With Hope In Our Eyes
AN: Thanks to Morghaine for being the best beta and being able to fix this up in the space of a few hours. Unless she has a time machine. *ponders* And thank you again to everyone who's reviewed! Um, also, people who really like the Marauders, please forgive me. *nervous laughter* Um, right.
Monday morning found Lucius, tear streaked face and sleep rumpled white dress robe, being shaken awake by another Slytherin boy. "Lucius, you've only got ten minutes before breakfast ends."
Cursing, the blond moved through the morning rituals of showering and dressing with increasing ill humor. He skipped breakfast altogether and arrived early at Transfigurations. Anemone was already there. She raised one eyebrow curiously, as Lucius sat beside her, and refused to meet her inquisitive gaze. He heard her open her mouth, however she said nothing.
The day up until lunch was miserable. He had exactly three recurring thoughts. One, "Holy Christ, I'm such an asshole." Two, "Snape is such an asshole!" And three, "What am I going to do?"
By lunch he was a nervous wreck. In the Great Hall, he accidentally locked eyes with Severus for a few seconds, before the older boy looked away. Lucius swore under his breath but refused to run to the boys' bathroom to cry. Anemone gave him a compassionate pat on the shoulder and passed him the pumpkin juice.
"Your lip gloss is bloody worthless," Lucius growled.
She scoffed. "For you maybe. It needs you to have faith in it, Lucius!"
"It's lip gloss. Not the bloody bible."
"Oh, you wouldn't believe it even if it was the bible. And anyways, it got me a second date with Sydney." Across the hall, seventh year Sydney Lestrange smiled and returned Anemone's bright eyed wave. Lucius glowered at them both.
The rest of the day was little better. In potions, Lucius was so distracted he let his cauldron blow up. In divinations, Trelawney foresaw that he would be attacked by a horde of rampaging erumpents. Anemone gave him a sympathetic smile as Trelawney began cooing over her.
"Oh, Miss Arouet, the sight is extraordinarily strong with you! Tell me, have you had any premonitions lately?" Anemone gave Lucius a sidelong smirk before returning her attention to the bug-eyed professor.
"Actually, yes," she said. A few gasps peppered the class.
"Do tell us about it." Trelawney was drooling.
"Well, I saw Lucius."
"Was he being attacked by erumpents?"
"No. He was standing, all alone, in this field." Anemone let her eyes glaze over; her voice took on a mystic quality. Lucius suppressed a chuckle at her acting. "He was so sad. I wanted to run over and give him a hug. But, when I did, he told me to sod off because my lip gloss was no good."
Lucius scoffed. Luckily, Trelawney was too caught up interpreting her prize student's vision to punish him. "That was probably a sign that Lucius will remain alone his entire life, destined to end up impoverished and miserable." Lucius suppressed a snort of laughter. Malfoys, impoverished. What an idea. "And possibly trampled by erumpents." Oh, that was really taking things a bit far!
"I had another one." Anemone hurried to say. "I was sitting in class, and I realized everyone was laughing at me. And then I saw that I was wearing only my underwear!" The class cracked up. Trelawney's eyes flashed darkly.
"That was just a dream." She managed.
"Then how come the other one wasn't?" Anemone inquired.
"That's about enough of that." The professor turned to address the whole class. "Your homework will be due next Monday. I expect star charts from all of you, and Mister Malfoy, please be careful. Remember, you are what you eat." Lucius rolled his eyes, sick of all the twisted fortune cookie fates Trelawney spouted.
Anemone caught up with him on the stairs, eyes flashing brightly. "What a loon that woman is!" She opened her eyes as widely as possible and pursed her lips. "Oh Mister Malfoy, do be careful. I see in your near future a surprise attack on your sanity by professors with delusions of grandeur!"
Lucius chuckled. "What an utter nut case." They made their way down from the tower to the Great Hall, momentarily distracted from Lucius' social dramas.
Once inside the Great Hall, however, all lightheartedness evaporated. Lucius, striding towards the Slytherin table, found himself slammed against a wall.
"Well, well, well." Lucius cringed away from the hot breath. "Silly little fruit. What are you doing here?"
"Getting dinner." Lucius avoided his assailant's eyes. You never looked them in the eyes.
"I don't think you deserve dinner. What do you think James?" Lucius could feel James Potter sneering at him, but still remained in his submissive stance, eyes cast down.
"I don't know. He's awfully thin already." Potter was poking him sharply in the ribs. Lucius was going to have some bruises if this didn't stop soon. "Scrawny little bugger."
"Let him go!" Anemone had clearly lost was remained of her senses. No one stood up to the Marauders.
"Oh? Or else you'll what?"
"Or else I'll this." That wasn't Anemone's voice spouting hexes like God only knew what. It was a male voice, strong, clear, and bored, as it transformed Black and Potter into a mess of itching, warty, monsters. Lucius looked around to find out who had freed him as his assailants fled the Great Hall howling.
What he found was a tall, dark haired boy with wide brown eyes, gazing sympathetically down at him. Anemone appeared to be attached to the boy's arm, smiling brightly at Lucius.
"Sydney Lestrange, I presume." Lucius offered his hand. "Thank you."
"No bother." Sydney's handshake was firm and calm. "Any friend of Annie's is a friend of mine, after all."
"Thanks Sydney." Anemone snuggled closer to her boyfriend and he looked down, smiling fondly, and ran a hand through her auburn hair.
"I've got to get back to the Ravenclaws." He kissed her quickly and then began walking off.
Lucius took another shuddering breath. "He seems nice."
"Oh, he is. Very nice," Anemone grinned. "Those stupid Marauders. They'll get theirs someday." The two made their way to the Slytherin table. Lucius sighed, poking at his food. He hazarded a quick glance toward the sixth year section of the table.
"Hey! Where's Severus?"
Anemone glanced down the table. "Hmm. I don't know." She snagged a chicken leg. "He must be late." Lucius fidgeted. "Forget about him, Luc."
"I know." Lucius pouted petulantly, building a little pile of peas in the corner of his plate and trying to hunch in on himself as much as possible.
"Hey, what's Snape doing?" Lucius snapped his eyes up to focus on the speaker, a slightly confused looking third year staring towards the door. Lucius followed the boy's gaze warily, to where Severus stood, breathing slightly heavily, with a bouquet of foxgloves crushed against his chest. Lucius lowered his gaze, mentally chanting "I don't care I don't care I don't care".
He ignored the sound of footsteps heavily approaching his seat, and the already familiar sugary vanilla scent of Severus as the older boy drew closer. When a light hand rested on his shoulder, however, he couldn't help looking up. Black eyes drilled into his.
"Lucius…" The bouquet hit his arm lightly as Severus nudged him with it, offering the flowers without any sort of apology. Lucius glowered. This was how the boy expected to be forgiven? With a bunch of flowers and an embarrassing entrance? Lucius stood up slowly.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucius hissed, suddenly very aware of the silence in the room, the trained attention of all the students and teachers.
"Apologizing," Severus stated, face serious and a little hurt. "Please Luc, I don't want to lose you. I was stupid." Lucius felt his glare softening.
"Me too. Not as stupid, but maybe I shouldn't have rushed things. I just," he took a deep breath. "I wanted to impress you." Severus grinned awkwardly.
"You do impress me!" Lucius found himself caught in a strong pair of arms. The whole room burst into noise. Cheers came from the Slytherins, the Hufflepuffs, and, lead by Sydney, the Ravenclaws. Hisses and taunts issued from the Gryffindors. The teachers were chatting among themselves, a few, like Dumbledore, clapping sedately with beatific smiles. Lucius grinned against his boyfriend's shoulder and closed his eyes, arms wound about the older boy's neck.
"Congratulations you two." Sydney's deep voice pulled them back to reality, Lucius moving somewhat self-consciously away from Severus' arms.
"Yeah, it took you long enough." Anemone swatted Lucius playfully on the arm. "I told you my lip gloss worked!" Lucius went pink at Severus' questioning glance.
"How about a double date on Friday?" Sydney, once again, rescued Lucius.
"Yeah, it'd be great fun!" Anemone grinned maddeningly, and Lucius was suddenly less than sure that he wanted to go anywhere with her. But Severus was already answering.
"Sure thing. Right Luc?" Lucius nodded blandly and Severus kissed his cheek.
"Great! I know the best place in Hogsmeade." Sydney smiled happily at them both. "It'll be super. I'll get to know you both better." Lucius shivered slightly, clinging tightly to Severus' arm. What was it about Sydney's kindhearted invitation that sent a shiver through him? This boy was his friend. He was nice, and heroic, and all things good. Lucius was just being stupid.
"What's wrong?" Severus' concerned expression beamed down on him.
"Just a little cold," Lucius muttered. Severus put an arm over his shoulders and drew him closer.
"Well, let's all get dinner then?" Anemone broke through Lucius' thoughts. She gave Sydney a quick kiss, before he took off back to Ravenclaw, and then sat down. Lucius looked up at his boyfriend.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Severus seemed honestly worried. But what was there to worry about?
"I'm okay." Lucius nodded, fingers twining with Severus'. "Thank you for the flowers." Severus grinned.
"I can't wait till Friday."
"Yeah."
"Hey! You two! Stop declaring everlasting love and get some dinner!" Anemone grinned saucily up at them.
"Do you ever shut up, Anemone?" Lucius couldn't seem to look at her. Those fantastically black eyes held him captive.
Severus smiled at him. "If you're not hungry I'm sure we could find something else to do…" Lucius became painfully aware of Severus' hands sliding methodically up and down his arms.
"What happened to the taking things slow bit?" The blond queried.
Severus leaned in for a brief but lingering kiss. "I think I might be persuaded to forget about that." Lips ghosted over Lucius' cheekbones, sending a ripple of chills straight down his spine. Anemone, for once her life, didn't interrupt. "If you want to…"
"I…"
"Think about it for a while," Severus offered, his mouth deliciously close to Lucius'. "You don't have to answer me now. But when you're ready. I just don't want you to feel like you have to do something in order to get me to like you. I like you plenty without it." Lucius, overwhelmed, pulled his boyfriend down for a kiss. He felt like he was going to melt into Severus' mouth.
"Thank you." Lucius couldn't think of anything else to say. Dark eyes flashed lovingly at him.
"You two are so disgusting." The two boys looked down to find Anemone watching them with a leer that was anything but disgusted. "Honestly, I don't think I can eat anymore. Watching you is absolutely vile. 'Oh Severus, let's never fight again!' I wish I had a camera."
"Um…" Severus blushed, and quickly dropped Lucius' hands, stepping back slightly. "I guess I'm going to go get dinner now. I'll see you around." He kissed Lucius quickly, and rather more discretely than their previous kisses that night, and took off towards the sixth year section.
Lucius turned to his friend, fuming. "Thanks a lot," he growled. "Now you've got him being all shy again."
"Oh, don't worry," Anemone said, scooting to the side so Lucius could sit down. "He'll be fine. And if he's not, you can borrow my lip gloss again."
Lucius glared. "You're a crazy bitch sometimes."
"You know you like it."