Disclaimer: Yes, yes, I know I'm not Rowling, no need to remind me...

Wo0tness. Chapter 3! My mind has suddenly gone blank. I have none of my witty banter to entertain you with. Darn. Thanks to you who reviewed. It really means a lot, 'specially cuz this is a really 'what the hell?' sort of fic. XD The fact that you actually wanted to read more is so awesome!

WTF...why am I writing this with Lucius? SO OOC, it's scary. For no apparent reason at all, this crap bit of a chapter focuses on Lucius and Severus. Whoo.

Losing the Charade

Lucius's POV

All night I pondered everything that had happened earlier. I had broken up with Sirius. He was now back with Lupin. Severus had hit on me. It was sort of a scary thing. I wondered how Sirius would react, if I got together with Severus. Sighing, I rolled over in my bed. Why were things so complicated? There should be like, a little sign that blinks over your head when you meet your true soul mate.

I yawned and stared at the glowing numbers on my clock. Two in the morning. Lovely. My kiss with Severus kept floating up to the front of my mind. Why, damn it? It's not like I like-liked him or anything. I had honestly thought that Sirius was my love, but that didn't seem to have work out so well. Maybe getting to know Severus better wasn't such a bad idea...

After a few more minutes I had managed to settle in and fall asleep. When my alarm went off, I groaned, rolled over in bed, and slapped it off. Another wonderful day in this wonderful school. I hate hormones.

I got out of bed and got dressed as slowly as possible, not wanting to run into Severus any earlier than necessary. Classes started today as well, and I had not brain stormed any clever ideas to avoid everyone in the school.

Today started off just perfect.

Severus's POV

I was such a moron. A bloody moron. Lucius was never going to speak to me again. He's probably horrified, he ran out of there so quickly. I'm going to be shunned, ostracized from the community.

Then again, that wasn't anything new.

I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking, that was it. That and that damn roast beef sandwich. It totally messed me up. Messed with my brain.

Oh, what am I talking about? The roast beef is innocent. My own heart had betrayed me! And I thought that only happened in movies. Obviously I haven't put a damper on my emotions very well yet. I thought I'd worked on that.

Poor Lucius. I've frightened him off. He's going to think I'm such a freak. Ugh.

I saw him at breakfast. He looked positively dismayed.

Today started off just perfect.

Lucius's POV

It's like wherever I went, he was there too. I almost ran into him at breakfast. He looked shocked to see me. I would be shocked to see me too, if I were him. Did that make sense?

I'm so confused.

I'm not supposed to be confused.

I'm a Slytherin sex god, for heaven's sake! I know things. Everything! But obviously not emotions. Emotions can burn, for all I care. No one needs those. They trick you, and lie, and make you do stupid things.

Lucius Malfoy does not lose to love.

All right, I take that back.

Lucius Malfoy loses to love, don't I?

Severus's POV

I was hiding again. That was nothing new. The stack of books that concealed me from the outside world was satisfactorily adequate. I was pleased to see that the library had a copy of The Antediluvian Archives; that would keep my busy for the rest of the day. I didn't want to go to classes. The library was my home, and I needed a home now more than ever.

I knew I was a fool for staying away from him. I can't face my fears, no matter what I try. It's just not for me.

My fears stay with me, but at least they stay far back.

After a couple of hours, my stomach began to rumble, and I frowned. Oh, drats. I didn't want to move — didn't want to go to the Great Hall — didn't want to see him.

But someone out there hates me. It must be karma.

A sandwich flew at my head.

Lucius's POV

He wasn't in classes. He wasn't at dinner. That meant only one thing.

He had found a very large book and was holed up in the library.

The day had not been good to me. I couldn't concentrate in class, I dropped a pitcher during lunch and spilled pumpkin juice all over myself, I was just being a complete half-wit. The fact that I saw Sirius and Lupin holding hands in the hall didn't help my mood at all.

Meaning to return the favor, I grabbed a plate from the Great Hall and slipped out. Just as I had predicted, Severus was there, wedged in between a bookshelf and a fortress of almanacs. A humongous book was propped up in his lap; I wouldn't have been surprised if a leg was broken because of that thing.

After standing there unintelligently for about a minute while he continued to stare at the pages, I picked a sandwich up off the plate and threw it at him.

Needless to say, he was not pleased.

"What the — Oh god." Sandwich in hand, he stared at me, eyes wide. I could tell he wanted to just sink into the floor right there.

"Hey." More awkward silence. "You seem hungry."

"I'm not." As fate almost always decides, Severus's stomach growled on cue. "Okay, so maybe I am."

"Why didn't you come to dinner?" I asked.

"I was busy. Reading." He gestured to the volume in his lap.

"Too busy to feed yourself? As I recall, you made sure I wasn't dying of hunger yesterday, why can't I do the same?"

He didn't reply. There was more silence, him staring at the dusty book in his lap, me at the top of his head. Finally, I went over, slid aside a batch of books, and sat down next to him.

I think he 'eeped'. But Slytherins don't 'eep'.

Do they?

"I know why you're avoiding me," I said slowly.

"I'm not avoiding you. What makes you think that?"

"Well, you skipped every class and didn't make lunch or dinner." I listed off. "Oh, and you're trying to inch away from me right now."

Severus blushed and stopped moving. "Look," he gulped. "I'm really sorry. That was stupid of me to do."

"Sorry for what?" I almost smirked. Smirking would not help this boy's self-esteem at all.

"S-sorry for kissing you," he mumbled, bringing the sandwich up to his lips, but not taking a bite. "I don't like ham."

That made me chuckle. Obviously we needed to learn each other's sandwich preferences. Reaching over, I took his wrist and pulled his hand closer, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

"I do. May I have it?"

"S-sure," he stuttered, attempting to draw his hand back. I let him go, taking the unwanted sandwich from him.

"Thanks." Setting the plate with the other various foods on top of the ancient book in his lap, I started on the ham. "So why are you here?"

"I told you, I'm reading — "

"I meant why are you staying away from me?"

"Oh, god, for the last time, I'm not — "

With a small grin, I leaned over and gave the dark-haired boy a quick kiss. "You were saying?"

"I'm was avoiding you, because I thought you hated me for kissing you," he said, nearly in shock.

"And?"

"And now I think I was wrong."

Severus's POV

Okay, so maybe he wasn't horrified. I had hope.

I think.

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What have I done...this was supposed to be a Sirius/Lucius story! You've BETRAYED me, brain! RAWR. I've been really grumpy that I haven't been able to write anything good lately. Sorry.

I've killed it. I've put more POVs in it. Like, OMG. XD But I had fun writing Severus's thoughts after the kiss. Aha. Damn roast beef. Aww... I've made him so cute. What has this world COME to!