The Wonderful World of Harry Potter and Company belong to Rowling.

A Snake in Sheep's Clothing

SSLM

Chapter 8. Two Children.

the morning after the wedding...

Severus and Lucius woke with a start. Dazed the pair looked around their eyes meeting each others at the same time. "AGHH!" Severus screamed pushing Lucius away with such force that the youth teetered off the end before landing with a loud thump on the floor. Seeing his chance Severus scurried to the farthest side of the bed his hands wrapping around a pillow and holding it before him as a shield. It had to be a dream! No a nightmare! A vicious ugly one! It couldn't have happened or did it? Looking at the ring on his hand, Severus stopped stunned. Sweet almighty it was true. He was married. Looking at the steely grey eyes as Lucius picked himself off the floor. He spotted the same ring on the youth's hand and tightened his hold on the pillow.

Lucius sat up with a groan, stupid brat! He thought pulling himself up never losing sight of the boy clutching a pillow before him. "Well this is rich I get pushed off my own bed by my half-blood spouse." He murmured angrily.

Severus tightened his hold on the pillow and jutted out his chin. "I'm not a half-blood."

"He speaks."

"Of course I speak you idiot." Severus growled.

Lucius' launched himself across the bed and grabbed Severus. He would be damned if he was going to tolerate the brat's ill manners. "Don't ever speak to me like that!"

Severus gasped in pain as the blonde twisted his short hair but refused to acknowledge Lucius' words. Stupid blonde!

Angry that Severus was not responding Lucius gave the boy's hair another sound twist, "Apologize this instant!"

"Drop dead you jerk!" Severus cried out. If Lucius thought he was going to make him cower, the blonde would be sorely surprised. He hadn't done it before the Princes and he he wasn't going to do it now.

The blonde smiled, so Severus was a stubborn. Well, so was he. Leaning over he whispered coldly, "I suggest you apologize to me because I can do this all day." Gone was the urgency that had existed yesterday afternoon to be near Severus. A night of sleeping next to each other had appeased the bond. Until tonight that was, when they would probably be writhing in pain unless they lay next to each other. With another good twist Lucius continued his demand, "I'm waiting brat."

Severus cried out as tears threatened to fall. "Go to hell!" he shouted struggling to get away.

"What's the meaning of this!" the thunderous roar shattered the struggle between the two.

"Lucius! Let him go!" a woman's voice demanded.

Lucius pushed Severus away and turned from him angrily. Exhausted and in pain, the dark haired boy hung on to the bed post so as not to fall.

Abraxas strode in, his face set in a dissatisfied scowl, and stopped a few feet from the bed. "I demand an explanation Lucius."

Lucius pulled himself from the bed and righted his clothes while Lady Eugenia pulled an unwilling Severus into her arms. "I was teaching him some manners."

"Not while you're under my roof." Came the steely reply.

"How I treat him-" Lucius protested but was cut off by his livid father.

"Don't challenge me Lucius. You'll regret it."

"Abraxas!" Lady Eugenia protested as she held Severus.

"I already do." Lucius replied glaring coolly at the older blonde.

"Lucius please! Both of you! Don't argue."

"See that you don't regret it anymore." Lucius looked from his father to Severus, who was being comforted by his mother and glared resentfully.

"I will not tolerate such abuse. Remember that the next time you wish to exercise your dominance over your ten-year old husband."

And whose fault was that? Lucius moved to stand closer to his father. Silvery eyes met silvery eyes. "Disappointed Sir?"

"It's disgraceful." Abraxas whispered in a barely controlled voice.

Abraxas' words stung Lucius but he was too proud to say so. "My apologies then, I'm only fourteen after all." He reminded Lord Malfoy before leaving to change.

---

Severus gasped as a Lady Eugenia ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you all right child?"

"I just got bullied. What do you think?" Severus whispered before moving away from the witch's comforting arms.

"What do you think Lady Malfoy." Lord Abraxas corrected. Severus Snape seemed an intelligent sturdy young lad if a little ill-mannered. But with time that could easily be corrected.

Severus looked up at the tall Wizard. The resemblance between Lucius and Lord Malfoy was uncanny. "You will learn to address those around you in the proper manner Lord Severus or none of us will be getting along. Is that understood?"

Lady Eugenia blushed guiltily. How could Abraxas scold the boy for being rude! "Do you want to lie down?"

"No thank you, Lady Malfoy. I want to get dressed." Severus murmured rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. I'm not going to cry! I'm not going to cry!

"Your dressing room is through that room. We'll bee having an early lunch." Lord Abraxas ordered nodding for his wife to leave. "I'll escort the pair down stairs when they're done."

Throwing her husband a nervous glance Lady Malfoy stepped close enbough for only him to hear. "Try to understand them, they're just children."

Severus moved off the bed unsteadily, his scalp hurting from Lucius' manhandling. After sparing Lord Abraxas' expressionless face an accusing look, he walked to his dressing room and closed the door behind him.

----

Lucius sagged against the door the second it closed and locked behind him. He attacked a ten year old because he had called him an idiot! What was wrong with him? His father was right, it was disgraceful! He was a Malfoy and he had behaved like a common thug. To top everything off that child was his husband, granted in name only, but his husband nevertheless. Shaking his head he began dressing mechanically, he was almost done when a wave of sadness and desperation hit him making him sway.

----

Severus locked the door, oblivious to the endless amounts of clothes and elegance, and went to sit in the corner. Closing his eyes, he allowed the tears that had been threatening his eyes to fall. Lucius hated him! He was disgusted by him! How was he supposed to live here! Wasn't Lucius supposed to like him? And why had HE called him an idiot? He hadn't meant to, not really anyway. He couldn't do it! He didn't want to be here! He didn't want to be here! He murmured rocking back and forth. Before long the falling tears turned into uncontrollable sobs

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They're just children. The words echoed in Lord Malfoy's mind making him feel terribly guilty. The guilt however didn't last very long. He had been forced to save his family and he had done so. Still, he was shocked by his son's behavior and knew he had to find a way to make things easier on the pair. Although he knew Lucius possessed a temper, he never thought the youth would resort to physical violence, least of all against someone so much weaker than him. It was all of those stupid new ideas. Blood purity! It was nonsense, since when did blood guarantee honor. It was a ridiculous notion, yet his son believed in it. Well nothing like marrying a Snape to take him down a notch. Lucius would change, even if this incident stated the opposite. The bond would help, but he would also have to use cunning. Abraxas was mulling his strategy when an ash-faced Lucius came out and strode towards Severus' dressing room. Alarmed that his son might be ill or that he might want to harm Severus, Abraxas went after him.

Lucius turned the knob but the door was locked. Exasperated he turned to his father.

"Something's wrong?" Abraxas asked observing his son's pale parlor.

"He's in distress." Lucius murmured tightly moving to get his wand from the night table.

"Allow me." Lord Malfoy cast an alhomorra against the door and then stepped aside. Lucius quickly went in; his father was close behind him. Maybe it was because the bond was still too new and fragile but Lucius couldn't ever remember feeling so guilty. He was the reason Severus was suffering and he had to make it right.

Severus looked up startled when the door swung open and wiping his tears pressed himself against the corner. "Leaver me alone!"

Lucius hesitated when he saw Severus' pained expression and ignoring the struggles and words of rejection took him in his arms.

"Let me alone!" The dark-haired child squirmed and pushed angrily, fighting the magic that told him that this was what he needed.

"Sh….calm down Severus. just calm down." Lucius felt horrible, part of him still felt that Severus had been rude and had deserved some kind of discipline but a greater part of him told him that nothing could excuse his behavior. Holding Severus firmly, Lucius whispered words of reassurance and apology. "It's all right I won't do it again."

"You hurt me!" Severus cried mournfully giving up his struggles and burying his face in the young teen's chest.

Lucius' blonde hair draped his face as he looked down at the flushed face and teary eyes. "Sh…sh…it won't happen again." He whispered softly.

Abraxas Malfoy watched from the doorway with a blank face but a bit more hopeful. They were both young, so very young after all.

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AN: I don't know why but I really like this story. Read and Review.