AN: I'm posting two chapters today…I think it will be a smoother read if I do…

Lucius waved his wand at his cravat and nodded as it tied itself neatly under his chin in a proper knot. He considered his appearance in the long cheval mirror. He'd given in and had a barber in to do what he could for his hair. The standard hair-growth potions would interfere with his continued recovery, so there was little choice but to cut it. The short cut reminded him of the style his son had worn during the war. It didn't look terrible precisely, but it felt wrong.

There was an angry red welt on the right side of his jaw from the cheekbone down his neck, just surface damage, but it looked amusingly like Severus's scar from Nagini. Part of the curse had been intended to boil his internal organs. It abraded just the first few layers of skin before Hermione halted it. Any other damage was hidden under his expensive robes. He smirked in the mirror. The scar just made him that much more intimidating…which was quite perfect for today's errand.

Tansy offered him his cane and he took it. It was less than a week after Peterson's volley at Hermione. He was still weaker than he liked, but Severus had allowed him a modified pepper-up potion for the occasion. Severus was also keeping the witch out of the office whilst Lucius visited. Peterson knew he was safe enough from hexes because of his position. He was. But it was a matter of a floo call, a four-day wait, and a small bag of gold for Lucius to find the means to ruin their supervisor.

He swept into Peterson's office at lunch, knowing that the man rarely left the department to eat. This day was no different. His mousy head was bent over a stack of documents.

"Lucius, I wasn't aware you were back from sick leave." Peterson sneered slightly. He'd never made a secret of his dislike. He claimed it was because the blond man was a former death eater. Lucius had always suspected that it had more to do with the Malfoy gold.

He answered with an unwarranted amount of hail-fellow-well-met warmth in his voice. If the man hadn't been a dunderhead, that alone would have tipped him off. "I'm not back, Nigel. It would be terribly rude to come back without informing you. No, I'm here about a small irregularity one of my people found when they were investigating something for the family business." Remind the man that he was working at the Ministry because it helped the family image, not because it was necessary for him to actually work.

"My man was following one of our employees and happened to take a few shots of you…."

That was a lie. The private investigator had followed Peterson to the underground club exclusively for wizards who preferred wizards. It was a well-known subset, but it wasn't talked about in proper society. Then the investigator had hired an extremely good looking young man to act as the proper bait…the result was a set of photographs that would ruin Peterson's career (and most likely his marriage) if they came to light.

He handed the folder to the dumpy little man. "Malfoy industries will have to let your young companion go of course."

Peterson glared at him. "That's so hypocritical of you, and so typical. You and Snape are so open it's bloody sickening. You follow the man around like a puppy…"

Lucius kept himself from gaping (Malfoys did not gape). He did laugh. Peterson thought he was following Snape? Severus had worked at Hogwarts for nearly twenty years and he'd never felt the inclination to spend every moment there.

"My relationship with Severus, while none of your business, has never been physical…not that it bothers me particularly one way or another…but the rest of wizarding society doesn't agree…outside of the bounds of matrimony of course." All warmth left his voice. "I noticed that you assigned Ms. Granger a task that led to her thorough examination of Wizarding marriage laws."

He caught the other man's muddy brown eye. "My dear friends have sacrificed more for the wizarding world than you and I could imagine. The rumors about their relationship are a lot like these pictures…" He fanned out the most damning of the shots. "They aren't an issue for me, but they could ruin a life quicker than you could say Hufflepuff." He caught the man's eye again and smiled like a shark and filled his voice with the false warmth once more. "I just thought you should have the negatives old boy…there's no need to harm people without good reason, is there?" They both knew that Lucius had copies of the pictures. Peterson looked at him with thinly disguised dislike and something else…had the man really thought that Lucius was openly living with his male lover with the witch as a beard? Severus was going to have kittens.

LMHGSS

Severus laughed uproariously when Lucius told him about Peterson's assumption.

"And who did he think was taking care of Hermione's needs?"

Lucius shrugged. "I suppose he thought she was a poor naïve female who had no idea that such things existed. A pure-blood female might still be uninformed of that terrible perversion at the age of six and twenty." Severus snorted at that evaluation of his lady-love. "Really, Peterson is his own worst enemy. In truth, I neither know nor care what he thought. He'll mind his manners from now on." Lucius smirked. "I denied any physical relationship between the two of us of course, but you still may want to watch his hands at work." He smirked at Severus' expression. "The man's a tad smitten with you."

Severus pinched his nose, irritated. "Why didn't you just tell him that you are the crazy possessive sort?"

Lucius examined his nails. "Because, I'd rather watch the bloodshed if Hermione catches him."

LMHGSS

Hermione was perhaps less naive about the goings on that she appeared on the surface. Severus and Lucius found themselves cornered by the determined little witch the next day.

"What did you do to Peterson? And why didn't you let me in on it?"

She had her hand on one hip, glaring up at them. She was adorable. Damn it.

Lucius sighed and exchanged a glance with Severus. It wouldn't do any good to prevaricate. She'd get it out of them eventually.

Severus started with the obvious. "Peterson's a Slytherin."

She tapped her foot, unimpressed.

Lucius continued. "He assigned you the cursed rings so that you would research some of the more outlandish marriage options. It was his way of implying that Severus and I were carrying on an affair behind your back."

Her mouth opened…and closed.

She tossed her curly head back and burst into delighted laughter. "I would never forgive the two of you if you were carrying on and didn't invite me."

Severus smirked. Lucius felt his face redden.

He tried to reassure the witch. "It's nothing but Peterson's dirty mind."

She snickered. "Oh, not just his. Half the female Unspeakables practically drool over the idea of the two of you. That's one of the reasons those rumors persist."

Severus kissed the witch. Lucius had an excellent view of their lips and Severus' hand moving to palm Hermione's breast. He felt his heart-rate rise. They'd never been so…intimate in front of him. Severus caught his eye with a questioning look as he moved away from her.

Hermione swatted at her paramour playfully.

Lucius tried to swallow as she caught his eye. He was desperately afraid of what she'd see on his face. It didn't do for a Malfoy to show such unabashed need, especially when there was no chance of that need being assuaged.

He tried to clear his throat. Severus clapped him on the shoulder. "Peterson's taken care of. This calls for a drink."

He nodded as he led the way into his study. It called for more than one drink.

AN: The next chapter will be up shortly! WARNING: RATED M FOR A REASON!