Chapter Thirteen

Dealer Takes Five

Severus Snape glided through the castle as elegantly and ghostly as the shadows that danced upon the walls. His eyes were fixed straight ahead of him as his feet carried him to the dungeons. But his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking again. Thinking of Her. The first time he had seen Her he was too shocked to move, and this most recent time his reaction had been almost the same. She overpowered him without even knowing it. He had seen her, and stopped. And he stared. She had not looked back. She seemed too nervous. But She had looked good. He had never seen Her in such bright attire, but the sapphire robes went perfectly with Her thin white hair--hair that he longed to run his fingers through again. And Her eyes. He had forgotten how green they really were. They were almost unreal. But they were genuine, and that made them even more magical. She hadn't aged a day; Her youthful appearance would stay with Her for a very long time.

But why was She even present at the meeting? The last he knew Albus was not hiring, so She wasn't officially a member of the staff. Had She known that he was going to be there? Severus shook his head. Of course She had known, but it was arrogant of him to think She would come because of him. Perhaps for Malfoy? Snape scowled. He had noticed their behavior toward each other. Lucius seemed interested in Her, and despite his present hatred for the elf, he was still worried.

When Snape reached his chambers he stopped before entering. Though his mind had drifted, he thought he had heard footsteps behind him. When he turned to look, nothing met his eyes but darkness. He passed the noise off as echoes of his own footsteps and entered his rooms.

Two minutes later there was a knock on the door. Severus was rubbing his temples as he slumped in a chair by the roaring fire. He didn't want to answer the door, didn't care who it was. But the knocking persisted, and became louder and more demanding. Finally, a voice resonated from the opposite side.

"Severus, it's Lucius. I wish to speak with you," the man said impatiently. Snape removed his fingers from his forehead and looked to the door. Outside, Lucius Malfoy stood leaning against the doorframe, chipping bits of dirt from the bottom his cane. The Potions master slowly rose from his chair and walked to the door. As he reached for the handle a very loud rapping startled him.

"Severus! Open this door, damn it! I know you're in there!" Snape ripped open the door and shot a poisoned look at Malfoy. The white-haired man lowered his cane and a venomous smile spread across his face. Severus glowered at him. "Well? Aren't you going to invite me in?" He didn't want to, but he knew he had to. It was hard playing two hands at once, especially when both sets of cards had their disadvantages. He moved aside to let Lucius enter. The man swept passed him and surveyed the state of his rooms. After setting his cane against Snape's desk, he said satisfactorily, "I see you are still the most organized Death Eater in the lot." Severus remained expressionless.

"What do you want, Lucius?" Malfoy looked almost appalled.

"I've merely come to catch up on old times with you, Severus. It's been a too long since we've chatted, wouldn't you agree?" His look revealed a hidden reason, but Severus could not reveal it.

"We've never chatted," he said coldly. He folded his arms and waited while Lucius collected his thoughts. The sneer on his face grew larger, and Severus was half-tempted to wipe it off himself as the man approached him.

"Well, better late than never, I always say." He swept passed Snape and took a seat by the fire. Severus sat down next to him.

Lucius wasted no time in seeking the information he wished to find.

"What did you do to her?"

"What do you mean what did I do to her?"

"You know exactly what I mean. I saw her today when you entered the staff room; she looked like she was about to swoon." Severus rolled his eyes. "How did you hurt her, Severus?" The dark-haired man snapped his head in Malfoy's direction.

"I did not hurt her." His voice was pure ice. The other man's lips shut tight and he turned to stare into the flames. When he returned his gaze, he noticed the hurt plaguing his opposite's pale face.

"Then she hurt you," he said softly. Severus inhaled sharply. "What did she do?" The Potions master got up from his seat and glared at Lucius. Then he said very slowly,

"She left without saying goodbye." He stalked over to his desk, but stopped when he heard a shrill laughter from behind him. Lucius had pulled himself up from his chair.

"Is that all? Surely you wouldn't be so bitter because of that. Surely this man I see before me, a man I have known for many years to have an empty heart and a dark soul, would not let a woman, and an elf at that, overpower him so?" Severus rushed toward Malfoy, and being a few inches taller than him, forced the man to arch his back at his arrival.

"She has no power over me," he said loudly. Lucius knew that he was lying. The look in his eyes and his reaction had given him away. Severus backed off and continued quietly, "Whatever has passed between us is no longer. And therefore it is none of your concern."

"No more feelings for her then?" Severus arched his eyebrow. Of course he still had feelings for her. But they were so sheltered that he believed in his mind that they no longer existed. But his heart knew better. What his mind did comprehend was that Lucius Malfoy had an ace up his sleeve. He raised his pointer finger at him.

"Stay away from her, Lucius." The tone would have been enough for any student to avoid him for eternity, but not for the man standing in front of him. That man merely smirked.

"But I thought you no longer cared for her--"

"Even so, no creature deserves your venomous bite."

"Well thank you," Malfoy sneered at Snape's back as he turned to his desk. Turning away was the universal signal that the conversation was at an end. Malfoy headed toward the door, but paused before exiting. "Don't worry, Severus, old friend. I will take good care of Reign." He walked out the door, leaving Severus alone in the dungeons, and alone in his thoughts.