Chapter Six: Death Eaters and Gambling
"My parents want me to join Him."
The words seemed to echo ominously in the darkened room, lengthening and contorting strangely. Severus wished to Merlin that Lucius would take them back. Those words complicated things. He rolled onto his back to stare up at the dark green material draped across the posters of the bed and didn't answer the other boy.
The silence had become choking before Lucius finally spoke again, asking with a furrowed brow, "Haven't your parents talked to you yet?"
Snape shook his head. "They don't talk much about Him... say I'm too young to understand." It was a lie. A damned lie. The truth was that his parents were too afraid to talk about Voldemort. They wanted out, or at least wanted to save Severus from the fate they had chosen. But he didn't tell Lucius that, didn't tell them that the Aurors were all but knocking at his parents' door. He just kept staring up.
"Too young! Merlin, Sev, you're fourteen! They should already be preparing you for service! Mine have been talking about it for ages. I can't believe yours..."
"Let's not talk about it, alright?"
Not noticing Snape's snappish response, Lucius propped himself up on his elbow and pushed his long hair back with a hand. "No, Sev. We need to talk about it. Now." His tone was demanding, like when he told Crabbe and Goyle to steal the exam answers from the professors. Severus hated that tone. His face must have shone it, for Lucius' expression softened. "You've got to join, you know. What'll I do without you?"
"Find someone else to screw, I would suppose."
"But I don't want someone else." A smile quirked at his lips, ever the spoiled child who got what he wanted no matter what. Snape merely shrugged. "You have to join with me, Sev. It'll be fun. We'll be together then, you know. After all, when I graduate, we won't have... this..." He reached out to wrap a dark strand of Snape's hair around his pale finger. "I'll miss you horridly." He grinned, pressing a quick kiss on Severus' mouth. "Besides, everyone else is joining. Lestrange, Rosier, Avery..." He nudged his side. "Come on, Sev. Say you'll think about it."
"Anything to get you to shut up, you git."
Lucius smiled more broadly, clearly pleased with himself. "Wonderful! It'll be so much fun, won't it Sev? You and me as Death Eaters." He lay back on the pillows, curling his arm around Snape's bare stomach. His words seemed so final... 'you and me as Death Eaters.' The sentence made him physically shudder.
Mistaking his apprehension for a chill, Lucius reached for the soft sheets and pulled them up around both of them before returning his arm to its comfortable position around Severus' middle. The blonde kissed his friend's cheek. "Night, Sev."
"Night," he responded softly, resting his head against Lucius'. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. Surely his parents overexaggerated their fears. Voldemort wouldn't let any harm come to them, would he? They were his followers after all, he was supposed to protect them.
Right?
He tuned out his parents' worried, whispered conversations and instead focused on Lucius' confident words. It would be fun... they would be together... everything would be fine...
* * *
"Write your parents," Lucius urged him, sliding onto the bench next to him. It was a few weeks after their late night conversation, and school was almost over. "Ask them if you can come stay for the summer."
Snape looked up at his friend. "With you?"
"Of course, silly boy. Where'd you think you'd stay, with Black?"
He made a face. "No."
"So write them. We'll want to know so I can tell Mum. She loves guests. Goes all out to fix up the spare rooms." He grinned and lowered his voice. "But don't worry about that. You'll sleep in my room. The bed's too big, besides. I feel rather lost in it."
Severus returned the smile. "I'll send Javert after breakfast." Excitedly, he hurried through the rest of his meal, accidentally spilling pumpkin juice on his robes. Spending the summer with Lucius was an unexpected and quite pleasant prospect. He hated vacations without his friend. "Meet you there?" he asked, rising and wiping the remains of his biscuit from his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Go on, I'm almost done," Malfoy responded, waving him away. The fourth year walked briskly away, too pleased to notice Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew get up to follow him.
He was halfway down the hall when he heard Black yell out, "Snape!"
Whirling, he regarded them with a black glare. "What do you idiots want? I can't make potions to cure stupidity, if that's what you're looking for."
"Aren't we the witty little Slytherin?" growled Black, advancing on him.
"Easy, Siri," said James, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Actually, we were wondering if you were interested in a little... gamble."
He raised an eyebrow, a habit he had adopted from Lucius. "On what, may I ask?"
"Quiddich. We're betting twenty Galleons a piece that we beat Slytherin."
An amused smile took possession of Severus' face. "With *your* Seeker this year? Doubtful. However, I'm quite willing to take your money, despite the fact that it's filthy with Gryffindor's taint. It's still money, after all."
Sirius growled low in his throat, looking murderous. "You low-life scum, I should..."
"Leave?" interrupted a new voice. The three Marauders turned to see Lucius striding towards them, his black wand clutched in his hand. "I can show you the door if you're too stupid to figure it out."
Black and Potter hid their fear, if they had any, well, but Pettigrew was cringing against the stone wall, watching Malfoy warily. Black sneered. "Got a boyfriend, have you Snape?"
Lucius turned to him. "Clever, Black. Think of that yourself or are you more stupidly inbred than we thought?" Sirius looked about to respond, but the sight of Lucius tapping his wand against his palm stopped any words from leaving his mouth. He stormed off, Peter scurrying behind him.
James glanced at them, then at Snape. "Let us know if you're interested. We could use the spending money, you know."
"I will."
The two Slytherins watched them walk off. "What'd they want, Sev?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
He shrugged. "Some bet. They actually believe Gryffindor's gonna win the Quiddich Cup this year."
"Bunch of wankers, that's what they are." Severus nodded his firm agreement. "You've got parchment for the letter?"
"In my bag."
"Good. Come on." They made their way to the Aviary and found Snape's bird perched in a corner. He opened a yellow eye as they approached. Lucius reached for him, but the bird jerked to life and snapped at him, nipping his finger. "Bloody hell!" he cried, jumping backwards. "What the hell is wrong with that thing?"
Snape shrugged. "Doesn't like you, I suppose."
"Why the hell not?"
Another shrug. "He's particular."
At this, a grin tugged at Lucius' mouth as he sucked on his bleeding finger. "Rather like his owner, don't you think?" Snape stuck his tongue out, a rather childish gesture, at Malfoy and finished writing his note.
Giving a cold look at Lucius, Javert stuck out his leg as if showing his preference between the two boys, and allowed Severus to attach the parchment with a piece of string. Then, silently, he took flight, disappearing into the cloudy sky.
"Think they'll let you stay?"
He nodded absently, still thinking about the Aurors. His parents would want him as far away from home over the summer, most likely. Perhaps it was for the best that he would be safe with Lucius.
Safe with Lucius... it seemed so... right. He reached over and squeezed Malfoy's hand briefly. "So when's the next Quiddich match?"
"Thursday. We'll kick Gryffindor's asses."
"You'd better. I'm going to have money riding on this, after all."
"Oh dry up, Sev." Malfoy turned and strode out of the Aviary before glancing back to wink at Severus. "Coming to practice tonight?"
He grinned. Lucius on a broom in Quiddich robes. He could think of nothing more arousing. "I wouldn't miss it."
"See you then."
Severus shouldered his bag. Arithmancy was first today... just great.
Sometimes, he wondered how he would make it through the day without Lucius. He sure as hell didn't want to find out.
END CHAPTER SIX
Notes: Finally got this chapter out... I was DETERMINED to finish it last night, and here it is, expressly for your enjoyment. And look, I furthered the plot and everything. Amazing, isn't it? For Storm love, since I'm separated from her for sooooooooo long. *grin*
"My parents want me to join Him."
The words seemed to echo ominously in the darkened room, lengthening and contorting strangely. Severus wished to Merlin that Lucius would take them back. Those words complicated things. He rolled onto his back to stare up at the dark green material draped across the posters of the bed and didn't answer the other boy.
The silence had become choking before Lucius finally spoke again, asking with a furrowed brow, "Haven't your parents talked to you yet?"
Snape shook his head. "They don't talk much about Him... say I'm too young to understand." It was a lie. A damned lie. The truth was that his parents were too afraid to talk about Voldemort. They wanted out, or at least wanted to save Severus from the fate they had chosen. But he didn't tell Lucius that, didn't tell them that the Aurors were all but knocking at his parents' door. He just kept staring up.
"Too young! Merlin, Sev, you're fourteen! They should already be preparing you for service! Mine have been talking about it for ages. I can't believe yours..."
"Let's not talk about it, alright?"
Not noticing Snape's snappish response, Lucius propped himself up on his elbow and pushed his long hair back with a hand. "No, Sev. We need to talk about it. Now." His tone was demanding, like when he told Crabbe and Goyle to steal the exam answers from the professors. Severus hated that tone. His face must have shone it, for Lucius' expression softened. "You've got to join, you know. What'll I do without you?"
"Find someone else to screw, I would suppose."
"But I don't want someone else." A smile quirked at his lips, ever the spoiled child who got what he wanted no matter what. Snape merely shrugged. "You have to join with me, Sev. It'll be fun. We'll be together then, you know. After all, when I graduate, we won't have... this..." He reached out to wrap a dark strand of Snape's hair around his pale finger. "I'll miss you horridly." He grinned, pressing a quick kiss on Severus' mouth. "Besides, everyone else is joining. Lestrange, Rosier, Avery..." He nudged his side. "Come on, Sev. Say you'll think about it."
"Anything to get you to shut up, you git."
Lucius smiled more broadly, clearly pleased with himself. "Wonderful! It'll be so much fun, won't it Sev? You and me as Death Eaters." He lay back on the pillows, curling his arm around Snape's bare stomach. His words seemed so final... 'you and me as Death Eaters.' The sentence made him physically shudder.
Mistaking his apprehension for a chill, Lucius reached for the soft sheets and pulled them up around both of them before returning his arm to its comfortable position around Severus' middle. The blonde kissed his friend's cheek. "Night, Sev."
"Night," he responded softly, resting his head against Lucius'. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. Surely his parents overexaggerated their fears. Voldemort wouldn't let any harm come to them, would he? They were his followers after all, he was supposed to protect them.
Right?
He tuned out his parents' worried, whispered conversations and instead focused on Lucius' confident words. It would be fun... they would be together... everything would be fine...
* * *
"Write your parents," Lucius urged him, sliding onto the bench next to him. It was a few weeks after their late night conversation, and school was almost over. "Ask them if you can come stay for the summer."
Snape looked up at his friend. "With you?"
"Of course, silly boy. Where'd you think you'd stay, with Black?"
He made a face. "No."
"So write them. We'll want to know so I can tell Mum. She loves guests. Goes all out to fix up the spare rooms." He grinned and lowered his voice. "But don't worry about that. You'll sleep in my room. The bed's too big, besides. I feel rather lost in it."
Severus returned the smile. "I'll send Javert after breakfast." Excitedly, he hurried through the rest of his meal, accidentally spilling pumpkin juice on his robes. Spending the summer with Lucius was an unexpected and quite pleasant prospect. He hated vacations without his friend. "Meet you there?" he asked, rising and wiping the remains of his biscuit from his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Go on, I'm almost done," Malfoy responded, waving him away. The fourth year walked briskly away, too pleased to notice Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew get up to follow him.
He was halfway down the hall when he heard Black yell out, "Snape!"
Whirling, he regarded them with a black glare. "What do you idiots want? I can't make potions to cure stupidity, if that's what you're looking for."
"Aren't we the witty little Slytherin?" growled Black, advancing on him.
"Easy, Siri," said James, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Actually, we were wondering if you were interested in a little... gamble."
He raised an eyebrow, a habit he had adopted from Lucius. "On what, may I ask?"
"Quiddich. We're betting twenty Galleons a piece that we beat Slytherin."
An amused smile took possession of Severus' face. "With *your* Seeker this year? Doubtful. However, I'm quite willing to take your money, despite the fact that it's filthy with Gryffindor's taint. It's still money, after all."
Sirius growled low in his throat, looking murderous. "You low-life scum, I should..."
"Leave?" interrupted a new voice. The three Marauders turned to see Lucius striding towards them, his black wand clutched in his hand. "I can show you the door if you're too stupid to figure it out."
Black and Potter hid their fear, if they had any, well, but Pettigrew was cringing against the stone wall, watching Malfoy warily. Black sneered. "Got a boyfriend, have you Snape?"
Lucius turned to him. "Clever, Black. Think of that yourself or are you more stupidly inbred than we thought?" Sirius looked about to respond, but the sight of Lucius tapping his wand against his palm stopped any words from leaving his mouth. He stormed off, Peter scurrying behind him.
James glanced at them, then at Snape. "Let us know if you're interested. We could use the spending money, you know."
"I will."
The two Slytherins watched them walk off. "What'd they want, Sev?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.
He shrugged. "Some bet. They actually believe Gryffindor's gonna win the Quiddich Cup this year."
"Bunch of wankers, that's what they are." Severus nodded his firm agreement. "You've got parchment for the letter?"
"In my bag."
"Good. Come on." They made their way to the Aviary and found Snape's bird perched in a corner. He opened a yellow eye as they approached. Lucius reached for him, but the bird jerked to life and snapped at him, nipping his finger. "Bloody hell!" he cried, jumping backwards. "What the hell is wrong with that thing?"
Snape shrugged. "Doesn't like you, I suppose."
"Why the hell not?"
Another shrug. "He's particular."
At this, a grin tugged at Lucius' mouth as he sucked on his bleeding finger. "Rather like his owner, don't you think?" Snape stuck his tongue out, a rather childish gesture, at Malfoy and finished writing his note.
Giving a cold look at Lucius, Javert stuck out his leg as if showing his preference between the two boys, and allowed Severus to attach the parchment with a piece of string. Then, silently, he took flight, disappearing into the cloudy sky.
"Think they'll let you stay?"
He nodded absently, still thinking about the Aurors. His parents would want him as far away from home over the summer, most likely. Perhaps it was for the best that he would be safe with Lucius.
Safe with Lucius... it seemed so... right. He reached over and squeezed Malfoy's hand briefly. "So when's the next Quiddich match?"
"Thursday. We'll kick Gryffindor's asses."
"You'd better. I'm going to have money riding on this, after all."
"Oh dry up, Sev." Malfoy turned and strode out of the Aviary before glancing back to wink at Severus. "Coming to practice tonight?"
He grinned. Lucius on a broom in Quiddich robes. He could think of nothing more arousing. "I wouldn't miss it."
"See you then."
Severus shouldered his bag. Arithmancy was first today... just great.
Sometimes, he wondered how he would make it through the day without Lucius. He sure as hell didn't want to find out.
END CHAPTER SIX
Notes: Finally got this chapter out... I was DETERMINED to finish it last night, and here it is, expressly for your enjoyment. And look, I furthered the plot and everything. Amazing, isn't it? For Storm love, since I'm separated from her for sooooooooo long. *grin*