Trinity Blood
C & P by G.Arnet, 2002
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Crimson 02 :: Can You Keep a Secret
The fire in the fireplace flicked playfully under the watchful silver blue eyes, which gleamed and reflected the dancing flame. The owner of those eyes smiled inwardly, as if he was fascinated by it, or pretending to like it. Deadly, yes, but beautiful so, to see not to touch. The black coals burned like those of fireflies burning its flesh before decaying into ashes, only to be replaced by many others. The scent was like sandalwood, herbs and spice, just like Severus, really. He licked his red lips out of habit.
"Tea, Lucifier?" asked the smooth voice, so dark like its owner. The Potion Master was watching over the boiling black tea pot and brought it to the small black brown coffee table in the center of the room near the fireplace.
"Yes, please." The blonde left his perching place and went to sit on the thick dark brown carpeted floor. He leaned on the plush velvety cushions while watching the other man pour some water into two thick white cups. The steam evaporated into thin air like ghostly strands of whites and grays. Blue eyes watched as if they were mesmerized by the subtle movement of the Potion Master. The dark eyed man prepared the tea leaves and ground them in to bits of pieces before mixing them into the cup. Earl gray for Lucifier and Mint tea for the man himself. Long pale slender fingertips danced with practiced skill of a Potion Master, truly a remarkable ability. "Thank you," murmured Lucifier as Severus handed him the cup.
Severus nodded and sat across Lucifier. They silently sipped their tea in a contemplative silence. The dark man watched his companion as Lucifier's eyes roamed the room, looking for changes perhaps. The chamber had been the same for a long, long time since he taught Potion here in Hogwarts. The walls were still colored by the sickening dark green and shades of dark gray. The minimalism elven light lit barely, and gave the room, the furniture, the walls, a different tone of color. The air was damp cold, warm only because they were sitting close to the fireplace.
Lucifier sighed happily over his tea cup. The tea leaves were different than those sold in the market place, both in magical world and muggle world. He knew Severus bought it, fresh hand picked, from his private benefactors down in Knockturn Alley. Quite harmless, except it had something added. They were dipped into red ruby liquid before it was packed. Only people like them required this the simple indulgence, and only they actually knew what the tea was used for.
The dark haired man caught the blonde's eyes. "I rather you drop the glamour. It's so disorienting seeing a *student* in my private chamber," he said dryly at the child-like face in front of him.
Lucifier smirked playfully, "Afraid it would ruin your, ah, carefully safe guard reputation?" he leaned over the table, eyes glinting mischievously. He murmured some spells and the glamour melted, revealing a tall man with long blonde hair, hard jaw angle yet soft white skin face. And his silver blue eyes were sharper, older and stronger. His black trousers and white shirt enlarged according to his now adult size.
Severus scowled, looking at the man transformed. "You shouldn't use your *family* to wander in the castle after curfew, Lucius," he said, using Lucifier's present name. "What if someone else sees you?"
The blonde chuckled and made a dismissing gesture, "I'm a Prefect now, Sevvie. I've been doing this for two years in the row. I don't see a problem with it." He paused, eyes still smiling, "And besides, my family is just an illusion." He sneered as an after thought.
The Potion master frowned deeper, "That's not my point, and you know what I mean. Albus is suspicious. And don't call me Sevvie." He almost slammed his cup onto the table. The hot liquid splashed a little over the table.
"The Old coot won't know. Relax, Sev, you worry too much." His fingers played over the rim of his cup. "Too bad, I like calling you Sevvie." He smirked and peered at the dark man.
Severus glared. "Lucius!" warned the man. His eyes clearly saying 'if you call me Sevvie one more time, I will tie you upside down and leave you to the Bloody Baron.'
Lucius took the hint and placed his cup on the table. He looked at Severus directly in the eyes, "They will see me as Draco. We used this stunt over and over again during our younger days."
"The Draco in the fifth year is different than the previous years."
"Really? Am I not the most shaggable boy in school?" the blonde smiled sweetly. "Besides Potter of course," he added.
"Don't flatter your self, git," sneered the Potion Master.
"Prat. Besides, he wouldn't know if you didn't tell him. My blood magic is strong enough for mortal magic not to notice." He snorted, "Even Voldemort is clueless."
"Pawns, to take the king. You're a bastard, you know that, Lucius? It's your fault I ended up in Hogwarts for the last thirty years," mourned the Potion Master. "I don't know how long we can play this sick game of yours." He took his cup and drained it in one gulp. He poured some more hot water and took the remaining tea leaves on the table and dumped them iton the cup. The leaves shimmered in nicely.
Lucius tsk-ed, "What's the point with time anyway? It's fun. Quit bitching your self."
Severus dropped his face unto his hand, "Was second year also this fun?" His black eyes peeked between long fingers.
The silver blue eyes darkened. "It's not me who put the book in the girl's belongings. You should know that."
Severus stared at the man, "Can I trust you?"
Lucius sighed, "I tried to warn Potter. I sent Dobby, remember? Although that dumb elf didn't know it was me who sent him." He paused and took a deep breath. "Severus, you know how Potter is, trouble always found him."
The Potion Master groaned, while Lucifier, or Lucius, chuckled at his companion's distress. He lifted his cup and watched the brown liquid gleam under the fire light. "He never knew until it was too late, didn't he?" They both shivered at the memory two years ago. Especially Lucius who felt, not saw, the horror at the end of Potter's fourth year as he tried to save the boy, now growing into a beautiful young man.
"How's the DE meeting?" asked Severus, breaking his reverie.
"The usual, Voldemort didn't show up though," said the blonde, frowning at his tea cup.
"Something wrong?" asked dark haired man after a moment of silence.
"All the orders were sent by the rat," Lucius spat. "He hasn't show up since the end of fourth year. I wonder why. And the crucio *I* received then was different than usual."
"I thought you were not there?"
"My shadow was, but I could still feel the twinge." Blessed blood magic.
"Hmm . Voldemort is so quiet lately." Severus mused out loud and took a gulp from his cup.
"Quite true." Lucius dropped back and leaned against the soft cushions, thinking. But his mind was far, far away from Voldemort lately. Unlike Severus who always take precautions on both as a spy and a death eater, Lucius was more into indulging himself. Particularly with a boy with green emerald eyes.
Silence fell upon them again. The fire crackled and hissed.
"God," exclaimed Lucius all a sudden. "I need stronger ruby red for my tea. Do you have any...?"
"Hmm, we can always hunt tonight."
The blonde smiled. "Now that's the Severus I know."
The darkness was their friend.
They were nocturnal in their own rights.
They wandered under the night sky with no moon. Eyes gleaming in the dark like cats' eyes.
The air was piercing cold below zero.
All was quiet.
All was calm.
Until two sets of teeth sunk into the flesh.
A scream stretched into the darkness, unheard.
The dried leaves withered and fell onto the earth.
Her only fault was she had green eyes...
An innocent young girl blossoming into a woman.
Now she was just another leaf falling.
Harry sat with his friends at breakfast, ready for the first class of the day. He shared some classes with Hermione and Ron, but for a few classes he had to go alone. Like Advanced Potion and Defense against the Dark Arts for example. Hermione was interested, but she had a handful of Arithmancy and Advanced Runes. Same with Ron and his Divination and Advanced Herbiology with Neville. The rest of his friends were scattered between those classes, Transfiguration and Charms. None of his friends were interested in what Harry took, which probably he regretted by now since both classes he took with most of the Slytherin. He groaned.
Ron looked at his friend with a look akin to pity. "Good luck, mate. I'll pray for you," he said solemnly, while his blue eyes said otherwise, teasing his friend.
"Get stuffed," said Harry, groaning and tried not to grin but failing. His friend also grinned and dragged him into a discussion of Quidditch with the rest of the boys.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Boys," she muttered. The sixth year Prefect ate her toast and often chat with Lavender and Parvati. After five years sharing the girl's dorm with them, Hermione started to accept her feminine side, as she grew more beautiful, with her bushy hair was now dark brown, wavy and tamed, against her back, and with red highlights. Ron was taller, and built with tanned muscles, which made every girl in school swoon.
Harry listened at his friends bickering about the sport, although his heart was not really in it anymore. He had a problem with sunlight after the end of his fourth year, which he didn't want to remember. Especially about Cedric's death, and... and that thing in the back of his mind that he couldn't remember, as if something was blocking it. His skin was like being toasted under the sun, burning his skin into a raw reddish color. Madame Pomfrey said it was maybe allergies, but the Mediwitch wasn't sure either. Harry shook his head and tried to listen to what Ron was saying about him quitting from the Quidditch team, which he considered since last year.
"Seriously, Harry," said the red headed boy, while munching the blueberry pancake. "You're the best Seeker ever! You can't quit now! We have a match against Slytherin first thing next month!"
"Yeah, Harry," said Dean, smiling at his supposed boyfriend. "You can't leave the team yet! Who else would play? No one is as good as you."
Praise was not something he wanted right now, Harry thought morosely. It gave him guilt and the responsibility as a Gryffindor. He already gave up the captain position to Ron, which he took gladly, as a friend and as a keeper for the Gryffindor team. He also refused the position as the sixth year Prefect, and gave that to Neville. The good side of him wanted to help his House anyway he could, but the dark side of him wanted to tell them to sod off and leave him alone. God, the dream from yesterday still affected him that much.
Dean's fingers brushed over Harry's cheek lightly, breaking his thought. The older boy smiled at Harry warmly. The Golden boy sighed. He had a wonderful boyfriend, but he thought only of another who was just an illusion in his sweetest dreams. Harry smiled back and nodded at Ron's question about his part in the team for another year. Dean grinned and softly pecked the Seeker's cheek. Harry reddened while the others laughed. The display of affection between them always made Harry uneasy. He was a shy boy after all, he liked everything discreet. After the Fourth Year news fiasco, Harry completely and utterly hate publicity with his name on.
The school was enough as it was. At first everyone was stunned when the Boy who lived came out of the proverbial closet and was kissed by Ron at the Fifth year Yule ball in front of everybody. Some of the male population cheered, some of them were too surprised, some of the girls were heartbroken, and the rest were very supportive and giggling all together. The Magical community was more acceptable for gays and lesbians to his relief.
The silver blue eyes averted his eyes from the Gryffindor table, suddenly feeling sick. He pushed over his breakfast, feeling ready to tear the other boy from *his* Harry. God, he felt like a prat, a jealous and possessive alpha male. He watched his 'friends' talking and groaned. It was sickening, sitting here among these midgets without his companion like his younger days in the Slytherin. His companion was sitting at the high table, posing as the resident Potion Master, and he was stuck *here*. He ground his teeth as he saw Thomas Dean, once again, give Harry one of those 'sweet loving caress'. He was going to throw up.
The blonde got up from the table and stormed out from the main hall.
Severus looked up from his meal, observing the Slytherin table and the Gryffindor table, back and forth. He raised his eyebrow when he saw silver blue eyes boy leave. The dark haired man glanced at Albus, and the Headmaster was busy talking with Mcgonogall. He glanced back at the Gryffindor table, and the dark boy kissed Harry's cheek gently, bringing the Golden boy to another level of blushes. Severus narrowed his eyes. The Potion Master shiftily dismissed the sinking feeling and looked at somewhere else.
Hangrid went inside the main hall and toward the high table. He whispered something to the Headmaster, which Severus couldn hardly hear. Albus in return, stood up and gave a speech. "Children, it's a good day to announce the return of Hogwarts' own. Please welcome the new Defense against the Dark Arts Advanced Professor, Remus Lupin."
The door opened and admitted a man, with shabby white blonde hair. The man's ragged old and shredded robes bellowed behind him as he walked swiftly between the Hufflepufs and Ravenclaws tables in steady, sure steps. The students looked at the new comer with wonder in their eyes. Their new Professor seemed wild, with robes like in Arabian tales, covering his whole body and half of his face.When he reached the high table, the new Professor didn't look at the Headmaster, but locked his smoky grey eyes on Severus.
"Ah, Remus, my boy," said the Headmaster, oblivious to the sparks shooting between the two men. "Please have a breakfast with us," gestured Albus to the chair besides Mcgonogall. The Deputy Head Mistress smiled at Lupin warmly.
The gray eyes glanced at the Headmaster and his old Head House, and smiled, changing his demure into a friendly one. "Of course, Professors."
"Ah, dear boy, just call me Albus, will you? You're in my staff now."
"Very well," nodded Lupin as he took his place, pulling the masked cloth over his face down, revealing the soft curves of a white marble face and half-parted pale lips.
Severus felt shiver down his spine every time he felt Lupin's eyes on him, in the middle of the talks between the Headmaster, himself, or between Mcgonogall, Albus and the new Professor. The Potion Master excused himself from the table to prepare for the first class of the day.
He went out the main hall through another door. He felt he was being followed into the deep of his Dungeon. Near the Potion Chamber, the shadow moved forward.
It made a fast pass, in a move to attack the Potion Master. Severus turned around just in time, the first blow came, and hit the air behind the dark haired man instead. Their robes moved shiftily, white cloths mingled with black, as the air crackled around them. A sharp object thrust, a gust of wind, and Severus almost failed to dodge it. It gashed his cheek instead, drawing a thin line of blood across his smooth white cheek. Severus hissed between his grating teeth.
The attacker swept his foot under Severus, and tackled the Potion Master onto the ground. The dark haired man fell flat on his back. Severus's black eyes looked up as the sharp object made its decent. Smoky gray eyes gleamed predatory.
TBC
09/11/02
C&C? I'm half dissatisfied with this chapter *bang her head against the table*repeatedly* It loose some of the dark edges, excused the mistakes. Please.
A/N2: out of curiosity, which would you like too see: Harry hands chained,
or tied with tight leather straps?