Chapter Five

"Talk."

Lucius hadn't given Severus an instant to recover but pounced on him the moment he apparated into the sitting room at Malfoy Manor.

"There isn't a great deal to talk about, actually. I simply assumed that you would want to be informed of my discovery."

"And?" Malfoy raised his voice just a fraction, and Severus cringed.

He thought fast, but nothing was coming to mind. Malfoy had started using one-word sentences and dropping the pageantry of courtesy which meant he was furious. At least he could be fairly confident that his interference wouldn't mean his death, as Lucius would have a hard time explaining to the Dark Lord why his spy at Hogwarts was no more. However, the wizard had a plethora of ways to make one's life unbearable when he was displeased.

"The woman doesn't know anything about the scroll. I didn't think…"

"No, Severus. Obviously, you didn't think."

Uh-oh.

Snape fought to keep his voice reasonable. "Lucius, did you really wish to waste your time?"

"My time is my own to spend as I choose," Lucius snapped.

"This project belongs to the both of us, which means, where Alex Borgin is concerned, your time is ours," Severus spat back.

"Don't make assumptions, old friend. What's mine is always mine. I only included you for your skills with a cauldron." He took a swift step toward Severus. "And just how, may I ask, did you come by this fascinating bit of knowledge?"

Well, at least he had peaked his curiosity. "I followed her yesterday."

His head cocked to the side infinitesimally. "Oh?"

"Her conversation with Nina clearly indicated that she was not conspiring with her uncle. She'd never even met him."

"And you simply…trust her?"

"I don't trust anyone, Lucius, but she wasn't lying, that much was obvious."

"I wonder, Severus, if you observed her closely enough to slip into that conniving mind of hers. I did, and she's no more honest than her uncle was, perhaps even less so."

"Yes," He was sneering, now. He couldn't help it. "Well, if you could just set aside your own suspicions long enough to…"

"My skills at occlumency outmatch yours by a long sight."

Severus smirked. Yes, he was wonderful at occlumency, so much so that he couldn't ferret out a traitor under his own nose.

"You don't outmatch me at much, you witless, spoiled rotten aristocrat! For a man whose idea of problem-solving is throwing gold at greedy…"

"Don't you dare!" Cold eyes suddenly smoldering with rage, Malfoy's wand was drawn in an instant and Severus felt ice form in his stomach as a wave of panic washed over him. "I have half a mind to remove by force whatever the hell has gotten into you! I had that woman eating out of my hand. Her will was so entwined with mine that if she didn't know the location of the scroll I could have torn her place apart to find it and she wouldn't have lifted a finger to stop me. Indeed, she would have begged me to ravage her before I left."

It was involuntary and exceptionally subtle, the clenching of his fists at this last statement, but Lucius caught it anyway.

"What? What is the problem?" Slowly, he stalked toward the potions master, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You knew that I had everything under control. What possessed you to…" He stopped suddenly as comprehension dawned in his eyes. His next words were soft, barely more than a whisper, but the sincerity of the threat was accentuated by that wicked wand pointing between his accomplice's eyes. "Severus Snape, I should kill you outright and beg our master's mercy."

Having no desire to provoke the lethal wizard any further, Severus stood like a stone, eyes wide and questioning.

"You are the last man I would expect to be ruled by his lust."

What? Severus was startled into brief silence. "You can't be serious," he whispered.

"I wish that I were not. I never thought I'd live to see the day when you began thinking with the wrong head."

Severus clenched his teeth at the uncharacteristically foul remark. He was quite certain that Malfoy was trying to provoke him into drawing his wand as an excuse follow through with his threat, and while he was capable of defending himself, he had the disadvantage of playing on the enemy's pitch. Not to mention, his colleague was one of most vicious fighters he'd ever known even when he was only playing.

Lucius was most certainly not playing, now.

He took a deep, steadying breath and forced himself to think rationally. After all, Malfoy may have just unwittingly given him the excuse that he needed. As much as it injured his pride, playing the card he'd been handed could save his life.

He took a step back and lowered his eyes to stare at Malfoy's boots, his characteristic sneer completely gone.

"So, it's true. You pathetic fool!" Lucius' wand began to glow a sickly green with the man's anger.

Severus spoke softly, his voice full of shame. "Forgive me, Lucius."

"Severus…you weak, wretched excuse for a wizard!"

Snape braced himself for what he knew was coming.

Crucio!

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Several hours later, curled in a shivering ball on the stone floor, face streaked with sweat and tears, hair drenched in his own vomit, Severus had lost consciousness. Lucius, having finally worked through his fury, collapsed, panting, into a blood-red chair, his wand falling from nerveless fingers. It had been ages since he had felt such rage, and now that the adrenaline had played itself out his temples were pounding from the exertion.

In the end, Severus had screamed until his voice had gone. That was when he had begun to cry, gasping for air between ragged sobs. But, he never once begged for him to stop. Perhaps that's what Lucius had been waiting for. He should have known better. Severus' long fingers were still clamped around his head in a pitiful attempt to shield himself against the vicious assault. Lucius had disarmed him ages ago as he recovered from the first curse.

No one who saw him now would recognize the look in Malfoy's eyes as he gazed down at his old friend, for as twisted as their relationship could be at times, that was what Severus was. Now that he was overcome with exhaustion, the guilt that had begun to nag at him over an hour ago settled into his mind. Severus had made a huge mistake, and he needed to be punished, but Lucius knew that he had gone too far. His notorious temper had proven to be both his savior and his greatest adversary at different times in his life. Presently, he hurled curses at it and at himself.

Recovering his wand and kneeling beside Severus, he performed a cleansing spell and levitated the man's tortured form. Halfway to his chambers, he crossed the path of his son who had certainly heard the screams. Draco looked away with only mild surprise in his young eyes, but no words were exchanged between them for none were needed. He knew already what it meant to be a Malfoy. Only a few minutes later, Lucius had settled the potions master, naked, into his own bed and whispered a dreamless sleep charm to ward off the nightmares that inevitably followed the Cruciatus curse. He brushed the soft black hair from his ashen face and whispered words the man could never be allowed to hear. "I'm truly sorry."

Within the hour, he had apparated to the corner of Diagon and Knockturn to remove the thorn from both their sides.