Disclaimer: I hold no claim on the characters represented in this story. They belong to J.K. Rowling and whoever holds a piece of 'Harry Potter.' Don't sue. All you'd get would be a couple of Snape action figures and an old Pizzazz doll.
Warning: Slash.
A/N: I give up. This story will just not come out. Also, thank you everybody who's read and reviewed this story. You have no clue how great it is for me to get reviews, especially from other authors that I really respect.
I'm such a shameless praise whore. : )
Chapter 9: Harder to Breathe
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He remembered that the first time that he'd seen the child, he'd nearly done a double take. He looked so much like his father that Severus almost couldn't bear to look at him. Not to mention that he was a sign of his failure.
To look upon Draco Malfoy, his reluctant godson, was to see Lucius at that age. Down to the pale eyes and skin, the white blond hair, and the superior, self-righteous attitude. But Malfoy the younger almost seemed worse than his father. Where Lucius was indeed a smug and haughty man, his son didn't hold any of his good qualities. They shared the same razor sharp wit, but the boy didn't have any of Lucius's self control. Where Lucius had always looked down on those that he saw as below him, Draco did so to a much higher degree. He respected no one, took advantage of everyone.
Lucius was more of a silent instigator. When he insulted, he did it very subtly. Draco went for the cheap insult, the casual 'mudblood' comment rather than putting forth a lot of actual effort.
So when Severus saw the child enter the Great Hall for the beginning of the year feast, he knew that he was in for an interesting seven years to come.
~*~
Severus hadn't known what to expect when he was told that Lucius was coming to Hogwarts. His initial question had been to ask Dumbledore why Lucius was coming.
"If your child was playing in his first Quidditch match, you would want to be here as well, wouldn't you?"
Severus nearly kicked himself at the answer. He'd thought, been hoping, that the reason was far different. The fact that Draco was the new Slytherin seeker, he hadn't even thought of. Surely, he would be there to see his son beat the Gryffindors, not to visit his ex-lover.
They sat together during the match. It was nearly agony for Severus to sit so closely to the man that he'd loved and to not be able to act upon his longing for the blond man. He'd felt himself fidgeting slightly during the match, and could have sworn that he'd seen Lucius do the same at one point.
When the game ended, Severus headed back down to his dungeon rooms, painfully aware of the silence and of the man that followed him. They'd not spoken beyond a simply greeting, and that fact gnawed at the raven-haired potions' master.
They'd reached his room, and Severus ushered the elder man in before walking over to the bar and pouring them each a drink. He handed Lucius one before taking a sip of his own, sitting down on the black leather couch.
They drank their drinks in silence, before Lucius stood up, casting off his outer cloaks and robes, pulling his tie from his neck. He pulled Severus to his feet and slowly removed the darker man's robes before pulling him into the bedroom.
No one saw the normally perfect aristocrat leave several hours later, his hair and clothing slightly disheveled. He visited with his son for a few moments, before walking to the entrance hall.
He found a silent Severus standing there. He nodded to him curtly before tying up his outer robes walking out the door, his walking stick tapping against the stone of the front stairs.
They'd never spoken a word.
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After I put Severus to bed, I go back into the living room, my mind still attempting to catch onto what's happening. Lucius Malfoy, that Death Eater bastard, is coming to call on Severus. Lucius Malfoy… I'm surprised by how easily he got off for his actions in Voldemort's court. But then again, he's got Fudge in his back pocket. Or rather, his blasted pocket book
I try to push the image of Malfoy out of my head and attempt to pick up the shattered crystal on the floor. I could just as easily summon a house elf to do it, but I'd rather not. I've never been a fan of them… Maybe it's just the way that I was raised. Why make another being clean up the mess that you've made? Or maybe it's because my family could never afford to keep a house elf.
I hiss as a sharp pain in my hand brings me back to myself, out of the fog that was clouding my mind. I look down to my right hand to see blood welling up from a cut on the palm of my hand. I curse as I stand up and walk over to Severus's wet bar and pull a white towel from one of the drawers. I wrap it around my hand with little fuss, gingerly tying a knot to keep the towel in place.
The bar seems to be calling my name. I pour out a small amount of Brahm's Fire Whiskey into a glass and walk back over to the pile of shattered glass. This time, I'm smart enough to summon a bloody broom.
I make quick work of the crystal and plop down onto the couch, sipping on the whiskey. The whiskey burns as it goes down my throat.
The time flies quickly as I sit on the couch staring into the fire. I think that sleep claims me after a while, because when I come to, the fire has dwindled down to embers. I stand up, shaking the sleep from my body and mind.
"Luc, no. Please… I love you. Don't leave me. Lucius…" Feverish moans carry out of the half open door to Severus's bedchambers. I get up to hear what he's saying more closely, peering through the open space between the door and the wall. The tone of his voice shifts from melancholy to anger laced with worry. "No… He's mine. Lucius, leave him be… Don't hurt him. Remus…"
My ears perk up and my heart drops to my feet at the sound of my name. An odd ticklish sensation starts in my stomach.
I push the door open a bit more, slipping into the room. I walk over to the bed, standing over Severus's still sleeping form. His eyes are fluttering about under his lids, and his brow is covered in sweat.
I kneel down on the floor, my torso leaning against the bed. I run a hand through his slightly sweat dampened hair. "It's alright, Severus. I'm here. Lucius isn't. It's okay. He's not hurting you, me, or anyone else, I swear it."
"R-Remus?" Severus's eyes shoot open, his eyes unseeing for a moment before they finally settle on my face. His face pinks slightly and his eyes narrow. "What are you doing in here?"
"I heard you talking in your sleep. I was worried." I say, chuckling slightly as he brings his hand to his head as his hangover headache rushes to its full strength. I walk over to the bathroom and bring him back a glass of water and a small purple vial. He drinks both down quickly, a look of gratitude on his sleepy face. "Are you really that worried about Malfoy coming to visit?"
The look on Severus's face shocks me. It's a look of resentment, of defeat. "It's not that I'm worried. It's not as if I haven't seen him since we split up, since his wedding. We were still Death Eaters at that point. We just didn't interact.
"We started interacting more and more as the months went on, being forced together by Voldemort. We had a brief affair shortly after Draco was born. But the conscience that I never knew that I had reared it's blasted head and I broke it off. Several days later, Voldemort fell. You've no idea how relieved I was. I was already spying at that point, so it was like a breath of fresh air, corny as it sounds.
"But then his bastard child started school and Voldemort returned. And so did…has…Lucius."
I sigh, sitting back down next to him on the bed. I take one of his hands in my own and bring it to my mouth, kissing it lightly. I look up, my gaze meeting his. "It'll be alright."
"He's broken me before. He will again. That's the way that it goes."
Never letting go of his hand, I lean back against the headboard. He puts his head against my chest, snuggling up against me. "I won't him hurt you. I swear it, Severus. You're mine now."
He looks up at me, his eyes weary yet curious. His mouth is open slightly, as if he's about to speak, and I take full advantage. My lips meet his as I kiss him thoroughly, taking his lower lip in between my teeth, nibbling lightly on it before going in for more.
"Do you want me here tomorrow, when he comes?" I ask, pulling away only as long as it takes for me to ask him. I shift both my body and his, pinning him beneath me. I lunge towards his neck, kissing it softly.
"If-if you…want to…be here…" I nod from the hollow of his neck. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome, love." I nod again, this time rising from his neck to nibble on his ear.
We lay like that for a while, the petting becoming much more heavy. I take him slowly, lovingly, as if marking my territory, my property. Which he is. He's mine. And I'll not let a pompous bastard like Lucius Malfoy take him from me.
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A/N: Grs. Let me know if the rating is proper or if I should up it to a 'R.' It seems that there are a few things that may be a bit higher than a PG-13, but I'm not great at judging.
And, ha, I suck at writing love scenes. Therefore, I don't.
And, the title is borrowed from a Maroon 5 song. It makes me really want to write a lot, and it really makes me want to do a song fic.