Chapter 36: The Antics Of A Two-Time Loser

{A/N: Here's Another Update...}

My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

The Entrance Hall, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England, Muggle/Wizarding World...

After months of no word, Severus Snape managed to show up at Lucius Malfoy's wedding to Narcissa Black. He arrived dressed for the occasion stinking of firewhiskey and bitterness despite the oath he took ensuring his best friend's wedding went off without a hitch. He had originally planned to skip out on the nuptials for obvious reasons, but the oath forced his hand. Regulus had been pleased to see him and embraced him with open arms despite not hearing from him for the past several months following his departure from Hogwarts.

"Sev!" he said pleased to see the thin pale wizard in one piece although it seemed as if there was something off about him other than the firewhiskey on his breath. "Thank Merlin you made it, Lucius was just about ready to start climbing the walls...I've never seen him this nervous about anything."

"Tell him not to get his knickers in a twist, I'm here aren't I?" replied Severus feeling the warmth of the firewhiskey in his veins as he looked around the room. "Full house I take it?"

"That it is." replied Regulus. "Now I won't ask you what you've been up to when I saw you last..."

"Good." replied Severus stepping away from Regulus and heading toward the open bar.

The charming Slytherin sighed. He had not known what was going on with his best friend as of late but he was glad he showed up despite his obvious inclination otherwise.

Regulus followed Severus to the bar. The raven haired wizard set about pouring himself a drink and offered a cup to his friend which he declined.

"Severus...we haven't heard from you in months...Lucius feared that something happened to you...he nearly called the whole thing off." said the charming Slytherin.

"I'm sorry I showed up at all." muttered Severus turning up his drink and finishing it off.

"Severus...he needs you." said Regulus not sure at all why his friend was behaving so strangely. "We made him an oath."

Severus was about to say something in reply when Regulus' eyes widened and he found himself dealing with a bloody nose.

"Sev are you feeling well?" asked the concerned charming Slytherin.

"I'm perfectly alright." replied the raven haired wizard moving away from the bar and catching the blood from his nose before it stained his black suit.

He knew it had to be something to do with the oath he had taken to ensure Lucius' wedding went smoothly. His conflicting emotions gave way to his being hurt by his own emotions.

"Go and clean up...I'll inform Lucius that you've arrived." said Regulus. "When you're ready we'll be in the parlor."

Severus sighed and made his way to wash up before the guests took notice of his less than flattering condition.

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Spare Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire England, Muggle/Wizarding World...

The moment Severus Snape attempted to navigate the old manor he had not ventured to since before leaving Hogwarts Castle, he ended up getting turned around making his way into a bedroom as opposed to a bathroom and due to his rather fantastic luck as of the last few months, he had the privilege of gazing upon the soon to be bride before her nuptials.

As always, Narcissa Black was a vision of striking beauty. Her youthful porcelain flesh accented by the vibrant cream colored dress of lace. She wore a traditional veil and jewelry in the form of crisp cut diamonds and heavily polished white pearls. Despite his feelings about the situation and his unsavory bloody nose, Severus found her appearance to be down right breath taking.

Narcissa had been startled from her view in the white vanity that housed her various forms of make-up and powders. She seemed to have been contemplating heavily before the unseemly wizard stumbled into her private bedroom.

"Severus!?" she said both shocked and pleased to see him at once.

"My apologies...I was got turned around when searching for the loo." replied Severus feeling less like the drunken bloke ready to take on the world that he felt he'd been before this encounter.

He attempted to walk out but found himself stopped by Narcissa, whom had gotten up from her vanity.

"Please don't rush off." she said softly. "It's good to see you...Lucius and I fretted about what might have become of you since you left Hogwarts."

"How kind of you." replied Severus in an emotionless tone. "Neither of you need worry about my welfare...I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

She attempted to touch his hand and he pulled away feeling her eyes examining him for any detail about him out of place.

"Severus...what's happened to you?" asked Narcissa noting the blood and his ghastly appearance up close.

"It's nothing for you to concern yourself with." growled Severus backing away from her.

"I know this isn't the best of circumstances, but you are the closest thing to Lucius' by means of family...and I was hoping that we could put the past behind us...and become family as well." said Narcissa.

Severus narrowed his obsidian eyes at the beautiful soon to be wed witch before him.

"If you recall I already proposed this offer once before and you chose to marry the wizard awaiting you down stairs." he said evenly. "You've made it abundantly clear that you and I are little more than strangers."

"Severus." said Narcissa feeling her sadness overtake her.

The raven haired wizard suffered another onset of nose bleed before straightening himself.

"I loved you and I was of the mind that you felt the same." he said despite feeling a bit light headed due to the increase in blood. "But I was mistaken...it is clear that the notion of what I perceived to be love was nothing more than a silly child's game and like a fool I believed myself to have stood a chance."

"Severus I cared for you then as I do now..." began Narcissa attempting to explain her actions but failing due to the oath she took.

"Then why?" asked Severus as his nose bleed continued staining his suit and becoming more of a glaring problem. "Why are you marrying my best friend...is it because he's wealthy?...is it his looks?...why him?"

"Severus don't do this..." said Narcissa near tears.

"Tell me why then..." he said struggling against the oath he took. "Why don't you love me?"

The saddened bride found herself alarmed by the ghastly condition her former lover found himself in.

"Severus I do love you...I will always be grateful for everything that we shared since the moment we met." said Narcissa. "But I am marrying Lucius and you are just going to have to live with the fact that I've made my decision."

She had not meant to come off so harsh in her words but Severus was difficult to convince and the last thing she needed was for him dwelling on false hope that she'd take him back. Not with the oath she took in her own right compelling her forward.

"Lucius needs you downstairs." she said keeping her composure. "Please go get cleaned up and don't cause a fuss today of all days."

Narcissa noticed an odd calm overtake the raven haired wizard as he backed away from her once again.

"Right." he said in an emotionless tone. "It is your wedding day after all...forgive my intrusion."

Narcissa turned back toward her vanity, it was all she could do to keep her composure and stop herself from crying. Severus took it to mean that she was done with him and swiftly left the room.

Unbeknownst to him, she had little choice in this matter. It was either she married Lucius Malfoy or he would be carted off to Azkaban on false charges because of her monstrous cousin Sirius.

It was a heartbreaking decision, but one she made out of love for him no matter how he saw it.

"Forgive me, Severus." she said softly once she found herself alone in the spare bedroom once more.