Lucius was having a bout of insomnia and he was positive that it came from being forced to hide in Severus's little dungeon hovel for seven days straight. Both Fenrir and Lucius were basically confined to the dungeons in a desperate attempt to avoid anyone and everyone in the castle. None of them wanted to get cornered into a conversation with Dumbledore; McGonagall had actually hissed at Fenrir when she'd presented Severus with some paperwork about the upcoming first years; the crazy Divination professor made them all uncomfortable when she'd drunkenly stumbled through the dungeons.
And that had only been their first morning. Lucius and Fenrir had been hiding ever since. Lucius had actually seen Fenrir literally dive into an abandoned room in order to avoid the fastly approaching Flitwick. Lucius had simply rolled his eyes, nodded at the small man who couldn't care less about his presence there, and walked away with as much dignity as he could.
So with all the hiding, restless nights on a cot, and generally his current unpleasant existence (also Fenrir had started snoring) he had tossed and turned for two hours before he'd decided to get up for a walk. This late the hallways were abandoned and since there were no students there were no staff patrolling. He was free to wander aimlessly, in silence, and in solitude.
He wasn't sure how long he wandered around until he happened to pass by the doors of the library. Having attempted to gain entry to this room not two days ago only to find it closed for the rest of the summer, he was rather surprised that the doors were slightly open. It looked as if someone had done a very bad job of closing them after having entered the room.
Sliding his finger through the crack between the heavy oak doors, Lucius gently opened it just enough to slide through. Just as quietly he moved the door back to its original position. He peered into the darkness and began to move through the stacks peering around each corner to see who might be there before moving on. Finally, near the back he heard some shuffling.
He looked up and saw the sign that indicated this was the section dedicated to Muggle Studies. He had never been in this section of the library before. He doubted very much more than a handful of students had been in this section either due to prejudice or to the fact that most Muggleborns didn't feel the need to look up the basics of their birth world.
Peering around the corner he observed a very strange scene. Someone, dressed in all black with a hood over their head, was very quickly taking books off a shelf and stuffing them into a bag that was strapped over their chest and resting on their hip. The person would run a finger over spines and when they found one they liked the look of they grabbed it and it disappeared into the bag. It took Lucius a moment to process the strangeness of what he was seeing but when he did he realized that he knew this person.
There was not a hood in the world that would ever effectively hide that hair and Lucius only knew one person who had a head of hair like that.
"Granger?" he asked, his voice sounding unreasonably loud in the quiet of the room. The girl jumped, squeaked, and dropped the book she was holding. Then she spun around and gazed at him with a perfectly formed look of innocence on her face.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," she greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Yes, fancy that," he replied, deeply amused despite himself. She was playing calm but he could clearly see her eyes darting from side to side as if figuring out an escape route. "How did you get in here? The doors were locked the last I checked."
"Not very well," she replied and Lucius was desperately trying not to laugh. He couldn't tell if she had always been this amusing or if he was suddenly going crazy.
"Do you always steal library books in the middle of the night?"
"I'm not stealing. I'll bring them all back when I'm done."
Granger turned back to the stacks and began moving again. Lucius followed her around watching as ancient Muggleborn histories, war tactics, and alchemy manuals disappeared into that beaded bag Severus had handed off to her.
"Interesting selections," he noted.
"I have interesting needs," she replied. He wondered when she had grown comfortable enough with him that she wouldn't even blink at his knowing she was stealing from the Hogwarts library. And it was stealing no matter how many books she brought back.
"Is there a reason you don't want anyone to know what you're reading?"
"What makes you think that?" she asked, once again playing innocent.
"You're here in the middle of the night during your summer break. Why not just wait until term starts again and check them out? Or you could use the mail order service that Madam Pince has been trying to get rid of for the last thirty years. But instead you sneak in, pick a lock, and take what you want. You may be able to tell yourself it isn't stealing and that its the easiest way but I am not an idiot Granger.
"You don't want a record of what you're reading. You don't anyone to know that you have a knowledge about the subjects you're currently interested in. Why not?"
Granger stopped and turned around to look him in the eyes. She nervously tucked a strand of hair back into the hood which immediately popped back out again.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'Knowledge is power'?" she finally asked.
"Of course," he replied.
"Do you where it comes from?"
"Enlighten me."
"Well, there is no real consensus about where it truly comes from but for a long time the Muggles used it as an excuse to spy on the Wizarding World. They would send in Sleepers and werewolves and they would try to learn everything about this world."
"Fascinating," he said snarkily. "Is there a point?"
"Yes. In 1662 a Dark Lord rose to power, much like You-Know-Who."
"I'm aware of who Dark Lord Allele was. So, again what's your point?"
"Allele was the only Dark Lord in the history of Hogwarts to ever conquer the school. Do you know what the first thing he did was?"
"He started killing Muggleborns," Lucius replied. He was impressed with Granger's knowledge of history but she still wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. To his surprise she smiled and shook her head pleased that she knew something he didn't. He wondered how many people consistently got this look.
"No," she said. "Allele didn't just want to kill the Muggleborns, he wanted to erase them. He knew that as long as the Muggleborns had their books, their histories, and their culture the Purebloods would never have the control he wanted them to have. There would always be resistance; there would always be Odie.
"So the first thing he did was come to the library and he started to burn the books. That's why a lot of Purebloods today don't know very much about Muggleborns. The books were burned. They're only now starting to recover those that survived. The Muggleborns were really careful about letting them come back to Hogwarts."
"You think You-Know-Who is going to do the same thing. That's why you're stealing books. What are you going to do with them?"
"Hide them of course," she said with a little smirk that said quite plainly that he'd asked a stupid question.
"But where? Gringotts?" There weren't very many places in this world that you could hide a vast amount of Muggleborn artifacts. Lucius had no delusion that Granger was the only one hiding things.
"I can't tell you Mr. Malfoy," she said politely . "You're a Pureblood and no one really trusts you all that much. No offense."
"None taken," he told her. She smiled again, turned her back, and continued with what she was doing. More books disappeared into her bag and he followed, trying to catch a glimpse of titles. When she came to the end she held a small little book in her hand for quite a while, just staring at it with a thoughtful look on her face.
He waited silently, not moving, barely breathing. This felt important, this moment. He had experienced moments like this before. She finally looked at him and then held the little book out to him.
"Here," she said. "This is one you should have. I'll put my own copy in with the protected books."
He took it and read the title.
Muggleborns: The Second Class
He had heard that term before. Second class. People used it a lot to talk about Muggleborns, Squibs, and others. He had never paid much attention to it before and he didn't doubt that Granger had known that. Why this book though? Over any of the others in her little beaded bag with all it's charms and spells?
He looked up to ask her just that but she was gone.
Lucius searched the library to try and find her but he couldn't find her. The gate to the Restricted Section was propped open. Someone would notice that and they would certainly care. He left as quickly as possible and snuck back into Severus's quarters hoping that no one had noticed he was gone throughout the night.
Just before he fell asleep he spared a thought to how she had gotten inside the school in the first place.
00000
The little book was hidden underneath his pillow on his cot. He didn't want either Severus or Fenrir to know he was reading it. If Granger thought it was something the Dark Lord was going to burn then it was likely a book that could get him killed if the wrong sort found it. He refused to acknowledge that the same sort of people were out to get him anyway.
He had resolved to look at the book later that night but for now he was expected to help Severus with some brewing. Apparently Severus expected both him and Fenrir to work, the same as Papa Odie had.
"Have you heard anything about Papa Odie?" Lucius asked.
"No," Severus grunted. "I have not."
"When do you expect to?" Fenrir asked lifting four heavy cauldrons at once. Severus used them to mass produce several of the more finicky potions. He made quite a bit of money on the side selling such things to people down in Knockturn Alley. Fenrir set the cauldrons down on separate tables and then went back to the storage room for more. Lucius was steadily slicing his way through more newt spleens than he had ever seen in his life.
He wasn't sure what Severus was getting ready to brew but he had been told it would take at least ten hours. That left Lucius a lot of time to think.
"I expect that Papa Odie will turn up exactly when he wishes to turn up and not a minute before," Severus replied.
"What are you guys brewing?" Fenrir asked, taking a seat in the corner with his now battered copy of Potter's second book. His job had been completed for the moment and he was clearly unwilling to go and sit in Severus's rooms by himself. The Potions Professor pulled out two sheets of parchment from his back pocket. At the same time he flicked his wand and the door slammed shut and bolted itself.
Lucius raised his eyebrow at Severus who said, "There's a guest in the castle. We're brewing two different things today. These four cauldrons will be used for making more of the Weasley chalk. Both the regular version and the weaponized version." There was no need to ask why Severus wanted a non-lethal chalk. Quite a handy distraction that purple chalk.
"These four cauldrons," he continued, "we'll use for the base of Electric Shock Shake."
"The what?" Fenrir asked.
"Is that another Weasley prank?" Lucius asked. "How many of their pranks have you weaponized."
"Nearly all of the ones I've been able to find," Severus replied. "The twins don't like it so don't say anything to anyone."
"Well, what does it do?" Fenrir asked, his book open on his knee.
"It gives you an electric shock," Severus said simply and Fenrir rolled his eyes.
"Yeah I worked that out for myself, thanks," he snapped. "Is it fatal?"
"It's about to be," Severus replied, pulling on dragonhide gloves and pulling the cork out of a giant ceramic jug at the base of one cauldron. He hefted it into his arms and began pouring it into the cauldron. There was a sudden intense smell of garlic and Lucius went back to his chopping. He had least another 12 pounds to go.
00000
A few hours later, Lucius was going to the restroom. Severus had been kind enough to allow him a ten minute break after he had started complaining nearly an hour ago. It was a testament to the man's years of experience as a teacher that he hadn't given in before then.
Unfortunately, as he rubbed his neck and grumbled he managed to run straight into something short and pink not six feet from the door of Severus's classroom where he had set up his illegal brewing for the day.
"Hem. Hem."
Resisting the urge to scowl Lucius said, "Sorry Madam Umbridge, I didn't see you there. Are you well?" She must not have known who she'd run into either because it took a moment for her face to clear.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure," she simpered. Lucius took that as a sign that he was still in the good graces with the Minister which meant that nobody had seen him leave with the Squib responsible for the explosion. He glanced up and saw Dumbledore watching him amusedly and McGonagall scowling with abject hate though it wasn't directed at him. He thought that was interesting.
"What are you doing here?" he asked Umbridge as politely as he could.
"I will be taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position in a few weeks," she told him. "Did you not see that Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two had passed?"
"No," he said truthfully and sent a questioning look over her head. "But surely you're needed at the Ministry more than you are here?"
"Oh no," she simpered. "This is the most important place to be at the moment. Cornelius feels that the standards at Hogwarts has fallen to an alarming low. You, of course, know this." She added a nice little laugh at the end. He had almost forgotten his last little campaign to get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. He had been planting little things in Fudge's head for years about the Headmaster. Apparently, they were beginning to work just in time for him to switch sides. He wondered if other people managed to inconvenience themselves so spectacularly.
"I suppose," he said vaguely and just managed to catch that McGonagall looked as if she was actually considering murder. "But why are you here so early? Taking a tour?"
"Oh yes," she said. "We were just headed to talk with Professor Snape about his syllabus. Would you care to join us?"
"I'm afraid Severus isn't available at the moment," Lucius lied hoping that he was being convincing. The last thing Severus would want was for her to see him brewing the same weapon that had exploded in the Ministry. Though he doubted she would know what it was. However, there was a werewolf in there that was wanted for murder that she would most definitely recognize. "He's in the middle of some very sensitive brewing. He wouldn't even see me."
"Oh are you close?" she prodded. He knew that if he said yes she would spend the rest of the year trying to get in good with Severus-something nearly impossible to do. She seemed to be trying to cozy up to him for some reason and had been for several years. He couldn't fathom why. What he did know was that Severus would be thoroughly irritated with her within seconds.
"Yes, we are," he said, smiling as sweetly as he could manage while at the same time throwing Severus under the proverbial bus. Dumbledore tried to stop smiling knowing exactly what he was doing and McGonagall glared, clearly not amused on Severus's behalf. "We were friends in our Hogwarts years in fact."
"Oh how nice," she said. "And he is also the Head of Slytherin is he not?"
"Yes he is," Lucius said.
"Well, since we can't speak with him directly at the moment how about we stop off at the Slytherin Common Room? Hopefully, it well be in better condition than the Gryffindor's."
Lucius glanced at the two Gryffindors behind Umbridge and neither looked amused. However, despite not wanting her to be anywhere near the dungeons where she may walk into Fenrir, he could not come up with an excuse to get her away.
"I do not see why not," he replied and held his arm out to her. She took it and he shot a look over his shoulder to see if Dumbledore was planning to do anything. Apparently he was not. Lucius dearly hoped that Fenrir would not come out into the corridor. Although, Severus had clearly known she was there. He would have the sense to keep Fenrir in his corner with that blasted book.
Everything-all his worries that is-were rendered moot when a huge explosion rocked the corridor and Severus came flying out through the half closed door and slammed into the wall opposite. The Professor grunted and Lucius quickly ditched Umbridge to scamper around the door frame just in time to stop Fenrir from coming into view. One of the cauldrons was issuing billowing black smoke that Lucius hoped wasn't toxic. He quickly cast a Bubble Head Charm on both himself and Fenrir to be safe. The werewolf's ears were perked.
"That wasn't the right proportion," Severus was saying, clearly dazed. "Too much horn."
"Are you alright Severus?" McGonagall asked. "Did you hit your head?" There was the distinct sound of shoes on stone as Severus tried to gain his feet. Lucius left Fenrir pressed against the wall and he took a single step back to the doorway to see what was happening. Umbridge wasn't even looking into the classroom.
"Do you often do dangerous experiments within the school?" she sniffed. Severus looked at her blearily.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked. Umbridge immediately took offense and drew herself up to her full height which admittedly wasn't much.
"I am Dolores Jane Umbridge," she snapped, "I am Senior Undersecretary-"
"Stop!" Severus snapped and waved his hand through the air as if he could bat her away. "I don't care anymore." He shook off McGonagall's grasp, cast a Bubble Head Charm on himself and went back inside the classroom. He gave Lucius a very clear get-out look and slammed the door behind him when the Pureblood stepped back into the hall.
Removing the Charm, Lucius said, "You'll have to forgive him Madam. I'm quite certain he hit his head." And while that may have been true Lucius saw no reason to warn her that Severus's usual disposition was cranky and obstinate.
"Of course," Umbridge acquiesced but she wasn't quite done. "Do you often authorize dangerous experiments?" she asked Dumbledore. Surprisingly, it was Lucius who answered.
"Severus has permission from the board to work on experiments inside of Hogwarts," he said feeling suddenly defensive of the Potions Professor, a feeling rarely expressed by Slytherins. "Normally, he works in his own private lab but this particular experiment required a larger work area. He does not normally brew such things when students are around or he could risk losing his Mastery for lack of accordance to safety protocols."
There was a short but deep silence and finally Umbridge sniffed. It was quite clear to her at this juncture that Severus was off limits.
"Well, I think I've seen all I need to," she said. "You will be sent a copy of the report I'm giving to Minister, Headmaster. Just as promised. I can show myself out."
With that she spun on her heel and was blessedly, gone. Dumbledore nodded him to once, looking older than ever and followed her out of the dungeons with McGonagall on his heels.