Chapter 1
He was sitting comfortably with a leisurely cup of coffee and toast for breakfast, when the floo was activated. "Severus? Severus are you there?" He knew that voice. He knew that voice and didn't want to answer it. Lucius Malfoy. He hadn't seen or talked to him since Lucius' trial just after his own. Lucius had gotten away easier than he should have. 3 years house arrest and a hefty fine. Money is good for smoothing the way, but it takes lots of it. Lucius had all he needed and more. Which left the question of, what did he want of Severus.
He sighed and went to the floo still in his robe and slippers. "Lucius. How did you find me and who do I kill that told you?"
"Now, now, Severus. Is that any way to speak to your oldest friend?" Lucius voice purred like a cat.
Severus had no patience for Lucius' problems. "What do you want?"
"Want? Why I want to visit my old friend. Maybe discuss some information that has come my way, that may be to our mutual benefit." He was pouring it on very thick.
Severus sighed, "Very well. You may come through."
The green flames shot up to reveal Lucius Malfoy. He was meticulously dressed, but his eyes were sunken and haunted. He was pale and hadn't eaten well in a while. Despite all of that, he seemed to be just as arrogant as always. Severus looked him up and down and yawned. The two men looked at each other for quite a few moments before Severus spoke up. "Well, what is it?"
Lucius looked around the room at what he would call a hovel if he didn't need Severus' help. "Aren't you going to ask me to sit down? Maybe a cup of tea? I taught you better manners than that." He brushed past Severus to sit gingerly on the old comfy couch, taking off his coat. "This will hold my weight, will it not?"
Severus was annoyed beyond measure. "Lucius I'm not interested in your snobbish opinions of my furniture. I don't see or hear from you in years and then you suddenly show up at my flu like we're best mates. I've lived my life quite well, up until now, without you. Now get to the point."
Such mannerisms were Lucius' stock in trade. He was practically naked without them. A mask he used to hide his insecurities. "I understand you got married to one Hermione Granger. Is this true?" Lucius let his mask slip just a bit as he asked about Hermione. Something sad was on the other side.
Severus eyed the wizard suspiciously, "Yes. We had a very small ceremony in the back yard as a matter of fact. You're sitting in our home. What's your point?"
"She had a lovely portrait in The Quibbler. Such a beautiful creature. You're a very lucky man." The lust in his eyes was not well hidden. Severus was on the edge of telling him to get out. "I understand you painted it yourself. It's really quite good. Oh, And your own portrait was a bit of an eye opener as well", he added as a cover.
It became painfully apparent that he was not going to leave any time soon so Severus sat down sipping his coffee. "Lucky? More than you can ever understand. Did you come all this way just to give me my own biography?"
The mask slipped again and Malfoy's temper came out. "A little patience if you please." Lucius righted himself to continue, taking off his delicate calfskin gloves. His face became very unfocused and his eyes tortured as if reliving a nightmare. "You may recall the Dark Lords punishments when we failed at a task, were extremely unpleasant." Severus listened without interrupting. He knew all too well that the Dark Lord took pleasure in being vicious. "When I failed to get the Potter prophesy, He nearly killed me. There were times I wish He had." Were those tears in his eyes? "The only thing that saved my retched life was His desire to humiliate me as much as possible. He tortured me Severus. Every day after. I haven't been a whole man since." He paused to collect himself. "Your portrait, showing your scars. I need…I want you to paint mine. Not for publication, but for myself. Will you do it? I will pay you any sum you care to name."
Severus showed no outward sign of emotion. Inside his guts were in knots remembering his own punishments. He did not want to relive them. "Why me? You could afford much better than me. What else do you want?"
Lucius was strangely humble. "You are a friend Severus. You understand what it did to us to be punished by Him. You are uniquely qualified for this job. And you will give me a wand oath that you will never reveal what you see or hear without my expressed permission." His face and posture showed just how difficult this was for him. "Please Severus. Help me."
He was so pitiful. This man who once was the epitome of style, grace and culture, sat before him like the lowest peasant begging for help. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to be reminded of the horrors of that time. He had earned the right to move on. To get away from the pain and live happy and free with Hermione. But he could not look at that face and deny him. It was true that all the polish Severus had was because of this man. He had taken an awkward, ignorant boy and given him a sense of class and taught him what style and privilege was. Such knowledge had saved him from much embarrassment and had given him pride when he needed it most. It was a debt of sorts he could not ignore, but this would be on his terms, not Lucius'.
"Very Well." He began gravely. "I will help you, but on my terms. First, I have a life now. It will not be put on hold for your tiresome tantrums. I have brewing contracts that need to be fulfilled and emergency requests that will come first. You will come and go as I dictate. Second, as you have already noted I have a wife. Understand that she is my only priority. The whole world stops when she needs me. Third, I will not give you a wand oath. You will either trust me to keep your secrets or move on. I will of course be as discrete as possible to others, but Hermione will know what's happening. We don't keep things from each other. And last, we do it here, or not at all. I will not submit myself to Malfoy Manner ever again. Do you agree to my terms?"
Lucius let out a heavy sigh and looked in Severus' eyes. "I agree. When can we start?"
Severus looked down at his robe and cup of coffee. So much for a slow start to the day. "I need to speak with Hermione about our workspace. I don't want her coming home to find you naked in our living room. Also I want you to think about the pose you want to use. Just how much do you want me to paint? How abstract do you want me to be and do I need to get paint colors to match you're a..."
"That is acceptable" Lucius interrupted. "Owl me when you are ready. Now if you don't mind, I have appointments to keep." He put his coat on and was at the floo before Severus swallowed his mouthful of coffee. "Good Day", and he was gone.