Chapter Four: Snakes

The last person that Lily expected to be drinking tea with was Lucius Malfoy. Yet there she was, wondering if perhaps she was having some sort of a hallucination. She had looked at Severus like he was insane when he told her that she was invited along with him, that Lucius was not at all like the persona he had allowed the general public to see at Hogwarts. His father had eyes on him no matter where he was. But Abraxas had been dead three months now, giving Lucius freedom he had never known before.

He would never tell how his father had died. The official report was Dragon Pox but two people knew better. Two people had been responsible for his death in the end and neither felt bad about it. Not after Abraxas had used the Imperius Curse on his own son to bring him before the Dark Lord and have that brand put on his arm against his will. Lucius Malfoy was no man's slave and that was basically what all Death Eaters had become. He was certainly not slave to someone who, as far as he could tell, did not belong to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Ridiculous.

Between the three people in that room they represented the three levels of blood purity: Pureblood, Halfblood and Muggleborn. Yet it would be a flip of a coin over which of the three of them would win in an all out duel. That was enough to make Lily Evans rather interesting to the blonde. It went against everything his deranged father had ever taught him.

Lily did not think that she had ever actually spoken to Lucius before, he had been the reigning prince of Slytherin during his school years but not one to engage in fights. When she thought about it she realised he had never actually done anything wrong as such that she could remember. Unlike Mulciber and Avery, who she was glad to learn were no longer in Severus' life.

Lucius had a rather smug look on his face that Lily could not help asking about and when she did he laughed.

"I was just thinking that your presence here must be causing my father to pitch a fit in the afterlife," he replied with a smirk, making Lily and Severus laugh. Though Severus was aware this was probably very true, Abraxas would be most displeased at having a Muggleborn in his home.

"Glad to be of service," Lily replied in amusement. It was funny how life could turn out and how very different members of the same family could be. Petunia was her opposite, as was Severus' father in comparison to him. To know that she could add Lucius Malfoy to this list as the opposite to his blood supremacist father was oddly comforting somehow.

It occurred to Lily that someone was missing from their gathering and found herself asking Lucius where Narcissa was. He winced at the question and the sigh from Severus told her that was something she should not have asked, though she did not know why.

"She is with her sister," Lucius replied carefully. He eyed Lily, trying to decide if he could trust her with truths that only two people in the whole of the world knew. Severus trusted her wholeheartedly so maybe, just maybe, he could put aside the mistrust that was ingrained in every Slytherin from the moment they took their seat at the table in the Great Hall.

"Narcissa and I.. we did not choose each other. In fact I'm sure I would have been her very last choice." It was a poorly kept secret in their generation's Pureblood circle that Narcissa had all but begged her father to betroth her to Selwyn. Instead she had been given to Lucius, no matter what either of them wanted.

"Why not divorce, now you're your own Head of House?" Lily asked. Perhaps she saw things too simplistically but she felt that he should at least have that option presented to him.

Lucius looked at her in surprise, having never considered this. Purebloods simply did not get divorced... Though he would not discount the option so readily. "It is an interesting idea. People would talk, of course.." he replied thoughtfully.

"People will always talk," she replied with a shrug. "They're talking about me right now. But in the end if you're happy then screw the court of public opinion."

The blonde wizard chuckled and glanced at Severus out of the corner of his eye. They needed no words for the simple message to be conveyed: this one is a keeper, don't let her go. It was a rare thing that someone spoke so plainly to Lucius and he found he rather enjoyed her company. If his sarcastic friend had a perfect match out there perhaps he had found her.

"It wouldn't be difficult, Lucius. There are no children." To Lily it sounded like Severus was speaking of there being no children to be upset by the divorce, but Lucius knew better. A Pureblood marriage could be broken off easily over the lack of an heir. Not the kindest of moves but if she gave him a hard time it was a card he could play.

"I will think about it," Lucius replied. It was certainly something he needed to consider; a shot at freedom and happiness that he had never thought might be his.

The topic of marriage had her thinking of James, remembering the anger and sadness in his eyes when she had last seen him. Something in her heart clenched. She hated that she had caused him pain. Severus caught the look on her face and knew her well enough to know what had put it there. He reached out and held her hand in his to comfort her, earning himself a smile for doing so. How was it that her smile still gave him the same butterflies as it had when they had been eleven years old?

"On a happier note, have you considered my offer, Severus?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow. Lily looked at Severus curiously for an explanation of what this offer had been.

"I was thinking of leaving Spinners End. Lucius offered to sell me one of the smaller Malfoy properties, to keep the location a secret." The Dark Lord was only going to take no for an answer for so long before he made a move, Severus knew that. He wanted a Potions Master and there were none in the country who had made waves in the community as Severus had by being the youngest to earn a Mastery in several decades.

"Somewhere big enough to have your own lab, I imagine," Lily replied playfully. No doubt he would have that in mind when looking at any potential new home.

"And room enough for a certain Gryffindor, perhaps?" Lucius added with a knowing smirk.

Severus tensed. He had not asked Lily that question yet, there had been little time. Would she run at the thought of moving so quickly after their time apart? He cautiously turned to look at her, surprised to see that little smile of amusement gracing her lips.

"Don't worry, Sev. I wont paint the place in red and gold."

The two of them both wondered the same thing: Had she just said yes to his unasked question?

Lucius smirked and sipped his tea, glad to see his friend taking the first steps towards the life that he deserved.