats, if he sleeps…and with whom he sleeps."

Semeuse smiled a thin smile and lovingly traced a long tendril of damp hair over his Angels shoulder.

"It's a boy, did you know that? Your son's lover is a boy. I saw it in his mind." Semeuse gently licked Lucius' throat, enjoying the taste of salt and flesh. "Does it shock you? Would you be accepting of such a relationship, or is he going against you. As they say, 'when the cats away…'" Another seed of thought entered Semeuse's mind, one that caused him to harden slightly and a smile played at his lips. "Or perhaps you taught him yourself, perhaps you unlocked the secrets of such desires for him?" He could see it in his minds eye, two pale Angels entwined around each other, licking, stroking, and probing pleasure points. How beautiful it would be, the ultimate gift of a Father to a Son. He caressed Lucius' face, gently sucking his lower lip. He would see them together, and he would have them entwined together always.

"Of course, I will have to get rid of the other boy. It seems a shame, as he looked a pretty young thing – from what I saw of him. But he is little more than a child and I'm sure he will offer little in way of resistance. You will have your Draco soon enough my Angel, and the other will prove to be no trouble, especially to a powerful Wizard such as myself."

Was he imagining things, or did the shadow of a smile just cross he Angel's lips.

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NOTES:

Many thanks to the X-files for Lucius' journal entry Ragnarok