Chapter 83
Snape left the classroom immediately and put up the strongest wards, before he took some floo powder from the jar in his study.
He stepped into the flames and called out "Malfoy Manor"
It was still early and he was sure that Lucius wouldn't be home for another hour. This gave him enough time to get everything prepared.He stepped out of the flames and crossed the entrance hall in quick strides before an house-elf recognized his presence.
"Narcissa!" he called out, while he walked towards the drawing room.
"Goodness, Severus! What are you doing here?" he heard a female voice down the hallway and seconds later the small form of Narcissa Malfoy appeared in the doorway.
"I have a bone to pick with your husband, but first of all, I would like to give you some inside information of your husbands 'business' my dear"
She led him into the drawing room and look at him curiously, while he made himself comfortable.
"Well, what did he do this time?"
"He laid his hands on my child!" Severus said angrily and with wide eyes she listened while Severus recalled the whole incident.
"I don't believe it!" she gasped. "I don't believe that he would harm the child of a fellow deatheater."
She got up and started to pace the room, the anger welling up inside her. "I always put up with his little affairs, the torturing of women, also I should have known better, but that he put his hands on an innocent child, that's too much"
Severus looked curiously while her pale face turned red with anger.He knew that he now had an ally against Lucius. Narcissa Malfoy was not a bad woman; just brainwashed by her family and made to believe that their ways were the only ways.
"How do you want to deal with him now?" she asked him quietly.
"You know what I have to do. If you plead for him..."
Narcissa turned away from Severus and shook her head.
"No, he went to far this time. Do as you please. I will not stop you" she said and left the room in a hurry.
Severus relaxed on the armchair and gathered his thoughts, waiting for Lucius to return. He didn't know if he would blast him to kingdom come as soon as he stepped inside or if he would let him know why he was here.
The minutes went by and the potion master became restless. He rose from the chair and started pacing the exquisitely furnished room. Snape checked the hour glass every few seconds, but Lucius didn't return. He was wondering if Narcissa might have warned her husband, when he heard the well-known sound of Lucius cane tapping on the marble floor.
Severus straightened himself to his full height and his eyes narrowed to small slits when he walked towards the door. At the end of the long corridor he could see Lucius tall frame handing his cloak to a house-elf. The silver-blonde man didn't pay his wife any attention, whose facial expression resembled Severus' in a strange way.
Snape slowly walked down the corridor when he suddenly heard a smacking sound and the witch screaming.
"How dare you?" she yelled in a high-pitched voice, strained wit anger and frustration.
"You're nothing but a little parvenu. The Malfoy's might have been rich but they never held a high stand in the wizarding community until you married me. ME! When I, a daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, married you I made your name sound respectable. And how do you reward me?"
Lucius didn't pay her any attention, but Severus, who had reached the entrance hall, hiding behind a suit of armour, listened closely to what she had to say. She was right; there was no doubt about it. The Malfoys had never been respected in the wizarding community until Lucius' union with Narcissa Black.
The name Malfoy had always been associated with the lowest level of the Dark Arts, manipulation and exploitation. He watched Lucius shooting his wife a disgusted glance and walked quickly into the library.
Severus was curious to see how far Narcissa would go, so he held his own anger back for the moment and watched from the shadows. He could clearly see the fingerprints on Lucius face as he stood in the candle light, pouring brandy in a glass.
Narcissa continued with her ranting and paced in front of her husband, who had settled down in one of the black leather armchairs that furnished the library. As quickly as a snake, all of a sudden he sntached her wrist and pulled her down to him.
"Your lack of respect towards me is quite disturbing" he hissed and Severus recognized the frightened sparkle in Narcissa's eyes. "It seems to me that you forgot your lessons; maybe I have to refresh your memory"
Severus slowly crept into the room, trying to remain unseen until he was in the right position to strike. He heard the sickening thud before he could even see Lucius' fist connecting with Narcissa's jaw.
The witch dropped to the floor in front of her husband and withered in pain.
Severus knew that Lucius enjoyed physical violence almost more than inflicting the Cruciatus curse on somebody. He cursed himself for not foreseeing this and felt sorry for Narcissa, who had to live through so many years of hell with the beast she had to marry.
The Blacks had insisted on a pure-blood marriage and Lucius was the only candidate besides himself. More than once in the past years he had wished that she had chosen him over Lucius. Not because he loved her, but for her own sake.
Lucius was a foul bastard and only treated her well until he had an heir. After that she had to hold up the façade of the faithful deatheater wife in public if she didn't want to suffer severely at home. Unfortunately there was no other way to terminate the marriage then by the death of one party and Narcissa couldn't risk to being sent to Azkaban because of Draco. Severus pointed his wand at his former friend, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Pray tell, my precious wife, what brought you in such a state. You should greet me with a kiss and some loving words when I return home" Lucius sneered and pulled his wife up on her long blond hair.
Severus knew that he couldn't wait any longer when he saw that Lucius was pointing his wand at her. "Crucio" he bellowed and Lucius dropped on the floor, letting go of his wife.
Severus lifted the curse as soon as Narcissa stood behind him, a large bruise developing on her pale skin.
"Snape!" Lucius hissed. "What in the name of Merlin is this supposed to be?"
The potion master had his gaze fixed on the wizard, who now started to rise from the floor.
"Don't disappoint me Lucius. You know very well that this day would come sooner or later. I couldn't do anything against the way you abused your own family; sad as it is, but when you put your clutches on mine, you won't live to tell the tale. I thought you were aware of that"
Lucius groaned in pain and glared at his former friend.
"You never cared about your little mudblood daughter before. You should be ashamed of your little affair with that bloody muggle. If I would have rid you of that child of yours, you should have been thankful. She was nothing special after all; but you had to play the super hero and get her out of there before I could finish her"
"Well, Lucius. Here you are mistaken. I haven't acted like a super hero, just like the father that you never could be" Severus said coolly.
"Alright then. You had your say, now would you please let me finish taking care of my wife?"
Narcissa winced terribly as she saw the gloved hand stretching out for her. She knew what was expected from her. She would have to bid Severus good bye and submit top the inevitable.
"I can not allow that. She had to endure more than enough from your hand and now it's time for payback."
He held Lucius at arms length with his wand, while he pulled Narcissa to his side.
"Is there anything that you would like to tell your husband before he's going to meet his creator, whatever hellhound that may be?"
He looked into the woman's eyes and all he could see there was hatred. It seemed to him like all the times of abuse and humiliation were replayed in front of her mind's eye as she looked at Lucius with utmost disgust.
"I hope that it is not too late for my son yet. You will no longer have power over us and you will not mould him after your own character. He could be a good boy if someone shows him the right path. I will make you pay for making my life a living hell and I hope that Draco can forgive me one day"
She then pointed her own wand at Lucius and looked at Severus. He nodded and together the shouted "Crucio"
Lucius collapsed on the floor without a sound. Then his eyes popped open and grew larger and larger, while he tried to scream out his pain, but only a rattling noise emerged when the wizard's lungs filled with blood.
His hands reached out for help but Severus and Narcissa just stood there without any expression, holding the curse on him.
Lucius' slender frame doubled over in pain while his hands grasped frantically in the air trying to grab something for support. His eyes rolled back into his skull and turned red with blood.
The wizard was twitching on the floor, shaken by fits of pain and finally a scream filled the air that let the blood congeal in the veins. Lucius stretched his hands in the air once more, his face stained with bloody tears and then the screaming and rattling subsided.
Narcissa did not shed a single tear, as Severus transfigured the corpse into a potted plant.
"Have you thought how you're going to explain his absence?" she asked him as she put the plant on the window sill.
"We both won't breathe a word about what happened until I let you know different." Severus said firmly.
"I need to think carefully how the truth will reflect on you and your son as well as on me. Not only in front of the wizarding society, but also in the eyes of the Dark Lord"
Narcissa nodded. "I will wait to inform Draco about the death of his father until I receive word from you"
"I will talk to Dumbledore about it. He's the only person I trust enough to mention it. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Narcissa shook her head. "The house-elves will not say anything about this incident. They are all loyal to the house of Black and therefore they will follow my lead from now on"
"Well then, I will leave you to yourself then" Severus said courteously and turned to leave.
"Wait, Severus" Narcissa spoke up and held him by his arm. He hesitantly turned around and looked at her.
Her grey eyes were shining brighter as he had ever seen it and she smiled slightly. "Thank you Severus. I'm in your debt and I will never be able to repay it. You saved my life today and my son's"
A small smile crept on Severus face and he padded her hand. "Don't thank me. I should have done that a long time ago"
With that, he rushed out of the Library and apparated to the gates of Hogwarts.
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Right before dinner, Dudley was waiting anxiously for Malfoy. Excitedly he tugged on his sleeves and shifted from one foot to the other. He knew that he was so much closer to his goal now and sure he would win Hermione.
The other students headed for dinner and all the chattering around him made him even more nervous. Harry and his friends casted him a curious look when they passed him and Dudley started to get angry when he finally spotted the silver-blonde hair of Malfoy.
He rushed over to him as soon as he stepped into the entrance hall and hissed "What the hell took you so long? I'm waiting since forever!"
It took all of Draco's strength not to hex him into oblivion, but he knew that this would be his only chance to get a spy in Gryffindor tower. The Dark Lord would be very pleased.
"Well, I'm here now or not?" Draco growled and dragged the Gryffindor into the broom closet. He seized a vial from his pocket and handed it to Dudley.
"I thought it would be hard for you to brew a potion without Snape getting suspicious, so I made it for you. I got all the ingredients from Snape after class today. He left the classroom so quickly that he didn't recognize I was still there. This concoction doesn't need to be brewed, just mixed"
Dudley smiled widely. "So this is a love potion? How does it work? What do I have to do?"
Draco sneered maliciously, but the stout boy seemed totally oblivious to the fact that Malfoy might not do that out of pure charity. "You just slip a little bit of the potion into her drink at dinner and make sure to sit in front of her."
He rolled his eyes at the clueless expression on Dudley's face. "She will fall in love with the first person she sees"
The other boy's grin seemed to go from one ear to the other.
"Wow, this is cool!" Dudley gasped. "Thank you so much. Now I know that all the stuff the Gryffindors say is rubbish. Slytherins aren't evil; maybe besides Professor Snape"
Draco nodded his head slightly and pushed Dudley out of the broom closet. "Now go to dinner and make sure you don't get caught"
Dudley turned around and rushed to the Great Hall.
Unfortunately Kayla was sitting opposite of Hermione so he had to take the place next to her. His mind was racing and luckily he was most fortunate tonight.
Harry and the others had decided to leave early to spend their evening with Sirius and only Hermione remained. She had detention with Snape tonight and had to go there right after dinner. When the other Gryffindors had left the table, Dudley shifted into Kayla's seat and glared at Hermione.
The Gryffindor prefect had a book propped up against a pitcher and was reading while she nibbled on her dinner. Dudley looked over to the Slytherin table and his eyes locked with Draco's. The blonde boy nodded ever so slightly and Dudley swallowed hard.
He knew that this was his best chance and he slowly moved his hand, which was holding the vial over Hermione's pumpkin juice. The young witch didn't realize it and he slipped 5 drops into the juice.
Eagerly he watched and waited for Hermione to drink, but she wouldn't move. Lost in thoughts, she turned page after page and totally forgot about her dinner. Dudley knew he had to get her attention somehow and cleared his throat.
"What are you reading Hermione?" he asked and the witch's head jerked up.
"What?"
"The book... what is it?"
"Oh well, it's just some light reading for my Arithmancy class" she answered and her eyes descended to her book once more.
Dudley stifled a groan just before Hermione absentmindedly grabbed her glass and put it to her lips.
Drink... drink... drink, he silently urged her and concentrated so hard that he tuned out everything that happened around him. He buried his face in his hands when she put the glass down without drinking and stuffed the book in her bag.
Nooo!, he groaned inwardly as she rose from her chair. That was so close!
Before she left the table, she picked up the glass once again and drowned the whole content in one big gulp. Suddenly her head started spinning and she closed her eyes. Dudley rose his head slightly and recognized the empty glass.
Yay!, he cheered silently and his eyes rose to the girl's face.
"Hermione?" he asked anxiously when he recognized her flushed face. Look at me!
Her eyes remained closed and she held on the table for support.
"What is going on?" she whispered. "I'm so dizzy"
Dudley gaze was fixed on Hermione when he heard a dark and low voice.
"Miss Granger!"
Hermione swirled around and crashed into something solid.
"I expect you in my office at 7 o'clock sharp"
Hermione's eyes popped open and she looked at Professor Snape.
Dudley's head collided with the table with a loud thud and the Slytherin table was snickering furiously. Hermione however just stared dreamily at Snape and nodded.
"Certainly, sir"
Seamus and Dean, who were sitting not far away looked at each other in surprise and wondered why Hermione suddenly sounded like Luna Lovegood.
Dudley was furious. He banged his fist on the table and glared first at Hermione than at Draco, who had a hard time to keep his features in check. Hermione however, almost floated out of the Great Hall. She had to hurry and get to the dormitory. She wanted to make sure to look stunning for her detention with the lovely potion master.
Dudley rushed after Hermione and caught her in the middle of the marble staircase.
"Hermione?"
She continued to walk and muttered something intelligible under her breath.
"Hermione!" he called again, this time more urgent.
"What is it Dudley? I have to concentrate. There is something very important that I have to take care of tonight and I can't talk to you right now" she snapped and continued to climb up the stairs.
Dudley was shocked and angry.
Why, oh why had the terrible professor had to show up at exactly the wrong moment? He was sure that he could have gotten his attention if Snape would have waited just a minute longer.
Bugger!
Hermione was already up the steps when Dudley's mind snapped back into attention.
Maybe there is a way to persuade her, he though and ran after her.
He didn't see Malfoy along with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy at the bottom of the marble staircase holding on to each other to stop them from rolling on the floor laughing. "Leave it to the Gryffindor moron to make a great idea brilliant" he said between laughter.
"I know where I will be at seven" Pansy gasped and her eyes followed Dudley up the steps.
"Hermione" he panted when he finally caught up with her. The girl however did pay him no attention and seemed totally lost in thoughts once again. As soon as he had caught his breath, Dudley grabbed her roughly at her shoulder and she winced.
"Stop bugging me! I told you I can't deal with you now" she called enervated and freed her arm from his hard grip.
"But I really like you and I wanted to ask you if you'd like to go out with me" he asked as sweetly as possible, holding down his anger and frustration.
"Awww poor Dudikins!" she said so pitifully that it brought tears of fury in his eyes. "I'm awfully sorry, but I'm not interested in little boys. I want a man... THE MAN"
"But you can't..." he sputtered aghast.
Hermione glared at him with narrowed eyes and jaw set.
"I can..I want.. and I will! And now leave me alone. I have work to do and not much time"
Dudley watched her all but running down the hallway with her robes billowing behind her.
"Wait, Malfoy... he has to make an end to this... NOW" Dudley growled and ran back towards the entrance hall.
He spotted him and his cronies right at the top of the stairs that led to the dungeons and yelled "MALFOY!"
Dudley didn't even recognize Professor Sinistra passing him, deducting 5 points from Gryffindor for being loud in the hallway, when he stomped down the steps and grabbed Malfoy at the front of his robes.
"You cancel that potion right away or I will beat you up so bad that your own mother won't recognize you"
Draco pulled himself out of Dudley's death grip and glared at the boy in utmost disgust.
"If you want to hang around with us you have to learn how to behave in public. It seems to me that you have no dignity after that scene in front of everybody. Nobody is supposed to know, did you already forget that? We can be lucky that most of the students are still eating"
Dudley's eyes remained on Malfoy's pale, pointed face when the Slytherin continued.
"There's nothing I can do about it. The effect of this potion is permanent."
The Gryffindor's gaze dropped to the floor and his hands fell to his sides. The last chance to win Hermione's heart was lost and nobody could do anything about it. Heartbroken, he climbed up the staircases and wondered what the best way would be to end the misery his life was.
The Slytherins watched him once again ascending the marble staircase and Pansy nudged Draco playfully.
"What a loser" she laughed and pulled Draco down the stairs.
"Well, I trust the fun has just begun" the Slytherin prefect snickered malevolently and followed his friends to get ready for the show.