13th February 1999

An Impossible Cure

Last night, Severus had been talking to Minerva, Remus and Tonks, or rather to be specific, they'd invited themselves into his private sitting room and they'd been sharing a quiet drink at the end of the teaching week. He really had tried his best to prevent them from making it a habit. Really, he had. He'd been at his most vitriolic when they'd first started their 'Friday night chat' or whatever they were calling it now. At first he'd been pleased to note that Tonks, as ever, seemed the easiest to rile up, but her husband easily placated her and neither Remus nor Minerva would rise to the occasion no matter how much he baited them.

No matter how hard he tried to repel them, they'd simply refused to leave and when the pain from his Dark Mark had worsened, he'd really been motivated to get rid of them. The last thing he wanted was for them to find out about the curse. But then he'd actually blacked out from the pain and they'd demanded an explanation. Suffice to say, the secret was out.

He'd spent months hiding it from them, months of secretly trying to find a cure only to find one that he couldn't possibly use and to be embarrassed in front of them when he blacked out. He was sure that he had terrible luck.

Now, he was sitting in Azkaban prison opposite Lucius as they sat on both ends of the small cell. It wasn't exactly spacious, so there wasn't that much distance between them.

"Well," Lucius sighed heavily. "You did say they'd find out eventually," the blonde wizard said.

"You seem very calm about it," his friend remarked.

"What can I do either way?" Lucius shrugged. "Either you've lost your touch for secret keeping or they're very patient detectives," he said.

"No...they're just nosy. They don't know when to leave things alone," Severus replied, "They've not let me have a moment's peace for months. They were never like this before."

"...Hmmm," Lucius hummed after a minute of silent thought.

"Not helpful, Lucius," Severus drawled.

"You seem a little tense, Severus," Lucius retorted.

"Of course I am! You should be too. You have no idea how annoying they can be..."

"Oh, really?" Lucius raised an eyebrow and gestured to his prison chains which still bound his wrists and legs. "Those 'annoying' Gryffindors of yours landed me in here in the first place," he said.

"Even this place is preferable to going back to the castle," the headmaster said.

"I can take your place if you like."

"Nice try."

"A wizard can dream," Lucius shrugged, "Besides...it's not like I want to die. If they can find something to stop this..."

"They won't," Severus said, resolutely.

"Of course they will," Lucius scoffed. "They like you now...despite everything. It's highly unlikely that they'll stand by as this curse kills you...and when you're saved, you can save me."

"Will you never change?"

"Purebloods never change," he replied and Severus looked at him sardonically but he didn't say anything to the contrary. "Normally I'd agree with you about this curse...but...they defeated the Dark Lord...and all of us...I suppose I'd be foolish to dismiss their efforts after that," he added.

"So you'll believe that they can stop the curse but not that I can."

"They're motivated," Lucius explained, "They got you an Order of Merlin for crying out loud. They're not going to let you die now."

Severus sighed and rested his head back against the cold stone wall of the prison cell. "It's not about whether they 'let' it happen or not. I know far more about Dark Magic than they ever will. I've looked into every possible way to counter the curse and I found nothing. Not one thing that's even remotely useful..."

"Well, that's not exactly true, is it?" Lucius remarked.

"That isn't an option, I told you," Severus countered quickly.

"But, Severus..."

"No."

"If you just asked him..."

"No."

"Then we both die...horribly," Lucius said. "If they're as stubborn as you say, then surely they'll come to the same conclusion that using..."

"No," Severus repeated and Lucius groaned.

"By Salazar you're irritating tonight," the pureblood hissed. "The Potter brat won't let you die now. We both know that. And fortunately for us, he's not the brightest wizard in the world. He doesn't need to know the risks..."

"And when the spells kill him, what sort of life do you suppose you'll have? You'll end up back in here with the Dementors in a cell next to me, and it will all have been for nothing."

"If you're worried about loosing your Order of Merlin when the boy dies I'll buy you a new one!"

"I don't care about the bloody award!"

"I'm starting to wonder if you care about anything!" Lucius exclaimed. "You might have resigned yourself to death, but I haven't! I thought I had but...I haven't. I want to see my son again. I miss my wife! And if you won't do it then I will. I'll save us both, Severus. Just get me out of here and I'll do the rest. You can claim ignorance."

"...No."

Lucius sighed and mirrored Severus' own position, leaning back against the wall with his head back as he stared up at the ceiling. "So...we do nothing, then?" he asked, much more calmly, "We just...die."

"I can't work miracles, Lucius," Severus admitted.

"It's not like we haven't killed people before," Lucius said. "What's one more?" he asked, "He dies...or he might die...and we live. I really don't see the problem."

"The problem is that he is the boy who vanquished the Dark Lord. We kill him and the Wizarding world...or, at least Wizarding Britain...will kill us."

"It's worth a try...if you think there's even a possibility..."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you," Severus shook his head.

"If you think you can use Potter's blood..."

"Not his blood. The Dark Lord's. Potter's blood was mixed with his own when he was resurrected. It's linked even if one of them is dead. But there's no guarantee it would work. Potter wasn't even born when the Dark Mark was created. It's only been a few years since their blood was mixed, it might not have been enough time for it to have affected the Dark Lord's curse at all."

"I don't care. I say we try."

"No."

"Why the hell not?!"

"No, Lucius," Severus glared at him. "I'll keep looking," he said, "And you'll be the first to know if I find anything."

"What about your Gryffindor helpers?"

"I'm several months ahead of them, research wise. It'll take a while for them to catch up...if they do at all."

"And...if someone happens to visit me...looking for answers..."

"You'll keep quiet," Severus said.

"And if I don't?"

"Then the Dementors will be the least of your worries," he answered, staring at his friend with eyes that had made others flee in terror.

Lucius had seen that look before when they were younger and they'd sent by the Dark Lord to dispose of his enemies. Many muggles and wizards had seen that look as they'd died and he didn't want to be one of them.

"...Fine," Lucius relented. "I know that look. I'll keep quiet...and I suppose, I'll go quietly, too."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm being dramatic?"

"Now you're being pedantic."

"You're the one threatening me, I'd say that's worse."

"Pedantic," Severus reiterated.

"...I don't understand you at all," Lucius admitted, foregoing what had quickly become their habitual banter. "You're in pain, we both are. We're both dying and this is likely the only thing that will save us. You're the one who told me not to give up and now you're the one who's..."

"I haven't..."

"Yes, you have. Why does it matter so much to you if the Potter boy dies? I understand keeping him alive back then because it mattered so much to Dumbledore. I even understand you masquerading as a spy in our ranks..."

"I wasn't 'masquerading'. I was a spy." Severus corrected but Lucius shrugged. Talk of his betrayal never went down well and most of the time now, Lucius acted as though Severus had been true to the Dark Lord all along.

"But why do you care if the boy lives or dies anymore?"

"...You wouldn't understand," Severus replied slowly.

"Try me," Lucius promoted but his friend showed no signs of answering him. Instead, he turned his head away and glared at the wall rather than at Lucius himself. "Fine...keep your secrets," he said, "But that's what I want engraved on my tombstone; Lucius Abraxus Malfoy, killed by Severus' secrets."

"Marble or limestone?"

"Peasant. I want gold," Lucius replied haughtily and his friend scoffed.

A.N. Okay, I admit that I really had no idea where I was going with the whole Dark Mark curse thing and I probably should have thought about the cure a bit more before I wrote it all. I kinda made it clear enough that Severus and Lucius survive the curse but I had no idea how. Anyway, this is literally the only thing I could come up with as a potential cure. Let me know what you think about it.