A/N: Severus' Point-of-View
A/N #2: Looks like new chapters are not coming after all, so this story is about to go on a hiatus. I'll continue posting what I have for now and I'll be getting back to Opheliac in my spare time as I wrap up One Step Left. You will have to PM me for my fetlife link to it.
As Severus paced through Malfoy Manor, Narcissa followed him with a nervous energy. "He is sending you to finally fetch my husband?" She asked, her body trembling. Severus gave a shallow grunt to confirm.
"I am to take Bellatrix and Draco with me. Make sure your son is ready at first light tomorrow, and try to compose yourself for his return." Severus took the doorway that lead him to the back gardens, and called for an owl to dispatch a note to Bellatrix.
As the bird took off, his mind wandered to the first time that he had been brought among the Death Eaters.
It was his first summer after graduating Hogwarts; Lucius had made an appointment to have lunch with him to speak of his future plans. Severus had been applying to apothecaries in order to save up the Galleons needed to afford apprenticing under a Potions' Master and had finally found one that didn't reject him due to his half-blood status.
I would be lower than his minion, doing nothing but potion preparation and scrubbing cauldrons, but it would eventually put me on the course to outshine Slughorn as a Potions Master. Severus tried not to be jealous of Lucius' money, but it was difficult considering how much Abraxas would dote on his only son.
"Severus!" Lucius called out, sitting at an outside table of a cafe. "Come and sit; I've already taken the liberty of ordering for you."
Severus sat, frowning at the lack of menu and wondering how much his lunch was going to cost. His mother had been frugal and helped him save up his money over his childhood, but it was usually for naught when Tobias came home and was forced to sober up. "And how do you know what I desire to eat at this establishment?"
Lucius chuckled at that. "I know you well enough, Severus. Now, what I wanted to talk to you about was your plans for the future. I understand from your unfortunate heritage that few will employ you so that you may pay your way through a Potions Apprenticeship."
Severus' face flashed a moment of anger, but it was quickly bottled up. "You know as well as I do that I have no massive fortune to spend frivolously on fancy luncheons, much less postgraduate education."
Lucius' happy nature deflated quickly as the appetizers and tumblers of firewhiskey were served by snobbish-looking House Elves. "Do not be so sour or else you will ruin my appetite. Try the duck confit appetizers, they are almost as good as the beingets I have occasionally for breakfast here."
"You need not show off your power and wealth to me, Lucius." Severus smelled the duck and his stomach grumbled traitorously.
"Oh, Severus. This is not about showing as much as it is about sharing! I shall pay for the entirety of today's lunch and you shall repay me by giving me your ear. And by taking my suggestion under serious consideration. A very powerful wizard has heard of your abilities and ambition. Inventing the Levicorpus spell was quite the feather for your cap, I dare say."
Severus savored the duck now, but his eyebrow arched at his friend's words. "So I am to be given a stipend, only to be then locked away into a cellar where I will invent new spells for a secretive benefactor? You flatter me."
Lucius smiled at Severus' sarcasm. "Secretive? In a few months' time, he shall be respected to the point that nobody shall use his true name! He has come to cleanse the Wizarding World of the corruption that the Mudbloods have brought with them. To restore the Pureblood culture and ethics into our society. And no, not spell research. Your own Potions' Mastership under the direction of James Silverthorn. Or you could walk away from this and become a shopgirl. Merlin knows you have the legs for it after your OWL exams."
The memory was one that always enraged him, when the Marauders turned one of his spells against him and drove Lily away after calling her a Mudblood. He realized that Lucius had pointedly mentioned that for a reason. Silverthorn's politics were considered borderline in polite society, though his knowledge was unsurpassed.
"You are speaking of 'You-Know-Who'." Severus stated implicitly. Lucius took a measured sip of his drink as he took in Severus.
"He goes by The Dark Lord to his followers. You cannot sit there and tell me that ambitious Severus Snape will turn down such an opportunity. Consider it a gift, or a scholarship, if you will." Lucius' words were designed to pin Severus against himself. "Or, to borrow from your muggle working-class roots, a 'Work-Study', if you will."
"And all he asks for in return is my service?" Severus sneered.
"Severus, my friend, once you meet and understand him, you'd wish to join his cause freely!" A red-haired couple passed them by on Diagon Alley, Severus' eyes darting to the woman but dismissed her just as quickly. The man alongside her was excitedly waving a muggle toy in front of her, patting the woman's distended belly.
"Weasleys," Lucius muttered, "pureblooded yet muggle-lovers without two knuts to their name. And the witch is already on her fifth child. I'd have thought they would slow down after the twins."
Severus frowned at the young couple in love. He had no real animosity towards them except for the pitiable state their children would have like he did growing up. "Breeding ought to be regulated in some cases." Severus replied darkly.
"Exactly my point!" Lucius added, his eyes lighting up excitedly. "We have to save society as a whole from the dregs which wish to pull us down into the gutter with them!"
Severus grudgingly agreed as he thought of his own childhood and how much better it could have been if his father had been a respectable wizard. He even remembered how Lily's own sister treated her when she had found out about her magical abilities. She had been brilliant and talented, not some freak to be derided and abused.
At the thought of her, another couple came out of Honeyduke's, the man laden down with bags as the very pregnant Lily was enjoying a licorice wand. Severus' eyes flinched away from them as he emptied his drink in one swallow. They had apparently gotten married and his seed had taken root inside her. She had once loved me and was mine! His mind raged as the House Elf refilled his glass.
"Severus, what's gotten into... oh. I always thought you had rushed things with her; collaring her while still in school together." Lucius observed the couple as they strode past them on the opposite side of the street. Lily's eyes had looked sympathetically towards Severus but hardened at the sight of Lucius. She resolved herself to maintain the distance that she had imposed when she ended their relationship as well as friendship.
"No wedding invitation nor any chance to resume a friendship. Not even a note that she's having a child. I'd have wished her well, gotten her some sort of present for the child." As he took another large gulp, the glass broke as he slammed it down angrily. "Stomached the thought that James Potter was bedding her." His hand was cut on the glass and bled onto the tablecloth. A flick of Lucius' wand vanished the glass as Severus healed the cut.
"She doesn't deserve you." Lucius replied shortly, hoping to pull his friend out of his morose thoughts.
A look of cold fury shone through the curtain of raven hair. "How dare you say that!"
Lucius paused, sizing up his friend. He shrugged nonchalantly. "It is the truth. You were begging to be forgiven and she let the prejudices of her friends take her down the coward's path. As much as the Gryffindor in her says to be brave, she was unwilling to be a pariah among her peers. I recall having to defend you from your fellow housemates for maintaining her friendship more than a few times. It seems that, over time, she couldn't be bothered to. And that is why she doesn't deserve you."
Severus wasn't sure if Lucius had been talking sense or his mind had been addled from drinking the fire-whiskey as if it were water, but he had found himself agreeing with Lucius.
"Come, Severus. You have to at least meet the man." Lucius dropped a few galleons upon the table and lead Severus down Knockturn Alley. He had gotten the Dark Mark later that year.
Severus had arrived early to Malfoy Manor, where he was presented with coffee and beingets by a cheerful House Elf. "Pack some in a container, I shall be releasing your Master from Azkaban and he would most assuredly enjoy these." The elf nodded and scrambled away. Severus conjured himself a small knapsack and shrugged it on, making sure that his robes would cover them up. Once satisfied, he took the tin as well as a bottle of Lucius' elf-made wine from an eager elf and secured them in his bag.
"Prof... Snape." Draco hedged, unsure of how to treat his former professor. "Thank you for your assistance at Hogwarts; I found myself having difficulty with..." He couldn't force the words out.
"I killed Albus Dumbledore because I made and Unbreakable Vow to your mother and did not wish to die. That I also spared you was completely coincidental. Additionally, any honor that I may have stolen by completing your task was unintentional. Feel free to take the lead in today's mission and kill any Aurors that stand in your way."
"I... have to... kill?" Draco's eyes went wide and too innocent.
"Do not make the mistake that it was simply an idle request by The Dark Lord. It. Would. Be. Fatal."
A tangled shock of dark hair signaled the arrival of Bellatrix. "Why am I here so blasted early in the morning?" She snapped at the nearest elf. "Bring me a drink! I have to see my beloved husband today." The last sentence was said with contempt, as if it was his fault that The Dark Lord didn't desire her.
Narcissa exchanged nervous glances between her sister and her son while handing Severus a set of laundered robes. "Be safe out there, okay? Protect him, Severus?" He nodded slightly, leading the three of them out towards the foyer. He held out both elbows for them to hold onto, and Apparated them to the shore closest to the fog-drenched island.
As if on cue, the dark, massive tangle of Dementors floating above and around the island-prison spread outward and made their way towards the mainland and went after the more densely-populated cities. a large group was coming towards the trio.
"Will they attack us? I thought The Dark Lord controls them!" Draco asked in a fearful whisper.
"He may not have directed them to not attack us." As a dozen Dementors flew towards them, Bellatrix's wand was emanating thin silver vapor. Severus produced his dragon Patronus and its wingspan covered the three of them majestically.
"Father told me you Patronus was a deer." Draco said in a bit of awe.
"People change, Draco." Severus snapped. "Isn't that right, Bellatrix? Looking forward to the amorous embrace from your husband Rodolphus?" The silver vapor from her wand ceased, making her stomp her foot on the ground petulantly. Severus let his smirk be seen by his godson.
The dementors passed the trio by, giving them a wide berth. As they looked over the large body of water between themselves and the island, Draco started to look worried.
"Where are the boats? There were boats at Hogwarts..." Severus just rolled his eyes at that. Bellatrix began casting a spell to freeze the water and shoved her nephew onto the newly made ice, snickering as the thin ice cracked beneath his feet.
"How about a broom?! I'm good with a broom, did either of you bring one?" Draco asked, worried he'd fall into the water below.
"Honestly, Draco, are you a wizard or not?" Severus sneered, curious as to how the boy would survive the war in his current state.
"Cast glacius at the water, Draco!" Bellatrix said sharply, jabbing her wand downward. Severus focused his energy and did the silent incantation that allowed him to fly without aid of a broom. It was a modified Apparition, designed to get around anti-Apparition wards. The Dark Lord had tasked him on how to get around such protections and Severus hoped that making one's self fly would impress him.
"I'll scout ahead, 'Trixie. You can watch the boy." As Severus flew ahead, he noticed that the Dementors had indeed abandoned Azkaban completely. Circling the fortress, he noticed only two guards actually walking around the grounds as they were supposed to. His mind went back to when he and Narcissa came to claim Lucius Malfoy from Azkaban after the apparent defeat of the Dark Lord in 1981, having convinced (or bribed) members of the Wizengamot that he had been under the Imperius Curse.
He was beside Narcissa Malfoy at the gates of Azkaban. Though the Ministry was willing to release him, they weren't going to offer him the dignity of sending him home and avoiding a media circus. The robes that he had been arrested in had mysteriously disappeared once he was forced to wear the prisoner-issue jumpsuits. Narcissa had been nervously excited to see her husband again, and had convinced Severus to come along as means of protection as well as to check on his well-being.
Narcissa had mentioned that Lucius would probably need a potion to counteract the prolonged exposure to the Dementors as well as nutritional draughts, but Severus understood her to mean for him to also check for any surreptitious spells that had been laid dormant by a vengeful Auror who wouldn't mind seeing an 'accident' occur once he was no longer a ward of the Ministry.
As Lucius came out the front gates, the dozen Aurors were staring at him and Severus warily. Narcissa knew that running towards him could be enough to set off Alastor and his brand-new Eye of Creepiness. There has to be a better name for that. Severus thought as he scowled.
When the tense stand-off ceased and the Aurors began to dissipate and closed the front gate, Severus pulled out a blanket and laid it out by the waters' edge as if having an impromptu picnic. "Sit and eat Lucius, it's been a long time since you've been fed something worthy of human consumption." On the blanket was an assortment of fruit and chocolate fondue.
"Sir, the bloodsuckers from The Daily Prophet have camped out our home as well as the other end of the shoreline. We're safest here to have you checked out for... well... Aurors can be sneaky bastards, you heard how the Ministry gave them Carte Blanche to capture anyone they suspected of illegal activity." Narcissa dipped a piece of banana into the molten chocolate and presented it to him. "Besides, chocolate is good for when dealing with Dementors."
Lucius savored the fruit as Narcissa opened a bottle of wine and poured him a goblet. "Of course, a Pinot Grigio to go with it, Sir." He smiled at her service and looked to Severus questioningly.
"Did you put her up to all this?" He asked, smiling as he sipped the wine.
"I was only asked as a consultant. May I offer you clean robes and a shaving charm?" Severus asked politely. Lucius' wand was still being detained at the Ministry of Magic, claiming a mixup of paperwork had left it in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Thank you, Severus. The Ministry still think that they have my real wand?" Lucius asked, smirking.
Narcissa nodded. "The duplication charm worked perfectly, it even made that stick resonate magic like your own magical signature."
"Excellent. Severus, I must say that I owe you for looking after my wife while we sorted out that whole 'in league with the Dark Lord' business." Lucius' wan smile was his way of bragging that he had gotten away with it. "However did you avoid prison?"
"The Dark Lord bade me go to Albus and spy for him. Naturally, I told Albus that I would spy on the Dark Lord for him in exchange. Either way the war turned out, I'd be on the winning side, albeit distrusted and disliked by many. I've been distrusted and disliked for years now, so I decided to use it to my advantage."
"Well done. Now, tonight I will be sharing an actual bed with a warm and willing wife for the first time in months. I daresay you could use similar comfort." Lucius' comment was pointed yet friendly. Severus' eyes narrowed in challenge.
"I'm afraid that you steal the covers too much for my liking, Lucius." Narcissa giggled at the retort as Lucius brushed it off.
"I'm glad that you haven't lost your sense of humor, Sev. I meant a woman for you."
"I need no female companionship. I am content with teaching Potions and having the summers free from dunderheaded children. In fact, Andromeda's daughter begins Hogwarts..."
"You're trying to change the subject and I won't let you. Well, if you won't try to find a new girl for yourself, why not rent one?"
Narcissa bit into a chocolate-covered piece of pineapple rather than make a comment. But Severus understood her body language.
"You too? I do not require the physical release from intercourse nor a submissive to play with." Severus sneered as his argument failed in front of his best friends.
"Sir, I do believe our friend Severus here is in quite the state of denial. Shall I make arrangements with the courtesan guild?" Narcissa shook her head slightly at her friend.
"No." Severus said flatly, casting a series of diagnostic charms over his friend. "And you seem clean of any rogue spells or enchantments."
"I believe he is in much need of one, my dear. I shall be his reference, and be sure to let them know that he is a Dominant. He doesn't need to have the same issue we had in Paris." She nodded as she put away the items from the luncheon and pulled out the single-use portkey that the Ministry had given them.
As the three of them got back to Malfoy Manor, Lucius summoned a small book of pseudonyms for perusal.
"I'm sure we can find a spunky ginger for you..."
"No. Not that."
"I... apologize. Too soon, I realize. Do you want her vocal?"
"I do not want..." Severus was going to say 'any kind of tart', but realized that the Malfoys would not be moved. "...a silent and cold fish. She would need to be responsive. Intelligent, with a mind of her own yet willingly submissive for the right kind of man."
Narcissa smiled lightly at Severus' capitulation, and pointed out a name in Lucius' book.
"She's new... perhaps. I'd want to speak with her first and be sure that her mind is more vast than her busom." Lucius commented, tapping his wand to hightlight the name.
"You two are meddlesome." Severus said resignedly. Narcissa beamed and took it as a compliment. Lucius let his smirk show in triumph.
Severus landed in front of a surprised Draco and an annoyed Bellatrix.
"Showing off again, I see." Bellatrix snapped, still irked at the name 'Trixy'.
Ignoring her, Severus told them of their opponents. "There are only three Aurors here. Two are patrolling, and the third is in the sentry tower. Draco, if you are unable to use the Killing Curse, there are other ways to get the job done. Such as stunning someone and dropping them off of a certain sentry tower."
Draco's face fell as he pondered ways to kill, while Bellatrix lit up in delight.
"There's also the entrail-expelling curse, slicing them up so they bleed to death, decapitation, putting garotting gas inside a bubble-head charm, making their tongue swell up so much that they choke on it and die, force them to splinch themselves clean in two, tear the flesh out of their neck with your teeth so their screams turn into gurgles..." Bellatrix's voice was that of a child going over a Christmas wish list, which only made Draco go more green.
"That will suffice, Bella. Draco, you are to take point and preferably stun them first so as to keep them from fighting back. I personally prefer to use the Levicorpus spell and then bash their skull in onto the nearest wall. Messy, but efficient."
As the three of them moved past the gates of Azkaban, a siren began to go off. Severus destroyed the offending speaker with a quick slash and disillusioned himself.
"Snape, what was the spell Harry used on me?" He asked coldly as heavy footfalls alerted them of an oncoming Auror.
"Sectumsempra. I'll keep a Protego on you for as long as I can."
The Auror looked in surprise to see Draco Malfoy strolling into Azkaban, then took a defensive stance as Bellatrix ran towards him, screaming at the top of her lungs.She really could use a bell around her neck, since she's such a quiet little kitten. Severus thought, putting a shield up around Draco.
Draco's wand flashed red as he cast the curse, grazing the Auror and slicing into his outer robes. He was too busy fending off the rabid Bellatrix to notice, however.
"You have to mean it, Draco!" Bellatrix howled, flinging down a flurry of curses onto the Auror. One of them got through his shield and he toppled over in pain. Severus couldn't place where he had seen the spell before, but the Auror's legs seemed to have fallen out from under him.
As the man yelled out in pain, Draco's second attempt at slicing cut deep into his neck and the body toppled over limply. As he approached the corpse, a red pool of blood had spread forth from under him.
"That's the same spell Lockhart used on Harry. It seemed so comical back in second year." Draco noted as he saw the legs bent like wet noodles without the bones to give them shape. He seemed transfixed at his first kill and was probably going to over-analyze it.
Severus nodded, using his voice to bring him back to the present. "It's all about intent, Draco. Better get used to the intent to do serious harm to people if you wish to survive. Now, we have two others patrolling the prison that need to be taken care of. Use a reveal spell to track them down and take them out while I go free the prisoners."
As Draco shakily went off in search of the other Aurors, Severus started scaling up the stairs to the Auror that would be in the top tower. I have no choice but to maintain my cover at any cost, he thought darkly as he reflected on his kill count going up.
A voice yelled down to him, "HALT!" And Severus instinctively dodged as a few hexes rained down towards him. Taking refuge in an alcove, he peered around the corner to see that the Auror had indeed been holding his position at the top tower and panicked when the Dementors had simply floated away.
Aiming carefully, he hooked the Auror's ankle, slammed his skull into the railing, and flung the body downwards with force to where Draco was dueling the final Auror. He wondered what it must be like to have the body of your compatriot slammed into you mid-duel, only to realize that he was dead.
The feminine shrieks of horror reached Severus' ears as he wrenched the charmed cell doors apart, the heavy metal straining under the stress of Severus' spells. Lucius tried to smile at his good fortune, but was too cold and shaking from his exposure to the Dementors.
"Who came with you, Sev? I know that's not Bella screaming her head off." Lucius said, shivering. Severus took off his knapsack and handed him decent robes and a bar of chocolate. "Bless you." he mumbled as the chocolate was devoured frantically.
"That would be your son, proving his worth. I may have helped him duel an Auror by dropping a dead one on top of him." Severus shrugged, conjuring a glass tumbler for the wine.
"Dropped a body on the Auror, or my son?" He asked, the warmth coming back to him.
"I cannot be for certain. Either way it will build character." Severus handed Lucius a reserve wand from the knapsack and the two of them set off to release the other Death Eaters.
As the other Death Eaters were freed, they looked at Lucius in disgust for having already been given decent robes and a wand. Bellatrix and Draco had caught up with them as they all were coming down the stairwell.
"Snape, you almost hit me with that corpse!" Draco shouted shakily, covered in blood. "Father, you... look well. Why do have a glass of wine?"
Mutters of 'Malfoy always does well for hisself' were quieted by Severus' glare.
"Well, Draco, there's something to be said about tradition. Since I do not see my wife here, I expect that I wasn't granted my freedom by Ministry bureaucrats?" Lucius joked as he polished off the chocolate.
"Ah, I almost forgot, this is from Narcissa and your servants." Severus pulled out the tin of beingets and Lucius chuckled as he bit into the first one, eager to rub it in the faces of the other Death Eaters.
"Bellatrix, did you bring anything for your dear husband Rodolphus?" Lucius asked, handing one over to Draco. Bellatrix sneered as her husband put his arm around her.
"Oh, 'Trixy here knows seeing her is truly enough of a gift." Rodolphus said gruffly, oblivious to his wife's disgust.
"Let's see, Lucius... clean robes, chocolate for the Dementors, good food and wine..." Severus rambled off.
"...Shaving charm." Lucius playfully scolded.
"Oh, how could I forget that, my dear friend?" Severus used his wand and left Lucius looking clean-shaven and regal. "To our traditions."
Draco looked at the pair of them as if they were mad. "Can we go now?"
"Oh, there is one more thing. Rubbing it in the Minister's face." Severus said cryptically, producing his Patronus. Directing his attention to the silvery dragon, he ignored Lucius' surprised remark. "I, Severus Snape, murderer of Albus Dumbledore and Member of his secret organization, the Order of the Phoenix..." His face contorted in wicked glee as he realized that he could finally break the Fidelius Charm on it, "...would like to report a massive breakout at Azkaban. Kindly send a rescue team for the remains of the Aurors that were guarding this nice little Island Resort, seeing as the Dementors have decided to kindly bugger off." His dragon Patronus flew off, message in tow.
Lucius looked at his friend, puzzled. "You've gone mad."
"Actually, the Minister is currently dealing with a media frenzy and foreign dignitaries here for Albus' funeral that he'll have no choice but to cover this up. The Dark Lord wishes to up-heave the Ministry and have it in a constant state of chaos so it is easier to infiltrate... I may have enjoyed revealing my true allegiance to Scrimgeour, seeing as he signed my parole oh so many years ago." Severus realized that he would have to play the part of a smug and loyal Death Eater, one recently freed from the trappings of Albus Dumbledore.
The Death Eaters around them cackled and laughed darkly at this, and Severus knew that he was playing his part well. This is exactly what they expect.
As the band of Death Eaters passed through the gates of Azkaban, Bellatrix and Draco began freezing the water to make an ice-bridge to walk off of the island.
"You know, there is one more tradition, Severus." Lucius intoned, elbowing his friend in the ribs. Severus' scowl returned.
"What do you mean? I... No, Lucius. I refuse."
"Ah, what kind of Pureblood would I be if I turned against traditions that I hold so dear?"
Draco turned around, eager to see Snape being put on the spot. "Snape, you shouldn't refuse my father's offer of upholding a tradition."
Severus shot a warning glare at Draco. "You have never reminded me of your bothersome mother as much as you do now."
"Now, Sev, don't go beating up on my son just because he's taking my side..." Lucius said smugly. Bellatrix let out a frustrated huff at the banter.
"Quit gossiping among yourselves and let's get back to see The Dark Lord! Draco!" Whipping a hand out, she spun her nephew back to the task of freezing the water to get back to land.
"The boy has always been the spitting image of you and now he's strongly reminding me of Narcissa. It's unnatural."
"I don't know what you're talking about; he's as much as my son as he has ever been..." Lucius was cut off as Severus threw a tripping jinx on the boy, having him fall face-first into the ice.
"He even seems to have Narcissa's shapely round..." Severus countered, smirking at the banter he was having with his best friend.
"Snape! I don' t need to hear this!" Draco said, scrambling to stand on the ice. Lucius and Severus laughed as they lead the freed Death Eaters across to the opposite shore.
"If you still feel the need, take Draco out for a witch on Knockturn Alley. He deserves a reward for his first kill."
"Then perhaps I will." Lucius followed the other Death Eaters to walk across the ice bridge, putting his arm around Severus and whispering in confidence. "Sev, you know and I know that this is all a show for them. My lifetime subscription to the Daily Prophet alerted me that
you weren't just being friendly with my niece, but that you actually cared for her. Besides, Narcissa sent me an owl and told me about the bracelet."
Severus scowled at that, clenching his jaw shut. This was one of his best friends, and he had nobody to speak to about his recent developments. He stiffened under Lucius' embrace as they trudged along the ice, and a barrier that he had kept up needed to fall, even if only temporarily.
His shoulders softened a fraction. "I find myself... troubled."
Lucius felt a thread of concern at Severus' words. Merlin, don't say he...
Severus kept speaking, unaware of his friend's thoughts. "I have known the course of my life from the moment she died." There was a distant quality to voice as he continued. "In many ways I died as well. I have not wanted anything beyond friendship since." His eyes raked in the crowd of Death Eaters reaching land on the other side. "I have not asked for..." He stopped and shook his head. "I have not wanted..." His voiced trailed off into silence. He swallowed, continuing. "There are times when I wish that part of me remained dead."
"Severus, she is not Lily. Let her make up her own mind about you." Lucius consoled, letting go of his compatriot's shoulder.
"I killed Albus and am now the most-wanted Wizard after The Dark Lord. She'll be running back to Lupin's arms by now; I know what all of her friends thought of me." Severus ruminated, taking the final steps onto land himself.
"Well, 'tis better to have loved and lost, my friend."
"Don't spout Tennyson to me. If you wish to quote someone about love, try Machiavelli." Severus sniped as he apparated back to Malfoy manor. A series of pops followed as the Death Eaters went back to their respective homes to clean up before seeing The Dark Lord.
"Apparating away mid-conversation with me? Now, Severus, I understand you're in a right tizzy over this, but surely you can appreciate the delicate situation you are in. Perhaps once this war is over..." Severus flinched at that, visibly offended.
"She will be married and breeding with that cowardly werewolf. I knew that whatever relationship I could have with her would only be temporary."
"A relationship, you say? I believe that this is the first time I have ever heard that word from you. You, Severus Snape, dour professor of potions, actually entertained future plans of being with a witch? Perhaps people can change after all. You wanted a Machiavelli quote?
'The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.' Give her time, and she will see that you are immensely better for her than Remus."
"She'll have birthed a litter for him by then." He said darkly.
"If it is your goal to wallow in bitter self-pity, then be my guest. I'll even share some of my select firewhisky with you if need be. But eventually, you'll have to pick yourself up from the ground and carry on. She's got Black blood in her, so she'll be a witch with a mind of her own and a temper that you'll not want to cross." Lucius' face pinched as his comments sunk in. "Well, try not to cross her again, at the least. My point is, she's no dunderhead spouting the ideas of another like Crabbe is."
"What are you saying, Lucius?" Severus asked, clearly confused at it all.
"If I had to betray my Narcissa the way you did my niece, I'd expect to be hunted down and forced to answer for what I did under the Cruciatus Curse. And Veritaserum. And even then, she probably wouldn't believe me for the first few hours."
As the pair of them entered the manor, Severus schooled his face to its usual impassive state. "I shall look forward to the lady's scorn, then." He muttered as they went to The Dark Lord's receiving chamber.